Happy and Healthy National Redhead Day!

Happy National Redhead day! From this Ginger to you! Where are all my redheaded friends out there? Hey gotta give a shoutout to a holiday just for GINGERS!

Here are a few of fun facts about us redheads! Did you know any of these?

~People with red hair are likely more sensitive to pain. This is because the gene mutation (MC1R) that causes red hair is on the same gene linked to pain receptors. It also means redheads usually need more anesthesia for dental and medical procedures. (um totally true, I am always give more drugs for dental stuff and even for my surgery in March.)

~Having red hair isn't the only thing that makes some redheads unique. They are also more likely to be left handed. Both characteristics come from recessive genes, which like to come in pairs. (I am quite ambidextrous)

~Redheads probably won't go grey. That's because the pigment just fades over time. So they will probably go blonde and even white, but not grey. (yea! Weird thing as I am getting older, my hair is actually getting more red. So...We shall see what happens)

~Bees have been proven to be more attracted to redheads. (I hate bees! And seriously they all flock to me it seems like. I would squeal like a little girl and cower anytime a bee came near me!)

And to end this awesomely GINGERTASTIC post! How about a great Ginger Cookie Recipe! 

Healthy Ginger Cookies

Ingredients:
¾ C coconut oil
1 C agave
¼ C molasses
2 eggs (organic and free-range)
3½ C whole-wheat flour, finely ground (preferably soft white wheat)
1½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. sea salt
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
3 tsp. ginger (plus, optionally, freshly grated ginger root)
1 tsp. nutmeg

Cream together the coconut oil and sweeteners, then add the egg and mix well. Add all the dry ingredients and mix well. Roll into walnut-sized balls and bake at 375° for 6 min. I rolled mine lightly in evaporated cane juice because my boys love the crunch. 

*Found at The Fitness Freak

Veteran's Day Hot Chocolate

(2012. Picking Matt up at the airport after an 11 month deployment. Mason was 11 months old.) 

Matt has always felt that this day, Veteran's Day is "His Day". And it is. Today we dropped Mason off at school and Matt, Collin baby and I headed down to the downtown area of Charlottesville. We happened upon the Veteran's Day Celebration. We then enjoyed a great breakfast at the area's first diner. I ate french toast and eggs. YUM! 80/20, eat clean 80% of the time and you can eat anything else the other 20%! We then picked Mason up from school, went to Best Buy and I finally rejoined the cell phone age and got a business phone! And have just been relaxing the rest of the day! What did you guys do today? 

So, to make my officer feel extra special on "his day" I am trying out this awesome Hot Chocolate with a kick recipe tonight after the kiddos go to bed! Hot chocolate is one of his favorite cold weather drinks!

Does this look good to you?

CLEAN EATING HOT CHOCOLATE

(Makes approximately 4 cups)

INGREDIENTS:

4 cups unsweetened milk (any type)
3/4 cup honey (or to taste)
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon cayenne (optional)
3 tablespoons unsweetened powdered cocoa

DIRECTIONS:

Combine all ingredients in a pot and warm over medium to medium high heat. Stir constantly with a whisk.
Pour into cups and serve.

Found at The Gracious Pantry

Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes

Turkey Day Transformations! Who wants to have a healthier Thanksgiving this year? I DO! Every week I am going to be posting some great healthy options for your Thanksgiving feast! 

Yes this has sugar in it. But this makes 4 servings. That means only 1/4 tablespoon of sugar per potato. 80/20. Eat clean 80% of the time and enjoy the rest 20% of the rest of the time. but there is so little sugar per serving. Swap out your traditional cream and butter filled mashed potatoes and gravy for this healthy tasty option. Oh and this can also replace the sweet potato casserole. TWOFER! Enjoy! 

Check out todays, 

Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes

Ingredients:
2 large sweet potatoes (1/2 pounds total)
1 can (8 ounces) crushed pineapple, drained
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon light- or dark-brown sugar
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons chopped pecans

How to make it: 1 hour, 20 minutes

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Pierce each sweet potato twice with tip of knife.

2. Bake until soft, about 50 minutes. Set aside until cool enough to handle but still very warm. Reduce oven heat to 325°F.

3. Cut potatoes in half lengthwise. Scoop out flesh and place in medium bowl, being careful not to tear skin. Reserve skins. Add pineapple, oil, butter, sugar, zest, and salt to potato flesh. Whip with electric mixer or whisk until slightly fluffy.

4. Place skin shells on baking sheet. Fill with potato mixture, mounding each. Bake 15 minutes. Sprinkle with pecans. Bake 5 minutes longer. 1 serving is half a potato.

Healthy Cooking Tip:

Twice-Baked Stuffed Sweet Potatoes can be made up to a day ahead of time. Bake and stuff the potatoes as directed in the recipe through step 3. Place in a shallow dish, cover loosely and refrigerate. Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before baking as directed in the recipe.

Modified from Reader's Digest Recipe

Happy Halloween Recipe!

It's Halloween! What are you dressing up as for halloween? 

I will have our family picture up tomorrow for you to enjoy our Jurassic World Themed costumes! Hope you guys have a happy and safe day!

How about a perfectly yummy healthy seasonal recipe to celebrate the day!!! 

CLEAN EATING HOLIDAY BUTTERNUT CRANBERRY BAKE

(Makes approximately 4 servings)

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb. chopped/cubed, peeled butternut squash
2 large apples, peeled and cored
1/2 cup fresh cranberries
1 tbsp. olive oil (or coconut oil in liquid state)
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 scant tsp. ground cloves (optional if you like cloves

DIRECTIONS:

Place all ingredients in a 1 gallon-sized ziplock bag or a large container with a tight-fitting lid.
Shake well to coat everything in spices and maple syrup.
Pour out into baking dish (Mine was 9×13) and bake at 350 F. for about 1 hour to 1 hour and 20 minutes.
Note that if you have a smaller, deeper baking dish that this will take longer in the oven. The bigger and more shallow the dish is, the quicker this will cook. (I do not recommend a cookie sheet due to the cranberries)
Add salt to taste after cooking if needed.

Modified From The Gracious Pantry

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Homemade Fajita Seasoning

Wanna make you life so much easier? Being a busy mom of 2 kids I want things that are easy and still taste great! Check out this homemade fajita seasoning that can be used on ANYTHING and EVERYTHING! Chicken, Steak, Rice, Veggies, Quinoa, tofu, Anything! Super easy and super tasty.

Fajita Seasoning: 
Ingredients:
¼ cup Chili Powder
2 tablespoons Sea Salt
2 tablespoons Paprika
1 tablespoon Onion Powder
1 tablespoon Garlic Powder
1 teaspoon Cayenne Powder (optional)
1 tablespoon Cumin Powder

Combine in a cute little spice container and use when you need it!

My favorite recipe to use this on: 

Chicken Fajita Tacos:
Ingredients:
2 Chicken breasts
1 Tablespoon Coconut oil
2 Bell Pepper- sliced
2 onions- sliced
(Or any veggies you want to add to it!)
4 Corn tortillas- warmed
1 Avocado
1/4 pepper jack cheese- shredded
Fajita Seasoning- see below.

Directions:
Dry rub the chicken in the fajita seasoning and let marinate in the fridge for at least 3 hours.
Grill up the chicken on the grill or in a skillet until juices run clear
Add 1 tablespoon of coconut oil to a salute pan. Add the bells and onions and salute until the onions are translucent.
Fill a tortilla with chicken, veggies and top with diced avocado and pepper jack cheese. Serve with a side of black beans and rice!


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Happy Cinco De Mayo

I LOVE Cinco De Mayo! It is my excuse that, I HAVE TO EAT MEXICAN FOOD! Why not! So I thought that I would share my skinny enchiladas with you! A couple of weeks ago I added a Green Enchilada Recipe. Well I made a red enchilada recipe and kind of did my own things with it and they turned out AMAZING! I had the chicken and salsa cooking while I was teaching and everyone who came in raved about how amazing my house smelled. When I just said it was chicken with a jar of salsa on it they were amazing at how good it smelled.

Skinny Red Enchiladas: 
1 lb chicken tenders -about 8 tenders
1- 12 ounce jar of red salsa. Not chunky - I like Trader Joe's variety
1/2 cup greek yogurt (I use 2%-22g protein per cup yogurt. It's thicker. Fage or TJ's.)
medium splash of chicken broth
8 small corn tortillas
1/4-1/2 cup cheddar cheese

In a crockpot add chicken and jar of salsa. Cook on high for 2.5-3 hours until the chicken is falling apart. If frozen chicken cook for 3 hours on high.

Remove chicken, leaving as much salsa in the crockpot as possible. Shred chicken. Set aside. Add greek yogurt directly to crock pot and add splash of chicken broth to help thin out the salsa. Stir together. (Don't need a blender just whisk together right in the crockpot.)

Grab a 9x13 inch pan and coat the bottom of the pan with some red salsa mixture. Warm up your corn tortillas in the microwave or steam for just a little while on the stove to soften them enough that they are pliable. Add 1-2 table spoons of chicken to tortilla and roll up. Place in your 9x13 pan. Continue until all tortillas are rolled up. Pour the remaining red salsa mixture over the enchiladas. Top with cheese. You don't need a lot of cheese.

Cook at 350 degrees for 20 minutes until cheese is bubbly and melted.

Side with Lime flavored rice and black beans.

Lime and Cilantro Flavored Rice: 
1 cup of rice (brown, jasmine whatever you eat. We like brown)
2 cups of water
1/4 tsp salt
2 - juice from 2 limes
2 Tablespoon or more of Chopped Cilantro (depending how much you want!)

Add all ingredients except for the juice of 1 lime to your rice cooker and cook. Or cook covered up on your stove until the liquid is gone.

Once cooked through, squeeze the juice of remaining lime over the top and fluff with a fork!

SO EASY! ENJOY and Happy Cinco De Mayo!

OUTTAKE:

Clean Eating Before Race

Last night I went to the store to pick up some provisions for our long, long, long drive down to Orlando. While I was there I kept thinking, I will be running I can't have candy and crap weigh and drag me down. And frankly, most of the candy didn't see to grab me like it usually does. (I did get some double chocolate Milano cookies though, but again not a huge pull that I have to have them.)

I think thinking about this race and wanting to do as good as possible and being super mindful in what I am putting in my body really helped shaped my wants and desires in the junk food department. I am going to be making energy bites (see below for recipe and thanks to my friend Jenna who shared the recipe with me) for the trip down and for after the race and snacks during the week, if they last that long. I also noticed that I have been increasing my water intake this week too. I know I need to drink lots of water because I am pregnant but I feel like I am downing an extra 32 ounces a day right now on top of what I am already drinking. (I try to drink around 100-120 ounces of water a day.) Just a habit I got into a couple of years ago!

One thing that I need to do better though, is the sleep department. I haven't be resting during the day, too many things to do! And night sleeping is getting more and more difficult. I feel like I am flopping around like a fish out of water just tossing and turning all night long trying to get comfortable. I see lots of falling asleep to HypnoBirthing in my future. I tend to get a deeper sleep and don't toss and turn when listening to it!

Energy Bites

Recipe by Jenna V.

You can add any nuts or chopped dried fruit and berries that you think would taste good.

1 cup (dry) oatmeal (I used old-fashioned GF oats, but 1 min or regular oats works fine too)

2/3 cup toasted coconut flakes
1/2 cup peanut butter 

1/2 cup ground flaxseed or wheat germ (much prefer flaxseed)

1/2 cup chocolate chips (I like dark chips)
1/3 cup honey (I usually do about 1/2 agave nectar
    and 1/2 honey - if only using agave it doesn't bind as well)
1 Tbsp. chia seeds (optional)
1 tsp. vanilla extract ( pure vanilla, not imitation)

Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl until it looks like a evenly distributed uniformed dough. Roll the dough into 1 1/2 inch balls. Stick in the fridge to harden and store in a air tight container in the fridge.

~This is what happens when a 2.5 year old LOVES THEM! He sticks his hand in the shot right as you take the pix!~

Food OVERLOAD!

Not only did I make 8 dozen cookies this past weekend, I also signed up to take some cookies to a church function tonight, which means more baking. Then I got a call from the hubs yesterday that he is supposed to bring something to a potluck today. I got the call yesterday afternoon. He has known about this party for over a week and I get the call the day before!

I told him, I bet this is what it feels like when a 10 year old comes up to his mom and says, "mom I have a project due tomorrow. Can you help me make it?" A mom would internally scream, takes a deep breath and calmly asks her kid, " how long have you known about this project?" "3 weeks." ARGH! I know this will happen to us at some point, and more than once. But it just goes to show that my hubby is a big kid! Anyhew, I am making my grandma's marshmallow fruit cocktail (see below for recipe if you want to try it, but my Grandma made it and it is really yummy!) for him to take to work and the cookies for tonight, I am making this easy fudge.

(source of photo)

Tuesday while on the on the treadmill running the Pioneer Women came on the food network and she made Quick and Easy Peppermint Fudge. It looked totally too easy! Just chocolate, sweetened condensed milk and peppermint candies for the topping. That's it! Not sure how it will turn out but 3 ingredients and 2 of them I already have on hand, can't beat that! (Also, I am going to add some chopped walnuts to it. YUMMY!)

Now, time to plan our Christmas meal. What should we do? Oh and yesterday I found out that my mom reads my blog! HI MOM!!! She was asking me questions about the hidden gifts in the house growing up.

Marshmallow Fruit Cocktail: 

2 cans Fruit Cocktail
1 can pineapple triangles
1 can mandarine oranges
1 can maraschino cherries
1 cup shredded coconut
1 c of "tiny" marshmallows
16 oz sour cream
12 tablespoons sugar

Mix together and let set in fridge for a couple hours before serving.

QOTD: Do you do too much cooking/baking around the holiday?

Good Eats- Holiday Treats

Tonight I was schedule to go to a cookie exchange but sadly I am still not feeling 100% and don't want to bake my germs into the cookies or scare the other ladies away with my lovely cough! Ahem. 

I thought I would share with you what I would have brought tonight just for fun. We were asked to bring an appetizer so naturally I wanted to bring pumpkin pie. (plus I would have had to make 2, one for the party and one for the hubs. IT IS HIS FAV!) It counts as an appetizer right??? And the cookies, well let's just say there is a yummy little kick with them. They are super easy to make too. Delicious too!

Both recipes are from Pilsbury, go figure. Now keep in mind these are Holiday Treats. Eat them in moderation because they are in no way healthy foods so eat with caution because the cookies, well, it is hard to have just one! 

Streusel-Topped Pumpkin Pie

A crunchy oat topping complements every bite of creamy pumpkin pie. Refrigerated pie crust makes it super easy! (but I make homemade because it is just more fun!)

8 servings

Crust

 1 box Pillsbury® refrigerated pie crusts, softened as directed on box

I use this recipe by Ina Garten for my perfect pie crust! 

Filling

1 can (15 oz) pumpkin (no pumpkin pie mix)

1 can (12 oz) evaporated milk (1 1/2 cups)

½ cup granulated sugar

2 eggs, slightly beaten

1 ½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

¼ teaspoon salt

Streusel

¼ cup packed brown sugar

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened

½ cup chopped pecans

½ cup quick-cooking oats

Topping

1 teaspoon grated orange peel

1 container (8 oz) frozen whipped topping, thawed (3 cups)

Steps

1) Heat oven to 425°F. Place pie crust in 9-inch glass pie pan as directed on box for One-Crust Filled Pie.

2) In large bowl, mix filling ingredients until well blended. Pour into crust-lined pan.

3) Bake 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F; bake 15 minutes. Meanwhile, in small bowl, mix streusel ingredients.

4) Sprinkle streusel over pumpkin filling. Bake 15 to 20 minutes longer or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely, about 1 hour.

5) Gently fold orange peel into whipped topping. Serve pie with topping. Store in refrigerator.

--------------------------------------

Nutty Chocolate Hot Bites

(For cookie exchanges I call them Adult Nookie Cookies, cause they are hot, hot, hot!)

S'more flavors with a pinch of heat fill a yummy chocolate-chip cookie cup.

24 Servings

Ingredients

1 package (16 oz) Pillsbury® Ready to Bake! Refrigerated chocolate chip cookies (24 cookies)

1 ¼ cups Mixed Nuts with Peanuts

1 ¼ cups Hershey’s Special Dark chocolate baking chips

1 ¼ cups marshmallow creme

2 tablespoons half-and-half

1/8 teaspoon Ground Red Pepper (cayenne) (I use an extra dash to get a little more heat)

Steps

1) Heat oven to 375°F. Place paper baking cup in each of 24 regular-size muffin cups. Place 1 cookie dough round in each cup. Using floured fingers, press dough to flatten slightly.

2) Bake 7 to 10 minutes or until golden brown. Cool in pans 15 minutes. Remove from pans to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 20 minutes.

3) Meanwhile, remove Brazil nuts from mixed nuts; coarsely chop Brazil nuts. In 2-quart saucepan, heat chocolate chips, marshmallow creme, half-and-half and red pepper over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until chips are melted and mixture is smooth. Stir in remaining mixed nuts.

4) Drop about 1 tablespoon nut mixture onto each cookie. Let stand about 15 minutes or until chocolate is set. To serve, remove bites from paper baking cups. If desired, place each bite into a new paper baking cup.

Good Eats: Chicken Noodle Soup

(source)

I am in need of some comfort soup when I'm not feeling well and well, I am not feeling all too well today. Mace was a little sick on Sunday. Matt was sick for the last 2 days with some tummy issue and now I have it along with a killer headache and stuffed nose. Not feeling the love to get these sickness germs! I was hoping I could avoid it but looks like I can't. AND this is NOT the week I want to be sick on. It is concert week for me, late night rehearsals Wednesday-Friday and concert Saturday and Sunday. AND my studio Christmas recital on Saturday afternoon. NOT A GOOD WEEK TO GET SICK!

Well after some digging around on the internet I found a chicken noodle soup that actually looks really good, and it doesn't take 13 hours to make like Ina Garten recipe does. (Who has that much time to make soup when they feel like crap!)

Another food network chef I like is the Pioneer Women. I watch her when she is on at the gym and her recipes seem easy to follow and usually don't require too much to it. Her chicken noodle recipe is not brothy, it is thick and has chunks of chicken, carrots, and celery. And thickened up at the end like a rue. And she does use the bones to simmer in the broth for a little bit so you still get that "homemade broth" taste that Ina likes to do but without the time! So here it is. I am going to try it out, probably not today, since that involves leaving the house and such when I don't feel well, but I'm putting it on here for later!

Homemade Chicken and Noodles- Ree Drummond- The Pioneer Women

Prep Time:

 10 Minutes

 

Cook Time:

 1 Hour

 

Difficulty:

 Easy

 

Servings:

 6

Print Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 whole Cut Up Fryer Chicken
• 2 whole Carrots, Diced
• 2 stalks Celery, Diced
• 1/2 whole Medium Onion, Diced (optional)
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 1/2 teaspoon Turmeric
• 1/4 teaspoon White Pepper (more To Taste)
• 1/4 teaspoon Ground Thyme
• 2 teaspoons Parsley Flakes
• 16 ounces, weight Frozen "homemade" Egg Noodles
• 3 Tablespoons All-purpose Flour

Preparation Instructions

Cover chicken in 4 quarts water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Simmer for 30 minutes.

Remove chicken from pot with a slotted spoon. With two forks, remove as much meat from the bones as you can, slightly shredding meat in the process. Return bones to broth and simmer on low, covered, for 45 minutes.

Remove bones from broth with a slotted spoon, making sure to get any small bones that might have detached.

Add the carrots and celery (and onions, if using) to the pot, followed by the herbs and spices. Stir to combine and simmer for ten minutes to meld flavors.

Increase heat and add frozen egg noodles and chicken. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes.

Mix flour and a little water. Stir until smooth. Pour into soup, stir to combine, and simmer for another 5 minutes, or until broth thickens a bit. Test and adjust seasonings as needed.

Good Eats- Spinach Salad

(source)

I know, I know what you are thinking. Spinach salad, blah or I already have a ton of those how is yours any different or special. Here is this AMAZING recipe! It is also REALLY GOOD! The kicker for this salad is the HOMEMADE DRESSING that is TO DIE FOR! Seriously! In my house, it is not a holiday without this salad. So I thought I would bring this out to you before the big day so just in case you want to try out this AMAZINGLY Yummy salad you can!

It is easy. Yummy and everyone will like it, unless they really don't like to eat salads in the first place. Like my husband. It's a lost cause.

Spinach Leaf Salad with Homemade Poppy Seed Dressing

Salad:

~2 bunches fresh spinach leaves, stemmed and washed (pat dry with paper towels.) OR 2 bags of baby spinach leaves

~1/4 lb fresh mushrooms, sliced

~1/2 lb bacon (8 slices), cooked and crumbled

~1/4 lb swiss cheese, grated

~1/4 red onion, thin half moons

~6 boiled eggs, sliced

~croutons

Dressing: Combine in a Blender

~1 cup salad oil

~1/3 cup cider vinegar

~3/4 cup brown sugar

~1 tablespoon dry mustard

~1/2 teaspoon salt

~1 tablespoon red onion (from the salad)

~1 tablespoon poppy seeds

Assemble salad in a large bowel. Combine dressing ingredients in the blender and blend together. (If you pre make the dressing store it in the fridge and blend it together just before serving because the oil will separate.) Just before serving, pour dressing over salad and stir well. Top with croutons. 

There you have it. Super simple and super yummy! Here are some changes that I have made over the years. I buy the bags of spinach, the pre-sliced mushrooms, pre-grated cheese, use the egg slicer thing to slice the eggs and I don't use bacon or croutons in it. Super no-fuss. I also tend to use a smidge more apple cider vinegar and a little extra brown sugar. I like it sweet but tangy! Play around with it and make it your own. Enjoy these good eats. This salad is great anytime but it has become a holiday tradition in my family! Maybe it will be for yours too!

QOTD: Do you think you will try this for one of your Thanksgiving sides? LET ME KNOW IF YOU DO AND WHAT YOU THINK!

Good Eats- Vegan Baked Ziti

First off, we are not vegans, or vegetarians. We are carnivores. We like our meat in this house, but every now and then I will throw in a meatless meal. Not always a hit but this one was not a miss.

Don't let the name fool you. Vegan. Yes, Vegan. Vegan does not mean that there is no flavor and that you won't like it. Trust me! YOU WILL LIKE THIS! Because of this recipe I have found a new herb that I like to throw in various dishes now because of the black licorice taste and deep flavor it gives. Who knows what herb I am talking about???

Fennel seed! It is actually a really cool herb to use. So this recipe I found almost 2 years ago. (Still trying to find the website where I originally found it. When I find it, it will go here. Sorry!) Try this recipe out. Super healthy and super filling!

Vegan Baked Ziti w/Roasted Vegetables

• 1 lb. eggplant, peeled or not, cut into 1" cubes
• 1 large red onion, cut into 1" cubes
• 2 yellow peppers, large pieces
• 1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 16 oz. ziti pasta, cooked
• 1 bunch fresh spinach, chopped ~( I used a small spinach container)~
• 1 cup non-dairy cheese, Mozzarella, grated (I like Follow Your Heart) (parm cheese works too)

FOR THE SAUCE:

• 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 cup onions, fine chopped
• 2 teaspoons garlic, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon fennel seed
• 2 pounds tomatoes, crushed
• Sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon organic sugar
• 1 pinch thyme
• 2 Tablespoon fresh parsley

1. Heat oven to 450F. Toss eggplant, red onion, peppers, oil and salt in small baking dish. Roast 30 minutes, stirring once or twice until vegetables begin to brown.

2. TO MAKE SAUCE: Heat oil in saucepan. Add onions and cook covered over med-low heat 10 minutes. Stir in garlic, red pepper and fennel seed; cook 30 seconds. Add tomatoes, salt, pepper, sugar and thyme. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes. Stir in parsley. (Makes 3 cups.)

3. Reduce oven heat to 400F. Toss ziti pasta with vegetables, sauce, spinach and cheese in bowl. Spread in shallow 3-quartbaking dish. Bake 20 minutes or until bubbly.

Serves 6. (we actually got closer to 9 servings because it was so filling)

Per Serving: 427 Calories; 2g Fat (5.1% calories from fat); 23g Protein; 79g Carbohydrate; 7g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 429mg Sodium.