YUM! What a day!

Continuing with the meals, here's another round... another successful day in the kitchen... and another set of meals that will continue to be favorites!

Banana-Berry Shake
ONE SERVING| Cal 300; Fat 4g (sat 2.5g, mono 1g, poly 0g); Chol 20 mg; Protein 14g; Carbs 57g; Sugars 44g; Fiber 3g; RS 4.7g; Sodium 170mg.

1 Banana
1.5 cups 1% low-fat milk
2 teaspoons honey (we love a locally made honey here)
1/2 cup ice
1/4 cup berries- frozen or fresh-- any variety

Place all ingredients in a blender; process until smooth.

Chicken Pita Sandwhich
ONE SERVING| Cal 400; Fat 10g (sat 1.5g, mono 1.5g, poly 2g); Chol 95mg; Protein 43g; Carbs 36g; Sugars 5g; Fiber 6g; RS 1g; Sodium 470mg

1 cup baby spinach
1/2 cup (4 ounces) cooked skinless bonlss chicken breast, sliced into 1/2 inch strips
             (Use precooked strips or rotisserie chicken to save time)
1/2 cup sliced red bell pepper
2 tablespoons low-fat Italian vinaigrette
1 (6 inch) whole-grain pita, cut in half

Combine spinach, chicken, bell pepper, and vinaigrette in a bowl; toss gently

Serve in Pita halves

Shrimp Stir-fry with Ginger
TWO SERVINGS| Serving size: 3 cups| Cal 410; Fat 9g (sat 1.5g, mono 4g, poly 3.5g); Chol 65mg; Protein 17g; Carbs 61g; Sugars 14g; Fiber 6g; RS 2.6g; Sodium 600mg

2 teaspoons dark sesame oil
2 tablespoons less-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon grated peeled fresh ginger (this is easy to do!)
2 garlic cloves, minced (buy pre-minced)
4 cups frozen stir-fry vegetables, thawed
                (Great Value says not to thaw before cooking... just run under cold water before cooking)
3 ounces (about 14 medium) frozen, precooked shrimp, thawed (run under cold water)
1 1/2 cups cooked brown rice
                (Uncle Ben's Fast and Natural Whole Grain Brown Rice)
2 tablespoons sliced almonds
1 scallion, chopped (we prefer pearl onions, 2)

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add soy sauce, honey, ginger, & garlic. Cook 1 minute.

Add vegetables, shrimp, and cooked rice; Cook 8 minutes (or until veggies and shrimp are hot.)

Remove from heat, separate servings into bowls and top with half almonds and scallion each.

New Favorites

So we're finally settled in, and have found a great church home.

O Lord, You are my God; I will exalt You, I will praise Your name, for You have done wonderful things, even purposes planned of old [and fulfilled] in faithfulness and truth. Isaiah 25:1

He truly has been faithful to my little family. Surprises and evil found their way to our doorstep in the recent months, but God has been faithful and with His grace and mercy we've delighted in Him through these struggles.


All that aside, Ryan and I have started a new lifestyle change in our diet. I have found this change to be both beneficial to our health and our wallets. I want to share some favorite new recipes here. These are quick to make, with minimal kitchen time.


Banana and Almond Butter Toast
Makes One Serving: Calories 280; Fat 11g (sat 1g, mono 7g, poly 2.5g); Cholesterol 0mg; Protein 6g; Carbs 44g; Sugars 16g; Fiber 5g; Resistant Starch: 5.6g; Sodium 260mg


1 tablespoon almond butter
1 slice rye bread, toasted
1 banana, sliced


Top toast with almond butter spread and sliced banana.


Big Chopped Salad
Makes One Serving: Cals 390, Fat 14g (sat 2g, mono 2g, poly 8g); Chol. 5mg; Protein 15g; Carbs 60g; Sugars 23g; Fiber 13g; RS 2.1g; Sodium 360mg


3 cups mixed salad greens
1/2 cup canned no-salt-added garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup shredded carrots
1/2 cup red cabbage
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons chopped walnuts
2 tablespoons dried cranberries
2 tablespoons low-fat balsamic vinaigrette


Combine first 7 ingredients in a large bowl, toss with vinaigrette and serve.


Black Bean Tacos
Makes Two Servings
Serving size: 3 tacos| Cal: 420; Fat 8g (sat 5g, mono 0.5g, poly 1g); Chol 25mg; Protein 18g; Carbs 69g; Sugars 5g; Fiber 17g; RS 4.7g; Sodium 420mg


1 (15-ounce) can no-salt- added black beans, rinsed and drained
6 (6-inch) corn tortillas
6 tablespoons cheddar cheese
2 cups shredded Romaine lettuce
1 cup grated carrots
1/4 cup salsa


Microwave beans on HIGH for 2 minutes or until heated through

Heat nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add tortillas, one at a time and cook one minute on each side

Divide beans evenly among tortillas. Top with even amounts of cheese, lettuce, carrot and salsa.


These were a hit with all three of us. I'll post more as we try them!