Fall is quickly upon us, which means there will be lots of great seasonal produce that is perfect for healthy and nutritious cooking. On cool nights we all crave those hearty comfort foods, that are always packed with fat and calories. This beef and butternut stew is a great for fall ( or winter) and is comforting but nutritious at the same time. Just set it in your slow cooker, go about your day, and you’ll have a delicious meal waiting for you when you come home!

Low-Fat Beef and Butternut Squash Stew

Ingredients:

• 3/4 pound lean stewing beef, trimmed of excess fat
• 1 small butternut squash
• 1 large onion, sliced
• 8 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced
• 4 ounces whole baby carrots
• 1 14.5-ounce can crushed tomatoes
• 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp dried oregano

Directions:

1. Brown beef in a nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray. Put to one side.

2. Peel and halve butternut squash, then cut into 1-1 1/2 inch pieces. You can make this step easier by piercing and microwaving the whole squash for about 1 minute before cutting.

3.Place vegetables and browned beef in a 4 or 5 quart crock pot. Add crushed tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, thyme and oregano. Cook on low for 8 hours

Summer Squash Pizza

Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 medium zucchini, cut lengthwise into (1/4-inch-thick) slices
• 1 medium yellow squash, cut lengthwise into (1/4-inch-thick) slices
• 1 (12-inch) packaged pizza crust
• 2 plum tomatoes, cut into 1/8-inch-thick slices
• 1/4 cup finely grated pecorino Romano cheese
• 2 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil
• 1/2 teaspoon finely chopped fresh oregano

Directions:

1. Heat grill.

2. Combine oil, vinegar, salt, pepper, zucchini slices, and yellow squash slices in a large bowl, tossing gently to coat. Place squash mixture on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 2 minutes on each side or until tender.

3.Reduce grill temperature to medium.

4. Lightly coat pizza crust with cooking spray; grill 1 minute on each side or until lightly toasted. Arrange zucchini and squash over crust. Arrange tomatoes over squash; sprinkle with pecorino Romano cheese. Grill 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Remove from grill; sprinkle with basil and oregano.

We all have goals and dreams we wish to achieve. But in order to begin the process of getting what we want out of life we have to stop doing things that are holding us back. Here are ten things to stop doing to yourself today, and get you on the right track to success.

1. Stop running from your problems. – Face them head on. No, it won’t be easy. There is no person in the world capable of flawlessly handling every punch thrown at them. We aren’t supposed to be able to instantly solve problems. That’s not how we’re made. In fact, we’re made to get upset, sad, hurt, stumble and fall. Because that’s the whole purpose of living – to face problems, learn, adapt, and solve them over the course of time. This is what ultimately molds us into the person we become.
2. Stop putting your own needs on the back burner. – The most painful thing is losing yourself in the process of loving someone too much, and forgetting that you are special too. Yes, help others; but help yourself too. If there was ever a moment to follow your passion and do something that matters to you, that moment is now.
3. Stop trying to be someone you’re not. – One of the greatest challenges in life is being yourself in a world that’s trying to make you like everyone else. Someone will always be prettier, someone will always be smarter, someone will always be younger, but they will never be you. Don’t change so people will like you. Be yourself and the right people will love the real you.
4. Stop trying to hold onto the past. – You can’t start the next chapter of your life if you keep re-reading your last one.
5. Stop being scared to make a mistake. – Doing something and getting it wrong is at least ten times more productive than doing nothing. Every success has a trail of failures behind it, and every failure is leading towards success. You end up regretting the things you did NOT do far more than the things you did.
6. Stop berating yourself for old mistakes. – We may love the wrong person and cry about the wrong things, but no matter how things go wrong, one thing is for sure, mistakes help us find the person and things that are right for us. We all make mistakes, have struggles, and even regret things in our past. But you are not your mistakes, you are not your struggles, and you are here NOW with the power to shape your day and your future. Every single thing that has ever happened in your life is preparing you for a moment that is yet to come.
7. Stop exclusively looking to others for happiness. – If you’re not happy with who you are on the inside, you won’t be happy in a long-term relationship with anyone else either. You have to create stability in your own life first before you can share it with someone else.
8. Stop thinking you’re not ready. – Nobody ever feels 100% ready when an opportunity arises. Because most great opportunities in life force us to grow beyond our comfort zones, which means we won’t feel totally comfortable at first.
9. Stop trying to make things perfect. – The real world doesn’t reward perfectionists, it rewards people who get things done.
10. Stop following the path of least resistance. – Life is not easy, especially when you plan on achieving something worthwhile. Don’t take the easy way out. Do something extraordinary.

Dill Feta Scramble

Ingredients:

• 2 large eggs plus 4 large egg whites
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1 ounce feta cheese, crumbled (1/4 cup)
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons fresh dill, coarsely chopped, plus more for garnish
• 1 whole-wheat pita (6-inch), halved

Directions:

Artichoke Pesto Stuffed Tomatoes

Ingredients:

• 6 plum tomatoes (cut in half lengthwise)
• 1 can artichoke hearts (cut into small pieces)
• 2 cups basil
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. In a small bowl combine the basil, Parmesan cheese, garlic and salt and pepper. Take an immersion blender or food processor and mix all of the ingredients. After mixed, stream in the olive oil. After the pesto is combined, mix in the chopped artichoke.
2. Take the tomatoes and spoon out the seeds. Put the tomatoes on 2 skewers and then spoon the pesto into the tomatoes.
3. Grill for about 10 minutes.