Spoonful of Sugar Free

Registered Dietitian

Gluten Free

#4 Friends by Recipes: Muffins that take the Cake

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Welcome to day four of my Friends by Recipes Challenge! Today, I am sharing a recipe from my new friend from eat move love.

Her Muffin Pics!

 

Oooo...Yum...

Blueberry Muffins-That-Take-The-Cake…Look ;)

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup flour
  • 1/4 – 1/2 cup oats (optional)
  • 1 tsp. baking powder
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1/2 cup applesauce
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • cinnamon to taste
  • 1/2 mashed banana
  • 1/2 cup blueberries
  • raisins (honestly, I don’t measure – just throw them in ;) )

Method:

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2) Mix all wet ingredients thoroughly in a bowl.

3) Add dry ingredients – flour, baking powder, oats, cinnamon. Mix thoroughly.

4) Add in blueberries and raisins.

5) Pour batter into muffin tin (with liners or lightly oiled).

6) Bake at 350 degrees for ~20-25 minutes.

Makes ~ 8-10 muffins (depends on the size you prefer).

7) Let cool. Then, EAT.

I used brown rice flour instead of regular flour to make them gluten-free, and they turned out great! They do taste cake-y!

I made my muffins mini! I also used frozen blueberries, and made them “bleed” on purpose to make them Purple muffins!!! Fun, Fun!

These were really yummy! I loved the cake-like texture! Who says you need sugar to eat cake? 🙂

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

Halloween is coming up! What do you plan on doing? Are you going to dress-up? Maybe I’ll wear this hat…

Also, do you get a lot of trick-or-treaters? I used to get a good number, but since we moved I don’t know if we will get any! Do you give out candy? Or do you just shut off the lights?

 

#2 Friends by Recipes: Cindy’s “Donut Holes”

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Hey all! My brother and sister are huge fans of donut holes-the powdery ones that is. I, on the other hand, was never a big fan. They were too sweet, too powdery, too messy….Yuck!

However, when Cindy from A Sparkle a Day told me about a ‘almost’ raw donut hole recipe-I had to try it!

I am so glad I did, Cindy! They are Fabulous!

Here is a picture of Cindy’s Beautiful donut holes:

Would you like to make these adorable gems? Follow her recipe below:

Cindy’s Old Fashioned Donut Holes (almost raw)

  • 1/4 c raw pecans
  • 1/4 c raw walnuts
  • 1 tsp cinnamon (be generous)
  • 3 dates
  • 1 tsp coconut oil
  • 1 tsp coconut flour
  • 1 tbs coconut flakes
  • 1 tsp orange zest

Blend in food processor (I actually used a magic bullet!) and blend till well chopped.  Roll into balls and then roll in flaked coconut.  Freeze. (Sorry, Cindy. They were too good, and I was in a hurry, so I just threw them in a baggie instead of freezing them)

This is what mine looked like:

Instead of going out and buying an orange, I simply picked a fresh tangelo from my tree (It is finally tangelo season-half tangerine, half orange in case you were wondering) I also didn’t have any pecans, so I used almonds and walnuts instead (I bet pecans would taste better, though!) And…I omitted the coconut flour (Sorry! I didn’t have any!)

*Chomp!* Num! Num!

Cindy! These were great! I brought them to my tennis practice, and ate a couple in between my tennis lesson and weight session. Perfect energy ball! They reminded me of spiced oranges…and this spread...

Stay tuned for a new recipe by a different friend tomorrow!

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

Do you guys like donuts? I remember taking a standardized test in third grade, and my teacher brought us Krispy Kreme glazed donuts for “brain power.” Ugh! They gave me a headache even back then-too sweet!

#1 Friends by Recipes: Anita’s Oatmeals

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Hi everyone! Here is the very first post for my Friends by Recipes Challenge. The challenge will last about two weeks, so come back every day to see a new, tasty recipe!

Anita suggested:

“You know what I started thinking this week ? Why not make a savory oatmeal ? Take the oatmeal and add a mashed sweet potato that has been roasted. I read on cara’s cravings, I think she put shredded zucchini into her oatmeal. I’ve also been thinking about pineapple and some of that coconut butter, like a pina colada oatmeal. As for savory oatmeal, I think almost any vegetable would work as a topping, maybe add some olive oil, salt, pepper. Some of the macrobiotic people eat vegetables for breakfast, why not?”

So, Anita, I made some Savory oatmeal:
Oatmeal cooked with shredded zucchini, and topped with a dollop of butternut squash puree, a drizzle of olive oil, and a sprinkle of salt and pepper!
And some Pina Colada Oatmeal:
Pina Colada Oatmeal cooked with coconut milk/cream. Chunks of Pineapple mixed in. Topped with shredded coconut (and a maraschino cherry for decoration-don’t worry, I threw that High Fructose Corn Syrup-soaked fruit in the garbage as soon as I finished taking the picture!) I also placed the oatmeal in a glass, and decorated it with a bendy-straw and a slice of lime. I think this oatmeal would taste best chilled, or “Overnight Oat Style”
Together, they make the perfect Oatmeal Meal!
Ahh...Relax by the pool...

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


What is your favorite oatmeal mix-in? I tend to change from day to day-I like to keep things fresh!
Also, what is the weather like in your part of the world? Here in Florida it was 90* today!!! As you can see, it is still pool weather here 🙂

Looks Like a $20 Eggplant to Me

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Hey all! I am so glad you enjoyed the Grain-Free Pumpkin Spice Bread Recipe! I am so glad that so many of you have already tried it and enjoyed it! A big shout out to Heather for making it so quickly and creating a yummy-looking vanilla-peanut butter variation:

IMG_6331.JPG
Heather's Grain-Free Bread

 

Also, I only have a few more spots left to fill in my Friends by Recipe Challenge. So hurry and send your recipes in so you can be included!

Now onto more colorful things….like eggplant! There really aren’t many purple vegetables out there.

Honestly, I had never really eaten or cooked an eggplant until about a month ago-when I fell in love with it! Eggplants are just so meaty, tender, and juicy. They can also be completely versatile and be cooked into many different dishes like baba ganoush, Eggplant Parmesan, or Stuffed Eggplant. It can even be used as a meat replacement!

Their vibrant purple color isn’t just for looks, though. The eggplant also holds truckloads of fiber, antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. In particular, the eggplant skin has a anthocyanin phytonutrient called nasunin. Nasunin is a potent antioxidant and free radical scavenger that has been shown to protect cell membranes from damage.

It’s good for you and it tastes good! What can be better than that?

Plus they are in season right now! So get them before October ends.

I have been enjoying my eggplant stove top style:

Using a cast-iron skillet (or any other type of skillet or pan), preheat the stove to medium heat. Drizzle a bit of olive oil in the bottom of the pan. Then, slice the eggplant into slices. I probably sliced mine at about 1/4 inch thick.

Then, place the eggplant on the skillet and drizzle more olive oil over the eggplant. Sprinkle as many herbs as you want! Have fun! I used a combination of salt, black pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and smoked paprika.

Serve by itself:

Served with steamed spinach, guacamole, red peppers, and garbanzo beans

Or….Create your own masterpiece by layering the grilled eggplant with grilled tomato slices:

Beautifully topped with fresh basil. Doesn’t it looks like it could be served for $20 at a fancy restaurant?

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

What are your favorite uses for eggplant? Or have you ever tried it? If you haven’t, I strongly suggest you pick up one of those babies at the store today!

P.S. Katie is having a Coconut Butter Giveaway! Check it out!

A Grain-Free Bread?

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While I wait for the recipes to add up, (Comment on my last post to submit a recipe!) I want to give you this recipe I have been very excited about the past few days.

Remember when I said I was going to go gluten-free for a while? Well, I have one-upped that, and have made a bread that is totally grain-free.

No spelt, no rice flour, no coconut flour, no peanut flour, no crazy substitute flours at all! Yet, it still tastes like bread-Pumpkin Spice Bread, that is 🙂

First, I started by making a butternut squash bread. I threw some things together into a couple mini-loaf pans, and the result was extremely good, but I knew I could do better. Thus I created the Grain-Free Pumpkin Spice Bread!

Finally I have a pumpkin recipe published! After seeing all of the other bloggers’ delectable –looking pumpkin recipes, I wanted to make my own!

Print
Grain-Free Pumpkin Spice Bread

Grain-Free Pumpkin Spice Bread

~This recipe is gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free, and sugar-free!

Ingredients

  • 1 cup of pumpkin puree
  • 1/2 cup almond butter
  • 3 eggs
  • 3 Tablespoons Ground flax
  • 3 Tablespoons Chia Gel (For each tablespoon of chia, mix 2-3 tablespoons of water and let sit for 15-20 minutes. The chia seeds will puff into a gel)
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves, 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg (or 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
  • 1/4 cup water

Instructions

  1. Mix together the ingredients.
  2. Pour into a lightly-greased bread pan.
  3. Bake for 1 hour at 350*. The bread will rise while in the oven, but will sink when taken out.
  4. Let the bread cool for fifteen minutes in the pan (this is necessary for the bread to set since it has no flour in it), and then plop it onto a plate or cutting board.
https://www.spoonfulofsugarfree.com/2010/10/18/a-grain-free-bread/

Mixing…

 

Before baking…

 

I may or may not have licked the mixing bowl clean…

 

Bake for 1 hour at 350*. The bread will rise while in the oven….

 

But it will sink a little bit when it is taken out…

 

Let the bread cool for fifteen minutes in the pan (this is necessary for the bread to set since it has no flour in it), and then plop it onto a plate or cutting board.

 

It is extremely moist, and no-one will ever guess that it is sugar-free or that it doesn’t have flour in it!

 

This bread will be perfect for Halloween or Thanksgiving!

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

What is your favorite way to eat pumpkin? Or do you even like pumpkin?

I used to LOVE pumpkin pie when I ate sugar! Seriously, I would eat it all day long if I could! The way it melts in your mouth as the crust crumbles and the custard-y filling squishes…oh man it is heavenly. I’m going to have to make a sugar-free pumpkin pie recipe!

Faux Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Larabars

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My family has been really enjoying the new Peanut Butter Chocolate chip Larabars lately. 

They like them so much so that we go through a costco sized pack of them every few days! Their favorite is the peanut Butter Chocolate Chip. But at the rate my little brother and sister snack on these little bars, the money can really add up (even when we buy them at costco’s discounts). Usually they are around $1.50-$2.00 each, just in case you wanted to know 😉

Solution: make my own Peanut Butter Chocolate Larabars! Simple enough, since there are only four ingredients: Dates, Peanuts, Chocolate Chips (unsweetened chocolate, sugar, cocoa butter and vanilla), and Salt. Also, when I made my own I can eliminate the unnecessary sugar from the chocolate chips.

By the way, I love that the Larabars try their best to have fair-trade certified ingredients, and high-quality bars with minimal ingredients. What they do is great, and the bars are a perfect snack when you are on the road.

But, back to my Larabars!

I knew I could make my own larabars, after all, Katie makes her Fudge Babies, and Angela has made a plethora of different larabars, too!

If they can do it, I can do it!

Soooo….I did do it! And I am so glad I did!

Chocolate-Peanut Truffles

~This is a recipe I made on my Bake Night. The truffles are vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, and of course, sugar free! Try to restrain yourself from eating too many, though, because if you are like me, you can get a sugar high from the dates!

Ingredients

Makes about 2 dozen truffles

How-To Picture Tutorial:

 

Ingredients

 

Using a food processor (I have also had success with a magic bullet), chop the dates first into a date-paste. Then add nuts and chop. Finally, add cocoa powder and mix. If the dough is too powdery, add a small dash of water. If it is too sweet, add more peanuts. If it is not sweet enough, add more dates. The recipe is extremely versatile. Note: It is best when the peanuts are chunky, so don’t over-chop the peanuts!

 

Finally, roll into balls and enjoy!

I served these to some of my tennis friends, and they were a hit!

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

Have you ever tried a larabar? I’ve tried them, but I can’t really eat them. I think the date:nut proportion favors the dates too much. They are too sweet for me! I also can’t bring myself to buy a bar for $2 when I know I can make my own for less than 50 cents. (My brother and sister can, though!)