Healthier Calzones

I LOVE my homemade calzones, and so does my hubby. The problem with them, though, is that they are high in fat, and hence high in calories, too! So while I was making them the other night, I was dreaming up ways to improve on them. Here's what I've come up with to keep all the flavor and lose some of the fat, and to improve the healthiness of the finished product!

Start with 1 pound of whole-wheat bread dough (instead of the white bread dough). Divide it into 4 portions. Turn each portion into a 4-inch-diameter circle.

Mix an 8-ounce package of low-fat (neufchatel) cream cheese (in place of regular cream cheese) with 1 cup low-fat shredded mozzarella cheese (in place of regular mozzarella cheese). Stir in Italian seasonings to taste. Divvy up into 4 portions and spread on dough rounds, leaving about 3/4" around the edges.

Top with low-fat ham, red bell peppers, and diced pineapple (in place of fattier meats like pepperoni or sausage).

Fold each round in half over the filling and seal the edges with a fork to make the calzone. Brush the top with extra-virgin olive oil (a healthy fat). Bake at 400 degrees for 5 minutes. Brush with more extra-virgin olive oil. Bake another 10 minutes or so until it is browned to your liking. Enjoy! (Makes 4 calzones)

Update!

Sorry for the long hiatus! Many things have happened over the past 3 months in our family. Here's a glimpse at what I've been up to:

Hubby got a new job in mid-February! He started selling cars, and even sold one on his very first day! YAY!!! Here's the initiation he had celebrating his first sale:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FheeA6pdf3o

Haleigh took dance lessons from mid-March to mid-May! There is something so cute and uplifting about watching a group of 3- and 4-year-olds doing their best impressions of dancing princesses!

Christopher started playing machine-pitch baseball in early May. This is his 4th year in some sort of baseball program! He really enjoys it, and to add to the experience, his daddy is his coach!

Erika started rolling, army-crawling, and sitting independently! At 10 months old, she now has 2 teeth and is a cute, babbling, raspberry-blowing little ball of energy!

Cameron lost his car-sales job on May 12. He loved selling cars, and is currently looking for a new job in the same industry.

I turned 30 on May 15th! Do I feel any different? No. In the words of a favorite movie of mine, I'm "thirty, flirty, and thriving!" (13 Going on 30)

I've discovered Zumba! This high-energy aerobic dancing done to a Latin beat is so much fun! I go to the gym for a 1-hour Zumba class at least once a week!

I'm hoping to update on a much more frequent basis again. Thanks for sticking with me through the ups and downs!