OMG! I couldn't resist posting this link to one of Paula Deen's recipes:

Fried Butter Balls No, you read that right! Fried Butter

Can you believe it! Hmmm, I wonder what it tastes like?

Tammy, that is just plain insane!! I wouldn't have believed it if you didn't post a link. More than 2/3 of Americans are overweight or obese and she's coming up with recipes like that??? What about turning her talents to lower fat, healthier versions of her favorite recipes?

Have you ever glanced through one of her cookbooks . . . You can almost feel yur arteries hardening.

OK, I put the recipe in Fitday. I estimated a cup of oil for frying since the quantity isn't specified. Just one one-inch ball is 157 calories and 14 grams of fat! And who would stop at just one?

Let's see, for 157 calories, I can eat:

Cottage cheese and fruit
Yogurt and fruit
Protein shake
Chicken breast
Apple and peanut butter
Oatmeal and egg whites
The world's biggest salad ...

Actually . . . I recently read David Zinczenko's (he of the Ab's Diet books) Eat This; Not That . . . and he declared the Outback Steakhouse, Aussie Cheese Fries with Ranch Dressing "The Worst Food in America" at 2,900calories / 182 grams of fat / 240 grams of carbohydrate . . . I dn't even think it's meant to be a full meal?

It's not meant to be a full meal, but I do know some people who will eat half (or maybe even a whole) one of those and then proceed to eat a full meal... *sigh*. Haha

That's why I hate eating out unless I go some place with nutritional information, and even then I'm skeptical.

Ugh. My stomach is twisting into knots just reading the recipe. What on earth?

I know Paula Deen is somewhat notorious for these kinds of things, but sheesh...

As for the Outback cheese fries - yeah, numbers like this are what make me uncomfortable eating out, and mistrustful of alleged "light" restaurant meals...

ETA: Oh, also hilarious? Those diet ad banners surrounding this abomination of a recipe...

Too funny, Heffalump! I didn't even notice them. Wonder what Jillian would say about Fried Butter Balls?

God....and I thought the vitamin water (?) ad with "fried buttah" was being sarcastic....maybe that is where she got the idea.

All of Paula's recipes seem to start with a stick of butter and a cup of sugar, no matter what she's cooking. I guess these butter balls would just be a little hors d'oeuvres and people would eat several without thinking about it, along with other tasty little calorific treats.

Meg, I would love to see her create healthier versions of her recipes. When I've watched her show, I don't recall her ever seeming interested in creating healthy foods. Many of her recipes that I've seen are things that you should eat sparingly and with moderation. My family loves her style of cooking, and would (and some of them do) eat like that every day. I used to too, who am I to talk!

I know a co-worker says she has a great Paula Deen fudge recipe that has velveeta in it. Okay, fudge - any recipe isn't going to be healthy but the velveeta was unusual.

Anne, I guess I've missed the vitamin water ad. Is she on it?

I was watching her the other day and I think she was making Swiss Steak (not something I was interested in, but I thought I might be in the next dish - I wasn't). She's making the dish and she walks past the butter, decided to drop a blob on top of the steak just because it was there she said. I know it's a trademark thing, but really.

Having said all that I did print out and keep one recipe I saw her make - Pecan Squares. It didn't have a speck of butter in the recipe and looked quite nice. It would be a company dish and I suspect I'd try cutting the sugar back a bit. However, at 82 calories for a square I thought it wasn't too bad. Although 32% of the cals came from fat that came from eggs and pecans only. No added fat.

The ads must rotate - I see one with Jillian asking "How big is your weight loss goal?"

Blech! Those butter balls sound disgusting. And this is coming from a girl who loves her junk food!

Oops - looked further on the site and it seems like it was maybe done as a dare.

Everything's Better With Butter
It's no secret that Paula's favorite ingredient is butter! Paula shares her recipes for Chicken Scaloppini with a Lemon Butter Sauce, Savory Cheddar Shortbread, and Double Chocolate Gooey Butter Cake and an audience request, Fried Butter.

Aw, you guys don't be so hard on poor ol' Paula. You didn't read to the end of the recipe:
You see she's taking your health into consideration; you have to drain the balls before serving!

BTW did you read the ratings on this recipe. Most people (but not all) didn't like it.