Last night I had supper atop a glade in the middle of the Missouri Ozarks. The October evening was unseasonably warm, the sun hanging low above the surrounding oaks and cedars, the dog splashing in the creek at the bottom of the hollow. (That’d be the ‘holler’ if I lived in Mizz-ur-ra, not Mizz-ur-ee.) Over a small Indian fire, we cooked buffalo steaks, toasted whole-grain rolls, and roasted apples, all speared onto V-necked dogwood shoots and balanced over the embers by a heat-reflecting stone. Twas some feast. Twas some feast, yes, but one of considerable incongruity too, given that the buffalo and the rolls came from Whole Foods – but then were cooked entirely without benefit of modern convenience save a sharp knife and stick matches. It just goes to show, technology isn’t a necessity, it’s a convenience – which isn’t to say that we all don’t rely on these conveniences, that they don’t make our lives easier, even better. Here are ten conveniences that make my life ...

Are you a "yeast-a-phobic" cook? A Kitchen Parade reader shares her recipe for English Muffin Bread to banish all your fears. COMPLIMENTS! "I absolutely love this recipe and have made it four or five times." ~ Jasmine "I made it with half whole wheat flour and half white flour. YUM!! ... Nice texture and flavor." ~ Shannon "... so freakin good that I plan to make this weekly. ... final product is so tender and moist." ~ Mary "An artisan loaf at the store will run you between $3-$4, but you can make it at home for less than a dollar." ~ Budget Bytes Crestwood reader Carole Splater has a message for what she calls "yeast-a-phobic" cooks. “It’s almost a sin that my English Muffin Bread is so easy. We love it, our guests love it, everybody loves it.” And I love it too, ever since Carole e-mailed her recipe last fall. No bread machine, no stand mixer, no kneading. Just a few ingredients, 15 minutes of a...

New Mexico's much-famed green chili burger, now made at home with homemade green chili sauce and plain burger meat. So first? I made Green Chile Sauce , it was the beginning of my quest for green chile burgers just like the cult-favorites in New Mexico. Next up? The burgers! At first I fussed with ideas for gussied-up gourmet burgers, y’know, where you grind this with that, add this and poke there. My butcher laughed at these notions and packed up a big hunk of good ground beef. “You won’t be able to tell the difference,” he promised. So simple good is simple does. Good ground beef. Salt and pepper. A toasted bun. Warm freshly made Green Chile Sauce. It.Gets.No.Better. EATING TIPS FOR DIABETICS To avoid bread, diabetics and those who follow low-carb and low-glycemic diets often forgo sandwiches entirely. But for anyone with a serious burger hankering, here's a quick tip that reduces bread consumption. (I'm not diabetic but this technique is so si...