Honey Nut Cheerios Smoothies

13 vitamins and minerals. low fat, good source of calcium, made with whole grains. helps reduce the risk of heart disease, can help lower cholesterol, excellent source of iron Peaches are high in vitamin A, C, fiber iron and protein. Milk contains 9 essential nutrients and vitamins, including protein, vitmains A,D and B12, calcium, potassiu, phosphorus, riboflavin, niacin, zinc and manesium.

8 oz yogurt(whatever flavor preferred)
1 1/4 cups honeynut cheerios
1 cup milk(2% or skim milk)
1 can peaches
1 can banana babyfood

mix all in blender 20 seconds, turn off blender scrape the sides and blend another
40 seconds
serve 4 glasses

Cranberry Orange Granita $1.00

Thumbing thru my many Giada cookbooks, I am very pleasantly surprised by how many basic easy recipes she has in her books and how many of her recipes I can make with ingredients from a convenience store. I found this Granita and although it called for lime, sugar and vodka, I just made some changes. I prefer to use honey when I can instead of sugar, and who needs the vodka. Orange juice and Cranberry juice are both loaded with vitamin C which provides antioxidents and antioxidents are known to kill off free radicals(bad cells) This is a quick and easy dessert that can be made with many different juice combinations.
serves 2
1 cup cranberry juice .40
1 cup orange juice .30
1/3 cup honey .30

in a saucepan on medium heat, heat cranberry and orange juice with sugar
remove from heat as soon as sugar is completely disolved
pour into a glass bowl and freeze, mixing it up every few hours
after 4 hours it is ready to eat!

Eggs Stuffed with Salmon $2.40

Ingredients:
4 eggs hard boiled eggs .60
1/2 cup canned salmon .95
2 tsp olive oil .20
1/4 cup green olives .50
1 tsp dried onion .05
2 tsp dried parsley .05
2 tsp black pepper .05
total $2.40

peal eggs and slice longways
remove egg yolk and place in bowl
combine all ingredients except egg whites in bowl and mix together
fill each egg white evenly

Rice with Tomato, Peas and Mozarella Bake $9.21

I started out trying to make Arancini, which are Italian rice balls. They are usually made with Aborio rice and breadcrumbs and then fried. So ofcourse I would not be frying them, but baking instead, the only problem was aborio rice is an uncooked long grained rice that becomes very sticky when cooked and that along with eggs makes for the rice balls to stick together easily, and so with my instant rice, the rice balls were fall apart:(. Not to fret, worry or gosh forbid- WASTE, I turned the dish into a cassarole, it was soooooo good!!!! In cooking the Convenient Store Way-there is always a way!!
ingredients
2 cups instant rice .69
4 cups water
2 tablespoons dried onion .40
2 tablespoons garlic powder .40
1 tablespoon olive oil .20
1 can 15 ounces canned peas $1.79
1 can 15 ounce diced tomato $1.99
1 can 10 ounce tomato sauce $1.49
3 egg whites .30
1/2 cup parm cheese
2 slices of bread for breadcrumbs .20
1 1/4 cup shredded part skim mozarella $1.70

make sauce:
heat skillet with oil on low
add onion and garlic powder, saute 5 minutes
add tomato sauce and diced tomato
simmer for 20 minutes, add peas and simmer another 10 minutes

cook rice according to directions, set aside to cool
preheat oven to 400
in bowl combine rice, egg, parm cheese, breadcrumbs and sauce with peas(leave 1/4 cup breadcrumbs and 1 cup aside of sauce)
pour rice into casarole dish
top with remaining breadcrumbs, sauce and mozarella cheese
cover dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes
uncover and bake another 10 minutes
let stand, cut into pieces and serve

Homemade Dark Chocolate Nutella

Oh man, I admit, I LOVE Nutella. I feel like I discovered it, because long before I believe it came to the states, I made the discovery that it was ok to eat chocolate in the morning. I remember the summer of my 14th year, on vacation in Italy with my family for 2 months, and instead of realizing how lucky I was to be in that beautiful country, I was miserable. I hated the small town that my dad was born and raised in called Cervaro! The showers were terrible, we had no TV, we had no phone, the closest town was 5 miles away down a long winding mountain, we had no katsup, potato chips and most importantly Italy hadnt discovered peanut butter! ugh! But then one day, I noticed my cousin slathering a dark colored cream on toast in the morning and after I made sure it wasnt something like lard, or prune spread, I said "si" "fa me provarlo" - "ok, let me try it". And that was it. I was sold, and never looked back. Suddenly, I started to see Italy for what it was. We didnt need tv or a phone, we had mountains, rivers, dancing, feasts, amazing pasta meals, big smile on my dads face, most importantly discovering my roots- oh and Nutella!! i was hooked ever since. Unfortunately, my hips have been too hooked, and just recently, 30 years later, I decided to look at the ingredients and OMG, ok, delicious and worth every 100 calories, but no more! I wasnt going without nutella in my life, but the recipe just got changed. Here is my convenience store version of a Dark Chocolate Nutella. you wont be disappointed!!
ingredients:

1 cup hazelnuts
3 ounces dark chocolate
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 tablespoon honey

bake hazelnuts for 15 minutes at 350
remove from oven and roll them in a clean dishtowel to remove all the skin
place in food processor and mix until they become a smooth mixture(this might take 5 whole minutes)
create double boiler- one larger pan of water boiling and a smaller pan inside
add chocolate, honey and oil and melt, stirring constantly
add hazelnuts when chocolate is melting
continue to stir
when all mixed together to form a nice creamy consistency remove
recipes all say to refrigerate for a month before serving and i dont really know why
mine is in the refrigerator, I dont know how long it is going to stay there untouched...I think a few days, and then I dont think I can resist, so stay tuned!!

Salmon Oat Burger $3.69 for 4 Burgers

Another Dr Oz recipe!! Im not short on salmon recipes and I love combining oats which are bursting with fiber. The fiber in oats helps keep the digestive system moving, which inturn helps to prevent high cholesterol and high blood pressure, no to mention weight gain. Combining oats with salmon, provides so many great nutrients including protein and omega 3's. Omega 3's are instrumental in lowering cholesterol and blood preassure and also contains salmon bones which adds calcium to the diet. Although the recipe didnt include tomatoes, I included them because I thought it would give added need flavor, not to mention vitamin C, and beta carotene, and vitamin E, which are all powerful antioxidents. Awesome!!

ingredients:

15 ounce canned salmon $2.79
1 egg .15
3/4 cup oats .25
1/4 cup milk .05
1 tablespoon dried parsley .10
1 tablespoon dried onion .10
2 tsp garlic powder.10
2 tsp chili powder .10
1 tsp black pepper.05

mix all ingredients together, for into 4 burgers
free for 30-60 minutes

heat 2 tsp olive oil in a medium skillet
cook burgers 5 minutes on each side
serve

Pumpkin Apricot Oat Bread $4.28

preheat oven 350
Ingredients

2 cup flour .54
1 cup old fasioned oats .35
1 cup applesauce $1.28
3/4 cup orange juice .25
1 eggs.15
1/2 sugar .40
1/4 honey .40
2 tsp baking soda .10
1 tsp baking powder .05
2 tsp cinnamon .10
1/2 cup cut up diced apricots.60
1/2 cup cranberries.60
eggs, applesauce, pumpkin, sugar and honey in bowl
in separate bowl combine dry remaining ingredients
add fruit
pour into greased bread pan

Pasta with Mushroom pesto and Sweet Peas $8.38

i took the easy way out and took a leftover pasta from the other night and added peas. The dish was great. It was great to make use of the leftover pasta and change the meal, and actually add more nutrients. Peas add vitamin b1(thiamin) vitamin A,C,K and lots of fiber.
Take my original recipe and add 1 can of peas 15 ounces
I added a tsp of olive oil because the pasta was a bit dry.

Pasta with mushroom pesto and green peas

Pasta mushroom pesto $6.49
can peas $1.79
olive oil .10
$ 8.38

Corn Chowder with Salmon $7.68

I loved my Corn Chowder so much and wanted to make it again, but holding true to my challenge had to do something different, so this recipe came up. Im always happy to incorporate salmon into a recipe because it is just so darn good, and good for the body. All 8 ingredients available at my local convenience store-Walgreens. 4 nice serving bowls later, we are all feeling like it was a great, satisfying, healthy, and quick dinner.

Ingredients:
1 can 15 ounces corn $1.79
1 can 14.5 salmon $3.89
2 tablespoon butter .25
2 tablespoon flour .20
1 cup 2% or lowfat milk .20
1 cup evaporated milk .90
2 tablespoons garlic powder .40
1 tsp pepper .05

total $7.68

heat butter in skillet on low. add flour, stir well
add milk and condensed milk, stirring constantly
add corn, salmon, garlic powder and black pepper
simmer for 15-20 minutes on low
serve
yum!!

Pasta alla Matriciana $7.57

I was thumbing through my moms Everyday Italian by Giada, and came across so many Italian recipes I can make from my local Mini Mart. Sometimes it takes a fresh cookbook to to spruce up my blog. This recipe was one of my dads favorites, I make it with love in my heart when I think of my dad enjoying his Matriciana with his glass of red wine.
The only ingredients missing from Giadas original recipe are fresh garlic and fresh onion, but we went with the dried onion and garlic powder,and added a bit more black pepper and extra red pepper flakes, and the meal was delish.

12 ounces spaghetti $1.29
1 tablespoon 2 tsp olive oil .20
6 ounces bacon(about 4 slices)$1.20
2 tablespoons dried onion .20
2 tablespoons garlic powder .20
1 tsp red pepper flakes.05
1 can 15 ounces tomato sauce $1.99
1 can 15 ounce diced tomatoes $1.99
1/2 tsp black pepper .05
1/4 grated parmesean cheese .40

heat skillet with 1 tablespoon olive oil and add bacon cook bacon until crisp, remove bacon, and blot out oil with papertowel. crumble up bacon
pour out oil from pan, add remaining 2 tsp olive oil, add dried onion, garlic powder, red pepper, black pepper and crumbled bacon
saute for 5 minutes
add tomato sauce and diced tomato
simmer for 40-60 minutes
cook pasta according to instruction.
top with cheese

Pasta with Mushroom Pesto $6.49

Cooked mushrooms are a good source of dietary fiber.  Fiber helps copntrol cholesterol and blood sugar levels and also promotes good digestion.  Mushrooms also containatleast 3.5 grams of protein per serving or 7% of your daily protein needs.  Mushrooms also contain B vitamins: B2, B3, B5, B6.

Ingredients:

12 oz pasta $1.29
2 10 oz cans mushrooms $ 3.00
1 tablespoon 2 tsp olive oil .70
1 tablspoon dried onion .10
2 tablespoon garlic powder.10
2 tsp dried parsley.10
1/4 cup parm cheese .40
1/4 cup almonds.80
2 tsp black pepper

cook pasta and after draining noodles keep 3/4 cup of starchy pasta water
rinse canned mushrooms
heat skillet with tablespoon olive oil on medium add mushrooms and saute for 5 minutes.
add onion, garlic powder, parsley and saute for 10 minutes
remove from heat let cook for 5 minutes
pour into food processor or blender add parm cheese, almond and black pepper
mix for 1 minute until smooth add water blend another 30 seconds
remove toss back in skillet with pasta for a few minutes
serve
red pepper of course is optional

Salmon Carbanara $9.52

Ive allready come up with many ways to use salmon in recipes, but there are so many more. I could probably do a site of 365 days of canned salmon, but Ill save that for another blog. This recipe combines two recipes and increases the nutrients and flavors twofold. Salmon contains omega 3's, protein
serves 6
ingredients
16 ounces pasta $1.99
1 can 15 oz canned salmon $3.89
1 small can tomato sauce $1.99
2 strips of bacon .60
2 eggs 1 egg white only .30
1/2 cup evaporated milk, or regular 1 percent milk .40
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp garlic powder .10
1 tbsp olive oil .25

cook noodles according to instruction
in large skillet, cook bacon until crisp, remove from skillet and rap in papertowel to absorb grease, break bacon into small pieces
in bowl combine eggs, egg white, milk, whisk together
add pepper and garlic powder
heat olive oil in skillet for one minute, add tomato sauce, bacon bits, salmon(making sure to break chunks up)
cook on low for atleast 10 minutes
drain pasta noodles and toss them in skillet, mixing them in with the sauce
raise the heat to medium and add the egg mixture
stirring constantly so the egg mixture cooks as well as combines with the sauce and pasta
lower heat after 5 minutes, cook 5 more minutes
remove from heat
serve immediately

Carrot Cake $4.25

I made this cake yesterday as kind of a healthy treat for Valentines Day and I had planned on frosting it with a cream cheese frosting. Before I could frost it, half of it was gone. My son came home from school with a friend and cut right in...twice. He and his friend loved it. The most exciting part about that was the health factor. I did what I usually do when cooking(sometimes baking) I looked up a bunch of recipes and took ideas from all of them, and then tweaked it. Sometimes that works in baking and sometimes it doesnt. I made banana bread a few weeks ago and the first batch was horrid. I used applesauce and honey for my sweetness, and it just wasnt sweet enough. This time, I cut out about 60% of the sugar, all the oil, and the egg yokes, and added applesauce and an extra egg white, and lots of walnuts and raisin, and the results were....well, Ill be baking this again soon, because its all gone. ooops, did I mention that I used carrot puree babyfood for the carrot? worked like a charm.

Ingredients
2 1/4 cups flour .50
3/4 cup sugar .25
3 egg whites.45
2 tsp vanilla .20
2 tsp baking powder.10
4 oz carrot babyfood .80
4 ounces applesauce .64
1 tablespoon cinnamon .10
1/4 cup walnuts .66
1/2 cup raisins .55

mix sugar, egg whites, applesauce, and carrot babyfood in bowl
in seperate bowl combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon
mix together add raisins and walnuts

place in two baking bread loaf pans
bake at 350 for 45 minutes, or until for comes back clean when inserted to top of bread

Develed $1.90

Deviled eggs are another tasty and simple way to serve eggs. Eggs are a nutrtional powerhouse that play an important role in maintaining a healthy diet. Eggs have been called a high source of high quality protein and amino acids that are indispensable for a healthy body. Eggs also defend and improve eyesight by preventing diseases like cataracts. I found you can be creative or very simple with your deviled eggs. This is a pretty basic recipe, but I have seen recipes where tuna, salmon, tomato, hot sauce, relish is mixed into the yolk. I think one can be as creative or as plain as desired. The true beauty of eggs are its versatilty, nutrients and of course the cost being so low(anywhere from .07, to .20 an egg) is normal, and I rarely see them for over .15 an egg, thats whole heck of a lot less then a piece of steak or fish!
heres what you need:

8 eggs hard boiled $1.40
1/4 cup mayonaiase .30
1 Tbsp prepared mustard .20


take the hard boiled eggs and remove from shell, carful not to break the eggs
slice once from top to bottom lenghtwise with a sharp knife creating two equal portions with an equal yellow in the middle. Next, separate the whites from the middle, saving each part. Place whites on a platter and place yolks in a resealable bag or a bowl. Add mayo and mustard to yolks and mix together with a fork first and then a spoon, until a smooth and creamy consistency. If usuing a a big, cut the tip of the bag forming a "cake decorating" type bag, and sqeezing from the bottom, fill each white of the egg with the yolk mixture. If yellows of egg are in a bowl, simple fill whites with a spoon. Top with paprika or dried parsley if desired. This serves 4 as a meal(two eggs-four halves to each person) or 8 as an appetizer.

Crab Cakes $5.95

Crab cakes are usually made with immitation crabmeat, and Ive never seen that available at convenience stores, but I almost always see canned crab available. I have also never made crab cakes before, but I have ordered it at many a resturaunt, and have come to realize that what is mixed in with the crab, attributes to a lot of the flavor and texture.
Crab meat provides mutltipe essential nutrients. It is particularly rich in vitamin B12, which, along with other other B vitamins, helps to convert food into energy. Crab meat also contains 20% of the RDA for phosphorus, essential to strong bones, and 40% for the trace mineral selenium, which acts as an antioxidant and helps with thyroid function and immunity. Most important, 3 oz of crab provides between 16-20 grams of protein, and that is essential to help a body maintain muscle and create cells.
serves 4-6
Ingredients
2 can 6 ounces crabmeat $3.98
1 egg .15
1 tablespoon olive oil .60
1 tablspoon mayonaise .20
1 tsp dijon mustard.05
1 tablespoon dried parsley .10
1 tsp paprika .05
1 tsp garlic powder .05
2 slices bread.20
6 wholewheat crackers .15

toast bread in toaster, or bake in a preheated oven at 350 for 10 minutes
in bowl combine: crab, egg, 1/2 tablespoon olive oil, mayo, mustard, parsley, paprika, parlic powder and mix all together
crush crackers and bread in blender or by hand
add to crab mixture
Form into mini cakes 8-12, depending on how small or large you want them.
heat remaining oil in skillet, place crabcakes in skillet on medium and cook for atleast 5 minutes on each side, until golden brown
serve

Pistaccio Green Pea Pesto over Pasta $5.84

This recipe is coming to you from Americas 30 minute meal sweetheart- Rachel Ray. i just made it a Mini Mart 30 Minute meal. I did tweak it as far as some fresh ingredients and I cut out some of the fat. Pistaccios do have some fat, but they also provide some very important nutrients, maily vitamin E, which makes them an incredble antioxident. green peas give the meal vitamin C, and lots of fiber which is integral to keep the digestive system flowing. Boil the noodles while you make the sauce and this recipe wont take longer then 20 minutes.
ingredients
serves 4-6
1/2 lb penne pasta .99
1/2 cup pistaccio nuts $1.66
1 can 15 ounces canned peas(rinsed and drained)$1.79
1/3 parm cheese .40
1 tablespoon garlic powder .20
2 tbsp and 1 tsp olive oil .70
1 tsp black pepper.05
1/2 cup boiled pasta water
red pepper flakes .05

cook noodles according to instruction
heat skillet
heat skillet with 1 tsp olive oil
add pistaccios and toss for 5 minutes
remove from heat
place in food processor or blender 2/3 cups pistaccios, parm cheese, olive oil, 1 1/2 cups peas, garlic powder, and black pepper
blend until smooth
meanwhile when noodles are cooked, drain, keeping 1/2 cup starchy water aside
add water to food processor or blender
in a skillet add sauce,remaining peas and pistaccios, and pasta toss together until pasta is all coated
serve with red pepper

Black Bean Burger $4.49

Move over ground beef! Looking for an alternative to a traditional hamburger? Whip up a black bean burger. Black bean burgers have a similar taste, texture and versatility as a Hamburger, but not all the fat and calories. AS I have noted, black beans are high in protein, iron, B1, but most importantly, fiber. They contain more fiber then many fruits and vegetables. Including black beans in ones diet plays a big role in lowering of cholesterol, and consequently aids in heart health. Black beans are also a great provider of antioxidents to our bodies. I think this burger is worth a shot. This burger I made was more like a pizza burger with cheese and sauce, but there are so many other options as far as flavors. Ive made a spicy burger with red pepper flakes and hot sauce, and herb burger with different dried herbs, tropical with fruit, I love them with pickles and mustard.
Here is my recipe

makes 4 burgers
ingredients:
1 can black beans drained and rinsed $1.99
2 pieces of wholewheat bread .40
1 egg white .20
1 tablespoon garlic powder .20
2 tsp dried parsley .10
1 tsp red pepper flakes .10
1/2 cup mozarella cheese .60
1 cup diced tomatoes in sauce .90

toast bread in toaster bake bread f0r 10 minutes in preheated oven at 300
remove crispy bread
place bread, black beans, egg and spices in food processor, blender
mix until forms a smooth consisetency
form into 4 burgers(dough might be slightly sticky, if so, wet your hands)
place burgers on a tray and place in freezer for atleast 15 minutes
to cook
best is in the oven on a cookie sheet, 350 for 15 to 20 minutes
otherwise a skillet is good as well
coat skillet with cooking spray and cook on each side for 5 minutes. careful when flipping with spatula because the burgers are more delicate then a traditional ground beef burger
If baking in oven after 10 minutes place cheese then sauce on burger, remove when cheese is melted and serve
in skillet after burger is flipped add cheese and sauce after few minutes of cooking place a like over pan, the cheese should melt with in a minute or two, remove and serve

Creamed Corn $4.09

Trying to be creative, yet simplictic, I was looking for corn soup recipes since we are winding down winter in the Chicagoland(yea!) and I had bought a few cans of corn on sale and wanted to make some use of them. I had heard of corn chowder, and never made it before, but thought it was pretty straightforward,and simple enough to make with ingredients from my local convenience store.
Upon searching recipes, I realized I needed creamed corn in most cases and so rather then throw in towel, I decided I would "cream" my corn. The only creamed corn I ever had was canned creamed corn. I had a feeling the cream part could be fattening, but I searched and tweaked and managed to cut out some of the fat calories from my recipe. I really try to use olive or canola oil 99 percent of the time when cooking and usually butter can be easily swapped out, but this time I just couldnt picture it with the corn. I have to admit the corn was so good, no one wanted me to make it into a soup, so we just ate it plain it alone, but the soup is on my list, and Im certain in the next few weeks we will be eating corn chowder.

serves 4-6
1 can corn 14.5 ounces drained and rinsed $1.79
2 tablespoon butter.25
2 tablspoon flour .20
1 cup lowfat, 1 or 2 percent milk .20
1 cup evaporated milk.90
2 tablespoons garlic powder.40
1/4 cup parm cheese .30
pepper to taste .05

melt butter in skillet on low
add flour and stir constantly
add evaporated milk and milk, stirring constantly until a smooth consistency is formed
add corn, garlic powder, parm cheese
continue to stir until all is blended together and creamy
add pepper to taste
serve

Minestrone Soup $8.41

There are 3 common vegetables available in convenience stores and I decided to combine them all into a Minestrone Soup. As far as I can see, a minestrone soup is pretty much a vegetable soup usually containing some kind of bean, a bunch of other vegetables and a small noodle of some kind. The base is usually tomato, although, I have seen minestrone done in a clear broth as well. The result was absolutely delicious-I kid you not, and I dont usually get excited about soup.
Ingredients: this recipe yields 6-8 nice size bowls,freeze leftovers if there are any, too good to waste!!
serves 8
1 14.5 ounce can low sodium chicken broth $1.99
1 15 ounce can diced tomatoes in sauce $1.99
1 tablespoon dried onion .20
1 tablespoon olive oil .30
2 tsp dried parsley.10
1 tablespoon garlic powder.20
1 14.5 can green beans(soaked and rinsed)$1.79
1 14.5 can corn(soaked and rinsed)$1.79
pepper to taste .05

In soup pot on medium pour oil, heat for a minute and add onion
saute for 2 minutes
add entire contents of diced tomato can
turn heat to medium and add garlic powder
stir until garlic powder mixed in
add all other vegetables
mix all together
add parsly and pepper
simmer for an hour on low
serve
optional small pasta noodles, or spaghetti or linguine cooked and then cut up in inch diameter pieces

Salmon Tortilla Roll Up $3.58

Quick and easy lunch, and loaded with omega 3's and antioxidents. These can work with a flour tortilla or a flatbread, and ofcourse whole wheat is ALWAYS better.
serves 4
Ingredients:
4 tortillas .40
14 oz can salmon $1.98
1 cup diced tomato .90
2 tablespoons dijon mustard .30
pepper to taste .05

rinse salmon for two minutes to eliminate any excess sodium
mix salmon,tomatoes, mustard and pepper

layout tortillas, evenly scoop salmon salad on each tortilla and roll up. Can be sliced into pieces or eaten whole.

Dark Chocolate Cheesecake

This was so good, I say "was" b/c its all gone! The idea came to me yesterday AM, I looked up a bunch or recipes online, for "dark chocolate desserts" because I had purhased a few bars at my local Walgreens a few days before(on sale) 2 for $4.00, and I was invited to a Superbowl party and I wanted to make something that wasnt a dip, and this is what came up with. I have to say, it was really good, I did manage to cut out some of the fat, but the eggs and the dark chocolate are healthy, and small slice is very filling so...although it was a bit indulgent, it was worth it. Recipe was fairly easy a well, believe me, I would say if it wasnt, because Im not into complicated cooking, especially dessert.
Ingredients for crust
24 choc or vanilla wafers
1 tbsp sugar
1/4 cup butter(melted)

in food processor add wafers, sugar, mix until smooth consistency
add melted butter
grease springform 9" x 3" pan
pour in crumb mixture and flatten evenly throughout pan
bake for 20 minutes

Ingredients for filling
2 8 oz blocks of cream cheese
1 4 oz dark chocolate bar(atleast 80%)
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs

create a double boiler by boiling 2 cups of water in a pan, place a metal bowl or a smaller pan ontop of pan with boiling water
place chocolate in top pan and stir until it is melted and smooth
let cool 5 -10 minutes until lukewarm
in food processor add cheese, sugar, vanilla
mix for 30 seconds, slowly add chocolate, when smooth and creamy add eggs
when all mixed pour into piecrust
place in oven and bake for 1 hour
remove let cool for 30 minutes, refrigerate for 8 hours

Tunafish, Greenbean, Black Olive, Egg Salad $ 4.50

I love this salad! It contains protein, calcium, fiber, iron, vitamin A,C,D,E, and much more. The salad was whipped up as quick as it took me to boil 4 eggs.
Ingredients: serves 4 people
4 eggs .40
2 cups greenbeans (rinsed and soaked)$1.70
1 cup plack olives(rinsed and soaked)$1.00
2 cans tunafish(rinsed and soaked)$1.80
1/4 cup olive oil .25
1/8 vinegar .10
2 tsp garlic powder .20
pepper .05

boil eggs, let cool for 15 minutes. peel and slice eggs horizontially
in a bowl, add beans, olives, tunafish and egg
add olive oil, vinegar garlic powder and pepper
mix well
serve

Pinapple Pumpkin Smoothie $2.14

I wasnt sure I was going to like the combo of pumpkin and citrus from the pinapple and OJ, but I did. The pumpkin was over powered in a good way by the pinapple with the sweetness and the tartness. The pumpkin added a velvet smoothness.
This drink was a great afternoon pick-me-up.
makes two hefty servings

1 cup Pinapple rinsed and drainedy 1.20
1/2 cup pumpkin(canned) .44
1 cup orange juice .45
1 tsp cinnamon .05
1/2 cup ice
Pour all ingredients in blender and blend. Serve in two glasses

Quesadilla with Blackbeans, Corn and Tomato $5.10

This is the combo I love - blackbeans, corn and tomato, topped with a little cheese! I like this in salsa, soup, mixed in tuna, eggs, rice,in a tortilla, taco shell, flatbread, or simply on its own. All the food groups are covered with this combo+-carbs, protein, fruits and vegetables, dairly, and countless nutrients and vegetables(see our chart on all 4 of these inrgedients and their health value) Today, I was in a hurry, so I whipped up a quick quesadilla. I cooked it open face to show how to assemble, just top it with another tortilla and bake or microwave(if you have no oven use) or cook in a skillet(on a stove or hotplate) with a drop of oil, and you have a great healthy, easy, filling meal!!
serves 6-8
8 flour or corn tortillas $1.60
1 cup blackbeans .80
1 cup corn .80
1 cup diced tomato .80
1/2 cup salsa(optional).50
1/2 cup shredded cheddar or mozarella cheese .60
pepper to taste

combine beans, corn, tomato and salsa, add pepper
lay 4 tortillas flat and devide up mixture and pour evenly on all 4 tortillas.
top with cheese and other tortilla to create a sandwhich. Bake in oven or microwave, or over skillet.
Bake in a preheated oven at 300 for 10 minutes or until cheese is melted
remove from oven and cut immediately in half and then cut the halves in half to create a pie.
serve

Apple Oatmeal Fritata $2.22

Another "anticancer" recipe, brought to us by Dr OZ. I never thought of combining oatmeal and egg until recently when I made a recipe of Jillian Michaels that involved the two super foods, and now I am finding lots of other creative ways to combine the two ingredients. This recipe actually calls for dried apples, but since I am snowbound at my house, I only have dried cherries to work with, so I am going to have to vary the recipe this time, but Im thinking it is going to still be good, and i will just have to make the apple version another day..
You know the gig, this meal is loaded with antioxidents from the oats, and ofcourse fiber, which can play a big role in keeping us heart healthy and controlling diabetes. From the eggs, we obtain protein, iron and Vitamin A which nourishes our skin and helps our vision and vitamin E, which serves as an antioxident. Cherries are an added bonus to give the recipe a sweet, tart contrast and provide more antioxidents.
This recipe is easy to assemble and be microwaved or cooked in a skillet like a pancake
serves 2
ingredients:
4 egg whites .40
2 cups rolled oats .45
1/3 cup cranberries .33
1 tbsp cinnamon .20
2 tsp apple sauce .64

in microwave bowl combine all ingredients except for apple sauce
place in microwave for 2-3 minutes on medium
remove and serve with apple sauce

in skillet combine all ingredients except for apple sauce and pour in skillet on medium with 2 tsp canola oil
cook 2-3 minutes until egg is cooked and pancake is crispy.

Fondue Swiss cheese

I saw Susanne Somers on "The Talk" yesterday, and everytime I see her in an interview I get excited about feeling and looking good. She is 62, and looks amazing!! She talks about it all being about what you put in your body, and what is exiting about that for me is lots of her food suggestions(I think she has a top 12 superfoods) can be purchased at a convenience store. Nuts, berries(dried) salmon, eggs, dark chocolate, coffee, tomatoes(cooked). She ofcourse lists some fresh vegetables, and as usual, that is ofcourse the obvious better choice, but if not an option, one cant throw up their hands and say "Im out, let me get a bag of chips, there is nutrients in potatoes" There are options, and knowing them and utilizing what is offered is key to good health.

I found her fondue recipe on HSN and I thought it sounded good, and easy to make. I was missing dry mustard, but I added some red pepper flakes and a shake of garlic powder, and it came out amazing.
I have a full house of kids today, due to a blizzard(litterally!) we are having in the Chicagoland and our schools all being closed. Yikes.
aerves 4
8 ounces swiss cheese $2.29
1/2 cup mayonaise
1 cup white wine
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp red pepper

pour wine in microwaveable bowl
heat for 2 minutes until bubbly
remove add cheese, mayo and seasoning, stir until smooth and creamy
serve with crackers