Fresh sheet

Waste not and save

Experts agree that the key to cutting food costs and preventing waste is planning the weekly menu.

I’ve gotten better over the years, but it is still a challenge. I’d like to renew my efforts at home, given the recent news predicting that food costs will continue to rise and that most households are wasting quite a bit of food.

I need your help. Share your best tips for menu planning with me for an upcoming story. Do you use software to plan and shop? Is there a great recipe that you use to clean out the vegetable drawer? Send your best tips my way at lorieh@spokesman.com.

Palouse hosts brew fest

Palouse residents: Do you need a reason to escape the cabin? Here’s one: The Palouse Cabin Fever Brew Fest.

The Palouse Community Center will host a beer tasting event 3 to 8 p.m. on Feb. 9. Get a commemorative pint glass and six 4-ounce tastes for $15. The event will be held inside as well as out, so bring warm clothes. Only those 21 and older are admitted.

Paradise Creek Brewery, Riverport Brewing and 12 String Brewing Co. will be among the brewers featured. Organizers are announcing participants on the Palouse Cabin Fever Brew Fest page on Facebook. Tickets are limited and will be sold in Palouse at the Green Frog Café, 100 E. Main St., or in Pullman at the Paradise Creek Brewery, 245 S.E. Paradise St.

Resolution help

For resolution-makers who have realized they need some guidance and inspiration, consider the “Mayo Clinic Diet” book. A panel of health experts assembled by U.S. News & World Report recently recognized the diet as one of the top three for weight loss out of nearly 30 diet programs. The book was released in paperback this month.

The diet can help readers drop nasty habits, build new ones and learn to eat healthier. Look inside today’s Food section for a recipe from the book for Morning Glory Muffins. Many of the Mayo Clinic’s healthy recipes are offered online at www.mayoclinic.com.