Tropical Treat!
It's hot out. So, you really have no choice but to indulge in a frozen pineapple-coconut cocktail, right?! But rather than suck down a typical piña colada packed with crazy amounts of calories and fat, be a little creative and whip up one of ours. It's insanely creamy, super-delicious and we pretty much guarantee that you'll like it as much as any piña colada you've ever had. Don't believe me? Whip out that blender and give those blades a whirl! Don't drink alcohol? Try swapping the liquor in this recipe with an ounce of water and another 1/2 oz. of coconut syrup. You'll get a virgin version with about 55 calories!
Do you think just because you're dieting, you can't have cheesecake....well, take a look again because for a slice of this little piece of heaven is only 168 calories baby!! Add a delicious topping of blueberry goo, and it's irresistible!
Better Off Red!
There's no reason to get sucked in by scarlet-hued shakes with scary-high calorie counts. Toss a few no-guilt ingredients in the blender, and voilà! Red velvety goodness...
Hummus is pretty basic right? You have maybe 5 ingredients that you throw into a food processor and blend. Should be straight forward, but like making fresh mayo it ISN'T! Isn't a 1-2-3 in the bag dish that is. I've been wanting to make hummus for ages but only recently have I figured out how to do that! And thanks to this video I found on YouTube, now you can too!! Go grab a pen and paper and get ready to write down the ingredients!
So what's the key to making fabulous hummus? Two things; balance of flavors and consistency. The balance of acid, fat, heat and aromatics is the first part. The consistency part has to do with, how much tahini you add, how long you blend it, and the amount of water you add. The water helps to break down the beans while processing the hummus to give it a creamier consistency. He used to add olive oil instead of water because he thinks the oil gives it more texture. Really the oil has no effect on the texture and it didn't do anything for the consistency. In fact it may have worked against both. Water helps open up the pores of the ingredients allowing distribution of flavor and achieving the right texture.
As you'll see in the video, he make it a tad more loose then some of you might, but trust in the fact that it will firm up in the fridge.
See what you think and let me know how your next batch turns out.
These wonderful and beautiful snack is not gonna last long at your next BBQ!
Fresh flour tortillas are quick to cook up in a pan and produce unbelievably flaky chips when baked. This exquisitely flavored Italian cream cheese is worth the money. Slather it on cinnamon-sugar, baked flour tortilla chips. Then top with fresh fruit and white chocolate shavings for a snack or dessert that will start a celebration in your mouth. If you can’t find Mascarpone, substitute softened and sweetened cream cheese, or whipped cream cheese. For us calorie watchers we can use yogurt cheese or a low-fat Swiss cheese.
Mexican finger food at its finest -- crunchy, perfectly sized, and with an ideal calorie count at only 202 calories for 4 of these bad boys!! So good and SO easy to make!
This lightly dressed pasta salad gets lots of flavor from kalamata olives and basil. A colorful mix of diced bell pepper, shredded carrot and tomatoes adds vitamins and minerals. Serve on a crisp bed of greens. You can toss in canned chunk light tuna, cooked chicken or flavored baked tofu to add protein and make it more substantial. The dressing is real creamy and very well balanced so for those of you who are turned off by peppers in your salads (like me), don't fret, it's mixed very well! If you're not a fan of creamy dressings, try using a vinagarette like Simply Dressing Light Raspberry with Acai..it's soooo good!
Pasta salad is one of my favorite summertime meals. The versatility is never ending so it's always new, but always easy. Add a loaf of crusty bread and fresh lemonade or iced tea and you have a terrific beat-the-heat dinner. Making pasta salad is so simple and this formula will help you on your way to being a pasta salad expert.
ok, so who doesn't want to impress their friends???? Ummmmm NO ONE! Well, with these 3 flavored homemade popsicles, you will be sure to WOW even the pickiest one of your friends! These fab frozen delights have Regular lemonade, Pink lemonade and best of all.....(drum roll please)....Passion Tea Lemonade! Keep reading for the recipe!!
So, I was cruising the completely addicting site Pinterest and came across these mouthwatering Mediterranean Cucumber Cups and I could NOT resist putting these on my blog to share with you! These would be a fantastic appetizer for your casual summer BBQ's or your fancy schmancy parties!! While these are filled with a Mediterranean mix, the combinations are endless. You could try some Hummus, Crab Salad, Potato Salad, Chicken Salad, a Roasted Red Pepper of some Spinach Dip!! yummmmm Now I want to go and make them right now!
When it comes to kids, I think they are precious but I don't have any at this time in my life (because I like to give them back to their parents lol ) but that's okay because I'm sure a lot of my readers do and I want to make sure that their little cherubs, devils, or heathens are taken care of health wise too!! So with that being said, I found this little article in Parents Magazine and thought it could be helpful to some of you who are struggling with picky eaters or for those of you who just need some inspiration or creativity in some snack foods for your kids.
These easy peasy popsicles are bursting with fruity yumminess - All you have to do is pour some Capri Sun (whatever flavor you like best) into a popsicle mold, then add your favorite cut up fresh fruit then freeze! These would be great for the kids and a great conversation treat for that summer BBQ!
These fun and easy little cucumber rolls are a sinch to whip up. These would be great little appetizers or just eat a few for a healthy lunch! You could even use the filling for a great veggie dip!
ok This might not be in our Diet Repertoire, but I'm posting it anyway! I saw this on Pinterest and HAD to share! It just looks awesome and I'm sure if you want to make a healthy version of this, it wouldn't be very hard. But this comes from Panini Happy's Website - Great stuff there! Check it out!
