Coming soon:

Sorry I have behind on posting these last few months, what with the blogger crashes and holidays and whatnot, my mind is still reeling. Although I didn't get to posting new recipes these last few months, I didn't stop cooking, and I should be able to have four new recipes by the end of January including an awesome October zucchinni Sweet 'n' sour, a quick dissappearing fall 'nut free trail mix' icebox cookie, a mouthwatering way to use leftover turkey in my "Pulled Turkey & Mozza sandwich with rosemary and garlic butter," served on rye. As well as my newest January creation, "Dynamite chocolate chunk chews" so be sure to check back soon for more recipes and info, sorry for the lag! Keep reading! Cheers!

Whole Grain Oatmeal Cookies To Die For

So..I said I wasn't going to post anymore due to recent glitches, but I just created something so amazing that I must share it with the world.

A Megan Ripka original.
Oatmeal cookies :-)

2 eggs
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp honey if available
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
Pinch of salt
1 cup quick oats
1/2 cup 8- grain cereal (bulk)
1/2 cup mashed banana

Preheat oven 350°. Grease pan. Set aside.
Beat together oil, sugar, honey, vanilla & eggs. Mix well.
Beat in flour, baking powder and salt on low.
Using a spoon, stir in remaining ingredients. Drop onto cookie sheet approx. 1 inch apart for about 10 mins (Max. 12)

Let cool, transfer to rack to cool completely. Delicious lunch snack. Lemme know what you think!

Eat 'em Eggs!

So, as I've mentioned before, eggs are an excellent source of quick and affordable protein, so when I saw this recipe for So-Easy Skillet Frittata, I couldn't resist sharing it.

As seen on www.kraftrecipes.com ..

The great thing about a frittata is that you can customize it any way you like.

time
prep: 10 min total: 25 min

servings
total: 6 servings, one wedge each

So-Easy Skillet Frittata

what you need

6 eggs 1/2 cup (1/2 of 8-oz. tub)  Cream Cheese Spread 1/2 cup each: chopped red and green peppers 6 slices Bacon, crisply cooked, drained and crumbled 1 cup Mexican Style Finely Shredded Four Cheese, divided 3 Tbsp. chopped cilantro

make it

PREHEAT oven to 400ºF. Beat eggs and cream cheese spread with wire whisk until well blended; set aside. Spray 10-inch ovenproof nonstick skillet with cooking spray. Add peppers to skillet; cook and stir 2 min. or until crisp-tender.

ADD bacon to cream cheese mixture along with 3/4 cup of the shredded cheese and the cilantro; stir until well blended. Add to ingredients in skillet; stir. Cover skillet with lid. Reduce heat to low; cook 6 to 8 min. or until egg mixture is almost set in center. Remove lid. Place skillet in oven.

BAKE 5 min. or until center is set. Remove from oven. Top with remaining 1/4 cup shredded cheese; cover with lid. Let stand 2 min. Loosen frittata from side of skillet with spatula; slide onto serving plate. Cut into wedges to serve.

kraft kitchens tips

HEALTHY LIVING Save 50 calories, 6 g of fat and 3 g of saturated fat per serving by substituting 1-1/2 cups cholesterol-free egg product for the eggs and using Neufchatel Cheese and Milk Shredded Reduced Fat Cheddar Cheese.

SUBSTITUTE Substitute 6 slices Fully Cooked Bacon, chopped, for the bacon.

VARIATIONS Omit peppers. Prepare as directed, using one of the following flavor options: Portobello Mushroom & Green: Substitute 3 sliced green onions for the cilantro and KRAFT Shredded Mozzarella Cheese for the Mexican Style Cheese. Slice and coarsely chop 1/4 lb. portobello mushrooms. Melt 1 Tbsp. butter in 10-inch ovenproof nonstick skillet. Add mushrooms and 3 minced cloves garlic; cook and stir until mushrooms are tender. Remove from skillet; set aside. Continue as directed, adding the mushrooms to cream cheese mixture along with the shredded cheese and green onion. Italian Sausage & Arugula: Substitute 6 oz. Italian sausage links for the bacon, and 1-1/2 cups torn arugula and 6 quartered cherry tomatoes for the cilantro. Remove sausage from its casing; cook in 10-inch nonstick ovenproof skillet until cooked through, stirring occasionally. Drain. Continue as directed, substituting KRAFT Shredded Mozzarella Cheese for the Mexican Style Cheese. Turkey & Sun-dried Tomatoes: Prepare as directed, substituting 4 slices OSCAR MAYER Oven Roasted Turkey for the cooked bacon, 1/2 cup chopped drained sundried tomatoes for the peppers, 1 cup torn baby spinach for the cilantro and KRAFT Shredded Cheddar Cheese for the Mexican Style Cheese. If necessary, increase the baking time to 10 min. or until center of frittata is set.
6 eggs 1/2 cup (1/2 of 8-oz. tub) Cream Cheese Spread 1/2 cup each: chopped red and green peppers 6 slices  Bacon, crisply cooked, drained and crumbled 1 cup Mexican Style Finely Shredded Four Cheese, divided 3 Tbsp. chopped cilantro

Sizzlin' September Strawberry Banana Pops!

This is my version of WebMD's
Strawberry-Banana Smoothie Pops.

Ingredients

2 cups frozen strawberries
1 medium banana
1 cup greek yogurt or vanilla yogurt
1/2 cup mango or pomegranate juice
1 tablespoon freezer jam or honey

Instructions

1. Place strawberries, banana, yogurt, juice and syrup in a blender and blend until smooth. Divide among six 4-ounce freezer-pop molds. Freeze until firm, at least 6 hours.

Tips & Tidbits to a healthier Life.

Variety- I cannot stress enough. Not feeling a boost from your morning vitamins? Drop the pills. Maybe it's the food. Too often, people go to the grocery store and pick up the exact same items on a weekly basis. Sto. This is your number one problem. Even by doing something as subtle as switching which type of whole grain bread can help you get those missing micro/phytonutrients. Feeling a little more daring? Try new veggies! I never eat the same veggie three times a week. Variety can be your best friend, especially if your diet's restricted. Like my mom always said, you never know until you try. I thought life was over when I couldn't have anything spicy, fatty, or acidic, but let me tell you, there is a world of food out there, so don't get down. I get more benefits out of the food I eat now then back when I could eat whatever.

Benefits - we were meant to eat with variety. Many minerals need vitamins to accompany them in the body for proper absorbtion. Micro and phytonutrients are good for this as well, but there is no pill you can take to magically do this, in fact, most pharmacuitical vitamins/minerals go straight through the body without ever being absorbed. The only way to ensure you're getting what you need is to make sure you're eating a little of everything .

Polyphenols and  Vitamin C- food containing high amounts of these are known as antioxidants. This is essential in getting rid of pollutants in the body such as harsh or unwanted chemicals or fats, and stops oxidization in the blood; or in a sense, doesn't allow anything to 'stick'  around.

More on this section to come :-)

Whole-grain it!

With food prices going up & up, you're probably finding it tricky to buy a balanced diet. One of my biggest questions of all time, why did they ever start processing out all the nutrients found in whole grains and rice? Finally, now that more people have been asking that very question, it has come apparent that it takes alot less time, energy and cost to produce the same products with the whole grain.
What's the benefit, you ask?
Easy answer, all the original nutrients at the same price (or a few pennies more) as the over processed white flour items such as:
-Pasta (sometimes only spaghetti for some reason)
-bread
-rice
-flour itself
-crackers

These carbs are only bad for us if we ingest too much of the overly processed, bleached, refined flour base products. Eating whole grain foods not only gives you energy and helps your digestion, it can also help you lose weight. Grains were never meant to be stripped of their nutritional value. Treat your body the way it was meant to be treated. Eat whole foods as often as possible.

Summer Snackies

OK, so it has been a few months since I last posted. (sorry!) I'm not sure about you, but I find it incredibly difficult to eat in the heat, just no appetite for a meal. Instead, I tend to stay up late to cook once it's cool enough out..only problem is that I'll go all day without eating and have one big meal before bed..not so great for heartburn and those with a slower metabolism.
My secret to beating heat and hunger.. and look great all season in a bikini..
Snacks. Healthy, light, and crave-quenching, I'd rather have a snack than a big meal any day.
Here is my pick of the season for a deliciously hearty dip..just remember the healthy chip.
(I suggest blue menu PC brand for quality & price. You can try flax, sweet potato, whole wheat & more.)

Layered Black Bean Dip

(55) Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Makes: 32 servings, 2 Tbsp. each

What You Need:
1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened 1 cup canned black beans, rinsed 1 can (10 oz.) Diced Tomatoes & Green chilies, drained. 1 cup Finely Shredded Four Cheese Blend (for Sensitive tummies switch to low acid Tomatoes & Orange or Red pepper)

The Super complicated instructions:
Spread cream cheese onto bottom of shallow dish. Top with remaining ingredients.

Nutritional information per serving Calories 45 , Total fat 3.5g , Saturated fat 2g , Cholesterol 15mg , Sodium 85mg , Carbohydrate 2g , Dietary fiber 1g , Sugars 0g , Protein 2g , Vitamin A 2%DV , Vitamin C 0%DV , Calcium 4%DV , Iron 0%DV .

Don't just skip it, snack it!