June Menu Planner

To get a copy of this file to print - click here

Thanks to ScrapGirls for the graphics I used to create the header.

What's for Dinner?

Baseball season has taken over my household with games every Tuesday and Thursday night.  Couple that with my FP4H meetings on Mondays, it's going to get a little hairy in the kitchen. Since I work outside the home full-time, I get home 20 minutes before my son has to leave for the baseball diamond.  I don't like to eat late, so let's see what I can come up with that is quick and yummy...and most importantly - good for us.

S- Mothers Day Dinner with my in-laws
M- *ON THE GO* Tortellini with Alfredo sauce, Fried Green Beans
T- *ON THE GO* Tuna Salad, Pretzels,
W- Chili Pie
T- *ON THE GO* Poor Boys, Raw Veggie Medley, Dried Fruit
F- BBQ Chicken Pizza
S- Chicken in creamy pan sauce, cauliflower fritters,

I'm proud to post my menus on Org Junkie. Come join us for others like me that menu plan.  There are great recipes and ideas out there!

Thanks to Craftastical for the great graphics I used to design.

Happy Mothers Day

Happy Mothers Day to all my mommy readers!

Knowing More about Low Cholesterol Diets

I have a special treat for my TasteZone readers today.  Our very first guest post comes from Deborah Land.  She writes for cholesterol diet , her personal hobby blog focused on tips to eat healthy to prevent high cholesterol.  Deborah is sharing some great information about Cholesterol.  Read up friends, and be sure to visit her blog.

a. Cholesterol Truths – Good and Bad

A lot of folks always think cholesterol is not good, but you can actually classify it into two types. LDL and HDL are the two types – the bad one and the good one. If you have plaque build-up in your artery, that means you have too much LDL. This usually results in narrow arterial openings, which will mean a slower and lesser flow of blood. You should stop blaming dietary cholesterol for having a high level of cholesterol in your blood. Instead, you should point the finger at your high levels of both Trans fat and saturated fat. If you take in a lot of healthy, fibrous foods and exercise often, you can keep your cholesterol levels down.

b. Number Relevance in Cholesterol

All adults are encouraged to check their cholesterol levels once every five years at a minimum. The results will show the levels for your Triglycerides, LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol and total cholesterol. Engaging in exercise and changing your diet are necessary if your levels are not within the normal range.

c. Vitamin E and How it Can Protect the Heart

You can find Vitamin E in many nuts, leafy vegetables and vegetable oils. While it cannot prevent a stroke, Vitamin E can still reduce your risk for heart disease.

d. Lowering Cholesterol with these Five Foods

1. Oatmeal, Oat Bran – packed with soluble fiber, which can bring down your LDL cholesterol dramatically.
2. Fish – a very rich source of omega 3 fatty acids that are idea in lowering your LDL and increasing your HDL levels.
3. Nuts – has a lot of healthy fats and fiber that, when eaten, can also lower LDL cholesterol levels.
4. Plant Sterols – it can decrease your LDL as high up as fifteen percent, with sources such as margarine, salad dressing, orange juice and cookies.
5. Soy – soy is a good replacement for meat, and you can be sure it reduces your level of LDL by 3%.

e. Benefits You Get from Plant Sterols

Foods such as VitaTops Muffin Tops, Benecol Spread, granola bars and fat free milk are rich sources of plant sterols. You can easily help your heart when you start eating foods packed with plant sterols and avoid eating foods that contain saturated fats. A saturated fat-filled diet is not canceled out by this. Exercising often as well as eating healthy food will keep your cholesterol in check.

 

Pineapple Angle Food Cake

Pineapple Angel Food Cake
From Happy Texans
1 angel food cake mix (make sure it's the kind with only 1 packet in the box..it makes a difference)
1 20-oz can crushed pineapple, undrained


Mix ingredients. It will get kind of puffy. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray. Pour batter in pan and bake for 25 minutes or until golden.


16 servings is 2 pts each or 124.7 calories
12 servings is 3 pts each or 166.3 calories


Print this recipe

Chimichangas

Happy Cinco de Mayo!!  In honor of Cinco de Mayo - we're trying a healthy version of one of our favorite Mexican dishes - Chimi's.


Chicken Chimichanga

Ingredients
Salsa Chicken Mixture w/ 4oz chopped chilies and small onion, chopped
12 Lg flour or wheat tortillas 


Place 1/2 cup meat filling on each tortilla. Fold envelope style (like a burrito). Fry, seam side down, in a small amount of hot oil, until crispy and brown. Turn and brown other side. Drain briefly on paper towels.  Top with Monterey Jack cheese.  Serve with shredded lettuce, diced tomato, refried beans, ff sour cream, and Spanish rice.




Baked Chimichangas
From WW Boards


Ingredients
* 8 oz. ground lean beef or ground turkey
* 1/2 cup chopped onion
* 1/2 tsp. minced garlic
* 1 cup chunky salsa
* 1 tsp. chili seasoning
* 8 (6-inch) flour tortillas (whole grain if possible)
* 1/4 cup no-fat sour cream
* Olive oil cooking spray
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 475 degrees F
2. Spray a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with olive oil cooking spray
3. In a large skillet sprayed with olive oil cooking spray, brown meat and onion
4. Stir in garlic, 1/2 cup salsa, and chili seasoning
5. Lower heat and simmer for 5 minutes
6. Spoon 1/4 cup meat mixture into center of each tortilla
7. Lightly spray tops with olive oil cooking spray
8. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes or until golden brown
9. For each serving, place a chimichanga on a serving plate, spoon 2 Tbs. 
salsa and 1 Tbs. sour cream over top
Serves 8 | Calories 276; Fat 8g; Fiber 2g | 6 Points Per Serving





Print this recipe

Crunchy Onion Barbecue Chicken

Crunchy Onion Barbecue Chicken
From WW Boards
4 Servings | Prep: 10 min. Bake: 25 min.
Ingredients
1/2 cup barbecue sauce
1-1/3 cups french-fried onions, crushed
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon pepper
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (6 ounces each)

Directions
Place barbecue sauce in a shallow bowl. In another shallow bowl, combine the onions, cheese and pepper. Dip both sides of chicken in barbecue sauce, then one side in onion mixture.
Place chicken, crumb side up, on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 400° for 22-27 minutes or until a meat thermometer reads 170°. Yield: 4 servings.

Nutrition Facts: 1 chicken breast half equals 286 calories, 10 g fat (3 g saturated fat), 97 mg cholesterol, 498 mg sodium, 9 g carbohydrate, trace fiber, 36 g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 5 lean meat, 1 fat, 1/2 starch.

Print this recipe