From Debbie Matenopolous' cookbook, "It's All Greek To Me" Here is my family’s secret recipe for the best Baklava ever. Rolling it this way, as opposed to baking it in a flat pan, ensures a light flakiness and just the right amount of the honey syrup running throughout. Around the holiday season, when I was growing up, my mom would make big batches of this so that my sister, my brother, and I could give platters of it to our teachers. Needless to say, every new school year, teachers were very excited to see one of the Matenopoulos kids on their class rosters!
"This is a great substitution for Mashed Potatoes. It's lighter and just as tasty. I started making this about 6 years ago when I decided that we didn't really need another heavy carb on the table at Thanksgiving. Now I know that there are some die hard mashed potato fans out there that would never forego their decadent whipped potato pudding, however, I say give it shot. Even my brother in law who could eat mashed potatoes for every meal liked it. Happy eating!!!"
The barbecue bacon cheeseburger is usually a guilty pleasure. Here, I've combined these favorite flavors in a reasonable-sized burger that's even more scrumptious because the ingredients are fresh and guilt free. Please, though, don't cheat when buying the beef. Some people think that buying 93% lean ground beef isn't that much different from the 96% lean, but it is. Four ounces of the 96% lean has about 150 calories and 4½ grams of fat. Four ounces of the 93% lean has 170 calories and 8 grams of fat. Yes, the 96% lean is more expensive, but you're worth it (plus, in the long term, you'll be saving money on doctor bills)!
Though I've maintained a huge weight loss over the years, I confess that I still balk at giving up the occasional margarita. I know that most of the ones served at restaurants are full of sugar and calories, so I make my own lower-cal version at home. And because blueberries are the "star," you even get some fiber and antioxidant punch!
