Low-fat and Luscious

Pistachio Nut Bread

1 (18 oz.) package yellow cake mix
1 small package of fat- and sugar-free Jello Instant Pistachio Pudding Mix
1 Cup low-fat or fat-free sour cream
1 Cup Egg Beaters (or 4 eggs slightly beaten)
1/4 Cup olive oil
1/4 Cup water

4 Tablespoons Splenda brown sugar (or regular brown sugar if you prefer)
3 teaspoons cinnamon

3/4 cup chopped walnuts (or any other kind of nut you like)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl, combine cake and pudding mixes, sour cream, eggs, oil, and water. Beat well until smooth. If batter seems too dry, add a few more drops of oil - but just a few!

In a small separate bowl, mix brown sugar, cinnamon and walnuts. (Keep the nuts separate if anyone can't have them.)

Spray two 9"x5" loaf pans with the canned baking spray that includes flour.

Divide the batter between the two pans, alternating layers of batter with sugar and nut mixture. (Make one loaf with and one without nuts, if need be.) End with a sugar layer on top. Bake for 1 hour or until loaves are done. Remove from pan and either serve or wrap and freeze for up to one month.

(c) 2009 Fran Baker

Note: For some reason, blogger won't let me upload a picture, but it makes a very pretty loaf.

Low-Fat and Luscious

SALSA SOUP

Perfect for those winter football/playoff/championship weekends.

1 pound (bulk) turkey Italian sausage
1 can great northern white beans
1 can black beans
1 can kidney or chili beans (your choice)
1/2 can water
1 jar salsa (mild, medium or hot - your choice)

Cornbread squares
Low-fat sour cream (optional)

Brown the sausage, being sure to break it up as it cooks. Add the beans, the salsa and the water. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Serve over cornbread squares and, if you like (I don't), top with a dollop of sour cream.

Go Tigers! (That's the University of Missouri-Columbia Tigers, who are playing Oklahoma in San Antonio this Saturday night for the Big 12 championship.)

TAG-ALONG

Okay, I'm through traveling for a while (just got back from OKC and Dallas) and am ready to play "Tag."

1. Like Barbara, I have a grandfather who was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Hector William McKenzie was his name; his father was George and his mother was Mary White McKenzie. After Mary died, father and son moved to Clay Center, KS, where they had relatives who welcomed them with open arms. Hec was my maternal grandfather. My paternal grandfather, Edmund Charles McCoy, was born about ten minutes after his mother, Mary English McCoy, set foot on US soil. That makes me a proud McKenzie-McCoy.

2.
Abraham Lincoln is my guy. Not just for all the obvious reasons, though, they're certainly important. But also because of his courage and "get on with it" attitude in the face of so much personal tragedy. And because I can read his speeches over and over again and never tire of those beautifully-arranged words. (FYI: this is a photo of the small statue we keep on my grandmother's Stickley Brothers desk. I carried it outside because it didn't show up all that well inside.)


3. I often wonder if anyone's really "listening" in this noisy world we now live in.

4. I once beat 22,099 men and women in the Mayor's Christmas Tree Bowling Tournament with a handicap score of 649 (I had two 200+ games and one in the 180s). First prize was a first-class trip to Las Vegas for me and my husband. We had a blast and, ironically, I couldn't lose at the craps tables no matter how crazy I bet.

5. I like to cook, and I'd love to write a low-fat/mostly sugar-free cookbook containing all my converted recipes. What think y'all of that idea?

6.
I didn't make these hand-knit socks - they were a gift (and cost $35 US, if you can believe that!) - but I am going to love wearing them. They're made from cotton/linen yarn and I believe they'll keep my tootsies nice and warm come winter.

7. I'm writing a book set in 1930s America and am using my mom's diaries that cover the period 1933-1943 for research on clothes, music, movies, weather, etc. I'm also considering doing a blog of her diaries and wonder if anyone would be interested in the day-to-day life/historical aspects of a young woman in that period of time. And I'm trying to think of a name for the blog ... suggestions welcome!

Have a good one, all.

Fran