Rescue Post!

Holy crap, I'm a terrible blogger. Well, that's not fair--I bet you I could be an A#1 blogger if I wasn't also working full time/going to school part time/trying to start a business from home--but as it is, I am letting the blog go neglected, and that bums me out! I apologize for being inconsistent with this blogging project, and I want you to know it is definitely still a priority to me, but I can't keep up with a commitment to make regular posts and contributions until some changes take place in the next month and my time opens up. In the meantime, however, I am compiling stories, crafts, photos, recipes, and even jotting down a few draft posts to go FULL LAUNCH with the La Vie Celebre! blog in early fall. I'll have so much to share with you, you guys! It's gonna be awesome.

In the meantime: I want to share with you one of my favorite low-fat substitution desserts that is easy as pie (or in this case, cake) to make, and gives you the satisfaction of the original with like, 10% of the fat. (all math listed here is somewhere between an estimation and an exaggeration, fyi.)

Graham cracker cheesecake snacks

I love cheesecake. Who doesn't love cheesecake? I used to work at a Barnes and Noble bookstore that had a full cafe in it, and featured big slabs of cheesecake from the Cheesecake Factory, and I would inevitably use my employee discount to purchase far more creamy, sugary, fatty deliciousness than one should really eat on a regular basis. Once I started my weight loss journey that obviously had to be a big change for me, but I knew I'd still WANT the cheesecake--and if there was nothing else readily available and comparatively tasty, I'd end up eating it, feeling guilty, discouraged etc, and stay fat.

I think the reason why a lot of people don't succeed at weight loss (and then feel bad about it) is that on the surface we're just asked to give up certain foods that any logical person could tell you prohibits weight loss, but what we are actually required to give up is everything that goes along with the food--the emotional connections, the memory triggers, the textures and sensations of the food, and the social interactions, let alone the taste. So what I've tried to do as I worked off the weight, and have worked to keep off the weight, is think about substitutions not just in terms of ingredients and nutrition, but about textures, tastes and experiences as well.

Think about biting into a classic cherry cheesecake with a graham cracker crust: the sensations are cool, creamy, a little bit crumbly; the tastes are sweet, tangy, and rich. THAT's really what you're going for when you set in to eat a cheesecake, so if we can find a way to cut out the fat from all the cream cheese and all the added sugar, you can still feel like you're eating food you like, and enjoy all the happy feelings that go with that! And also: it's so, so simple and cheap!

Obviously, if you were entertaining or hoping to have a cheesecake substitute for a holiday or celebration, we would want to look for another solution that had a better presentation factor, but as far as a personal snack or dessert goes, this one is a winner:

Two full-size graham crackers (reduced fat if you're will to pay extra, which I am not)

two tablespoons (one serving size) of Weight Watchers whipped cream cheese

one tablespoon of your choice of jam--I like cherry, but blueberry, strawberry and raspberry all work great too

1/8 tsp sugar

a dash of cinnamon

You can probably see where I'm going with thism but the first step is sort of a weird one: put the graham crackers in the microwave for about 10 seconds. This will help reduce the obvious "cracker"ness of them, and make them more like a pie crust.

Then I break the graham crackers up into quarters along the perforation, and spread the cream cheese evenly over each of the segments. You'll be surprised by how far 2 tablespoons can stretch!

Then I sprinkle each one with a dusting of the sugar and cinnamon, and add a dollop of jam to each cracker. Voila! Instant, affordable, and very low fat dessert option! I still go by the old weight watchers system (they've revamped their points plan and since I'm not a member I don't have access to their new formula) and the original calculation for this snack would only be 3 points!

This particular recipe is great as a late night snack with hot tea or cocoa. Enjoy! And stay tuned, La Vie Celebre! will continue..it'll just be a pleasant surprise when I update, until my schedule gets regulated. Thanks for reading!