my life now

Thanks, Thamesarino, for asking how things are!  I have often thought I need to get back to posting, especially as fall rolls in and my desire to cook takes over.

Life has been busy!  As you all know, we found out we are having a baby next month.  The other news is that we adopted a beautiful baby boy in June, so days have been full as we adjust to having a newborn in the house again.  We are going to be old pros come November!  He is a wonderful, easy baby and we feel truly blessed.  And before too long I am going to be back to pureeing baby food and filling my ice cube trays, so stayed tuned for such excitement.

On the topic of being a healthy mama (though my pregnancy instincts have led me to eat more chocolate and butter than I can really justify), I pulled out my Sneaky Chef cookbook yesterday, as my toddler as developed a very specific palate that needs some expansion.  Stay tuned for that, too!

In the mean time, want to try something that just exudes fall and is absolutely delicious?  It's decadent, I warn you, but since the main ingredient is a vegetable, don't feel bad about the butter - it is soooooo worth it.  Leave it to The Pioneer Woman to do squash right:  Butternut Squash Puree.

I hope you all are staying well this fall season - and I promise to whip up something tasty soon!

heirloom tomatoes are amazing

This isn't really a recipe, so much as a hope to inspire. It is so simple and it has been my new addiction this summer when it's hot outside and I need something fresh and light. Or when I've eaten 12 brownies in a row and need to make myself feel better. 

If you haven't had heirloom tomatoes before, I really think you ought to try them. They are delicious - every one that I have had tastes like it came fresh from the garden, rather than the produce department. If you don't want to venture into that realm, you can use the tomatoes of your choice - no judgement.

Here's what you need:

2 large heirloom tomatoes

7-8 fresh basil leaves

1 tsp. olive oil

1 tsp. good balsalmic vinegar

kosher salt

freshly ground pepper

Slice the tomatoes about 1/4" thick. Place evenly around your platter, along with the basil leaves.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper (I like pepper, so I use kind of a lot). Drizzle with oil and vinegar.  

Last night I made this to go along with our barbecued chicken breasts and roasted red potatoes, and I let it sit out for about 30 minutes before dinner so the flavors could sort of meld. It was the perfect summer evening side.  

So, try it!  And if you have some tomatoes starting to ripen in your garden, even better. Mmmmm, I think I know what I am having for lunch.

simple summer vegetables

I love simplicity.  It usually provides the most pleasing results. Last night I was whipping up a pretty easy dinner - grilled chicken and flat bread, and decided I wanted vegetables instead of salad (we've been eating that a lot lately). This is a great recipe for you gardeners with an abundance of squash! Eat it as is, toss it with some pasta and parm, load up a baguette and broil it with some havarti or provolone - these roasted vegetables are so delicious and so easy, you're gonna love them as much as I do.  

All you need:

3 medium zucchini, thickly sliced

8 oz crimini mushrooms, sliced in half

2 tablespoons olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Toss everything together in a pie plate.  Bake at 450 degrees F for 20 minutes.  Toss gently, and return to the oven for about 10-15 minutes.  

Make it even simpler and do it in your toaster oven, like me. 

**For older babies, you can just do zucchini, blend it in the food processor, and mix it up with avocado and even a little wheat germ for a super nutritious meal!

a new treat for the boy

If there is one thing that I could get him to eat everyday, it's yogurt.  Up until now, it's been Yo Baby, which he absolutely loves and I feel pretty good about.  It's organic, so that's a plus.  The drawbacks, two years into his yogurt eating, is that it's pretty pricey and has 13 grams of sugar per serving. 

So this week I tried something new.  I bought my favorite yogurt, Nancy's Honey Yogurt.  It's made with whole milk and has less than half of the sugar of other yogurts.  It is not at all sweet, so for my little one, it needs a little doctoring.

I add less than a teaspoon of blue agave syrup (use honey if you'd rather), and 3-4 large strawberries, chopped finely, to about 1/2 cup of yogurt.  You can use any fruit your kiddo prefers.  If they like yogurt, they are going to gobble it up, and it is sweet enough without being overly so, and has half the sugar of any yogurt you'll find on the shelf.

Want to make it a meal or an extra special treat?  Add some plain cheerios (I used the generic Trader Joe's brand).  That is a favorite breakfast around here.

Got any other mix in ideas - let me know!

my new (old) love... and an explanation

I know I have been MIA for awhile... and I can finally explain.  I have made three fully homemade meals in the last 7 weeks.  Isn't that pathetic?  Thank you, Lord, for the creative genius behind Trader Joe's and their frozen food section.  Otherwise, I would be ridden with guilt.

I am 11 weeks pregnant.  And the thought of cooking has been, well... bleh. Thankfully, things are looking up.  The heartburn has yet to die down, but the nausea is dwindling.  Again, thanks Lord.

So, enter my new (old) love.  I am not a regular partaker of protein bars. But in my baby's interest, I picked up a few this week so that I am eating something besides fruit and noodles.  And cereal.  Tonight I opened up a Carmel Nut Brownie Luna bar.  Oh heaven.  Crispy, chocolatey goodness.  With protein, folic acid, the whole nine yards.  Everything good for the little one.  And man, they are tasty.

healthy hobbies

Spring is here. Finally. We have had consistent sunshine for three whole days here in the northwest - is that a record for April? And for those three days, I have been to the nursery, prepping my garden, and getting my containers ready.

I have never ever been into gardening. I definitely wouldn't say I have a green thumb. But last year I decided to try my hand at a few flowers, some herbs and a tomato plant. I was pretty successful.  I give some of the credit to a book I picked up, You Grow Girl, which is also an extensive gardening blog. Totally inspirational!

This year I am stepping it up a notch: strawberries, beets, zucchini and carrots. We'll see what happens!  I'll try to keep you updated - maybe I'll even incorporate some of my goods into some recipes.

Being healthy extends beyond diet and exercise. How do you unwind? Express creativity?Get involved in the world around you? Are you a knitter? A seamstress? A cook or a baker? Do you teach classes, volunteer, try to learn something new on a regular basis? I want to hear from you and what keeps you going.

And if you want a little more gardening inspiration, you can also check out the Pioneer Woman... she is good at giving you the lowdown on the basics. Growing stuff is easy - and it's so fun to watch it happen!

helpful articles

Wondering what to eat when you're out an about?  I read these articles online today and found them pretty helpful:

America's 10 Best Fast Food Restaurants

The 15 Worst

Foods for a Flat Belly

healthy snacks - preschool edition

I don't know about your kids, but mine has made up his mind about what he likes, and what he doesn't.  He doesn't even need to taste something to know his aversions.  While we encourage him to try new things, it's hard to talk to a two year old logically about the benefits of eating carrots. This can make mealtime frustrating.  Anyone else been there?

I used to stand in front of the fridge and think, "What in the world should I feed him?"  I decided to sit down and make a list of the things I know he likes (it actually was a lot longer than I thought it'd be).  That made mealtime a lot simpler.

But I also needed to get creative.  So I wanted to share some snack ideas that have gone over well, and they are sneakily healthy.  

Smoothies.  He would drink one everyday and they come together in less than 5 minutes.  I start with about 3/4 cup of milk, 1/2 cup of fruit (usually 1/2 of a banana and some frozen berries), one teaspoon of nut butter, a teaspoon of wheat germ and some kind of vegetable.  This week it was 3-4 florets of raw cauliflower.  Sometimes it's a few tablespoons of frozen spinach.  The trick letting it blend for 3-4 minutes so that it is smooth and velvety and no veggies are detected.  

Avocado and cottage cheese.  Protein, vitamins, and calcium.  This is a power pack.  Add a teaspoon of wheat germ for an extra boost.  He won't even try cottage cheese on it's own, but if I mash it up with 1/2 an avocado, it's gone in a flash.  

Monkey Sandwich.  This one is pretty obvious, but the name is what appeals the most to my kiddo.  Whole wheat bread (crusts removed, if need be), organic peanut butter + thinly sliced banana.  Protein, potassium, fiber - and it's a naturally sweet treat!

I have more to share, but first - what works for your kids?  Are they picky or will they eat whatever you put in front of them?  What tricks do you have up your sleeve?

my favorite... couscous

I love this dish.  I found it on allrecipes.com and adjusted it to our taste. I've made it several times over the last year or so - it is so refreshing and light and good for you... I think you're gonna like it.  This time I stuffed roasted red peppers with it, just for a little flair.  Pretty darn good.

1 cup of uncooked couscous (I used whole wheat and you can't tell the difference)

1 1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth

3 T olive oil

2 T fresh lemon juice

1 t red wine vinegar

1/2 t ground cumin

4-5 sliced green onions

2 medium tomatoes, diced

1/4 cup chopped cilantro or fresh parsley 

1 15 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 green bell pepper, diced

1/2 cup reduced fat crumbled feta (optional)

salt and pepper to taste

Pour hot chicken broth over couscous and stir well.  Cover and let stand for five minutes.

Whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar and cumin.

Add onions, tomatoes, parsley, black beans and bell pepper to the dressing.

Combine couscous, vegetables, and feta.  Stir well.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

If you are stuffing peppers, slice in half and fill with couscous.  Serve chilled or at room temperature.

This tastes even better the next day - it's sorta hard for me not to eat the whole batch.

a meatloaf makeover

My newest obsession is library cookbooks.  I could spend hours looking through them for ideas.  I don't, because I have a two year old and my time of pouring over books leisurely is limited to nap time.  And because our trips to the library usually consist of me running after him as he explores the ins and outs of every row of books.  But I digress.

Awhile back I checked out a copy of one of the Cooking Light cookbooks and found a lot of recipes I wanted to try.  The only one I actually did was the Barbecue Meatloaf.  I have never been a huge fan of meatloaf (I mean, just the name is enough to scare you off...), but this was really good.

As usual, I changed it up, mostly by adding a few nutritious extras to make it even more worth eating.  This is a really good dish - my husband absolutely loves it (he asked me today if it was okay to eat for breakfast).  So here it is, folks.  Enjoy!

1.5 lbs extra lean ground beef (ground turkey is great, too)

1/2 cup breadcrumbs (I quickly put one large slice of multigrain bread in the food processor)

2 T wheat germ (optional)

1/2 large onion, roughly chopped

1/2 cup shredded carrot

1 garlic clove

1/2 cup barbecue sauce, divided (watch labels for high fructose corn syrup)

1 T prepared mustard

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1 large egg white + 1 whole egg

cooking spray

Put onion, garlic and carrot in the food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Or mince by hand if you don't have one.

Combine meat, crumbs, wheat germ, onion mixture, mustard, salt, pepper, eggs and 2-3 tablespoons of the barbecue sauce.

Line an 8x8 pan with foil and spray with cooking spray.  Shape mixture into a loaf.

Pour remaining sauce on top and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour, or until a meat thermometer registers at 160 degrees in the middle.

Let stand about 10-15 minutes.  Slice into 10-12 slices and serve!

(makes great leftover sandwiches... or breakfast)

Enjoy!

blogging with a purpose

Thank you, 5th Sister!  I am honored that you gave me this award!

And now I shall pass it on to some of my favorite blogs.

1. Put the logo on your blog or post.
2. Nominate at least 10 blogs which show great attitude and/or gratitude.
3. Be sure to link your nominees within your post.
4. Let them know they have received the award by commenting on their blog.
5. Share the love and link to this post and to the person from whom you received this award.

Our Daily Blessing...Life

Yesterday's Tomorrow

Domestic Fashionista

Restyled Home

Pam-Fried Family Life

The Ordinary Housewife

Mamma Talk

INfertile Myrtle

5th Sister

Muddy Runner

Check these blogs out - they all offer something different... and they will all bless your day in some way.

a really satisfying sandwich

This delicious baguette was inspired by one of the many consumed on our trip to Paris.  Today is Ash Wednesday, which for us is a day of partial fasting and abstaining from meat (apart from the spiritual significance, of course).  This sandwich was the perfect end to my day - so simple, and so delicious.   You don't want to miss out on this one.

Here's what you need.

1 fresh baguette

3 hard boiled eggs

1 medium tomato

12-15 thin slices of cucumber

3 green leaf lettuce leaves

3 oz sliced provolone

3 tablespoons hummus 

salt and pepper to taste

Slice the baguette lengthwise.  You can hollow it out a bit to make room for the fillings, if you want.

Spread both sides with hummus (you can also use mayo - that's what we had in France. Hummus gave it great flavor, though - and it is much better for you).

Layer cheese, cucumber, and tomato.

Thinly slice eggs with a sharp knife.  Layer on top of the tomatoes.

Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and top with the other half of your baguette.

Slice into quarters and enjoy!

Mmmmm.  

jet lagged

I just returned from ten fantastic days in London and Paris.  It was a last minute trip that we couldn't resist when we saw the price of tickets ($350 roundtrip!).  

So here I am, up at 3am, keeping my fingers crossed that toddler jet lag soon subsides and we can go back to sleeping through the night.  Oh, that will be a sweet day indeed.

It was a great trip; we basically ate our way through Paris.  The french know how to cook - crepes, croissants, baguettes, 350 kinds of cheese, soup, stews, salads, sandwiches... I didn't want to leave. And the best part?  We walked miles and miles every day, so all guilt was erased.

And I am feeling inspired.  The food was so simple and satisfying, I am going to try to recreate some of our favorites... and if it's good, I'll be sure to share.

chicken with a whole lotta garlic

When I bought a new crock pot this year, I flipped through the little cookbook that came with it.  Included was "Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic". I was intrigued and filed it away for a later date.

Last week, I did it.  Well, kind of.  I figured two heads of garlic was enough, so that's what I used. Let me tell you, it was good.  Really, really good. And not overwhelmingly garlicky, either. The garlic made it almost sweet, and because you leave them unpeeled, they are perfect for spreading on warm, crusty bread when dinner rolls around.

So, here it is:

Chicken with 26 Cloves of Garlic

1 4.5-5 lb whole chicken, giblets removed

26 cloves of garlic (or two large heads), unpeeled

1 large lemon, cut into thirds

rosemary

tarragon

basil

(or whatever combo of spices you prefer)

4 stalks of celery, washed and trimmed

1/2 large onion, roughly chopped

salt and pepper

Wash chicken and pat dry.

Spray crock pot with cooking spray. Line with celery and some of the onion, like this:

Sprinkle inside of chicken with salt and pepper. Stuff with lemon and remaining onion.

Place the chicken on top of the celery and sprinkle generously with spices and some salt and pepper. Place garlic all around chicken. It should look something like this:

Cover and cook on low for about 6 hours.  Mine was done after 5 and basically fell apart upon removal from the pot.  It was so tender and so juicy and was absolutely delicious.  Even if it didn't look perfect.

* to reduce fat intake, we don't eat the skin.  And really, it's not that appealing when it's been in a crock pot.  Just slice your chicken up, and it'll come right off.

as promised

I totally had fun with the pizza challenge.  I am cooking up some more fun recipes (delicious and sneakily filled with vegetables).  But for now, let's get down to it.

Greek-Inspired Pizza, a.k.a Flavor Explosion

the dough:  I used this recipe.  I substituted two of the cups of flour with whole wheat flour, increased the water to 1 1/4 cups, used olive oil and used honey instead of sugar.  You can let it rise for 30 minutes - I didn't.  I just rolled it out really thin and pre-baked for about 5 minutes.  You can also buy ready made dough at Trader Joe's and that makes everything a little quicker.

1/2 cup shredded part skim mozzarella 

1 cup fresh spinach, chopped 

6 artichoke hearts  (frozen or jarred), quartered

20 cherry tomatoes, quartered

10 calamata olives, pitted and diced

1/3 cup lowfat or fat free feta, crumbled

Layer everything atop your pizza dough in the order listed.  Bake for 8-10 minutes (if pre-baked) at 375, or until the crust is slightly golden.  

Slice and eat up!  This TASTY pizza is one you can feel good about - iron, protein, calcium, fiber,  antioxidants galore, plus loads of vitamins.  

If you've got picky eaters, you can do what I did:  halve the recipe (I even slice the dough in half before topping it), and slather one side with this sauce (super easy and even more antioxidants and nutrients! And you can freeze what you don't use) and top with 1/2 cup of shredded mozzarella and 2 tablespoons of parmesan.  Now everyone is happy! 

**correction:  I totally left out the olive oil!  Oopsie.  Just drizzle the dough with a little less than a tablespoon of olive oil before topping it.  

light, healthy, delicious...tortilla soup

I love all the ideas coming in - and I am going to work on some good pizza recipes very soon, I promise.  In the mean time, here is some soup I whipped up last week that I think was a big success.  I hope you think so, too...

Tortilla Soup (and it's good for you!)

1 lb. cherry tomatoes

2 med. carrots, peeled and cut into chunks

2 tablespoons pickled jalapenos**

32 oz chicken broth

2 cups water

1 t. salt

2-3 T taco seasoning (this is what I use - so easy and no MSG)

1.25 lbs ground turkey breast

1/2 lg onion, diced

1 clove garlic, minced

15 oz. frozen corn 

15oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 avocado, sliced

shredded reduced fat cheese (I use a mexi-blend from TJ's)

4 whole wheat tortillas, toasted and crumbled (I did this in my toaster oven, but you can also do it under the broiler)

1 lime, sliced into wedges

**Before we get to it, I used 2 tablespoons of jalapenos from the jar in the fridge.  This was one spicy soup.  You can use one fresh jalapeno (seed it if you want to cut down on the heat) or if you don't like too much spice, dice up 1/2 of a bell pepper instead.  

Place tomatoes, carrots and jalapeno in the food processor or blender and pulse until coarsely blended.  Make it as smooth as you'd like.  (I like to see little bit of tomato and carrot in there, but use some creative freedom.)

In a stock pot, brown ground turkey (I used ground turkey breast because it's lower in fat and calories, but use what you like) with onions and garlic.  Once cooked through, add taco seasoning and let simmer for one minute.

Add in tomato/carrot mixture, broth, water, beans, corn and salt, if needed.

Simmer 30-45 minutes.

Ladle soup into bowls, and sprinkle each with toasted tortilla strips, 2 tablespoons of cheese, and 3 slices of avocado.  Serve with a wedge of lime, and squeeze over the top just before serving. 

This is one of our new favorites - enjoy!

© One Healthy Mama 2009

what do YOU want?

I have a few ideas rolling around that I am trying to decide on for my next attempt, but what I really want to know is:  

What do you want to see on here?

Is there some recipe you'd like to see get a healthy makeover?  Do you want to see more kid-friendly recipes?  Main dishes?  Soup?  Apps?  You decide what comes next.

Challenge me!

homemade grahams

                              © One Healthy Mama 2008

I have been wanting to make these for a long time. I am so glad I finally did - they are delicious!  My kiddo loves graham crackers, but they all have high fructose corn syrup in them (I know there are some ads out there that say it's okay, but it really isn't. There may be more on that later.).   So I looked for a recipe to try, and this was just the ticket.  I found it on a few different blogs, and they were pretty much all the same.  This is the version I made, a collaboration of them all. 

3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups whole-wheat graham flour (you can use reg. whole wheat flour, if you want)

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 cup cold, unsalted butter, cut into small pieces (keep it in the fridge 'til you need it)

2 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons molasses

1/4 cup cold water

1 teaspoon vanilla 

Mix together the flours, sugars, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. 

Add the cold butter and mix or process until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs (this took my kitchen aid a few minutes).

Add the honey, molasses, water, and vanilla. Mix until the dough comes together in a ball.

Roll the dough 1/2-inch thick between wax paper or plastic wrap. 

Chill for 1 hour, until firm. Lightly flour the dough and roll 1/8-inch thick. 

Cut into 2-inch squares (I used my pizza cutter). 

Arrange on a nonstick or parchment lined cookie sheets. 

With a fork, prick several holes in each cracker.

Bake at 350 for 10 minutes, until lightly browned at the edges (mine actually took 8). 

Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan.

You'll never go back to the box.  These are SO good and rich and satisfying and you can feel good about eating them.  Try it!

some thoughts on fitness

I was never really that into "working out".  Some of my friends in college were runners (and still are), some visited the gym, and I was always sort of "meh" about the whole thing.  I think most of it stemmed from being self-conscious about my lack of coordination, not being as fast as them, worried about wearing out quickly... basically I had a long list of excuses.  Blah, blah, blah.

After college I moved to Washington, DC to intern in a house with inner-city kids, and my roommate was a cute little Norwegian (not little in the sense that she was a kid, but active, stylish and dainty).  She worked out every single day at 5am.  Talk about subconscious guilt.  So I decided to join her.  It took about 2 days to realize that I am not friends with the early morning, but I did get into a routine of going most days of the week in the afternoon.

I have had ups and downs as far as my dedication goes, but all in all, I get a deep satisfaction from a good workout.  These days, I get in at least three per week, but the goal is four or five.  They usually consist of a 3 mile run on the treadmill or some time on the elliptical.  But the latest workout that I love and definitely feel the burn from:  Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred.  I love it!  It's three workouts, each 25 minutes, and it's a combo of strength, cardio and abs.  My husband even does it with me, which is a bonus.  Plus, who doesn't have 25 minutes of spare time?  So there really is no excuse for me to miss out.

Another discovery yesterday: On Demand.  We haven't had cable for 2 years.  It was kind of a spur of the moment decision to get it again, and the guy came yesterday to hook it up.  Now we have On Demand and it comes with an exercise channel with at least 50 workouts.  If you have OD, you should check it out, because The 30-Day is on there for a few more weeks.  It will kick your tush!

It's a new year... never a better time to get motivated.  It is really hard to do on your own.  I certainly wouldn't have started without the help of my favorite European.  Don't get discouraged if you've hit a slump - find a friend, some online buddies, a partner, spouse, sibling, parent - whatever it takes to get you moving.  Something my husband tells me whenever I hem and haw about it: you'll never regret doing it, but you'll definitely regret not doing it.

So what gets you going? What's your routine?  Who keeps you motivated? Do you have an end goal?  I love hearing what keeps people moving!

roasted cauliflower

Mmmmmmm.... This is one of the simplest, best tasting side dishes I have eaten in recent history. I have never been a huge fan of cauliflower - not that I had a distaste for it, but it just seemed so boring.

Until I tried it like this.  I wanted to eat the entire pan (I practically did).   It is so delicious and so easy and, of course, SO good for you.  One serving supplies almost all the vitamin C you need for the day, plus a bunch of other good stuff (vitamin K, folate, fiber, etc.) and it has cancer-fighting properties.  So go grab some and let's get started!

I had a 12 oz bag of fresh cauliflower, already washed and chopped from TJ's.  If you are buying it whole, just aim for about 1 pound of it.

Wash it and cut it into bite size pieces.  Blot dry and throw it on a cookie sheet.  

Drizzle it with about a tablespoon of olive oil and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt.  

Toss to coat and spread evenly on the pan.

Roast for 15-20 minutes at 425, until golden and tender.

Try not to eat it all straight from the pan.  Try to share it.

And enjoy!

power salad

© One Healthy Mama 2008

This salad is packed with nutrients and major flavor.  Talk about starting the year off right! One serving of this delivers a healthy dose of iron, protein, fiber, calcium, vitamins A, B6, C, E, and K, plus potassium, maganese, folate and tons of antioxidants.  Plus, it can lower cholesterol.  

Oh yeah, and it is deeeeeelicious.   It's based on yet another recipe discovered on allrecipes.com, with some additions and subtractions, and my own dressing, of course. 

Here's whatchya need:

2 cups shelled edamame (soybeans)

1 cup shredded carrots

1 pint cherry tomatoes, cut in half

1 10oz bag frozen sweet corn

1 15oz can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced

1/4 cup lime juice (about 2 limes)

1/4 cup olive oil

1 tablespoon honey

1/2 teaspoon cumin

kosher salt

freshly ground pepper

Combine edamame, carrots, tomatoes, corn, beans and onions.

Whisk lime juice, oil, honey and cumin.  Toss with salad.

Sprinkle with about 1/4 teaspoon of salt and a few grinds of pepper.

Cover and refrigerate for about an hour to let flavors meld.  

Eat up!

You could fill up on this as is, throw it in a tortilla, or serve it with grilled chicken or shrimp for dinner.  It is filling and fresh, and you really ought to try it.

Happy new year!

how about a giveaway?

"The Secret is in the Sauce" is having a fantastic giveaway.  Check it out here!  

You can win a Keurig Platinum Brewing System, plus $50 worth of K-cups... and it's not just for coffee - you can whip up tea, hot chocolate, chai... something warm and toasty to melt away winter.  Go enter - don't miss out!