Video: Nutriticious Ice Cream?

From Denny: Here's a good video to help us along with choosing better ice cream calories in this summer heat! The Early Show on CBS was doing a taste test of those ice creams and sorbets that were considered the tastiest, healthiest and also available nationwide. Take a look!


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ice cream sorbet healthy diet food chocolate Haagen Das Ben and Jerry mango blueberry raspberry strawberry frozen yogurt

Video: Nutritious Chocolate, the New Super Food?

From Denny: Looks like the news industry is just now catching on to what you and I know about our beloved chocolate: it's a superfood! What took them so long? :) Check out this informative chocolate video about a new chocolate product packed with antioxidants. Beats taking vitamin pills hands down for weight loss especially!

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Smoothie Recipe: Chocolate Cherry

Berry Soy Smoothie Image by taupetortoise via Flickr

From Denny: It's the weekend and time to relax, take a moment to pause, make life easy, and drink a smoothie to help the process!

The food staff over at Atlanta Journal-Constitution adapted this recipe from Cook's Country Magazine, part of the Cook's Illustrated magazine group. This is a healthy yet chocolate recipe! Does life get any better? :)

Notes from the food staff: "This was tested with Stonyfield Farm brand nonfat plain or vanilla yogurt. They make two snack-size servings or 1 meal replacement size drink. If you like your smoothies sweeter, use vanilla yogurt, or add a tablespoon or two of honey to plain yogurt. If you like them more tart, substitute plain yogurt for vanilla.

For creamier texture, upgrade to low-fat yogurt, knowing you'll add calories. Use only 100 percent juice; don't use any with added sweeteners. You can substitute fresh fruit for frozen, but make sure it's cold. If possible, put it in the freezer for 20 minutes before using."

Hands on time: 5 minutes

Total time: 5 minutes

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

1 cup frozen cherries

1 ripe banana, cut in thirds

3/4 cup nonfat plain yogurt

1/4 cup apple juice

2 tablespoons chocolate syrup

Instructions:

In a blender, combine cherries, banana, yogurt, apple juice and chocolate syrup, and process until thoroughly blended and smooth.

Nutrition:

Per serving: 272 calories (percent of calories from fat, 2), 7 grams protein, 64 grams carbohydrates, 4 grams fiber, 1 gram fat (trace saturated fat), 2 milligrams cholesterol, 78 milligrams sodium.

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Recipe: Low-Fat Lemon Bundt Cake

From Denny: Looks like I will be exploring and downright plundering this wonderful recipe database over at PastryWiz.com! Wonderful array of recipes over here at this extensive database.

Repeat after me: Louisiana LOVES lemon! Louisiana people LOVE lemon recipes! We even planted a lemon tree in our back yard a couple of years ago. Of course, we named "him": Lemoncello (how original)

This lower fat version of a Lemon Bundt Cake sounded really good. OK, I'll probably not go for the margarine which I find a revolting taste but at least those with special diets who adjusted their tastebuds could enjoy this recipe. I'll just use clarified butter (or ghee when I can find it on the grocery shelves).

Cooking spray: substitute your own like placing canola oil in a spray bottle to get the same "less is more" effect. Canola oil is a thinner oil than most and can be sprayed.

By using egg whites they eliminate the extra fat and calories, same with using skim milk over low fat or whole milk.

And icing, well, I'd probably use half to none at all as I've never been a huge fan of sugar icing (now chocolate ganache is another matter...).

Better yet I would prefer to serve the icing as a puddle on the side of the sliced cake so you could dip a piece of cake in it or take your fork and lightly drizzle the icing over your slice of cake.

Louisiana people LOVE their sugar icings and call them "Cream Cakes" when used like the one below.

Lemon Cream Cheese Streusel Bundt Cake Image by pirate johnny via Flickr - why couldn't they put a recipe with this yummy photo? :)Of course, this is the fattening version. That's why it looks so appealing, right?! All right, everyone, get your eyes peeled back on to the prize goal: low calorie for today! ;)

***

Low Fat Lemon Bundt Cake

From: PastryWiz.com

Yield: Serves 14

Ingredients for the Cake:

Butter flavored cooking spray

8 oz. plain nonfat yogurt

1/2 cup light corn syrup

3 cups sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

8 egg whites

2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice

rind from 1/2 lemon, grated

3 cups flour

1/3 cup powdered sugar

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt


Ingredients for the Icing:

1 Tbs. fat-free margarine

2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice

rind from 1/2 lemon, grated

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/8 tsp. salt

2 cups powdered sugar

1 Tbs. skim milk


Directions: Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Spray a bundt pan with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, combine yogurt, corn syrup, sugar, vanilla, egg whites, lemon juice, and lemon rind and mix well. In a medium bowl, combine flour, powdered sugar, baking powder, and salt. Mix well.

Add a the dry mixture to the wet mixture and mix well. Pour batter into pan. Bake for about 1 hour and 20 minutes.

Let cake cool for about 10 minutes before removing from pan. Remove cake from pan and cool in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes before icing.

Combine icing ingredients and mix well. Pour or spread icing over cake until it's completely covered. Cool completely before serving.

Nutritional Info:
Cal: 386
Fat: less than 1 gram

Following are some more lemon cake recipes to enjoy!

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