#nectresse

August 30, 2013 | By PJ Gach

Wow your friends and family with low calorie Tiramisu and more.

Who doesn’t love dessert? You probably do what I do when I’m planning a meal: Think about dessert first! What’s better than thinking about dessert? Thinking about low-calorie desserts. If you’re going to have a Labor Day cookout, you’ve probably been thinking about everything from snacks to dessert, right?  Well, we’ve got three really easy-to-make ones that you and your group will love.

Read Daily Moment of Zen

And if you’ve been a bit concerned about throwing your Labor Day feast, here are a few of helpful tips from Jenn Sbranti, Entertaining Expert, Founder of Hostess with the Mostess® & NECTRESSE™ Sweetener Spokesperson and Celebrity Chef Aida Mollenkamp.

Chef Aida says, “The more prep work you do beforehand,  from cutting and preparing the ingredients, setting the table and selecting your food and drink menu well in advance, the less stressed you’ll be. That and a smile will your job as host look and feel easy.”

Having your party outside? Jenn suggest that you can, “Create a festive outdoor atmosphere with simple DIY decorations fashioned from colorful scrap fabric and twine. Cut fabric triangles to string into party garlands and fill fabric-wrapped mason jars with votive candles or flowers.”

Want to dress up your drinks too? Try this suggestion from Jenn, “Freeze small pieces of colorful fruits in ice cubes to dress up water and fruity beverages. Keep party drinks from getting watered down by making ice cubes or a punch bowl ice ring out of the drink itself, instead of using regular ice.”

Tiramisu

Ingredients: 8 oz. block light cream cheese 3/4 cup mascarpone cheese 1/4 cup NECTRESSE™ Natural No Calorie Sweetener 3/4 teaspoon vanilla 1 tablespoon instant espresso powder 1 cup hot water 1/3 cup Coffee‐flavored liqueur * 1, 7oz. pkg. Italian ladyfingers (savoiardi) 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon Directions: Allow cheeses to come to room temperature. Using a hand held mixer, whip cheeses, NECTRESSE™ Natural No Calorie Sweetener and vanilla in a bowl for 2 minutes. Set aside. Dissolve espresso powder in hot water. Stir in liquor. Quickly dip one lady finger cookie in the espresso mixture and place in an 8X8 pan. Repeat with 11 more cookies for a total of 12 cookies for the bottom layer. Spread half of the cream cheese mixture on top. Repeat process with remaining 12 lady finger cookies and cream cheese spread. Sprinkle cocoa powder and cinnamon on top of cream cheese. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Can be made up to two days ahead. Note: A 7oz. package of ladyfingers is equal to 24 cookies.Instant espresso can be replaced with 1 cup of freshly brewed strong coffee.Angel food cake or ladyfinger sponge cookies can be used in place of Italian ladyfinger cookies. *For dietary purposes, please note this recipe contains alcohol. Nutrition Information per serving: Serving Size: 1/9th tiramisu 330 Calories, Calories from Fat 210, Total Fat 23g, Saturated Fat12g, Cholesterol 105mg, Sodium 170mg, total Carbohydrate 26mg, Dietary Fiber 0g, Sugars 14g.

I received a free sample of Nectresse (on their website, check it out!) and tried it in my morning coffee today. This is from the makers of Splenda, which I am a fan of, so I figured I would like this too. I was right! It was sweet but not obnoxiously sweet (like Sweet'N Low and Equal, yuck!) + it's made from real fruit! 

So go on their website, order a sample, and try it. :)

I decided to share with you one of the recipes from NECTRESSE™ ! These pancakes are yummy and sweet, spiced with cinnamon and bursting with pomegranate seeds!

  Orange Pomegranate Pancakes

Serves 6

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

6 NECTRESSE™ Natural No Calorie Sweetener, Packets (or approximately 1/4 cup granulated sugar)

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/2 cups milk

1/4 cup melted, unsalted butter

Zest of one orange

1/2 cup pomegranate seeds

Non-stick cooking spray

1. Lightly whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, NECTRESSE™ packets, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl. Set aside.

2. Whisk together the eggs, vanilla, milk, butter, and orange zest in a medium bowl. Pour mixture into dry ingredients and mix gently. Fold in pomegranate seeds.

Colgate Optic White Regime:

I really Rather enjoyed trying out these colgate products. Colgate Optic White toothbrush, tooth paste, and mouth wash are great products. The toothbrush has nice bristles and is great with removing unwanted items from your teeth. The Tooth paste does a great job of helping making and keeping your teeth white. It also has a great taste and leave your mouth feeling refreshed and clean. To top off this set the mouth wash is also a great way to finish off making sure your mouth is fresh and ready for the day ahead of you.

Spray and Go Vaseline

This is the perfect lotion for anyone who is on the go or does not have much time in the morning to spend rubbing in lotion. The formula is not greasy, it is light weight and absorbs almost immediately. Its perfect for all skin types. It has a refreshing smell and keeps your skin silky smooth all day long. Its quick spray action takes less time than any other lotion I have personally every used. I recommend this to anyone who has little time in the morning to spare.

Nectresse Sweetener

This artificial sweetener has to be the best one I have ever tried. It is not powder, it does not leave and aftertaste that is unpleasant and has good value for its price. If you do not like using real sugar this is the best substitute I have ever tried. It dissolves quickly in your drink and it can be used in baking and any other type of item you would want to have a little sweet taste.

BelVita

BelVita is by far the best breakfast bar on the go I have ever had. They are filling and quick to eat. They are a decent size and the price is not bad. They have great taste and are good for you with out having all the icky calories you may not want. BelVita breakfast bars are a healthy choice and make for a great on the go breakfast or to add to any breakfast you have at home.

Dickinson's Witch hazel