Heart-friendly Valentine’s Day treat

With Valentine’s Day approaching in just a couple of weeks, I’m already on the hunt for a special dessert. But like so many, there are dietary limitations and I have to hunt a little harder for desserts that are both heart-friendly and don’t include gluten. That’s a tall order, but luckily the American Heart Association had some recipes on their site, including this delight:

Berry-Topped Pudding Pie.

Canola or corn oil for pie pan
2 large egg whites
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup walnuts or pecans, finely chopped
1 small package fat-free, sugar-free instant lemon or vanilla pudding mix, prepared with 2 cups cold fat-free milk
12 ounces fresh berries or other fruit, sliced if needed
1/2 cup fat-free frozen whipped topping, thawed (optional)

Cooking Instructions
Preheat the oven to 300°F. Pour a small amount of oil onto a paper towel and lightly wipe the bottom and side of an 8- or 9-inch pie pan.

In a large mixing bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites, vanilla, cream of tartar, and salt on medium speed until foamy. With the mixer still running, gradually add the sugar in a slow, steady stream, until stiff peaks form. (The peaks shouldn’t fold over when the beater is lifted.) Very gently fold in 1/2 cup of the nuts.

Using a flexible spatula or rubber scraper, spread the meringue over the bottom and up the side of the pie pan and onto the lip of the pan, but not over the edge of the pan. Sprinkle the bottom of the pan with the remaining nuts.

Bake for 50 minutes, or until the meringue is firm and lightly browned. Transfer to a cooling rack and let cool completely, at least 2 hours.

Using the package directions, prepare the pudding. Spread over the cooled crust. Arrange the fruit decoratively over the pudding. Top with the whipped topping.

Note: In warm weather, meringues will get gummy after a few days, so it’s best to serve this dessert within 24 hours.

Nutritional Analysis Per serving
Calories Per Serving 169
Total Fat 6.5 g
Saturated Fat 0.5 g
Trans Fat 0 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 4.5 g
Monounsaturated Fat 1 g
Sodium 223 mg
Carbohydrates 25 g
Fiber 3 g
Sugar 18 g
Protein 5 g

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Take the Women’s Heart Health Risk Quiz

Are you at risk for heart disease? Take this quiz from the Women’s Heart Foundation to find out. Won’t you walk with me, down the path for a healthy heart, by exercising regularly, eating sensibly, managing the stress in your life and controling high blood pressure.

Exercise, General Heart Health  Print This Post Heart Health Quiz, Path for a Healthy Heart, Women's Heart Foundation

Red, White, and Sometimes Blue

Martingale & Company has gathered a stunning group of red-and-white, blue-and-white, and red-white-and-blue quilts to create this book. There’s something in it for everybody; from a quick to piece wall quilt to a large bed quilt.

The “Heart’s Desire” wall hanging above (pg. 30) finishes at 25 1/2″ x 25 1/2″. There is a special energy created by using one or two bold colors plus white in a quilt. The combination is clean and direct, with a fabulous graphic punch. This book has great instructions and beautiful pictures to inspire your next quilting project!

Find this great book at your local independent quilt and fabric retailer.

General Heart Health, Quilting, Red & White Quilts  Print This Post and Sometimes Blue Classics from McCall's Quilting, Heart's Desire Quilt, Martingale & Company, red, red & white quilts, Two color quilts, White

Happy Healthy Holidays!

From everyone at Quilt Red and The Fabric Shop Network, we wish you the best this holiday season!

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Promote Women’s Heart Health – Go Red For Women

Women’s Heart Health Month is February 2012. Get started on your Wear Red Day campaign today! We’ve linked to free, downloadable materials that can help you spread the word about National Wear Red Day® (Friday, Feb. 3, 2012) – or any day you plan your event.

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Needle Me This – Quilt for Charity

The gals and customers at Needle Me This Quilt Shop in rural Yancey County, North Carolina, contributed red and white blocks to make this queen-sized quilt they have named “And Red All Over…”. It will be raffled off on Dec. 21. Tickets are 1 for $2.00 and 3 for $5.00. The proceeds will help support a local charity “Operation Feed A Child Bags” sponsored by a local church group in their county. The intention is to provide food for a child over the weekend, until they can get back to school for nutritional meals during the week.

Needle Me This Quilt Shop provided the Moda white tone-on-tone for the backing.
“And Red All Over…” is as beautiful on the back side as it is on the front.

Quilting, Quilting Events, Red & White Quilts  Print This Post Moda white tone-on-tone, quilt for charity, red and white quilts

Go Red for Women: Just a Little Heart Attack

Go Red for Women has produced a short film highlighting the symptoms of a heart attack, featuring Elizabeth Banks. Heart disease affects us all.

General Heart Health  Print This Post American Heart Association, Elizabeth Banks, Go Red for women, heart attack

HDL & LDL Cholesterol Levels – How do I find my cholesterol levels?

All adults age 20 or older should have a fasting lipoprotein profile — which measures total cholesterol, LDL (bad) cholesterol, HDL (good) cholesterol and triglycerides — once every five years according to the National Cholesterol Education Program guidelines for detection of high cholesterol; endorsed by the American Heart Association. This test is done after a 9 to 12-hour fast. 

Your test report will show your cholesterol levels in milligrams per deciliter of blood (mg/dL). To determine how your cholesterol levels affect your risk of heart disease, your doctor will also take into account other risk factors such as age, family history, smoking and high blood pressure.

General Heart Health  Print This Post American Heart Association, cholesterol, fasting lipoprotein profile, HDL, LDL, Nat'l Cholesterol Education Program, triglycerides

What can I do to lower my cholesterol and blood pressure?

The American Heart Association says:

• Eat a well-balanced diet, low in saturated fats, trans fats and cholesterol. This includes lots of fresh fruits and vegetables.
• Choose lean meat, seafood and poultry. Limit your serving to 6 oz. per day. Trim all visible fat.
• Substitute low-meat or meatless meals.
• Use a minimum of fats and oils
• Use less salt. Limit the salty foods you eat.
• Limit the alcohol you drink.
• 30 minutes of physical activity most days.

Exercise, General Heart Health  Print This Post

Cup of Blossoms Quilt Pattern by Laurie at Rose Cottage

The quilt hanging on the wall with the inner border framed in red is called ‘Cup of Blossoms”. Laurie Bird, who owns the quilt pattern company – Rose Cottage is seated in her booth at 2011 Spring Quilt Market in Salt Lake City, UT . The quilt on the table is called ‘Lattice Garden’. Cup of Blossoms is a lovely red and white quilt with a few other colors sprinkled in for good measure. Ask for this pattern at your local independent quilt and fabric retailer.

Quilting, Red & White Quilts  Print This Post Cup of Blossoms quilt, Lattice Garden Quilt, Laurie Bird, Rose Cottage, Spring Quilt Market