I never agree with feeding babies food filled with all sorts of preservatives and colorings and chemicals. You might agree too, but this may exactly be what you're feeding your baby if you're buying their food in jars from the supermarket. Even if these baby food manufacturers says they do not use any preservatives, there should be some kind of chemical in the food to make them last. Really, who needs baby foods to last five years?

photo credit: La.blasco

If you are worried about what goes through your baby's mouth, you'd be smart enough to make real food for them. Sounds intimidating, but there are actually a lof of home- made baby food recipes to choose from. When my baby was around two years old, I made him a hummus dip for his veggies. It was derived from the hummus recipe I got from my mom, except that it's tahini- free. You know how allergic sesame can be to babies, which is why you need to be careful with tahini around them. Anyway, I made him a simple yet healthy hummus-- and he just loves them! I think it was his favorite next to the quinoa and roasted vegetables I made him. And I was just so glad that my baby is eating chemical- free baby food. If you want your baby to grow up healthy, start making real food for him. Here's how you make the same hummus dip I used to make for him.

First, soak dried chickpeas – also called garbanzo beans-- in cold water overnight. Drain them, then boil in a saucepan for about one to one and a half hour. Once cooked, drain the chickpeas but reserve the water. You would then need to place the chickpeas in a food processor along with a pinch of ground cumin, two teaspoon of lemon juice and one teaspoon of olive oil. Add a little bit of the cooking water and just continue to puree until you reach the consistency you want.

Just a few weeks ago I was at Horseneck Beach. The state park is pretty nice. There is a long beach on Buzzards Bay, a campground, some bathrooms and a concession stand. You pay a little less than $10 per car load to get in and then you can go enjoy the beach. You have to pay an overnight fee if you want to use the campground.

Having never been there before I was not sure how I would find things there. I also did not prepare very well, as I found out after I was there for a little while. I did not bring a cooler with some food and drink supplies and I really, really should have. I went to the concession stand an the prices for things were just outrageous. Almost everything they sold was at least double what you would pay if you were not hanging out in the state park.

I did like the park and I do think I will try to go back again next summer. This time though I will be prepared. No emptying my wallet at Horseneck Beach just to get a sandwich and a drink.

Some people had a feeling we were heading down the wrong track for the last several years. Others are just now getting on board by reading survivalist blogs and learning how to prepare for an uncertain future. Some people have started stocking up because they feared job loss, a collapse in the economy or any number of things that they felt could go wrong. I know people who had stocked up on a years worth of food and suddenly found their self without a job. That years worth of food came in handy while they looked for work. They may have not intended for it to be used this way, but by preparing they were ready when it counted. You never know when those supplies you've put back comes in handy.

Having a vegetarian or vegan guest can be a daunting challenge to serve if your’e not of that ilk yourself.  No one wants to offend a friend, so here are some basic guidelines and rules to remember to keep you and your dinner date on congenial terms with each other.

• Vegetarian: A person who eats vegetables, fruits, grains, seeds, nuts, and usually eggs and dairy products but no meat or fish.
• Vegan:  Somebody who eats vegetables, fruits, grains, seeds, nuts, but no eggs, dairy products, meat, fish, or animal products of any kind.

Note to the wise, these guys see more tofu than anyone could shake a stick at, so get creative; portabella is the steak of the mushroom world and eggplant comes in so many varieties it should be super easy to impress with that combo.  Also, a casserole makes an awesome easy way for everyone to eat the same thing, without the emphasis on any one person’s particular eating habits.