Vegan Mac 'n Cheese

What are the pros and cons to a delicious night of Mac ‘n Cheese? 

The Pros first:

It’s creamy and gooey and let’s face it, the ultimate comfort food.  It just makes you feel good.

It’s a crowd pleaser.  Who doesn’t want lots of starchy pasta, smothered in sauce??  Only crazy people, that’s who!

It fills you up.  You know once you’ve had a big bowl of all that deliciousness there is nothing more to do than collapse onto the couch while it sits in your oh so satisfied tummy! (Of course, you won’t be doing anything else.  Once you hit those cushions, get comfy.  You’re going to be there awhile.)

The Cons:

If you make it from scratch (& for that ultimate comfort food feel – you have to), it takes awhile.  The best mac ‘n cheese is baked in the oven.

It’s loaded with fat, cholesterol, carbohydrate, and calories.  Isn’t that always the way… All the things that make it the ultimate comfort food are the same things that make it that much harder to fit into your jeans.

It’s much much much too easy to overeat.  It’s just so good – how do you stop??  Well, often we don’t, and therein lies the problem.

Leftovers are pretty gross. 

 

So this week, I’m going to take this old favorite and make it over in a healthy, but still tasty, way.  Also, we are going to make it in a quick and convenient eliminating the time factor con.  This will be the first of (I hope) many vegetarian (more specifically vegan) recipes.  I’ll be trying this out for a couple of months to see if the elimination of animal products from my diet in combination with clean eating will help lower my cholesterol levels.  I’ll report back when I get my blood work done for my diabetes panel in June.  My current level is 207. 

 

Vegan means no animal products so no cheese, no milk, no cream. 

And I want to make mac ‘n cheese.

 

Well, crap.

 

Just kidding.  Don’t be discouraged – with a little creativity – it can be done.  (Where’s my winking smiley?  I meant to put it right here.  Oh well, you get the idea.)  It’s all about substituting the right ingredients.

 

First  of all – the whole “cheesy” flavor – you’re never going to be able to imitate that.  At least, not really.  That’s why macaroni from a box with a powder packet tastes somewhat like the cardboard from whence it sprang.  However, you can use something called nutritional yeast.  Nutritional yeast is inactive, dried yeast, and it can somewhat imitate that “cheddary” flavor.  Mostly, I like the almost salty taste that it has, without having sodium added to it.  We’ll be using this to make our “cheese” sauce.

 

Second – I chose a vegetable based pasta.  Why?  To be honest – I thought the color was cool.  Also, I think it’s much lighter tasting that whole wheat pasta.  But that’s just my opinion, use the pasta of your choice here.

 

Hello my good friend, Mr. Soy…

That’s right.  Soy products are a good replacement for dairy.  In this recipe I used Tofutti brand soy replacements for sour cream and cream cheese.  They were very good.  They didn’t have that pungent soy taste that you can sometimes have with tofu.  They with the right consistency, and best of all – they reheat  FANTASTICALLY in leftovers.  Something regular mac is sadly without.

 

My secret ingredient – BROWNING SAUCE!

 

This is inexpensive & delicious.  It makes fantastic gravy, and for you meat-lovers out there – it really enhances a roast or T-bone.  The key here is USE IT SPARINGLY.  When I say a few drops, I mean, just a few drops.  A little goes a long way with this one.

This recipe serves only 2. Just double or triple, multiply the ingredients as needed to make the quantity you prefer. Cooking times remains the same regardless.

The pasta I chose has puréed carrots in it, so it looked this bright orange color once cooked. It also tasted much better to me than plain whole wheat pasta. I felt it was less dense & had a slightly sweeter flavor.

1 tbsp tofutti cream cheese substitute 

2 tbsp tofutti sour cream substitute 

1 tbsp coconut cream

1 tbsp nutritional yeast

Dash of paprika

4 drops browning sauce

Dash of garlic powder

Splash of Worcestershire sauce

Pinch of salt

1 tsp extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup dry whole grain pasta

2 tbsp diced onion

A dab of gourmet mustard (Dijon or something like it)

Cook pasta. 

Meanwhile sauté onion in 1/2 tsp olive oil.

In a bowl combine tofutti (both kinds), coconut cream, yeast, spices (not salt), mustard, Worcestershire sauce, & browning sauce.

Once pasta is cooked, drain well & coat with 1/2 tsp olive oil & dash of salt.

Add cheese mixture & mix well.

  

Ready in about 15 minutes tops :-)

Chocolate Creamy Wheat

When I was a little girl my favorite breakfast was by far Cocoa Wheats. If I could've convinced my mother, we would have had it three meals a day, 7 days a week. It's perfect though isn't it - creamy, chocolatey, warm, & filling. Whenever I eat this it takes me back to my childhood, sitting at the kitchen table with my siblings enjoying the best breakfast ever. 

The way I prepare this breakfast now is just a little tweaked, but even more chocolatey. It is also a little cheaper than using brand name cocoa wheats & has a ton of protein.   I use Muscle milk protein powder, because I believe it tastes the best. It's a pretty expensive item, but it lasts a very long time. You should only purchase it once every 2-3 months. I add it to baked goods, hot cereals, smoothies, etc.  Adding extra protein to foods with high amounts of carbohydrate slows the break down of glucose in the blood stream, and prevents sugar from spiking too high after meals. 

1 1/2 tbsp creamy wheat (I use the Aldi brand.)

1/2 scoop of cookies & cream Muscle Milk protein powder (1/6 cup)

1/2 tbsp cocoa powder

1/4 tsp pure vanilla

1/2 cup skim milk

Combine all ingredients except vanilla & follow the instructions on the Creamy Wheat box. Once cooked, add the vanilla. There is no need to add sugar. The sweetness from the protein powder is more than sufficient. 

Plus my favorite thing about this recipe, you can combine the main dry ingredients & heat them up in the microwave at work. 

Eggs - Quick & Flavorful

My nephew spent the night. He's a growing boy, so this morning I made chocolate cream of wheat, scrambled eggs, & toast. Like I said, he's growing like a weed, so I tried to make breakfast tasty & filling. I used protein powder to make the cream of wheat and added just a few things to the scrambled eggs for flavor. I also cooked with skim milk to add protein, calcium, and make it just a little creamier. 

Scrambled Eggs

3 eggs

1 tbsp skim milk

Salt 

Pepper

Pinch of cinnamon

1 tsp shredded Asiago or Parmesan cheese

Whisk together all ingredients except cheese. Spray a small frying pan with an oil sprayer. Cook the eggs stirring as needed (not too much) till eggs are cooked & fluffy. 

Remove from heat & sprinkle with cheese. Cover till cheese is melted.

I love adding cinnamon to eggs. Cinnamon adds a warm flavor with some sweetness. It makes ordinary, gourmet. Plus eggs that have been whisked in the bowl, not over-stirred in the pan, those are the ones that turn out fluffy & light on the plate. Using a strong flavored cheese has a nice contrast against the eggs & cinnamon. 

I served this with toasted Ezekiel bread & no added sugar fruit spread. 

 

I have a few tricks for making cream of wheat a little more filling & creamier, but I'll save that recipe for another post.

Blueberry Frozen Yogurt in Minutes

I am super excited about this one. I made frozen yogurt in my office at work. No ice cream maker. No cooking required. It literally only takes a minute to make! Plus, it's fat free. You can make this at your desk. And only 2-3 ingredients are required. 

1 (6 oz) container nonfat plain Greek yogurt

3/4 - 1 cup blueberries (frozen)

1 tbsp honey

The most important thing is to have nicely frozen blueberries. The cold from the berries in direct contact with the yogurt is what causes the yogurt to freeze & have that nice ice cream-y texture.

Start by folding the honey into the yogurt. Don't stir. Stirring will make it too thin & runny.

Next add your frozen berries direct from the freezer. The berries will begin to clump together. That just means it's working.

Finally cover with plastic wrap & place in the freezer for five minutes (if needed - it will depend on how cold the berries are).

Scoop out & enjoy. :-) This recipe serves 2 at 120 calories a serving approximately.  You may need to adjust the amount of honey depending on personal taste.

This recipe has a strong yogurt flavor that is softened by the sweetness of the honey. The berries have a soft texture that comes from the partially frozen juicy inside. It's not so cold however that it hurts sensitive teeth. It's a very filling dessert (from the protein in the yogurt & fiber in the berries).

This is a great way to enjoy healthy & convenient frozen yogurt. Or just use it to impress your co-workers by making frozen yogurt at your desk. Either way this is a new favorite for me.

The Munchies - the Clean Eating Way

Who doesn't get the munchies?  I know I do.  I love potato chips, hot fudge sundaes, and some days, I just want a flaming hot funyun. Hmm, I'm starting to get hungry.  Well, there isn't a lot of clean eating options for a good case of the munchies - or so one would think.  Actually, if you're just a little bit creative you'll be surprised what you can come up with.

What I've created here is a cheat sheet of snack ideas.  Sorry, but since I mostly make snacks for myself, the variety here is limited to my own tastes.

 

Barbeque chips	Kale chips, seasoned with extra virgin olive oil, paprika, garlic powder, sea salt, & coconut sugar.
Flaming hot Cheetos	chickpeas, seasoned with extra virgin olive oil, paprika, garlic powder, sea salt, coconut sugar, and ground red pepper
Reese cups	There is NO SUBSTITUTE for Reese cups!!  However, if you eat clean long enough, you’ll find they taste overly sweet.  So, to get that chocolate & nut fix – try cashews drizzled with very dark chocolate.
Chocolate chip cookies	CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES J  Check out my post with a clean chocolate chip cookie recipe.
French fries	Sweet potato fries – cut up sweet potatoes into matchstick size fries, and season with extra virgin olive oil, chili powder, garlic powder, and sea salt.
Cheese & crackers	Just eat cheese & crackers.  But instead of a buttery club cracker or Ritz, try Kashi 7 grain with a low fat cream cheese.

Chocolate chip cookies

This recipe is moderately low calorie, but full of healthy ingredients. I'm adding some substitute ingredients at the end, so if your pantry isn't stocked the same as mine you can still make this recipe. 

1/2 cup agave nectar

1/4 cup sucanat

1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

1/2 cup olive oil

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 large egg

1 scoop protein powder (optional)

2 1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt
1 cup dark chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 375.

Mix together sucanat, agave nectar, oil, applesauce, vanilla, and egg. In another bowl mix flour, baking soda, & salt. Add dry ingredients to the wet ones and mix well. Add chocolate chips & blend to batter. Form into cookies & bake for 6 minutes.

If you don't have:                                        Use:     

Whole wheat pastry flour                             1/2 whole wheat flour, 1/2 all purpose flour

Agave nectar or sucanat                              Maple syrup, honey, coconut sugar

Applesauce                                                 Olive oil

These are very moist. There is just the tiniest hint of fruitiness from the applesauce, but not enough to taste it as applesauce. The agave & sucanat give it a slightly different flavor - like a warm undertone of maple or brown sugar. It's also much more filling than a regular chocolate chip cookie (the protein powder and whole wheat flour are to thank for that). 

Can't believe I made it all the way to 18 days into the year before eating cookies.  Wow.

Low Cal Spaghetti

I know, I know, I'm not counting calories this week, but that doesn't mean I'm eating n'importe quoi. (That's my fancy French way of saying whatever.) Before eating I'm praying to honor the LORD with the way I fuel this body He's given me. That means no giant plates of pasta. I just don't think He designed me to sit & devour insanely large plates of pasta. He did however, design me to eat plate after plate of winter squash.

Today for lunch I replaced 3/4 cup of spaghetti with 3/4 cups of spaghetti squash. Spaghetti squash is AWESOME. It's thinner than spaghetti, & a tiny bit sweeter. It's obviously not as starchy as pasta but the sweetness in the flavor mimics that starchy flavor. Plus it's easier to chew & compare these carb counts:

1 cup of spaghetti = 44 grams carbohydrates
1 cup spaghetti squash = 6 grams carbohydrates

Not to mention the nutritional benefits of vegetables versus pasta.

There are different ways to cook spaghetti squash. My mom is a genius. She has a great microwave method I will share.

Stab your squash a few times. (It helps to stab it along the lines you will be cutting later.) Microwave on high for 12 minutes. Let it sit for five minutes in the microwave. Cut it open. Pull out the seeds & surrounding goop.  Use a fork & scrape all that yummy squash out of the inside edges into a serving dish.

Top with a simple spaghetti sauce (with lean ground beef for added protein.) Yum!  Perfect for a night when your in the mood for Italian.

Preparing for Next Week's Weigh-In...

My friend Jenny & I were talking this last week about things we are able to do on our own & what God can accomplish through us when we simply get out of His way. She has a problem giving up Coke. She has been able to accomplish an entire myriad of near impossible things in her life, but can't break the habit of  drinking soda. I have a similar issue except instead of Coke with me, it's Diet Mountain Dew (or as I call it - the precious nectar.) It's so good that I keep going back to it. I just can't help it.  And don't we all have some unhealthy habit that we know we need to break but just can't seem to do it? She explained it this way. All those nearly impossible feats - that's God's doing. The coke - that's Jenny.

I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. (John 15:5 KJV)

Without Jesus, we can do nothing. Nothing is a pretty inclusive word. Literally - I can't work, speak, think, or breathe without Jesus. So why in the world do I think I can lose weight on my own?

This week I'm going to try things a little differently. I'm going to  truly leave the results up to God. I'm not going to record a single calorie (I'll still carb count - I have diabetes.) I'm not going to put so much as a toenail not the scale. I'm going to pray every day to ask the LORD to help me fuel the body He has given me for His glory. Then we'll see what happens when I get out of God's way...

Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows. (Matthew 10:29-31 KJV)

Maple Spiced Turkey Ham

Who doesn't want some nice hot comfort food on a cold winter day? This is one of my favorites- maple spiced turkey ham. It has the saltiness that you love from regular ham but not nearly the fat content. Plus by brushing the individual slices with a maple syrup spice blend you get that sweet flavor on every bite without baking & basting for hours. To keep this "clean" use pure maple syrup (so from a tree not a sugar bowl). Why? First of all - natural sugars are not only better for the body, but they have real flavor. Maple syrup has a deep caramel-y flavor that you just can't get from imitation. I know real maple syrup is expensive- BUT you only use a tablespoon at a time. Remember that flavor we were just talking about? It's much more satisfying than the fake stuff. This recipe only uses a tablespoon for a pound of turkey ham.

Preheat oven to 425.
Cut about a pound of turkey ham into thin slices. Mix together:

1 tbsp pure maple syrup (warm - it won't mix well if it's straight from the fridge)
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
Pinch of ground cloves
Hint of cinnamon

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Lay out slices being sure to brush both sides of each slice with maple spice mixture.

Bake for about 8-10 minutes or until done.

The edges will have a delicious crispness where the salty flavor from the turkey ham & Worcestershire have blended.  There is also a sweetness from the maple with warm tones from the cinnamon & cloves.  It's perfect for quick comfort on a cold day.

Microwave popcorn - the healthy way

My mom is doing this clean eating with me, and if you know her then you know - popcorn is a must!! She loves popcorn so much that a few years back, my brother bought her a popcorn popper - one of those stand up fancy kinds that you see at the movie theatre. Between you & me, an attempt to secure his place as her favorite child went into that decision.  It's great - only problem is there's a LOT of oil & calories in that popper of deliciousness. So the only way for Mom to continue clean eating she had to find a way to get popcorn. She discovered this nifty trick.

Simply put 1/4 cup of popcorn kernels in a brown paper lunch sack.  Fold over the top twice & microwave for 3 minutes (times may vary, so pay attention to not let it burn.). Delicious fat free popcorn.

Now if you're a salt lover, you may want to pour it out on a tray & spray it (lightly) with an oil sprayer (or cooking spray if that's what you have.)  then salt it. That will give the salt something to stick to.  

Delicious & ready in three minutes. Gotta love popcorn...

Weigh in - Week 2

It's week two & already I've had a disappointment. While the scale did not show a weight gain - it also didn't show a loss. Stupid little needle didn't even budge a millimeter. (Brat.) I suppose I should be happy about the three pounds from last week. Doesn't weight loss feel like such a looooong process though... & I have the attention span of a long lived fruit fly.  Thankfully I have a Heavenly Father Who encourages me daily.  Today I read:

Blessed is that man that maketh the Lord his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies. Many, O Lord my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered. (Psalms 40:4, 5 KJV)

We human beings can be such idiots. We always forget that God is looking out for us. He created our bodies, so He's obviously aware of our needs. Why do I put so much thought & effort into trying to lose 3,500 calories every week?  That's not my job. God knows what He's doing when it comes to our daily care. It's my job to be a good steward of what He's given me. To that end, & with His help, I want to eat right & exercise.  But from now on - I think I'll leave the results up to Him.

Pizza!!

Ok, streak over. Dad finally requested pie, so I made him a pizza pie. The key to clean pizza is the crust. I use a simple thin crust recipe.

1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
3/4 cup hot water
Garlic powder to taste
Italian seasoning to taste
(This makes two large pizzas.)

Preheat oven to 425. Mix everything well. Knead slightly. Spread out over a lightly oiled pizza pan.
Add sauce & toppings.
Just remember to use cheese sparingly (grate your own - this helps with that). Try to pick a cheese with a strong flavor like Gruyere or a good Parmesan. Then you get more flavor with less calories. Add as many fresh herbs & vegetables as you like.

For this one I did turkey bacon, onion, red pepper, mushrooms, & Parmesan cheese. I sprinkled parsley on top. It was a huge hit! It satisfied Dad's pie craving (which is no small task).  This crust has a nice flavor to it. It is much more filling than white flour based crust. The herbs & salt in the crust really add to the flavor of the pizza overall. Having strong flavored cheese also adds a lot. Who needs Pizza Hut...

Quick & Easy Lemon Chicken

One thing I love is a nice grilled chicken sandwich. I like for my chicken to be moist & tender on the inside while having that salty smoky char on the outside. Now I have told Dad he can't buy any food at a restaurant that serves beverages in a paper cup. (Not because one can't eat healthy at a fast food restaurant but because my dad can't eat healthy in a fast food restaurant.) So no driving through Wendy's for me when that craving for a delicious chicken sandwich hits. Thankfully, I've got this nifty recipe that gives me a delicious grilled chicken in under 10  minutes. 

Take a boneless skinless chicken breast. If it's too thick, you might want to pound it out a little. I usually put it in a plastic bag & hit it with a fat rolling pin till it's skinny enough to cook through or until I've released all the stress of my day.

Rub the chicken with extra virgin olive oil & lemon juice.

Put on a hot George Foreman grill & cook for 4 minutes. Turn the meat to be perpendicular from the way it was originally placed on the grill & cook an additional 4 minutes. (By changing the angle you make the pretty char marks on it.

Depending on the size of the chicken breast you may need to adjust the cooking time.

This is an easy low calorie chicken that had a delicious flavor. It doesn't really taste lemon-y. It does have a good balance of salt & smoky.  Enjoy!

Week 1 Results

It's the dreaded day... Weigh In
Time to see if clean eating lives up to the hype.
If I said that I didn't miss potato chips, super spicy slim jims, & the ease & comfort of convenience prepackaged food, I'd be a liar. There were moments I just wanted to grab something off the shelf or out of a bag. Sometimes I want to eat without preparation & I'm not in the mood for fresh fruits & vegetables. I guess that's why it's important to not keep junk food in the house. I didn't eat it, but I would have in a moment of weakness if I'd had it in the house.  It's kind of like sin. Don't keep temptation around. In a moment of weakness you might make a mistake you regret.

One good thing about clean eating - I don't feel hungry. Ever. All that fiber & healthy proteins - you never feel hungry. So that is nice! Also, there is no binge eating with vegetables. So you pretty much never feel hungry & never feel overstuffed. That's a nice change.

Ok, no more stalling - moment of truth...
3 POUNDS LOST!!

Yay :-) Goal met!!

3 pounds lost this week - goal 1 pound
3 pounds lost so far - goal 1 pound
20 pounds left to reach goal weight

Due to inclement weather, (& by that I mean horrific snowstorm that has made me hate snow to a degree I never thought possible), I never made it to the gym. I did however do some snow shoveling, so my week wasn't completely without workouts.

Dark Chocolate Biscotti

Being stuck inside on a snow day can be boring. I tried various activities to occupy my mind. Cleaning, reading, playing in the snow with my adorable nieces (please note I tried to bring this Frosty to life with my own hat, but it didn't work.)  My hat isn't silk, so I'm assuming that's why I couldn't make a living being out of precipitation.

I also made some Belgian waffles. I jumped on the bed for awhile (it was fun, but please don't try it if you have low ceilings or aren't short like I am.)  Eventally I settled on the couch to watch old episodes of Everybody Loves Raymond. Is it just me or do they always seem to be drinking coffee & eating chips? Anyway, I was inspired by Marie Barones's biscotti & decided to make my own.

This recipe is a slight variation from the one in the book Clean Eating, Recharged by Tosca Reno (the clean eating queen). It's supposed to have almonds in it, but due to family nut allergies I've tweaked my version to omit them.

Ingredients
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/3 cup whole wheat flour
2 tsp instant decaf coffee
1/3 cup special dark cocoa powder
1 scoop cookies & cream muscle milk powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
1 whole egg
1 egg white
1 tsp pure vanilla
1 tsp imitation almond extract
1/2 cup sucanat

1. Preheat oven to 350 and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
2. Use a mixer (preferably with a whisk attachment) to mix together the egg, egg white, sucanat, & extracts. Mix till they're frothy.
3. In a separate mixing bowl, mix together the remaining dry ingredients.  Add wet ingredients & mix well.
4. Shape the dough into two somewhat flat logs on the cookie sheet.
5. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven & reduce the temperature to 300. Let the biscotti cool for 10 minutes.
6. Slice diagonally into pieces & put back in the oven for 20 minutes.
7. Remove from the oven & cool on a wire rack.

I loved these!! Dip them in coffee, hot cocoa, or milk. They're crunchy, but not so much they hurt your teeth. The almond flavor is just perfect with the dark chocolate flavor. Usually chocolate this dark can be bitter, but this wasn't at all. The sucanat & cookies & cream flavor from the protein powder soften it up. It's perfect for snow day baking fun.

Clean & Lean 3 Pepper Omelette

Lazy Saturday - I'm ready for it! I slept in - woke up hungry, lazy, and moody. I want some comfort food!! Oh, and drinkable calories. Normally I say NEVER drink your calories. It's a good rule. A healthy rule. & today I'm breaking it.

 I want a gianormous omelette. As big as my plate.

Three Pepper Omelette

2 egg whites
1 egg
3 drops hot sauce
1 tsp light sour cream
1 tbsp skim milk
Dash of paprika
Salt & pepper as desired
Onion
Green pepper
Red pepper
Yellow pepper
1 tsp grated cheese (Parmesan, Asiago, or Romano are all good)
Olive oil cooking spray

1. Spray a small skillet with cooking spray. If you have a skillet that can go in the oven as well - use that.
2. Whisk together in a bowl egg & egg whites, hot sauce, sour cream, milk, paprika, salt & pepper until well beaten & a little bit frothy. Add the spinach & whisk till blended.
3. Heat the skillet for a minute over medium heat, then add the egg mixture. Let this cook for a minute or two and then some diced onions and the different peppers.
4. Let cook for another minute or two, then sprinkle with the cheese.

5. Transfer to the oven & broil till finished.

As I said before this is a lazy Saturday, so I buy onion & three pepper blend bags in the frozen vegetable department. That way I can grab that (& frozen chopped spinach) right out of the freezer. I just pop it in the microwave for 30 seconds to thaw it out. This enables me to wimp out of cleaning & dicing vegetables.

This is about 220 calories.

I also fresh squeezed some grapefruit juice.

Clean & Steamy Hot Cocoa

It's COLD outside!! Is anybody else tired of the brutal winter winds & snowdrifts?! Looks like another winter storm is around the corner. Hot cocoa is in order! Now I normally make hot cocoa with full fat milk, dab of cream, & even a touch of butter melted in there. (It's terribly unhealthy but soooo good!) Here's a healthy alternative that can be ready in minutes.

Dad must have liked it - this makes two days in a row that he hasn't asked for pie!

1 cup skim milk
1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tbsp sucanat
1 tsp light sour cream
Few drops of pure vanilla

In a microwaveable mug, combine cocoa, sucanat, & 2 tbsp of the milk. Microwave for 30 seconds & mix well with a fork. Add the rest of the milk, stir, and add sour cream. Heat for another 30 seconds. Stir & heat for 30 seconds more. Stir and add vanilla. Continue heating in 30 second spurts till heated.

This is 137 calories per cup.

Clean Carmelized Bananas

Day Two of Clean Eating in 2014, and you know what I'm ready for... DESSERT!!  I'm not kidding.  It takes about 24 - 36 hours for my sweettooth to feel neglected.  I work a 8:00-5:00 job, and that means when I get home in the evening - I'm tired and often don't feel like cooking - let alone making dessert.  This would most often be the moment when a ready made Hershey chocolate pie sounds good.  But I won't give up that easily!!  By clean eating, I'm teaching my taste buds to appreciate natural sugars instead of my much beloved uber refined, Hershey calorie bomb.  So here is what I did tonight.  It's quick and easy - and tastes great.

2 ripe bananas
1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 tbsp

1. Preheat the oven to 425 & line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
2. Cut the bananas in half lengthwise, and lay flat side up on the cookie sheet.
3. Mix together olive oil and vanilla extract, and brush onto the bananas.
4. Sprinkle the bananas with sucanat.
5. Roast for 5 to 10 minutes, till bananas look golden.
Enjoy!!

Serves 2, approx. 141 calories per serving

Orange yogurt with granola topping

It's Day One of eating clean in 2014, and I'm already feeling lazy! (Perhaps I stayed up too late enjoying the last of my 2013 flaming hot Cheetos while welcoming in the new year.) So when I'm low on motivation I rely on two things: benefits review & convenience clean eating.
Benefits: better blood sugar & looking forward to the pound a week I'll definitely be losing!!
Convenience food: YOGURT

I LOVE Greek yogurt! You can get plain nonfat Greek yogurt pretty inexpensively nowadays. My two favorite places to buy it is Ruler Foods (one of Kroger's chains) & of course, Aldi. Both stores sell 6 oz containers for less than $1, and at Aldi you can buy a nice huge tub for just over $3. Greek yogurt is just regular yogurt that has been strained more, so it has less liquid. This makes it thicker & it has about double the protein. That sour yogurt flavor is also much stronger, so if that bothers you, you might want to just use regular nonfat plain yogurt as opposed to Greek for the recipe below.

For the granola:
1/2 tbsp oatmeal
1/4-1/2 tsp steel cut oats (this makes it extra crunchy & helps keep you feeling fuller longer)
1/2 tsp sucanat (I bought mine at the health food store for about $6. I know that sounds like a lot, but you use it so much less & in smaller portions than regular sugar that it lasts a long time. It tastes sweet & has a strong molasses flavor.)
Sprinkle of cinnamon (makes it tastes warmer & sweeter)
Dash of salt
Tiny drizzle of extra virgin olive oil- just enough to coat your oatmeal

Combine all these in a bowl, making sure it's well blended. Spread it out on a cookie sheet & put under the broiler to toast.

While that's toasting, cut up 1-2 ripe oranges (1 orange if you like the sour tastes, 2 if you prefer sweet), and add to a bowl with 6oz Greek nonfat yogurt. I also grate a little of the orange zest into the yogurt for added flavor. If you leave any flesh of the orange on the peels, make sure to squeeze the juice out into your yogurt. Don't waste any of your fruit!

When the granola is toasting (it only takes a couple minutes, so watch it carefully), add to your yogurt & fruit, with a pinch more sucanat if you like. If your yogurt is still mot sweet enough, add some pure maple syrup or agave nectar, just a few drops at a time till you have it just the way you like it.

This breakfast runs around 250 calories (add 60 more if you had 2 oranges instead of one) & takes about 5-7 minutes to prepare.

There you have it - kick off Day one of the New Year!