Spoonful of Sugar Free

Registered Dietitian

Gluten Free

Attack of the (Sugar Free) Monsters

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Hey all, remember when I told you all about my Bake Night a few days ago?

Well, remember the Chocolate Chunk Monster cookies I told you about?

No? Well, here’s the recipe anyway. These cookies are extremely delicious, and naturally sweet!

Teenage Health Freak had suggested that I try this recipe before. Well, I finally did (and added a few changes, of course). Boy am I glad I finally tried them 🙂

 

Well...Not the prettiest cookies, but definitely one of the tastiest!

 

Chocolate Chunk Monster Cookies

~This recipe can be gluten-free if using gluten-free oats. It is also vegan, dairy-free, and of course, sugar-free! Makes about 30-35 cookies

Ingredients

  • 3 very ripe bananas
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 Tablespoons coconut oil (or olive oil works, too)
  • 2 cups rolled oats
  • 3/4 cup finely chopped almonds
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened, shredded coconut
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 4-5 ounces 100% dark chocolate bar (Found in the baking section in the grocery store. I suggest Baker’s chocolate or Ghiradelli unsweetened)

Preheat oven to 350*. Mash the bananas, and mix in the other wet ingredients. Then add the dry ingredients and mix until well-incorporated. Next, chop the chocolate bar into small chunks and mix into batter. Drop Tablespoons-full of dough onto a cookie-sheet about 1/2 inch apart. Bake for 15 minutes, or until the bottoms of the cookies are golden brown.

Thought-provoking, mind-prodding question of the day:

Have you tried unsweetened chocolate yet????

Bake Night!

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One boring Wednesday evening I had the itch-the itching desire to bake! I baked for 3 hours straight and had a blast!

On the menu:

I even wore a dorky fruit hat to bake in:

My mom bought the hat for me at IKEA.I have to say that I do love it! My family teases me, and my brother steals it sometimes…All for good fun! Plus, it is very comfy.

My creations of the night:

I gave them to my mom’s bible study group, and brought the leftovers to my tennis practice. They were a hit!

Want the recipes?

Click HERE for the Carrot-Apple Bran Muffins.

For the mini-cheesecakes I used the recipe found HERE. But instead of freezing it in a glass container, I put them into mini-muffins liners and froze them in the muffin tin. I made some strawberry cheesecake (mix with frozen strawberries and topped with a raspberry), blueberry cheesecake (mix with frozen blueberries and top with blueberries), and Key Lime Pie cheesecake (mix with lemon and lime juice and top with lime wedge).

The Peanut-Chocolate Fudge Balls and the Chocolate Chunk Monster cookie recipes will be coming soon! So stay tuned!

Thought-provoking, mind-prodding question of the day:

Do you ever have the urge to bake? I do a lot. I think it is very calming, and stress-relieving!

Bruschetta for Me, Bruschetta for You! (and something else)

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Ack! Summer is getting away from me! Can you believe that next thursday is the first day of autumn?

I have been meaning to post this bruschetta recipe while the tomatoes are still in season. They are still in season, right?

(I really need a nice dining table to photograph my food on…)

Fresh Bruschetta

~This bruschetta goes perfectly on slices of toasted garlic bread (preferably whole-grain). I also like to top my crackers with this for a nice snack, and on my burgers or salads for a beautiful meal.

  • 4 medium tomatoes
  • 2 green onions
  • one clove garlic
  • small bunch of fresh basil
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

First, chop the tomatoes and onions into small pieces. Then mince the fresh basil and garlic. Add the vegetables and spices to the bowl, and mix thoroughly. Add salt and pepper to taste, and drizzle with olive oil. Give the bowl one more mix, and place in the fridge.

It is best that the bruschetta stay in the fridge, covered, for at least an hour. This way, the flavors can mingle together. Next step: enjoy!

Now, onto the Something Else.

Caitlin, from CSN, contacted me last week, and asked if I would like to host a giveaway for my viewers….but….I turned her down…

Just Kidding!

One lucky person will receive a $35 to www.CSNStores.com!!!! Which includes www.Cookware.com and www.AllModern.com. CSN sells everything from cookware to outdoor furniture to clothing to fitness equipment. The list goes on and on!

Le Creuset 5 Piece Essential Set in Cherry

You have multiple ways to win:

(Please post a separate comment for each entry)

  1. Post a comment telling me what you would use the $35 gift card for (I might use it towards a Le Creuset or some other fancy cooking gizmo)
  2. If you have a blog, blog about this giveaway!
  3. Subscribe to my blog using the button at the right (If you are already subscribed, tell me for an entry!)
  4. Send me a picture for my Food Lovin Post (or post it on your blog)!!!

The Giveaway ends on the last day of summer, which is one week (Wednesday, September 22nd).

Edward’s and Sons Co.

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Yay! The super nice Joanna sent me samples to review from Edward’s and Sons Co:

Organic Croutons, Miso soup, coconut water, brown rice snaps, canned peaches, and a whole bunch of flyers and recipes!

In 1978, Edward’s and Sons started with the Miso Cup. From there, they have grown into quite a large company that tries to accommodate many different special diets like gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan, and kosher. However, the company is foremost a vegetarian company that does not include any meat or fish in their products. Edwards ad Sons includes the following brands: Edward & Sons™, Native Forest®, Let’s Do…Organic®, The Wizard’s®, Premier Japan®, Let’s Do…®, and Road’s End Organics®.

Reviews:

  • Brown Rice Snaps: They sent the vegetable flavored, but the company makes many other flavors, too. Ingredients: Organic Brown Rice Flour, Organic White Rice Flour, Organic Expeller-Pressed Safflower Oil, Carrots, Garlic, Onions, Red Bell Peppers, Tomatoes, Salt, Citric Acid, Green Bell Peppers.

Wow! No sugar, whole grain, and real vegetables in it! It tastes crunchy, and the flavor of garlic is nice and light. My whole family enjoyed these.

  • Miso Cup: This soup was very easy to make. It is like the healthy version of Ramen Noodles-just add hot water and enjoy! The soup is just a miso base with freeze dried tofu, seaweed, and green onions. I liked it because I am a miso soup-lover, and because it tasted just like my miso soup. So if you like miso soup, you will like this portable packet. I took it on the road with me, and enjoyed it at my destination.
  • Organic Croutons: Ingredients: Organic Wheat Flour, Yeast, Salt, Organic Onion Powder, Organic Garlic Powder,Organic Parsley, Organic Oregano, Organic Basil.

Simple, organic, and made with wheat flour! I like how they were nice and bite-sized. They were a good addition to my salad (shown at right).

  • Sliced Peaches: It is very hard to find canned fruit that isn’t soaked in syrup, but this one is. Plus, it has the added bonus of being organic! It is soaked in fruit juice and water instead of syrup. Yay! I used to love canned peaches during my elementary school lunches. These tasted exactly the same: soft, plump, sweet, and juicy!
  • Coconut Water: I actually have been drinking coconut water for the past year now. During and after my tennis matches, I hydrate with it because it is high in electrolytes and potassium. I  like the delicate, smooth taste of the young coconut. It is best when the juice is chilled.

Edward’s and Sons Co. is really a great company that sells a variety of different items. I really love how they like to keep everything simple and organic-what a relief from the many other main-stream companies out there!

Thanks again, Edward’s and Sons, for this fantastic opportunity to review your products!

On another note, Happy Birthday Katie! I hope you have a chocolaty-filled, special day! Also, I hope you are all having a nice and relaxing Labor Day!

Thought-provoking, mind-prodding question of the day:

Have you ever seen or tried Edward’s and Sons products? What was it?

Also, what did you do for labor day? Or what are you planning on doing?

Why I Love Muffins

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First off, I know that I have left you in suspense for the winner of my Namaste giveaway…But now that I have finally settled down I can announce who it is! Using random.org, I RANDOMLY selected the winner…..#42! Congratulations Erin! I hope you enjoy your gluten-free goodies 🙂
Now, onto what’s important, Muffins! Lately, I have been experimenting with different recipes, and also enjoying many of the results. I have a few of these sugar free recipes coming (like apple-carrot bran!).
Why I Love Muffins
  • They are super versatile
  • They can be made extremely healthy
  • Easy to bring on picnics, to lunch, during work or school, when you’re in a hurry, while you’re hiking…
  • They taste like dessert!
Whole Wheat Banana Muffins
  • I can smear some coconut butter “frosting” on a carrot cake muffin and eat it like dessert!
  • I can bring them on the plane for an easy breakfast
  • I can eat them for lunch with a smoothie
  • I can eat them before I work out for some energy
  • Adding protein powder is easy, and tastes good

  • Whole wheat, bran, chia, flax, are all high fiber add-ins that make them powerful muffins!
  • I can eat them for any taste I’m looking for (blueberry, carrot cake, nutty, poppyseed, chocolate…)
  • They are fun to make with family
  • They make great gifts! Just put them in a cute basket and tie them with a bow 🙂
  • They can provide servings of veggies and fruit!
  • They smell good in the oven
  • I like to share them with friends
  • They taste good!

Why do you love muffins? Or do you love muffins?

Also, check out this giveaway for Artisana butters at Gluten Free Muse!

Two Cans and a Potato

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People think that eating healthy is always time consuming, expensive, and difficult. To you people: HA!

I am going to be driving back to Florida on Tuesday (3 day drive 🙁 ), so that means I have to get rid of everything in he fridge so it doesn’t spoil. Well…..it is almost all gone. I barely have anything left in the fridge! So for dinner, I made use of a potato and two canned foods.

The result:

Oh wait....I guess we had some leftover steamed spinach and black olives that I used as well, but they are not required! The best thing about potatoes is that they are so versatile!

Hobo Dinner

  • 1 potato wrapped in aluminum foil
  • 1 can tomatoes (chopped, whole, pureed, doesn’t really matter)
  • 1 can beans (I used black beans, but garbanzo, pinto, kidney, ex. would work, too)
  • leftover toppings of choice, spices for vegetarian chili (I used a versatile chili powder)

Scrub potato thoroughly because the skins are good to eat. A lot of the fiber and nutrients come in the potato’s skin. Wrap the potato in aluminum foil and bake for 45 min+ (depends on size of potato) at 425*.

While the potato bakes, heat the tomatoes and beans in a saucepan with the spices (if using).

When the potato is done, simply pour some of that homemade vegetarian chili on top, and eat it right out of the foil-hobo style!

2-can hobo chili

Scrumptious, filling, inexpensive, easy, quick, and fun to eat!

Thought-provoking, mind-prodding question of the day:

What is your favorite inexpensive food or meal? I know that oatmeal is pretty cheap, but it is chock full of nutrients!

NOTE: Since I will be on the road for a few days, I will not be by my computer. So…The Namaste Giveaway winner will be announced when I get back! Sorry to leave you all in anticipation! (There is still time to enter, though! Click on the link above for more details)

Also, the Food Lovin’ Post is still available for those who want to be included. Don’t be shy! Love your favorite food, be proud of it, and share it with the world!