Heather Tallman is the writer and creator of www.basilmomma.com a cooking and family life blog. Heather writes about all of her culinary hits and misses and all of the life that goes along with it.

Along with running a very successful cooking website, Heather is also a food writer, newspaper columnist  and a food blogger for www.EarthEats.com .

Heather is also the host of the Earth Eats test kitchen on The Friday Zone on WTIU/WFYI public television in Indiana! Join heather and her co-host Felix each week as they prepare a healthy snack that any school-aged child can make after school!

Food is her passion, but so is writing about her adventures in the kitchen and surviving a busy family life.

Heather strives to share with her listeners that fast, healthy and, family-friendly food is easier to pull off than you think. Using the knowledge she learned in her own families kitchen she entertains her listeners with her tried and true family feeding tips.

From feeding a picky child or challenging a adventurous eater, Heather has done it all.

Not only does she write about food and family, but also her struggles maintaining her weight after losing over 160 pounds a few years ago. Like many women, finding balance in life and time to take care of yourself is hard to do. Between a career, marriage, children, and a busy family schedule, it is hard to maintain a sense of self and Heather shares how she does it.
Heather has also been over 3 years Cancer free, and as a 30-something mother, she feels that this is a story of awareness that needs to be shared.

Please take a second to show some love to my sponsors, who are lovingly advertising on my show. They believed in me enough to take a chance, and I am truly appreciative!

I have a jam-packed INDIANAPOLIS themed show this week on Around the Kitchen Sink Radio filled with my favorite sights, sounds and tastes of Downtown.  I post often about where my family and I like to paint the town red, hit up our favorite spots and chow down.  Recently, a trail opened up where you can park that car and stroll on your own 2 feet! We will be talking all about it at 11 pm EST on Toginet.com

Many times over the last few years you have heard me talk about my love of Cara and U-Relish Farms.  I discovered these fantastic slow cooker 'mixes' at the Indianapolis City Market and instantly fell in love.  Cara Dafforn has a love of naturally prepared meals and provides these from her garden and blends each meal herself.  My personal favorite is the Coconut Rice Pudding and next would be the Three Bean Chili.  She gives suggestions on the label for add ins, easy instructions and the few liquid ingredients you will need.  Not only are these meals economical, they are as good or better than me slaving over the stove making a hot pot of soup.  I add her ingredients to a slow cooker, add my liquid or add-in's and come back in a few hours to a completely finished meal! Cara will be sharing her story on the show this week and I am SO excited :)

After 12 years of planning, six years of construction, and $63 million from federal transportation funding and private donations, the eight-mile Cultural Trail, Indianapolis Cultural Trail: A Legacy of Gene & Marilyn Glick, connects the five downtown cultural districts, greenway trails and bicycle lanes, creating regional connectivity beyond downtown Indianapolis.  It also connects to the sixth cultural district, Broad Ripple, through the Monon Trail at 10^th Street.

 Built for nearly every form of transportation except cars, the Cultural Trail connects users to the front door or within one block of every major arts, culture, heritage, sports and entertainment venue in downtown Indianapolis.  Visit their SITE for more information!

Visit Indy's Morgan Greenlee will be telling me all about this new and innovative trail and everything there is to do and see while you #GetDownOnIt ! You can even stroll to the Indianapolis City Market to use your U-Relish Farms gift certificate when you win!

@IndyCM

@CaraDafforn at U-Relish Farms

@VisitIndy

@INCulturaltrail

Enter here:

To win the $15 gift certificate from U-Relish Farms that is redeemable at their Indianapolis City Market location leave a comment on THIS blog post below sharing what YOUR choices would be! Look at the graphic above for their list of offerings :) You get a bonus entry if you leave a separate comment below telling me who from the above list you are following!

Enter from NOW-Sunday May 19 at 9 pm.  I will randomly draw a winner at that time and notify said winner via email.

I was not compensated for this promotion.

Do YOU have a recipe that you think could possibly be the next big thing? A family favorite that you think could be a money maker? If so then tonight's show is for you! Linda Gilkerson of Indy's Kitchen will be sharing an exciting opportunity for Indiana home cooks!

Listen Here 

 Adult and teen cooks are invited to enter the Hottest Kitchen Entrepreneur Challenge, a regional contest to find the next great food entrepreneur. 
The Challenge is sponsored by Indy’s Kitchen, an Indianapolis food business incubator, and by Reliable Water Services, a statewide provider of commercial water heaters, boilers and water softeners. In addition to the adult category, Indiana teens ages 14-18 are invited to 
enter for a chance to kick-start their culinary dream career.  Adult and teen aspiring chefs and home cooks throughout Indiana can enter online at www.hotwater247.net by submitting a short application and uploading a photo of their recipe or product concept. Great prizes include
$2,500 in seed money, consultation time with food industry experts, professional cookware and more.  Deadline is May 15th. 

I have shared my weight loss success story a few times on ATKSRadio and how the 30 Day Shred series played a huge role in that success.  I have a clip from Jillian Michaels recent press tour that I think you all will be interested in.

Lastly, it is almost Cinco de Mayo. Weigh in on this holiday. Do you celebrate it? Make tasty treats? I will be sharing a few of my best recipes. You can also find them here.

As always you can listen LIVE at 11 pm est on toginet.com and after on itunes and through my pocast player on basilmomma.com.

 Red Gold Tomatoes has done it again! Not only do they have a bright and shiny new website but it is chocked full of recipes for every occasion and season!

Linda Wallace AKA The Red Gold Lady will be joining me this week on Around the Kitchen Sink Radio on 4/25.  You can listen LIVE at 11 pm est on toginet.com and after on Itunes. Did you know you can also download my shows each week for FREE on the podcast player on my homepage?

Linda is sharing a few of her favorite spring recipes with us just in time for all of our family gatherings and outdoor dining. The first is a Delightful Fruit Salad that I have actually enjoyed at the Red Gold Elwood Corporate office made by Linda herself! Several of my blogging friends and I had the pleasure of touring their Elwood facilities last February.

Next up, just in time for summer as well as Cinco de Mayo celebrations is a fresh and festive Guacamole Salad!

How do YOU use Red Gold, Redpack or Tuttoroso tomatoes in YOUR spring recipes?

This weeks show focuses on simple changes we can make to embrace Earth Day in our own home. Simple changes that do not take much time, energy or planning.  These tips will take the excuses out of why we haven't started reducing our food waste, shopping smarter or repurposing when we can.  I know for years I thought it would take too much time to purposefully take steps to protect the world in which we live but I was wrong.  Using more efficient light bulbs, keeping my thermostat set at a constant setting, cutting down on food waste and using no more than what I need in life was easier than I thought it would be.

Companies like Earthbound Farm Organics are doing everything they can to reduce packaging and providing consumers with clean, sustainable products that we can trust.  I love the conbvenience oif reaching into the crisper and getting a handful of arugula for a meal that I didn't have to wash, trim or worry about.  My favorite lettuce blend is Zen Blend from EBF.

This is not a paid endorsement-I just love the convenience and peace of mind their brand affords me in the kitchen!

Sharing 4 tips on greener shopping is Lori Taylor AKA The Produce Mom, a friend of ATKS Radio.  Lori shares tips on making greener shopping a reality in any busy home. Read her latest post about this HERE.

@ProduceMom on Twitter              The Produce Mom on Facebook

Katy Mann, creator of IndywithKids.com, will join me in the 3rd segment sharing tips on how to get your family in the Earth Day spirit with a great activity in Indianapolis on April 27th at White River State Park. Read her latest post about this event HERE

@IndywithKids on Twitter              Indy with Kids on Facebook

Since the air is getting warmer and the days are getting longer, there is NO better way to turn off and unplug than a great cocktail shared with friends.  Sit outside, get fresh air and try one of these easy cocktails! 

Blood Orange Cocktail

8 Beer Cocktails

About this time of year I am longing for cool evenings sitting on the dock sipping a crisp, cold white wine after dinner is cleaned up and the boys are in bed.  That is peace to me.

Some people call easy drinking palatable wines 'patio wines'  whether it is a light red or a clean and crisp dry white.  I think as long as you like it then you should enjoy it anytime.

Several years back we were lucky enough to meet the owners of Mallow Run Winery when it opened a mile away from my house in the scenic countryside of Johnson County, Indiana.  If you follow me on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter you may see that I go there so often that I practically have my own parking spot.

This Indiana winery has opened to a huge success due in part to their great wines as well as their entertainment, friendly staff and food events.  It is a winery you can visit with the whole family, as we do in the warmer months.  Pack some chairs, a blanket and some snacks and plan on having a relaxing afternoon.  We have gone many times when there is live music and our kids toss the football near the creekside or bring their books and read in the shade while we listen to the music and enjoy a glass of wine.  This is my ideal Sunday afternoon!

Mallow Run is the product of years of hard work by John Richardson and his son, Bill, and Bill’s wife, Laura. John grew up on the farm, moved away to teach school for 35 years, and then retired back on the farm with the intent of growing grapes to supply other Indiana wineries. Bill, who grew up dreaming of living on the farm, settled into the original Mallow/Richardson home after graduating from Purdue with a degree in agriculture. Bill met Laura while playing in the Carmel Symphony and with a shared love for music, wine, and the farm, they married in 2005. 

The first grapes were planted in 2000, with more to follow in subsequent years. The vineyards now cover 8 acres of the family’s 600-acre farm. On the remainder, more than 50,000 bushels of corn and soybeans are still raised each year. With expanding vineyards taking root, an aging barn with great potential, and the desire to share their love of fine wines, the decision was quickly made to open their own winery right there on the farm

On September 3rd, 2005, the dream was realized and the tasting room opened to the public.

I am excited to welcome Sarah Shadaday of Mallow Run Winery to the show on Thursday April 11, 2013. Tune in at 11 pm est OR after through not only my page but also my itunes page.  As always ATKSRadio is free to download.

My favorite wines would have to be a dry traminette (the wine of Indiana), Chardonnay and Pinot Gris.

What is yours?

Mallow Run has events every weekend ranging from performances by the Carmel Symphony to Jenn Devoe to Food truck nights and BBQ feasts! There is always something for everyone!

See their complete list of upcoming events HERE