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Blog Entry 4 of 9 It All Starts in the Kitchen

A potpourri of the positive perspective involving news of the day, events, recipies and home remedies, art night, and how to amuse friends and family during a power failure. All and all, it all starts in the kitchen. For the pleasure of general audiences. Welcome!

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Dad's Not Supposed to Eat Anything!

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Contributed by: Susan Youngs on 6/15/2008

Earlier this year, my Dad, who has been in very good health for his age, suffered an attack of breathlessness and was told in the Emergency Room that he had clogged arteries. Considering that when he was little, a treat was lard and sugar spread on bread, that's pretty good to make it this long before getting that news.

Long story shortened: Dad must watch his sodium, sugar and fat.

My dilemma was: What do you make this guy to eat? Easter was this first cullinary challange and I learned so much about food and flavor on my internet search to make yummy things for occasions and not kill Dad.

Easter was good but boring. Dad told me if he watched himself he could "let go" on the Holidays. His wife and I said "You just got out of the hospital, perhaps after a while.....". I told him if he was very good with his diet I promise Yule will be "No holds barred."

So what to do for Father's Day? I chickened out and instead of going through the entire dinner thing, I offered that they come for dessert and coffee.

Dinner would have been easier.

Hours of pouring through cookbooks and magazines looking at things I will probably never make for Dad to eat. As a lightbulb went off in my tired brain, I ran to the supermarket to start reading labels. Gelatin has always been a lightweight option when compared to the decadent killers I so love.

Remembering a lovely dessert that would show occasionally at a family summer party, I ran for the sugar free gelatin. Score! Five flavors I liked! Rushing down to dairy I discovered Fat Free Sour Cream!

Stopping in my tracks I thought "What if it doesn't taste good? By now I'm building a craving for what I make but about once a year.

Grabbing two Fat Free Sour Creams and two full strength I went back to the gelatins and chose five flavors of sugar free and six regular boxes in different flavors and colors. My disappointment? No sugar free blue.

Friday night I made my tray of the real thing and Saturday I made my "miracle dessert". The experiment looked good, gel quality almost better than the high-test version and, using a round deep dish, the layers are bigger and more interesting to look at.

What I discovered: Both substitues have a bit of sodium in them but not much compared to a peanut butter cookie. Only two grams of sugars in the fat free sour cream but of course none in the gelatin, an improvement to Dad's favorite Pineapple Upside Down Cake. No fat in either compound. Who needs pie crust today, anyway?I timidly tasted each flavor waiting for the let down. They taste exactly the same! Not only do I have enough for dessert today, but the teens hanging at the house have a healthy option, cool and visually stimulating waiting in the fridge for during the week.

The Recipe:

Make the day ahead of time.

5 boxes of sugar free gelatin
(I chose raspbery, orange, lemon, lime, and black cherry, poured in that order)

2 1 LB containers of Fat Free Sour Cream

I recommend a deep see-through dish about 9 inches across. The fat free sour cream layers do not seem to be as runny as the regular sour cream. It won't spread like the orginal recipe if you ever made the desset before.

Directions: Bring water to a boil and add one cup to a box of gelatin and dissolve thoroughly. Reserve 1/3 of the dissolved gelatin and gently pour the 2/3 into your dish and refridgerate. Cooling it a little will help it set faster. Cool at room temp, don't abandon it in the fridge. Hit the microwave timer for 20 minutes and add 2/3 cup of fat free sour cream to the reserved gelatin and whisk till uniform and lump free.

When the timer goes off, carefully check if the gelatin is set. Give more time, if necessarey. After a few layers it gels faster .

TIP: When pouring each new layer pour very gently over a large spoon positioned over the previous layer to cushion the impact and avoid the new layer from gouging the former layer.

This is a dessert where haste makes waste so the timer and a good book or magazine goes well while making this treat. I power cleaned my house between layers with some good tunes.

After all layers are in place chill overnight and pull out just before serving.

If you use a rounded dish ,like I did, it will be easier to serve by cutting and removing and placing upside down on individual dishes. Mine will look like small pie wedges. The first piece may not come out pretty so put that aside in the fridge for a snack for the chef later.

Enjoy the guilt free dessert that cost nothing but a lot of time. The compliments from your guests will pay you back for that.

In the picture the orginal dessert is in the foreground and the fat and sugar free version is in the bowl.

Optionally, you can serve with whipped low fat vanilla yogurt.

Happy Fathers Day!

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