Spoonful of Sugar Free

Registered Dietitian

dinner

An Apple a Day

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An apple a day keeps the doctor away.

We all know this saying. Apples are full of fiber, vitamins, and minerals, not to mention versatile and tasty for recipes and snacking. Fall is known for colorful leaves, colder days, and apples! One of my favorite memories is of picking my own apples from an orchard and bringing barrels of them home to enjoy over the next month.

As soon as Foodbuzz called bloggers to submit their meal ideas for 24×24, I thought of apples. They’re comforting. They’re healthy.

A few friends gathered to share this spontaneous meal, and we gathered on my back porch that looks out over a small lake. We lit a few candles, and the chatting and eating began.

P.S. Ping Pong tables make great buffet-tables. Simply lay a tablecloth over it and serve.

My own rule for the feast: every dish must contain apples. And, yes, I did make all the food without a kitchen. I used the outside table as a prepping station, the laundry room’s sink as a washing station, and a brand-new oven we just plugged in.

Menu

Appetizers: 

Apple Crisps with Peanut Butter Hummus Dip

Antipasto Skewer of Chicken Apple Sausage, Roasted Tomato, Artichoke Heart, and olive

Main Course:

Beer-Braised Apple Cider Pork Chops with Sauteed Onions

Sides:

Homemade Cinnamon Applesauce

Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Apples and Pecans

Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Apples and Bacon

Spinach Salad with Balsamic Dressing

Dessert: 

Fresh Apple Pie with Whipped Cinnamon Cream

Drink:

Sparkling Apple Cider


Sparkling Apple Cider. Mix Equal Parts sparkling water (unsweetened) with apple cider (preferably organic). Serve with cinnamon stick.

Recipes will be coming soon, and all of them were sugar-free, dairy-free, and grain and gluten-free. Consider this coming week a week of apple recipes!

Apple Benefits: 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.

Thanks to FoodBuzz for sponsoring this meal, and allowing me to share it with others.

THOUGHT-PROVOKING, MIND-PRODDING QUESTION OF THE DAY: 

Do you have a favorite apple recipe to share?

Also, don’t forget to sign up for the Sugar-Free Challenge! Each participant is entered to win some Artisana nutbutters.

Easiest Dinner

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Great to hear about all of your in-a-rush breakfast recipes, but what about dinner?

My vote goes towards stir fries, like the one I had last night. My basic stir-fry recipe is as follows:

Your Basic Brown Rice Stir Fry

~Stir fries are easy, quick, healthy, filling, and tasty! 

  • Cooked Brown Rice
  • Chopped Vegetables (any leftovers you have in the fridge will do. For this batch I used carrots, garlic, onion, bell pepper,
  • Protein (tofu, beans, meat, eggs. For this batch I used scrambled eggs and toasted white beans)
  • Oil to grease pan (I used sesame oil)
  • Soy sauce (or any other oriental seasonings you may have)
  • Optional: chopped peanuts or sesame to top
I didn’t provide measurements because that is the whole point of stir-fries! You can put whatever you want in them, and make it for however many people you want. It makes a simple dinner for one, and a filling, inexpensive dinner for 15! Simply grease a pan, mix ingredients, and stir until golden.
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In other news, check out my tire:
While driving home the other day, my tire blew up. I didn’t just have a flat tire-it blew up! Have you ever seen such a crazy thing?

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

What are your favorite in-a-hurry dinner recipes?

And have you ever blown up a tire like mine? Or done any other crazy things to your vehicle? Give me your stories!