You scream, I scream, we'll all be screaming for ... the recipe for Spiced Banana Ice Cream, a rich-tasting banana ice cream, made slightly exotic and especially memorable with a trio of pantry spices. Cross-eyed. So go my eyes when a store shelf battles with my brain. It’s a confrontation of choice versus convenience, niche versus necessary, extravagance versus enough. A hundred toothpastes? mustards? light bulbs? dog food? Do we really need so many choices? Y’know, wouldn’t just a few be enough? In fact, research shows that when confronted with more than five options, people just pick one, almost blindly, ignoring labels and price differences – or they walk away empty-handed, unable to make any decision. So it’s been with me and the ‘gallon-size’ ice cream cookbook The Perfect Scoop: Ice Creams, Sorbets, Granitas, and Sweet Accompaniments by pastry chef, cookbook author, food blogger and Paris bon vivant, David Lebovitz. Please don’t take this wrong. I’ve lusted

Such a quick and simple recipe, this dip for raw vegetables, just a few often-on-hand pantry ingredients and a few minutes to stir together It's a " veggie evangelist's " secret weapon! ~ Skip Straight to the Recipe ~ This recipe is so quick and easy that I'm adding it to a special collection of easy summer recipes published every summer since 2009. Watch for new "summer easy" recipes all summer long! With a free e-mail subscription , you'll never miss a one! Sneaking In a Serving of Vegetables Call me sneaky but come summer, an hour or so before supper, out comes a plate of fresh veggies – who can spell crudités? who can pronounce CROO-dee-tay? But the real secret weapon, the super-secret one, is the creamy vegetable dip alongside. Within minutes, hungry folk start to snack, a stick of carrot here, a slice of red pepper there. Without ever “serving” a vegetable, I’ve managed to sneak in one of the day’s vegetable servings.

One of my favorite simple suppers, one that's light and easy and healthy too. It's quick enough for a weeknight supper but also special enough for company. Weight Watchers, you'll love this simple fish, just a few points for something that tastes rich and satisfying. ~ Skip Straight to the Recipe ~ BEST RECIPES! Fish with Herb Butter Made the List! Best Recipes of 2004 Lightening Up? Feeling heavy and slow from food-centered gatherings with friends and family over the long weekend? Overeat at breakfast or lunch? FISH with HERB BUTTER just might be the cure. Quick to prepare and serve, there’s barely time to toss a salad! It's extra easy for someone who already has herbs on hand. Sooo ... hey, have you planted a few herbs yet? Keeping two or three favorites herbs in pots will keep you in herbs all summer long, all for the price of a few plants. See my post about growing herbs at home, Never Buy Fresh Herbs Again . Culinary Tools for One or