Well, I've said this before. I don't like to cook. I am a good cook though since it is my 'duty' to prepare our food. (yuk!).

I try all kinds of stuff, but know what I'd really like??

I'd like simple ideas for meals which don't require so much prep or clean up.

I'd like to do healthier eating, but just more like 'noshing', not dining.

IF it were just me...I'd pick all day. I can eat an entire pint of blueberries or raspberries. Yum.

I'd like to have more veggies (fresh) with dips too.

(I hate to clean the veggies though). I try to clean veggies in the living room (with protective towels around) so I can watch the telly or something to take me away from the banality of the job.

Okay, this is nuts, but I just don't enjoy preparation and the clean up is so monotonous.

Am I alone in this?!

Tootsie

This is the best macaroni and cheese I have ever tasted and it's easy to make:

3/4 lb. ellbow macaroni noodles
3 large eggs
3 cups extra sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 Cup Sour Cream
1 & 1/4 Cup Milk
1/2 stick unsalted butter
Salt and Pepper to Taste

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Butter your baking dish (8X12 or 9X13)

Cook macaroni noodles.

Drain noodles (don't rinse!!) and transfer to a large bowl. Add two cups of the shredded cheese and stir until cheese has melted.

In another large bowl scramble the three eggs and add the sour cream. Mix until all the lumps are gone. Add the milk and the 1/2 stick butter (cut up into small pieces). Stir this mixture into the macaroni , mix well and transfer into buttered baking dish.

Top with remaining cheese and bake for 35 minutes.

Let stand about 10 minutes before eating.

More or less cheese can be used according to taste. I use Cracker Barrel Extra Sharp - it seems to melt the best and have the best flavor.

This recipe is for those of us who ....AHEM!!!! don't eat butter, chocolate, cake, icing, (ALL THE GOOD STUFF).

This is a very easy side dish, not fattening (at least not the way I make it). and you get your serving of vegetables. And you get a neat side dish.

You can also make this in variable ways to suit ANYONE's tastes.

All you do is take whatever veggies you prefer. For this one I'll use the one's I always make.

I take (all fresh now). Broccoli, zucchini and carrots.

I grate them using either a food processor, or a hand grater. I have a V SLICER and i can grate my veggies into little bits.

In a bowl, put all the ground up veggies (you can also make them look like little slivers (depends on the attachment you use to cut up the veggies).

Take one onion and chop it fine and add to veggie mixture. You can also add some chopped garlic.

So put all veggies in a big bowl. Add egg whites (or egg beaters), or eggs. I use the equivalent of two eggs.

Pour the egg mixture into the veggies. Add one half of unsalted breadcrumbs (we use un-salted) but any kind will do.

Add two teaspoons of seltzer (the carbonation will make the fritters puff up).

You can add salt and pepper to taste if you prefer.

Mix up the mixture, (adding more or less of the breadcrumbs so you get a nice handful that's easy to mold).

Now here's the fun part. You can shape this fritters into any shape you like.

Alan likes the shape of croquettes. I can shape them into croquettes, or into flat patties.

Once you make a batch of these, (now this is where you can make them the regular way (heat up oil in a frying pan), or non-fattening way (spray the frying pan with PAM or any non-stick coating.

Once the pan is nice and hot, place the croquettes or flat patties, in the hot pan, letting one side cook so thoroughly that it doesn't fall apart when you flip them. When one side is done and nicely browned, flip over and cook the other side. Cook on low (after they are browned) if they are croquettes, cook for 10 minutes, (you'll see how they look and you'll know when they are done).

Let's say you make 8 patties or croquettes. Use half one night and the other half the other night. But these are so good that if you have a lot of people, they'll gobble them up.

Now here's where it gets really interesting.

You can serve these with sour cream (absolutely divine).
You can serve these with apple sauce (also absolutely divine).

Or you can serve these like I make them for Alan.

I drizzle honey over the croquettes and add Splenda. Alan has taste buds problem since he used the fentanyl pain patch, and he can't taste sweet so I have to sweeten things extra for him.

Well, you should have seen his face the first time I made these with the honey and the splenda.

He said. "this is the most delicious thing I ever ate, WHAT IS THIS??

I simply said 'Brocolli, zuchini, and carrots".

Now you can use diced up red and yellow peppers which will add color.

Use your imagination.

This is a good side dish to get kids to eat their vegetables.

I can only imagine what serving it with Sour Cream would taste like.

Oh my god, MAYBE SOME DAY!!!

So enjoy!!

Hi. My daughter and her friends and dates are planning to have a supper/barbeque get-together with their parents after prom next weekend. Will probably will be 40-50 people.

She has volunteered to bring the dessert. She'd love to be able to bring a large wedding-like cake, but realizes that baking this might be beyond her expertise, and purchasing one beyond her budget.

So, she's looking for some other idea. Something sort of elegant. Perhaps a layered cake, of some kind.

I can follow a recipe, but have pretty much been a cake mix/brownie kind of mom.

Anyone have a suggestion for an attractive-looking cake that would be "special" for our senior prom kids?

~ Faith

Make a big sheet cake.

Buy any chocolate cake mix, or vanilla cake mix and add some pudding.

Many cake mixes already have the can of pudding in the box.

Make two of these so it can feed everybody (I'm sure there will be other desserts there as well).

So get two of those aluminum 9 X 13 pans. Pour in the batter.

Bake the cake according to directions.

Then spread some chocolate frosting.

Get some confetti sprinkles. And pour all the sprinkles on the top of the cake.

This is so easy to do. Takes no time. The confetti makes it party-time.

And the kids can have fun eating the sprinkles.

It's a very festive looking cake!!!

I thought of chocolate mud cake. That also comes in packets and what kid doesn't like chocolate cake?

Buy 2 boxes of mix and separate into 2 large tins. Frost with the chocolate icing that comes with the packet mix and Hey Presto!.... Instant success!.

Easy and Quick. Those are two of my requirements.

This recipe tastes really good. Healthy too. The ingredients make it sound complex but once you try it, you will be amazed.

Low Fat Chicken Parmesan

1 ½ cups shredded Parmesan cheese, divided
½ cup bread crumbs
2 tablespoons minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 teaspoon dried basil
¼ teaspoon salt, divided
1 large egg white, lightly beaten
1 pound chicken breast tenders
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
1 ½ cups bottled fat-free tomato-basil pasta sauce
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/3 cup shredded provolone cheese

1. Preheat the broiler
2. In a shallow dish, combine 2 tablespoons of the parmesan with the bread crumbs, parsley, basil and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Place the egg white in a second shallow dish.
3. Dip each chicken tender in the egg white, then dredge through the bread crumb mixture.
4. In a large nonstick ovenproof skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the chicken and cook 3 minutes per side or until done. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside.
5. In a microwave-safe bowl, combine the remaining salt with the pasta sauce, vinegar and pepper. Cover with plastic wrap, leaving one side loose to vent. Microwave on high for 2 minutes, or until thoroughly heated.
6. Pour the sauce over the chicken in the pan. Sprinkle evenly with provolone and remaining Parmesan. Broil 2 minutes, or until the cheese melts.

Nutrition Information per serving: 308 calories, 10 g total fat, 88 mg cholesterol, 808 mg sodium, 36 g protein, 16 g carbohydrates, 2 g dietary fiber

Source: Cooking Light magazine’s “Cooking Light Italian.”