12 Sweets for Santa: Princess Tea Cakes

12.13.10
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[Photo via]

Can you believe it?! 12 days until Christmas!! I’m eager to spend some time with my family, give & get presents, drink eggnog and have some much needed time off work! Although I’m full of Christmas cheer, nothing puts me in the spirit more than holiday baking. And what better way to celebrate the comfort and joy of Christmas than with 12 days of sweet baking? I had originally planned to do 12 cookies of Christmas- but in my family- we aren’t exclusive to just the bite sized sweets during the holidays. As I’ve prefaced in an  earlier article, my mom is an exceptional baker, so Santa was never left with just one type of cookie. Santa’s plate was filled with a myriad of cookie choices, brownies, pint-size cakes, hearty bars and mini pies. And to top it all off, he either had a nice glass of eggnog or homemade hot cocoa to wash it all down. Santa was never hurting for sweets at our abode 🙂 Even as adults, my mom still lays out a plate of sweets and treats for Santa late on Christmas Eve. Holiday traditions like these keep the magic in my heart and make Christmas such a special time for myself and my family. So to celebrate what Christmas is all about [Santa Claus, tons of sweets and magic], I am featuring 12 sweets for Santa, beginning with these delicious princess tea cakes. These crumbly cookies are normally made with butter, but to lighten them up, I used canola oil. Once they are warm out of the oven, they are rolled in powdered sugar for a snowy look and sweet taste! These are my grandpa’s favorite, and if you aren’t careful, he’ll eat an entire bag in one sitting!

This recipe was inspired by Beth Klein’s on Eating Well. She created them to feel closer to her late sister. How incredible, right?

Princess Tea Cakes

What You’ll Need:

  • 3/4 cup canola oil
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup white whole-wheat flour
  • 2 cups powdered [confectioner’s] sugar
  • 3 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3/4 cup very finely chopped walnuts

How To Make Them:

  • Preheat over to 400 degrees.
  • Pour oil into a medium bowl. Mix flours, 1/4 cup of the powdered sugar, cornstarch and salt into the oil mixture using a whisk.

  • Add vanilla to mixture.

  • Stir in nuts.

  • Roll dough into 1 inch balls and place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 11 minutes and place on a cooling rack/plate for 2 minutes.

  • Once cookies have cooled for about 3 minutes and are still warm, roll in powdered sugar. Set aside and roll again once they have cooled completely.

Nutritional Information per cookie: 105 calories, 6 grams of fat, 1 gram of protein and 1 gram of fiber.

Meal Makeover: Green Bean Casserole

12.10.10
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I decided to have a mock Thanksgiving/Christmas dinner two  nights ago. I made stuffing, cranberry relish, rolls, this green bean casserole and dessert. Although we didn’t have the turkey, the meal was absolutely amazing. The stand out dish, for sure, was the light green bean casserole. I’m such a HUGE fan of the original recipe [Campbell’s]. I usually have about 2-3 servings at dinner and then another serving the next day for breakfast. Although it’s not the worst dish you could possibly eat, 3-4 servings in 2 days can really add up, calorie and fat wise!

It’s hard to beat the original recipe! [Photo via]

  • A one-cup serving of Campbell’s green bean casserole has 300 calories and 20 grams of fat! Times that by 2 or 3 servings and you are at an entire meal’s worth of calories!

Because of how much I love this recipe and how much I eat of it [and plan to eat at Christmas] I knew I had to find a way to lighten it up but keep all of the comforting flavor. Thanks to My Recipes, I found the perfect recipe for a lighter casserole. Although the calories are equivalent to the original, the fat grams are cut in half! As you’ll see, this recipe omits the standard French fried onions for herb flavored stuffing. Honestly? I liked the stuffing better! It added a unique flavor but still had that crunch I crave. This light side dish is perfect for any holiday party! Oh, and it’s so easy to make and Elliot loved it. Those are two big bonuses in my book!

Lighter Green Bean Casserole

What You’ll Need:

  • Vegetable cooking spray
  • 1/4  cup  chopped onion
  • 2  tablespoons  all-purpose flour
  • 1  cup  skim milk
  • 1/2  cup shredded reduced-sodium, reduced-fat Swiss cheese
  • 1/2  cup  fat free cream
  • 1  teaspoon  sugar
  • 1/2  teaspoon  salt
  • 18 oz of frozen green beans [I used fresh, though]
  • 1 1/2  cups  herb-seasoned stuffing mix
  • 2  teaspoons  butter, melted
  • 1  egg white, lightly beaten

How to Make It:

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Coat a medium saucepan with cooking spray and, over medium heat,  saute onions for 5 minutes or until tender.

  • Add flour, and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly.

  • Gradually add the milk, stirring until blended.

  • Stir in cheese, sour cream, sugar, and salt; cook 5 minutes or until thick and bubbly, stirring constantly.

  • Place green beans in an 8-inch square baking dish. [If you use fresh, cut beans in half].

  • Pour sauce over beans and stir well.

  • Combine stuffing mix, margarine, and egg white in a bowl and stir.

  • Sprinkle mixture over the green beans.

  • Bake for 25 minutes or until bubbly. [NOTE: If you use fresh green beans, you will need to cook for an additional 10-15 minutes].

Nutritional information per 1/2 cup: 135 calories, 4.3 grams of fat, 7 grams of protein and 2 grams of fiber.

Eat Skinny Be Skinny: Mustard & Rosemary Lamb Chops

12.09.10
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As you know, I’m all about simplistic dinners as of late. I just don’t have the time to spend creating elaborate dishes with 40 different ingredients. And in the other aspects of my life, I’m all about simplicity too. Why have things be over complicated when simple and to the point is the much better route? Although some recipes need a bunch of stuff [cookies, breads, pastas, casseroles, etc.], a delicious piece of meat does not fall into that category. All you need is a moistening agent [butter, oil or mustard/jam] and a nice herb rub, then you’re good to go! Lamb is one of my favorite red meats because it already has a great natural flavor, and is much lighter than beef. Although it can be pricey [over $12 for 4 chops], it makes up for the hefty price tag in it’s flavor and versatility! If you’re looking for an easy and light dinner with TONS of flavor, try out this lamb chop recipe!

Mustard and Rosemary Lamb Chops

What You’ll Need:

  • 2  tablespoons  chopped fresh rosemary
  • 2  tablespoons  Dijon or spicy mustard
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1/4  teaspoon  salt
  • 1/4  teaspoon  pepper
  • 2  garlic cloves, minced
  • 4  lean lamb loin chops (about 1 1/4 inches thick)
  • Cooking spray

How To Make Them:

  • Combine first 5 ingredients in a small bowl; stir well.

  • Rub mixture evenly over both sides of lamb chops. Place chops on a platter and cover to marinate in a refrigerator at least 30 minutes.

  • Preheat oven to 400°F.
  • Heat  1 tablespoon olive oil in heavy large ovenproof skillet over high heat.

  • Add lamb and cook until browned or for about 2-3 minutes per side.

  • Transfer skillet to oven and roast lamb chops to desired doneness, about 10 minutes for medium-rare.

These chops go perfect alongside parmesan & wine asparagus and corn!

Nutritional Information per chop: 203 calories, 8.5 grams of fat, 28 grams of protein and 1 gram of fiber.

Eat Skinny Be Skinny Edible Gifts Part 1: Pumpkin Banana Chip Loaf

12.06.10
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Holiday gifts can get expensive! Send your love this season with a homemade treat! [Via]

I know, longest title ever. But I  just had to say every single word! I’m SO excited about this new holiday feature on my site this Christmas season! The holidays can get expensive, trust me, I know. Even if you aren’t strapped for cash this season [lucky!], picking out the perfect gift for your family and friends can be quite the daunting task, no matter how long you’ve known them! So this year, to go alongside my store bought gifts, I’m going to bake my loved ones something sweet! For the next 2 and a half weeks, I’m burying myself in cookie making, loaf baking and cake frosting! Not a bad way to spend the holidays, though 🙂 And to keep the sweets off my hips, I’m going to be frequenting the Barre studio!

Let me first preface the amazing recipe I’m going to feature with a little holiday tale about my family. I come from a family of bakers. For as long as I can remember, my mom has been the family baker. While I was growing up, she worked alongside one of her oldest friends in a small deli/bakery/catering shop in Ohio. She would bring home AMAZING food! [Which didn’t help thin out pudgy ol me as a kid!] Along with that, she has also baked cookies for Christmas. And, um, she’d make a few of them. Like, 35 varieties of cookies, about 2-3 dozen each. Without sounding presumptuous, baking is in my blood, and although I’m nowhere near as good as she is yet, I’m getting pretty good at whipping up treats that are sweet and tasty! This recipe is no exception! I took all the delicious flavors of pumpkin and banana bread, added a few chocolate chips and the result was this delicious loaf. Perfect for breakfast, brunch or dessert, and even better as a holiday gift or stocking stuffer!

Pumpkin Banana Chip Loaf

What You’ll Need:

  • 1 mashed ripe banana
  • 1 cup pumpkin puree
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 egg whites
  • 2 cups whole wheat flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1 tbsp. pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 and 1/2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips

How To Make It:

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a loaf/bread pan with nonstick cooking spray.
  • Place mashed banana, pumpkin puree, oil, egg and egg whites in a large bowl.

  • Mix with a wooden spoon or electric mixer until smooth.

  • In another bowl, add flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and pumpkin pie spice in a medium bowl and stir with a whisk.

  • Add pumpkin/banana mixture to the flour mixture and stir, until creamy. [The batter will be thick].

  • Add chocolate chips into the mix. Stir then add to the loaf pan.

  • Bake for 45 – 60 minutes, or until the bread is no longer gooey in the middle. Serve and enjoy!

Nutritional Information per slice: 225 calories, 9 grams of fat, 2 grams of fiber and 5 grams of protein.

A Fit Tip: Take a Class to Avoid Holiday Weight Gain!

12.05.10
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Have your cake and eat it too this holiday season by taking some high octane fitness classes! [Via]

Our tree is trimmed and decorated, the stockings are hung and there are enough cookies baking to feed an army. Oh, the joys of the holiday season! There isn’t much I don’t love about December [it is my birthday month, also, just to remind ya’ll!] I love the snow, the freezing temperatures, the holiday parties [even with the people I don’t like that much], the decadent food, the present buying…even the crazed mall crowds. But there is ONE thing I don’t particularly love about the holiday season, and it’s a sad result when you put lots of parties + eggnog + holiday baking together. The simple, yet devastating, 5-10 pound weight gain. Although you can avoid the extra holiday poundage by avoiding the parties, the eggnog bowl and the delicious cookies, but what fun is that? Instead, keep weight gain at bay by amping up your workouts. No, I don’t mean hitting the gym for 3 hours, 2x a day during the holidays, instead, take a high calorie burn exercise class! I’ve always loved exercise classes, they allow me to get an amazing workout while learning something new. And the fact that most of these classes don’t feel like a workout doesn’t hurt either! Below are my top 3 exercise class picks that will rev up your calorie burn and leave you feeling energized and excited. Oh, and they are really fun! You’ll actually look forward to your workout 🙂

1. Barre Fitness Classes

Get a lean and sculpted body with Barre! [Via]

Barre fitness classes are all the rage now. They are popping up at fitness studios all across the entire US. So what’s the hype? Barre classes are exceptional, hour long classes that mix ballet, pilates, strength and flexibility training while using a ballet barre. Much like ballet and pilates, the classes will transform and sculpt your body, leaving you leaned and toned! Barre classes are also set to the most popular music, creating a very energetic atmosphere. Most classes also have about 20 or less students, which give the instructors the ability to fucos on each student. The one drawback? You need to be well versed in both techniques of ballet and pilates to keep up. If you’ve never done both, I suggest taking an intro class so you can learn the techniques! Check your gym or local fitness studios to find a barre class near you!

2. Zumba

It doesn’t just look fun, Zumba IS fun! [Via]

Ya’ll have heard of Zumba right? I’m sure you have. It’s been ALL over the news, celebrity gossip magazines and your local gyms! But there’s a good reason people are buzzing around screaming “ZUMBA, ZUMBA ZUMBA!” These hour long fitness classes fuse Latin rhymes and easy to follow dance moves that incorporate interval and resistance training. The fast intervals make the class a high energizing workout. Zumba is now taught in over 90,000 locations and has a line of DVD’s and a video game, so you can do it at a studio or your house! For a list of locations, visit Zumba’s official website.

3. Spinning

When the weather is nice, sign up for an outdoors spin class! [Via]

Spinning class is one of my absolutely favorite exercise classes because of how great of a workout it is! Spin instructors relay on fast, high paced intervals using the bike’s incline and resistance levels that mimic mountain biking. Spinning is also a fantastic abdominal, glute and thigh exercise, so you get an all over body burn when you mount the bicycle. Spinning classes can be found at almost every gym and fitness studio, but the classes fill up fast! If you are looking for a SERIOUS calorie burn [up to 2,000!] sign up for a movie + spin class, where you spin while watching a movie. It sounds intense, and it is, but the movies help you take your mind off the workout!

Now, these are just my favorite classes, but there are hundreds of different types of exercise classes to try! Some other classes I frequent are Kick-boxing, Tae-Bo and Step aerobics. Don’t let the cookies win this year, get to class to avoid the holiday scale creep!

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