MYST 156: Desserts

I hope that you make desserts an occasional part of your weight loss journey. But you may need to follow four simple rules:

  1. Occasional
  2. Planned
  3. Delicious
  4. Portion-Controlled

Photo via Pixabay.com by Catkin

My Rice Pudding Recipe

  • 1 quart whole milk
  • 1/4 cup long grain rice (uncooked)
  • 2 tablespoons sugar (you can use Splenda if you want–I choose to use Splenda so the calories reflect that choice.)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/4 cup raisins (optional–I don’t use them)
  • Cinnamon
  1. Preheat oven to 300F
  2. Spray a 1.5 quart baking dish with cooking spray
  3. Pour milk into dish. Add sugar and rice. Stir.
  4. Bake uncovered for 2-3 hours (a larger and shallower dish will need less time than a deeper dish.)
  5. Stir every hour (to mix in the “skin” that will form–this is optional)
  6. After 2 hours, stir in the vanilla and raisins. Sprinkle a little cinnamon on top. Bake for 30 more minutes (or until the texture is thick enough to your preference.

The exact time will vary for everyone. Altitude, humidity, the type of rice, the depth of the dish will all play a factor in determining total cooking time. Personally, I assume it will take 3 hours, and I give it a stir twice while baking.

This can be served warm or cold.

For six portions (approximately 1/2 cup each):

  • Calories:      126
  • Fat:                5.3g
  • Sat fat:             3g
  • Chol:        16.3mg
  • Sodium:   69.9mg
  • Carbs:         13.8g
  • Sugar:           8.6g
  • Fiber:            0
  • Protein          5.6g

Using 2% milk would only reduce total calories by 10 per serving. Skim milk would make each serving 93 calories (but I’ve never made the recipe using skim milk, so I cannot guarantee the end result.) If you only make this occasionally, I’d suggest using whole milk and just enjoying the richness of it.

A note about vanilla. Use REAL vanilla extract, not the artificial kind. The price is worth it. Personally, I find that Penzey’s makes excellent vanilla at a reasonable price, and they offer free shipping for orders more than $30. Here are their vanilla options. (This post was not sponsored by Penzey’s and the link is not an “affiliate link”. I’ve been a happy customer of theirs for many years, and I just like spreading their name.)

Learn about “Real Ice Cream -v- Faux Cream” here: MYST 145

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Music composed and performed by Jason Shaw, courtesy of Audionautix.com

Voiceover courtesy of Matt Young. Matt is a professional voiceover artist. If you have any need of voice-over

work, for your podcast, radio spot, or whatever, you can reach Matt by a variety of methods. He is on LinkedIn. On Twitter. And Google+. Follow his Facebook page to learn how to better use social media. Matt was also my guest on MYST 54. Give his story a listen!

All images are Creative Commons Zero.

MYST 155: Change

Photo via Pixabay.com by https://pixabay.com/en/users/geralt-9301/geralt

Learn about “Gentle Exercise” here: MYST 153

__________________________

Music composed and performed by Jason Shaw, courtesy of Audionautix.com

Voiceover courtesy of Matt Young. Matt is a professional voiceover artist. If you have any need of voice-over

work, for your podcast, radio spot, or whatever, you can reach Matt by a variety of methods. He is on LinkedIn. On Twitter. And Google+. Follow his Facebook page to learn how to better use social media. Matt was also my guest on MYST 54. Give his story a listen!

All images are Creative Commons Zero.

MYST 154: Nothing for Nothing

TANSTAAFL: There Ain’t No Such Thing As A Free Lunch

You get what you pay for.

My phrase: You don’t get nothing for nothing.  (Yeah. I know it’s poor grammar.)

The bottom line is if you don’t take the right actions, you won’t get anything. That applies to school, on the job, at home, and certainly as you try to lose weight. Why do I say “try” to lose weight? Because many (most?) people aren’t willing to totally commit, to be fully engaged, or to put their money where their mouth is.

How many balls must be hit before a golfer becomes great? Can you skip that step in attaining greatness?

Photo via Pixabay.com by MadsLiebst

__________________________

Music composed and performed by Jason Shaw, courtesy of Audionautix.com

Voiceover courtesy of Matt Young. Matt is a professional voiceover artist. If you have any need of voice-over

work, for your podcast, radio spot, or whatever, you can reach Matt by a variety of methods. He is on LinkedIn. On Twitter. And Google+. Follow his Facebook page to learn how to better use social media. Matt was also my guest on MYST 54. Give his story a listen!

All images are Creative Commons Zero.

MYST 153: Gentle Exercise

Exercise is important, but it does not need to be painful, cost money, or require a membership at a fitness center. IT can simply be the act of getting off your LazyBoy recliner and start moving.

If she can get her daily steps, why can’t you?

Photo via Pixabay.com by Kaz.

__________________________

Music composed and performed by Jason Shaw, courtesy of Audionautix.com

Voiceover courtesy of Matt Young. Matt is a professional voiceover artist. If you have any need of voice-over

work, for your podcast, radio spot, or whatever, you can reach Matt by a variety of methods. He is on LinkedIn. On Twitter. And Google+. Follow his Facebook page to learn how to better use social media. Matt was also my guest on MYST 54. Give his story a listen!

MYST 152: The Basic Rules to Reach Any Goal (Scott Wilson, part 3)

If you want to succeed, you must first be willing to fail–over and over–without loss of enthusiasm. Does that describe you?

How many times did Bruce Lee fail before he was good enough to be memorialized by this sculpture?

Photo via Pixabay.com by tee2tee

_________________________

Music composed and performed by Jason Shaw, courtesy of Audionautix.com

Voiceover courtesy of Matt Young. Matt is a professional voiceover artist. If you have any need of voice-over

work, for your podcast, radio spot, or whatever, you can reach Matt by a variety of methods. He is on LinkedIn. On Twitter. And Google+. Follow his Facebook page to learn how to better use social media. Matt was also my guest on MYST 54. Give his story a listen!

All images are Creative Commons Zero.