On Sunday, Feb. 24, first responders — which include law enforcement officers, firefighters and EMTs — will be treated to a free meal at Famous Dave’s BBQ.

Ahwatukee Preschool once again hosted its annual breakfast with Santa on Dec. 8. The children were dressed in beautiful holiday clothing eating muffins and fruit anxiously waiting for Santa. Around 8:45 a.m., the sound of jingle bells rang as Santa entered the Family Life Center at Mountain View Lutheran Church in Ahwatukee, to the delight of the children.

When I told my mother — a fiend for candied ginger — that I was testing a batch of these muffins, she said she wished she could fly right over and dig in. She’s not the only one.

The holiday season is upon us. Over the next few weeks, schedules will be filled with shopping, holiday parties, relatives, plenty of food and spirits and obligations. Socializing during the holidays can be stressful and challenging for some people, especially if your friends and family are not as health-conscious as you. The abundance of holiday treats and homemade goodies can be hard to resist. Fortunately, there’s plenty you can do to avoid holiday weight gain.

It seemed like a tall order. I wanted an edible gift that was fast and easy to make, inexpensive, wouldn’t spoil or need to be refrigerated, and that kids could be involved in.

When I told my mother — a fiend for candied ginger — that I was testing a batch of these muffins, she said she wished she could fly right over and dig in. She’s not the only one.

When I told my mother — a fiend for candied ginger — that I was testing a batch of these muffins, she said she wished she could fly right over and dig in. She’s not the only one.

This savory muffin studded with zucchini and cheddar cheese pairs as wonderfully with dinner as it does breakfast. And consider taking advantage of all that extra zucchini piling up in the garden by baking a double batch. The moisture from the zucchini means these muffins freeze well.

For me, nothing signifies the end of summer as poetically and viscerally as seeing pumpkins in a patch. One look at that field and I start salivating for all of my favorite pumpkin dishes.

I discovered the inspiration for this recipe ages ago in an issue of the Australian edition of Vogue, a magazine I tried to hunt down as often as possible because it had a consistently innovative food section. Though my Jell-O years already were well behind me, I was struck by the cleverness of this recipe, particularly as a healthy snack for kids, and even more particularly at Halloween.

For me, nothing signifies the end of summer as poetically and viscerally as seeing pumpkins in a patch. One look at that field and I start salivating for all of my favorite pumpkin dishes.

The trouble with late summer’s bounty of zucchini isn’t in the volume of the vegetable itself. Rather, it is in the lack of creative recipes for using it.

No fruit says fall like apples. Baked into pies, pureed into sauces, sauteed with meats and stews both savory and sweet, it is one of our most comforting and versatile fruits. But which apple to use for what?

Water is one of the most important nutrients and often overlooked for detoxification, losing body fat, and optimal health. Your body is approximately 70 percent water, your brain tissue approximately 75 percent water, and your blood is 83 percent water.

What do you do when you are hankering for blueberry muffins, but don’t have a muffin pan handy? Or maybe you just don’t feel like cranking up the oven on a hot summer day.

If you — or your kid — are blanching at the thought of yet another year of day-after-day brown bagged PB&J, perhaps this is the year to mix up the lunch box offerings a bit.

If you — or your kid — are blanching at the thought of yet another year of day-after-day brown bagged PB&J, perhaps this is the year to mix up the lunch box offerings a bit.

There’s nothing wrong with showing a bit of skin. Especially if it’s steamy.

Pretty to look at, but what do you do with it?

At its best, getting kids out the door for school each morning is an exercise in herding cats. At its worst, well, here’s a wall, some Jello, and a nail. Have at it.

Mom deserves a freshly baked breakfast in bed on her special day.

Mom deserves a freshly baked breakfast in bed on her special day.

Arizona McDonald’s restaurants statewide are inviting third- through eighth-grade students taking Arizona’s Instrument to Measure Standards (AIMS) to a free breakfast April 16-17, the first two days of testing.