While studying abroad in Venezuela, I, along with other students, would take overnight buses to the coast. It was there where I discovered cacao trees, which give us chocolate and is found growing as an understory tree.
Kitchen
![Roasted Vegetables Roasted tomatoes, carrots and onions in a sheet pan.](https://archive.lakeminnetonkamag.com/sites/default/files/styles/195x118-scale-smartcrop/public/field/image/roasted-veg-baking-sheet.jpg?itok=NPioDFOR)
Specialty Kitchen Shop Shares Abundant Recipes in New Cookbook. Cookbook serves recipes that are “tasty and quick.”
![Easy Buddha Bowls Easy Buddha Bowls](https://archive.lakeminnetonkamag.com/sites/default/files/styles/195x118-scale-smartcrop/public/field/image/iStock-1161756729_1.jpg?itok=-_tJJjaq)
A few months ago, I happened across a 2017 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report stating that only one in 10 adults meets the federal guidelines of one-and-a-half to two cups of fruit and two to three cups of vegetables per day.
![Napa Valley Brussels Sprouts Napa Valley Brussels Sprouts](https://archive.lakeminnetonkamag.com/sites/default/files/styles/195x118-scale-smartcrop/public/field/image/Napa%20Valley%20Brussels%20Sprouts%20with%20Pomegranate%20Seeds_0.jpg?itok=ffXNVQBl)
I get excited this time of year, when Brussels sprouts are in season (through mid-February) because it gives me a reason to make one of my all-time favorite and most party-perfect side dishes.
![bone broth bone broth](https://archive.lakeminnetonkamag.com/sites/default/files/styles/195x118-scale-smartcrop/public/field/image/EDN_0421_BoneBroth_CE_2623.jpg?itok=288gjldl)
The old adage and once popular book title Chicken Soup for the Soul is no joke. Turns out chicken broth truly is a restorative food. Dieticians claim that broth can help keep you hydrated, clear congestion and ease cold symptoms.
![grains grains](https://archive.lakeminnetonkamag.com/sites/default/files/styles/195x118-scale-smartcrop/public/field/image/CLM1121_Grain_Wine_CE_2481.jpg?itok=I80N9KGY)
Why does pasta get so much of the culinary glory? Granted, it transforms dishes, comes in shapes galore and has “comfort food” written all over it.
I recently helped my college-age daughter host her first dinner party for her friends. (She said they were just “hanging out,” but it was, in fact, a dinner party.)
![](https://archive.lakeminnetonkamag.com/sites/default/files/styles/195x118-scale-smartcrop/public/field/image/CLM_1021_HalloweenStyled_CE_1760_0.jpg?itok=gGgGV3mK)
Concept 1: The Alchemist/Mad Scientist. Go with Apothecary themed decor and an Anatomical garnish bar.
![cooking in kitchen with kids cooking in kitchen with kids](https://archive.lakeminnetonkamag.com/sites/default/files/styles/195x118-scale-smartcrop/public/field/image/iStock-1220716995.jpg?itok=8JXaa_Xs)
Start teaching your kids to cook early and slow with safe, confidence-boosting challenges before progressing to more complicated or hazardous undertakings. You know your child best; use your comfort level and their confidence and ability levels as guides.
![homemade balsamic vinaigrette homemade balsamic vinaigrette](https://archive.lakeminnetonkamag.com/sites/default/files/styles/195x118-scale-smartcrop/public/field/image/iStock-641874238_1.jpg?itok=WxDtu2QN)
With a mere 150 square feet, I only grow what I know I’ll eat and only the easy stuff—tomatoes, peas, zucchini, herbs and lots of lettuces, for the most part. I humbly admit I am a below-average, somewhat lazy gardener.