South Beach Cookies!

Summer is here...I am still working on getting back to pre-baby form and have lost 14 lbs. so far. (Will my waistline ever fully recover at 40? I don't know, but I am trying to find out!) But now my Beloved Husband is on board and has decided to try the South Beach Diet - the new "Supercharged" book came out a month or so ago, and we bought it.

My weakness is dessert - cookies, cake, brownies, ice cream, chocolate - that little bit of sweetness in the evening...ahhhhh...so I've looked around for some SB-friendly dessert recipes. I ran across a great SB fan's blog, Kalyn's Kitchen, which I recommend if you want to search recipes as well as look at discussion and find inspiration about this particular diet.

Here's one that I have yet to try, but seems to get universally good reviews:

Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies

Ingredients

* 1 cup Peanut Butter (trans-fat/low glycemic if possible)
* 1 cup Splenda
* 1 egg

Directions

Preheat over to 350. Coat baking sheet with cooking spray. Combine peanut butter, splenda, and egg. Mix until combined. Roll dough into walnut size pieces and place 2 inches apart on cookie sheet. With a fork dipped in more splenda flatten cookies. Bake at 350 for 9-10 minutes. Only 2 cookies per day allowed - Phase I.

Approx. 20 servings.

Strawberry Dip

Forget the fat and calorie content...walk the dog an extra mile for this one!

Ingredients:

* 1 small tub regular or light Philly cream cheese (don't use fat free!)

* 1 small container sour cream (regular or light)

* 1 c. powdered sugar (more or less to taste and to desired consistency)

* 2 tsp. honey

* 1 tsp. vanilla extract (reserved)

* Lots of lovely fresh strawberries for dipping, washed and hulled!

Directions:

Mix above ingredients together, in order, with handblender until fully incorporated. Add vanilla last. Experiment with the proportions to suit your preferences. Chill one hour, stir, and serve!

(If serving at a party/buffet, place a whole strawberry in the bowl for identification purposes...or suffer the errant chip or veggie faux pas!)

YUMMY!