Red, White, and Blueberry Parfaits

This colorful, patriotic dessert is perfect for that Fourth of July picnic. Fresh summer berries are always delicious.

Makes 4 servings 

1          cup strawberries, sliced

½         cup blueberries

2          tablespoons sugar

½         cup part-skim ricotta cheese

½         cup vanilla nonfat yogurt

½         teaspoon vanilla extract

⅛         teaspoon almond extract

⅛         teaspoon orange extract

7 Easy Summer Snacks!

Try making some of these summer favorites for you and the family!

 

Lemon Broccoli

Lemon makes a great accent for broccoli, enhancing its deep flavor and making it a very special vegetable. Fresh broccoli works just as well in this recipe.  Steam it over boiling water until tender-crisp, about 10 to 15 minutes.

Makes 4 servings

1         10-ounce package frozen broccoli spears

2         tablespoons reduced-calorie margarine

2         teaspoons lemon juice

2         tablespoons thinly sliced green onions (green part only)

¼        teaspoon grated fresh lemon peel

         Salt and pepper to taste

Can Food Really Be Both Lean and Luscious?

Growing up in typical American homes, I always thought that meats had to be smothered with sauce or gravy in order to taste good. I thought that desserts had to be laden with butter and sugar if they were to have any flavor at all. And, like so many people, I thought that "low-fat" meant "low flavor." Faced with the awesome responsibility of changing my own and my family's eating habits, I was determined to keep the flavor while eliminating fat and calories.

The good news is that it works. Over the years, I have found 3 basic ways to accomplish this goal:

1. Choose healthful cooking methods: Eliminate deep-frying and sautéing in lots of butter and oil. Healthier cooking methods include steaming, broiling, grilling, poaching, and stir-frying.

2. Rely on herbs, spices, and extracts for flavor. Experiment with the vast selection of flavors that will enhance your food without adding fat.

3. Substitute high-fat ingredients with their low-fat counterparts. Check out the "Use this, not that!" blog post to learn about all of the healthy substitutions you can apply to your recipes at home!

Use this, not that!

Use this, not that! There are so many basic substitutions you can apply to your favorite recipes to make them healthier. Try out some of these tips and see what you think!

Exciting News!

I wanted to share with you my article that was featured in The Charleston Gazette... I am very excited for it's appearance.  I love helping people embrace the possibilities of eating healthfully and taking control of their lives!

Easiest Shrimp Salad

Summer is the perfect time to enjoy seafood salad—like my Easiest Shrimp Salad.  It’s cool, light, and delicious, and doesn’t take long to prepare. I love the health benefits of shrimp: it’s high in protein and low in saturated fat and calories, and it’s also a terrific and tasty source of selenium as well as heart-healthy vitamin B12 and omega-3 fatty acids.

You can enjoy my Easiest Shrimp Salad throughout the year, thanks to the wide availability of frozen shrimp. Served on a leaf of lettuce and garnished with sliced tomatoes and cucumbers, this salad makes a wonderful, healthy lunch or light supper. 

Makes 4 servings

12 ounces cooked, peeled shrimp, cut into 1-inch pieces
¼ cup reduced calorie mayonnaise
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon grated onion
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Dash garlic powder
Salt and pepper 

The Quest for the Perfect Recipe

I love finding a delicious new recipe, don’t you? Before I even head into the kitchen, I have fun anticipating the end result. I imagine the ingredients blending together, the distinctive aroma they create, the taste and feel of the food in my mouth, and of course, the warm feeling inside knowing I’ve fed my body and soul with a healthy meal.

For me, great recipes are about more than the food. They give me a chance to play! That’s why I love cookbooks. Thumbing through a new cookbook—or revisiting an old one—has always been a ritual for me. I mark recipes I want to try or share with my family and friends, and I think of ways to add my own personal twist on a recipe. Page after page of inspiration, a cookbook is a place to escape and get my creative juices flowing.

Cinnamon Popcorn

Popcorn. It’s low-calorie, inexpensive, and simply fun. It’s great to serve at parties, it’s available all year long, and it’s loved by kids and adults the world over. It’s practically synonymous with movie watching, and who doesn’t enjoy snacking on popcorn at the ballpark or county fair?

As a zealous recipe buff and cook, I think the best thing about popcorn (aside from eating it!) is its versatility. Those soft yet crunchy kernels can carry more than just butter and salt! The possibilities are endless. Popcorn can be sweet, savory, or a combination of both—just open your spice cabinet and play with different flavors. Garlic, cumin, nutmeg, chili, freshly ground pepper, dill, cloves…well, you get the idea.

Popcorn is also high in protein and fiber. Unfortunately, most of the popcorn available in the grocery store (even the type for microwaves) has fat added.

I’d like to share one of my favorite (and definitely kid-friendly) popcorn concoctions: Cinnamon Popcorn. The recipe is easy-to-follow and uses ingredients you probably have in your kitchen already. If you’re watching your sugar intake, simply substitute the sugar for Splenda and you won’t miss out on a thing.

Makes 4 servings (1 cup each serving)

2 teaspoons sugar
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 cups freshly popped popcorn (Use a hot air popper.)
Nonstick cooking spray