Freezy Movie Night Concession Stand-wiches-Hungry Girl

I saw these snacks on Hungry Girl and they look so good! It's kind of like a mish mosh shmorgasbord of movie theater snacks in one delicious snackwich. Check out this recipe for Freezy Movie Night Concession Stand-wiches.

Freezy Movie Night Concession Stand-wiches


PER SERVING (1/7th of recipe, 1 sandwich): 158 calories, 2g fat, 128mg sodium, 32g carbs, <0.5g fiber, 7g sugars, 2.5g protein -- PointsPlus® value 4*

These treats are packed with the flavors of your favorite movie-theater snacks, so you can enjoy said flavors without the high calorie count and kicks to the back of your seat. Lights, camera, SNACKTION!!!!


Ingredients:
One 8-oz. container Cool Whip Free, thawed
3 pieces Twizzlers Strawberry Twists, finely chopped
1 tbsp. mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 tbsp. chopped peanuts
14 Quaker Butter Popped Corn Rice Cakes (1 package)

Directions:
To make the filling, transfer Cool Whip to a medium-large bowl. Add chopped Twizzlers, chocolate chips, and chopped peanuts. Gently stir.

Set out 7 rice cakes, and evenly spoon filling over them, about a heaping 1/4 cup each.

Lightly place another rice cake over each filling-topped cake to form a sandwich, for a total of seven sandwiches.

Place in the freezer until filling is firm, at least 1 1/2 hours. (Use a few plates or a baking sheet, so the sandwiches are not stacked.) Eat up!

MAKES 7 SERVINGS

Boston Cream Cupcakes

Cupcakes are a huge weakness of mine...and I can tell you confidently that at least once a month, designer or homemade cupcakes are brought to work for everyone. I have the hardest time saying no, and more often than not, I have one anyway. Cupcakes are deliciously amazing, but extremely decadent and full of calories. Here is a designer flavored cupcake recipe from Hungry Girl which also combines the cute trend of mini cupcakes to give us a delicious and guilt free desert option.

Boston Cream Cupcakes


PER SERVING (1 cupcake): 114 calories, 2.5g fat, 193mg sodium, 21.5g carbs, 0g fiber, 12g sugars, 2g protein -- PointsPlus® value 3*

There's something awesome about injecting cupcakes with pudding... and something MORE awesome about eating 'em!




Ingredients:
Half of an 18.25-oz. box (about 1 3/4 cups) moist-style yellow cake mix
1/2 cup fat-free liquid egg substitute (like Egg Beaters Original)
3 tbsp. chocolate frosting, room temperature
2 tbsp. light chocolate syrup
One 60-calorie sugar-free or no-sugar-added vanilla pudding snack (like the kind by Jell-O)
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
1 no-calorie sweetener packet (like Splenda or Truvia)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with baking cups and/or spray with nonstick spray; set aside.

In a large bowl, combine cake mix, egg substitute, and 1/2 cup water. Whisk thoroughly. Evenly distribute mixture among the cups of the muffin pan.

Bake in the oven until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean, 20 - 22 minutes.

Allow cupcakes to completely cool. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine chocolate frosting with chocolate syrup and mix well. Cover and refrigerate.

Once cupcakes have cooled, use a knife or narrow spoon handle to create a small centered hole through the top of each cupcake, stopping about midway through the cupcakes. Set aside.

Open pudding cup and stir in vanilla extract and sweetener. Place pudding in one of the bottom corners of a sealable plastic bag. Remove air and seal. Snip off a small part of that corner with scissors.

Gently squeeze the bag and evenly pipe pudding through the hole in the bag's corner and into the holes in the cupcakes.

Evenly spread frosting-syrup mixture over the cupcakes. (Don't worry if some of the pudding filling gets mixed in!)

Serve and enjoy! (Refrigerate leftovers, if you've got 'em.)

MAKES 12 SERVINGS

Crispy Pecan Pie Bites

I'm thinking about making this dessert for my family's huge Thanksgiving get together...I'm all for pecan pie, but these are just so cute that I kind of want to try them out.


Crispy Pecan Pie Bites

PER SERVING (1/5th of recipe, 3 pieces): 106 calories, 6g fat, 87mg sodium, 12g carbs, 0.5g fiber, 5.5g sugars, 3g protein -- PointsPlus® value 3*

We're starting with dessert. It's been a long week -- you deserve it. Bite, crunch, smile, repeat...

Ingredients:
One 15-piece box frozen Athens Mini Fillo Shells
1/4 cup fat-free liquid egg substitute (like Egg Beaters Original)
3 tbsp. brown sugar (not packed)
1/2 tbsp. light whipped butter or light buttery spread (like Brummel and Brown), room temperature
1 drop vanilla extract
Dash salt
1/4 cup roughly chopped pecans, divided
Optional topping: Fat Free Reddi-wip

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray, and arrange shells on the baking sheet. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine egg substitute, brown sugar, butter, vanilla extract, and salt. Mix well.

Stir in 2 tbsp. chopped pecans. Evenly distribute the mixture among the fillo shells.

Evenly top shells with remaining 2 tbsp. chopped pecans, a little less than 1/2 tsp. per shell.

Bake in the oven until edges are crisp, 15 - 18 minutes.

Allow to cool slightly before serving. If you like, top each piece with a squirt of Fat Free Reddi-wip. Enjoy!

MAKES 5 SERVINGS

Hungry Girl's Dreamsicle Shiver

Lisa Lillien and Hungry Girl are pretty much my food rock star idols. If you haven't checked out Hungry Girl, you really really need to, like..yesterday. Anyway, here is a sweet, creamy, and delicious recipe for Hungry Girl's Dreamsicle Shiver.

HG's Dreamsicle Shiver

Feelin' Shakie!
Knock, knock! Who's there? Orange. Orange who? Orange you craving a creamy new concoction that combines orange and vanilla? This new sipper is AMAZING! Grab a straw, people.

Ingredients:
2 tsp. fat-free nondairy powdered creamer (like the kind by Coffee-mate)
1 no-calorie sweetener packet (like Splenda or Truvia)
1 cup Trop50 No Pulp orange juice beverage
1/2 cup fat-free vanilla ice cream
1 1/2 cups crushed ice or 8 - 12 ice cubes

Directions:
In a tall glass, combine powdered creamer and sweetener with 2 tbsp. very hot water; stir to dissolve. Add Trop50 and mix well.

Transfer contents of the glass to a blender. Add all remaining ingredients and blend at high speed until thoroughly mixed. If needed, remove blender from the base, stir mixture, and blend again.

Pour into the glass, stick a straw in it, and slurp away!

MAKES 1 SERVING

Serving Size: entire recipe (about 16 oz.)
Calories: 164
Fat: <0.5g
Sodium: 65mg
Carbs: 38g
Fiber: 1g
Sugars: 20g
Protein: 3g

PointsPlus® value 4*

Strawberry Shortcakes

These are kind of my favorite types of recipe collections to post. From Health.com, here is a collection of desserts made healthier for us to enjoy without all of the calories and fat.

Strawberry Shortcakes

This traditional dessert can sometimes be loaded with fat. With ingredients like sugary cake and whipped cream, a strawberry shortcake may not fit into your eating plan.

But you won’t notice the difference if you whip up this healthier take on the original. You’ll love it just as much as the fattier version. Also, ours uses store-bought dessert shells to cut prep time.

Saturated fat: 0.3 g

You won't believe this delicious, classic dessert is low in calories and in fat. You even have wiggle room to add a scoop of fat-free vanilla ice cream to top it off.

Yields:

6 servings (serving size: 1 cake and 1/3 cup sauce)

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon calorie-free sweetener
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 cup orange juice
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract
• 1 1/2 cups sliced fresh strawberries (about 1 pint)
• 6 spongecake dessert shells (5-ounce package)

Preparation

Combine sweetener and cornstarch in a small saucepan. Stir in orange juice. Bring to a boil; cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute or until mixture is thickened and bubbly. Remove from heat, and stir in extract. Cool completely.

Combine orange juice mixture and strawberries in a bowl; stir gently. Cover and chill 30 minutes.

To serve, spoon sauce over dessert shells.

Tip: This luscious sauce is also good spooned over no-sugar-added ice cream, angel food cake, or fat-free pound cake.

Nutritional Info

CALORIES 113 (0.0% from fat)

FAT 0.9g (sat 0.3g, mono 0.0g, poly 0.0g)
PROTEIN 2g
CARBOHYDRATE 24.3g
FIBER 0.2g
CHOLESTEROL 33mg
IRON 0.0mg
SODIUM 169mg
CALCIUM 0.0mg

Almond Butter Brownies

I found out about this recipe for Almond Butter Brownies from Glamour's Vitamin G blog. They posted this recipe from Elena's Pantry for these brownies made with almond butter which are also gluten free. They say that they are amazing so I thought I'd share this alternative brownie recipe with yall.

Check it out here and check out The Fitnessista's slight adjustments to the recipe here

From Health.com, here is a great recipe for Chocolate Chunk Bread Pudding; it's healthy but still has the comforting and delicious taste that bread pudding should have.

Chocolate Chunk Bread Pudding

Try not to chop the chocolate too finely so you'll have good-sized chunks to bite into. Hawaiian bread pudding is a soft, sweet bread found in the bakery section of most grocery stores. Leftovers are good for ham and Swiss sandwiches.

Yield & Time
2 servings

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cups (1/2-inch) cubed Hawaiian sweet bread
• 2/3 cup 2% reduced-fat milk
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
• 1 tablespoon Kahlúa (coffee-flavored liqueur)
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• Cooking spray
• 1 ounce semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 2 tablespoons frozen fat-free whipped topping, thawed

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°.

Arrange bread cubes in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake at 350° for 5 minutes or until toasted. Remove bread from oven; decrease oven temperature to 325°.

Combine milk and next 5 ingredients (milk through egg) in a medium bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Add bread, tossing gently to coat. Cover and chill 30 minutes or up to 4 hours.

Divide half of bread mixture evenly between 2 (6-ounce) ramekins or custard cups coated with cooking spray; sprinkle evenly with half of chocolate. Divide remaining bread mixture between ramekins; top with remaining chocolate.

Place ramekins in an 8-inch square baking pan; add hot water to pan to a depth of 1 inch. Bake at 325° for 35 minutes or until set. Serve each pudding warm with 1 tablespoon whipped topping.

Nutritional Info
CALORIES 319 (30% from fat)
FAT 10.6g (sat 5.2g, mono 3.6g, poly 0.8g)
PROTEIN 9.8g
CARBOHYDRATE 45.3g
FIBER 2.1g
CHOLESTEROL 121mg
IRON 1.8mg
SODIUM 141mg
CALCIUM 125mg

Cooking Light, JANUARY 2003

If you like your desserts bittersweet, check out this recipe for Hot Fudge Pudding Cake from Eating Well. The recipe adds coffee to this chocolate recipe, boosting the flavor without becoming too sweet.

Hot Fudge Pudding Cake

From EatingWell: January/February 1991

Serve this dense, fudgy pudding cake with vanilla frozen yogurt

12 servings

Active Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

INGREDIENTS
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup nonfat milk
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup pecan halves, toasted (see Tip)
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 1/3 cups hot strong coffee

PREPARATION
Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly coat an 8-by-8-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
Stir together flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Combine milk, egg, oil and vanilla in a glass measuring cup. Make a well in center of the dry ingredients and gradually pour in the milk mixture, stirring until combined. Stir in pecans. Spoon into the prepared pan and spread evenly.
Dissolve brown sugar in coffee; spoon over batter. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes; serve hot or warm.

TIPS & NOTES
Tip: To toast pecan halves: Spread nuts on a baking sheet and bake at 350°F, stirring once, until fragrant, 7 to 9 minutes.

NUTRITION
Per serving: 142 calories; 5 g fat ( 1 g sat , 3 g mono ); 18 mg cholesterol; 24 g carbohydrates; 2 g protein; 1 g fiber; 204 mg sodium; 114 mg potassium.

Carbohydrate Servings: 1 1/2

Exchanges: 1 1/2 other carbohydrate, 1 fat

Slow Cooker Apple Crisp from Mom to Bed By 8

Teri from Mom to Bed By 8 posted a recipe for Slow Cooker Apple Crisp that looked to die for...I added this to reasons why I need to buy a slow cooker ASAP

Read more...

Everybody loves an awesome dessert...when desserts include chocolate, you know that everyone will go wild. Here is a recipe for Chocolate Crunch from Eating Well's collection of Instant Chocolate Desserts.

Chocolate Crunch

From EatingWell

Crunchy wheat cereal, pretzels and almonds coated in bittersweet chocolate makes an addictive sweet-salty snack.

4 servings, about 3/4 cup each

Active Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

INGREDIENTS
1 cup Wheat Chex cereal, (2 ounces)
1 cup pretzel sticks broken in half, (2 ounces)
1/4 cup salted roasted almonds, (2 1/2 ounces)
3 tablespoons bittersweet chocolate chips, melted (see Tip)

PREPARATION
Combine Chex, pretzels and almonds in a medium bowl. Drizzle with melted chocolate; stir to combine. Spread the mixture on a wax paper-lined baking sheet and refrigerate until the chocolate is set, about 30 minutes.

TIPS & NOTES
Make Ahead Tip: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Tip: To melt chocolate: Microwave on Medium for 1 minute. Stir, then continue microwaving on Medium in 20-second intervals until melted, stirring after each interval. Or place in the top of a double boiler over hot, but not boiling, water. Stir until melted.

NUTRITION
Per serving: 218 calories; 8 g fat (2 g sat, 3 g mono); 0 mg cholesterol; 35 g carbohydrates; 5 g protein; 3 g fiber; 397 mg sodium; 176 mg potassium.

2 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 1 starch, 1 carbohydrate (other), 2 fat

From Delish and Eating Well, here is a recipe for Cherries with Ricotta and Toasted Almonds.

Cherries with Ricotta and Toasted Almonds

From EatingWell.com

Warm cherries topped with luscious ricotta cheese and toasted almonds makes for a rich-tasting — yet calorie-conscious — treat

Serves: 1 Edit
Total Time: 10 min

Ingredients

3/4 cup(s) frozen pitted cherries
2 tablespoon(s) part-skim ricotta
1 tablespoon(s) toasted slivered almonds

Directions

Heat cherries in the microwave on High until warm, 1 to 2 minutes. Top the cherries with ricotta and almonds.

133 calories, 0 g saturated fat

Tips & Techniques

Healthy heart variation: To reduce saturated fat even further, use nonfat ricotta in place of the reduced-fat ricotta.

Southern style favorites often carry more calories than most of us want to know about.Southern Living has slimmed down a whole bunch of southern dishes in their Lightened Southern Classics article. Here is one for Banana Pudding.

Lightened Hummingbird Cake

We lowered the fat and calories by substituting applesauce for some of the oil, using less butter and sugar, fewer eggs, and substituting light for regular cream cheese.

Yield: 20 servings (serving size: 1 slice)

Ingredients

• Vegetable cooking spray
• 3 cups plus 2 teaspoons all-purpose flour, divided
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 3/4 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 3/4 cups mashed banana (about 5 to 6)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 (8-ounce) can crushed pineapple, undrained
• Cream Cheese Frosting

Preparation

Coat 3 (9-inch) round cakepans with cooking spray; sprinkle 2 teaspoons flour evenly into pans, shaking to coat.

Combine remaining 3 cups flour and next 4 ingredients in a large bowl. Stir together eggs, applesauce, and oil; add to flour mixture, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened. (Do not beat.) Stir in mashed banana, vanilla extract, and pineapple. Pour batter evenly into prepared pans.

Bake at 350° for 23 to 25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool layers in pans on wire racks 10 minutes. Remove layers from pans; cool completely on wire racks.

Spread Cream Cheese Frosting between layers and on top and sides of cake.

Orginia Hummingbird cake per slice: Calories 476 (45% from fat); Fat 24g (sat. 7.6); Chol 57mg; Sodium 191mg.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

407 (21% from fat)

Fat:

9.5g (sat 2.9g,mono 3.2g,poly 2.1g)

Protein:

4.6g

Carbohydrate:

78g

Fiber:

1.7g

Cholesterol:

33mg

Iron:

1.3mg

Sodium:

184mg

Calcium:

31mg

Southern Living, FEBRUARY 2001

Healthy Chocolate Banana Bread

Check out this recipe for a delicious chocolate banana bread from Glamour's Vitamin G blog. The found this one from RecipeGirl who found it in Rancho La Peurta's cookbook.

Chocolate Banana Bread
Recipe courtesy of RecipeGirl.com; created for Rancho La Peurta

Ingredients:

10 ounces pitted dried prunes
3/4 cup mashed ripe bananas (about 2 medium)
2 large eggs
1 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 and 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup banana chips, chopped coarsely
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1. In a small saucepan, bring prunes and 2 cups of water to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until prunes are very soft, about 20 minutes. Drain.

2. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly butter a 5ÿ9-inch loaf pan and line bottom with a piece of parchment paper, cut to fit.

3. In a food processor, whirl prunes and bananas until very smooth. Add eggs and whirl to combine.

4. In a large bowl, sift together flour, cocoa, baking powder, cinnamon, and baking soda. Stir in banana mixture until evenly moistened. Stir in banana chips and chocolate chips. Scrape the thick batter into pan and spread level.

5. Bake bread until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out a little chocolatey but not gooey, 40 to 50 minutes. Loosen bread from pan with a knife and invert onto a rack. Remove parchment. Turn bread right-side-up and let cool at least 1 hour before slicing.

Servings: 16
Yield: 16 slices
Each serving is 162 calories, 5.5 grams of fat

Cooking Tips
*Shortcut: Sub 10 oz. (1 1/4 cups) unsweetened prune baby food for the pitted prunes, and omit water and cooking in step 1.

Hungry Girl's Perfect and Pretty Party Cake

One of the things I love about Hungry Girl is their creativity in putting together different foods to make delicious snacks and desserts. Check out another part of Hungry Girl's Hot Couples list with their Perfect and Pretty Party Cake

Pillsbury Funfetti Cake Mix + Diet Cream Soda = Perfect (& PRETTY!) Party Cake PER SERVING (1/12th of cake): 180 calories, 3.5 fat, 306mg sodium, 36g carbs, >PointsPlus™ value 5* Cake mix and diet soda? Awesome. Pretty colors? Also awesome. Fat-slashed cake with beautiful dots of color? SIGN US UP! Stir together a can of diet cream soda with a box of Funfetti cake mix. Don't add ANY of the other stuff the box tells you to add... Just the soda. Then simply bake according to package instructions, or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Hooray for gorgeous guilt-free cake!

Hungry Girl's Best Ice Cream Sandwich Ever

One of the things I love about Hungry Girl is their creativity in putting together different foods to make delicious snacks and desserts. Check out part of Hungry Girl's Hot Couples list with their Best ice Cream Sandwich Ever

Triple Chocolate Chunk VitaTop + Dreyer's/Edy's Slow Churned Light Vanilla Ice Cream = Best Ice Cream Sandwich Ever

PER SERVING (1 VitaTop + 1/4 cup ice cream): 150 calories, 3g fat, 172mg sodium, 30.5g carbs, 5g fiber, 15.5g sugars, 4.5g protein --POINTS® value 2*

It just makes sense -- take two of our favorite dessert staples and put 'em together. Carefully slice a frozen VitaTop into two round, thin pieces. Plunk 1/4 cup of slightly softened ice cream on top of one piece, and use a spoon to spread it out evenly. Top it with the other Vita half, wrap it in plastic, and re-freeze 'til solid. P.S. Feel free to experiment with other flavor combos. Banana Nut Vita plus light Butter Pecan ice cream? YESSS!!!

From Glamour's Vitamin G blog, check out a recipe for Banana Pudding. They found it from Food Tales.

Microwave Banana Pudding

Adapted from BBC GoodFood Magazine, April 2010 pg.38

• 100 gram butter, softened
• 2 ripe bananas
• 100 gram Muscovado sugar (I used normal sugar) i'd use splenda
• 100 gram self-raising flour (I used normal flour)
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon (I reduced to 1 tsp)
• 2 eggs (I replaced with Egg Replacer Powder) i'd use 4 egg whites
• 2 tbsp milk
• icing sugar, toffee sauce, and ice cream to serve, if you like ( I used ready made vanilla cream)

1. Put the butter in a 1-litre baking dish and microwave for about 30 secs-1 min until melted.
2. Add 1 1/2 mashed bananas, sugar, flour, cinnamon, eggs and milk. Mix together well.
3. Slice the remaining banana over the top, then return to the microwave and cook on High for 8 mins until cooked through and risen.
4. Serve warm, dusted with icing sugar, if you like, with a drizzle of toffee sauce and a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Cinnamon Cheesecake Fondue

Here is a really cool, healthy fondue recipe from Cosmopolitan; it sounds really delicious.

Cinnamon Cheesecake Fondue

Unlike chocolate fondue, this recipe requires no cooking and is not served hot, which means you can whip it up in a flash. It’s a great way to satisfy a craving for New York–style cheesecake without excessive calories, fat, and sugar. A bowl of this fondue makes the perfect ending to an informal party—it’s pure fun!

SERVES 4 (SERVING SIZE: 1/4 CUP FONDUE)

4 ounces (1/2 cup) low-fat cream cheese, at room temperature

3/4 cup nonfat sour cream

2 tablespoons packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cut fresh fruit (apples, pears, cantaloupe, honeydew, pineapple, peaches, strawberries)

1. Combine all the ingredients except the fruit in a medium bowl, mixing them vigorously with a whisk until completely smooth. For best results, refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving.

2. Serve with the cut fresh fruit for dipping.

Slimmer Summer Cooking and Grilled Peaches with Ice Cream

This article, from Ladies Home Journal, helps keep the fears of gaining weight during swimsuit season at bay. Summer and early fall are the best times to have barbecues and cook outs. Here are some different tips, ways, and recipes to keep the calorie and fat count as low as possible while still serving and eating great food with your guests.

Healthy Summer Cooking: Enjoy Grilling Without the Guilt
By Rachel Shippy

What’s a lady to do when she finds herself caught between bikini season and backyard barbeque season? Eat up! Food Network’s Ellie Krieger dishes how to enjoy summer’s best fare without tipping the scale…


Think Outside The Burger
Summer’s such a bountiful time for incredible local produce, so take advantage of it. Most people think of putting zucchini or peppers on the grill, but Portobello mushrooms and corn on the cob are equally amazing. For a twist on salad, slice romaine hearts or endive in half, brush them with oil, and throw them on the grill until softened. You get the beautiful flavor that you’re craving, but using seasonal produce versus protein.

Lose the Salt, Find the Seasoning
Even cutting salt modestly can make a big difference in your overall health, but it doesn’t mean you have to compromise flavor. I rely on potent flavors and aromatics like garlic, shallots, chili peppers, citrus, and fresh herbs. The important part to remember is that salt shouldn’t be the flavor foundation in any dish. Also, don’t be afraid of the spice rack – cumin and coriander are great to incorporate into rubs and marinades for grilling.


Trim The Fat
Hot dogs and ribs aren’t the only proteins worthy of the grill – lemon-filled salmon, for one, is another favorite of mine. For the more carnivorous crowd, try sticking to leaner cuts of meat (look for words like ‘loin’ or ‘round’). Rather than indulging in a gigantic steak as a whole, try thinly slicing it and serving as soft tacos with lots of chopped veggies and topped with fresh cilantro.

Slim Down On Sweets
I love grilling fruit, but just a piece of fruit seems more like a snack to me. So how do you make it into dessert? Try this: slice a peach in half, pop out the pit, grill it, and put a scoop of ice cream in the center. (full recipe below). Opt for lower fat ice cream that is all natural (no artificial flavors) or frozen yogurt. The important thing to remember when curbing your sweet tooth is to be mindful of portions. Even an ice cream cone, in moderation, is OK because it’s a contained portion compared to spooning it from the pint!

For more healthy ideas, check out Healthy Appetite with Ellie Krieger airing M-F at 9:30am on Cooking Channel.

Grilled Peaches with Ice Cream
Grilled fruit makes it more decadent by intensifying its flavor, warming and plumping it. A little ice cream and a sprig of mint where the pit once was make these peaches a lovely finish to a summer meal. MAKES 4 SERVINGS

4 ripe but firm peaches
2 teaspoons canola oil
½ cup light vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt
8 small sprigs fresh mint

Preheat a grill or nonstick grill pan over medium heat. Cut each peach in half and remove the pits. Brush the cut side of each peach half with oil. Place the peaches cut side down onto the grill or grill pan and cook until the peaches soften slightly and grill marks are formed, 2 to 3 minutes. Place a tablespoon-size scoop of ice cream in the center of each peach half. Garnish with mint and serve.
PER SERVING (2 peach halves) CALORIES 90, TOTAL FAT 3.5 G, SAT FAT 0.5 G, MONO FAT 1.75 G, POLY FAT 0.75 G, PROTEIN 2 G, CARB 14 G, FIBER 1 G, CHOLESTEROL 5 MG, SODIUM 10 MG

Sensual, Slim Dessert

From Self's November 2008 feature of Eat Healthy All Week, here is an easy way to make delicious chocolate covered strawberries that won't ruin your healthy eating plans.

Chocolate-Covered Strawberries

Makes 4 strawberries

INGREDIENTS

• 1/4 cup bittersweet chocolate chips
• 2 teaspoons butter
• 4 large fresh strawberries
• 2 tablespoons slivered almonds

PREPARATION

1. Melt chocolate and butter in a microwave-safe glass bowl in the microwave on high until chips melt, 20 to 30 seconds. Dip each strawberry into chocolate, then almonds. Set on a sheet of wax paper or a plate until cool. Serve 2. (Refrigerate other 2 in a resealable plastic bag for Friday's dessert.)

1. 
   

The skinny

201 calories per 2 strawberries, 14.2 g fat (6.2 g saturated), 20.5 g carbs, 3.5 g fiber, 2.4 g protein

January 27th - Chocolate Cake Day

Did you know that January 27th is Chocolate Cake Day... who knew?!?! And who doesn't love Chocolate Cake!

I actually found out all this info from:

One of my favorite websites for getting great food for half the guilt. So, with it being Chocolate Cake Day... she has put a great recipe for "Death by Chocolate Cupcakes" as her Chew on this Item. You can check it out HERE or take a look below:

Ingredients:
2 cups moist-style chocolate cake mix (half of an 18.25-oz. box)
Two 25-calorie packets diet hot cocoa mix
1/2 cup fat-free liquid egg substitute (like Egg Beaters Original)
2 tbsp. semi-sweet mini chocolate chips
1 tsp. Splenda No Calorie Sweetener (granulated)
1/8 tsp. salt

Directions:
Place chocolate chips and the contents of both cocoa packets in a tall glass. Add 12 ounces of boiling water, and stir until chips and cocoa mix have dissolved. Place glass in the freezer to chill for 25 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Once cocoa has chilled, give it a stir, and mix with all other ingredients in a mixing bowl. Whip batter with a whisk or fork for 2 minutes. Spray a 12-cup muffin pan with nonstick spray, or line it with baking cups. Evenly spoon batter (which will be thin, but don't worry, your cupcakes will puff up!) into the pan. Place pan in the oven, and bake for 15 minutes. Cupcakes will look shiny when done. MAKES 12 SERVINGS


Serving Size: 1 cupcake
Calories: 108
Fat: 2.5g
Sodium: 239mg
Carbs: 19g
Fiber: 1g
Sugars: 12g
Protein: 2g

POINTS® value 2*


Did you know your average Chocolate Cupcake WITHOUT the icing contains over 200 calories and 10g of fat...YIKES! So, next time you are feeling a little chocolaty... try on these cupcakes. Something to satisfy your craving and to not pop your pants!


Love,

Cara
Let's Go Carazy