My best friend, in an attempt to keep me up to date with current events, sent an email to me a few weeks ago. In this email she let me know that today, August 30th, is Toasted Marshmallow Day. To me, it seems like the perfect day for this holiday. It’s the end of summer, the temperature has soared into the upper 80s with lots of humidity, and a cookout with marshmallows is what is needed.

If you choose to celebrate this fine holiday and disregard your care of your dental implants, there are many options. You could go simple and take a small branch or skewer and toast a marshmallow over the campfire. However, for those of you with more diversified tastes, you could use that toasted marshmallow in a recipe. Though, being a hot day, we want to keep the recipes simple. Therefore, all of the toasted marshmallow recipes are for s’mores.

Traditional S’mores

1 graham cracker, broken into halves

1/4 of 1.55 ounce chocolate bar

1 marshmallow, toasted

Place chocolate on one half of graham cracker. Top with warm, toasted marshmallow. Place other half of graham cracker on top. Eat immediately.

Serves 1.

Berry S’mores

1 graham cracker, broken into halves

1 Tb. blueberry jam*

1 marshmallow, toasted

4 or 5 blueberries*

Spread jam on one half of graham cracker. Place marshmallow on jam. Top marshmallow with blueberries. Place other half of graham cracker on top of blueberries. Eat while warm.

Serves 1.

*Blueberry jam and blueberries can be replaced with strawberry jam and strawberries, black currant jelly and black currants, or raspberry jam and raspberries.

Crunchy, Chocolate S’mores

1 graham cracker, broken into halves

1 marshmallow toasted,

8 - 10 M&Ms

Place marshmallow on one half of the graham cracker. Press M&Ms into marshmallow. Place other half of graham cracker on top of M&Ms. Eat while warm.

Serves 1.

With the week of vacation ending, a healthy diet is required.   Too many mornings of full breakfasts and too many nights of large dinners have encouraged me to return to my usual healthy eating. 

Never having been a person who is able to skip meals, I always eat breakfast.  Sometimes it is simply a bowl of cereal, but quite often I crave something different.  It needs to be something easy to make, filling, and not calorie-laden.  A favorite choice of mine is a breakfast wrap. 

I find breakfast wraps to be a perfect breakfast choice.  I can use an assortment of ingredients in this meal, and it is quick to prepare.  Plus, it is a tasty, hold in your hand as you rush out the door sort of meal.  Additionally, the clean-up for this meal is quite simple, which aids in the rush out the door part of the meal.

 Best Breakfast Wrap

1/2 wrap (I prefer the low carb variety.)

2 egg whites or 1/3 cup egg substitute

2 Tb. salsa

2 Tb. mushrooms, sliced and sauteed

shredded cheddar cheese

Spray a small microwave-safe plastic bowl with nonstick cooking spray.  Place egg or egg substitute in bowl.  Add salsa and whisk to combine.  Cover with a paper towel and cook on high in microwave for 45 seconds.  Remove bowl and whisk.  Return to microwave, cook for 20 seconds, and whisk.  When eggs are set and no longer wet, place on wrap.  Top with mushrooms and cheese, and fold wrap like a burrito.

Additional ingredients can be used, such as onions, peppers, tomatoes, or spinach.

Serves 1.

My family and I have spent the past week on vacation in the Mid-Atlantic states. We have been to the beach several times and enjoyed the usual beach fare: french fries, ice cream, Italian ice water, caramel corn. Travelling by car with four children, there also have been numerous stops at fast food restaurants for pizza, fried chicken, and more french fries.

The vacation has been a success, except for the weather. Though when you are somewhere between the ages of six and eleven, overcast skies and chilly temperatures don’t stop you from jumping in the waves or hotel pool. Of course, that means mother and dad spend the afternoon watching from the shore or side, hoping that the kids will tire soon.

So, with the vacation coming to an end, I have been dreaming about returning home and having a nice, healthy salad for dinner. Something with a more exotic taste but nothing too wild for the kids. The salad that should work for all of us would be an Asian Chicken Salad.

Home, my own bed, healthy food. What more could a girl want?

Asian Chicken Salad

1 pound boneless chicken breast

2 hearts of romaine lettuce

4 scallions

1 red pepper

2 large carrots

1 11 oz. can mandarin oranges

1 bag slivered almonds

3/4 cup chow mein noodles

The Ginger People Ginger Sesame Vinaigrette

Preheat grill. Rinse chicken and pat dry. Place chicken on grill, and cook for 5 minutes on each side, or until cooked through. Allow to cool on cutting board.

While chicken is cooking, shred lettuce into bite-sized pieces and place in large bowl. Cut off ends of scallions and slice thinly. Remove seeds and cut pepper into thin strips. Shred carrots. Place all veggies in bowl and mix well. Divide salad onto four plates or bowls.

Cut cooked chicken into strips and divide among salads. Drain and top salads with mandarin oranges. Garnish salads with almonds and chow mein noodles.

Serve salads to diners, having them put on the desired amount of vinaigrette.

Serves 4.