Jump Start Weight Loss with 500 Calorie Dinners

Oh… I HATE DIETING!!!

I love food! I love cooking! I love wine!

Those passions combined can make for an expanding waistline.

I don’t over eat, or eat poorly… but I probably eat too much high calorie foods. Why? Because they taste sooooooo gooood!!!

There HAVE to be some recipes out there for delicious, low calorie dishes!

Well, there are… and I found a great article, complete with menu plan and recipes.

Check it out here.

An Oldie for the New Cocktail Circuit….

… And the kitchen.

Bénédictine, which celebrates its 500th anniversary in 2010, has lived well, having evolved from a bitter medicine formulated by French monks into a fancy-schmantzy after-dinner liqueur. And now, as a rediscovered component in haute cocktails, unfolding with craft bartenders who are latching onto the liqueur in much the same way they’ve taken up Chartreuse, another herbal, monastery-derived liqueur.

But it’s not just for topping off the exquisite dining experience anymore. Many adept chef’s around the country are infusing some of their signature dishes with the rich liqueur.

Read more about the resurgence of Bénédictine here, and here’s a tasty New Year’s Day breakfast recipe to try out as well.

Bail on the Airline Snacks: DIY for Travel Snacks

No telling how many millions of people will be traveling by air again this holiday season. Every year the forecasts on numbers seems to go up and up from the years prior.

This year, in addition to gifts, books, magazines and carry on, many air travelers will be bringing along their own snacks as well. With the airlines charging extra these days for perks that used to be complimentary, more and more passengers are bringing their own treats to nibble on during flights. Besides, the selections are limited and not always healthful.

Here are some ideas for portable snacks from home to keep your belly happy in the air.

Pineapple Upside-Down Pumpkin Gingerbread

I’m always on the look out for recipes for an unusual holiday dessert. This one looks very interesting although I’d substitute canned pineapple rings for the fresh to save time.

Topping:

* Nonstick vegetable oil spray
* 2/3 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
* 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
* 2 tablespoons frozen pineapple juice concentrate, thawed
* 1 teaspoon mild-flavored (light) molasses
* 1 ripe pineapple, peeled

Cake:

* 2 cups all purpose flour
* 2 teaspoons baking soda
* 2 teaspoons baking powder
* 1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
* 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
* 1 cup sugar
* 2 large eggs
* 1/2 cup mild-flavored (light) molasses
* 1/2 cup canned pure pumpkin
* 1/2 cup boiling water
* Whipped cream

For topping:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 9×9x2-inch metal baking pan with nonstick spray. Combine sugar, butter, pineapple juice concentrate, and molasses in heavy small saucepan. Bring to boil over medium heat, whisking until sugar dissolves and syrup is smooth; boil 1 minute. Pour evenly into prepared pan.

Cut off one 1/3-inch-thick round from pineapple; cut out core. Place round in syrup in pan. Stand pineapple on end. Cut lengthwise into 1/3-inch-thick slices. Using 3 round cutters of different sizes, cut out rounds from pineapple slices, avoiding core. Arrange rounds close together in single layer in free-form design in syrup.

For cake:

Whisk first 6 ingredients in medium bowl. Beat butter in large bowl until fluffy. Add sugar and beat to blend. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time. Beat in molasses, then pumpkin. Beat in dry ingredients just until blended, occasionally scraping down sides of bowl. Beat in 1/2 cup boiling water. Pour batter evenly into pan.

Bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 50 minutes. Cool cake in pan 45 minutes. Place platter over pan and invert. Let stand 5 minutes. Gently lift off pan. Serve cake warm or at room temperature with whipped cream.

Do you have a recipe you would like to share?