The Fat Girl's Guide to Living

Image taken moments before my kids snapped them up

When a couple of my friends were diagnosed with dairy allergies and lactose intolerance, it made me think differently about how I shopped–what would I do if I couldn’t just casually reach for a container of Kefir, crumbled feta cheese for my lunchtime salads, or (hold me) ice cream for special occasions? With this non-dairy dilemma in mind, I spotted these little gems in the frozen novelty section of our grocery store and decided to give them a try.

The verdict: YUM. But only if you like coconut (my husband voted no, but one non-coconut-loving kid voted yes–both said the flavor was subtle) and don’t mind smaller portion sizes. I’m not a fan of the 100-calorie pack trend, not just because of the premium we pay for additional packaging both environmentally and economically, but because so many diet-oriented foods simply don’t taste good. Bottom line: I’d rather have a smaller portion of something delicious–maybe even decadent–that’s prepared with fresh ingredients and care than something that tastes and feels like a consolation prize. These cool treats fit that bill nicely, with the added bonus of being healthier than ice cream.

So Delicious does make vanilla sandwiches made with soy milk (including full-sized), but in my opinion they’re not as flavorful. I haven’t tried the Neapolitan variety, but they look fun (let us know if you have and what you think!). For those avoiding dairy and soy, Turtle Mountain also makes a So Delicious coconut milk yogurt (on my “to try” list) and even Kefir (also on that list). It’s exciting to see options like this out there for those of us who either can’t have or want to scale back on dairy products for a more varied diet.

Girls, tell us: have you found any delicious work-arounds for your dietary restrictions? Tell us about them in the comments section.

Sometimes a powerful craving strikes, but we don’t want to give in to it completely. Recently, I had a serious craving for cake — German Chocolate Cake, to be exact. And though I tried to shake it for days, the yearning would not go away. Sadly, with just the two of us in our house, we certainly don’t need the ongoing temptation of a full cake. And yet, there was the craving, stubbornly hanging on. Finally, rather than spend the next three days being preoccupied by chocolate and pecans and gooey coconut frosting, I found the perfect compromise: German Chocolate Brownies.

All the fun and flavor of a cake packed into a 9″x9″ pan of decadent brownies? It’s not too good to be true. They keep nicely for a few days in an airtight container (perfect if you’re a snacker), but you can also layer them with a little wax paper and freeze them for longer-term enjoyment. Of course, your neighbors would probably love you if you dropped by with a plate of these, too. Enjoy!

German Chocolate Brownies
(recipe courtesy of Baking Bites)
1/2 cup butter
3-oz semisweet chocolate or German sweet chocolate
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 cup all purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

Topping
2 tbsp butter, melted
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup shredded coconut, sweetened or unsweetened
1/2 cup chopped, toasted and salted pecans
2 tbsp corn syrup
2 tbsp milk

Preheat oven to 350F. Line a 9×9-inch square baking pan with aluminum foil.
In a microwave-safe bowl, melt together the butter and the chocolate. Stir until smooth and then allow to cool for several minutes. Pour into a large mixing bowl with sugar. Beat in vanilla extract and then add the eggs one at a time.
In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Add to chocolate mixture and stir until everything is just combined and no streaks of flour remain. Pour into prepared pan.
Bake for 18-22 minutes, until a toothpick comes out with very moist crumbs, not just batter, attached.

While the brownies bake, prepare the topping. Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and stir to combine. When brownies are done, gently spread the topping over the brownies, adding it in dollops to cover the whole surface evenly. Place pan under the broiler for 2-4 minutes, until topping has lightly browned. Watch closely so that it does not burn.

Cool completely before slicing. Store in an airtight container.

Makes 16 brownies

Ever need a boost after an exhausting or exasperating day? Looking for something a little more inventive than a handful of almonds or a piece of fruit? How about a shake? I know what you’re thinking: definitely indulgent, but not worth the sugar crash later. Thankfully, with a little creativity, a shake blended with the right ingredients can can actually do a body good.

Many of us throw our slightly-too-ripe bananas into the freezer to use in banana bread or banana muffins. But you can also use them to make a thick, indulgent shake without the guilt of a regular ice cream-based shake. Just throw a peeled, quartered frozen banana into the blender with a little milk, a touch of vanilla and a tablespoon of peanut butter, and you’ve got a refreshing – and healthy – frosty beverage packed with potassium, protein, calcium, fiber, Vitamin C and Vitamin B-6. Want to have this shake for dessert? Add a few dark chocolate chips to elevate the yum factor.

You can thank Tee for this find; she hooked me up with this link a few months ago. We enjoy this treat so much that we buy entire bunches of bananas to freeze so that we can make this shake anytime the mood strikes.

Frozen Banana-Peanut Butter-Chocolate Chip Milkshake
(recipe adapted from the kitchn)
1 frozen bananas (peel them before you freeze them!), cut into chunks
1 tablespoon creamy peanut butter (natural PB works great)
1/2 cup skim milk (experiment with soy, almond or rice milk if you’re sensitive or allergic to dairy)
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons chocolate chips (optional)

Blend banana, peanut butter, milk, and vanilla in a blender until smooth. If desired, add the chocolate chips at the end and pulse or blend briefly until they are chopped and incorporated.

Yield: 1 shake

Looking for more great recipes? Visit my blog at
http://culinography.wordpress.com

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Homemade Peanut Butter by little blue hen

We are advocates of mindful indulgence here at FGG, as our Foodie Fridays columns demonstrate. And what’s more decadent than the rich, heady aroma and taste of really good peanut butter? Once relegated to lunch boxes with a dollop of Welch’s grape jelly, then avoided due to its high fat content in the “lite” fad era, peanut butter is ready for – and worthy of – the spotlight on anyone’s menu. All-natural and even homemade peanut butters are in vogue now, but this is a trend we heartily get behind due to the payoff in taste, texture, nutrition (great veggie protein source, no trans fats or excess sugar/salt), and satisfaction.

Tee is fond of grinding her own peanut butter at her local whole foods grocer; check to see if your natural foods store has a grinder for make-your-own peanut (and other nut) butters. I’m currently mad about Justin’s Nut Butters, which don’t require refrigeration like some brands and come in a variety of flavors even my picky kids will eat, like honey, maple almond, and even chocolate (a more subtle flavor than super-sweet Nutella, which goes better in desserts or over fresh fruit than as a snack or meal). My family brings Justin’s generously sized individual packs, mini bagels, and apples on hikes – a satisfying snack that isn’t too sugary.

For intrepid DIYers, Cuisinart makes a spice and nut grinder, but according to the recipe from little blue hen (results pictured above), you can use a food processor, too.

Tell us, girls: what do you think of natural or homemade peanut (or almond, or cashew) butters? Are these on your radar yet, or will they have to pry the Skippy, Peter Pan, or JIF from your old-skool-PB-loving fingers first?

Many of us in the U.S. are staring down the barrel at a three-day weekend. Not just any three-day weekend, but one that heralds the beginning of summer and all of its requisite picnics, barbecues and pool parties. Of course, ice cream is the quintessential summertime treat, but what if you’re looking for something a little more portable and a lot less melty?

Enter the cupcake cone. That’s right, a cupcake baked in an ice cream cone and topped with frosting to resemble soft-serve ice cream (or, if you prefer the “hand-scooped” look – and a real sugar fix – you can scoop on a ball of frosting). This is one adorable hand-held treat that comes with the bonus of no plates, forks or cupcake wrappers to deal with.

The cupcake cone is best made the day you plan to eat them, since the cone will absorb some of the moisture from the cupcake. I made mine in sugar cones because they’re my favorite (thanks, Martha!). However, they’re a little more challenging than the flat-bottomed cone. Don’t let this deter you — either look is completely achievable even for novice bakers. For sugar cones, you’ll need a bundt pan, tube pan, or even an oven-proof bowl and a couple of sheets of foil. For the flat bottomed cone option you’ll use a cupcake tin. No matter which cone you prefer, these cuties are so worth the effort!

If you don’t need 24 cupcake cones, just reduce the number of cones you fill and use the leftover cake batter to make a small cake or some cupcakes (which you can use immediately or put in the freezer for a later indulgence).

Make a batch of these this weekend . . . I promise they’ll make your family and friends smile!

Chocolate Cupcake Cones with Chocolate-Hazelnut Frosting
24 ice cream cones
3 cups flour
2/3 cup cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 cups sugar
1 cup oil (vegetable, canola, etc.)
2 cups water
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1 tablespoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Cover a bundt or tube pan or oven safe bowl with two sheets of aluminum foil and poke small holes into the foil, leaving enough space between the holes to accommodate side by side cones. Push the cones gently into the holes until about 1″ of cone is showing. (If using flat-bottomed cones place one cone into each well of a cupcake pan — you can increase stability by surrounding the cones w/ dried beans that you don’t plan to cook with or pie weights.)

In a large bowl, add all other ingredients and mix until just combined. Pour batter into cones, filling to approximately 1″ from the top . Bake at 325 degrees for 15-20 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from oven to cool completely. Frost with Chocolate-Hazelnut Frosting (recipe follows).

Chocolate-Hazelnut Frosting
1 cup butter, room temperature
1.5 pounds powdered sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted and cooled to room temp
1/4 cup hazelnut spread (Nutella – or make your own!)
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla

Cream butter until light and fluffy. Slowly beat in powdered sugar and cocoa. Mix in melted chocolate, hazelnut spread, cream and vanilla. Once incorporated, beat on high for three to four minutes. Add a bit more heavy cream if frosting consistency is too heavy or a bit more powdered sugar if consistency is too light.

Looking for more great recipes? Visit my blog at
http://culinography.wordpress.com

When was the last time you had s’mores? I’m not talking about a S’more Pop-Tart or a bowl of S’more Crunch Cereal (anyone remember that?). I’m referring to crispy, gooey, chocolatey, honest-to-goodness s’mores (short for “some more” as in, “try one and you’ll beg for s’more!”). This delectable dessert was the stuff your childhood camping trip dreams were made of, right?

There’s no need to wait until you find yourself sitting in front of a roaring fire on a summer night to enjoy the goodness of this classic treat. In fact, you can whip up a little campfire nostalgia any time you like, and it only takes a few minutes. You can keep it simple and go with the classic configuration or you can jazz it up a bit by using caramel filled chocolate pieces, dark chocolate, or incorporating a little peanut butter. You can keep it simple or make it sexy (gooey marshmallows and melty chocolate? oh yeah!). S’mores aren’t just for kids anymore, my friends, and they’re not just for the campfire, either. You can do it all in the oven, toaster oven, or even in the microwave (if you must).

Think you’re not in a position to indulge, campfire or not? Never fear, where there’s a will there’s a way! Go with an “open-faced” s’more, forego the chocolate bar, and substitute a decadent drizzle of chocolate syrup–classic fun factor and flavor for half the calories! We don’t have to deny ourselves, we only have to think a little outside the graham cracker box!

The Classic S’more
2 graham crackers (one sheet, broken in half)
1/2 ounce chocolate (Ghirardelli Squares are my fave!)
1 standard size marshmallow

Place one graham cracker on a small cookie sheet. Top with chocolate and marshmallow. Broil for 2-3 minutes (watch it closely, it’ll burn when you’re not looking!) until marshmallow is lightly toasted. Remove from oven, top with remaining graham cracker and smoosh. Indulge.

Yield: 1 S’more

S’more Light
1 graham cracker (one half of one sheet)
1 standard size marshmallow
1/2 teaspoon chocolate syrup
Place one graham cracker on a small cookie sheet. Top with marshmallow. Broil for 2-3 minutes (watch it closely, it’ll burn when you’re not looking!) until marshmallow is lightly toasted. Remove from oven and drizzle with chocolate syrup. Indulge.

Yield: 1 S’more

Looking for more great recipes? Visit my blog at
http://culinography.wordpress.com

Truffles by David Leggett

Over the past year, I’ve made some gradual but fairly significant changes to the way I eat, with the main theme being “quality over quantity.” I felt the impact of these changes after sampling some pastel M&Ms from my kids’ Easter baskets (um, mostly with permission). I was surprised at how disappointing they tasted compared to the dark chocolate squares I’d been enjoying occasionally after lunch, when my sweet tooth seems to kick in.

There’s an astonishing number of ways to achieve a good chocolate fix, from handmade works of art like these Christopher Elbow Chocolates to a grocery store quick-grab Snickers bar. But if you haven’t gone out of your way to sample some fine chocolates, consider trying a few to note the difference. Sure, it might cost more, but that’s what makes indulgences feel so decadent and worthwhile. Torture, I know! You can make your own chocolate truffles, or perhaps peanut butter cup drinking chocolate from a recent Foodie Fridays entry is more your speed. Recent faves of mine include Ghirardelli Luxe Milk and Lindt – one square usually does the trick under my “quality” rule. There’s even Chocolate News, a site dedicated to finding the best artisan chocolates. If you have any unique and tasty chocolate sources you’d like to share, please do so in the comments.