Brown Gravy Meatloaf Recipe - Savory Meatloaf With Brown Gravy

Meatloaf smothered in a rich, brown gravy is an all-time diner favorite. It's usually served with a side of mashed potatoes and cooked vegetables. It's popularity stems from the fact that this is pure "comfort food" that makes you feel satisfied.

This brown gravy meatloaf recipe can be made at home pretty easily. First, you'll notice that the meatloaf includes chili sauce. This adds a bit of surprise spicy flavor that's appreciated, but not overpowering. While the meatloaf is cooling, you can make the brown gravy, which takes about 7 minutes.

Here's the recipe:

1 1/2 pounds ground beef, 3/4 cup fresh bred crumbs, 1/2 cup chili sauce, 1 egg, lightly beaten, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare an 8x4-inch loaf pan with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients and mix thoroughly with a large spoon or using your hands. Place the meatloaf mixture into the prepared pan and gently press down. Bake for 1 hour, or until the loaf is firm and lightly browned.

Cool loaf for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

=> Meatloaf Brown Gravy

1 cup mushrooms, sliced, 2 tablespoons minced onions, 1 tablespoon butter, 1 cup beef broth, 2 tablespoons water and 1 tablespoon cornstarch.

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add in the mushrooms and the onions. Stir and cook until both are nice and tender. Add in the beef broth. Simmer gravy for 5 minutes; stir occasionally.

In a small bowl or cup, combine the cornstarch and the water. Stir this mixture into the gravy. Continue cooking and stirring for 1 minute, or until the gravy is thick.

Make the most delicious meatloaf you've ever tasted.

[http://www.best-meatloaf-recipes.com]

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Cooking Easy Low Carb Creations

It's kind of hard to beat cooking a big juicy steak on the grill and having a nice fresh salad to go along with it. But there are times when low carb dieters want something a little gooier. It's not hard to do with a little creativity.

This article is not designed to give you specific recipes, but to inspire you to become more creative in your low carb cooking. Having a good idea of foods that go well together can give you a whole new perspective when preparing your meals.

The first step is to think of obvious foods that go well together; meat and cheese, meat and onions, meat and cabbage, meat and peppers, etc. I use ground beef a lot because it's very versatile and goes well with a lot of things.

Gooey and Filling

When I want something gooey, I will take ground beef and brown it with chopped onions, salt and pepper. After it is browned I add shredded cheese and mix it well. It's very filling, very satisfying and very fast.

For Mexican Food Lovers

If you are a lover of Mexican food and miss it due to low carbing, brown the ground beef without putting the cheese in it. Then put the meat over some crisp chopped lettuce and top with shredded cheese and a little picante sauce. This makes a great low carb taco salad.

Another great tasting Mexican food dish is a low carb chilli relleno casserole. Brown some ground beef with onions, salt and pepper. Whisk 3 or 4 eggs well and add 12 to 16 ounces of half and half or heavy cream. Layer a square baking pan with whole green chilies (a couple 10 ounce cans with seeds cleaned out). Put the beef over the layered chillies then add the egg mixture until it's just about at the top of the meat. Sprinkle a generous amount of shredded longhorn cheese over the top and cook in a slow oven 30 to 40 minutes. Watch to make sure the cheese doesn't get too brown. Let it sit for awhile after cooking to thicken (if you can resist it long enough).

For Pasta Lovers

Do you miss having pasta on your low carb diet? Cook a nice casserole using thin slices of zucchini. Brown some ground beef and make 2 or 3 layers of beef alternated with the zucchini. Add some mozzarella cheese to each layer and some crushed tomatoes. Top this off with more cheese and cook on low heat for 60-90 minutes. This is absolutely delicious. You can even add pepperoni to each layer to help kill the craving for pizza.

Another variation of this crosses over the lines of Italian and Mexican foods. For this recipe I recommend Mexican tomato sauce. It's lower in carbs and adds a little heat and zest to the dish. Any low carb tomato sauce, or even crushed tomatoes will work.

Parboil some cabbage leaves then cut into bite sized pieces. Brown some ground beef with onion, salt and pepper. Then, mix the cabbage in with the beef and add the tomato sauce. Cook in a slow oven 30 to 45 minutes.

These pasta lover dishes are good to eat and good for cleaning out your system.

Summary

The idea is to come up with ideas to put more variety into your low carb cooking. I don't use recipes, I shoot from the hip. If I want to make a meat loaf, I throw some ground beef into a bowl, throw in an egg or two, maybe some crushed pork rinds and some chopped veggies, a little Worcestershire sauce, dry mustard, salt and pepper and go. I go through the refrigerator and the cupboard to see what I have. If it's low carb and I think it will work in my recipe, I put it in.

If I'm craving a certain food, I try to think of a way to make it low carbohydrate so I can have it. Use your creativity and you'll not only be looking forward to eating, you'll be looking forward to cooking.

Michael Russell

Your Independent guide to Cooking

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Cooking Food

People all over the world eat cooked food, but people in different countries cook their food differently. Most people in this country like to eat meat, fish and vegetables cooked, but there are some people who like to eat raw fish. With the expectation of some vegetables and fruits, most of the food eaten is cooked to a greater or lesser degree. The reasons for cooking food are:-

1. To soften the food so that it can be more easily digested.
2. To improve the flavor of food. The flavor of the meat and fish is greatly improved by cooking.
3. To improve the appearance of food, as uncooked meat or fish is objectionable to some people.
4. To kill germs so that the food is safe to eat.
5. To vary the flavor of the food. Different methods of cooking and the addition of different ingredients and flavoring give a wide variety of flavors to food.

There are many methods of cooking food as below:-

Boiling
Food is cooked in boiling liquid tell tender. Vegetables should be put into boiling water and boiled quickly, while meat should be put into cold water and brought up to the boil when making soup, or put into boiling water for stews. When boiling meat, the temperature is lowered to simmering point as soon as the water boils, otherwise the protein in meat will harden and will be difficult to digest. Fish is put into boiling water and simmered till cooked. If it is allowed to boil all the time the fish will break up. Boiling food to cook it partly is called parboiling. Slow boiling so that the liquid bubbles slowly all the times and only a little steam is given off is called simmering.

Stewing
This is long, slow cooking in a little liquid. This is a good method of cooking, as cheaper and tougher pieces of meat can be cooked with other ingredients to make them and better flavored. Stewing should be done in a pan with a lid, as foods become tender more easily in a closed pan where the steam cannot escape too easily. It is also an easy method of cooking as very little attention is required when the food is slowly stewing.

Steaming
Food is cooked in steam from boiling water. Only tender bits of food should be steamed. It is a slow method of cooking but it makes food easy to digest. Delicately flavored foods are best steamed as no flavor is lost during cooking, so the food retains all its own flavor. Steaming can be done by the following methods:-

1. In a steamer which sits over a saucepan of boiling water. Steam rises from the boiling water and passes through the steamer to cook the food.
2. In a frying pan of boiling water. The food is put in a steaming tray which rests on a stand in the frying pan. A well fitting lid covers the tray and steam from boiling water cooks the food. This method is faster than the first method.

3. In saucepan with a tight fitting lid.
a) Food is placed in a bowl or basin which stands in a saucepan of boiling water that comes up to half way up the side of the bowl, or placed on rice which is about to cook.
b) Food is placed on a plate and is covered with the saucepan lid. The plate is placed on top of the saucepan which is half filled with boiling water.

Frying
This is a very quick method of cooking and is the most popular method of cooking in this country. There are three methods of frying:-

1. Dry frying where no oil is used at all as in frying peanuts or coconuts. The food is put into a clean, dry frying pan and is stirred over a slow fire until the food is evenly browned and cooked.
2. Shallow fat frying where a little oil is used to prevent the food from sticking to the frying pan, as in frying eggs, pancakes or vegetables. When vegetables are fried, they are tossed in a little fat which is absorbed by the vegetables. This method of cooking vegetables is also called sauteing.
3. Deep fat frying where food is cooked in at least 2" of hot oil. There must be enough oil to completely cover the food when the food is first put in. This method of frying is used for curry puffs, fry chicken and many other dishes.

Grilling
This is cooking food directly over hot charcoal or under the electric or gas grill, as in cooking barbecue chicken or making toast. This is a very quick method of cooking and only very tender pieces of good should be cooked by this method.

Baking
This is to cook food in the heat of an oven as in baking cakes, pastries, biscuits and bread. The hot oven heats up the air inside it and food is cooked by the hot air. Care must be taken to cook the food thoroughly without burning it.

Roasting
This actually means cooking over the open fire, but with the introduction of the oven, it has now become very much like baking, except that fat is added to prevent the food from drying and burning and also to improve the flavor.

Daphnie is a food lover who has been involved in food industry for 10 years. She learned the easy and simple way cooking style from her mother and grandmother. She prefer to have the home make cooking style instead of outside food. She knew how much housewives will appreciate the recipes. Special thought has been given to the speed and ease of preparation to streamline cooking chores whenever possible to the minimum. Not only are these dishes attractive, they really are simple and speedy to make. Test and try out any of these dishes and you will agree that as well as being entirely successful, they all live up to our claim that they are not only delicious but quick and easy to prepare. You can visit my website at http://www.a1cookrecipes.com

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Dog Food Is Oven-Baked Or Extruded

Baked Dog Food?

Have you ever heard of oven-baked dog food, or even thought of how dog food is made? Pet food is oven-baked, pressed or run through an extruder. It is a lot less expensive to extrude or press dog food than to oven-bake or "kibble" it. All dog food that is mass-marketed is extruded.

Oven-Baked Dog Food - The process starts with the meat protein (chicken, lamb, trout, etc.) ground into a very small meal. This small meal is necessary for the mixing of the kibble. Think of trying to mix up a meat loaf without thawing the beef first. It would be impossible; the same is true for mixing a baked kibble. When all ingredients are blended the kibble is baked in "shortbread cookie" (small 2-inch biscuit) form and then broken into smaller, irregular kibble ranging in size from tiny morsels to about ½ inch. Baking temperatures are from 350° to 475°.

Extruded dog food is cooked by steaming it as quickly as possible, usually less than 2 minutes, then extruding it with high pressure through a machine with shaped die holes. The food will be uniform in shape. Oils are sprayed on to increase palatability so pets find it more appealing. You can sometimes feel the sticky oils when you handle the food. If low quality oils are used they can become rancid. Extruded pet food cannot contain more than 50% meat or it will clog the machine.

Oven baked dog food changes hard-to-digest molecules of "raw" starches into easy to digest dextrins. This process acts as a pre-digest of the kibble food, resulting in less strain on the dog's digestive system and produces a greater degree of food absorption. It's not necessary to spay anything on the food for flavor. The oven baking retains the flavor.

Digestibility and Palatability

It has been shown that baked dog food scores in the high 90's for digestibility and palatability. Most extruded food is in the low 80's on a scale of 100. This means dogs will typically eat less of a food with higher rating and like the taste.

It is true that oven-baked kibble with natural preservatives has a shorter shelf life.
The shelf life may be shorter but does dog food really need a shelf life longer than the dog eating it?

You can see, smell and feel the difference in oven-baked and extruded dog food.

Some dogs do better with oven-baked food while extruded is good enough for other dogs.

Robin Plan, a healthy pet nut.
http://www.healthypetnut.com

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Hungarian Cabbage Rolls - Toltott Kaposzta

Stuffed Cabbage Rolls are a Classic Hungarian dish that almost everyone world-wide recognizes. No wedding celebration would be complete without large pots of these tightly rolled bundles of meat and rice held by soft wrappers of cabbage. The rolls lay in a bed of silky sauerkraut with hints of smoky bacon. The cabbage and sauerkraut combine to a most delicious and mellow dish. Once you sample this dish, you are hooked!

Growing up in a Hungarian household, we all loved Cabbage Rolls in tomato sauce, prepared just like Stuffed Hungarian Peppers. We were able to smother the bread with sour cream and mop up the juices and cabbage pieces. My dad preferred a more smokey bacon flavour. In order to please everyone, mom prepared it both ways. We would always complain that she hadn't made our first choice and only dad was being preferred. So, on one occasion, she came up with a brilliant compromise; she combined both sets of ingredients - partially tomato juice and partially smoked bacon and sauerkraut. We loved it and she continued to prepare it this way since that time. (Aside - the Hungarian Club in our city of Brantford, Ontario purchased mom's cookbook, because they insisted they mom's recipe was out of this world. They book hundreds of events yearly - that should tell you how good this recipe is.)

INGREDIENTS

1 lb each of ground pork, beef & veal (don't compromise on this!)

1 cup long grain rice *(Uncle Ben's Converted Rice)

1 medium to large head green cabbage

1 large onion

2 tsp salt

1 tsp black pepper

2-3 cloves garlic

2 tsp sweet paprika

1/4 tsp hot paprika

1 - 28 oz jar Sauerkraut

1 - 28 oz can tomato juice

2 cups water (more if required)

Roux- Rantas

2 tbsp flour

1 tsp sweet paprika

2 tbsp bacon fat

Smokey Version

lb piece smoked pork rib, bacon, pork hock or ham bone

Garnish

1 pt sour cream

1 Loaf Hungarian White Crusty Bread

DIRECTIONS: 

Stuffing/Filling:  Grate and saute onion slightly in a small amount of bacon fat. Add paprika, stir and allow flavours to bloom. Set aside to cool. In a large bowl, combine; onions, meat and rice and seasonings. Taste and adjust seasoning. *(Uncle Ben's Converted Rice stays whole and just al dente -lovely. Soak in 1 cup luke warm water and rinse, no need to cook.)

Cabbage Leaves:  Core center of cabbage in a cone shape down and into the cabbage so the leaves will pull away easily. Place in a large 6 qt boiling pot of water. Place cabbage (core first) into the water. After a few minutes of steaming, pierce the center of the cabbage head with a long roasting fork and hold immersed in boiling water.  As cabbage blanches, the outer leaves will start to peel away.  Encourage peeling away each leaf using a large wooden spoon, pushing each leaf down into the boiling water. Keep peeling leaves until all are pulled away from the core.  If you are new at this, remove the loosened leaves from the pot and shock in cold water bath. You don't want them going limp and shredding on you while you stuff and roll them.

When steaming is complete, remove all leaves carefully into colander and drain with cold water to stop the cooking process. Then, place all leaves on  a cutting board.  Sort leaves by placing all equal sized leaves together.  Trim off thick, middle vein with a sharp paring knife being careful not to tear the cabbage leaf.  Larger leaves can be cut into 2, right down the center cutting away the thick vein to create 2 smaller leaves.  The smallest leaves are not used in rolling, but cut into julienne strips to line the pot.

Rolling Technique:  Place the cabbage leaf on a cutting board or in your left hand. Take 1 leaf at a time (ruffled edge away from you) and place an ice-cream scoop or 2 tbsp seasoned meat/rice mixture on the center. Roll lengthwise starting at cored flat end way and then fold left leafy side over middle (like a Burrito). Continue rolling and then when completely rolled, tuck right leafy loose end inside with index finger.  (Not too much pressure, or you will tear the cabbage and then the stuffing will leak and protrude out during cooking.)

Pot Assembly:  If using the Smokey Version, place Pork Hock or rib on bottom of pot now.  Then, start by placing reserved cabbage strips at the bottom of large pot along with 1/3 of the sauerkraut and the pieces of thick bacon including rind. Start placing Cabbage Rolls snugly in concentric circles layering the sauerkraut in between each layer.  The smokey flavours will filter all the way up through the pot.  Continue in this fashion until all leaves are rolled and placed into the pot.  Cover with more cabbage pieces and sauerkraut if desired. Pour over the tomato juice and enough water to cover. Simmer about 1 hour on medium heat.   Test 1 roll - go ahead - you know you want to! If meat is cooked and rice is al dente, then remove from heat.  If not, cook for another 15-30 minutes at the most.

Roux- Rantas:  Heat bacon fat and add flour and paprika. Saute slightly then, add water and stir until you get a smooth consistency.    You may have to pour off some of the cooking liquid into a small saucepan and cream the thickener from there. Add roux back into cabbage pot. Do not stir rolls; just shake the pot so that the sauce penetrates in between the rolls.  Remove from heat. Let rest for 15 minutes, then transfer to a large serving dish.

Serving Suggestions: Serve with fresh Hungarian bread and generous servings of sour cream (and some good wine if that is your custom)  If I may be so bold, I would go with a full Hungarian wine like Egri Bikavér ("Bull's Blood of Eger") which is Hungary's most famous red wine, but any of the following would go very well; Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Beaujolais Red and of course Shiraz.

Yield: 24-28 Medium Cabbage Rolls.

Note: Delicious the next day as flavours meld. Freezes well for 3-6 months. Mom says that red cabbage is never used for cabbage rolls, otherwise - both are fair game in most other stir-fry type dishes.

Soured Cabbage Version:  Try soured cabbage (sold fresh out of the barrel at delis or sealed in a plastic bag at the grocer). Leaves are more pliable, but you should rinse thoroughly before using and taste-test as it may be quite tangy for some palates. Also, omit the 28 oz sauerkraut from the recipe - you can cut up left over cabbage leaves to line the pot.  This is a bit more pricey, but faster and very delicious!

For a complete step by step photographed picture version with instructions - visit our YouTube site here. It's not only informative -it's down right entertaining!

http://www.youtube.com/user/HOTHUNGARIANCHEF

Clara M. Czegeny is self-proclaimed Hot Hungarian Chef and Author of Helen's Hungarian Heritage Recipes Cookbook. For free Classic Hungarian Heritage Recipes and more, visit http://www.helenshungarianrecipes.com/

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Great Cheap Dinner Ideas For Students

When students are in college, they are often on a tight budget. They don't have a lot of money since all their money goes to tuition, books, and their average monthly bills. Since college students don't have a lot of money they often rely on fast food to satisfy their meals and hunger. We all know that fast food can be very dangerous if it is consumed on a regular basis. So why do college students eat fast food so often? Easy, the answer is that it is very cheap. If fast food restaurants offer a complete meal for about $3.00 due to their dollar menu, who wouldn't go there? What college students don't realize is that you can make dinners at home for a very cheap price. Need some ideas? Look below for a some ideas on cheap dinners.

Soup - Soup is a great dinner for a college student. Soups are often low in calories and are enriched with many vitamins and minerals. You can get soup from the grocery store for a very low price, while being able to choose from a ton of different flavors. Have a bowl of soup and another little side and you'll be all set! You can never go wrong with soup there is a flavor for everyone!

Sandwiches - Remember when you were a little kid and you always had your mom make you grilled cheese or peanut butter and jelly? Bring those days back! We all love those sandwiches just never think to make them. They are very cheap, all you need is a jar of peanut butter and jelly, some bread and you can be set for a few weeks! You're never too old to eat peanut butter and jelly, peanut butter banana sandwiches, or grilled cheese.

Deli sandwiches - Deli sandwiches make great meals! Get some lunch meat and a loaf of bread and you have a dinner. Get all your favorites, and if you want to make it healthier add some of your favorite vegetables. You can never go wrong with a deli sandwich, they are cheap and easy to make!

Cereal - You're probably wondering why cereal is under the dinner category right? Well who said you can have cereal for dinner? If you're hungry but don't have a big appetite cereal is the way to go! It is very cheap, lasts a while and is a great small dinner of snack! Also there are many different kinds so you can never get sick of it.

Mexican food - Mexican food is great for dinners. You can make nachos, quesadillas, burritos, anything really. These are all cheap, fast, and easy to make. We all order them when we go out to dinner so why not make them at home and save a ton of money?

There are many ideas for college student dinners. Next time you go grocery shopping look around and don't just go down the isles you usually do. You want to explore and get more ideas for cheap dinners. There are many ideas out there, these are just a few. There are many cheap college student dinners you just have to go looking for ideas!

Tom Tessin is an author for FINDcollegecards.com that is geared toward students looking for a student credit card

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Staying Young a Little at a Time

New Year's Eve, our birthday and illness all prompt us to take stock of our lives and we make promises that mostly go by the wayside within a few weeks.

We are bombarded with information on changes we should make in order to live a long healthy life. Humans are such creatures of habit that we easily fall back on what's familiar. It is difficult to make changes and stick to them.

We all know that exercise is necessary for people of all ages. We don't generally worry about children because they enjoy physical activity. They don't walk; they run. As we get older, we drive to places where we could easily walk.

Experts recommend one hour of aerobic exercise, four times a week and weight training two days of the week. Presumably, we need the one day to rest. If you're not used to much activity, this recipe sounds daunting.

Don't eat "junk" is another valid suggestion made by nutritionists. Grandma's meat loaf is not junk nor are the waffles and syrup we heartily consume daily. How can I give those up?

Saving for retirement is certainly something we can all agree upon. What if you have only a few years before retirement or you're already there. Perhaps all your money has gone to putting food on the table and sending your kids to college. There simply wasn't any extra for that coveted "nest egg".

Caring about people is supposed to keep you happy and healthy. Of course, having good friends and family nearby makes life much more enjoyable. Many families are spread across the country and the occasional phone call is all we expect from our busy children. Most friends are made at work or through hobbies and the older we get, the less our chances of making new friends are through these channels.

These are realities that we must face if we intend to enjoy a healthy lifestyle well into our 80's and 90's. How then can we make the changes that seem like huge sacrifices?

Begin little at a time!

If you take a brisk walk once a week for ten minutes or hoist 5 lb. weights over your head now and then, you're exercising. Each time you do it, try to increase the time and the frequency. Take up hobbies that can enhance you exercise routine such as dancing, golf, or tennis. You will be surprised how easy and fun exercise can be.

Removing "junk" from your diet also takes time. If you love meat loaf, make it with the leanest meat you can find and only add the freshest ingredients. Stay away from "packaged" foods which often have hidden fats, preservatives and large quantities of salt. Whole grain bread and cereal is rich with nutrients but don't be fooled by many commercial brands that add sugars (dextrose, sucrose, fructose, corn syrup etc.). If you go out to eat, choose a restaurant that offers a selection of healthful meals. Most of all, don't expect to change everything over night.

Fixing financial problems often requires help from experts. Browse the Internet for free advice and take stock of your situation. Be realistic, cut unnecessary spending and save what you can. By opening a savings account and having regular deposits, even very small ones, made automatically from your checking account, you can save painlessly. Every little bit helps.

Finally, keeping socially active should be "a work in progress". Talk to your neighbors, take up a new hobby or volunteer at a nearby hospital. Be willing to make new friends at every opportunity. The friends you make should be in all age brackets. You will be surprised how rich your life will become as you begin to interact with youngsters as well as people older than you.

Rita Morgan is the Founder & CEO of Not Just the Kitchen, a popular website geared to Baby-Boomer women. Here you will find hundreds of articles that discuss health, beauty, family, relationships, money and more. Visitor's comments in all categories are encouraged. For the vision impaired, we offer an audio versions of the compelling articles.

To experience everything that the site offers, please visit:
http://www.notjustthekitchen.com

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Biggest Loser Recipes - 3 Top Recipes For Big Losers

Successful weight loss is achieved through a combination of good habits and lifestyle changes. Exercise and a healthy, balanced and nutritional diet will help you to achieve your weight loss goals and feel great along the way. Eating well and healthily needn't be the painful and miserable activity that many people think it is, in fact there are many options open to you and you may be surprised at just what you can eat.

The reality TV show "The Biggest Loser" has done a great job at showing just how effective a sensible and balanced diet plan can be, and the recipes below which featured on the show and used by the contestants, will show you how creative you can be, and will help you to create your own biggest loser recipes at home. The recipes are a starter, a main course and a srumptious dessert (with plenty of fruit).

Give these recipes a try and see if you too can become a big loser!;)

Biggest Loser Recipe No. 1

Blue Team's Appetizer - Fried Scallops with Melted Onions

Serves 4

8 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 pound sweet onions, peeled and sliced thin

Salt and freshly ground pepper

2 egg whites

1 cup fine cornmeal

1 ½ pounds large sea scallops (U-10 count, preferably)

¼ cup cooking oil

1 cup canned diced tomato

Juice of half a lemon

4 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

1. Heat a medium saucepan over low heat. Add 3 tablespoons of butter and onions to pan and season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook for about 15 minutes - until onions have softened, stirring occasionally. Uncover and allow water to evaporate. Onions should have the texture of marmalade.

2. Meanwhile, in a shallow bowl, whisk the egg whites. Spread the cornmeal over a plate. Toss scallops in egg whites until fully coated. Remove one scallop at a time, allowing the excess egg white to drip off, and roll in the cornmeal. Shake off excess and season.

3. Heat a large sauté pan over high heat. Add oil and let it get hot. Carefully place scallops in pan one at a time and fry until first side is deep brown and crisped, about 2 minutes. Turn and cook on second side until interior is completely opaque and outside is brown, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain and cover lightly with aluminum foil to keep warm.

4. Drain oil from the sauté pan and dab clean with a paper towel. Set the pan over medium heat and add remaining butter. When the butter has browned, add the tomato and sauté 1 minute. Stir in lemon juice and chives. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

5. Serve the fried scallops over the melted onions with tomato-lemon sauce spooned over all.

Biggest Loser Recipe No. 2

Roger Clemens - Pepper Steak

Serves 4

3 ½ cups Free-Range Chicken Broth, low sodium

Fresh ground pepper and NuSalt

1 cup short-grain brown rice

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

12 Anaheim peppers

Pam spray

4 5-ounce portions lean beef tenderloin

1 vidalia onion, slice thinly

5 cloves chopped garlic

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

3 tablespoons cornstarch

½ cup Trader Joes Fat Free Salt-Free Marinara

½ cup Evaporated Fat Free Milk

½ cup chopped fines herbs (parsley, chives, tarragon and chervil)

Pinch of cayenne

1. Bring 2 cups chicken broth to boil in medium saucepot. Season with NuSalt and add rice. Cover, turn down heat to very low simmer and cook for 1 hour or until rice is tender and liquid absorbed. Fluff rice with fork and toss with olive oil. Keep warm.

2. Char Anaheim peppers over an open flame, turning to cook evenly, until skins are mostly burnt. Place peppers in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap for 7 mins to steam off skin. Remove as much charred skin as possible with paper towel. Seed peppers and cut into rings about ½ inch thick.

3. Heat large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Season and spray pan with Pam. Saute until golden brown, about 4 mins per side. Remove steaks from pan and keep warm.

4. Spray pan with Pam again and add onions. Saute until onions are starting to become tender, about 5 mins. Add garlic and sauté for another minute. Deglaze with balsamic vinegar. Add 1 cup chicken stock to pan and bring to a simmer. Mix remaining ½ cup chicken stock with cornstarch to make a slurry and whisk into pan. Stir in marinara and evaporated milk and bring to a simmer. Add peppers, cayenne and simmer until vegetables are tender. Return beef to pan to reheat, for about 2 mins. Stir in fines herbs. Serve with rice.

Biggest Loser Recipe No. 3

Strawberry Mousse Cups

3/4 cup boiling water

1 pkg. JELL-O brand strawberry flavor sugar free low calorie gelatin

2 cups thawed cool whip-free whipped topping, divided

1 cup ice cubes

2 cups sliced strawberries

1. First, divide strawberries among 6 dessert dishes.

2. Stir boiling water into gelatin in large bowl at least 2 minutes until completely dissolved.

3. Add ice cubes and stir until completely melted.

4. Gently stir in 1-1/2 cups of the whipped topping until well blended.

5. Spoon over strawberries. Refrigerate 2 hours or until firm.

6. Garnish with remaining 1/2 cup whipped topping.

I hope you try these delicious biggest loser recipes for yourself, and have fun by eating a healthier and more balanced diet - the biggest loser diet.

The Biggest Loser has helped tons of people think about their food and make better and more informed choices for a healthier lifestyle.

Designing meal plans is never easy, and a major stumbling block for most folks. Here are my top 10 fat burning foods which you should look to make a regular part of your diet ==> top 10 fat burning foods

If you really don't have any time to sit and plan your meals (let's face it, who does?), then why not try this program which provides you with 84 days worth of meal plans at various calorie levels, as well as detailed exercise routines and complete info on losing fat and getting into shape ==> Your Six Pack Quest

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Eat More Vegetables - 12 Easy Sneaky Ways to Get More Vegetables on Your Plate

Do you get 5-12 servings of fruits and vegetables every day?

I bet you would love to get your family eating more fruits and vegetables (and yourself too!) The latest recommendation is 5 - 12 servings and I am pretty sure MOST people don't eat nearly that!

I have some really sneaky ways to hide fruit and vegetable servings!

I don't find it difficult to personally get my recommended fruits and vegetables. My house is loaded with fresh produce of all descriptions. I have fresh watermelon, honey dew melon, cantaloupe, pears, apples (red delicious and granny smith), naval oranges, tangerines, blueberries, green and red grapes, bananas, a mango, black plums, nectarines, lemons, limes, avocado... and I am probably missing something. I also have several bags of frozen fruits in the freezer (mostly berries). That's just the fruit!

I won't begin to list all the fresh vegetables I have on hand... I know I would miss a lot. Health is not, however, about what I eat today (or what my family eats today). Health is about what we eat consistently over time. Each day of getting an abundance of fresh whole fruits and vegetables adds up to the grand total that will make a difference over the entire course of your life. It will affect how you feel, how you look, how you move, how you respond to viruses, how you fight off things like cancer. It is important that you pay attention to this now. It is not too late to start eating more fruits and vegetables.

As a mom, I found a number of creative ways over the years to get extra servings of vegetables into meals and snacks. You know the obvious ways, i.e. salads, veggie side dishes, and fresh fruit snacks or desserts, but these can get boring or tedious.

Here are 12 ways to make sure you get more fruits and vegetables.

Use grated vegetables in pasta sauces - When I used a canned pasta sauce I always saute onions, garlic, fresh mushrooms, green and red peppers and add the sauce with or with out browned ground beef, but I ALSO grate several large carrots to put in. Carrots give the sauce a real fresh flavored lift and the tomato sauce disguises the carrot flavor. To this day my family does not know I put carrots in their pasta sauce.

Grated vegetables are also good in meat loaf or hamburger patties.

When having spaghetti, grate a zucchini or 2 lengthwise and add it to the long noodles. If you peeled it they may not even know!

Mix grated vegetables (carrots, onions, into salad dressings or sour cream and use as a veggie or corn chip dip.

Smoothies - Using fresh or frozen berries as a base throw in some flax seed oil, a banana, and some melon (water melon, honey dew or cantaloupe) Then for more liquid JUICE 2 large carrots per person, and 1 pear per person, to dump in the blender instead of water!

Add some "super fruit" powder or "green" powder to your smoothies for added wallop. Today it's easy to find organic freeze dried acai powder, goji powder, raspberry powder or any number of high antioxidant pure fruit powders. You can even find a mix of greens and fruits... these powders dramatically increase the power of your smoothie.

Semi-frozen strawberry yogurt- take a cup of frozen strawberries, 1 cup of strawberry yogurt, 2 scoops of protein powder, and 2 tablespoons on flax seed oil. Blend. Add just enough apple or orange juice (or water) so the berries blend) Pour into bowls. This is MUCH more delicious than ice cream and makes a wonderful breakfast for children who don't like to eat in the morning

Make more casseroles- meatless casseroles with cheese and spices are a yummy way to load up on veggies, and their easy too! Chop. Stir. Bake. Serve.

Make it accessible... Veggies always fresh chopped and in serving sizes... with meals I put the large salad out and I get out their favorite salad dressings ad open the top and set it right next to the silverware, I always have fresh home made salsa available and they will often scoop that up as a condiment or side dish.

Make fresh cobblers for dessert instead of pies. Lots of fruit in a very lightly greased baking dish topped with a crumble of equal parts raw oatmeal, almond meal, shaved coconut and a tablespoon of brown sugar. Add a bit of coconut oil to make a crumbly mixture and bake at 350 until fruit is soft and bubbly. If using apples or peaches sprinkle a bit of cinnamon. Berries may require a bit of your choice of sweetener. It is very fast to do something like this up and pop it in the oven after you take the casserole out. It is ready when your meal is done!

Wrap large lettuce leaves around sandwich filling instead of bread.

And don't forget celery or carrot sticks spread with peanut butter. YUM!

The other night my teen age daughter actually ASKED for a vegetarian dinner. I had taken some pita breads, brushed them with olive oil and sprinkled them with garlic powder and sea salt and then baked them until lightly browned at 450 degrees. Then I served some home made salsa, a guacamole made with fresh avocado, juice of one lime, garlic clove crushed, and cilantro, and served both dips with the "chips" and some carrots, celery, cucumbers, broccoli, and cherry tomatoes. The ONLY reason she asked for this is because she LOVES the "homemade nacho chips".

My rule of thumb is.. if I am having something they aren't crazy about, I serve it with something they love!

Happy healthy eating to you, and get your 5-12 a day! Twelveliness is next to healthiness!

Shelley Penney is a retired registered nurse with a continued, insatiable thirst for health and wellness information. Although Shelley hails from traditional medical training, she is always searching for ways in which the natural world of healing herbs, foods and supplements can intersect with traditional medicine and benefit us all.

Visit Shelley on the web www.ShelleyPenney.com

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Delicious Crockpot Recipes For The Family

For the working family these recipes work a wonder. Come home, relax, and enjoy a meal you only slaved 10 to 20 min prep in the morning.

Recipe #1:

To Die For Pot Roast

3 1/2 to 4 LB Rump Roast

1 Bag Of Baby Cut Carrots

3 Large Onions

5 Potatoes

1 Can Of Cream Of Mushroom Soup

1 Packet Of French Onion Soup Mix

1/4 Cup Water

Place rump roast in the crockpot. Place the baby carrots around it. Chop up onions into quarters. Slice up potatoes into small chunks, and place around the beef. Add mushroom soup and the onion soup mix. Mix about a 1/4 cup of water into the crockpot. Depending upon how thick you like your gravy mix you can add more water. Place crockpot on low for 8 hours. Stirring occasionally. Beef just pulls right apart. Serve with a nice side salad or some garlic bread. You will be coming back for seconds, thirds and fourths.

Recipe #2:

Moist Meatloaf In the Crockpot

2 Eggs

3/4 Cup Milk

2/3 Cup Seasoned Bread Crumbs

2 TSP Dried Minced Onion or Garlic

1 TSP Salt

1/2 Teaspoon Marjoram

1-1/2 Ground Turkey

1/4 Cup Ketchup

2 TBSP Brown Sugar

1/2 TSP Worcestershire

In a large bowl, combine the first 6 ingredients. Crumble the beef over the mixture and mix well. Shape into a round loaf; place in the crockpot. Cover and cook on low for about 6 hours. In a small mixing bowl, combine the ketchup, brown sugar, and worcestershire sauce. Gently pour it over the meat loaf. Cook for about 15 minutes or until heated through. Let stand for about 15 - 20 minutes before cutting. Serve with some garlic mashed potatoes and your favorite vegetable, and your family will think it was the best meatloaf ever.

Recipe #3:

Cheesy Chili Dogs

1 full pack of hotdogs

2 cans of chilli

1 can condensed cheddar cheese soup

1 can chopped green chillies

2 - 3 Dashes of hot sauce ( if you like it spicier judge accordingly)

10 hot dog buns

1 large onion chopped

Toppings:

Shredded cheddar cheese

Sour Cream

Salsa

Place the hot dogs in a slow cooker. In a bowl combine the chilli, soup and green chillies; pour completely over the hot dogs. Cover and cook on low for about 4 - 5 hours. Serve the hot dogs in the buns, you then top it with the chilli mixture, and onion. Then add the toppings you want. Great for kids. It can be cut up and served with Macaroni and Cheese.

I am a stay at home professional woman. I love to cook and entertain and these are just 3 recipes I came up with over the years and wanted to share them. I have gotten great compliments on these dishes and I hope your family likes them.

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The Atkins Diet Plan - Induction Phase, Foods to Avoid

The first phase of the Atkins Diet Plan, the Induction Phase, is undoubtedly the hardest for most people to follow. The objective is transforming the body's energy source from burning carbs to burning fat. Simply put, you are allowed 20 grams per day of net carbs. This term stands for the total carbohydrate intake minus the carbs contained in fiber, sugar alcohol, and glycerine. Because those carbs aren't digested they don't count. In other words if your vegetable serving contains 5 grams of carbs but 2 of those grams come from fiber, then only 3 grams actually count.

To meet the Atkins Diet Plan Induction Phase objectives, you will have to remove many foods from your diet. Don't despair, this phase usually lasts only two weeks. If you really want to play by the rules, obtain the acceptable food list. If a given food isn't on the list, it shouldn't be on your plate. Let's examine some of these forbidden foods starting with the vegetables.

If a vegetable is starchy, you'll have to leave it out. The most obvious no-no is potatoes in any form. Popular vegetables to avoid are beets, corn, peas, and perhaps carrots. Other forbidden vegetables include parsnips, plantains, and winter squash. While the induction phase only lasts two weeks, you will have to wait much more than that to return to your potatoes and peas. Starchy vegetables are the last food group reintroduced during the second phase of the Atkins Diet, the Ongoing Weight Loss (OWL) Phase during which you increase your carbohydrate intake by a net 5 grams per week.

What else is forbidden during the induction phase? Grains immediately come to mind. So you can't gnaw on bread sticks. But you also can't eat cake, pies, or pastries. Sugar in any of its forms is forbidden. This means the white stuff in the sugar bowl but it also means fruit juice (except for small amounts of lemon and lime juice), fruit juice concentrates, syrups, and sweetners. Be safe, avoid all processed foods. Nuts are prohibited as are most dairy products with the exception of some cheeses and cream. On the upside, dairy products and nuts are the first foods to be added when the induction phase is over.

While proteins are allowed and even encouraged during this phase you have to watch how your dishes are prepared. Breaded meats such as meat loaf and veal schnitzel are out. Don't even think about those delicious flour-based sauces, and there are lots of them.

There is another set of forbidden pleasures, one that involves no actual food. Alcohol in any form is strictly out. This means not only grain-based beer but wine as well, even low-carb wine. As a wine lover who has never been on the Atkins diet, I truly would miss the prohibited foods more than the wine itself, for two weeks. After that all bets are off.

Levi Reiss has authored or co-authored ten books on computers and the Internet, but to be honest, he would rather just drink fine Italian, French, or other wine, accompanied by the right foods and spend time with his wife and family. He teaches classes in computers at an Ontario French-language community college. Visit his site devoted to the weight-management, nutritional, and health aspects of wine at http://www.wineinyourdiet.com. Check out his global wine website at http://www.theworldwidewine.com with his new weekly column reviewing $10 wines.

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Banana Nut Muffins

These banana nut muffins are not overly sweet, but are honest and wholesome in that they contain nuts, banana and whole wheat which are obviously good for you.

I often have bananas that have become over-ripe and find myself looking for banana recipes because I just can not throw them away, I'd rather use them and make something delicious to eat. I have recently discovered that I can freeze ripe bananas and use them when I need some which I find incredibly handy.

Banana muffins are always a hit in my home and this muffin recipe is rather delicious. My children enjoy them very much.

Banana Nut Muffin Recipe:
Makes about 12 regular sized muffins

Ingredients:

* 250ml (1c) bran
* 250ml (1c) whole wheat flour
* 5ml (1t) baking powder
* pinch of salt
* 30ml (2T) sugar
* 125ml (1/2c) chopped nuts of your choice
* 2 bananas, mashed
* 250ml (1c) low fat milk
* 1 egg
* 60ml (1/4c) vegetable oil

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degC (350 degF).
2. Put all the ingredients together in a mixing bowl and mix until just combined. Be careful not to over-mix.
3. Spoon the mixture into muffin tray and bake for about 25 minutes or until done.

Cook's Notes:
You can use any nuts you wish. I use mixed nuts and to save time, I don't chop them, but put them into a plastic bag and hammer them gently with a meat mallet until they're crushed to my liking.

I do hope you enjoy making this muffin recipe. It honestly couldn't be quicker or easier to make and will make even the most novice of cooks feel like a champion.

Catherine Zehrt is a freelance writer with an interest in healthy eating for the family. For healthy, quick and easy recipes as well as simple guidelines for healthy eating, visit her website Healthy-Family-Eating.com

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Camping Meals - 4-Day Family Menu Plan

A family camping menu should be:
Easy and quick to prepare.
Requires only a few ingredients and
Those ingredients are easy to store at camp (not prone to spilling, spoiling, space-hogging).

Here is our family's 4-Day Camping menu plan. We have tweaked it over the years and I'm sure you will tweak it some more for your family's style and needs.

4-Day Camping Food Menu Plan

1st Night: Lloyds BBQ Ribs, corn, coleslaw and potato salad

Wrap ribs in heavy-duty foil, heat, open a can of corn and serve with ready-made coleslaw and potato salad. First night is celebration night. You've put up the tent, you've build a campfire, you've unpacked your gear. So kick back and relax. By the way, Costco is my favorite place to get a big tub of potato salad and coleslaw.


DAY 1 ==========

Breakfast: Blueberry Pancakes, sausage and eggs

Lunch: Chili dog and leftover coleslaw/potato salad

Dinner: Grilled marinated steak tips, baked potatoes & camping onions. If no grill: Easy Pork Chops and bread rolls

Dessert: S'mores

DAY 2 ==========

Breakfast: Cereal and fruit, corny cakes

Lunch: Tortellini and tomato sauce

Dinner: Meat loaf sandwich & Italian Wedding Soup (canned)

Dessert: Mini Camping Pies

DAY 3 ==========

Breakfast: French Toast, sausage and eggs

Lunch: Chowder in bread bowl or grill burgers and hot dogs

Dinner: Ham, beans and baked sweet potatoes

Dessert: Peach Mallows

DAY 4 ==========

Breakfast: Pancakes, sausage and eggs

Lunch: Foil-wrapped Surprise (Whatever's left in camp kitchen)

Do we stick religiously to this menu plan? Of course not. But being prepared gives me the freedom to be more creative and flexible.
The recipes are pretty easy to guess. If you need the camping recipes, tips and shortcuts for this 4-day family camping menu, email us at camping_menu@aweber.com and it will be sent out to you automatically.

The menu does require a camping stove. If you don't own a camping stove, watch our video on the 4 criteria to look for in a camping stove [http://www.joyofcamping.com/camping-gear/camping-stoves/camping-stove-criteria/].

Watch VIDEOS of Camping how-to, tips, recipes, gear reviews at http://www.JoyofCamping.TV.

For a free 28-page Campfire Recipe book, email camping_recipes@aweber.com

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I Love French Wine and Food - A Red Cotes du Rhone

If you are looking for fine French wine and food, consider the Rhône Valley region of southeastern France. You may find a bargain, and I hope that you'll have fun on this fact-filled wine education tour in which we review a local red Côtes du Rhône.

Among France's eleven wine-growing regions the Rhône Valley ranks second in acreage. The region extends 125 miles (200 kilometers) along the Rhône River. This region is actually composed of two parts, the north and the south whose wines tend to be quite different. The northern Rhône Valley is quite narrow. The major red grape variety is Syrah, while the major white variety is Viognier. The southern Rhône Valley produces about 95% of the Rhône Valley wines. This is the kingdom of grape blending. For example the famous Châteauneuf-Du-Pape AOC wine may be made from up to thirteen different grape varieties. The better wines are clearly defined as coming from the northern or the southern part of the Rhône valley. We will be reviewing some of these wines in later articles.

The site of Avignon was probably settled by the Celts. It was a flourishing city in the time of the Ancient Romans. But it is best known as the home of seven popes between 1309 and 1377. Who would have thought that when Pope Clement V chose this southern French city for the site of his Papacy, it was ruled by the King of Sicily, albeit through the house of Anjou, in the opposite corner of France? Avignon and the surrounding area remained more or less papal property until the French Revolution. The major tourist site is the Palais des Papes (Papal Palace), which unfortunately is missing many of its original furnishings. But there is a lot more to see including several churches and museums, the beautiful hilltop garden Rocher des Doms (Rock of the Domes), the opera house, the Clocktower Square, and of course the Pont-St.-Bénézet (St.-Bénézet Bridge) made famous by a children's song Sur le pont d'Avignon (On the Avignon bridge). Parts of this bridge are said to date back to the Twelfth Century. And you're only a little more than ten miles (less than twenty kilometers) from the village of Châteauneuf-Du-Pape.

Before reviewing the Côtes du Rhône wine and imported cheeses that we were lucky enough to purchase at a local wine store and a local Italian food store, here are a few suggestions of what to eat with indigenous wines when touring this beautiful region.
Start with Fois Gras de Canard (Duck Liver Pâté).
For your second course savor Caillette (Pork-Liver Meat Loaf).
And as dessert indulge yourself with Sorbet (Sherbert) and fresh fruit.

OUR WINE REVIEW POLICY All wines that we taste and review are purchased at the full retail price.

Wine Reviewed

Réserve Perrin Côtes du Rhône P2004 13% about $12

Let's start by quoting the marketing materials. Roaming Rhône. This wine will transport you to the South of France. Five generations of Perrin winemaking culminate here as you breathe in aromas of candied cherries, plum, spice, and earthy tones. There's volumes of juicy cherry flavors surrounded by good ripe tannins on the medium-bodied palate. Gourmets can savor it with chicken or lamb tajine.

Most of the wines that we have reviewed are made from a single grape variety. This wine, like most of the wines in the southern Rhône Valley, is a blend, in this case 60% Grenache, 20% Syrah, 10% Mourvèdre, and 10% Cinsault.

My first meal consisted of rib steak and fried potatoes. The steak was marinated in a homemade ketchup and horseradish mustard sauce. By accident too much mustard fell into the sauce, but I didn't want to throw it out and start over again. No problem, this wine rose to the challenge easily and wasn't in the least overwhelmed by all that horseradish. I still tasted dark fruits and spices.

My next meal involved slow cooked ribs and potatoes. The wine was very round and full. While it wasn't complex it was quite pleasant. In addition to the above components I tasted a bit of tar. When the food was gone the wine tasted peppery. I liked it.

Once again I went to beef, this time a slow cooked beef stew. The wine was a bit chewy. It was powerful and mouth-filling.

The first cheese was a French Saint-Aubin, a soft cow's milk cheese traditionally packed in a wooden box. This cheese has a creamy brie-like texture and a stronger taste. Unlike many other wines, this Côtes du Rhône retained its fruit when paired with the Saint-Aubin.

I next tried the wine with an Italian Bel Paese, a mild buttery cheese suggested to accompany fruity wines or to be eaten alone as a snack or a dessert. This combination was even better; the wine became rounder. There was a little wine left in the bottle. Instead of slicing off a bit more cheese, I tried it with a slice of mint chocolate cake. Unfortunately the combination was no success, the cake denatured the wine a bit. But, as always, I don't blame a wine for an unorthodox pairing choice that turns out to be a mistake.

Final verdict. This wine is a definite winner, especially when you consider its price. I'll be buying it again, but not before tasting several other wines from both the north and the south of the Rhône Valley.

Levi Reiss has authored or co-authored ten books on computers and the Internet, but to be honest, he would rather just drink fine Italian or other wine, accompanied by the right foods. He teaches classes in computers at an Ontario French-language community college. Presently his wine websites are http://www.theworldwidewine.com and http://www.theitalianwineconnection.com.

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Boston Market Meatloaf Recipe - This Could Be Your Best Meatloaf Yet!

This Boston Market Meatloaf recipe could just the greatest meatloaf to ever come out of your own kitchen. This "copycat" version of Boston Market's incredible meatloaf is juicy, succulent, and comforting. If this doesn't make you the talk of the town, it will definitely make you famous for a day within your own household!

This dish goes really nicely with homemade mashed potatoes & gravy, as well as buttered corn and a dinner roll. I know you're going to love this lip-smackin' recipe. It's comfort food for the whole family!

Boston Market Meatloaf - The Ingredients:

1 cup tomato sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons barbecue sauce
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 1/2 pounds ground sirloin
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Dash of garlic powder

Boston Market Meatloaf - The Process:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Combine tomato sauce, barbecue sauce, and sugar in small saucepan over medium heat.
Heat mixture until it begins to bubble, stirring often... Remove from heat
In a large bowl, add all but 2 tablespoons of sauce mixture to the meat
Mix sauce into meat, then add the remaining ingredients. Mix again.
Pack a loaf pan with the meat mixture, cover with foil, and bake for about 30 minutes.
Remove foil and drain fat.
Cut the meatloaf (while in the pan) into eight separate slices.
Pour remaining sauce over meatloaf.
Return to oven and bake another 30 minutes, uncovered.
Allow to cool slightly before serving.

You can get this Boston Market Meatloaf recipe, along with countless other secret restaurant recipes... 100% FREE! Go to http://SecretRecipeWorld.com now!

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Songwriting Techniques

Developing great songwriting techniques can be a very stimulating process, but also a lot of hard work. Some songwriters will tell you that they labored for days, months, or even years to get their music to sound the way they wanted it to be heard. Others will say that the song just fell from the sky, and directly into their heads. I know through personal experience, that it can happen either way, or a combination of both!

I have taught music to thousands of students during my career as a musician/music teacher, and I have seen very few venture into the avenue of composing. Many people simply choose to play music that was created by others. Most great classical pianists studied great classical composers, and chose not to write their own music. Various performers such as Frank Sinatra, Joe Cocker, Meat Loaf, and several songs made popular by Barbara Streisand, were composed by outside songwriters.

I believe that strong songwriting techniques depend upon a strong desire to attain them. Understanding where to begin was extremely difficult for me, and I created several pieces of music that were discarded immediately. However, I became more knowledgeable with each effort, then was able to be proud of what I achieved! Some tips for getting yourself to that point are:

1. Learn to play an instrument well. This will lead to having a greater understanding of music.

2. Listen to songs that you admire, while identifying the components of them that appeal to you. Eventually,you will be able to invent your own, in a unique way.

3. Don't be afraid to have an imagination. Many great creators allowed their minds to be set free, before they were able to find what they were searching for.

4. Have an idea of what type of composition you intend on creating, instead of floundering aimlessly. This will make it easier for your aspirations to be met.

5. Make it memorable. Peple won't appreciate a piece of music for very long, if they can't remember it.

Most importantly, don't give up! Most writers with excellent songwriting techniques created duds, before they created masterpieces! Wouldn't it be interesting to listen to several that have been hidden from us for many years?

Andre R. is an internet marketer, Billboard and VH1 award winning musician, composer, multi-instrumentalist, and music teacher to thousands, through school boards and privately. His website "The Music Associate", http://www.themusicassociate.com connects it's visitors to every musical product and download they need or desire, and has a page completely dedicated to songwriting and composing, as well as 12 complimentary music e-books to any visitor!! Another one of his websites, Amazing Work At Home http://www.amazingworkathome.net, offers great home business opportunities.

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Soul Food Recipes - Still the Ultimate Comfort Foods - Getting Healthier?

Soul food recipes have a strong popularity as the ultimate comfort foods. African Americans have long saw this popular comfort food as more than a way to sustain life, for nourishment or even as a taste treat. This tasty southern cuisine has been a traditional source of inner strength in times filled with struggle, discrimination and social affliction.

Many people still see soul food recipes as a quiet power that has been a steady source of uplifting encouragement and inspiration. This southern food, born out of the depths of slavery, has a history of the go to food in times of celebration, marking milestones and as a source of physical comfort and solace.

The Changes Quietly Taking Place Before Your Eyes

Comfort food is described as simple food that brings comfortable feelings and a sense of well being to the consumer. That description describes soul food cooking to millions of people. The popularity of this southern cuisine and the taste of home comfort food continues to grow as it continues to adjust to people's changing taste. More people are demanding healthier choices in there diet. Now you will find more recipes growing leaner and healthier.

For example, healthier cooking has emerged to meet the growing demand for nourishing dishes that still taste good. Because while traditional soul food has always had the reputation for robust flavor and satisfaction, many critics have expressed concern at the high calories. They high salt and fat content has always caught the concern of health experts.

How Calorie Concerns Are Being Met

Those concerns are continually addressed by soul food recipe experts as well as many restaurants as they offer healthier and leaner cooking. They've also adapted healthier seasoning. For example, natural herbs and seasonings and less fat back, ham hocks and bacon. Many of the traditional methods of cooking soul food recipes have given way to healthier non-traditional cooking methods. for example, stir frying, steaming and even poaching. You'll find more recipes calling for less deep fat frying, lighter oils and less boiling.

For example, boiling tends to rob vegetables of vitamins and valuable nutrients, especially when boiled in large amounts of water for long periods of time. You'll find many of the newer soul food recipes calling for stir-frying and steaming of vegetables traditional southern style vegetables. For example, collard greens, sweet potatoes, yams, cabbage and others.

Here's a List of the Top 20 Soul Food Recipes voted by our readers this month.

1. Candied Yams

2. Macaroni and Cheese

3. Fried Cabbage

4. Peach Cobbler

5. Banana Pudding

6. Fried Chicken

7. Southern Meat Loaf

8. Sweet Potato Pie

9. Sock-It-To-Me Cake

10. 7-Up Cake

11. Collard Greens

12. Southern Biscuits

13. Dirty Rice

14. Red Velvet Cake

15. Cornbread Stuffing

16. Southern Style Potato Salad

17. Coleslaw

18. Barbecue Chicken

19. Buttermilk Cornbread

20. Chicken and Dumplings

Be sure to watch the Top 20 Soul Food Recipes on video chosen by readers this week. Go to... http://blackhomeownernews.com/soulfoodrecipes.html

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Leprechauns Go For The Green Of High Fiber Foods

Is it really the luck of the Irish or do they just recognize the importance of foods high in fiber? There really is no luck involved. It's an awareness of the overall health benefits of a high fiber diet. The most typical dish common to all of our March menus is corned beef and cabbage. Delicious, but enjoy it with a sprinkling of advice from Fiberlady. With all due respect to Irish culture and tradition, Fiberlady must stay true to her mission.

Opt for high fiber foods. St. Patrick's Day is the ideal time to offer all of those green foods that you know are so beneficial to all of the leprechauns in your life. Besides the obvious green lettuce, share some broccoli, Swiss chard, spinach, green beans, asparagus and green peas. Not only are these green foods enormously healthy, many of them help curb heart disease, lower cholesterol and inhibit some cancers.

Heart disease is the leading factor of death for American men and women today. To add salt to the wound, more than 95 million Americans have high cholesterol, a major contributor to heart disease.

Saturated fats are the major culprit in raising blood cholesterol. Those who have high cholesterol levels should be watching their entire diet, not just the meat portion. Reducing the amount of fatty foods is as important as choosing leaner cuts of red meat when trying to lower cholesterol. Protect yourself and those you love against heart disease and high cholesterol by eating more fruits and vegetables.

Exercising regularly, maintaining a normal body weight, choosing unsaturated fats and including 20-35 grams of high fiber in your daily diet will all contribute to a healthier you, whether you are Irish or not so Irish.

Preparing the ever popular corned beef supper this season can be less damaging to the arteries if you reduce your portion of fatty corned beef. No need to eliminate it entirely, just include more accompaniments such as fiber-rich cabbage and turnips. Whole grain Irish soda bread can be served to round out a high fiber menu for the St. Patrick's meal.

Fiberlady wonders how many grams of fiber there are in a four leaf clover. No matter. It's the quest to find that four leaf clover that makes all of the difference. If you find one, enjoy the promise of good luck and continue the quest for good health.

Corned Beef with Cabbage and Boiled Vegetables
Makes 6 servings

Ingredients:

1¼ pounds corned beef, trimmed of all visible fat

1 small head green cabbage, cored and cut into 6 wedges

18 baby carrots

6 small purple-top turnips, peeled and halved

1 cup pearl onions or small pickling onions

6 small red potatoes, scrubbed and left whole

Preparation:

1. Bring the corned beef and enough water to cover to a boil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven. Reduce the heat and simmer, partially covered, until almost tender, about 1½ hours.

2. Add the cabbage, carrots, turnips, onions, and potatoes to the pan; return to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, partially covered, until the vegetables and corned beef are fork tender, about 45 minutes.

3. Transfer the corned beef to a platter and carve into slices. Lift the vegetables from the broth with a slotted spoon and serve with the corned beef.

Per serving (1/6 of dinner): Calories: 320; Total Fat: 12 grams;
Fiber: 7 grams

Irish Brown Soda Bread

12 Servings

Ingredients:

4 cups whole wheat flour

1 cup bread flour

1/3 cup rolled oats

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 1/2 cups buttermilk

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Lightly grease two baking sheets.

2. In a large bowl, stir together whole wheat flour, white flour, rolled oats, baking soda and salt. Gently mix in the buttermilk until a soft dough is formed. Knead very lightly. Divide dough into 4 pieces; form into rounded flat loaves. Mark each loaf with an 'X' and place on prepared baking sheets.

3. Bake in preheated oven until golden brown, about 30 to 45 minutes.

Per serving: Calories: 206; Total Fat: 1.5 grams;
Fiber: 5.4 grams

Stephanie Shank aka Fiberlady has studied nutrition for many healthy years which prompted her commitment to a high fiber lifestyle and the development of her informative website High Fiber Health

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Delicious Belgian Breakfast Recipes!

These two breakfast recipes are great for any time of year, and any kind of celebration! Besides being great morning delicacies, they can also be a great afternoon snack or treats at a party. Using specialty Terra Americana food products and spice blends these are delicious treats that are simple to make! Be sure to check out our website for information about these food products and our other specialties.

Fines Herbs Belgian-Style Breakfast Bread

8 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 tsp finely chopped minced garlic
2 tbsp Fines Herbs
1 tsp salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 loaf French bread or Italian bread (or 2 smaller loaves)

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

2. In a small bowl, mix together the butter, garlic, Fines Herbs, salt,

and pepper well.

3. Slice the bread 1" thick but do not cut all the way through the bottom

of the loaf.

4. Spread approximately 1 to 2 tsp of the garlic butter in between each

cut.

5. Wrap the bread in aluminum foil and bake about 10 minutes.

6. Serve immediately.

Belgian Waffles

Use Maple Flapjacks mix (bag), except when combining ingredients only add 1/2 cup of milk to the dry mix, along with 2 eggs and 2 tbsp vegetable oil.Then bake in a waffle iron for 4-5 minutes or until golden brown.

Traditional Belgian Waffles are topped with fresh strawberries and whipped cream. For your own individual twist, try putting chocolate chips, blueberries, or bacon into the mixture and baking them into the waffles in the waffle iron. Or simply top your waffles with these or other ingredients for a unique taste.

Here at Life's Necessities a group of people who love to travel, shop, cook and give. Due to our own hectic schedules, we feel a need to ease tension and save time, thus our product line is dedicated to convenience and the simple pleasures of life.

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Imitation Crab Recipe - Imitation Crab Salad Recipe With Pasta

Here is an imitation crab recipe that's fast and easy to make for a quick lunch, picnic, or potluck. If you want, you can substitute the peas for broccoli, either way, it's a delicious healthy crab salad recipe to eat as a one-dish meal or side dish. You have your choice of making it with pasta or with tangy sourdough bread.

1 cup small sea shell pasta

1 cup celery, cut into small pieces

1/2 cup ripe olives, sliced

1/2 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper

1 cup mayonnaise

3 1/2 tablespoon cream

1 medium onion, diced

3/4 cup frozen peas, thawed

1/2 pound imitation crab meat, cut into small pieces

1 cucumber, cut into bite sized chunks

1 tablespoon sugar

Directions

In a medium sized bowl, combine the mayonnaise, cream, sugar and pepper together. Mix in onions, peas, crab meat, and cucumber. Salt and pepper to taste Garnish with tomato wedges. Refrigerate before serving.

If you like thick, crusty bread then this is a nice variation on the usual crab salad.

Imitation Crab Salad with Sourdough Bread

6 eggs

1/2 loaf sourdough bread, cubed

1 pound imitation crab meat, flaked

3 stalks celery, chopped

1/2 small onion, chopped

1 cup mayonnaise

2 tablespoons sour cream

salt and pepper

Directions

Boil eggs, remove shell and chop. Trim crust edges from bread and cut into small cubes. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients, mixing thoroughly. Refrigerate before serving.

If you're counting calories, here's a lighter version that's very tasty.

Light Imitation Crab Meat Salad

1 (8 oz.) package imitation crab meat, thawed

1/2 cup celery, sliced thin

1/3 cup mayonnaise or low calorie mayonnaise

2 tablespoons minced onion

1/2 teaspoon lemon juice

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

Directions

In a medium bowl, combine crab meat and celery. Mix in mayonnaise, onions, salt, pepper, and lemon juice. Chill for 2 hours before serving.

Easy to make – fun to drink

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Leftovers and Hand-Me-Downs

If it was meatloaf night last night, do you look forward to leftovers tonight? Most likely, that depends on whether or not you like meat loaf in the first place. The value we place on the meat loaf, or any leftovers, determines our enthusiasm for the item when faced with it again. That simple principle can help turn anything into a positive, no matter what the event.

Taking the case of hand-me-downs, let's look at this principle a bit more. Most people would not argue with the fact that a hand-me-down blouse or shirt is not nearly as exciting as a handed down item of jewelry, particularly if the jewelry is diamonds or fine jewels. It's easy to see how the "value" of the jewelry is worth more. That is, of course, the perceived value of jewelry. However, to someone without clothing, a ring or necklace would do them little good when they need clothing. And while they could sell it, their immediate needs are for the more practical, making the shirt or blouse more valuable for them because it is immediately something they can utilize without having to go to great measures to turn it into something else.

Let's take an event instead. Imagine a rainy day - sheets of rain pouring down all day long, filling the drains with rushing water, the sidewalks with puddles, and the sky with a grey haze. Does this fill you with joy or put you in a melancholy state of mind? Some people love rainy days and others don't. Some people love the sound of the rain and the smell in the air. Others prefer the sunshine and shadows that play on the ground as the sun shifts and changes them around throughout the day. They love the heat waves that radiate off of the concrete on a hot, sunny day. The value you place on rain or sun determines the reaction and attitude you have toward that event, namely the rain. It also affects your mood for the rest of the day.

From this very simplistic principle, a greater truth emerges. The value we place on events, people, and things in our lives determines our happiness and joy throughout the day. Everyone, no matter who they are, will have good days and bad days. There will be joys and challenges, but the value we place on them has much to do with our attitudes as we encounter them. If our attitude can be one of looking for the value, the benefit, or the good to come from it, then we can face all of the joys and challenges with the same optimistic and positive outlook.

Me? I don't like meatloaf and I don't like rainy days most of the time; I like a good diamond, but I have some classic favorites in my wardrobe that I will wear without the diamonds, because they serve me better. But, I can be grateful for food to eat, clothes to wear, and an occasional rain shower that fills the world around me with green grass and flowering bushes for those sunny days that I look forward to.

For more information on Camille Rodriquez, visit her website, http://www.joyabides.com.

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Disciplinary Loaf

An indubitable fact: my grandma, Nannie, could make the best Snickerdoodle cookies. Pity, then, that this is not her claim to fame (or is it infamy) in her small hometown. For it is there, in the otherwise peaceful agricultural environs of California's San Joaquin Valley, that the sweetest little old lady this side of Pasadena was known for something the locals would deridingly call disciplinary loaf.

Nannie was a God fearing woman who attended church, well, religiously. And as the ever mindful church-goer, Nannie believed it was her duty to bake pumpkin pie for the church bake sale. At least I think it was pumpkin pie; I didn't taste it since my Mom forbade me to ever eat something Nannie had cooked unless Mom tasted it first: "And if I keel over, don't eat it!" Nannie's pies were the only pastries that ended up under the bake sale table. On this one and only subject the congregation unanimously agreed: if Myrtle brought a pie to any potluck/bake sale/fund-raiser, quickly stick it under and away from everything edible. Or send it to the Catholic Church across the street.

She had good intentions, as the enchilada casserole for the church picnic story will attest. As she was backing out of her Dodge Rambler with her hot and steaming dish, every church member would whisper ahead, just like in the game Telephone, warning the next one to "beware of the enchilada casserole." Nannie proudly placed the suspect dish on the buffet table with all the other macaroni-pork and beans-stroganoffs-and-fried chickens, and saw her good friend, Mrs. Carmecito, one of the kindest ladies in the church. Upon the execution of what would church lore would tag as The Carmecito Signal, The Nannie Squad would descend upon the blue and white Corningware dish and whisk it under the table where it could do no harm. One time Einstein, who was Mrs. Carmecito's little terrier dog, sniffed out the dish under the table, and proceeded to down half the entrée. Poor little Einstein was soon seen scooting his bottom across the ground and howling through the duration of the picnic. Witnesses swear they saw flames shooting out of poor little Einstein's derriere. The enchiladas that burned his bottom on the way out were a warning: Woe betides the victims of Myrtle's casserole.

One time she actually made pyracantha jam. I really don't even know what a pyracantha is, but my mom insists to this day that they are poisonous berries. Nannie brought a couple of jars over to our house and Mom called Dad to say that his mother was trying to kill us with pyracantha jam. Dad told her to not be silly; that he had eaten Nannie's cooking all his life and he was still alive. Mom just muttered, "That explains it."

Back to the disciplinary loaf: Someone in the town finally named it that because no one knew what else to call it. When Nannie would make dinner for her boys, she would save all the leftovers. At the end of the week, she would take her trusty meat grinder and grind up whatever leftovers she had. Salmon, apple cobbler, leftover tuna sandwiches, spaghetti, you name it; she put it in the meat grinder. It would emerge like a grey piece of matter that she would form it into blocks. This spread is what she would serve her guests and children for lunch, neatly sandwiched between two slices of bread. (Everyone knew not to go to Myrtle's for lunch.) Nannie could never understand why she had no visitors around the noon hour. Even the Fuller Brush Men would take the long way around between noon and two. She would invite them over sure enough, but everyone would bow out. And I really don't know how my Dad survived childhood as he reportedly took a DL sandwich for lunch everyday of his young life. He was a brave man. He once told me that when he arrived at school each day, his teacher, Miss Broad, changed his sandwich out for one she had made. They never told Nannie, as they didn't want to hurt her feelings, but I'd like to take this opportunity to thank Miss Broad for saving my dad's life.

But the loaf in and of itself was not the reason for the legend that is still to this day recounted from Bakersfield to Sacramento. Nannie's infamous loaf was responsible for saving Mr. Linden's life.

Nannie had caught wind that Mr. Linden was feeling a bit under the weather, so she showed up on his doorstep with a block of the grey matter and told him it was good for what ailed him. Tales of The Loaf had preceded Nannie, however, and after he had profusely thanked her for her thoughtfulness, he set the loaf on the kitchen counter for later disposal. Mr. Linden, heading for bed later that evening, decided he was in need of a snack. The loaf was still sitting on the table; he had forgotten to throw it away. At that moment he heard a noise in the far corner of the kitchen. A flip of the light switch revealed it was a big old bear, standing right there, two yards away from him. The back door was open but he was between the door and the bear. Just then the black bear reared up on its hind legs and began to growl. Mr. Linden thought he was a goner. Eagerly searching for a weapon, the closest thing within reach was Nannie's disciplinary loaf, which he grabbed and threw as hard as he could. He heard a loud thud as the loaf hit the bear's head, knocking the unsuspecting ursine unconscious. Mr. Linden made his escape and jetted to the nearest neighbor to call the animal control.

Nannie's disciplinary loaf made the paper. The whole town woke to the headline: Bear's Late Night Visit No Loafing Matter. Nannie never made disciplinary loaf again.

Beth is an author and writer of an array of genres. She is an instructor and lecturer in applying the Law of Attraction to everyday life.

To get in touch with Beth, please visit: http://www.bethandleemccain.com

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What Vitamins Are in Meat?

Red meat contains high biological value protein and important micronutrients which is necessary for good health throughout life. It contains as well a range of fats, including essential omega-3 fats. Recent researchers have shown that there has been a major trend to leaner cuts of meat over the past two decades. While the nutritional composition will vary somewhat according to breed, feeding regimen, season and meat cut, the following discussion will show that, in general, lean red meat has a relatively low fat content, is moderate in cholesterol, and is rich in protein and many essential vitamins and minerals.

In general lean red meat is a particularly good source of protein, niacin, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, phosphorus, zinc and iron, with 100 g providing more than 25% RDI of these nutrients. It also provides more than 10% RDI of riboflavin, pantothenic acid and selenium. Of the four meats, mutton is particularly nutrient-dense, and the richest source of thiamin, vitamins B6 and B12, phosphorus, iron and copper.

Protein and amino acids

Raw red muscle meat holds around 20-25 g protein/100 g. Cooked red meat contains 28-36 g/100 g, since the water content decreases and nutrients become more concentrated during cooking. The protein is highly digestible, around 94% compared with the digestibility of 86% in whole wheat and 78% in beans. Protein from meat provides all essential amino acids (lysine, threonine, methionine, phenylalanine, tryptophan, leucine, isoleucine, valine) and has no limiting amino acids. Protein Digestibility Corrected Amino Acid Score is a method of evaluating the protein quality, with a maximum possible score of 1.0. Animal meats like beef have a score of approximately 0.9, compared with values of 0.5-0.7 for most plant foods. The amino acid glutamic acid/glutamine is present in meat in the highest amounts (16.5%), followed by arginine, alanine and aspartic acid.

In conclusion: You can have red meat in you diet, and you'll still be able to lose weight, sine it's rich in all essential nutrients

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Kitchen Staples are the Key

I found I have certain staple foods in my kitchen made all the difference in the world when it came time to cook dinner. By keeping my kitchen staples on hand it seems no matter what I want to cook I can usually make it work and I no longer have to ask what's for dinner. The following is what I keep on hand and I make a list when I run out and immediately replace it.

Produce

Salad stuff, fresh veggies, potatoes, fresh fruits & plenty of onions.

Shelf Items

Breadcrumbs, broths, soups, cornmeal, croutons, dry pasta, dry potato flakes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, diced and stewed tomatoes, ketchup, mayonnaise, minced garlic, mushrooms, corn, green beans, mustard, olive oil, olives, rice, pasta sauces, salad dressing, salsa, shrimp, tuna, salmon, stuffing mix, sun-dried tomatoes, green chilies, tortillas, taco seasoning, dried herbs such as basil etc.

Meat, Poultry, Fish & Seafood

Boneless skinless chicken breasts, whole chickens, pork chops, fish fillets, ground beef, sausage, shrimp and ribs.

Dairy

Butter, refrigerated biscuit dough, eggs, cream, cream cheese, cottage cheese, milk, cheese of all kinds and sour cream.

Frozen foods

Breaded chicken strips or nuggets, filled pasta products, meatballs, potatoes, all kinds of veggies and veggie and meat combinations.

Bakery

Loaf of sliced bread, garlic bread, pita bread, dinner rolls and pizza crust.

You can find all kinds of tips and recipes at Cristie's Cookin. Submit your favorite recipe for a chance to win a "Gotcha Covered" apron. Check out her specialty spices, Bling It, Ring It and Zing It. She has a high suspense novel you will want to read "11.11.11"

Cooking lessons for Cristie began at 8 years old with the best teacher in the world -- her Mom! Later, she cooked for the restaurant the family owned, and her love of the "trade" has grown ever since. Cristie's creative cooking has continued for over 40 years. Her creations can soon be on your kitchen table. Check out Cristie's books at http://www.cristiescookin.com and http://www.tjstokes.com

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How This Busy Mom Gets Dinner On The Table

You know the drill... you run around all day taking care of the kids, the household and your job and before you know it 7pm rolls around and you have no idea what to fix for dinner. That used to be me too. The solution was usually to sever everyone a bowl of cereal or call the pizza delivery guy. Not anymore. While I'm still just as busy as ever, I also realize how important it is to prepare a "real" dinner for my family. Not only is it much healthier, we also end up saving money we used to spend on takeout and we have come closer as a family. I wouldn't trade dinner time for anything in the world and neither should you. Here are my best tips for getting dinner on the table even if you're as busy as I am.

Get Everyone Involved

One of my biggest secrets is that I don't try to be supermom and I don't try to get everything done by myself. Of course this includes making dinner. In our house cooking is a family affair. My husband and daughter are in the kitchen with me, cooking, setting the table and cleaning up after along with me. It makes every step of the process much faster, and when I am running late and don't make it home in time to get dinner started, the two of them can get started without me. Cooking together is also a great way for the three of us to bond.

Shortcuts Are OK

Don't feel like you have to make everything from scratch for it to count as a home-cooked meal. It's ok to take shortcuts. Some of my favorites are to use bagged salad that's already cleaned and ready to go, breadsticks and rolls that just need heating up and all kinds of canned soup or stews. There are also quite a few good frozen meal packs available these days that you just cook in the pan or in your slow cooker. Whenever I do take the time to make things like soup, stew, casseroles or even meat loaf, I make several batches of the dish and freeze the remaining portions for another day when I'm short on time. What counts is that you get a healthy meal on the table, not the amount of time you spent in front of the stove.

Plan Your Meals

Last, but not least, let me share my biggest secret with you - I plan my meals. It's sooo much easier to get dinner on the table, when you know exactly what you're going to cook ahead of time and have what you need at hand. Just sit down once a week with a pen and a piece of paper and write down exactly what you are going to make for dinner each day of the week. Get your recipes out , and attach them to the list, then make a grocery list. It saves a lot of time only having to go to the store once a week and by attaching the recipes to the list of menus, other family members can get started on dinner when you're running late.

For a great free report on meal planning basics visit http://www.menuplanningcentral.com – the report goes into much more detail on how you can start planning your meals and also comes with a blank menu planning worksheet and shopping list that I use every week.

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