It's Food Tip Tuesday!!

That's right, boys and girls. You thought it was only a wonderful dream, a wish that couldn't possibly come true... The desire of your heart has just pulled into reach. Someone telling you how you should eat. *sigh*

If you know me, you know I'm bossy, but I don't take points away for non-compliance. At least you get a great recipe for your trouble, right? I'm also going to give you the inside scoop on the healthy living contest for so you can get started right away. (I'm excited and couldn't wait for next week.)

Okay, last week we talked about getting off the deep-fried and/or breaded foods and switching from iceberg lettuce to romaine or spinach. Another great little trick is to chop up vegetables you don't like (which means broccoli for me and carrots for the dh) really small (I use a mincer or food processor) and hide them in other foods - sprinkle on salads, mix in soups and sauces, fold into mashed potatoes - whatever. I even put them in my Mexican salsa. The flavor is totally hidden when you hide them this way. Try to get as many servings as possible every day. Here are the biggies to try and hit:

Cruciferous - broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage
Dark leafy greens - romaine, spinach, collard greens, etc.
Betacarotene - carrots, sweet potatoes
Lycopene - tomatoes (canned tomatoes actually have as much or more lycopene than fresh)

And the contest is (drum roll please) - Starting today, every day you go without breaded and/or fried foods, you get to post for a spot in the drawing. For each serving of the above vegetables you eat in a day you get to post for a spot in the drawing. A serving is about 1/2 cup (in the veggie's natural state, not chopped). You guys can do that, right?

Drawing will be next Tuesday and the prize is a $10 online gift certificate. Those of you who get this through email rather reading on the website can send me emails of your eating accomplishments.

There now - on with the recipe of the week:

Peach & Blueberry Cobbler

Spread 1 bag (or more) of frozen peaches in a 13 X 9 X 2 inch pan and top with 1/2 to 1 bag (or more) of frozen blueberries. Sprinkle with 3 T of Splenda and 1 T (or more if you like) of cinnamon. Set aside.

In large bowl combine 2 cups all-purpose flour (for more nutrition, you can do 1/2 white and 1/2 wheat flour), 2/3 cup (equals 2 individual packages) of instant oatmeal, 1-1/2 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp baking soda, and 1/2 tsp salt. Mix well. Add 6 T Smart Squeeze (or melted light butter or other healthy margarine) and mix with fork until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add 12 oz of nonfat, no sugar added vanilla yogurt (I use Dannon Light & Fit). Mix until dough comes together (does not have to be perfectly smooth). Spoon onto fruit and sprinkle liberally with Splenda. Bake at 350 for 45-50 minutes until fruit is tender and oat topping is golden brown. Let cool for 10-15 minutes before serving. Top with vanilla frozen yogurt if desired.

Yummy for the tummy!! In fact, I'm about to go reheat myself a serving right now!

Have a great Tuesday!!
~pinkie