This is Nona again. Lindsey missed out on the goodies today. Another nice promotional package arrived from McCormick. This big box was stuffed with various grill rubs, marinades and a Montreal steak seasoning grinder.

Bounty for the guest bloggers!

I have used the McCormick’s Montreal steak seasoning before and I highly recommend it. Lindsey gave me the smokehouse pepper they sent her last week, and I used it this weekend and loved it. It added a nice smoky flavor without being overpowering.

My hubby and I joined Weight Watchers last night, so I am looking for ways to add more flavor to food as I try to whittle away fat and calories and keep to our daily points goals. Of course, I have to be careful with sauces and marinades that can actually add too many calories to what otherwise would have been a lean, low-cal dish.

I want to try the seafood rub, which contains chili pepper, lemon peel, garlic, tomato and brown sugar. Sounds pretty tasty for some salmon filets that want to get out of my fridge and onto my grill.

I promise we will save some of this spice swag for Lindsey.

So what’s grilling at your house this hot and steamy weekend?

Hey FM readers. This is yet another guest blogger, Nona Nelson from The Happy Wag.

I love to cook almost as much as I love to eat, but I know my family needs to eat healthier. That started this weekend with me making better choices at the supermarket: lots more fruits, veggies, whole grains and fish and less of, well, all the other stuff I usually buy.

Last night I made kabobs with chicken, lean pork, peppers, onions, mushrooms and pineapple wedges. I soaked the meat in a little soy sauce, then assembled the skewers, seasoned with a dash of salt and the delicious smokehouse pepper that Lindsey gave me last week, and brushed them with a tiny amount of olive oil. My hubby grilled them and they were very tasty and moist, and fairly low in fat and calories.

Tonight I plan to serve tilapia filets, and typically I would bake them in the oven with butter, lemon and dill. But tonight I want to grill them, and I am looking for suggestions on ways to add flavor to this mild fish without adding too much fat and calories.

I know I can use olive or grape seed oil instead of the butter for a lighter dish. Anyone have a great combo of seasonings or a recipe for a rub that works well with delicate fish?

Not long after switching cooking oils for a trans fat-free fried chicken product, Kentucky Fried Chicken says it is launching a new product for a whole new image: Kentucky Grilled Chicken.
According to an Associated Press story, KFC’s chief food innovation officer, Doug Hasselo, says “This is transformational for our brand.”
Customers may soon see “Now Grilling” signs outside their local KFC restaurant, as well as altered storefront signs and even a different chicken bucket.
The article says the grilled chicken has less fat, calories and sodium than the fried product. But it still has more than 600 milligrams of sodium, more than a third of what a 50-year-old consumer should have in a day.
At least KFC is finally jumping on the healthy food bandwagon. Although personally, I know where to go to find healthy food. And I know where to go when I want to indulge in a piece of fast food fried chicken.
What do you all think? Would you try the new KGC?

Important news today from the Southern purveyors of good old fried dough: Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, Inc. says their entire menu is now trans fat-free!

They say you can enjoy an original glazed doughnut for just 200 calories and zero grams of trans fat. Well, let’s all rush out and get a hot dozen!

I’d like to pause for a moment to address the debate over whether Krispy Kreme doughnuts are better than Dunkin’ Donuts: They are.

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In an effort to cleanse our minds of lungs, brains, rat and tripe, I give you….donuts, chocolate and spaghetti with meatballs!

Those are the three topics of this Friday smorgasbord of food news. Don’t forget to read to the bottom of this entry, because I’m going to give away a $30 hardcover book for the holidays called “I’m Dreaming of a Chocolate Christmas” by Marcel Desaulniers.

Item #1: A recent study for the Center for Science in the Public Interest may have you thinking twice about those restaurant meals this weekend.

Now, I don’t want to tick off that guy who got mad about the “danger P’Zone,” but this study indicates that entrees at the Olive Garden and Romano’s Macaroni Grill are packing more calories and fat than they — or anyone, for that matter — would like to admit.

The study, which was forwarded to me by a concerned reader, says just about every plate of pasta at those restaurants contains more than 1,000 calories. Spaghetti and Meatballs at Olive Garden? 1,200 calories and 19 grams of fat.

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