Superfood Rainbow BBQ Chicken Salad recipes: High-protein, high-fiber, gluten-free, low net carbs weight loss food swaps

Hello my fellow flavor seekers! Today represents 12 years since my weight loss and I've been sharing how I lost 100 pounds without GLP-1 drugs or weight loss surgery. Here are weight loss food swaps I used to create satisfying high protein, high-fiber, gluten-free food swaps to reduce net carbs.  Here's varieties of my Superfood Rainbow BBQ Chicken Salad recipes that helped me lose weight. 

How Net Carbs work

The concept behind net carbs is that fiber (and sometimes sugar alcohols) is subtracted from the total carbohydrate count because it isn't fully digested and doesn't spike blood sugar levels in the same way. The general idea is that fiber balances out or offsets the carbohydrate impact. So in my sweet dressing and BBQ sauce, I sub fruits with higher protein and lower net carbs. 

• Net Carbs: Total carbohydrates minus dietary fiber. This is the most common metric used to determine digestible carbohydrates. I substitute seeded whole fruit for most of the sugars in my BBQ sauce recipe to slash that slash the carb impact. Here are common fruit swaps. 

• • Lemons: Roughly 4g net carbs per fruit.
  • Raspberries: 3g–5.4g net carbs per half cup or 100g.
  • Cranberries: 4.2-8.4 net carbs per 100 grams
  • Blackberries: 4g–5g net carbs per half cup or 100g.
  • Strawberries: 5.7g–6.5g net carbs per 100g or half cup.
  • Watermelon: 7.2g–7.5g net carbs per 100g.

• Glycemic Load or Index: Measures how a food item impacts your blood glucose levels. Protein and fiber are known to slow down digestion, thus lowering the overall glycemic impact. I use high fiber and high protein foods with good MUFAS (monounsaturated fats) and PUFAS (polyunsaturated fats)

  
  
  

• • Passion Fruit: ~5.2g protein per cup. (net carbs are 14 grams, however)
• Guava: ~4.2g protein per cup.
• Avocado: ~3g protein per medium avocado.
• Jackfruit: ~2.8g protein per cup.

• Macronutrient Balance: Adjusting the ratio of protein, carbohydrates, and fats to stabilize energy levels and sustain satiety. Here are fruits with the best micronutrients.

  
  
  

• • Guava: Exceptional source of vitamin C (more than double daily needs).
  • Papaya: Rich in Vitamin A, C, folate, and potassium, plus papain enzyme.
  • Kiwifruit: High in Vitamin C, K, and E.
  • Berries (Blueberries, Raspberries, Blackberries): Packed with antioxidants (anthocyanins), manganese, and fiber.
  • Citrus (Oranges, Lemons, Limes, Grapefruit): Top sources of vitamin C and flavonoids.
  • Avocados: High in healthy fats, potassium, and vitamins.
  • Pomegranates: High in polyphenol antioxidants.
  • Dried Fruits (Prunes, Apricots): Excellent sources of fiber and iron. 

 

💡 Pro Tip: The Sweetness Swap

Commercial BBQ sauces are often packed with high-fructose corn syrup. By blending whole, low-net-carb fruits like raspberries and blackberries directly into your sauce, you get a rich, tangy flavor and a boost of fiber without the blood sugar spike.

BBQ Sauce Carb cutter Food Swaps

So clearly, the worst fruit is better than the best refined sugars which is the big offender in BBQ sauce. I capitalize on that lower glycemic high fiber superfood goodness of berries and citrus to swap for sugar, honey and high fructose corn syrup that commercial BBQ sauces use in abundance. My favorite to use are  strawberries, cranberries, blackberries and raspberries. I pair them with fresh oranges, limes, grapefruit and lemons, using the entire fruit, minus skin and seeds. I am going to experiment with guava, papaya, pomegranate, other superfood fruits. I only need a quick drizzle of molasses and pure maple syrup and Worcestershire sauce instead of the cups required in most recipes. Here's my full Yum Bomb BBQ Sauce recipe. 

⏰ Time-Saver Tip

Cube three pounds of chicken breast in advance and freeze it in portions. Pre-shredding your rainbow coleslaw mix also cuts your weeknight prep time down to under 15 minutes!

Superfood Rainbow Chicken Salad recipes

1. Cube partially frozen chicken breast (cuts much more easily when only half thawed). I usually make about three pounds because this one goes quickly! 
2. In bowl, toss chicken cubes in mix of garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, celery seed, celery salt, hot pepper (if desired), Worcestershire sauce, lime juice, coriander and a schmidge of ginger. 
3. Sauté chicken in ghee or avocado oil, with diced red onions, chopped cilantro and bell peppers.
4.  Toward the end add about two cups of my homemade BBQ sauce recipe here, enough to coat chicken. (be watching for my secret ingredients!)
5. For rainbow salad, shred green and purple cabbage and carrots (sometimes I cheat and use a bag of rainbow coleslaw mix, shh, I won't tell if you won't). 
6. Add chopped yellow bell peppers, cilantro, parsley and scallions (green onions). 
7. Toss with homemade sweet and sour slaw dressing. (see recipe below) or use Herdez  roasted poblano salsa cremosa. 
8. Top with chopped cilantro and pepitas. 
9. Serve chicken over salad. 
10. Or if you don't need to observe a gluten-free diet, make a sandwich of it using Asiago cheese sourdough bread or ciabatta rolls. My husband has fallen in love with Aldi cheddar jalapeno sourdough. He made our sandwiches frying the sourdough in ghee (both sides) then adding a layer of chicken and coleslaw. I'm telling you, the best bistros could not compare. 
    
    
    

    🥗 Flavor & Fitness Note

    For a vegan or dairy-free alternative, swap out the Greek yogurt for an extra tablespoon of avocado oil or a plant-based unsweetened yogurt, without losing that creamy, tangy Tastee-style richness.

Homemade sweet and slaw dressing ingredients

• 1/3 cup Greek yogurt (plain, non-fat) or light mayonnaise for creaminess

• 1 tablespoon avocado oil or extra virgin olive oil

• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (provides the sour punch and micronutrients)

• 1 tablespoon fresh orange juice or lime juice

• 1 teaspoon pure maple syrup or a drizzle of blackstrap molasses

• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar * 1/2 teaspoon celery seed * 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard * Pinch of sea salt and black pepper to taste

American Semiquincentennial birthday party recipes: red, white and blue cocktails and drinks

Hello friends of this blog! We're getting ready to celebrate our nation's Semiquincentennial birthday The US is 250 years old! Why I remember as if it was yesterday when she was just a babe of 200! (and those silly little bells they made us hold is school pictures!) But I digress. How about some festive  patriotic drinks recipes to wish Lady Liberty birthday greetings?  Shake up some red white and blue cocktails and American themed shots. Use these festive American holiday-themed alcoholic beverages for 4th of July, Flag Day and Memorial Day too. 

RWB Bomb Pop: Slush (partially freeze) separately: Dekuyper's Raspberry Pucker, cherry liqueur or Bacardi Razz, blue Curacao and Smirnoff ice (or lemonade, vodka or gin). Add slush in layers with red on bottom, clear in middle and blue on top.

Red, White and Brew: Are your party-goers a beer crowd? Then why not spike those beers with a shot of red or blue food coloring for a fun Fourth of July look? Hey, bars dye beer green for St. Patrick's Day--why not blue beer or red beer for America's birthday? Amber beers are already reddish in color. Hopheads will love Founders Red's Rye IPA. Lagunitas Imperial Red is a maltier beer. Or Redd's Apple Ale is getting quite a following.

Red Wine and Blue: Serve your wine loving guests an assortment of wines. Select a rich, dry red like Malbec or Shiraz and a sweet red Lambrusco. Moscato or Riesling are nice sweet whites wines and chardonnay is a delicious dry white. For blue white, add a little grape juice to a sweet white. I might just make up a Michigan blueberry wine toast to our stars and stripes! Or you could bust out good old Boone's Farm Blue Hawaiian just for fun!

Red Hot White Lightning Blues: Put a kick in your patriotic punch bowl. Blend cranberry juice, grapefruit soda, DeKuyper Raspberry Pucker, vodka (one shot of liqueur and alcohol to each 8 ounce serving of juice). Freeze blue gelatin or clear soda in star-shaped ice cube trays.

Rum White and Beach Cooler: This is a 4th of July spin on a traditional New Orleans Hurricane recipe. Blend blue Hi-C fruit punch, limeade, Dekuyper Blue Curacao and Malibu coconut rum. Garnish with strawberry and apple slices cut in star shapes.

Star-Spangled Sangria: In a pitcher, blend one bottle dry red wine (Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon) one 2 liters grapefruit soda, one 12-ounce can lemonade and a fifth of DeKuyper Peach Schnapps. Freeze Dekuyer Blue Curacao in star-shaped ice cubes. Slice oranges, lemons and limes and cut in star shapes with cookie cutter.

Ruby White and Blue Solitaire shot (slush or regular): My then-boyfriend was a bartender. He gave me a ruby solitaire as a promise ring. This drink is named for that ring. 100% Cranberry Juice cocktail (Ocean Spray is a good brand.) DeKuyper Peachtree Schnapps. lemon twist, strawberry and blueberry bowtie for garnish. 

🌿 Pure Michigan Pro-Tip: The Vernors Sparkle 🌿

For that authentic Great Lakes flavor in your Blue Motorcycle or Stars 'n Bars Slammer, remember these local secrets:

• The "V" Factor: Locally, we know it’s Vernors—no "e" before the "r" and no apostrophe! It’s the oldest ginger ale in the US, and that wood-aged flavor is what makes these shots stand out.
• Maximum Fizz: Add the Vernors last and give it just a very gentle stir. You want to keep those aggressive bubbles intact to get that famous "nose-tickle" when you take a sip.
• The Chill: Ensure your Vernors is ice-cold before mixing. Because of its high carbonation, it can foam over quickly if it's room temperature!

Freeze the cranberry juice until it slushes. Place in a covered ice bucket or cooler. Mix one shot of Schnapps with four oz. of cranberry juice.

American Woman (aka Bahama Mama, a drink from my conga line days). In a shaker, blend, shots of Malibu Coconut Rum, Suntory Midori (melon liquor) and 4-6 ounces Dole Orange-Peach-Mango or Dole Pine-Orange-Banana). Garnish with pale green honeydew melon chunk, strawberry, blueberry for RWB bowtie. 

Blue Motorcycle: My now-husband used to ride a Union Jack blue 1970 Triumph Daytona; this drink is a tribute to him and the blue motorcycle. Mix one ounce each of vodka, rum and Blue Curacao liquor. Add four ounces Vernors (the original American soda) or Squirt grapefruit soda.

Star-Spangled Brain: This novelty was an early shot. It looks like a squirrels' brain (hence the name) but tastes delicious. Fill a Collins glass half full of DeKuyper Strawberry or Pucker Raspberry Schnapps. Slowly dribble in one-two ounces of Bailey's Irish Cream to make "brain."

Stars 'n Bars Slammer: Another early shot referred to then as an Alabama Slammer, you slam the glass on the table and drink in one gulp. Slamming releases CO2 and makes froth. It isn't necessary to literally slam the glass. Just pick it up with one hand, cover it with the other hand and set down firmly on the table. 1 oz tequila, 1 ounce pink champagne, 4 ounces Vernors. 

White Lady in Red Dress in a Blue Sidecar: This drink combines the Roaring Twenties cocktails into one fun punch! Let's get this sorority Watusi party on! 

1 ½ oz Grappa, blanche Armagnac (clear cognac)  or dry gin

¾ oz  (Blue Curaçao orange flavor liqueur) 

¾ oz Fresh Lemon Juice

The sidecar becomes a white lady with a topping of whipped egg white meringue. And the red dress is a maraschino cherry garnish.  Or try this! 

★ Pro-Tip: The "Red Dress" Variation ★

To give your White Lady a stunning "red dress" effect for the 250th anniversary, try one of these finishing touches:

• The Hemline Sink: Gently drop a teaspoon of grenadine or raspberry liqueur into the finished drink. It will settle at the bottom, creating a beautiful red "hem."
• The Wine Float: For a sophisticated look, slowly pour a thin layer of dry red wine over the back of a spoon onto the foam for a "red topper."
• The Classic Garnish: Drop a bright maraschino cherry into the bottom to act as the "ruby solitaire" center.

Ein Prost! L'chaim! Sainte! Salude! Na zdrowie! Skol! Opah and all that jazz! 

Yum Bomb BBQ sauce recipes for ribs, brisket and pulled pork

Hello my friends! Are you looking for a new BBQ sauce recipe to perk up your pork? Well, you have come to the right place. Here's my Yum Bomb BBQ sauce recipe that blasts all others off the grill. This is the BBQ sauce all the others with they could be! I've included all my secret ingredient reveals and recipe hacks. 

What's wrong with other BBQ sauce recipes

I love BBQed meats--ribs, brisket, chicken, there aren't any I don't like. But one sad thing I too often notice is that beautifully cooked meat is often topped with very sub-par BBQ sauces. Even the bragged about "homemade" or "down home" recipes are too sweet and blah. The "spicy" ones aren't. They're just hot. Even in Austin, TX, BBQ central, I couldn't find one I liked. The famous Terry Black's which has the most amazing smoked meats ever, had only so-so sauce.  

 BBQ Insight

"The one flaw with BBQ sauce recipes is what ruins them: too much sugar, not enough flavor."



Must-have BBQ sauce recipe hacks 

There are only three places I had good BBQ sauce. One was from a food vendor at Coast Festival (secret ingredient, fresh fruits in season) another was at Festival of the Arts in Grand Rapids (celery seed tweak) and the last was, unexpectedly, Greenfield Village in Dearborn where I discovered my spiritual BBQ home. What they did differently is what inspired my Yum Bomb BBQ sauce recipe. Greenfield Village is where I discovered that there are different kinds of sauce recipes with signature ingredients that you'd never think of unless you were from that region. The famous "white BBQ" from Alabama uses mayonnaise! And German immigrant inspired "yellow BBQ sauce" from South Carolina adds in mustard. I found THESE were what I'd been craving. 

Why sugary tomato based BBQ sauce rules but shouldn't

You might say we've know that all our lives! Okay down south maybe but I'm a Michigan girl. And if you're from Muskegon, MI, you'll tell me that US-31 BBQ was doing the mustard hack for decades. And so I'm new to the party. But if so, I'm not the only one. Most people didn't even get the invite. Because every place I've been to uses that same hackneyed sweet ketchup-y sauce. Rib fests, BBQ cookoffs, the sauce all tastes like candy-coated candy. They all probably use Sweet Baby Ray's or some other kind. And bottled BBQ sauce has 17 grams per serving of at least four kinds of sugar including the fake HFCS. And don't even get me started on the artificial colors and flavors. Probably because it's cheaper to make. And it shows. Plus, most people don't have discriminating tastes in BBQ. Well, I decided today's the day adultify. So I went rogue, tossing weird ingredients in till I found a BBQ sauce recipe I love. 

Yum Bomb BBQ sauce recipes

I decided to cut out the ketchup middle man and celebrate what we do best in Michigan and that is fruits. So my BBQ sauces feature fruits for sweetness and vegetables for flavor. I focus on seasonal using what fruits are at their best and growing locally. That's why "sauce recipes" is plural. The iteration changes a little every time I make it. But it follows a basic format.  

• Choose a seasonal fruit or a combination: strawberries, blueberries, cherries, peaches, grapes, apples, pears and cranberries are some I've used. In off seasons I'll use mango, pineapple and oranges. 
• Peel and seed lemons, lime or and oranges (or use bottled juice, it's fine. I add bottled lime juice separately because that's mandatory and you'll need it to get enough. 
• Chop and add cilantro, garlic, onion, tomatoes and bell peppers (my own personal secret ingredient)
• Cook it all down with a complementary 100% juice (pineapple, cranberry, orange) and lime juice. 
• Season with  smoked paprika, garlic powder, red pepper (to taste) and celery salt. 
• Add Worcestershire sauce, Dijon or stoneground mustard, molasses and pure maple syrup to taste.
• Blend it in a food processor. 
• Fill empty condiment squeeze bottle or a Mason jar and store in frig. 
• Use as meat marinade or as side condiment. Add a little cooking oil if basting. 
• Prepare to be carried it triumph and besieged for the recipe! 

🍴 RECIPE HACK 🍴

Too tired, lazy or busy to cut a bunch of produce? Sub SALSA for the veggies!

~ Instant flavor & texture! 🍅🌶️

My BBQ sauce recipes don't just have flavor, they have layers of contrasting flavors! Today's batch of Yum Bomb BBQ sauce featured a cranberry orange theme. There's no fruit in season in Michigan yet plus I found a bag cranberries and some oranges that  needed using. It turned out so delicious with a gorgeous bejeweled garnet color with not a speck of fake red dye! Just rich red cranberry goodness! Creating lighter recipes like this is part of how I lost 100 pounds! Eet smakelijk! (Enjoy, in Dutch). 

How I lost 100 pounds eating comfort food swaps

Hello my friends in food! Today I planned to share how I lost 100 pounds with diet food swaps and recipes. Then I decided that what I needed, weren't more weight loss tips but comfort food swaps. Maybe you need this too. And the good news is, turns out, that as I was organizing recipes, I realized that eating comfort food, REAL comfort food was part of how I lost 100 pounds, too.  

What comfort food kind of is and isn't

The usual comfort foods we think of are junk food, fast food, sweets or salty snacks. And I do love me some Lindt Lindor chocolate truffles--double chocolate, oh be still my beating heart! Which is probably beating harder from all the sugar and saturated fat! So one or two of those isn't going to derail weight loss, if you figure it into your calorie restricting budget. In fact, permitting myself some select treats occasionally is part of how I lost 100 pounds. 

A Caution about Food Deprivation 

Enjoying favorite treats in moderation is a good way to prevent going into food deprivation mode. That's when you feel deprived and resentful so you cheat on your diet and yourself to make up for what you feel deprived of. That's not a good thing. So eating a few treats is good for weight loss. Food deprivation is also about being too hungry as well. When I overdid the calorie restricting, I'd sometimes get shaky and disoriented. I'd actually start to faint. I would stuff food in as fast as I could to stay conscious. It took a lot more than it normally would for my brain to register satisfaction because I was so food deprived. And my blood sugar had dropped so low. 

Comfort food for your brain 

So the only thing that gets the blood sugar back up, is sugar, or carbs. What has happened is that your brain is starving from eating too little. Because argue any way you want, your brain fuels on sugar. I had to eat four bowls of Frosted Mini Wheats once when I was pregnant and my blood sugar dropped. So that's not good. What is, is to eat enough and the right kinds of sugar that your brain needs to function. And the most brain comforting foods I know of are fruits and good, healthy seed and protein bread. My favorites are Aldi Protein bread, greenish bananas for resistant starch and Medjool dates. These balance fiber with sugar to be calorie forward. I skip juice because it's all the sugar without any of the fiber, vitamins, skin and other good stuff. 

Comfort food comforts like a warm blanket

And getting around finally to my point, what I'm usually needing, in the line of comfort food is something warm. Like a bowl of chili or cheese cauliflower soup. Now I know, diet wisdom says to eat cold foods to lose weight. Your body burns calories warming it up to body temperature. But the downfalls sometimes outweigh the benefits. Warm food warms the heart and soul. So if part of how you gained weight was through trauma, especially childhood trauma, you need that warm blanket. What a lot of us experienced was hunger, cold, neglect, exclusion. So now we need inclusion, satiation and self-care.  

WIC-Friendly Recipes: Healthy, Low-Cost Meals for Families with WIC foods

When our four kids were young, our income qualified me and the children for WIC (Woman, Infants and Children) food coupons. WIC is a USDA Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) program that gives low-income families coupons for free food. Unlike food stamps, WIC can only be used for specific foods and baby formula. 

Breastfeeding moms like me couldn't use formula coupons and so WIC added vegetables, rice, beans and tuna to supplement nursing moms' diets. WIC added Project Fresh aka Double Up Food Bucks coupons (used at farmers markets). Here are recipes using basic WIC foods: eggs, juice, milk, peanut butter, cheese, approved cereal, tuna, carrots, bread, fruit and vegetables. Use these cheap recipes to stretch your grocery budget and maximize food stamps. For transitional housing dwellers, I've kept preparation and ingredients simple. Omit anything you don't have. My ingredients lists are always meant to be adaptable and to prevent food waste with leftover use-up recipes. So feel free to substitute what you have on hand! 

Meal Replacement Protein bars

Swap out the kids' junky, highly sugared over-priced cereal or granola bars with these crazy-nutritious meal replacement bars. Save, don't discard, breakfast cereal leftovers that are about to go stale. Because turns out, this cereal box sediment can be easily repurposed into nutritious granola bars. Cheerios, Life, Corn Flakes, Rice Krispies, granola varieties work best, but any WIC approved cereal will do. These make great on-the-go breakfast foods, healthy school snacks, or school lunch nibblers.

• Ingredients: Leftover cereal, peanut butter, powdered milk.

• Optional add-ins: raisins, shredded coconut, chia seeds, pumpkin seeds, nuts

• How-to: Mix cereal and peanut butter, form into balls, and roll in powdered milk.

 Toasted cheese and veggies "Artisandwiches"

Here's a great stale bread use-up recipe that's quick, healthy and comforting.  And it uses those wonderful Double Up Food Bucks vegetables. I've included our favorites, but you can use any you like. 

• Ingredients: Bread, butter, cheese, and fresh-sliced WIC vegetables (tomatoes, spinach, mushrooms, peppers, or onions).

• How-to: Butter the outside of the bread and place cheese and veggies on the inside. Grill until the bread is crispy and the cheese is gooey.

Egg Mock-Muffins

Are you fresh out of English muffins or bagels for breakfast sandwiches? Use your WIC bread. Fry or scramble eggs in cooking spray or butter. Add sliced cheese, chopped vegetables, salt and pepper. No bacon, ham or sausage? Add a slice of lunchmeat if desired. To fancy up your Mock-Muffins and make them look more muffin-like, use a glass to cut bread into little rounds. 

• Ingredients: WIC bread, eggs, cooking spray or butter, sliced cheese, and chopped vegetables. Optional: a slice of lunchmeat.

• How-to: Use a glass to cut bread into rounds. Fry or scramble eggs with veggies and seasonings. Assemble your sandwich with cheese.

• Pro-Tip: Save the bread scraps! You’ll need them for the Bread Pudding recipe below.

Soul comfort bread pudding 

The ultimate soul-warming use-up recipe for any leftover bread, rolls, or bagels. 

• Ingredients: Leftover bread/rolls (avoid savory onion flavors), eggs, milk, melted butter, lemon juice, spices (coriander, nutmeg, cinnamon), and sweetener (honey, sugar, or maple syrup).

• Optional add-ins: Raisins, dried cranberries, or peeled sliced apples.

• How-to: Cube bread and place in a greased pan. Blend liquid ingredients and pour over bread to saturate. Top with fruit. Cover and bake at 350°F for 25 minutes until the eggs are set.

• Serving Suggestion: Serve with a lemon hard sauce (melted butter, lemon juice, and powdered sugar).

💡 Pro Tip: The Secret to Better Beans that don't "backfire." 

Want to "de-gas" your beans and make them even healthier? Try this simple soaking trick:

The Baking Soda Soak: Before cooking, soak your dried beans in water with a pinch of baking soda.

Why it works:

• Easier Digestion: Soaking helps break down complex sugars that cause gas.

• Better Nutrition: It helps remove phytates (anti-nutrients) so your body can actually absorb all those great minerals in the beans.

• Saves Time: It significantly cuts down your total cooking time!

Bean and Cheese Dip

A quick, easy, and affordable way to use up those nutritious WIC beans.

• Ingredients: Dried beans (soaked and cooked), garlic, salt, cumin, cayenne, and paprika.

• Toppings: Sour cream (or plain yogurt), shredded cheese, lettuce, chopped tomatoes (fresh or canned), onions, and sliced olives.

• How-to: Mash your cooked beans with the garlic and spices. Spread the mixture into a dish and layer with the sour cream/yogurt, cheese, and vegetables.

• Serving Suggestion: Top with crushed tortilla chips for a bit of crunch!

Egg Foo Yung and Yummy

A vegetable-packed meal that is easy to scale up for the whole family.

• Ingredients: Eggs and milk (ratio of 2 eggs to 1/4 cup milk per serving), assorted chopped veggies (onions, carrots, cabbage, etc.), and seasonings (dill, garlic, celery salt).

• How-to: Whisk eggs and milk, add veggies, and fry until set.

• Optional Gravy: Mix soy sauce, corn starch, and water, then cook until thickened (or use a cream soup as a shortcut). Serve over rice or chow mien noodles.

Get creative with the veggie add-ins using peppers, Bok choy, leeks, broccoli, garlic, shallots, jalapenos, mushrooms, pea pods, celery, water chestnuts, bamboo shoots, sprouts, coleslaw mix or cabbage (purple or green).You can add canned tuna or chicken as well. 

Amy's PBJ French toast

This nourishing treat comes compliments of my friend Amy Browne, from Associated Content.  Kids love these fun, filling "artisandwiches" as breakfast or even dinner. 

• Ingredients: PB&J sandwiches, eggs, and milk. Optional: vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, or allspice.

• How-to: Make PB&J sandwiches, dip them in the egg/milk mixture, and fry like traditional French toast.

• Serving Suggestion: Top with syrup, fresh fruit, granola, or yogurt.

Power parfait smoothies

• Ingredients: Milk, yogurt, juice concentrate, peanut butter, sliced fruit, and crushed cereal.

• How-to: Blend the milk, yogurt, juice, and peanut butter. Layer the blend in tall glasses with the fruit and cereal.

Tuna Power Loaf (or burgers)

A great alternative to beef meatloaf that uses pantry staples.

• Ingredients: Canned tuna (1 can per 3 servings), egg (1 per 3 servings), chopped onions and celery, crushed unsweetened cereal or breadcrumbs.

• Binder: Tuna liquid, oil, mayo, or salad dressing (Ranch or Italian).

• How-to: Mix ingredients with mustard, salt, pepper, and dill. Form into a loaf and bake at 350°F until done, or form into patties and pan-fry in oil.

Cereal straws and Pooh Bear cheese: children's tea party food recipes and ideas

Hello my friends of Great Food 4U! I recently had the  pleasure of hosting my little lady Flora to tea. Flora is my 11th of 13 grandchildren. Now there's not much I enjoy more than children's activities, especially impromptu children's parties! So here are children's tea party food recipes and ideas! 

Tea parties with children's literature connections. On a past visit, I fixed milady "Pooh Bear cheese." The recipe is very complicated (lol) just cut sliced cheese with Pooh Bear cookie cutters. You can use whatever kind of cookie cutters or cheese you have on hand. Or  make your own by tracing children's literature characters on waxed paper and using as a guide to cut cheese or cookie dough, whatever. I  just wrote a blog post  on my Free Printable Lesson Plans blog about making cookies based on Mo Willems characters like Pigeon and Knuffle Bunny. She requested "Pooh Beer cheese" to accompany her cereal straws and milk.

Repurposing found food items for a tea party. So one great thing about children's tea parties is that they are wonderfully adaptable to what you have on hand. Because children's delightful imaginations immediately "get the picture." They are more than willing to play along and so appreciate the smallest gestures. Here's a quick leftover use-up tea party recipe. Mix leftover cold pasta (seashell, alphabet or star-shaped preferred but not necessary), cheese cubes, pepperoni pieces, sliced mini peppers, grape tomatoes and baby cucumbers with a favorite salad dressing. Add olive if desired. Et voila, antipasto luncheon salad, like the grownups but for kids.

Spring or Easter Children's tea party recipes.  I don't know why but I always associate spring, Easter and April with tea parties. And I always feel there should be tiny muffins or cupcakes, called fairy cakes in England, to dine upon. The easiest is to by Entenmann's Little Bites. But a healthier variety is to use Kodiak or other protein pancake mix to make your own mini muffins. Or you can make mini gluten-free quiches mixing eggs with chopped veggies, bacon bits and shredded cheese. I usually skip the muffin cups and just spray muffin pan with cooking spray. Or make mini cheesecake or tarts placing vanilla wafers in the bottom of a muffin cup liner. Then blend two eggs, 8 oz cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla or lemon juice and bake. Top with fruit. 

Dirt cups with science connections for spring tea parties. Dirt cups may have an unpleasant name but children find them irresistibly enchanting. Whenever I need an ego boost, I bring dirt cups to a potluck. And kids never fail to scarf them up. (They're the first dessert to go, if I do say so myself!). If you let kids build their own, mess and all, you will be their hero! So what you need to make dirt cups is: clear plastic cup, crushed chocolate cookies (dirt) chocolate pudding (mud), spray whipped topping (not sure what this represents but it looks pretty and kids don't care as long as they get to spray the topping), gummy worms and one of these: colorful breakfast cereal or candies like Nerds, spring M&Ms or colored marshmallows. These are the rocks. Kids build these dirt cups from the ground up, layering dirt, mud, "rocks" and placing worms in the top. You can add gummy bugs if desired. 

Finger sandwiches and appetizers for children's tea parties. These can be very simple: bread slices with whatever filling you like. I prefer egg, chicken or tuna salad. Add spinach leaves to fancy it up, then slice in four triangles. Finger sandwiches could be lunchmeat and cheese or just cheese for vegetarians. Gluten-free breadless finger sandwiches would be a spinach or baby romaine leaf, spread with filling, rolled up and secured with a toothpick. Kids also love deviled eggs and Polish roses: lunchmeat and cream cheese rolled around a scallion. 

Mini anything for children's tea parties. Kids love crudites, baby vegetables like cucumbers, peppers and tomatoes. Mini pepperoni and tacos go over like crazy! So Miss Flora loved the Fruit Loop cereal straws which were completely unhealthy and an Omi-cheat! But wow did she love them. 

And what about the tea for children's tea parties? Can't forget that! And you have a million options, including flavored peach or mint tea, cold tea, fruit juices, seltzer with juice, YooHoo chocolate milk boxes, cocoa in mugs, water with lemon, fruit water with different fruits speared kebab-like on toothpicks, the list is endless. My daughter for her first communion tea party, requested punch with sherbet balls and fruit ice. This is basically a kiddie cocktail (colored juice and soda) with scoops of rainbow sherbet and a molded ice ring with preferred fruits--strawberries, blueberries, pineapple or peach pieces, etc. 

The main thing to remember in these children's tea parties is that they don't need to be fancy or even planned. You can be as spur of the moment as our Pooh Beer Cheese party! Here are some more literature based children's party ideas. 

Note: While the goal of an impromptu tea party is fun, adding a few "fancy" rules makes it feel like a special event rather than just a snack. Plus, safety is key when you're working with "mud" and "rocks!"

• Mind Your Manners: Encourage children to use "please" and "thank you" when passing the Pooh Bear cheese. I like to tell my grandkids that at a tea party, we use our "indoor royalty voices."

• The Pinky Rule: It’s a classic for a reason! Teach them to extend their pinky finger while sipping their milk or juice—it always leads to giggles.

• Safety First (No Real Boiling Water): For toddler tea parties, "tea" should always be lukewarm or cold. Seltzer with a splash of juice or flavored water is perfect. If you’re using real teacups, make sure they are sturdy or plastic if you’re worried about chips and breaks.

• Choking Awareness: When making "dirt cups," ensure the gummy worms or "rock" candies are appropriate for the child's age. For very young guests, you can swap small candies for larger pieces of soft fruit.

How I lost 100 pounds: Summer holiday party recipes for weight loss and summer BBQ survival guide

Hello my friends! So I've written a great deal about how I lost 100 pounds with calorie restricting and without GLP-1 drugs or weight loss surgery. And lemme just say, holidays are hard for me, especially in summer. Graduation open houses, Memorial Day parties, 4th of July BBQs, beach picnics, holiday cookouts. I'm hungry just thinking of them. Here's how I lost 100 pounds using diet grill recipes, low calorie picnic foods and summer weight loss tips. 

* Eat a light, filling snack beforehand. Eat a tomato-turkey or tuna sandwich. .Here's the recipe: two slices light bread-- 70 calories plus 2 ounces of meat--60 calories, lots of fresh vegetables and a smear of spicy mustard--5 calories for the kick! Save enough calories so you can enjoy some of the foods, but don't arrive starved.

* Take two green tea, apple cider and/or garcinia cambogia tablets to curb hunger pangs. Coconut oil works well to curb hunger pangs too. 

* Drink for a diet detox of water with lemon or apple cider vinegar. Or bring your own flavored seltzers. My personal favorites are Ice Mountain mixed berry and raspberry lime. I also like LaCroix cranberry and Target Good and Gather any flavor but the watermelon lime which tastes like watermelon rind, IMO. 

* Avoid soda, punch and alcoholic beverages. Or choose red wine over cocktails or beer. Or make homemade sangria with dry red wine, diet grapefruit soda, sugar-free raspberry lemonade, fresh strawberries, lemons, limes and oranges, 

* The Salad Bar Secret. Fill up on vegetables. Before you go for the entree, make a heaping salad. Serve or bring a salad bar as your dish to pass. Bring an assortment of cut vegetables like colored pepper strips, fresh mushroom, broccoli and cauliflower florets, matchstick radishes and carrots, shredded cabbage, chopped onions, pea pods, diced baby cucumbers and grape tomatoes. I also add chopped hard-boiled eggs, dried cranberries, pepitas and bacon bits. Not a fan of avocados myself, but bring them if you wish. 

* Don't Fear the Cheese (yes cheese!): Old diet wives' tales shunned cheese. But certain kinds of cheese, like Parmesan, are good fat burners. I also like Laughing Cow Swiss light wedges, Babybel light rounds, and 50-calorie mozzarella cheese sticks. These all make for portable party and picnic snacking. 

* Grill alternatives: Serve diet grill entrees at picnics. Bring your own and ask the host to grill it. Swap red meat for lean pork loin (140 calories) chicken breast, salmon, trout and tuna. Trade sausage or hot dogs for 70-calorie turkey dogs or 100-140 calorie Al Fresco chicken sausage links. Switch out burgers for homemade veggie burgers or large portobello mushrooms. Trim any fat and skip the bun. Eat breadless, gluten-free burgers. 

* Baked over roasted, fried or deep-fried. Grilling is actually a diet-friendly way to cook. Marinate fresh pork or chicken breast in olive oil cooking spray, lemon juice, basil, rosemary, sage, fresh garlic for to-die-for low-cal souvlaki. Spray fish cooking olive oil or high-heat avocado oil and lime juice. Season with curry powder, wasabi, cumin and ginger. 

* Swap baked chips for fried. Got a salty snacks craving? Pack a serving size of baked pita, corn or potato chips. Or make no-oil popcorn. Or munch on veggies and light dip. 

* Desserts: Serve or bring Weight Watchers or Skinny Cow ice cream treats. Opt for fruit. Have a small sundae with a half-cup of vanilla ice cream and berries (about 200 calories). Nibble on dark chocolate (a Dr. Oz suggestion). 

* Keep moving. Host the party so you're too busy to think about food all the time.