This week's recipes come from Andrea Smothers of Delphi. She is the Carroll County queen of recipe revamps and has shared a few of her favorites over the past few months. In this column, she tackles granola and that famous dirt pudding recipe, converting them into much healthier alternatives with few calories and/or fat.

As for the Sugar-Free Granola, Andrea said her recipe is basic, but "there is no hard and fast rule," as other ingredients or favorites can be added as needed to customize the recipe to individual tastes. She suggests serving the mixture with fat free yogurt, fresh fruit, over ice cream or by itself as a snack.

A rainy weekend that preempted outdoor gardening plans was the motivator in creating Andrea's version of dirt pudding. You'll hardly be able to tell that the recipe is sugar-free and low fat. Andrea's hint: the sugar free sandwich cookies can easily be found at local dollar stores. Happy eating!

Andrea Smothers'

Sugar Free Granola 3 C. rolled old fashioned oats (not

quick cook) 1 C. sliced almonds (or sunflower

seeds if you prefer) 1 C. broken (not chopped) pecan

pieces 1/2 C. untoasted or toasted wheat

germ 1 C. Splenda 1 C. sugar free syrup (Andrea

prefers Smucker's or Mrs.

Butterworth) 4 T. cinnamon vegetable oil

Combine sugar free syrup and splenda, creating "mock" brown sugar (you may also use brown sugar Splenda, however the recipe will not be sugar-free). Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and stir until ingredients are well blended. The mixture should be moist so the amount of vegetable oil should be adjusted accordingly. Lay ingredients on a cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes to an hour, turning mixture every 15 minutes. Store in an airtight container.

Andrea Smothers' Sugar Free/Low Fat Dirt

Pudding Dessert Crust: 1 package of Sugar Free Archway

sandwich cookies Filling: 8 oz softened reduced fat cream

cheese 1 C. Splenda 2 small boxes of chocolate pudding,

sugar free and fat free 3 C. milk 1 tub of fat free nondairy whipped

topping

Crumble cookies into the bottom of a round dessert dish (reserve some crumbles for topping). In a small bowl, mix milk and pudding mixes. Beat until thick and smooth. In a larger bowl, beat cream cheese and Splenda until smooth and creamy, add whipped topping. Fold together pudding and cream cheese mixture. Pour on top of crumbled cookies. Top with remaining crumbles and chill over night or at least 2 hours.