Onions, onions, the magical vegetable. Growing in your garden, oh-so plentiful. The more you eat, the better you feel. We should have onions at every meal.

If those Shakespeare-worthy poetic words didn’t get you excited about onions, just wait! While well known for their flavor enhancing characteristics in the culinary world, onions can do far more than elicit an “mmmmm” out of you. Here are eight reasons to celebrate the pungent little plant even more.

Today, the canning trend is soaring ahead as people want to take advantage of the seasonal availability of local produce, add more fruits and vegetables into their diets and enjoy the slow rewards of delayed gratification. Free of many of the chemicals that come along with commercially canned food, home canning is a healthier alternative that is kinder to the earth and your budget.

We know, we know – charred ground beef on a bun isn’t the healthiest dinner option around. Unless you are planning a vegetarian conversion, however, it is unlikely that you are going to kick the hamburger habit any time soon. 

The following tips can be used separately or can be combined to create a truly healthy hamburger.

We're in the thick of it: Summertime! And that means fruit coolers, iced tea, fresh pies and gelled desserts! But hold up. Before you get started on the Strawberry Jell-O Mold or the Banana Cream Pie, do you know where your gelatin comes from? If not, we've got the not-so-appetizing details that will have you wondering what alternatives you have for using gelatin in cold pies, gelled dishes and custards. Meet the all-natural, completely plant-based alternative to animal gelatin: Agar.

With two main ingredients – pureed chick peas and sesame seeds (also known as garbanzos and tahini, respectively) – a magical union of flavor and texture is created, rendering this Mediterranean staple both satisfying and downright tasty. Once the lemon juice, garlic and various other spices and flavorings are added – ohh, you know what I’m talkin’ about – it is so on. Who needs pita bread and vegetables when you have a perfectly good naked spoon? Hummus is a bean-seed spread with a somewhat funky name but a whole lot of flavor and quite a nutritional punch, too.

Glorious summer brings cherries galore, and like most fruits and vegetables, when the price is lowest on cherries, their flesh is sweetest and the juices more likely to dribble down your chin and put a smile on your face.

Loaded with anti-inflammatory flavonoids, fiber and only 87 calories per cup, cherries are a smart snack any time of day – but these plump little wonders also work well in dishes you might not expect, like appetizers, sauces and salads.

They're everywhere right now: Strawberries, raspberries, black and blue berries, even those heavenly mulbs… Sure, there's probably no better way to enjoy them then by the naked handfuls, but many great recipes abound that are both easy as pie (that too, of course) and showcase these tart, tangy, super sweet, healthy and versatile bite-sized summer fruit darlings.

It's high summer, and even your salad wants to dress up in bright, fun colors. You probably know that nasturtium and marigold flowers add both color and flavor -- but the list of edible flowers is long, and a few of them are probably in your garden right now. Here are five delicious, colorful flowers you might not have known you could eat.

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Here's the thing about avocados: Really, truly, there may be no greater food on the planet than a perfectly ripe "alligator pear." The avocado has it all. It's a flavor powerhouse; it has texture and smoothness that melts in your mouth like the finest chocolate. Avocados are also full of healthy fats that may prevent weight gain, depression and high cholesterol. The Aztecs used the avocado as a sexual enhancement stimulant (the Aztec name for avocado was ahuacatl, which means "testicle."). Plus they're the ultimate summer food. Use them as a condiment, slice 'em up and eat them solo, or make them into a delectable guacamole.

Apples, oranges, bananas, blah. Well, maybe not blah (delicious, in fact!)... but certainly not different. No doubt you have eaten an army of such fruits in your lifetime. Instead, juice up your fruit routine with any of these more off-the-wall choices. Keep a lookout for them at your farmers markets or grocery stores, or seek them out at specialty markets that feature the tropical wonders. By summer’s end, you will have traveled the world with your tastebuds.