Cereal Bars

This is a great recipe if you are looking for something healthy and sweet. Remember to cook the brown sugar and honey before adding the peanut butter or your bars with be gritty due to not giving the brown sugar time to dissolve.


Cereal Bars
1 Cup Honey
½ cup brown sugar
1 cup peanut butter
1 teas. vanilla 6 cups cereal (Kashi Heart to Heart, Bran Flakes, Multi Grain Flakes)
¾ cup craisins or any dried fruit
¾ cup raw whole almonds or other nuts
¼ cup soy nuts
2 Tablespoons ground flaxseeds

Mix all dry ingredients in a large bowl, set aside. Bring honey and brown sugar to a boil in a large sauce pan. Add peanut butter and vanilla and beat until smooth. Add dry ingredients and stir until coated. Spread into an 11x15 cookie sheet sprayed lightly with non-stick cooking spray. Cover with wax paper use another 11x15 cookie sheet to press down firmly, remover wax paper immediately. Cool to the touch. Cut into bars. I cut them in thirds the length of the pan and, make each bar about 1-1 ½ inch wide. Wrap individually in snack bags or store in plastic container with wax paper or plastic wrap between layers. Store bars in the refrigerator.

Pasta Primavera

During the season of lent many of us find ourselves searching for meatless meals for all those Friday's with which we practice abstinence. This Pasta Primavera is low on protein but loaded with veggies. Add your own twist, be creative! Try some other favorite veggies like: yellow squash, mushrooms, artichokes, etc. Add kidney beans for color and the missing protein. Top with asiago cheese instead of Parmesan. You will need a bit of prep time for cutting up and cooking all the veggies but it is well worth it.


Pasta Primavera

2 small zucchini cut into 1 ½ inch chunks
1/2 teas. black pepper
2 carrots sliced
1/2 teas dried basil
1 medium eggplant peeled and cut into 1” pieces
1/2 teas. sugar
1 medium onion diced
2 large yellow peppers (or any peppers)
1 - 14 oz can stewed tomatoes
12 oz. corkscrew or penne pasta
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Olive Oil

In large skillet over medium-high heat add 1 tablespoon olive oil and cook zucchini with ¼ teas. Salt until crisp tender, remove to bowl. In same skillet, add additional olive oil if needed and cook carrots, remove to bowl. In same skillet add 1 tablespoon olive oil, eggplant, onion and ¼ teas. salt stirring occasionally until eggplant begins to brown slightly. Add peppers and more olive oil if necessary, cook stirring occasionally until vegetables are softened. Stir in stewed tomatoes, black pepper, basil, sugar and salt to taste. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 15 minutes stirring occasionally until vegetables are tender. Stir in zucchini, heat through

Meanwhile, prepare pasta as label directs; drain. Toss with prepared vegetables, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and serve.

The season of lent also has me looking for those satisfying non-chocolate desserts (Is there such a thing? If the leading ingredient isn't chocolate, can it really be satisfying?). Healthy and maybe not so healthy :). Stay tuned for a couple of new recipes that you will not feel guilty about if you over indulge. I'm not saying they are fat free!
I have this crazy idea that if a snack is healthy you can eat as much of it as you want. Yeah, I know it's not true but.....