A good read... and healthy meal ideas?

So I just finished a really good book today & thought I'd share...

I couldn't hardly put it down.  It alternates between the story of Trudy Swenson, a modern college professor of German history and her mother, Anna, who was a German citizen in Nazi Germany during the holocaust.  I don't want to tell you too much about it and give too much away but it was a wonderful book.  If you like historical fiction and/or just a gripping story you will like it!  If you click on the image of the cover it will take you to the Amazon site where you can read reviews & buy it if you like. :) 

And while I'm at it... I don't know how many of my blog visiters (you know, all 4 of you lol) are into reading but I'm almost always reading SOMETHING.  If you want, I can post the books that I've recently read and give you my take on them... otherwise I'll just periodically share ones I think are super :)


On a completely different note... so Brew went to the doctor a while back to get his ingrown toenail taken care of.  Anyway, when he did his blood pressure was up there in the lovely pre-hypertensive state.  And me?  Well, I just stepped on the Wii fit for the first time in a while and found I've gained 4.2 lbs since last time I was on there (just a couple months ago).  Sooo I have all intentions of giving our meals a makeover! :)  I we both need to eat better and exercise more of course.  I need to at least maintain my weight (though trust me I wouldn't cry if I lost a few pounds.  My jean shorts from last year are fitting a bit snug these days.)  And Brew truly needs to lose about 40 lbs to be back to a healthier weight.  Getting him on board is another story.  I'm the type that needs support to stick with it- and well, he's more of the denial-is-bliss-and-I-will-eat-whatever-I-want mindset.  He doesn't get much exercise, though I can't blame him for that because he works long hours a LOT.  So I want to start with our dinners, making them more healthy.  Then I can move to the other meals, and, eventually, work on the exercise thing.

What I want from you fellow bloggers is- recipe ideas!!!  I need things that are healthy AND fairly easy to make (read- no 2hr prep meals) and also meals that are budget-friendly (no expensive spices or something lol).  If you have a good one or two, comment with a link, or do your own blog post about it and link it as a comment!  I want something besides chicken and veggies.  We like that, and I fix it, but who wants to eat it every single night?!  So yeah easy, healthy recipe ideas are much appreciated!!!  If there's a cookbook too that you think is helpful then link that to me as well.

Thanks!!! :D