Monday, June 25, 2012

Cool (sugar-free) Treats

The past few days have been really hot...

I would have loved a mocha-swirl iced coffee or some ice cream!

Instead, I added some coffee ice cubes to some unsweetened vanilla almond milk (thank you, Trader Joes!) and enjoyed a cool & refreshing summer treat! (I saw this idea on Pinterest a while back...)

Another yummy (and naturally sugar-free) treat is our Friday Morning Special:
Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie! (TGIF!)
This smoothie was particularly delicious after going for a 3-mile run on a pretty warm morning.

Healthy Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie: (2 large servings)
2 bananas
3 T. unsweetened cocoa powder
3 T. all-natural peanut butter
1 1/2 c. unsweetened almond milk
1 (heaping) c. ice


Blend all ingredients in a blender, and divide into two tall glasses. Enjoy!


empty glass = sad :(

Also, before starting the 10-day sugar-free challenge, I made a yummy coconut mango sorbet.

I had been wanting to make sorbet, since it seemed like a healthier and delicious alternative to ice cream, but most recipes that I saw (such as this one) called for a fair amount of sugar.

I came across one, though, that only called for mango, coconut milk, lime juice, and maple syrup, and I think it would be great even without the maple syrup!
(I made this before the sugar-free challenge)

Mango Sorbet (recipe found here)
serves 4
*note: this takes a while to make, due to the two separate freezing times

1 large ripe mango
Juice of one lime (1-2 T.)
8 oz. coconut milk (light or regular)
(optional: 1-2 T. maple syrup)
unsweetened shredded coconut for garnish
Blend all ingredients in a blender.
Pour into an ice cube tray or silicone muffin tin, and freeze for at least 2 hours.
Take frozen mixture out of freezer, and let soften for 30 minutes or so.
Blend in a blender or food processor (or mush with a fork if you don't have one).
Pour back into a shallow dish and stick back in the freezer to harden again.
Scoop into 4 bowls and enjoy!

Sugar(free) Magnolias!

The other day I did something fun.

Mike wanted to go out to breakfast at Sugar Magnolias, but I hesitated, since I'm doing this 10-days of no sugar, I thought I'd rather go when I can have a big yummy pancake or something...plus it's a little pricy. So instead, I created "Sugar-Free Magnolias" (doubly appropriate, since we live in Magnolia!) with a menu and everything!

I filled the menu with yummy options from the original Sugar Mags menu (which I would make using recipes from spoonfulofsugarfree, such as these and these), and my own creations as well.


Mike ordered the "My Big Fat Greek Omelet" (a solid choice) which came with a side of sweet potato home fries (to make those, I roughly followed this recipe)

"My Big Fat Greek Omelet" = 2 eggs, whisked with a splash of milk, a sprinkle of sauteed red onion, feta cheese, and snipped fresh oregano



Sweet potato home fries (2 servings):
peel and dice 1 small/medium sweet potato.
Put potato in a small pot with water, and bring to a boil. Boil for 8 minutes.
mix some paprika (2-3 tsp?) and coarse salt (1/2 tsp?) in a dish.
In a skillet, saute 2 garlic cloves (minced or sliced) and diced red onion (2 T.?)
Drain the potatoes and let them air dry for a minute.
Add the potatoes to the skillet, along with the paprika & salt. 
Stir to coat.
Grind some black pepper over the top, and stir again. 





Good to the last drop! =)

It was so much fun to pretend to be a real breakfast cafe!

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

I Kissed Sugar Goodbye (for 10 days)

This past weekend some friends and I decided to join a 10-day Sugar-Free Challenge from Sugar Free Alex . Today is Day #1 and so far so good!

I have been trying to cut back on sugar anyway, so I already have a bunch of meals that I love that have no added sugar. Some things, however, are more of a challenge (coffee?!).

One of my favorite breakfasts happens to be sugar-free: refrigerator oats with fruit!

This morning I made it with blueberries. :) 


I got the recipe from katheatsrealfood and I love it. I usually leave out the banana and I add berries instead.

Here's the basic formula:
1/3 c. oats
1/3 c. plain yogurt
1/3 c. milk (I use almond milk)
1/2 T. chia seeds
pinch of salt
dash of cinnamon
1/2 c. fruit of choice

Mix ingredients together in a mason jar and refrigerate overnight! Yum!

For lunch we had super yummy Thai Crunch Chicken Salad, although I had to make a separate dressing for myself because the one in the recipe has sweet chili sauce, which I assume has sugar in it. This is a great lunch for summer - light, refreshing, healthy, and packed with flavor and crunch!

I modified the recipe a little - I left out the brown sugar (and I'm glad I did!), didn't have edamame, and added some Sriracha for added kick. Yum.




I love the way green onions look all sliced up... :)


I'm not sure what to have for dinner yet, but I'm thinking Fish Tacos and grilled corn on the cob....:)

Monday, June 11, 2012

First Days of Summer!

Summer is here! (for us, at least...)
For me, that means (among other things):
peaceful mornings
gardening
and time to make yummy food! 

I woke up before Mike did on Saturday, so I thought I'd wake him up with a yummy summery breakfast in bed ~ yogurt with sliced strawberries and toasted oat-nut topping*.
*oat-nut topping =t 3 T oats, 2 T sliced almonds, and a sprinkle each of shredded coconut, raw sugar, and ground cinnamon toasted on medium in the toaster oven

I happened to have sweet potatoes, celery, apples, and cilantro (and our garden is bursting with radishes!) on hand all at the same time, so for lunch I decided to make one of our favorite salads from the Whole Living cleanse - the Sweet Potato, Celery, and Apple salad. Unfortunately, we didn't have fresh ginger, which really makes it tasty, and I used the food procesor rather than julienning everything, so it was a little soggy rather than crisp...but still good! Also, we added avocado. =)


Sunday morning I couldn't decide whether to use up some leftover fruit in a smoothie, or make these yummy-looking peanut butter banana oat bars that I had seen on Pinterest...so I made both.
yum! pb + banana + oats = :)

This weekend we finally started paying attention to our yard & garden again...
I got to plant some more seeds & plants (thanks to the LMK greenhouse & home depot!)
Above: marigolds from H. Depot stand guard over newly planted rows of peas & beans. At the top of the bed are tomatoes, peppers, and herbs.
Below: both beds, with Mike starting to dig a fruit tree hole!
 In this bed: tomatoes (top), beets, lettuce, spinach, radishes, carrots (not yet sprouted), and squash (same)
the trees that we'll be planting today! One Pear and one Apple :)

Last year, our friend & neighbor, Annie, gave us some of her mom's raspberry canes...now they are thriving! I can't wait til the get ripe!

Sunday night I finally made something I'd been wanting to make for a couple weeks:
Super Tasty Pesto Pasta Salad! (inspired by Giada's Fusili with Spicy Pesto)

10 oz. bag of spinach (or one bunch, at least 6 oz.)
4 cloves garlic
1 jalapeno pepper
2 tsp. coarse salt
1 tsp freshly ground pepper
1-2 c. freshly shredded asiago cheese (although I used Parmesan today because that's all I had...)
1/4 c. olive oil
fresh basil to taste (I used 4 stalks? 1/2 cup?)
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 can white cannellini beans
1 lb pasta, such as fusili, rotini, or something else that will grab the pesto

In a food processor, blend the garlic, jalapeno, cheese, salt & pepper until smooth. Add in the spinach, tearing off the tough stems. Add in the basil. While processor is running, drizzle in the olive oil and lemon juice. Blend until smooth. Toss with cooked pasta. Drain & rinse the beans, and mix them into the pasta (or you could substitute chicken!). Garnish with more shredded cheese! Enjoy!

*Giada's recipe looked so good, but I didn't want to pay for arugula or walnuts, and I thought that it needed basil & lemon to brighten it up...

This is what happens when I make the pasta ahead of time and stick in a tupperware in the fridge! Haha...
 MMM!

 I sprinkled some lemon zest on top too, but you couldn't really tell...