Cool weather makes gardening fun so local folks start thinking about garden projects. It is a great time to get acquainted with our Hawaii Island Master Gardeners. This coming Saturday, Jan. 29, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., the East Hawaii Master Gardeners are having a plant sale at the University of Hawaii College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources Komohana Ag Complex in Hilo.

Food drive fights heart disease

Plant People Road Show comes to Kona Feb. 11

About 100 Kaiser Permanente physicians, providers, nurses, staff, and their family members volunteered at two Hawaii Island sites Monday as part of the organization’s annual Day of Service on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Boneless, skinless chicken breast is the most-purchased cut of poultry in the U.S., but it’s easy to overcook and generally bland. Thankfully, the solution to both problems happens to be both simple and fast — a boldly flavored stir-fry.

Expect nonalcoholic bottles to start taking up even more real estate on bar shelves.

NEW YORK — Ask people what you might find buried in the muck at the bottom of New York City’s East River and they’d likely say “mob boss” before thinking of mammoth bones.

Viva Magenta is the hot new color for 2023, according to Pantone, the gurus of all things color. Specifically, it is Pantone 18-1750. In the garden world, flowers will never be able to be bred so specifically so as to reach a Pantone number. We as gardeners, horticulturists, landscape and container designers, however, want to participate; we love this time of the year. Thus, Viva Magenta becomes somewhat subjective. That being said, I first nominate Superbena Royale Plum Wine verbena as a gardening pick for the color of the year.

If you haven’t been already, it’s time to start thinking about the design of your home and what’s changing in the new year.

At first glance, Nina Edwards Anker’s sconces and chandeliers look like ancient scrolls of parchment, or sheets of buttery toffee, wrapped around LED bulbs.

While looking for a warm and inviting winter meal, I thought a hot bowl of soup would be perfect. I love the welcoming smell of homemade soup. The best part is this soup is made in one pot and takes about 20 minutes from assembling the ingredients to cooking it. It’s a vegetarian meal that won’t break your calorie bank.

Classic, slow-simmered ragù Bolognese isn’t a weeknight dinner option, but its tomato-free cousin, white Bolognese, certainly can be. This rustic sauce made from ground meat, white wine, aromatics and olive oil is no less traditional and gets on the table in under 45 minutes.

When it comes to community outreach, rhe University of Hawaii College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources Extension Service is comparable to the way Peace Corps reaches out to folks in other countries. The Master Gardener program is an important componant of the UH-CTAHR Extension Service. The program is set up to assist local folks with home gardening issues.

‘Reach Out and Read’ campaign kicsk off