In the past few weeks, we have had two times that it has snowed! We have really enjoyed them! Last time, Jason was still at work and the icy roads made his travel time a lot longer than normal. He did finally make it home and then we got to spend the next day together playing in the snow and having fun. It was a very dry snow that time, so it froze very quickly. We had a blast!
Then, yesterday evening/this morning it started snowing again! We were thrilled! This time, since Jason didn't have to go in to work all, we played in it and built a snowman. We tossed snow balls back and forth at each other. We just enjoyed our time while the snow was here. (It still is here!) :)
While the cold had set in outside, I was thinking about what I could make to fill a craving I had for something sweet. Last week I had made some banana muffins. Jason suggested I make some more. There was one problem... we were out of bananas! Well, no bananas, no banana muffins. But I knew that we had apples and carrots. Carrot cake is good. Apple muffins are good. How about putting them together and making something even better?! So I did. The banana bread recipe I used is from an Amish cookbook called Wow! This is Low Cholesterol and Sugar free and is super simple! I love that I can make it with just a few basic ingredients and that it doesn't require a lot of time. Jason specifically loves that it is a moist muffin with just the right texture... not too moist and flaky, not too dense and heavy.
To create this recipe I simply substituted 1 cup of a small apple, cubed and 1/2 cup of 1 medium carrot, grated for the mashed banana. I love this series of cookbooks! They use as many fresh ingredients as possible to create a wonderful, wholesome diet that nourishes their families as well as possible. There is another cookbook for creating allergy free dishes as well as one for baking sugar free desserts for those with blood sugar issues. If I could, I would have each one on my shelf to reference when I cook. :)
I hope others are enjoying the snow!
Showing posts with label Whole Grains. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Whole Grains. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 12, 2014
Friday, June 21, 2013
Alfredo, Healthy-fied (is that a word?) :-)
Welcome! Here is another of my Foodie Friday entries just for my own records. I hope you are enjoying seeing some of these as much as I am enjoying sharing them with other people!
One of my favorite dishes of all time is Spaghetti with Alfredo sauce. I think of it as comfort food! The only problem is that Jason's body can't handle Alfredo sauces that I would get out of the store or in restaurants. So I was searching for another way to use spaghetti one day and I found this recipe. I knew that some of the original ingredients might not work for Jason, but that I could tweak it to meet our needs. I was thrilled!
This is my variation of Rocco's Alfredo Sauce:
Prep. Time: 3 minutes Cook Time: 20 minutes Serves: 4 meal-sized portions
Ingredients:
1/2 pkg. whole grain thin spaghetti
salt
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. corn starch (or 2 Tbsp. flour, if you don't have corn starch)
1/2 cup low-sodium fat-free chicken broth
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste
2 cloves fresh crushed garlic (more if needed. I also substitute 1/2 Tbsp of garlic powder, and it tastes just as good!)
1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated; plus more for on top
6-oz. plain greek yogurt
1. Bring large pot of water to a boil. Add the salt and the thin spaghetti. Boil until desired tenderness is reached, then drain the water off.
2. Meanwhile, put the oil and the corn starch in a pan over low heat. Stir continuously while adding the broth a little bit at a time, until a nice sauce consistency has been reached. (You can use more or less broth, as you need to.) Stir in the spices (add any others that you like! Sometimes I add diced onion. It just tastes great!) Add the cheese and mix until completely incorporated and melted. Remove sauce from heat and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Fold in the yogurt until well incorporated. Dish up the spaghetti and spoon the alfredo sauce over top. Serve and enjoy!
What is your favorite pasta recipe?
According to the Spark People Recipe Calculator, this recipe has:
One of my favorite dishes of all time is Spaghetti with Alfredo sauce. I think of it as comfort food! The only problem is that Jason's body can't handle Alfredo sauces that I would get out of the store or in restaurants. So I was searching for another way to use spaghetti one day and I found this recipe. I knew that some of the original ingredients might not work for Jason, but that I could tweak it to meet our needs. I was thrilled!
This is my variation of Rocco's Alfredo Sauce:
Prep. Time: 3 minutes Cook Time: 20 minutes Serves: 4 meal-sized portions
Ingredients:
1/2 pkg. whole grain thin spaghetti
salt
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. corn starch (or 2 Tbsp. flour, if you don't have corn starch)
1/2 cup low-sodium fat-free chicken broth
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste
2 cloves fresh crushed garlic (more if needed. I also substitute 1/2 Tbsp of garlic powder, and it tastes just as good!)
1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated; plus more for on top
6-oz. plain greek yogurt
1. Bring large pot of water to a boil. Add the salt and the thin spaghetti. Boil until desired tenderness is reached, then drain the water off.
2. Meanwhile, put the oil and the corn starch in a pan over low heat. Stir continuously while adding the broth a little bit at a time, until a nice sauce consistency has been reached. (You can use more or less broth, as you need to.) Stir in the spices (add any others that you like! Sometimes I add diced onion. It just tastes great!) Add the cheese and mix until completely incorporated and melted. Remove sauce from heat and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Fold in the yogurt until well incorporated. Dish up the spaghetti and spoon the alfredo sauce over top. Serve and enjoy!
What is your favorite pasta recipe?
According to the Spark People Recipe Calculator, this recipe has:
| Calories | 546.0 | |
 | ||
| Total Fat | 10.9 g | |
| ||
| Saturated Fat | 5.2 g | |
| ||
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 0.4 g | |
| ||
| Monounsaturated Fat | 4.7 g | |
| ||
| Cholesterol | 19.8 mg | |
| ||
| Sodium | 557.1 mg | |
| ||
| Potassium | 26.9 mg | |
| ||
| Total Carbohydrate | 6.5 g | |
| ||
| Dietary Fiber | 0.0 g | |
| ||
| Sugars | 1.9 g | |
| ||
| Protein | 15.3 g | |
| ||
| Vitamin A | 3.5 % |
| |
| Vitamin B-12 | 5.8 % |
| |
| Vitamin B-6 | 1.3 % |
| |
| Vitamin C | 0.0 % |
| |
| Vitamin D | 0.0 % |
| |
| Vitamin E | 3.1 % |
| |
| Calcium | 39.4 % |
| |
| Copper | 0.5 % |
| |
| Folate | 0.5 % |
| |
| Iron | 1.5 % |
| |
| Magnesium | 3.2 % |
| |
| Manganese | 0.3 % |
| |
| Niacin | 0.4 % |
| |
| Pantothenic Acid | 1.3 % |
| |
| Phosphorus | 20.2 % |
| |
| Riboflavin | 5.7 % |
| |
| Selenium | 9.4 % |
| |
| Thiamin | 0.8 % |
| |
| Zinc | 5.4 % |
| |
|
|
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs. |
Friday, June 14, 2013
Jason's Breakfast
Good Morning Everyone!!
I thought I would share Jason's filling breakfast with you. I know that many people have heard that oatmeal is a fabulous breakfast, but it is one of the best breakfasts for my husband. It gives him sustained energy to accomplish what he needs to during the morning hours. He eats it every morning.
Jason's Oatmeal
1 1/2 serving of oatmeal, cooked according to the directions (this could be quick oats, old-fashioned oats or steel-cut oats)
1 tablespoon peanut butter (we use smucker's natural because it is sugar free and only has peanuts and less than 1% salt)
2-3 teaspoons raw honey, to taste (we prefer an all-natural, raw honey sourced from local keepers if we can get it.)
dash of milk (to cool everything off and make it not quite so thick.)
He stirs everything in as soon as the oatmeal comes off the stove, so that it doesn't thicken too much, then eats it with fruit or applesauce. It is filling!
If I am eating of a morning, he will make 2 servings and just heap the peanut butter on the spoon. On active, busy mornings, it will keep me going for a good 4 hours or so before I start feeling hungry again!
I thought I would share Jason's filling breakfast with you. I know that many people have heard that oatmeal is a fabulous breakfast, but it is one of the best breakfasts for my husband. It gives him sustained energy to accomplish what he needs to during the morning hours. He eats it every morning.
Jason's Oatmeal
1 1/2 serving of oatmeal, cooked according to the directions (this could be quick oats, old-fashioned oats or steel-cut oats)
1 tablespoon peanut butter (we use smucker's natural because it is sugar free and only has peanuts and less than 1% salt)
2-3 teaspoons raw honey, to taste (we prefer an all-natural, raw honey sourced from local keepers if we can get it.)
dash of milk (to cool everything off and make it not quite so thick.)
He stirs everything in as soon as the oatmeal comes off the stove, so that it doesn't thicken too much, then eats it with fruit or applesauce. It is filling!
If I am eating of a morning, he will make 2 servings and just heap the peanut butter on the spoon. On active, busy mornings, it will keep me going for a good 4 hours or so before I start feeling hungry again!
Friday, June 7, 2013
Favorite Breakfast... Whole Grain Pancakes!!
Hello all!
I am going to try to share my favorite recipes on Fridays.This will provide others with an idea of how we eat, but it may also help others who struggle with hypoglycemia to find options that work for them. This pancake recipe is not mine. I found it in a Reader's Digest cook book called Magic Foods For Better Blood Sugar and have adapted it for our family's tastes and needs. I like to make 1-2 batches at a time and put the extras in the freezer to pull out for a quick, easy breakfast. Jianna really enjoys these, also. So, without further comment, here is the recipe for our favorite breakfast.
Prep. Time: 20 minutes Cook Time: 15-20 minutes Makes: 8 servings of 2 pancakes each
Ingredients:
2 cup low-fat buttermilk
1/2 cup old fashioned rolled oats
1 1/3 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup toasted wheat germ
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon (When I make this for Jason, we omit the cinnamon. It drops bloodsugar levels.)
2 large eggs
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar (I prefer to use Sucanat 1:1 ratio, if at all possible. It is crystalized sugar cane juice. It doesn't interact with Jason's bloodsugar. Another option is to half the amount and use that much honey. Here, it would be 2 Tablespoons.)
1 Tablespoon Canola Oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions:
1. Mix buttermilk and oats in a medium-sized bowl. Set aside 15 minutes to soften the oats.
2. Whisk the whole wheat flour, wheat germ, baking powder and soda, salt and cinnamon together in a large bowl.
3. Whisk the eggs, sugar, oil and vanilla in a medium-sized bowl. Add the buttermilk mix and stir to incorporate. Add a little bit at a time to the flour mixture and whisk so that no lumps form. Add the rest of the liquids and mix the batter together well.
4. Heat up a lightly greased skillet or waffle iron over medium heat. Pour 1/4 cup of batter onto heated surface. Cook until it looks dry around the edges (it will look wet in the center still, but dull around the edges) and bubbles have burst on the surface of the pancake. Turn over and cook until lightly browned on other side. Remove from heat and either serve imediately or cool to freeze.
Served with pancake syrup, fruit and maybe yogurt or sausage, this is an amazing breakfast!
Nutritional information:
292 calories
8 g. protein
60 g. carbohydrates
3 g. fiber
3 g. total fat
1 g. saturated fat
56 mg. cholesterol
331 mg. sodium
Like they say in Romania, "Pofta buna!" (translation: Enjoy your meal!)
I am going to try to share my favorite recipes on Fridays.This will provide others with an idea of how we eat, but it may also help others who struggle with hypoglycemia to find options that work for them. This pancake recipe is not mine. I found it in a Reader's Digest cook book called Magic Foods For Better Blood Sugar and have adapted it for our family's tastes and needs. I like to make 1-2 batches at a time and put the extras in the freezer to pull out for a quick, easy breakfast. Jianna really enjoys these, also. So, without further comment, here is the recipe for our favorite breakfast.
Prep. Time: 20 minutes Cook Time: 15-20 minutes Makes: 8 servings of 2 pancakes each
Ingredients:
2 cup low-fat buttermilk
1/2 cup old fashioned rolled oats
1 1/3 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup toasted wheat germ
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon (When I make this for Jason, we omit the cinnamon. It drops bloodsugar levels.)
2 large eggs
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar (I prefer to use Sucanat 1:1 ratio, if at all possible. It is crystalized sugar cane juice. It doesn't interact with Jason's bloodsugar. Another option is to half the amount and use that much honey. Here, it would be 2 Tablespoons.)
1 Tablespoon Canola Oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions:
1. Mix buttermilk and oats in a medium-sized bowl. Set aside 15 minutes to soften the oats.
2. Whisk the whole wheat flour, wheat germ, baking powder and soda, salt and cinnamon together in a large bowl.
3. Whisk the eggs, sugar, oil and vanilla in a medium-sized bowl. Add the buttermilk mix and stir to incorporate. Add a little bit at a time to the flour mixture and whisk so that no lumps form. Add the rest of the liquids and mix the batter together well.
4. Heat up a lightly greased skillet or waffle iron over medium heat. Pour 1/4 cup of batter onto heated surface. Cook until it looks dry around the edges (it will look wet in the center still, but dull around the edges) and bubbles have burst on the surface of the pancake. Turn over and cook until lightly browned on other side. Remove from heat and either serve imediately or cool to freeze.
Served with pancake syrup, fruit and maybe yogurt or sausage, this is an amazing breakfast!
Nutritional information:
292 calories
8 g. protein
60 g. carbohydrates
3 g. fiber
3 g. total fat
1 g. saturated fat
56 mg. cholesterol
331 mg. sodium
Like they say in Romania, "Pofta buna!" (translation: Enjoy your meal!)
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