My granny always had so much leftover zucchini in her garden, it was a challenge to use it all. I invented this recipe when she gifted me a huge bag of zucchini one summer fresh from her garden. Zucchini is very high in water and fiber content. It’s the perfect way to moisten brownies without adding extra fat and get extra fiber in your diet.

As a kid, I hated upside down cakes covered with masses of sticky glazed pineapple. Feared by many, it always popped up on buffet tables at family gatherings – from graduation parties to wedding receptions, year-round. I’ve never been a big fan of canned fruit since, especially that gooey pie filling that most upside down cakes call for. So my upside down version is made with a thick, rich homemade filling of fresh cherries that is simple and superb. Buy yourself a cherry pitter to make it easy. Kids will want to help when they see you using a fun new gadget!

During cold winter evenings, my granny would gather a knitted blanket onto to her lap and sip her favorite tea. The odor of orange punctutated by the dark musk of cloves would fill our small living room as she siped, slowly turning the pages of her latest travel book. My version of her favorite tea has cinnamon for added spice and flavor.

These are one of my all-time favorite cookies! My Granny baked a huge batch of these for my wedding reception. Luckily, I managed to eat at least one before the guests gobbled them down and the whole tray was emptied!

My roommate in college, Christina, used to beg me to make Texas Sheet Cake. Granny used to make it for us on the Fourth of July but my healthier version is delish year-round!

If fresh cherries are out of your budget or out of season, the frozen version will work just as well! Cherries are a good source of antioxidants and they plump nicely when baked in muffins.

Peanut butter and banana go great together. With that in mind, I created this banana bread that uses protein-rich peanut butter in place of butter or margarine

German’s are famous for their gingerbread and this cake is my moist version using the same spices that make the cookies so flavorful. Serve this at your next winter celebration with mulled hot spiced tea.

Almost everyone I know loves banana bread. This low-fat version is great for breakfast or to pack in your lunch for a healthy afternoon treat. Use oat flour instead of all purpose white flour to make it heart healthy!

This traditional South American cake is especially popular for birthday celebrations. I love dulce de leche, a rich, gooey milk caramel sauce that just happens to be low in fat. Try dipping wedges of crispy apple for a sweet low-fat snack. You can purchase dulce de leche in a store that carries Latino groceries or make it yourself – see my dulce de leche recipe.