Berry Parfait Recipe by Cookbook Author Holly Clegg

Over the past 20 years of Divabetic outreach, I have had the good fortune to meet so many sensational women. One of my favorite collaborators was Cookbook Author Holly Clegg. Holly was a guest on several Divabetic podcasts and regularly contributed recipes to our Divabetic Holiday Entertaining guides. She was kind, gracious, and enthusiastic about our Divabetic outreach programming.

Sadly, Holly passed away from a long battle with cancer in 2019. She had been diagnosed with stomach cancer in August 2018. She was 64.

The best-selling cookbook author entered hospice care in June after her team of doctors at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston advised against continued treatment.

Beloved Advocate food columnist Holly Clegg to transition to hospice care amid cancer battle

During her cancer fight, Holly used her high profile to educate others on gastric cancers and, with her family, created the Holly Clegg Gastric Cancer Research Fund at MD Anderson to raise awareness of gastric cancers.

Her highly successful “trim & TERRIFIC” and “Eating Well” cookbook series have sold over 1.5 million copies.

She worked with experts at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center, the American Heart Association, and the American Diabetes Association, writing as part of the series books on “Diabetic Cooking” and “Eating Well to Fight Arthritis.”

Approaching menopause, Holly enlisted friends to help test facial products made with everyday food. The winners are included in her “trim & TERRIFIC: Too Hot in the Kitchen” cookbook. It also had some “spicy advice” showcasing Holly’s infectious humor.

I smiled when I came across one of Holly’s recipes the other day. Below is one of Holly’s popular recipes she shared with us over the years.

Berry Parfait Recipe by Cookbook Author Holly Clegg

Light and delightful, strawberries or your favorite berries layered with a luscious cream cheese layer and ladyfingers.

Ingredients

2/3 cup seedless sugar-free raspberry preserves

1/4 cup orange juice

6 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese

1/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 (8-ounce) container of fat-free whipped topping, thawed, divided

2 (3-ounce) packages of ladyfingers, split in half (24)

1 1/2 cups strawberries, stemmed and sliced

Directions

1. In a small bowl, mix preserves and orange juice.

2. In a mixing bowl, cream together cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla until light. Mix in whipped topping, reserving 1/2 cup for topping.

3. Line the bottom of an oblong small dish with split ladyfingers. Layer with preserves mixture, cream cheese layer, and top with strawberries. Repeat layers with remaining ladyfingers, preserves, and cream cheese layer.

4. Carefully top with a thin layer of remaining whipped topping. Top with remaining strawberries. Cover and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.

Makes 16 (1/2-cup) servings

Nutritional information per serving: Calories 128, Calories from fat (%) 24, Fat (g) 3, Saturated Fat (g) 1, Cholesterol (mg) 9, Sodium (mg) 79, Carbohydrate (g) 23, Dietary Fiber (g) 1, Sugars (g) 11, Protein (g) 2, Diabetic Exchanges: 1 1/2 carbohydrate, 1/2 fat

Holly’s Tip: Use raspberries so you don’t have to cut the strawberries. This recipe works well in individual servings. Holly used to cut this parfait into fourths, so you have extra the next day and make four.

Mr. Divabetic shines the spotlight on author and chef Holly Clegg, in this half-hour special edition of Divabetic’s podcast. This fun-filled food frenzy will feature expert advice on quick, flavorful and healthy eating from Holly’s latest book, Too Hot in the Kitchen: Secrets to Sizzle at Any Age. In addition to this women’s lifestyle cookbook, Holly has authored many others, including Holly Clegg’s Trim & Terrific Diabetic Cooking. With nearly 1 million books sold, Holly reigns supreme when it comes to helping today’s busy person cook fast meals and fit into an overall healthy lifestyle. Known as the “Queen of Quick,” Holly’s recipes are time, user and pantry-friendly. As a mother, wife, and published cookbook author, Holly appreciates the ability to create a tasty dish that is both convenient and healthy.

Cookbook Author Holly Clegg shares ways to ‘SPICE UP’ your meal plan with musical inspiration from the “Queen of Salsa,” Celia Cruz.

Celia Cruz was one of the most accomplished singers of the 20th century. She was known for her powerful voice and her rhythm-centric musical style. Hailing from humble beginnings in the poor neighborhood of Santos Suarez in Havana, Cuba, her mother knew immediately that she was destined to be a singer.

Celia Cruz’s husband was a former lead trumpet player for Cuba’s legendary band La Sonora Matancera. He suffered from complications of type 2 diabetes and had a series of strokes before his death.

Podcast guests include Best-Selling Cookbook Author Holly Clegg, Constance Brown-Riggs MSEd, RD, CDCES CDN, and Charlie’s Angels of Outreach.

Throughout the podcast, we will play music from Celia Cruz’s The Absolute Collection courtesy of SONY Music.

Diabetes Late Nite is a fast-paced, full-filled hour of diabetes education and wellness advice that encourages listeners to “laugh a little, learn a lot.”

06/18/202206/18/2022

Sugar-Free Summertime Strawberry Pie by The Diabetic Pastry Chef

Stacey Harris, aka The Diabetic Pastry Chef was training to become a pastry chef at the Bidwell Culinary School in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, when she was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Rather than abandon her pursuits, she began experimenting with dessert recipes to make them healthier and diabetes-friendly.

Sugar-Free Summertime Strawberry Pie by The Diabetic Pastry Chef

Pie Filling Ingredients

12-oz. cream cheese, softened

1 cup Swerve Confectioner’s sugar substitute

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/3 cup heavy whipping cream

Directions: In the bowl of an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Turn the mixer to low and add the Swerve and vanilla. Beat until combined. Add the cream at low speed and once combined, turn the speed to high and continue beating until the mixture is thick but fluffy; set aside.

Strawberry Topping Ingredients

6 cups strawberries, hulled and sliced

3 Tbsp. sugar-free strawberry jam

2 Tbsp. boiling water

Directions: Add the cream cheese filling to a 9 -10-inch sugar-free graham cracker pie crust and smooth. Arrange strawberries overlapping on top of cream cheese filling. Combine jam and boiling water and brush the top of the strawberries. Garnish as desired. Refrigerate.

Looking for a fun way to socialize without putting your diabetes wellness at risk? Do you need a little help staying on track with your diabetes self-care?

Back by popular demand! The happy healthcare host, Mr. Divabetic, hosts this free, fun Virtual Baking Party with our special guest, Stacey Harris, aka The Diabetic Pastry Chef, on Wednesday, June 29, 2022, 7 – 8:30 PM, EST on Zoom.

REGISTER NOW

02/28/2022

Meet Chandra: An Avid Baker Living With Type 2 Diabetes Who Lost 70 Pounds

Divabetic Baking Party prize winner Chandra, living well with type 2 diabetes, is an avid baker and home cook who has lost over 70 pounds.

She is constantly looking for new ways to enjoy my favorite foods with lower carb swaps.

Read how Chandra manages to enjoy life to the fullest without feeling deprived.

In 2014, I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. I immediately sought out information on nutrition after my diagnosis. Since then, I have managed my diabetes by counting carbs, walking, and adhering to my medications.

The thing that inspired me to lose weight was my family. At the time, having a 4-year-old inspired me to make small changes that make a big difference. More than anything, I want to live a long healthy life and spend it with my family!

A big help was the advice I received from my nutritionist after my type 2 diabetes diagnosis. She said to keep things simple and focus on one thing – counting carbs when getting started. So my weight loss was slow and steady, about 10-12 pounds per year.

My nutritionist also encouraged me to keep a food journal, so I calculated the carbs in everything. I think I drove everyone crazy around me. I always wrote these down in a spiral notebook. Eventually, I got pretty proficient.

I try to follow the recommendations she gave me:
1. If you are hungry, eat.
2. Our brains need carbs, so don’t eliminate carbs completely.
3. Eat 30-45 carbs per meal, 15 carbs for a snack (for women) men are 45-60. If you want to lose weight, stick to the lower end.
4. Get moving. I started walking 10 min a day, then I graduated up to about 45 min. I also recently joined a Pilates club for weekly flow classes.
5. Have regular checkups on A1C- I have had to make a few adjustments.
6. I participate in a wellness coaching program, Newtopia. They have been really helpful in keeping me setting goals and checking in. For example, I weigh myself daily with a smart scale linked to apple health. That is shared with my wellness coach, and it keeps me accountable. He also helps to keep my spirits lifted during challenging days.

A few years ago I read the book The Clean 20 by Dr. Ian Smith. My husband and I followed that plan for 30 days. We liked it and continued doing that for probably another 3 or 4 months. We found out what meals we liked and added those to our routine.

Even though I have lost 70 pounds, my blood sugars have continued upwards. Recently my doctors adjusted my medications. Now I take a combination of Metformin, Januvia, and Jardiance.

Just this week, I started wearing a Dexcom g6 Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM). At first, I was super nervous about it. But I really like it. I can just look at my phone to see my sugar numbers. So far, so good on my new treatment plan.

I really enjoyed the Divabetic Baking Party On Zoom. Funny note though, I went out to buy the Pillsbury Sugar-Free Cake Mix and Frosting and was surprised that it had MORE carbs than the regular boxed mix! So, that’s a no-go for me. Instead, I’ll use the regular mix and just do smaller portions!

Recently I started to count my saturated fat grams. The new plan is to try to keep under 25 g per day. I really enjoy cream in my coffee and butter on my toast. Those are two of my favorite things, so we’ll see how that goes!!! I am a work in progress!!

Looking for a fun way to socialize without putting your diabetes wellness at risk? Do you need a little help staying on track with your diabetes self-care?

Join the happy healthcare host, Mr. Divabetic, hosts this free, fun Virtual Mother’s Day-themed Baking Party with special guests, Stacey Harris, aka The Diabetic Pastry Chef and Divabetic Image & Style Advisor Catherine Schuller, on Thursday, April 28, 2022, 7 – 8:30 PM, EST on Zoom.

Win gifts courtesy of Arthel Neville Design FABULOUS East/West Tote, Dr. Remedy’s Enriched Nail Care gift set, Best-Selling Author Tonya Kappes‘s Camper Cozy Mystery, Walden Farms Zero Calories, Zero Net Carbs Salad Dressings, and Peak 10 Skin’s Save My Sole Foot Rescue Cream during Mr. Divabetic’s random drawings. You must be present at our Baking Party to enter our gift drawings to win.

Over 150 people registered for our last Divabetic Baking Party on Zoom, so don’t miss out!

REGISTER NOW – FREE REGISTRATION

Looking for a fun way to socialize without putting your diabetes wellness at risk? Do you need a little help staying on track with your diabetes self-care?

Back by popular demand! The happy healthcare host, Mr. Divabetic, hosts this free, fun Virtual Mother’s Day-themed Baking Party with special guests, Stacey Harris, aka The Diabetic Pastry Chef and Divabetic Image & Style Advisor Catherine Schuller, on Thursday, April 28, 2022, 7 – 8:30 PM, EST on Zoom.

Over 150 people registered for our last Divabetic Baking Party on Zoom, so don’t miss out!

REGISTER NOW – FREE REGISTRATION

02/16/2022

Join Us For Divabetic’s Mother’s Day-Themed Baking Party in April

Looking for a fun way to socialize without putting your diabetes wellness at risk? Do you need a little help staying on track with your diabetes self-care?

Back by popular demand! The happy healthcare host, Mr. Divabetic, hosts this free, fun Virtual Mother’s Day-themed Baking Party with special guests, Stacey Harris, aka The Diabetic Pastry Chef and Divabetic Image & Style Advisor Catherine Schuller, on Thursday, April 28, 2022, 7 – 8:30 PM, EST on Zoom.

During this Baking Party on Zoom, The Diabetic Pastry Chef prepares a Mother’s Day Sugar-Free Dessert recipe, demonstrates one of her favorite kitchen tools, and shares expert baking tips for substituting sugar substitutes and alternative flours in recipes.

One lucky participant will win a Divabetic Gift Basket featuring Arthel Neville Design’s‘ Tote Bag, Dr. Remedy‘s Enriched Nail Care products, Best-Selling Author Tonya Kappes‘s Camper Cozy Mystery, and Peak 10 Skin’s Save My Sole Foot Rescue Cream in our random drawing. You must be present at our Baking Party to enter our gift drawing to win.

Over 150 people registered for our last Divabetic Baking Party on Zoom, so don’t miss out!

After being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, Stacey Harris (The Diabetic Pastry Chef) taught herself how to make pound cake, pecan rolls, pies, muffins, cupcakes, and other baked goods with about half the carbs you’d get from a traditional bakery item.

“I started experimenting by using almond milk or whole milk mixed with water to cut down on carbs, then tried different flours, incorporating white whole wheat flour, soy flour, oat flour, black bean flour, and other alternatives into my brownies, cakes, and cookies,” she said in a How 2 Type 2 article.

She adds,” To cut back on sugar, I started using all-natural substitutes, like agave nectar, and trying erythritol. I also bake with a store-bought blend of sugars that tastes delicious.”

The Diabetic Pastry Chef shares her recipes in a fabulous book so that people with type 2 diabetes and others looking for sugar-free treats can make their lower-carb versions of baked goods at home. Her customers frequently say, “I don’t even miss the extra sugar!”

How it works: Once you register, we will send you the unique code to sign in to our Zoom Video feed. You will need a camera. We’ll all get acquainted and share niceties before the baking demonstration begins.

Cost: Free.

Donations are greatly appreciated. Paypal Click HERE Paypal

REGISTER NOW

10/06/2021

No Sugar Added Pumpkin Ice Cream Pie Recipe by The Diabetic Pastry Chef

One of Stacey Harris aka The Diabetic Pastry Chef‘s professional baking tips is to make your own homemade vanilla extract. It’s easy! You only need two ingredients for homemade vanilla extract: vanilla beans and vodka. Let the vanilla beans infuse the vodka for as little as 8 weeks, but for optimal flavor, wait at least 6-12 months before using.

No Sugar Added Pumpkin Ice Cream Pie Recipe by The Diabetic Pastry Chef

Ingredients

1 1/2 pints no sugar added vanilla ice cream, room temp

3 eggs, room temp

1 3/4 cup pure pumpkin puree

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

3/4 cup Splenda or Whey Low D Granular

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

2 9-inch unbaked pie shells

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Directions

In a large mixing bowl, whisk eggs and add remaining ingredients combining well. Pour into unbaked pie shells. Bake 15 minutes and lower oven temperature to 350 degrees. Bake an additional 30 to 45 minutes, or until the filling is set. Filling may rise and puff while baking but should deflate when removed from the oven.

Yield: 2 pies

Stacey Harris aka ‘The Diabetic Pastry Chef’ has created a simple four-part substitution system that turns any decadent dessert into a diabetic-friendly delight. Learn more about The Diabetic Pastry Chef‘s Book available on Amazon.

Looking for a fun way to socialize without putting your diabetes wellness at risk? Do you need a little help staying on track with your diabetes self-care?

Back by popular demand! The happy healthcare host, Mr. Divabetic hosts this free, fun Virtual Holiday-themed Baking Party with our special guest, Stacey Harris aka The Diabetic Pastry Chef on Thursday, December 9, 7 – 8 PM, EST on Zoom.

REGISTER NOW

12/19/202012/19/2020

Lighter New York Style Cheesecake Recipe

Enjoy a decadent dessert recipe for under 200 calories from the Cleveland Clinic!

According to the American Diabetes Association, people with diabetes can have their cake and eat it too(!) as long as it’s part of a healthful meal plan (limited saturated fat. contain moderate amounts of salt and sugar). Go ahead, enjoy!

Lighter New York Style Cheesecake Recipe

Ingredients

For the crust:
9 whole graham crackers (5 ounces), broken into rough pieces and processed in a food processor to fine crumbs (about 1 ¼ cups)
4 tablespoons Smart Balance spread, melted
½ tablespoon Splenda Blend sugar substitute

For the filling:
1 pound 1% cottage cheese
1 pound light cream cheese, at room temperature
*8 ounces yogurt cheese (See directions below if you want to make your own) or 1 pint non-fat or low-fat plain yogurt
¼ teaspoon table salt
¾-1 cup Splenda blend sugar substitute
½-1 teaspoon lemon zest (could use orange zest)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3 large eggs, at room temperature
Vegetable cooking spray

SEE FULL RECIPE

There’s a good indication that murder might be part of the recipe when Nantucket’s ten time reigning Baking Champion’s last name is ‘Coffin’ on Divabetic’s newest Mystery podcast: Kill Me Madam.

Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDE, Dan Houdeshell, Pendulum Glucose Control’s Chief Medical Officer Dr. Orville Kolterman and Diabetes Meal Planning Made Easy, Author Hope Warshaw, MMSc, RD, CDE, and Mama Rose Marie guest on Divabetic’s December Diabetes Late Nite podcast.

08/27/202008/27/2020

Vegan Key Lime Pie Recipe (with Pecan Pie Crust) from Kill Me Madam

The happy healthcare host, Mr. Divabetic offers an interesting twist to key lime pie with a gluten and dairy free, vegan recipe in Divabetic’s newest Mystery Podcast: Kill Me Madam available on demand.

His creamy dreamy vegan key lime pie is made with a crunchy pecan pie crust. When making this recipe it’s best to use a food processor or blender to get pecans very finely chopped. They need to be in tiny pieces so that they form a crust to hold together all of that delicious pie flavor. Enjoy!

Kill Me Madam Key Lime Pie Recipe

Pie Filling Ingredients:
1 cup raw cashews (soaked for 4-6 hours or overnight, then drained)
3/4 cup coconut milk
1/4 cup coconut oil (melted)
3-4 large limes juiced (3-4 limes yield ~1/2 cup juice)
1 tbsp lime zest
1/2 cup agave nectar

Pie Crust Ingredients:
1 cup chopped pecans
2 tbsp coconut oil, melted
1 tsp monk fruit sweetener

Instructions

For the Crust:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Crush pecans finely using a food processor until you achieve a fine meal.

Add butter and monk fruit sweetener to crushed pecans and pulse until all of the ingredients are mixed throughly

Grease a pie pan then add crust mixture.

Grease the back of a spoon and use it to carefully smooth the pecan mixture in the bottom of the pie pan and up the sides.

Bake for 10 minutes and allow to cool.

For the Filling:

In a blender (but you can also use a hand mixer) blend the raw cashews, coconut milk, coconut oil, lime juice, lime zest and agave nectar until the mixture is smooth. Taste and adjust flavor as needed, adding more lime zest/juice for more tart, or more agave for added sweetness.

Pour filling mixture into pecan crust and set aside.

Spread the homemade whipped cream on top of the key lime layer.

Freeze your key lime pie for 2 hours before serving or until it sets up.

There’s a good indication that murder might be part of the recipe when Nantucket’s ten time reigning Baking Champion’s last name is ‘Coffin’. But resentment, greed and Britannia’s own bad dealings turn everyone into a suspect when she’s found dead in the parking lot just before the Annual Decadents on Deck! Bake Off competition is about to kick off.

Divabetic’s Mystery podcast cast includes USA Best-Selling Author Tonya Kappes, Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDE, MaryAnn Horst-Nicolay MEd, NDRT, Lorraine Brooks, Catherine Schuller, Wendy Radford, Coach The Cure‘s Trisha Artman, Mama Rose Marie, Seveda Williams, and Max ‘Mr. Divabetic’ Szadek. Produced by Leisa Chester-Weir.

Throughout the podcast we will be featuring music from the Broadway Cast Album of ‘Call Me Madam’ courtesy of SONY Music.

Berry Parfait Recipe by Cookbook Author Holly Clegg

Sugar-Free Summertime Strawberry Pie by The Diabetic Pastry Chef

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No Sugar Added Pumpkin Ice Cream Pie Recipe by The Diabetic Pastry Chef

Lighter New York Style Cheesecake Recipe

Ingredients

Kill Me Madam Key Lime Pie Recipe