Blog Posts by The Editors of EatingWell Magazine

Enter to Win a $2,000 Baker's Dream Shopping Spree!This is my first summer working at EatingWell and I recently found out it's going to be filled with cookies. (Good thing I'm planning to ride my bike to work most days!)

During the summer months the Test Kitchen staff will test all our readers' entries for the 3rd Annual EatingWell Holiday Cookie Contest. This year's winners will be featured in a "Cookie Swap" article to appear in the November/December 2008 issue of EatingWell Magazine.

While "healthy" isn't usually a term that one associates with cookies, the ones we test meet the EatingWell nutritional guidelines while still being sweet and satisfying. Each year EatingWell gets dozens of entries for healthy holiday cookie recipes. We bake them up in our Test Kitchen and then narrow the entries down to 10 semi-finalists. On one delicious day, more than 30 staff members and interns at EatingWell take on the serious job of taste-testing the top 10 semi-finalists.

After sampling the goodies (with palate-cleansing milk

Black Bean Croquettes with Fresh SalsaWe're all for getting dinner on the table fast and for using convenience products (judiciously). But we're sure you can do that and cook from a recipe, too, with just a little advance planning and strategic shopping. Why try new recipes? They can help you learn about new foods, find out about ingredients you've never used and discover easy substitutions for making foods you know and love healthier. Even cooks who are whipping up dinner every day sans recipe can learn a trick or two taking a new recipe for a spin.

Consider these quick weeknight recipes:

• TUESDAY: Canned beans turn into sophisticated Black Bean Croquettes with Fresh Salsa in just 25 minutes of active time.
  
• WEDNESDAY: Learn how to cut 22 grams of fat (compared with a typical version) with our take on Chicken Piccata with Pasta & Mushrooms.
  
• THURSDAY: Get familiar with Caldo Tlalpeño, a garlicky Mexican soup often served across the border in El Paso, Texas, but easy to replicate in just

Nothing reminds me of spring more than the earthy-sweet smell of fresh onions. I grew up in Connecticut on land that was part of an onion farm in the 1800s. By mid-May, the spindly leaves of spring onions poked up haphazardly across our yard. For my sister, brother and me, they were treasures we gathered to make soup. Nowadays, when I want to bring back those memories, I make Spring Onion Soup, a fresh, healthier version of traditional French Onion soup.

Spring Onion Soup

Onions are good for you too. Here are 3 reasons to eat more of them:

• Onions are high in inulin, a carbohydrate that promotes the growth of disease-fighting bacteria.
  
• Onions are rich in quercetin, a flavonoid that may stop the oxidation of LDL (bad cholesterol) and raise HDL (good cholesterol).
  
• People who eat lots of onions and garlic are less likely to develop major cancers, according to recent research.

Enjoy these nutritional stars in 4 more great recipes:

Ruffled Phyllo Tart with Spring FruitI'm going to let my Mom relax this weekend and treat her to a delicious Mother's Day meal. I'm planning an easy, but elegant menu of Mother's Day recipes to make my mom feel special.

Our midday feast of EatingWell recipes, which are healthier versions of traditional, rich fare, includes whole grains, fruits and vegetables. The recipes in this menu also emphasize the colors and flavors of spring. I can make or prep most of the dishes ahead so I can spend time relaxing with my mom instead of cooking.

Healthy Mother's Day Menu:

• Nothing sets the tone for celebration better than a mint-tinged Raspberry Spritzer, made with Chambord (if you choose to use alcohol) and seltzer to keep calories in check.

• For a starter, serve Green Olive & Almond Spread with a toasted baguette or zucchini or cucumber slices.

• A poached egg on an English muffin is typical breakfast fare, but in Eggs Italiano the addition of a full-flavored, chunky vegetable medley between the egg and

EatingWell's Pepperoni PizzaI still remember when my father was diagnosed with high cholesterol, because my mother told us we were all going to start eating better. We'd have more chicken, vegetables and "fat-free" foods, less pizza and French fries. I was devastated-vinegar fries were my weekly tradition at high school football games. I could still get them, she said-once in a while. Wise message.

I certainly didn't envision that we'd be eating the kinds of delicious heart-healthy recipes the cooks in the EatingWell Test Kitchen whip up. There are many ways to live and eat for heart health but to get you going, here are three heart-healthy dishes that taste so good you'll forget they're good for you.

• EatingWell's Pepperoni Pizza (280 calories, 6 g fat, 3 g saturated fat) uses turkey pepperoni and part-skim mozzarella to minimize the saturated fat that boosts cholesterol-and, subsequently, risk of heart disease.
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• Chicken isn't the only meat you can eat for better cholesterol; lean beef

EatingWell Sloppy JoesWhat's for dinner? In my childhood home, before the days of lean ground turkey in every supermarket meat case, it was ground beef. One of my favorite meals was Sloppy Joes. I still love to eat these saucy sandwiches, and luckily I know that the problem with beef is just its image.

Beef actually has a lot going for it, health-wise. Any ground beef 90%- lean or higher fits into a healthy eating plan. Few foods provide as much zinc, a mineral vital to growth and a healthy immune system. Plus, beef is a great source of protein, iron and vitamin B12.

It's actually easy to make Sloppy Joes healthier. Here's what the EatingWell test cooks do:

• Add plenty of finely diced mushrooms, onions and tomatoes so that we can use less meat but keep the serving size generous and make it moist.
  
• Use 90% lean ground beef.
  
• Opt for whole-wheat buns over white buns-they have more fiber and nutrients.

So with relatively little fat and all those nutrients, you can

I heart salad. My love affair started with the pile of iceberg, cucumbers and tomatoes doused in Hidden Valley Ranch my mom served when I was a kid.

My tastes have since evolved and last summer I discovered how easy it is to grow salad greens. Basically, sprinkle seeds on soil and water. Within a few weeks, voila-greens galore. Every day I'd snip enough to make a salad for lunch. I replanted after 6 to 8 weeks and I had fresh greens from early May through October.

Want to start your own salad habit? Use crisp spring greens in these 4 satisfying salads:

1. Seared Steak Salad with Edamame & Cilantro: Toss steak with baby Asian greens and colorful veggies for lunch or dinner.
   
2. Shrimp Cobb Salad: Thawed frozen cooked shrimp packs a protein punch in this quick salad.
   
3. Romaine Salad with Orange, Feta & Beans: Rich in vitamins A and C and folate, this combination of fruits and vegetables will be loved by vegetarians and omnivores alike.
   

Kiwi-Mint JulepsThe Kentucky Derby is known as "The Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports." I've actually never watched the Kentucky Derby but I'm going to take a chance this year. If it's only two minutes, what do I have to lose?

Plus it's a great excuse for a party. So I'm gathering my friends and we're going to watch in Millionaire Row style. Large, elaborate hats are definitely required and of course there will be mint juleps-EatingWell's Kiwi-Mint Juleps. If we're going to drink, we might as well add some vitamin C, folate, potassium and fiber to cocktail hour!

Our Southern favorites menu will also include:

• Barbecue pulled chicken: This easy recipe is prepared in a slow-cooker (I know, true Southerners would weep), but it's always a hit with my friends and leftovers freeze beautifully.
  
• Braised Kale: I'll use kale from a local farm to make this savory side.
  
• Mini Pecan Tartlets: My mom's recipe rocks-who doesn't love bite-size desserts?
  

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