Get off that sofa, people! It's Happy Dance time, welcoming the vegetable harbinger of spring, fat and skinny and trim spears of crisp, healthy asparagus. Both grocery stores I hit this week had pretty-pretty asparagus on sale and the home-grown wonders can't be far behind. So this week's "Seasonal Seven" recipe collection is for the asparagus lovers among us, arming us all with recipes to carry well into summer.

Simple & Sugar-Free Southern-style buttermilk cornbread with a coveted chewy crust and zero added sugar. Make a large batch, make a small batch, either way, this savory cornbread mixes up and bakes in a hot-hot-hot skillet quick-quick-quick, mere minutes. Plus a bonus: Six Tips for Perfect Cornbread, my latest "Kitchen Lesson" column – a series of occasional recipes with extra insider tips and ideas gained from long experience in a home kitchen. Homemade Cornbread, Made from Scratch. Real Food, Fast & Flexible. A Southern Classic. Great Choice for Impromptu Homestyle Hot Bread for Dinner. Bake In the Oven or Over a Campfire.

Stock up on sugar, all, because this week's "Seasonal Seven" recipe collection is all about simple sweet endings, ones made for spring and all its hopes and promises. I hope you'll find one or two destined as "keepers" in your own kitchens.

Here's a welcome raw salad, everything you want in a fresh, feel-good side dish — crunchy, chewy, sweet, and nutty, all in every single irresistible bite . No cooking required, just a few quick pulses in a food processor followed by a good toss, this isn't a salad you'll make every day or even every week but you just might finding yourself craving more: it's one to return to again and again. Memorable Homestyle Whole Food, Made from Scratch. Real Food, Fresh & Inventive. Beautiful Color! Hearty & Filling. Fun Picnic Food. Great for Meal Prep. Potluck & Party Friendly. Not just vegan, Vegan Done Real . Naturally Gluten Free. No Added Oil. What're you waiting for?! So Good!!

In a garden where peas love to grow, On a vine where the green tendrils flow, They whisper and sigh, With the grass by their side, A symphony of green, don't you know! Ready for a little fun? Let's talk "green food" ... and not just for lively limerick-lovin' leprechauns but for all of us throughout the lovely spring before us.

A hearty stew with big chunks of beef sirloin, carrots and potatoes in a beer-rich gravy, authentic for St. Patrick's Day but a really good basic stew recipe all year round too. I especially like this stew because it needn't cook all day, it's ready in a couple of hours, the chunks of beef already tender, the carrots and potatoes firm and sweet , not mushy from long cooking. Memorable Homestyle Beef Stew, Heart & Filling. A Long-Time Family Favorite. Easily Adapted to Your Family's Tastebuds. Budget Friendly. A Big Ol' One-Pot Meal. Great for Meal Prep. How to Feed a Crowd But Scales Down for Smaller Tables. High Protein. Weight Watchers Friendly. Easily Gluten Free with One Ingredient Change. So Good!!

This week's "Seasonal Seven" recipe collection is all about pasta, that wonder of weeknight wonders. Need a quick supper idea? I gotcha. Love pasta salad as much as me? That too. Fingers crossed you'll find at least one idea destined for dinner this week! (Plus for Pi Day, pies, oh my.)

Well hello, retro, rustic fare, you oh-so-familiar baked potatoes, your mealy flesh scraped out to mix with so much creaminess (butter, cottage cheese or sour cream, cream cheese, sharp cheddar) then stuffed back into your skins to bake again. More good news? Russet potatoes are indeed traditional and make great twice-bakeds but ooo la la, Yukon gold potatoes are smaller and turn out an even creamier filling . If you've ever found a twice-baked daunting in size, try using Yukon golds. PS I can't help but call these 2X Potatoes. Does anyone else?! Memorable Homestyle Whole Food, Simply Prepared. Little Effort, Big Reward. Beautiful Color! A Vintage, Easy Tried-and-True Recipe, Streamlined for Technique and Ingredients. Hearty & Filling. A New Addition to Pantry Meals: How to Make a Meal with What You Have , a Kitchen Parade Specialty. Easily Adapted to Your Family's Tastebuds. Budget Friendly. Great for Meal Prep. Perfect When Cooking for One or Two . How to Feed a ...

This week's "Seasonal Seven" is all about fish, recipes hand-selected for everyone from the fish-hesitant (me, only 5 years ago) to the fish fiends (me, today). The timing is by design. Not only are we coming up on a season when many elect to eat fish, especially on Fridays during Lent, but we're also coming upon the start of spring, when lighter, faster suppers let us enjoy the longer days and warmer temperatures. Join me?