'Tis a good day to be Irish!

Saint Patrick was a gentleman who through strategy and stealth,
Drove all the snakes from Ireland, here’s a toasting to his health.
But not too many toastings lest you lose yourself and then,
Forget the good Saint Patrick and see all those snakes again.
Irish Toast

Happy St. Patty's Day! If you've been reading my blog for awhile, you already know that this is one of my favorite holidays. So what, may you ask, is my plan for the big evening? For starters, I'm hoping to leave work at a reasonable hour...I know, craziness! Then I'd like to swing by Mickey D's for a delicious Shamrock Shake. Finally, I plan to meet up with friends for a little celebration of all things Irish. Anyway, I'll only be indulging in one or two pints of light beer. But for those of you planning to get your drink on tonight, here are some good tips from Hungry Girl. Remember, if you're trying to lose weight, liquor can wreak havoc on the calorie count. So please drink responsibly!

* Moderation is the name of the game. Overdoing it with any type of alcohol is a fast way to derail a weight-loss (or maintenance) plan. Not only do the calories in alcohol add up, but if you're tipsy (or hung-over), fattening food may be tougher to turn down.

* A bottle of light beer or a glass of wine typically has about 100 calories. (There are exceptions, of course.)

* A shot of most clear-ish alcohols -- like vodka and rum -- has about 100 calories.

* Calorie-free sodas are great mixers. Seltzer and club soda are also good, but tonic has almost as many calories as regular soda.

* When you're out, order a club soda with a single shot of fruit-flavored vodka and just a splash of fruit juice. If the bar has fruit (orange slices, pineapple chunks, etc.), ask for a piece in your drink. That super-fruity sipper will likely clock in with no more than 120 calories.

* Avoid frozen drinks like daiquiris, mudslides, piña coladas, and margaritas... especially ones served in glasses the size of salad bowls. They are high in calories!

* Steer clear of sweet creamy drinks (like a White Russian) and mega-cocktails made with a ton of booze (like Long Island Iced Tea, which has five kinds of alcohol.) Those are loaded with calories.

* Most Important Cocktail Tip Ever! If you're drinking anything alcoholic, be of the legal drinking age and do not get in a car unless someone sober is behind the wheel.

Don't deceive me or mislead me!

Seeing as how I pretty much always have to count calories to keep my girlish figure, I'm thrilled that the FDA is cracking down on misleading nutrition labeling. Earlier this week, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration notified 17 food manufacturers that the labeling for 22 of their food products violates the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act. The action follows an October 2009 statement by Commissioner of Food and Drugs Margaret Hamburg, M.D., encouraging companies to review their labeling to ensure that they were truthful and in compliance with FDA regulations. In an open letter dated March 3 of this week, Dr. Hamburg underscored the importance of providing nutrition information that consumers could rely on. "Today, ready access to reliable information about the calorie and nutrient content of food is even more important, given the prevalence of obesity and diet-related diseases in the United States," she said, also expressing her hope that the warning letters would clarify the FDA's expectations for food manufacturers as they review their current labeling. The violations cited in the warning letters include unauthorized health claims, unauthorized nutrient content claims, and the unauthorized use of terms such as "healthy," and others that have strict, regulatory definitions. Companies that received warning letters - which include Nestle, Beech-nut, Gorton's Inc. and Dreyers Grand Ice Cream Inc. - have 15 business days to inform the FDA of the steps they will take to correct their labeling.
The warning letters are the FDA's most recent action to help improve consumers' ability to make nutritious choices. The idea is that many consumers fall into the trap of misleading food labels. This is especially true for products that catch attention with promises of "healthy" self-endorsements, but mislead with calorie counts and serving sizes. The deceptive labeling leads consumers to think they are getting fewer calories or more health benefits than they actually are. The FDA soon will propose guidance regarding calorie and nutrient labeling on the front of food packages and plans to work collaboratively with the food industry to design and implement innovative approaches to front-of-package labeling that can help consumers choose healthy diets.

Tuscan Trifle, for my calorie counting buddies!

Sorry I never got a chance to post another entry last week. I had the best intentions, but I just wound up too busy between all the eating, drinking and visiting with family and friends! Okay, so long story short, I went back home for a few days and proceeded to eat my way through Chicago. From deep dish pizza to South American cuisine and Indian to Italian food, I ate enough to feed a small army. Yes, I even indulged in a little gelado on a 20-degree day. But cut me some slack! It was the first time I'd been home since last Christmas. Sadly, I did not get my Polish food fix...but since I'm headed back there next month for the holidays, I figure I'll have plenty of time to fill up on the rest of my faves.
Anyhoo, one of the highlights was all the delicious dessert. For starters, we had these amazing churros dipped in chocolate and dulce de leche sauce at Carnivale, one of my fave Latin restaurants in the city. But even better, I think, was the dee-lish tirimasu I shared with some friends at Bourgeois Pig Café.

For those unfamiliar with tiramisu, it's a popular Italian dessert made with lady fingers, coffee and mascarpone cream. The name, in Italian, apparently means "pull me up" - and is considered a "pick-me-up" reference to the effects of the sugar and espresso. Whatever the literal translation, tiramisu has long been one of my favorite sweet treats. While I chowed down on the high-cal version, I've since dug up some sugar-free recipes (thanks to Hungry Girl and Splenda.com!) for all my calorie counting buddies. I will be testing these variations out in the near future. Hope you enjoy!

Tiramisu Parfait

Ingredients:
1 (10.5 ounce) package sugar free angel food cake, purchased from bakery
3 1/2 teaspoons instant decaffeinated coffee powder
1 1/2 cups hot water
1/2 cup mascarpone cheese
1 (8 ounce) package fat-free cream cheese
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 cup SPLENDA® No Calorie Sweetener, Granulated
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons cocoa powder
Directions:
1. Cut angel food cake into 1 cubes. Set aside.
2. Dissolve instant coffee in hot water. Chill in refrigerator.
3. Combine mascarpone and cream cheese in mixing bowl. Beat until smooth. Add 2 tablespoons coffee, dark brown sugar, SPLENDA® Granulated Sweetener and vanilla. Mix well. Set aside.
4. Pour cold coffee into a 9X13 inch pan.
5. Assemble Tiramisu: Quickly dip half of angel food cake pieces into the coffee. Remove immediately and place in medium glass serving bowl. Spread half of cheese mixture on top. Sprinkle with 1 tsp cocoa powder. Repeat with remaining angel food cake, cheese mixture, and cocoa.
6. Cover and chill for three hours or overnight before serving.

Tirami-DO!

Ingredients:
8 Trader Joe’s Soft Lady Fingers OR 6 Specialty Bakers Ladyfingers
1/2 cup cooled, strong-brewed, flavored coffee (or espresso); sweetened w/ Splenda or other no-cal sweetener
1/4 cup light ricotta cheese (not part-skim, light)
2 tbsp. Cool Whip Free
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. Splenda
1 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
Directions:
Begin by lining up half of the ladyfingers next to each other on a serving dish. Drizzle cooled coffee over ladyfingers until desired saturation is reached. In a bowl, combine cheese, Splenda, Cool Whip and vanilla, and mix well. Spread half of this mixture on top of ladyfingers and top with half of the cocoa. Next, layer remaining ladyfingers on top of dish. Again, cover with coffee. Spread remaining cheese mixture on top. Lastly, sprinkle cocoa over dish. Best when eaten immediately. Serves one or two, depending on how hungry you are.

Super Sweet Scoop for the Calorie Counting in all of us

I've got some good news for all you smoothie lovers out there. In an effort to win over the calorie-counting audience, smoothie makers are increasingly churning out sugar-free blends. While some are simply blending up fruit and juice, others are keeping the treats sweet by adding Splenda. Executives at several of the top smoothie companies say the low-sugar offerings are gaining a significant following. I don't know about you, but on a 100-degree day like today, a low-cal smoothie sounds like a dream come true!

Here's an example of a sugar-free drink now sold at Jamba Juice. The Strawberry Nirvana -a blend of strawberries, bananas, apple-strawberry juice, Splenda and more - runs about 150 calories for a 16-ounce cup. Sounds like the perfect treat on a muggy summer day.