Did you know Friday!

Did you know that sometimes frozen fruits and vegetables are more nutritious then fresh. The longer fruits and vegetables sit on the shelf the more nutrients it looses. So next time you are at your local Walmart and their produce looks terrible (which is more common then not it seems) consider getting frozen for that shopping run!

I made this once, but it was a long time ago. When peaches are back in season I will be doing it again. I think I found it in a Womens Day Magazine years ago.


Raspberry Peach Pie
* 1 box (15 oz) refrigerated ready-to-bake pie crusts
* 3⁄4 cup plus 2 tsp sugar
* 1⁄3 cup all-purpose flour
* 1 Tbsp grated lemon zest
* 8 medium peaches (23⁄4 to 3 lb), peeled (see Note), cut in 1-in. wedges (about 8 cups)
* 1⁄2 pt (6 oz) fresh raspberries
* 1 egg white from 1 large egg, in a small bowl


1. Heat oven to 375°F. Coat a 9-in. pie plate with nonstick spray.
2. With a rolling pin, roll 1 crust into a 12-in. round. Transfer to pie plate. Unroll or unfold remaining crust on a cutting board; cut in 1-in.-wide strips. Cover with plastic wrap.
3. Mix 3⁄4 cup sugar, the flour and lemon zest in a large bowl. Fold in peaches, then raspberries. Spoon into pie shell.
4. Beat egg white with a fork until foamy. Brush on rim of crust and pastry strips. Arrange about 4 strips evenly spaced across filling. Place about 4 more strips diagonally over first strips to form a lattice (discard remaining strips). Trim and press ends to bottom crust. Roll overhang of bottom crust up over edges of strips to form an even rim. Press edges with tines of a fork. Sprinkle top with 2 tsp sugar.
5. Bake on a sheet of foil (to catch any drips) 1 hour, or until crust is golden brown and peaches are tender when pierced. Remove to a wire rack and cool at least 1 hour before serving.Serve this pie when it’s at its best—the day it’s made. Note: To peel peaches, immerse in boiling water 20 to 30 seconds, then immediately plunge into ice water to halt cooking. Peel off skin with your fingers or a small knife.

Healthy BBQ Chicken Pizza

This is my new favorite. I've been making it for a lunch almost everyday this week.

All you need is:
2 Wheat pitas or 1 wheat tortilla
Chicken, cooked and cut into bite size pieces
1/4 cup Red Onion, finally chopped
2 tbls. BBQ Sauce (I like honey, but original is yummy too)
Rosemary to taste
1/4 cup fat free shredded cheese

Spread BBQ sauce on your pitas. Put chicken, onions, and rosemary on. Top with cheese. Bake in oven at 400 degrees. Bake until pita is crisp, about 8 min.

Did You Know Friday?! Orange Banana Nut Bread

So, I thought, just for fun, I would start doing Did You Know Fridays. Today being the first, did you know that Botanically speaking banana is an herb? I had no idea but thought it was interesting.

I can't remember where I got this recipe but it was a fun change to banana nut bread.


Orange Banana Nut Bread
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 1/4 cup mashed bananas
3/4 cups orange juice
3 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped walnuts

In a mixing bowl, combine the sugar, oil and eggs; mix well. Stir in bananas and orange juice. Combine the dry ingredients; add to banana mixture, beating just until moistened. Stir in walnuts. Pour into two greased 8-in. x 4-in. x 2-in. loaf pans. Bake at 325 degrees F for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes; remove from pans to a wire rack to cool completely.

Chicken Nachos or Chicken Salad

This was delicious, and reasonable in calories too!

You'll need:
1 pound chicken breast
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup salsa
Backed tortilla chips
1 can corn
1 can low sodium black beans
Fritos Nacho cheese

Put 1 pound chicken breast in crockpot with brown sugar and salsasalsa.
Cook on low for 4 hours. Shred chicken with a fork and mix it all together. Cook 2 more hours, or until it is well mixed and tender.

Place baked tortilla chips on a plate. Put 1 cup chicken, 1/4 cup corn, 1/4 cup low sodium black beans, fritos nacho cheese (only 50 calories), and any nacho vegetables you might like. ENJOY!

To make sure it stays low calories make sure you check serving sized with chip and everything else.

Sometimes I'll take these items and put them on some lettuce instead of chips for a delicious mexican style salad!

Salmon, Salmon, Salmon

I love Salmon! Today I am going to be making some for my in-laws so I thought I should post my two favorite recipes. I usually cook mine on the grill but today I will be doing the oven (since we have no propane right now).

Lemon
Cut the salmon down the middle, not cutting it all the way through, creating a pocket.
Place lemon slices and some garlic pieces inside.
Pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 350
Wrap loosely in tinfoil and place in oven for 8 min.
Check to see if it is done. If it doesn't flake cook for another 3-5 minutes.
Remove and serve with your favorite lemon butter sauce.

A1
This is my husbands favorite
Rub garlic salt and onion pepper on both sides to taste.
Rub A1 steak sauce on both sides.
Slice up red onions and place on the salmon.
Cover loosely in foil and place on grill.
Cook for 5 minutes then flip and cook another 5 min. Time may very depending on temperature of your grill.
This is also great with Yoshida Sauce!

Sweet and Sour Chicken Stir-Fry

1 tbls cornstarch
1tso garlic powder
1/4 tsp. salt
black pepper to taste
1 pound boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite sizes
1 tbls sesame oil
1 cup onions, cut into 1/2" strips
1 cup green bell pepper, cut in to 1/2" strips
2 tbls garlic, minced
1/4 cup bottle sweet and sour stir-fry sauce

In a bowl add cornstarch, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Mix and add chicken. Coat chicken with the mixture.

Place wok over high heat. When hot, a 1 tsp sesame oil, onion, pepper, and garlic. Cook until vegetables are crisp-tender, 2-4 min. Put to the side in a bowl

Return pan to high heat and add another tsp sesame oil and half of the chicken in a single layer. Cook until no longer pink. Add the cooked chicken to the bowl of vegetables, and cook remaining chicken.

Return the vegetables and chicken to the pan to reheat if necessary. Transfer to a serving bowl and add the sauce. Mix until well combined. Serves 4

I did it with brown rice and it was fantastic!

I'm back

I can't believe how long it has been. Another New Years resolution I guess will be to be more on top of this blog! I've been cooking a lot lately, but I have been trying healthier things. I love to cook, but don't necessarily focus on calories, fat, etc. So it has become a new challenge for me. I am enjoying it! I've been looking into some healthy cook books and found lots of recipes. I've been combining some to create my own, but I may also be posting other favorites straight from the books. So, I guess this is my new beginning, starting over with the blog!

Happy Eating!!!