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50 FOUR SEASONS BREEZE | SEPTEMBER 2024 TOPS The Italian American Club initially reported taking the summer off; it was decided, however, to have a club meeting in August. The hosts provided hamburgers and hot dogs and the club members brought western beans, side salads, and other delicious items. The meeting was attended by many members who enjoyed the great food, friendships, and the competition for bragging rights on which table knew the "summer songs." I will report who the winners were in next month's article because at the time we went to press, those winners hadn't been chosen. A special thanks to Kathy Craven and Lynne Cook who hosted the evening and Karen Belcher who once again put together a fun "Name that Tune" for our members. Assisting Kathy at the barbecue were Charles Caldera and Barry Ginnetti, and we appreciated their slaving in the sun over the grills in the August heat. This month's Italian American Club meeting is Sept. 12 at 6 pm at The Courts. The steering committee of the club is working on the agenda for the meeting. The Italian American Club consists of residents of Four Seasons of all backgrounds and is open to all residents. You do not have to be Italian to join our group or come to our meetings. We would like you to come visit with us. Please stay safe during the heat of the summer. ~ Barbara Dipoma, (805) 377-2616, and Jerry Monahan, (951) 212-8898 Italian American Club TOPS (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) has had an article in our national magazine about how to make stone soup. Thousands of TOPS chapters read the article and created their own versions of the soup. We get tips on how to slash calories from other chapters. One idea is to replace sautéing in oil with water or broth. Another idea calls for the replacing of wheat spaghetti noodles with hearts of palm noodles. This is also gluten free. An unusual fruit known as monkfruit is turned into a sweetener called erythritol. This can be used on berries, oatmeal, and Greek yogurt for a little added sweetness. Plain, non-fat Greek yogurt can be used for many things. One cup of yogurt and two to four tablespoons of peanut butter powder have fewer calories than traditional peanut butter. (The powder is found in most stores by the peanut butter.) To sweeten this mixture, add a teaspoon of honey or monkfruit sweetener. Eating soup and salad before a main course really reduces cravings. Of course, eating high-volume, low-calorie whole foods help us to stay under our desired daily calorie intake. These small changes can add up to big success! You may find that a group like TOPS can help you as well. We meet on Tuesday at 8:30 am in the Ballroom. For more information, call Andi Henderson at (918) 497-6491. ~ Andi Henderson

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