Dried Cherry and Walnut Bars with Chocolate Drizzle

This recipe makes  15  bars. 
Cooking time :   20 minutes

Ingredients
2/3 cup dried tart cherries, chopped
3/4 cup flour
1/3 cup golden raisins
1 cup walnuts, chopped
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Cooking Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and spray a 10-inch by 10-inch pan with nonstick spray.

2. Toss the dried cherries with 1 tablespoon of flour. Add the raisins and walnuts and set aside.

3. Place the eggs in a mixing bowl and whip them with an electric mixer until frothy. Gradually add the brown sugar and continue whipping until the mixture is thick, about 5 minutes.

4. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a separate bowl and fold it into the egg mixture. Fold in the fruit and nut mixture.

5. Spread the batter into the prepared pan and bake until golden brown and springy to the touch, about 20 minutes. Let cool.

6. Melt the chocolate in the microwave on low power so that it does not burn for about 30 seconds. Stir until the chocolate is pourable.

6. Cut the cherry and walnut mixture into bars, drizzle each one with chocolate and refrigerate until the chocolate is set. Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Serving Size 1 bar

Calories 238

Protein 4 g

Total Carbohydrate 43 g

Sugar 31 g

Total Fat 8 g

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• Tip of the Month

  June 2010

  Abdominal Workouts: Frequency, Intensity, and Duration

  Over the past 15 years, there has been countless advice on how to “properly” train your abdominals, or core.  There isn’t a fitness magazine out there that doesn’t publish a different abdominal workout each and every issue.  Opinions and research may change over time, but there are a few things you should look at before you alter your workout with each Fitness Magazine you read!
  First of all, it is important to know what your overall fitness and health goal is before designing a strength program for any body part, especially the mid-section.  For overall fitness, it is smartest to treat your abdominal muscles as you would any other muscle group.  The tried and true guidelines for most exercise programs is to work specific muscles to fatigue within a 30-60 second set time limit (intensity and duration,) while giving the worked muscle group at least 24-48 hours of rest (frequency) before working it again.  The amount of sets you do in a given workout (frequency again) can vary from as little as 4 sets to up to 12 for the average workout.  The science behind these theories is sound.  While exercising, pushing your body significantly past the 60 second mark without fatigue generally incorporates aerobic energy, thereby not stressing the muscles most efficiently.  And rest is necessary so that your body can properly rebuild the muscle fibers that you have broken down.  Additionally, you want to be at 100% energy levels for your next workout!

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• Recipe of the Month

  June 2010

  Ham and Cheese Breakfast Casserole

  This healthy update of a traditionally rich ham-and-cheese breakfast strata is made lighter primarily by losing a few egg yolks and using nonfat milk. Gruyère cheese has a delicious, nutty aroma and flavor, which means that with the relatively small amount in this recipe you still get a big impact. To finish the makeover use nutritious, fiber-rich, whole-grain bread instead of white. The results: plenty of flavor, half the calories and one-third the fat of the original.

  4 large eggs
  4 large egg whites
  1 cup nonfat milk
  2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
  1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
  5 cups chopped spinach, wilted (see Tip)
  4 cups whole-grain bread, crusts removed if desired, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 1/2 pound, 4-6 slices)
  1 cup diced ham steak, (5 ounces)
  1/2 cup chopped jarred roasted red peppers
  3/4 cup shredded Gruyère, or Swiss cheese
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