Potatoes and cheese. Apples and pork. Chocolate and mint. Some flavors are commonly paired in recipes because they have a natural affinity. But what is the next tomato and basil?

It fascinates me how someone who teaches stress management, brought up three kids, survived two divorces, had a hip replacement and got through various other daunting situations could get so upset over a furry feline.

Perennially, losing weight or becoming healthier appear somewhere on many Americans’ list of resolutions, and Cindy Kropid, fitness coordinator at the Springfield, Ill., YMCA, has a few tips to make you don’t become another failed statistic.

Going into 2008, brewers really did not know what to expect - there was a worldwide hop shortage, and the cost of malts, gasoline and pretty much everything else needed for brewing shot through the roof. But overall, 2008 was a good year for beer. Several breweries produced new and wonderful beers and better-beer drinkers were not left wanting anything more.

Staff tests new products

Each year, the National Restaurant Association surveys professional chefs — this year 1,609 of them — about trends they expect to see in the coming year.

If a New Year’s Eve get-together is on your to-do list and you don’t want to spend the last day of 2008 trapped in the kitchen, it’s not to late to simplify your menu into a smorgasbord of hors d’oeuvres and dips.

What a great way to begin the New Year. Celebrating the long, dark and cold nights of winter, we don our scarves and caps -- some fresh from under the Christmas tree -- and head outside under the stars. While most of the sane population this time of year is snug in bed with an extra comforter or finding a good old-fashioned jigsaw puzzle or novel in the warmth of your home, likely a scant few are not missing the winter sky.

It’s very hard for me to come to grips with the fact that we’re on the cusp of a new year. Why is that time flies as you’re getting older and seems to stand still when you’re younger?

Learn how to keep fit and have fun in your 40s, 50s, 60s and 70s from nationally recognized fitness expert Wayne Westcott of the South Shore YMCA in Quincy, Mass.

In addition to being a volunteer and historical reenactor, Suzy Beggin Craft is also a shepherdess. She has kept sheep for approximately eight years.

It was a really cold wintery night back in November 2007 when we got a call about a very handsome red tabby cat who had been left in a feral colony.

The magic numbers are 20 and 20; 20 minutes of aerobic activity and 20 minutes of strength training, and there are a couple ways to meet the goal.

Aloe’s effects are well documented. Some people, naturally, I guess, take them further. They believe aloe creates an aura that fights off devil thoughts.

Denise Nanni seeks the nutrition information for food when she dines out. It’s one step in her plan to stay healthy after being diagnosed as diabetic 14 years ago.