Fat loss isn’t about deprivation. And staying trim isn’t about having good genes. It’s about hormonally programming your body to burn fat.

And that’s exactly what the easy-to-follow tips and intelligent ingredients I’ll go over will do for you! In fact, not only does this way of eating work to shed fat fast… it will help you keep it off forever!

Here are the four fat-melting mantras you must follow to unveil a sleeker, sexier YOU:

1. Stop the blood sugar spike:

Eating carb- and sugar-rich foods spikes your blood sugar and causes your body to produce insulin – the "fat-storage hormone". The number one way to send your body the metabolic message to slim down and burn fat is to limit carbs, keep your sugar intake low and avoid grains.

2. Power up your fat burning with protein:

Protein is the most thermogenic – or fat burning – nutrient on the planet. That’s because it stimulates glucagon – the "weight loss hormone". But be sure to choose clean proteins – like grass-fed dairy products and pastured, cage-free eggs. Otherwise, you’ll get a hefty dose of obesogens – compounds that mess up your metabolism and stifle your weight loss efforts. Be sure to include a source of protein with every meal or snack.

3. Feast on fat:

Think a low-fat diet is the way to a sleeker you? Think again. Healthy fats – like those found in wild coldwater fish and those in nuts, nut flours, avocados, and olive oil (called monounsaturated fats) are metabolic power ingredients. Another healthy fat to include is coconut oil. As a medium chain triglyceride (MCT), the body uses these unique fats for fuel, not storage. And what about saturated fats? If you’re eating grass-fed products (like butter, milk, ghee, kefir) you’re getting an excellent fat profile that includes a very unique fat-burning fat called conjugated linolenic acid (CLA). CLA is so effective at burning fat that it is made into a supplement for that very purpose. To keep your metabolism cranking on all cylinders, be sure to include a serving of healthy fats at every meal.

4. Use healthy flours:

Take a close look at the flour you use. Many bakers (even so-called "healthy" bakers) choose whole grain flours over refined white flours. But whole grain flours are still very high in carbohydrates and score high on the glycemic index. And when it comes to your waistline and health, that’s a really bad thing. High glycemic foods cause your blood sugar to spike, raising your levels of insulin, the "fat-storage hormone." Eating high glycemic foods promotes weight gain. If you want to avoid "muffin tops" and "dough boy bellies" then you MUST stay away from grain based flours. And here’s another reason to avoid traditional flours: Most are made from wheat and contain gluten – an allergenic protein that causes health issues for many people.

But what about gluten-free flours and baking mixes?

Unfortunately, most gluten free flours use a combination of high glycemic ingredients like rice flour, potato starch, tapioca flour and sorghum flour. So while the gluten is missing, all the blood sugar-spiking effects are still there. Don’t be fooled.

The good news is that there is a healthy, low glycemic, gluten free option you can use: Nut flours!

Nut flours are surprisingly versatile and lend buttery richness to all kinds of baked goods – from biscotti to cupcakes. And unlike grain-based flours, they are gluten free and low carb too!

If you follow these simple tips you’ll be well on your way to a slimmer body!

When February rolls around our thoughts just seem to turn to candy. Have you ever thought your Valentine might prefer some good homemade candy from you? Try these candy recipes and see what our family and friends think about your Yummy Chocolate Fudge, White Fudge with Black Walnuts (or nuts of your choice), or Chocolate Caramels. Homemade candy probably is much easier than you think!

CHOCOLATE CARAMELS
2/3 cup butter
1/2 cup unsweetened baking cocoa powder
1 cup packed light brown sugar
2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup light cream or evaporated milk
1 cup clear corn syrup
1 cup coarsely chopped pecans

In a heavy 3-quart saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Blend in the cocoa powder and remove from the heat. Add the sugars, cream, and corn syrup; mix together well.

Cook the mixture over medium heat until the sugars are completely dissolved; stirring constantly. Using a candy thermometer, cook to 240 to 248 degrees, stirring occasionally. (If you don’t have a candy thermometer, that temperature is the firm ball stage.)

Pour the caramel into a 9-inch square dish* that is lined with a piece of well buttered aluminum foil. Sprinkle the pecans over the top, pressing down lightly so they will stick. Allow to cool overnight or all day.

Remove the caramel to a cutting board; carefully peel away the foil. Using a sharp wet knife, cut caramel into small squares. Wrap each caramel individually in plastic wrap.

*If you prefer thinner caramels, pour the hot mixture into a 9 X 13-inch pan instead of a 9-inch square pan.

Yield: 3 lbs caramels

YUMMY CHOCOLATE FUDGE
4 1/2 cups sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter
1 can (13-oz) evaporated milk, undiluted
1 package (12-oz) semi-sweet chocolate pieces (2 cups)
3 packages (4-oz each) sweet baking chocolate, cut into pieces
2 jars (7-oz each)) marshmallow creme
2 cups coarsely chopped nuts

In a 4-quart heavy saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, bring the sugar, salt, butter, and evaporated milk to a full boil. Boil for 6 minutes, stirring constantly. Off heat, add chocolates and marshmallow creme, stirring vigorously and speedily until the chocolate is melted and mixture is a uniform color. Immediately stir in the nuts and pour into a buttered 13 x 9 x 2-inch pan. Refrigerate until firm enough to cut into large squares or bars; wrap each individually. Keep stored in the refrigerator. Makes about 5 pounds.

Enjoy!

I love sharing my old fashion recipes as I think they often outshine today’s modern ones. Today I have pulled some of my favorite old fashion recipes for ‘sweet treats’ that are easy to make. I hope you will try them and enjoy them as much as we do.

QUICK AND EASY HOMEMADE CHOCOLATE MOUSSE

Do you remember when electric blenders became common in our kitchens? We wanted to use them for everything! This mousse worked well in the blender.

2 cups (12-ounce package) semisweet chocolate chips
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
pinch of salt
1 1/2 cups whipping cream heated to the boiling point
6 eggs, divided
whipped cream for topping, optional

Combine the chocolate, vanilla, and salt in a blender container and mix 30 seconds. Add the boiling cream and continue to mix another 30 seconds or until the chocolate is completely melted. Add the egg yolks and mix about 5 to 7 seconds. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and allow to cool.

Beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the egg whites into the cooled chocolate mixture. Place in a serving bowl and cover. Refrigerate.

To serve top with the whipped cream, if desired.

OLD FASHION BROWN SUGAR CANDY

Whenever I think about brown sugar candy I think about one of my favorite uncles. He has been gone for years and I seldom saw him the last 20 or 30 years of his life. He loved brown sugar fudge so anytime I make brown sugar candy I am reminded of him. Sometimes I wonder what is better, the candy or the memories.

3/4 cup butter
3 cups packed light brown sugar
1 can (5-oz) evaporated milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 lb powdered sugar
1/2 cup chopped black walnuts*

Butter a 9-inch square pan or dish; set aside.

In a heavy saucepan bring the butter, brown sugar, and milk to a boil. Cook over medium-low heat for 5 minutes, stirring often. Remove from the heat and add the vanilla extract, powdered sugar, and walnuts. Beat the mixture just until it begins to thicken. Pour candy into the prepared pan or dish. Let stand until cool; this candy sets-up quickly. Cut into 36 squares and place on plate, in a candy dish or may be kept in an airtight container.

*If you do not have black walnuts or just don’t like them, substitute English walnuts.

Enjoy.

Given below is one of the easiest 1st birthday cake recipes that you can make at home. This chocolate cake recipe is in the shape of a naughty monkey that will put a smile on the face of every child at the party. There are two parts to the cake: the sponge and the frosting.

For the sponge cake you will need:

- Corn flour – 1/3 cup

- Plain flour – 1/3 cup

- Self-raising flour – 1/3 cup

- Unsweetened cocoa powder – 4 tablespoons

- Eggs at room temperature – 4

- Castor sugar – 2/3 cup

- Vanilla essence – 1 teaspoon

To prepare:

- Preheat the oven to 180C.

- Separate the egg whites and whisk them to form soft peaks.

- Add the egg yolks and sugar to it and use an electric blender to whip the mix until the mixture is almost 3 times the volume and light yellow in color.

- Sift the flours together in a separate bowl.

- Add the flours, cocoa powder and vanilla essence to the prepared mix and fold the mix gently.

- Pour the batter in a greased 9-inch cake tin and bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes.

- When ready, the cake will be springy to touch. Let the cake cool completely before you start assembling the cake.

For assembling the cake you will need:

- Chocolate doughnuts – 2

- Vanilla frosting – 1 cup

- Chocolate sprinklers – 1/2 cup

- Chocolate frosting – 2 1/2 cups

- Brown jelly beans – 2

- Oreo cookies – 2

- Mixed fruit jam – 2 teaspoons

- Chocolate twizzler – 1

- Piping bags

To prepare:

- Place the cake on a 15-inch serving board.

- Trim the top sides of the cake (about 1/2 inch from all sides).

- Cut the doughnuts about an inch from the sides.

- Place the cut doughnuts near the cut portions of the cake to resemble the ears.

- Spread the chocolate frosting on the top half of the cake in a thick layer.

- Mix a few drops of red food coloring in 1/2 cup of vanilla frosting to get a pale pink color.

- Spread this frosting on the lower half of the cake giving it a kidney bean shape for the mouth.

- Then use a piping bag to pipe the jam on the icing to form the shape of a smiling mouth.

- Use the jelly beans to make the nose of the monkey.

- Press the chocolate sprinklers on the top, forehead portion and the chin of the monkey to make hairs.

- Pipe two circles of white vanilla frosting to form the base of the eyes. Put one Oreo cookie on each white circle.

- Snip the chocolate twizzler and place the pieces on the top of the cake to form the hair.

- Cool in the fridge to let the frosting set before serving the cake.

Cupcakes are a fantastic treat for dessert or a perfect snack for club meetings or parties of any sort. But unless you add a little flair, cupcakes can be a little boring. Fortunately, there are many great cupcake ideas to add a little flourish to these delicious goodies and spice up any gathering!

If you are making cupcakes for some sort of holiday gathering, consider cupcake ideas related to that specific holiday. For Halloween, try decorating cupcakes as pumpkins or ghosts. Christmas calls for Santa and reindeer heads or perhaps a "Christmas tree" formed of cupcake ornaments. Fourth of July can be celebrated with red and blue icing garnished with pearl sugar or white candy sprinkles to represent stars.

Valentine’s Day could be commemorated with heart-themed icing designs, but if you really want something special, try making heart-shaped cupcakes. To do this, all you have to do is place a marble in each pocket of your cupcake tin so that two humps are formed at the top of the paper cupcake sleeve. Once baked, just decorate cupcakes appropriately with red, pink or other Valentine-themed icing!

If you need cupcake ideas for sporting events, consider choosing icing that matches team colors. Of course, it is also easy to make cupcakes that look like baseballs, basketballs, soccer balls or even hockey pucks. You might have to get creative with the icing to make footballs, but it can be done. You can also make cupcakes resemble football helmets for a rounder option if desired.

Another great theme for cupcake ideas is choosing a favorite cartoon character. Whether it is Hello Kitty, Mickey Mouse or Garfield, decorating cupcakes as cartoons is easy. In a case like Mickey Mouse, try adding small cookies for the ears. Things like chocolate chips or gumdrops can often be used for eyes and noses. Have fun with the decorating so those enjoying the cupcakes will enjoy eating them.

Flowers are another great idea for making your cupcakes unique. Simply choose an appropriate color for the petals and swirl the icing in a proper pattern. Garnish by adding a few green leaves. Whether you prefer red roses for your sweetheart, yellow mums for your mother or purple tulips for your best friend, floral cupcakes are a breeze to design.

To make your cupcake ideas more exciting, consider making them three-dimensional. Use the icing to turn circles into spheres. This will make your designs stand out even more. Practically anything that can be designed as a circle can be expanded into a ball. Obviously it would work very well for sports balls, but it also fits cartoons and flowers and most any other creation as well.

Coming up with cupcake ideas is really only limited by your imagination. Practically anything from simple round shapes like golf balls and planets to more complex shapes like famous people and goofy characters can be represented on these tasty dessert treats. It is fun to be creative, so do not hold back. Run wild with these cupcake ideas or dream up some of your own!

Could it be a feeling of power over a deep seated fear that leads to enthusiastically and unceremoniously biting the head off an alligator, rat, or snake? And, if that’s the case, how can we reconcile the action of subjecting adorable harmless looking little teddy bears to that same heartless attack? Surely, there’s bound to be a study one day exploring the psychological meaning behind the habits of gummi bear addicts. But, in the meantime, perhaps we could agree that the popularity of gummi candies is due partly to the brand recognition achieved through clever marketing. Not to mention, people just plain like these candies.

The gummi movie characters, their adventures, struggles, and triumphs are no doubt fun and exciting to identify with, but they also ignite imagination and creativity. What kid hasn’t dreamed up their own unique characters and amazing adventures while eating gummi bears? Like animal crackers, they double as toys, keeping the minds of kids active and engaged. And then there’s the compulsive ritual of separating your number one favorite flavor, devouring that group – then moving on to the next most favorite until the container is empty. This ritual doesn’t appear to be confined to just the youngest demographic among us, either.

Disney’s ‘Adventures of the Gummi Bears’ is the name of the movie featuring the original gummi characters. It was a much watched show after being introduced in 1982 – about the same time gummi candies began to be manufactured in the United States. Many adults have cherished memories of this Disney TV movie. They recall carefully organizing their schedules to avoid missing even one episode.

The person responsible for the birth of the ‘gummi movement’ lived in Bonn, Germany all the way back in 1920. His name was Hans Riegal, SR., and he invented the first gummi bears. Starting the business from his home, he painstakingly created molds of his unique dancing bears, and his wife helped out by delivering the orders of his candy by bicycle. The candy quickly became a huge hit and the business grew rapidly, soon moving to a factory. The name of the company, Haribo, is an acronym based upon his name and the City, Bonn. The story is a great testament to what one person can do with a dream… combined with the ambition and fortitude to carry it through.

Haribo is still one of the leading manufacturers of the growing inventory of gummi candies, and many people refuse to accept any substitute. Of course there are other manufacturers of these popular chewy gelatin delights that have gained a loyal following, too. Among them, is Trolli, maker of the famous gummi worms, such as Brite Crawler. Black Forest is another of many manufacturers engaged in the gummi candy industry.

Regardless of the manufacturer the basic ingredients in gummi candies are said to be sugar, glucose syrup, starch, citric acid, gelatin, and the appropriate flavoring and food coloring. The gelatin provides both elasticity and the chewy consistency, though substitutes are sometimes used to accommodate kosher and vegetarian diets. To suit a wide variety of tastes, gummi’s are made available in either sweet or sour varieties. Basic flavors are raspberry, orange, pineapple, strawberry, and lemon, but the flavor list continues to grow to include watermelon, peach, blueberry, and many other choices.

Still loved by both kids and adults, gummi candies, which will celebrate their 100th birthday in just 8 years, definitely appear to be holding their own in the competitive world of candy.

Living a gluten-free lifestyle is often seen as something an individual with Celiac Disease must do in order to stay happy and healthy. In truth, family members or those living in the same household frequently find themselves observing a gluten-free diet the majority of the time, with a few exceptions. One reason is that it is easier to buy groceries and cook meals that everyone can eat, rather than doing double the shopping and double the cooking. Another reason, however, is that cross-contamination can occur in a kitchen when the cooks are not careful. Here are 7 tips to make it easier and safer for those suffering from Celiac Disease to partake in a gluten-free lifestyle while living in a dual-diet household.

1. Knowledge is Power – Help other household and family members to learn about Celiac Disease. Teach them what it is, what foods should be avoided and what happens when they are not.

2. Observe Food Labels – Charge the grocery shopper with buying foods that everyone can have, when possible. Encourage that person to check the labels of everything. For large households, assign a shopping buddy to push an extra cart at the grocery store. This makes cross contamination of wheat-based foods easier to avoid.

3. Experiment and Share – Invite those without Celiac Disease to try specialty foods that taste good. For example, some grocery stores carry gluten-free rolls in the frozen food section. Others carry specialty desserts, like gluten-free pies, cookies and cupcakes in the bakery section.

4. Separate Food – Keep gluten-free foods in a separate cabinet or pantry. Before initially stocking it, carefully clean and sanitize the shelves and doors. Pay special attention to products made with flour, as the dust can migrate easily.

5. Friendly Reminders – If there are children in the home, use friendly signs to remind them which cabinets and utensils are considered "safe," and which are not. Color coding is helpful for little ones that haven’t yet learned to read. This is also helpful for forgetful grown-ups.

6. Separate Equipment – To avoid cross-contamination, use separate cooking, baking and mixing equipment for gluten-free foods. Prepare them on separate surfaces. Use color coding or tags to make separation easy for everyone to follow.

7. Plan Ahead – Develop a system for preparing and eating meals simultaneously in the kitchen. While it may be easier for everyone to eat the same thing, there will be times this doesn’t happen. Planning ahead for meals will prevent issues most of the time.

In the past, decorating cakes was primarily done for special occasions such as birthdays, weddings, graduations, and anniversaries. Cake decorating has evolved over the years to become a true art form and is now being pursued both as a hobby and as a profession by men and women alike. Decorating cakes is something that people can do as a pastime, as a participation in county fair competitions, regional competitions, and to earn an income by becoming self-employed.

Cake designing and decorating schools are available and individuals can learn from pastry chefs how to beautifully construct and design cakes that are remarkable in taste and appearance. More and more pastry chefs and cake decorators are using innovative materials and ingredients to make their cakes stand out from the crowd. The results are marvelous cakes that almost look too beautiful and too amazing to eat.

In addition to learning to professionally decorate cakes at a pastry school, individuals who are wanting to learn on their own how to turn their decorating skills into a true work of art can use online tutorials to help them master the art of cake decorating and designing. One of the key steps that must be perfected before cake decorating can be perfected is to learn to make frostings that will hold up to various molds, lettering, and designs on the cakes. Watching tutorials and downloading eBooks can help a person learn to create diverse frostings that work well for many different types of decorating.

Cakes sometimes call for different types of frosting, depending upon how the cake will be decorated. Many wedding cakes and other formal cakes will often require smooth and velvety frosting with very little texture. This allows the decorator to apply tiny pearls, candy sequins, frosted flowers, and other arrangements smoothly over the cake without the textures of the frostings conflicting with one another. Learning cake decorating from beginning to end is a true work of art and includes mastering combining the basic ingredients all the way through to the finishing final touches.

Pursuing cake decorating can be a productive and extremely enjoyable pastime. Many people have been able to successfully turn their love of decorating cakes into a full time career by contracting their cake decorating services out to others. Once a person has mastered the art of making basic flavored cakes, the decorating services can be used to create beautiful and memorable cakes for graduations, anniversaries, weddings, family reunions, and other special occasions. Decorating a cake is a wonderful way for an individual to express his or her artistic abilities.

Learning this art form can be accomplished in a variety of ways and the cake designing items that a person will need to get started will be a minimum cost. Purchasing the basic supplies and tubes for cake decorating is all a person needs in the beginning. As he or she begins to learn more tricks and takes his or her knowledge of decorating to the next level, more supplies can be purchased to help enhance the decorating styles the person is trying to accomplish.

Impress your family and friends with these delicious recipes for cakes from a mix. Your family and friends will be impressed and no one will suspect you started with a boxed mix. Both the Butterscotch Cake with Orange Glaze and the Strawberry Coconut Pecan Cake are great cakes that starts with a mix. These cakes are easy even for the busy cook!

BUTTERSCOTCH CAKE WITH ORANGE GLAZE
1 pkg (2-layer size) yellow cake mix
3 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup water
1 pkg (3-oz) butterscotch instant pudding mix
Orange glaze; recipe below

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Grease and lightly flour a bundt pan; set aside.

In mixer bowl combine the cake mix, eggs, oil, water, and pudding mix; beat at low speed until moistened. Beat at medium speed 4 minutes.

Pour the batter into the prepared bundt pan and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Make the orange glaze and drizzle over the cake.

Yield: 12 servings.

Orange Glaze:
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup orange juice
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Blend all the ingredients together to make a thin glaze. Drizzle over the above cake or use for other cakes, cookies, etc.

STRAWBERRY COCONUT PECAN CAKE
1 pkg (3-oz) strawberry gelatin
1 pkg (2-layer size) white cake mix
3/4 cup canola oil
3/4 cup milk
4 eggs, separated
1 cup shredded coconut
1 cup chopped pecans
2 cups strawberry halves
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 lb powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Grease and flour two round cake pans; set aside.

In a large mixing bowl stir the gelatin and cake mix together; add the oil, milk, egg yolks and mix just until moistened.

In a separate bowl, combine the coconut, pecans, and strawberries. Fold half this mixture into the cake batter. Reserve the other half of the strawberry mixture.

In a mixer bowl, beat egg whites until stiff but not dry; fold into the batter. Pour the batter evenly into two prepared pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the centers come out clean. Allow to cool in pans on wire rack for just a few minutes then remove from pans to the wire racks to cool completely.

In a mixer bowl cream the butter until light. Add the powdered sugar, mixing until fluffy. Add the remaining strawberry mixture and mix in well. Place one layer on cake plate and spread some of the frosting over the top. Top with the second layer. Use the remaining frosting to cover the top and sides of the cake.

Yield: 12 servings.

Enjoy!