Birthday Celebration

Happy 25th Birthday Kari!

What better than a home-made birthday cake with UDF ice cream to start a new year?! It's even better with it's kind of okay to eat!!

This cake seems to bake really fast, so make sure to watch it so it doesn't overcook! Don't forget to add a little flair to your birthday celebration, even if you are celebrating in a restaurant! Bring a bday table cloth and Target has some super fun square bday cake plates!


CHOCOLATE-BANANA CAKE WITH WALNUTS
Healthy bonus: 1/2 serving of fruit per slice, potassium from bananas, iron from walnuts
Makes 16 servings.
1 cup whole-wheat flour
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 cup Splenda Sugar Blend for Baking
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tsp baking soda
4 large overly ripe bananas, mashed
1/2 cup plain lowfat yogurt
2 egg whites
2 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup walnuts, chopped
Vegetable-oil cooking spray
Frosting
1 cup lowfat milk
3/4 cup Splenda Sugar Blend for Baking
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 tbsp butter
2 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine flours, Splenda, cocoa, and baking soda. Add bananas, yogurt, egg whites, vanilla, and 1/2 cup walnuts. Stir. Coat a 9" x 13" cake pan with cooking spray. Pour batter into pan, spreading evenly. Bake about 35 minutes. Cool.

Raise oven to 375°F. Toast remaining 1/4 cup walnuts 6 minutes. To make frosting, pour 1/4 cup milk into a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in Splenda, cocoa, and cornstarch. Slowly add remaining 3/4 cup milk and bring to a low boil, stirring continuously until thick. Remove from heat and stir in butter and vanilla. Cool and spread over cake. Sprinkle walnuts over cake.

Seasons Restaurant at the Nemacolin Woodlands Resort & Spa, Farmington, PA
Nutritional analysis per serving: 203 calories, 5.4 g fat (1.3 g saturated fat), 26.1 g carbohydrates, 5.9 g protein, 3.8 g fiber

Recipe from Self.com and Self Dishes Spring 2006

Ginger-Lemon Tea

If you are a tea fanatic like I am, you are always looking for new teas to try. This is so easy to make and is delicious, not to mention the awesome aroma!

Ginger-Lemon Tea

6 c water
4 t sugar
1 (1-in) piece of fresh ginger, thinly sliced
8 lemon peel strips (2.5X1in)
8 green tea bags
*Lemon slices (*optional)

In a large saucepan combine the water, sugar, ginger, and lemon peel strips. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, simmer, uncovered for 10 min. remove ginger and lemon strips with a slotted spoon and discard.

Place tea bags in a teapot; immediately add simmering water mixture. Cover and let stand 3 to 5 min. remove tea bags and discard. Serve immediately in mugs. Garnish with lemon slice.

Very refreshing on a summer evening!

Double Chocolate Brownies

This may be the most perfect Brownie recipe ever! It is incredibly easy, quick, and melt-in-your mouth good!

Non stick cooking spray
1/4 c butter/margarine
2/3 c sugar
1/2 c cold water
1 t vanilla
1 c flour
1/4 c unsweetened cocoa powder
1 t baking powder
1/4 c mini semisweet chocolate pieces
2 t sifted powdered sugar

1 - lightly coat the bottom of a 9X9X2 baking pan w/nonstick cooking spray being careful NOT to coat the sides of the pan

2 - In a medium saucepan, melt butter; remove from heat. Stir in sugar,water, vanilla. Stir in flour, cocoa powder, and baking powder until combined. Stir in chocolate pieces. Pour batter into prepared pan.

3 - Bake in a 350 oven for 15-18 min until a wooden toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. removed from pan. cut into 16 bars, sprinkle w/ powdered sugar!

ENJOY!

Low in fat and Cal: 103 cal & 4 g fat per piece!!!

SO GOOD!!!

Vegetable Lasagna!

This is a super fast, easy recipe that is sure to be a crowd pleaser! Not to mention that it only has 251 cal per serving and 9 g fat!

I would definitely make this again!

From "the woman" : "very tasty and not too chewy like some lasagnas"
The woman will be taking over as "taste-tester" until the husband returns from Iraq!

The recipe:
Vegetable Lasagna!

6 dried lasagna noodles (I use whole wheat! Gotta look out for the heart! Whole grains!)
2 & 1/2 cups zucchine and/or yellow summer squash halved lengthwise and sliced (2 medium)
2 cups fresh sliced mushrooms
1/3 cup chopped onion (1 small)
2 t EVOO
1 c light (or skim) ricotta cheese
3 T finely shredded Parmesan chz (1 oz)
1/4 t black pepper
2 C purchased pasta sauce (I use Ragu Garden Primavera .. so good and has LOADS of veggies!)
1/2 c chopped, seeded tomato (1 medium)

1 - cook noodles according to package directions; drain and rise with cold water. drain well.

2 - In a large non-stick skillet cook and stir squash, mushrooms, and onion in hot oil over medium-high heat about 5 min or until tender; remove from heat and set aside. In a small bowl combine ricotta cheese, Parmesan Cheese, and pepper.

3- To assemble, place 3 lasagna noodles in bottom of a 2 - quart rectangular baking dish, trimming to fit as necessary. Spoon half of the ricotta chz mixture over the noodles. Top w/half of the veggie mix, half of the sauce, and half of the mozzarella chz. Layer w/ remaining noodles, ricotta chz mix, veggie mix, and sauce.

4- Bake, uncovered in a 375 oven for 30 min. Sprinkle with tomato and the remaining mozzarella chz. Bake 5 more or until heated through. Let stand 10 min before serving.

Serve w/ a yummy side salad and brownies!