Frozen Chocolate Mint Dessert

If you're preparing a healthy Valentine's Day dinner, you need a healthy (or at least a "skinny downed") dessert.  Here's my pick: Weight Watcher's Frozen Chocolate Mint Dessert.

Valentine's Day...Why and What Else?

     So Tuesday is Valentine's Day.  Here's little about the history of Valentine's Day: It's thought to have originated during the time an emperor of Rome banned soldiers from marrying; he thought it was too distracting for them.  A priest by the name of Valentine defied the ban and secretly performed wedding ceremonies.  Valentine was caught and executed on...you guessed it...February 14th.  It's also traced back farther to pagan beliefs. 
    Following the Weight Watchers program and leading meetings got me to thinking, "Why do give candy, especially chocolate, on Valentine's Day?"  Surfed the web a little and learned a few things.  One is that doctors in the 1800's prescribed chocolate to their lovesick patients to calm their nerves and emotions.  So I guess chocolate is just naturally the "go to" gift to make people feel well loved.  The candy tradition is also said to be tied to Richard Cadbury who made the first Valentine's Day candy box.  Okay, so if you have to have chocolate or your Valentine's Day wouldn't be complete, let me suggest Whitman's Weight Watchers chocolate candy.

     This brings me to my next question:  What else could be given as a Valentine's Day gift in lieu of chocolate?  Having severe allergies keeps me from recommending fresh flowers.  However, a plant that will last a while with a cute, whimsical decoration stuck in the planter would be great.  What are some other alternatives?  There was a good article (Healthy Valentine's Day Candy Alternatives for Your Loved Ones) that suggested a creative fruit basket.  Time during a special planned day was another good suggestion.
     It seems that most of the gift suggestions found for Valentine's Day center around women.  There are a few gifts that I think would be appropriate for guys, also.  The two mentioned above could be enjoyed by both guys and girls.  A pair of movie tickets would also fit into the category.  How about an alternative to flower bouquets?  Try a gift card bouquet.  For the fisherman:  a lure bouquet.  For the person who loves to chew gum, fix a sugar free gum bouquet of as many different types of gum as you can find. Find out what the recipent likes, and make a bouquet to reflect it.
      Don't use Valentine's Day as an excuse to over do it on chocolate.  Exercise self control, or go for an alternative to food.  I've always thought that the gift didn't mean as much as the person giving it.  The fact that a person took the time to do something special for you says that you are loved.  You can enjoy the day and stay healthy!

Articles you might want to read about Valentine's Day:
     The History of Valentine's Day Candy
     History of Valentine's Day

Super Snacks for Super Bowl Sunday

      It's finally here. The event everyone's been waiting for...okay, not everyone.  I actually heard who was playing yesterday.  (No, I don't live under a rock.  Yes, I like football when my nephew is playing or I'm watching it with friends. No, I don't watch TV so I don't have any idea about any of the commercials.) It is the Super Bowl!  The Super Bowl is the number two food consumption holiday [unofficial holiday] in the United States; number one is Thanksgiving. A member said this at the WW meeting this morning and I thought, "I can believe it."  In the Fox News article "Super Bowl Snacks," not only are several food related statistics given, but also some healthy alternatives to typical Super Sunday Snacks.  I especially like how the article not only gives the alternatives, but also gives fat and fiber content so us Weight Watchers can have an idea of the healthier choices. (Don't forget...if you are a Weight Watcher and subscribe to etools you put the recipe in to get the PointsPlus values you need.)
     There is a snack article on ABC, "6 Smart Super Bowl Swaps," that gives additional ideas to the typical Super Bowl fare.  The article is in the men's health section of the website and focuses mainly on calories.  A word of caution here: Not all calories are created alike!  It's better to focus more on the total nutrition because its what makes those calories and how your body processes the food that determines whether you loose or gain weight...healthy and low calorie are not necessarily synonymous.
    My two favorite articles are from Weight Watchers online, and it's not just because I am a WW leader.  Both are snack article that mention things I've never tried before.  Just because it's not a "traditional" Super Bowl food doesn't mean you can't make it a part of your celebration.  Go ahead, be the one to walk on the wild side and try something different.  Check out "1 – 2 PointsPlus™ Value Snack and Meal Ideas" and "Meal and Snack Ideas for 3 or fewer PointsPlus® Values"
      Just think, now you can be snack savvy and still enjoy the party!