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Dieting? You've Come to the Right Place!

© Sheri White

First of all, I'd like to apologize for taking so long to write this article! In addition to the craziness of the holidays, I've been battling a recurring sinus infection, not to mention my annual bout with SAD. My column will now be bi-weekly instead of weekly, which should help. Now, onto the recipes!

I'm sure just about everyone makes a "gonna lose weight" resolution. But it's so very hard to give up sweets (at least for me!). Here are a few recipes that are lighter in fat in calories, but definitely not in taste.

I made the following recipe for my four-year-old's birthday cake last year, and everyone (including my little girl) raved over it.

Pumpkin Orange Poppy Seed Cake

Ingredients:

1 18-1/4 ounce yellow cake mix
1-1/4 cups canned pumpkin
2/3 cup orange juice
3 eggs
1/4 cup poppy seeds

Directions:

Grease and flour a 12-cup Bundt pan; preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine cake mix, pumpkin, OJ and eggs in large mixer bowl; beat on low speed for 30 seconds. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Add poppy seeds; mix until blended. Spread batter in pan.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in cake comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack for 10 minutes. Invert onto wire rack to cool completely. Drizzle with orange glaze (recipe below).

For Orange Glaze, combine 1-1/2 cups powdered sugar with 2 to 3 tablespoons orange juice in small bowl until smooth.

If you're a chocoholic like I am, giving up your addiction is not an option! Try this light cake to get your chocolate fix.

Chocolate Angel Food Cake

Ingredients:

2 cups egg whites
1/4 teaspoon salt
1-1/4 teaspoons cream of tartar
1-1/4 cups white sugar
1-1/4 cups confectioners sugar
1-1/4 cups cake flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1-1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions: Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. In a medium bowl, mix confectioners' sugar, cake flour, and cocoa. Sift together 5 times, and set aside. In a clean large bowl, whip egg whites, salt, and cream of tartar with an electric mixer on high speed until very stiff. Fold in white sugar 2 tablespoons at a time. Fold in flour mixture, a little at a time, until fully incorporated. Stir in vanilla. Pour into a 10 inch tube pan.

Bake at 325 degrees F for approximately 1 hour. Invert pan onto a funnel or bottle to cool.

Here's a dessert that while not exactly good for you, does have some healthy ingredients. A scoop of fat-free vanilla frozen yogurt makes this a real treat.

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