Christmas Party

Last night, Todd and I went to his faculty Christmas party.  Grace had a princess party at her good friend Aurora’s house while we enjoyed a rare night out alone!

We tried to take a picture with the timer on our camera, and this was the best we could get.

 

It was a potluck party, so I enjoyed preparing a couple of things.  First, my friend Therese’s Tex-Mex Cheese Ball recipe is amazing.  Seriously,  it’s the best cheese ball I’ve ever tasted.  I added my little twist by shaping it into a Christmas tree and rolling it in cilantro.  Then I decorated it with an almond garland and red pepper ornaments!  A cheese star was the finishing touch.

 Tex-Mex Cheese Ball

2 pkg. (8 oz. each) cream cheese – softened

3 green onions, chopped

1 c. grated sharp cheddar cheese

3 tbsp. taco seasoning mix

1/4 c. salsa

1 c. pecans, chopped and toasted

2 tbsp. fresh cilantro, chopped

Chopped almonds and red peppers for garnish

Mix first six ingredients together and chill until firm.  Shape into a Christmas tree shape and roll in chopped cilantro.  Garnish with almonds, peppers, and a cheese star.  Serve with crackers.

The latest edition of the Food Network Magazine had a great section on Christmas cookies.  I made the Chunky Christmas Cookies and they didn’t disappoint!  They weren’t kidding when they named them “chunky” because it’s basically a ton of candy and chips barely held together by cookie dough.

We had a lot of fun and I enjoyed meeting all the good folks that work with Todd.  We even lost miserably at played pool for a while.  The last time I played pool was 1992…Howard’s…Samford U.  Any bulldogs out there remember?

Fall Cake

For a while I’ve been wanting to experiment with fondant to expand my cake decorating skills.  I bought some Wilton fondant from the craft store just to play with it and see what it was like…it was disgusting.  I see now why people peel it off their cakes at weddings!

I got on the internet to look around and see what people had to say about improving the taste of store-bought fondant.  I quickly realized that it would be MUCH cheaper and tastier to make it myself!  And it was so easy…done in a matter of minutes. 

So, here’s my practice cake, done in a fall theme. 

I covered each layer with white fondant, then mixed some fall colors in to make acorns and leaves.  The best part?  It’s truly delicious!  People aren’t going to be peeling off THIS fondant!  Here’s the recipe:

Homemade Marshmallow Fondant

• 1/4 cup vegetable shortening (Crisco)
• 1 pound of white mini marshmallows
• 1 teaspoon clear vanilla flavor
• 1 teaspoon butter flavor
• 2 tablespoons water
• 2 pounds powdered sugar

Grease the inside of a large microwavable bowl with vegetable shortening (Crisco).

Put marshmallows, flavorings, and water into the bowl. Microwave on high for 60 seconds. If marshmallows are completely melted, you’re ready to move on. If not, stir and return them back into the microwave for 30-second intervals – stirring after each – until the marshmallows are completely melted.

Put powdered sugar into large mixing bowl. Fit stand mixer with dough hook. (If not using a stand mixer, use a wooden spoon.) Add liquefied marshmallow mixture to powdered sugar. Process at low speed until well incorporated, then turn speed up slightly and allow dough hook to “knead” mixture until sugar is fully blended into the liquid.

Turn your Fondant out onto your work surface that has been dusted with equal parts of cornstarch and powdered sugar. Make sure your hands are well dusted too. (If fondant is still sticky, knead in some more powdered sugar.) Knead fondant into a loaf. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and let cool for at least one hour.

To store fondant, wrap in plastic wrap and then put it in a re-sealable plastic bag. Squeeze out as much air as possible. Marshmallow Fondant will keep very well in the refrigerator for weeks.

Fall, Football, and Fabulous Dip

Fall is in the air!  Our temperatures finally dropped below 100 degrees this week and I actually pulled out a jacket when I dragged our three trashcans to the curb in the rain.  There’s nothing like the feel of cold rain and the smell of garbage first thing in the morning!

Anyway, on to another sad topic.  The encroaching Labor Day weekend forces me to say farewell to my friend, White Capri.  I’ve enjoyed wearing you this summer.  I hope you enjoy some quality time with White Sandals in the closet until next spring. 

On a better note, COLLEGE FOOTBALL STARTS THIS WEEKEND!  We will be dressing up our 4-yr-old daughter in her size 2T Tennessee Vols cheerleader outfit because we can never remember to buy a bigger size when we get out of BURNT orange territory and visit relatives in BRIGHT orange territory.  It’s bad enough that we have to endure the occasional “Hook ‘Em Horns!” (shudder) from Texas fans when we are CLEARLY wearing Tennessee paraphernalia.   In our minds, this simply reinforces everything we already felt about Univ. of Texas fans. (smile)

In honor of college football weekend, I am joining BooMama’s DipTacular event!  Because in the words of BooMama, “Where college football leads, dips will most always follow.”

 

The other day, my mom and I were strolling through Central Market (our favorite place to browse), ooh-ing and aah-ing over all the delicious-looking dips.  It happened to be Hatch Chile Festival time, and they were featuring their Hatch Chile Pesto Dip.  We bought a small spoonful and devoured it when we got home with a few guacamole flavored chips.  It was THE MOST DELICIOUS DIP I have ever eaten.  Thankfully, Central Market made their recipe available for mere mortals to make at home, so here it is!  If Hatch Chiles are not available, poblano peppers make an excellent substitute. 

Poblano Pesto Dip

• 4 poblano chili peppers
• 3/4 c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 c. fresh cilantro
• 1/4 c. chopped walnuts
• 3/4 c. olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves
• 3 tbsp. fresh lime juice
• 1 tsp. salt

Place peppers on an aluminum foil-lined baking sheet. Broil 5” from heat about 5 minutes on each side or till blistered. Place peppers in zip-loc bag; seal and let stand 10 minutes to loosen skins.. Peel peppers; remove and discard seeds.

Process peppers and remaining ingredients in processor till smooth, stopping to scrape down sides. Store in frig up to 1 week.

NOTE: Poblano peppers are dark green, tapered chile peppers, about 3” wide and 4 to 5 “ long.

Birthday Cake!

I’ve been a little light on the blog posting lately because we’ve been busy with various projects.  One of my projects has been making a baseball birthday cake for our sweet friend who turned four years old!  He told me that he wanted a baseball stadium with baseball “guys” and baseball cupcakes.  This is what I made for his party this afternoon:

Here’s a close-up of the stadium:

Since I am usually more concerned about socializing with my friends than the actual baseball game on the rare occasions that I have gone to the ballpark, I had to rely on my brilliant brother Josh to inform me of a couple of important details.  Josh knows everything.  Seriously, if you are ever on Jeopardy, he should totally be your lifeline.  Oops, wrong game show.

Anyway, apparently the home plate is a FIVE-sided base that POINTS TO THE CATCHER.  Very important detail.  Also, when drawing the stitching on a baseball, the stitches should go in OPPOSITE directions because it is ONE CONTINUOUS LINE OF STITCHING.  Thanks for being my lifeline, Josh.

The field is a yellow cake with butter cream icing.  The stands are rice krispie treats covered in icing and sprinkled with little candies that are supposed to be fans watching the game.  The scoreboard is a chocolate chip cookie with royal icing.  I used a picture that I took the other day while we were in the backyard playing baseball!

Thankfully the cake turned out great and the birthday boy loved it!  I had nightmares of the scoreboard falling down and crushing the field right as he was blowing out the candles, but I didn’t need to worry…it was pretty sturdy. 

A couple of years ago my mom and I took Wilton cake decorating courses just for fun while they were staying with us on a past sabbatical.  I had a lot of fun doing it, so I started advertising myself to do special occasion cakes.  (But NOT wedding cakes.  THAT is too stressful.)  Since then, I’ve made cakes here and there for various friends and family.  So, if you’re in the Fort Worth area and need a cake for a special occasion, e-mail me! 

Southern Living, Y’all

Thanks to a head’s up from BooMama, I am passing along a GREAT deal on one of my favorite magazines of all times.  On Amazon, for a limited time until this Saturday, you can get a one-year subscription to Southern Living for only $5.00!  This includes 13 issues over 12 months!  You can buy it for yourself and/or choose the gift option for other folks!

This price is worth just the recipes in the December issue…believe me.  I would estimate that 75% of my recipe collection is straight from the pages of this magazine.  They just never disappoint. 

When I was in college at Samford University in Birmingham, I lived next door to the Southern Living headquarters and often dreamed of working in the test kitchen.  Actually, I still dream of working in their test kitchen.  But that would seriously compromise my new diet plan.

In addition to delicious recipes, this magazine has great features on travel, gardening, decorating, and entertaining.  Enjoy!

Special Guests

We were excited to host some special guests for a quick lunch this afternoon!  The Baker family is moving from Cary, North Carolina to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.  They stopped for a quick visit on the way through to their new home.

We decided to welcome them to the West with a Tex-Mex lunch consisting of hatch chile tortilla wraps, bean dip with veggies and tri-colored chips, and mango salsa.  For dessert, I tried out a new recipe…Lemon-Coconut Bars.  The name just doesn’t do it justice.  They should be called The Best Thing I Ever Ate Bar or Worth It’s Weight In Gold Bar or Completely Fall Off the Diet Bandwagon Bar. 

If you’re looking for a sinfully decadent treat to take to your next potluck, I present to you Southern Living’s:

Lemon-Coconut Bars

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup powdered sugar, divided

1 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup chopped slivered almonds, toasted

Lemon Chess Pie Filling (see below)

1 cup sweetened flaked coconut

Combine flour and 1/2 cup powdered sugar. Cut butter into flour mixture with a pastry blender until crumbly; stir in almonds. Firmly press mixture into a lightly greased 13- x 9-inch pan.  Bake at 350° for 20 to 25 minutes or until light golden brown.

Stir together Lemon Chess Pie Filling and coconut; pour over baked crust.  Bake at 350° for 30 to 35 minutes or until set. Cool in pan on a wire rack. Sprinkle evenly with remaining 1/2 cup powdered sugar, and cut into bars.

 

Lemon Chess Pie Filling

2 cups sugar

4 large eggs

1/4 cup butter, melted

1/4 cup milk

1 tablespoon grated lemon rind

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon cornmeal

1/4 teaspoon salt

Whisk together all ingredients. Use filling immediately.

Grace LOVED playing with Brad and Anne while the adults visited.  Now that we live closer to each other, hopefully we’ll plan more opportunities to get together!

Once again, I took no pictures.  I even had my camera sitting out on the counter, fully charged, and ready to go.  I don’t know what’s wrong with me!  I need to wear my camera around my neck, I guess. 

Yummy Treat

Last night after choir practice, we had an ice cream social!  There were tons of homemade ice cream and baked goods.  I decided to make a frozen treat that Grace and I could enjoy.  [Translation:  no eggs and lower fat/calories.]

After scouring several online recipes for homemade low-fat ice cream, I just couldn’t find one that sounded inspiring.  So I took basic ideas from a couple of different recipes and made my own Frozen Lemon Yogurt.  I thought it turned out great…tangy and sweet at the same time!

Anyway, it was so easy to throw together, and you can tweek the ingredients to personalize it for yourself.  Use reduced/lower fat items to lighten it up or full fat items for lots of creamy thickness.  Use any flavor of frozen concentrate (limade, pina colada, strawberry, etc.).

Frozen Lemon Yogurt

• 1 c. plain yogurt
• 1 c. milk
• 1 can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 can frozen lemonade concentrate

Mix all together and pour into ice cream maker.  Freeze according to manufacturer’s instructions.

Homemade Strawberry Jam

A while back, I saw an episode of Barefoot Contessa - Back To Basics on the Food Network.  Ina made a very easy recipe for homemade strawberry jam.  I copied the recipe and filed it for a rainy day.

Well, today’s not actually rainy (dry and HOT), but I decided to see if I had the ingredients on hand, especially since I scraped the bottom of my Smucker’s jam jar when I made Grace’s PB&J for lunch!  I had everything I needed, so Grace and I went to work. 

The recipe is very simple and took almost no time to throw everything in the pot to boil.  This was actually my first time to make homemade jam, and I was so excited to see it turn out so well!  I could have totally sat down with a spoon and eaten the whole thing.  Grace tried to.

I altered the recipe by making a substitution for the Grand Marnier.  I don’t normally keep that around, but I do have a bottle of homemade vanilla vodka in the pantry.  I substituted one tablespoon of the vanilla and one tablespoon of orange juice for the Grand Marnier.  Yum!  Also, I used regular sugar instead of super-fine sugar.  (You can make super-fine sugar by pulsing it in a food processor.)

Oh, also, I used a small handheld immersion blender at the end to make it more jam-like.  This quick recipe would be great on biscuits, sandwiches, or as a topping for vanilla ice cream!  It would also make a great gift.

Easy Strawberry Jam

• 3 pints fresh strawberries
• 3 cups superfine sugar
• 2 tablespoons orange-flavored liqueur (recommended: Grand Marnier)
• 1/2 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored and small-diced
• 1/2 cup fresh blueberries

Place the strawberries in a colander and rinse them under cold running water. Drain and hull the strawberries. Cut the larger berries in half or quarters and leave the small berries whole. Place the strawberries in a deep, heavy-bottomed pot such as heavy Dutch oven and toss them with the sugar and orange-flavored liqueur.

Bring the berry mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring often. Add the apple and blueberries and continue to keep the mixture at a rolling boil, stirring occasionally, until the jam reaches 220 degrees on a candy thermometer. This should take 25 to 35 minutes. Skim and discard any foam that rises to the top. Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature and then store covered in the refrigerator. It will keep refrigerated for at least 2 weeks. To keep the jam longer, pack and seal in canning jars according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Courtesy of: Ina Garten

Farmer’s Market

Todd went to the farmer’s market today to buy some fresh fruits and vegetables for the week.  He came back with absolutely beautiful produce at mostly decent prices.  He bought a few extra things that weren’t on my list because they looked so yummy including strawberries, peaches, and blueberries. 

The strawberries were so sweet and there wasn’t a soft spot on any of them…just perfect.  Grace LOVES blueberries, so she got a nice surprise for snack time.  And the peaches were so delicious that they are almost beyond description.  He bought a lot of peaches because the 2009 Peach Festival is this weekend and they were abundant. 

After eating a peach, then chopping some and putting them in the fridge for later, I still had some left to freeze.  However, they didn’t make it to the freezer because I suddenly decided to make a peach crumble as a quick treat.  It turned out great, so I’ll share the recipe from the Food Network’s Robin Miller.

Peach Crumble

• 2 cups fresh peaches or thawed frozen peaches, sliced
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup rolled oats
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Arrange peaches in the bottom of a shallow baking dish; set aside. In a small bowl, combine flour, oats, oil, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Stir with a fork until mixture is crumbly, adding more oil if necessary. Fold in nuts. Sprinkle topping over peaches and bake 15 minutes, until golden brown.

I altered the recipe a bit to make it more diet-friendly by using whole wheat flour, omitting the nuts, cutting the oil in half, and spraying it well with butter flavored Pam cooking spray.  I served it warm with a dollop of Cool Whip Lite.  It was amazing!

Cutting fresh peaches can be a little tricky, and I found a website that gives a great description of the best way to do it.  In the past, I’ve done it wrong by trying to peel the peach first…it ends up in a mushy, smushy mess.  This method is much easier and cleaner, resulting in clean and beautiful slices for cakes, pies, or crumbles.

Monday Milestones

I ate a little bit differently this week but I managed to stay on track.  Since we were away at the beach for four days, I wasn’t able to cook for myself and had to make choices at restaurants, etc.  I took a few HMR meals and continued to drink my shakes every day, and that seemed to help.  When we ate out, I ordered grilled chicken and steamed veggies.  I even splurged one afternoon and drank a real Coke float! 

This week I lost two pounds, which brings my total to 51 pounds in 20 weeks.  The number on the scale was definitely a milestone for me this week, and it’s nice to see myself getting closer to my ultimate goal. 

Mom and I have been exercising together every chance we get.  Our routine is to get up in the morning and walk briskly outside for 45 minutes.  We walk through the square of their little downtown area and look in the shop windows.  The old houses and scenery are beautiful, so the walk goes by quickly.  I’ve just forgotten how hot and humid it gets down here in south Louisiana…even in the morning!  I much prefer the dry Texas heat.  After walking, we go inside, cool down a little, then do The Shred with Jillian.  We’ve been switching back and forth between Level 1/2. 

I ordered a new scale on Amazon last night for an amazing price.  It’s a Taylor Body Fat Scale…regularly $49.99, on special this week for $18.90.    The reviews look pretty good and I’m looking forward to tracking more than just my weight.  It measures body fat percentage, muscle mass, bone mass, hydration level, and weight.

Mom and I have really enjoyed cooking together this week, and we have eaten some amazing food.  Mom received a new cookbook as a gift that I ADORE by Ellie Krieger called The Food You Crave:  Luscious Recipes For A Healthy Life.  We made the Crispy Garlic Fries one night to go with Salmon patties.  We also made the Turkey Meatballs with Whole Wheat Spaghetti.  Her De-Light-Ful Ranch Dressing is pretty good, too.  This is an excellent cookbook with amazing recipes and practical tips for eating well. 

It’s unbelievable (and exciting) to me that I can eat delicious food and continue to lose weight. 

Frozen Lemonade Pie

I came across a new recipe for Frozen Lemonade Pie in my most recent copy of the Food Network Magazine.  I had some extra whipping cream in my fridge that needed using up, so Grace and I made a treat for daddy to celebrate his last day of school!

This was Grace’s favorite part…using a meat pounder to beat up the graham crackers for the crust!

Then we pressed it into the pan.

(Side note:  Notice her Band-Aid.  She used to be terrified of Band-Aids, and now she loves them.  Go figure.)

Then we made the filling.

Then she helped me “clean up.”

Here’s the finished product.  It was so delicious!  (Of course I had to try a LITTLE!).  I’ll include the recipe here because it was so incredibly easy and a huge hit with my husband who declared it “the perfect summer dessert…so refreshing!”

Frozen Lemonade Pie

• 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 7 Tablespoons butter, melted
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 can frozen lemonade concentrate
• 2 cups berries (raspberries, blueberries, strawberries – any combination)
• 2 Tablespoons sugar
• 1 Tablespoon lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine the crumbs, sugar and butter. Press firmly on the bottom and sides of a 9-inch pie plate. Bake for 7 minutes; cool completely.

In a cold medium bowl, whip the cream until stiff peaks form. In another bowl, stir together the condensed milk and frozen concentrate. Gently fold the lemonade mixture into the whipped cream. Pour filling into the crust; freeze overnight.

About an hour before serving, make the topping: toss the berries in a medium bowl with sugar and lemon juice. Set aside until ready to serve.

Let the pie sit out for 10 minutes before cutting. Top each slice with berries.

Food Network Magazine 2009

Things I Love Thursday – Cook’s Country Magazine

Southern Living used to be my favorite magazine.  I still love it, but now my life practically stops when my Cook’s Country comes in the mail!  This latest June/July issue was the best I have seen in a while.  By the time I finished reading it, the whole thing was highlighted and dog-eared to pieces!

Here’s 5 things I love about each issue:

1. Kitchen tips – These smart tricks are golden.  I’m “ooo-ing” and “aah-ing” over each one.  
2. Ask Cook’s Country – Readers send in questions and the food scientists on staff provide detailed and complete answers.
3. Recipes – Oh, boy.  Each issue is chock-full of delicious recipes, complete with step-by-step pictures.  It’s impossible to mess them up!  I also love the “makeovers” when they take a traditional comfort food and re-make it into something a little healthier and just as delicious!
4. Taste Tests/Product Ratings – This is like a Consumer Reports for cooks!  They give blind taste tests on various processed foods and kitchen tools, rating them in order of preference.  This month’s issue contains reports on canned baked beans, frozen strawberries, canned corn, chimney starters, and paper plates.  Note:  ***The most expensive products are NOT always best!***
5. Troubleshooting – They take common kitchen problems and offer solutions to fix them.  This month they’re talking about grilling techniques for chicken, making the perfect pie crust (Hello, this was written for me!), and frying onion rings.

I’m including a Cook’s Country recipe/method for make-ahead French toast.  My husband is going to be SO HAPPY when I make this over the weekend for his breakfasts next week!  He’ll be able to pop frozen slices in the toaster and have perfect French toast in a couple of minutes!  (While I’m still sleeping at 6:00 in the morning.)

Make-Ahead French Toast

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter (or use salted butter and reduce the salt to 1/4 teaspoon)
• 2 cups half-and-half
• 2 large eggs
• 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons vanilla extract (You read that right…freezing sucks the flavor out)
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 8 slices hearty white sandwich bread (should be dense and firm…they recommend Pepperidge Farm Hearty White)

1. MAKE CUSTARD.  Heat butter in large saucepan over medium-low heat until golden brown and fragrant, about 5 minutes.  Off heat, whisk in half-and-half, eggs, sugar, flour, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt; transfer to a 13x9 inch baking dish.
2. PREPARE BREAD.  Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat broiler.  Set wire rack inside rimmed baking sheet.  Arrange bread on rack and broil until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side.  Decrease oven temperature to 350 degrees.  Soak half of toast slices in custard mixture until just saturated, about 30 seconds per side.  Return soaked bread to rack and repeat with remaining toast.  Bake until center of bread registers 160 degrees on instant-read thermometer, about 8 minutes.
3. FREEZE.  Let toast cool on rack 10 minutes and then freeze until firm, about 30 minutes.  Transfer slices to zipper-lock freezer bag and freeze for up to 1 month.  When ready to eat, toast in toaster on medium power until heated through.  Serve.

For more Things I Love Thursday posts, check out The Diaper Diaries.

Homemade Crockpot Yogurt

I came across a recipe for homemade yogurt using a crock pot.  Since I don’t have a fancy-dancy yogurt maker, I gave it a try.  It was very simple to make, and the results were fantastic!  I used coconut milk (since we are on a dairy-free journey), but it works with regular cow’s milk, too. 

The main difference is that the yogurt is not quite as thick as store-bought.  But I added Knox gelatin to thicken it up a bit.  Also, the higher the fat content in your milk, the thicker your yogurt will be.  I used Thai organic coconut milk, and it had a smooth and creamy consistency.  

The yogurt keeps for 7-10 days in the refrigerator, and ends up being a fraction of the cost of store-bought yogurt!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 gallon of milk
• 1 small envelope of Knox gelatin
• 1/2 c. plain yogurt (You will need to buy it to make your first batch, then use your homemade yogurt for starter next time.)
• 3 T honey
• heating pad
• large beach towel

Directions:

1. Pour milk into crock pot.  Sprinkle in Knox gelatin and whisk to combine.  Set crock pot on LOW, cover, and cook for 2 1/2 hours.
2. Unplug the crock pot.  Leave it covered and let it sit for 3 hours.
3. After the 3 hours have passed, scoop out 2 cups of the warm milk mixture.  In small bowl, combine it with the plain yogurt and honey.  Pour back into crock pot and stir to combine.
4. Put the lid back on.  Turn the heating pad on LOW and place over top of lid.  Wrap the beach towel all around the crock pot and heating pad for insulation.
5. Go to bed or let it sit for 8 hours.
6. In the morning, pour yogurt into containers and chill completely in refrigerator.
7. Serve with fresh fruit and a drizzle of honey.

Health(ier) Cupcakes!

I found a quick and easy recipe for chocolate cupcakes several days ago, and I tweeked it a little bit to make them healthier.  This recipe makes 12 cupcakes, and each one (including icing) has 122 calories, 0 grams of fat, and 2 grams of fiber. 

To amp up the nutritional benefits a little, I did a 1/2 white flour and 1/2 whole wheat flour mixture.  I also did a 1/2 sugar and 1/2 Splenda mixture.  In place of the normal vegetable oil, I used unsweetened applesauce.  Grace and the other kids I babysit gobbled them up and didn’t even know they were healthier!

Also, this is the perfect recipe for kids to help cook in the kitchen.  It’s so easy…no mixer, one bowl, and simple ingredients.

Fat-Free Chocolate Cupcakes

• 3/4 c. white flour
• 3/4 c. whole wheat flour
• 1/2 c. sugar
• 1/2 c. Splenda (granulated for baking)
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 3 tbsp. cocoa (I used Hershey’s Special Dark cocoa – yum!)
• 1 tbsp. white vinegar
• 7 tbsp. unsweetened applesauce
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 c. water

Sift first 7 ingredients together, then add remaining ingredients. Pour into cupcake pan (with liners). Bake at 350 degrees for 18 minutes, remove from pan, let cool and frost.

Easy Icing

• 1 c. powdered sugar
• 1/8 tsp. flavoring (almond, vanilla, etc.)
• 3 tsp. milk (or water or any other juice or drink)

Stir together.  Use one teaspoon of icing for each cupcake.  Shake a few sprinkles on top for a festive look.  Enjoy!

Easter Cupcakes

Grace helped me bake Easter cupcakes for our Sunday School fellowship party tomorrow night.  We have a very large class, so to facilitate friendships and not get lost in the crowd, we formed small groups that meet once a month.  Tomorrow night our group is meeting in someone’s home, eating together, and playing Wii games!  Todd and I are going to make a conscious effort to play nicely control our competitive natures so we’ll be invited to the next party. 

Here’s a sample of the cupcakes Grace and I made together today:

To make this, start with a plain cupcake in a decorative baking cup.

Use a small knife to hollow out a little bit of the middle to make room for the “basket.”

Ice the cupcake lightly with green icing.

 

Insert a piece of colored Twizzler candy as the basket handle.

Sprinkle with green-tinted coconut to make the grass.

Decorate with candied bunnies and jelly beans.

 

Monday Milestones

This was a strange week.  It started off great…I exercised Monday through Thursday and stuck to my eating plan.  Then, I got sick Thursday night and stayed ill most of the weekend.  Needless to say, I didn’t exercise again.  And I didn’t eat a real meal again until Sunday.

Which brings me to the lesson I learned this week:  Just because you don’t eat doesn’t mean you will lose weight.  What happens is your body shuts down and your metabolism slows, trying to conserve energy (fat).  One thing my HMR program stresses is the need to eat all the required food every day.  Their mantra is “eat more, lose more.”  Well, I didn’t eat all my required food Thursday through Saturday, so I didn’t lose any weight while I was sick.

All in all, I lost one pound this week (which I had lost by Wednesday morning).  That brings my total to 25 pounds in eight weeks. 

I have a pretty busy week lined up, so my goal is to ease back into exercising and work out at least four days.  I have a monthly check-up at my doctor on Friday morning, and I’m looking forward to weighing in and checking my blood pressure.  (I can’t believe I just typed that.)

This week I’m including a recipe for easy, healthy Pasta Primavera. 

Pasta Primavera (approx. 4 servings)

• 1 box Ronzoni SmartTaste spaghetti
• 1 jar Ragu Light (no sugar added)
• 6 cups chopped veggies (I use zucchini, squash, carrots, onion, garlic, red peppers, and broccoli)
• 1-2 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded (can leave this out to make the dish vegetarian)
• Reduced fat Parmesan cheese

Use a nonstick cooking spray to stir-fry veggies (with a little salt and pepper) in pan about 4 minutes.  Add 1/4 c. water and quickly close lid – steam for 2-3 minutes.  Remove lid, add Ragu, season with salt and pepper, and turn down heat to simmer.  Cook and drain pasta.  For one serving, combine 1 c. pasta, 1 1/2 c. veggie mixture, 4 oz. chicken (size of your palm), and 2 T cheese. 

This satisfying portion contains 500 calories and 6 grams of fat (with chicken) or 380 calories and 4 grams of fat (without chicken).

Monday Milestones

This week I met my goal of exercising five days.  I also stuck to my eating plan, so I had a pretty good outcome and lost four pounds this week.  That brings my total weight loss to 24 pounds in seven weeks.  I have lots of energy throughout the day, then I crash at night.  I have NEVER been a night owl, and that trait is magnified now that I am exercising regularly. 

It’s nice to really start to notice a difference in the way my clothes fit.  I have lost at least one dress size, possibly two…it’s hard to tell, because I haven’t really tried on new clothes.  I’m trying to alter what I already own and delay buying new stuff.  Thankfully, I am able to do simple alterations myself. 

The Leukemia/Lymphoma Society called me this week and asked if I had any clothing that I would be willing to donate.  I saw it as a great opportunity to give away several things that I can’t wear anymore and that are not easy to alter (like blue jeans, sweaters, and a blazer)…you can see that I really don’t want to even keep around larger sized clothing because it’s more motivation to lose/maintain weight! 

Since it’s Spring Break, my goal this week is to exercise every day but Sunday.  I have more time, so it should be doable.  It will be more challenging to stay on my eating plan because Todd will be home all day and I must cook and prepare meals more often.  (And watch him eat stuff I can’t have!)  However, I’m determined not to let it get me off track. 

This week, I’m going to share a recipe for an easy, low-calorie/low-fat treat.  I made this to celebrate the birthday of a friend who is on a similar eating plan.  This is for a single serving:

Dessert Parfait

• 1 Oats & Chocolate Fiber One bar, chopped
• 1/2 c. sugar-free/fat-free pudding (I use chocolate)
• 3-4 strawberries, sliced
• 1/2 banana, sliced
• 3-4 tablespoons fat-free Cool Whip Lite

Start with a pretty wine or water glass.  Sprinkle 1/2 of the Fiber One bar on the bottom.  Layer with 1/2 of the pudding, 1/2 of the strawberries and bananas, and 1/2 of the Cool Whip.  Repeat layers.  Serve immediately.

This contains approximately 275 calories and 4 grams of fat (mostly from the Fiber One bar). 

Things I Love Thursday – Diet Twist Up

My favorite drink is Diet Twist Up from Wal-Mart.  Not only is it one of the cheapest brands of soda you can buy, but it TASTES GREAT!  This drink is basically the generic form of Diet Sprite or Diet 7Up, and I happen to think that the flavor is better than either of these name brands.  At my Wal-Mart, it costs 88 cents for a 2-liter and $2.34 for a 12-pack.  There are no calories, no fat, no carbs, no caffeine, and a miniscule amount of sodium! 

To really put this drink over the edge, add a slice of lime and a splash of cherry juice.  Enjoy!

For more great product suggestions, check out The Diaper Diaries.

Monday Milestones

I had a pretty good week overall.  I exercised five days and tried to push myself a little more on each workout.  I’ve always had difficulty falling asleep, but since I started exercising regularly, I find myself falling asleep quickly and deeply.  I haven’t taken a sleeping pill or melatonin in over a month.  (I used to take one every night!)

I lost four pounds this week, bringing my total to fourteen pounds in four weeks. 

Overall, I haven’t really been that hungry because I’m eating a great volume of low-fat, low-calorie food.  If I find myself hungry before my next scheduled eating time, I fix myself an extra shake.  On the HMR program, you can eat extra bars/shakes/entrees whenever you feel hungry, so you’re less likely to get ravenous and cheat on something full of fat and calories.

Todd is still enjoying his dinners at night.  Since I’m eating HMR entrees and fresh veggies, I cook Todd and Grace a piece of meat to go with the vegetables I am eating.  This week, I’m including a recipe for pork chops that Todd really enjoyed the other day.

Oven Fried Pork Chops

• 4 trimmed pork chops
• 1 medium egg
• 1 cup of seasoned breadcrumbs
• 3 tablespoons of soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon of water
• ½ teaspoon of garlic powder

Beat the egg, soy sauce, water, and garlic powder together in a pie plate. Sprinkle breadcrumbs on waxed paper. Dip the pork chops into the egg mixture, then breadcrumbs; coating evenly on each side. Arrange in single layer on greased jelly roll pan. Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes. Turn and bake for another 20 minutes until the chops are tender and no longer pink.

Monday Milestones

This week I did pretty well, especially considering it was Valentine’s Day week.  There were candies and treats all over the house, but I managed to stay on track.  I’ll admit that I took a quick detour and enjoyed one small treat, but I made sure to work off the extra calories by increasing my workout that day.

My energy levels were up this week, and I found myself exercising every day, burning a few more calories in every successive workout.  Todd set up our little TV in the study where I keep our treadmill, so I enjoyed watching my favorite shows to make the time go by faster.  Grace does a good job of entertaining herself with toys and books while I’m exercising, and she even joins with me on some of my stretches and floor work.  (Anyone ever tried doing push-ups with a preschooler on your back??)

All in all, I lost four pounds this week.  This brings my total to 10 pounds in three weeks. 

Some of you have e-mailed me to ask what eating plan I am on, so I’ll share that I am using the HMR program.  It is basically a very low-fat, low-calorie eating plan.  Although I stay between 1200-1500 calories per day and less than 20g of fat, I get to eat a great volume of food.  Between the shakes, entrees, and fresh fruits/veggies, I eat every 2-3 hours and stay full. 

Every day I stir-fry veggies to go with my meals.  I’m posting a recipe for this simple, healthy side dish.  In the past, I would have made this with a couple of tablespoons of olive oil.  I have found that the combination of cooking spray and chicken broth results in a dish that is just as tasty.  (Not to mention you will save 239 calories and 27g of fat!).  You can play with it and make it a million different ways by experimenting with the seasonings/sauces:

Stir-Fry Vegetables

• 2 c. any mix of veggies (onion, carrots, red peppers, squash, zucchini, broccoli, mushrooms, snow peas, asparagus, etc.)
• 2-3 cloves garlic
• Salt and pepper
• 1/4 c. chicken broth or water
• Seasonings/sauces (soy sauce, teriyaki sauce, tomato sauce, spice blends, lemon juice, red pepper flakes, etc.)
• Cooking spray

Preheat pan or wok over medium-high heat.  Chop veggies.  Spray pan with cooking spray.  Add veggies and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Stir lightly and let caramelize for 3-4 minutes.  Add garlic and stir.  Thirty seconds later, add broth or water and quickly put on lid.  Let the veggies steam for 3-4 minutes.  Remove lid and add special seasonings or sauces.  Let cook for a minute or two and serve.