Peanut Butter Energy Bites!!!

1c oatmeal
1/2 c peanut butter
1/3 c honey
1/2 c coconut(could sub with something else, anything really)
1/2 c wheat germ ( could sub also)
1/2 c ground flax
1 t vanilla 
1/3 c mini choc chips( or rasins, other dried fruit, nuts...)

Mix all well , chill about an hour, roll into bitesize balls and refrigerate what you dont eat!

SOOOO ADDICTING!!! 

Oatmeal Cookies... Got to Try em!!

Sooo Yummy... well... they aren't your typical cookie because they aren't as sweet... BUT they are pretty darn healthy and Cal and Brock are addicted:) Here is what I did...

Ingredients:

Dry ingredients

• 1 cup whole wheat flour (a pinch more depending on the moisture of the mix)
• 1 13/4 cups of oats
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 Tbsp Cinnamon (I did three TBSP and it was a little much)
• 1/2 tsp Nutmeg

Wet ingredients

• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/2 cup applesauce (can use smashed bananas instead) (Could do 1/2 c peanut butter instead also)
• 1 Tablespoon Molasses (I didn't have this and it was still really good without it) (Can add 1T of sugar free syrup instead also)
• 1 egg (beat with 1 Tbsp Water)
• 1 tsp Vanilla

Yummy ingredients

• 1/2 cup raisins (or more:))
• 1/2 cup walnuts (if you like nuts... really good without nuts too:))
• 1/2 cup freeze dried apples (could probably used just dried apples or even fresh ones...)
• ** You could also add dried cranberries or blueberries or whatever you like!

Preparation:

1. In a large bowl, mix all the dry ingredients together.
2. In a medium bowl, mix all the wet ingredients together. Hint: when measuring out the honey, spray the measuring cup with oil or baking spray--your honey won't stick).
3. Mix the wet stuff with the dry stuff. Add the raisins and walnuts and mix. If the mixture seems too wet, add a bit of flour. If it isn't binding together very well, you may wish to add an egg white.
4. COOL the mix for 20 minutes in the fridge.
5. Preheat the oven to 335 degrees (lower temperature due to the honey in the recipe which will burn more easily).
6. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto your baking sheet (I recommend lining the baking sheet with parchment paper). Keep in small balls... if they are too flat they can get too dried out...
7. Bake for about 10-12 minutes or until golden on the bottom of the cookie. The cookies freeze very well and make a great snack! Enjoy.

Whole Wheat Bread

I love this bread because it is fast, easy and deliciously moist. It comes from my mother-in-law's nutritionist friend. the ingredients are listed in the order you add them, which is why flour appears twice.
3 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/3 cup gluten
4 tsp yeast
2 1/2 cup water (120 - 130 F)
1 Tbsp salt
1/3 cup oil
1/3 cup honey
1 1/4 tsp lemon juice
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup powdered milk
1/2 milled flax seeds

Mix the first three ingredients then add water all at once and stir to combine. (I mix it by hand because the dough hook on my machine doesn't do a good enough job.) Let stand for 10 minutes to give the yeast a chance to do its thing. Add salt, oil, honey and lemon juice and beat for 1 minute with your dough hook or mix vigorously with a spatula until well combined. Add last 3 ingredients and mix well before after each new addition. Knead for 6-10 minutes in the mixer or by hand. If you are using a mixer, the dough will be very sticky so just pour into two 8" x 4" greased loaf pans. If you are kneading it by hand, you will need to use flour so it doesn't stick to everything but use as little as possible so it stays tender. You can shape the loaves for bread pans or put your shaped loaves on a cookie sheet rustic style. Warm your oven to 200 F and let bread rise there for 10-15 minutes. That's it! If you let it rise too long, it will fall while baking. (I know this from sad experience.) Leave your pans in the oven and turn it up to 350 F and bake 30-35 minutes.

Apple Oatmeal Snacks

1 egg (or can substitute 3 TBSP water and 1 TBSP milled flax)

1/2 C honey

1 tsp vanilla

-Cream together the above items then add:

1/2 C natural applesauce (no sugar added)

1/2 C margarine (can substitute an additional 1/2 C applesauce here)

-Once above mixture is creamy, add the following:

3/4 C whole wheat flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 heaping tsp cinnamon

1 1/2 oats

(optional: add dried fruit such as craisins, raisins, dried blueberries, etc.)

-Drop by teaspoonful onto greased cookie sheet.  

-Bake in pre-heated oven at 350* for 8-10 mins.  

They're kind of cookies, but not quite.  These are also great as muffins, just add a few extra minutes to baking time.  Hmm... maybe I could try them as pancakes...I'd probably grind the oats into flour for that one... Tell me what you think.  :)

Chicken Fajitas

You Will Need 
1 pkg. McCormick® Fajita Seasoning Mix
2 tbsp. oil, divided
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts or boneless beef sirloin, cut into ½-inch strips
1 medium onion, cut into thin strips
1 medium bell pepper, cut into thin strips
1/4 cup water
8 flour or corn tortillas
Assorted Toppings: Shredded Cheese, Salsa, Sour Cream, Guacamole or Sliced Tomatoes

HEAT 1 tablespoon of oil in large skillet on medium-high heat. Add meat; cook and stir 3 minutes or until no longer pink. Remove from skillet. In same skillet, heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Add onion and bell pepper; cook and stir 3 to 5 minutes. Return meat to skillet.

STIR in water and Seasoning Mix. Cook and stir 3 minutes or until heated through.

SPOON into warm tortillas. Serve with toppings, if desired.

Blog with Lots of Good Recipes

Hello again,
Emily Pugh sent me this link that I thought I would share with all of you. I have not looked over the entire blog but I thought you may want to check it out. I AM NOT SAYING THAT ALL OF THE RECIPES FIT INTO OUR CRITERIA but maybe you will find something that will.

Christin

Via pinterest I found this blog that is basically doing the same thing all of you are! I know you ladies are already setting up your own blog of recipes but this might help giving you guys some more ideas on good/healthy things to eat!

http://8weekstoabetteryourecipes.blogspot.com/p/breakfast-smoothies.html

-Emily Pugh

Whole Wheat Waffles

Whole Wheat Pancakes

Mix:

1 1/4 c whole wheat flour

1/4 c ground flax (if you don't have this you can just add 1/4 c more flour but you will be missing out...)

1 c oats (quick or regular)

2 t baking powder

1/2 t salt

then add:

2 eggs

2 c milk

1T olive oil

Mix well and make into pancakes or waffles. We love a little butter and some agave nectar or 100% pure maple syrup on top. Hope you like them, they are chuck full of really great ingredients!

Christin Ricks

Eazzy Cheesy Pizzy

Here is one of the easiest (and for the amount of effort, best tasting) pizza Robyn and I have had.

Actually, all the credit goes to Robyn for the recipe, but I provided the (hilarious) commentary.

Tools needed:

Kitchen w/ oven

Kitchen scissors

Oven-safe pan

Ingredients:

Whole grain flat bread (or tortillas, but the flat bread crisped a little better)

Tomato-based sauce

Spinach leaves (cut with kitchen scissors)

Sweet/baby peppers (diced to your liking, again with kitchen scissors for decreased dishes)

Lunch meat (low sodium, of course, and again, sliced with kitchen scissors)

Cheese (I suppose if it was a block of cheese, you could cube it with kitchen scissors!)

Maple syrup (optional-but a must when hosting elves or humans-raised-as-elves for dinner;)

Directions:

This is actually pretty intuitive if you've ever had pizza before, but here it goes for those unfamiliar with it:

1. Place the flat bread or tortilla on an oven-safe pan

2. Spread the sauce on the flat bread or tortilla (and the pan too, if you happen to be hosting cookie monster for dinner;)

3. Put the other stuff on the flatbread ad libitum

4. Cook at 200 Celsius (400 Fahrenheit) for 900 seconds (15 minutes) or until the cheese is melted

5. Cut the pizza using the aforementioned modus operandi (kitchen scissors) and serve

Citrus Salad with Ginger Yogurt

My mom introduced this to Lorri and me last year - it comes from Bon Appétit (Dec 2004).

The recipe can be found at Epicurious. If you don't want to click, please see below for recipe details.

Stuff you'll need:

• 1 pink grapefruit, peeled
• 2 large tangerines or Minneolas, peeled (we've used 6 clementines instead)
• 3 navel oranges
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries (or pomegranate seeds for some extra kick)
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 16- or 17.6-ounce container Greek yogurt
• 2/3 cup minced crystallized ginger (we found it at Sendiks, but not Pick N Save)

• 1/4 cup golden brown sugar (omit this out for the Gi8 challenge!)
• Additional dried cranberries

What to do:

Break grapefruit and tangerines into sections, remove seeds, if possible. Cut grapefruit sections into thirds; cut tangerine sections in half. Transfer grapefruit, tangerines, and all juices to deep serving bowl. Using small sharp knife, cut all peel and white pith from oranges. Slice oranges into 1/4-inch-thick rounds, then cut slices into quarters. Add oranges and all juices to same bowl. Mix in 1/2 cup dried cranberries, honey, and cinnamon. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour. Mix yogurt and ginger in bowl. (Fruit and yogurt can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover separately; chill.)

Spoon yogurt atop fruit. Sprinkle with brown sugar and dried cranberries.

Epicurious Greek Yogurt Tip: 

Greek yogurt, which is actually drained yogurt, has a luxurious texture similar to that of sour cream. Look for it at Greek markets, Trader Joe's, and Whole Foods. Or simply spoon 1 quart plain yogurt into a colander lined with cheesecloth. Place the colander in a large bowl and let the yogurt drain in the refrigerator overnight.

Nutritional information:Per serving: 287 calories, 4 g fat (0 g saturated), 10 mg cholesterol, 40 mg sodium, 60 g carbohydrates, 3 g fiber, 7 g protein

Enjoy! 


-David

Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Citrus-Salad-with-Ginger-Yogurt-231279#ixzz1lL3bygq6

Butternut Squash Soup

This is my absolute favorite soup! I make it all the time, and it is full of yummy veggies! Pair it with whole wheat rolls and a salad, and you've got yourself a point-packed meal! Enjoy!

-Meghan

Recipe adapted from Our Best Bites

serves 6-8

1/2 T olive oil
1 T butter
3/4 C sliced carrots (abt 2 med carrots or 16 baby ones)
2 stalks celery, diced
1 diced onion
4 large garlic cloves, minced
1 medium butternut squash, (abt 4 cups peeled and diced)
1 medium potato, diced (about 2 C diced)
32 oz chicken broth (that’s one box/carton)
1 1/2 t kosher salt
3/4 t dried sage
1 pinch cayenne pepper or a douse of hot sauce

In a large stock pot, heat olive oil and butter. When butter is melted add onions, carrots, celery, and garlic

Saute for 2-3 minutes or until onion is tender. Add the squash.

Then add potato, sage, salt, red pepper, and chicken broth. Bring to a boil and then turn down to a simmer. Simmer with the lid on for 30-40 minutes or until everything is tender. Check a piece of squash and also a piece of celery and potato to make sure they area fork tender.

Use an immersion blender, or transfer soup to a regular blender and puree until smooth.

Indian Spiced Cauliflower and Potatoes with Cucumber Raita

Indian Spiced Cauliflower and Potatoes

Adapted from smittenkitchen.com, who took it from Gourmet, Feb 2004.

We eat this as a main dish and often serve it with a dal. In pre-challenge days, I often made chapati or pita to eat on the side.

1 (1 3/4-lb) head cauliflower, cut into 3/4-inch-wide florets (you can not use frozen)
1 1/4 lb Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (I've done this with red and russets as well)
5 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 teaspoons minced fresh jalapeño, including seeds (I've accidentally substituted a Serrano last time and it just gave it more of a kick)
2 teaspoons minced peeled fresh ginger
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 cup water

Accompaniment: lemon wedges

Put oven rack in upper third of oven and place a shallow baking pan on rack. Preheat oven to 475°F. It is very, very important to preheat the baking pan!

Toss cauliflower and potatoes together in a bowl with 3 tablespoons oil, cumin seeds, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Spread in hot baking pan and roast, stirring occasionally, until cauliflower is tender and browned in spots and potatoes are just tender, about 20 minutes.

While vegetables are roasting, cook onion, garlic, jalapeño, and ginger in remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring frequently, until very soft and beginning to turn golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Add ground cumin, coriander, turmeric, cayenne, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring constantly, 2 minutes. Stir in water, scraping up any brown bits from bottom of skillet, then stir in roasted vegetables. Cook, covered, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes.

Makes 4 side-dish servings or 3 main dish servings.

Cucumber Scallion Raita

1/4 cup finely chopped English (seedless cucumber)
1 thinly sliced scallion
3/4 cup yogurt
1/2 teaspoon salt

Mix!

Yumm Sauce

This sauce goes well on EVERYTHING!  Men even love it and could drink it straight from the bottle.  It’s kind of like a mixture between Café Rio dressing and a Chipotle dressing.  I put it in a squeeze bottle to store it.  You can eat any vegetable on earth if this sauce is on it.  

Ingredients (1 1/2 c.)

• 1/4 c. olive oil
• 1/4 c. almonds
• 1/3 c. water
• 1/4 c. chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1/4 c. nutritional yeast
• 2 1/2 T. lemon juice
• 1 t. minced garlic
• 1/4 t. salt
• 3/4 t. curry powder
• 1/2 t. dried oregano
• 1/2 t. dried cilantro

Instructions

• Note: this recipe could easily be doubled and leftovers will keep covered in the fridge for 7-10 days
• In a high speed blender or food processor, combine oil, almonds, water and chickpeas. Blend until relatively smooth.
• Add remaining ingredients and blend until smooth.
• Transfer to a small bowl and refrigerate until serving.

Spinach Turkey Meatballs

Here's the link for the spinach meatballs I make.  I made notes on the recipe for all the changes that I make to make them healthier.  They are so delicious that it's hard to believe you don't lose any points for eating them.  :)
http://robynscookbook.blogspot.com/2012/01/spinach-turkey-meatballs.html
Sorry, it's hard to see but there is a link right there. ^  :)

Baked salmon

This is a quick and delicious way to make salmon!

Ingredients

• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 6 tablespoons light olive oil
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
• 2 (6 ounce) fillets salmon

Directions

1. In a medium glass bowl, prepare marinade by mixing garlic, light olive oil, basil, salt, pepper, lemon juice and parsley. Place salmon fillets in a medium glass baking dish, and cover with the marinade. Marinate in the refrigerator about 1 hour, turning occasionally.
2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
3. Place fillets in aluminum foil, cover with marinade, and seal. Place sealed salmon in the glass dish, and bake 35 to 45 minutes, until easily flaked with a fork.

Whole Wheat Berry Muffins

I have not tried these yet but they look really really yummy!!! and there is only 1/3 cup of sugar in 12 muffins... I think you might even be able to use spleda or something instead:)

http://www.skinnytaste.com/2011/08/mixed-berry-whole-wheat-muffins.html

Wheat Waffles

1 cup wheat flour 1 Tbs. baking powder ½ tsp. salt 2 tsp. brown sugar 2 eggs separated 1 ¼ cup milk ¼ cup oil Mix all dry ingredients.  Separate egg yolks and add to dry ingredients.  Gradually add the oil and milk (beat hard, batter will be very thin).  Beat egg whites in separate bowl until fluffy (I think the technical term is soft peak).  Fold egg whites into thin batter and cook waffles (make sure not to over stir). If you feel like the batter is too runny, you can decrease the milk to 1 cup.  We also use this recipe to make pancakes.

Sweet Potato, Carrot, Apple, and Red Lentil Soup

This is a recipe from Allrecipes. I made it today and we like it. In the reviews many people said they didn't blend the soup and kept it more like a stew with chunks. I kept it chunky, too. You can use olive oil instead of butter if you prefer (that's what I did). Also, I couldn't find red lentils, so I used green. I guess the green ones don't look as pretty, but whatever.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup butter
• 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
• 3 large carrots, peeled and chopped
• 1 apple, peeled, cored and chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup red lentils
• 1/2 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 4 cups vegetable broth
  
• plain yogurt

Directions

1. Melt the butter in a large, heavy bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Place the chopped sweet potatoes, carrots, apple, and onion in the pot. Stir and cook the apples and vegetables until the onions are translucent, about 10 minutes.
2. Stir the lentils, ginger, ground black pepper, salt, cumin, chili powder, paprika, and vegetable broth into the pot with the apple and vegetable mixture. Bring the soup to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the lentils and vegetables are soft, about 30 minutes.
3. Working in batches, pour the soup into a blender, filling the pitcher no more than halfway full. Hold down the lid of the blender with a folded kitchen towel, and carefully start the blender, using a few quick pulses to get the soup moving before leaving it on to puree. Puree in batches until smooth and pour into a clean pot. Alternately, you can use a stick blender and puree the soup right in the cooking pot.
4. Return the pureed soup to the cooking pot. Bring back to a simmer over medium-high heat, about 10 minutes. Add water as needed to thin the soup to your preferred consistency. Serve with yogurt for garnish.

Cook Book Recommendation

I have a book called Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day.  I love it.  The idea is you make a big batch of dough and keep it in the fridge, cutting chunks off as you need for baking.  It has several dough variations (using whole wheat flour & other grains) and lots of uses for them.  I know it's in the library system because I borrowed it from the library to try it out before I bought it for myself.
If you get it, I highly recommend trying out the Msemmen (Algerian flatbread) & Grissini (the olive oil bread sticks).

Whole Wheat Olive Oil Bread Sticks

These are meant to be really thin bread sticks.  They are crunchy and delicious.  Plus, it's a no-knead recipe, so they're really easy, too.

Ingredients:
2 1/2 c whole wheat flour
1/2 Tbsp yeast
1 tsp kosher salt
1 Tbsp gluten (opt)
1 1/4 c warm water
Olive oil for brushing on top
Kosher salt for sprinkling
Rosemary for sprinkling

Mix the dry ingredients (make sure the salt & yeast don't come into direct contact, though).  Stir in the water until all the flour is moistened.  Dough should be a little wet & shaggy.  Cover and let rise for ~ 2 hours.  (This step is mostly to develop flavor, so it can be shortened if you're low on time.)
Preheat oven to 400*F.  On a floured surface, roll the dough out to an 1/8 inch thick rectangle (about 8 inches wide and however long).  Generously, brush the dough with olive oil.  Sprinkle with salt & rosemary.  Cut 1/8 inch wide (& 8 inches long) strips with a pizza cutter.  Place on greased cookie sheet (the sticks can be close but shouldn't be touching so they crisp properly).
Bake for 10 to 16 minutes (depending on thickness & width) until nicely browned. 
I think these are great when they are warm or cool.  They're crispier when cool.

This dough also makes decent crackers if you can get it thin enough.  I brush with olive oil and sprinkle with garlic powder & kosher salt.

Mexican Bean Soup

SUPER EASY and Pretty Darn Healthy

1 can low sodium chicken broth

1 can corn

1 can black beans

1 can any other type of bean... I like red or kidney beans

12oz salsa (I like pace salsa)

2 cups water

2 tsp of cumin

mix in large pot, bring to boil then simmer for 15 min.

SOOO good!

Honey Honey! Not Sugar Sugar!

I just thought I'd share this link about substituting honey in place of sugar.  :)
http://www.ehow.com/how_2110342_substitute-honey-sugar-recipe.html

Stuffed Peppers

This is one of our new favorites, tons of flavor and very filling!

4 green bell peppers
1 tsp olive oil (we just used water)
1 sm onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp basil
2 carrots, julienned
1 c peas, fresh or frozen (we used green beans instead)
1 tomato, diced
1/2 c walnuts, finely chopped
1 1/2 c cooked brown rice
2-3 c tomato sauce (we used low sodium spaghetti sauce)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Wash and clean peppers. Cut off tops and remove seeds and membrane. Place prepared peppers on steamer rack and steam 3-4 minutes (we suggest 5, ours weren't totally done).

Meanwhile, heat oil in large skillet, add onion and garlic. Saute 1 minute. Add herbs, carrots, and beans. Continue to cook 3-5 minutes or until carrots are tender, stirring constantly. Reduce heat and add the tomato, walnuts, brown rice, and 1/2 c tomato sauce. Heat through.

Stuff mixture into peppers. Spread 1/2 c sauce in bottom of baking dish. Stand peppers upright. Pour remaining sauce over the tops of peppers. Bake in oven 30 minutes.

Enjoy!

Chicken Quacamole Tortilla Sandwich

Chicken Quacamole Tortilla Sandwich (Makes 2-4)

4 Tb. Light Mayo 1-2 tsp. chipotle sauce (add more for stronger flavor)

Guacamole

Sliced Provolone cheese

Thin Apple slices

Bacon Strips Cooked (opt.) Sliced Tomato (opt.)

2-4 Whole Wheat Tortillas cut in half

Sliced cooked Chicken (I usually cook 2 frozen chicken breast in the oven with a little olive oil, seasoned salt and pepper at 350 for 25-30 mins.)

Mix: 4 Tbls. Mayo with 1-2 tsp. chipotle sauce

Spread Mayo Sauce on both halves and Guacamole on one half tortilla. Add Cheese then top with sliced chicken on one half and bacon strips on other half.

Grill on Griddle until cheese is melted. Add apple slices and Tomato slices then put two halves together. Enjoy!

We love this. It's our easy go to recipe.

Spinach smoothies

Tanner and I have already been trying to eat more fruits and vegetables everyday, so we've been drinking these for a while, and we love them!

1 1/4 c water
1 c (I always just do two big handfuls) fresh spinach
1/2 packet orange sunrise no calorie sweetener (it's the crystal light for water bottles, half of that, or any flavor you like)
1 1/4 cup fresh or frozen fruit (strawberries work especially well with spinach, bananas are the only thing I've found that aren't as good with it)

Add water and spinach to blender and blend until liquified. Add sweetener and fruit and blend until smooth. If needed, add ice until to desired consistency.

*We used to do these with vanilla soy milk instead of water and they taste awesome and you don't have to use the sweetener, but there are more calories in it with the soy milk.

With this you get 2 good foods and 1 cup of your daily water intake, or three if you use the milk. This keeps us full and makes us feel great. Enjoy!

Air Popped Popcorn

Don't have an air popper? Use this easy trick to make your own.

Put 1/2 C of popcorn kernels in a brown paper bag, fold bag over twice to keep popcorn in.

Cook in the microwave at full power for 2 1/2 to 3 minutes,( or use the popcorn setting on your microwave) or until you hear pauses of about 2 seconds between pops. Carefully open the bag to avoid steam, and pour into a serving bowl.

Voila!

Guacamole Hamburgers

Hey all on Monday Mitch and I had guacamole hamburgers with thin wheat buns,( a whole wheat bun that is much thinner than regular hamburger buns, can be found by the deli at pick and save made by Sarah Lee) whip up some guacamole with avocados, lime juice, tomatoes, onions, cilantro and garlic to taste and be liberal on your little buns (your buns are getting littler with this thing aren't they?) Sorry couldn't help myself. Ok use lean or extra lean hamburger, or substitute turkey burger. Add any other condiments such as lettuce, tomato slice, cheese etc. and you've got loads of "good foods" and a yummy dinner.

Frozen peas

I am not normally a fan of frozen peas, especially when they are still frozen, but frozen peas are great on any salad. You can also have cottage cheese and frozen peas for a great side dish. And since all you have to do is pull them out of the freezer, talk about easy!

Dessert!

I have a pretty bad case of sucrodentosis (sweet tooth), but Robyn & I have found that frozen fruit at Aldi's makes a great dessert (and actually costs less than most frozen fruit at Sam's Club). The frozen fruit goes great in oatmeal for sweetening up breakfast or with low fat yogurt for an afternoon snack.

Lets get this STARTED:)

Well I think I will begin by saying that I hope this helps everyone involved. I know that it has been a little of a struggle to come up with foods and snacks that will be healthy for us and also grand us points to add to our running total!

This blog is also for just good ideas for snacks and quick meals... you don't even necessarily have to give recipes but good ideas that you have come up with or even some smart substitutions that you have used...

Like chicken salad sandwich on wheat bread with light mayo... this would give you three points (2 for the bread and 1 for the chicken) and side it with and apple and carrots and you got yourself a really tasty 5 POINT MEAL...

So yea lets have fun with this and DON'T be afraid to share ideas, chances are that someone hasn't thought of it yet:)