My man's plate. Yum!

Ingredients
1 large tuna steak, big enough to serve 2 or 3 people
2 tablespoons sesame chili oil
salt and fresh ground pepper
1/2 cup butter
3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons creamy horseradish sauce, wasabi
3 green onions, sliced
1 lemon, juice of

Directions

• Drizzle sesame oil on both sides of the tuna steak. Season with salt and pepper.
• Combine remaining ingredients in a small sauce pan. Heat over low heat until butter is melted, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching.
• While sauce is heating, heat a heavy frying pan on another burner with high heat. Place tuna in pan and sear until crispy and brown. Turn and sear on the other side. About 2 minutes per side if you like it rare. Up to 5 if you like it well done.

Just a big ole thick tuna steak!

For starters, I bought just enough tuna to feed my husband and I.  I wound up with leftover sauce, but I don’t mind.  It is good!  To sear the tuna, you want the pan pretty darn hot before you put the tuna in.  Notice that you drizzle the tuna with the oil, and then you put the tuna in the pan.  You don’t heat the oil in the pan.  I think this is key to getting the nice crispy brown outside without burning anything.

One incredibly flavorful sauce.

I used real butter here.  I believe regular butter is fine when not consumed alongside a lot of white carbs.  I think your favorite margarine would probably be ok here, if that is what makes you happy.   I doubt it will taste quite as good as real butter would, but I don’t think it would completely ruin the effort.  There are 28 reviews of this recipe over on RecipeZaar.  I bet at least one of them touches on the subject.  You can get LOTS of info and ideas by reading through the recipe reviews.

As always, I used low sodium soy sauce.   Now, for the wasabi, I did not use the more traditional tubed stuff.  I happened to eyeball a Manischewitz Wasabi Style Horseradish sauce on the grocery store shelf.  Who knew?  Looked interesting and was cheaper per ounce.  And guess what?  It worked very well in this recipe.  I would not recommend it for a bonafide sushi sit-down, but to add flavor to sauces or sandwiches… it’s pretty darn neat!

My side-plate-sized lovely salad.

I sliced up the tuna and piled it on top of fresh spinach and sliced tomatoes to form a lovely salad.  I drizzled the sauce, in moderation, over the whole thing for a nice dressing.  Added a little fresh ground pepper over top.  It was a delicious dinner.

My buddy, TJ, gave me a link to an alternate recipe that looks well worth trying.  Maybe next week!

I still don’t have much of an appetite in the morning.  So, these days I have a protein drink.  In the summer, I usually have some sort of coffee based ready-to-drink (RTD) protein.  I either have something like Atkins Cafe, or I make my own with Lean Body chocolate RTD, chocolate unsweetened Almond Breeze, and some instant coffee crystals.  In the winter, I want something warm.  So, I make myself a protein mocha.

Ingredients
1 scoop of chocolate protein powder
1 shot of your favorite sugar free syrup
fresh brewed coffee

Directions

• Place the scoop of protein powder into a travel mug. My favorite is Nectar Chocolate Truffle, though I have done this successfully with Jay Robb chocolate whey protein, Lean Dessert Chocolate Fudge Pudding, and many others. Just about any brand will work.

• Add a shot of your favorite sugar free syrup to the mug. My two favorites are Da Vinci Dulce de Leche and Monin O’Free Caramel. (The Monin syrups are typically thicker. I like my phony caramel thick.) Just about any sweet flavor will work. You can even get crazy with some orange or almond flavored syrups. Get a spoon and stir… stir… stir. Stir until the protein is completely smooth. This is important. You want to smooth it out with that little bit of liquid before you fill the cup.

• Now, grab your fresh brewed coffee… which has either been sitting with the warmer off for at least 20 – 30 minutes… or, you’ve removed the lid from the pot, letting the steam escape while the coffee cools a bit. You DO NOT ever want to mix protein powder with liquid that is too hot. Doing so is what causes those nasty clumps. Fill your mug the rest of the way up with the coffee. I like to pour with one hand whilst stirring with the other. Be careful if you do this. Don’t burn yourself then blame me for it. You’ve been warned!

• Put the lid on your travel mug and sip away. Your Protein Mocha will make you nice and warm on a cold morning, and it will provide you with a decent amount of nutrients. I love these things. I drink them all throughout the year, but nothing hits the spot better on a cold winter morn. Sometimes I add a squirt of Hershey’s sugar free syrup to the protein powder / syrup mixture. If I want to treat myself, I will add a small spoon of Smucker’s sugar free caramel topping and / or a dollop of Cool Whip Free or fat free Reddi Whip.

The body best absorbs protein in the morning and just after workouts. Protein is also filling and will help keep you satisfied. And really, just about any flavor of protein will work… and any flavor of syrup will work. Go nuts with experimentation. Just stick to a protein powder that is lower in calories and carbs, and make sure you use sugar free syrups. There is no shortage of either out there. You can also do this with plain water, if you are not a coffee lover. I love coffee, and I love mochas, and I think the coffee covers up anything unpleasant about protein powder. In any case, the taste and quality of protein powder has come a long way. Even if you think you hate them, try one of the newer brands. You might be surprised.

These also make excellent snacks for chilly Autumn or Winter evenings.

Find this recipe in my SparkRecipes recipe box!

Broked Eggs Florentine

As I was flipping through What’s Up? Annapolis magazine, I ran across a recipe for Baked Eggs Florentine.  I happened to have all the ingredients here, for once, so I decided to have this for lunch.

Ingredients
2 large fresh eggs
1/2 cup fresh spinach
1/2 cup chopped white onions
1 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon parmesan cheese, shredded
salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees and place a ramekin or small casserole dish in the oven to preheat at the same time.
• While oven and ramekin are preheating, saute onion and minced garlic in olive oil over medium high heat in a pan for about 2 minutes. Add spinach and toss in pan for about 2 additional minutes.
• Remove ramekin from oven, spray with a little non-stick spray, and crack two eggs into it. Top with sauteed vegetables. Place dish back in oven and bake until the whites are fully cooked and yolks are still runny (or however you desire them) about 7 – 10 minutes.
• Remove from oven and finish with a little parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper. Allow eggs to sit a moment before serving, as they’re pretty hot.

Sssssmoky saute.

Ready to go into the oven.

In the magazine, there is no mention of spraying the ramekin with non-stick spray, but I should have done this anyway.  I thought perhaps the olive oil would provide enough of a barrier to keep the eggs from baking to the dish, but in the end it stuck a little more than I’d like.  Nevertheless, this was still quite delectable.

It was a lovely surprise to have my husband home early for lunch… just around brunch time, in fact.  I doubled the saute ingredients and used the remaining half, along with some Southwestern style Eggbeaters, to make a nice omelet for him.   He prefers his eggs scrambly.

Spontaneous Florentine Omelet

That's Eeyore's arse.

While I was looking to see if this recipe was typed out online somewhere, I came across a video of the chef, William Paine, actually making his signature dish.  A couple of things he says in the video are slightly different from the printed version of the recipe.  I imagine this is probably because the printed version is more suitable to make at home.

In the video, he puts the oven to 450 degrees.  In the article, he says 425.  He only bakes them for about 3 minutes, while the printed version states 7 to 10.  He also is very good at tossing things around in the pan, while I kludged along with my spatula.  I also broke one of the yolks at cracking time, but that didn’t wreck this dish at all.  I might just keep one whole and crack one on purpose the next time.  And FINALLY, he uses non-stick spray in the video.  Curses!

Find this recipe in my SparkRecipes recipe box.

Tiny buns.

Because it is rare that I eat white carbs like bread, I don’t often make burgers.  My husband adores burgers.  When I make them, I typically help myself to 1/2 or so of a regular-sized burger with no bun, while I make a regular bunny burger for my sweet prince.  Well, it dawned on me today that I could make my own sliders out of even leaner ground beef or ground turkey or ground pork.  I can experiment with bacon, different kinds of shredded cheese… whatever my imagination can conjure up.  I can serve several, bun and all, to my husband for probably less calories than the one or two burgers he would normally have… and I can make my own small slider and feel like I’m allowed to have a whole serving of something for once.  I will still forego the bun, but I can have an actual whole cute little round burger on my plate.  How exciting!  Ok, well, it ain’t that exciting… but the possibilities for experimentation certainly are.

Football fare!

Yesterday, being out of counter space and in a hurry to get them done before game time, I threw the Wegmans burgers into a skillet with a little canola oil and cooked em up the lazy way.   Normally I use my Cuisinart Griddler which requires no oil, drains off a lot of fat, and has removable dishwasher-safe grilling plates.   (I love this thing!)   I topped them each with 1/4 slice of sharp cheddar and served them with ketchup. Since I eat mine with a fork instead of a bun, I sacrificed mine to the “see if they’re done” cutting.

Four sliders and 2/3 a banana for my man.

My 2 sliders and 1/3 banana.

As you can see, I used a salad plate while my husband received a dinner plate.  I always use small plates and small utensils at home.  Doing so helps me to control my portions, and it psyches me into thinking I have more food than I do.  I’ve been doing this for several years now.  Trust me… it works!  In fact, I picked up a good book on this very topic a few months ago: The 9-Inch ‘Diet’: Exposing the Big Conspiracy in America The book talks very specifically about how plate sizes have grown over the years and how this increase has affected our average calorie intake. Very interesting stuff and worth a browse next time you’re parked at the Barnes & Noble cafe.

In spite of watching our home team lose another heartbreaker of a game, we had a lovely lunch and a good day. I can’t wait to make more sliders. One more thing to note… as I was putting the slider buns away, I noticed they were exactly the same size as some dinner rolls I picked up from the Safeway bakery last week. I must remember to see if they’re cheaper than the specially made Pepperidge Farm rolls. Bet they are!

A lovely alternative to traditional fried fish cakes.

Ingredients
1/2 cup Eggbeaters, Southwestern Style
1/2 cup flour
5 tbsp water
2 tbsp fresh cilantro, finely chopped
1 small bunch scallions, finely chopped
1/2 lb small shrimp, shelled and chopped
1/2 tsp lite salt
1 tsp fresh ground pepper
1 tsp smoked paprika

Directions

• In a medium to large sized bowl, mix flour and eggs. Then, add water and stir until smooth.
• Add shrimp, cilantro, and scallions to the bowl. Then add paprika, pepper, and salt.
• Let mixture stand for 30 minutes.
• Heat the flat non-stick plates of a counter griddle to medium-high heat. When ready, drop the mixture onto the griddle in 2 tablespoon units. (Each cake should be made from 2 tbsp worth of the egg/shrimp mixture.) Flatten a little with the back of a spatula, if necessary.
• Let cook until underside is golden, then flip one time. Cook again until underside is golden. These need to be turned only once and should not stick.
• Serve with cocktail sauce, tartar sauce, ketchup or whatever you desire.
• These can be cooked in a regular pan with a minimal amount of non-stick spray.
• Recipe makes 12 – 14 cakes.

Easy to make!

Any egg substitute will work nicely.  The Southwestern style eggbeaters add a little kick.  If you use plain egg substitutes or an equivalent number of real eggs (2 large) then you might opt to add some of your own chopped peppers and/or onions to the mix when it comes time to add the scallions.

Just about any raw shrimp will work, though small ones are easiest to work with.  I usually buy a bag of frozen shrimp and thaw them out overnight or just run cool water over them in a colander as I shell them.  I then place them in a small food processor along with the cilantro.  You need only pulse them a few times to get them chopped down to a workable size.  Do not pulverize them to a paste.

I scrape the shrimp / cilantro mixture out of the processor and into the egg / flour / water mixture.  I then cut the scallions down a little and chop them the rest of the way also with a few pulses of the food processor.  After I’ve added the scallions to the egg mixture, I then add my seasonings.

You can chop the ingredients by hand if you like.  I just like to be a lazy arse now and then!

Be as creative as you like with these.  If you’d rather not have spicy, you can use savory herbs or Old Bay seasoning.  If you want them super spicy, you can add a couple shakes of Tabasco.  Lots of room for experimentation.  How long you cook them is also up to you.  I like to cook them until both sides are a crisp golden brown.  As long as the shrimp are cooked through, you can pull them off the griddle when they look good to you.  If you use real eggs, make sure those are cooked through as well.

A Spark reviewer made these with gluten free flour, so that’s also an option.  I typically stick with white since it amounts to relatively little per cake.

I usually flip open my Cuisinart Griddler and use the flat grill plates to cook these, no non-stick spray required. (I love my Griddler. It comes with flat griddle plates and grill plates which can be popped out and put in the dishwasher!) Tonight, due to a temporary lack of counter space, I used a little bit of non-stick spray in a saute pan.

My husband had a little bit of dipping sauce and a little bit of ketchup with his.  I am plenty happy having mine without sauce.

Poor chef! Those shrimp are not happy!

Find this recipe in my SparkRecipes recipe box.

Ingredients
4 oz Neufchatel cheese
4 oz Mascarpone cheese
2 tbsp skim milk
4 tbsp Splenda
6 oz low fat Greek yogurt (2%)
1/2 c pureed fresh strawberries
1 tsp lemon juice
1/4 – 1/2 tsp almond extract

Directions

• Beat Neufchatel and Mascarpone with milk until fluffy. Add Splenda and continue to beat.
• Add Greek yogurt, lemon, and almond extract.  Continue to beat until smooth and consistent.
• Beat or fold in strawberry puree.

I challenge you to not lick the bowl.

I recommend you sample this recipe, along the way, so that you can adjust ingredients to your liking for both taste and consistency.  I’m the sort of freak who will simply eat this with a spoon.  For guests, I would put out fresh fruit and graham crackers.  Another option is to use it as a dressing for a nice fruit salad.

You want the type of Neufchatel cheese that’s stocked next to the cream cheese at your grocery store.  Indeed, did you know that real Neufchatel cheese is from France and significantly different. According to Wikipedia, though, cream cheese was invented by someone who goofed up whilst trying to make the French kind in New York. So, it seems French Neufchatel is somewhat of a roundabout ancestor to the Philly stuff you’re about to toss into this dip.

If you adore almonds, almond paste, Marzipan, etc., go ahead and put in the full 1/2 tsp of almond extract.  If you do not like almonds, you should leave it out completely.  Personally, I think the almond extract is what makes this dip so special.  However, I’m sure it would be a pleasant dip either way.  If you are undecided, start with 1/4 tsp and sneak a sample.

Any kind of strawberries will work.  I treated myself to some long stemmed beauties I was lucky enough to happen upon.  I washed them, hulled them, and then I pureed them in a miniature food processor.   Along the way, I wondered if simply slicing them then folding them into the dip would make for a nice icebox pie filling.  If you don’t feel like fooling with strawberries, replace them and the Greek yogurt with 6 oz of light strawberry yogurt.

Strawberry Mascarpone Dip

Find this recipe in my SparkRecipes recipe box.

Fresh out of the oven.

Ingredients
1 pound turkey breast cutlets, boneless, skinless
3/4 c sugar free blackberry preserves (I use Polaner)
1/2 c reduced carb ketchup or regular ketchup
2 tbsp red wine vinegar (I use Pompeian)
1 tsp worcestershire sauce
2 tsp chipotle chili powder (I use McCormick)
dash salt

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Lightly coat a 13 x 9 inch pan with cooking spray. Place turkey cutlets in pan, in a single layer.
• In a medium bowl, combine the remaining ingredients until consistent. Pour resulting sauce evenly over turkey cutlets.
• Bake for 1 hour or until Turkey is at safe and desired temperature.

This recipe makes 4 restaurant servings or 8 ladylike half servings. A half serving is about 1/2 a cutlet per person.  This is a spicy recipe.  You may use less chipotle chili powder, regular chili powder, or no chili powder at all to get desired level of spiciness.  Just about any hot red spice works.

This is also another very versatile recipe.  Just about any variety of sugar free jam works.  I would like to try apricot or strawberry next time.  You can also use chicken or pork in place of the turkey.  I try to use low sugar ketchup when possible.  Unfortunately, I couldn’t find any this week.  What you see in the photo is regular ketchup.  A serving is still pretty low in sugar.  I put both versions into SparkRecipes…  I came up with 11.7 grams of carbs and 4.1 grams of sugar sugar per serving using regular ketchup, and low carb ketchup yields 8.6 grams of carbs and 1.1 gram of sugar.

Last night, I decided to use only half the sauce.  I put the other half in a container in the fridge, and I’m trying to think of something different to do with it.

Ready to go into the oven!

This would probably do very well in a slow cooker at 7 or 8 hours on low. Stir up the sauce, throw the whole mess in and let her rip! I have not tried that yet, but you know I will.  It comes out of the oven a bit on the runny side, but only in the bottom of the dish where some sauce meets some turkey juice.  It thickens as it stands.  In any case, it tastes very nice.

So, I put this in the oven at 4pm.  My husband was due home at 5pm and needed to eat and go right back out.  It wasn’t until he was standing in the kitchen that I realized I somehow shut the oven off when I set the timer.  D’oh!   I’ve only been using the same oven for 8 years… what do you want from me?!  Ah well.  That just goes to prove that if a dork like me can get in the kitchen and take responsibility for making my own food… so can anyone else!

Good thing it makes for great leftovers.

If it's good enough for a Jawa, it's good enough for you.

Find the low carb ketchup version of this recipe in my SparkRecipes recipe box.
Find the regular ketchup version of this recipe in my SparkRecipes recipe box.

This is all you need.

Ingredients
1 lb. reduced fat 4-cheese mexican blend, shredded (4 cups)
1 lb. reduced fat colby-jack cheese, shredded (4 cups)
12 oz. fat free evaporated milk (1 can)
1/2 c. southwestern style eggbeaters
1/2 c. flour
2 jalapeno peppers, chopped

Directions

• Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray 9 x 13 inch pan with Mazola butter flavored cooking spray.
• Layer cheese and chopped jalapenos in pan.
• In small bowl, combine eggbeaters, milk and flour.  Mix well and pour evenly over the top of the cheese and peppers.
• Bake for 45 minutes. Cool and cut into squares.

Chop... stir... layer... munch!

Just about any flavor of shredded cheese will work.  I normally use half colby-jack and half cheddar.  While reduced fat cheese works here, fat-free cheese is not advised.  It’s definitely best with full fat cheese, although this will obviously increase fat and calories. Regular eggs will also work to the same effect.

We like ours spicy, so I use the entire pepper apart from the stem.  If you like yours less spicy, you can leave out the seeds.  A drained can of diced green peppers can replace the jalapenos.

These are GREAT, cold or reheated, and can feed a person all week long.  Tonight, I served it direct from the oven along with some fresh cut pineapple on the side.

A cheese party with pepper confetti!

Jalapeno Heaven makes a great breakfast, lunch, dinner, or a snack.  Easy to take to a potluck!

LINKS
For nutritional info, find this recipe in my SparkRecipes Recipe Box.
For nutritional info using full fat cheese, use this link instead.

This recipe might be a little higher in sodium than desired, if you’re watching sodium intake.  I was very pleased with the low sugar count, considering I used honey ham.

Ingredients
1 lb. cooked boneless honey ham (not the brown sugar encrusted kind!)
2 c chicken broth, 33% less sodium brand
1 c navy beans, dried
1 c chopped celery
1 small white onion, chopped
1 c chopped baby carrots
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp liquid smoke

Directions

• Combine all ingredients in slow cooker. Mix well.
• Cover and cook on low for 10-12 hours.
• Enjoy!

Nutritional Info
Makes 8 half-cup servings. Calories 108.2, Total Fat 1.7g, Saturated Fat 1g, Cholesterol 25mg, Sodium 688.3mg, Carbs 10.1g, Fiber 2.3g, Sugars 2.1g, Protein 13g

This time, I wanted something hearty but not necessarily so creamy. I like a good red beans and rice mash, but I wasn’t in the mood for that this time. Soft beans, yes. Bean mash, no.

WTH?! That looks like a kidney stone, but these aren't kidney beans!

The first question most people have, when it comes to slow cooking beans, is whether or not to first soak them. The answer will differ, depending upon who you ask, because it really comes down to personal preference.

Some folks experience more stomach distress… otherwise known as “the toots”… if they don’t soak their beans overnight. While this might be entertaining among the Sunday football crowd, it’s probably not an ideal situation just before a romantic evening or a big business presentation!

Others simply rinse & pick their beans then toss them right into the slow cooker. I have done this myself in desperate times, and I had no problem with it. However, I do prefer to soak if only for general “sterilization” purposes. Having said that… If I’m in the mood for beans, I typically want them THAT DAY. I also think an overnight soak would have given me the mashy effect I was trying to avoid. So, I compromised with a quick soak method.

• Rinse and pick through the beans for pebbles and other field debris.  As you can see, I found a pebble.  This is not uncommon.
• Place the beans in a pan and add water to about twice the height of the beans.
• Bring beans just to a boil over medium to high heat
• Cover and remove from heat. Let sit 1 hour, then drain.

Photo op! You don't need to place your ingredients in the pot so neatly. I just thought it'd be purty.

I picked a nice Smithfield boneless honey ham with the intention of making a nice ham roast dinner, using the leftovers for the soup. As I had a real craving for bean soup, I decided to blow off the intended order of events. I diced the pound I needed and threw it in a pan with a sandwich-sized slice that made a nice lunch for my husband. I sauteed it in some non-stick olive oil spray until it was cooked through. I think it was about 15 minutes. Shame on me, I forgot to time it. I’m so used to eyeballing everything.

Finally, I prepped my veggies and tossed it all in the pan with the broth, thyme, and liquid smoke.  I set the slow cooker for 12 hours on low, but I wound up shutting it off around the 10 hour mark.   My slow cooker typically takes a little less than the specified time for most recipes, but I recommend you check it around 10 hours.  If you want a more creamy soup… soak your beans overnight, add a touch more broth, and leave it for the full 12 hours.  That might do it.

I am very satisfied with a 1/2 c serving.  Since my husband does not like beans, and it’s just the two of us here, this will probably feed me for several days.  It’s been a long time since I’ve had bean soup, and I’m glad I made this.  I am about to enjoy a cup while we watch football!

Strongbad thinks 1/2 c is more than enough for him!

Find this recipe in my SparkRecipes recipe box.

Chocolate… CHOCOLATE… CHOCOLATE !!!

Definition of Bliss. No, I didn't let her eat any. Chocolate and animals don't mix well. Poor kitteh! Oh well. She's lucky to be on the table!

As I started cleaning out my kitchen and consolidating baking products in preparation for Autumn, I realized just how much chocolate I actually have here.  Voila.  A blog post was born.   Chocolate is one thing that will never be banned from this house.  The day I’m forced to give it up is the day life will officially suck.  Everyone has their vice, and this is mine.  Well, this and coffee.  I’d give up coffee way before chocolate.  The thing is… no matter what your diet, unless you’re allergic to chocolate… you don’t have to give it up.  The key is to apply moderation and good common sense when choosing your products and how to apply them.  (If you happen to be someone who is allergic to chocolate, I encourage you to google the topic.  You may actually be allergic to various ingredients that go into some, but not all, chocolate products.)

I prefer dark / semi-sweet chocolate.  It typically has less sugar and more fiber per serving.  In this house, we love to eat it right from the refrigerator. It’s easier to handle, it lasts longer, and we just dig it. A few more reasons to eat chocolate, according to Wikipedia…

Chocolate contains alkaloids such as theobromine and phenethylamine, which have physiological effects on the body. It has been linked to serotonin levels in the brain. Scientists claim that chocolate, eaten in moderation, can lower blood pressure. Dark chocolate has recently been promoted for its health benefits, including a substantial amount of antioxidants that reduce the formation of free radicals[...]

That’s my story and I’m sticking to it!@~

Things to take into account when deciding what products to buy and when to use them:

• How much sugar are you allowed?
• Artificial sweeteners to which you may be allergic.
• How many calories worth can you fit into your day without going over your limit?
• Where are you with your weight? Trying to lose? At the low or high end of your ideal range?
• Will it be a snack, or will you use it in a recipe? What kind of recipe?

I have a 5 pound weight range I consider acceptable. Whether or not I’m currently landing in the top or bottom half of this range goes a long way toward helping me make good food choices. If I’m at the low end of this range and want to treat myself to a more decadent mocha, I will stir in some 90-calories-per-serving Smucker’s Sugar Free Sundae Syrup. Most of the time, regardless of my weight, I will use the 15-calories-per-serving Hershey’s Sugar Free.  If I’m at the top end of my range, the Smucker’s is an automatic NO.  In fact, I have a protein mocha every morning that almost always includes a squirt of the Hershey’s. In either case, and in most cases where chocolate is concerned, less than a serving does the trick.

While most of these items are highly interchangeable, I’ve divided them into three groups for the sake of discussion.

THE DRINKABLES

MmMmMmm Gooey!

Hershey’s Sugar Free Syrup
Serving Size: 2 tbsp
Calories 15, Fat 0g, Carb 5g, Sugar 0g

Sugar Free General Foods International Suisse Mocha
Serving Size: 1 1/3 tbsp
Calories 30, Fat 2g, Sat Fat 2g, Carb 2, Sugar 0g

Swiss Miss Sensible Sweets – Diet
Serving Size: 1 packet
Calories 25, Fat 0g, Carb 4g, Sugar 2g

Smucker’s Sugar Free Sundae Syrup
Serving Size: 2 tbsp
Calories 90, Fat .5g, Sat Fat 0g, Carb 23g, Sugar 0g

Suggestions…

• 1 packet of Swiss Miss + a shot of DaVinci SF Butterscotch syrup + hot water = a lovely HotScotch for a mere 25 calories. Add a dollop of Cool-Whip Free, and I call that Heaven. Swap out the syrup with whatever you like. Da Vinci SF Orange… Monin O’Free Caramel (Monin is a bit thicker than DV)… name it!   Similar combos can go into your coffee, if you’re a coffee freak like me. I prefer regular brewed coffee, but instant works just as well. If you find yourself in Starbucks ordering a tall skim latte… order it plain, bring it home, dress it up yourself!
• A squirt (about 1 tbsp) of Hershey Sugar Free syrup can turn your coffee into a mocha for only 7.5 calories. It can also add some extra richness to your homemade protein bar recipes.
• Smucker’s should be used sparingly for those occasions when you’re treating yourself to some sugar free ice cream.
• The General Foods Int’l Sugar Free Suisse Mocha comes in both caffeinated and decaf.  It is perfectly good on its own for a great instant mocha.  However, I have been known to add it to protein shakes among other things.

THE BAKEABLES

Ecstacy!

Hershey’s Semi-Sweet Mini Chocolate Chips
Serving Size: 1 tbsp
Calories 70, Fat 4g, Sat Fat 2.5g, Carb 10g, Sugar 8g

Sensato Sugar Free Semi-Sweet Mini Chocolate Chips
Serving Size: 2 tbsp
Calories 58, Fat 4g, Sat Fat 3g, Carb 10g, Sugar 0g

Sensato Sugar Free Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chunkies
Serving Size: 1 tbsp
Calories 92, Fat 8g, Sat Fat 1g, Carb 3g, Sugar 0g

Sunspire Grain Sweetened Chocolate Chips
Serving Size: 2 tbsp
Calories 70, Fat 4g, Sat Fat 2.5g, Carb 9g, Sugar 4g

Suggestions…

• Mini chocolate chips go much farther than regular sized chips when it comes to giving your baked goods some chocolatey good texture. If you only have regular sized chips, chop them up a bit in the food processor before adding them. Otherwise, I prefer to add about 1/4 – 1/3 cup of mini chocolate chips to a variety of recipes including protein bars, protein fudge, and protein muffins.  As you can see, there is a good variety out there to choose from according to your needs.
• The chocolate chunks are better for recipes in which you want to “swirl” or “marble” your chocolate.  Any of the above melt down just fine for glorious recipes such as Chocolate Dipped Strawberries.

THE SNACKABLES

Joy!

Hershey’s Special Dark Kisses
Serving Size: 9 pieces
Calories 180, Fat 12g, Sat Fat 8g, Carb 25g, Sugar 21g

Emerald Cocoa Roast Almonds
Serving Size: 1 ounce
Calories 150, Fat 13g, Sat Fat 1g, Carb 6g, Sugar 1g

Jello Sugar Free Pudding
Serving Size: 1 snack cup
Calories 60, Fat 1.5g, Sat Fat 1g, Carb 14g, Sugar 0g

Syntrax Nectar Sweets, Chocolate Trufle
Serving Size: 1 scoop
Calories 100, Fat 0g, Carb 1g, Sugar 0g, Protein 23g

Suggestions…

• Hershey Special Dark kisses are probably my favorite thing to keep on hand.  They’re already portioned into neat little pain-in-the-ass wrappers that don’t make them easy to mindlessly nosh.  Now, listen closely… just because the serving size says 9 pieces does not mean you have to eat 9 pieces!@~    Most of the time, grabbing just 1 from the fridge suits me just fine.   That’s 20 calories.  Minimal damage for a satisfying burst of dark chocolate pleasure.
• The pudding cups and almonds speak for themselves.  As always, moderation… moderation… moderation.
• Last, but certainly not least, is my favorite Nectar Chocolate Truffle protein powder.  Very versatile.  You can make hot drinks with it.   You can make cold drinks with it.  You can stir it into Greek yogurt.  You can use it as a baking ingredient.  I could go on and on, but you will already find it scattered in among the meager number of entries I’ve blogged thus far.  And there will be more.

Well, I could write a novel about chocolate… but I have to stop somewhere.  This seems like a good place.   As always… I try to be accurate with my nutritional info, but you should check the labels and decide for yourself what fits into your program.  And don’t forget… MODERATE it before you are forced to OBLITERATE it!@~

I’m sure this won’t be my last entry on this topic!  I will end with some links that might interest you, if you are a fan of chocolate.

Hershey’s Special Dark Products – Official Website
Recipes for Chocolate Dipped Strawberries