Two Great Tastes...

I'm not sure that my relationship with food is unhealthy, but I'm not sure that it's healthy, either. I have bounced up and down the scales for the past 27 years, and while I know *how* to lose weight, it's a love affair with food and a lack of prowess in the kitchen that have contributed extra inches to my waistline. I'm always on the lookout for low-cal (or low points, whatever program I'm loosely following at the time) sweets and treats, figuring if I make a few measly swap-outs, I'll stay on the underside of 200lb.

I have been receiving daily email updates from HungryGirl, and checking her website, pretty regularly for the past year or so. When the HungryGirl book was released, my mom sent it to me right away (thanks Donna!). I had never been much of a cook, but soon I was smothering everything in Egg Beaters and Fiber One crumbs, as well as exploring the world of baked goods using canned pumpkin. I haven't dieted, per se, but the book and the emails have helped me realize what I'm consuming, and how to make it a little bit better for myself. HG also introduces me to new delicious treats, such as 100 cal Twinkie packs (not worth it), and teaches me tips like how to take my daily espresso drink down about 250 cals. I am constantly on the lookout for new and exciting food products, thanks to HG.

HG had *not* told me about the new Diet Pomegranate 7Up, but luckily, blogger Emily was on the case. She recommended the beverage in a blog post about healthy food she loves (I am totally onboard with the plain yogurt with splenda!), and when I tried it, it was love at first sip. Once I had come to grips with the fact that my red bubbly would only be available for a limited time, I realized I had to make the most of it. I referenced a recipe I remember seeing in my HG cookbook, and modified to include my new favorite beverage. I can't post the original recipe here, as I'm sure it is copyrighted or something, but here is my take on a fab snack or dessert!


MA*s Red Jello Blob
-- Dissolve one large package Sugar Free Jello (8 serving size) into 2 c. boiling water.
-- Add one can Diet Pom 7Up. (Careful, it's FIZZY, and the red is hard to get off your kitchen counter. Use a large bowl!)
-- Let it chill in the fridge for about an hour and a half. The sides will be Jello-like, and the middle will still be pretty liquidy.
-- Using an electric mixer, add in one cup Cool Whip Free. (You may want to fold it in first, see the above note about red kitchen stains). Make sure it gets good and blended, leaving no Jello-y bits behind.
-- Put it back in the fridge and let it set up. The best is overnight, but I gave it a few hours and it was just as good (you'll want to eat it right away!)
-- ENJOY WITH NO GUILT!

The ENTIRE recipe has 200 calories and a measly 2 grams of fat, but it took me 2 days to get through the entire bowl (and that's saying a lot). The original idea called for orange Jello and diet cream soda, so you can definitely experiment with different Jello and soda flavors. But this one is awesome, trust me. When the Pom7 goes away, I'll have to try a new flavor (Mom suggested Diet Orange Crush). In the meantime, enjoy!