and Lord of the Onion Rings (153 calories, made with Fiber One bran cereal). Lillien — who grew up in a food- loving Jewish family on Long Island, N.Y., and now lives in Encinco, Calif., with her husband, a film and television writer and producer — says she always struggled with her weight, constantly losing and gaining the same 10-15 pounds over and over again. Almost nine years ago, she finally lost 25 pounds for good when she realized "it's more about changing your lifestyle forever than going on a diet," she says, and began to put to use all the informa- tion she'd gathered over the years. "I decided that I wanted to share all of my tips, tricks, food finds and recipes with people other than my friends and family," says Lillien. "There was nothing else out there like it. Most information about guilt-free eating comes from doctors, dietitians, nutritionists, etc. So I decided to launch an umbrella brand about guilt-free eating from a regular person's perspective." Not only are the recipes super- simple to create (and each includes its Weight Watchers Points value), Lillien's style is witty and entertain- ing. "Hungry Girl is totally relatable. I write about the foods people want to eat. I help people celebrate food. But it's also fun and funny. People like that ... they think of me as their friend. And I love that!" Here, enjoy a few of Lillien's Hungry Girl recipes: SO LOW MEIN WITH CHICKEN RED HOT APPLE PIE IN A CUP "I crave chicken lo mein but avoid it at all costs, since it has astronomically high fat and calorie counts. This version tastes as good as regular lo meins (yes, as good!) but has a teeny-tiny fraction of the calories and fat. This recipe's a keeper, people!" "My good pal "Creme Brulee" Debbie had the brilliant idea to nuke apples and Red Hots. The more Red Hots you use, the more red hot your dessert will be. This recipe is insane ... and a must-try!" packages House Foods Tofu Shirataki Spaghetti Shaped Noodle Substitute One bag (about 12 oz.) frozen Chinese-style stir-fry mixed veggies oz. raw boneless, skinless lean chicken breast, cut 8 into strips cup bean sprouts 1 1/2 cup chopped mushrooms 1/2 cup thinly sliced zucchini 1/2 cup chopped scallions 1/4 cup shredded carrots 1/4 cup reduced-sodium or light soy sauce Tbs. cornstarch 1 tsp. chicken-flavored powdered consomme 2 no-calorie sweetener packets 2 3 Rinse and drain shirataki noodles well. Dry noodles thor- oughly, using paper towels to soak up as much moisture as possible. Use a knife or kitchen shears to slice them up a bit. Set aside. To make sauce, combine soy sauce, cornstarch, consomme and sweetener with 1/2 cup hot water. Stir well and set aside. Bring a large pan or wok sprayed with nonstick spray to medium-high heat. Add frozen veggies, chicken, bean sprouts, mushrooms, zucchini, scallions and carrots. Saute for 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently, until chicken is cooked through and frozen veggies are thawed and hot. Pour sauce into the pan or wok. Stir well and continue to cook until sauce has thickened, about 3-4 minutes. Add noodles and cook, stirring occasionally, until entire dish is thoroughly mixed and hot. Serve it up and enjoy! Makes 4 servings. Per serving (1 1/2 cups): 167 calories, 1.5g fat, 925mg sodium, 19g carbs, 6g fiber, 4g sugars and 18g protein. HG Alternative: Try this recipe with any lean protein. medium Fuji apple, cored and cubed 1 12-15 pieces Red Hots Cinnamon Flavored Candy 1/2 sheet (2 crackers) low-fat cinnamon graham crackers, crushed Tbs. Fat Free Reddi-Whip 2 Dash cinnamon Place apple cubes in a microwavable cup or mug. Top with Red Hots. Cover and microwave for 2 minutes. Stir well. Microwave for an additional 1-2 minutes, until cubes are soft. Once cup or mug is cool enough to handle, mix contents well. Allow to cool for about 10 minutes. Top with half of the crushed graham crackers followed by the Reddi-Whip. Sprinkle with remaining grahams and a little cinnamon. Voila! Makes 1 serving. Per serving: 140 calories, 0.5g fat, 44mg sodium, 47g carbs, 3.5g fiber, 24.5g sugars, 0.5g protein. Chew on this: Ahhh, the good old days ... In the 1800s, rural families considered fruit pies to be a hearty breakfast before a day's work. We typically crave ours after a hard day's work, but we won't tell if you enjoy this one old-school! SPINACH, TOMATO, FE I A 'N EGG WRAP ATTACK "This was conjured up when the folks at Starbucks threatened to pull the plug on their version of this popular breakfast wrap. They decided not to (yay!), but that was after our ver- sion was already whipped up (double yay!)." large La Tortilla Factory Smart & Delicious Low Carb/High Fiber tortilla 1/2 cup chopped fresh spinach 1/3 cup fat-free liquid egg substitute 1 Blogalicious on page P12 JN platinum • JANUARY 2010 • P 1 1