As September rolls in, nature turns her thermostat down ever so slightly, and steamy summer nights become bearable. In other words, it’s time to get grilling! Just imagine smoke-kissed meat and charred veggies, a flavor bomb only your grill can create. Can’t you just smell it, taste it?  Get outside and “Fuel Your Fire” this fall with Kingsford!

Often considered the “man’s domain,” the grill can be intimidating. Girls, I feel you! I’ve never grilled in my life. But, it’s time to stop dismissing succulent skewers and juicy steak recipes only because they involve learning a new trick or two. Just like tackling your newest kitchen gadget, or DIY, it’s all in the research. But alas, look no further... The King of Grills—Kingsford—has everything you need to become a grill master! Check out www.kingsford.com for a plethora of step-by-step guides for every type of grill and cooking style, hundreds of recipes, grilling tips and so much more. It’s only a click away.

No matter how you slice them, apples are one of fall’s favorite—and healthiest —fruits. Nothing signals the start of fall more than a visit to an apple orchard, the sweet taste of caramel apples and hot apple cider … or the smell of a freshly baked apple pie warming in the oven. As the old English proverb reminds us, nothing could be healthier than enjoying an apple a day! Whether eating them whole on-the-go, or as a key ingredient in a delicious, savory dish that is sure to make you the apple of someone’s eye.

So what is behind the apple’s appeal? In addition to being packed with a wide variety of different flavors and textures (tart, sweet, mild, crunchy and crisp just to name a few), apples are also bursting with distinctive and amazing health benefits. According to USApple (www.usapple.org), a nonprofit organization representing the nation’s 7,500 apple growers, as well as 1,000 individual firms in the apple business, “recent research link apple nutrients with promising results that suggest “a link between apples and weight loss, brain health, including Alzheimer’s disease, certain forms of cancer, lung and heart health and stroke.” In addition, apples are an excellent source of dietary fiber and a healthy source of antioxidants, which is linked to the prevention of many diseases. How ‘bout them apples?

Hot, steamy summer nights call for light and fresh when it’s time to sit down for dinner, and the bounty of seasonal vegetables are a delicious go-to. Whether you’re hitting the grill, or sautéing or roasting in the blissful air conditioning, Pero Family Farms is making sure you get the freshest quality vegetables to take your meal to the next level and with little to no prep. Little to no prep? Yes please, now we’re talking my kind of recipes.

Founded by Sicilian immigrant Peter Pero in 1908, Pero Family Farms began humbly as a small town farm in New York. Now the largest vegetable distributor in the Southeast USA, they are the epitome of an authentic American dream and farmer success story. After Peter’s passing, his wife Dea Pero and their sons followed in his footsteps and sustained the farming operation, continuing the solid foundation with arduous labor and dedication. Now in the family’s fifth generation and a move to the prime growing conditions in Florida, the company is a growing legacy with innovative techniques, a sophisticated delivery network and more than 30 premium products (including an organic line), Pero Family Farms still holds true to its deep roots and carries on the legacy of the finest quality vegetables grown on a family-owned and operated farm.

It’s safe to say that watermelons are the symbol of summer. Because let’s be real, is there anything more American than chomping away on a chin-dribbling slice of juicy watermelon on a hot afternoon? No summer celebration—especially Independence Day—is complete without sweet, scrumptious and succulent watermelon.

In order to give your next wedge the edge, we went to the experts to bring you everything from flavorful fare to ripe refreshments. Representing 800 watermelon growers, shippers and importers nationwide, The National Watermelon Promotion Board boasts #watermeloneveryday from the vine to time to dine. Their website www.watermelon.org is a complete guide on everything watermelon from a "meet the growers" to hundreds of delicious recipes and staple sweet treats of summer.

Sweet, delicious and filled with the wonderful flavor of citrus, oranges can be a juicy addition to nearly every meal. That’s right, your new favorite summer squeeze offers up zesty bright notes with each succulent slice or sip. From dressings and marinades to seafood and sorbet, oranges are tasty treats for fun-filled family feasts.

When you think of Florida, you think of oranges—they’re as synonymous as America and apple pie. But why is that? Citrus was first farmed commercially in Florida i'n the mid-1800s, with the first orange trees planted in St. Augustine in the mid-1500s. Oranges thrive in Florida’s subtropical temperatures, abundant rainfall, plentiful sunshine and unique, sandy soil. Florida’s natural conditions tend to grow juicier oranges with a distinctive taste and look.

Ready to kick your family’s dinner flavor up a notch? Take the time to try something new for Cinco de Mayo and bring your home cooked meals to a new level with Pace® Foods’ products. Your family will celebrate you and the delicious dinners you can craft with the pleasing picante and salsa flavors perfected by Pace®.

Cooking is the perfect way to bring the family together for a delicious meal that will spice up the day. Pace’s® family favorites like slow-cooked chicken tacos and slow cooker chicken tortilla soup are simple meals to prepare and great to get the children involved, too.

Reddi-wip has been whipping it good in millions of homes long before the 80s Punk band, Devo, told us to “Whip it good.” Since 1948, this favorite refrigerator shelf staple, with its ever-popular white and red capped canister, has given America and the world an easy way to put smiles on faces young and old. There are few other food products as fun to eat as a dollop, or a wallop, of the creamy, cold deliciousness of Reddi-Wip!

Come on. Admit it. You’ve tilted the Reddi-Wip canister straight from the fridge for an mouth full of luscious, sweet creamy delight. And why not? Reddi-Wip is REAL cream and always has been!

The first month of the new year has officially come to a close. Knowing full well you may still be stuck in some of those habits of 2019, you ask yourself what you can really do to make that change you’ve been wanting to make. Sometimes, it’s the small steps that count, and if you’re looking to make a difference in either your health, or your productivity, we have just the answer for you: PAM. It may come as a surprise at first, but the diverse uses of PAM, as well all the saved cholesterol and sodium, are a winning demonstration that PAM is not just your ordinary “flour” spray. As the undisputed leader in non-stick cooking sprays, PAM is committed to you spending more time enjoying meals, and less time cleaning up.

January is the official month to stay in and reconnect with your home life, which makes it the perfect time to cozy up with delicious, comforting, hot meals with family and friends, and no one wraps you in warmth like Campbell’s Soup Company.

Their motto is “Real food that matters for life’s moments.” Campbell’s inspiration and purpose has served families for 150 years, as  they are trusted to provide soups, snacks, simple meals and beverages in almost every pantry across America. If you currently don’t have a can of Campbell’s soup in the cupboard, we have two things to let you know. 1. You always need a can of Campbell’s Chicken Noodle Soup in case of scratchy throats, sniffling noses and general winter doldrums. This Campbell’s classic is a 24/7/365 must have. 2. You have Campbell’s products you didn’t even know were theirs. Here’s some of their A-listers: Cape Cod, Goldfish, Pepperidge Farm, Pace, Kettle, Lance, Prego, Swanson, V8 and more. Impressed? We are…and hungry!

When the holiday season rolls around it’s time to whip out the aprons! Each year, the ladies in my family gather to bake dozens of cakes...flour and sugar is scattered on every surface, and we are all wearing big smiles full of holiday cheer. Each batch is carefully measured and stirred with love—just like the heart behind centuries of baking brilliance with King Arthur Flour.When the holiday season rolls around it’s time to whip out the aprons! Each year, the ladies in my family gather to bake dozens of cakes...flour and sugar is scattered on every surface, and we are all wearing big smiles full of holiday cheer. Each batch is carefully measured and stirred with love—just like the heart behind centuries of baking brilliance with King Arthur Flour.

We all love the sugary, caramelized flavor of sweet potatoes,
but don’t let their sweet nature fool you. Behind their orange interior, sweet potatoes are chock full of nutrients from which you can easily benefit when prepared properly.

So what exactly makes sweet potatoes so nutritious?
Beta Carotene & Vitamin A: When eaten with the skin on*, a medium sweet potato has four times the recommended daily intake for beta carotene! Beta carotene is a precursor to vitamin A, meaning the body coverts it to vitamin A and it plays a vital role in vision, bone development and immune function. Vitamin A is a fat soluble vitamin, so be sure to eat your sweet potato with a little bit of fat, like a pat of butter, for maximum vitamin absorption.

VITAMIN C: Like citrus, sweet potatoes are a good source of vitamin C, which helps fight infections, heal wounds and absorb iron. A medium sweet potato provides 35 percent of your daily recommended amount of vitamin C.

MANGANESE: Sweet potatoes are a good source of manganese, which helps maintain normal blood sugar levels and optimal thyroid function. 

America is drizzling, dipping and dunking more than ever with its absolute favorite salad dressing—ranch. This herbaceous, zesty dressing took the nation by storm three decades ago, and it still reigns supreme. Who better to tout its distinctive fresh flavors than the original creator—Hidden Valley? Along with most Americans, Hidden Valley Ranch takes its dressing seriously. “Hidden Valley has become more than America’s favorite ranch dressing, it’s a point of view—a proud, zesty stake in the ground that proclaims you can never take your love of ranch too far…”

It was around 1954 when Steve Henson, a cowboy from Nebraska, decided to create delicious dressing that mixed buttermilk, herbs and spices. While the dressing was originally intended for the guests of his Santa Barbara Dude Ranch named “Hidden Valley,” guests couldn’t get enough. They began requesting jars to take home to enjoy and share with friends and family. Word got out, and the rancher was inundated with requests for his salad dressing from all over the United States. Finally, in the 1980s, the dressing began being bottled, creating the tangy, delicious condiment we know today as Hidden Valley Ranch. And, we are forever thankful for it.

Fall has arrived, and along with it, football parties are in full swing with wonderful wafting scents of grilled meat and the sounds of friends and fellowship. And, who better to set fire to your grilling goals than the “King of the Grill”—Weber!

Made by grillers, for grillers, Weber is the world’s premiere manufacturer of charcoal, gas and electric grills and accessories, and they are top-rack when it comes to the best grilling recipes, techniques and maintenance tips. The man behind the signature kettle design was grill master and inventor George Stephen. Inspired by a buoy, he created the design in 1952 while working for Weber Brothers Metal Works in Chicago—all in the name of grilling the best steaks for his family. Along with his heritage and legacy, the passion for innovation and quality has lived on, as Weber continues to smoke the grill market, remaining a cut above. 

We’ve all heard the saying: “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.” In fact, you’re probably rolling your eyes now, preparing yourself for an unreasonable amount of apple puns. What you may not be prepared for is the truth behind the statement. An apple a day really can help keep the doctor away. How about them apples?

We teamed up with Superfresh Growers, the “Force Behind the Fresh,” to talk about these healthy, nutritious, juicy and delicious fruits! This leading grower and shipper of organic and conventional fruit is known for their appetizing apples like the Autumn Glory, a sweet and firm apple with hints of cinnamon and caramel, or the bright green Granny Smith, a citrusy-tart and crisp apple. Most of all, Superfresh Growers is known for 125 years of dedication to the apple, pear and cherry industries. “Our people, from the orchards to the loading docks, are the connected force behind innovation, flavor, and quality.”

America’s beloved little indigo-colored berry has been around for ages. 13,000 years to be precise. Who can resist that burst of blueberry flavor whether it’s picked fresh or in a muffin or a pie? Taste alone makes these violet-tinged poppers desirable; but now they’ve been anointed as a health food—full of antioxidants and part of a healthy brain diet. This month we invite you to include these delicious blueberry recipes as part of your entertaining agenda or everyday plans. The only thing better than serving delectable, healthy food is eating it!