I would love to share the recipe with you. Unfortunately, I didn’t measure and the experience of making them (even though they were delicious) was rather chaotic. Instead, I am going to share with you one of the recipes I found .

Go ahead and try that recipe. Or if you want to make something that is closer to what I did, make the following changes:

• Instead of 2 c. all purpose flour, add 1 c. whole wheat flour and 1 c. all purpose
• Omit the spices and the nuts
• Use 1 c. of chocolate chips
• Add an extra T. of butter

That will get you pretty close. And let me warn you - the chocolate makes them even better and more addicting. There is something about the banana and chocolate combination that is tantalizing!

Making conversions became so natural, I stopped thinking about it. I tried to explain it but realized that there had to be an easier way.  So there are a few ways you can go about making the conversions. The first, is to commit all the measurement conversions to memory. For example, 30 grams is roughly 1 ounce and 250 ml is roughly 1 liquid cup.

If that’s too cumbersome or math frustrates you, you can try using a conversion calculator such as this one which I found on the Southern Food site at About.com. Since I was confronted with the need to make the conversions nearly every day, I found it easier to commit everything to memory.

Another great tip is to use a scale such as the one pictured here . This one has both kilograms and pounds so you can make the accurate conversion automatically. I use this method sometimes as I have a good scale on hand.

I know. Frustrating. The thing is, I was a mess at writing recipes until I realized the trick. Follow these tips and you’ll be writing recipes people will be happy with.

• Ingredients. Write them in the order that they appear in the recipe with the exact amounts listed.

• Instructions. Make these clear and concise as possible. Read a few recipes so you can get a feel for the lingo.

• Cooking times. Give estimated cooking times including how to tell if something is done cooking. Each oven is different so the cook will need a visual cue.

• Double check. Read through the recipe and try to use it to make the dish before you start passing it out.

And that’s it. With practice, you’ll be an expert recipe writer in no time!

Cooking Together - Leaving a Legacy

I grew up learning how to cook from my mom and yiayia (grandmother in Greek). My grandmother especially cooked mainly from feel. The only recipes she really ever used were for things like the Easter rolls we’d cook once a year. Otherwise, she would cook up delicious Greek cuisine sans instructions. It drove my mother crazy.

My mother wanted a record of my grandmother’s recipes so she spent time writing down what my grandmother was doing as they’d cook together. Yiayia has passed on now and those recipes are our legacy. Cooking with both of them is a real pleasure.

Even though my mother wanted to preserve those recipes, it wasn’t really the exactness of the recipe that mattered. It was about celebrating my grandmother’s life and sharing family together. Now that my grandmother is gone, these foods will remind my family of those times.

Fresh Ingredients in Greek Food

Another important element of Greek cooking is the fact that Greek chefs value fresh ingredients. They go to the store every day so they can get the highest quality and tastiest fruits and vegetables possible. For example, stuffed tomatoes and peppers are at their best in the summer when the tomatoes and peppers are fresh out of the garden. It’s all about making food taste as good as you can.

In other words, it isn’t about finding the recipe and buying the ingredients. It’s about looking to see what’s fresh and looks delicious and building your meals around that.

I’m not eating it. It’s for my husband. If I wanted to eat something high in fat, I’d eat chocolate cake. For me, it’s about balancing my calories. Then again, I need to lose weight - not him. And at least I am using high fiber pasta.

This evenings dinner got me thinking about healthy recipes. What should I have for dinner? When this question arises, I have a few places that I look.

• American Heart Association Cookbook . This is my all time favorite healthy cookbook. They have a lot of great bread recipes including an oatmeal bread that’s delicious. Not quit like the classic Fanny Farmer oatmeal bread, but close.

• Epicurious.com - This website features recipes from several magazine. When I want to eat healthy I am most interested in the recipes from Self and Cooking Light. However, Bon Apetit and Gourmet magazines both have healthy selections

• Eating Well . I visit the online version as well as purchase the magazine occasionally. Not only are the recipes healthy but they’re also fun. Eating well also has a cookbook designed to teach you the ins and outs of low fat cooking.

I’ve also learned how to modify my recipes. I use nonstick pans even when the recipe doesn’t say to. I scale back on the butter in recipes - or eliminate altogether in favor of olive oil. I boost the nutrient content of food by adding ground flax, wheat germ, or extra spices where appropriate. I didn’t always have this skill, though. It’s something I learned through trial and error. One healthy recipe leads to another!

It’s really hard to get it just right. I made one version which involved a low flour cake mix that comprised of sugar, egg white, flour, and melted chocolate. I filled a ramekin with batter and dropped in a ball of frozen ganache. It was okay but not the best. The two best versions that we’ve had have been at The Chart House and Morton’s respectively.

Aside from trying yet another recipe, I could always try a mix like the one pictured here from Shop.com for $7.99. As you can see from the picture, the cake is photographed doing exactly what it should - oozing it’s chocolate onto the plate. A mix is a real asset because when done from scratch, the cake can be incredibly time consuming. If you don’t want to do mail order, I notice that Dr Oetker has a mix - I find it in supermarkets in the states sometimes even though it’s a German company.

If you do want to make hot chocolate cake from scratch how do you go about doing it? First, when looking for recipes understand that there are two different kinds. One includes only one batter, the other includes batter plus ganache. The one batter version is simpler but may not ooze as much. If you can find the Morton’s Cookbook , I’d start by trying that recipe since the cake is very good. My own version didn’t come out nearly as good as the one in that cookbook.

Anyway, I thought I’d share my crepes with nutella recipe. I make the crepes different each time, but this is the basic recipe.

Ingredients:

2 eggs

1 cup milk

1 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup all purpose flour (white flour)

Pinch of salt of baking powder

1 teaspoon sugar (optional)

Instructions:

Whisk together eggs and milk. Add flour, salt or baking powder, and sugar (optional). Whisk until smooth. Heat griddle or crepe pan. Add a small pat of butter or 1/2 teaspoon oil and let heat for a few seconds. Put 1/4 cup of batter in pan and swirl around until spread out. Make sure the burner is on medium and cook until the top of the crepe is dry and starting to bubble (about 3-5 minutes). Flip and cook on the other side for thirty seconds. Repeat until all the batter is gone.  Add nutella to crepe, fold in half or in thirds, and enjoy!

Physical cravings, on the other hand, happen under much different circumstances. For example, I was hiking and got really dehydrated. I found myself craving water and olives nearly simultaneously. Water to replenish the fluids, olives to replenish the salts.

It’s the psychological cravings that concern me most. This means that there is no phsyical reason for them and that the body doesn’t need the calories. I have a few tactics for dealing with these:

• Get away from the kitchen.
• Go for a walk, dance, etc.
• Have something healthy. If I’m craving sweets, for example, I’ll have an orange or some raisins.
• Drinking tea is another good way. Green tea and rooibos tea work especially well.

By not giving into the psychological cravings, it will make it easier to take off the pounds. Emotional eating is a wonderful habit to kick.

So today - it’s coldish and raining. The rain droplets feel cold on my face. All I can think about is how I want soup. I have some mushroom soup and tomato soup in the fridge and I think that sounds like a very pleasant snack.

My favorite soup is Avgolemono - or Greek Egg and Lemon Soup. But I also love Vegetable Soup because it’s easy to make and I always have the ingredients on hand.

Simple Veggie Soup

Just add the following to a soup pot. Bring to a boil and then simmer on low for 45 minutes.

1 can crushed or diced tomatoes

Water (I just fill the tomato can after I put the tomatoes in a pot)

4-6 cups of broth (I use beef or chicken)

Chopped veggies (about 4 cups) like carrots, celerey, onions, brussels sprouts, broccoli, etc

If I decide to add past, I add it after I simmer the soup for 45 minutes and then let the soup cook for another ten minutes until the past is tender. You can also add kidney beans or chickpeas or other legume. I use the canned version and add it with the vegetables.

I find that in order to keep myself motivated, I find that I need to try new recipes every few days. For me, I love to cook. I look forward to learning new cooking skills and trying new foods. I’m also the same way with exercise - I find I need to vary my routine. It makes me look forward to my workouts.

So where do I find healthy recipes? I have several favorite places. Sparkpeople is a great resource because you can find others who are also working on losing weight. I also regularly visit epicurious.com - the recipes from Cooking Light and Self Magazine get posted on there. Do you have any favorite resources for finding new recipes?