I’m dieting. I’m dieting and I hate it. Maybe that’s a bit of an overstatement, but I don’t have a choice in the matter. After battling that nasty, evil illness last year, almost a year of forced inactivity due to said illness and having to be on some equally nasty medications that contributed to the weight gain, I’m a pig. A big fat pig. I won’t embarass myself publically by stating exactly how much weight I have to lose, but let’s just say it’s a lot and be done with it.
I’m tackling this vicious beast the old fashioned way — shutting the pie hole and by getting my fat a$$ on the treadmill every single day and breaking out the yoga DVD’s. No fancy, expensive weight loss clinics or fancy gyms for me. There’ll be no Jenny Craig, no NutriSystem or no Weight Watchers (although I do have a very nice WW cookbook that I love!) Not that I think there’s anything wrong with them. Look what Jenny Craig has done to aid Kirstie Alley in her weight loss battle. She looks fabulous and I saw a commercial this past weekend indicating she’s lost a whopping 75 pounds. I call that success. It’s just that for me, portion control and exercise works best and is the most effective. For me, weight control always comes down to making a lifestyle change.
But Fall is just around the corner. The weather in the Northeast has already begun to have a hint of crispness to it. The leaves won’t be turning for another month yet, but some of our early bloomers have started to fall and litter my hillside. Cooler weather means turning on the oven and doing some Fall baking. Fall means comfort food. And comfort food is especially comforting during deadlines. What’s a poor, fat writer supposed to do without her comfort food to see her through those Fall deadlines?
Cheating is not an option. Not if I hope to get rid of my fat pig status. But I need ideas for non-fattening comfort foods to see me through Fall. So, I’m collecting recipes today. Post one of your favorite non-waistline threatening comfort food recipes and you’ll be entered into a random drawing for an ARC of THE MATCHMAKER.
UPDATE: And the winner is….Cherie Japp. Cherie, send your snail mail addy to me at jamie@jamiedenton.net and I’ll get your prize out to you ASAP. Also, a great big yummy THANK YOU to everyone for so many wonderful recipes and snack ideas. I have a feeling this diet thing won’t be quite so painful now!!
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CHOCOLATE ÉCLAIR
Use all SUGAR FREE & FAT FREE or LOW FAT ingredients.
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Line pan with Gram Crackers.
In bowl mix:
2 lg. Instant pudding Choc.
5 Cups Milk
Let set.
Mix.
8 oz. Cool Whip with Pudding.
Layer: Start with Gram Crackers the Pudding mix. End with Gram Crackers.
Use Cool Whip for Icing.
Grade a Candy Bar.
Sprinkle on top.
Can do the same but use vanilla pudding mix and top with Cherry pie filling.
by Tammy G.
on September 5th, 2006 at 7:38 am
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Mock Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients:
8 Cups cauliflower florets or a small head of cauliflower
1/4 cup Kraft ranch dressing
1 green onion thinly sliced
Directions
Bring water to boil in large sauce pan. Add Cauliflower, cook 15 minutes or until cauliflower is very tender. Drain cauliflower, add dressing and mash until cauliflower is light and fluffy. sprinkle with onions. Serve. Makes 8 1/2 cups servings has 50 calories per serving and 6g of Carbohydrates
I haven’t tried this yet so can’t vouch for it. I have used cauliflower florets for “mock” potato salad though and really enjoyed that.
by Cheryl S.
on September 5th, 2006 at 7:56 am
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Instant Pineapple Pie
1 20 oz Undrained - unsweetened Crushed Pineapple
1 LG. 5- 5/8 oz Instant sugar-free Vanilla Pudding
1 Cup Low or Nonfat Sour Cream
1 6 oz Graham Cracker Low fat Pie Crust
Mix undrained crushed pineapple, and sour cream well, then mix in pudding.
Pour into graham cracker pie crust and refrigerate for at least 2
hours. Can be frozen.
Add cool whip on top, add a slice of pineapple on top with a cherry
in the middle for decoration if desired.
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I like eating it without the pie crust myself. Its another great desert you can eat and not feel too guilty about. My husband is a diabetic and can’t have sugar or at least to much of it. And this is great frozen, you can have as a treat. Also those holiday dinners.
by Tammy G.
on September 5th, 2006 at 9:01 am
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My husband is currently cutting back on calories, so we changed one of his favorites to low-cal . Nachos. He eats it all the time.
Baked Tortilla Chips
Shredded low fat chedder cheese
Turkey Burger
Taco Seasoning
Lettuce
Tomatoe
Salsa
& low fat sour cream
Place chips on a plate. Sprinkle shredded cheese on top. Add a seconed layer of chips and sprinkle cheese again. Place plate aside.
Brown turkey burger in a skillet - add in Taco Seasoning.
Place plate of chips in oven at 350 until cheese melts.
Once cheese melts, sprinkle cooked turkey burger on top, add lettuce, tomatoes, low cal sour cream and salsa. Tastes good.
You can also modify this to make taco salad by crushing chips on a plate and then adding cheese, turkey burger, lettuce, tomatoe, sour cream and salsa.
by Sandra M.
on September 5th, 2006 at 9:27 am
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My comfort food doesn’t need much in the way of recipes but I am a nibbler and a grazer:
Green apple slices
Popcorn-can air pop and add salt and low fat butter flavoring
For lunch or dinner the following is remarkably good for low cal food:
Soft burrito using warmed flour tortilla, cooked lightly flaked white fish, shredded cabbage, tomatoes, green onion, guacamole, and just a touch of low fat mayo.
Don’t forget to drink plenty of fluids…I love jasmine tea.
by Little Lamb Lost
on September 5th, 2006 at 11:29 am
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I love to nipple something while I am working at my PC.
My favorite comfort food are pepper slices, especially yellow
by Danny
on September 5th, 2006 at 11:51 am
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sounds all good. i don’t have any. but i like tea and steam vegatables.:lol: don’t hold it against me lol:lol:
by KIM H
on September 5th, 2006 at 12:34 pm
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Here is a recipe for a cake with pudding in it. Sweets are the hardest for me to give up so it helps to have some tasty recipes on hand if you have a sweet tooth.
1 package (18-1/4 ounces) yellow cake mix
1-1/2 cups fat free cold mix
1 package (3.9 ounces) instant sugar- free vanilla pudding mix
1 carton (8 ounces) frozen reduced fat whipped topping, thawed
Prepare cake mix according to package directions. Pour into a greased 13×9x2-in. baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack.
In a bowl, whisk milk and pudding mix for 2 minutes. let stand for 2 minutes or until soft-set. Using the end of a wooden spoon handle, poke 24 holes in cake. Spread pudding evenly over cake. Spread whipped topping over pudding. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Yield; 15 servings.
217 calories , 6 g fat (2g saturated fat), 1mg cholesterol, 456 mg sodium, 37 g carbohydrates, 1 g fiber, 3 g protein.
by Cherie Japp
on September 5th, 2006 at 12:49 pm
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I stopped eating meat nine years ago. Cutting back on all that fat will help. I do eat fish which is very good when you are trying to lose weight. I always bake it and try not to fry anything. I also eat a lot of vegetables. I make vegetable chili. Most of the time I add tofu or textured soy protein granules to it.
Vegetable Chili
2 tablespoons olive or canola oil
2 large onions, coarsely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 stalks celery, diced
2 large carrots, diced
1 sweet red or green pepper, diced
1 can (16 ounces) crushed or diced tomatoes
1 cup vegetable broth
2 yellow squash
1 can (16 ounces) red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup frozen corn kernels
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1/2 cup low-fat sour cream
1. In a Dutch oven, heat oil over moderate heat. Add onions and garlic; sauté, stirring, about 7 minutes or until softened and golden. Stir in chili powder and cook 2 to 3 minutes longer.
2. Sauté celery, carrots, and sweet pepper, stirring frequently, 6 to 7 minutes or until softened.
3. Add tomatoes and broth; bring to a boil. Add squash, kidney beans, and corn. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, 25 to 30 minutes or until tender.
4. Stir in the parsley and top each serving with sour cream.
Serves: 4
Per serving: Calories 374, Saturated Fat 1 g, Total fat 14 g, Sodium 661 mg, Cholesterol 0 mg, Protein 13 g, Carbohydrate 54 g, Fiber 14 g
by Carol
on September 5th, 2006 at 1:55 pm
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I love all seasonal fruit…and mixed up the better:D
I like to cut up pieces of fruit and then dip them into a cream cheese and dream whip blend!! Yum Yum!!!
by Kathleen
on September 5th, 2006 at 6:06 pm
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If you crave soda, consider substituting seltzer water instead — helps you get your water count up, and has no sodium and no calories. Also, it’s way less expensive than soda.
by Caro
on September 5th, 2006 at 10:01 pm
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Take your favorite cheescake recipe and subsitute splenda for the sugar. It wont be a low fat recipe, but will be low carb.
by Pat L.
on September 5th, 2006 at 10:49 pm
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No Sugar Added Pumpkin Pie
1 Cup + 1 Tbs. boiling water
1 pkg. unflavored gelatin
1 pkg. (1oz.) sugar-free instant vanilla pudding
1 15 oz. can pumpkin (not pie mix)
3/4 Tbs. ground cinnamon
3/4 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 prepared (Frozen pie shell)
1 tub (8 oz.) Free Whip Topping
Bake pie shell per instructions on the package. Set aside and cool.
In a large bowl slowly dissolve the gelatin in the boiling water.
Add pudding mix a little at a time and mix with hand mixer on the slow speed.
Add pumpkin a spoon at a time and mix on medium speed until completely combined.
Add Cinnamon and Pumpkin pie spice and mix until spice is mixed in well.
Spoon mixture into pie shell and level with a spoon. Refrigerate for 3 hours or until completely set.
Just before serving add whip topping (Free) and cover whole pie and sprinkle the top with a pinch of cinnamon for color.
Nutrition:
For 1/8 of pie: calories – 264 carbohydrates – 33.5 grams sugar – 4.5 grams
This is a family favorite.
by Tammy G.
on September 6th, 2006 at 12:04 am
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Congrats Cherie!
by Little Lamb Lost
on September 6th, 2006 at 10:32 am
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Thank y0u! I am thrilled I won! Thanks Little Lamb for the congrats.
by Cherie Japp
on September 6th, 2006 at 10:39 am
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wtg cherie
by KIM H
on September 6th, 2006 at 12:11 pm
