Later Toby!

Any other fans of "The Office" out there? Well, if you dig the Dunder Mifflin crew as much as I do, than I'm sure you enjoyed last night's season finale. From the first minute, when it went old school with Jim and Pam pulling another genius prank on Dwight, it was truly guffaw-inducing...particularly any of the scenes involving Kevin and Holly, Toby's replacement.
By the end of the episode, we discovered a number of crazy things: Jan is preggers! Ryan is in jail! Andy and Angela are engaged?! Well, they might not be for long if the last scene is any indication of what's to come next season.
Either way, my hat's off to the entire writing crew.
Poor Toby, though. While his send-off party did include fireworks and live music, he never did win over Pam's heart OR get that yummy buttercream cake Angela was planning to purchase.
In honor of our favorite paper sales folks, I'll leave you with both a funny clip of Jim and Dwight (from a previous season) as well as two sucralose-sweetened buttercream recipes (one for a cake and one for a frosting) - just in case Toby happens to stumble across this blog!

Buttercream Cake

Low-Carb Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

Also, here are a couple of my favorite quotes from the last episode.

"The real crime, I think, was the beard."
"Oh, hello Mutter. Good news. I've married. Tell Vater."
"I am now his cruise director and my name is Captain Bruisin."

Righteous, delighteous and out-of-sighteous

Heyyy you guyyys! Have you heard the news? PBS is bringing back "The Electric Company," the groovy educational 70s kids show many deemed Sesame Street's older, hipper brother. I have to admit, I'm pretty excited about this, even though I am clearly no longer part of the target market and will rarely - if ever - tune in to watch the new version. But how fortunate for today's youth! While I was too young to remember the original programming days of The Electric Company (or TEC), I spent my formative years watching the reruns. Seriously, PBS was AWESOME back in those days. Does anyone else remember Reading Rainbow with LeVar Burton? Or 3-2-1 Contact? Loved it!
As for the new Electric Company - scheduled to take to the airwaves in January 2009 -sources say it will be a modern (duh!) and danceable version.
"It’s the old one mixed with ‘High School Musical’ and a Dr Pepper commercial," said Linda Simensky, senior director of programming for PBS Kids.
Hmmmm...not sure how I feel about that. But if they can come even close to the casting coup they pulled off back in the day - hellooo Morgan Freeman, Rita Moreno and Bill Cosby - I'm sure it will be just fine. Despite his wall of acting awards, I still want to shout out "Easy Rider" every time I see Morgan Freeman on the telly.
I'm also glad to see they'll be addressing healthier eating in light of the skyrocketing obesity rates among youth. Apparently the show will be set, for the most part, at a natural-foods diner that is headquarters to a not-so-secret society known as the Electric Company. The four semi-superheroes who meet there have pledged not only to use their powers for good but also to eat sensible portions of healthy meals. The gang ranges in age from 13 to 20 and can scramble, recall, project and animate words in astounding ways.

So for all you Electric Company fans, here are a couple clips that will either have you waxing nostalgic about various childhood memories or hooting with laughter.





Also, I know this recipe is NOT for macaroon ice cream but hey, it's sucralose-sweetened and low-calorie. What more can ya ask for?

Coconut Macaroons

Queen for a day!

You know what Sunday is, right? RIGHT?! It's Mothers Day...that special day when you try to make it up to your mom for all of those years of self-absorption and brattiness (hello teenage angst!) and for forking out all that money for braces and swimming lessons and, of course, college.
Speaking of money, ever wondered what your mom would be paid - if she actually received a salary for all of her home-based duties? Well, wonder no more. Salary.com has looked into it and determined a stay-at-home mom would earn $116,805, while a working mom would pull in $68,405. That's quite a chunk of change - at least to someone like me, who works in a more creative (definition: lower paid) industry. However, it still doesn't come close to what I think a mom should really make when you add up all of her functions: housekeeper, teacher, cook, driver, janitor, psychologist, etc.

Anyway, if you're struggling to find a gift for Mom this weekend, there are always the usual suspects: a mani/pedi/spa package, flowers, jewelry, food or a gift card to her favorite store. Gift.com also has some great ideas.

And, of course, you might really make Mom happy by letting her put her feet up for a change. Clean the house for her so she can chillax on the sofa and watch some TV or delve into a new book. Then make her a nice meal. If you go the food route, here are a couple sugar-free, low-cal recipes sure to put a smile on your mom's face. Have a great weekend and Happy Mothers Day to any mommies out there!

Raspberry Cocktail Sauce with Chilled Shrimp

Blue Cheese Coleslaw

Scallion and Habanero Marinated Pork Loin

Classic Carrot Cake

Every day is a fiesta

Hola amigos. Sorry I haven't been as frequent in my postings lately but it has been a chaotic, stress-filled couple of weeks. I just recently moved into a new apartment and between all of the unpacking, I've also been buying odds and ends furniture to fill the extra space. I know, I know...life is rough. Enough of the excuses, though. I simply wanted to apologize for not providing any tips in advance of Cinco de Mayo. Although that day has come and gone, I figured I'd still pass along a few ideas for next year's fiesta.

For starters, let's clear something up, as it seems to be a popular misconception here in the states. Cinco de Mayo (or "5th of May") is NOT Mexico's Independence Day. Instead, it commemorates an initial victory of Mexican forces over French soldiers in the Battle of Puebla back in 1862. It is also not a federal holiday in Mexico - most banks, government buildings, offices, restaurants, etc. remain open. In other parts of the world, the date is observed as a celebration of Mexican heritage and pride...or simply an excuse to party.

Moving on. If you're searching for some low-cal food and beverage recipes for the next Mexican-themed party or Cinco de Mayo celebration, look no further. Here are a few yummy, sucralose-sweetened items sure to please all your friends and guests. Thanks to Hungry Girl for the cocktail recipes!

Rockin' Razzy Rita

Ingredients:
*1.5 oz. tequila
1/2 tsp. Crystal Light powdered drink mix, Raspberry Ice
5 oz. water
1 oz. lime juice
Optional: lime slice for garnish and salt or no-calorie sweetener for rim of glass

Directions:
If desired, run some lime juice along the rim of the glass and dip into a dish of salt or sweetener. Combine all ingredients, mix well, and serve over ice. Or, for a frozen one, place all ingredients (dissolve Crystal Light in water first) in a blender with 1 cup crushed ice, and blend on high until well mixed. Optional: Garnish with a slice of lime. Serves 1!

Magical Low-Calorie Margarita

Ingredients:
6 oz. Sierra Mist Free (or Diet Sprite Zero, or your other fave no-cal lemon-lime soda)
*1.5 oz. tequila
1/2 tsp. Crystal Light powdered drink mix, Lemonade
1 oz. lime juice
Optional: lime slice for garnish and salt or no-calorie sweetener for rim of glass

Directions:
If desired, run some lime juice along the rim of the glass and dip into a dish of salt or sweetener. Mix all ingredients together. Pour over 1 cup of crushed ice. Optional: Garnish with lime slice.

I'm also attaching two delicious salsa recipes, one that utilizes Splenda, berries, apples and onion and another that features an array of hot peppers. YUM!

Berrilicious Salsa

Five Pepper Salsa

Finally, here's a short, entertaining video clip with tips for hosting a Cinco de Mayo party. Hope it comes in handy next year!

Chew on that

"And then, t-t-then, I made a noise like this: hua-hua-hua-huaaaaaaa!" - Chunk, The Goonies

Well, bust out the Godiva box because today is National Truffles Day. And I'm not referring to the ones that look like slimy little fungi...(ugh, mushrooms!) These truffles are of the chocolate variety.
So okay, if you're like me, you associate boxes of chocolate with either Valentines Day, the weepy days following a bad break-up or Forrest Gump. But since I was able to pass by that fabulous looking confectionary shop yesterday WITHOUT stopping in for a sampling, I figure I'm due for a little "something something" - in this case, sucralose-sweetened, low-carb chocolate truffles! Can I get a "Woo hoo?!" No?
Alrighty then.
Long story short, truffles are typically made with a chocolate ganache center coated in chocolate or cocoa powder. Other fillings include cream, caramel, nuts, almonds, berries, fudge, nougat and liquor, to name a few.
Since I'm stuck house/dog-sitting for a friend this weekend, I plan on whipping up a batch of these babies and noshing in style. Thanks to RecipeZaar for the tasty looking recipe.

Low Carb Chocolate Truffles

Also, I found this fun little test, designed to determine if you're a true "chocoholic." I think I already know my answer. What will your response be?

Finally, because it's Friday, I thought I'd add a clip from The Goonies, one of the greatest movies of the 80s. At least I thought so back when I was young. Remember Chunk and his "truffle shuffle" dance? Well, I'm not attaching that clip, because it can be a wee bit offensive, but I am including his hilarious confession to the Fratelli family. Enjoy and have a great weekend!

Recipes for a Hungry Girl (or guy)!

YAY!!! Looks like I'll be making a trip to the bookstore later.
As some of you know, I'm a huge fan of Hungry Girl - a Web site that provides fun diet tips and tricks, dee-lish low-cal recipes, food reviews and more. Well, Hungry Girl has finally gone and released a cookbook packed with some of the site's best recipes. And from what I can tell on-line, it looks like there will be lots-o tasty treats buried in those pages.

Need proof? Just check out this 108-calorie, sucralose-sweetened cupcake recipe.

Death by Chocolate Cupcakes

Ingredients:
2 cups moist-style chocolate cake mix (half of an 18.25-oz. box)
Two 25-calorie packets diet hot cocoa mix
1/2 cup fat-free liquid egg substitute (like Egg Beaters Original)
2 tbsp. semi-sweet mini chocolate chips
1 tsp. Splenda No Calorie Sweetener (granulated)
1/8 tsp. salt

Directions:
Place chocolate chips and the contents of both cocoa packets in a tall glass. Add 12 ounces of boiling water, and stir until chips and cocoa mix have dissolved. Place glass in the freezer to chill for 25 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Once cocoa has chilled, give it a stir, and mix with all other ingredients in a mixing bowl. Whip batter with a whisk or fork for 2 minutes. Spray a 12-cup muffin pan with nonstick spray, or line it with baking cups. Evenly spoon batter (which will be thin, but don't worry, your cupcakes will puff up!) into the pan. Place pan in the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Cupcakes will look shiny when done.
MAKES 12 SERVINGS

Who can resist this?! Not me, that's for dang sure. Anyhow, I have a feeling I'll now be doing a lot of cooking over the next few weeks - minus any guilt thanks to the low-cal nature of said recipes.

Thanks Lisa, aka Hungry Girl!

Comedic Cooking

I rarely tune into Bravo's "Top Chef" - mostly because it airs at 10 p.m. on Wednesday nights, a schedule that isn't particularly convenient for me. And then there's the fact that unlike Project Runway - where you can see the designs and draw a logical conclusion - it's far less easy to armchair quarterback when you can't taste the meals being judged.
That being said, I have watched the past two episodes after the previews drew my attention. And while I doubt I'll become a loyal viewer, I admit I've been pleasantly surprised. Last week, for example, the contestants were charged with concocting upscale, tasty tailgate food appropriate to feed hungry Chicago Bears fans. Fun, right? And in last night's episode, they attended a show at the famed "Second City" only to find out they had to make dinner for the improv troupe and judges the next day based on a random trio of colors, feelings and ingredients the audience was asked to provide. Hee!
Anyway, there were more than a few meals mentioned last night that I'd love to add to my recipe rolodex, beginning with the pastries featured in the dessert challenge. Hellooo, yogurt puree with fried wontons? Chocolate cake with salted basil ganache? Sign me up! And then there was the absolutely dee-lish sounding "banana scallops with banana guacamole" and chocolate ice cream. Wow.
Moving on to the dinner portion. The five courses were yellow vanilla love, depressed purple bacon, drunk magenta Polish sausage, green perplexed tofu and orange turned-on asparagus. While some struggled with the challenge, others rocked it. There were two dishes that I particularly coveted. First, the squash soup with vanilla creme fraiche that was apparently so good one of the judges said she would "lick the bowl" if she wasn't in front of the camera. And then there was the tofu steak with green curry marinated in beef fat. How better to represent perplexed tofu than to give the veggie-friendly item a meaty flavor?
I was thrilled to discover you can find all of those recipes on the Top Chef Web site. Unfortunately, some of them are a little too, shall we say, complex for my cooking abilities. Bummer.
I'll keep trying, but in the meantime, here are two sucralose-sweetened dishes that -although less fancy than the afore-mentioned vanilla squash soup or banana scallops -will certainly please the tastebuds.

Spicy Creamy Butternut Squash Soup

Banana and Chocolate Bread Pudding