After reimagining Mexican cuisine with her Border Grill restaurants in Southern California and Las Vegas and competing on Bravo's Top Chef Masters, chef Susan Feniger says she's always thinking of new ways to reinvent herself -- and her food.

Extreme couponers may be saving big bucks, but they seem to be eating a lot of packaged, processed foods. That's because few, if any, of the coupons in a typical Sunday newspaper are for sustainable, organic or natural products. As a result, shoppers like me, who prefer to buy more natural products, rarely use coupons. But it doesn't have to be that way.

"Despite popular belief, there are indeed coupons for healthy foods and sustainable household products," says Sarah Eve Fulghum, social media manager for couponing site AFullCup. "But it's true that most of the coupons available are not, so be prepared to put in a little extra effort to find coupons for healthier items."

I consider myself an adventurous cook. I love discovering fun new recipes, spicing up old ones and bringing a touch of spontaneity to the table. Even on tradition-heavy holidays, I feel compelled to add some unexpected and exciting twists on classic dishes.

Yet there's always one constant on my family's Thanksgiving table for as long as I can remember: our take on sweet potato casserole. If I ever so much as tweaked this generations-old recipe, I'm afraid my family would rip the oven mitts from my hands in revolt.

My back ached, my feet hurt, and the kitchen was a disaster. But after hours of peeling, coring, mixing and pouring, the jars of caramel-colored apple pie filling emerging from the boiling depths of the canner made it all worthwhile.

I taught myself how to can nearly 10 years ago and have been teaching other people the throw-back art of "putting up" for the past few years. Now it doesn't feel like fall until I've teamed up with friends or family members to put something we've canned into the pantry. During last weekend's canning marathon, my sister, brother-in-law, two nieces and I transformed 60 pounds of apples into three dozen quarts of apple pie filing and applesauce.

Swirling, sniffing and sipping are great ways to spend a vacation. But with so many rich wine regions to choose from, it can be tough to choose the best trip for you.

So I decided to consult the experts and asked cookbook authors, travel writers and wine entrepreneurs to share their favorite wine getaways.

When it comes to mixing cocktails, H. Joseph Ehrmann is a pro. The owner and chief bartender at Elixir in San Francisco, he was named 2010 Bartender of the Year by Nightclub and Bar magazine.

Ehrmann is more than a friendly face behind the bar. With an MBA in hand, he hosts green business happy-hour events on the second Thursday of every month.

It's Friday. It's been a long, hot week and you need a drink.

Derrick Salatnay can help. He's the resident mixologist at A Restaurant in Newport Beach, Calif., and he takes a culinary approach to creating his libations, pulling inspiration from what's in season at the local farmers market. 

I love to cook, but the thought of firing up the stove on a hot summer day makes me want to run for the nearest air-conditioned restaurant. Grilling outside is always an option, but sometimes I just want something cool and refreshing.

There are plenty of light and satisfying meals that don't require heat at all. I asked natural foods chefs Andrea Beaman and Jennifer Moore for some no-cook recipes that are simple and healthy.

Think of the fruits and vegetables you've had in the past 24 hours. Do you know where they were grown and when they were picked?

Those are tough questions to answer if you're not a locavore -- someone who eats locally produced food, whether from nearby farms or their own backyard.

The rich red hue of fresh cherries at the market is a sign that summertime is here. If you want to enjoy these sweet morsels, you better hurry -- their season doesn't last long and typically peaks for a few weeks in June. When you can get them at their prime, "they should be devoured with gusto," says natural foods chef Jennifer Moore.

These stone fruits are small bursts of sweetness that pack a big nutritional punch. They're rich in beta carotene, potassium, magnesium, iron, fiber and folate, and are full of vitamin C, which builds immunity and protects blood vessels. The antioxidant-rich fruits also contain melatonin, which has been found to help regulate the body's natural sleep patterns, aid with jet lag, prevent memory loss and delay the aging process, Moore says.