Zinc, Egypt, Another Chocolate Recipe.

There is a class action law suit in the States against Procter and Gamble stating that Fixodent causes people to ingest more zinc than is healthy and making a number of such people sick with nerve damage caused by this over ingestion of zinc. I have been looking into this as I use Fixodent regularly (top teeth only) and have some similar problems to those cited in the report. I also take a multi-vitamin which includes 7.5 milligrams of zinc. According to P & G Fixodent has about the same amount and my pharmacist says the recommended amount of zinc per day is 14-15 mgs. So I figure I am OK. To read the report go to http://tinyurl.com/4tpowpt  The P & G response is that people are not using the product properly by not using the recommended amount. They don’t give an actual recommendation, but show diagrams of how it should be applied.

I am getting confused about Egypt, one report I saw today said that Mubarak would be leaving tonight, now another report says he is still going to hang on til the end of his term. I wish they could sort it out over there as if this spreads, as people say it could, we could have quite a conflagration in that part of the world and the price of gas would sky rocket. Mind you, in Canada, we shouldn’t have to worry, but all our oil is sold out of country, so we have the same problems anyone else has.

Here’s some more chocolate for you, this time it is a low cal brownie offered by Eating Well. Of course, if you eat too many of them, they are no longer diet food.

 

Swirled Cheesecake Brownies

From EatingWell:  Summer 2004, The Essential EatingWell Cookbook (2004)

Made with whole-wheat flour, these decadent-tasting brownies have a beautiful marbled cheesecake topping. Cutting them into bite-size pieces helps to keep the calorie count in check.

24 bars 

Ingredients

Cheesecake topping

4 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese, (Neufchatel)

1/4 cup sugar

1 large egg

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon nonfat plain yogurt

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Brownie layer

2/3 cup whole-wheat pastry flour

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 large egg

2 large egg whites, or 4 teaspoons dried egg whites (see Ingredient note), reconstituted according to package directions

1 1/4 cups packed light brown sugar

1/4 cup canola oil

1/4 cup strong (or prepared instant) coffee, or black tea

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Coat a 7-by-11-inch brownie pan or baking pan with cooking spray.
2. To prepare topping: Place cream cheese in a small mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy. Add sugar and beat until smooth. Add egg, flour, yogurt and vanilla; beat until well blended.
3. To prepare brownie layer: Whisk whole-wheat flour, cocoa and salt in a bowl. Place egg, egg whites and brown sugar in a large bowl and beat with the electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Add oil, coffee (or tea) and vanilla; beat until well blended. Add the dry ingredients and beat on low speed just until well blended, stopping once to scrape down the sides.
4. Scrape about half of the brownie batter into the prepared pan. Slowly pour the topping evenly on top. Drop the remaining brownie batter in large dollops over the topping. Draw the tip of a sharp knife or skewer through the two batters to create a swirled effect.
5. Bake the brownies until the top is just firm to the touch, about 20 minutes. Let cool completely in the pan on a wire rack. Coat a knife with cooking spray and cut into 24 bars.

Nutrition

Per bar : 105 Calories; 4 g Fat; 1 g Sat; 2 g Mono; 21 mg Cholesterol; 16 g Carbohydrates; 2 g Protein; 1 g Fiber; 54 mg Sodium; 45 mg Potassium

1 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 1 other carbohydrate, 1/2 fat

Tips & Notes

• Make Ahead Tip: The brownies will keep, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. (Alternatively, bake brownies in an 8 1/2-by-12 1/2 -inch foil pan, wrap well and store in the freezer for up to 3 months.) Bring to room temperature and cut into bars shortly before serving.

• Ingredient Note: Dried egg whites are convenient in recipes like this one because you don't have to figure out what to do with 4 egg yolks. Look for powdered brands like Just Whites in the baking aisle or natural-foods section or fresh pasteurized whites in the dairy case of most supermarkets.

Have a great day