Soy Delicious Strawberry Shakes

2 cups soy milk or rice milk
4 medium ripe bananas
1 pint hulled strawberries
2 tablespoons honey

Combine the milk, bananas, strawberries, and honey in a blender. Blend on high speed for 1 minute or until smooth and creamy. Pour into glasses and serve with straws. Serves 4

This recipe can also be used to make frozen pops.

Tofu Key Lime Pie

1 9-inch graham cracker pie crust-store bought or your own

12 oz firm tofu

1/3 cup powdered sugar

2 Tbsp Key lime juice

Zest of 1 large lime

In food processor, puree the tofu until smooth, about 3 minutes. Add the powdered sugar and Key lime juice. Continue to puree until smooth.

Pour into crust. Garnish with lime zest. Refrigerate for at least an hour or overnight.

Sage

Growing up to 3 feet tall, sage gives off a powerful, distinctive fragrance. This thickly branching, shrub-like plant produces dense shoots with velvety gray-green leaves. Sage should be planted in rich, well-drained soil in a sunny location.

Sage is native to the Mediterranean region. Its name comes from the Latin salvare, which roughly translates as "to rescue" or "to heal."

Uses: sage tea, sage vinegar, spice and a sage pillow.

Lemon-Balm Oil

Also known as melissa, lemon-balm originated in the Near East. Benedictine missionaries first brought this herb to the West, planting it in kitchen gardens all over Europe. American colonists also used lemon-balm as a medicine and as a flavoring agent. It is said that Thomas Jefferson grew the plant at Monticello. The name lemon-balm can be attributed to the lemony scent of its nettle-like leaves. Similarly, its nickname melissa, which means "honeybee" in Greek is also a tribute to its distinctive fragrance, which attracts swarms of bees to the plant.

Today this oil is used for aromatherapy regimens, among other things. Add a couple of drops of lemon-balm oil to a diffuser to promote relaxation.

Many products labeled "lemon-balm oil" do not contain the real lemon-balm, but cheaper substitutes, such as lemon oil or lemongrass. Make sure the term "100 percent lemon-balm oil" is clearly printed on the label.

Protein

Protein plays a role in helping you feel satisfied. A study at the University of Washington School of Medicine found that participants felt less hungry when their daily protein intake was increased from 15 to 30% of their total calories. Eating lean sources of protein as part of a healthy diet was key to the findings.

In my opinion, never go to bed hungry. It will keep you awake. The calories you take in at night can be burned off later. Sounds crazy, but I have a large bowl of Honey Bunches of Oats with Almonds cereal (my favorite) with some fruit and plenty of non fat milk before I go to bed. Works for me...