Can’t stand the heat in your kitchen? Get out of the kitchen with this No-Oven menu! Set up a table outside in the shade and let the meal begin. This menu is so quick, easy, and delicious; you’ll have time to invite friends and neighbors over. Enjoy!

Cheryl Bell, MS RD LDN CHE
Healthy Living Advisor
Providing simple solutions for a healthier life…

Sweet Barbecue Chicken Sandwiches
Serves 8

1 Meijer Rotisserie chicken (3 cups of cubed chicken)
1 (12 oz) Meijer Barbecue Sauce (1½ c)
½ c Meijer Fruit Preserve (orange is suggested)
1 t Mrs. Dash Extra Spicy Seasoning
16 slices Rudi’s whole-grain bread
Leaf lettuce
Tomato slices

1. Pull the meat off one rotisserie chicken and shred into bite-size pieces. In medium bowl, combine chicken, barbecue sauce, fruit preserves, and spicy seasoning.
2. Fill each sandwich with leaf lettuce, tomato slices, and barbecue chicken. Serve immediately.

Nutrition Information per serving:
380 calories
6 g fat
42 g carbohydrate
8 g fiber

Creamy Asian Coleslaw
Serves 8

½ c fat free or reduced fat mayonnaise
2 T Meijer fat free milk or low fat buttermilk
1 T rice wine vinegar
1 t Meijer brown sugar
½ t grated fresh ginger
1 pkg (16 oz.) DOLE® Classic Cole Slaw
1 pkg (10 oz) snow peas, sliced lengthwise

1. Combine mayonnaise, milk, vinegar, sugar, and ginger in small bowl.
2. Add cole slaw blend and snow peas to large bowl. Pour dressing over vegetable blend. Toss to coat evenly. Cover.
3. Refrigerate at least 1 hour to blend flavors. Stir before serving.

Nutrition Information per serving:
40 calories
0 g fat
10 g carbohydrate
2 g fiber

Adapted from http://www.dole.com

Mosaic Fruit Rolls
Serves 8

8 Manny’s Whole Wheat Flour Tortillas
8 oz Meijer Light Strawberry Cream Cheese
6 Kiwi peeled and sliced
2 c fresh, frozen or canned Peaches sliced
2 c Strawberries diced
Mint sprigs

1. Spread each tortilla with cream cheese. Arrange kiwi slices over the top 2/3 of cream cheese, leaving the bottom 1/3 with cream cheese only.
2. Top kiwi with a layer of peach slices and then diced strawberries. Roll the tortilla toward the end covered with cream cheese only. Slice roll into 8 slices each. Garnish with mint sprigs if desired.

Nutrition Information per serving:
225 calories
8 g fat
45 g carbohydrate
5 g fiber

Refreshing Juicy Punch
Serves 8

1 tub CRYSTAL LIGHT Fruit Punch Low Calorie Soft Drink Mix
1 qt. (4 cups) cold pineapple-orange-banana juice blend, or your favorite
2 cans Canada Dry Ginger Ale, chilled

1. Place drink mix in large plastic or glass pitcher. Add juice blend; stir until drink mix is dissolved. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
2. Pour into punch bowl just before serving, if desired. Stir in ginger ale. Serve over ice cubes.

Nutrition Information per serving:
70 calories
0 g fat
15 g carbohydrate
0 g fiber

Two of the largest expenses in a household can be the electric and gas bill. You can save money by using your oven less frequently, as well as help the environment. Here are some other solutions to make daily changes to help the environment. Try one of these solutions to GO GREEN.

5 Solutions to Going Green:

1) Simple Switch:

a. Light it Up:

It’s a simple switch to purchase Compact Fluorescent Lights (CFLs) that last up to 10 times longer than traditional bulbs and use only a fraction of the energy, saving you money over their lifespan. If a million people each replaced just 1 incandescent bulb with a Compact Fluorescent (CFL), we could eliminate more than 200,000 tons of CO2 emissions.

b . No Oven Nights:

To keep your house cooler in the summer, limit the use of your oven. Use the microwave, crock pot, or counter top oven instead. By cooking meals in smaller appliances, you will decrease the amount of work your air conditioner has to do to keep your house cool. A small counter top oven (like a toaster oven) can cook almost everything a large oven can, but takes less time to preheat and does not heat up the entire kitchen. You can find a variety of these small home cooking appliances in our Meijer’s housewares department.

2) Dig This:

a. Plant a Tree:

By planting trees, you can reduce home cooling costs by as much as 50%and grow yourself a little shade on a warm summer day. Trees are one of the greatest assets in any yard. They add eye appeal, absorb noise, provide shade, exchange oxygen for carbon dioxide, filter pollutants, add seasonal color, and increase the value of your home.

b. Plant a Garden:

Also consider planting a garden of fruits, vegetables, and herbs. Go to www.Meijer.com or Meijer stores for resources on how to plant and care for trees, fruits, vegetables, and herbs in your own yard.

3) Green Your Diet: 2 solutions

a. Buy in Season:
Produce in your grocery store is less likely to have come from a long distance if it’s in season and can be obtained from farms in the region. Visit sustainabletable.org to learn what’s in season when in your state. Meijer purchases a vast amount of produce from local farms. Look for "Homegrown" signs in your Meijer produce department and help us support our local farmers.

b. Buy Organic:
Certified organic foods must meet USDA standards and carry the USDA Organic logo. All the new Meijer Organics products meet this criteria and support sustainable agriculture. Pick up a Meijer Organics item during your next shopping trip - you'll love the quality and the price!

4) Be Green Clean: Purchase eco-friendly products for all of your cleaning needs from window cleaner to laundry detergent. Also have cool threads by washing your clothes in cold water and save yourself up to $400 a year in bills. Meijer has introduced their own line of environmentally friendly line of cleaning products called Meijer Naturals.

5) One Stop Shop: The average driver and their car burns 340 gallons of gas and creates a 3.4 ton cloud of CO2 a year. Shop for all your needs at one store and cut that figure in half.