Delish 100 Calorie Raspberry Bar

Wow, a healthy and very delicious dessert recipe for just 101 calories? Yes, and it's loaded with fiber, protein, real fruits and taste. What a good deal!

Raspberry Bars

Servings: 16 bars

Crust

• 3/4 cup white whole-wheat flour
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons cold butter, cut into small pieces
• 2 tablespoons ice water
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Raspberry Filling

• 2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin
• 2 tablespoons water
• 3 cups fresh raspberries, divided
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 4 tablespoons nonfat cream cheese, softened
• 2 tablespoons low-fat milk
• 1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar

To prepare crust: Preheat oven to 400°F. Coat an 8-inch-square baking pan with cooking spray.
Place flour, pecans, 2 tablespoons sugar and salt in a food processor; process until the nuts are finely ground. Add butter one piece at a time, pulsing once or twice after each addition, until incorporated. Add ice water and vanilla and pulse just until the dough starts to come together. Transfer to the prepared pan. Press evenly and firmly into the pan to form a bottom crust.
Bake the crust until it looks set, but not browned, about 15 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack.
To prepare raspberry filling: Sprinkle gelatin over 2 tablespoons water in a small bowl; let stand, stirring once or twice, while you prepare the rest of the filling.
Reserve 16 raspberries. Puree the remaining raspberries in a food processor until smooth. Transfer to a medium saucepan and stir in 1/2 cup sugar. Cook over medium heat until bubbling. Stir in the gelatin mixture and cook, stirring, until the gelatin is melted, about 1 minute.
Fill a large bowl with ice water. Pour the raspberry mixture into a medium bowl and set it in the bowl of ice water. Refrigerate, stirring occasionally with a rubber spatula, until the mixture thickens to the consistency of loose jam and is beginning to set around the edges, about 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, beat cream cheese, milk and confectioners’ sugar in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until smooth.
Spread the thickened raspberry filling evenly over the crust. Dollop the cream cheese mixture over the filling. Draw the tip of a sharp knife or skewer through the two fillings to create a swirled effect. Nestle the reserved berries into the filling, evenly spacing them so each bar will be topped with a berry when cut. Refrigerate until the bars are completely set, about 3 hours. Cut into 16 bars, one raspberry per bar.

Per bar: 101 calories; 5 g fat (2 g sat, 2 g mono); 6 mg cholesterol; 14 g carbohydrates; 2 g protein; 2 g fiber; 94 mg sodium; 64 mg potassium.

Source: Eatingwell.com 

15 Healthy & Yummy Lunchbox Recipe Ideas

It is lunchbox planning time! We know it is a tough and important task, so here are a few ideas to help you out! All healthy, from experienced moms. You can combine items for complete meals.
Variety is always important, so kids don't get bored!

1. Wholewheat pita, peanut butter and sliced banana pockets.
2. Roasted fruits: try roasting banana in the oven with cinnamon and honey. It makes a great dessert!
3. Veggie Pies: stuff the pie with the kids' favorite veggies. Click here for a delicious pie recipe.
4. Wholewheat tortilla wrap: stuff it with veggies, cheese and ground turkey. Use kids' favorite ingredients!
5. Sliced organic veggies with hummus: raw green bell peppers, carrots, brocoli and a small container with hummus for dipping. Click here for a yummy hummus recipe.
6. Wholewheat bread with cream cheese/brocolli/spinach/garlic spread: Blend cream cheese, boiled broccoli, spinach and a garlic clove to a spread consistency. You can also add boiled carrots to the spread.
7. Cubed sweet potato: microwave the whole potato for 8 minutes, let cool, then cut.
8. Plain yogurt with honey and pieces of fruit.
9. Wholewheat Pretzel with hummus for dipping.
10. Sweet potato sliced and baked in the oven with salt and herbs.
11. Whole wheat waffles with peanut butter, honey or maple syrup.
12. Homemade granola bars are always delicious, and kids will love even more if they help bake them! Click here for a great homemade Fruit and Oat Granola Bar recipe.
13. Mini vegetable pizzas: split wholewheat English muffins and top each half with tomato sauce, cheese, and veggies.
14. Make a wholesome snack by cutting whole wheat pita rounds into wedges, toasting them, and packing with cheese slices. 
15. Peanut butter, banana and raisins sandwich in wholewheat waffles. Click here for step-by-step recipe

Click here for other healthy recipes.

Homemade Lasagna

I've been asked to post the recipe for my wonderful homemade lasagna. It's very easy to make, the secret is the tomato sauce! Here it is 

Homemade Lasagna

Servings: 6 portions

Tomato Sauce

• 1 medium onion, diced
• 8 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 lbs Roma tomatoes, finely diced
• 1/2 cup organic carrots, finely shredded
• 1 tablespoon dry oregano
• 1/2 lbs cooked chicken breast, shredded
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (or half as much table salt)
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup water 

In a large pan, sautee the onion and garlic with the canola oil. Keep stirring it. When the onion is tender, add the tomatoes, salt, pepper, oregano and shredded cooked chicken breast. Stir and cook for a few minutes. Add the carrots, and the water. Let it simmer for 15 minutes, stirring it occasionally. Add more water if necessary.

Lasagna

• 12 oz Mozzarella, shredded
• 1 box pasta for lasagna, cook as instructed in the box
• 1 container of light ricotta

Assemble the layers:

1. Tomato sauce
2. Pasta
3. Mozzarella
4. Tomato sauce
5. Pasta
6. Ricotta
7. Mozzarella
8. Pasta
9. Tomato sauce
10. Mozzarella

Oven at 400F until cheese is melted and golden (about 30 minutes).

RECALL ALERT: Organic Grape Tomatoes with Potential Salmonella

Menno Beachy of Cresco, Iowa, is recalling one pint containers of Certified Organic Grape Tomatoes because they have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail, or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy persons infected with Salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain.A food distributor in Minnesota distributed 15 cases containing 12 one-pint containers of the affected grape tomatoes to retail stores located in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan between 7/26/12-8/6/12.

The grape tomatoes are packaged in square-shaped clear plastic clamshell containers labeled as Menno Beachy Certified Organic Grape Tomato, UPC number 044419310176, with a net weight of one pint.  There are no lot numbers or expiration dates on the clamshell label.  The clamshell packages are distributed in cases that are printed with a lot number.  The case lot numbers affected by the recall are MB725GT3, MB725GT8, and MB725GT0

Source: fda.gov 

RECALL ALERT: Certain Food Products From Target Stores with Listeria

The Rhode Island Department of Health (HEALTH) advises consumers that they should not eat certain foods from the Market Pantry and Archer Farms Deli Salad lines. The products are sold at Target stores, and are being voluntarily recalled because they may be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.

Source: foodsafety.gov