Local Life

This meat loaf fast, not fattening

Pesto Meat Loaf is an updated version of one of America's best-loved foods. This meat loaf takes only 15 minutes to bake. The secret is to bake it on a baking sheet, which allows hot air to circulate all around the meat.

Pasta carbonara gets remade as a delicious summer salad

Pasta carbonara — richly cheesy, creamy and studded with crisped pancetta — is easily one of the most comforting of pasta dishes. The only trouble is, with the onset of warmer weather, we tend to crave salads more than steaming bowls of pasta. So for this recipe, we decided to have it both ways.

Eggs: All that they're cracked up to be

Costing less than 20 cents apiece, eggs are the perfect solution for the family on the go.

Pho real: Vietnamese soup's built on spiced broth and add-your-own garnishes

There are noodle soups and there is pho, Vietnam's richly complex gift to the world.

Secret to a great burger? Less is more!

When the weather turns warm, I find myself craving the smell and taste of a great homemade burger off the grill.

Lighten up baked ziti dish with asparagus

Do you find baked ziti dishes a little one-dimensional and heavy?

Scallops, spinach get cozy

Chopped peanuts and flaked coconut form a savory-sweet crust for fresh scallops. Sauté the scallops and serve them on a bed of sautéed spinach flavored with coconut milk. Rice microwaved for a minute, tossed with shredded carrots and also flavored with coconut milk, makes a quick side dish. The carrots get slightly cooked in the heat of the cooked rice.

Science helps perfect mac and cheese

Imagine your favorite cheese: perhaps an aged, sharp cheddar, or maybe a blue Gorgonzola or a gentle Monterey Jack. Wouldn't it be wonderful to use those really good cheeses you love on nachos or as a sauce on macaroni or steamed vegetables?

Pushing past Parkinson's

Vancouver woman vows disease, cancer won't keep her from helping others

A neurologist diagnosed Vancouver resident Helen Ramatowski with Parkinson's disease in January 2011. She had diagnosed herself months earlier.

What are the signature scents of our area? Residents sniff 'em out

Close your eyes. Cover your ears. Breathe in.

Check It Out: Camping with kids can be 'Down and Dirty' good time

It's that time of year when a sun-filled day gets everyone thinking about outdoor activities. No more being cooped up inside waiting for a break from a weeklong rain event. No more months of hibernation. We're heading outside, no bones about it!

Battle Ground school jazz concert features Mic Gillette

Professional jazz trumpeter-trombonist Mic Gillette will be featured in a jazz concert from 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday in the Lair at Battle Ground High School, 300 W. Main St., Battle Ground. Tickets are $5 at the door.

Bits 'n' Pieces: Fighting the sounds of silence

Gayle Beacock believes in the life-changing power of music.

Try This: All aboard for mothers

Chelatchie Prairie Railroad will offer a special trip for Mother's Day, and visitors can ride on the newly restored steam engine. The historic railroad ride travels through the forests of north Clark County on a 12-mile round-trip that includes Moulton Falls and a 330-foot rock tunnel.