I wake with a start.  “Could it be?  It can’t be, please let it be!” my foggy brain pleads.  OMG, it is!  This is the day!  This is the day I’ve been waiting for all year!  It’s scalloping season in Florida!   I jump out of bed and hop in the shower with glee and anticipation in my heart.  I bought all new scalloping paraphernalia this year; a bright pink swim suit, an aqua blue snorkel mask, bright yellow swim fins and a cute little mesh bag to keep my scallops in.  Hey, who says I can’t look good while I’m diving for scallops?

Last year I took Captain Mike’s Scallop-O-Rama scalloping tour in Homosassa but this year I have my very own boat!   Anyway, Susie and I head out to the gulf (that’s the Gulf of Mexico for those of you who aren’t in the know) in my big red truck and brand new sparkling boat.  My daddy knew of a secret scalloping section in the gulf and he took me there only if I swore I wouldn’t tell anybody, so I’m not gonna tell you exactly where we put in the boat. You get to find your own spot!

This Florida August morning is warm and muggy as the sun announces its magnificent arrival across the horizon.  I begin to appreciate the crystal clear aquamarine waters as the sun begins to rise.  We make our way to the unsuspecting scallops that I imagine are happily swimming around without a care in the world.  “There it is!” Susie exclaims when she sees our special patch of sea grass.  Before I even have time to anchor the boat, Susie jumps in the water with a really big splash.  “Wait for me!” I holler.  I anchor the boat and put out the ladder (never jump off your boat without putting out the ladder, take my word for it, but that’s another story!).

I make sure I have all the gear I need to catch my dinner and then I jump.  I check to make sure Susie hasn’t lost her mask like she did on our last snorkel trip in the Caribbean.  Good!  She still has her mask, fins and mesh bag, she hasn’t drowned or anything, so I let her be.  Once I’m in the warm water, I’m in another world.  There among the sea grass are hundreds of scallops swimming happily around like I had imagined.  It’s a very cool experience to chase around little sea creatures under the water.  Scallops don’t swim too fast, so before I know it my bag is full!  The scallop limit is 2 gallons of whole scallops per person, so I surface to see how Susie is doing.  She swims over to me and asks how many scallops I have.  I show her my full bag and she is shocked.  I ask her how many she has and she sheepishly shows me her bag with only three scallops.  “They ran away from me,” she whines.  I tell her to swim faster as I climb into the boat to throw my sea treasure into the cooler.  I jump back in for another go.  I see Susie trying really hard to chase down a scallop and I just have to laugh.  Before you know it, we have our 4 gallon limit.  I’m not gonna tell you how many I caught and how many Susie caught because I don’t want to embarrass anybody!  Susie might not be so good at catching scallops, but let me tell you, she sure can cook ‘em!  I can’t wait for a delectable scallop dinner!

As we make our way back home Susie works her magic and develops a wonderful 100 calorie scallop recipe.  “How was her scallop creation?” you ask.  OMG!  The best scallops I ever had!  Really!  Susie cooks real food with real ingredients so her recipes aren’t necessarily what you would call “diet.”  That’s what The 100 Calorie Diet is all about, eat real food in 100, 200, 300, 400 and 500+ calorie units.  Her Scallops Alfredo Fettuccini is a heavenly 400 calories per serving!  It’s the best 400 calorie you’ll ever eat!  Ya gotta try this recipe!  Check it out:

Scallops Alfredo Fettuccini

1/4 Cup Butter – 400 Calories
1 Cup Heavy Cream – 800 Calories
2 Garlic Cloves, Crushed - FREE
1 ½ Cups Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese- 400 Calories
1/4 Cup Chopped Fresh Parsley - FREE
1 Tablespoon Butter – 100 Calories
1/2 Cup Sweet Onions, Chopped - FREE
2 Garlic Cloves, Minced – FREE
1 Pound Scallops – 500 Calories
1 Pound Fresh Mushrooms, Sliced - FREE
5 Ounces White Wine – 100 Calories
2 Teaspoons White Worcestershire Sauce - FREE
Sea Salt and White Pepper To Taste - FREE
Juice of 1 Lemon - FREE
4 Cups Cooked Fettuccini – 800 Calories

Melt the ¼ cup butter in a medium saucepan over medium low heat.  Add the heavy cream and simmer for 5 minutes.  Stir in the garlic and parmesan cheese and whisk quickly, heating through.  Stir in parsley, keep warm.  In a large non-stick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon butter on medium heat and sauté the sweet onions and garlic until the onions are translucent.  Place scallops in the pan and sear on each side.  Add the mushrooms, wine, Worcestershire, sauce salt, pepper and lemon juice and continue to sauté 3-4 minutes until desired tenderness.   Pour the Alfredo sauce over the fettuccini and top with your scallop mixture.

Makes eight 400 calorie servings.

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Hi All!  Today’s post is for all you chocolate lovers out there!  My 100 Calorie Chocolate Mousse Recipe make thirteen 100 calorie servings but you can eat more than just 100 calories on The 100 Calorie Diet!  Eat 200 or 300 calories worth of this decadent dessert if you want more than the 100 calorie serving, it’s up to you.  I’ve gotten some feedback that my recipes aren’t diet, low fat or low calorie.  Well, yeah!  That’s the whole idea about The 100 Calorie Diet, you eat normal foods and keep track of your calories in 100 calorie units.  I don’t cook lowfat for my 100 calorie recipes, but if you want low fat, check out my Zero Calorie Cookbook and Zero Calorie Party Appetizer Cookbook.  Enjoy!

Chocolate Mousse
1 Cup Heavy Cream
4 1/2 Ounces Bittersweet Chocolate, Finely Chopped
2 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter, Diced
3 Tablespoons Espresso
3 Large Eggs, Separated
2 Tablespoons Sugar
Place cream in a large mixing bowl, whip to peaks; refrigerate.  Combine the chocolate, butter, and espresso in the top of a double boiler over hot water, stirring frequently until smooth. Remove from the heat and let cool until the chocolate is just slightly warm.  Once the melted chocolate has cooled slightly, whip the egg whites in a medium bowl until they are foamy and beginning to hold a shape. Sprinkle in the sugar and beat until soft peaks form.  When the chocolate has reached the proper temperature, stir in the yolks. Gently stir in about one-third of the whipped cream.  Fold in half the whites just until incorporated, then fold in the remaining whites, and finally the remaining whipped cream.  Spoon into a serving bowl.

Makes Thirteen 100 Calorie Servings

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Skinny English Muffin Asparagus Bake

 1/4 Cup Vegetable Broth
1/4 Teaspoon Dijon Mustard
Pinch Lemon Pepper Seasoning
Pinch Curry Powder
Pinch Sea Salt
¼ Cup Vegetable Broth
4 Thin Asparagus Spears, Trimmed
¼ Cup Sweet Bell Peppers, Chopped
1/4 Cup Sugar Snap Pea Pods
1/4 Cup Cherry Tomatoes
1/2 English Muffin
1 Ounce Parmesan or Mozzarella Cheese
Fresh Basil Leaves

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  In a small bowl whisk together broth, mustard, lemon pepper seasoning, curry powder and salt; set aside.  In a nonstick skillet heat broth over medium heat. Add asparagus spears; cook 1 to 2 minutes until bright green.  Remove with tongs; set aside. Add chopped sweet pepper and pea pods; cook 2 minutes.   Stir in tomatoes. Cook until tomato skins begin to pop, set aside.  Place English muffin in an individual baking dish that has been sprayed with Pam.  Top with tomato mixture, asparagus and cheese.  Bake for 13 minutes then broil until the cheese is golden brown.  Top with fresh basil leaves

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Tomato Dill Soup

4 Tablespoons Chicken Broth
2 Garlic Cloves, Minced
1 Onion, Chopped
1 (28 ounce) Can Diced Tomatoes
1 (10.5 ounce) Can Condensed Chicken Broth
1/2 Teaspoon Dried Dill Weed
Salt and Pepper To Taste
1 Bay Leaf

In a large soup pot, sauté garlic and onion in chicken broth until the onions are translucent.  Stir in the tomatoes and condensed chicken broth, and season with dill weed, salt, pepper and the bay leaf.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes.  Remove from heat, and discard bay leaf. Use a food processor or blender to puree the soup in small batches until smooth. Serve immediately, or chill and serve cold.

Want more recipes like this one.  Check out my newest book:

The Zero Calorie Soup and Salad Cookbook is a Kindle book, but you can also download the Kindle Reader to your computer for free.

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