Here are a few suggestions for quick and easy recipes that feature this stuff. Yes, these are treats, but my logic is we have all fall to try entrée recipes. (A hint of what's to come: bbq chicken pizza, sweet potato wraps and cilantro bean salad. Are you looking forward to October, or what?)

For now, here's what I've got: peach frozen yogurt, quick chocolate dipped strawberries, chocolate zucchini bread and jalapeño jelly.

1. Peach frozen yogurt
Ingredients:
½ C. peaches, peeled and chopped into small chunks
1/3 C. peaches, pureed until smooth
2/3 C. fat-free strawberry yogurt
Directions:
Lightly stir pureed peaches, peach chunks and yogurt in a small mixing bowl. Cover and freeze at least four hours. You could also try these in popsicle molds, although I didn't.

2. Quick choco-dipped strawberries
Ingredients:
¼ C. semi-sweet chocolate chips
¼ C. milk chocolate chips
1 Tbsp. shortening
1 Tbsp. milk
a dozen strawberries
Directions:
In a small saucepan over medium low heat, melt chocolate and shortening, stirring constantly. Once melted, add milk (a little more may be necessary) and stir constantly over heat until smooth. Reduce heat, but leave on stove top for dipping. Place strawberries on wax paper for cooling. A tip: Make sure strawberries are completely dry before plunging in the chocolate.

3. Chocolate zucchini bread
Ingredients:
2 squares unsweetened chocolate
3 eggs
2 C. sugar
1 C. oil
2 C. zucchini, grated
1 tsp. vanilla
2 C. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
½ C. chocolate (semi-sweet or milk)
Directions:
Microwave unsweetened chocolate squares until melted, stirring intermittently. In a large bowl, mix eggs, sugar, oil, zucchini, vanilla and melted chocolate. Beat well. Add dry ingredients. Mix well. Add chocolate chips. Pour batter into greased loaf pans. Bake at 350 degrees for about an hour, or until center isn't doughy. Delicious served warm.

4. Jalapeño jelly
Ingredients:
12 jalapeno peppers, stems cut off
4 jalapeno peppers, seeded and finely chopped
1 green bell pepper
1 ½ C. apple cider vinegar
4 C. sugar
4 ounces liquid pectin
Directions:
Blend 12 peppers and bell pepper in a food processor until finely chopped. Put mixture in a medium-sized pot with the cider vinegar and bring to a boil. Allow to simmer for 20 minutes. Strain the mixture, saving the juice and discarding the pulp. (You'll end up with about 1 cup of liquid, although it won't seem like much.) Put the liquid back in the pot and stir in the salt and sugar. Bring to a boil. Allow to boil for one minute; reduce heat to medium-low then stir in the liquid pectin. Add the diced jalapenos and allow to cool before transferring to storage containers.

Here are two very easy recipes for iced lemon cookie and glazed lemon poppy seed pound cake. Both start with store-bought mixes; each recipe comes together in no time and will get rave reviews.

Iced lemon cookies
Ingredients:
cookies:
1 package lemon cake mix
2 eggs
1/3 C. vegetable oil
icing:
1 ½ C. powdered sugar
¼ tsp. lemon extract
1 Tbsp. milk

Directions:
Mix cookies ingredients together, blending well. Drop balls of dough onto lined cookie sheets (not greased!). Bake at 350 degrees for no more than 10 minutes. Cookies will still appear gooey or cake-ish. Meanwhile, mix icing. Once cookies have cooled completely, spread icing on flat side of cookies and press together to make cookie sandwiches. Chill before serving.

Glazed lemon poppy seed pound cake
Ingredients:
bunt cake:
1 package pound cake mix
1, 8-ounce container low-fat sour cream
2 Tbsp. poppy seeds
5 tsp. lemon extract
3/4 C. low-fat sour cream
1/4 C. water
icing:
1 C. powdered sugar
1 tsp. lemon extract
1 Tbsp. milk

Directions:
Mix cake ingredients together, blending well. Pour into a well-greased bunt pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, or until cooked through, being mindful not to over-bake. Meanwhile, mix icing. Once cake is cooled, ease it out of bunt pan. Drizzle icing on top, allowing it to run down the cake's sides.

Here are some quickie sides: Potato salad that's not icky, corn bread that's not dry and corn on the cob that's not butter-soaked.

All three are done in no time and work well with whatever is coming off the grill as an entrée.

Next up: Desserts...

Potato salad
Ingredients:
1/2 pound red potatoes, quartered
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1 1/2 Tbsp. dijon mustard
1 Tbsp. rice vinegar
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 1/2 tsp. rosemary
1/2 tsp. black pepper
Directions:
Boil potatoes until softened slightly. Quarter potatoes and place in large bowl with onions. In a separate bowl, mix mustard, vinegar, oil, rosemary and pepper. Pour over potatoes and coat evenly. Serve chilled.

Corn bread
Ingredients:
1, 15-ounce can whole corn
1, 15-ounce cream-style corn
1, 8-ounce container low-fat sour cream
1, 8.5-ounce package corn bread mix
2 eggs
Directions:
Combine all ingredients and stir well. Pour into a lightly greased 9- by 13-inch baking dish; bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes or so, or until cooked through and top is light brown.

Corn on the cob
Lightly brush peeled corn cobs with olive oil. Mix ¼ tsp. black pepper and ½ tsp. garlic salt. Sprinkle on top. Place corn cobs in an aluminum foil pouch and grill for 20 minutes.

Beyond ice tea and lemonade, I'm being bold and recommending two ice cream float drinks for your next gathering. Once for the kids: berry soda chocolate floats. And one for the adults: Shiner beer vanilla floats.

Both have the same components of liquid and ice cream. For the non-a version, two scoops of chocolate (I like Haagen Dazs) and either strawberry, raspberry or black cherry soda (Jones makes all varieties, as do the grocery store brands). For the beer float, same ratio of vanilla topped with Shiner Boch beer.

Next up: Side dishes.

First up are grilled salmon sandwiches. The only labor intensive part of making and grilling these patties is separating the fish from its skin. I now know there's an easy way to do this: Buy it skinless.

Beyond that, all you're doing is mashing it with some other stuff, shaping it into a patty (about one-inch thick) and grilling it for a few minutes on each side. Before spreading the special mayo on the buns (I bought whole wheat mini loaves from the bakery), toast them on the grill. You may want to garnish the sandwich with tomato, lettuce or even a slice of crispy bacon.

Next up: Drinks...

Grilled salmon sandwiches (make four)
patties:
1 pound boneless, skinless salmon
½ C. bread crumbs
1/2 green onion, minced
2 tsp. ginger
½ tsp. black pepper
1 egg white
spread:
1 Tbsp. fresh cilantro, chopped
½ C. low-fat mayo
2 tsp. wasabi powder
1/2 green onion, minced
Directions:
Mash salmon in a mixing bowl, adding bread crumbs, green onion, ginger, pepper and egg white. Combine well. Shape into patties and grill over medium heat (use cooking spray on grates). Meanwhile, mix up mayo with cilantro, wasabi and onion. Just before removing salmon from the grill, lightly toast the buns; remove and spread with mayo mixture. Garnish and serve.

All you're doing is adding a Reese's peanut buttercup to a brownie mix. There a couple catches, but isn't there always. You won't be following the directions on the box, but a slightly modified version for a more fudge-like batter. I used a mini-muffin tin (with paper liners!), which yields the PERFECT brownie-to-buttercup ratio. And, a hint: the mini-muffin holes can be a little hard to fill. In a (rare) stroke of genius, I'll loaded my frosting gun with the batter and this was a breeze.

Ingredients:
brownie mix (about 20 ounces)
2 eggs
1/4 C. oil
3 Tbsp. water
about two dozen mini Reese's peanut butter cups
Directions:
Mix brownie ingredients until smooth. Fill paper-lined mini-muffin trays about 3/4 full. Place one, unwrapped peanut buttercup in each, pressing the candy until almost level with the brownie batter. Bake at 325 degrees for 16-18 minutes. Note: brownie will appear doughy when coming out of the over, but firm up when cooling. Don't over-bake!

Here is a recipe that I would definitely reserve for dinner guests. It's easy to make, somewhat unique and, of course, delicious.

You're doing nothing more than breading and baking chicken breasts, and assembling a relish to go on top. It's this topping that makes the dinner special. I'm sure we are all familiar with cherry tomatoes and (fresh!) basil, but may feel skeptical about the goat cheese. Don't let the goat throw you, although it is hard not to think of those little horns, that scraggily beard and the annoying noises they make. Goat cheese is smooth and creamy - one taste will wipe out barnyard animal thoughts.

Baked chicken with tomato, basil and goat cheese relish
Ingredients:
4 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless
bread crumbs, unseasoned
1 Tbsp. garlic, minced
3 Tbsp. water
2 C. cherry tomatoes, halved
¼ C. fresh basil, chopped
2 Tbsp. goat cheese, in small bits
olive oil
Directions:
Lightly coat chicken breasts in olive oil and cover in bread crumbs. Place in a baking dish coated in non-stick spray and bake at 350 degrees until cooked through (likely 25-30 minutes, depending on chicken thickness). Meanwhile, in a skillet, heat 2 tsp. or so of olive oil over medium-low. Add garlic and cook for about a minute, stirring gently. Add water and simmer until most of the liquid is cooked out. Add tomatoes, cooking just until warm. Add basil, leaving on heat just until blended with tomatoes. Remove skillet from heat and transfer into a mixing bowl. Add small chunks of goat cheese; stir. (Cheese will melt slightly.) Top chicken with relish and serve warm.

In an effort to go meat-less a couple times a week (Keep reading! Remember: food prices and obesity are both sky high!) here are two great dinner options.

Another bonus: Both are heat and eat. Make these in advance and warm them up at dinner time. How can you argue with that?

Garnish your garbanzo burgers as you would a hamburger; serve with baked chips. Whip up corn muffins from a mix to serve with your chili.

Garbanzo burgers
Ingredients:
1 ½ C. bread crumbs
3 Tbsp. garlic, minced
½ green bell pepper
1, 15-ounce can garbanzo (chickpea) beans
1 egg
flour
olive oil
Directions:
In a food processor, combine garlic and bell pepper until finely minced. In a mixing bowl, combine mixture with bread crumbs. In the food processor, add the can of garbanzo beans and about half its liquid, along with the egg. Blend until chopped. Add to bread crumb mixture in bowl. Season with salt, pepper or other spices if desired. Press mixture into patties. Lightly brush each patty with a little olive oil and dust with flour. Bake, cook in stove top, toast or grill. Serve in hamburger buns with lettuce, ketchup, mayo, mustard, etc.

Spicy bean chili
Ingredients:
1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. garlic, minced
3 Tbsp. chili powder
2 tsp. cumin
1, 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
1, 15-ounce can chicken broth
1, 15-ounce can corn
1, 28-ounce can black beans, drained
2, 2-ounce can green chilis, diced
shredded cheese, fat-free sour cream
Directions:
In a large pot or crock pot, combine all ingredients. Cook on medium heat until warmed through, or let simmer for several hours. Can be stored and reheated. Garnish with cheese, sour cream, etc.

I have to say this unusual combo was a great dinner. By that I mean very spicy with minimal clean up. There are no tricks here.

Just combine these seemingly uncomplimentary ingredients, add chicken, and leave on the "warm" setting of your crock pot all day long.

Slow-cooker chicken in spicy peanut sauce
Ingredients:
1, 10-ounce can diced tomatoes with peppers
1, 10-ounce can diced tomatoes
1/2 C. peanut butter
1 Tbsp. honey
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. cumin
1 Tbsp. red pepper flakes (optional)
2-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Directions:
Set cooker to warm setting. Combine ingredients in slow cooker (don't drain tomatoes). Stir until peanut butter is well blended. Add chicken, covering it with the mixture. Cover with lid and cook several hours. Spoon chicken and sauce over rice to serve.

Sure, I follow the directions that tell exactly how much to make for your desired serving size, but somehow I always end up with quadruple the amount I need. Thankfully, I have found a solution (other than just making one-fourth of what I think I need). Rice pudding!

This recipe is easy and has a long life, both on the front end (use rice that's been sitting in the fridge for awhile) and the back end (whip this up and it keeps for days).

Works great with whole grain and white rice.

Rice Pudding
Ingredients:
2 C. cooked rice
2 1/2 C. milk
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 egg
1 C. sugar
3/4 C. raisins
Directions:
In a small pot over medium heat, stir together rice and milk. Add egg, stirring until blended. Add sugar, cinnamon and raisins. Stir occasionally until desired thickness, reducing heat as needed to prevent boiling. Serve warm or cold.

Here's a baked pasta dish that has a nutty twist - literally.

This recipe calls for cashews in the standard ricotta cheese filling that we all know and love in our jumbo shells, manicotti, lasagna or whatever. We're also tossing in some sun dried tomatoes, which add some tang to the cheese mixture as well as the marinara.

Simply blend and fill your pasta. It's easy. I would sprinkle some broken cashews on top along with the cheese before baking for a little extra nutty crunch.

Sun-dried tomato cashew stuffed pasta shells
Ingredients:
Filling:
1 C. cashews
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. minced garlic
12 ounces ricotta cheese
1 1/2 tsp. dried basil
For shells:
1 package jumbo pasta shells
1 jar marinara
1/3 C. sun dried tomatoes in oil, chopped
mozzarella or Parmesan, as desired
Directions:
For filling: In a food processor, blend cashews lemon juice, olive oil and garlic until creamy. Add ricotta and basil and blend until thoroughly combined. Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package instructions. Spray a 9- by 13-inch baking dish with cooking spray and cover with a thin layer of marinara topped with a thin layer of sun dried tomatoes. Fill the pasta shells with cashew mixture and place in baking dish. Pour remaining marinara on top and sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or so.

I'm not at all. But, I'd never had brussel sprouts before, so I thought I'd give them a try. They remind me a lot of broccoli and asparagus, actually.

This recipes has you tossing them in a light marinade, while cooking them ever so slightly on the stove top.

Be sure not to over do it or the sprout will turn out soggy. (I've done that with broccoli and asparagus, too.)

Sesame lemon brussel sprouts
Ingredients:
1, 12-ounce bag frozen brussel sprouts
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. soy sauce
1 Tbsp. sesame seeds
1 Tbsp. garlic, minced

Directions: Microwave brussel sprouts in a small amount of water until thawed, but not cooked. Heat olive oil and garlic in a saucepan over medium heat. Add brussel sprouts. Add lemon juice, soy sauce and sesame seeds, tossing lightly until brussel sprouts are bright green in color.

Be bold.

Move beyond Ranch and Blue Cheese with this peppery walnut dijon. It perfectly complements spinach and pears, but would also work well on any standard bed of lettuce, too.

If you make this dressing in advance, be sure to stir it well before pouring.

Spinach pear salad with walnut dijon dressing
Ingredients:
6 C. fresh baby spinach
1 Bartlett pear, thinly sliced length-wise
2 Tbsp. water
2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. honey
2 tsp. spicy brown mustard
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/4 C. walnuts, chopped

Directions: Mix water, vinegar, oil, honey, mustard, pepper and walnuts. Drizzle over spinach topped with pear slices and serve.

But, combined? Combined "scampi" and "Angel Hair" will from here on out mean easy and delicious.

There's nothing tricky to this recipe, which yields a great dinner - fast! Double the recipe to feed the whole family or for leftovers.

Chicken scampi with Angel Hair pasta
Ingredients:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in one-inch cubes
4 Tbsp. grated mozzarella cheese
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1 Tbsp. Italian herbs
1 Tbsp. garlic
1/4 tsp. salt
3 Tbsp. lemon juice
3 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/4 C. white cooking wine
6-8 ounces Angel Hair pasta
olive oil

Directions:
Combine all ingredients and marinade uncooked chicken in it at least two hours. Remove chicken from marinade and cook in a small amount of olive oil in a medium sauce pan over medium heat. Once chicken is cooked through, pour marinade in pan until warmed. Simultaneously, cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and toss with a small amount of olive oil. Top with chicken mixture and serve immediately.

Whip this up in advance and refrigerate for an even faster meal, simply toasting the bread (I like it on sour dough) and adding lettuce along with the egg mixture at meal time. As for the actual mixture, I like dijon mustard rather than yellow, light mayo rather than fat-free and fresh dill rather than dried, but the details are up to you.

Another tip, wait until the eggs are completely cooled before mixing them with mayo. There's just something about the smell of warm eggs and mayo that may keep your sandwich experience from being as enjoyable as it could be, know what I'm sayin'?

Egg salad sandwiches
4 or 5 eggs, hard boiled and chops into small pieces
1/2 C. mayo
1 tsp. mustard
1 tsp. garlic salt
2 Tbsp. dill
1/2 tsp. black pepper
Mix ingredients, adding eggs last. Can be kept in refrigerator overnight. (Yields 2 to 3 large sandwiches)