Cooler weather means warmer meals. Soon families will be gathering around the table for meals that not only warm the body, but the soul as well. These meals don't have to cost a fortune and they also don't have to be loaded with fat. There are a number of cheap and healthy meals that are perfect for families. Best of all, many of these meals can be prepared on a busy work night. Take casseroles for example. Casseroles are affordable, easy, and can even be made healthy. This week, let's look at a couple delicious casseroles for those cold evenings.

Chili Cornbread Bake
Serves 4

8 cups of leftover chili
¾ cup cornmeal mix
¼ cup of all purpose flour
½ - ¾ cup milk
½ cup of sharp shredded cheddar cheese
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

1. Pour the chili into an 8 inch baking dish.
2. In a medium bowl, mix the cornmeal mix, flour, and milk.
3. Pour the cornbread mixture over the chili and top with the cheese and cayenne pepper.
4. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the cornbread is golden brown.
5. Serve with low-fat sour cream and salsa.

Chicken and Broccoli Casserole
Serves 8

4 split chicken breasts, roasted
10 ounce box of frozen broccoli
1 cup of low-fat shredded cheddar cheese
1 can of low-fat, low-sodium cream of mushroom soup
½ cup fat-free mayonnaise
2 eggs
Fresh cracked black pepper, to taste
1 sleeve of reduced fat butter crackers, crushed

1. Chop the chicken into bite sized pieces.
2. Blanch and drain the broccoli and allow it to cool slightly.
3. Combine the cheese, soup, mayonnaise, eggs, and fresh cracked black pepper.
4. Toss the chicken and broccoli with the soup mixture.
5. Pour the mixture into a medium sized baking dish and top with the crackers.
6. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 - 45 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly.
7. Serve with a side salad and crusty bread.

Little kids can be quite picky eaters. They also seem to be drawn to those expensive TV dinners created just for them. The fact that these TV dinners can cost a small fortune isn't the only reason to stay away from these quick fix meals. A quick look at the nutrition label shows that they are loaded with calories, fat, and sodium. The key is to trick your children by creating fun meals for them and serving them in a fun way. This week, let's save money in the kitchen, while still making dinnertime fun.

First things first; think about which meals your children love most. This will give you an idea of what recipes to start looking for and how to go about creating a healthy version they will love. For example, if they like macaroni and cheese, use whole wheat pasta and a low-fat or fat-free cheese that melts easily.

Of course, we can't forget about presentation. One idea that seems to go over really well is lunchroom trays. These trays can easily be found at many department stores for around $2 each. This is a fun presentation because it makes little kids feel grown up. Another plus is that it keeps all the food separated and every parent knows how important that can be.

This really is easy to do. Just start with their favorite meals and make them yourself. You can feel proud serving your children healthy meals and your wallet will love the extra cash you have leftover each week. Of course, what would this blog be without a recipe to get you started?

Healthy Bagel Pizzas
Serves 2

4 mini whole wheat bagels
8 tablespoons organic pizza sauce
½ cup 2% shredded mozzarella cheese
16 slices of turkey pepperoni

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Split the bagels open and top each half with 1 tablespoon sauce, 1 tablespoon cheese, and 2 slices of pepperoni.
3. Bake until the cheese melts, about 10-15 minutes.
4. Serve with vegetables, fruit, and fat-free pudding.

The sun is shining, the birds are chirping and the chaos inside the house has just begun. Lunches need to be made, breakfast scarfed down, clothes found and thrown on, and everyone ushered out the door on time. Finding a morning routine that can help everyone in your family stay on track and make mornings run more smoothly is one of the top items on most moms' wish lists.

Don't Curl up for Bed Before Things are Sorted for the Morning
Kids should have their backpacks packed, clothes/uniforms washed and sorted and know where their shoes and additional gear is before they go to bed at night. Even kindergartners should be responsible for getting organized before bedtime. Lunch money or lunchboxes can often be organized the night before a school day, too. Mom and dad can find their car keys, look at the calendar and schedule to sort carpools and after school activities and get themselves organized before bed.

Keep the Television and Computer Turned Off
Waiting for a television show to finish or to check just one more e-mail means less time together as a family, and you'll try to compress a 30-minute morning routine into a 10-minute time span. Keep technology off in the morning, you can save a radio to listen to the weather or morning news, but that's it. Your family's morning routine will go off without a hitch if the technology is turned off.

Insist on Eating Breakfast Together
Allowing everyone to grab and go on their own might seem like the best choice on a hectic morning, but in fact, it may slow you down. Rather than everyone getting in each other's way, and no one getting a healthy breakfast, put mom, dad or an older sibling in charge of breakfast on any given morning. Scrambled eggs and toast for the whole family don't take a lot of time and allow everyone the opportunity to sit down and eat together.

Get up when the Alarm Clock goes off, or When you First Wake up
One of the hardest things about getting out of bed in the morning is fighting the alarm clock. But the longer you fight it, the less time you have in the morning and the more pressure you'll be under. Instead, consider waking up a little bit earlier and don't fight the alarm clock when it rings, either. A smooth morning routine is more likely if you simply realize that you have to get up. Don't fight it by trying to sneak in five more minutes.

A successful morning routine for families helps everyone's day get off without a hitch. Get ready ahead of time, keep the TV off, eat together and get up when the alarm clock goes off. Mornings that start off right turn into great days!

It's getting close. You can almost feel it. Spring will soon be pushing winter out of the way so we can once again enjoy warm weather. While the official date is March 20th, you can actually enjoy a bit of spring tonight. Just imagine sitting down to a meal that whisks you away to a warmer time and place. If this sounds like something you'd like to do for your family, why not try the following recipes?

Grilled Chicken with Pineapple Jalapeno Salsa
Serves 4

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
Fresh ground pepper, to taste
Sea salt, to taste
8 pineapple rings, grilled and chilled
1 small red onion, finely chopped
½ of a jalapeno, seeded and minced

1. Season the chicken breast with the salt and pepper and grill on a grill pan until cooked through.
2. In the meantime, chop the pineapple and toss with the onion and jalapeno. Chill until ready to serve.
3. Top the chicken breasts with salsa and serve with a baked potato or baked French fries.

Tip: If you have small children, you may want to use even less jalapeno or add a bit of honey to increase the sweetness.

Chocolate Dipped Bananas
Serves 4

2 large bananas, cut in half
6 ounces of dark chocolate, melted
½ cup of shredded coconut, toasted
½ cup of macadamia nuts, chopped

1. Stick popsicle sticks into the flat ends of the cut bananas and freeze for at least 1 hour.
2. Dip the bananas in melted chocolate and sprinkle with coconut and macadamia nuts.
3. Place on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper and freeze until ready to serve.

Tip: You can choose any type of sprinkles you want. The coconut and macadamia nuts keep with the tropical theme of the main course. Just remember to stick with healthy ingredients, such as almonds or dried cherries.

Winter may still be beating on your door, but spring is only a few ingredients away.

Winter is the perfect time to prepare a large pot of chili. Unfortunately, this means your family may get tired of chili over the course of two or three days. It doesn't have to be this way. There are several ways to turn chili into a brand new meal or snack. Your family won't complain about leftovers, you won't have to cook a complex meal, and the meals will be healthy. What more could you ask for, besides recipes?

Chili Cheese Bake
Serves 4

3 large whole wheat tortillas
4 cups of chili
1 cup of 2-percent shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup of salsa
½ cup fat-free sour cream
Green onions, sliced

1. Line square pan with a whole wheat tortilla.
2. Top the tortilla with 2 cups of chili, 1/3 cup of salsa and 1/3 cup of cheese.
3. Repeat the layers.
4. For the last layers, add the last tortilla, salsa and cheese.
5. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until the cheese is melted.
6. Serve with sour cream and green onions.

Super Simple Chili Mac
Serves 4

4 cups of cooked macaroni
4 cups of chili, heated
½ cup of 2-percent shredded cheddar cheese
½ cup green onions, sliced
½ cup fat-free sour cream
Hot sauce or salsa, to taste

1. Top the macaroni with the chili and other toppings.
2. Serve with oyster crackers or saltines.

Quick Nachos
Serves 4

1 bag of baked tortilla chips
1 cup of 2-percent shredded cheddar cheese
4 cups of chili
1 cup of salsa
½ cup black or green olive slices
½ cup fat-free sour cream
½ cup of green onions, sliced
¼ cup jalapeno slices

1. Spread the tortilla chips out on a cookie sheet, sprinkle with cheese and bake at 350 degrees until the cheese melts.
2. Top with chili, salsa, olives, sour cream, green onions and jalapenos.
3. Serve immediately.

Chili doesn't have to be served up the same way each night. It doesn't even have to be another meal. The quick nachos make an excellent snack, especially for the big game.