I’m not going to lie. I can get crazy around sweets. Sugar does bad things to my joints, though – once I started down the anti-inflammatory diet road, I noticed that when I went on a sugar bender (which USED to be a fairly regular occurrence), I’d get all swollen and achy again. So I revised my position on stevia and started to use it to get my “fix” once in a while. And I’m proud to say that I’m not nearly as beholden to the sweet stuff as I used to be – cutting down on carbohydrates generally and upping my protein has evened me out enough that I don’t have those highs and lows that left me trolling the cupboards for ages-old Halloween leftovers.

But. I still love a lil’ somethin’ somethin’. And here’s a great solution. This cheesecake takes a few minutes to throw together and bakes up quickly. No springform pan, and only an improvised water bath. Once it’s done, it can sit in your fridge for several days, ready to rescue you when you’re feeling munchie. One slice of this will only set you back about 140 calories – NOT a bank-breaker. It is what we call a buffer food, sweeties. Something that feels indulgent but is not going to undo your good work. Something that keeps you from running to Cinnabon or The Cheesecake Factory. You could bring this to your book club, to your family’s weekend get-together . . . and use it to practice “dessert defense,” a term coined by the strong and wise Jill Colman.

I got the inspiration for this recipe from The New Rules of Lifting for Women, but of course have tweaked it. I’ve developed a nasty Quest Bar habit, and thought this might take the edge off after a meal, when I crave a sweet. It works.

UPDATE!!! I have since added chocolate & peanut butter cup variations in the  notes . . . and if you want to bring the cal/fat counts down a notch, you can use 1 c. fat-free ricotta and 1 c. part-skim. I do that all the time and it is still fantastic!

Bon appetit, Sweeties!

© 2014, Sarah. All rights reserved.

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Berry season is in full swing . . . what better to do than make a berry crisp? You could bring it to that 4th of July thing you’re going to!

I’ve made this recipe a few times now, most often using frozen berries, but more recently with freshly picked strawberries. It’s always a hit, but believe me when I tell you, those fresh strawberries were OUT OF THIS WORLD in this recipe. So if you have access to fresh, use those. And don’t limit yourself to berries, if you don’t want. Stone fruit would work great here. Or a mix of stone fruit and berries. Peach and blueberry have been on my mind lately. Might have to execute on that one before my fresh peach window closes.

Berry Crisp (adapted from Bon Appétit)

Preheat oven to 375°F. Combine berries, 1/4 c. sugar, 1/4 c. flour and lemon juice in a large bowl and toss to blend well. Transfer berry mixture to a 9-in. pie plate.

Combine remaining 1 1/2 c. flour, oats, brown sugar, spices and salt in a large bowl. Add butter; rub in with fingertips until topping holds together in small, moist clumps. Sprinkle over berry mixture.

Bake until berry mix is bubbly and topping is golden brown, about 1 hour. Let stand 15 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature. If storing, store on the counter lightly wrapped in waxed paper so that the topping doesn’t get soggy. Goes great with vanilla ice cream, or do what we used to do when we were kids and pour a little heavy cream on top. Wowza.

Makes 6 servings.

Image(s): FreeDigitalPhotos.net

© 2012, Sarah. All rights reserved.

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