Uncategorized

There are exciting changes coming to Spoonful of Sugar Free, and I need your help! I’m thinking about creating a “Sugar Free Cookbook Community,” a place dedicated to allergy-friendly and diet-restricted recipes. These recipes would be an ultimate source for all people (like you!) to create a profile and submit recipes to share with the world. This would also be a great place to organize and store your recipes online.

I only have so much time to create and post recipes for you, and I know there are many people out there who have great recipes to share, too. This program would be a great way to generate lots of recipes for people with all sorts of diets like paleo, vegan, gluten-free, sugar-free, etc. This would be a great resource for those who need a little inspiration with their special diets, and I think everyone could benefit from it. The only way it could work, though, is if you contribute!

What do you think of this idea? I created some polls below to help me decide. I would really appreciate it if you would take a minute to answer the poll truthfully, thanks!

Please note that if this program is created, it will not interfere with my recipes and I will continue to post. This will be an additional resource.

 Loading ...

 Loading ...

 Loading ...

***If you received this post via email, you must go to my website page to vote in the polls. Thank you!

If you have any additional ideas, questions, or comments about this potential program, please leave a comment on my site below.

The 4th of July is right around the corner in the United States, so that means its time to start planning a menu for all of the celebrating! The recipes I’ve been posting this past month make a perfect Independence day meal for everyone to enjoy. It’s easy to make and healthy so that no-one will be too tired to run around with sparklers afterword.

4th of July Menu

Drink: Strawberry Lemonade Sparkler

Appetizer: Roasted Artichoke Hearts with Horseradish Dip

Salad: Chopped BLT Cobb Salad

Entree: Oven-Baked BBQ Chicken Breast

Dessert: Raw Banana Cream Pie with Chocolate Crust

 2 Day Preparation for less work on the 4th:

• Night Before:
  • Assemble banana cream pie
  • Marinate chicken breast
  • Make horseradish sauce for artichokes
  • Make greek dressing for salad
  • Clean and get serving dishes, plates, silverware, and glasses ready
• Day of:
  • 2 hours before: prepare artichoke hearts and roast
  • While artichokes roast, prepare salad
  • 45 minutes before: bake and prepare chicken
  • While chicken bakes, prepare lemonade sparkler drink
  • 10 minutes before: Take banana pie out of freezer to thaw a bit, and decorate with bananas, strawberries, and blueberries. Put back in fridge if not serving right away.

This menu is perfect for any summer dinner event, not just for the 4th. Enjoy your food, company, and time no matter how you celebrate yours!

It’s finally summer and time for barbecues and  grill-outs. If it’s too hot outside or you don’t have access to a grill, this barbecue chicken is perfect baked in an oven. It’s very simple to make and the multiple bastings result in a very tender and juicy chicken breast.

Using skinless and boneless breasts require no prep-work and are a lean meat option.The homemade BBQ sauce recipe also saves you from the sickeningly-sweet store-bought versions. Did you know a typical store-bought BBQ sauce has about 4 grams of sugar per Tablespoon (about a teaspoon of sugar), and one of the first ingredients listed are usually sugar or high fructose corn syrup? Nobody eats just 1 Tablespoon of sauce either. Skip all that sugar and  try this recipe instead!

My must-haves for summer grilling include a cast iron grill and a cute apron! See more.

Need a refreshing summer drink for all ages? Everyone will love this lively take on the classic lemonade. This would be great to sip on pool-side or as a refreshing compliment for a picnic.

Health Benefits:

• Strawberries: Great source of fiber, vitamin C, vitamin K, manganese, pantothenic acid, vitamin B1, iodine, olic acid, biotin, and vitamin B6. They are also very high in antioxidants which are shown to help prevent chronic diseases. Strawberries contain Ellagic acid which can increase anti-cancer activity and help prevent Alzheimer’s. Strawberry extracts have also been shown to inhibit COX enzymes in vitro, which inhibits the inflammatory process.
• Lemons: Great source of vitamin C and potassium. It can help lower blood pressure, strengthen immune system, and help relieve indigestion and constipation. Because of its diuretic properties, it can help cleanse the blood and flush out toxins.

I recently had the best grilled artichokes at a restaurant called Bricktops in Nashville, TN. It’s halved, sprinkled with spices, and served with an aioli sauce. It was a great appetizer, but I would have eaten it as a meal it was so good.

When I returned home the next day, those artichokes played with my mine. I wanted more, and I wanted them now. However, I didn’t have fresh artichokes readily available to me, nor did I have a grill to complete the task. I did have a couple of canned artichoke hearts, though, and threw them on a pan with a drizzle of olive oil and spices that went straight into the oven. While they roasted I whipped up a quick horseradish sauce.

The crispy leaves and the soft hearts served as a delicious appetizer that even my little brother and sister enjoyed.

Health Benefits:

• Artichokes: Artichokes are very low in calories and contain a good amount of fiber. They are packed with antioxidants. In fact, artichokes are #7 on the USDA’s top 20 antioxidant-rich foods list.
• Olive Oil: A good source of Omega-3 oil, which can help lower bad cholesterol. It also helps promote clear and healthy skin, nails, and hair.

This new, hot summer weather has me craving salads all the time. Colorful salads bursting with flavor from fresh produce play with my mind.

I don’t know about you, but I’m not one to love eating lettuce and vegetables raw with no extra flavor or dressing. This salad has fat-filled bacon and avocado to give it a little richness, and some hard-boiled eggs for protein. I drizzle it with a bit of homemade greek dressing which is simply oil, vinegar, and spices.

The salad’s really easy to make, and the chopped leaves and vegetables makes the bites easy to swallow. I like to call this a BLT chopped salad because of the tribute to a bacon, lettuce, and tomato sandwich. I add avocado, corn, and hard boiled eggs to round out this Cobb salad.

Panera has a really yummy Cobb salad that uses greek dressing. It may sound a bit odd, but I love the combination and used it as inspiration for the dressing on this salad. Using a blender really does the trick here in making it extra smooth and creamy.

Health Benefits:

• Romaine: Romaine contains over 1800% your daily value of vitamin A (beta-carotene) in one head, as well as 7.7 grams of protein with 8 essential amino acids. It has a very high water content, but it is very close to the nutrient density of dark leafy greens.
• Spinach: A nutritional powerhouse that contains very high levels of vitamin A and K. This phytonutrients in spinach have certain anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties. In a study, spinach extracts were shown to slow cell division in stomach cancer. Another study showed increased spinach consumption to lower the rate of breast cancer in women.
• Avocado: Avocados are high in monounsaturated fats that help the skin stay clear and protect your brain. It is also a good source of the carotenoid lutein. Lutein protects against macular degeneration and cataracts, two disabling age-related eye diseases. Avocado, like olive oil, is high in oleic acid, which has been shown to prevent breast cancer in numerous studies.
• Eggs: Great source of protein, vitamins, minerals, and healthy fat. They are great for your eyes because of the carotenoid content. Also great for your nervous and cardiovascular system because of the choline content. Contrary to previous belief, moderate consumption of eggs does not have a negative impact on cholesterol, and it is one of the only foods with naturally-occurring vitamin D.
• Tomatoes: Best known for its high lycopene content. Lycopene is a carotenoid that may reduce incidences of cancer, cardiovascular disease, and macular degeneration. Tomatoes are especially high in vitamin C and A as well.
• Olive Oil: A good source of Omega-3 oil, which can help lower bad cholesterol. It also helps promote clear and healthy skin, nails, and hair.