Spoonful of Sugar Free

Registered Dietitian

Dessert

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!

Pick-a-Fruit Crisp

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Apples, blackberries, blueberries, figs, grapes, pears, plums, raspberries…

Do you know what I am listing?

The fruits of Autumn!

Like I have said before, I love fall! I also love the fruits the season gives, too. I remember going apple picking a couple years ago at a friend’s farm. She grows the most delicious apples, and makes her own apple cider vinegar with the bruised apples! Her trees were full of apples, and it took my family of five people 2 hours to pick just one tree! Crazy, but it was so much fun! She also gave us two huge bags of apples for our hard work.

 

My little sister’s depiction of fall. Isn’t she a fantastic artist?

Anyway, I started listing fall fruits because they are the base of my sugar-free fruit crisp!

Pick-a-Fruit Crisp

~This recipe is very versatile, and any fruit can be used. The fruit makes it naturally sweet! The fruit crisp is vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, and of course, sugar-free!

Ingredients

  • 5 cups of fruit (frozen or fresh works! I used a mix of frozen mixed berries and 2 fresh peaches for the picture above.)
  • water or juice if using only fresh fruit
  • 1/2 cup rolled oats
  • 1/3 cup chopped nuts (I used a mix of almonds and walnuts)
  • 2 tablespoons butter or margarine (it is only vegan if you use margarine)
  • optional: spices. I used 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon and 1 teaspoon of fresh minced ginger

Preheat oven to 375*. If using frozen fruit, first thaw the fruit in a 2-quart baking dish. If you are using fresh fruit, chop the fruit and place into the baking dish. Then add a bit of water or juice to the fresh fruit.

Next, mix together the oats, nuts, and spices. Then, chop the butter into small pieces and mix with the oat-nut topping. Place the topping on the fruit, and spread over the top. Bake the crisp for 30-35 minutes or until the fruit is tender and bubbling. If the top is not golden brown, you may wish to broil it for a few seconds until it has that nice golden coloring.

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

Have you ever gone apple picking or other-kind-of-produce-picking? Along with my apple-picking experience, I am a huge fan of going to the pumpkin patch! It feels so much better than picking out a pumpkin at the grocery store!

 

Healthy Puppy Chow!

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Yes, you heard right. That lovable childhood treat can be healthy!

I used to love puppy chow-the way the peanut butter and chocolate flavor bursted in your mouth as your fingers got sticky from the powdery-white sugar. Yum.

"Real" Puppy Chow

Unfortunately, “real” puppy chow is made with chocolate chips, peanut butter, butter, and powdered sugar. This racks up to be 16 grams of sugar per serving (according to Chex.com Recipes). But who ever sticks to that measly 1/2-cup serving anyway? It’s too good to not have seconds (or thirds….or fourths)!

Enter…My Puppy Chow:

Under-a-Minute Healthy Puppy Chow

~This puppy chow takes less than a minute to make, and is the perfect snack for those days when you are in a rush. The recipe is vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, and of course, sugar-free!

Ingredients

Serves 1

  • 1 cup rice chex (or other cereal of choice)
  • 1-2 Tablespoons peanut butter
  • 1-2 Tablespoons cocoa powder
  • optional add-ins: peanuts, cacao nibs, dried fruit, be creative!

Mix the peanut butter and cocoa powder together in a bowl. Add a little bit of water if it gets to sticky. Then, add the chex cereal and add-ins (if using), and stir together until well-incorporated.

Enjoy while watching a movie! Like Julie & Julia (one of my favorites!)

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

What is your favorite movie?

Also, what is your favorite movie snack? I always bring my own popcorn to the movies, because i am a Huge fan of my popcorn! (not to brag or anything) I make mine on the stove-top 🙂

The Benefits of a Chocolate Addiction

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Chocolate tastes good. In fact, chocolate tastes heavenly!

But no worries-chocolate is good for you! Pure dark chocolate is chock full of antioxidants that protect the body from free radicals that can cause damage and lead to heart disease and wrinkles (eww!). These flavonoids help relax the blood pressure through the production of nitric acid, balance certain hormones in the body, and lower cholesterol. Chocolate does all this, and tastes good, too!

Chocolate also makes us feel good!

  • Stimulates endorphin production (the “feel-good” chemicals)
  • contains serotonin, an anti-depressant
  • contains stimulants like caffeine and theobromine

And it makes our skin smooth and soft because of the healthy fats:

  • Oleic Acid: healthy monounsaturated fat found also in olive oil
  • Stearic Acid: Saturated fat that has a neutralizing effect on cholesterol

Ok, you may be thinking, “Alex, why in the world are you talking about chocolate on a sugar-free blog? I thought you couldn’t eat chocolate!”

That’s true, but real chocolate doesn’t start out with sugar in it. It starts out as a mere cacao bean, naturally unsweetened.

Cacao was named Theobroma by Linnaeus, which means “food of the gods.” The trees are grown mostly in Africa, Mexico, Latin America, the Caribbean, and parts of Asia and South America. Within the cacao pod, there are about 25 beans that make the chocolate we know in the United States.

I like to eat the cacao nibs, which are not sweetened. At first taste, they can be very bitter, but take the second bite! think about it. You might grow to love it! I love putting it in my exotic oatmeal, on top magic banana ice cream, or simply on top of a scoop of peanut butter. These can be found at some health food stores, or you can by them online at my shop.

I have also found that 100% dark chocolate bars taste heavenly! I like Baker’s chocolate squares, and Ghiradelli baking chocolate. They can be found in the baking section of most grocery stores. Like with the unsweetened cacao nibs, try a couple bites to get the full taste! Roll it around in your mouth, and think about it. You might find that you like it better than sweetened chocolate because of its intense, rich flavor.

If you still can’t handle the unsweetened chocolate; go for the chocolate that is as dark as you can handle, and you can still reap the benefits!

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

How dark is the chocolate you eat? Do you eat it a lot, or just occasionally?

I have been experimenting with it a lot. My most recent success was adding 100% chocolate chunks to my banana muffins-oh so good!

Psst-looking for my giveaway? Click here.

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!

Namaste Review and Giveaway!

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Yay! The lovely Sally from Namaste Foods (Cool name, huh?) was so kind and sent me some baking mixes to try and review!

Sugar free Waffle and Pancake Mix, Sugar free Muffin Mix, and some fantastic recipe cards!

Sally was so generous and helpful! She sent me a hand-written note and various papers with sticknotes that shared her thoughts about the company which specializes in Gluten-free baking. Sally (and I) encourage you to visit the FAQ section of their website to learn more about how the company is trying to make gluten-free foods more accessible to those with Celiacs Disease.

Namaste is a small company based out of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. Is it a coincidence that my little cousin who has Celiacs lives very close by? Anyway, according to the company, The word “Namaste” (pronounced “Naa-Maa-Stay”) is an ancient Sanskrit word with no literal translation. They say it means, “The Spirit within me honors and respects the Spirit within you.” The word “Spirit” in this context has no particular religious connotation. You could substitute the word “Heart” or “Soul” if you like. The essence of the phrase is simply that the best part of me wishes you well. And we do wish you well. In seeking to offer you delicious allergen-free foods, we nourish the body. In nourishing the body, we hope to help nourish the mind and the spirit so you can enjoy optimum health.

First, I decided to try the waffle and pancake mix because I had been craving pancakes the last couple weeks.

Sizzling on my cast-iron skillet

What can be better than a big stack of piping hot, fresh pancakes?
My pretty plate with cherries
Ha! Forget the Pretty! I'm smothering mine in homemade applesauce!

The pancakes were super easy to make. Just add some water, a tad bit of oil, and an egg (or egg substitute). Stir and Voila! I made some plain (for my picky little brother), some blueberry, and some cinnamon blueberry. The package makes two batches, and the picture shown above is just one batch (That is a whole lotta pancakes!)

But how did they taste? When my dad, the harsh food critic, says the pancakes are really good; then the pancakes must be good! And in my opinion, they definitely are! I couldn’t even tell that they were gluten-free! Great Job, Namaste!

Next up, the muffins.

Close up and smeared with butter

I had been craving poppyseed muffins lately, so I decided to go with my craving and stir some poppyseed to the mix. The mix was once again easy to make with the same oil, water, egg requirements. They add fresh vanilla bean to the mix, so I can see little black specks of the vanilla, how sweet is that? It made 12 muffins (six of which I made lemon poppyseed, and the other six almond poppyseed. This was so by adding orange juice and lemon peel to one batch, and almond extract to another).

How did they taste? My mom and I both liked them. It was a denser muffin and reminded me a lot of brown rice mochi because it had a kind of sticky inside. I loved it smeared with almond butter, and it was perfect to pack for breakfast the next day (which I spent on the airplane). They did not crumble in the little plastic bag I brought them in, nor did they crumble while I sat on the plane.

Verdict: Namaste is such a great company! It is perfect for those with celiacs disease, but still incredulously yummy for those who do not have gluten allergies. My dad couldn’t even tell that they were gluten free!

And to show how they can be even more kind and generous, they offered to give away a Namaste package to one lucky reader! (Within the United States, please, due to shipping costs. Sorry!) The giveaway would contain a Namaste Tote with perhaps a pasta mix and a baking mix, coupons, literature and assorted goodies.

To win this wonderful assortment, there are multiple ways to win:

  1. Blog about this giveaway, and link back here to tell me you did so.
  2. Follow me on Google Reader, and comment here to tell me you did so. (If you already follow me, then comment as well, and you will get an entry!)
  3. Tweet, facebook, or do whatever else (sorry I’m don’t know all of the social networkings out there!) about this giveaway, and comment back here to tell me you did so.
  4. Lastly, leave a comment here telling me about your favorite pancake, waffle, or muffin add-in. (Mine has to be blueberries right now!)

Each of the above will give you one entry into the contest. So, if you do all four bullet points, you will be entered four times! The giveaway will end one week from now, and I will post the winner’s name (and email him/her), so that they can receive their reward! Good Luck!

Once again, thanks so much, Namaste, for allowing me to do this!

P.S. Don’t forget to send in a Picture or blog about your favorite food for the Food Lovin‘ Post! August is almost up!