366997 Fri Feb 02 12:20:25 -0800 2007 24 31 Home Cooking 0 2253966 I'm typically not a sweets person but finding that I'm reaching for sweet things at night and don't want to get into a habit of eating ice cream, cookies, etc. at night. any good creative things to do with jello that could satisfy my sweet tooth and not put lbs on this winter. Not sure what's going - even full after dinner - I reach for chocolate - sooooooo not me!!!!!! Fri Feb 02 12:20:25 -0800 2007 49588 lexpatti 1 2254096 I'm not sure why you think Jello would be preferable to chocolate ;) Suggest getting some high quality dark chocolate with nuts if you like them. I like a Swiss brand of dark chocolate with hazelnuts; Dove dark chocolate Promises (available in hearts right now) are good and easy to find. I just put fruit in Jello on the rare occasions I make it--for example, blackberries and bananas in black cherry Jello. Chocolate cravings can indicate a lack of protein, so you might want to make sure you're getting enough. But chocolate is one of life's good things, and not so bad for you either ... Another thing I like to do is buy Godiva by the piece in a bag and have just one. For a low-calorie option, there are German wafer cookies covered in dark chocolate, ~22 calories apiece. Fri Feb 02 12:46:24 -0800 2007 2253966 19108 foiegras 1 2254141 What about roasted sweet potatoes--not chocolate, and not jello. But definitely sweet--and good for you! Dried Fruit and nuts--with a bit of dark chocolate mixed in? Salty and sweet-yum! Fri Feb 02 12:57:54 -0800 2007 2253966 18253 SeaSide Tomato 1 2254275 There are a couple good threads here with some really good sounding Jell-o/gelatin recipes, and I am definitely not a Jell-o fan. I saved quite a few of them to try at some point (like my other 50,000 saved-for-later recipes!) http://www.chowhound.com/topics/365507 http://www.chowhound.com/topics/312360 http://www.chowhound.com/topics/312381 You'll find more Jell-o recipes than you need for one winter! Also, you can always make these lower calorie if you don't mind artificial sweeteners (some people have a real problem with them, and others don't.) Fri Feb 02 13:24:01 -0800 2007 2253966 62843 luv2bake 2 2254283 Oh, and I saw a recipe fairly recently in one of my cookbooks for some kind of chocolate gelatin. It sounds gross to me, but maybe it wouldn't be. If I can remember which cookbook, I'll post it. You might be able to google it. Fri Feb 02 13:25:48 -0800 2007 2254275 62843 luv2bake 3 2263181 Well, it wasn't Jell-o -- it was sorbet! lol Something else I think of as fruity & not chocolate. Anyhow, here's that recipe because I think it could be adapted to gelatin: 4 cups water 1 2/3 cups sugar (use Splenda??) 1/3 cups brown sugar, packed (and they have the brown sugar/splenda, too) 2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract Combine the water and sugars on stove in post & stir until dissolved. Whisk in cocoa & simmer 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Pour into bowl; add vanilla. Refrigerate 2 hours. Stir the chilled mixture. Process per machine instructions Mon Feb 05 18:21:13 -0800 2007 2254283 62843 luv2bake 1 2254454 I agree with the suggestions to find a high quality small quantity way to satisfy your chocolate crave, but if it just the need for sweet munchings my more warm weather solution is to mix interesting flavored sugar free jello (peach, watermelon...) about half & half with crushed ice and then pour over either a little sugar free syrup in a complementary flavor or go more Asian and pour over a little lite coconut milk and something chewy like a few pieces of frozen corn. This is way open to variation, but the concept for me is I have something sweet (albeit artificial) and something I can play with and crunch on because of the ice factor. Fri Feb 02 14:10:06 -0800 2007 2253966 17682 torty 1 2254477 Dried cherries and dried pineapple -- the kind with no sugar added -- is my new no-sugar snack. Very chewy and very sweet...great for the evening. I'll mix that with a few almonds and it makes a very satisfying snack. Fri Feb 02 14:15:57 -0800 2007 2253966 11921 wyf4lyf 1 2259869 I was just reading your post where you mentioned "no sugar added". This is true, but please don't decieve yourself by thinking its a low sugar snack. Dried fruit is a concentration of sugar. If you really want chocolate, just have a bit. 15 grams of carbohydrates is equal to one serving, so just watch your carbs and don't deny yourself. <sorry I don't want to be preachy, but sometimes nothing hits the spot quite like what you are really looking for!> Sun Feb 04 20:11:58 -0800 2007 2253966 10797 beany 2 2262104 I know dried fruit is high in sugar...that's why I check to make sure I'm buying the kind with no *extra* sugar! Also, I much prefer the dried cherries and pineapple that aren't sweetened...much more flavor. Mon Feb 05 13:46:58 -0800 2007 2259869 11921 wyf4lyf 1 2259885 prepare sugar free vanilla pudding add a splash of vanilla a few shakes of cinnamon a handful of unsweetened coconut a handful of raisins chill eat tastes just like rice pudding without the rice Sun Feb 04 20:20:33 -0800 2007 2253966 20483 jenniebnyc 1 2260296 I agree about going w/ a couple of ounces of really good quality dark chocolate, too, to satisfy your cravings. But, if you have your heart set on jello, how about chinese almond gelatin? At least it won't be full of all the artificial stuff in jello. http://fooddownunder.com/cgi-bin/recipe.cgi?r=2850 Mon Feb 05 05:26:40 -0800 2007 2253966 39874 chowser 1 2260981 I do the same, lexpatti...could be a seasonal thing. I have had good luck (though many on the boards would call it an aberration) making a sort of "mousse" out of sugar free devil's food flavor Jello pudding and Cool whip fat free/sugar free topping. Mix together 50/50 and it's not bad. Another healthier option for rich chocolate flavor is Haagen Daaz's chocolate sorbet. I have found it at Market Basket, Shaws, etc. It's really low in fat and quite low in sugar, and it is deeply chocolate-y. My last suggestion is a little more time-intensive but at this time of year, a baked apple or pear, maybe with raisins sprinkled over, is really good and it's not a chore to run the oven. Mon Feb 05 09:48:13 -0800 2007 2253966 49959 thegolferbitch 2 2264680 What does "not bad"mean? With all due respect, these are food replacement units, not actual, life giving food except for that fab chocolate sorbet, which rocks my boat. Ingredients in Cool Whip Cool Whip is made of water, corn syrup and high fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated coconut and palm kernel oil, sodium caseinate, natural and artificial flavorings, xanthan and guar gums, polysorbate 80, sorbitan monostearate, and beta carotene.[1] Tue Feb 06 09:27:33 -0800 2007 2260981 17282 missclaudy 1 2261304 When my kids were young, I'd often make a batch of Jello instant sugar-free pudding, using skim milk. After it was all mixed, I'd pour it into 3 or 4 7-ounce plastic cups for individual servings. Low calories, low fat, and fairly good tasting. Sometimes I'd even layer flavors in one serving cup. It was a good, fast and easy way for me to get them to have their milk quota each day. I don't know why I don't think of making that anymore -- hmmmmm... it's sounding like a good idea. Mon Feb 05 10:55:55 -0800 2007 2253966 49600 CindyJ 1 2261467 You can make your own Jello with gelaltin and any number of flavorful liquid additions.I made some with wine or different fruit juices or purees.You can add fake sweetener if you must, I can't abide it myself. I have the same night time cravings and have been satisfying them by eating a few tablespoons of fat free greek yogurt with a little bit of jam stirred in. You can add lemon or lime rind, vanilla,cocoa powder or chop up a piece candied ginger. That yogurt is so wonderful, you'll think you are eating sour cream ! Mon Feb 05 11:23:50 -0800 2007 2253966 17282 missclaudy 2 2262993 fage? yes, I eat it everyday! my new fave, recommended by a chowhounder, lots of lime and coconut. yum! Mon Feb 05 17:26:52 -0800 2007 2261467 20483 jenniebnyc 3 2263093 can I get this greek fage anywhere? I've never noticed it, but of course I wasn't looking either. Mon Feb 05 17:56:15 -0800 2007 2262993 40385 othervoice 4 2263159 I just got hooked on it (thru CH, of course!) and found it at Whole Foods. It is incredible. No more cr*ppy Dannon, Yoplait, etc., for me!! YAY! Mon Feb 05 18:15:46 -0800 2007 2263093 62843 luv2bake 4 2263167 here in NYC all grocery stores and even corner deli's sell it. Trader Joes has it as well. I prefer the 2% version. They also make a 0%, 5% Light and Total. Mon Feb 05 18:17:44 -0800 2007 2263093 20483 jenniebnyc 2 2335033 Can you tell me the amount of gelatin and liquid to use to make my own jello? I think I'd like to try it. Tue Feb 27 14:50:19 -0800 2007 2261467 78338 Nancy F 1 2263111 my partner and I have been doing the ff/sf pudding at nite with free cool whip. We combine flavors and come out with some heavenly concoctions. Try pistachio, cheesecake, and white chocolate. Mon Feb 05 18:01:51 -0800 2007 2253966 40385 othervoice 1 2263211 in the old "atkins days" used to make this "lemon meringue pie" thing. i'm not a sweets person but it tasted pretty good. sugar free lemon jello as a layer cool whip as a layer toasted coconut,and nuts as a layer not bad! Mon Feb 05 18:30:33 -0800 2007 2253966 68467 winebarb 1 2264536 I can't argue with the nutritional facts, Missclaudy, nor would I. You're right--ideally, we would eat ginger or honey or fruit to satisfy the sweet tooth. Do we need the sweet taste in our mouths? No, but sometimes we want it, and I am pretty sure that an occasional dollop of Cool Whip Free in a recipe won't kill us. I'm also pretty sure that lexpatti doesn't plan to eat the stuff daily. I worry more about the chemicals in the stuff that I can't control going into my body---the air, mercury, etc. Tue Feb 06 08:56:26 -0800 2007 2253966 49959 thegolferbitch 2 2264651 It's not ALL about if it kills me or not, it's about HOW IT TASTES! I'm all for chocolate, sugar, etc in small doses. I eat it and love it. I am a passionate lover of food, good quality, beautifully raised or grown food that has deep flavor and is healthful. I have had the l great fortune of working with local farmers in farmer's mkts. and helping to guide them to grow great tasting ,interesting varietys of vegetables and meats for city markets. It's a spirtitual thing with me, beautiful food has become my religion. I guess mostly it makes me sad that people want to eat artificial food when the real thing TASTES so much better and is so easy to get your hands on these days. Naturally, it's a matter of choice. I am 56 years old and have been like this my whole life. My parents were food worshipers,they taught me, it's the best thing they did for me. . On the practical side, try whirring a few tablespoons of fat free ricotta with a few tablespoons of yogurt in the blender. Let it sit over night. Fantastic creme fraiche like consistency . You can use it in sauces to replace cream or eat like yogurt (or cool whip) with a bit of fruit, jam etc. Tue Feb 06 09:20:26 -0800 2007 2264536 17282 missclaudy