snack ideas

1. Almonds, gently toasted in a pan -- Rich in protein, plenty of crunch
2. Granny Smith apple slices topped with cheddar slices -- One fruit serving and a great way to get fiber and calcium
3. Dried cranberries -- a surprising, tasty source of vitamin C
4. Hard-boiled Eggs -- protein in a handy take-along package
5. Dried Apricots -- Loaded with Vitamin A, promotes healthy skin, eyes, and bones
6. Hummus spread on romaine lettuce leaves and rolled into a "wrap" -- A meatless protein source, plus romaine provides twice as much folate and Vitamins A and C as iceberg lettuce
7. Yogurt with a sprinkling of Grape-Nuts cereal for crunch -- Calcium, protein, and fiber all in one
8. Pickle spear wrapped in a slice of turkey -- Jazz up that lean protein with a taste of crunchy dill
9. Multigrain Toaster Waffle -- top with blackstrap molasses for extra iron
10. Oatmeal cookies -- sweet source of carbohydrates, for extra energy
11. Oat Bran pretzel nuggets -- tasty, snackable source of fiber
12. Half a banana rolled in wheat germ -- potassium plus protein equals a super snack
13. Veggie Booty -- these "gourmet" puffed-rice-and-corn snacks are made with super-healthy kale, but they taste so great that you'd never know it
14. Whole wheat graham crackers with peanut butter and unsweetened fruit spread -- a childhood classic remade for optimal protein and fiber
15. Cottage cheese mixed with crushed unsweetened pineapple, spread on rice cake -- calcium and protein, sweetened with a taste of the tropics
16. Kiwi fruit -- an excellent source of vitamin C
17. Enriched, high-fiber cereal sprinkled with fresh blueberries -- a slew of vitamin and minerals, served up in a spoon
18. Edamame (also called "vegetable soybeans" or "sweet beans"), served chilled with a sprinkling of sea salt -- these cute green beans, often sold in the supermarket frozen-food section, are a crunchy, addictive source of protein, Vitamin A, folate, iron, and calcium
19. A handful of grape tomatoes -- little bombs packed with vitamin C
20. Celery sticks with dip made with pureed fresh spinach and yogurt -- a tasty way to eat your dark-green leafy veggies (a great source of folic acid)
21. Fresh cherries -- sweet treats, fun to eat, a source of Vitamin C
22. Baked potato topped with plain yogurt and chives -- eat the potato skin, which is full of iron
23. Skim milk and banana smoothie -- protein, calcium, and potassium in a glass
24. Mango cubes -- full of Vitamin A, for baby's cell growth
25. Old-fashioned (not instant) oatmeal sprinkled with raisins -- fiber and iron, great anytime of day
26. Oven-baked sweet potato fries -- a healthier, nutrient-rich alternative to ordinary fries
27. Zucchini bread -- tasty way to get your veggies in!
28. Sardines (with bones) mashed with lemon juice and scallion, spread on melba toast -- calcium source, plus fatty acids for brain development
29. Low-sodium vegetable juice -- counts as a serving of dark leafy and yellow veggies
30. Cantaloupe slices squirted with lime -- Vitamins A and C, a refreshing treat
31. Tofu cubes marinated in rice vinegar and sesame oil -- pure protein, Asian-style.
32. Low-fat pumpkin muffin -- Comfort food loaded with vitamins and minerals
33. Melted swiss cheese and mustard on whole-grain bread -- calcium and fiber, in a grown-up version of a kiddie favorite
34. Baby carrots dunked in salsa-cottage cheese dip -- Spicy and satisfying, plus lots of Vitamins A and E
35. Half an avocado, cubed and topped with fresh lime juice and chopped cilantro -- Rich in healthy fats, no cholesterol and a great source of folates
36. Salmon (with bones) mixed with a bit of mayo and spread on half a whole wheat bagel -- calcium and fiber, soothes hunger pangs
37. Blanched Broccolini spears drizzled with a tablespoon of your favorite salad dressing -- an upgrade from broccoli, packed with Vitamin C
38. A handful of baked tortilla chips, under the broiler with shredded jack cheese Ben & Jerry's

After much searching, this is the only recipe I've been able to find for Cafe Rio's Sweet Pork. Out here in Oregon, I am seriously missing Cafe Rio! I haven't made it yet, but I plan to as soon as I run to the grocery store to get the ingredients!
SWEET PORK LIKE CAFE RIO
2 1/2 pounds pork
1/3 cup water
1/8 tsp garlic salt
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1/2 cup green chili sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar
Put pork, 1/3 cup water, garlic salt, salt, and pepper, in the crock pot.
Cover and cook on high for 4 hours.
Drain, shred pork, stir in 1/2 cup green chili sauce and 1/2 cup brown sugar.Let me know if it turns out!

AFE RIO SWEET PORK
Pork Loin
4 cans of tomato sauce
2 cans of pato sauce(yellow can found in Latino section)
1 Cup Brown Sugar
Cook Pork Loin in Crock Pot until it can be shreded.

Drain all liquid out of Crock Pot.
Put tomato sauce, pato sauce and brown sugar into crock add shredded pork Heat and serve.

This is our revised recipe:
Pork Loin
4 cans of tomato sauce
1 can pato sauce (yellow can found in the Latino section)
2 cups of brown sugar.

Same directions as aboveWe like the revised recipe better, tastes more like the real stuff....

1 teaspoon ground cumin1 teaspoon oregano1 teaspoon powdered allspice1 teaspoon powdered cinnamon1 teaspoon salt1 teaspoon ground coriander1 teaspoons ancho chile powder4 cloves garlic, minced and mashed to a paste2 tablespoons orange juicejuice from one lime plus 1/4 cup rasberry vinegarWe topped it with the things they do at Cafe Rio, Cilantro, guacamole, salsa and black beans.Your dressing is perfect exactly as it is:2 cups mayonaisse2 cups sour cream10 sprigs of cilantro3 los tomates (green tomatoes-fresh or canned2 green onions (washed and chopped)2 cloves of garlic1 jalapeno pepper (seeds and all)juice of 1 lime1 or 2 tsp. of salt (depends on how much salt you like)Because there are only two of us, we divided it into four more equal parts and froze it in kits ready to buy new cilantro and heat the meat.We put the tortillas into pie pans, sprinkled with cheese and baked for about 7 minutes just before serving.Absolutely fabulous! Thank You!Anita

Café Rio Dressing
1 buttermilk ranch dressing packet (make as per recipe)
2 tomatillos (tomato like vegetable with a husk around them)
½ bunch of cilantro
1 clove garlic
Juice of 1 lime
1 jalapeño (Use the seeds too if you like it spicy.
You could substitute a few drops of green tobasco for the jalapeno.)

Use a food processor to blend all the ingredients well. Refrigerate.

Cafe Rio Chicken
1 small bottle Kraft Zesty Italian Dressing
1 T chili powder1
T cumin
3 cloves garlic—
minced5 lbs chicken breast

Cook all together in a crock pot for 4 hours, shred meat and cook 1 additional hour.

(Kraft Zesty Italian Dressing has 2 grams of sugar per serving. I try to avoid dressings with sugar, but this is a very small amount. You're only using 8 ounces of the dressing per 5 pounds of chicken if you follow this recipe, so it should be fine, even for South Beach Dieters.)

Aji Verde Sauce

Aji Verde Sauce Recipe
Ingredients:
3/4 cup fresh cilantro
1/3 cup Cotija Cheese
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/3 cup water
2 to 3 jalapenos, stemmed, seeded, and diced (keep the seeds if heat is desired)
1 clove garlic
1/2 teaspoon red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Directions: 1) Puree the cilantro, cheese, olive oil, water, jalapenos, garlic, vinegar, and salt in a blender until smooth.

For several dipping bowls of sauce, you'll need:
1 bunch of cilantro
As many chili peppers as you can stand.
The recipe generally calls for about 3 jalapenos.
1 clove of garlic
Salt to taste, about 1/2 tsp to start
Olive oil, about 1/4 cup to start
Mayonnaise, about 3 tblsp to start
(Substitute with oil and blend until it becomes creamy if you want to keep this more authentic.)1/4 cup water
Optional: Freshly squeezed lemon juice or white vinegar if you want a bit of tang.

Some recipes call for cilantro leaves only, but I threw in the stems as well to add some liquid to the sauce. I know cilantro is an acquired taste, so substitute with iceberg or romaine lettuce if you want a neutral taste but want to retain the green color.Halve and de-seed the chili peppers. Make sure you wear gloves or thoroughly wash your hands afterward. And don't rub your eyes!Puree all the ingredients in a blender, food processor, or hand immersion blender. It's like making pesto, start with the basic portions and adjust according to your taste. What worked for me was roughly those amounts. Add mayonnaise for creaminess. You can add water too if the sauce appears too thick. I've seen some recipes that called for white cheese or nuts, but felt those were too strong in taste since the versions of aji sauce that I've liked were light in flavor, with just an undertone of spiciness.Serve with bread for dipping.

Brine and Grill a Turkey!!!

http://virtualweberbullet.com/turkey3.html

Pumpkin Dessert

Pumpkin Dessert

1 yellow cake mix (reserve 1 c.)
½ tsp. pumpkin pie spice
½ c. butter, melted
½ c. brown sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp. vanilla
3 c. canned pumpkin (15 oz.)
¼ c. sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. cinnamon
2/3 c. evaporated milk
¼ c. butter, melted

Combine cake mix (leaving out one c.), ½ c butter and 1 egg. Press into a 9x13-inch greased baking pan. Mix pumpkin, 2 eggs, milk, pumpkin pie spice, sugar and vanilla. Pour over crust. Combine reserved cake mix, sugar, cinnamon and ¼ c butter. Crumble over pumpkin mixture. Bake in 350 degree oven for 45 minutes.