I made myself this silly little promise some time ago about eating right, and being prepared.Lately, I think I’ve been slacking a bit. So, since I have a little time on my hands this weekend, I thought it would be a great opportunity to reacquaint myself with preparing a lot more meals in advance. It’s one of the best ways I know for staying away from the junk and keeping up the energy. My best friend for all this? My crockpot! I love finding a few recipes that I can set and forget, and then freeze into individual portions so there’s no excuse for not having a decent meal. Wow…it’s almost like being an adult!

   So where do you find your best go-to recipes for something like this? I’ve found a few websites that I like a lot, one of them called SparkPeople that’s a handy site for connecting with others who want to perhaps shed a few pounds, support each other and trade ideas and recipes. There’s one I found for a Chicken and Veggie Breakfast Muffin that is a great grab-and-go meal. It’s low fat, a good source of protein and an excellent way to sneak some veggies into the morning meal. And since it uses a muffin pan, there’s your individual portion. I’ve done this with a lot of recipes like this (the equivalent of a quiche without the crust) and they freeze very well.

   There’s another for a Loaded Breakfast Muffin that sounds good, but is not a strong source for protein which I really want first thing in the morning. But at only 100 calories per serving, I could add something like hard boiled eggs to take along to work. The only warning here is that it does have quite a few ingredients, and unless you’re going to use them on a regular basis, you have to weigh that when it comes to cost. Ingredients like wheat germ and flax meal may not be something you have in your pantry on a regular basis. But take a look, and tell me what you think.

   I also found a site call The Daily Green which looks interesting; they have a handy list for homemade granola bars that I want to take a closer look at. I’m one of those people who usually grab a protein bar for the road in the morning. But you know as well as I do that you really need to read the list of ingredients carefully. Not enough protein sometimes and way too much sugar.

   And of course since I'm a subscriber to Cooking Light, it would only be right to point out the great choices they have for us as well. See, variety really is the spice of life in Kelly's Kitchen!

   I’m very interested in what tips and tricks you might like to share! Send them along to ann.kelly@coxmg.com and let’s share that foodie love!

WORDS OF WISDOM FROM KELLY’S KITCHEN

Rich, fatty foods are like destiny: they too, shape our ends. ~Author Unknown~