Resolution Revolution: Seize TODAY!

DON’T eat that cupcake…

I would have eaten it last week (and evidently, everything else in sight). Why not this week? Because the holidays are over, and with each new year comes new motivation. At least for a day or two. Isn’t that usually how it goes?

The problem with resolutions is that they’re daunting. If you didn’t do it before, why now? Because it’s a new year? Because you feel empowered to tackle that giant, seemingly unattainable goal? New Year's resolutions have a well-deserved reputation for failure…and usually before the end of the first week of January.

Here’s the first trap – “I’ll start as soon as….” You fill in the blank. I’ll start as soon as the holidays are over. I’ll start Monday. I’ll start next month. Then the second trap – the time frame. I’ll go to the gym every day this month. I’ll eat right so I look good for our vacation. I’ll monitor my salt intake until my blood pressure reaches X. Then what? Revert to bad habits? Have one bad day and feel defeated? Whenever I have a time frame, I fail. If I go running and just run, I can go a lot further than when I go running for a certain distance. Even though I could keep going, I stop (I hate running!). I reached my goal. Right? And the thought of cutting out something FOREVER just makes me want to run right to it. I can’t stop thinking about it. No more junk food EVER. Yeah, right! I can’t stop thinking about that cupcake!

This year, I don’t have a resolution. I had a fun, free-for-all month with turkey dinners, cookies, vacation food and drinks. But it’s over now. I’m back to eating right and going to the gym. Not because it’s a new year, but because it’s my lifestyle...now.

It reminds me of the year I made the resolution to simply “have a healthy lifestyle.” That failed, too. That daunting change was just too much all at once. Does this sound familiar? What should you do?

Don’t get discouraged! You can still have these goals, just understand that they ARE attainable. Make a plan without having that completely fall-off-the-wagon end point. Resolve to eat right TODAY. Resolve to go for a walk TODAY. Resolve to quit smoking TODAY. Resolve to clean your closet TODAY. When tomorrow becomes today, resolve again. Sooner or later, the new behavior will become the rule, not the exception. And don’t worry if you’ve already fallen off the resolution wagon. Get back on. We’re strong, and we don’t need a date on the calendar telling us when we should improve ourselves. Who cares if it's the 3rd day of the year, the 30th or the 300th. If you have a goal, start TODAY. You can do this! And if you need a little motivation, try one of my recipes. “Having a healthy lifestyle” never tasted so good!

It was just over a year ago that I began writing this blog, and I’ve been overwhelmed by the positive response I’ve received. 2010 was quite a year! My cookbook launched just before Christmas last year, and the social and local media blitz began. Three months later, I made 180 quarts of creamy broccoli soup to serve to thousands at the Charleston Wine & Food Festival. Surprisingly, I still love the soup! As the year went on, I got braver with my recipes. I was featured in another health writer’s book. I entered FoodBuzz.com’s Next Food Blog Star (better luck next year, I guess!). Most recently, The Svelte Gourmet was awarded a position in FoxNews’ Best Health Blogs of 2010. I am so honored. Thank you for reading!

And yes, I might eat that cupcake…just not TODAY.

The Svelte Gourmet: A Month of Main Courses cookbook is available at www.thesveltegourmet.com/products.html. Enjoy!

"Mary, Mary, quite contrary..."

"Mary, Mary, quite contrary, how does your garden grow?" A lot better than mine! (Mary being my mother...)

What's the opposite of green? Because that's what color my thumb is. You'd think gardening would go hand-in-hand with cooking, but unfortunately, my mom didn't pass her green thumb onto me. My parents have a beautiful yard with gorgeous blooms virtually every month of the year, but the summer vegetable garden is my favorite. I don't think there is anything else in the world like that first bite of summer tomato from my parents' garden. I don't even waste time with a fork, I just bite right in. YUM. I eat so many that my stomach hurts and I break out into a rash, but I don't care. They always were, and still are, my favorite food. No cooking required!

Unfortunately, my tomato-growing experience has been less than fruitful (pun intended!). I was relegated to container gardens for most of my adulthood (apartments in Washington, DC don't usually come with a garden plot!). My container plants always yielded a few red beauties, but I would eat them right there on the porch as they ripened. So really not much use in the kitchen -- or for anyone else! Then there was the year I tried those tomato planters that hang upside-down. I planted Better Boys and Early Girls...and I got beautiful, red, juicy tomatoes that were the size of large peas. Arg!

My mom claims it took her years to get it right, but I'm sort of (really) impatient. Last summer, we were just finishing the new house, and Keith built me a garden for my herbs. This year, though, is the year for veggies! And it couldn't come at a better time, when I get to chronicle my experiences for you -- if nothing else, it will keep me diligent about the weeding and feeding. I hope.

This weekend I planted. The weather was gorgeous and the sun was shining. My garden still has some stoic survivors from last year -- fragrant rosemary, which was fantastic with pork last night, and enough mint for me to open a mojito bar. That stuff is coming up everywhere, and it smells really good. Especially since Keith weed-whacked a bunch of it and there's now chopped mint all over the place. No worries, though, it's really resilient!

This year, I added basil and oregano on the herb side and peas and Roma green beans on the veggie side (and of course I saved room for some tomato plants!). Cooking with bright, bold fresh herbs are a great way to keep your meals full of flavor, without adding fat. Yum! I'm also looking forward to the peas (I love eating them right out of the pods), and steamed beans with a drizzle of olive oil and some garlic, salt and pepper are amazing. I can't wait! Fresh veggies are one of the best ways to stay svelte -- arm yourself with a bag of fresh peas in the pods to snack on, and you're good to go! And my favorite way to eat green beans is raw. Try it, I promise I'm not crazy. They are SO good.

So here's the current picture of my garden. You can see the rosemary, and that giant bundle of sticks is last year's basil bush. I think I'll trim it down to the base, and maybe it will grow back...thoughts? Anyway, I hope to have beautiful "during" and "after" pictures to show you -- along with recipes! What are you planting this year? Anything you love to grow, but need a great recipe for? Most importantly, any tips for those of us without green thumbs?!

Maybe someday I'll have a giant garden with a lot of variety, but for now, I thought I'd start small and see what happens...farmers' markets, stand by!

Thanks for reading!

The Svelte Gourmet: A Month of Main Courses cookbook is available at www.thesveltegourmet.com/products.html. Enjoy!

Is stress sabotaging your weight loss?

Keith says I cross every bridge not before I come to it, but before it's even built. Really, I just think I'm a good problem solver -- and problem "avoider!" Not only do I have Plan A figured out, but also Plan B....and C, and D, and E. My head spins and these "what if" scenarios play out in my head over and over. OK, so maybe I am a bit....high strung.

And now I have one more thing to worry about -- it seems that stress can make (or keep) you fat. As if the other side effects of stress aren't enough! How does stress affect weight? Here are just a few theories.

First, medical experts point to cortisol as one possible culprit. Cortisol is a hormone produced by the adrenal cortex in response to stress. Apparently, your body's "fight or flight" response produces elevated levels of these adrenal cortical hormones. It refocuses your biochemical resources and energy on survival and inhibits digestion, suppresses your immune system and raises your blood sugar. Unfortunately, cortisol doesn't discriminate -- it is produced if you're being chased by a lion, or if you're stuck in traffic (the thought of being late is a very big stressor for me!). Chronically elevated cortisol levels cause your body to accumulate abdominal fat and make it very hard to lose weight. Lovely.

And that's not all. Lack of sleep is a surprising one -- if you're too stressed or too busy to sleep, listen to this! According to sleep researchers, your body produces hormones to suppress appetite and to increase appetite (can I get rid of that one?!). When you experience chronic sleep deprivation, your body makes more of the appetite increasing hormone and less of the suppressing one. URG...this is getting worse!

Next are the obvious ones. I think we all recognize that emotional eating, finding solace in comfort foods, and eating to fill a void can contribute to weight gain. I never thought I was an emotional eater, but I've realized that I'm an emotional baker! When I get stressed out, I turn to flour and sugar. I don't know what it is about baking that relaxes me, but my mind stops spinning and I can escape for a while. And even though I don't eat my culinary creations right away, they still manage to disappear. One glaring example is the batch of molasses cookies I baked Sunday night at midnight...that are now gone.

Unfortunately, I've figured out the hard way that stressing about stress doesn't fix it. Quite the contrary. So what can we do? Below are a few tips I've found for reducing stress:

Exercise! For me, nothing takes away the knot in my stomach like the gym. Unfortunately, when I'm stressed, my motivation sometimes disappears, too. But once I'm in the habit of going to the gym, I find that my stress levels are markedly lower. And in addition to helping lower stress, exercise also burns calories, so that's why it's my number one tip.

Get away! Even though a vacation would do the trick, I'm talking about taking little breaks from the stress -- physically or mentally. If work is causing you stress, eat lunch away from your desk. Take a walk. Take an hour for yourself. Write in a journal. Read a book. Call a friend. Anything that takes you away from the stressor for a little bit. Just stay away from the fridge!

Try yoga. I've heard that it works really well for some people -- I'm just not one of them! First of all, I'm not very "bendy." And my balance is terrible. So for me, yoga has just caused me more stress! And when the instructor says to "clear your mind," my racing brain just fills up. But I really want to master a relaxation technique like yoga or meditation, so I'm going to keep trying. Any tips for me?

Find a hobby. OK, so maybe cooking isn't the best example for weight loss -- even though mine is svelte! But what about knitting, golfing, fishing, or biking? Anything that makes you happy, relaxes you, and takes you away from the stress.

Take a bath. For some, there is nothing like a hot bath to calm your nerves. Pour in some soothing, aromatic bubble bath, turn on soft music, or simply close your eyes and pretend you're a million miles away. Let "Calgon take you away!"

Laugh! First of all, laughing is said to reduce cortisol. Yippee! It also increases "feel good" hormones like endorphins and boosts your immune system. Even better, laughing is a great abdominal and cardio workout! So find something -- anything -- to laugh at. Laugh at your spouse. Laugh at the kids. Laugh at the dog and cat. Laugh at a movie. And it's true what people say -- laughing is contagious.

I know many of you are like me. We have to work hard to find ways to reduce stress. And anything that makes losing weight harder just causes more stress. For those of you who are cool as cucumbers, then more power to you! Let us know what you do to keep your stress levels low. We could all use more suggestions!

Don't forget! I'll be hosting a cookbook signing on Thursday, March 18th (tomorrow!) at Silver Belles of Charleston boutique. If you're in Charleston, I would love to see you! Stop in, bring your friends and enjoy complimentary refreshments from The Svelte Gourmet! Visit www.thesveltegourmet.com/news.html for details.

If you're not local but still want a copy of the cookbook, The Svelte Gourmet: A Month of Main Courses is available at www.thesveltegourmet.com/products.html.

Enjoy!

Take the pantry challenge!

What we don't know CAN hurt us. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but in my quest to figure out what's in the food we're eating, I've learned some pretty scary things. Restaurant salads are often the most calorie-laden things on the menu. Lean meats and vegetables are often prepared with oil and butter in restaurants. Eating a roll or two from the basket before your entree arrives can add 400 calories to your meal. My favorite CHICKEN sandwich at the fast-food restaurant near us has 800 calories -- in JUST THE SANDWICH. Don't even get me started on the fries. A restaurant-sized portion of pasta is often 3-4 times the recommended serving size. That adds 600-800 calories to your meal in JUST the pasta, never mind the sauce, cheese, sides, bread, etc. The restaurant margaritas I investigated had 500-1100 calories -- EACH.

Here are some additional things I figured out during my discovery:
1. Cooking at home can be fast
2. Cooking at home can shave thousands of calories off your DAILY intake
3. Cooking at home saves money
4. Cooking at home (even healthy cooking!) can taste just as good, if not better, than eating out

So I throw down the oven-mitt (sort of like a gauntlet, right?)! Here's the challenge! For one week, prepare healthy meals (lean proteins, veggies, whole grain carbs and only heart-healthy fats) AT HOME. This really is the perfect time for it, with the chilly February weather even here in Charleston (and in some parts of the country, even more snow on the way!). Use what's already in your pantry, fridge, or freezer -- and if you find that you've stocked your kitchen with unhealthy options, head to the grocery store. If you do venture out, stay away from prepared and processed foods -- microwave dinners don't count as home-cooking! And steer clear of the drive-through, take-out and deli!

Maybe you cook everyday and want to use this challenge to make your meals more healthy. Maybe your spouse does the cooking and you want to try your hand at it for a change. Or maybe neither of you cook and what you've just read above makes you want to make a change for yourself and your families. Whatever the reason, please give it a shot! I can tell you this -- eating in, cooking for myself and understanding what was going into the recipes (and thus, into my body!) was what made me lose weight. No crazy diets, no starving. Just eating the right foods at home. It shaved thousands of hidden restaurant calories from my diet. It's a no-brainer, right?!

Here are some tips to get you started:

1. At the beginning of the week, make a pot of soup. It's quick to reheat, lasts for several days and feeds you several times. The Creamy Broccoli Soup is a good choice because it's filling, low in calories (only 75 per 1 cup serving!) and packed with fiber. Keep the soup in the fridge and heat some up throughout the week for a quick lunch or a healthy snack -- or dinner if you don't feel like cooking!

2. Leftovers make great lunches during the week, or you can put them in the freezer for future dinners. I make The Svelte Gourmet Skinny Lasagna and Sweet & Spicy Chili regularly for the purpose of storing leftovers!

3. Banish the potatoes! They are simple carbs, they add unnecessary calories to your meal, they take a while to cook and you will still have enough to eat without them -- I promise!

4. Plan each meal to include a lean protein and lots of veggies. I typically plan meals that include whole grain rice or whole wheat pasta twice a week.

5. If you need recipe ideas, consult this blog or The Svelte Gourmet cookbook! Both are loaded with healthy choices, so you can't go wrong.

I'm taking the challenge, too -- over the past couple months, I've fallen into some bad behavior. Eating on the run, letting my passion for baking take over, seeking comfort food as the mercury falls. I'm ready to get back to it! Spring is right around the corner. Are you with me?!

Please comment below and share with us what you're cooking -- if you're trying this for the first time or if you already cook every day anyway! We can all use some inspiration and every challenge is easier with friends. If you need help or want an idea for what to do with some of the random things in your pantry, comment below or send me an email at jenny@thesveltegourmet.com. Maybe we'll come up with some new recipes together!

Take the pantry challenge! Eat in, eat right, lose weight, feel better. That's it. Good luck!

The Svelte Gourmet: A Month of Main Courses is available at www.thesveltegourmet.com/products.html. A portion of sales will be donated to Louie's Kids in the fight against childhood obesity.

Moving beyond the PB&J -- eating on-the-go!

The other night, I had a craving for Tangy Buffalo Chicken. I was marinating the chicken and invited my in-laws to join us. I knew this was risky, since my father-in-law has a major aversion to chicken breast ("because I don't like shoe leather"). Yet I'm determined, as always, to show him the joys of a properly cooked chicken breast (I'm very stubborn). Usually I stick to varieties of lean beef or seafood when they're coming over, but tonight was chicken, already in progress. He'd been warned, but he came anyway! Now lest you think we're prone to bickering, this is all just lighthearted teasing, comments always made with a twinkle in the eye. But I was floored by his next comment. "This is really good, I'm surprised (wink). It's juicy and moist (that word makes me cringe, so he says it as often as possible). But don't tell anyone I said that...I have a reputation to uphold. (grin)" Oops...well I just told you. But I'm sure he won't mind. Anyway, just when I thought I'd come out victorious, he says, "but you really should learn to fry -- it would make you more well-rounded in the kitchen." My retort? "But, see, I don't want to be rounded!" Point made, end of discussion.

What does this have to do with "eating on-the-go," you might ask? Well, not much, except that I made some extra chicken for us to have for lunch the next day. And also that I like a challenge, whether it be getting my father-in-law to eat chicken breast or coming up with interesting lunches that don't require microwave access! My husband was talking to a friend the other day who has an exceptionally long daily commute, so she's relegated to drive-thru (not very svelte) or whatever will fit in her bag. So I thought this might make a good topic for discussion. Below are my ideas, but I would love to hear yours!

The first thing we must do is skip the brown bag and invest in an insulated lunch bag. These are cheap, handy, cute and come in a variety of sizes. They even come in male-friendly versions (I tried to pack Keith's lunches in this adorable one in the picture, but he wasn't having it!). Anyway, get one of these and a cold pack that lives in your freezer until you need it, and you can keep almost anything cold enough for several hours.

No microwave? No problem! Get a Thermos -- I find that the wider, "squattier" models are better for eating out of with utensils. Heat up your food to piping hot before you leave the house, put it in the Thermos and it will stay hot for hours. Soups, chili and stews are obvious choices for the Thermos, but they're also great for leftover stir-fry, rice or pasta dishes. If you're not worried about aesthetics, stuff some The Svelte Gourmet Skinny Lasagna in there....YUM!

Now I don't know about you, but I absolutely cannot stand reheated chicken. But cold, it's amazing. Different than last evening's main event, and perfect for a variety of on-the-go lunch options. Whole wheat sandwich pitas, bread or wraps are great. Use some leftover chicken, vegetables and some interesting spreads (light mayo will be fine if you have a cold pack, but why not liven it up with some mashed avocado, sundried tomato, olive tapenade or honey mustard instead? Yummy!). Try a chicken taco -- they're great cold or at room temperature. Leftover steak with some low-fat horseradish sauce and arugula would make an amazing sandwich. If you're watching your carbs, use the same ingredients wrapped in lettuce leaves. They're crisp and refreshing with no carbs and negligible calories. For low-calorie toppings that add a ton of flavor, try pickles, banana peppers or olives. Yum! I love sandwiches, so I could go on and on...

Why not take that leftover chicken and turn it into a chicken salad. Make it with yogurt instead of mayonnaise, and it's instantly transformed into health food! You could eat it over a salad, but I prefer to toss it with some veggies (snow peas are great, or celery and onion) and cooked whole grain pasta for a filling but light lunch.

For breakfast on-the-go, try some of my Raisin Honey Bran Muffins from an early blog entry. These are easy to eat, packed with fiber, and very low in calories. The perfect way to start your morning. Try one with some lowfat yogurt or an apple and some light cottage cheese. This beats a boring bowl of cereal any day! Want more protein? Have a hard-boiled egg -- just peel it before you leave the house, because it's not the easiest thing to do while you're driving. Safety first!

Snacking is the easiest and the toughest at the same time. Easy because we are learning the healthier things to eat. Harder, because if we don't portion ourselves, we'll eat way more than we should. So before you leave, package one portion of nuts (1/4 cup has 180 calories, so watch those nuts!) or grab a part-skim mozzarella cheese stick for protein. I love fruit with lowfat peanut butter or light cream cheese. Again, watch the portions. Here's a trick -- mix the peanut butter with the cream cheese. It tastes amazing and is equally great on apples or celery! YUM. I also keep homemade whole wheat baked tortillas on hand, and they're great with salsa or a quick guacamole (avocado, onion, tomato, jalapeno, lime juice and salt -- throw in cilantro if you like it. I don't!). Avocados are full of heart-healthy fat, but watch your portions. Try mixing in some plain yogurt to increase the volume without adding a ton more calories. Yogurt-based dip is also great with a variety of raw veggies. I also love homemade beef jerky -- Keith makes the BEST. We use lean beef like London broil and we can watch the salt since we're making it at home. It's a great snack!

Sure, you could make salads, but here's something a bit more interesting. A plate of raw vegetables with yogurt dip, a hardboiled egg, some lowfat cheese, some turkey pepperoni (only 4 calories per slice!), and some pickles and olives make a VERY flavorful light lunch.

My favorite lunch on-the-go is cold The Svelte Gourmet pizza, but there isn't ever any left. Oh well!

Please share your ideas with us! We all need some inspiration for packing healthy and simple lunches for ourselves, our spouses and the kids. And if you try some of these suggestions, let me know what you think!

Oh, and I almost forgot...keep some extra plastic forks, spoons and napkins in the car. It's no fun eating yogurt with your fingers!

The Svelte Gourmet: A Month of Main Courses is available at www.thesveltegourmet.com/products.html.

Whole Grains: Mystery Solved!

So it seems that I've created some label-reading monsters out there! Which is great, I'm not complaining. By reading food labels, you're hopefully starting to understand calorie counts, portion sizes and all the nutrition (or lack thereof!) that's in the food you're eating. I read the labels for everything -- if I read something bad, I still may eat it. I just like to know what I'm putting in!

Anyway, you're starting to ask some questions, too, which is also great! One I've gotten a lot recently has to do with whole grain, whole wheat and the whole food theory in general. More specifically, I've been asked, "if whole grain flour/bread has the same calories as white flour/bread, then why can't we just eat the white one? Isn't it just calories in, calories out?"

Here's the short answer:
1. Whole grains help stabilize blood sugar
2. Whole grains keep you feeling fuller, longer

How? Well, there are very long, very boring explanations for all this, but I'm going to put it into my own words. Basically, as your body digests carbohydrates (beginning with chewing!), it converts it into sugars (energy) that are absorbed into your bloodstream. If this conversion and absorption happens very quickly, your blood sugar spikes....then crashes. If this absorption happens slowly, your blood sugar remains stable.

A grain is made up of bran (or fiber), germ and endosperm. The bran is on the outside, the germ contains the nutrients, and the endosperm is the starchy part. Your body really has to work hard to digest the fiber and the germ to get to the endosperm. But processed foods (like white flour) are basically the starchy endosperm that's been stripped of the bran and germ. Therefore, they are converted to sugar and absorbed into the blood stream quite quickly. In fact, your body processes the sugars in a piece of white bread much like a piece of cake! Ever wonder why you're always hungry? You eat white bread or other junk food, then an hour later (or less), you want to eat again. That's because your body has very quickly processed and used up what you put into it. However, the whole grain slows things down considerably....

The whole grain has all three parts, so it takes your body longer to digest, convert the sugar and carry it to your blood stream. You feel fuller longer and you don't have the negative effects of your blood sugar rapidly rising and falling! Staying fuller longer ultimately means you'll eat less, which is why whole grains are recommended for weight loss.

Plus, you're getting all that great fiber! Fiber (the bran layer) of food comes in two forms -- soluble and insoluble. Soluble fiber (found in fruits, veggies, beans and whole grains) dissolves in water, and is what weighs down your stomach and makes you feel full. Insoluble fiber (often found in the peels of foods and whole grains) is bulky and helps food pass through your intestines. Some experts believe it also helps block some of the fat that your body takes from food -- I like that theory! Yay fiber! You also get a lot of fiber from fruits and vegetables. I like to aim for at least 30 grams of fiber a day.

So to make a long story short (too late!), whole grains are better for your body -- both inside and out! Not only do they help your dieting efforts by making you feel full, but they help keep your blood sugar stable and your digestive tract running smoothly.

Now that you're ready to switch from white bread to whole wheat, here are some things to remember. Back to the label reading! Wheat and whole wheat are not always the same. In order to be considered a whole grain, it must have the three parts (bran, germ and endosperm). So make sure you see the word "whole" or look for this seal. Also, foods high in fiber (like bran cereals), may not contain the other parts of the grain -- so while you're getting the good fiber, you're missing some of the value of the whole grain.

If you have anything to add, either from your own experience or a medical background, please feel free to leave a comment! The more knowledge we have, the more successful we'll be. In the meantime, I'm going to go make some popcorn -- it is a whole grain, after all!

The Svelte Gourmet: A Month of Main Courses cookbook is available at www.thesveltegourmet.com/products.html. A portion of book sales through the end of February will be donated to the relief efforts in Haiti.

And now you know...the rest of the meal!

A couple years ago, Keith and I were in my hometown of Lancaster, Pennsylvania at a local grocery store. A true "southern boy," he suggested we have okra with dinner. I looked around for a bit, then walked up to the produce manager and asked where I could find the okra. He looked at me quizzically and said, "Well, is it a fruit or a vegetable?" I thought Keith was going to pass out! My southern friends are equally as incredulous when they hear this story, but my northern friends just don't understand what the fuss is all about.

Since publishing my main courses, customers and fans continue to ask me what they should have "for the rest of the meal." My advice stays the same -- The Svelte Gourmet Signature Salad and a vegetable (and no, potatoes don't count!). About once a week, I'll make something that includes a whole grain like brown rice or whole wheat pasta. This is what works for us, and I rarely deviate. But in these cold winter months, finding a new and exciting vegetable to cook each night can be difficult (which is why I'm already working on the next cookbook, featuring sides, soups and salads!). In the meantime, here are my thoughts...

In Charleston, 'tis the season for greens! Though we eat spinach daily, other greens -- like collard greens, turnip greens and kale -- have been daunting to me. Collards, in particular, round out cozy, home cooked meals across the Low Country. Until recently, I've never been much of a fan. As you can probably imagine, I stick to steaming or roasting my vegetables -- it keeps their vitamins intact and requires little or no added fat. Perfect for svelte living! However, I very rarely see vegetables around here that are not cooked with some sort of pork product. I understand that this is to give the vegetables flavor, but my mission is to prove to you that vegetables are already loaded with flavor! Salt, pepper, maybe a little garlic or squirt of lemon juice and we're good to go. Anyway, back to my previous aversion to collards....

Collards, I will admit, do benefit from flavor enhancement. However, many recipes use a cut of pork that makes me shake my head every time. "Fat back." Just saying it makes me laugh. Talk about defeating the purpose! Often, collards are boiled for hours, stripping them of their precious nutrients. Then to top it off, they're flavored with "fat back." I'm not superstitious, but I steer clear of things and places named after obesity. For example, you will not find me eating at Blimpie, Fatz Cafe or Potbelly Deli. "Fat back" is avoided for the same reason! If I eat it, I'll get it.

So at the brilliant suggestion of my father-in-law, who dropped off some fresh collards here the other day, I opted to cook them with smoked turkey instead of "fat back" and I only boiled them for a short time. And I must say, thanks to his tutelage, these were the best collards I've ever had. And svelte!

Now for all of you non-southerners who are asking "what are collards?," I'll get back to the point. You, too, can eat local seasonal vegetables, even in winter! Check out this tool from the Natural Resources Defense Council to see what's in season in your area. Even in January, most states have some seasonal options. But if you're in one of those states that doesn't, rest assured. We'll send you some! Here's a tip, though -- many experts say that frozen vegetables are better for you than fresh vegetables from other states or countries. Fresh veggies are often picked before they reach their nutritional peak, then shipped thousands of miles before they reach your grocer. Frozen veggies, on the other hand, are picked and frozen quickly, often within a day of harvest. And as a general rule, try to stay away from canned vegetables, which lose most of their vitamins during the canning process (tomatoes being an interesting exception!).

To steam your vegetables, simply put about an inch of water into the bottom of a pot, insert the steamer basket of your choice, cover, heat to a boil and steam the veggies until crisp-tender (about 5-8 minutes, depending on what you're cooking).

To roast your vegetables, preheat the oven to 400 degrees, mist vegetables with olive oil, place them in a single layer on a baking sheet, sprinkle with salt and pepper and other seasonings of your choice, and roast for 30 minutes, stirring or flipping every 10 minutes for even browning. (The picture shows The Svelte Gourmet Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Browned Butter & Pecans -- healthy with just a little glaze! Coming in the next cookbook!)

Each month, this blog has readers not only from across the United States, but also from countries around the world -- the UK, Australia, Italy, The Netherlands, Ireland, Brazil, Turkey, Philippines, Germany and Switzerland, to name a few! I am honored to have reached so many fans, and though I don't know who you are, I'd like to hear from you! Please leave a comment and let your fellow readers know what's in season where you live and how you cook it. I'm always looking for new ideas to keep meals healthy and interesting!

I will be donating a portion of all cookbook sales through February to the relief effort in Haiti. The Svelte Gourmet: A Month of Main Courses is available at www.thesveltegourmet.com/products.html.

Ahhh...Umami!

When I first started to see the new Kikkoman television ads claiming "Umami" as the 5th taste, I thought it was just a gimmick. But for some odd reason, the word stuck in my head. I think it's because it reminds me of that Friends episode where Ross is trying to teach Rachel and Phoebe "Unagi," a "total awareness" exercise in karate. In my world (and theirs!), unagi is freshwater eel (my favorite sushi). Makes me laugh every time! "Ahhh...unagi!"

Anyway, back to umami. I did a little digging and figured out that umami really is classified as the 5th taste, and means "flavor" or "taste" in Japan. It is characterized by the presence of naturally occuring glutamates in foods. Brothy, meaty and savory have been proposed as additional translations.

So now we have salty, sweet, sour, bitter and umami. So what does this mean for us? What I figured out during my umami research is that The Svelte Gourmet: A Month of Main Courses cookbook is largely based on this flavor profile. Why? Because focusing on the flavors found in umami-rich foods, along with some salty, some sour and some sweet, creates big taste in small amounts! You get a ton of flavor, without adding a lot of fat and calories.

So based on the Kikkoman campaign, we can surmise that many Asian flavors are umami-rich. I've read that this includes the use of MSG (monosodium glutamate) as a flavor enhancer, but I'm talking about the naturally occuring glutamates in foods. No worries! So what other foods have umami flavors? Here's a quick list of the ones I love:

- beef, pork, chicken, fish, shellfish -- OK, so anything protein-rich!
- tomatoes
- mushrooms
- truffles
- soybeans
- carrots
- aged cheeses -- Parmesan, cheddar, Gruyere, emmental, blue cheese, romano
- yogurt and sour cream

So what does this say to me? It says -- and umami experts agree -- that pizza with tomato sauce, mushrooms and Parmesan cheese is an umami triple threat! That's even without the meat. Lucky for you, there's a healthy pizza recipe in the cookbook that even the kids will gobble up! Not only is this recipe full of umami-rich ingredients, the entire 8-inch Svelte Gourmet pizza has less than 400 calories! That's less than one slice of take-out! But I digress...

Mix these umami flavors with some of the other strong but healthful players, like salty olives, sweet honey, and sour citrus and you have entrees packed with flavor. These foods may not seem "svelte" to you, but used sparingly, these flavors pack a big punch in just a small amount. Perfect when you're trying to make healthy food taste great!

I've been walking around the kitchen saying "ahhh...umami" for about a month now. Keith and the kids think I'm a bit odd, but that's ok. I was formulating this blog entry in my head, wondering how I could best get the point across. Then this past weekend, I was preparing a client dinner -- starting with a lovely whole wheat crostini topped with roasted tomatoes, kalamata olives, garlic and basil chiffonade. Taylor walked into the kitchen, smelled it and said, "Yum, what are you making? It smells beefy." Well there you go. Ahhh....Umami!

The Svelte Gourmet: A Month of Main Courses is available at www.thesveltegourmet.com/products.html. Enjoy!

I like to keep green soup around the house to mess with the kids. (New recipe!)

Brrrr...even by northern standards, Charleston is cold. There was ice on my front stairs this morning! The pond even has a layer of ice on it! Since moving down here, my skin has gotten thinner...or something. I feel like a popsicle!

Nothing says cozy like a homemade pot of soup. Vegetable, chicken noodle, tomato (the Far East Tomato Soup in my cookbook is to die for!). I also love making soup because it's easy to freeze and pull out on those nights when I don't want to cook.

One of my all-time favorites is split pea soup. Though I leave the potatoes out to keep it svelte, it is still really good. It has nice chunks of ham and the onion, celery and bay leaves give the split peas an amazing flavor. YUM. At least I think so. Judging by Keith and Taylor downing a bowl or two each, I think they agree. Courtney, on the other hand, was not amused. I decided to stay out of it this time...

Her: "Daddy, it's green."
Him: "Then close your eyes."
Her: "Can't I have something else?"
Him: "You've already had half a loaf of bread. Two teaspoons is all I ask. It's good!"
Her: "Nope."
Him: "Then no more snacks or bread. Two teaspoons."
Her: "Not gonna happen. I don't care, I don't need snacks. I'm not hungry."

Little Courtney ended up eating her two teaspoons of soup for breakfast before Keith made her pancakes. And she admitted it wasn't too bad. Just not something she would want to eat again. What a hoot! I'm sure I said the same thing when I was 10, but now I love this soup. Thanks Mom!

This weekend, I set out to create more soup -- for us to freeze and to use up some of the ingredients in the fridge. I'm also working on the next cookbook, which will feature soups, salads, sides, etc., so I'm always experimenting. Well wouldn't you know it, green soup once again made an appearance. I wonder how Miss Courtney is going to like this one? Maybe I should spare her, but it's REALLY good, and she likes broccoli. If she can just get past the color, I'm sure she would like it!

This Creamy Broccoli Soup is a recreation of two old favorites -- cream of broccoli and broccoli cheese soups. However, this one focuses more on the broccoli and less on the fat. It's different and interesting, with delicate flavors that mellow the broccoli's bite. And unlike the old favorites, it is VERY light. With the ingredients I used, I calculated mine to have 75 calories per serving, with 8 servings in the pot. Of course Keith and I each ate more than a serving at a time, but with it being so low in calories, who cares?! It was a cozy, comforting meal for us during this unusual cold spell in Charleston, and he loved it. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

Creamy Broccoli Soup
2 lbs (10 cups) broccoli, frozen or fresh
1 quart chicken broth (preferably low fat and low salt).
2 oz light cream cheese (regular or reduced fat)
1/2 cup plain yogurt (fat free or full fat)
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp black pepper
Salt to taste (amount needed will depend on your broth)
Extra broth or water to thin, if necessary

Boil broccoli in broth for 10 minutes, or until it's soft enough to mash with a fork (don't drain it). Mash roughly and add the rest of the ingredients, stirring until the cream cheese melts. Blend with an immersion blender or transfer to a regular blender, blending until smooth and adding extra broth to achieve your desired consistency. Top with a dollop of yogurt and some freshly ground black pepper if desired.

Enjoy!

The Svelte Gourmet Cookbook: A Month of Main Courses is available at www.thesveltegourmet.com/products.html.

'Twas the Night Before New Year's

'Twas the night before New Year's and all through the fridge,

nothing in there was healthy, not even a smidge.

The holidays are over, the gorging's all done.
It's time for my New Year's resolution!

The pantry gets emptied, the cupboards cleaned out,
No more junk food for us! Keith is starting to pout.

I in my "onion goggles" -- no more tears, no more sorrow!
We're starting "A Month of Main Courses" tomorrow!

Skinny Lasagna, Prosciutto Pork, Fancy Breakfast for Dinner,
And what? It's all healthy? This book must be a winner!

A whole month of main courses that are tasty and good,
No more boredom, fad diets or food that's like wood.

My mission, you see, is to help you get svelte!
Healthy food can taste great, and the pounds will just melt!

Off love handles, off double chin, off growing derriere!
Off laziness, off lethargy, just GET OFF THE CHAIR!

These recipes are ready to answer the call,
Sweets away, fat away, bad carbs away ALL!

It's "A Month of Main Courses," healthy cooking done right,
It's available now at The Svelte Gourmet website!

http://www.thesveltegourmet.com/products.html

Enjoy and Happy New Year!

I'm not Superwoman! (and other shocking discoveries)

Boy, am I tired! No one warned me that running a household was so stressful! A lot has changed for me in the past few months -- I got married, built a house, inherited two beautiful children, got a dog, got a cat, started a new business and published a cookbook. Whew! Just typing that makes me tired.

I've figured out this month that I'm not Superwoman (I've suspected this for quite some time, but now I know for sure). I take on too much, like I'm sure most of you do. The extra stress and running around does burn off some calories, but that's all counteracted by the "grab-and-go" mentality when it comes to eating.

I know when I grab a handful of junk food on my way out the door that I'm doing myself an injustice. So I'm careful later. What sneaks up on me, though, is the junk food that's disguised as health food. I've seen this happen so often that I have to mention it -- just because it says "lowfat" or "light" doesn't mean it won't contribute to weight gain.

Case in point: In college, fat free frozen yogurt was a staple of my diet. I have a big appetite, so my portions were a little off -- but since it was fat free, I wasn't doing any harm, right? WRONG. I've since figured out that the yogurt I was eating still had 600 calories. OUCH! A serving size is 1/2 cup, but I was eating 4 times that, probably more, several times a week. No wonder!

Now that I'm cooking healthy food and sharing it with others through this blog and my business, I've seen this type of self-sabotage happening more and more. "This is healthy!" followed by overeating. When we see something that's obviously fattening, we know to watch our portion sizes (or at least be more careful later). But when we're faced with healthy choices, all bets are off. Sure there's more breathing room with the healthy food, but if you are trying to lose weight, portion size still matters. After all, it's a numbers game -- calories in, calories out.

For me, it's not the endless holiday party buffets that get me. I know what to do with those (the veggie tray is my best friend, but watch the dressing!). The problem is eating on the run, being too tired to cook dinner and snacking during all the great holiday movies! So here are a couple tips. If you have more, please share them!

Read labels. In my opinion, the most important information on a nutrition label isn't the calories or fat, it's the serving size. Read the label and measure a serving size -- even if you eat more, you'll be conscious of what a serving size should be and you'll learn to cut back on other things to balance it out. This will be discouraging at first -- you'll be shocked at how little a serving size actually is for most things. But the lesson is worth it!

When it seems too good to be true, investigate! Spray butter that tastes really good and has 0 calories? Yahoo! I was so ecstatic, I used it on everything. But then I dug a little deeper and learned that the nutrition label can say 0 calories if one serving has less than 5 calories and 0 fat if one serving has less than 1/2 a gram. So guess what? That bottle has over 900 calories. OUCH! I've heard similar reports about diet soda (which has no nutritional value, anyway), so stick to water!

Don't snack with an open bag. When you want a snack, measure out how much you should be eating, put it in a bowl and put the bag away. Trust me, you'll think twice about going back for more. But if you sit in front of the television with an open bag of anything, you'll eat WAY more than you intended. Even a bag of rice cakes (ew!) has a ton of calories if you eat the whole thing! I'm speaking from experience. This is also why I love fruit -- it's perfectly portioned!

Chew gum. Want to fend off cravings or between-meal snacking? Chew a piece of gum. My friend shared this tip with me, and it's worked for her. She's lost 9 pounds so far! Awesome! And during the holidays, too. While gum keeps your mouth busy longer, I also find that popping a mint or brushing your teeth works, too. That minty flavor makes just about anything that follows taste bland or bitter. Perfect!

Take time to eat regular meals. When I don't eat regularly, my hands shake, I get irritable and I can't function. Thus, I get desperate and grab whatever is closest. Bad idea! The best lesson I learned when I wrote my cookbook is that cooking dinner doesn't take that long. I cooked 30 dinners in 4 days and I can tell you for a fact that this is true. A chicken breast will cook in 15 minutes. Lean steak is even less! That is faster than the drive-thru! But if you're out and you need to grab something on the go, opt for Subway over virtually any burger joint. Skip the cheese, the mayo and the oil on your 6-inch sub (load up on veggies, mustard and vinegar!) and you'll come in around 300 calories. Can't beat that!

I know we can make it through this season without weight gain. I have faith! Please feel free to share the tips that work for you. Here's to a healthy, happy, and fit holiday season!

My Favorite Svelte Kitchen Gadgets: Vol. II

It's my experience that no matter how big I make my space, I'll fill it up. In this case, I'm talking about the kitchen. "What in the world am I going to put in all these cabinets?" has very quickly become "Keith, I don't know where to put this. We need a bigger kitchen." I think I may need therapy.

Not everyone enjoys spending all of their time in the kitchen -- not even me! As I worked to complete my cookbook, however, I ended up cooking 12 hours a day for 4 days straight. I'm REALLY tired. During this time, however, I discovered even more kitchen tools that I find invaluable for a convenient, svelte lifestyle and I wanted to share them with you.

Veggie Steamer
Every night, I serve dinner with The Svelte Gourmet Signature Salad and a steamed vegetable of some sort. Sure, I have recipes and variations to keep my side dishes interesting, but one thing is constant -- the vegetable steamer. These come in many varieties from fancy to simple, but my go-to is the inexpensive, collapsible steamer (the one on the right). It fits in almost any pot and can accommodate A LOT of veggies. Just put an inch or so of water in the bottom of the pan, place this on top (it has little legs that allow it to stand up off the bottom) and add the veggies. Put the lid on the pan and steam away. Crisp tender or cooked to death, veggies have never been so easy! Here in the Low Country, I'm hard-pressed to find vegetables on a menu that don't have some sort of pork product added to them to give them "flavor." Trust me, though, that isn't necessary. A light misting of olive oil, some garlic, a squirt of lemon -- fantastic and light!

Food Thermometer
I rely on my food thermometer so often that I bought an oven with a built in food probe. I know I'll get a lot of arguments about poking holes in my food ("It lets out all the juice!"), but I've found that none of that goodness escapes if you put the thermometer in raw or browned meat and leave it alone for the duration of the cooking process (including resting time). For this reason, I do not recommend the "fork" varieties that come with some grilling kits. These three, though, are great. On the right is the remote, talking variety -- perfect for my techie husband! But I'm just as happy with the $5 one on the left. Now don't tell him I said that or he'll question why I "needed" to have the fancy oven with the probe! That's the one in front. Anyway, a chicken breast cooked to 165 degrees (USDA's minimum safe cooking temp for poultry) is REALLY juicy. My father-in-law will still miss the dark meat, but you won't!

Roomba
To say I love my Roomba is an understatement. This thing has saved my sanity more often than I can count. Hardwood floors that show everything plus a messy cook could equal nervous breakdown. Am I embarrassed because I rely on a robotic vacuum cleaner? Nope. It cleans up crumbs the minute they fall and keeps my kitchen floor manageable (looking good and not at all crunchy!). Before Roomba came into my life, I kept a Dustbuster in the pantry. This works just fine in a pinch, too! A quick run-around after cooking and you're good to go.

Chef's Hat
OK, maybe this is a bit of a stretch as a "kitchen gadget." However, if you want your kids to help cook, eat their dinner and learn some healthy habits, dress them up! We had the pleasure of hosting Courtney's 10th birthday party (a sleep-over!) this past weekend, and she whipped out the hat and showed her friends how to make pizza sauce right from my cookbook proof. They even ate the whole wheat crust without one complaint. Success!

The Svelte Gourmet Cookbook:
A Month of Main Courses
Perhaps my favorite kitchen gadget of all! An entire month of healthy, tasty main courses. The book will officially launch in early January, but a limited first run will be available December 21. Pre-order now at www.thesveltegourmet.com/products.html!

Stay tuned for more of my favorite gadgets in some upcoming posts. Trust me, I'm only getting started. If you have any you'd like to share, feel free to comment -- even though my cabinets are about to explode, I'm always looking for handy new toys! Happy cooking!

My Favorite Svelte Kitchen Gadgets: Vol. I

Eating healthfully isn't easy. It takes the right lean, green or whole grain ingredients, creativity and lots of flavorful spices to make healthy food that tastes good. Sure, you can buy frozen, microwavable "lean" dinners, but they're loaded with salt and preservatives -- and really don't taste that good either. And they're so tiny! I can eat three of them, but that sort of defeats the purpose. But I'll save my rant on the evils of miniature food for another post and get back to the point at hand. Eating healthfully with a little help from my friends...

I'm doing this in volumes because I have SO MANY kitchen gadgets and I couldn't decide on just a few. I'll feature more in future posts, but for now, here are my first four:

The Misto: I use my Misto every single day and I absolutely love it! Basically, it takes a liquid or oil and allows you to atomize it by pumping the cap to add air pressure. Your olive oil is now in aerosol form! Not only is it a cool gadget that causes dinner party guests to say "hey, what's that thing?!," it also allows you to dramatically cut calories and fat and still get the great flavors of your favorite oils. Mine stays filled with extra virgin olive oil and basically takes the place of regular cooking spray in my skillets, etc. It's great sprayed on the grill rack to help keep food from sticking! I even spray it on vegetables, salads and meat to add that great olive oil flavor and shine without the calories. Imagine the rich flavors you could healthfully impart by filling this with sesame oil or truffle oil. YUM! Any recipe that says "brush" or "coat" with oil gets a blast from The Misto, saving us hundreds of calories.


Makin' Bacon: OK, first of all, I'm not making the claim that bacon is good for you or has any health benefits besides a bit of protein. But it tastes SO good! I'm a big fan of adding flavor instead of fat, but if you can get a lot of the fat out of bacon, then one slice at about 45 calories added to a whole recipe isn't going to kill you. And apparently, there's a nine-year-old girl who knows this -- the inventor of Makin' Bacon. I was skeptical at first, but the concept makes sense -- hang your bacon on the Makin' Bacon racks, microwave it for a minute or two, and the bacon cooks to your desired crispness while the fat drips in to the tray on the bottom! We don't eat a lot of bacon here at the Svelte Gourmet, but one slice of crispy lean-cut bacon, crumbled and sprinkled over a few baked chicken breasts (I have a lot of chicken recipes) makes it extra tasty and doesn't add a lot of fat and calories! Everything in moderation, right? If you're going to make a lifestyle change to healthy eating, you can't deprive yourself of flavor. There are ways to do it right!

KitchenAide Food Chopper: A lot of companies make a product like this, but the concept is the same -- a zig-zagged metal blade plunges and retracts, making a quarter turn each time. You operate it by putting your food in the chamber, placing it on a solid surface and pounding the top plunger several times until you reach the desired size of dice. Then, the entire thing comes apart and goes right into the dishwasher. I love this thing. I use it for onions, garlic, nuts, peppers, apples -- anything crispy works. Not only does this device allow you to release any residual anger from your day (is your spouse aggravating you?!), but it is also completely self-contained and kid-friendly. Our girls use this to help me cook. Not only is it fun to use, but I feel better knowing that they're not going to slice off a finger or accidentally spin around and stab one of us. It's great!

Crème Brûlée Torch: OK, again, I know that this dessert isn't "healthy." However, I make it

at home using small ramekins. My second favorite thing to do besides blog about healthy food is to calculate the calories in all my recipes -- I even have a spreadsheet for it. Doesn't that sound like fun?! Anyway, I calculated my crème brûlée recipe (which still uses heavy cream, eggs and sugar -- though a lot less than you would think), divided by eight servings served into 4 ounce ramekins, and the calorie count?! 130 per serving!!! Are you shocked? Quite a bit better than that 500 calorie (at least!) piece of cheesecake, huh? Toss a few blueberries on there and you have a very impressive dinner party dessert. But I transgress. Back to the gadget. Not only does it allow me to make this impressive dessert and torch it in front of my guests ("ooh, ahhh!"), even the kids will eat food they get to torch. Now please, stand VERY close to them and don't look away. But with the right supervision and a pledge to teach your kids kitchen safety, this is as harmless as the stove or chef's knife. It also has other uses as well. I have a svelte French onion soup recipe that I love, and I wanted to serve it in bowls that went with my "tablescape," but they weren't oven-safe. So I torched the very thin slice of cheese with the torch and it came out beautifully! I love my torch.

I could go on and on and on, but I'll save some gadgets for future volumes. Enjoy and feel free to share some of your favorites!

Prime time for eating locally!

I grew up in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania and loved going to the local farmers markets. I even worked at one for four years, selling chips, pretzels and hot roasted peanuts! Not very svelte, huh?! Now I live in Charleston, South Carolina, and I am again surrounded by people living and eating locally. And let me tell you, I am in my glory. I have tried so many new things and I wish I could make a career out of living off the land (and blogging about it?...)

I love adventures. I spent 11 years in Washington, DC, but I was always trying to get out to the country. It was there that I met my husband, who brought me to this glorious place. He's shown me some amazing adventures. And it's true, "if you teach a man to fish..." and all that. Keith says if the economy gets any worse, we can just live off the land and the water. And he's right! Though I might have to start weeding my herb garden, because it's out of control.

Right now in Charleston, it's prime time for eating locally. Shrimping season is in full force, and it's so much fun to catch them yourself! If we're lucky, we'll fill our freezer this year. And let me tell you, there is NOTHING like wild, local shrimp. The taste is so unlike those farmed shrimp you can get at the grocery store. If you have the opportunity to try them, don't let it pass you by!

It's also oyster season -- here, you can harvest and eat them in any month that has an "R" -- in other words, when the water is cold enough! Before moving here, I'd only had oysters once, in California. I hated them. I don't know why, and maybe I didn't give them a chance, but the oysters here are just different. Singles or clusters, it doesn't matter. They are amazing. In Charleston, oyster roasts are the social event of the winter. Weekend parties where people gather, have a few beers, and plow through bushels and bushels of freshly steamed oysters. There's usually a bonfire, even though it's 50 degrees at night in December. It's funny, though, how even though I'm from the north, I'm always cold. Maybe that's because I'm still wearing flip-flops in November... But anyway, I feel lucky to live in a place where I can walk down to the creek and break loose a few clusters of oysters with a brick. What?!

The pecans are also dropping. My in-laws' yard will shortly become a blanket of nuts, ready to be picked up and stored for winter! They even make special tools for picking them up and cracking them. My in-laws just bought some lawn mower-like contraption that picks them up, and I can't wait to try it. It's called Bag-O-Nut and now I can't stop giggling. Anyway, they'll last for years in their shell, or shelled in the freezer. If you buy and eat nuts, you know how expensive they are. So it's like gold dropping from the trees! Just be sure to pronounce them "PEE-cans." Otherwise, these Southerners will make fun of you. Trust me. I'm a Damn Yankee (the term for a Yankee that moves here and stays...)

And that's not all...we can pull crab traps from the dock and have crab feasts whenever we want. All-you-can-eat blue crabs and stone crabs -- I'm so spoiled now. We also fish a lot and catch dolphin fish (mahi mahi) and many other varieties. Keith has the most AMAZING recipes. We gig flounder. YUM. We have wild turkeys running around in our backyard, but I'm not a hunter, so they're still safe. We now have a freezer full of venison, thanks to my father-in-law. PLEASE share your recipes for venison if you have some, because I've only cooked it a couple times -- tenderloin and chili, so far. But it is quite lean (1/3 the fat of beef!) and I look forward to experimenting. I'll keep you posted...

I feel like I might have the advantage this time, with easy access to all of Charleston's bounty. But I know I'm wrong -- places like this exist all over the world. Please post comments and let us know where you live and what you eat. It may inspire us all to steer clear of Costco and stock our freezers for winter locally!

I'm an eater.

OK, this one is going to be a little bit embarrassing. But I'm willing to put myself out there, because I bet there are others just like me! Truth is, I love to cook -- but I also love to eat.

Trust me, I'm not one of those people who makes dinner, boasts about it being healthy, and then picks at it and pushes it around the plate. If I let myself, I could out-eat my husband. It's been known to happen during a gluttonous weekend or vacation. Stop eating when you're full. What?! And waste this lovely food? I think not. I think by now we all know the difference between actual hunger and just wanting to eat, but I still maintain that I'm always hungry.

I also don't work out as consistently as I'd like (the Wii Fit told me yesterday that it's been 109 days since my last session -- whoa! Has that much time really gone by?! I did ride my bike for several miles last week, and painting an entire house has to count for something, but still...) While I'm not teeny-tiny, I do manage to stay in pretty good shape and within 5 pounds of my average at all times. How? I have some tricks that might help my fellow "eaters" out there. If you have tips that you use, PLEASE share them via the comment section below! I need all the help I can get. Seriously.

1. Control portion sizes. I grew up family-style, where dinner was put out on the table with serving spoons and we all went at it. My mom is a really healthy cook, too, but if you're an eater like me, then going back for thirds still isn't a great idea. So now, I make the food and make our plates, instead of putting the food on the table. All leftovers immediately go into containers and into the freezer once they cool (my husband doesn't like "recent" leftovers, so I save them for future lunches or dinners in the freezer). If he wants more, he has more. But I stay away. Any bowl on the table gets revisited by me, so this trick has worked like a charm!

2. Eliminate the unhealthy carbs from big meals. I'm not a fan of eliminating a whole food group from your diet, but I do follow a few simple rules that really work. Basically, we rarely have a starch with dinner and if we do, it's a whole grain like brown rice or whole-grain pasta which fills you up faster and keeps you full longer. And remember, a serving of this as a side is 1/2 cup! Not the foundation for your whole plate. Anyway, our dinners consist of lean protein (4-6 oz), veggies and Svelte Gourmet Signature Salad. Trust me, this is enough food. And for the most part, you won't miss the baked potato. And please get rid of the bread basket! It's sabotaging you! You don't need it, I promise. You will be full.

3. Avoid buffets. So I have the unfortunate trifecta of dieter sabotage. I love to cook. I love to eat. And I am not picky. URG. Buffets are a nightmare for me. There is no possible way to try everything on a buffet and still be within a normal person's serving of food. As Ellen DeGeneres put it in one of her HBO specials, "We don't need to eat ALL we can eat." It's MUCH funnier the way she says it, but she's right. So steer clear of the buffet unless you have the willpower that I don't!

4. Find healthy snacks and sides. You will not get fat eating vegetables. I promise. And I happen to LOVE raw peas and green beans. So if you like that sort of stuff, pile it on! Fill up on that! Use my dip trick below! But for non-meal times, I've found some tried and true snacks that will allow you to eat and eat and eat and not pack on the pounds. Besides the obvious, here are two of them you may not have thought of:

-- Plain yogurt. This stuff is great and I use it for everything! I have a posting planned with some great yogurt recipes, but for now, suffice it to say that you can replace the sour cream or mayo with plain yogurt in almost any recipe. I use it a lot for dips and appetizers. Any dip recipe -- even those powder packets of ranch or onion dip -- come out wonderfully with yogurt as the base. And get this -- for 120 calories, you can eat veggies dipped in 2 tablespoons of the regular recipe or a WHOLE CUP of the one made with yogurt. Now for an eater like me, this is an obvious choice. Just beware of the Greek yogurt and read the labels -- it's much thicker (and so much yummier!), but stick with the 2%. It still tastes amazing!

-- Frozen grapes. What? Yes, frozen grapes. Even the kids will love these. Just remove the grapes from the stems, put them in freezer bags and pop them in the freezer. They last for weeks and they taste great! A cup of grapes has about 62 calories and I can usually fit 2 cups per bag. And let me tell you something -- you CANNOT plow through two cups of frozen grapes quickly. If you do, you'll have the worst ice cream headache you've ever had. Trust me. This snack will last most of the night and it will satisfy your sweet tooth. Even my husband loves them!

So there you go. I'm an eater. I'm not thrilled about it, but I'm not willing to give up eating to stay small. I've tried it and it's just not going to happen. So I do it this way. Please share your tricks and snacks! And as I discover more, I'll add them here.

New Recipe! Parmesan Crusted Chicken with Green & Black Olive Tapenade

Ah, chicken breast. How many ways can we cook it before we're utterly sick of it?! Well, I was trying to use some leftovers in the fridge tonight (specifically, the black olives and Parmesan cheese from pizza night!) and I made up this recipe. My husband can tell you that when I "go rogue" like this, it can often be disastrous -- but this one was so good that I had to post it. Enjoy and feel free to improvise with what you have on hand!

Parmesan Crusted Chicken with Green & Black Olive Tapenade

(Note: If you don't like -- or have -- olives, a great substitution would be chopped sun dried tomatoes. However, this chicken is so flavorful and juicy that it doesn't really need a topping! Also, resist the urge to add salt while cooking, as both the olives and Parmesan cheese are very salty. Salt to taste later if you need it!)

Serves 4

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Whites of 2 eggs

1 cup of Parmesan cheese (shredded or grated)

1 tsp minced garlic

Couple shakes each of dried oregano, basil and black pepper

1 tbsp olive oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Put egg whites in one shallow dish and combine cheese, garlic and spices in another shallow dish. Heat olive oil on medium/high in a large, oven-safe skillet. Reduce heat to medium. Dip each chicken breast in the egg whites, then dip in cheese mixture to coat. Brown in skillet, 2 minutes per side. Insert meat thermometer probe into thickest part of one breast, cover skillet with lid or foil, and bake in oven until thermometer reads 170 degrees.

To make the olive tapenade, roughly chop green olives (with or without pimentos) and black olives. Toss with 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic and some freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Top each chicken breast with a spoonful or two of the tapenade. Serve with a vegetable -- sorry, but taters don't count as veggies in Svelte Gourmet land! -- and the Svelte Gourmet Signature Salad. You'll have a meal so full of rich flavors, you won't miss the fat. I promise!

Please let me know how you've improvised or share your favorite chicken breast recipes -- I could use some inspiration!

To order The Svelte Gourmet: A Month of Main Courses cookbook, please visit www.thesveltegourmet.com/products.html.

Enjoy!

She ate whole grain spaghetti three days in a row!

Last month, I not only married my wonderful husband, I also inherited two beautiful stepdaughters. Over the past couple of years getting to know each other, we've only encountered one real issue -- overcoming our nine-year-old's favorite diet of Gatorade, Cheetos, mozzarella sticks and various Little Debbie creations.

Me: "No, you can't have another Star Crunch."
Her: "Why not?"
Me: "Because you've had five."
Her: "Oh. Daddy! Can I have a Star Crunch?"

Grrr...it's not that I don't want this beautiful child to have everything her little heart desires. It's just that I don't want her little heart to shut down. I mean really, I was struggling. And let me tell you, a nine-year-old gives it to you straight.

Me: "Why aren't you eating?"
Her: "Because I don't like it. No offense."
Me: "Oh." (Ouch!)
Her: "Can I have a Star Crunch?"

I understand that sometimes svelte cooking isn't all that kid friendly. Not much grease, little butter. But it's not THAT bad. Or maybe it was, to her. Couple that with the gourmet and/or unfamiliar ingredients I like to use and we have a bigger problem.

Her: "What is that?!"
Me: "Goat cheese."
Her: "Ew. Can I have a Star Crunch?"

I didn't know what to do. I am not a chef, I have no actual training, and my recipes can be hit or miss. But I LOVE this. It is my passion. I have a hundred cookbooks and subscriptions to three cooking magazines. So what do I do? I tried cutting out all unfamiliar flavors and spices. The food got worse and worse and the reactions were still the same.

Then one day I passed a restaurant supply store and my heart skipped a beat. FUN! I went in, and I went a little crazy. I was going to conquer this problem if it killed me! I was no longer going to cook for the family -- we were going to start a restaurant right there in the kitchen. "Chez Fox!" Or whatever. Everyone was going to cook.

The first night, we made spaghetti. Now what kid doesn't like spaghetti? Well, svelte spaghetti is made with lots of onions and mushrooms, ground chicken instead of beef and sausage, and whole grain pasta. The old me would have tried to hide those facts and pass it off as normal spaghetti. But no more! Luckily, I have some kid-friendly, safe kitchen gadgets. So she chopped onions, added the mushrooms, and picked fresh basil and oregano from the garden. She HATES those things. She simmered and stirred and beamed with pride as her daddy had a taste of her spaghetti sauce. She ate her dinner that night, as I sat there with tears in my eyes. I don't know if it was having her as my special guest chef or the funky chef's hats and aprons I got for all of us, but whatever it was, it worked. And she ate that spaghetti for three days.

Since then, we've done make-your-own pizza night (watching the dough rise is part of the fun!), recreated the Japanese hibachi menu (complete with homemade white sauce for the shrimp and chopsticks!) and had a fondue feast (our 15-year-old and I made five different dipping sauces!) I am in my glory. The kids are getting nutritious meals. We're having a blast and bonding at the same time. And the hats are really cute. I wear mine even when they're not here...shhhh.

I realized, throughout this process, that I needed to make some compromises, too. I still maintain that Cheeze Whiz with a little bit of broccoli is NOT a vegetable, but as long as it's coupled with something healthful, that's what counts. And yes, you can have a Star Crunch now.

Your food is ready!

"Your food is ready!" I just heard another woman in my kitchen, and she is VERY excited that our food is ready. VERY. And she keeps repeating, quite emphatically, that our food is ready...so I think we better listen.

I love kitchen gadgets. I have slicers and dicers, tools that do it all, and tools that do only one thing. And I love them all. This gadget, though, is for my husband, "the mystical grill master" of the Fox household. I think we've found the mother of all meat thermometers. And she is VERY excited that our food is ready.

My husband is an excellent griller. He has the most amazing recipes for seafood, steaks, pork and chicken. His dishes always came out juicy and flavorful. That is, until he met the likes of me. Svelte food has some challenges, you see. It isn't marbled with fat, sealed with skin, or basted with butter. My ribeye-loving grill master now faces the daily challenges of sirloin steaks and boneless, skinless chicken breasts. My father-in-law jokes that he's going to take me to the store and show me that a chicken has other parts, but I'm not buying it. And I'm pretty sure he's not joking at all.

So what is a grill master to do? We've tried different timing, different basting, different flipping and different heat levels. Nothing seemed to work. It was hit or miss, but the meat came out dry and overcooked more often than not. Then, on a whim, I bought one of those wireless meat thermometers for my gadget-loving guy. It's the kind you can take all over the house and it will beep when the food reaches the correct temperature. This thing will never work, I thought, but it'll be fun to play with. But it did work. It worked like a charm. Our steaks are juicy and we no longer have chicken jerky! We're now firm believers that cooking food based on temperature -- whether on the grill, stove or oven -- is the best way for us to enjoy our lean meats without sacrificing flavor or overcooking.

"Your food is ready!!" Little did I know, this gadget talks. And she is quite friendly and excited. Not like the woman on the GPS, who is quite matter-of-fact. No, this meat probe lady is VERY excited that our food is ready!