The Daily Rush

1 pound Yukon gold potatoes, quartered
4 stalks celery, cut in 1/2
1/2 large onion, quartered
2 cups water
2 tablespoons Italian seasoning, to be divided
1 tablespoon garlic pepper
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (frozen or thawed)

Place vegetables in bottom of slow cooker. Add water, 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning, and the garlic pepper. Place chicken on top of vegetables and sprinkle with remaining tablespoon of Italian seasoning and the red wine vinegar. Cook on high for 1 hour and low for 4 to 6 hours. Or cook on low setting only, for 6 to 8 hours.

Looking for solutions to easily add more fruit and veggies to your day? Try these tips:

• A small glass (6 ounces) of 100% fruit juice at breakfast
• Have a box or raisins for a snack
• Add a can of beans or peas to your favorite soup
• Add lettuce and tomato to a sandwich
• Add vegetables and green peppers to prepared spaghetti sauce
• Serve applesauce as a side dish
• Add bananas or berries to your morning cereal

8 ounces elbow macaroni
2 teaspoons fresh minced garlic
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
4 Roma tomatoes
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
Cook pasta according to package directions. In a large bowl, combine olive oil, minced garlic, and Italian seasoning. Chop tomatoes into bite-size chunks and stir to coat in oil mixture. Drain pasta and toss with tomato mixture. Add cheese and toss until just melted. Season with salt and pepper to your liking.

While many of us enjoy and desire a family dinner hour; the average American family only has dinner together once per week. Finding the hour for dinner is one thing, finding the time to plan and prepare is another. Theme Nights are a simple solution to reduce planning, simplify shopping and spend less time in the kitchen and more time at the table.

As a family, choose a theme for each night of the week. Be creative! Here are some Rush Hour Theme Night favorites.

Finger Foods

This could be appetizer trays of fruit, vegetables, cheese and crackers, mini-sandwiches, hot dogs on sticks-anything that can be tackled by hand… literally!

Breakfast for Dinner

If your family is at all like mine, a leisurely breakfast of omelets, pancakes, and sausage is more often seen in the movies than at your busy breakfast table. Try these as a dinner dish when family has time to enjoy them.

Pasta Presto

You pick the type and the night for Pasta Presto. Perhaps it’s spaghetti, fettuccini, macaroni, lasagna-just pick a sauce and pasta and check a weeknight off your list.

Meat and Potatoes

The good ol’ American standby makes for a great meal. While these once took intense oven preparation, today’s technology offers other options.

Some Assembly Required

Whether its pizza, tacos or baked potatoes; this night features a main course that each family member can customize to their liking.

Kid’s Cook

(Or spouse cooks, or mailman cooks)-You get the picture-someone other than Mom gets to man the kitchen (and the dishes) for this night.

Soup & Sandwich

There is a reason almost every restaurant offers a soup and sandwich special-it’s a hearty, healthy and wholesome combo!

Make It and Bake It

When in a rush there is nothing like the beloved casserole. Choose your favorite, throw it together, and toss it in the oven for a 30-minute-bake. Don’t forget to double your recipe and reserve one for freezing.

This simple recipe is a “reader’s favorite” and goes over well with kids too. Be prepared-they will likely request seconds!1(16 ounce) package penne pasta
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1 cup Mexican-style cheese, shredded
1 container part-skim ricotta cheese
4 ounces pepperoni sliced

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cook pasta according to package directions. Spray a 9 x 13 -inch glass baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. In a large bowl, whisk eggs lightly. Stir in remaining ingredients. Drain pasta and add to mixture, tossing to coat. Transfer mixture to baking dish. Bake at 375º for 25 minutes or until edges are golden. Let stand 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

Plastic 2-liter soda bottles make great banks for the kids to make and use! Cut a coin slot about an inch below the neck of a plastic soda bottle. Decorate the bank with construction paper and make it into an animal, cartoon character, plant or a piece of modern art!

Tomatoes contain something called lycopene–which (when cooked) becomes a cancer fighting substance. Tomatoes also contain lutein–something that fights macular degeneration in our vision. It is also believed that tomatoes in our diet can play an important part in the control of cholesterol-related heart problems. And, last but not least, one medium fresh tomato equals about 47% of our daily requirement of Vitamin C and 22% of our need for Vitamin A.

Makes 4-6 servings

1 lb. lean ground chuck
1 medium onion chopped
1-2 tablespoons minced garlic (I use 2, love that garlic!)
2 cans (15 ounce) Hunts tomato Sauce
1 can (15 ounce) Hunts Tomato Sauce with Basil and Oregano
1 small can (6 ounce) Tomato Paste
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
3 tablespoons light Brown Sugar
16 ounces pasta

Brown beef, onion and garlic over medium-high heat. Drain. Add all remaining ingredients EXCEPT tomato paste and let simmer on low heat for 20-30 minutes stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions. Check for consistency - if you like a thicker sauce add paste by spoonful to reach desired consistency. (I add the whole can at this point in the cooking process.) If you add paste, stir and let simmer another 10 minutes. Sample. it should be delicious! If you like a sweeter sauce, add one more tablespoon of light brown sugar. Serve

Note: Although we only have a family of 3 and my daughter is going through her anti-sketti-sauce phase, I still make the full batch and sometimes even double it! This freezes easily and keeps for 3 months. Simply transfer from freezer the night before and then reheat in a saucepan. You can add fresh green peppers, mushrooms, garden tomatoes… to jazz up the sauce to your liking.

INGREDIENTS
1 teaspoon dried, dill weed, crumbled
2 ½ tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon honey
6 salmon fillets
Vegetable oil spray (optional)
Preheat broiler to 450 degrees. Whisk dill weed, mustard, and honey together
in a small bowl. Brush mixture over the flesh side of washed and dried salmon.
Put fish skin side down on a sprayed baking sheet. Broil about 6 inches from
heat for 5 to 7 minutes (depending on size of fillets) or until sides of fish flake
with a fork.

More for fun than a Freudian study, here are what some popular herbs represent:
Basil …Love (or hate)
Bay …..Victory
Lavender …..Acknowledgement
Fennel….Praise
Caraway….. Retention
Marjoram …… Happiness
Mints ……Wisdom
Rosemary ….. Remembrance
Sage ….. Long Life
Thyme …… Bravery

So the next time you are feeling under the weather, stock up on the marjoram!