Snack Recipes

Strawberry Smash

130 Cal, no fat, no sugar...delicious!

• 10oz of frozen strawberries (just shy of 2 cups)
• Buy frozen strawberries, or buy fresh berries, cut off tops, wash and freeze whole
• 2 packets splenda
• 3 T. fat free whipped topping

Microwave berries for 1:30 - 2:00 minutes, just until soft enough to smash with a fork.
Smash them!
Mix in sweetener and add whipped topping.

Surprisingly satisfying and so yummy!

Old Fashioned Hot Chocolate
This hot chocolate, when combined with espresso, makes a wonderful latte!

For one:

• 1 1/3 cups milk (skim, whole, 2% - whatever!)
• 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tablespoon sugar or splenda
• 1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Mini marshmallows or whipped cream for serving

1. Warm the milk
2. In a small saucepan over low heat, warm the milk until tiny bubbles appear around the edges of the pan. Remove from the heat.
3. Blend the cocoa
4. Put the cocoa, sugar and vanilla in a mug and stir to combine.
5. Add 1 tablespoon of the hot milk to the cocoa mixture and stir until it is smooth with no visible lumps. Ask an adult to help you pour the remaining hot milk into the mug. Stir well, top with the marshmallows or whipped cream, and serve immediately. Serves

For a crowd:

• 1 gallon milk (skim, whole, 2% - whatever!)
• 1 ½ c. unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 ½ c. sugar or splenda
• 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• Mini marshmallows or whipped cream for serving

When adding hot milk into cocoa, add 1 ½ cup milk – slowly!

Classic Scones
Makes 12

• 1 c. + 1 T. flour
• 1 T sugar
• 1 t baking soda
• ¼ baking powder
• ¼ t salt
• ½ c plain fat free yogurt
• 1 lg egg
• 1 T butter melted and cooled

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spray baking sheet.
2. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, & salt. In a small bowl, mix yogurt, egg, and butter. Add to dry mix and stir until just combined.
3. On lightly floured counter, roll out ¼ inch thick circle and cut 12 wedges for scones. Dough will be sticky, but that's fine!
4. Reduce oven temp to 400 degrees. Bake until golden, 12-15 minutes.

1 scone: 64 cal, 2 g fat, 0 g fiber
1 pt. each

Mock Devonshire Cream (Mix the following)

• 3 T. Powdered Sugar (or 2 T Splenda)
• 1/4 c. Fat Free Sour Cream

Cinnamon Date Scones:
Add 2 t. cinnamon & ½ dried, chopped dates

Snacking Right Made Easy

So - ever want to have a snack, but nothing sounds good? At just 150 or 200 calories, all of these snack options sounds amazing!

After recently hearing about nutrition Professor Mark Haub's Twinkie diet (see here) I started thinking: Maybe there is something to just counting calories. Maybe it's more about what goes in than how much exercise I put out.

I still cannot bring myself to consume high fructose corn syrup, MSG, or trans fats, but this guy's cholesterol actually went down while eating junk food! It is coming to the attention of many nutritionists and doctors (you know, the "experts") that fat intake does not necessarily lead to fat stored in the body. Sugar is far more influential on ballooning hips and protruding abdomens than fat, and high cholesterol foods do not necessarily raise your cholesterol level. Not to mention that raising your good cholesterol is, well, good!

Confused yet? You have the right to be. In a day and age when there are more "health" foods, "low fat", "non fat", "reduced sugar" and "sugar free" foods on the market why is this country experiencing an obesity issue?

Ever wonder what goes into food to replace the fat and sugar that is removed? Additives may be at the root of weight gain. They can mess with you liver (a filtering organ), overwork your pancreas (type II diabetes), feed and encourage cancer cells, as well as generally confusing your body that was not designed to cope with artificial ingredients.

Want to be healthy and/or lose weight? Become a label reader and calorie counter. It's that easy.

I went to an online site (here) to figure out how many calories I should be having a day. I know It's just before the holidays, which may sound like an odd time of year to become more calorie conscience, but on Thanksgiving and Christmas Day, I shall take a holiday from this new way of eating as well. ("Diet" is just another foul, four-letter word.) Smaller portions will suffice.

I should have 1520 calories a day, while my husband should have 2100. Our meal breakdown of calories is like this:

1500/day 2100/day

160 breakfast 320 breakfast

455 lunch 682 lunch

455 dinner 455 dinner

150 snack x3 200 snack x3

To make thing s as simple as possible, I researched nutritional info on our favorite foods and made lists of snacks that will work easily for us.

(Be sure to double check the calories in the products you buy to make sure they are the same as listed below. For instance, pineapple is heavy syrup in twice the calories of pineapple in juice. Obviously, you can have more of the pineapple in juice than pineapple in heavy syrup.)

Several of these items are easy to make, see links to recipes.

Snack Options

150 calorie snacks

90 cal. granola bar, 2/3c. milk

14g almonds, 22g dried cherries

1 1/4 c. pineapple

1/2 c. fat free cottage cheese, 1/2 c. pineapple

2 hotdogs (70 cal each), no bread

1 hot dog (70 cal)w/ bread (70 cal)

28g tortilla chips, 1/4 cup. Salsa

5 stalks celery, 1 heaping c. salsa

1 apple, 1 T. peanut butter or 1 oz cheese

3 cups air popped popcorn(3T kernals), 1/2 oz cheese

2 cups air popped popcorn(2T kernals), 1 oz cheese

2 cups air popped popcorn(2T kernals), 1 apple

1/3 c. dried cherries

1 T. peanut butter, 11 baby carrots

1.5 oz cheese

1 oz cheese, 6 Toasted 12 grain crackers (40 cal)

1.5 cup grapes

3/4c NSA (no sugar added) pears, 1/2 oz cheese

3.5 oz lowfat eggnog, 3 oz skim milk

2 cups strawberry smash (-20)

1 sm baked potato (138g), 2t ICBINB light

3T chicken pate, 6 Toasted 12 grain crackers (40 cal)

2 scones, 1T Jam

16oz Non-fat Cafe Latte, 2 T sugar free whipped topping

11oz (1 1/3 c.) sugar free hot cocoa, 2 T sf whipped topping or 10 minis

5-6 strawberries 1oz dk chocolate chips, melted

3 oz tuna, 6 Toasted 12 grain crackers (40 cal)

2 low fat string cheese (75 cal)

3 laughing cow wedges, 2-3 stalks celery (-20)

1/2 c. fat free veg dip (70 cal), 16 baby carrots

6 slices turkey breast

200 calorie snacks

2 - 90 cal granola bars (-20)

25g almonds, 20 g dried cherries

1 1/2 c. pineapple

1/2 c. fat free cottage cheese, 3/4 c. pineapple

2 hotdogs(70 cal each), no bread, 1/2 oz. cheese

1 hot dog (70 cal) w/ bread, 1/2 oz. cheese

35g tortilla chips, 1/3 cup. Salsa

1 90 cal bar, 1 apple (-30)

3 cups air popped popcorn (3T kernals), 1 oz cheese

2 cups air popped popcorn(2T kernals), 1.5 oz cheese

3 cups air popped popcorn(3T kernals), 1 apple

2 T peanut butter, 1-12" stalk celery

8 Toasted 12 grain crackers (54 cal), 1.5 oz cheese

2 cups grapes

3" orange (84), 90 cal bar (-26)

1 banana (7-9 inches), 90 caloris ban

14oz (1 3/4 c.) sugar free hot cocoa, 3 T sf whipped topping or 15 minis

2 scones, 3t mock cream (2t sc, 2t p.sugar). 1T Jam

20oz Non fat Cafe Latte, 3 T sf whipped topping

8 reduced fat Ritz Crackers, 1T peanut butter (4 sandwiches)

67g raisins (about 1/2 cup)

8-9 strawberries 1.5oz dk chocolate chips, melted

21 almonds

3 laughing cow wedges, 10 Toasted 12 grain crackers (80 cal) (-15)

1 oz cheese, 3 slices turkey breast

Chicken Pate: Easy, simple, wonderful!

Tip: You can use your Thanksgiving leftover turkey instead of chicken and get a wonderful result.

• 1 1/2 cups chicken breasts, cooked,minced
• 8 ounces fat free cream cheese, softened
• 6 tablespoons onions, Chopped
• 2 tablespoons dry sherry or chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise (olive oil mayo is wonderful!)
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 10 drops hot sauce
• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg, ground
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning
• a pinch of salt to taste

1. Process all in a food processor or electric blender until very smooth.
2. Line a 2 cup mold or bowl (or 2 one cup molds or bowls) with plastic wrap. Fill mold(s) with pate.
3. Cover and chill overnight.
4. Unmold onto a serving plate.
5. Sprinkle with paprika.
6. Garnish with parsley sprigs, if desired.
7. Serve with unsalted crackers, Melba toast rounds or crunchy vegetables such as carrots and celery sticks

Believe it or not, this recipe has only 148 calories per 1/4 cup serving. Even a large cracker can be amply spread with 1 teaspoon of pate - that's just 18 calories worth of pate!

Kinda makes you want to sing, doesn't it?

I recently served this pate at my birthday party. One guest love it so much I offer to send some home with him. He went home with a dish and a smile.

The theme of the party was "Paris" (see pictures of decor below). The song I have included is "Surrender" by Michael Buble. The very French sound of his arrangement inspired my theme.

Party Decor Pictures: (11.14.10)