1 cup whole wheat flour

½ cup protein powder

1 ½ tsp baking powder

¼ tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

2 egg whites

½ cup sugar

¼ cp honey

3 tbl. Vegetable oil

1 tsp lemon zest

¼ cup walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

In large bowl, combine flour, protein powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Mix well.  In another bowl, combine egg whites, bananas, sugar, honey, oil, and lemon zest.  Combine dry and wet ingredients and mix well.  Add in nuts.  Bake in nonstick loaf pan for 45 to 50 min or until a toothpick comes out clean.  Cool for 5 min. and immediately remove from pan to continue cooling on wire rack.

Cuts 16 slices.

A ½ cup each of:

Honeydew

Cantaloupe

Blueberries

Watermelon

Grapefruit

Kiwi

Grapes

1 cup chopped walnuts

3 tbl. Limoncello liqueur

1 tbl minced mint

Whipped cream (optional)

With a melon baller, scoop ball like pieces out of each fruit and combine in large bowl.  Add Limoncello and mint to the fruit.  Add walnuts.  Mix well.  Chill at least one hour.  Stir well before serving.   Add a dollop of whip cream to finish it off.

¾  cup pitted dates

½ cup pecans

3 tbl. Honey

2 tablespoons cream cheese

2 tsp Disaronno liqueur

Diced nuts, cocoa and coconut for dipping

In food processor or blender, combine Special K, dates and pecans and blend until finely chopped. Add honey, cream cheese and Disaronno and blend until dough forms.  Grease hands and roll 2 inch balls into desired topping. Let stand for an hour before serving.

2 teaspoons sugar

¼ cup butter

2 tblsp water

½ tsp vanilla

1/3 cup whipped cream

½ cup brown sugar

2 tblsp honey

¾  cup dried cranberries (orange flavored)

½ cup chopped pecans

½  chopped pistachios

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Grease 8 inch baking pan. In food processor or blender, combine flour, sugar and butter and blend until mixture resembles cornmeal.  Add water and vanilla and blend once more. Press dough into baking pan and freeze for 15 min. Remove dough from the freezer and bake for 15 min. until golden brown.

In a saucepan over medium heat, combine whipping cream, brown sugar and honey. Bring to boil and boil for 1 min.   Remove from heat and stir in cranberries and chopped nuts.  Spread mixture over crust and bake for 20-25 min. until bubbling.  Remove from oven and cool before serving.

Makes 12 squares

Ingredients

Crust

1 cup Smart Balance Butter

1 package Graham Crackers

1/4 cup Untoasted Wheat Germ

Filling

Tub of French Vanilla Cool Whip

1/2 cup lemon juice

1 cup Fresh crushed pineapple diced and drained

Topping

1 cup Chopped pecans

Combine graham crackers, butter, and wheat germ in a bowl.  Mix together until smooth.  Form into pie pan and place in refrigerator to harden for at least an hour.   Combine filling ingredients  and pour into pie crust.  Top with chopped pecans and refrigerate until firm.

Ingredients

8 large strawberries

½ cup mixed berries( raspberries, blueberries, blackberries)

Dark chocolate chips

Canned whipped cream

Crushed Macadamia Nuts

Sugar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Cut top and bottom off of strawberries so that they stand up straight.  Cut out center of strawberries to create a hollow center.  Place strawberries in a baking dish and scatter mixed berries around them and sprinkle sugar over all berries.  Place 2-3 chocolate chips inside strawberries and place berries in oven until chocolate melts (about 10 to 15 min.)  Remove berries from oven.  Spoon juice from the berries over the strawberries.  Squirt just a touch of whipped cream into each strawberry and top off with macadamia nuts.  Plate with mixed berries and serve.

 The Aztecs coined  the word “chocolate” when they would make a drink with the beans that they called xocolatl, or “bitter water”.  The seeds are quite bitter before being fermented but once they are,  they are dried, roasted, shelled, and liquified into the substance we would now identify as chocolate.

The Aztecs associated chocolate with the Goddess of fertility, or Xochiquetzal.

Most of the chocolate consumed today is not pure, but is sweet chocolate that is combined with sugar.  When looking at a label, the higher percent cacao it is, the more pure the chocolate is.

There are four types of chocolate usually sold and bought for consumption:

Dark chocolate:  The most pure of the chocolate with the most benefits.  Often thought to taste bitter in comparison to others since it is so pure and the cacao bean is naturally bitter.

Milk Chocolate: Unsually contains a type of milk poder or condensed milk

semi-sweet chocolate:  Unsually coupled with a high amount of sugar to make it sweet

White Chocolate:  Actually does not contain any cacao beans whatsoever. Is made of cocoa butter, sugar and milk.

Health Benefits

Chocolate contains alkaloids, such as theobromine and phenethylamine which are shown to have physicological effects on the body.  Chocolate is also directly related to the release of seretonin in the brain that produces a feeling of happiness or content.   It is also claimed that chocolate, eaten in moderate proportions, can lower blood pressure.  Becuase dark chocolate is the purest of all those on the market, it is claimed to contain many antioxidants which help to fight off free radicals, or toxins that continuously try to attack your body.

Matt started his first business at the age of 13 and never looked back.  While other kids were struggling with homework, he was busy bringing in $12,000 in his first year with automated contact forms in his CD Production Business.  In the same year, he opened HardMagic, a web design company.  As the years went on, Matt found himself as Class President for 4 years, opened another business, wrote a book, traveled the world, and became a fashion model.  His success is seen as he’s developed a strong relationship with Universities around the country and has intern programs to further help our youth.

Matt strives to bring environmentally friendly products to the public & prides himself in taking the bus wherever he goes.  His assets are handled electronically and all faxes are done through email.  Matt knows the wave of the future like no other and is a role model for future executives.

Matt holds over 20 certifications in various fields of health, technology, and athletics. Additionally, he trains professional athletes, celebrities, Fortune 500 CEOs, interns, employees and the general public.

His expertise in nutrition has helped coach athletes to some amazing feats in Olympic swimming and other high endurance sports. He is also a certified Boxing Fitness Trainer and has worked with professional heavyweight boxers.

Matt enjoys spending his spare time ballroom dancing.  He is also an avid runner, putting in well over 50 miles a week with a 5k Personal Record of 14:38.

      As a Certified Fitness Trainer, and a dessert loving Lebanese woman, I thought it was time to put together a little something for those of us who want to be healthy and happy without having to give up the things we love.  And when I really thought about it…I said,  ”Who doesn’t want that!”  This book is meant to not only educate you on how and when to eat those tasty treats, but  also  to remind all of you out there how fabulous just a bit of sweetness can make your life sooo very delicious.

Enjoy!