When I was a kid growing up in West Texas, we used to pick pomegranates off of trees, throw them to the ground to break them open, and eat the delicious seeds inside.

I know… raised by wolves, right? 

Seriously, pomegranates are my favorite winter fruit. They are bright and slightly acidic and add a punch to everything (oh, I get it, kind of like me!). Seriously. Seriously.

The downside to pomegranates is that they stain EVERYTHING. If you look at them, they’ll stain your eyeballs. That’s just their nature… trying to protect themselves from being thrown to the ground, broken open and eaten, I guess!

But I digress…

Here’s how to open a pomegranate. Your beautifully crisp white J. Crew shirt will never again be soiled by a drop of ruby-red color. Someday, you’ll thank me.

What’s the secret? A big bowl of water! Click here to find out how to open a pomegranate.

I’ve been waiting all season to get my hands on a whole Brussels sprout stalk so I could roast the entire thing at once.

Have you ever tried doing this? I am telling you the truth: It’s so easy and the presentation is out-of-this-world.

But wait… you say you HATE Brussels sprouts? That’s because you’ve never had them prepared like this: crisp, caramelized and free of that nasty sulfur taste.

Brussels sprouts on the stalk are available right now (obviously).

Here’s what to look for: tightly closed sprouts that are bright green in color on a solid, heavy stalk. The stalk shouldn’t feel rubbery. For more tips on how to select beautiful, loose Brussels sprouts, click here.

I Instagramed a picture of a stalk before I roasted it and I was surprised at how many people said they’ve seen whole stalks in the super markets, but just kept on walking by because, as one reader asked, “How could I make them taste good?”

Well, here’s a recipe to show you how…

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Not up for roasting a whole stalk? Try this recipe: Hot Bacon Salad (made with Brussels Sprouts… yum!).

I food poisoned myself… and the same thing could happen to you.

Quite simply… I didn’t wash my vegetables carefully enough. Self-inflicted food poisoning.

How many times have you bought fresh veggies, given them a quick wash and then added them to whatever you were preparing? Didn’t think twice about it, did you?

But how do you know if that cilantro wasn’t accidentally dropped on the supermarket floor, then returned to the shelf and nestled in with the other bunches? It looked okay… green and fresh and supermarket floor dirty.

And what about those apples? No bruises, right? Well maybe the person who was searching for the perfect apple just before you had something very contagious and touched the very same apples you’re carting home. Sure, you’ll wash them… but how well?

I could go on and on and get even more gross, but there’s no reason to… you get the drift.

For a while I was using Rebel Green Fruit and Veggie Clean…. but I ran out and didn’t replace it. Mistake. Rebel Green is made with all natural ingredients that lab tests have proven remove some of the most common strains of bacteria and pesticides on fresh produce… more effective than rinsing with water alone.

I’ve pulled together some more quick tips to keep your family safe and prevent foodborne illness in your home.