Vegetable Tian

Pepperoni Pizza Puffs Recipe TGIF, friends. Hope that you all have had a lovely week, and that a relaxing weekend lies ahead. I’m looking forward to some friend’s-birthday-celebrating, farmers-marketing, coffee-(friends)-dating, cake-baking, church-enjoying, and sleeping-inning here in my little corner of the world this weekend. OH, and the thing I’m perhaps most excited about — choir-directing. Did I mention on here that I’m leading an Easter choir at my church?! I’m kind of over the moon about it. Anyway, warm wishes coming your way for a good weekend ahead. Read more Ever since my friends and I met for a tapas happy hour at our neighborhood Spanish restaurant a few weeks ago, I’ve had sangria on my mind. So of course, when I found myself in the fruit section at the market this week trying to decide what kind of sangria to make for our weekly neighbor night, I immediately thought of sangria. …oh good grief, why had I never thought of this before? Sangria with All The Colors. The only reasonable solution, of course. ;)

Low Fat Oatmeal Banana Bread Not every morning in my life is filled with Chocolate Chip Buttermilk Pancakes and Chocolate Chocolate Chip Banana Bread… not when things like my ten year class reunion and bathing suit season loom just around the corner. For real friends, those are two scary things. At least I don’t have to go to my ten year reunion in my bathing suit. Can you imagine the horror!? I’d like to introduce you to Low Fat Oatmeal Banana Bread. Go ahead, think of this Low Fat Oatmeal Banana Bread as your friend… and then it eat. This bread is packed full of happy, heart-healthy oats, cinnamon spice and crazy ripe bananas. Low Fat Oatmeal Banana Bread adapted from the Weight Watchers site Print this Recipe! makes 1 loaf of 10 slices, 4 points per slice Preheat oven to 350°F. In a smaller bowl, mash bananas with a potato masher or fork. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix well. In a medium sized bowl, with an electric hand mixer, beat the egg whites until medium stiff peaks form.

Maple-Glazed Chicken Recipe : Food Network Kitchens Directions Pat the chicken dry and season all over with salt. Heat a large heavy skillet over high heat and add the olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the chicken skin-side down and cook, undisturbed, until the skin is browned and crisp, about 5 minutes. Turn the chicken and add the apples, shallots and sage to the skillet. Meanwhile, make the glaze: Mix the chicken broth, maple syrup, vinegar and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a small bowl. Per serving: Calories 553; Fat 24 g (Saturated 6 g); Cholesterol 119 mg; Sodium 373 mg; Carbohydrate 44 g; Fiber 2 g; Protein 42 g Photograph by Antonis Achilleos

The Yellow Table: Tuscan White Bean Soup With Swiss Chard Ragu-Stuffed Peppers Recipe : Food Network Kitchens Directions Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Toss the bell pepper halves with 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large microwave-safe bowl. Cover and microwave until the peppers soften, 10 to 12 minutes. Meanwhile, mix the ragu, couscous, raisins, 1/2 cup cheese, 3 teaspoons vinegar, the parsley and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a bowl. Whisk the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 teaspoon vinegar, the tomato paste and 3/4 cup water in the bottom of a large nonreactive baking dish. Cover the dish with foil and bake until the peppers are tender and the filling is hot, about 20 minutes. * Use leftover ragu from Fettuccine With Quick Ragu Per serving: Calories 539; Fat 24 g (Saturated 8 g); Cholesterol 67 mg; Sodium 1,098 mg; Carbohydrate 60 g; Fiber 8 g; Protein 23 g Photograph by Antonis Achilleos

Skinny Figgy Bars I hope you enjoy this “rerun” of a recipe I associate closely with Christmas. It’s my low-fat, veganized interpretation of the fig-filled cookies my husband’s grandmother always made for Christmas. D looked forward to those cookies every year, and once he married a vegan, his grandmother often made a special egg-free batch just for us. Sadly, she’s no longer with us, but I think of her whenever I make these fig bars. I made an impulse buy the other day, one of those “rings” of dried figs. But visions of fig bars persisted, as such cravings will when you have the primary ingredient sitting right on your kitchen counter. You will be amazed at how good these are. Ingredients Filling: 8 ounces dried figs (one round package) 4 ounces pitted dates 2 tbsp. slivered or chopped almonds (optional) 2 drops anise extract (optional) 1 tbsp. agave nectar (or other liquid sweetener) 2 tbsp. water 1 tbsp. lemon juice 1/4 tsp. cinnamon 1/8 tsp. ginger Crust: Instructions Preheat oven to 375 F.

Four-Cheese Pasta With Peas and Ham Recipe : Food Network Kitchens Directions Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until very al dente, about 8 minutes, adding the peas in the last 2 minutes of cooking. Meanwhile, whisk the eggs, egg white, evaporated milk and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a bowl. Drain the pasta and peas; wipe the pot dry and return the pasta and peas to the pot. Add the butter and stir to coat. Per serving: Calories 878; Fat 43 g (Saturated 26 g); Cholesterol 249 mg; Sodium 1,273 mg; Carbohydrate 77 g; Fiber 5 g; Protein 44 g Photograph by Antonis Achilleos

Bacon Smashed Potatoes Recipe at Epicurious photo by Roland Bello yield Makes 8 servings active time 20 min total time 45 min Taking a cue from German potato salad, these Yukon Golds are smashed with a hot bacon dressing and then tossed with fresh dill. Steaming rather than boiling the potatoes keeps them fluffy. Preparation Steam potatoes in a large steamer rack set over boiling water, covered, until very tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Meanwhile, cook bacon in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium heat until crisp. Transfer potatoes to a large bowl, reserving 1/2 cup steaming water. What to drink: Josmeyer Les Folastries Gewürztraminer '05 Cooks' note: Potatoes can be made 3 hours ahead and kept at room temperature.

Chinese Hot-and-Sour Soup Recipe at Epicurious Toss pork with dark soy sauce in a bowl until pork is well coated. Soak black and tree ear mushrooms in 3 cups boiling-hot water in another bowl (water should cover mushrooms), turning over black mushrooms occasionally, until softened, about 30 minutes. (Tree ears will expand significantly.) Cut out and discard stems from black mushrooms, then squeeze excess liquid from caps into bowl and thinly slice caps. Remove tree ears from bowl, reserving liquid, and trim off any hard nubs. If large, cut tree ears into bite-size pieces. Meanwhile, soak lily buds in about 1 cup warm water until softened, about 20 minutes, then drain. Cover bamboo shoots with cold water by 2 inches in a small saucepan, then bring just to a boil (to remove bitterness) and drain in a sieve. Stir together vinegars, light soy sauce, sugar, and salt in another small bowl. Heat a wok over high heat until a bead of water vaporizes within 1 to 2 seconds of contact. Add broth and bring to a boil, then add tofu.

Dessert First — A Passion for Pastry Foods to Improve Moods - Healthy Living Tips at WomansDay While that tub of ice cream in the back of the freezer may be what you crave when you’re feeling blue, there is a long list of other (healthier!) foods that can cure a grouchy morning or a stressed-out afternoon. We talked to the experts to get the scoop on what to eat to make you feel better no matter what your mood. Stressed: Eat Chocolate The scenario: It’s Friday at 6:30 p.m. Sluggish: Eat a Spinach Salad Can’t concentrate? Cranky: Eat an Apple with Peanut Butter Did you snap at your kids…and the telemarketer on the phone? Anxious: Eat a Salmon Burger Worrying about your finances, your marriage, your kids? Angry: Sip Green Tea Maybe your neighbor’s dog barked all night long and kept you up or your coworker took credit for a project you worked on over the weekend. Sad: Eat Whole-Grain Cereal with Lowfat Milk Need a happiness boost? PMS: Eat an Egg-Salad Sandwich All photos by Shutterstock. Sarah Jio is the health and fitness blogger for Glamour.com.

5 White-Smile Superfoods These healthy eats will make your smile look even better. Plus, the worst teeth-staining offenders and how to undo damage. Cheese Looks like the French are on to something with that postmeal fromage course. Cheese contains calcium, which strengthens teeth as well as the jaw. Green Tea This beverage is packed with polyphenol antioxidants that fight plaque-forming free radicals and help prevent gum disease. Mushrooms The most common natural source of vitamin D in the produce section, these fungi help you absorb tooth-strengthening calcium. Pistachios Like most nuts, pistachios have huge amounts of magnesium, which increases the absorption of calcium; they also have beta-carotene, which may lessen gum inflammation, the main cause of periodontal disease. Yogurt Probiotics, aka good bacteria, don't do only your digestive tract good. Tooth Saboteurs You know the obvious offenders—coffee, tomato sauce, wine (even white; it's very acidic, which weakens enamel and leads to stains).

{Recipes} Homemade Summer Popsicles & Free Printables! It’s summer time and what better way to cool off than with homemade popsicles! These are my two favorite popsicle recipes and have never been able to pick which one I liked better, the strawberry coconut or the honeydew lime, so I decided to share them both with you! Need a reason to make these popsicles? Make for dessert at the summer BBQHave as an afternoon treat with your kidsPlanning a summer birthday party? Not only are both recipes easy peasy, but your kids will love them and so will you! Strawberry Coconut Popsicle Recipe PRINT Recipe {Recipe adapted from With Style and Grace} Ingredients 1 cup strawberries1 cup blueberries1 can light coconut milk1 cups water1 cup apple juice1/2 cup honey5 ounce Dixie cups20-30 Popsicle sticks Directions Add strawberries, blueberries, coconut milk, water, apple juice and honey in a blender. Place in the freezer for 30 minutes (set your timer), insert your wooden sticks, and continue to freeze until the popsicles are completely frozen, about 6 hours.