Vogue magazine used to include recipes in its home entertaining articles. One of my favorites was a creamy dip I found in a piece about garden parties. Fresh herbs give this dip a delicate green color while garlic adds an assertive flavor. To slim down the original, which was made with heavy cream, my version of this refreshing dip uses low-fat cheeses and sour cream. I serve it with carrot sticks; red, yellow, and orange pepper strips; and cherry tomatoes.
Fast Fact: Dill is rich in antioxidant carotenoids.
Quick Tip: Use a sharp scissors to snip both chives and dill, rather than chopping them with a knife.

You might need to buy:
  • reduced fat sour cream
  • chopped flat-leaf parsley
  • chopped basil
  • snipped chives
  • chopped dill
  • fresh lime juice
  • salt
  • cayenne pepper
  • Freshly ground black pepper
Belongs to Layne R Carrot Cake 

Best carrot cake ever

serves 12
You might need to buy:
  • creme cheese
  • chopped nuts
  • soda
  • allspice
  • cinnamon
  • grated carrots
  • vanilla
  • salt
  • flour
  • eggs
  • vegetable oil
  • sugar
  • butter
  • powdered sugar or 2 1/2 cups
  • vanailla
serves 4
You might need to buy:
  • chopped green onions
  • dried cranberries
  • Italian Dressing

You can make the peanut sauce anytime and reheat just before serving. It may thicken up a little so you might have to add additional water to it.
The soba noodles should be made just before eating. Or you can make them in advance and add a little oil to them to prevent them from sticking together.

serves 4
You might need to buy:
  • rice vinegar
  • tamari
  • water
  • peanut butter
  • Peanut sauce:
  • soba noodles

This is a beautiful, colorful salad. Rinse the quinoa carefully before you cook it to get rid of the saponin.

serves 6
You might need to buy:
  • red wine vinegar
  • olive oil
  • freshly ground pepper
  • salt
  • cucumber chopped
  • quinoa
  • Crumbled feta cheese

There are lots of variations for this recipe. The first time I made it, I took a fresh carrot and just cut it up into small dice.
The last time I made it, I cooked the couscous in vegetable broth to add a little flavor, then I nestled the grain salad onto a bed of baby spinach leaves, added a few coins of cucumber, extra peas (because I love peas) and microwaved wax beans and then added them, as well as some orange pepper dice.
It’s just a lovely canvas to add veggies to.

You might need to buy:
  • raisins
  • frozen or dried small peas
  • frozen or dried finely diced carrots
  • pine nuts
  • Spices:
  • salt
  • dried garlic
  • mild Indian curry
  • turmeric
  • olive oil or butter
  • water
  • coucous
  • parsley
You might need to buy:
  • shortening
  • vanilla
  • brown sugar
  • eggs
  • canned milk
  • cinegar
  • flour
  • soda
  • baking powder
  • salt
  • chopped nuts

This lush smooth soup from Thai-Lao cuisine lends itself beautifully to a Thanksgiving feast. Large wedges of cooking pumpkin, with pale gray-green skins, are sold in Caribbean and Vietnamese and other Southeast Asian groceries. Choose the pumpkin with the reddest flesh. You can also use North American pumpkin or kabocha squash.

serves 8
You might need to buy:
  • cooking pumpkin
  • vegetable broth
  • loosely packed cilantro leaves
  • coarsely ground black pepper
  • minced scallion greens
You might need to buy:
  • shortening
  • brown sugar
  • white sugar
  • egg
  • vanilla
  • flour
  • salt
  • quick oatmeal

Wonderful mild chocolate brownie like dessert.

serves 24
You might need to buy:
  • sugar
  • flour
  • soda
  • salt
  • margarine
  • cocoa
  • water
  • buttermilk
  • eggs
  • vanilla