Ok, all are easy to prepare, but here's my two cents:

- For the baked apples, use green ones. Their tartness is offset by the sweet brown sugar mixture and there's no way "red delicious" could live up to their name.

- I say make your chili meatless for two reasons: we're in an economic crisis and you'll probably put on a few pounds this winter anyway. Also try adding some tortilla chips (not super fatty Fritos) to your bowl. Yum.

- These cookies are really good, but are enhanced by the icing, so don't skip it (never mind that fat comment above). I used reduced fat cream cheese, which worked fine. Also, you may need to add a little more milk, just do so sparingly - you want the frosting to drizzle, but not run.

Baked apples
Ingredients:
5 apples
1/2 C. brown sugar
4 Tbsp. butter
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Scoop out the core from top of the apple, leaving a well but not cutting all the way through. Mix ingredients and stuff equal amounts into apples. Place in a shallow baking dish and sprinkle with a little more cinnamon and nutmeg. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes, or until sugar caramelizes and apples are tender.

Chili (vegetarian or non)
Ingredients:
1 Tbsp. oil
1/2 medium onion, chopped
2 dried bay leaves
1 tsp. ground cumin
2 tsp. dried oregano
2 green bell peppers, chopped
2 jalapeno peppers, chopped
2 Tbsp. minced garlic
2 (4 ounce) cans chopped green chili peppers, drained
3 (28 ounce) cans whole peeled tomatoes, crushed
1/4 cup chili powder
3 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, drained
1 (15 ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained
Directions:
Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Stir in the onion, and season with bay leaves, cumin and oregano. Cook and stir until onion is tender, then add bell peppers, jalapenos, garlic and green chili peppers. When vegetables are tender, reduce heat and add tomatoes, chili powder and all beans. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer at least one hour before serving.

Pumpkin chocolate chip cookies with cream cheese drizzle
Ingredients:
4 C. flour
2 C. sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 (16 ounce) can solid pack pumpkin
1 C. oil
2 eggs
2 Tbsp. milk
2 tsp. vanilla
2 C. semisweet chocolate chips
Directions:
Combine flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking soda and salt. Add pumpkin, oil, eggs, milk and vanilla; beat on medium speed until well mixed. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts. Drop dough onto greased baking sheets. Bake at 375 degrees for about 12 minutes or so. Cool completely before drizzling icing on top.

Cream cheese icing
Ingredients:
1/2 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
2 Tbsp. milk
1 C. powdered sugar
Directions:
Blend cream cheese and milk until fluffy, adding powdered sugar until mixed well.

The "zucchini" sounded great. It's in abundance now, tastes great and I love cooking with fresh veggies. The "slaw" sounded, well, a lot like "coleslaw." Ewe. Is that not the most thrown out plate filler at restaurants?

Well, fear not and keep reading. These ingredients, as well as their taste, are not in the same family as coleslaw. Best I can tell, it's the julienne strips that make this a slaw.

I served this with black bean veggie burgers, but it would be great paired with anything off the grill.

Zucchini slaw
Ingredients:
2 medium zucchini
6 cherry tomatoes, seeded and halved
1 tsp. minced garlic
2 Tbsp. sherry vinegar
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
4 large basil leaves thinly sliced
1/2 C. toasted pine nuts
parmesan cheese, garnish as desired

Directions: Cut the ends off the zucchini, cut each into thirds and slice off the core and discard it. Then cut zucchini into julienne strips and place in a large bowl. Gently stir in the remaining ingredients. If you are making this in advance, add the pine nuts and parmesan just prior to serving.

So here's another twist on my favorite fish.

A bonus: This recipe includes my favorite herb, basil.

Grilled salmon with basil cucumber cream
Ingredients:
Marinade:
1/3 C. orange juice
1/3 C. soy sauce
1/3 C. water
1 lb. salmon, filleted
Sauce:
5 large basil leaves
1 C. loosely packed baby spinach, stems removed
1/3 C. sour cream
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1/2 C. finely diced cucumber, seeded

Combine orange juice, soy sauce, and water and marinade for at least 30 minutes. Grill until cooked through, probably about 5 minutes on each side. Meanwhile, blend in a food processor the spinach and basil. Add sour cream and mustard, pulsing until just blended. Stir in cucumber. Add salt and pepper, if desired.

This dish consists of every major food group! In the sauce, we've got veggies (broccoli and spinach), dairy (cottage cheese) and protein (walnuts). The pasta is of course our grain group. As if this wasn't exciting enough, the recipe is quick to prepare, yields leftovers and, most importantly, tastes delicious.

I dug it out of my archives and plan to add it in my regular rotation.

Broccoli spinach walnut pasta
Ingredients:
1 large carton fat-free or reduced-fat cottage cheese
1 bag baby spinach
1 large head/cluster of broccoli
1 ½ C. walnuts
12-ounce package whole wheat penne noodles
Parmesan cheese, garnish as desired

Directions: Toast walnuts until dark brown. Steam broccoli and spinach until softened. Mix nuts and veggies in a food processor with cottage cheese. Top cooked pasta.

But if you aren't, a quick way to fake it is to have a nice after-school treat to mark the start of another year in the classroom. Fill the cookie jar with snickerdoodles!

I realized I have never made these before (so I wanted to) and on my cookie scale (which I keep in my head and refer to often), these seem somewhat of a healthier choice, well below chocolate chip, though slightly above oatmeal raisin. Plus a little sugar burst helps during homework time.

Snickerdoodles
Ingredients:
1 C. butter
1 ½ C. white sugar
2 eggs
2 ¾ C. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. cream of tartar
¼ tsp. salt
Equal parts (couple teaspoons of each) white sugar and cinnamon, mixed

Directions:
Cream butter and sugar, adding eggs one at a time, until smooth. Sift together flour, soda, cream of tartar and salt. Stir dry mixture into creamed mixture; blend well. Roll dough into ping pong-sized balls; roll each ball into the sugar-cinnamon mixture. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 8 or 9 minutes (soft in the middle, a little brown on the edges) at 375 degrees.

Easy. There's nothing to it.

Assembly time is quick and I froze mine for a later for an even quicker dinner prep. (Thaw before cooking). These can be made at any size (I formed palm-sized patties to serve as an entrée; about half that size would be good for appetizers.) You can garnish with a tartar sauce or another type of dip, but I found mine pretty tasty without anything extra.

Crab cakes
Ingredients:
3, 6-ounce cans crabmeat, drained and flaked
1, 6-ounce package chicken-flavored stuffing mix
1 C. shredded mozzarella cheese
¾ C. water
1/3 C. reduced-fat mayo
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
3 Tbsp. chopped green onions

Directions:
Mix unprepared stuffing mix with all ingredients. If mixture isn't sticking together well enough, add a little more mayo. Shape into patties. Refrigerate one hour before cooking, or freeze for later (thaw before cooking). To cook, heat a tablespoon or so of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook crab cakes about three minutes on each side.

Take advantage of cucumbers that are in abundance now and whip up this easy recipe.

There's nothing to it and it goes well with most any entrée. I used dried dill, but I'm sure fresh would be even better. I served my dish cold (because warm cucumbers seems odd), but this could be eaten at least at room temp rather than chilled.

Cucumber side salad
3-4 large cucumbers, mostly peeled and sliced
1 C. white vinegar
½ C. water
½ C. sugar
dill, to taste

Directions:
Place cucumbers in a bowl. Next, combine vinegar, water and sugar in a saucepan; bring to a boil. Pour over cucumbers and add dill. Mix well. Cover and refrigerate at least one hour.

For the entrée, I prepared simple chicken shish kabobs with skewers of cherry tomatoes, bell peppers, mushrooms and pineapple. These sides would go well with something similar, or fish or beef. As for the dessert, that goes well with anything.

A few tips: I made the pasta dish in advance and stored it covered in the refrigerator. It tasted better warm, so I popped it in the microwave for a few minutes before serving. Didn't alter it at all.

For the watermelon salad, using a melon-ball tool seems to be the quickest and easiest method, plus it reduces a lot of the watery-ness so you can really get the full flavor of the dressing.

And, finally, that cake. It sounds incredibly rich because it is. Serve it with ice cream. Problem solved!

Spinach, sun-dried tomato pasta side dish
Ingredients:
1 C. chicken broth
Handful of sun-dried tomatoes
1, 8-ounce package penne pasta
1 Tbsp. olive oil
¼ tsp. red pepper flakes
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
2 C. fresh baby spinach
feta, as desired
Directions:
In a small saucepan, boil the broth. Remove from heat and add sun-dried tomatoes, letting soak until soft (at least 10 minutes) and easily chopped into bite-sized pieces. Meanwhile, cook penne according to package directions. Next, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add red pepper flakes, then garlic for about a minute each. Add the spinach and cook until just wilted. Pour in the broth and chopped sun-dried tomatoes. Cook until heated through, stirring frequently. In a large serving bowl, toss pasta with sauce, sprinkling feta on top.

Watermelon salad
Salad:
7 C. seeded, watermelon chunks
1 C. crumbled feta
½ C. red onion, thinly sliced
1/3 C. pine nuts
½ C. arugula (or baby spinach)
1/3 C. fresh parsley, chopped
¼ C. fresh mint, chopped
Dressing:
¼ C. olive oil
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. black pepper
Directions: Combine salad ingredients in a large bowl. Whisk dressing ingredients and pour over salad; gently toss.

Chocolate chocolate-chip bunt cake with chocolate icing
Cake:
1 package devil's food cake mix
1, .9-ounce package sugar-free instant chocolate pudding
4 eggs
1 ¼ C. water
½ C. oil
1 C. semisweet chocolate chips
Icing:
½ C. sugar
¼ C. skim milk
3 Tbsp. butter
½ C. semisweet chocolate chips
Directions:
With an electric mixer, mix cake mix, pudding mix, eggs, water and oil until smooth. Stir in chocolate chips. Pour into a well-greased bunt pan and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes, or toothpick comes out clean. Meanwhile, for the icing, combine sugar, milk, and butter in a small saucepan, stirring constantly. Bring to a boil for just a minute, reduce heat, then add chocolate chips. Stir until melted and smooth. Drizzle over completely cooled cake.

Rummaging through my recipe box yielded quite a few no-heat, yet delicious, recipes.

The chicken salad in an all-time favorite and I like to serve it in a lettuce cup. (Seems more special.) This fruit salad is also wonderful, thanks to the ginger. And the banana smoothie is no slouch either. (Don't worry if you don't have the wheat germ. That's just a little health bonus.)

Basic chicken salad
Ingredients:
½ c. reduced-fat mayo
¼ tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. soy sauce
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
¾ C. unsalted almonds, sliced in half
1 C. grapes, sliced in half
1 rotisserie-cooked chicken, shredded into bite-sized pieces

Directions:
Bake almonds until lightly toasted. Then, mix ingredients well, adding chicken in last. Serve on lettuce leaves, croissant, bread or alone.

Ginger citrus fruit salad
Ingredients:
Fresh fruit, diced or small slices
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
2 Tbsp. honey
2 tsp. fresh ginger, grated
dash of cinnamon
Directions:
Stir ingredients together and pour over fruit, tossing to lightly coat each piece.

Citrus-Banana Smoothie
2 Tbsp. Wheat germ
2 medium bananas, cut in one-inch slices
1 C. unsweetened orange juice
1 C. plain low-fat yogurt
4 ice cubes
In a blender, process wheat germ until finely ground. Add remaining ingredients and blend until smooth.

Skip the butcher and grab eggs, which don't have to be just for breakfast, you know. Why are eggs considered primarily a breakfast food anyway? Odd.

For quick meals, all of which can be made a day or two in advance and then cooked or assembled just prior to dinnertime, try quiche, egg burritos or egg salad sandwiches.

Easy, cheap, delicious. My only suggestion: maybe don't eat all three in one week. I'm just sayin'.

Aztec quiche
Ingredients:
1 1/2 C. Monterey jack cheese, shredded
1/2 C. cheddar cheese, shredded
2 frozen pie shells (each just a few inches deep)
1, 4-ounce can diced green chilies
1 C. fat free half-and-half
3 eggs, beaten
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. cayenne
1/4 tsp. cumin
Directions:
Sprinkle the cheeses on the bottoms of the pie crusts. Top with the green chilies (don't drain). In a bowl, stir together eggs, half-and-half and seasonings. Pour mixture into each pie crust. Bake uncovered at 325 degrees for about 45 minutes, or until cooked through.

Pan-baked egg burritos
1 ½ tsp. baking powder
¾ C. flour
9 eggs, beaten
1 ½ tsp. salt
1 ½ tsp. sugar
1/8 tsp. cayenne
1 ½ pounds cubed Monterey jack cheese
8 ounces cubed cream cheese
1 ½ C. small curd cottage cheese
1, 12-ounce can Rotel, drained
flour tortillas, medium-sized
Ingredients:
Sift baking powder and flour. In a separate bowl, mix eggs, salt, sugar and cayenne. Add cheeses and butter, and then flour mixture. Mix well. Add green chilies. Bake in a 9- by 13-inch pan at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Cut into little cubes or rectangles and place in the middle of warm tortillas. Top with salsa and sour cream.

Egg salad sandwiches
Ingredients:
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
Directions:
Mix ingredients, adding eggs last. Can be kept in refrigerator overnight. (Yields 2 to 3 large sandwiches)

Walnut spinach sidedish
Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs. fresh baby spinach
2 tsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
2 Tbsp. walnuts, finely chopped
Directions:
Heat olive oil in a medium sauce pan over medium heat. Add garlic and cook for about a minute. Add spinach; drizzle with lemon juice (add salt and pepper, if desired). Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Sprinkle in nuts for last minute of cooking. Serve immediately.

Chocolate peanut butter sandwich cookies
Ingredients:
3/4 C. shortening
3/4 C. sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 C. flour
1/2 unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
sandwhich filling (combine and mix well until fluffy):
4 Tbsp. butter
1/2 C. powdered sugar
1/2 C. peanut butter
1/2 tsp. vanilla
Directions:
Mix until smooth the shortening, sugar, eggs and vanilla. Add dry ingredients. Refrigerate dough for a couple hours before baking. With damp hands, roll dough into balls about the size of a ping pong ball. Place on lightly sprayed cookie sheets, or a top parchment paper. Bake at 350 degrees until cookies are firm but not crispy, about 10 to 12 minutes. Allow cookies to cool completely before adding the peanut butter icing (on the flat sides and pressing together to form sandwiches).

1. dinner, fast
2. very little after-dinner cleanup
3. budget friendly
4. readily available (no dining out/ going to the drive-thru)

I spent just a few hours, over the course of two days, and have a freezer full of more than a dozen dinners. I made spinach stuffed jumbo shells with marinara, chicken stuffed manicotti with creamy tomatoe sauce, ziti with ground turkey (some in marinara, some in creamy tomato) and cauliflower mac and cheese.

On the first day, I made the two sauces (creamy tomato and marinara) and fillings (ricotta and fresh spinach; ricotta and roasted chicken from the deli) and I browned my ground turkey. On day two, I cooked the pastas and stuffed or assembled them. The mac and cheese is pretty quick and easy, so I did that one all at once.

I used disposable trays (I recycle) and labeled each dinner. This could be even quicker if you bought your sauces, but really, there's nothing to it. The recipes can easily be varied with the type of noodle and fillings. Just use the jumbo shell recipe as a guide. I did this, switching the noodle to manicotti and adding shredded chicken to the cheese mixture. Easy to get creative.

Your future self will thank your past self. Good luck!

Creamy tomato sauce
Ingredients:
½ C. butter
1 small onion, diced
2, 28-ounce cans crushed tomatoes
1 pint heavy cream
Directions:
Saute onion in butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add tomatoes and cook for 30 minutes. Add cream and cook for another 30 minutes.

Red sauce
For a nice homemade marinara, just cook a little minced garlic on the stove top in some olive oil, and add a can of diced tomatoes. I usually use the ones pre-seasoned with Italian herbs. Then add a can of crushed tomatoes. Add your own fresh herbs to taste, letting the sauce simmer until thickened.

Stuffed Pasta Shells
Ingredients:
1, 12-ounce package jumbo pasta shells
4 C. ricotta cheese
3 C. shredded mozzarella
2 eggs
2 Tbsp. fresh Italian parsley
¾ tsp. dried oregano
3-4 C. marinara sauce
Directions: Cook pasta shells in boiling water for about 12 minutes. Drain and rinse under cool water. Spread out on foil lightly coated with cooking spray. In a large bowl, mix ingredients for filling. Stuff shells with about two spoonfuls. Spread a thin layer of marinara in a 9-by 13-inch pan. Place shells in pan and cover with remaining sauce. Sprinkle cheese on top (parmesan or mozzarella), if desired. Cover with foil and bake at 375 degrees for 50 minutes.

Baked ziti
Ingredients:
1 lb. dry ziti pasta
1/2 onion, chopped
1 lb. lean ground turkey
2, 26-ounce jars spaghetti sauce or homemade marinara
6 ounces provolone cheese, sliced
1 C. sour cream
1 C. mozzarella cheese, shredded
2 Tbsp. Parmesan cheese, shredded
Directions:
Cook ziti pasta according to package directions (al dente). In a large skillet, brown onion and ground turkey in a little olive oil over medium heat. Add spaghetti sauce and simmer.
Meanwhile, spray a 9- by 13-inch baking dish. Layer half the ziti, Provolone cheese and sour cream and some sauce. Add remaining ziti, mozarella and remaining sauce. Top with Parmesan cheese. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes, or until cheeses are melted, at 350 degrees.

Cauliflower mac and cheese
2 C. cauliflower
3 Tbsp. butter
3 Tbsp. flour
2 ¼ C. milk
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. black pepper
2 C. shredded cheddar cheese, divided, plus more for sprinkling on top
1 package (about 7 C.) firmly cooked pasta (macaroni, spirals, mini shells, etc.)
Directions:
Microwave cauliflower florets with ¼ C. water until tender (about 8-9 minutes). Then, puree until completely smooth. Set aside. Next, melt butter in large pan, adding milk, then flour and salt and pepper. Remove from heat and add 1 ½ C. cheese, stirring until smooth. Add cauliflower puree; stir until well blended. Add cooked pasta; stir until well coated. Transfer mixture into a sprayed baking dish, while intermittently adding the remaining ½ C. cheese. Sprinkle desired amount of cheese on top. Cover and bake at 350 degrees, 25-30 minutes, or until top is slightly browned.

These two recipes call for chicken, but that's where their similarities end (other than deliciousness, of course.) I served both atop brown rice and added a few more red pepper flakes for add kick. Nothing tricky in either dish, just don't skip fresh basil for dried basil in recipe No. 1. Not worth it. As for recipe No. 2, feel free to ad lib your own fresh veggies to fit your preferences. Eat both with chopsticks. You'll be surprised at what a difference that makes. Yum.

Basil garlic chicken stirfry
Ingredients:
1 1/2 - 2 pounds bonless skinless chicken, cubed
1/2 C. water
2 Tbsp. fish sauce
2 Tbsp. reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 Tbsp. corn starch
4 tsp. sugar
3 tsp. red pepper flakes
2 Tbsp. oil
3 Tbsp. minced garlic
1 C. fresh basil leaves, torn
unslated, dry roasted peanuts
Directions:
In a small bowl, combine water, fish sauce, soy sauce, corn starch, sugar and red pepper flakes. Meanwhile, heat oil and cook minced garlic for about a minute. Add cubed chicken. When chicken is nearly cooked through, add sauce mixture. Continue cooking, stirring frequently, until chicken is done. Reduce heat, toss in basil and peanuts. Stir for a minute or so. Serve over brown rice. Eat with chopsticks.

Ginger, peanut chicken stir fry
Ingredients:
1 Tbsp. oil
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cubed
1 red bell pepper, chopped
2 C. broccoli florets
1 1/2 C. chicken broth
2 tsp. reduced sodium soy sauce
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
1 Tbsp. red pepper flakes
2 tsp. minced ginger root
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
2 C. unsalted dry roasted peanuts
Directions:
Heat the oil in a wok over medium heat. Cook chicken for a few minutes. Add bell pepper and broccoli, and continue cooking until veggies soften and chicken is no longer pink. Meanwhile, in a bowl, mix broth, soy sauce, sugar, garlic, red pepper flakes, ginger and cornstarch. Pour into the wok. Add peanuts. Continue to cook until slightly thickened. Serve over rice. Eat with chopsticks

Grill or bake the chicken. Pair it with a salad or other fresh veggie and a side or rice or baked potato. Easy! Cheap!

Southwestern chicken marinade
Ingredients:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/3 C. olive oil
3 Tbsp. cider vinegar
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
3 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
½ tsp. cumin
½ tsp. black pepper

Directions:
In a small bowl, whisk together ingredients. Puncture chicken breasts, place in a re-sealable plastic bag and add marinade. Allow to soak for several hours. Grill for a few minutes on each side until cooked through, or bake at 350 degrees until chicken is no longer pink (ewee) in the middle.