Honey Caramel Apples

I can't wait to post today's recipe! It's a perfect no-sugar Halloween (or Fall) treat! Truly delicious and I'm craving one right now. Happy Halloween!

Honey Caramel Apples

Printable Recipe

INGREDIENTS:

4-6 crisp apples (I like golden delicious)

1 Cup raw honey

1 Cup heavy cream

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Sprinkles, cookie crumbs, chopped nuts, etc.

DIRECTIONS:

First put the apples in the fridge to chill while you are making the caramel. In a heavy saucepan over medium heat, combine honey, heavy cream and salt. While it is heating, whisk together the mixture until combined and then bring to a rolling boil. Reduce heat until the mixture reaches a simmer (it is still bubbling but not splattering all over). Stir and scrape sides of pot down occasionally. Keep heating until the temperature on a thermometer inserted in the sauce reaches 260 degrees (this may take about 30-45 minutes). 

While caramel is cooking, prepare apples by washing and drying them completely. Then skewer them with a popsicle stick and place them back in the fridge to continue chilling until caramel is ready. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside (wax paper doesn't work too well as the hot caramel melts to it).

When caramel has reached 260 degrees, remove from heat, add vanilla extract and stir to combine. Let this mixture sit for about 5 minutes or until it has thickened slightly, but is still a workable consistency, stirring occasionally. 

Remove apples from fridge and dry thoroughly again (they need to be completely dry for the caramel to stick to them). Dip apples in caramel, rolling and twirling, so it gets well coated. Let excess drip off and then place on prepared parchment paper. If, during this process, caramel in pan gets too hard to coat the apples just heat it until it's thin again. 

Sprinkle with sprinkles, cookie crumbs, or chopped nuts, if desired. Cool apples in the refrigerator for 10-20 minutes to set the caramel and then enjoy!

Recipe Source: Slightly adapted from Our best bites

Honey Caramel Apples

Posted by admin

I can't wait to post today's recipe! It's a perfect no-sugar Halloween (or Fall) treat! Truly delicious and I'm craving one right now. Happy Halloween!

Honey Caramel Apples

Printable Recipe

INGREDIENTS:

4-6 crisp apples (I like golden delicious)

1 Cup raw honey

1 Cup heavy cream

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Sprinkles, cookie crumbs, chopped nuts, etc.

DIRECTIONS:

First put the apples in the fridge to chill while you are making the caramel. In a heavy saucepan over medium heat, combine honey, heavy cream and salt. While it is heating, whisk together the mixture until combined and then bring to a rolling boil. Reduce heat until the mixture reaches a simmer (it is still bubbling but not splattering all over). Stir and scrape sides of pot down occasionally. Keep heating until the temperature on a thermometer inserted in the sauce reaches 260 degrees (this may take about 30-45 minutes). 

While caramel is cooking, prepare apples by washing and drying them completely. Then skewer them with a popsicle stick and place them back in the fridge to continue chilling until caramel is ready. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside (wax paper doesn't work too well as the hot caramel melts to it).

When caramel has reached 260 degrees, remove from heat, add vanilla extract and stir to combine. Let this mixture sit for about 5 minutes or until it has thickened slightly, but is still a workable consistency, stirring occasionally. 

Remove apples from fridge and dry thoroughly again (they need to be completely dry for the caramel to stick to them). Dip apples in caramel, rolling and twirling, so it gets well coated. Let excess drip off and then place on prepared parchment paper. If, during this process, caramel in pan gets too hard to coat the apples just heat it until it's thin again. 

Sprinkle with sprinkles, cookie crumbs, or chopped nuts, if desired. Cool apples in the refrigerator for 10-20 minutes to set the caramel and then enjoy!

Recipe Source: Slightly adapted from Our best bites

Protein Packed Banana Sunflower Cookies gluten and sugar free

My baby is going to be 4 years old in a few weeks. I suppose that means I can officially no longer use the excuse that I am still trying to loose the baby fat. What's that you say? Most people say it only takes 6 months to a year at most to lose the weight after having a baby. Well then, I guess I better find another excuse for hanging onto the chubs like being almost 40=slow metabolism, being constantly busy with 4 kids and work.......

Alright, alright. Excuses suck and they don't create results so I'll  just have to suck it up and take matters into my own hands. Step it up a notch. Or two.

My chubby tummy is really starting to get on my nerves. The chubs have gots to go! I have been telling myself for almost 4 years, since aforementioned baby numero 4 that I will not buy new clothes until I lose at least 20lbs. 30 would be super.

The fact that my wardrobe is seriously out of style should tell you something. It's been way too long just waiting for the weight to come off. After I had my first 3 children I worked out once and a while, a few times a week usually hiking or playing tennis and sometimes home workouts when it was too hot outside. The wight came off fairly easily. So what happened after baby #4? This belly won't budge!


Taking matters into my own hands I decided to join a workout program along with a month of Shakeology with my long time fellow blogger and inspirational friend Jen aka The Fit Housewife.
I'm so excited to get started! My package should be on the doorstep any day now and I'll be on a 90 kick ass jump start to the new me with Chalean Extreme.


Getting motivated to workout isn't easy for me. Usually I have to tell myself to at the very least do a Yoga or 20 minutes of Pilates and after I do I'm energized and ready to kick it into gear with a tougher workout. Cute new workout clothes also are a great motivator so when Marni from ZUMBA Fitness offered to send me some of their new apparel I was more than happy to check it out.

I recieved this cute tank top which I loved! It wans't clingy which helps hide the tummy while I try to get rid of it. I really liked how airy it was, I hate when my clothes stay wet when I sweat. 

These sports bras would look great under their open back tanks!

 I like the sassy edgy quality of Zumba's line of comfortable workout clothes. 

Sporting my cute, new workout clothes and stocked with these healthy,

 protein packed pre-workout cookies I'm ready to get my cardio on!

These banana sunflower cookies taste like banana bread, my favorite!
Sweetened with a touch of honey and a handful of shredded coconut and made with
good for you gluten free flours minus the starch. I'm in love.

 

Oil free, butter free, refined sugar free, grain free. These still tasted wonderful. They have a cake like texture and the sunflower seeds added just the right amount of texture and heartiness, not to mention tons of beneficial vitamins and protein.

PREP TIME    10 MIN   

BAKE TIME    10 MIN

YIELDS    16-20 COOKIES 

Ingredients

3 ripe bananas

1/2 cup plain, fat free yogurt (or sugar free applesauce)

1/4 cup honey preferably local Organic, aides w allergies (eye it)

1/4 cup shredded, unsweetened coconut (or more honey)

1 cup spelt flour

1 cup buckwheat flour (or almond flour)

1 cup shelled, unsalted sunflower seeds

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon iodized salt

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, use an electric mixer on medium speed to cream together the bananas, yogurt and honey for 1 minute.

In a separate bowl, mix the flour with the sunflower seeds, baking powder, and baking soda. Add the flour mixture to the banana mixture along with coconut. Mix thoroughly to combine. 

Drop rounded tablespoons of the dough onto the baking sheet, placing them about 2" apart. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown.

Sunflower seeds are an excellent source of Vitamin E, the body's primary fat-soluble antioxidant. Vitamin E travels throughout the body neutralizing free radicals which can reduce the
symptoms of asthma, osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, conditions where
free radicals and inflammation play a big role.

The minerals and vitamins in sunflower seeds also can greatly help reduce the severity of asthma, lower high blood pressure, and prevent migraine headaches, as well as reducing the risk of heart attack and stroke.





Sources
The World's Healthiest Foods

Protein Packed Banana Sunflower Cookies gluten and sugar free

Posted by admin

My baby is going to be 4 years old in a few weeks. I suppose that means I can officially no longer use the excuse that I am still trying to loose the baby fat. What's that you say? Most people say it only takes 6 months to a year at most to lose the weight after having a baby. Well then, I guess I better find another excuse for hanging onto the chubs like being almost 40=slow metabolism, being constantly busy with 4 kids and work.......

Alright, alright. Excuses suck and they don't create results so I'll  just have to suck it up and take matters into my own hands. Step it up a notch. Or two.

My chubby tummy is really starting to get on my nerves. The chubs have gots to go! I have been telling myself for almost 4 years, since aforementioned baby numero 4 that I will not buy new clothes until I lose at least 20lbs. 30 would be super.

The fact that my wardrobe is seriously out of style should tell you something. It's been way too long just waiting for the weight to come off. After I had my first 3 children I worked out once and a while, a few times a week usually hiking or playing tennis and sometimes home workouts when it was too hot outside. The wight came off fairly easily. So what happened after baby #4? This belly won't budge!


Taking matters into my own hands I decided to join a workout program along with a month of Shakeology with my long time fellow blogger and inspirational friend Jen aka The Fit Housewife.
I'm so excited to get started! My package should be on the doorstep any day now and I'll be on a 90 kick ass jump start to the new me with Chalean Extreme.


Getting motivated to workout isn't easy for me. Usually I have to tell myself to at the very least do a Yoga or 20 minutes of Pilates and after I do I'm energized and ready to kick it into gear with a tougher workout. Cute new workout clothes also are a great motivator so when Marni from ZUMBA Fitness offered to send me some of their new apparel I was more than happy to check it out.

I recieved this cute tank top which I loved! It wans't clingy which helps hide the tummy while I try to get rid of it. I really liked how airy it was, I hate when my clothes stay wet when I sweat. 

These sports bras would look great under their open back tanks!

 I like the sassy edgy quality of Zumba's line of comfortable workout clothes. 

Sporting my cute, new workout clothes and stocked with these healthy,

 protein packed pre-workout cookies I'm ready to get my cardio on!

These banana sunflower cookies taste like banana bread, my favorite!
Sweetened with a touch of honey and a handful of shredded coconut and made with
good for you gluten free flours minus the starch. I'm in love.

 

Oil free, butter free, refined sugar free, grain free. These still tasted wonderful. They have a cake like texture and the sunflower seeds added just the right amount of texture and heartiness, not to mention tons of beneficial vitamins and protein.

PREP TIME    10 MIN   

BAKE TIME    10 MIN

YIELDS    16-20 COOKIES 

Ingredients

3 ripe bananas

1/2 cup plain, fat free yogurt (or sugar free applesauce)

1/4 cup honey preferably local Organic, aides w allergies (eye it)

1/4 cup shredded, unsweetened coconut (or more honey)

1 cup spelt flour

1 cup buckwheat flour (or almond flour)

1 cup shelled, unsalted sunflower seeds

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon iodized salt

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, use an electric mixer on medium speed to cream together the bananas, yogurt and honey for 1 minute.

In a separate bowl, mix the flour with the sunflower seeds, baking powder, and baking soda. Add the flour mixture to the banana mixture along with coconut. Mix thoroughly to combine. 

Drop rounded tablespoons of the dough onto the baking sheet, placing them about 2" apart. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown.

Sunflower seeds are an excellent source of Vitamin E, the body's primary fat-soluble antioxidant. Vitamin E travels throughout the body neutralizing free radicals which can reduce the
symptoms of asthma, osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, conditions where
free radicals and inflammation play a big role.

The minerals and vitamins in sunflower seeds also can greatly help reduce the severity of asthma, lower high blood pressure, and prevent migraine headaches, as well as reducing the risk of heart attack and stroke.





Sources
The World's Healthiest Foods

Strawberry Lemonade Pops (Sugar Free)

It's getting hot! And a cold, sweet treat tastes so yummy. I've been experimenting with different sugar free options and these strawberry slushies are still one of our favorites. I discovered that if you freeze the slushies into Popsicle molds you get the most wonderful strawberry lemonade Popsicle you've ever tasted. Or if you don't have Popsicle molds (and are on a budget), small cups with Popsicle sticks works just as good. I love to keep a bunch on hand in my freezer for a quick, cool summer treat. Enjoy!

These strawberries were picked fresh from our garden! Aren't they beautiful?

Strawberry Lemonade Pops (Sugar Free)
Printable Recipe

*Makes 8-12 Pops

INGREDIENTS
Recipe fresh or frozen Strawberry slushies 
8-12 Popsicle Molds or 4 oz. plastic cups & Popsicle sticks

DIRECTIONS
Pour strawberry slushie mix into Popsicle molds or plastic cups. Place Popsicle mold lids on or place a Popsicle stick in the center of each cup. Freeze until firm, about 4-8 hours.

Recipe Source: healthyfamilycookin.blogspot.com



Sugar free is not so hard when you have cool, sweet treats like this around.

Strawberry Lemonade Pops (Sugar Free)

Posted by admin

It's getting hot! And a cold, sweet treat tastes so yummy. I've been experimenting with different sugar free options and these strawberry slushies are still one of our favorites. I discovered that if you freeze the slushies into Popsicle molds you get the most wonderful strawberry lemonade Popsicle you've ever tasted. Or if you don't have Popsicle molds (and are on a budget), small cups with Popsicle sticks works just as good. I love to keep a bunch on hand in my freezer for a quick, cool summer treat. Enjoy!

These strawberries were picked fresh from our garden! Aren't they beautiful?

Strawberry Lemonade Pops (Sugar Free)
Printable Recipe

*Makes 8-12 Pops

INGREDIENTS
Recipe fresh or frozen Strawberry slushies 
8-12 Popsicle Molds or 4 oz. plastic cups & Popsicle sticks

DIRECTIONS
Pour strawberry slushie mix into Popsicle molds or plastic cups. Place Popsicle mold lids on or place a Popsicle stick in the center of each cup. Freeze until firm, about 4-8 hours.

Recipe Source: healthyfamilycookin.blogspot.com



Sugar free is not so hard when you have cool, sweet treats like this around.

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies (Sugar Free)

I'm happy to say that I've completed almost five months of sugar-free six days a week. It's going great. I love finding more recipes to add to my sugar-free repertoire. These sugar free peanut butter oatmeal cookies use honey or xagave as the sweetener and are tasty as can be. I've adapted the recipe from one by Weelicious to make them not only sugar free but also to use 100% whole grain flour. Enjoy.

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies

Printable Recipe

*Makes 30 cookies

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 Cup butter, softened
1/2 Cup honey or xagave
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1 Cup peanut butter
1-1/2 Cup whole grain flour (my choice would be oat flour or wonder flour)
1 Cup rolled or quick oats
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350. In a stand mixer, combine the butter and honey (or xagave) and mix for about one minute. Add the egg, vanilla and peanut butter and beat for another minute or until smooth. In a separate bowl combine together the dry ingredients and mix. Slowly add the dry ingredients to wet and mix to incorporate. Scoop dough into two tablespoon amounts and drop onto ungreased cookie sheet. Using a fork, press gently down on each ball of dough to make a checkerboard pattern. Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes or until slightly brown.

*Recipe Source: Adapted from Weelicious

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies (Sugar Free)

Posted by admin

I'm happy to say that I've completed almost five months of sugar-free six days a week. It's going great. I love finding more recipes to add to my sugar-free repertoire. These sugar free peanut butter oatmeal cookies use honey or xagave as the sweetener and are tasty as can be. I've adapted the recipe from one by Weelicious to make them not only sugar free but also to use 100% whole grain flour. Enjoy.

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies

Printable Recipe

*Makes 30 cookies

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 Cup butter, softened
1/2 Cup honey or xagave
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1 Cup peanut butter
1-1/2 Cup whole grain flour (my choice would be oat flour or wonder flour)
1 Cup rolled or quick oats
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350. In a stand mixer, combine the butter and honey (or xagave) and mix for about one minute. Add the egg, vanilla and peanut butter and beat for another minute or until smooth. In a separate bowl combine together the dry ingredients and mix. Slowly add the dry ingredients to wet and mix to incorporate. Scoop dough into two tablespoon amounts and drop onto ungreased cookie sheet. Using a fork, press gently down on each ball of dough to make a checkerboard pattern. Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes or until slightly brown.

*Recipe Source: Adapted from Weelicious

Strawberry Slushie

It's strawberry season here and oh my! I am loving it! They are one of my favorite foods to eat - and I can hardly wait until our garden strawberries are ready. I found a rock bottom deal on strawberries a few weeks ago (62.5 cents a pound) and bought a lot. I mean A LOT! Last year I showed you how to freeze strawberries or make strawberry jam. And I still had a few bags in the freezer from last year so I found myself looking for a way to use them. I kind of stumbled upon creating this recipe in a round about way. We loved it and I've made it several times since (in the name of perfecting it, right??). It's been so enjoyable, let me just tell you. We've missed ice cream since going sugar free and while this isn't exactly ice cream, it's a REALLY easy cold dessert that satisfies that "ice cream" part of the sweet tooth.

Fresh Strawberry Slushie

I'm going to show you two ways to make this dessert - you can either use fresh strawberries or frozen. There is a little bit of a difference with the two, but both are yummy. With the fresh strawberries, the texture is a bit icier like a slushy you would find at 7-11. I think I may slightly prefer making this with fresh strawberries just because of that. But both are yummy and both are easy to make.

Fresh Strawberry Slushie
Printable Recipe

*Makes about 4 1-Cup servings

INGREDIENTS:
juice of 1 lemon (fresh lemon juice is best)
1/4 Cup honey or xagave (or more to taste)
about 3-4 Cups fresh whole strawberries, washed with stems removed (between 1 and 2 lbs.)
about 2 Cups ice

DIRECTIONS:
Add lemon juice, honey or xagave and fresh strawberries to the blender and blend until strawberries are pureed. Then add the ice and blend until mixture reaches a "slushie" consistency. Add more ice or strawberries if needed to reach desired consistency. Then taste and add more sweetener if needed. Serve immediately.

*Recipe Source: healthyfamilycookin.blogspot.com

Frozen Strawberry Slushie

Frozen Strawberry Slushie
Printable Recipe

*Makes about 4 1-Cup servings

INGREDIENTS:
juice of 1 lemon (fresh lemon juice is best)
1/4 Cup honey or xagave (or more to taste)
1 to 1-1/2 Cups water
about 3-4 Cups whole frozen strawberries

DIRECTIONS:
Add lemon juice, honey or xagave and water to the blender and blend until mixed together. Then add frozen strawberries and blend until mixture reaches a "slushie" consistency. Add more water or strawberries if needed to reach desired consistency. Then taste and add more sweetener if needed. Serve immediately.

*Recipe Source: healthyfamilycookin.blogspot.com

I love these friendly fruits :)

This week I'll be linking to some of these link parties.

Strawberry Slushie

Posted by admin

It's strawberry season here and oh my! I am loving it! They are one of my favorite foods to eat - and I can hardly wait until our garden strawberries are ready. I found a rock bottom deal on strawberries a few weeks ago (62.5 cents a pound) and bought a lot. I mean A LOT! Last year I showed you how to freeze strawberries or make strawberry jam. And I still had a few bags in the freezer from last year so I found myself looking for a way to use them. I kind of stumbled upon creating this recipe in a round about way. We loved it and I've made it several times since (in the name of perfecting it, right??). It's been so enjoyable, let me just tell you. We've missed ice cream since going sugar free and while this isn't exactly ice cream, it's a REALLY easy cold dessert that satisfies that "ice cream" part of the sweet tooth.

Fresh Strawberry Slushie

I'm going to show you two ways to make this dessert - you can either use fresh strawberries or frozen. There is a little bit of a difference with the two, but both are yummy. With the fresh strawberries, the texture is a bit icier like a slushy you would find at 7-11. I think I may slightly prefer making this with fresh strawberries just because of that. But both are yummy and both are easy to make.

Fresh Strawberry Slushie
Printable Recipe

*Makes about 4 1-Cup servings

INGREDIENTS:
juice of 1 lemon (fresh lemon juice is best)
1/4 Cup honey or xagave (or more to taste)
about 3-4 Cups fresh whole strawberries, washed with stems removed (between 1 and 2 lbs.)
about 2 Cups ice

DIRECTIONS:
Add lemon juice, honey or xagave and fresh strawberries to the blender and blend until strawberries are pureed. Then add the ice and blend until mixture reaches a "slushie" consistency. Add more ice or strawberries if needed to reach desired consistency. Then taste and add more sweetener if needed. Serve immediately.

*Recipe Source: healthyfamilycookin.blogspot.com

Frozen Strawberry Slushie

Frozen Strawberry Slushie
Printable Recipe

*Makes about 4 1-Cup servings

INGREDIENTS:
juice of 1 lemon (fresh lemon juice is best)
1/4 Cup honey or xagave (or more to taste)
1 to 1-1/2 Cups water
about 3-4 Cups whole frozen strawberries

DIRECTIONS:
Add lemon juice, honey or xagave and water to the blender and blend until mixed together. Then add frozen strawberries and blend until mixture reaches a "slushie" consistency. Add more water or strawberries if needed to reach desired consistency. Then taste and add more sweetener if needed. Serve immediately.

*Recipe Source: healthyfamilycookin.blogspot.com

I love these friendly fruits :)

This week I'll be linking to some of these link parties.

Easy Pear Sauce (No Sugar)

After I posted on fresh peach syrup a few weeks ago I thought I'd try creating a no sugar pancake/waffle topping with pears. I was amazed at how easy this recipe came together and how tasty it was. Even easier than the peach syrup (and that was easy). Since I've gone sugar free six days a week, I've missed being able to eat my favorite pear jam every day. And while this is not pear jam, it is a tasty alternative that I can enjoy that is satisfyingly sweet naturally.

Easy Pear Sauce
Printable Recipe

*Makes 2-1/2 to 3 Cups Pear Sauce

*Note: I make this sauce with home-canned pears. As an alternative you can use ripened fresh, pears (make sure you've ripened them enough so that they have natural sugar otherwise it won't be very tasty) and steam in a little water until just barely tender. I don't recommend using store bought canned pears because they are too soft and when pureed turn into something that resembles, well...baby food.

INGREDIENTS:
1 Quart home-canned pears

DIRECTIONS:
Pour quart of home-canned pears into strainer and drain off juice.*See Note Below Place drained pears into a blender and pulse 4 to 5 times or until you get a chunky, applesaucey-type texture. Do not blend too much or the texture will be less than desirable. Enjoy on pancakes or waffles or just plain.

*Note: You could argue with me that this recipe isn't totally sugar free because the pears were packed in sugar syrup. I'm not going to be that picky, myself. If you're a purist, you can rinse the pears to get the remaining sugar off, or pack your pears in something other than a sugar syrup when you can them. The real reason for using sugar in the syrup when canning is to keep as much of the natural sugar in the pears as possible, otherwise it will leach out into the juice around it and the pears themselves will be left flavorless.

*Recipe Source: healthyfamilycookin.blogspot.com

I discovered a new favorite whole-grain pancake recipe that I will be posting soon! :)

Easy Pear Sauce (No Sugar)

Posted by admin

After I posted on fresh peach syrup a few weeks ago I thought I'd try creating a no sugar pancake/waffle topping with pears. I was amazed at how easy this recipe came together and how tasty it was. Even easier than the peach syrup (and that was easy). Since I've gone sugar free six days a week, I've missed being able to eat my favorite pear jam every day. And while this is not pear jam, it is a tasty alternative that I can enjoy that is satisfyingly sweet naturally.

Easy Pear Sauce
Printable Recipe

*Makes 2-1/2 to 3 Cups Pear Sauce

*Note: I make this sauce with home-canned pears. As an alternative you can use ripened fresh, pears (make sure you've ripened them enough so that they have natural sugar otherwise it won't be very tasty) and steam in a little water until just barely tender. I don't recommend using store bought canned pears because they are too soft and when pureed turn into something that resembles, well...baby food.

INGREDIENTS:
1 Quart home-canned pears

DIRECTIONS:
Pour quart of home-canned pears into strainer and drain off juice.*See Note Below Place drained pears into a blender and pulse 4 to 5 times or until you get a chunky, applesaucey-type texture. Do not blend too much or the texture will be less than desirable. Enjoy on pancakes or waffles or just plain.

*Note: You could argue with me that this recipe isn't totally sugar free because the pears were packed in sugar syrup. I'm not going to be that picky, myself. If you're a purist, you can rinse the pears to get the remaining sugar off, or pack your pears in something other than a sugar syrup when you can them. The real reason for using sugar in the syrup when canning is to keep as much of the natural sugar in the pears as possible, otherwise it will leach out into the juice around it and the pears themselves will be left flavorless.

*Recipe Source: healthyfamilycookin.blogspot.com

I discovered a new favorite whole-grain pancake recipe that I will be posting soon! :)

Fresh Peach Syrup (No Sugar)

One of the things that I've missed being sugar-free six days a week is the sweet pancake and waffle toppings that I used to enjoy. But most syrups, jams and jellies are loaded with sugar. I usually eat my waffles or pancakes with unsweetened applesauce, but recently I came up with this peach syrup as a variation that I love. 

Fresh Peach Syrup (No Sugar)
Printable Recipe

*Makes about 1 cup

INGREDIENTS:
1 Cup peach puree (I used a blender to puree the peaches) *See Note
2 Tbsp. Xagave nectar
Sprinkle of vanilla powder, optional

*Note: If peaches aren't in season you can use thawed frozen or canned peaches with all the liquid drained off

DIRECTIONS:
Combine ingredients and mix well. Serve on fresh waffles or pancakes. Refrigerate leftover syrup for up to a week.

Recipe Source: healthyfamilycookin.blogspot.com

Here's some of my favorite pancake and waffle recipes to serve this syrup on:

Wheat Pancakes

Wonderful Waffles

5 Grain Waffles with Flax Seed

This week I'll be linking to some of these link parties.

Fresh Peach Syrup (No Sugar)

Posted by admin

One of the things that I've missed being sugar-free six days a week is the sweet pancake and waffle toppings that I used to enjoy. But most syrups, jams and jellies are loaded with sugar. I usually eat my waffles or pancakes with unsweetened applesauce, but recently I came up with this peach syrup as a variation that I love. 

Fresh Peach Syrup (No Sugar)
Printable Recipe

*Makes about 1 cup

INGREDIENTS:
1 Cup peach puree (I used a blender to puree the peaches) *See Note
2 Tbsp. Xagave nectar
Sprinkle of vanilla powder, optional

*Note: If peaches aren't in season you can use thawed frozen or canned peaches with all the liquid drained off

DIRECTIONS:
Combine ingredients and mix well. Serve on fresh waffles or pancakes. Refrigerate leftover syrup for up to a week.

Recipe Source: healthyfamilycookin.blogspot.com

Here's some of my favorite pancake and waffle recipes to serve this syrup on:

Wheat Pancakes

Wonderful Waffles

5 Grain Waffles with Flax Seed

This week I'll be linking to some of these link parties.

Chocolate Chip Cookies - Yep! Sugar Free

These cookies are my dream come true. Seriously. The fact that I can still have cookies and not sacrifice my health over it makes me so happy. :) I was at a friend's house and she had made these. She knew I was sugar free and let me try one. I'll be honest and tell you that on the first bite my taste buds were taken a little off guard. The flavor is quite different than my taste buds were used to in a cookie and it might be for you too. I mean honestly, whose taste buds wouldn't choose a sugar-y chocolate chip cookie over a sugar free one, right? But by the middle of the cookie, those taste buds had forgotten their initial reaction and started rejoicing over the deliciousness of this very decadent (and healthy) cookie.

Well, I begged my friend for the recipe, and she was nice enough to share. I made them as a surprise for the kid's as an after school snack. What was their reaction? Actually my kids didn't like them at first (I think it was because of that first bite thing...and they never got past the first bite...), but I was secretly glad because it meant that I could have more...Since then I've made them again and my husband and I have ranted and raved about how good they are. My youngest gave them another try and loved them even after just the first bite. The oldest still hasn't been brave enough to get past the first bite...but he will. I'm certain. But I'm in no hurry to encourage him....cause that would mean less for me.

Chocolate Chip Molasses Cookies (Whole-grain and sugar free)
Printable Recipe

*Makes 3 to 4 dozen depending on how big you make them

INGREDIENTS:
½ Cup coconut oil
¾ Cup honey
½ Cup molasses
2 eggs
3 Cups whole grain flour (I use wonder flour; my friend uses whole-wheat)
1-½ teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups (12 ounces) dark chocolate chips (I use these homemade sugar-free chocolate pieces) *See Note

DIRECTIONS:
In a large bowl, beat the oil, honey and molasses. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. In a separate bowl combine the flour, baking soda and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture. Stir in chocolate chips (if you are using homemade sugar-free chocolate pieces *See Note below). Because of the honey, this cookie dough is very sticky. Wet your hands thoroughly to keep the dough from sticking and roll into 1-in. balls (the original recipe said this makes 7-1/2 dozen...well I didn't get anywhere near that many, but maybe it was just me...). Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 375° for 8-10 minutes or until edges are firm (maybe a minute or two longer if yours are a little bigger like mine...). Remove to wire racks to cool. Or if you're like me, gobble them up before they have even started to cool...

*Note: If you use dark chocolate chips, they do actually have some sugar in them. There are chocolate chips that you can buy that are sweetened with more natural sugars (grain sweetened I think they're called), but they are quite expensive and hard to find. That's why I used the homemade sugar-free chocolate pieces. As I mentioned in the post about them, you will have to kind of fold these into the recipe because they are so soft. Here's what I did. Instead of adding the chocolate chips to the entire batch of dough, I took a ball of cookie dough with my wet hands and folded in a 3 or 4 of the homemade chocolate pieces into each individual ball of dough and then reformed it into a ball. It worked good and shall I mention just once more that the cookies turned out amazing?

Recipe Source: Adapted slightly from a recipe shared with me by my friend Cherylyn



This week I'll be linking to some of these link parties.

Chocolate Chip Cookies - Yep! Sugar Free

Posted by admin

These cookies are my dream come true. Seriously. The fact that I can still have cookies and not sacrifice my health over it makes me so happy. :) I was at a friend's house and she had made these. She knew I was sugar free and let me try one. I'll be honest and tell you that on the first bite my taste buds were taken a little off guard. The flavor is quite different than my taste buds were used to in a cookie and it might be for you too. I mean honestly, whose taste buds wouldn't choose a sugar-y chocolate chip cookie over a sugar free one, right? But by the middle of the cookie, those taste buds had forgotten their initial reaction and started rejoicing over the deliciousness of this very decadent (and healthy) cookie.

Well, I begged my friend for the recipe, and she was nice enough to share. I made them as a surprise for the kid's as an after school snack. What was their reaction? Actually my kids didn't like them at first (I think it was because of that first bite thing...and they never got past the first bite...), but I was secretly glad because it meant that I could have more...Since then I've made them again and my husband and I have ranted and raved about how good they are. My youngest gave them another try and loved them even after just the first bite. The oldest still hasn't been brave enough to get past the first bite...but he will. I'm certain. But I'm in no hurry to encourage him....cause that would mean less for me.

Chocolate Chip Molasses Cookies (Whole-grain and sugar free)
Printable Recipe

*Makes 3 to 4 dozen depending on how big you make them

INGREDIENTS:
½ Cup coconut oil
¾ Cup honey
½ Cup molasses
2 eggs
3 Cups whole grain flour (I use wonder flour; my friend uses whole-wheat)
1-½ teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups (12 ounces) dark chocolate chips (I use these homemade sugar-free chocolate pieces) *See Note

DIRECTIONS:
In a large bowl, beat the oil, honey and molasses. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. In a separate bowl combine the flour, baking soda and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture. Stir in chocolate chips (if you are using homemade sugar-free chocolate pieces *See Note below). Because of the honey, this cookie dough is very sticky. Wet your hands thoroughly to keep the dough from sticking and roll into 1-in. balls (the original recipe said this makes 7-1/2 dozen...well I didn't get anywhere near that many, but maybe it was just me...). Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 375° for 8-10 minutes or until edges are firm (maybe a minute or two longer if yours are a little bigger like mine...). Remove to wire racks to cool. Or if you're like me, gobble them up before they have even started to cool...

*Note: If you use dark chocolate chips, they do actually have some sugar in them. There are chocolate chips that you can buy that are sweetened with more natural sugars (grain sweetened I think they're called), but they are quite expensive and hard to find. That's why I used the homemade sugar-free chocolate pieces. As I mentioned in the post about them, you will have to kind of fold these into the recipe because they are so soft. Here's what I did. Instead of adding the chocolate chips to the entire batch of dough, I took a ball of cookie dough with my wet hands and folded in a 3 or 4 of the homemade chocolate pieces into each individual ball of dough and then reformed it into a ball. It worked good and shall I mention just once more that the cookies turned out amazing?

Recipe Source: Adapted slightly from a recipe shared with me by my friend Cherylyn



This week I'll be linking to some of these link parties.

Sugar Free Chocolate Pieces a.k.a Homemade Chocolate Chips

Today I'm sharing another great sugar free recipe with you. This is a recipe that I just discovered this week that I found over at Domestic Diva and it truly will change the course of my sugar free existence. That sounds a little dramatic, but I'm really not joking here. This recipe is amazing. Throw a few of these guys in a batch of sugar free cookies (and yes....I am planning on sharing my favorite recipe with you real soon...) and you honestly feel like you've died and gone to sugar free heaven. Enjoy.

Sugar Free Chocolate Pieces (Homemade Chocolate Chips)

Printable Recipe

*Makes quite a few...

INGREDIENTS:

1 Cup butter or coconut oil

3/4 Cup honey

1 Cup cocoa powder

1 Tbsp. vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS:

Melt butter or coconut oil and honey in small saucepan. Stir in cocoa powder and vanilla extract until smooth and remove from heat. Line a 9 x 13 pan with wax paper. Pour chocolate in tray and freeze for 1-2 hours or until set. Chocolate may still be somewhat soft and pliable. Cut into small pieces. Use immediately in any recipe calling for chocolate chips or store in the refrigerator in an airtight container to use later.

*Note: Fold these homemade chocolate chips carefully when you use them in a recipe so that they stay together. Don't mix or over-stir or they'll just crumble apart. The result will still taste good, but I like to get a big bite of chocolate once and a while, don't you?

Recipe Source: Slightly adapted from domesticdiva.ca

This week I'll be linking to some of these link parties.

Sugar Free Chocolate Pieces a.k.a Homemade Chocolate Chips

Posted by admin

Today I'm sharing another great sugar free recipe with you. This is a recipe that I just discovered this week that I found over at Domestic Diva and it truly will change the course of my sugar free existence. That sounds a little dramatic, but I'm really not joking here. This recipe is amazing. Throw a few of these guys in a batch of sugar free cookies (and yes....I am planning on sharing my favorite recipe with you real soon...) and you honestly feel like you've died and gone to sugar free heaven. Enjoy.

Sugar Free Chocolate Pieces (Homemade Chocolate Chips)

Printable Recipe

*Makes quite a few...

INGREDIENTS:

1 Cup butter or coconut oil

3/4 Cup honey

1 Cup cocoa powder

1 Tbsp. vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS:

Melt butter or coconut oil and honey in small saucepan. Stir in cocoa powder and vanilla extract until smooth and remove from heat. Line a 9 x 13 pan with wax paper. Pour chocolate in tray and freeze for 1-2 hours or until set. Chocolate may still be somewhat soft and pliable. Cut into small pieces. Use immediately in any recipe calling for chocolate chips or store in the refrigerator in an airtight container to use later.

*Note: Fold these homemade chocolate chips carefully when you use them in a recipe so that they stay together. Don't mix or over-stir or they'll just crumble apart. The result will still taste good, but I like to get a big bite of chocolate once and a while, don't you?

Recipe Source: Slightly adapted from domesticdiva.ca

This week I'll be linking to some of these link parties.

Best Banana Bread

Isn't it so true that "necessity is the mother of invention"? That's been the case with me as I've started to change my diet to become sugar free six days a week. I've literally been on a rampage to convert a lot of the recipes that I love to eat to be sugar free so that I can still enjoy them. It's been a lot of fun. Today I'm sharing with you a recipe that I've made and loved for a long time, and just recently converted to be sugar free.

This recipe comes from a good friend and roommate of mine in college. She made this ALL the time and every time I make it, it reminds me of that happy time and how good it tasted to us. She called it "Best Banana Bread" and it really is. I've been making it whole grain for several years now, and really, why not? The whole grains found in it make it so delicious and flavorful, not to mention making it healthier. I love it. And I hope you enjoy it too.

Best Banana Bread
Printable Recipe

*Makes 2 Loaves

INGREDIENTS:
2-1/4 Cups Whole Grain Flour (I use Wonder Flour)
1 tsp. baking powder 

1 tsp. baking soda 
1/8 tsp. salt 
½ Cup butter 
1-1/4 Cups sugar (I use 3/4 Cup honey)

¾ Cup sour milk (3/4 Cup milk with 1 Tbsp. lemon juice or vinegar) 
2 beaten eggs 
3 ripe bananas, peeled and mashed

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350 F. In medium bowl, mix together dry ingredients. Set aside. In another medium bowl, blend the butter, sugar (or honey) and milk, until creamy. Add the beaten eggs and banana pulp and stir until thoroughly mixed in. Then add the combined dry ingredients and stir until just barely combined. Dollop the batter into 2 greased and floured bread loaf pans. Bake in the center of the oven 45-50 min. Do not overcook. The bread is done when a toothpick poked in the center comes out clean. Cool before slicing. 

Recipe Source: Adapted from a recipe given to me by my friend Lavinia

This week I'll be linking to some of these link parties.

Best Banana Bread

Posted by admin

Isn't it so true that "necessity is the mother of invention"? That's been the case with me as I've started to change my diet to become sugar free six days a week. I've literally been on a rampage to convert a lot of the recipes that I love to eat to be sugar free so that I can still enjoy them. It's been a lot of fun. Today I'm sharing with you a recipe that I've made and loved for a long time, and just recently converted to be sugar free.

This recipe comes from a good friend and roommate of mine in college. She made this ALL the time and every time I make it, it reminds me of that happy time and how good it tasted to us. She called it "Best Banana Bread" and it really is. I've been making it whole grain for several years now, and really, why not? The whole grains found in it make it so delicious and flavorful, not to mention making it healthier. I love it. And I hope you enjoy it too.

Best Banana Bread
Printable Recipe

*Makes 2 Loaves

INGREDIENTS:
2-1/4 Cups Whole Grain Flour (I use Wonder Flour)
1 tsp. baking powder 

1 tsp. baking soda 
1/8 tsp. salt 
½ Cup butter 
1-1/4 Cups sugar (I use 3/4 Cup honey)

¾ Cup sour milk (3/4 Cup milk with 1 Tbsp. lemon juice or vinegar) 
2 beaten eggs 
3 ripe bananas, peeled and mashed

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350 F. In medium bowl, mix together dry ingredients. Set aside. In another medium bowl, blend the butter, sugar (or honey) and milk, until creamy. Add the beaten eggs and banana pulp and stir until thoroughly mixed in. Then add the combined dry ingredients and stir until just barely combined. Dollop the batter into 2 greased and floured bread loaf pans. Bake in the center of the oven 45-50 min. Do not overcook. The bread is done when a toothpick poked in the center comes out clean. Cool before slicing. 

Recipe Source: Adapted from a recipe given to me by my friend Lavinia

This week I'll be linking to some of these link parties.

Honey Oat Cinnamon Rolls (Whole Grain & Sugar Free)

I set a goal at the beginning of the year to not eat sugar six days a week. How's it working? Great. But one problem I've run into is that treats are comfort food, especially for kids. I like to make a little snack for them after school and sometimes it is fun to have a sweet treat. But when sugar is in the house, I eat it too...and too much of it.

Here's a recipe that I've created that helps solve this problem. These honey oat cinnamon rolls are comfort food at it's finest, but they contain no sugar. So now I can make a healthy, sweet after school snack for the kids and if I sneak a little taste (which I always do...), I'm still sugar free... :)

I know there are some of you out there trying to control your sugar levels this year as well. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we have.

Honey Oat Cinnamon Rolls
Printable Recipe


*Makes 12-15 rolls

*Note: I realize that most of you probably don't have a 1/6 cup measuring cup lying around (I don't). I just use a 1/3 cup and measure about half. It doesn't matter if it's not exact, it will be close enough. Oh and if you measure the oil first, you can use the same measuring cup for the honey and it will slide right out. Slick, eh? :)

INGREDIENTS:
For the Dough:
1-1/2 Cups hot water, microwave on high 2 min or until quite warm ( >110° F)
1/6 Cup canola oil
1/6 Cup honey
1/2 Tbsp. salt (put in first before adding yeast)
2+ Cups freshly ground oat flour (I ground oat groats, but you can also use oatmeal ground in a blender for a few minutes)
2 Tbsp. rolled oats or quick oats
3/4 Cups gluten flour*
2 Tbsp. ground flax seed
1 Tbsp. yeast on top of flour

For the Filling:
¼ Cup butter, softened
1/2 Cup honey
Cinnamon

DIRECTIONS:
Combine the dough ingredients in stand mixer with dough hook (I use a Bosch) and mix. Add more oat flour until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Then mix for an additional six minutes. 

Immediately after mixing bread dough, roll out dough into a 12”x15” rectangle. Spread 1/4 cup softened butter around dough to coat evenly. Add 1/2 cup honey and spread until it covers the dough evenly. Then sprinkle the top with a fair amount of cinnamon, but not too much (I usually use about 1-2 tsp.).




Starting on one end, roll the dough. Dip your fingers in water and rub down the dough to seal the layers as you roll. Seal the end. Use a piece of floss or string to cut the cinnamon rolls out. Place the string under dough roll about 1” from the end of the long roll. Cross the ends of the string over the dough and pull the string so that the string cuts the dough into a 1” thick roll.

Place rolls on a greased 9x13" pan leaving a small space between so that the rolls can rise. Cover rolls with a light cloth and let rise in a warm place for 30-60 minutes or until dough has doubled. Bake rolls in preheated oven 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm.

*NOTE on the gluten flour: I use Bob's Red Mill Vital Wheat Gluten Flour that I buy at WinCo foods in their bulk bins - or you can get a 25 lb. bag of it there if you order it. I think you can also get it at Walmart in smaller quantities - like 22 oz. pkgs. You only use a little bit in each batch so it lasts a long time. It allows you to make the bread with whole-grain flour and still have it light and fluffy and stick together. This really is not an optional ingredient - you can try to leave it out, but you will end up with denser bread, that is crumbly, doesn't have as long of a shelf life and really is not as enjoyable to eat. Another option (if you're looking for one) is to use a good quality, high gluten white flour instead of some of the whole-wheat flour (experiment with how much - maybe 2 cups or more to get it to a good stick-together consistency). I'd rather spend a little more for the gluten flour because you can use less of it (which means more whole-grain flour which is better for you) and still have a great textured, tasty bread.

Recipe Source: healthyfamilycookin.blogspot.com

Linked to: Real Food Wednesday, Healthy2day Wednesday, Hearth & Soul Blog Hop, Keep it Real Thursday

Honey Oat Cinnamon Rolls (Whole Grain & Sugar Free)

Posted by admin

I set a goal at the beginning of the year to not eat sugar six days a week. How's it working? Great. But one problem I've run into is that treats are comfort food, especially for kids. I like to make a little snack for them after school and sometimes it is fun to have a sweet treat. But when sugar is in the house, I eat it too...and too much of it.

Here's a recipe that I've created that helps solve this problem. These honey oat cinnamon rolls are comfort food at it's finest, but they contain no sugar. So now I can make a healthy, sweet after school snack for the kids and if I sneak a little taste (which I always do...), I'm still sugar free... :)

I know there are some of you out there trying to control your sugar levels this year as well. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we have.

Honey Oat Cinnamon Rolls
Printable Recipe


*Makes 12-15 rolls

*Note: I realize that most of you probably don't have a 1/6 cup measuring cup lying around (I don't). I just use a 1/3 cup and measure about half. It doesn't matter if it's not exact, it will be close enough. Oh and if you measure the oil first, you can use the same measuring cup for the honey and it will slide right out. Slick, eh? :)

INGREDIENTS:
For the Dough:
1-1/2 Cups hot water, microwave on high 2 min or until quite warm ( >110° F)
1/6 Cup canola oil
1/6 Cup honey
1/2 Tbsp. salt (put in first before adding yeast)
2+ Cups freshly ground oat flour (I ground oat groats, but you can also use oatmeal ground in a blender for a few minutes)
2 Tbsp. rolled oats or quick oats
3/4 Cups gluten flour*
2 Tbsp. ground flax seed
1 Tbsp. yeast on top of flour

For the Filling:
¼ Cup butter, softened
1/2 Cup honey
Cinnamon

DIRECTIONS:
Combine the dough ingredients in stand mixer with dough hook (I use a Bosch) and mix. Add more oat flour until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Then mix for an additional six minutes. 

Immediately after mixing bread dough, roll out dough into a 12”x15” rectangle. Spread 1/4 cup softened butter around dough to coat evenly. Add 1/2 cup honey and spread until it covers the dough evenly. Then sprinkle the top with a fair amount of cinnamon, but not too much (I usually use about 1-2 tsp.).




Starting on one end, roll the dough. Dip your fingers in water and rub down the dough to seal the layers as you roll. Seal the end. Use a piece of floss or string to cut the cinnamon rolls out. Place the string under dough roll about 1” from the end of the long roll. Cross the ends of the string over the dough and pull the string so that the string cuts the dough into a 1” thick roll.

Place rolls on a greased 9x13" pan leaving a small space between so that the rolls can rise. Cover rolls with a light cloth and let rise in a warm place for 30-60 minutes or until dough has doubled. Bake rolls in preheated oven 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm.

*NOTE on the gluten flour: I use Bob's Red Mill Vital Wheat Gluten Flour that I buy at WinCo foods in their bulk bins - or you can get a 25 lb. bag of it there if you order it. I think you can also get it at Walmart in smaller quantities - like 22 oz. pkgs. You only use a little bit in each batch so it lasts a long time. It allows you to make the bread with whole-grain flour and still have it light and fluffy and stick together. This really is not an optional ingredient - you can try to leave it out, but you will end up with denser bread, that is crumbly, doesn't have as long of a shelf life and really is not as enjoyable to eat. Another option (if you're looking for one) is to use a good quality, high gluten white flour instead of some of the whole-wheat flour (experiment with how much - maybe 2 cups or more to get it to a good stick-together consistency). I'd rather spend a little more for the gluten flour because you can use less of it (which means more whole-grain flour which is better for you) and still have a great textured, tasty bread.

Recipe Source: healthyfamilycookin.blogspot.com

Linked to: Real Food Wednesday, Healthy2day Wednesday, Hearth & Soul Blog Hop, Keep it Real Thursday