Dr Oz's Anti Cancer Chilled Apple Oatmeal $2.66

Anyone who is a follower of Dr Oz, knows he is a big on weightloss, because for obvious reasons being overweight causes many other health problems-heart disease, high blood preasure, diabetes and even cancer. He also is big believer that certain foods in our diet can help to prevent Cancer. Ifact, he has been quoted as saying, that some cancers are 70% preventable. I, too, am a big believer in prevention, unfortunately, because of my family experience and history, Im not such a believer in curing cancer-esp internal organ cancers in a later stage, but I have to believe in prevention. My father passed away from a cancer that is highly hereditary, and a cancer with a litterally a 0% survival rate, so after reading those statistics, I really got on the prevention bandwagon. I dont want to hear about survival rate with/after treatment. So, I drink 3-4 cups of green tea everyday, I eat oats and other forms of fiber everyday, get vitamin C, E, tons of water.
Dr Oz has lots of "anticancer" recipes on his website, that are convenience store friendly. This oatmeal recipe is a snap to make and is packed with antioxidents, and with all the nutrients in oats and calcium in milk, it can help prevent some forms of cancer. Combining the meal with green tea adds a boost of "catachins" which reduce growth of blood vessels needed for tumor growth.

serves 2
1/2 cup oats .15
1/2 cup 1% milk.10
1/2 cup nonfat plain yogurt $1.59(or whatever is available)
1/4 cup applesauce .32
1 tsp ground up almond.20
1 tsp sunflowerseeds .15
1/8 tsp cinnamon.05
1 tsp honey.10

Green Tea Peach Sorbet (made without a machine) $2.40

This is a delicious desert that I am going to say with complete confidence would be enjoyed by kids as well as adults. I volunteer in my sons school lunchroom once a week on Fridays, and I will say handsdown the most popular fruit choice is canned peaches. On a daily basis fresh oranges, apples, pears, bananas are offered along with usually fruit coctail, canned pears, in warmer months fresh watermelon, grapes, strawberries, and the most kids go for the canned peaches! My son said, and i quote "I love canned the peaches in the lunchroom!" Michael doesnt really "love" and food, beside chocolate and icecream, so that said, I started researching what to do with canned peaches beside serving them out of a can, and came up with this delicious, nutritious gem. They contain vitamin A, which is a great antioxident, and keeps bad cells out of body, fiber, which is again great for getting rid of toxins in body, not to mention, aids in weightloss. peaches also contain potassium and iron as well!!

serves 2
Peaches contain lots of nutrients beside vitamin C.
2 bags Green Tea .40
1/4 cup of honey .40
2 cups canned peaches drained and rinsed $1.60
2 cups of water

boil water with teabags, remove from heat and let tea bags stand in water for 30 minutes
remove and let tea completely cool
in blender or food processor add tea, honey, and peaches
blend until smooth and creamy
in bowl refrigerate for atleast 2-3 hours
place in freezer a half hour before serving and let get a bit frozen, serve immediately

Jillian Michaels Egg and Cheese Burrito $1.66

When I can, I try to incorporate fitness/diet esperts recipes into the blog. If only a few ingredients are missing, it is usually possible, as long as it isnt a major ingredient like lettuce, or trout, or basically anything fresh that cant be omitted or replaced. Its a bit difficult to do this with either Jillian Michaels or Bob Harpers(The Biggest Loser) recipes, because they use lots of fresh vegetables, infact Bob is a total vegan. I would love to know if he lived in a Food Desert and had no access to a car what he would do. From being a big fan of his all these years, my guess is, he wouldnt throw in the towel, he would just get to the local minimart and make it work. Jillian loves fresh produce, and is a big advocate of organic, but she is very aware of cost, and budget, so she knows it is not always affordable, which it isnt, and as we know, it isnt even always available. Jillian however, is a big proponent of fiber, so she has lots of recipes with oats, and she also a fan of salmon and dark chocolate, so if I had her over for dinner and whipped up a convenience store meal, my guess is, she would be satisfied and she would approve. She has lots of recipes with eggs, many times accompanied with fresh veggies, but this particular burrito just contain tomatoes, and as I have pointed out, canned tomatoes have more lycopenes then fresh tomatoes and therefore more antioxidents.
In Jillians recipe she calls for reduced fat shredded cheddar, and my local convenience store doesnt carry reduced fat, so we are going with full fat cheese. Sometimes with reduced fat there is a tradeoff of more sodium vs fat, and in this case rather then omit the cheese and sacrafice calcium and protein, we are going to go for the extra fat.
ingredients
2 tortillas .20(tortillas arent always available, flatbread can work as well)
4 eggwhites.32
1/4 cup skim milk.10(or whatever you have)
3 tablespoons canned, diced tomatos.30
3 tablespoons chunky prepared salsa.40
1/3 cup shredded cheddar.32(or mozarella or swiss)
couple shakes of black pepper
cooking spray for pan(if not, a dab of canola or olive oil in pan will do)
Jillians recipe also calls for cilantro, and I Never really have that laying around my kitchen, so omit or substitute with dried herb such as parsley, Im going to add a tsp of redpepper flakes)

serves 2
whisk together eggs, milk, pepper(dried herbs-if you have any)
spray skillet and heat
pour in egg mixture and scramble
lay tortillas flat
sprinkle row of cheese down center, top with egg, tomato and salsa
roll up and eat!!
makes two servings

Green tea, Pinapple and Banana Smoothie $2.09

I know it has only been a solid month of my Convenience Store challenge, but I am going to go out on a limb, and hope I dont jinx it and say I feel great!! Im engergized, I dont feel weighed down, like I feel when I eat poorly, my mood is fairly good considering for me January leading into February has always been my least favorite period of the year in the Chicagoland. The cold, dreary days just get me down, and I start to get very unmotivated and prefer to stay home and veg, but not this time, I feel like spring is around the corner, and I am keeping busy and taking care of any and everything as best I can and enjoying hanging with family and most of all my son. Another improvement I believe I see is in my skin. Ive been drinking 3 cups of green tea a day. Sometimes I drink it hot, some times over ice and usually everyday as an afternoon pick me up, I put it in a smoothie. I feel like my selections of ingredients is endless from my local convenience store, and I love mixing and matching ingredients. Ive been informed that Some Walgreens carry bananas- mine does not, so I am not going to base this recipe on fresh banana because that will limit people. So I am going to incorporate my new "disovery" banana babyfood into this smoothy, just to give it the potassium that we all need, the smoothness, and ofcourse the natural banana taste.
serves 2
ingredients:
1 cup brewed green tea(let cool off) .20
1 cup canned frozen pinapple .70
1/2 cup banana baby food $1.19
4 icecubes
place in blender all ingredients
bel

Banana Oatmeal Walnut Bread $5.66

Combing the aisles of my local convenience store, I discovered yet another plethera of possibilities. Baby Food!! First spied pureed banana, and instantly though of a banana smoothy, but put that on hold, when I realized I wanted to make something with oatmeal this week, because fiber is on my mind. Went home and looked on internet, and didnt find any recipes with banana baby food, but found some recipes for carrot cake, with pureed carrot baby food, so that will be for another day. Ill just wing it with this banana bread recipe. Im just going to take a recipe and replace some flour with oats and any liquid fat with pureed banana, Im thinking slam dunk!! To make my Michael happy, I may add some dark chocolate chips along with walnuts. Im so excited.

What you need
Ingredients:
1 cup banana baby food $1.29
2 cup flour .36
1 cup oats .20
3/4 cup sugar .22
1/4 cup honey .40
1/4 cup canola oil .40
1 cup applesauce $1.28
2 tsp baking soda .10
1/2 cup chopped walnuts$1.21
1 tsp vanilla.10
2 tsp cinnamon.10
dark chocolate optional

mix ingredients: banana, sugar, honey, applesauce, vanilla in one bowl
in seperate bowl combing flour, oats, sugar and cinnamon
mix both bowls together
add walnuts and chocolate

bake at 350 for 50 minutes

Flatbread Pizza $1.63

My Walgreens just started carrying Flatbreads! Imaginie my excitement when I went in to buy bread, and there on the shelf was sitting whole wheat Flatbreads!! Flatbreads open up so many possibilities for me-wraps, burritos, calzone, ofcourse, but more importantly- Pizza!! I already love thin crust pizza, because I love the crunch and ofcouse it doesnt hurt to have a bit less carb intake, so the flatbread is perfect. This pizza is quick, healthy and delicious.
I love these flats, there is calcium, protein and ofcourse tons of fiber in each, couple that with the antioxidents-vitamin E, C and beta carotene in amazing tomatoes, calcium and protein in cheese, and vitamin E and iron in olives! what are we missing? oh yes, we are missing Trans fats, but ofcourse we are happy about that!!!
serve 1
All I need is one flatbread .34
1/2 cup diced tomato in sauce .66(left over from yesterdays taco)
1/2 black olives .20(on sale at my local WG .99)
1/3 cup shredded mozarella cheese.33
tsp olive oil.10

coat flatbread with olive oil
top with diced tomato in sauce
black olive
cheese
bake at 300 for 15-20 minutes

yum! yeah pizza!!!

Black bean Tomato and Cheese Taco $3.50 for 8 Tacos!!!

Great news!! I was at my local convenience store last weekend combing the food aisle and it just occured to myself and my friend to ask the manager why they didnt carry any plain beans in a can or dried(which would be even better) they carried some "pork and Beans", but no plain beans. Beans are such a delicious,nutritious and inexpensive way to replace meat. I could go on and on about the nutrients in beans-protein, fiber, iron, vitamin A,B,C,D....the list goes on and on. So this very nice gentleman manager, who clearly wants to please the customer, says "lets take a look at my catologue to see if I can order some", well, that catalogue was amazing. Just in the bean section alone we spied canned black, white, kidney, pinto, garbanzo beans, none of which were on the shelf. So we(the manager and I) settled on canned black beans and dried black beans) I have much bigger plans, but must start small and not be greedy.:). They are limited in these stores on shelf space, but we will get there I am certain. So in the meantime black beans are on their way to little small town in a suburb of Chicago.
I went ahead and made some black bean tacos, in anticipation of the big arrival!
These tacos are super easy and super healthy.
taco shells on sale to boot.
Heres my 5 minute black bean taco:
ingredients:

8 Taco shells .80
1 cup black beans .80(if from a can, drain and rinse thoroughly atleast 2 minutes under running water, that will eliminate atleast 40 percent of sodium)
1 cup diced tomato(including only small amount of sauce, mostly tomato).60
1 cup shredded cheese $1.10


combine tomato and black beans in bowl
fill shells with bean and tomato combo
top with cheese
bake or broil
if baking line up tacos on cookie sheet and bake on 300 for 10 minutes, if broiing place on cookie sheet or broil pan and broil for 1 minute until cheese melted and taco crispy

Weight Watchers Mandarin Orange Cake $6.87 for 24 servings of cake!!

A
A while back I purchased Mandarin oranges at my local Walgreens 2 cans for $1.00(a great price!!) The first can I made with jello, which we loved. I truly have a jello loving family. If I make a bowl of jello, it is gone in a day, so it is a great way to throw in lots of vitamins and fiber in my sons diet. I decided to be a bit more creative this time and looked up madarin orange recipes. Man, did I get an incredible amount to choose from, and so many recipes that I could work with the convenient store way. This cake recipe intriqued me because I have often kicked around the idea of coming up with recipes that would also fit in the weight watchers points play.
Well guess what? this cake actually does because it is a Weight Watcher recipe! It is sooo dang good, my family could get over it. It had a moist, rich, yet light texture, and the flavor from the oranges was amazing.
24 servings total) In our case people were awfully hungry, so the weight watcher points were more like
4 points a serving. sry....it was good though.
1 yellow cake mix $1.99
11 oz mandarin oranges(cut up in small peices)$1.69
1/2 cup apple sauce .64
4 egg whites .40

mix all together and bake for 30 minutes on 375

for topping
1 cup coolwhip topping $1.00
2o oz pinapple chunks(the recipe called for including the pinapple juice, but I opted to drain it, as it just seemed like too much sugar and unecessary)also, I only used a cup of pinapple

Salmon Walnut Burger in a Spicy Pinapple Honey Mustard Glaze $6.72

Funny, out of the blue, this recipe popped up onmy internet, and I as usual dida quick analysis in my head, and concluded I could make this from my convenience store, which was exciting because it looked great, healthy and most ingredients would be available. The recipe in my magazine called for a red roasted pepper sauce, which I cant make the red roasted pepper sauce that is served with the patties, but I am making a spicy pinapple mustard glaze. yum
Aside from being finger licking good, this meal is so healthy. First of all, one cant search to much further then Salmon to find one of the top superfoods. Salmon has one of the highest if not the highest concentrations of Omega 3's one can eat.



serves 4
6 1/2 ounces pink salmon$3.89
1/4 cup chopped walnuts .80
1 tablespoon dried onion .20
1 tbs dried parsley .20
1 egg white .10
1 tsp prepared dijon .10
1 tsp olive oil 20

mix ingredients together minus 1 tsp olive oil

form into 4 patties

For the glaze-
1 cup canned pinapple rinsed thoroughly(chop pinapple in smaller peices).73
1 tablespoon honey .20
1 tsp red popper flakes .10
1 tablespoon dijon or regular yellow mustard .20

in a bowl combine all ingredients, whisk together as best you can
when ready to serve, heat in a pan for 2 minutes
top over each salmon burger

heat oil in skillet and place salmon patties in pan
cook on each side for 2 minutes a side

3 Layer Salsa Dip

This is a dip that I have been making for 20 years, and I really dont know how one can go wrong with cream cheese, tomato and cheddar melted into hot bubbly creamy combo. I serve it with whole wheat crackers instead of tortilla chips and that provides fiber to health up this appetizer. Some, but not all of the Walgreens, carry blackbeans, so if yours does, include them in this salsa, that will provide even more protein,iron and fiber!! This recipe will take 5 minutes to prepare.
Ingredients:
serves 4
8 oz cream cheese $1.59
1 cup diced tomato
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

preheat oven at 350
in a 9x9 baking dish spread the softened cream cheese evenly on the bottom
mix rotel and black beans
top cream cheese with tomato bean mixture
sprinkle with cheese
bake for 15-20 minutes

serve with wholewheat crackers

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Balls $3.80

Ive been making these and digging these for years and the best thing about them is aside from being healthy, they are completely flexible in every way. Must have 4 main ingredients, but then the rest is preference, or whats available in the house, or in our case now, the convenience store. They have lots of fiber with the oats and protein with the peanut butter, omega 3's with the canola oil and then what ever fruit/nut/seeds etc...you choose to add. The recipe is simple and quick
yields 24 bitesize balls
Ingredients
1/4 cup honey .40
2 tbsp peanut butter .15
1/4 cup canola oil .20

2 1/2 cups oats $1.00
1/3 cups chopped almonds, walnuts, pecans(or a combo of all) $1.10
1/3 cup dried raisins, cranberries, blueberries(or a combo of all).35
1/3 cup dark chocolate(dk choc bar broken into small peices).60

combine first 3 ingredients
combine dry ingredients and mix with wet. With your hand form balls and place in freezer to harden balls
ready to serve in 10 minutes
store in airtight container or keep refrigerator

Tortilla Soup $4.63

Ok, this will be quite a challenge making this soup because I have made it before and quite a lot of ingredients were "fresh", and some of the fresh flavors were very strong- ie cilantro, jalepeno, lime, but im going to give it a shot. I dont like the answer to be "no" when convenience store cooking, that just isnt acceptable. I also tried to be very conscious of the sodium in the soup because along with tomato sauce, chicken broth, and tortilla chips contain lots of sodium. However along with sodium in tomato sauce comes lots of nutrients including vitamin C, beta carotene, and ofcourse lycophenes. We add a drop of olive oil for its omega 3's and red pepper flakes for cispicin which gives our body ....
ingredients and directions
serves 4
1 can tomato sauce $1.79
1 can low sodium chicken broth $1.99
1 tablespoon olive oil .30
10 medium size tortilla chips .20
2 tsp garlic powder .10
1 tsp red pepper flakes .05
1 tablespoon dried onion.20
dash of pepper
shredded cheese optional
grind up tortilla chips in blender or mash by hand if need be
in a soup pot on medium heat oil, add garlic powder and dried onion
add sauce, broth and chips after 5 minutes
stir occasionally and simmer on low for 40 minutes
add red pepper to preference and black pepper
serve with shredded cheese optional

Green Bean, Hard Boiled Egg and Black Olive Salad $5.57

My fantasy for convenience stores if for them to sell frozen vegetables!! A lot of convenience stores have big freezer sections and have even increased the frozen meals, but those can be pricier and many times loaded with preservatives. Ive done quiet a bit of research about canned vegetables and have found that the issue isnt so much that they are unhealthy or less nutritious, because that simply isnt the casfe, it is just that certain vegetables like brocolli, cauliflower, spinach arent available in a can, or atleast I havent seen them canned. Lots of theorists and nutritionists explain that canned vegetables sometimes can have even more nutrients then fresh because they are picked and canned when they are just ripe, therefore locking in nutrients, while fresh sometimes lose nutrients because they are picked early and transported sometimes accross the country and lose valuable nutrients in transit. There are some obvious issues with sodium in canned vegetables, however, if rinsed well, more then half the sodium can be eliminated, and I always suggest, when preparing them, not to add any salt.
Canned green beans is a familiar product in convenience stores, and I am excied to be creative with them. They have tons of nutrients starting with - vitamin k,C,A, calcium, omega 3's, folate, potasium, fiber, and lets not forget they are low in fat and calories.
Black Olives are high in vitamin E,iron, copper and fiber and eggs provide vitamin A, E, protein, iron and zinc.
So this is a powerhouse of nutrients in this salad, not to mention olive oil or canola which provides omega 3's.
recipe take a mere 15 minutes to make
serves 8
2 can green beans (drained and rinsed thoroughly) $3.58
1 can black olives (drained and rinsed thoroughly) .99(onsale)
6 boiled eggs .60
1/4 cup olive oil .30
1/8 cup red or white vinegar .10

Pears in Dark Chocolate $4.68 - 4 servings!!

This is a delicious, decadent, and healthy dessert that can be prepared in 10 minutes. It will wow your family, guests or even just yourself.   Infact, many tests have been done and proven without a doubt that consuming dark chocolate in moderation will help lower blood preasure, and therefore decrease the chance of heart attack or stroke.   Also, dark chocolate is loaded with antioxidents which as we know kills off bad cells in our bodies, namely Cancer cells. So, when needing just a little sweet to brighten your day, dont go for milk chocolate, go for the dark one!! Pairing it up with pear or any kind of fruit, is jost double the good for the body. Canned pears contain fiber, which our bodies need for proper digestive function which can ward off tons of diseases.  Pears also contain vitamin C, iron and protein. I saw this recipe in a super gourmet magazine, and I did my convenience store analysis in my head, and realized I can make this. 
what you need
1 can pears $1.69
1 8oz dark chocolate bar $2.79
1 tsp canola oil .20
1 tsp water

rinse off pairs thoroughly, and drain
devide them by four, and arrange on 4 plates
on low, heat oil in pan, break up chocolate in smaller peices and add to oil when oil is hot, stirring constantly, add water, when chocolate melted and creamy and smooth, remove from heat
drizzle chocolate over pears and serve

Black Olive Walnut Pesto over Pasta $4.53

I found this interesting recipe online and it turned out to be delicious. Im not surprised because I love black olives and while walnuts arent my favorite nut, I do like them, and eat them often because they have been ranked by many nutritionists and websites as a superfood, infact they have been said to be the most powerful of all the nut family. Aside from containing vitamins A and B(thiamin) fiber, and protein, they are a huge supplier of omega 3's which aids in keeping the heart healthy, aiding in better mental function and controlling arthritis and my personal favorite- they serve a a great antioxident for our bodies, which means consumption of walnuts can help keep henious cancer cells at bay. Here is the recipe, and bare in mind this pesto which means paste( and it will look kindof pastey) is a really funny color for food, and may appear kind of unappealing like dirt or something, but it is so good, I could see it in a 5star resturaunt.
serves 4
12 ounces pasta noodles(doesnt matter shape, whole wheat always better, but not always available)$1.50
cu1/4 cup black olives pitted .70
1/2 cup walnuts$1.21
1/4 cup olive oil .30
1 tablespoon garlic powder.20
1 tablespoon dried parsley.20
pepper(no salt necessary).02
1/4 cup parm cheese .40
red pepper flakes optional

boil noodles according to instruction and keep 1/4 cup starchy water for pesto
in blender combine olives, walnuts,parm cheese, olive oil and spices
blend until forms a nice consistent paste
drain pasta noodles, and add 1/4 cup of water to pesto
mix in pasta with noodles, making sure to coat noodles evenly with pesto
serve with parm cheese optional
red pepper flakes optional

Chocolate Chip Pancakes

Chocolate Chip pancakes seem kind of decadent and dessertlike and not too healthy, but that just doesnt have to be the case. First of all, the pancake mix I purchased states clearly on tbe box that the mix contains calcium and iron. For a special treat, occasionaly I include chocolate to the batter. The only glitch is I dont use milk or semisweet chocolate, I use dark chocolate because of all the healing amd health benifits of dark chocolate. Dark choclate has been known to lower blood preasure, and also contains flavanoids which proect against heart disease(milk and semisweet chocolate do not) Dark Chocolate also is a powerful antioxident which is instrumental in keeping bad cancer cells out of our systems. This AM I treated family to chocolate pancakes which I admit I dont do often because it takes a bit more time and we are scrambling in the am to get out the door usually, whether its school, sports or church. The pancakes got rave reviews and requests for seconds.
serves 4

Cuban Sandwich $7.09 ir $1,80 per sandwich

Ham: protein, iron potassium
Whole wheat bread: lowfat, fiber, portein, potassium, copper, zinc, vitamin E and B
Cheese: calcium, protein
Pickles: vitamin A, iron, dietary fiber, vitamin and copper

A while back I found a blog that I liked immediately http://www.skinnytaste.com. The bloggster at one time couldnt find any blogs that combined recipes and weightwatcher points, so she started her own blog. I love her blog because not only do her recipes seem delicious, many of them are very basic and can be made with ingredients from a convenience store, or atleast tweaked to do so.
It wasnt until after I made her recipe for a Cuban Sandwich, did I realize that the sandwich has been around a long time and I have had and made versions of it and didnt know it. I think the key to the cuban is the pickle. The pickle in the middle of the sandwich gives the sandwich crunch, kind of a tart or sweet flavor (depending on what kind of pickle is used), and lots of texture. The sadwichis usually made with ham or turkey, cheese,the pickle ofcourse and bread. Many recipes I found call for fancier bread like ciabatta or frenchbread, but no worries because there is more nutrients in wholewheat, so I wouldnt use those other breads anyway. It needs to be cooked panini style and obviously a panini maker works best, and ive ahd my $10.00panini maker purchased at Walgreens for years, infact they still sell them there for the same price. However, if one doesnt have a panini maker or have access to one, not to fret, the panini can be made in a skillet like making a grilled cheese.
My convenience store puts deli ham, turkey and cheese on sale often but I priced out this sandwich with all ingredients full price to show still how much can be saved making a sandwich from home vs going to a fast food chain. The average cost of a sandwich from a fastfood resturaunt is $4.00-$6.00 a sandwich.
8 slices whole wheat bread .80
10 ounces deli ham $3.99
4 slices swiss cheese $1.70
2 large pickles .60
cooking spray or tablespoon olive oil or canola
brush oil on one side of all 8 peices of bread

layer bread with meat, pickle then cheese
close sandwich and place in panini maker or place in skillet one or two at a time(if two fit) keep flame low and press down on sanwich with a spatula or large spoon, when cheese starts to melt, turn sandwich over to other side, do the same until bread is crispy and cheese completely melted. yum

Spaghetti Alla Carbonara $3.05

PEAS- vitamin K,C,B1,B6,B3, dietary fiber, folate, protein, iron and zinc
EGGS- Protein, vitamin A and E, selenium
BACON- protein, iron


There isnt a time I make this, that my son doesnt say "yeah, I love this pasta". Ive been eating carbonara since I was little, Ive seen it served in Italy, and on many menues in America. It might simply be one of the easiest dishes to make, yet complex taste and texture. Bacon could be the culprit behind the unique taste and texture, and coincidentally, although this dish has been around forever, bacon is making a huge splash right now in the culinary field. Everything from bacon wrapped dates(tried them) to bacon chocolate bark, bacon is HOT!!! So before we get funky on this blog, lets start with the basics and make the classic Italian carbonara dish. I probably make this dish slightly different everytime I make it. Whether I use panchetta, bacon, turkey bacon, whole eggs, egg whites, and whether i throw in vegetables, the dish is always easy and good. This time around I am going to use bacon(non turkey) whole eggs and Im going to include peas to give the dish added flavor, nutrients, color and texture. Since I always change up the recipe, Im going to use Tyler Florences recipe from the Food Network.
ingredients
1 lb linguine or spaghetti $1.79
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil .30
4 ounces(slices) bacon cubed.30(bacon on sale 2 packages for $5.00 at walgreens)
1 tablespoon garlic powder .10
2 large eggs .16
1/2 cup parm cheese .40
pepper to taste

1 tablespoon dried parsley
red pepper flakes optional

prepare the sauce while the pasta is cooking to ensure that the spaghetti willbe hot and ready when the sauce is finished,it is very important that the pasta is hot when adding the egg mixture, so that the heat of the pasta cooks the raw eggs in the sauce.
cook pasta according to instruction and serve 1/2 cup of starchy water after draining
meanwhile, heat skillet, add olive oil on medium, toss in cubed bacon, and cook for 5 minutes
toss in pasta to skillet, and toss bacon and peas into the pasta
in a seperate bowl, combine egg and parm cheese and whisk well together
add peas and garlic powder, cook another 5-10 minutes until bacon is crisp
Remove the pan from the heat and add the egg/cheese mixture and toss with the pasta vigorously for about 2 minutes, until eggs thicken but dont scramble.
season with black pepper

Fruity Granola $3.08

Ive been eating a bowl of oatmeal everyday this week, and im already feeling the difference in my body. January is generally a blah month for me. Post holiday blues,and a bit of holiday weight gain. The form of exercise I enjoy(well, not really enjoy, but tollerate) is running, and I cant run outside in cold freezing Chicago weather. When I was younger, I could tollerate it, but now over 40, my body wont bend on the topic. I generally find myself waiting to get to spring to get "in shape", and that makes for a long winter...so Im not going that route this year. I have a pilates tape I do atleast 3 or 4 times a week and I ride a kinda crappy exercise bike atleast 30 minutes a day. Oh, and the oatmeal has helped a lot. I used to skip breakfast, and now I dont. I eat my bowl of oatmeal(usually with some dried fruit like cranberries and or raisins) and a cup of greentea(I love antioxidents) and my day starts out brighter. Try it!!
Ive been playing around with some granola recipes trying to lighten the sugar and fat, and came up with a recipe I can live with, and enjoy. Ive gotten good feedback, so here it is(lots of same nutrients as my breakfast)
8 1/2 servings
4 cups or 1 lb oats $1.50(oats on sale at Walgreens for 2 1b containers $3.00)
1/2 cup canola oil .30
1/2 cup green tea(1 cup water boiled with 2 tea green tea bags).08
1/4 cup honey .40
1/4 cup raisins .40
1/4 cranberries .40
1/4 cup almonds, walnuts, or pecans (all optional)

in a bowl combine oil, tea and honey and mix well
in a baking pan, pour in oats
pour in liquid and toss until all the oats are covered with liquid mixture
bake in oven at 350 for 1 hour
toss with large spoon every 15 minutes so no oat mixture is sticking to sides or bottom of pan
remove from oven transfer to another pan to completely cool
when cool, toss in fruit and nuts
store in an airtight container

Marinara Egg Scramble $3.47

This easy egg dish can be served for breakfast, lunch or dinner. I made it for lunch today, and thought it quite tasty and easy to prepare. I bought 2 dozen eggs Sunday and therefore want to be creative yet healthy with a bunch of egg dishes. I found this off the internet on the www.allrecipes.com site. This recipe serves 4
and is high in protein, iron and zinc from the eggs and both tomatoes and eggs contain large amounts of vitamin E, which is a great antioxident, not to mention tomatoes are high in vitamin C and the highest source of lycopenes around.
Ingredients
serves 4
6 eggs .48
1 can diced tomato $1.99
2 tsp olive oil .20
2 tsp garlic powder .10
1 tablespoon dried onion .20
salt and pepper to taste .10
4 slices whole wheat bread optional .40

heat oil in skillet on medium
add dried onion, garlic and saute for 5 minutes
add entire contents of tomato can
add salt and pepper, stir and simmer for 30 minutes
crack and whisk eggs until a smooth consistency
turn up heat on sauce
pour in eggs
stir constantly for 5-10 minutes until egg is completely cooked
serve over toast

Scrambled Egg Sandwhich $2.54 -protein, fiber, iron, calcium and cheap!!

Lets take a minute to talk about whole wheat bread. While there are lots of low carb diets out there, where bread is discouraged, bread can actually be very good for our bodies. Whole wheat bread provides tons of nutrients: the actual wheat is a complex carbohydrate, and the most efficient source of energy available to the body.
Fiber-is a carb in the food that acts like a broom and sweeps our our digestive track and 1 slice of whole wheat bread contains 1.5 grams of dietary fiber.
Whole wheat bread is not only low in fat, but contains lots of vitamins and minerals including:
Thiamin
Niacin
Iron
Zinc
Along with the bread and all its nutrients in this meal, there is of course the "incredible" egg which provides our bodies with tons and tons of protein. Eggs also contain iron, zinc, vitamin A and E.
I always throw in cheese to my scrambled eggs and cheese provides calcium and protein but it also contains vitamin A and vitamin A, just like vitamin E, is instrumtal in keeping bad cancer cells at bay.
This recipe yields 4 sandwhiches

8 eggs .64(eggs on sale at Walgreens .99 a dozen)
1/3 cup milk .20
1/2 cup diced ham .35(full ham on sale 12 oz $1.99)
1/3 cup shredded cheddar .60
pinch of salt
1 tablespoon olive oil .30
8 slices of bread .80
total $2.54

crack eggs in bowl and beat until a smooth consistant color
add milk, ham, cheese, salt
heat skillet with oil, slowly pour in egg mixture and stir in pan evenly, making sure to lift sides constantly so eggs dont burn
as the eggs begin to cook, lower heat and fold eggs over slowly until eggs are light and fluffy and cheese is fully melted

Green Tea Pumpkin Beverage $1.46

This makes a great breakfast drink that is loaded with lots of antioxidents in both the green tea and the pumpkin. Green tea is also known to increase metabolic rate and along with diet and exercise can help with weightloss and weight maintanence. I always like to throw in a little cinnamon because it contains lots of nutrients such as calcium, iron, and fiber.

serves 2
2 cup green tea- 4 bags green tea brewed with a cup of water .28(onsale at Walgreens, 40 bags for $2.50)
1 can pumpkin puree .88
1 cup ice
1/4 cup honey .20
2 tsp cinnamon .10

total $1.46

Oatmeal with Dried Fruit .62 per serving

Its Sunday Morning and I just scanned the Walgreens Ads and there are lots of great foodso buys this week, and so it will be a fun, easy and healthy week, cooking and eating from a convenience store! Atleast once a month oats are on sale, and I ALWAYS stock up. Oats are another food that many nutritionist deam as a super food, if not top 10, top 20. A study published in the archives of internal medicine confirms eating high fiber foods, such as oats, helps prevent heart disease. I think the "heart smart" on the label is the first indication when looking at the packaging. Oats are packed with fiber, and fiber keeps our digestive system moving and that inturn is good for our cardiovascular system. Eating 3 grams of oats a day, can significantly lower cholesteral in bodies by 8-24%. This helps to reduce heart issues and strokes. In the website www.whfoods.com, many benefits of oats are discussed along with controlling heart disease, consuming oats is benificial in controlling type II diabetes, controlling weight gain, it is also an antioxident, known to help prevent breast cancer when consumed along side fruit.
Oatmeal is an easy, nourishing way to start anyday, and along with the calcium and vitmin provided with milk and the vitamins provided with dried fruit, almost all the good groups are consumed in this meal. Oatmeal can be eaten anytime of the day however, it doesnt have to be just for breakfast.
ingredients and directions

serves 4
3 1/2 cup boiling water
2 cups oats $1.10
1 cup milk.20
1/2 cup cranberries .50
1/2 cup raisins .50
1 tablespoon honey .15

total $2.45 .62 per serving



boil water, add oats when water comes to a rolling boil, lower heat to medium and stir constantly until water is completely disolved and the oats are cooked and creamy
remove from heat and portion into 4 servings
devode milk and honey in each, add dried fruit
if more milk is desired, add to your liking
cinnamon optional, or dried cherries, blueberries, nuts

Green Tea and Pinapple Smoothie $1.69

Im a big Dr Oz fan. I just like his demeaner, bedside manner, compassion and knowledge. I remember seeing him a long time ago on Oprah talking about the health benefits of Green Tea. At the time, my father had just been diagnosed with Bile Duct Cancer(he later passed away from the dreaded disease) and he said that consuming Green Tea was one of the best beverages for our bodies(he may have said one of the best food/drink period for our bodies-but dont quote me on that, Im not certain) I just remember him saying one of the benifits of green tea was the antioxidents that it contained. I had learned early on with my dads cancer what an antioxident was, and realized it is vital for our body to keep bad cells out, because once they are present, they can and do often spread like wildfire. I became a green tea advocate immediately and gave my dad several cups a day, along with vitamins, fresh fruit and vegetable juices. My dad lived almost 2 years with his cancer, and it was a cancer with dismal statistics. I will never be sure if it was the green tea, vitamins, or juices that gave him some time, but I dont feel it hurt, and I firmly believe prevention is absolutely the best medicine. Ive seen the horrors that cancer can wreak on a body, mind, life and life of loved ones, so if drinking 2 or 3 cups of green tea a day, can prevent that havoc, I say DRINK UP!!! I will drink a few cups a day plain, and then I will make a smoothie almost everyday. One of my favorite combos is Pinapple and green tea. I remove the pinapple from the can, rinse them ofcourse, and freeze them for a few hours so the drink is slushy. Very refreshing and supercharged antioxident!!
Green tea has been used by the chinese for 4.000 years for treating anything from headaches to depression. A study recently at the University of Perdue states a direct link with green tea inhibiting cancer cells.
Consuming green tea could also be linked to lower cholesterol, which inturn lowers the risk of heart disease and stroke. The combo of the pinapple and the tea creates a very powerful antioxdent, since they both contain bad cell fighting nutrients. Pinapple also adds lots of vitamins including b6, A, K and Vitamin C.
Ingredients:
serves 2
4 green tea bag .40
2 cups canned diced pinapple .99
1 cup ice
1 tablspoon honey(optional).30

brew tea, let cool
if pinapple frozen, remove from freezer
pour into blender with ice
add honey
blend until smooth and frothy
drink!!

Tropical Tunafish Sandwhich $2.58

Yes, I had tuna lastnight, well kind-of. I made 8 tunaballs, but had some guest for dinner, and everyone liked, so seconds were given, and like any Italian mom, I was happy to see eveyone eat and enjoy, so I went without...When I tell people after they are done eating that the whole meal came from ingredients from a convenience store the reaction is always disbelief, but I think in time people will believe!! Since I stocked up on Tuna which was on sale, I made a nice tuna sandwhich for lunch. Although I like a basic tuna salad sandwhich once in a while,
I like to funk it up a bit, so today I made it with pinapple to give the tuna so contrast. I truly DREAD cutting pinapple. It is so laborsome and I get lazy, so I dont cut close to the skin and I lose so much fruit which is a waste of nurtrients and money. Also, sometimes the pinapple isnt sweet and I dont particularly like unsweet pinapple....canned is always uniform and sweet, and other then opening the can and draining and rinsing, there is not much work involved. Pinapple gives the right balance of sweet with the tuna and nutrients that compliment the nutrients found in tunafish. Pinapple contains high contents of calcium, fiber, potassium and vitamin C. Vitamin C is important because it is an antioxident that our body needs.

makes 2 sandwiches
ingredients
1 can tuna .99
1 cup chunk pinapple .99
1 tsp olive oil .20
4 pieces whole bread .40
Total:$2.58 per serving $1.29

Tuna Meatballs in a Tomato Sauce $5.51

When I talk about tuna "meatballs" I usually get funny looks, but honestly, we have been eating tunaballs since I can remember. I like them because if someone isnt a huge tuna fan or fish fan, there are so many different flavors in this dish, that not much of a fishy taste is detectable. Tunaballs are great in a sandwhich, over pasta or rice, or simply by themselves in tomato sauce. Canned tuna, like salmon contains protein and lots of omega 3's, which are essential to our bodies. According to WH Foods, omega 3 fatty acids, play an important role in keeping our cardiovascular system functioning properly, which inturn keeps our hearts healthy. It is suggested that atleast 2 servings are consumed a week, so I try to be creative with canned tuna as well as canned salmon. On sale this week at local convenience store for .99 a can, along with tomato sauce on sale 3 for .99, im ready to roll some tunaballs.

serves 4
ingredients

2 cans tunafish $ 1.99
1 egg .10
1 slice bread(toasted in toaster or in oven).10
1 tbsp parsley.10
1 tbsp garlic powder.10
1 tbsp minced onion.10
1 tsp red pepper flakes.05
salt and pepper to taste .10
total $2.64

for tunaballs: place drain tunafish, egg, breadcrumbs, seasons in blender and blend. If you dont have a blender, blend with a fork, until a smooth, yet slightly consistency is formed. Roll into 8 round balls. place in freezer for an hour

For the sauce
1 15 oz can diced tomato $ 1.99
1 8 oz can tomato sauce .33
2 tablespoon olive oil or canola oil .40
2 tsp garlic salt .05
salt and pepper to taste .10
total $2.87

total meal $ 5.51

heat oil in sauce pan on low, add garlic salt, saute for 5 minutes
add entire contents diced tomato can and tomato sauce, simmer for 30 minutes or longer, add salt and pepper

remove tunaballs from freezer
heat skillet medium with 1 tablespoon olive oil
place tunaballs in skillet and brown them 3-4 minutes on each side
remove from skillet and gently place them in tomato sauce and simmer with sauce for 10-20 minutes
serve
optional - serve over pasta or rice

Creamy Pumpkin Tomato Sauce over Penne $3.75

I got this idea for a pumpkin sauce because I saw the recipe in a magazine and I was intrigued because- A. Ive never really had pumpkin in a savory way B. I like all the nutrients that this dish would provide C. I happen to have all the ingredients I need. There is no rule in this challenge that I can only shop once a week, but I do have a driving rule that unless I am out already in the car and need to go to my local Walgreens, I have to walk there. In other words, if Im home and discover I need something to make for dinner, I have to walk to my local convenience store,which is Walgreens,or make due with what I have. Tonight I had to make due, because it was 10 degrees out and I had no desire to walk 1/2 mile to Walgreens to get all the ingredients to make an amazing looking Pumpkin Ravioli recipe I found online, while looking fot a tomato pumpkin sauce recipe. I know the ravioli recipe sounds super ambitious, but I believe from a conveniece store, it can be done(some substitiions would need to be made, like cottage cheese for ricotta) Ill save it for another day, but I will made them, promise. Just like I am going to make pumpkin soup, pumpkin pasta with salmon, pumpkin seafood bisque....the list goes on and on. I found so many recipes online. I could not however, find a recipe with a pumpkin tomato sauce over pasta, so I did what any unorganized, undetailed, rulebreaker in the kitchen would do, I just made it up. Im sure there were some funky ingredients in this sauce recipe like sage or dill and definitely fresh garlic, but if I can get the two main ingredients, and in this case it is tomato and pumpkin, Ill find a way to make it and make it taste good!!

So this sauce contains few ingredients, but the creamy texture and flavor of pumpkin puree, gives the sauce a rich taste, without all the calories rich sauces contain. Both pumpkin and tomato contain beta carotene and vitamin E which are great sources of antioxidents. Antioxidents are instrumental in keeping bad cells out of our bodies. Pumpkinn is very high in vitamin A which promotes great vision and skin, and canned tomato is a the lycopene super star. Not only does consuming tomatos help ward off so many different types of cancer, consumption also helps lower cholesteral which can protect againstheart disease.
Here is the simple yet delicious and healthy recipe:

6 servings
1 can pumpkin puree 15 oz .88(onsale)
2 8 oz cans tomato sauce .67(onsale 2 for $1.00)
1 box pasta 1 lb, doesnt matter what shape(whole wheat always better,but not always available) $ 1.79
1 tablespoon olive oil .20
1 tablespoon garlic powder .10
1 tablespoon dried parsley .10
salt and pepper .05

Salmon Patties with Tropical Fruit Salsa $7.37

On sale this week at my local Convenience Store is canned salmon. 15 ounce cans for $1.99. Canned salmon is a great option to fresh or frozen salmon because it has all the same health benifits, but at a fraction of the cost. According to The E How website, Salmon hss tons of health benifits. The American Hearth Association even recoomends that healthy adults eat atleast two 4 ounce servings a week, because salmon contains protein and omega 3, which has been shown to lower the risk of heart disease. The Omega 3s also aid in lowering blood preasure and inflamation. Also canned salmon contains cooked bones which provides an excellent source of calcium.
I found a site a while back www.alaskaseafood.org that focuses on canned salmon and tons of cooking ideas, and have gotten many fecipe ideas off this site. Here is our version of a Salmon Burger

1 can drained salmon 14 ounces $3.89
1 egg .10
1 cup breadcrumbs(3 slices of bread baked and crumbled).30
1 tablespoon dried parsley .10
1 tablespoon dried onion .10
2 tsp garlic powder .05
1/4 cup bbq sauce or mayo, or salsa(what ever you may have to add a bit more moisture and flavor) I have added mayo. .20

$2.84 for 4 salmon patties or .71 per burger

combine all ingredients in mixer or by hand. form into 4 patties
heat oil and place patties in skillet
cook on each side for 4 to 5 minutes
serve on bun or bread or alone

To give it a bit more color and nutrients I made a quick fruit salsa which was made in no time flat, and full of vitamin C from both the fruit and tomatoes. Antioxidents from the tomatos and basically fat free, which is always good!

1 cup canned mandarin oranges(onsale at Walgreens for .50
1 cup canned pinapple .99
1/2 cup diced tomato .89
dried parsley optional .05
$2.43

rinse and drain fruit(always important to do when using canned fruit or vegetables-in doing so, atleast 50% of sodium or sugar can be eliminated)
cut mandarin oranged and pinapple in bite size peices
drain and rinse tomatoes, and toss into fruit mixture
serve with salmon

Pumkin Smoothie $1.53

A while back I stumbled upon a blog that I absolutely love. Its address is www.skinnytaste.com, and the premise behind the blog is the blogger had a difficult time finding out the weight watcher points in recipes, so she created a blog to include those numbers with all her recipes. Well, it is obviously a great site because it is in the top 2 food blogs on the internet. I like her recipes because they are obviously low in points, they look amazing,simple and many of them dont have super funky ingredients and I can work with them from a convenience store standpoint.
I found this pumpkin smoothie idea on her site, I tweaked it a bit because it called for Greek yogurt, and that I have never seen at my local convenience store, and she made pumpkin butter out of the pumpkin puree, and I thought that was too much work, so I just used the pumpkin puree straight out of the can. I loved it. I drink one almost every day and I swear not only do I feel revived when I have my afternoon fix, my skin feels and looks revived. That must be the beta carotene and vitamin A working. There are large amounts of both those nutrients in pumpkin and have been known to aid in keeping skin looking and feeling healthy, and can slow down the aging process. Beta Carotene along with alpha carotene, is also a strong antioxident and aids in keeping bad cancer cells away(yipee) Pumpkin also contains vitamin E another powerful antioxident, tons of fiber, which helps to control cholesteral and in turn is very heart smart, and vitamin C and potassium. There are no reasons not to eat pumpkin or drink pumpkin. When Im craving a healthy, filling sweet snack, this drink hits the spot.
My Convenience Store doesnt sell pumpkin puree all year long. It is strictly a seasonal item. Sometime in October I noticed it on the shelf, and now January 3 I found it on clearence for .88 a can. I stocked up on 10 cans. I have a bunch of recipe ideas other then pumpkin smoothies, so I am sure the cans will go fast.
Here is the recipe I found on www.skinnytaste.com.(altered)
makes 4 servings
1 can pumpkin puree-about two cups .88
1 cup milk .40
1 1/2 cup ice
1/4 cup brown sugar, or honey .20
1 tsp cinammon .05
put all ingredients in blender and blend until smooth
total $1.53 or .38 a serving

Black Olive, Diced Tomato Fritata $3.90

Does anyone remember the "Incredible Edible Egg" compaign? Eggs are small, inexpensive and super versitile. There are so many ways to cook eggs and so many accompiments, that we could do a whole blog on eggs. Starting with boiled, scrambled, fried, poached, over easy, over hard, quiche, fritata, strata, omlette, eggs benidict just to name some of the ways to prepare eggs. That doesnt even include all the healthy accompnimants that can be purchased at convenience stores. Cheese, deli meats, canned vegetables, salsas, herbs.....the list goes on and on. For .16 an egg(roughly-sometimes much less, if on sale) an egg packs tons and tons of nutrients. They contain high quality protein, iron and zinc. Eggs play a big role in weight management, muscle strength, and healthy pregnancies. Eggs also contain vitamin A and E. Vitamin A aids in vision and general cell growth, which aids in healthy skin. Vitamin E, which is an antioxident that works along side vitamin C and selenium to prevent damage from free radicals.
This egg fritata is not only healthy due to the eggs, it also contains canned tomatos which are high in beta carotenes, and Vitamin E and C, and ofcourse lycopenes, which is a great antioxident. Black Olives contain high amounts of iron and vitamin E, which is another great antioxident.
serves 6
8 eggs .80
1/2 cup milk(lowfat, 2%, vitamin D) .15
1 cup diced tomatos(drained).85
1 cup black olives $1.15
1/2 cup shredded mozarella .65
2 teaspoons olive oil .20
salt and pepper.10
Total $3.90
per person: .65
in a bowl combine eggs, milk, tomatoes, olives, cheese and salt and pepper
grease pie plate, or a cassorole pan with olive oil
pour in egg mixture and with a spoon make sure it is evenly dispersed through out the pan.
bake for 25-30 minutes or until egg is golden brown and knife comes out clean after testing
when done cooking, cool for 5 minutes, cut and serve

Baked Rigatoni Al Forno $ 8.07

Happy New year!! A year ago we kicked off our first food blog that got us shopping, cooking, saving money,being organized and most importantly - Healthy. This year we are taking it a step further, and blogging, creating, and cooking as if we live in a food desert and dont have access to full service grocery stores. There can be NO excuses to eating healthy, just solutions, even in a food desert. Since it is New Years Day, and Rose Bowl watching day, I made a nice hearty pasta dish. Anytime, a recipe calls for canned tomato sauce, or diced tomatoes, and they can be found at a convenience store, I think they shoud be purchased and used. Tomatoes are high in Antioxidents-beta carotene, vitamin E and C. They are also very high in the carotenoid lycopene. All of the nutrients play a role in keeping heart risks at bay as well as cancer. Interestingly enough, canned tomatoes contain even more nutrients then fresh, it seems the canning process enhances the nutrients found in tomatoes. This dish also calls for cheese which provides dairy and calcium, and pasta which gives the body carboydrates. I found many versions of this dish on tons of websites, from Weight Watchers, to Giada, to Mario Batali to the Food Network, and most every recipe was a bit different. This pasta dish will definitely be made again and again with variations. Pasta and cheese, how can you go wrong? This recipe is very basic and I found it on the Food Network site. The only fresh ingredient that we are missing is fresh garlic, and I think for flavor garlic powder does a great job in intensifying flavor.

serves 6
1 lb tube pasta $ 1.50
1 1/2 cup mozarella cheese $1.69
1/2 cup parm cheese .40
1 can 15 oz tomato sauce $1.99
1 can diced tomato $1.59
1 tablespoon olive oil .40
1 tablespoon garlic powder .20
2 tsp dried onion .10
2 tsp dried red pepper flakes .10
2 tsp dried basil .10
Total
$ 8.07 $ 1.35 per person
At my local convenience store tomato sauce and diced tomatoes as well as pasta are on sale quite often. As we get going on this blog we will cordinate recipes with sales items for the week, as well as searching out recipes from healthy blogs, and chefs and health professionals as well.

heat oil on low, add onion,garlic powder, basil, red pepper and saute for few minutes
add diced tomato and tomato sauce
simmer on low for an hour
boil pasta noodles
drain
pour in baking dish and toss in sauce
toss in 1 cup mozarella cheese
sprinkle remaining mozarella cheese and parm cheese on top of pasta and bake for 30 minutes on 350