Yesterday, I did a television cooking segment for NBC 13 Daytime Alabama featuring fresh Chilton County Peaches. One of the three recipes I made was Pork Chops with Peach Salsa which was featured on my site a few weeks back. It had such huge views that I was requested to feature it again.  Here you go.  I hope you enjoy.

Since I was born and raised in the south, I can honestly say I have tried a lot of great fried foods. Over the years, I have worked hard to lighten some of my favorite southern dishes. These Panko-Crusted Fish Sticks have to be one of my favorites. When I made them recently, everyone was raving about them and begged for the recipe. Not only because they were so pretty, but the flavor was out of this world. I served them with this simple sauce, and dinnertime was a hit. These make a great appetizer or main dish for anytime during the year. This recipe also works great with chicken, cut into thin strips.

I have some big news. Very big news!!! For those of you who have not heard, I am working on a cookbook, and the manuscript is due September 15th. It is more work than I ever imagined, and I can’t thank my kids, family and friends enough for their understanding during this busy time.

It is a very “big” book. When I say “big”, I mean it. 400 recipes. The book will be out spring 2011.  It is a very exciting time, and I couldn’t have done any of this everyone’s awesome support. I cannot thank you enough.

I will blog more about it in the coming months.  Stay tuned . . .

My daughter, Leigh and I, were trying to figure out what to do with some fresh strawberries and blueberries. Since it’s been so hot outside (100 degrees today), I thought, how about popsicles? With only 3 ingredients, these Strawberry-Blueberry Popsicles were a home-run. They taste great, especially with chunks of fresh strawberries. Thank you, Leigh, for all of your help making these.

People ask me all of the time for healthier versions of recipes, and this is one of my all-time favorite main-dish salads. This Healthy Taco Salad recipe has only 184 calories, 4 grams of fat and 19 carbohydrates per serving. It’s so easy starting with a homemade taco seasoning blend for the beef and homemade baked corn tortilla strips. This recipe can also be gluten-free substituting gluten-free tortillas and gluten-free salsa. Enjoy for a simple, healthy weeknight dinner.

Okay, so occasionally I splurge and post a recipe that’s not the healthiest, but it’s the weekend, right? Here is a recipe for Orange Margaritas that’s great. I have to credit this beverage to Kay, who makes the best cocktails. We love going swimming at her fabulous pool, and she even makes non-alcocholic versions for the kids. This is a great summertime drink that’s perfect when you want something really easy but special and delicious.

When I worked at Southern Living Magazine, we tested a lot of Tomato Pie recipes. I have been searching for one without mayonnaise that was lighter, healthier and still tasted great. My assistant, Alatia, told me about one that she made recently. This Tomato-Basil Pie is super easy, and it makes great use of summery fresh tomatoes and basil. My kids said it tasted similar to a pizza, and they loved it. This is a great recipe idea for a party appetizer, light main-dish dinner or lunch. Serve with a drizzle of balsamic if you like. It’s a true taste of summer.

One of my favorite things to snack on is granola. In town, Big Sky Granola is one of my favorites because it’s chunky like this Chunky Nut and Dried Fruit Granola recipe. I made this for a special treat for my friend who just had surgery, and she took one bite and said, “This granola rocks!” It is as good as it looks and full of wonderful ingredients.

Recently, Naturally Nora, a company specializing in all natural baking mixes, asked me to experiment with some of their mixes. Their cake mixes, brownie mixes and frostings have no artificial colors, artificial flavors, preservatives or hydrogenated oil. I was so excited to try their mixes. My kids went nuts over their brownie mix, and it worked great in this simple Brownie S’mores recipe. It was so fun to make these with the kids-a wonderful summertime afternoon project.

When Whole Foods Market asked me if I would do one of my television cooking segments for NBC 13 “Daytime Alabama” on Alaskan Salmon, I said, “Yes, please.” We eat salmon at least once a week at my house. Salmon is called a “superfood” because it’s high in omega-3 fatty acids, a type of fat that seems to decrease the risk of heart disease. It’s also a prime source of protein and contains vitamins A and B. This salsa works great with the dish featuring “I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter Spray”. Serve the salsa warm or at room temperature.

Watch my segment, Friday, July 9th at 11:30 central time.