from CBS

Adding fuel to the idea that junk food is like crack, scientists at Scripps Florida say rats fed high-calorie junk food became addicted to the food and voluntarily starved when given healthy food instead of, say, cupcakes.

Repeat: The rats voluntarily starved instead of eating healthy food.

Breakfast in a Cookie

I got this fantastic recipe from an old friend/co-worker that I had the lucky opportunity to run into again after a couple of years of losing each other. We of course, exchanged blog addresses and now I get access to all of her incredible writing, along with a few appetizing recipes sprinkled in here and there.I love these cookies (honestly, there aren't many cookies I DON'T love). But seriously, these are great, especially if you are craving something sweet but are trying to stay healthy. I halved the recipe and still had a ton left over to freeze.

Breakfast in a Cookie
(makes a lot; freeze well)

Mix together in a small bowl and set aside to soak for 10 minutes:
1 cup oat bran
3/4 cup orange juice

Combine in a large bowl, using an electric mixer:
1 cup + 1 T unsweetened applesauce
2 T canola oil
1 cup honey
1/3 firmly packed brown sugar
3 large eggs
1 1/2 T vanilla
1 T grated orange rind OR 2 t. orange extract (I accidentally doubled rind once and it turned out great)

Measure into a sifter and sift over applesauce mixture:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 t. baking soda

Add soaked oat bran and the following to the large bowl and mix thoroughly:
1 cup nonfat dry milk
2 1/2 cups oats (quick-cooking or old-fashioned)
1 cup chopped nuts
1 cup raisins
1 cup ground flax seed

Preheat oven to 375. Using a scoop, drop onto a baking sheet. Bake until lightly browned, 12-14 minutes.

Chicken Lettuce Wraps

This recipe comes from my great neighbor and friend from a previous neighborhood.  I have tried numerous other lettuce wraps, but these are definitely the best.  They are light, but still filling (a requirement in my household).

Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Condiments:

1 TBSP hot mustard
1 tsp red chili paste

Sauce:
1/4 cup boiling water
1/4 tsp sugar
2 TBSP rice vinegar
2 TBSP catsup
2 TBSP soy sauce
1 TBSP lime juice
1/4 tsp sesame oil
1/2 tsp ginger, grated

Stir Fry:

3 TBSP canola oil

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts

1 cup water chestnuts
1/2 cup straw mushrooms
1/3 cup green onions
2 tsp garlic, minced
3 TBSP soy sauce
3TBSP brown sugar
1 tsp rice vinegar
10 iceberg lettuce leaves

Place condiments in separate serving dish. Combine sauce ingredients well, then set aside. Stir fry chicken in oil, remove and chop into dime-size pieces. Return to pan along with remaining ingredients and stir fry until heated through. Spoon into lettuce cups and drizzle with sauce. Hot mustard and red chili paste can be added to the sauce according to taste. Yum!

Whole Wheat Bread

My family loves this bread, and because I never have the foresight to plan our meals very far in advance, it is great that you can make it so quickly, and from food storage items.  I adapted the recipe slightly from a book that my dear friend, Leslie Probert wrote, Emergency Food in a Nutshell. The lemon juice in the recipe acts as a dough enhancer which gives the bread a fine, light texture.

Whole Wheat Bread (in an hour, from your food storage supplies)

Makes 2 (8x4 inch) loaves

3 c. whole wheat flour

1/3 c. gluten flour, sifted (or vital wheat gluten)

1 1/4 T. instant yeast (or quick-rising)

2 1/2 c. very warm tap water

1 T. salt

1/3 c. oil

1/3 c. honey or 1/2 c. sugar

1 1/4 T. bottled lemon juice

2 - 2 1/2 c. whole wheat flour

Mix together first three ingredients in mixer with a dough hook.  Add water all at once and mix for 1 minute; cover and let rest for 10 minutes.  Add salt, oil, honey or sugar and lemon juice and beat for 1 minute.  Add last flour, 1 cup at a time, beating between each cup.  Beat for about 6-10 minutes until dough pulls away from sides of the bowl.  This makes a very soft dough.

Preheat oven for 1 minute to lukewarm and turn off.  Turn dough onto oiled counter top; divide, shape into loaves, place in oiled bread pans.  Let rise in warm oven for 10-15 minutes until dough reaches top of pan.  Do not remove bread from oven; turn oven to 350 degrees F and bake for 30 minutes.  Remove from pans and cool on racks.

Quinoa

Have you ever tried quinoa (keen-wah)?  My mom suggested it the other day so I picked up some at our local Whole Foods Market (one of my favorite places, along with Sunflower market).  Quinoa is delicious and super healthy (a complete protein plus multiple other benefits).  I cringe whenever I feed my family white rice but I do it anyway, because brown rice tastes dirty to me.  Quinoa has a much cleaner taste and a thousand times better than white rice.  I have used it the last couple of nights as a bed for a nice large salad with lots of baby greens, other veggies, drizzled with olive oil and some salt and pepper.  Delish!

Quinoa is really simple. Just soak in warm water for 15 to 30 minutes, rinse a few times (to get the bitter shell to come off) and then add 1 1/2 cups water to every 1 cup of quinoa, bring to a boil, and simmer for 20 minutes or so (basically like rice).

Turkey Polska Kielbasa Stir-Fry

This meal was one of my father's signature dinners growing up (of course, it included the high fat regular Polska Keilbasa and was cooked in vegtable oil).  I have substituted Turkey Polska Keilbasa and EVOO instead.  I love this meal because it is packed with veggies.  Be sure not to cook all the life and nutrients out of the veggies.  This meal is so quick and great to make when your veggies have been hanging out in the fridge for a while and need to get eaten before you waste them.

Turkey Polska Kielbasa Stir-Fry

1 T olive oil

14 oz. package Turkey Polska Kielbasa

1 head brocolli

1 medium yellow onion

1-2 red, yellow, orange or green bell peppers

2/3 cup carrots, sliced thin

1-2 small zucchini squash

any other close-to-expiring vegetables in your fridge

Wash and slice all veggies into bite size pieces.  Slice Polska Kielbasa into bite size pieces.  Preheat olive oil in a large skillet on medium-high.  Saute Polska Kielbasa until browned on each side. Remove from skillet and place in separate bowl.  Saute veggies in skillet for 3-4 minutes (or until desired tenderness).  Add Polska Keilbasa back into skillet with veggies.  Heat through.  Serve plain or over quinoa.