Spoonful of Sugar Free

Registered Dietitian

dairy-free

Last Minute Easter Basket (Eco-Friendly)

By

Tomorrow is Easter!

I am very excited! I love Easter and all the joy it brings. The joyful news of Jesus and the prospect of Spring coming. Not to mention the fun of giving Easter baskets, dying eggs, and hunting for easter eggs!

I wanted to give something to a very kind neighbor of mine for Easter, but didn’t have anything planned. Going to the store for the fifth time this week did not appeal to me, so  rummaged around my house to see what I could find!

Easter Basket Ideas:

Instead of buying a basket, why not make your own with stuff around the house?

  • Re-use cardboard boxes and decorate with colored paper, or paint (shown above).
  • Use tote bags lying around the house and stuff with tissue paper.
  • Decorate your own plastic/paper bag with stickers and ribbons.
  • Have any old t-shirts? Tie a knot or place a rubber band tightly around one opening to use. Tie-dye fun colors, if desired.
  • Old wicker baskets make great easter baskets!

As shown above, I taped the flaps of a cardboard box to the sides. Then, I decorated plain, white paper with markers and taped it to the outside of the box. Instead of buying plastic “grass” to fill, I used recycled paper that was torn and colored. 

Inexpensive Non-Edible Filling Ideas:

  • Packets of seeds for a vegetable garden or flower garden.
  • Gardening gloves and a shovel (I found the one in the picture for $1 each at Michael’s).
  • Coloring Book, crayons, markers, and gel pens.
  • Homemade Paper flowers made with recycled paper. Tutorial here. Or use the leftover egg cartons from all the dyed eggs you make.
  • Homemade gifts. The are always the best in my opinion. I made a fabric flower and a lavender sachet to use for laundry.

This gardening glove and shovel was bought at Michael’s for $1 each.

Homemade Lavender sachet on left, and fabric flower on right.

Healthy Edible Gifts:

Forget the chocolate bunnies and candy, try these healthy treats! 

Homemade Granola, Recipe Coming Soon! I like to package my homemade goods in plastic or glass containers. Peanut Butter jars work well. Decorate with ribbons and hand-crafted labels. Marla has some cute printable labels here. 

For more fun ideas, check out my Holiday Pinterest board.

Happy Easter Everyone! 

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

What are you putting in your Easter Baskets? Or, what do you wish you will have in your Easter basket?

Flourless Berry Puffed Pancake

By

Do you want a breakfast that is light, yet decadent at the same time?

Something to impress guests without overloading on sugar, flour, and butter?

Perhaps something made with only 5 fresh, whole ingredients?

Looks like you have too many demands, and your wishes are impossible….

 

Only kidding! It is all possible with this berry souffle.

 

 

Print
Flourless Berry Puffed Pancake

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Yield: 4 servings

Flourless Berry Puffed Pancake

Ingredients

  • 1 teaspoon coconut oil
  • 2 cups fresh or frozen berries
  • 4 eggs, separated
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400*
  2. Heat oil in a 10" saucepan on medium heat. Add berries and let simmer for 3-5 minutes, or until the berries are soft and form a thick liquid.
  3. In a bowl, whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks form.
  4. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the vanilla and cinnamon for a couple minutes.
  5. Fold the yolk mix into the egg whites until combines.
  6. Pour the egg mix on top of the simmering berries and let cook on medium heat for 2 minutes.
  7. Transfer saucepan to oven and bake for 10 minutes, or until the pancake puffs and is slightly brown.
  8. Place a plate over the pan and flip it over so that the fruit is faced up.
  9. Slice and eat warm with a drizzle of coconut milk or Whipped Coconut Cream, if desired.

Notes

~Paleo, Gluten-free, Grain-free, Dairy-free, Corn-free, Soy-free, and Sugar-free

https://www.spoonfulofsugarfree.com/2012/04/02/flourless-berry-puffed-pancake/

*This recipe was featured on Daily Health Buzz Top 9 on April 9th, 2012.

Health Benefits:

  • Eggs: A great source of protein, vitamins, minerals, and healthy fats. Due to the carotenoid content, specifically lutein and zeaxanthin, eggs are great for the eyes. They are a good source of choline. One egg yolk has about 300 micrograms of choline. Choline is an important nutrient that helps regulate the brain, nervous system, and cardiovascular system. Eggs are one of the only foods that contain naturally occurring vitamin D.
  • Coconut Oil: Coconut is widely misunderstood because of it’s high fat content; however, coconut’s saturated fat is made up of medium-chain fatty acids. These medium-chains are easy to absorb and digest, and are converted quickly into energy. This means that the body has no opportunity to store the medium-chain as fat. Coconut is also a great source of dietary fiber with a whopping 5 grams per oz!
  • Cinnamon: Studies have shown that it can help lower LDL cholesterol, help regulate blood sugar levels, has anti-clotting effect on blood, and it can boost cognitive function and memory.

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

What is your favorite recipe that is easy to make, and uses minimal ingredients?

Roasted Sweet Potato and Rosemary Frittata

By

Lately, omelettes, frittatas, and eggs have replaced my bowls of oatmeal and pancakes. Savory foods with capers, olives, and oregano are on my mind.

With family in town, it makes more sense to make large quantities of food rather than making breakfast individually. Frittatas take much less hands-on time, in my opinion, so I have more time to play with this cutie while breakfast cooks:

Yet even though there are more mouths to feed, leftovers still arise. Last night we made a huge batch of Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Rosemary. Instead of simply heating up the leftovers, I threw them in with some eggs and a handful of spinach. Whisk, pour, cook, cover, and serve with a dash of salt and pepper.

Print
Roasted Sweet Potato and Rosemary Frittata

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

Yield: 6 large frittata slices

Calories per serving: 160 per slice

Roasted Sweet Potato and Rosemary Frittata

~Dairy-free, gluten-free, paleo, vegetarian, soy-free, and sugar-free.

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Either use leftover roasted sweet potatoes with rosemary, or make it fresh by chopping approximately 2 sweet potatoes (or 2 cups) with skin on. Toss in 1 tablespoon of olive oil, 1 Tablespoon rosemary, and 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Lay on baking sheet and roast at 450* for 40 minutes, or until slightly brown and soft. Stir occasionally while it bakes.
  2. Preheat a 12 inch pan with a dab of oil to prevent sticking.
  3. Beat eggs until fluffy and stir in spinach.
  4. Place roasted sweet potatoes in the preheated pan and pour egg-spinach mix on top so that it evenly covers it.
  5. Cover and cook on low heat until a toothpick comes out clean (about 10 minutes).
  6. Slice and serve with salt and pepper, to taste.
https://www.spoonfulofsugarfree.com/2012/03/22/roasted-sweet-potato-and-rosemary-frittata/

Health Benefits:

  • 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.
  • Rosemary: Rosemary is rich in calcium, magnesium and potassium. It has good amount of phosphorus, sodium and iron with small amount of zinc, copper, manganese and selenium. It is also useful in increasing blood circulation, improving concentration and digestion. It stimulates the immune system, reduces the severity of asthma attacks and helps prevent breast cancer.
  • Sweet Potatoes: Click HERE for a post about the benefits of sweet potatoes.

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

When you have guests over, what is your go-to breakfast/brunch?

I love making pancakes, frittatas, or baked oatmeal!

P.S. Don’t forget to enter my Digital Measuring Cup Giveaway!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Birthday Cake

By

Happy Birthday to Me!

What better way to celebrate than with cake and presents?

Presents for you! Bob’s Red Mill sent me a few gluten-free flours mixes to try out (coconut flour,  hazelnut meal/flour, and teff flour), and to giveaway. Bob’s Red Mill is a great company, and I use many of their products for my baking.

Coconut flour has to be one of my favorite gluten-free, grain-free flours. Made from  the fiber of coconuts, it has a light sweetness without the carbs. This cake and my brownie recipe are my favorite ways to use it. Check out my coconut flour pinterest board for more ideas.

Print
Grain Free Chocolate Cake with Peanut Butter Cream Frosting

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Yield: 1-layer cake, 9 servings (double or triple recipe for a layered cake)

Serving Size: 1 slice

Calories per serving: 165

Grain Free Chocolate Cake with Peanut Butter Cream Frosting

~This cake is too good to be true. My whole family enjoyed it. Gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, grain-free, and, of course, sugar-free! Inspired by my Grain-Free Fudge Brownie Recipe.

Ingredients

    Cake Ingredients:
  • 1/2 cup coconut flour
  • 1/2 cup cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 2 eggs
  • 5 dates
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla
  • 1 1/4 cup milk-substitute (I used unsweetened almond milk) whisked with 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar to create vegan buttermilk.
    • Frosting Ingredients:
  • 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
  • 1/3 cup dairy-free milk (I used unsweetened almond milk)

Instructions

    Cake Instructions:
  1. Preheat oven to 375*.
  2. Blend the dates into a paste. Add wet ingredients and stir until well-combined.
  3. In a separate bowl combine all dry ingredients and stir until lumps are gone.
  4. Combine wet and dry until well combined. Mix very thoroughly to ensure there aren’t any date chunks. The dates are the natural sweetness in the recipe. Feel free to add more dates if needed to suite your sweet tooth. The 5 dates make a dark chocolate cake, more may be needed for more sweetness.
  5. Lightly grease a round 9" cake pan (I used coconut oil), and pour batter into dish. Bake for 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
    6. Frosting Instructions:
  6. Blend peanut butter and milk until creamy and fluffy. You may add dates to the frosting as well if desired. Adjust liquid to suit your frosting thickness preference.
  7. Once cake is cooled, spread frosting on cake and top with Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups, like this cake. Or mix a small amount of coconut oil with cocoa powder, and drizzle on top of cake (as shown in pictures).
https://www.spoonfulofsugarfree.com/2012/03/03/chocolate-peanut-butter-cake-giveaway/

Health Benefits:
  • Chocolate: Click HERE for a post I wrote earlier about the health benefits of chocolate.
  • Coconut: Coconut is widely misunderstood because of it’s high fat content; however, coconut’s saturated fat is made up of medium-chain fatty acids. These medium-chains are easy to absorb and digest, and are converted quickly into energy. This means that the body has no opportunity to store the medium-chain as fat. Coconut is also a great source of dietary fiber with a whopping 5 grams per oz.!
  • Dates: A laxative food with a high-fiber content, so it can help those suffering from constipation. They are digested quite easily and are great for when you need quick energy. Also, regular consumption of dates has been found to help the growth of friendly bacteria in the intestines.
  • Peanuts: These legumes are full of protein with 7g per ounce. They also have a great monounsaturated fat content that helps your heart and brain. Peanut is a good source of Coenzyme Q10 which protects the heart during the period of lack of oxygen example high altitudes and clogged arteries. It also has a high antioxidant and high niacin content that helps in the recovery of cell damage and provides protection against Alzheimer’s disease and age-related cognitive problem.

 

Get Up and Go Muffins

By

 

After my wisdom teeth saga was over, the baking fever took over. The days of lying around in pain were behind me, and all I wanted to do was bake!

 

Looking around the cabinet, I spied a half-used bag of oat bran. What better way to use up oat bran than by making bran muffins? There was even a recipe for “applesauce bran muffins” on the box. Of course, this recipe used white flour, brown sugar, and lots of vegetable oil, so I needed to make a few changes. I also decided to boost the nutritional content by adding carrots, coconut oil, and a few handfuls of raisins.

 

Most muffins are full of refined sugar, flour, and oil, but these contain none of the harmful ingredients! High in fiber, vitamins, and minerals to jump start your day and…

“Get up and Go!”

Print
Get Up and Go Muffins

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Yield: 12 muffins

Serving Size: 1 muffin

Calories per serving: 125

Get Up and Go Muffins

~Full of fiber and vitamins, these muffins will surely energize you for the whole day. Gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, and sugar-free!

Ingredients

  • Dry:
  • 1 cup oat bran
  • 1 cup oat flours (make your own by simply processing oats in a blender or food processor until smooth)
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • Wet:
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 Tablespoons coconut oil
  • 2 apples (or 1 cup applesauce)
  • 2 carrots, finely grated
  • 1/3 cup raisins
  • 1/3 cup walnuts, optional

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400* and grease or line 12 muffins cups. I used coconut oil to grease mine.
  2. Mix together dry ingredients in a bowl.
  3. In a saucepan, chop the apples and add a small splash of water. Let simmer and cover for 5-10 minutes, or until soft. Smash with a fork until it resembles a chunky applesauce. Alternatively, you may use 1 cup of pre made, unsweetened applesauce. Mix the applesauce with the rest of the wet ingredients.
  4. Combine the wet and dry, and then fold in raisins and walnuts.
  5. Spoon batter into cup and bake for 15 minutes, or until golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean. Let muffins sit in tin for one minute, and then cool on rack for five minutes before serving. The muffins continue to cook and set while in the muffin pan for the extra minute, and the cooling rack helps prevent the muffins from becoming soggy.
https://www.spoonfulofsugarfree.com/2012/02/07/get-up-and-go-muffins/

Enjoy with a drizzle of coconut oil, optional.

 

Mmmm…Nice and toasty straight from the oven.

 

Also great in mini-size! The baking time may need to be reduced for 10-12 minutes, though, when using mini muffin tins.

 

Health Benefits: 

  • Oats: Click HERE for a post about the benefits of oats.
  • Cinnamon: Studies have shown that it can help lower LDL cholesterol, help regulate blood sugar levels, has anti-clotting effect on blood, and it can boost cognitive function and memory.
  • Coconut Oil: Coconut is widely misunderstood because of it’s high fat content; however, coconut’s saturated fat is made up of medium-chain fatty acids. These medium-chains are easy to absorb and digest, and are converted quickly into energy. This means that the body has no opportunity to store the medium-chain as fat. Coconut is also a great source of dietary fiber with a whopping 5 grams per oz!
  • Apples: a flavanoid called phloridzin that is found only in apples may protect post-menopausal women from osteoporosis and may also increase bone density. Boron, another ingredient in apples, also strengthens bones. The pectin in apples lowers LDL (“bad”) cholesterol, and it supplies galacturonic acid to the body which lowers the body’s need for insulin and may help in the management of diabetes.
  • Carrots: Carrots are best known for their eye-helping benefits. This is because the orange vegetable is full of beta-carotene, which converts to vitamin A in the liver. The antioxidant also has many anti-aging properties that can slow down the aging in cells.  Helps prevent against sun damage, and can keep skin, nails, and hair healthy and vibrant.

 

My whole family devoured this treat. We ate through three batches in three days! I had to hide some of the muffins in order to take pictures. If someone ever tells you no-one likes unsweetened muffins, think again and try these! 

 

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

What is your favorite muffin flavor?

I used to live near a bakery that sold all sorts of different muffins. They specialized in mini muffins, so I was able to pick three mini muffins in different flavors to try. My favorite was the chocolate cheesecake muffin. Now I cringe at the thought of eating a “muffin” full of sugar and cream cheese, much more of a cupcake than a muffin!

Groundhogs and Super Bowl Goodies

By

Happy Groundhog’s Day!

I don’t know why I get so excited over this day, but I do. Silly holiday.

I vote for a longer winter. If I lived up north, I would vote for shorter (hate the cold!), but Florida has had a rather warm winter so far. It would be nice if winter could continue for a bit longer before the sweltering 100*, 100% humidity starts coming!

Super Bowl

Are you having a super bowl party or bringing treats to one? Here are some sugar-free, healthy Super Bowl Treats:

Roasted Chili Lime Nuts

These literally take 2 minutes to throw together and only 15-20 minutes to bake. They are highly addictive, and have a great spicy-tang. Everyone will love snacking on these.

Flourless Power Brownies

To “power” you threw the games, these brownies are healthy, but no one will know! If you are feeling extra creative, cut them into shapes of footballs and draw hash marks with a peanut butter or coconut butter.

Supreme Dairy-Free Nachos

No game is complete without nachos. These are dairy-free!

High Protein Cookie Dough Dip

Just because you aren’t actually playing in the Super Bowl doesn’t mean you don’t need a protein-filled treat. This tastes just like peanut butter chocolate chunk cookie dough. Serve with apple slices. Also try Peanut Butter Hummus Dip with Apple Crisps.

Homemade BBQ Sauce

Serving Barbeque? Don’t use the store-bought sauces because they are full of refined ingredients and sugar. This easy-to-make sauce has no added sugar.

Homemade Spring Rolls with Spicy Peanut Sauce

Impress your guests with homemade spring rolls. I promise they are not as hard as they look!

Antipasto Sausage Skewers

These were a favorite at my Apple a Day Dinner. They look fancy, but they are easy to make!

Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting

You could decorate these with little goalposts, flags, footballs, or signs of your favorite team.

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

Are you going to a Super Bowl party (or hosting one)? If so, are you making a certain recipe?

Personally, I am not a huge fan of football. I don’t think I even know the rules (some of you will laugh at me for this). I’d rather watch tennis. Speaking of tennis, did any of you see the record-breaking Australian Open Men’s final with Djokovic and Nadal??