Holiday Dessert Swap

It's that time of year of year again where everywhere you go it's "pumpkin" this, "cranberry" that, and "peppermint" something else. I am back at home and attended an annual Holiday Party at my old piano teacher's house. My eyes were immediately drawn to a magnificent looking peppermint pie! After taking a bite of the ultra rich cream pie, I thought to myself, there's absolutely NO way that this can be good for you.. But oh, it could be deceiving! Indeed, there's something inherently tricky about minty desserts. They seem light. It's like the mintiness sends a message straight to the brain, triggering the response, "This can't be THAT bad for me!" I quickly found the maker of the delicious pie and she informed me of the ingredients. Sugar, heavy whipping cream, oreo cookies.. Ahhh.. This was definitely not a dessert to be taken lightly.

After some quick research on the internet, I found an awesome recipe that subs out the heavy cream for fat free cool whip, which naturally sweetens without the use of oreo cookies and other sugars. Even better, there's ZERO baking involved, just some quick and easy mixing of ingredients.. and after 10 minutes of prep time, all that's left is some time for the pie to chill and harden, and voila! A minty, chocolatey healthier cream pie! Check it out!

Less than 5 grams of fat per slice? Dig in!

Ingredients:
Purchase a pre-made chocolate graham cracker crust
Filling

• 1/2 cup fat-free sweetened condensed milk
• 1/4 cup fat-free milk
• 1 small (4-serving) box Jell-O Sugar Free Fat Free Vanilla Instant pudding mix
• 3 cups Cool Whip Free, thawed
• 3 tbsp. mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 2 standard-sized peppermint candy canes, lightly crushed, divided
• Optional topping: Fat Free Reddi-wip

Directions:

To make the filling, combine condensed milk, milk, and pudding mix in a large bowl. Mix well. Fold in Cool Whip until smooth. Gently stir in chocolate chips and about 3/4 of the candy cane pieces. Once crust has cooled completely, evenly pour filling into the pan. Refrigerate until firm and chilled, at least 2 hours. (Overnight is best.) Sprinkle pie with remaining candy cane pieces. If you want, top with Reddi-wip just before serving. Dig in!

Here's the BEST part:

• Serving Size: 1 slice (1/8th of pie) 
• Calories: 202
• Fat: 4.5g 
• Sodium: 250mg 
• Carbs: 37g 
• Fiber: 0.25g 
• Sugars: 24g 
• Protein: 2.5g 

So, when you're thinking of a healthier option to take to the next Holiday Party, give this recipe a try! It took all of 10 minutes to whip together! So, it's super quick, easy, and it tastes delicious! Enjoy! 

Tacos-Cheap, Easy, and FAST!

So you would think with my profession that I absolutely love going to the grocery store.  But after a long day at work, a 65 lb puppy that needs attention, and frankly pure laziness on my part...I dread it and want to fly through there as quickly as possible.  Although I think that through this dread and impatience has come a good outlet of knowledge.  Having done my research, I now feel confident that my speedy trip's outcome will not do a disservice to my healthy diet.  I would like to share some short-cuts on how to have a great tasting and HEALTHY taco night! 

Cheap and Easy Tacos

1/2 pre-roasted turkey or chicken (I like Jennie-O brand, and remove the skin!)
1 package Whole Wheat Tortillas (I like the low-carb brands, they seem to have a higher protein and fiber content)
1 Green pepper
1 Onion
1 Tomato
1 bushel Fresh Cilantro
1 Avocado
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Hot sauce

Grill onions and green peppers in a well-greased frying pan (olive oil spray is a healthy choice to cook with.)  Warm tortillas in microwave for 10 secs.  Slice fresh tomato and avocado.  Chop fresh cilantro pieces.  Remove skin from roasted chicken.  Pull of about 3 oz of meat (size of deck of cards) portions for each taco.  Add grilled vegetables, fresh tomato, avocado, sprinkle cheese, and cilantro.  Add hot sauce for some spice.

Get nutrition advice without leaving your room and earn a prize!

Don't have time to make an appointment with the dietitian but have a specific question about nutrition?  Did you know you can post nutrition questions to the dietitian on this blog?  Just go to the link "Ask Maria" and post your nutrition questions in the comment section.  Ask away on anything from cooking tips, what to eat in your servery, to how to fuel for that first marathon!  Include your rice e-mail with your post and I will give the first 3 posts (and they have to be legit questions, this will be determined by me, the dietitian) $10 in wellness bucks to use on any wellness center service!

Ice Skating at Discovery Green

Great source of family fun!

The skates are comfortable.. just make sure you remember socks!

You're never too old for a visit from Santa!

Staying in Houston over Winter break and looking for something to do? Looking to blow off some steam and relax after studying for finals? Or just looking for something fun to do outdoors as the weather gets chillier? Look no further than Discovery Green's outdoor ice skating rink! The downtown Houston skyline is the perfect backdrop for outdoor skating on a rink that uses recycled water from Kinder Lake and is powered by renewable energy. 

I must admit, I'm not very graceful when it comes to walking around in regular old tennis shoes. So, thoughts of taking my somewhat clumsy self to the ice on thin blades was enough to make my already quivering knees, weak with nerves. But the outdoor scenery and the excitement from fellow skaters, not to mention the delicious hot cocoa and the holiday music and cheer, was enough to put me in the skating spirit!

Here's what I LOVED about skating at Discovery Green:

1. Fun for all ages! There were families, young couples, kids, and teenagers all having a blast!
2. It's a workout! I have to admit, after about 10 laps or so, I was tuckered out!
3. No experience necessary! Whether you're brand new to skating, or whether you can skate backwards like a pro, everyone is welcome on the ice.
4. Refreshments! There's nothing like a hot cocoa or a mint chocolate latte to warm you up on a chilly day.
5. You may get to see Santa! We arrived at the rink around 4:30 on a Saturday, and about 45 minutes into our skating experience, Santa himself came out for a spin on the ice.

Discovery Green is located at 1500 McKinney St.
Houston, Texas 77010

The skating rink is open daily from November 25, 2010 – January 17, 2011 

Admission is $10 plus tax, and this includes rental skates.

Hours of Operations:

• Monday - Thursday (School Days) 4:00 PM - 10:00 PM
• Fridays, Saturday, School Holidays 11:00 AM - 11:00 PM
• Sundays 11:00 AM - 8:00 PM

Visit the website: www.discoverygreen.com for more information.