Strawberry Frozen Yogurt

  They've created a monster. The same day that I bought my manual ice machine, I also got an electric ice cream maker, which I've been wanting for at least a year. I got to play around with it this morning and tried out my idea for frozen yogurt, yum. This recipe is so good, it has some nice flavors from the strawberry jam and the vanilla, and also has that great yogurt flavor and bite to it from the plain yogurt. Of course, it's low in sugar and fat. Enjoy! 

 

Ingredients: 

3 cups plain non-fat yogurt

1/2 cup sucralose (Splenda) store brand sweetener

1/4 cup strawberry jam

1/8 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions: 

Combine all ingredients and stir together with a spoon. 

Transfer the ingredients to an ice cream maker and mix for 15 minutes until thickened and frozen. 

Put the finished fro-yo in a container with a lid and and store in the freezer. 

My New Manual Ice Shaver

  With the warmer weather coming up, I had been thinking about all the frozen drinks I could make with finely crushed or shaved ice-iced coffees, teas, fruit punches, the list goes on and on. I finally went out and bought one. You can get a manual ice shaver for about $10. It was a little challenging to use with ice cubes, and you'll definitely use some muscle. If you have the extra money for an automatic ice shaver it might be worth it, but I haven't tried to use one.

  Today I made iced drinks with Diet Pepsi and with Wyler's Light raspberry drink mix. I can't wait to try iced juices and margaritas, too. Specialty drinks like iced coffees can be expensive at restaurants, so this is an economical way to enjoy some nice, cold drinks throughout the spring and summer. The drinks in the photos are just sample size, so I would recommend larger cups and either a straw or a spoon for an actual drink.

Iced Diet Pepsi

Iced Fruit Drink

Sauteed Baby Bella Mushrooms

  This recipe takes just a few minutes and only 4 ingredients. It can be served as an appetizer or a side dish. The portabella mushrooms have a meatier texture than regular mushrooms, and they hold flavors better and maintain a firmer texture when cooked.

 

Ingredients:

1 carton baby bella mushrooms

olive oil

garlic powder

dried basil

Directions:

Wash mushrooms thoroughly and drain to dry.

Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. 

Add whole mushrooms. Sprinkle with garlic powder and basil.

Saute mushrooms evenly on both sides. 

Serve immediately.

Soup Beans and Cornbread

  Whether you call them pinto beans or soup beans, beans really are a healthy food, especially when they're made without greasy fatback or loads of salt. This recipe uses plenty of flavor from lean ham and seasonings, and leaves out the hot mess of saturated fat and sodium in some traditional recipes. Enjoy this delicious fiber and protein rich food with Regular Cornbread or Hot Mexican Cornbread.

 

Ingredients: 

1/2 pound dried pinto beans

1 large yellow onion, chopped

1-1 1/4 pound ham, chopped

1 tsp. black pepper

Directions:

Rinse beans well. Soak overnight. 

Drain water. 

Combine all ingredients in a large pot. Add fresh water, adjusting the amount according to how soupy you want the beans to be. 

Bring to a boil, then cook over low-medium heat for 2-3 hours, stirring occasionally.

Serving size should be 1/2 to 1 cup. 

I like to eat my beans with ketchup, but chow chow, sauerkraut, hot sauce, or jalapeno peppers would all taste wonderful. The sauerkraut, some varieties of chow chow, ketchup, and jalapenos will add sodium, so use them sparingly. Hot sauce is actually a low sodium seasoning!

Put a Ring on it White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake

  This is a delicious lower calorie version of raspberry cheesecake that you would never known was lighter. The taste and texture are delightful. I used sugar substitute, traded the cream for 2% milk, reduced the amount of butter in the crust, and swapped some of the regular cream cheese for the lower fat variety.

  I also used a glass baking pan because I'm terrible with a spring-form pan. If you're more skilled with the spring-form pan, though, feel free to use one and just increase the oven temperature to 325F. 

Ingredients: 

  Crust: 

      1 cup graham cracker crumbs

      5 Tbsp. butter

      1/4 cup store-brand Splenda for recipes

Cheesecake filling: 

      12 ounce bag frozen raspberries

      2 Tbsp. and 1/2 cup store-brand Splenda for recipes, divided

      2 tsp. cornstarch

      1/2 cup water

      1-11.5 ounce bag white chocolate chips

      1/2 cup 2% milk

      2-8 ounce blocks 1/3 less fat cream cheese

      1-8 ounce block regular cream cheese

      3 eggs

      1 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions: 

-Preheat oven to 300F. 

-Melt butter and combine with graham cracker crumbs and 1/4 cup sweetener in a 9 inch glass baking dish. Mix well and press into a crust on the bottom and sides of the pan.

-In a medium saucepan, combine raspberries, 2 Tbsp. sweetener, cornstarch, and water. Cook over medium heat until thickened, stirring frequently to prevent mixture from sticking to bottom of pan. 

-In a double boiler, melt white chocolate chips and 2% milk, stirring occasionally. 

-In a large mixing bowl, combine cream cheese, 1/2 cup sweetener, eggs, and vanilla. Mix at low speed. Add melted white chocolate and gradually increase mixer speed. Mix well until smooth. 

-Pour half of the cheesecake mixture into the crust. 

-Then pour half of the raspberry mixture over that, swirling it around slightly with a utensil.

-Next, pour the remaining cheesecake mixture, then top with the rest of the raspberries, swirling them around to create a marbled effect. 

-Bake for 1 hour. 

-Chill in the refrigerator for 8 hours before serving for the best texture.