Spoonful of Sugar Free

Registered Dietitian

food

Last Minute Easter Basket (Eco-Friendly)

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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?

Lessons Learned From Family

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I see my family only once or twice a year. My grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins live all over the country, thousands of miles away. I’d love to have Sunday night dinners with them every week, but it just isn’t practical to drive or fly 1200 miles every week! If only we could teleport…

Every minute of our time together is special, though, and it is sad to see it pass. So I soak up the millions of smiles, laughs, hugs, and words of wisdom I receive that week.

Lessons Learned From Spending Time with Family

It’s called a family tree for a reason.

Don’t throw a football into the sea unless you are ready to swim a long distance through murky waters (or you’re tired of the football and want to get rid of it).

Keep your camera on hand. Always. You never know when something amazing is going to happen, and you’ll want to save the moment for later.

Dog beaches are way cooler than regular beaches.

Always keep extra futons or mattresses around. You never know when someone will drop by and need a bed to sleep in!

Overeating or under eating every once in a while is not going to harm you.

If you want to meet new people, bring a baby or dog. People will swarm!

Word games can be hilariously funny…especially when everyone is exhausted from a long day of walking, and you’ve gone half loopy from being tired!

Fresh air and sunshine can fix all problems.

Chia is seriously the breakfast of champions. Keeps you hydrated and is a great source of fiber, omega-3 fatty acids, and antioxidants. It also fills me up for energy all morning. I can’t wait to share a new chocolate chia pudding recipe with you!

The world has shrunk since the last time you said “it’s a small world after all.”

Some of the best deals can be found at small, local stores. Last weekend I found a beautiful sweater for $20! (originally $85).

(Pic Source)

Cucumber White Tea is very tasty and refreshing. Especially when iced. With Lemon. Speaking of lemon, it goes with everything and is great for digestion!

Dressing up every once in a while just because is fun ad keeps life exciting. So does dressing down. it doesn’t really matter what others think anyway.

Mugs of coffee disappears faster than chocolate!

I would give up anything for my family and spending time with them. And yes, that includes my kitchen.

To my family: It’s been great spending time with you! I love you all very much. Can’t wait to see you again soon!

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

What is the most important thing you’ve learned from your family? Do you see them often?

P.S. I will be in Chicago this weekend, and will not be posting. Go out and enjoy some green food while I’m away!

Randomly Tagged

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I’m not one to forward (or even read) chain emails, so I probably have about 8 lifetimes full of bad luck from the emails I delete. I never really get around to posting “blogger” tags either. Don’t get me wrong, I love being tagged. I greatly appreciate all of you who have felt me worthy enough to receive various “blogger-sponsored” awards and such.

After being tagged by Pure2Raw, Liz Ashlee, and Katie. I felt it was time to honor the awards and tags others have given me. So this post is for all of those who have tagged me with various requests. Thank you!

7 Random Facts:

Old photo from an early post, but you can see my ear here.

1. I was born with birthmark on my ear, which prevents me from getting my ears pierced. I did get the other one pierced once, though, but let it close up over time. I love my special ear, though, very unique.

2. I hate clothing shopping. You have to force me to shop for clothes because I hate it. If you want to go food shopping, though, I’ll gladly come along!


3. I’m part Seminole Native American. People always comment on my tan, and I think that’s where I get it from.

4. I have one brother, one sister, and one golden retriever. Love them all very much!

5. I hate cold weather. Anything below 50* is too cold for me.

6. I usually cut my hair only once or twice a year. I’m more of a no-fuss person when it comes to hair.

7. I LOVE peanut butter, banana, and chocolate. But you already knew that.

Questions from Liz Ashlee

Liz also posted questions for me to answer, so I will!

1. Who are your fitness role models? Hmmm…I don’t really look at other fitness role models much. My family and all of my readers greatly inspire me, though.
2. Do you prefer cooking at home or eating at a restaurant? Cooking at home, definitely. 
3. Favorite quote or words you live by? “You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You’re on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the one who’ll decide where to go…” ~Dr. Seuss
4. Favorite running shoes? I don’t own running shoes! I love my tennis shoes, though, ‘Barricade II.’ I’m sad that they are being discontinued, though, because I’ve used them for 5+ years. 
5. Which do you prefer, strength training or cardio? Favorite workout routine? Strength training. My favorite routine is what I do right now. 2 hours of tennis+30 minutes strength (core, squat jumps and explosions, medicine ball work). 
6. Music that makes you move? The random music in my head.
7. Favorite indulgent food that you would eat everyday if nutritious facts didn’t matter? PEANUT BUTTER (and yes, it is indulgent. And yes, I do eat eat 3x a day).
8. What are you are grateful for? A loving family, freedom to make my own choices, being healthy. 
9. Biggest pet peeve? How do you deal with it? People who waste food!
10. How do you get rid of the grumps or a negative story in your head? Take a walk outside, breathe, read the bible, bake. 
11. Greatest piece of advice for living a healthy lifestyle? Listen to your body. Try different diets and fitness routines and record your thoughts and feelings about them until you find the perfect fit for you. As life evolves and changes, sometimes your diet and workouts need to, too. 

Random Recipe of the Day

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bites

~I’m not going to tag a bunch of people because I don’t want you all to feel obligated to do it. Instead, I tag you all to answer this question in the comments section below:

Tell me one thing that you enjoy every single day no matter what. 


Groundhogs and Super Bowl Goodies

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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??

Day 30: Counting Down the Minutes

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Welcome to day thirty of the Sugar Free Challenge! Tomorrow is the last day for the challenge. Are you counting down the minutes or has it been easy for you?

Here is today’s sample menu:

Breakfast: Mini Smacks!

Lunch: Socca with a spinach salad topped with fresh bruschetta. Served with a hard-boiled egg.

Snack: Apple with Homemade Pistachio Butter.

Dinner: “Mac-n-Cheez”. Mix of brown rice, quinoa, green peas, and shredded chicken breast. Mix a couple Tablespoons of Nutritional Yeast in with a splash of water. Sprinkle with salt and lots of pepper!

Dessert: PBC Bars

Exercise Option: For those of you who chose to take part of the exercise challenge, your challenge today is to do 50 crunches, 10 squat jumps, 15 pushups, 20 1-legged calf raises (10 each leg).

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

Are you counting down the minutes, or has the challenge been relatively easy for you?

Remember that you can track what you eat on the printable Challenge Checklist. 

 

Day 24: National Peanut Butter Day

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Welcome to day twenty-four of the Sugar Free Challenge!

Did you know today is National Peanut Butter Day? Yes! My favorite food has its own holiday. So I declare today to be a day full of finger-lickin (literally. try dipping your finger in peanut butter. Tastes way better than on a spoon) Peanut butter-goodness.

Here is today’s Peanut Butter-Filled sample menu:

Breakfast: Bitter Chocolate Waffles topped with Peanut Butter and Banana Slices. Also try High Protein Cookie Crisp Cereal and PBC Bars.

Lunch: How about a good ol’ PB&J?

Snack: Apple Crisps with Peanut Butter Hummus Dip

Dinner: Homemade Spring Rolls with Spicy Peanut Sauce

Dessert: I have plenty of peanut-butter filled options for this course. Above, the Grain-Free Chocolate Cake with Peanut Butter Cream Sauce is a for sure winner. Also try Peanut Butter Cups and Banana Cream Pie with Peanut Butter Crust.

Exercise Option: For those of you who chose to take part of the exercise challenge, your challenge today is to do 50 crunches, 10 squat jumps, 15 pushups, 20 1-legged calf raises (10 each leg).

Personal Note: Today I get the stitches out of my mouth, so hopefully I will be able to move my mouth more easily. I feel better and better each day, and was able to do a bit of light exercise yesterday. I’m still on a liquid diet, but hopefully having the stitched removed will help me be able to eat more.

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

Do you love peanut butter as much as me? What are your favorite ways to eat it, and what are your favorite recipes?

Remember that you can track what you eat on the printable Challenge Checklist.