GREAT TIPS FOR YOUR SKIN FROM WEBMD

Summer and more hours of sunshine are headed our way....

These are some tips for having healthy skin all year long.
It's important to take care of ourselves, so we can take care of our families.

FEED YOUR SKIN THESE SUPER FOODS

ARE YOU KOOKY FOR COCONUT?

It seems that springtime makes us think more about coconut - hope you'll check out this variety of lovely recipes from Taste of Home.

Top 10 Coconut Recipes

MORE BAKE SALE IDEAS! CANDY & COOKIES - YUM-O!

This is such a delicious and easy cookie with only two ingredients!  How much easier can it get?? It is fun for the kids to make, and sells fast at a bake sale. A wonderfully quick recipe for an enjoyable treat. 

credit:

Pink Sherbet Photography

CHOCOLATE - PEANUT BUTTER CUP COOKIES

1-15 oz. roll refrigerated ready-to-slice peanut butter cookie dough

48 miniature peanut butter cup candies

Preheat oven to 350. Slice cookie dough into 3/4" slices.  Cut each slice into quarters. 

Place each quarter into ungreased mini muffin pan. 

Bake 8 - 10 minutes.  Remove from oven and immediately

press an unwrapped peanut butter cup gently and evenly into cookie.  Cool before removing from pan.  Refrigerate until firm.  Recipes makes 4 dozen cookies.

I also make this with chocolate chip cookie dough.

Source: Southern Living Magazine, January, 1985

CANDY BAR COOKIE SQUARES

1 - 18 ozs. pkg. yellow (or chocolate) cake mix

1/2 cup pkg. brown sugar

1/2 cup butter, melted

2 eggs

3 snicker bars (2.07 ozs ea), chopped

Preheat oven to 350.

Mix together and bake in an ungreased 9" X 13" pan

for 25 - 30 minutes.  Cool; cut into squares.

(Feel free to use any kind of candies you have!)

credit: ttarasiuk

ROASTED ASPARAGUS...AND MORE!

credit: woodleywonderworks

'Tis the season for thinking about spring 'crops'...like asparagus.

We love to eat it fresh-roasted and I wanted to share this simple recipe idea.  I'm also including a link below for a combo of different veggies.  Sounds yummy to me!  My friend Lois loves to roast assorted veggies together and it's a wonderful dish!

Use about 2# of fresh asparagus spears - bend them toward the bottom and they'll break off where the tough part begins (I learned that from food network and it works great!) Wash and dry the stalks; spread them out, in a single layer, on a cookie sheet. Drizzle a couple of Tablespoonsful of olive oil over them - stir around so it all gets coated - then sprinkle with salt, pepper and garlic powder.  Depending on the size of the stalk, bake at 400 degrees for 10 - 12 minutes, turn the asparagus over, then roast until tender - 12 - 15 minutes longer. 

We love to eat these with our fingers right off our plates.  Try them - you'll like them!
Another recipe I devour quickly is an asparagus casserole.  I'll share that one soon too.

Don't forget to check out the recipe below too.

Roasted Root Vegetables

MAKE IT A MEATLESS MONDAY!

OK Gals - I wanted to suggest that you try a meatless meal, and the soup below is a great dish to 'build around'.  It's a good way to get enough vegetables for the day, and helps you to stay frugal. Maybe you could choose one day out of the month to enjoy a meatless meal??  I enjoy ordering the '4 vegetables' on the menu at Cracker Barrel - and I certainly need to eat more veggies.

Broccoli Cheese Soup

We enjoyed this soup (my revisions below) along with fresh tomato, cucumber and onion salad - topped with our favorite Ranch dressing.  And a side of cottage cheese too.  You could add a muffin, or even a grilled cheese sandwich.  And a cookie or pudding for dessert would top it off nicely. 

This is how I made my soup...just in case you want an easier option...

• I used a bag and a half of frozen broccoli instead of fresh
• I sauteed chopped onion, celery and carrot in olive oil, then added the chicken broth - brought it to a boil, then added the broccoli, and allowed it to simmer atleast 15 minutes, or until tender. 
• I used the amount of chicken broth called for, but reduced the cream by half.  I also used half the amount of cheese too - it was plenty!
• I made a roux, by melting 3 Tb. butter, then adding enough flour to whisk in until you have a thick paste.  I added the cream to that mixture, whisking as you go, and then the cheese, stirring until it melts.  Add to the broth and vegetables when it's time.
• Instead of whirring the soup in a blender, we prefer a hearty soup, so I just mashed the cooked veggies with a hand held potato masher.  It leaves smaller chunks, and gives you something to bite into when enjoying.
• If you wanted to add meat, I suggest cooked chicken or even diced ham.  Would make a great one-dish meal!

I found this info at the WebMD site...
Go Meatless More Often



Eating vegetarian meals more often is a slimming habit, according to WebMD's "recipe doctor," Elaine Magee, MPH, RD. Vegetarians weigh up to 20% less than meat eaters. While there are several reasons for this, legumes play an important role. Bean burgers, lentil soup, and other tasty legume-based foods are simply packed with fiber. Most Americans get only half of this important nutrient, which fills you up with fewer calories.