Sugar Free Mentos in Mixed Berry: SO DELISH (delicious!!) I can not even stand it! They taste better than the regular Mentos!

Jelly Belly Sugar Free Jelly Beans: they taste good and have great flavor but tend to be a bit more chewy then the real deal but still good.

Rock Star Sugar Free Energy Drink: This one tastes great and is carbonated so you can’t really tell that it is lacking its usual double dose of sugar per serving!

Sugar Free Tooties Pop Miniatures: These are great and just as much fun as eating the full size pop!

Sugar Free York Pepermint Patties: Can ANY pepermint patties taste bad?? God I love these!

Go Lighty Sugar Free Hard Candy: These are great tasting (the whole line of candy) HOWEVER consumer beware that if you have too many the subsitute sugar tends to have a laxative effect!!!

These are just a few of the very good alternatives you can use to help yourself consume less sugar in your diet, obviously anything in moderation helps as well….Try these sugar free treats to see which ones you like! Good Luck!

I recently included a link and an highlights on an article from the book Eat This Not That but I hadn’t actually owned it yet as I had just read an article with a small portion. However I recently went out and bought the book and it is amazing for sure!! What I love about this book is:

• The extensive decoding it does of famous restaurant menus and the REAL meanings of “baked” and “crispy” and how they cook Indian, seafood, Thai food and many more!!!
• Compares multiple meals from famous restaurant’s chains such as Olive Garden, McDonald’s, KFC, Dunkin’ Dounuts, Dairy Queen, Panera Bread and MANY MANY MORE!!!
• Compares popular Halloween, Valentines, Easter candy, traditional holiday meals such as Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter meals.
• Compares daily drinks such as milk, cocktails, beer, smoothies & shacks, coffees, and many more!!!

I really couldn’t believe this book when I bought it. I couldn’t put it down I needed to read ALL of it!!! They have many chapters and they are separated as follows:

• The Introduction has includes the “Top Swaps: The simplest ways to change your body forever”
• Chapter 1: 8 Foods You Should Eat Everyday, Plus 20 to avoid at all costs
• Chapter 2: At Your Favorite Restaurants; the best and worst meals
• Chapter 3: Eat This, Not That Menu Decoder; strategies for eating right at any restaurant
• Chapter 4: On Holidays and Special Occasions; Eat This Not That! holiday survival guide
• Chapter 5: At The Supermarket; Complete Eat This Not That grocery list
• Chapter 6: Drink This, Not That; The ultimate healthy beverage guide
• Chapter 7: What To Eat When…You’re Tired, Stressed, or in the Mood
• Chapter 8: EAT THIS, NOT THAT! for Kids

Did I mention this is the very best book I have ever bought!?! If there is one book you ever have to buy it is this one for sure!!! Check it out here: Eat This Not That: Thousands of Simple Food Swaps That Can Save You 10, 20, 30 Pounds-or More! You will never make a better choice to improve your health, body, and overall well being, as a personal trainer I HIGHLY recommend this book!!!

One of my favorite comparisons is the breakfast eat this not that (as shown below):

Eat This!: Ham, Egg & Cheese English Muffin Sandwich:
310 calories
10 g fat (5 g saturated)

Not That! Multigrain Bagel with Lite Cream Cheese
530 calories
17 g fat

One would assume that the multi grain bagel with LITE cream cheese would be way better than something not “lite” or multi grain, but that is not true, and that is why I love this article cause you learn about the good, the bad, and the evil. I hope you enjoy the article as much as I did! The author of the article also has an ENTIRE book out of simple food swaps that can save you 10, 20, 30 pound or more!!! It is titled Eat This Not That and it can be bought on amazon.com by clicking this link! If you think the article is great you will LOVE the BOOK, check it out!!!

They have amazing menu options including some of my favorites:

Joe Perry’s (from Aerosmith) “Rock Your World” Quesadilla, spicy but good accented with pineapple and mango peach tango hot sauce for a sweet and spicy flavor…SO GOOD!

Hard Rock Nachos, piled high with Jack and Cheddar cheeses and seasoned pinto beans accomanied with a delicious side of fresh Hard Rock Grilled Salsa! Yum Yum!

Twisted Mac Chicken and Cheese, spicy mac & cheese with peppers and a veratiy of spices for a perfect blend…DARN GOOD and filling!

Want to go healthy? They offer those options too that are also super satisfying!
Haystack Chicken Salad, tossed mix greens, carrots, corn, diced tomatoes, pico de gallo and shredded cheese. Topped with Tupelo fried chicken or a grilled chicken breast tossed in ranch dressing which you can opt to get on the side. Very good.

Honey Citrus Grilled Chicken Salad, fresh cut greens tossed with sweet red onions, grilled Cajun chicken and tossed with our Honey-Citrus dressing. Topped with fresh orange segments, spiced pecans, red pepper strips, craisins and blue cheese crumbles, also one of my favorites!!!

So if you find yourself gambling away at the casino or on vacation and you see a Hard Rock Cafe, stop in for a World Famous Burger, a big flavor enriched salad, or Twisted Mac Chicken and Cheese to satisfy your hunger…you won’t regret it!!! ENJOY

Roasted fresh ham with simmered sauerkraut

Start to finish time: 3 to 4 hours (30 minutes active)

Servings 8 to 10

• 2 tablespoons dried sage
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 6 to 7 pound butt-end fresh ham
• 3 cloves garlic, cut into slivers
• 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 6 tablespoons butter, melted
• 2 teaspoons dry mustard
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 4 small yellow onions, quartered

To make a beautiful rich gravy for this roast, combine 2 tablespoons of fat from the drippings with 2 tablespoons of flour and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, for 2 to 3 minutes. Whisk in the rest of the de-fatted drippings and bring to a gently boil until the gravy thickens. If you want extra gravy you can add some chicken broth to pad the mixture.

Arrange an oven rack in the lower third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F (fahrenheit). In a small bow, combine the sage, salt and pepper. Using your hands, rub the sage mixture onto the outside of the ham.

Using the tip of a knife, puncture the roast all over to produce dozens of little holes about 3/4-inch deep. Insert the slivered garlic into the holes.

Using a knife to score the ham, making 1/4-inch deep slashes about 2 inches apart.

Place ham in a large roasting pan, fat-side up. Roast for 20 minute, then reduce heat to 325 degrees F.

Meanwhile in a medium bowl make a basting liquid by combining the chicken broth, melted butter, dry mustard, and lemon juice.

After the ham has been in the oven for an hour, add the onions to the pan, then baste the ham using some of the chicken broth mixture. Continue cooking, basting every 30 minutes, until the ham reaches an internal temperature of 155 degrees F (plan about 25 minutes per pound)

Remove the ham from the oven and transfer to a cutting board. Cover the ham loosely with foil and let rest for 20 minutes. Discard the onions and de-fat the pan drippings and use to make a gravy. Slice and serve with simmered sauerkraut!

Enjoy your new Easter ham recipes! Make this year your tastiest easter ever. A special thanks to the Palm Beach Post for this recipe segment as you can see all past posts for the week have been easter ham or preparation related. I will be back to posting shopping news and information tomorrow! See you then

Simmered Sauerkraut

Start to finish: 3 hours (5 minutes active)

Servings: 12

• 3 pounds of sauerkraut, drained
• 3 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 1 teaspoon juniper berries
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Simmering the sauerkraut for several hours makes it melt-in-your-mouth tender. Juniper berries give the dish a distinctive flavor, but if you can’t find them just omit them from the recipe.

In a medium saucepan with a lid, combine the sauerkraut, chicken broth, onion, juniper berries and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce to low. Cover and simmer 2 to 3 hours.

Serve with roasted fresh ham (recipe for roasted fresh ham tomorrow). ENJOY!

Tomato and Onion Glaze

• 1 tablespoon butter or margarine
• 2 tablespoon finely chopped onion
• 8 ounce can tomato sauce
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Start to finish time: 15 minutes

Makes about 1 cup of glaze

This glaze of tomato sauce and sauteed chopped onion is less sweet alternative to traditional fruit or sugar based recipes. Since a glaze only coats the outside of the ham, you might want to double the recipe to serve as you would a gravy.

In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter or margarine. Add the chopped onion and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomato sauce, brown sugar and Worcestershire sauce, then bring to a boil.

Reduce heat and simmer until glaze thickens, about 5 minutes. Use the sauce to glaze the ham, basting as desired. ENJOY!

This recipe for delicious ham glaze come from “The Good Housekeeping Cookbook” 2007, and to find more great recipes you can refer to their other cookbooks by clicking on these links:The Good Housekeeping Illustrated Cookbook: America’s Bestselling Step-by-Step Cookbook,The Good Housekeeping Cookbook: 1,039 Recipes from America’s Favorite Test Kitchen, and Good Housekeeping Illustrated Cookbook, all sold on amazon.com

Ginger Ale-Glazed Ham

What you will need:

• 3 to 4-pound boneless ham
• 1 cup white wine
• 2 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons molasses
• Pinch cayenne pepper
• 2 cups ginger ale
• 2 tablespoons honey

Serves 8 to 10

This sweet and tangy glaze from celebrity chef Paula Deens’ sons was inspired by a cola-glaze they grew up with.

Start to finish time: 3 hours and 10 minutes (20 minutes active)

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (fahrenheit). Place ham in a roasting pan.

In a medium saucepan combine the wine, mustard, molasses, and cayenne pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the ginger ale. Pour the glaze over the ham. Bake for 1 1/2 hours.

Increase oven temperature to 325 degrees F. Bake for another hour, basting the ham every 15 minutes.

Brush the ham with honey. Bake, basting every 15 minutes, until the ham is well glazed, about another 30 minutes. Slice and serve.

(Recipe from Jamie Deen and Booby Dean’s “The Deen Bros. Cookbook,” Meredith Books, 2007) and for more great recipes grab Paula Deens other cookbooks at amazon: Paula Deen’s Kitchen Classics, The Lady & Sons Savannah Country Cookbook, The Lady & Sons Savannah Country Cookbook Collection.

Glazing:

• Any ham looks and tastes better with a flavorful glaze. Most classic ham glazes combine a sweet ingredient, such as brown sugar, maple syrup or molasses, with a contrasting flavor, such as mustard or vinegar. The sugars in the glaze caramelize while baking, giving the ham a beautiful, (and tasty), glossy sheen.
• Before coating ham with a glaze make sure to score it with a diamond pattern by cutting 1/4-1/2 inch slashes into the surface. This looks great and provides more surface area on the ham for the glaze to stick to.
• If the ham has been cured and smoked in a net bag it may already have a pattern etched into the surface. Even these hams with benefit from being scored.
• Ham can be coated with a glaze using a pastry brush or a large spoon at any point during baking, but every 15 minutes is a good rule of thumb.
• A sweet glaze can certainly work well on a fresh ham, but because of the long cooking time, you will want to add the glaze toward the near end so it doesn’t burn.

Carving:

• When carving a ham use a very sharp knife with a thin blade. cut only the amount you will serve, as leftover sliced ham dries out faster than larger pieces.
• To carve a bone-in-ham, cut a few long slices parallel to the bone, then turn the ham so it rests on the cut surface. Make perpendicular slices toward the bone and then cut along the bone to release the slices.
• To carve a boneless ham, cut a few long slices to make a flat surface, then turn the ham onto the cut surface and slice to your desired thickness.

Starting Monday I will be posting some recipes for easter ham to achieve different flavors. So make sure you check back on Monday! Again a special thanks to Bruce Aidells, author of The Complete Meat Cookbook and for additional tips on how to cook ANY meat you can grab yourself a copy of his book at amazon.com. He also has the Book of Pork and The Complete Venison Cookbook, so check them out today!

Planning:

• When selecting a ham, figure on buying 1/4 to 1/3 pound per person if boneless, 1/3 to 1/2 pound per person if partially boned, and 3/4 to 1 pound per person if bone in hams.
• If you shop for your ham early, you can store a ham unopened in the original packaging for 7-10 days. For longer storage you can freeze the ham in the original packaging for up to 3 months.

Varieties:

• Fully cooked or ready-to-eat hams and be eaten with no further preparation. They are sold with or without the bone or partially boned. While the bone adds flavor during the cooking process, it can make carving it more difficult.
• Fully cooked hams can be purchased in a variety of sizes.
• A whole 10-20 pound bone in ham is the most flavorful and with the least wasteful cut. It can serve 15-20 people with leftovers (!) and the bone can be used as you would a ham hock, for seasoning soups and bean dishes.
• For smaller groups buying a smaller section of ham is key. The butt-end, which is the upper part of the leg, tends to have more meat than the smaller shank end, which is lower on the leg.
• Partially-cooked or ready-to-cook hams are made using traditional smoking and curing techniques and have been heated to at least 137 degrees during some part of the processing, and tend to have superior flavor and texture.
• Fresh hams haven’t been cured or cooked. They must be cooked to an internal temperature of 160 degrees. These are sometimes found with alongside other pork roast, however you may need to special order them. Fresh hams tend to have a good fat to lean meat ratio, which creates an excellent moist texture and superior flavor.
• Spiral-cut hams, which usually are fully cooked and available with or without the bone, have become increasingly popular, in part for their ease of serving. However these hams tend to dry out and are also coated with a sweet commercial glaze made with processed sweeteners. Even the simplest glaze of brown sugar and mustard would taste better on these hams.

Cooking:

• Fully cooked hams can be eaten cold. If you plan to bake i, heat the oven to 325 degrees F and cook to an internal temperature of 140 degrees. Leftovers, or hams not in their original packaging, should be heated to 160 degrees.
• A fully cooked whole ham with take 15-18 minutes per pound to come to temperature. A fully cooked half ham will need to cook for about 18-24 minutes per pound.
• Partially cooked hams must be heated at 325 degrees to an internal temperature of 160 degrees. A 15-20 lb ham needs 18-20 minutes per pound. A 5-7 lb ham needs 20-25 minutes per pound.

In this coming week I will be posting more information on easter ham preparation and a variety of ways to cook ham and different glazes, so make sure to check my site daily to see new recipes! Thank you again to Bruce Aidells author of The Complete Meat Cookbook for all his wonderful tips! For more helpful tips on cooking, prepping, glazing, and recipes on all kinds of meat, check out his book at amazon.com.