Marinated Cucumber Salad

This is one of my absolutely favorite side dishes, and it's super easy to make. You can leaves the
peel on the cucumbers if you want to, just taste a slice first to make sure it's not bitter.

2 cucumbers, peeled and sliced

1 small onion, thinly sliced

1 small red bell pepper, julienned

1 TBSP chopped fresh dill, or 1 tsp dried dill.

1 pkt Truvia, or 1 TBSP Agave Nectar (I like the agave but truvia is better for diabetics)

¾ cup white vinegar

2 ¼ cups water

Combine all ingredients, put in fridge and marinate at least 3 hours, but overnight is better. Yum

Looking for a unique snack? Try Artichokes



Choose Artichokes that are firm, and well rounded.

Artichokes are a great, healthy snack or side-dish. Cooking them can be intimidating if you didn't grow up with them. Here are the simple steps to enjoying this awesome vegetable.

You can serve them whole and allow everyone to pull the leaves themselves, or you can serve them pulled, with the heart already prepared.






Remove most of the stem and lowest leaves.




Put in a large pot filled with water, over high heat.














Bring to a boil, Cover and cook 20-25 minutes until leaves pull off easily.



Remove from pot with tongs, hold over the pot to drain a bit,
or set in a colander in the sink.



















Pull leaves and arrange on a plate.





Almost done, but we need to get rid of the "choke"
to get to the heart. (Just the way my mamma did it.)



Using a spoon, gently remove the fibers that cover the heart.
They scrape away easily.




Cut the heart into bite-sized pieces. Serve with a low fat dip.





To eat the leaves...Hold the top of the leaf. Scrape the inside
along your bottom teeth. Discard the parts of the leaves that are
too hard or stringy to chew and swallow easily.

  **Note. The dog in the picture is a trained food model. Please do NOT give artichokes to your pets. This dog did NOT actually eat it, and was not harmed during his photo shoot for this blog.


For a quick dipping sauce mix 2 Tbsp of spicey brown mustard with 1 Tbsp of fat free Miracle Whip and 1 Tbsp lemon juice. It makes a rich and spicey addition to your artichoke. I also like to mix a little greek yogurt with lemon and dill...as much as you like...then let it sit for an hour in the fridge so the dill really permiates the yogurt.

Snow Day Peanut Butter Cup Cocoa

This is some seriously good cocoa with a low glycemic index, extremly low fat, and lots of calcium. The perfect warm up on a blustery day.

4 cups skim milk
2 Tablespoons Hershey's Special Dark Cocoa Powder
2 Tablespoons Agave Nectar
1 tsp vanilla
1 Tablespoon PB2 (powdered peanut butter - visit http://www.bellplantation.com/ for info)

In saucepan over medium heat, combine all ingredients, bring to almost a boil stiring constantly. When all ingredients are disolved, turn off heat and serve. You will be amazed how good it is.

Serves 4

Snacking is a Yes - Three times a day!

For years I thought if I just cut out snacks between meals I would be able to lose weight. I was Myth-informed. Snacking is actually super good for you, as long as you snack on the right things.

Healthy eating should always start with breakfast, but if we have eaten a reasonable amount of the right kinds of food at breakfast, we will need a little boost mid morning. Even if we haven't done much heavy work, like an intense workout or moving

furniture, a snack reminds our metabolism to keep moving.

So, how do you choose great snacks? Think about what other foods you are eating that day. If you had a carb-packed breakfast, your snack should be more protein. If your breakfast was an egg and fruit, then a few whole grain crackers and an oz of cheese is perfect. You have complete control over what your snack should be.



One of my favorites, especially after a workout, is a banana and about an ounce of chopped unsalted peanuts. It tastes great, is a good source of potassium and protein, and doesn't cost much. Even stopping by the local ice cream shop, this snack is less than the price of an ice cream cone.



An ounce of cheese is
 2 - 3/4 inch cubes



Mid afternoon, and yes, even in the evening, the appropriate snack is a great thing!

What are some of your favorite healthy snacks. Let's share ideas and compare notes!

Happy Healthy Eating!