Breakfast Smoothies

Tropical Dream Smoothie
200g tub vanilla yogurt
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup chopped mango
1/4 cup chopped banana
toasted shredded coconut, for sprinkling

Mixed Berry Combo Smoothie
200g tub vanilla yogurt
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup mixed berries (strawberries, raspberries, blueberries)

Spiced Vanilla And Banana Smoothie

200g tub vanilla yogurt
1/2 cup milk
pinch cinnamon
2 teaspoons honey
1/2 cup banana
extra cinnamon, for sprinkling

Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth and creamy.

Pour into 2 tall glasses and serve with a straw.

PMS-busting meal plan

Try this combo of mood-boosting, cramp-curing meals for a week and watch your symptoms fade:

Breakfast
Cottage cheese, berries + OJ 

OR 

Oatmeal + skim milk + whole wheat toast

Lunch
Spinach salad, salmon + glass of skim milk 

OR 

Tuna, low-fat mayo, whole-wheat bread + rockmelon

Snack
Air-popped popcorn (no butter) drizzled with fat-free chocolate sauce 

OR 

Whole wheat bran muffin + nonfat yoghurt with honey 

OR 

Low-fat cheese + whole-wheat crackers

Dinner
Whole-wheat pasta + garlic, mushrooms, onions in a tomato sauce 

OR 

Broiled salmon + brown rice + steamed broccoli + blueberries

New York cheesecake

Preparation Time 30 - 420 minutes
Cooking Time 90 minutes
Serves 10

1 x 250g pkt plain sweet biscuits (such as Arnott's Nice)
125g unsalted butter, melted
750g cream cheese, at room temperature
215g (1 cup) caster sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp finely grated lemon rind
2 tbs plain flour
4 eggs
1 x 300ml ctn sour cream
120g fresh or frozen raspberries

Preheat oven to 160°C. Line the base of a 23cm (base measurement) springform pan with non-stick baking paper.
Place the biscuits in the bowl of a food processor and process until finely crushed. Add the butter and process until well combined. Transfer to the lined pan. Use a straight-sided glass to spread and press the biscuit mixture firmly over the base and side of pan, leaving 1cm at the top of the pan. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 30 minutes to chill.
Meanwhile, use an electric beater to beat the cream cheese, sugar, vanilla and lemon rind in a large bowl until just combined. Beat in the flour. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition until combined. Stir in the sour cream until just combined.
Pour the cream cheese mixture into the base. Place the pan on a baking tray and bake for 1 1/4-1 1/2 hours or until just set in the centre. Turn oven off. Leave the cheesecake in oven, with the door ajar, for 2 hours or until cooled completely (this will prevent cheesecake from cracking). Place in the fridge for 4 hours to chill.
Top the cheesecake with the raspberries. Cut into wedges to serve.

Source: Good Taste - May 2008, Page 93
Recipe by Kathy Knudsen

Special-K 19Sep09: I made this for a friend's BBQ tonight and it was a big hit. I used two regular and one light cream cheese and regular sour cream and 200g frozen raspberries.

OPTIONS:
- Use 2 Weight watcher's cream cheese and one regular cream cheese for a great light texture & use 2/3 of the sugar.
- use 500g of cream cheese and 3 eggs. Fold through some frozen blueberries just before you put the mixture in the tin.
- add blueberries to the mix and use low fat sour cream and 500g low fat cream cheese and 250g full fat cream cheese.