Spoonful of Sugar Free

Registered Dietitian

Recipes

I Need Your Help

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Ok guys, I have a job for you. Here goes:

A very close friend of mine has fibromyalgia. Recently, it has started getting really bad. Here whole left arm has been swollen for a week and it twitches and shakes. She can’t do anything with it! She can’t even type on the keyboard because her hand has swollen too large!

So, she had to start taking a prescription drug to help calm down the effects. But….the drug is supposed to cause the face to swell, and get puffy. Ugh…She is going on a wheat-free, sugar-free, dairy-free, chocolate-free diet. She called me last night to ask for suggestions and recipes. I gave her some ideas (she is a great baker by the way. She plans on going to culinary school to be a pastry chef, so she enjoys cooking), but I would really like to give her some more.

This is where you guys come in! I know a lot of you foodies out there have amazing recipe ideas that don’t include wheat, sugar, dairy, or chocolate. (I know what you must be thinking, Katie!) She is experienced with stevia, and I think she can eat small amounts of honey, though.

Please spread the word, and try to get as many people as you can to submit recipes for her! I know she would appreciate it greatly!

Simply send me a recipe to my email, or just tell me in the comment section. You can also send me links from your blog if you have one. My email is spoonfulofsugarfree@gmail.com

Thanks so much guys! I can’t wait to hear what you come up with!

Before I go…

I hugged some fruit!!! (well, actually I devoured some…..)

Fruit is so great for you! My favoriite right now has to be mango-so fresh, so juicy! Fruits contain antioxidants like poly-phenolic flavonoids, vitamin-C, anthocyanins. These compounds protect us from oxidant stress, diseases and cancers, and help our body develop capacity to fight against these ailments by boosting our immunity level. They provide plenty of fiber and vitamins to help our body feel strong, and our mind happy!

Besides, they taste good, too! When is the last time you took a bite out of an apple and were surprised by how fresh it tasted? Or the last time you made some Magic Banana Ice Cream, and were fooled into thinking it was made out of milk and sugar?

So start eatin’ those fruits!!

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

What is your favorite fruit?

And don’t forget to find some sugar-free, wheat-free, dairy-free, chocolate-free recipes for my friend!!

Now That’s What I Call Sweet and Spicy

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First off, I would like to thank everyone yesterday for being so supportive of me in my sickly state. I’d love to try all of your magical cures! Especially Kelsey’s Veggie Soup! Do you have a recipe you’d like to share? Or is it Top Secret? 🙂

In fact, I think we should all get together to test out sickness-cures! It will be perfect! We can all get sick on purpose and try each other’s recipes to see who’s recipe works the best!

Ok…maybe I didn’t think that through thoroughly enough….hehe…..

Anyway, While I was in my daze the last couple days, I decided that I wanted some sweet potatoes! So I made up a recipe that is healthy for a sick girl, but yummy for a sweet tooth.

Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes

~These potatoes can be served as a side dish, or even for dessert! They are gluten free, vegan, dairy-free, and of course, sugar-free!

Ingredients

  • 2 Sweet Potatoes
  • 1 Tablespoon butter or yogurt (I use coconut milk yogurt)
  • About 1/4 cup nondairy milk (I used almond milk, but coconut milk would go really well with this recipe)
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Preheat Oven to 400*

First, scrub the potatoes with water to get all the dirt off. Next, prick them with a fork a few times, and stick them in the oven for about 45 minutes. Bake until they are soft when you squeeze them.

Next, scoop out the insides of the potatoes into a mixing bowl and add the milk,yogurt or butter, and spices. Mix with an electric mixer, or stir vigorously by hand. Finally, scoop the insides back into the skins and bake for another 15 minutes or until the peaks of the potatoes turn brown.

Serve with a dollop of almond cream, and a sprinkle of cinnamon.

Raw Almond Cream

~This cream is vegan, gluten-free, raw, dairy-free, and of course, sugar-free!

Ingredients

  • 1 cup raw almonds (unsalted and not roasted)
  • 1 cup water (plus more for soaking)
  • optional: spices like cinnamon

Soak the almonds in water for a few hours. The water should completely cover the nuts. Then, drain the almonds, and add one cup of fresh water. Pour into a food processor and process until smooth. Add desired spices.

For a creamier result, take the skins off of the almonds before blending them. This is done by emerging the almonds in a pot of boiling water for about 10 seconds, and then squeezing the ends of the almonds so that the shell will pop off.

I also have a recipe of spiced almonds to share (shown in picture above), but I think that will have to wait for another time. i don’t want you guys to be too recipe-ed out!!!

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

Today’s question is an add-on from yesterdays. What do you do when you are sick? Do you watch t.v., scrapbook, work, paint, cook, or just sleep?

One Last Thing before I go! Lauren from Clean eats in the Dirty South is having a giveaway–a $10 gift card to One Lucky Duck! if your interested, check out her website!

I’m Sick

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Yep…the last couple days have been spent in bed…

I had a headache, a blown up nostril, and aches all over my body. It must be a sinus infection or something because my left nostril was swollen-it looked funny!!

But, I am feeling MUCH better now, thank you! STill have a headache and I’m super tired, but at least I can breathe.

Anyway, here has been my daily “sick” schedule:

  • Sleep til 8, eat breakfast at 9
  • Rest in bed, check emails
  • Eat lunch at 12
  • Do homework throughout afternoon
  • Eat dinner at 6
  • Watch T.V.
  • Go to bed at 9:30

Yep, pretty boring. But, all this free time has given me an opportunity to be extra productive! I have gotten lots of homework done, and created new recipes (simple as the recipes may be, they are still good!)

For breakfast each morning, I started the day off with a mango or some strawberries, and this creamy-mess below. I was inspired by my Healthy Banana Puddin, and the way I blended the grains is sure to make Chocolate-Covered Katie proud (it’s covered in chocolate, Katie!). The texture and taste reminded me of a childhood favorite, Coco Wheats!

Edit: Oh no! I guess I’m not the first one to make a chocolate-pudding like mixed grain, sorry, Katie, I didn’t mean to take your Chocolate Cream Pie’s spotlight! Sorry!


What is this mess?

Wheat-less Coco Wheats

~This hot cereal is vegan, gluten-free (if made with gluten-free oats), dairy-free, nut-free, and of course, sugar-free!

Serves 1

  • 1/2 cup oats
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
  • dash of vanilla (optional)

Combine all the ingredients in a saucepan and boil on high. Turn down to low, and simmer until the oats are cooked. Pour the ingredients into a blender (I used my magic bullet), and blend until smooth.

Needless to say, this was something I looked forward to in the morning!

Then for lunch, I would always whip myself up some miso soup, served in a mug.

Super Simple Miso Soup

~This soup is vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, and of course, sugar-free!

  • 1 cup water
  • 2 teaspoons miso paste
  • 1 chopped green onion

Heat water and green onion in a saucepan until it’s just about to boil. Add miso and stir until it dissolves. Do NOT boil miso!

Super easy soup, and very good for you. My miso paste’s label said that, “Miso cuts the chances of ovarian cancer by 50%!” The soup warmed my tummy.

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

What do you eat when you’re sick?

Just like Banana Pudding

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Hello Hello everyone! I went to Tallahasee this weekend! That’s right, the capitol of Florida. (Come on guys, you have to remember your states and capitols from fourth grade…at least that’s when I learned them-it was required.)

I must say that Tallahassee was one of the most beautiful cities I’ve ever seen. Rolling hills, pine trees, forests, and beautiful southern plantation homes. I   I came here for a tennis tournament, and the courts were in the middle of a forest, and surrounded by winding roads with plantation mansions!

It was a nice visit, and before we drove home, we checked out the Florida State Seminoles.

All of this excitement in a nice southern place made me in the mood for some banana pudding-the sugar free way. Plus I hadn’t slept well over the weekend, and I wanted something soft and soothing.

Healthy Banana Puddin’

~This recipe is gluten-free, vegan, dairy-free, and of course, sugar-free!

Serves 1 (double, triple or quadruple the recipe for more fun!)

  • 1/2 cup oats
  • 1 cup water (or milk or milk substitute of choice)
  • 1/3 banana
  • 1/4 teaspoon vanilla

Cook the oats and water in a saucepan to boil. Turn down to low heat until the oatmeal is soft and cooked. Then, put the oatmeal, banana, and vanilla in a blender (I popped them into my handy-dandy magic bullet) and blend until smooth. Voila! It’s done!

You can serve it hot or cold, make it more banana-ey, or add spices of your choice (my mom added nutmeg).

Its perfect for dessert, breakfast brunch, or a snack because it is well balanced with the complex-carbs of oatmeal. It is naturally sweet from the banana, so you don’t have to feel guilty about it! How great is that?

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

What is the most beautiful place you’ve ever been to, and why was it so beautiful?

Also, what meal would you like to see health-ified? I love a good challenge!


Peanut Butter Addiction

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Remember my Favorite Things post where I posted pictures of my ten favorite things? Well anyway, Peanut Butter was one of them.

The past couple weeks I’ve been going to a tennis camp from 10-11:30 (30-minute break) and 12-1:30. During my 30-minute break, I eat a quick snack before going back onto the court again. (Thirty minutes really isn’t enough time for a full lunch, especially when I’m going to play tennis in 100-degree weather right after!) This snack usually consists of a piece of fruit (peach, apple, or a smoothie) and some pretzels dipped in peanut butter.

Today I had my strawberry-banana-papaya-orange smoothie all ready to eat, and a bag of pretzels, too. But when I searched my cooler for peanut butter, it wasn’t there!!!! How horrible! My poor pretzels couldn’t be bathed in peanut-buttery goodness before they met their doom!

So when I came home today, I ran to the fridge for a snack: peanut butter and cacao nibs. That’s right, I dipped a HUGE spoon into the peanut butter jar, and came back with a mound of creamy peanut butter. Then I took the spoon and dipped it into a big bag of raw cacao nibs, and rolled the spoon around.

And I give you the result:

Doesn’t it look so good? Well, I think it does. That’s why I went back for seconds.

And here is a picture of me devouring the last remains on my spoon:

Yummy

Lesson-Learned: I can’t go a single day without peanut butter.

It’s like peanut butter is hard-wired into my system. It is something I MUST have EVERYday!

This reminds me of people who have coffee-addictions. They run around in the morning going, “Coffee! Coffee! I must have my Coffee!” (No offense to anyone with this addiction. I totally understand) Instead of coffee, I go, “Peanut Butter! Peanut Butter! Give me my Peanut Butter!”

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

Do you guys have an addiction like mine? It surprised me when I realized this today-it made me laugh!

Lights! Camera! Action!

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Wouldn’t life be so interesting if it were a t.v. show? Or a action movie? A chick-flick drama? Or a horror film?

How about a culinary masterpiece for every meal? Something that looks like it came right out of the magazine?

Well, that’s what I felt like for lunch today. I felt like creating a beautiful dish of that I could eat as a meal. But this was, of course, going to be healthy. This is what I came up with:

This beautiful plate uses black olives, crunchmaster crackers, spinach leaves, grape tomatoes, capers, roasted red peppers, hummus, purple onion, and avocado. I made mini spinach wraps, crackers with toppings, and layered veggies to create this.

What do you think?

It took me about thirty minutes to make, and about 15 minutes to eat……

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

If you could live in a movie, which one would it be? Action, horror, drama, romance?

I would want to live in The Sound of Music, I think. They live in such a beautiful country, and they are always singing! I like that.