The Plan Z Diet Peachy Orange Slush

The Plan Z Diet Peachy Orange Slush

By: Zola

Chief Dieter

Plan Z Diet

Plan Z Diet by Zola

This delicious Plan Z Diet ZReboot recipe was contributed by Plan Z dieter Nancy. She’s a true Plan Z Veteran dieter!

Thank you, Nancy!

Servings: 8 Servings

Ingredients:

• 4 peaches (washed and cubed with skin left on)
• 4 oranges (juice squeezed out and reserved)
• 2-6 oz containers of plain Greek yogurt (full fat)
• 2 cups of water
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• dash of nutmeg

Instructions:

Put peaches in blender and blend well. Add orange juice, yogurt, water, vanilla, and nutmeg. Blend well. May put in freezer for a refreshing treat later. If you freeze it you’ll need to let it thaw a bit to get it to loosen up but it will give you a frosty experience.

Enjoy!
Cheers,

To read more of Zola's blogs CLICK HERE or head over to https://www.planzdiet.com/blog/

Plan Z Diet Makes Things Happen

The Plan Z Diet Makes Things Happen

By: Zola

Chief Dieter

Plan Z Diet

I needed a kick in the butt this morning when I woke up at Plan Z Diet headquarters. Yep, me too. We all need a kick in the pants sometimes. We need to review why we are doing what we are doing. We need to be re-inspired. We need to fuel our passion for serving our community.

Each of us defines our “community” differently. It depends on what we do for a living. It might also depend on what we do as a volunteer. It varies for all of us.

This three minute presentation was my kick in the pants. I hope it does something wonderful for you too.




I’m back at the Plan Z Diet now and just as passionate as ever.

Have a productive day.

Enjoy!
Cheers,

To read more of Zola's blogs CLICK HERE or head over to https://www.planzdiet.com/blog/

My Plan Z Diet Vacation Highlights

My Plan Z Diet Vacation Highlights

By: Zola

Chief Dieter

Plan Z Diet

I promised I’d write about the highlights of my Plan Z Diet vacation. Some of the things I rate as “highlights” might surprise you (I guess you are getting to know the real me).

The first highlight I have to share is the weather. I know I have no control over the weather, and if it had rained the entire time it would not have spoiled my vacation, nevertheless, I have to talk about the weather. Each day the high was somewhere between 65 and 70 degrees. Sunny and mild. Puffy clouds and blue skies. For me, it doesn’t get any better than that. I swear I will spend my retirement years roaming the globe in search of a day with a high of 70 degrees.

Some people think I’m nuts. Those are the people who love 85 degree weather. I’m miserable when it goes above 80 degrees. I think it has something to do with my Irish heritage. I hate heat. So to go on a 10 day vacation and have my kind of perfect weather everyday was a real treat.

Having no TV was a real treat too. I’m one of those people who likes to “check out” on vacation. I don’t read a paper on vacation. I don’t do more than listen to the highlights of the news while I am driving. I don’t watch sports on TV unless I step into a sports bar and have a burger at the bar. I try to just immerse myself in where I am and who I am with. My husband is the one who brought it up first on this vacation. We walked into our hotel room and he announced that he was not going to turn on the TV. That’s just one of the reasons I love that man as much as I do.

The Blue Ridge Parkway comes in at highlight #3. There was one time when I was 18 years old that I drove through the Appalachian mountains on my way to visit my sister in Virginia Beach, Virginia. I was late though, so I just cut through the mountains. Didn’t even take notice. This time we spent time just cruising along the mountain ridges just to stop and take in the views. They really do have that blue ridge haze. I loved that.

Highlight #4 is Monticello. I told you all before I left that I have an architectural “bucket list”. There are a number of famous buildings and sites I want to see before I am too old to travel. Monticello was on that list. I have read over the years about all the important things Thomas Jefferson accomplished while at Monticello, beginning with designing it and supervision the building of it. Thomas Jefferson acted as his own architect. That’s an amazing feat in itself. The list of things he accomplished beyond his presidency is too long to list here. I’ll have to just encourage you to go there and learn for yourself. I learned so much while there I was just fascinated. I was so enchanted that I bought a CD series called “Jefferson’s Secrets.” We listened to the CD’s on a 500+ mile drive from one bucket list location to the next one. In over 500 miles we only completed 3 of the CD’s. There are 12. I have a lot more learning to do.

Next up is The Biltmore. The largest residence ever built in the US. They say you should set aside 8 hours to tour this place. I think they are right. Set in the hills outside Asheville, North Carolina, it is a sight to behold. Just learning about what an average day was like for a guest there is a mouthful. Imagine dinner every night in a formal wear. The men were required to wear a white tails tuxedo and the women ball gowns. Many American families come to the dinner table dressed in sweat pants. Just imagine dinner every night like it’s your wedding night. As a food writer this is a dream.

I was all excited to hear the Biltmore Flower show was opening while we were in town. We went to The Biltmore the day after the show began. Sad thing is we discovered they had a 20 minute hail storm just a few days before. The tulips were wiped out. In fact, anything with a petal was trashed. We found the gardeners tilling under the mess and starting over with the planting. That was sad but there was still plenty to see. The grounds cover thousands of acres. The bus ride from the parking lot to the main house entrance is about 10 minutes long, and that’s before you even begin your tour.

Asheville and Charlottesville were highlights too. Both towns are quaint without being overly touristy. They both have plenty of creative places to eat. No food chains necessary. The shopping is high quality and there are plenty of little galleries.

We had a grand time. The whole vacation was a highlight.

Cheers,

To read more of Zola's blogs CLICK HERE or head over to https://www.planzdiet.com/blog/

Plan Z Diet Authentic Italian Meatballs

Plan Z Diet Authentic Italian Meatballs

By: Zola

Chief Dieter

Plan Z Diet




Plan Z Diet by Zola

This is a Plan Z Diet ZReboot recipe. These meatballs are my take on an authentic meatballs recipe from the Italian section of New York City. These actually have a cheesy element to them that make them super yummy. BIG YUM!

When I am in a hurry I can make these and then serve them with a jar marinara sauce. You CAN find marinara in the grocery store that has no sugar in it. It might take some label reading but you’ll find one.

And if I’m feeling super-fancy I might make a little pasta. For me, a full serving of pasta now is about 1/3 cup cooked. I put it in the bottom of the bowl. I eat the meat and sauce on top and hardly notice I have very few noodles.

Servings: One serving is 4 meatballs.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound of high quality ground beef. I use 94% lean but you can use any grade
• ½ cup of breadcrumbs
• ½ cup of minced onion (you choose your favorite. I use Vidalia)
• ½ cup of whipping cream or whole milk
• ½ cup of whipping cream or whole milk
• 4 – 7 tsp of minced garlic (Jar garlic will work but fresh will taste even better! You decide how much)
• Grated sea salt and pepper
• 1 egg
• 1 Tbl of Italian seasoning blend

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Line a big cookie sheet with aluminum foil. Spray it with olive oil.

Take all of the ingredients and put them in a big bowl. Get in there with your hands and really mix it all up. The hardest thing to do is get the cheese mixed in. In my case, I left little blobs of cheese in places and that didn’t hurt the results at all. I loved the little cheese bits. You don’t want to handle the meat any more than necessary so do your best to go fast. The Italians feel handling the meat too much makes tough meatballs. I used a little ¼ cup measure to scoop my meat and formed my meatballs with my hands.

Place the meatballs on a cookie sheet so they don’t touch each other. Bake at 400 degrees for 12 – 20 minutes depending on how big the meatballs are and how brown you’d like them to be. I like mine to almost have a crunch to the outside so I keep them in there to the 20 minute limit. Just keep an eye on them. I also use my convection setting. That makes them crunch up on the outside too.

Enjoy!
Cheers,

To read more of Zola's blogs CLICK HERE or head over to https://www.planzdiet.com/blog/

Authentic Italian Meatballs Recipe Copyright 2015 Plan Z Diet by Zola

Plan Z Diet Strawberry Smoosh

Plan Z Diet Strawberry Smoosh

By: Zola

Chief Dieter

Plan Z Diet

Plan Z Diet by Zola

This is a Plan Z Diet ZReduction recipe.

Strawberry Smoosh is my husband’s FAVORITE Plan Z Diet ZReduction dessert. It’s light, refreshing and delicious. Here’s the recipe for all to enjoy!

Servings: Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 20 frozen strawberries of various sizes (you can get unsweetened ones in bags in the grocery store)
• 1 tsp of organic vanilla extract
• 1 packet of Truvia (stevia)
• Up to one cup of water

Instructions:

This recipe requires a food processor. I’m afraid unless you have a really strong blender that it would kill it.

Put the berries and the vanilla and Truvia into your food processor. Pulse the berries to break them up into small chunks. It will look sort of like red, chunky slush. Open your processor and scrape down the sides. Put the top back on and add a ½ cup of water. Pulse some more to get it softer. Scrape again. Then add the last of the water and continue to blend until it’s smooth and moves around the inside of your processor like frozen slush.

Each portion is a half cup. You can eat it right away. It does freeze well in a container. When you take it out of the freezer plan to leave it on the counter for a bit to soften up. Unlike ice cream, it will freeze into solid and will be a bear to scoop out unless you let it soften up some. This never lasts long at my house.

Serving Suggestions:

You can use raspberries for this recipe as well. In Plan Z Diet ZReboot you can use fruits like mango or papaya.

I haven’t tried blueberry or blackberry yet but I’m confident they would work pretty well too.

One of our dieters, Michael, uses a few drops of the chocolate flavored liquid stevia drops in this recipe. Yum.

Enjoy!
Cheers,

To read more of Zola's blogs CLICK HERE or head over to https://www.planzdiet.com/blog/

Strawberry Smoosh Recipe Copyright 2015 Plan Z Diet by Zola

My Plan Z Diet Vacation

My Plan Z Diet Vacation

By: Zola

Chief Dieter

Plan Z Diet

I have been reflecting on my vacation. I have also been reflecting on the process of going on vacation. I didn’t report out on my vacation right away because I wasn’t sure what I wanted to write. I thought I’d just let it stew for a while.

I decided that what I learned on vacation was that I learned a lot.

Think about it. There are all kinds of types of vacations and we all have our favorites.

Some folks like to go on wild adventures. They seek the thrill. My husband and I went on a river trip once that included Class IV rapids. He came way too close to drowning early on in the trip and I didn’t have so much fun myself. I would never do that kind of vacation again. Now I hate anything that involves mosquitoes, camping or even long treks in the woods. I used to love to snow ski. Now that I’ve had back surgery, my surgeon pretty much put a stop to that.

Some people like to go to a beach and lie in the sun and read novels. Not me. I used to do that, about 35 years ago. My husband talked me into no longer laying in the sun right after we married. I’m glad he did. My skin was not cut out for it. Too often I got burned and spent the evening miserable. My skin is currently in good shape and I’m happy about that. Because I don’t lie in the sun anymore my body isn’t used to it either so it’s no fun. I’d rather read a novel curled up in front of the fireplace or sitting in the shade. I did get one novel read on this vacation but it’s no longer the center of my activity on a vacation. I have to get up and move more.

Even when I have been on a cruise I come to the realization that the best part for me was taking the shore excursions. If the excursion involves seeing an old ruins or a famous building I’m all over it. I love to follow a well-versed tour guide while they fill me with new information about what I am looking at. I have decided that what I like to do best on vacation is learn.

That doesn’t mean I’m about to go to space camp or go into a lab for a week and learn some new thing that involves petri dishes. What I have always known is I like going places I have never been, and learning about those places and the people who live there, or have lived there. I like to find out what life was like for them in older or even ancient times. I like to learn how they lived, how they ate, what activities they were involved in, what the politics were like at the time, what technology was available to them; stuff like that.

I realized that when I took these trips I didn’t always have to go far. I might even travel 30 miles during a weekend to learn about life in the old mining days in southern Wisconsin. Sure it was a thrill to go to Iceland and learn what it’s like to live in a place that is in the dark much of the day, or conversely light much of the day, and basically sits on a field of volcanic activity. Last year I went on a short weekend trip to Saugatuck, Michigan. We toured a ship there called the SS Kewatin. That ship was about one-third the size of the Titanic. It sailed around the Great Lakes during the same era. The shopping in Saugatuck might have been my favorite, or I could have laid on the beaches there, read novels and swam in Lake Michigan, but my favorite parts of that trip were when we toured that moored ship museum, and when we took a sand dunes tour and learned about how to dunes were formed; what logging did to effect the dunes, how deep the dunes are and how the environmentalists are working to preserve them today.

While on this most recent vacation I toured Monticello, Thomas Jefferson’s home outside of Charlottesville, VA, and I also toured The Biltmore in Asheville, NC. The Biltmore is a massive estate owned by the Vanderbilt family. I learned a ton at both places. I learned so much that even sharing the highlights is going to require another column. So watch for that coming soon.

Today I’m giving you two recipes. I have been working more on Plan Z Diet ZReduction recipes for The Plan Z Diet. Diet food that doesn’t taste like diet food. Some folks want comfort food while they are on a diet so I am giving it to them. The first one is a dessert. The Plan Z Diet Strawberry Smoosh.

Plan Z Diet Strawberry Smoosh

The name sounds fancy but this dessert can be eaten on a Tuesday night or at a dinner party. Goes well at either occasion. If you were a kid at the time that Jello came out with a product called Jello 1-2-3 and you got to try it, you’ll revert right back to childhood when you taste this. processed food though like Jello. This is all natural. You make it in your own kitchen in about five minutes. Bingo.

The other dish, Plan Z Diet Authentic Italian Meatballs, is a perfect lunch or dinner when you don’t want to be fancy. You just want to eat comfort food with extra flavor. 

Plan Z Diet Authentic Italian Meatballs

Try them both. They both go great together to round out a meal too. Sort of a retro-combo.

Enjoy!
Cheers,

To read more of Zola's blogs CLICK HERE or head over to https://www.planzdiet.com/blog/

The Impending Disaster Near Plan Z Diet HQ

Impending Disaster Near Plan Z Diet HQ

By: Zola

Chief Dieter

Plan Z Diet



There were over 180 reported tornadoes over the weekend. I’m looking out my office window today at Plan Z Diet headquarters at the blowing winds and the blackened skies. We had bad weather last night too but thankfully not as bad as down south. Some people down that way got roofs torn off or worse. Truth be told though, this is just weather. This will all blow over. Literally.

What is not going to go away so quickly is a major impending disaster and the reason I started the Plan Z diet by Zola.

Some of you who are reading this column today are Plan Z dieters. As part of the diet we promise you a major education in what really made you fat. We tell you over and over again it wasn’t the fat that made you fat. We give you a piece of your education every day while you work with the Plan Z Diet. The link you are about to view is one of the most important elements I can offer to you. The education in this video can work to save your life.

For those of you who are not on the Plan Z Diet and are reading this column, I am always at risk of being accused of trying to “sell my Plan Z diet” through my column. That assumption could not be further from fact. I can’t sell a diet. People have to want, DESPERATELY, to lose weight before they buy any diet that will actually work. What I am trying to do by offering up the following video is work to get information out to the masses that can save lives.

Overweight people are at a serious disadvantage and it’s a crime that this problem has grown to its current level. The answers are out there. If you’re not overweight then send this to someone who is. I know you know who they are. And even if you’re not overweight there is a serious education to be garnered by investing 12 minutes and 15 seconds in this video. If you have someone in your life who’s suffering from dementia or you are afraid you might eventually succumb to that horrible affliction, then watch this video:

I know I get really passionate about this stuff and I am my own Plan Z Diet Zola Zealot but now that you’ve watched this, how does it make you feel?

I have been (with the help of my Plan Z Diet ZTeam) gathering a library of information like this for over 2 years now. The compelling effects of this information drove me head-long into designing Plan Z. You might say I got serious about this effort. I started a company to back up my convictions. But watching this video reminded me of so many things. Here are just a couple:

I bought into that whole mantra that a “calorie is just a calorie”. I bought it hook, line and sinker. I counted calories like a manic. Didn’t matter what I ate. The lower the calorie count at the end of the day the better I felt about myself. It’s just plain wrong and it’s what messed up my metabolism.

The problem is almost 40 years old. I’m 55. That means from the time I was a teenager this whole misdirection about how to maintain a healthy weight was fed to me in large doses at a very impressionable time. I’m mad about that too. I can’t have those years back. But now I am watching very well meaning young adults transfer this same bad information to their kids. It makes me ill.

We have got to team up to stop this insanity. We have to work individually to save our own lives. This video pointed out, in many ways, that it was not our fault. We followed what was purported to be solid information and look where it got us. We ate our way into this problem and now we have to change how we eat to eat our way out of it. There’s no way around it.

Cheers,

To read more of Zola's blogs CLICK HERE or head over to https://www.planzdiet.com/blog/

The Plan Z Diet Talks about the Toxicity of Sugar

The Plan Z Diet Talks about the Toxicity of Sugar

By: Zola

Chief Dieter

Plan Z Diet

If there’s one thing that “60 Minutes” has it is street cred.

I watched my first edition of “60 Minutes” at 11 years old in 1968. Before “60 Minutes” came on the air our family always gathered in front of the TV on Sunday evening to watch “College Bowl”. Anyone remember that one? “College Bowl” was hosted by Allen Ludden. Each week, two colleges would put teams of brainiacs together and they’d compete for who could correctly answer the most questions. A team member would buzz in if they thought they knew the answer. They had just a few seconds to confer with each other and then the team captain would shout out their answer. Our family loved it. At 8, 9 or 10 years old, if I knew an answer to even one of the questions, it definitely made my day. I got great inspiration for studying in school and trying to do my best from that show. I could see myself up there some day.

When “60 Minutes” moved over to Sunday nights, “60 Minutes” became our new go-to show. The whole family would gather in front of the TV and watch. Sometimes we’d be eating dinner but we were still allowed to watch “60 Minutes” while we ate. We learned a lot from that show too.

Alas “College Bowl” was eventually cancelled from the airwaves, but “60 Minutes” has continued, uninterrupted, on TV for 44 years. “60 Minutes” is credited with uncovering some of the biggest scandals. “60 Minutes” is credited with breaking some of the biggest stories. “60 Minutes” has captured bad guys on camera and held on like a pit bull until they screamed for mercy. If “60 Minutes” comes knocking at your door, unannounced, it’s probably not good news for you, but in the case I am going to reference today, having “60 Minutes” air a particular segment is like music to my ears. And if you haven’t seen it yet, I’m going to give you a link to what I feel is a subject that should be seen by every human aged 6 or higher. It’s a segment about the toxicity of sugar.

If you haven’t heard of Dr. Robert Lustig before today you will get to know him now. We reference him on the Plan Z Diet a lot! I have been a huge fan of Dr. Lustig for over two years now and his lecture Sugar: The Bitter Truth is a must view as part of the education offered through my diet, Plan Z Diet by Zola. Dr. Lustig has been labeled an overly-energetic zealot by many. On the contrary, I don’t think his message can be screamed loudly enough. I am so happy to see that he has not given up his quest to get the warning out about sugar (in ALL forms), and it’s reassuring that with all the credibility that “60 Minutes” carries, that they now are listening and featured this segment involving Dr. Robert Lustig.

This “60 Minutes” segment touched just the tip of iceberg as it relates to sugar. Everyone will say they know the dangers of sugar. “Sugar will make you fat,” is all most folks will say they need to know. True enough, but in addition, the science is there now that clearly shows it is sugar that will cause heart disease. It’s sugar that will raise your bad cholesterol and it’s sugar that feeds cancer cells so they can grow and multiply and kill you.

This segment only tackles sugar in the most sugary forms. They left off the whole issue of carbohydrates as sugar, which I hope they address in an upcoming segment. But until then, there’s a lot to be learned from this segment. Please watch it in an effort to achieve good health.

Cheers,


To read more of Zola's blogs CLICK HERE or head over to https://www.planzdiet.com/blog/

Plan Z Diet Apple Chips

Plan Z Diet Apple Chips

By: Zola

Chief Dieter

Plan Z Diet





Plan Z Diet by Zola

This is a Plan Z Diet ZReduction recipe from the creative mind of Jen. When we were at lunch the other day, Jen mentioned how dieters miss their crunch. She wondered if we could come up with a recipe for apple chips. I will tell you they worked. They are crunchy if you eat them quickly. If you let them sit overnight they become chewy. Still good but not crunchy. With this recipe be careful with your portions. Be sure not to eat too many.

I like the ones cut with the apple placed on its side. I feel those look the most like potato chips. The rings are fun, too. Use any kind of apple. I used Granny Smith for the chip style and Golden Delicious for the rings.

Servings: Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 2 apples. Don’t bother to peel them.
• 2 tsp of ground cinnamon mixed with
• 2 tsp of Truvia

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 250 degrees.

You’ll want to slice your apples very thin or they won’t get crunchy. To do this I used my mandolin slices and set it on level 1 which is the thinnest setting. Without a mandolin slicer this will be tricky but you can get them fairly thin by hand, too.

Take out a 2 cookie sheets. Cover each of them with a piece of parchment paper. Without the parchment paper the apples will stick terribly.

Place your apple slices on the paper. Try not to have them touch each other unless you don’t mind them sticking together. In the pictures you’ll see they stuck some but they are easy to pull apart. Each cookie sheet contains one apple portion.

Sprinkle the top side with the flavor mixture. I put mine in a leftover shaker jar so it sprinkled on very evenly. Don’t worry if it’s a bit messy. They will still taste great.

Put the cookie sheets in the oven and bake for 2 hours. Watch them a last few minutes to make sure they don’t burn.

Serving Suggestions:

Serve hot or cold. I can see all kinds of flavors. You can use nutmeg for another sweet flavor. You can use cumin for an East-Indian version, use cayenne for a spicy version. You can even use the barbecue rub and make barbecue flavored apple chips. Use your creativity to find flavors you love.

Enjoy!
Cheers,

To read more of Zola's blogs CLICK HERE or head over to https://www.planzdiet.com/blog/

Plan Z Diet Apple Chips Recipe Copyright 2015 Plan Z Diet by Zola

The Plan Z Diet Crunch!

The Plan Z Diet Crunch

By: Zola

Chief Dieter

Plan Z Diet





While developing the Plan Z Diet, I never really thought much about what I now call the Crunch Factor. I was never the kid in our family that face-planted in the bag of potato chips. I left that to my brothers. I went for the donuts.

I never wanted to eat the hard candy. I’d rather have a brownie or ice cream for my treat.

After designing the Plan Z Diet, doing it several times, and taking in all the data from dieters, my mind has totally changed. My taste has changed, too.

Watch the video above on why crunchy foods taste so great and why you come back for more.

I get it now. As I developed the Plan Z Diet I was worried about people getting a little bit of carbohydrate from a bread source into their meals, but my only source without going over my designed allotment was to find breadsticks and crackers that could fill the bill. The softer choices like bread and rolls contained too many carbohydrates. It wasn’t til later that I heard from so many dieters that said the only thing they craved was something crunchy and that the breadsticks and crackers were helping fulfill that craving. Having a Crunch Factor has been vital.

Then it happened to me, too. I started craving crunchy and it carries over beyond when I am doing a Plan Z Diet ZReduction to lose weight. I am now part of the population that craves crunch.

Maybe that comes from eating more salads. I find myself loving the crunch that romaine lettuce provides and am not so attracted to plain leaves of greens.

I now crave my husband’s bacon. Not because it’s bacon, but because he’s an expert cook in the bacon category. His bacon comes out crunchy but not crumbly. It’s perfect. I don’t crave just any old bacon. I want HIS bacon fresh from the pan, left on the paper towels for a few minutes to drain and crunch up. And then dive in.

I also crave fried chicken. Fried chicken is a huge offering in Chicago right now. I don’t eat it often. I usually eat breast meat and I factor in the carbs from the breading into the food allotments for the day. So I’m not likely to eat two things that involve breading in one day or in even 3 or 4 days. But the crispier the chicken the better. That never used to hit my radar. I also think with so much chicken competition in Chicago that the chefs are really stepping up their game and cooking chicken in delightful ways.

And then there’s the delightful sound of a fresh stick of celery…or the crunch of a pickle.

What are your favorite crunchy foods? Let us know. And if they fit the Plan Z Diet ZReduction, (fresh and flavorful) you get bonus points! Just like the video, you can submit your recipe offerings, too. Just enter those in the comments section below the article. If you give us permission to repost them on our site, we will give you full credit.

Enjoy!
Cheers,

To read more of Zola's blogs CLICK HERE or head over to https://www.planzdiet.com/blog/

Plan Z Diet Fluffy, No Bake Lemon Cheesecake

Plan Z Diet Fluffy, No Bake Lemon Cheesecake

By: Zola

Chief Dieter

Plan Z Diet



Plan Z Diet by Zola

This is a Plan Z Diet ZReboot recipe. I came up with this recipe as a tribute to Plan Z Dieter Ron and his wife Jean. This darling couple drove from Wisconsin to Chicago just to meet me and my team. They wanted to thank us for developing and supporting Plan Z. Ron lost 69 pounds, feels great and looks fantastic. Thanks Ron!

Servings: Serves 6

Ingredients:

• 2 packages of cream cheese (1 lb)
• 2 lemons, juiced (about ¼ cup)
• 3 tsp of vanilla extract
• 1/8-1/4 cup of Truvia
• 1 – 2 tsp of lemon zest (plus more for garnish)
• Berries for garnish

Instructions:

Let your cream cheese come to room temperature or zap it (opened) in your microwave for 15 seconds on high to bring it to temp.

Put the cream cheese in a bowl. Add the lemon juice, Truvia, vanilla and the zest. In order to zest a lemon you use a tool called a microplane or rasp. Gently glide it over the lemon peel so you get shavings of the yellow part and not the bitter pith underneath. Tap the microplane on the counter to release the shavings. You can buy a fine microplane at any housewares store.

With an electric mixer, blend the cream cheese mixture until light and fluffy. This will take 1 – 2 minutes to get it nice and fluffy. Make sure the sides are scraped down so it all gets mixed.

Divide mixture among serving dishes. Then garnish.

Serving Suggestions:

If you are going to serve it right away, great. If you want, you can cover it and keep it in the fridge for a few hours before serving. Be sure to take it out of the refrigerator about 15 – 30 minutes before you want to eat it or it will taste refrigerator-cold.

Leftovers store well in the refrigerator, covered in plastic. Just like any other cheesecake they will become a bit more stiff over time. You can remedy this by stirring it up.

Blueberries, traditionally, go great with lemon. If you want more blueberries you can stud your cheese cake by stirring some extras in before you put it in your serving dish.

I also garnish with a bit more zest for more yellow color.

The amount of Truvia and zest you put in are up to your taste buds. I’d start with the smaller amount, mix, taste and then judge.

Enjoy!
Cheers,

To read more of Zola's blogs CLICK HERE or head over to https://www.planzdiet.com/blog/

Plan Z Diet Fluffy, No Bake Lemon Cheesecake Recipe Copyright 2015 Plan Z Diet by Zola

Plan Z Diet Cheesy Scallop Bake

Plan Z Diet Cheesy Scallop Bake

By: Zola

Chief Dieter

Plan Z Diet





Plan Z Diet by Zola

This is a Plan Z Diet ZReboot 3.5 recipe. This dish is similar to the fancy French dish called Coquilles St. Jacques but it’s much easier to make. Simple ingredients, a little sautéing and then pop it under the broiler. With a salad and side veggie this is fancy enough to serve to company.

Servings: Serves 3 – 4 (depending on serving size). Can be doubled and served from a 9″ X 13″ casserole dish.

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup of Panko breadcrumbs. Panko crumbs will give you a crunchier topping than regular bread crumbs.
• 5 Tbl of melted butter
• 1 cup of shredded Gruyere cheese
• 1/3 cup of mayonnaise
• 4 ounces of softened cream cheese
• ¼ cup of dry, white wine
• ¼ tsp of garlic powder
• 3 Tbl of minced, fresh Italian parsley
• 1 pound of bay scallops
• ½ pound of sliced mushrooms (you can use fancy or plain)
• ½ cup of minced shallots or sweet onion

Instructions:

In a small bowl, mix the bread crumbs with 1 Tbl of the melted butter. Set aside.

In another small bowl combine the cheese, mayo, cream cheese, white wine and garlic powder. Just mush it around until it’s mixed up. Set aside.

In a large saute pan, saute the scallops in 2 Tbl of the melted butter just until they are cooked. This will only take a few minutes on medium high. Scallops are done when they are no longer opaque. You can decide how well done you like your scallops. My husband likes his cooked a bit more but you don’t want little rubber blobs, either. The scallops are going to give off a lot of liquid. When they are done tilt the pan over your sink and t

ry to get a bit of the liquid to drain out. Then set the scallops on a platter covered with paper towels. The paper towel will absorb the rest of the liquid.

Using the same saute pan put in two more Tbl of melted butter and saute your mushrooms and shallots. You just want to get them cooked but you don’t need to go so far as to brown them. This will also take just about 3 minutes on medium high. Preheat your broiler.

Now you’re going to assemble. The saute pan already has the mushrooms and shallots in it. Add the cheese mixture and the scallops. Heat on medium until the mixture is hot and gooey. Transfer it to an 8” X 11” (or 9 X 9”) oven-proof dish. Gently spread on the bread crumb mixture. Place on the oven shelf about 6” below the broiling element and broil until the coating begins to brown. Keep an eye on it. This won’t take long.

Enjoy!
Cheers,

To read more of Zola's blogs CLICK HERE or head over to https://www.planzdiet.com/blog/

Plan Z Diet Cheesy Scallop Bake Recipe Copyright 2015 The Plan Z Diet by Zola

C or O?

C or O?

By: Zola

Chief Dieter

Plan Z Diet

I was listening to a radio talk show yesterday while I drove back from a company retreat. The experts they had on were seafood people. The chef works at a restaurant called Catch 35. His general manager was on the show too.

I learned a couple of things I thought I’d share with the Plan Z Diet.

The first thing was about cooking shrimp. Shrimp are so easy to cook but many people screw them up. They don’t have any real measure for how long to cook them.

The chef said it very well. He said when the shrimp are in the shape of a C they are done. If they are in the shape of an O you went too far and they are now overdone.

Easy. Just cook them to the C shape.

I often put the shrimp in at the last minute because I don’t want them to become over-cooked. I get the whole sauce prepared and just cook the shrimp by warming them in the sauce. That often works.

He talks about why you don’t want to buy cooked shrimp. They are just so easy to prepare and will taste better freshly cooked so why not use fresh? I’ll admit I buy cooked shrimp sometimes. If I am really strapped for time I don’t want to take time to rinse and thaw and then take off the shells and de-vein them. I can just drop cooked shrimp into a meal very easily and all I have to do is heat them up if it’s a warm dish. He makes the case for doing the extra work.

The General Manager was asked about buying the fishes that are now coming in from Asia. I have seen some new ones at my fish monger that are from Vietnam. Lots of fish now come from China too and Malaysia. He said to buy all North American fish if you can. Wild caught is always best. The reason is it can be caught and shipped into the store in less than 48 hours. If it’s coming from Asia it has to go through Customs and of all the hundreds of thousands of pounds of fish that come into the airports each day less than 2% of it is inspected. Those countries don’t have the same quality control laws that the US and Canada do so you are taking a higher risk buying their fish. That and it came a long way.

The distance theory also applies to lobster. There’s cold water lobster and warm water lobster. He says cold water lobster is sweeter. Better, firmer flesh too. And lobster from Maine is his preference over lobster from Australia and New Zealand. It takes a long time to fly a lobster from New Zealand. Even if it’s immediately frozen his opinion is that it begins to deteriorate early on.

So there you have your seafood lesson of the day.

Now that you’re hungry for seafood, let me offer up my recipe for my Plan Z Diet Cheesy Scallop Bake. I love this stuff!

Plan Z Diet Cheesy Scallop Bake

You can easily make it with shrimp too.

Cheers,

To read more of Zola's blogs CLICK HERE or head over to https://www.planzdiet.com/blog/

Plan Z Diet Shrimp in a Creamy Mustard Sauce

Plan Z Diet Shrimp in a Creamy Mustard Sauce

By: Zola

Chief Dieter

Plan Z Diet




The Plan Z Diet by Zola

This is a Plan Z Diet ZReduction recipe. This dish comes together in what feels like an instant. The sauce is quick and easy and because you are using cooked shrimp, it doesn’t take long to cook, maybe 15 minutes total. This tastes very gourmet without the fuss of slaving over a hot stove all day. And it’s nice enough to make for company.

Servings: Serves 6

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs of cooked shrimp (approximately 8 per serving of medium-large shrimp), thawed. Tails on or off – your choice. I leave the tails on for looks but I don’t eat them.
• 2 medium shallots, minced
• 1 cup of organic chicken broth
• ¼ cup of balsamic vinegar
• ¼ cup of heavy cream
• 3 Tbl of Dijon mustard
• 2 Tbl of minced, fresh tarragon
• 1 Tbl of minced, fresh chives
• Olive oil spray
• Sea salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

Season shrimp with salt and pepper and set aside.

Lightly spritz one or two large sauté pans with olive oil. In the pan(s) add the shallots. Sauté them lightly just to loosen up the shallots. Add the tarragon. Deglaze the pan with the balsamic vinegar. Then add the broth and the shrimp. Heat until the shrimp are hot. Then add the cream and mustard. Simmer on medium just until the sauce begins to thicken a bit. There isn’t that much cream in this dish so it won’t thicken like a regular sauce but you should be able to get it to thicken a bit.

Serving Suggestions:

Serve the shrimp on plates with a scattering of the fresh chives. YUM!

Enjoy!
Cheers,

To read more of Zola's blogs CLICK HERE or head over to https://www.planzdiet.com/blog/

The Plan Z Diet Asks How Good Can Things Get?

The Plan Z Diet Asks How Good Can Things Get?

By: Zola

Chief Dieter

Plan Z Diet

Not long after we started our sales training company in the 1980’s I heard a speech about goal setting that inspired me. The story goes like this:

There was a study done at Yale University involving the graduates from the class of 1953. Researchers had polled the senior class about their future. They specifically asked how many of them had written down their goals. The answer was 3%. Three percent of the graduates had specific, written goals. The rest were unwritten or unclear. Twenty years later they checked back on the graduates and found that the 3% with the written goals had accumulated more personal financial wealth than the other 97% of the class – combined!

Like I said, that inspired me. So I wrote down my top 10 goals and put them on an index card. I used to carry that index card in my Daytimer where I logged all of my appointments. I came across that list regularly so it sort of stayed in front of my face for regular review.

Some of the goals were financial. Some of the goals were things that I wanted to get done or maintain. Some were short term and some were long term. The first of the financial goals I surpassed in just the first year. A very large financial goal, I blew away in about year 4. It was a 10 year goal so getting it done in 4 years was a big deal to me. One was to have a second home in Chicago. I got that done too. One was to maintain a happy marriage. I’m going on year 28 now. If the goal had not been met it had been replaced by something in the same category that was even bigger. Circumstances changed for me so some of my goals needed adjustment. That happens.

The thing is, the process worked. And it worked big time.

Fast forward. Not too many years ago I found out the study was a hoax. No one ever surveyed the Yale class of 1953. No one. Just about every famous motivational speaker told that story and each of them credited a study that turned out to be fictitious. Brian Tracy told the story. Anthony Robbins admitted he told the story. He credited Zig Ziglar. Zig had told the story too. They all thought that it was true. It wasn’t.

My opinion? Who CARES! If the act of writing down the goals works; even for three percent of the population (or pick a number) then I’m a supporter.

Just for grins I’ll tell you a couple of stories about the grads of the Yale Class of 1953.

One of the grads became CEO of Coca Cola. His name is Roberto Goizneta. He thought he’d be working in Cuba, but instead he became the leader at Coke. Two other guys were partners who started one of the biggest law firms in New York City. They planned to be lawyers so that worked out well for them. Another guy, Forrest Mars, Jr. became the CEO of Mars, Inc. I have to say we should have seen this one coming since his last name is Mars but let’s give him credit in that he had to be prepared for the job. He’s retired now but the family still owns Mars.

For the last couple of years I will have to admit I have been lax in writing down specific, written goals. I have done business plans and made plans for my future but I didn’t do the personal index card. I haven’t carried an index card around with me. I just haven’t done it. I got out of the habit.

I was thinking about it this morning and I attributed my lack of initiative to the economy. We’ve all been hit with so much disappointment in the last decade it’s no wonder we’re skittish to make plans. Everyone has been blindsided by disappointment. I dare say none of us is totally immune.

I will tell you though that I have decided to come out of my own personal shell and get out a new index card and make a new list. I have every confidence that if I do that I’ll make those goals.

How about you? What are you doing to determine your future? Are you going to make a list and review it regularly? I hope so. And I hope you make your goals.

Cheers,


To read more of Zola's blogs CLICK HERE or head over to https://www.planzdiet.com/blog/

Plan Z Diet Porcini Mushroom Sauce

Plan Z Diet Porcini Mushroom Sauce

By: Zola

Chief Dieter

Plan Z Diet

The Plan Z Diet by Zola

This is a Plan Z Diet ZReboot sauce that can be served on steak, chicken, roast beef or even a full-flavored fish like sea bass or halibut. A splurge for sure. The Plan Z Diet by Zola offers you comfort food and even luscious gourmet offerings.

Servings: Serves 4

Ingredients:
1 cup of porcini mushrooms
¼ cup of ruby port
½ cup of water
1 Tbl of olive oil
1 Tbl of butter
3 Tbl of finely diced shallots
½ cup of prepared beef or beef/veal demi-glace
Sea salt and ground black pepper (to taste)
2 Tbl of butter
Whisper of cayenne (optional)

Instructions:

First thing is to prep the mushrooms. I do this early in the day. In a small bowl, just add the mushrooms with the water and port. Let them soak. (If you can’t do this early in the day you’ll need a good 30 minutes. They need to soften)

Drain the mushrooms and coarsely chop them.

In a saute pan add the olive oil and the butter. Put in your mushrooms and your shallots. Saute on medium until the shallots are loosened and the liquid begins to dissipate from the mushrooms. Stir often. Add the prepared demi-glace and stir. (Mine comes as a gel so I scoop out what I need and just add water to the pan. Keep stirring til it melts. Sometimes it comes frozen with the water already in it and you might just have to thaw it. All brands are different. Just follow the instructions on the container.)

Season with salt and pepper. Taste to make sure the mushrooms are done to your liking. The sauce will be glossy and fairly thick. Then turn OFF the heat. Add the rest of the butter to give it even more richness. Stir to incorporate. Decide if you want to add a whisper of cayenne. I do it just to give the flavor a bit of brightness. Not spicy heat.

Serving Suggestions:

Serve over your protein.

Enjoy!
Cheers,
To read more of Zola's blogs CLICK HERE or head over to https://www.planzdiet.com/blog/

Porcini Mushroom Sauce Recipe Copyright 2015 The Plan Z, Diet by Zola