Spoonful of Sugar Free

Registered Dietitian

Gluten Free

#9 Friends by Recipes: Whole Wheat or Bust!

By

Day 9 of my Friends by Recipes Challenge, I give you one of Lauren‘s delightful recipes! Lauren‘s blog, Whole Wheat or Bust, is one that I visit very frequently. She is such a great gal, and her plethora of delicious recipes are so creative and innovative! She also recently went to Tibet, so it was fun to learn about what she learned in that country.

So anyway, she told me to look through her recipe page, and choose a recipe that was one of her “fave’s.” Soooo….I chose one that went she made recently. It goes with the season, and it is one she suggested for me (since she made it sugar-free!)

Spicy Sweet Potato Apple Bread

Lauren's Bread

So pefect for fall.

Recipe: Makes 1 loave

Dry ingredients –

1.5 cups whole wheat flour (Lauren, I substituted Brown Rice Flour to make it gluten free, and it turned out fabulously!)

2 tbsp dried sour cherries (optional, but awesome)

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground cloves

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/2-1 tbsp fresh grated ginger

Wet ingredients –

1 egg

1 cup 1% milk

50 drops liquid stevia

1 cup baked sweet potato, mashed

1/3 of a large, sweet apple, chopped into little pieces

1 tbsp real butter

Directions –

Place the dry ingredients in one bowl and the wet in another. Mix each separately. Pour the dry over the wet and stir with as few swoops as possible. Pour into a greased 9×5 inch pan.

I had a really hard time with the baking times. I baked it for 80 minutes at 325 and it was still not quite done yet, so I turned it up to 350 and baked it for another 15. You could either do that or possibly just bake it at 350 for an hour or so. Follow your heart?

My Bread...I threw some pumpkin seeds on top for some decoration. Why not?

The insides…oooo…Yes, I used raisins, and not dried cherries. Don’t scorn me! That’s all I had!

Bravo, Lauren! Bravo! This was amazingly delicious, and it was a perfect breakfast for the next morning.

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

If you live in the North, have you seen snow yet? Down here in Florida,  snow is definitely not on the ground, but the mornings and evenings are quite chilly! It is a brisk 50*, and there is a slight wind chill. I’m bundled up in sweats and am drinking some hot tea while I write this post!

 

 

#8 Friends by Recipes: Chocolate Covered Katie

By

Welcome to day 8 of my Friends by Recipes Challenge!

Today, I am going to be featuring someone who inspired me to start this blog in the first place, Chocolate Covered Katie!

Katie is such a great girl, and she has the most amazing recipes. All of her recipes are so easy, that I decided to make a few of them. (Just one recipe wouldn’t do her justice!)

First, I tried a recent recipe of hers:

“One lil Pumpkin” Muffin

(covered in chocolate)

  • 1 T canned pumpkin
  • handful chocolate chips
  • pinch pumpkin pie spice
  • 1/4 tsp baking powder
  • 3T flour
  • sweetener of choice
  • heaping 1/16th tsp salt
  • 1 1/2T water, nondairy milk, or oil (such as coconut), or a combination

Procedure: Follow the directions for a Single Lady Cupcake, subbing pumpkin for the applesauce and adding the chips and spice. Also, sub the oil for water or nondairy milk if desired.

The insides....mmmm....

I used cacao nibs for the chocolate chips (I still haven’t found those 100% dark chocolate chips yet, Katie! I’m going to have to look in another Whole Foods), and used 2 drops of stevia to sweeten. I then topped it with another dollop of pumpkin and some cacao nibs.

Yum! Yum! I think these would be great to prepare while making dinner, and just pop them in the oven before you eat dinner. Then, the cupcake will be done by the time you are done eating.

Then I made some Better-n-Rice Pudding

So comforting on a cold morning...

2 cups non-dairy milk
2 servings cooked oatmeal (i.e. start with 80 grams uncooked)
2 tsps cinnamon
2 Tbs vanilla extract
up to 1 cup raisins

Combine all the ingredients and bring to a boil. Then turn down to low heat for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until pudding is the desired consistency.  Cooking the oats twice makes them even fluffier and gives the recipe a real pudding-like taste.

The recipe makes 2-4 servings, depending on how big the eater’s appetite is and whether the pudding is being consumed as a meal or a snack.

And finally, her famous Fudge Babies!

Rolled in Cocoa powder and coconut shavings!

Fudge Babies

Ingredients:

  • 1 c walnuts (120 grams)
  • 1 and 1/3 cups pitted dates (230 grams) (If you want a sweeter result, up the proportion of dates.) (If you’re unsure as to what dates to use, or you want measurements in cups, not grams, see fudge baby FAQ post)
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 3-4 tablespoons cocoa powder, depending on how chocolatey you want the balls to be (I used 4T extra dark)

Directions:

1. Chop/blend all the ingredients, using a food processor, Magic Bullet, etc.  (No need to blend the dates first; I just blend everything all at once.)

2. Roll into cutey-pie little balls.  (Use plastic wrap if you need to.)

 

Thanks for all of this recipe-making fun, Katie!!

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

Have you gone over to this Chocolate-Covered Vegan‘s blog yet? If not, go now!

 

 

 

Another Excuse!

By

This is kind of a repeat of my Hallow-Excuses Post…But I have yet another excuse for not making more of your wonderful recipes!

Excuse: I’m out of Town!

No, my little hotel room does not have a kitchen. Just a mini-fridge! Sometimes it is nice to not have to cook your own meals…but I prefer making my own food because I then know exactly what is going in it!

But, I’ll take it as it comes and eat some hotel food once in a while 🙂

Hard Boiled Eggs...
Tomato Juice...
and a banana from those 'great', free, hotel, continental breakfasts!

I was also extremely lucky to have a Whole Foods nearby to stop for a quick lunch or dinner. I love their hot and cold bars, and their warm soups do wonders on a chilly day (like today!). I just tried their Pumpkin soup, and I highly recommend it! It was a creamy, non-dairy soup that warmed my toes 🙂

On another note, Spoonful of Sugar Free now has a Facebook fan page! All of my posts will be linked to the fan page, so you won’t have an excuse to miss any of my posts 😉 I’m not being pushy or anything….

Look on the right to see the Facebook button. Please click on it to access the fan page. Or CLICK HERE.

Another page I’d  like to bring you to is Udi’s Gluten Free Bread. They are giving away a year’s worth of free bread! Check out my entry, and sign up yourself HERE. I hope you like my “Bruschetta Burger Bagel” or “BBB.”

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

What do you usually eat on the road? I usually try bringing snacks, and sticking to proteins and fruits and veggies. I have an upcoming post planned to address this topic of eating on the road, so stay tuned!

Also, are you plugged into Facebook? Honestly, I rarely update my status, and almost never log onto it. I will start logging on more now because of the new fan page!

 

#7 Friends by Recipes: True Porridge

By

Hello, and welcome to day seven of my Friends by Recipes Challenge!

Today I am sharing a recipe from a new friend of mine. April owns a blog called the Stratheden Farm. She lived in Scotland for a while and learned exactly how to make the perfect hot porridge that keeps the whole body warm in the morning! April suggests:

“When buying oats for porridge, buy the brand that most looks like a ‘meal.’ It should look like coarsely ground grain, not flakes or hard little chunklets. (Those have other uses.) Our favorite variety is Bob’s Red Mill Scottish Oatmeal which is the real deal; stone ground in a real water mill.”

I used Oat Bran to make this. Is that okay, April? They seemed like the texture you described, and the oatmeal came oat tasting scrumptious with it!

April's Oats

 

Ingredients
1 cup oatmeal
3 cups water
pinch salt
walnuts
rasins
flax seeds
dried cherries
milk

Into a 1 1/2 quart sized pot, place your carefully measured oats and a three-fingered pinch of salt. Now take a big handful of walnuts and break them up a bit. Toss into the pot. Throw in the same volume of raisins but be sure they aren’t just a big lump. Measure your flax by thinly covering the surface of the oats. Finally, add cold water. Turn the heat on under your ugly gruel. Medium-low is best. Never stop stirring… slowly… until your oatmeal is thickened. Oats are done when the bubbles are thick and leave a hole when they pop.

Do not believe the package when it says to add oats to boiling water. You will spend all your time breaking up lumps and think making good porridge is difficult. Good porridge is brain-dead work.

My Porridge!
This was delicious, April! The raisins were nice and plump while the oats were extremely creamy. Nothing like a nighttime bowl of hot oatmeal to put you to sleep 🙂

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

Do you eat a bedtime snack?

I only do if I am hungry. I cannot go to bed on an empty stomach! But it also isn’t good to go to bed extremely full. There has to be a happy-medium.

If you do eat a bedtime snack, what do you eat to help you fall asleep?

I used to eat peanut butter toast. The whole wheat bread was nice and crunchy while the peanut butter melted as soon as it touched the bread’s surface!

#6 Friends by Recipes: Zucchini Hummus

By

Welcome to day six of my Friends by Recipes Challenge!

Today, I would like you all to meet a spunky girl named Sarah who owns the Smart Kitchen blog!

She is a fairly new friend of mine, and I am loving every bit of her posts! She combines “Healthy, Economical, Creative, and Realistic” to create fantastic tasting food!

Today I am sharing her Zucchini Hummus with you!

Sarah's Hummus

 

Raw Zucchini Hummus
(Makes about 3 cups or so)

2 medium large zucchinis, peeled and chopped
Juice of 1 large lemon (5-6 Tbsp.)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. paprika
3/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/3-1/2 cup raw tahini
1/4 c. chopped sweet onion

Combine all ingredients into a food processor. Blend away! Serve as a dip with raw veggies, crackers, or whole grain pita bread (or chips!).

 

Following her recipe, I placed the ingredients in a food processor….
And devoured it with a red pepper! (I’m eating a veggie on top of a veggie!!)

This was so, so good! It has a lighter flavor than regular hummus, but it still packs a punch! I will be making this again, Sarah!

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

What is your favorite hummus flavor?

I really love Roasted Red Pepper Hummus! I usually like making my own, but when I’m busy I will grab a huge tub of Sabra from Costco! I like their roasted red pepper, too, but I also love their olive flavor. Sabra’s hummus is extremely creamy (probably because of the high-fat content 🙂 )

 

#5 Friends by Recipes: Marathon Mud Pie

By

Ahh! Back to my Friends by Recipes Challenge! Today, I am sharing a new overnight oat recipe from a new friend who has a new blog! Her name is Emily Elizabeth, and her blog is called Kisses for Breakfast (cute!).

Emily suggested I try this overnight oat recipe called a Marathon Mud Pie. I jumped on this recipe because I know that overnight oats are super easy to make! Just whip it up the night before, and let it thicken overnight. This is perfect when you know you will be having a busy morning. I also LOVED this recipe because I got to be creative! I love layering oats, fruit, and peanut butter to make a beautiful breakfast parfait. The peanut butter+chocolate+banana combo ain’t too bad either 😉

Recipe: Marathon Mud Pie

Marathon Mudpie
Emily's Marathon Mud Pie

Summary: A creamy chocolate peanut butter pudding parfait for breakfast… and before a long run? Why not? Take a couple minutes to toss the ingredients together the night before and it’s ready first thing in the morning! Loaded with fiber, protein, healthy fats and a little caffeine from the cacao, it’s the perfect breakfast to sustain you through a long workout. I love to have this first thing in the morning before I head out for a long run.

Ingredients

  • 1/3 cup rolled oats
  • 1/3 cup Greek yogurt
  • 1/4 cup low-fat milk
  • 1/4 cup mashed banana
  • 1 tablespoon natural peanut butter (just peanuts, no sugar and just a touch of sea salt)
  • 2 tablespoons raw cacao powder
  • 1 tablespoon chia seeds
  • 1 dash fine sea salt

Instructions

  1. In a small bowl, mix together all ingredients and put in the fridge for at least an hour or overnight. That’s it!
  2. TO MAKE A PARFAIT (highly recommended!): After the pudding is set, spoon 1/3 of it into a fancy dish and top with a dollop of greek yogurt and 3 banana slices. Repeat 2 more times and drizzle a little peanut butter on top.

My beautiful masterpiece:

This was so good, Emily! I loved the combination! It was perfectly filling, and satisfying. I would even eat this for dessert 🙂

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

Do you ever make yourself, or someone else, healthy sundaes? I remember waking up early for my mom or dad’s birthday, and creating a yogurt parfait for their breakfast in bed! I would always layer fruit, yogurt, and grape-nuts! They are so much fun to make because you get to be creative with your food!

Also, did you ever make your mom/dad/grandparents/siblings breakfast in bed for their special day?