Salad Cups

Day 14 of the 30 Day Tasty Vegetable Challenge

Today's recipe is from Colleen of Picture Me Cooking. This recipe appears in the Picture Me Cooking cookbook, a cookbook for kids with space built in to include your own photos of your little chef cooking ~ a great holiday gift idea! I liked the idea of including this particular recipe because I know many kids (including my own) are slow to embrace salads. This recipe presents salad in a unique, visually interesting way in a small and manageable portion size that might make some children more likely to give salad a try. I haven't tried it yet myself but I plan to. Let me know how it goes with your kids if you try this one.

Salad Cups

from the kids cookbook Picture Me Cooking

This is easy to make and makes such a pretty side dish or appetizer. Your children could also take them in their lunchbox. Place the greens in a baggie, a bit of dressing in a baggie and the cups in a sandwich container. He or she can assemble and enjoy right in the cafeteria. Your child will puff up with pride when he or she presents these little Salad Cups to family and friends to enjoy.

12 slices white or wheat bread
3 TBS melted butter
Fixins for your favorite salad or just keep it simple with lettuce, tomatoes, carrots and some dressing or a Caesar Salad.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Use a rolling pin to slightly roll out each slice of bread (kids love that part).
A few rolls should do it. Cut out 2-3 inch rounds from each slice using a biscuit cutter or a circle cookie cutter (in a pinch use a glass).
Insert one bread round into each section of your cupcake pan, pressing down slightly, forming a cup shape. Lightly brush each one with the butter.
Bake for 8-10 minutes until lightly brown and crispy. Cool.

When ready to serve, fill cups with the chopped salad tossed with dressing of your choice.

You can fill the cups with Caesar salad sprinkled with some fresh shaved Parmesan or some chopped up raw veggies of your choice tossed with a bit of dressing. Whatever you or the kids may enjoy!

Happy Cooking!!

Zucchini Fries

Day 13 of the 30 Day Tasty Vegetable Challenge

Today's recipe is from Dinner Together reader A.S.

Zucchini Fries

Ingredients:
-3 medium zucchini

-1 egg
-3 TBS milk
-1/3 cup panko bread crumbs
-1/3 cup shredded parmesan cheese
-a few grinds of fresh black pepper
-1/4 tsp kosher salt

Directions:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Cut zucchini into small wedges or sticks. In a small bowl, whisk together egg and milk. In a separate bowl, mix together the remaining ingredients. Dunk the zucchini into egg mixture, then coat with bread crumb mixture. Place on foil lined pan sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Bake for 25 minutes or until golden and tender.

Leanne's Basic Vegetable Soup

Day 12 of the 30 Day Tasty Vegetable Challenge

Leanne Ely is another nutritionist and cookbook author whose recipes were part of my regular family meal plans before I started Dinner Together. As I've written before, I love her cookbook, Saving Dinner. Leanne has generously shared with us one of her classic recipes for this project. When I read it, I thought that this would be perfect for Halloween weekend ~ something you can make ahead and have ready to eat in between rounds of trick-or-treating and Halloween parties. Please visit Leanne's website for even more healthy recipes and meal planning ideas.

This is my tried and true, never fail, always terrific Basic Veggie Soup. I use this for weight loss, holidays (having a vat of this stuff in the fridge will save many a family from drive thru disaster) and it has become a beloved favorite with my many readers. :-) The variations make it an endless, go-to recipe that I know your folks will love too. Here you go--enjoy!!

Leanne’s Basic Vegetable Soup - Makes 12 cups

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, pressed           

2 small celery stalks, chopped           

1/4 head cabbage, chopped           

2 large carrots, chopped

2 cups green beans, cut into 1-inch pieces

1/2 teaspoon thyme

Sea salt and fresh pepper to taste

6 cups chicken broth (homemade is preferable otherwise choose a low-sodium, gluten free brand)           

In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook till nearly translucent, now add the garlic (don't let the garlic brown) and saute another couple of minutes. Add the rest of the chopped veggies, sauteing for just a minute or two. You're not cooking them just sauteing for the wonderful flavor this quick step will infuse in your soup. Add the thyme and salt and pepper while sauteing.

Now put the veggies in the crock-pot, add the broth. Cook on low 7 to 9 hours (depending on your crock-pot) or high 4 to 6 hours (but all crock-pots are different, depending on size, age, brand etc. Remember, your mileage may vary.

Quick Fixes for Variations on the Basic Veggie Soup:

Now remember, don’t do this to the whole pot of soup! Just the little bit you pull out to fix yourself for lunch, etc.

Quick Fix #1:

Tex Mex Veggie Soup. Add some fresh chopped tomato and cilantro, simmer till tomato is tender. Top with some crunchy corn tortilla strips (make in the oven & avoid frying), a little cheese if you want and some avocado!

Quick Fix #2:

Tuscan Veggie Soup. Add some fresh chopped tomato, chopped kale, a little bit of dried basil. Cook till heated through and the kale is tender. I love to add a little chicken sausage too for added lowfat protein.

Quick Fix #3:

Minestrone Veggie Soup. Add some fresh chopped tomato, baby spinach leaves and little dried oregano. Simmer till tomato is tender. You can add some cooked pasta, white beans, a dollop of jarred pesto for amazing flavor as well.

Quick Fix #4:

Autumn Veggie Soup. Add some diced acorn squash or butternut squash, a sprinkling of nutmeg and some chopped parsley. Simmer soup till your squash is cooked.

Cheesy Spinach Bake

Day 11 of the 30 Day Tasty Vegetable Challenge

Today's recipe comes from Liz Weiss and Janice Newell Bissex, otherwise known as the Meal Makeover Moms. Liz and Janice are both registered dietitians and moms on a mission to help busy families eat better. Before I started Dinner Together, I had purchased (and used!) a copy of their first cookbook, The Moms' Guide to Meal Makeovers, and through Dinner Together, I've had the great fortune to get to know them. I'm really looking forward to checking out their new cookbook, No Whine With Dinner. Learn more about them and their cookbooks and browse more of their recipes at their website. By the way, I highly recommend their recipe for Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins; they were such a hit in my house that I made them twice in one week. Liz and Janice were generous to share a recipe with us for this Challenge from their new cookbook. Thank you Meal Makeover Moms!

Cheesy Spinach Bake

Frozen spinach rocks: It’s inexpensive, nutritious, and a convenience ingredient you can feel good about. On its own, it’s far from appetizing—and one could argue that from a child’s perspective, it’s kind of gross. But combined with Italian bread crumbs, Cheddar cheese, and grated Parmesan, this simple side dish takes on a flavor and texture that appeal to kids. With 30 percent bone-building calcium in each serving and a boatload of vitamin A, we hope you’ll add these gooey, cheesy spinach bites to your lineup of favorite family sides.

▪                One 10-ounce box frozen chopped spinach, thawed

▪                2 large eggs

▪                ½ cup 1% low-fat milk

▪                1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil or melted butter

▪                ½ cup Italian style seasoned bread crumbs

▪                ½ teaspoon baking powder

▪                1 cup shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese (4 ounces)

▪                ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

▪                Kosher salt

1.  Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly oil or coat an 8 x 8-inch baking pan or dish with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.

2.  Drain the spinach very well by pressing in a colander with the back of a large spoon and using paper towels to remove excess moisture. Set aside.

3.  In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, and olive oil until combined. Whisk in the bread crumbs and baking powder. Stir in the spinach, Cheddar cheese, and Parmesan cheese until well combined.

4.  Spread the mixture evenly in the prepared pan. Bake until the mixture is set and the top is golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes.  Slice into 2 x 4-inch rectangles and serve. Sprinkle the tops with a few pinches of salt to taste.


Serves 8.

Nutrition Information per Serving (1 slice): 120 calories, 7g fat (3g saturated), 340mg sodium, 8g carbohydrate, 1g fiber, 9g protein, 90% vitamin A, 20% calcium

Cumin Carrot Fries

Day 10 of the 30 Day Tasty Vegetable Challenge

Today's recipe comes from Michelle Stern, founder of What's Cooking, a certified green cooking school for kids. Michelle has wonderful ideas about cooking with kids, cooking whole foods, and cooking for a cause. I encourage you to check out her site here.

Cumin Carrot Fries

Adapted by Michelle Stern, founder of What's Cooking, a certified green cooking school for kids

I have always been a fan of being honest with my kids and students about food.  We don't hide veggies in our recipes, but celebrate them and highlight them as an important part of the meal.  Of course, even though we serve them up proudly, that doesn't mean that the kids are thrilled about it!  Like many kids, my own children often squirm at the idea of eating veggies.  But we are persistent and serve them at every meal.  Lately, our kids have been more interested in eating veggies that they can pick up with their fingers.  Whatever works!

Ingredients:
1 lb. carrots
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. While the oven is preheating, have your children help you wash the carrots.  
3. If your children are young, cut a thin slice from the edge of each carrot, so that it can lay on the cutting board without wobbling.
4. Now that the carrots are more stable, you can cut them into 3-inch long sticks together.
5. Put the carrot sticks on a baking sheet.
6. Measure the olive oil, cumin and salt and add them to the carrots.
7. Toss them together with clean hands.
8. Roast for up to 30 minutes (until desired firmness), flipping halfway through.

Serves 4

Broccoli Calzones

Day 9 of the 30 Day Tasty Vegetable Challenge


Today's recipe was submitted by a reader, A.S. We'll be eating these for dinner tonight at my house. I'm hopeful that they'll be a hit.


Broccoli Calzones


1 tablespoon olive oil
2 packages (10 ounces each) frozen chopped broccoli, thawed
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1/4 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
Flour, for rolling dough
2 packages (1 pound each) balls fresh or frozen pizza dough, thawed if frozen
1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 cups shredded (6 ounces) part-skim mozzarella cheese
Coarse salt and ground pepper
Prepared tomato sauce (optional)
1 medium red onion, finely chopped


Directions

1. In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium. Add onion; cook until softened, 4 to 5 minutes. Add broccoli, garlic, and pepper flakes. Cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid has evaporated, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl; set aside to cool.
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Form calzones: Divide dough into 8 equal pieces. On a lightly floured surface, stretch each piece out, first to a 3-by-4-inch oval, then stretch again, this time to a 6-by-8-inch oval. (Let dough rest a few minutes if too elastic to work with.)
3. Stir cheeses into cooled broccoli mixture; season generously with salt and pepper. Assemble calzones: Spread a rounded 1/2 cup broccoli mixture over half of each piece of dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border; fold over to form a half-moon. Press edges to seal. With a paring knife, cut 2 slits in the top of each calzone.
4. Using a wide metal spatula with a thin blade, transfer calzones to 2 baking sheets lined with parchment or waxed paper; reshape if needed.
5. Bake until golden, about 25 minutes. Serve with tomato sauce, if desired.
6. To freeze: Prepare recipe through step 3. Tightly wrap each calzone in plastic; freeze until firm. Transfer calzones to resealable plastic bags; label and date. Freeze up to 2 months. To serve, unwrap calzones, and place on parchment-lined baking sheets; bake without thawing until golden, 35 to 40 minutes.

Penne with Zucchini

Day 8 of the 30 Day Tasty Vegetable Challenge

Did you know that today is World Pasta Day? Neither did I until my friends at Oldways told me about it. They also shared this wonderful packet of information for children, Pasta for Children Around the World, which includes lessons in global geography, agriculture, and traditional dishes.

Pasta lends itself so easily to vegetable recipes. Today's recipe is from the National Pasta Association.

Penne with Zucchini

1 pound Penne, Mostaccioli or other medium shape, uncooked


1 pound small zucchini (about 3), plus one for garnish


3/4 cup all-purpose flour


1 piece Parmesan cheese (at least 4 oz.)


1 cup olive oil plus 3 tbsp.

1 medium onion, peeled and finely diced, about 2/3 cup


2 cloves garlic, sliced very thinly


Freshly ground pepper to taste


1 1/2 tsp. unsalted butter


Salt to taste

• Cook pasta according to package directions; drain.
• Wash zucchini, wipe dry and trim the ends. Slice one zucchini into rounds about the thickness of a quarter. Toss sliced zucchini in a bowl with flour until coated on all sides. Remove slices from bowl, shaking off excess flour.
• Cut remaining zucchini into fine dice. Grate enough Parmesan cheese to measure 2 tbsp. Set aside. Shave enough of remaining cheese into curls with a vegetable peeler to measure 2 tbsp. Set aside separately.
• Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a large heavy skillet. Add onion and sauté until tender and light golden brown, about 10 minutes. Stir in garlic, cook one minute, then stir in diced zucchini. Cook until zucchini is tender and most of the liquid is evaporated from skillet, about 10 minutes. Remove zucchini from skillet and set aside.
• Clean skillet, dry it well and pour in the remaining one cup of olive oil. Heat over medium heat until an edge of one of the coated zucchini slices sizzles when dipped in oil. Carefully slip as many of the zucchini slices as will float freely into the oil. Fry them, turning once until golden brown on both sides. Remove with a slotted spoon to a plate lined with paper towels. Keep warm and repeat with remaining zucchini slices if necessary.
• Combine pasta, diced zucchini mixture, grated Parmesan, butter, salt and pepper to taste. Heat over low heat until butter is melted and pasta is coated with sauce. Divide the pasta among serving bowls and sprinkle with the shaved Parmesan. Top with fried zucchini slices.

Serves 4.

Kale Chips

Day 7 of the 30 Day Tasty Vegetable Challenge


Today's recipe was contributed by Christine Cook, Founder and CEO of TrueBlueMatch.com, a site that creates friendship matches for parents. I've written about Christine's wonderful service in the past on my DrCuneo blog. If you're looking to develop friendships with other like-minded parents, I encourage you to check out truebluematch.com. And thank you Christine for this delicious recipe. I make something similar at my house, and it's a big hit too.

Kale Chips

1 head Kale

2 T olive oil

salt to taste

Rip Kale off the "rib" into chip-size pieces

On a cookie sheet that has sides put the kale, olive oil and salt

Coat the Kale by stirring the whole pan with your hands.

Bake 350 until Kale is stiff like a chip.

Enjoy!

I know this sounds crazy but our family is known to fight over these chips.  They are SO good!

 

Pan Seared Brussel Sprouts

Day 6 of the 30 Day Tasty Vegetable Challenge

This is the recipe I'm going to challenge myself with! I have never made brussel sprouts. In fact, they have "scared" me a bit. I've recently eaten some well prepared brussel sprouts and they were tastier than I thought. So I will definitely be trying this one. Thank you to Colleen from Souffle Bombay and Picture Me Cooking for sharing this recipe.

Pan Seared Brussel Sprouts

Ingredients

Brussel Sprouts (about 25 pieces)
6 slices of bacon, chopped
1/4 cup onion, chopped
3 TBS olive oil (or more depending on bacon used)
1/4 cup chicken broth
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

• Slice a bit of the ends off of each brussel sprout of they don't look fresh. Slice each "head" in half. Set aside.
• In a good sized skillet saute bacon for 3 minutes, add in onion and continue to saute for an additional 5 minutes. 
• Add in brussel sprouts and saute for 5-8 minutes adding in olive oil as needed. 
• Add in broth and continue to move brussel sprouts around occasionally. Once Brussel sprouts are fork tender they are ready to serve.
• Cooking time will vary depending on the size of brussel sprouts used.

Summertime Squash

Day 5 of the 30 Day Tasty Vegetable Challenge

Today's recipe was submitted by Dinner Together reader Kristin Harper. Kristin describes this recipe as her  favorite side dish. I wanted to get it up here now while you still might have a chance of finding some fresh summer squash. Enjoy!

Summertime Squash

Ingredients

•                1 teaspoon cornstarch

•                1/8 teaspoon salt

•                1/4 cup vegetable broth

•                1 small zucchini cut into 1/4-inch slices

•                1 small yellow summer squash cut into 1/4-inch slices

•                1/2 small sweet red pepper cut into strips

•                1-1/2 teaspoons canola oil

•                1/2 teaspoon butter

•                1 garlic clove minced

 Directions

• In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch, salt and broth until smooth; set aside.
• In a large skillet, saute the zucchini, squash and red pepper in oil and butter until tender.
• Add garlic; saute 1 minute longer.
• Stir cornstarch mixture and add to the pan.
• Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.

Total Time: 20Min.

Serves: 2

Grilled Eggplant Salad in Yogurt

Day 4 of the 30 Day Tasty Vegetable Challenge

Today's recipe is courtesy of LittleStomaks.com, a great website offering science driven information about nutrition for young children. They offered to share one of their vegetable recipes from their Simple Recipes collection with me. I encourage you to visit their site for even more tasty ideas. I chose the following recipe because it sounded like something I would really enjoy. I haven't tried it yet, but it's definitely on my list of things to make in the future.

Grilled Eggplant Salad in Yogurt

This eggplant recipe is similar to babaganoush, but with a little twist! It is prepared in yogurt instead of tahini. Serve it chilled as a side dish with grilled fish and rice – you will love it!

5-6 small Asian/Indian eggplants

1  cup plain yogurt

1 clove garlic, minced

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2-3 tbsp finely chopped fresh cilantro

salt, pepper to taste

• Cut small slits in the eggplants and lightly brush each with olive oil. Place eggplants in a stainless steel wire grilling pan and grill over medium high heat, turning gently once in a while until the skin is dark and partially charred.
• Remove eggplants from the grill and let them cool for a few minutes. Peel off the skin and collect the flesh in a bowl. 
• Cut in smaller pieces and then puree in a food processor. 
• Transfer to a bowl and m
  ix with plain yogurt until smooth and homogeneous. Add garlic, salt and pepper.  Garnish with chopped cilantro. 
• Chill in a refrigerator before serving.

©2010 Littlestomaks.com

Veggie Pasta Fagioli

Day 3 of the 30 Day Tasty Vegetable Challenge

Today's recipe is courtesy of Dawn Billesbach of Menu For the Week. I love Dawn's recipes because they are easy to prepare and taste delicious. I haven't tried this one yet, but I love beans with pasta so I'm sure my family will be eating this one soon.

Veggie Pasta Fagioli

Active Prep Time: 30 minutes Simmer Time: 1 hour

This is so hardy and just delicious. The prep time comes just from chopping veggies, but you can cut that down with a food processor.

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 cloves garlic - minced

1 onion - chopped

2 stalks celery - chopped

2 carrots sliced

8 cups vegetable broth

1 can red kidney beans - drained

1 can white kidney beans (cannellini beans) - drained

1 cup small pasta - I used mini bow ties, but anything will work

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

Salt and pepper - to taste

1 tablespoon dried basil

1) In a large pot, heat olive oil. Add vegetables and cook for 5 minutes on low heat.

2) Add remaining ingredients, except pasta. Cover and simmer for 1 hour. 20 minutes prior to serving, remove lid, add pasta and bring to boil. Return to low heat, cover and continue simmering until pasta is tender.

Makes 8 servings

Roasted Cauliflower Poppers

Day 2 of the 30 Day Tasty Vegetable Challenge

Today's recipe is courtesy of Aviva Goldfarb author of "SOS! The Six O'Clock Scramble to the Rescue: Earth-Friendly, Kid-Pleasing Dinners for Busy Families" - one of my favorite cookbooks. Thank you Aviva! I made this for my family last week and it definitely passed the "tasty" test.

Roasted Cauliflower Poppers

Aviva Goldfarb, The Six O’Clock Scramble, www.thescramble.com

Even avowed cauliflower haters can’t resist this recipe! The cauliflower gets tender and just a little crunchy at the edges and the flavor is addictive.

1 head cauliflower 1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil 1/2 tsp. chili powder 1/4 tsp. ground cumin 1 tsp. salt

To make Roasted Cauliflower Poppers, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut 1 head of cauliflower into florets. Toss them with 1 Tbsp. olive oil, 1/2 tsp. chili powder, or more to taste, and 1/4 tsp. ground cumin, or more to taste, and 1/4 tsp. salt. Roast it for 20-30 minutes until the florets are browned and soft, tossing once. Aviva Goldfarb is a mother of two and the author and founder of The Six O'Clock Scramble®, www.thescramble.com, an online weekly menu planner and cookbook (St. Martin's Press, 2006), and is author of the new cookbook, “SOS! The Six O’Clock Scramble to the Rescue: Earth Friendly, Kid-Pleasing Meals for Busy Families” (St. Martin’s Press, 2010). She is also a weekly contributor to the Kitchen Explorers blog on PBSparents.org.

Sesame Green Beans

To kick things off for the 30 Day Tasty Vegetable challenge, I'm sharing one of my family's favorite veggie dishes. Since one of my daughter's is allergic to sesame seeds, I often either leave off the seeds or leave a small portion seedless and seed the rest.

SESAME GREEN BEANS

(Adapted from The New Good Housekeeping Cookbook, 1986)

1 ½ pounds green beans, trimmed

2 t sesame seeds

3 T soy sauce

2 T canola oil

· Boil water in large sauce pan

· Add green beans and cook til fork tender, about 5 minutes. Drain and run under cold water.

· Meanwhile, in small sauce pan or skillet over medium heat toast sesame seeds until golden brown. Sesame seeds produce their own oil so you can just put them directly in the pan. Just monitor closely and shake the pan throughout. It should only take a couple of minutes; be careful not to burn them.

· Put the green beans back in the pot and add soy sauce and oil. Cook beans over low heat, stirring frequently.

· Sprinkle beans with sesame seeds.

Serves 6.

30 Day Tasty Vegetable Challenge

I was disheartened after reading the recent New York Times article, Told to Eat Its Vegetables, America Orders Fries by Kim Severson. Severson reports, “Despite two decades of public health initiatives, stricter government dietary guidelines, record growth of farmers’ markets and the ease of products like salad in a bag, Americans still aren’t eating enough vegetables,” with “enough” being defined by federal health objectives set in 2000.

While the article mentions several factors contributing to the lack of vegetable eating among Americans, including cost and availability, the factors that stood out to me were taste and preparation. I personally feel a little powerless in trying to tackle the social and economic issues involved in making vegetables affordable and available for all Americans. I do, however, feel that I can help people learn how to prepare vegetables so that they taste good. One man is quoted in the article as saying, “Part of it is just that vegetables are a little intimidating. I’m not afraid of zucchinis, but I just don’t know how to cook them.” I believe that many people feel similarly.

I also know that many parents struggle with finding ways to prepare vegetables that are appealing to their children and often resort to hiding veggies in other foods. As I’ve said before, taste matters. So I’m feeling inspired to try to help people learn how to prepare tasty vegetables. I believe that we can all help each other with this. I’m guessing that most people have at least one vegetable dish that they enjoy and are confident in preparing. If not, I'm hoping that you find at least one here in the next 30 days.

So my challenge to you is to 1) share one vegetable recipe with the Dinner Together community and 2) commit to trying one new vegetable preparation in the next 30 days. There are so many ways that we can eat vegetables, and we all have our own personal taste preferences. So let’s share and help each other. Let’s try to get 30 recipes in 30 days! Here are the guidelines for sharing recipes:

• The recipes can be for appetizers, soups, salads, sandwiches, side dishes, or main dishes (or anything else!).
• Recipes must include at least one featured vegetable, but can include other ingredients (e.g., pasta, rice, dairy, or proteins).
• Vegetables should not be “hidden” or “sneaked” in the recipe.
• If your recipe is from another source, just be sure to acknowledge that source.
• Recipes should be fairly simple to prepare. We want to make it easy for people to try new things!
• And please don’t force anyone in your family to eat your creations. Make them available and gently suggest that they be tried.
• Recipes can be emailed to me at info @ dinnertogether.com (no spaces), and I will post them on the blog and/or in the Dinner Together newsletter.
• I will post a veggie recipe daily from October 18, 2010 through November 16, 2010. This is a great time to try to make a change – before the rush of the holiday season is upon us.