Pumpkin Spice Recipes and Pumpkin Themed Kids Lunches, Treats, Snacks

Boy, pumpkin and pumpkin spice sure is a shtick for fall foods--everything from IHOP pancakes to coffee creamer, Oreos to beer. So I thought, why not tap into that beta-carotene goodness for my +Week-of-school-snacks and +Five-day-school-lunch-menu series? Here are healthy kids lunch and snack recipes featuring pumpkin. But no pumpkin beer, promise :)

Use fresh pumpkin (be sure to get pie pumpkin, not a jack-o-lantern) or take my lazy way out and use canned--not pie filling. Or substitute yams, sweet potatoes or squash. Involve toddlers and preschooler in preparations.   You can vegan-ize any of these recipes that call for dairy and eggs but swapping tofu, TVP or almond milk. These recipes are kosher, halal and diet-friendly, too! Click to read more. 

Pumpkin Soup/Pasta Sauce: Perfect power packed nutrition for chilly fall days. In a large, deep skillet melt two sticks of butter or ghee (olive oil if you are a vegan). saute one medium chopped onion, one small stalk of cleaned, pared and sliced celery, five chopped sage leaves (or 1 teaspoon of ground sage) and one half teaspoon cracked pepper. Pour contents of saute pan in soup pot. Add one 29 oz. can of pumpkin and a carton of Progresso chicken broth (vegans and vegetarians, replace chicken broth with vegetable broth). Fill the pumpkin can with milk (vegans, use water) and add that to the pot. Simmer until blended and heated through. Just before serving, add chopped cucumbers and butter croutons. Send a jar to an elderly neighbor, a family with a new baby or a sick friend.

Pumpkin Upside-Down Custard: In a large bowl, blend 1 29oz. can of pumpkin, one teaspoon of cinnamon, one half teaspoon of nutmeg and ginger, one quarter teaspoon of cloves, one teaspoon of salt, four large eggs, one cup of packed brown sugar, one tablespoon of flour Refill pumpkin can with milk and add to ingredients. Blend until smooth and fold in one cup of peeled, chopped apples (optional). Placed in 9x13 glass baking dish coated with non-stick pan spray. Bake at 400 degrees about 40 minutes until set. Serve with vanilla ice cream.

 

For topping: blend 1 cup finely chopped pecans with 1 stick melted butter and one quarter cup brown sugar. Mixture will be crumbly. Sprinkle over surface and bake for five to ten minutes to set. Vegans can replace eggs and milk with two packages of silken soft tofu also.

Pumpkin Cheesecake Custard:</b></i> Using the same ingredients as above, cut milk down to 10 oz and add two 8 oz packages of softened cream cheese. You will need to use blender or electric mixer to blend. Using two cartons of whipped cream cheese will be easier to blend also.

Cut Grocery Bill in Half? Eat Healthy Diet Food

Want to know how I save 50% at the grocery store? By eating better. Part of how I lost 100 pounds was with diet food swaps and calorie restricting. And the good  news is that eating healthier is a great way to save money! I lost weight by following Dr. Oz's advice and swapping fatty, high-carb foods for healthy, fat-blasting foods. Lots of people tell me diet food is more expensive and they can't afford it. They're right--about the commercial kind of diet foods. But not natural, healthy diet food. I save money--like 50-percent off my grocery bill--buying it.  

Was your New Year's resolution to save money? You're in good company--that's one of the top new year goals said Business News Wire on Jan. 4. But if you're like most people, you'll start out great for the first few weeks of January, as the holiday bills roll in. Then, when they're paid off, you'll slip into old habits and overspend. The secret to saving money is to change up spending habits and start economizing. Some expenses are easier to economize on. But how do you save money on

necessities like groceries? From over three decades of budget grocery shopping for a large family,

here are money saving tips to spend less and get more at the grocery store. Save at least 50% on

groceries with these suggestions. Some tips will be familiar, but others might surprise you.

Time shopping trips. You've probably heard not to shop when you’re hungry. You can’t think clearly

and tend to buy expensive convenience foods. But also avoid shopping when you're tired or in a

hurry. When you shop for groceries earlier in the day and have enough time to shop, you're more

organized and have the energy to bargain-hunt.

Money saving means doing the math. Track average costs of frequently-purchased groceries and

staples. This way, you know what is and isn’t a bargain. Dollar stores and discounts store don’t always

have lower prices. Walmart sells similar items for $.88. Store sale prices are generally lower than a

dollar. The quality is usually better, too.

Do your homework. Check store ads online before shopping. Decide where you’ll buy each item

based on best price. But don’t waste time and gas driving to a store for only a few sale items. Ya gotta

love budget grocery stores like Aldi and Big Lots. But if the nearest is 25 miles away, there's no

bargain wasting gas money. Only stop if you're going that way anyway. And hit other budget grocery

stores and bargain stores in the same vicinity.

Set a weekly store route to save money. Go to weekly-ad stores, like Meijer or Albertson's before no

ad stores (like Walmart, Family Dollar or Dollar General). After scanning ads, calculate if sale prices are

less than regular Walmart prices. Hit discount for items you can’t find on sale for less.

Use customer loyalty cards and store rewards cards. More stores are offering some form of perks,

rewards or discount cards. They’re not credit cards. Swiping the card at check-out deducts coupons

and sale prices. You might have to “clip” coupons online. Some stores allow you to use merchandiser

coupons too. I just saved $2.50 on fruit that I was going to buy anyway. 

Use credit cards with rewards. Pay off the balance monthly (to avoid incurring interest or fees). A great

money saving tip is to compare rewards rates on store credit cards versus your major credit cards

when grocery shopping.

Don't overlook non-food stores for budget grocery shopping. Save money at gas stations with better

prices on milk, bread, eggs and other groceries. TJ Maxx has cheaper gourmet foods and spices. Big

Lots sells bargain spices, HBA, convenience items and specialty imported foods.

Don’t shop with impulse buyers and spendthrifts. Stay away from shoppers who don't compare prices,

hurry you along or grab the first thing they see just to get out of the store (husbands). Avoid extensive

shopping with children who tire easily. But when you do shop with your children, make it multitask as

an object lesson in budget grocery shopping and money management.

BYOB is money saving. Do you like a beverage to sip while shopping? Bring a travel mug from home

and save money on Starbucks or store sodas. You'll save a good $3 bucks right there. Pack snacks

for the children so they don't get hungry and pester you to buy overpriced food.

DIY is money saving. Use self-checkout lanes to track your shopping more efficiently. Use bags from

home. Aldi keeps prices lower having customers bag their own groceries in their own bags.

Read shelf labels to cut grocery shopping costs. Bigger packages don’t always save money. Check unit prices (usually it’s a per-ounce price) and compare ounce for ounce costs. Pay close attention to

items that come in many different sized containers, such as breakfast cereals.

Beware of buying in bulk. Only buy non-perishable items in bulk if they’re super-cheap. Otherwise

there may be a better sale and you won’t be able to take advantage of it. Only buy fresh food in bulk

if you can freeze it. A chest freezer is a super saver's best friend. Nab great prices on meat, dairy,

produce and frozen foods and pop them in the freezer. Mind the dates and use the oldest food first.

Buy close sell-by date foods with caution. Buying reduced-priced baked goods, produce or meats

can save big. But make sure to use or freeze by expiration date. Spoiled food is no deal.

Check expiration dates. Be especially careful with food stuffs from non-grocery stores as expiration

dates aren’t always monitored as well. Watch out for expired medicines, vitamins and health aids.

They’re dangerous as well as a waste of money. Even batteries can expire.

Compare packaging options. Don't overlook pre-cut produce, shredded cheese or partially prepared

food, assuming it’s more expensive. Sometimes it’s a better deal. Check for freshness. Prepared food

spoils faster. Be sure the food on the bottom, where the weight rests, looks as fresh as the top.

Scrutinize receipts. Make sure prices are correct and all discounts credited. If you discover a mistake

address it immediately. Some stores won’t alter a wrong price once you’ve left the store

Recipes to Use Up Leftover Ham

Easter is done. The eggs have been colored and found. The chocolate bunnies are mostly eaten. And everyone is more than a little tired of leftover ham from Easter Sunday. Small problem. You bought a big one and there is quite a bit left. Here are recipes to use up that leftover ham plus the hard-boiled Easter eggs, in new and delicious ways. 

Healthy ham-wich spread. So along with extra ham, you bought lots of holiday fruits, nuts and vegetables: pineapple, grapes, apples, raisins, carrots, celery, onions. So make a fabu-fruit and veggie ham-wich spread. In the food processor, grind ham with seeded, cored, peeled apples and/or pineapple, Chop carrots, cucumbers, celery and onion. Add sliced grapes and chopped walnuts.

Blend with light mayonnaise and celery seed. Spread on leftover rolls. Use up buns too!

Ham bone bean soup You can never get all the ham off from the bone and it's a shame to waste

soup stock potential. Put ham bone in a kettle covered with water. Toss in a bag of rinsed, sorted

dried beans. I have a penchant for Hambeens 15-Bean Soup, but just about any kind will do. Boil on

medium-low for two hours to soften beans and cook meat from bone. Reduce heat and add chopped

celery, onion, carrots and bay leaves and ground pepper. Simmer till bones are clean.

Specially scrumptious scalloped potatoes: Scrub and slice 6-8 large cooking potatoes. Spray a glass

baking dish with cooking oil. Place a layer of potatoes in dish. Arrange ham slices over potatoes. Dot

with butter slices. Sprinkle two T. of flour, chopped onions, Colby and Parmesan cheeses, dill weed

and black pepper over potatoes. Repeat for three layers. Pour one and one half cup of milk over

potatoes. Cover and bake at 400 for about an hour. Potatoes are done when they are tender and

sauce has thickened. For Au gratin potatoes add layers of blue cheese and shredded Parmesan and

Colby cheeses.

Hearty ham supper breads. Cube leftover ham and freeze. Use as an add-in for soup, Chef's Salad

or pizza topping. Make hearty supper bread in breadmaker. To bread dough, add ham cubes, grated

cheese, dill weed, onion and garlic. Swap dill for Italian seasoning and add mushrooms, green

pepper and pepperoni for Pizza bread. Use fruit-nut setting.

Ham Stuffed Squash: Halve and clean acorn squash (one half per diner). Fill cleaned squash cavity

with ham cubes, raisins, apples and one pat butter. Sprinkle with Splenda brown sugar. Bake in

covered glass dish, stuffing side up. Fill pan with 1/2 inch of water and bake. 

Healthy Easter Snacks, Bunny-Themed Treats Recipes

Holidays involve way too much candy and too many sweets. But what's an Easter basket without jelly beans, chocolate bunnies, and candy eggs? A lot healthier. With one in three kids overweight or obese, says KidsHealth, it's time to rethink our sweets craze. I've been dieting and lost 96 pounds by substituting sweets with healthy alternatives. Here are good-for-you Easter treat and snack recipes. 

Easter Fruit basket. Who says the Easter bunny must deliver candy? Why not fill it with juicy red strawberries, plump blueberries and blueberries, succulent green grapes, golden mango, yellow bananas, jolly oranges and cheery apples? Toss in a few 70-percent cacao (good for you) dark chocolate Easter candies. But you don't have to with this festive fruit rainbow. Or omit candy and give toys. 

Cantaloupe, honeydew or watermelon basket. To carve melon into a basket, make two cuts down halfway into melon lengthwise, a about two inches apart. This is the handle. Continue around to meet at the other side of the handle, to carve out  a little under one quarter, on each side. Use a melon baller to remove melon or a knife to cut in chunks. Clean out the rest to form the basket. Mix melon balls or chunks with other melon balls. Add pineapple, mandarin oranges, grapes, strawberries, mango cubes, blueberries. Or whatever fruit you like in your fruit salad. 

Hunny Bunny Cookies. Skip chocolate Easter bunnies and make healthier bunny cookies. Mix half cup butter or light margarine, half cup of honey or blue agave syrup, two cups whole grain flour, one teaspoon baking soda and half teaspoon cinnamon. Roll out and cut like sugar cookies. For bunny shape, cut circle head and two small ovals for ears. Blend peanut butter, nonfat yogurt and honey for frosting. Or blend coconut sugar, yogurt and light butter for white icing. Decorate with raisin eyes, pretzel stick whiskers, raspberry or cherry nose and apple pieces for buck teeth.

Happy Bunny Basket. What would the Easter bunny like in his basket? Veggies! Make a bunny-friendly Easter basket by filling a salad bowl with lettuce and your favorite vegetable toppings: carrots, radishes, zucchini, tomatoes, broccoli, sprouts and, of course hard-boiled Easter eggs!

Sure it might not substitute for a candy-filled basket, but kids will love eating what the Easter Bunny eats!

Easter Egg-stravaganza. After dying hard-boiled eggs, return them to the fridge to keep fresh. Use in these yummy treats.

--Angel eggs (like deviled eggs only better!) Cut egg in half. Carefully remove yolk. Mash with celery seed, pepper, horseradish mustard, dill pickle relish and light mayonnaise. Refill yolk cavity. Sprinkle on dill and paprika.

--Healthy bunny-wiches: Spread Laughing Cow light cream cheese on slice of rye bread. Tint some cream cheese pink with berry, grape or beet juice. Cut cooked egg in half lengthwise. Remove yolk. Cut semi-circles from base of whites. Fill yolk cavity with pink cream cheese and place on bread for ears. Place cut off bits on bottom for paws (make little slits for toes). Slice yolk. Place olive slice in center of slice for eyes. Use grape tomato for nose, matchstick carrots whiskers and almonds or pumpkin seeds for teeth.

Our kids are very healthy and none has weight problems. They loved these fun Easter candy alternatives as much as sugary treats! 

Disney's 'Frozen' Party Food Recipes, Winter-Themed Snacks

 If you see one movie this winter, make it "Frozen." It's an arctic adventure like Hans Christian Andersen's "Fairy Snow Queen." It's the top-grossing cartoon of all times. Disney's Frozen is a perfect theme for a winter birthday or just-because party. Here's a menu of Frozen-inspired snacks kids will love. BTW, Olaf is probably my favorite Disney sidekick ever. 

Disney Frozen is the perfect theme for Halloween, winter, birthday, solstice or just

because party. Here's a menu for a Disney Frozen party with Olaf the Snowman snacks, recipes and

beverages kids will love!

Olaf the Snowman snowballs: Let kids help make this snack. Melt marshmallows and add popped

popcorn. Have kids rub light margarine on hands and form popcorn (snow) balls. Roll in sprinkles if

desired.

Disney Frozen party: Melted Olaf the Snowman : Uh-uh, Olaf's melted. But fear not, like with Frosty

the Snowman, he'll be back. In the meantime, enjoy this yummy melted Olaf beverage. Mix 2% milk,

melted white chocolate chips, a dash of vanilla and top with whipped cream and sprinkles.

Disney Frozen party: Olaf the Snowman cookies: Have kids roll sugar cookie dough in three

different balls for snowman body parts (good for fine motor skills). Attach in snowman shape and

bake. Frost with vanilla frosting. Add stick pretzel arms, candy corn nose, black jelly bean eyes, red

frosting mouth and Chiklets gum for teeth. This will melt the heart of Queen Elsa!

Disney Frozen party: Olaf the Snowman malts. Mix vanilla ice cream, milk, French vanilla pudding

and malt powder. Top with mini marshmallows arranged like a snow man and colored sprinkles for

eyes, mouth and nose.

Disney Frozen party: Olaf the Snowman snacks: Here's another interactive snack craft featuring our

favorite snowman, Olaf. Make popcorn balls above in different sizes: small for head, medium for

middle, large for snowman base. Use raisins for buttons and eyes and matchstick carrots for nose.

Cut Fruit Leather or Fruit Roll-Up for scarf and smile. Add candy corn cob pipe. For hat, place round

chocolate candy like Brach's Star on head. For hat top, affix gumdrop, Hershey's Kiss, or Reese's

Peanut Butter cup with dab of frosting

Diet Tip Abandon the Diet Sometimes

I'm going out to dinner with my husband tonight. He has to work another six-day week (nights) and may be working seven nights a week again (why do they not hire a new person when someone quits??) Anyway, I have been dieting intensely for 18 months and my advice is to occasionally abandon the diet for a day. Or at least quit calorie counting. Enjoy food! 

Leftover Use Up Pizza Casserole with Pizzazz

Grocery shopping day--time for my weekly Waste Not, Want Not refrigerator clean out, leftover use up meal. Today's was Pizza Casserole with Pizzazz. Here's how I made it cleaning up all those bags of cheese, veggies, and leftover meat and pasta.  

Grocery shopping day--time for my weekly Waste Not, Want Not refrigerator clean out, leftover use up meal. Today's was 

Pizza Casserole with Pizzazz (here's how I made it)

Spray baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. 
Spread leftover noodles, any kind even spaghetti, in pan (drain first). 
Mix any leftover cottage cheese, ricotta, plain yogurt or sour cream with Parmesan cheese. Blend in 4 eggs. Spread mixture over pasta. 
Place a layer of leftover cheese (any kind) chopped. I used up several chunk sand bags of shredded (you know how six get opened and half-used?)
Season with basil, rosemary, sage, oregano, garlic, pepper.
Pour leftover spaghetti sauce over cheese.
Add layers of leftover spinach, green peppers, sliced zucchini, mushrooms, onions, scallions, summer squash.
Use up sausage (links, patties, ground), pepperoni and hamburger.
Pour another cup or so of cheese on top and sprinkle with more Italian seasoning and Parmesan. 
Bake 25 minutes at 400 degrees. 

Serve with stale bread garlic bread (spread bread with margarine and minced garlic and bake till crispy). For dieters, use lowfat cheeses and omit meat. These recipes are designed to be flexible and use up what you have on hand. Don't buy special ingredients. This meal is quick--10 minutes to assemble. 

Lowfat Garam Masala Butter Chicken or Tofu Masala with Veggies

Our family has developed a devotion to Indian food. An Indian restaurant opened near us. We ate there once and were instantly in love. I've always been a curry hound. But the curry was only the beginning. I can't get enough butter chicken, masala, tikka, vindaloo, tandoori and other fragrant dishes. I don't need meat--just the spicy sauces is enough, but only level one heat please. Here's my vege-fied diet tweaked garam masala butter chicken recipe for calorie counters.  

It's Lent for us Catholics. I'm not giving up any particular food, but I am dieting. I have lost 95 pounds. And my husband and daughter have given up meat. So I made a vegan Indian masala. Each one-cup serving has about 100 calories, little fat and 10 grams of protein. It's similar to butter chicken. 

Cube one pound light silken firm tofu. Chop leek, celery (leaves and all) and green pepper. Saute in olive, coconut, safflower or sunflower oil. Season with garam masala, celery seed, turmeric, curry powder, ginger and salt-free Spike to taste.

Add two teaspoons Better Than Bouillon vegetable soup base, six ounces of tomato paste, one can coconut milk, one can sweet peas, and two cups light soy milk. Blend. Add dash of Bragg's Liquid Amino if desired. Serve with jasmine rice and fresh greens salad. 

This recipe is therapeutic for those with arthritis, as turmeric and ginger are anti-inflammatory. Enjoy.

One-Pot Fish Tacos Casserole Recipe, Quick and Easy

I'm a penny-pincher, DIYer, health conscious, planet preserver. The kitchen is one of my favorite places combine those passions. Because home cooking saves money and reduces food waste by repurposing leftovers in tasty new meals. I call my recipes leftovers use-ups. These recipes also focus on food swaps to eat better and even lose weight. Creating diet food swap recipes is part of how I lost 100 pounds without weight loss surgery or diet drugs. 

I save money by cleaning out the fridge before shopping (funny how those kids can open six packages of shredded cheese and never finish one? Or the hubs starts three onions, leaves half behind and never can find them!) So once a week I go through, purge the refrigerator of flotsam and jetsam and make a meal of the leftovers. Today's leftover use-up recipe is fish tacos. I make them as taco casserole because it saves dishes and messy clean up. You can make regular tacos as casserole too. It's great way to repurpose ground turkey, chicken or beef. 

Leftover Use-up: One-Pot Fish Taco Casserole Recipe

We love fish tacos [;id and are eating more seafood as a way to live healthier. My husband and I are following the Mediterranean Diet, which emphasizes seafood and fresh produce. During Lent, fish and veggies are all we eat. I keep lots of fresh vegetables on hand; to keep them from spoiling, I tweak recipes to add in veggies.

Most of the fish tacos recipes I've found have multiple steps and use lots of dishes: I feed six to nine people at a time, so I need one-pot, step-saver recipes. Since I'm cleaning the refrigerator and using up foods as I go, I write my recipes so that they are adaptable. Don't have something on hand? Don't make a special trip to the store. That wastes time and gas money. Improvise (I'll give you tips and substitutions) or omit it. I've also included tips for dieters on watching sodium and cholesterol.

Fish taco casserole recipe

* Place frozen, fresh or leftover cooked fish in a 9x13 baking dish. Tilapia, pollock, swai, whitefish, cod, catfish or salmon work best; Walmart has been selling large bags of frozen fish fillets reasonably priced. I used the whole 4-pound bag of frozen tilapia fillets, plus any individual pieces "swimming" around in the freezer. You don't have to use this much fish, but know that it does cook down. There is no need to thaw frozen fish ahead of time.

* "Baste" with leftover mayonnaise (any variety). Use a rubber spatula to spread evenly (about two teaspoons per fillet). For diet food swaps, use low-fat varieties or substitute with olive oil.

* Drizzle with fresh squeezed lime or lemon or use lime or lemon juice (lime tastes the best). Use about 1/2 teaspoon per fish fillet. Lime juice makes a great salt substitute and works great for hypertensive diners following the DASH diet or other low-sodium diet.

* Season with ground cumin, thyme, smoked paprika, minced or onion powder, black pepper, minced or garlic powder and celery salt. Add hot pepper if desired.  Add fresh or dried cilantro (a great way to use fresh or bottled herbs).

* Use up leftover shredded or sliced cheese by sprinkling over the top. Got a few hunks of cheese laying around? Slice and layer over fish. The tastiest kind is pepper jack. Omit cheese if you are serving diners on a low-sodium or low- cholesterol diet, though. Use less on one portion for these working on weight loss. 

* Crush leftover fresh or stale tortilla chips. You can also use leftover corn tortilla shells (no need to fry them as they will get nice and tender while baking). You can substitute leftover corn too. 

  

* Pour leftover salsa or pico de gallo over casserole. You can also use up fresh or canned tomatoes chili peppers, green peppers and onions instead of salsa. If you like your tacos with a kick, add fresh or canned jalapenos. Mix and match to use up all leftovers (omit salsa for low-sodium diners).

* Bake for about 30 minutes at 400 degrees until fish is tender and flaky.

* Garnish with loads of fresh cilantro, shredded carrots, chopped onions and tomatoes and bell peppers, leftover shredded cabbage or broccoli slaw mix. 

*Serve alone or with jasmine rice. Or fill taco shells. 

Caution: this dish is so fragrant and delicious that even avowed fish haters will demand seconds. 

10 Great Tomato Snack Recipes with cancer fighting lycopene

Are you a tomato addict? Could you eat tomatoes for breakfast, snacks, appetizers, lunch and

supper? That's great because tomatoes are rich in vitamin C and lycopene (which is great for prostate

health and sexual prowess.) And, in the news, you can kick cancer butt with lycopene foods. Along

with cancer fighting lycopene, tomatoes have few calories, no fat and are satisfying. Here are the 10

best tomato recipes, tomato appetizers and healthy vegetarian breakfast recipes with tomatoes.

These cancer fighting tomato recipes help with weight loss, too.

Cancer fighting breakfast recipes of tomatoes and hummus: Mediterranean hummus, or tahini with

chickpeas, has become is a go-to protein supplement. For a snack, cut a tomato in bite-sized pieces

and dip in hummus (Greek hummus or hummus with pine nuts are the kinds). Make your own hummus

by blending chickpeas, lemon juice, garlic and tahini. For low calorie weight loss hummus swap olive

oil for liquid from chickpeas.

Vegetarian breakfast recipes with grilled tomatoes: These healthy tomato recipes are filling, quick

and light. Dip tomatoes in panko crumbs seasoned with rosemary, basil, sage, garlic, onion and

thyme. Or use seasoned textured vegetable protein. Sauté or grill in olive oil, truffle oil or non-stick

cooking spray. Top with fresh basil and crumbled feta cheese.

Bread and tomato salad breakfast recipes: Chop tomatoes, onions, green peppers (or any color

peppers) and cucumbers. Add fresh basil, rosemary, sage and stale bread cubes. Dress with olive oil,

pomegranate vinegar, cracked pepper and a dash of salt. Add crumbled feta cheese or Parmesan

cheese if desired. These easy tomato recipes use up leftover bread and vegetables. It makes

delicious, healthy delicious lunch. Bread salad is low in fat and full of healthy goodness. Or make

cancer fighting tomato recipes without bread, using couscous. Add chopped mint, lemon juice and

parsley instead of basil and you'll have tabouleh.

Tomato sandwich breakfast recipes: Toast two slices of light oat grain bread. Spread with low-fat

cream cheese. Layer with sliced tomatoes, cucumbers, avocado and spinach. Season with black

pepper. Or swap bread for whole grain bagels and plain cream cheese for salmon cream cheese and

you'll have light bagels and lox. Or serve on English muffins, for eggless vegetarian Mc-Tomato

Muffins

Lycopene loaded tomatoes: Remove stem and core of tomato. Mix feta, Parmesan, shredded

mozzarella or Monterey Jack cheese with pepper, chopped onion and garlic. Chop mushrooms and

mix by hand. Add shrimp for super fun breakfast recipes. Fill center of tomato. Grill or broil until

cheese is melted.

Tomato cucumber salad: For these vegetarian breakfast recipes, slice fresh cucumber and tomato

and fresh basil, sage, rosemary and red or sweet onion. Blend blend EVOO olive oil, mayonnaise, sour cream, acai vinegar, salt and pepper. Pour over vegetables. Add chopped green pepper if desired.

Pizza pasta salad breakfast recipes: Cook and drain Barilla Protein Plus pasta. Barilla Protein Plus has

fewer calories with extra protein and omega. Chop Roma or salad tomatoes or slice a quart of grape

tomatoes in half. Add chopped onion, green pepper, green and black olives and cubed Colby cheese

or feta cheese. Dress with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, rice vinegar or white vinegar. Add sliced

mushrooms if desired. Season with black pepper. Chill.

Fiesta vegetarian beans and rice: Blend equal portions canned (drained) beans with cooked Jasmine,

brown or wild rice. Add sliced scallions, fresh cilantro, chopped tomatoes, avocados, garlic, green

peppers, canned chilies and pineapple, mango or papaya (if desired). Season with cumin, red pepper

and chili powder. Serve topped with melted cheese. Use any canned beans but the best are adzuki,

black (or turtle) beans and black eyed peas.

Lycopene filled breakfast recipes of tomatoes in cottage cheese: Cottage cheese has been a dieter's

delight for decades. Low in fat and high in protein, cottage cheese is a healthier dairy product. You

can use Greek yogurt, too. Dice fresh tomatoes and blend with cottage cheese and pepper.

Cancer fighting breakfast smoothies. Blend chopped tomato, grapefruit, black raspberries,

strawberries, blueberries, carrots, spinach and Greek yogurt for off-the-charts lycopene tomato

recipes.

Healthy Popcorn, Caramel Corn and Cheesy Popcorn Recipes

I know and you know that plain, air-popped, unsalted popcorn without butter is a healthy snack, especially for dieters. But who wants plain popcorn? Do we have to sacrifice tasty popcorn snacks for health and weight loss? Not with these popcorn recipes! Love that buttery rich movie theater popcorn, caramel corn, cheese popcorn, chocolate drizzle popcorn (be still my heart) or the ultimate popcorn experience Chicago style popcorn? Here are delicious ways to create the tastes you love without the major calories, sugar, sodium and fat explosion.

Healthy "Caramel Corn" 

1/4 cup Olive oil margarine or Smart Balance Butter

1/4 cup natural peanut butter (or sunflower, cashew or almond butter for those with peanut allergies)

1/3 cup honey

2--3 quarts popped corn

crushed salted pecans (optional)

Combine first three ingredients in saucepan over medium heat until blended. Mix popcorn and nuts. Pour peanut butter sauce over popcorn and nuts and toss until well-coated. Spray two cookies sheet with olive oil pan spray or cover in aluminum foil and coat with pan spray. Arrange popcorn in single layer over both pans. Bake 20 minutes @ 350 degrees. Store in airtight container.

Healthy Cheese Popcorn

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

1/2 teaspoon crushed oregano

1/3 cup ghee, melted 

2 quarts popped popcorn

Blend first three ingredients. Pour over popcorn and blend thoroughly to coat each popcorn kernel. Toast in oven for a few minutes. Serve warm. Popcorn is best if served several hours later.

Healthy 'Buttered' Popcorn

If you love popcorn popped in oil with butter and just can't abide air popped popcorn, here's a little secret. In your popcorn kettle, use olive oil to pop popcorn. Pour enough non-EVOO olive oil to cover the pan bottom and add one layer of popcorn. When popcorn is done, add a little salt and mix with hands. Ghee works too. Olive oil makes a healthy tasty butter substitute that tastes just as good as delicious.

For the grande Chicago popcorn, combine the first two! For chocolate drizzle popcorn, make healthy buttered popcorn. Melt 70% cacao or higher chocolate chips or bars and toss with hot popcorn. Or just mix chocolate chips with popcorn. 

Mediterranean Diet: Best Healthy Diet in Town

Did you know eating a Mediterranean diet stops Alzheimer's disease and brain shrinkage? The Los

Angeles Time reported on Oct. 21 that the brain shrinks in old age (that's why the elderly slow down

and suffer memory loss associated with Alzheimer's). But happily, you can slow aging by eating more

fish, less meat and other brain food swaps on the Mediterranean diet. Following the Mediterranean

diet helps with weight loss, heart health and a bunch of other condition, too. Here are more brain

food swaps to slow aging, lose weight and improve health.

One thing that deters people from starting new diets is that they are afraid they'll have to eat weird

things or buy expensive "diet" food. That's what's cool about the Mediterranean diet: it features

common, simple foods, sourced locally and simply prepared. Senior citizens aren't known for liking

new foods. They like foods they ate it as kids. And that's what the Mediterranean diet is: lots of

vegetables, legumes (think soup beans), whole grain cereals (oatmeal), fish and monounsaturated

fatty acids like olive oil (instead of transfat or saturated fats). And the old folks love it because it isn't

processed junk food. It's homemade like mama used to make. And those elderly people tested who

ate a brain food Mediterranean diet had larger brain volumes than those who didn't.

Here are other Alzheimer's busting Mediterranean diet food swaps. Eat light, whole grain 35-calorie

per slice bread over regular bread. Regular bread has a shocking 2-3 times as many calories as diet

bread. Diet bread loses calories, high fructose corn syrup, transfat and sodium, but retains fiber and

fatty acids (essential brain food to lose weight and slow aging). Eat flaxseed, chia seed, almonds and

oatmeal instead of cereal or toast for breakfast. Drink lowfat milk, not skim (too little good fat) or

whole milk (too much fat). Trade butter and mayo for olive oil margarine and mayonnaise. Use

avocados instead of spreads, milk, eggs, oil and fats, even in baking.

Greek yogurt doesn't just slow aging, it can stop Alzheimer's in its tracks! Greek yogurt is super

healthy, with antioxidants, probiotics and acidophilous, plus it has double protein. Make Greek yogurt

smoothies. Add fresh or frozen strawberries, blueberries, grapefruit, apples, melon or bananas.

Walmart's 4-pound frozen blend of strawberries, peaches, mangoes and pineapple has only 70

calories per cup. Add an Emergen-C packet (for metabolism boosting, antioxidant vitamin C) and light

almond, cashew or coconut milk and blend. Swap sour cream and cream cheese for Greek yogurt or

avocados.

Slow aging and increase brain health by reducing salt. The highly-rated DASH diet advocates cutting

sodium to lose weight, too. Eat low sodium vegetable soups. Make homemade veggie soup by dicing

summer squash, zucchini, tomato, celery, purple cabbage, peppers, mushrooms and onions. Simmer

in a broth made salt-free Spike, salt-free Mrs. Dash, Bragg's Liquid Amino, sea salt or Himalayan pink

salt. Add a little liquid smoke or chipotle for a bite.

Swap hot dogs, lunch meat, sausage and bacon for light turkey and chicken deli meat. Serve fresh

chicken sausages and turkey hot dogs. Skip meat altogether and try a nut and seed vegan burger.

Roast a big portabello mushroom or sweet potato and serve instead of meat. Eat more fish. Broil

salmon, swordfish, pollock, cod or tuna steaks. Season with lemon juice, dill and Greek yogurt. How's

that for yummy brain food swaps to slow aging and beat Alzheimer'