By DEBORAH GERTZ HUSAR
Herald-Whig Staff Writer

COLUMBUS, Ill. -- Carol Lichtsinn has loved to bake since her early days in 4-H, and she didn't let a diabetes diagnosis in 1981 slow her down.

Lichtsinn just incorporates sugar-free or lite products whenever possible in her favorite recipes -- all except one.

She hasn't found a way to turn her signature Caramel Brownies into a sugar-free choice, but she still makes them to share with her husband, Danny, and others.

"I don't know how many batches I make in a year," she said, but she doesn't sample the finished product anymore. "I know what they taste like."

A growing number of new products helps improve the taste and appearance of sugar-free treats. Lichtsinn often reaches for Splenda Blend and the new sugar-free Pillsbury cake mix to use in a favorite recipe.

"I cook with a recipe," Lichtsinn said. "You can change things a little, but I need a basic recipe."

A simple substitution in Cherry Cheesecake Pie, for example, uses sugar-free pie filling and Splenda instead of sugar, and Lichtsinn's Strawberry Jell-O Cake uses sugar-free gelatin, pudding and Cool Whip.

Like most diabetics, Lichtsinn pays careful attention to her diet, limiting sweets and incorporating lots of fruits and vegetables. Fiesta Vegetable Salad combines green beans, peas and corn.

"It's very colorful. I use a red pepper to make it more colorful," she said.

Another favorite, Fireman's Salad, combines a crunchy topping with shredded lettuce and a flavorful dressing. Cool days even in springtime call for soup, and Taco Soup is a popular choice made in the crockpot.

"Some people tell me they put shredded cheese on top of that or corn chips," Lichtsinn said. "I just eat it plain."

Zucchini Bread is a favorite at bake sales held by the Central Live Wires 4-H Club, and the vegetable, fresh from the garden or stored in the freezer, also gets put to use in Chocolate Zucchini Cake. Lichtsinn often bakes Coconut Cream Cake for families who have lost loved ones, and people like State Fair Peanut Butter Cake.

"It's still popular," she said.

Lichtsinn got her start in cooking thanks to her mother and to 4-H. Her first 4-H project involved learning to make brownies, snickerdoodles, chocolate chip cookies and banana bread. She took a year of home economics in high school and a foods course at Western Illinois University.

"I always like to cook and try things, and there were always people cheering me on," she said.

Many of the cheerleaders were fellow teachers in the Central school district where Lichtsinn taught for 34 years before retiring in June 2001. Lichtsinn still makes birthday treats to share with teacher friends and, with their encouragement, put together a cookbook of her favorite recipes the first winter after she retired.

She keeps busy helping on the farm, with the Paloma Home and Community Education (HCE) and in the kitchen.

Most of the time, it's just simple meals for herself and her husband. Meat, often his favorite beef and pork, along with a vegetable and fresh fruit or gelatin make a meal, and Lichtsinn always tries to turn any leftovers into another dish for another time.

Turning recipes into good-tasting dishes "takes practice probably and a desire to do it," Lichtsinn said, and there's plenty of rewards including the aroma.

"You can smell what's for dinner. That's the best part of it."

-- dhusar@whig.com/221-3379