Free and Easy... Meatless Meals

Looking for some good, easy recipes that don't contain red meat? Check these out:


Saucy Chicken

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:
-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
-2 cups salsa
-1/3 cup brown sugar
-2 tbsp honey dijon mustard

Prep:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine all ingredients and place in 13x9" pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 40-45 minutes until chicken is thoroughly cooked.


Turkey Lasagna

Prep time: 1 hour, including cooking time

Ingredients:
-1 tsp olive oil
-1 lb ground turkey breast
-2 cloves garlic, crushed
-8 oz can tomato sauce
-28 oz can crushed tomatoes
-salt and pepper to taste
-1 tsp Italian seasoning
-12 oz shredded low-moisture, part-skim mozzarella cheese
-12 oz part-skim ricotta cheese
-3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
-6 no-boil lasagna noodles (about 3.5x7")

Prep:
Spray baking dish with cooking spray and preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Brown turkey with olive oil and garlic. Add tomato sauce, tomatoes, salt/pepper, and seasoning. Simmer 20 minutes. Assemble lasagna, layering sauce, then 2 noodles, then cheese, then more sauce, etc.. Sprinkle with parmesan as top layer. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and let rest for 10 minutes before cutting.


Broccoli Frittata

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:
-4 tbsp butter
-2 tbsp olive oil
-2 cloves garlic, minced
-2 cups frozen or fresh broccoli, well drained if frozen
-1 cup chopped plum tomatoes, drained
-1-1/2 cups coarse toasted bread crumbs
-10 eggs, beaten
-salt and pepper to taste
-1 cup cheese (Havarti, cheddar, or mozzarella; you pick)
-1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Prep:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a heavy skillet, melt 2 tbsp butter in 2 tbsp olive oil until slightly foamy. Add garlic and broccoli to cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes until garlic is fragrant. Add bread crumbs and cook while stirring for 2-3 minutes. Set aside. In another skillet, melt remaining 2 tbsp butter over medium heat to coat pan. Season eggs with salt and pepper and pour into skillet. Cook for 2 minutes, then top with bread crumb mixture, tomatoes, and chosen cheese. Stir gently, then either transfer the pan to the oven (or you can transfer the mixture to a glass pie pan, then put in oven). Bake at 350 degrees F for 15-20 minutes until eggs are set. Top with parmesan cheese and serve.


All of these meals taste great! I especially love the frittata, which you can add all kinds of vegetables to- carrots, asparagus, potatoes, avocados, or spinach.

An Alarming Trend in the Military

Is it sexual harassment? Alcohol abuse? Hazing?

While all of these are still problems prevalent in the military, on of the most alarming issues is the rise of suicides...

From an article in the Washington Post entitled Solider's Suicide Rate On Pace to Set Record, Col Eddie Stephens of states that:

" The Army's suicide rate has increased from 12.4 per 100,000 in 2003, when the Iraq war started, to 18.1 per 100,000 last year. Suicide attempts by soldiers have also increased since 2003, Stephens said. This year the death rate is likely to exceed that of a demographically similar segment of the U.S. population -- 19.5 per 100,000, Stephens said."

So what's causing this alarming trend?

"Failed relationships, legal and financial troubles, and the high stress of wartime operations in Iraq and Afghanistan are the leading factors linked to the suicides, Army officials said."

Failed Relationships-- what relationship wouldn't be stressed after being stationed overseas for years at a a time? The war has been going on since 2003... That's five years of service, even if you do get a break every now and then to visit...

Legal and Financial troubles-- what American isn't suffering financial troubles right now with the state of the economy? And most soldiers only make in the 20's or 30's to start.. That's not a lot, especially when you have a family to support, or debts from prior to joining the service...

High stress of wartime operations in Iraq and Afghanistan-- War is stressful! No matter who a person is- and I've known plenty- they always come back changed from seeing and participating with the violent nature of war.

The military is taking steps to help those in need... But unfortunately, sometimes it's hard to tell if someone is contemplating suicide. And sometimes a person is determined to end their life and that there is no better way to deal with their concerns..

I think that after serving so long, and also the general attitude of the public towards the war, a soldier losses sight and motivation for what they are doing for our country. While I don't support the war, I will always support the current service members and the veterans who have contributed so much to our country...

Special: Healthy Kids

Well, I don't have kids myself, but I've certainly mentored enough kids and been around enough of my friends that have kids...

Kids want to be just like us. They want to talk like us and do the same things as us.. They're interested in the things that the adults are interested in, and then are very impressionable... They want to be just like mom.. or dad.. or friend... Any one they think is cool, they watch and imitate..

It's no wonder that so many kids are now starting out towards an unhealthy lifestyle, when all of the adults around them are overweight and unhealthy..

The best way to lead others, whether it be an adult or a child, is by example.. When they see us eating junk, what kind of an example is that? Or when they never see us do anything except for sit in front of the t.v. or computer for hours on end, how can we expect them to do anything different?

Yes, every child growing up these days in America has never known the world without t.v. or a computer.. I remember that when I was a kid, we didn't have but one small t.v. that we never watched because we were always outside... And we didn't get a computer until I was about 13, and even then we only really used it for school work.

Kids just need to get re-interested in getting outside and have someone that they can look to for a healthy lifestyle... Why not get outside and play some ball? Or have some fun in the kitchen making something healthy together? It'll help the child that needs that good role model, and it'll help you at the same time!

Weight a minute...

... did you say weight training? For women? Yes, I did.

Weight training is a great tool, not just for men, but for women too. Some people think that to stay healthy or to lose weight, all that's needed is good eating coupled with some kind of aerobic exercise. But weight training needs to be in the mix, too!

Weight training helps to not only tone and shape our body, but it also helps to raise our metabolism and keep our bones from getting brittle as we age. After weight lifting, the metabolism raises for about 48 hours. The effect on your metabolism for aerobic exercise is instant, then gone almost as soon as you're done. Aerobic exercise doesn't do much for your bones either, where as by putting extra weight on our bones, we are actually strengthening them. Women also tend to lose more muscle as we age compared to guys. We get weaker and get fatigued faster. Lifting helps to slow this aging process down..

Exercise can sure make you feel good inside too. It feels good to be able to do more sets or a longer duration of exercise. It also feels great to see the jiggle disappearing from your body, or even being able to walk up stairs with out being winded..

I like to alternate my muscles worked in the gym. I usually don't work my legs, but stick to my upper body. Of course, each of us is different. Maybe you'd like to work on your legs. And don't forget to always listen to your body and don't over do it.. If you hurt yourself, it's definitely a de-motivator and puts you off course for a while.
Typically, I will work my back and triceps one day, and then my chest the next day. If I work my biceps specifically at all, they'll start to grow as big as my husband's fast.. And you're almost always working more than one muscle at a time. For instance, when working your back, it's impossible not to work your biceps. And when working your chest, you work your triceps.

Start with a light weight and do sets of about 15-20 to warm up. Concentrate on your form and slowly work up to a heavier weight. Don't worry about getting a guy's bod either-- we just don't have the testosterone for it.

I like to keep my workouts short and sweet. I tend to finish up in about 30 minutes. And if you are lifting at a good pace, it's like doing an aerobic exercise at the same time. Killing two birds with one stone in a short amount of time.. And who has tons of time these days?