Keith Ahrens

contributed by Darcy W.

Ingredients

Halves of acorn squash with the seeds scooped out
1 Tablespoon of honey or as needed
1 Tablespoon of grapeseed oil or as needed
Dried cranberries

Instructions

A pencil has an eraser on it.  So if you mess up once in a while, you can go back and correct yourself until the eraser runs out.  Isn’t the same true with healthy eating and fitness?  In most cases, if you mess up today you can go back and start anew tomorrow. You just don’t want to use your eraser all up.  – Keith

What I did today doesn’t really matter anymore. It may have been a good day or a bad day. But I must focus on what’s ahead of me. What will I do tomorrow and how will I accomplish my goals for tomorrow, whatever they may be? When I wake up tomorrow I have another opportunity to do what I dreamed of today.

– Keith

Wear your sneakers to work April 7. Get out even if it’s for just a few minutes. American Heart Association – Tomorrow is National Start! Walking Day. Join people across the country and walk for 30 minutes www.startwalkingnow.orgwww.startwalkingnow.org

Walmart sells everything… or so I thought!  I went to Walmart and looked for the “Human Heart” isle.  I asked every person with a blue jacket where they were.  No one could answer me.  I realized that they don’t sell them. I was amazed and decided to take better care of the one I had:)

Do you have a goal that can help your heart? Goals that you set for yourself need to be practical and achievable. Break your goals into small, relatively short and measurable events. Make sure you can Win. Small Wins will help you build the momentum you need to take the next step.

– Keith

Contributed by Kelly C.

Ingredients:

3-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
Fresh minced garlic to taste
Spoon-size or small noodles, any shape
10-12 cups water
10-12 chicken bouillon cubes
1 small bag baby carrots
Sweet corn (fresh, frozen or canned)
3-4 stalks of celery
Several leaves of fresh baby spinach
Seasoning / pepper

Instructions:

In pan, sauté the chicken breasts whole and minced garlic. Add seasoning & pepper to taste. I use a little water (not oil) to keep the chicken from sticking to the pan. Once the chicken is fully cooked, chop it into bite size pieces (saves from the unpleasant task of having to cut up raw chicken). Set aside.

In separate pan, cook the noodles; drain and set aside.

In large pot bring water and bouillon cubes to a boil. Add all vegetables (cut to bite size pieces), with the exception of the spinach. Add chicken/garlic to broth. Turn heat to low and simmer covered until vegetables are done. Add spinach leaves, cover again and turn burner to off.

To serve, add the desired amount of noodles to each individual bowl (no need to keep them warm or “un-sticky”). Pour soup over the noodles. Enjoy!

(Note: To keep leftovers, store noodles and soup separately to avoid mushy noodles when heated back up… do not combine until serving.)

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Contributed by Kelly C.

Ingredients:

Boboli pizza crust (typically found in the deli section)
Light olive oil
Thyme
Baby spinach leaves, fresh
Red & yellow bell peppers, if desired
Purple onion, if desired
Broccoli, if desired
Mushrooms, if desired
Crushed pineapple, if desired
Other pizza toppings, as desired
Light low-fat shredded mozzarella cheese

Instructions:

Pour a small amount of olive oil directly onto the Boboli crust. Spread around with your fingers. Sprinkle a small amount of thyme onto the crust. Place a bed of baby spinach leaves onto the crust, layered a bit, all the way to the edges (it may seem high, but it cooks down in the oven). Place your toppings onto the spinach. Top with low-fat mozzarella cheese. Bake in the oven at 325 degrees for approximately 12-15 minutes… more time may be necessary, depending on the amount of toppings used. Enjoy!

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Contributed by Bertie B.

Ingredients:

Rice cakes
Applesauce (unsweetened)
Cinnamon
Strawberries
Dark chocolate

Instructions:

Take a Quaker Rice cake; it’s only 50 calories (apple cinnamon) spoon on 1 T of unsweetened applesauce and add a sprinkle of cinnamon. You could also mash 3 strawberries put it on the rice cake of your choice (the caramel tastes nice too) and grate just a pinch of dark chocolate over the top.

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Another new month starts tomorrow. What a great opportunity to make a fresh commitment or renew a commitment to your heart and overall health and fitness. I am going to strive for a very, very, very low saturated fat month in addition to my regular physical fitness routine. What will you commit to? Make it achievable:)