October’s Breast Cancer Awareness month can have the same effect on our health as New Year’s Day. Think about it. This is one of those opportunities to focus on lifestyle, what can be or should be changed to ensure a long life, in this case, free of cancer.  The American Cancer Society states that more than half of all cancer deaths could be prevented by making healthy choices, keeping active, eating right and getting recommended screening tests.  Midwest Division of ASC representative Diane Hapka says one of the easiest tests is the self-exam.
“It’s important that women know what feels normal and what doesn’t,” Hapka says. “And because of the American Cancer Society, there is funding available for women who might not otherwise be able to afford it, to get a mammogram.”
As is often said, good health starts with good nutrition. A large portion of the cancer.org website is dedicated to getting, and staying healthy. The following recipes are from the site. There is much more where that came from!  Enjoy.

Broccoli, Garlic, and Lemon Penne 
From The Great American Eat-Right Cookbook
For quicker prep, buy bagged broccoli florets. For more cheese flavor and fewer calories, grate your own Parmesan cheese with a Microplane grater, a small-holed handheld grater. It produces a finer shred, so you get more coverage with less cheese.
Serves: 4
Prep time: 15 minutes or less
Total time: 30 minutes or less
Ingredients
½ pound penne pasta
5 cups broccoli florets or 1 (12-ounce) bag broccoli florets
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
10 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
½ cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
Grated zest of 1 lemon
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Directions
1.Prepare penne according to package directions for al dente (just firm). Two to three minutes before penne is ready, add broccoli. Finish cooking, drain, and set aside.
2.Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium-high heat, add oil. Sauté the garlic for 1 to 2 minutes, or until aromatic and beginning to color.
3.Add broth and bring to a boil for 3 to 5 minutes, or until reduced by half, stirring frequently. Add pasta, broccoli, and lemon zest and cook until coated with sauce. Season generously with salt and pepper. Transfer to serving bowl and top with cheese.
Broccoli is high in folic acid, vitamins C and K, and fiber. It’s also one of the richest vegetable sources of calcium, iron, and magnesium.

Chicken and White Bean Soup 
From The Great American Eat-Right Cookbook
A store-bought rotisserie chicken offers incredible versatility at mealtime. Here it makes a quick and flavorful “homemade” chicken soup. Instead of traditional noodles, this soup is made with protein-packed beans. Choose a rotisserie chicken with mild seasoning—both plain and lemon-pepper work well. Adding the wings and some bones to the broth adds richer flavor. For a burst of green, add a few handfuls of baby spinach or 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley right before serving. For classic chicken noodle soup, substitute ½ cup of egg noodles for the beans.
Serves: 6 to 8
Prep time: 15 minutes or less
Total time: 1 hour or less
Ingredients
1 rotisserie chicken breast section or 3 cups chopped white chicken meat
1 tablespoon canola oil
3 carrots, sliced
2 celery stalks, sliced
1 onion, chopped
2 cups water
6 cups reduced–sodium chicken broth
1 (15-ounce) can Great Northern beans, rinsed and drainedSalt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions
1.Remove wings from chicken and reserve. Remove skin from breast and discard. Shred the meat from the breast and break off breastbones.
2.In a stockpot over medium heat, add oil. Sauté the carrots, celery, onion, chicken wings, and breastbones for 8 to 10 minutes, or until vegetables soften.
3.Add water and chicken broth and bring to a boil, stirring to combine. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Add beans and chicken meat and cook for 5 minutes. If too thick, add additional broth or water. Discard bones and wings before serving. Season with salt and pepper.

Chocolate Chip-Sour Cream Coffee Babycakes 
From The Great American Eat-Right Cookbook
These mini cakes, sized for portion control, are great for dessert or served as part of a brunch. Not too sweet, but very satisfying, they are a welcome addition when you need a little treat. Not a chocolate fan? Leave out the chips.
Serves: 4
Prep time: 15 minutes or less
Total time: 30 minutes or less
Ingredients
? cup butter, room temperature
½ cup granulated sugar
1 egg
½ cup regular sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup all-purpose flour
¾ teaspoon baking soda
¼ cup mini chocolate chips
2 teaspoons cinnamon-sugar
Directions
1.Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly coat two mini-muffin tins with nonstick cooking spray.
2.With an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar. Add egg, sour cream, and vanilla and beat until well blended. Add flour and baking soda and beat until just combined. Scrape down sides and stir in chocolate chips. Spoon heaping teaspoons into muffin cups. Sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar.
3.Bake for 8 to 12 minutes, or until tops just bounce back when touched. Leave in tins for 5 minutes before removing to a cooling rack.
Make your own cinnamon-sugar by combining ¼ cup granulated sugar with 1 tablespoon cinnamon. Store in an airtight container.

No-Bake Cookies 
From Celebrate! Healthy Entertaining for Any Occasion
Makes approximately 32 cookies
Serves: 8
Ingredients
1/2 cup reduced-fat smooth peanut butter
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup low-fat granola
1/2 cup crispy rice cereal
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup crushed graham crackers 
Directions
1.Heat peanut butter and honey in a saucepan over low heat until creamy. Remove from heat and pour into a bowl to cool.
2.Add granola, cereal, raisins, and crushed graham crackers to the peanut butter mix and stir well.
3.Roll into tablespoon-sized balls and set on wax paper. Refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving.
In recent years, granola has gotten a bad rap for being a high-fat, high-calorie “health” food. Although granola and muesli are excellent sources of fiber, the main nutritional information to evaluate is sugar, calories, and fat grams. Most commercial granolas are toasted and sweetened, which means added fat, sugar, and calories. The healthiest products contain 5 grams of sugar and 150 calories per serving or less.

Fruit Salad With Poppy Seed Dressing 
From Celebrate! Healthy Entertaining for Any Occasion
The creamy poppy seed dressing in this recipe contains low-fat yogurt, which is an excellent source of B vitamins, protein, and calcium. Some experts claim that yogurt, when ingested, supplies the intestinal tract with good bacteria to help keep it in good working order.
Serves: 8
Ingredients
8 cups fresh fruit, cut into bite-sized pieces
2-2/3 cups low-fat vanilla yogurt
1 teaspoon poppy seeds 
Directions
1.Combine all fruit in a large bowl.
2.In a smaller bowl, fold poppy seeds into yogurt with a whisk or spatula.
3.Spoon a portion of fruit salad into individual serving dishes, then pour 2 to 3 tablespoons of yogurt mixture over the fruit—or set out the fruit salad and yogurt dressing separately and invite your guests to help themselves. 
Note:  For this salad we used equal parts peeled peaches and oranges, chunks of pineapple, grapes, and berries. Use any fruit you like.

Festive Tuna Roll-Ups 
From Celebrate! Healthy Entertaining for Any Occasion
Bright red or green pepper rings dress up this easy appetizer made from familiar ingredients. Keep the fat content low by choosing tuna packed in water rather than oil.
Serves: 8
Ingredients
1 6-ounce can white tuna in water, drained and flaked
1 tablespoon light mayonnaise
4 tortillas, spinach (green), tomato (red), or whole-wheat
8 dill pickle spears
4 carrots, shredded
8 pepper rings, green or red 
Directions
1.Mix tuna and mayonnaise in a small bowl.
2.Lay out each tortilla. Spread tuna in a line down the center of each. Top tuna with 2 pickles per tortilla and carrots.
3.Roll each tortilla burrito-style; keep closed by wrapping 2 pepper rings around each tortilla.
4.Cut each rollup in half and center pepper ring on each half.
Always wipe the blade(s) of a can opener after using it on tuna or any other canned item.