The traditional Sweet Potato Bake, topped with gooey browned marshmallows, has become a Thanksgiving tradition—especially if you have kids.

But recipes are now geared toward more adult tastes, be it Creamy Vanilla Sweet Potatoes or Mashed Sweet Potatoes and Apples with Pecan Streusel Topping.

Bananas add a touch of the exotic—and a nutritional boost—to today’s Caribbean-inspired recipe. Prep time is 20 minutes, bake time is 40 minutes, and all of the ingredients should be available at a well-stocked natural and organic food store.

Hosting a formal holiday dinner with multiple courses?

Follow these place-setting rules from the pros:

1. Always work from the outside in. The fork on the extreme outside is the one used for the first course. The same applies to glassware and cutlery.

Most Halloween treats are sweet, but you can also celebrate the holiday with more healthful savory dishes.

Sweet potatoes (or pumpkin) give today’s recipe its orange hue. Use small Halloween cookie cutters (right) to create a kid-friendly side dish that’s rich in vitamin A.

All of the ingredients should be available at a well-stocked natural and organic food store.

Looking for a Halloween treat that’s easy on your teeth?

Today’s recipes for Black-Cherry Bats and Citrus-Orange Pumpkins won’t screw up braces, fillings or crowns. The key ingredients are natural flavored gelatin (right) and fresh fruit juice.

Each recipe makes 2 dozen treats, and all of the ingredients should be available at a well-stocked natural and organic food store.

These recipes have been adapted from The Braces Cookbook by Pamela Waterman.

Braces are no longer just a teen thing. In fact, roughly half of today’s orthodontic patients are adults.

Having lived through 4 years of mouth metal back in the day, I know how Halloween treats like caramel apples and popcorn balls can wreak havoc with just a few bites. Is it any coincidence that October is National Orthodontic Health Month?

The good news: The American Association of Orthodontists has provided the following list of best and worst Halloween treats.

The average American will spend $66.28 on Halloween this year, $20.29 of which will go toward candy purchases, according to the National Retail Federation. (Costumes are the No. 1 expense.)

But when trick-or-treating first became popular in the 1920s, children received whatever neighbors had on hand: apples, pastries, breads and even money. Flash-forward to the 21st century: We now spend $1.8 billion on Halloween candy each year—so, what has changed?

Nix the burgers and hot dogs this Fourth of July in favor of today’s more healthful, bun-free option.

Hearty portabella mushrooms can stand up to the heat of the backyard grill. In this recipe, they’re artfully topped with a savory tomato blend and garnished with toasted pine nuts and Parmesan cheese.

Prep time is 15 minutes, grilling time is 10 minutes, and all of the ingredients should be available at a well-stocked natural and organic food store.

Grilled Portabella Mushrooms

Makes 6 servings (1 mushroom each) 

1. Spray cold grill and utensils with cooking/grilling spray. Preheat grill to medium heat.
2. Combine tomatoes, garlic and basil in medium bowl; blend well.
3. Grill mushrooms, smooth side up, 5 minutes or until browned. Turn mushroom caps over.
4. Spoon tomato mixture into mushroom caps. Sprinkle with nuts and cheese.
5. Grill an additional 5 minutes, or until mushrooms are tender.

Note: You can easily toast nuts on the grill. Spray a small, cold ovenproof skillet with cooking/grilling spray. Heat skillet; add nuts. Toss until nuts are golden brown. Remove from heat. 

Recipe and photo courtesy of PAM Organic Cooking Spray

Whether you’re celebrating Mother’s Day with a home-cooked brunch or taking Mom to her favorite restaurant, start the celebration with this trendy cocktail. 

Cilantro, ginger and lime add an exotically flavorful flair. Prep time is only 5 minutes, and all of the ingredients should be available at a well-stocked natural and organic food store. 

Write a special toast for Mom, and you’re good to go!

Cilantro Lime Fizz

Makes 2 servings

1. Mix lime juice, gin, cilantro leaves and almond extract in a cocktail shaker with a muddler or wooden spoon, until cilantro is crushed.
2. Add 2 cups ice cubes; shake until well mixed and chilled.
3. To serve, strain over ice cubes in highball glasses. Fill glasses with ginger beer.
4. Garnish with cilantro sprigs.  

Recipe and photo courtesy of McCormick

I’ve been on a vanilla kick this week, posting stories on my must-have extract brand and a holiday recipe for Creamy Vanilla Sweet Potatoes. 

My final vanilla-themed entry is today’s wonderfully wintry cocktail recipe. Add Vanilla Peppermint Pattitinis—a vodka-infused peppermint pattie on ice—to your Christmas or New Year’s Eve bar menu. Trust me, your guests will swoon. 

All of the ingredients should be available at your local natural and organic food store. Bottom’s up!

Vanilla Peppermint Pattitini

Makes 2 servings 

• 2 ounces vodka
• 2 ounces half-and-half or cream
• 1 heaping tablespoon hot cocoa mix
• 1/4 teaspoon pure peppermint extract
• 1/2 teaspoon pure chocolate extract
• 1/2 teaspoon Tahitian vanilla extract (or Madagascar or Mexican extract, if preferred)
• Ice
• Chocolate syrup
• Mini candy canes 

1. Add all ingredients, except the syrup and candy canes, to a shaker, and shake vigorously.
2. Pour into chilled martini glasses.
3. Garnish with a swirl of chocolate syrup and a candy cane.

Recipe and photo courtesy of Nielsen-Massey/ARA

Sweet potatoes and vanilla are a perfect pairing, as demonstrated by:

1. Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Cinnamon Pecan Crunch
2. Sweet Potato Pie Smoothies
3. Mashed Sweet Potatoes and Apples with Pecan Streusel Topping
4. Sweet Potato Bundt Cake

In each recipe, vanilla enhances the orange veggie’s inherent sweetness.

I’m adding a new recipe to the oeuvre: a smooth, creamy holiday side dish that incorporates the richness of cream cheese and butter, the sweetness of maple syrup, and the decadence of smoky bacon. (Vegetarians can easily omit the bacon.)

All of the ingredients should be available at your local natural and organic food store.

Creamy Vanilla Sweet Potatoes

Makes 6 servings

• 4 medium sweet potatoes
• Canola oil
• 2 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/4 cup real maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract (see notes)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 5 strips bacon, crisp-cooked and crumbled

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Wash sweet potatoes, and lightly coat skins with canola oil. Pierce each potato several times with a fork. Place them on a foil-lined baking sheet. Bake for 1 hour, or until fork-tender.
2. Cut the hot potatoes into halves. Scoop the pulp into a mixing bowl, discarding the skins. Beat at medium speed for 1 minute using an electric mixer.
3. Add cream cheese, butter, syrup, vanilla extract, salt and pepper. Whip until creamy.
4. Spoon whipped potatoes into six ramekins coated with nonstick cooking spray, and top with the bacon. Place ramekins on a baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 375°F oven for 5 to 8 minutes, or until heated through.

Recipe and photo courtesy of Nielsen-Massey