Chocolate Ricotta Dessert

What Italian does not like Ricotta Cheese? I have been eating it since I was a little girl. Every pasta dinner at Grandma's started off with a heaping scoop of Ricotta (or "Rigawt" is what it sounds like in Jersey slang) on the bottom of the plate, then topped with spaghetti, sauce, meatballs, etc. Pizzagaina, calzones, and many of the best Italian desserts are all made with Ricotta cheese. As you might guess, I almost always have some in my refrigerator! I have to say, if you can find the brand Sam Maulucci & Son, I would recommend you pick some of that up because it is by far some of the best Ricotta I have ever tasted. I have not seen that brand in a low fat or fat free version so I usually buy that one for special occasions like when I make my Italian Ricotta cookies or Manicotti  ("Manigawt") for my husband. I always buy Calabro's cheese and it is DELICIOUS! In my experience, many things (especially cheese) that are labeled fat free actually TASTE fat free and kind of gross. You will not get that with Calabro's. Their fat free Ricotta is delicious and only 1 Points Plus per half a cup! Often times for a snack I will measure out a half of a cup of cheese and top it with blueberries and strawberries and it's a nice, filling, 1 Points Plus treat. The other night I was craving something chocolaty for dessert so I decided to use Ricotta. Here is my recipe:

1/2 cup of fat free Ricotta Cheese (Calabro's is highly recommended!)
1 tablespoon unsweetened dark cacao powder (I used Hershey's)
1 individual sized bar of chocolate, chopped into pieces (I used 1 dark chocolate Ghirardelli's square & smashed it into pieces with my meat tenderizer)
Stevia (as much or as little as you like)
Whipped cream (optional) (I used 6 tablespoons of fat free reddi-wip because it is 0 points!)

Measure out half of a cup of Ricotta and put it your favorite bowl. Mix in the Stevia and dark cacao powder until well blended. Then, stir in the dark chocolate pieces and top with some whipped cream and you have yourself a delicious chocolaty dessert for only 3 Points Plus value!

*Note: If you are following Weight Watchers, make sure to check the individual nutrition facts on all of your products. Calabro's cheese is 1 Points Plus per half of a cup but most cheeses are 2 Points Plus.

Raw Bars

I absolutely love raw bars. I love the gooey texture of the dates, the crunchiness of the nuts and seeds and the taste of all the raw, healthy and delicious things all in one compact bar! One of my favorite treats is Whole Food's Organic Raw Cacao Goji Berry Energy squares. You can get them at Whole Foods in the self service bins that have all of the loose seeds, grains, and nuts. These goji squares have such a good flavor and are a great little 1 Point Plus per piece pick me up! I usually get them right from the store but I found a website that sells them too:
Organic Raw Cacao Goji Berry Energy Squares

My family's and my own health are always on my mind! I really want my husband and myself to lead a healthy lifestyle and when we have children, I want them to be healthy as well. One of the five year old girls in my class told me that she had never even tasted McDonald's. Her mom told her that the food is gross and unhealthy. This little girl's mother home cooks everything for her and it is some of the healthiest food I have ever seen. I would love it if I could get to that place in my life where I could eliminate all of the junk food and just eat raw, healthy foods all of the time. When I have my own kids one day, that is what I want for them!

So, this weekend I decided to try my hand at making raw bars! I looked in my pantry and took out all of the items I thought would taste good mixed in a compact little square and I am very happy with the results! These bars taste sweet, have a smooth, gooey texture and are so simple to make! Essentially, you just throw all of the ingredients in the food processor and let it do the work The best part is that my husband loves them too! This recipe makes 10 servings for only 2 Points Plus per piece. Next time I will double the recipe! Enjoy!

12 dates (pitted)
1/4 cup raw almonds
1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds
1 tablespoon organic black chia seeds
2 tablespoons raw honey
1 tablespoon creamy peanut butter
dash of salt

I used whole almonds so first I put those in the food processor to chop them up into pieces, then I added the dates and let it turn into a thick paste. Next I added the seeds, salt, honey, and peanut butter and let them all blend together well. The mixture should be very thick and gooey. I used a spatula to scrape it out of the processor and press it into a small glass dish lined with parchment paper. Spread the mixture evenly in the pan and press it down well. Put it in the refrigerator to firm up a bit, cut it into 10 squares and eat!

*UPDATE: The texture of these bars is very smooth and gooey. I just made another batch except this time I pulsed all the ingredients at one time together in the food processor rather then processing the nuts & seeds 1st to get smaller pieces, then just letting the processor mix it all. If you put all the ingredients together at once and just pulse it, the texture will be rougher like you see in the goji squares. You could see and crunch into the actual seeds/nuts rather then just having them all pureed together. Both taste great... it just depends on your texture preference!

Organic Raw Cacao Goji Berry Energy Squares from Whole Foods

My own homemade raw bars!

The 2nd batch of my own homemade raw bars!

Tropical Fried Rice

I have been feeling really under the weather this weekend so come Sunday night I definitely had zero energy and drive to cook dinner. My wonderful husband stepped up to the plate and made some delicious fried rice! Not only did it taste good but it was point friendly too :) He also just used whatever we had around the house, which is always a plus in recipes because you do not have to go out shopping to find the smallest ingredient that you will only use maybe twice a year. This recipe is not exact so you can play with the amounts according to your taste :) Here is what Steve created:

1 tablespoon coconut oil
3 cloves of garlic, minced (or however much you desire)
1/4 cup onion (diced)
1 scallion (diced)
1 egg
1/2 cup pinapple (diced)
2 cups of brown instant rice (dry)
5oz cooked ham (diced) (we used spiral off the bone ham)
1 teaspoon of terriyaki sauce
1 teaspoon of soy sauce
A dash of cinnamon

Cook brown rice according to package then aside. In a large pan or wok, heat the oil then add the garlic, onions and scallions. Saute for a couple of minutes (until garlic & onions are a bit soft). Add the ham to the pan so it browns. Add the egg & scramble it around the pan. Then, add the cooked brown rice, pineapple, cinnamon, terriyaki and soy sauces. Toss all ingredients together in the pan until well blended and heated all the way through. Steve & I topped ours off with Siracha sauce and garlic red pepper sauce because we enjoy spicy food!

This recipe makes 5 cups of this delicious rice and comes in at only 6 Points Plus per cup! I really enjoyed the taste of the coconut, pineapple & cinnamon in this recipe. However, if you are not a huge fan of coconut I would suggest to use only a teaspoon of the oil next time because the taste of the coconut oil was very strong. Hope you enjoy!

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. (My Weight Loss Story)

When I was three years old, I started gaining an unhealthy amount of weight. Throughout my entire childhood I continued to gain weight and was very unhealthy. Needless to say, I was pretty unhappy with my self image growing up. I couldn't shop at "normal" stores, boys never liked me, kids always teased me, and I was always the fat kid. I was on every diet that was ever created but nothing ever seemed to stick. I am only 5"2 and when I was 16 years old I reached my highest weight of 260 pounds. I wore a women's size 24. I was uncomfortable and embarrassed. At age 17, I decided that I just did not want to live that way anymore and something HAD to change. I set a goal for myself... I would be skinny for my senior prom! The summer of 2004 (going into my senior year of high school), I joined Weight Watchers and it changed my life forever. Starting that summer, I changed the way I ate, the way I moved and the way I thought. I exercised every day, ate my daily points target, and focused on being "skinny" for the dance. With God's help, I lost 110 pounds by my senior prom and I wore a size 10 dress! I never thought that would ever be possible! Not only did I look great but I felt great! My body and mind felt healthy and I actually had confidence. This was a huge milestone for me and definitely not an easy one.

After prom, I graduated high school and went off to college where I was surrounded by cheap, greasy, unhealthy foods. In the beginning, I tried my best to count points on my own and make healthy choices but it felt almost impossible. I was away from home, restricted to the high fat, high calorie foods that the college provided. I was back to an unhealthy lifestyle. Throughout my 4 years of college, I gained back about half of the weight I lost. I felt pretty bad about myself and wondered if I could possibly go through the long journey of weight loss again. I felt discouraged and really thought that it was just in my genetic make-up to be overweight my whole life. Well, GOD is SO GOOD and He always has a plan.

In 2009, I met my wonderful husband. We dated for 8 months, got engaged, and then married 10 months later. When Steve and I met I weighed 207 pounds and he loved me anyway! However, I was not really loving myself. Steve proposed August 2010, and in December 2010 I rejoined Weight Watchers. I did not want to be a fat bride! To be honest, this time around I did not expect to lose much weight. Like I said, I was still in the mentality that I HAD to be overweight and there wasn't anything I could really do about it. When I rejoined Weight Watchers my plan was to lose about 20 pounds just so I could look decent in a wedding gown. Well, God had much bigger plans for me. By June 25, 2011 (our wedding day), I lost 40 pounds and I felt fabulous! I couldn't believe the success I had on the plan. After the wedding, I moved to CT and for the first 6 months I struggled to eat healthy and follow the plan on my own. I gained a few pounds back but ultimately I wound up rejoining Weight Watchers in CT. This time, I just prayed that I would get down to the lowest weight I had ever been (my senior year of high school... 150 pounds). God said, "All things are possible with Me". So I trusted Him and I persevered. I stuck with the program and surpassed my expectations! Today, I stand 5"2, 130 pounds and a size 6! Who would have ever thought?! It was not an easy journey and I believe I will be on it my whole life, but I am so thankful to MY SAVIOR who has never left or forsaken me. He has encouraged me and been with me every step of the way.

I would love to be an inspiration and encouragement to others as well! Even though I have reached my goal weight, I still struggle with food on a daily basis. I know it is not an easy road to travel but I do believe that if I can do it, anyone can. I am hoping this blog will inspire people and I would love to help in anyway I can!

260 Pounds to 150 Pounds

260 Pounds to 150 Pounds (my sweet 16...my senior prom)

207 Pounds to 130 Pounds

Jan. 12, 2013.... 130 Pounds (Weight Watchers, Life Time Member!)

PB2 & Almond Milk

Has anyone ever tasted PB2? It is pretty much just powdered peanuts... peanuts, salt, and sugar to be exact. Basically, they press most of the fat out of the peanuts and you are left with peanut powder. It contains 85% less fat and calories then regular peanut butter and it tastes pretty good! You mix 2 tablespoons of the powder with 1 tablespoon of water and then eat it however you like. I love it because it tastes like real peanuts AND it is only 1 Point Plus per serving! That is awesome because 1 tablespoon of most nut or seed butter is 3 Points Plus per serving. I will usually mix my prepared PB2 with 2 tablespoons of Stonyfield Farm, non-fat, vanilla, organic yogurt and some cinnamon and then dip apple slices in it for a tasty 1 Points Plus snack. Or I will spread it on my banana. I have yet to cook with it but I have read that it is delicious in recipes as well. Now, I am not knockin' real peanut butter or any other nut or seed butters. My two favorites are almond butter and sunflower seed butter. But when I need something tasty and do not want to use a lot of points I turn to PB2!

As for almond milk... I buy Silk, unsweetened, 30 calorie vanilla. I REALLY like it. 1 cup is 1 Points Plus but I usually use half of a cup for 0 Points Plus. One of my favorite treats is mixing 1 tablespoon of Chia seeds in a half of a glass of almond milk with some cinnamon  vanilla extract and Stevia . Mix it up, let it sit in the fridge for a few hours and then you take it out you have Chia seed pudding (1 Points Plus)! Because the Chia seeds hold so much liquid they become gelatinous and in this case create a pudding (the texture is similar to tapioca). You can also add cocoa powder, PB2 or anything else you are craving in your pudding! Play with your options and enjoy!

Chia Seeds

Is anyone else obsessed with chia seeds? I buy the organic black chia seeds from Whole Foods and put them on EVERYTHING. I mix them in my yogurt and oatmeal. I sprinkle them on my salad. I mix them in my water. I absolutely love them. I even baked oatmeal chia seed cookies! Now, if you have never heard of chia seeds... look them up! They have some great health benefits. They help you lose weight because they hold 9x their weight in water (filling you up for awhile). They also help balance your blood sugar, are full of healthy omega 3 and 6 fatty acids as well as calcium and they give you lots of energy. One tablespoon is only one Weight Watchers Points Plus value. I would definitely recommend for EVERYONE to have chia in their diet! About a week ago I baked these oatmeal chia seed cookies. They were pretty good for being healthy and only costing me 2 Points Plus each. I did not have chocolate covered pomegranate seeds so I substituted them for dark chocolate chips. I also made the cookies smaller so this recipe made 34 cookies. I think the only thing I would change would be to add some more flavor to it like using agave syrup or honey next time. Nonetheless, I am always a fan of healthy, low point desserts! 

Oatmeal Chia Seed Cookie Recipe

Red Velvet Gooey Butter Cake

Valentine's Day is almost here and I wanted to bake a little something special for my hubby. I searched Pinterest and found a million recipes but one in particular just sounded too delicious NOT to make. Since there is a blizzard in process outside today, I decided we would celebrate Valentine's Day early this year, so I just finished baking this sweet treat. I chose Red Velvet Gooey Butter Cake because, #1 It is red (very festive), #2 Our wedding cake was red velvet (very sentimental), #3 The recipe sounded delicious AND simple (doesn't get better then that)! Anyway, it came out DELICIOUS! It is pretty decadent, so you have to have a serious sweet tooth to fully enjoy this cake. My husband could only eat a small serving at a time (because it is a bit sweet for his taste), as for me... I could sit down and eat the whole tray! Hope you enjoy :)

P.S. Sorry, my first recipe is not Point friendly but definitely worth the splurge! 

Red Velvet Gooey Butter Cake Recipe