ADOPTION Update and NEW COLOR COOKBOOK

After years of waiting for my family to grow, Craig and I are on our way to pick up our boys; Baby Kai and Micah. There are no words to describe this feeling...

Thank you to all who have prayed for us along this journey!

On another happy note, my new COLOR dessert cookbook is now available. For those of you who are frustrated with how to convert almond flour to coconut flour and erythritol to Just Like Sugar, here is your answer! I have all the conversions along with WHY I use certain ingredients.

This book is gluten free and also gives dairy free options for the recipes. Click HERE to order!

This isn't JUST an "eye-candy" cookbook (although it does have beautiful photos), it also has health facts; such as how stop cancer from growing, what acid blockers do to our body and how to heal the intestines naturally, how to calm detrimental menopausal symptoms, cholesterol facts, thyroid boosting foods, how to heal a 'tired toxic liver', and so many other tips. This book is meant to read like a magazine; quick fun facts with color photos and recipes with nutritional comparisons (calories, fat, protein, carbs and fiber). Below is a sneak peak of what the inside looks like...

This is the first in a series of color cookbooks I plan to write. The next will be a SAVORY cookbook, then a BABY and KIDS cookbook, and a HOLIDAY book. The title says it all, we all NEED to eat, but to eat HEALTHY is an Art!

I will be holding a Christmas Tasting Party and Book Signing at my home on Saturday December 10th starting at 5pm and it will go until all the samples are gone! I know the ingredients aren't cheap and this way you can sample some of the desserts to decide on which ones you would like to make.

I want to give a special thank you to Rebecca Oberle. She helped me so much on this book and she did it all for a few baked treats from my kitchen. What an amazing woman she is! (She also donated breastmilk for Baby Kai!). I also want to thank Jamie Schultz for the cover photo.

Whatchamacallit Candy Bar

At my baby shower, we played the "poopie" diaper game...where you melt different candy bars in diapers and you pass them around to guess what candy bar it is. One of them was a WHATCHAMACALLIT. That game gave me a great idea! I could make these with Whey Crisps! WHATCHAMACALLITs have a peanut-flavored crisp inside with a layer of caramel and a milk chocolate coating.

WHATCHAMACALLITs are a old-time favorite of mine, but now that I know what trans-fats and fructose does to my cells, I won’t touch that stuff!

Ingredients: Sugar, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Crisp Rice, Partially Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil (Palm Kernel and Soybean Oil), Vegetable Oil (Cocoa Butter, Palm, Shea, Sunflower and/or Safflower Oil), Partially Defatted Peanuts, Nonfat Milk, Chocolate, Partially Hydrogenated Coconut Oil, Corn Syrup Solids, Whey (Milk), Contains 2% or Less of: Dairy Butter (Milk), Milk Fat, Salt, Mono- and Diglycerides, Soy Lecithin, Molasses, Barley Malt, Vanillin (Artificial Flavor), Disodium Phosphate.


Peanut Butter Crispy Center:
3/4 cup Swerve (or erythritol and 1/2 tsp stevia glycerite)
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup natural Peanut Butter
3 cups whey crisps

Combine the first 3 ingredients in a saucepan and warm until melted and mixed well. Add the whey crisps and mix. Form tinfoil into candy bar shapes. Pour batter into the tinfoil shape. Let cool in fridge or freezer until set.

Caramel Layer:
1/2 cup xylitol (or Just Like Sugar)
3 TBS butter
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream

Before you begin, make sure you have everything ready to go - the cream and the butter next to the pan, ready to put in. If you don't work fast, the xylitol will burn. You may want to wear oven mitts; the caramelized sugar will be much hotter than boiling water. Heat xylitol on moderately high heat in a heavy-bottomed 2-quart or 3-quart saucepan. As it begins to melt, stir vigorously with a whisk or wooden spoon. As soon as it comes to a boil, stop stirring. You can swirl the pan a bit if you want, from this point on. As soon as all of the xyltiol crystals have melted (the liquid should be dark amber in color), immediately add the butter to the pan. Whisk until the butter has melted. Once the butter has melted, take the pan off the heat. Count to three, then slowly add the cream to the pan and continue to whisk to incorporate. Note than when you add the butter and the cream, the mixture will foam up considerably. Whisk until caramel sauce is smooth. Let cool in the pan for a couple minutes, then pour into a glass mason jar and let sit to cool to room temperature. Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Add a layer of 1 TBS caramel on top of the whey crisp mold. Set in freezer to set up.

CHOCOLATE SAUCE:
2 TBS grass fed butter or coconut oil
1 oz unsweetened baking chocolate
10 TBS heavy cream
1/4 cup Swerve (or erythritol)
1 tsp stevia glycerite

Place the butter and chopped chocolate in a double boiler (or in a heat safe dish over a pot of boiling water). Stir well until just melted (don't burn the chocolate!), add in the cream, and sweetener. Stir until smooth and thick. Take frozen whey crisp mold out of the freezer and roll in the chocolate. Set the candy bar on parchment paper to cool and set. Makes 12 servings.

NUTRITIONAL COMPARISON (per serving)
Traditional Whatchamacallit = 222 calories, 28.5 carbs, 0.9 fiber
“Heathified” Whatchamacallit = 210 calories, 3.8 carbs, 1.5 fiber

Caramel "Popcorn"

Many of my clients often grab popcorn as a bed-night snack. 5 cups of air popped popcorn is very low in calories, but it is ALL SUGAR! 38 grams of carbohydrates = 9.5 teaspoons of sugar in our blood, which is way too much (and this is just plain AIR POPPED popcorn...no caramel sauce on it). Complex carbohydrates are just glucose molecules hooked together in a long chain...our body breaks it apart into blood sugar. In air popped popcorn, there is no fat to slow the insulin spike from happening (which is why I always use full fat real foods AND never a carbohydrate by itself). Our Brain Neurotransmitters also get out of balance when we have chronic high insulin levels...cravings, moodiness, depression, anxiety or fatigue...

This is how weight gain happens...
First, insulin tells your body to eat, particularly sugar or carbohydrates. If you follow cravings, insulin rewards you with extreme gratification (dopamine). Second, insulin escorts the energy from these foods, which is now blood sugar, to wherever it is needed in the body. It tells the liver to turn any extra carbohydrate into triglycerides, to be stored in the fat cells. And third, it orders the body to keep the food energy locked inside the fat cells, not burning it for energy, but storing it…increasing triglyceride levels!



"Popcorn":
7 eggs, separated
1 cup vanilla egg white or whey protein
OPTIONAL: 2 tsp guar gum/xanthan gum (chewy taste)
2 tsp vanilla extract (or other extract: almond, coconut, maple)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Separate the eggs (save the yolks for a different recipe), and whip the whites in a clean, dry, cool bowl for a few minutes until VERY stiff (see photo). Blend in the whey protein and extract. Grease a bread pan. Pour batter into pan and bake for 35 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool completely before cutting (I usually wait until the next day). Once cool, cut into small popcorn sized squares. Set aside.

Caramel Layer:
1 cup xylitol (or Just Like Sugar)
6 TBS butter
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

Just Like Sugar: Before you begin, make sure you have everything ready to go - the cream and the butter next to the pan, ready to put in. Work fast or the sweetener will burn. Heat butter on high heat in a heavy-bottomed 2-quart (2 L) or 3-quart (3 L) saucepan. As soon as it comes to a boil, watch for specks of brown (this is brown butter....so good on veggies!). Immediately add the Just Like Sugar® and the cream to the pan. Whisk until caramel sauce is smooth. Let cool in the pan for a couple minutes, and then pour into a glass mason jar and let sit to cool to room temperature. Store in the refrigerator up to 2 weeks. Drizzle all over the cheesecake just before serving. You can also top with pecan pieces.

Xylitol: Again have everything ready. Wear oven mitts; the caramelized sugar will be much hotter than boiling water. In a heavy-bottomed 2-quart (2 L) or 3-quart (3 L) saucepan, heat sweetener on moderately high heat. As it begins to melt, stir vigorously with a whisk or wooden spoon. As soon as it comes to a boil, stop stirring. You can swirl the pan a bit if you want, from this point on. As soon as all of the xylitol crystals have melted (the liquid should be dark amber in color), immediately add the butter to the pan. Whisk until the butter has melted. Once the butter has melted, take the pan off the heat. Count to three, then slowly add the cream to the pan and continue to whisk to incorporate. Note that when you add the butter and the cream, the mixture will foam up considerably. Whisk until caramel sauce is smooth. Let cool in the pan for a couple minutes, then pour into a glass mason jar and let sit to cool to room temperature. Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

NUTRITIONAL COMPARISON (per 2 TBS)
Traditional Caramel Sauce = 130 calories, 24 carbs, 0 g fiber
“Healthified” Just Like Sugar = 51 calories, 12 carbs, 12 g fiber, (0 effective)
“Healthified” Xylitol Caramel = 60 calories, 1 carb, 0 fiber (1 effective)

Place the "popcorn" bread onto a baking sheet. Warm caramel until soft and pour over the "popcorn." Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for 40 minutes, turning every 15 minutes, or until the caramel has hardened onto the "popcorn." Let cool and enjoy! Makes 10 servings.

NUTRITIONAL COMPARISON (per serving)
Traditional Caramel Corn = 317 calories, 39.5 carbs, 4g fiber
"Healthified" Caramel Corn = 198 calories, 5.9 carbs, trace fiber

Cannoli

Oh my, these are a favorite!



SHELL:
2 egg white
2 TBS butter (melted)
2 ounce cream cheese (softened)
1/2 cup almond flour
1/2 cup vanilla egg white or whey protein

Heat a pizzelle skillet on high. Whip the white until frothy, not stiff. Add the almond flour, vanilla whey and other ingredients. Mix until smooth.
Place 1 TBS dough onto greased skillet, close tightly. Let sit for 1-3 minutes depending on skillet directions. While you are removing, before it cools, roll into a cylinder shape. Set aside to cool.

FILLING:
3/4 cup whole milk ricotta cheese (drained overnight w/ cheesecloth & squeezed dry)
3/4 cup mascarpone cheese (or cream cheese)
1/4 cup Truvia (or stevia glycerite to taste)
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
A pinch of salt

Mix filling ingredients together. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use (at least a couple of hours). Use a ziploc ( cut the corner ) and pipe into the shells. Let the filling smoosh out of each end of the shells, just a tad. Keep the cannoli refrigerated until dessert time or whenever you are ready to serve. Makes 12 servings.

NUTRITIONAL COMPARISON: (per cannoli)
Traditional Cannoli = 250 calories, 7g fat, 4g protein, 44 carbs, trace fiber
"Healthified" Cannoli = 118 calories, 8g fat, 8.4g protein, 1.6 carbs, trace fiber

Click HERE to find the Pizzelle Maker I love!

Fruit Roll Up

Again, food manufacturers have created a snack that will increase our waistline with added Corn Syrup and TRANS-FAT!!! Even TIMES MAGAZINE claims that fruit roll ups are one of the top foods NOT to feed your children!

Yellow 5, Red 40, and six other widely used artificial colorings are linked to hyperactivity and behavior problems in children and should be prohibited from use in foods, according to the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest. The group today formally petitioned the Food and Drug Administration to ban the dyes, several of which are already being phased out in the United Kingdom. The other six dyes are Blue 1, Blue 2, Green 3, Orange B, Red 3, and Yellow 6.

Synthetic food dyes have been suspected of disrupting children's behavior since the 1970s, when Dr. Ben Feingold, a San Francisco allergist, reported that his patients improved when their diets were changed. Numerous controlled studies conducted over the next three decades in the United States, Europe, and Australia proved that some children’s behavior is worsened by artificial dyes, but the government did nothing to discourage their use and food manufacturers greatly increased their reliance on them.

Fruit Roll Up Ingredients: Pears from Concentrate, Corn Syrup, Dried Corn Syrup, Sugar, Partially Hydrogenated Cottonseed Oil, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, Acetylated Monolycerides, Fruit Pectin, Dextrose, alic Acid, Vitamin C, Natural Flavor, Color (Red 40, yellows 5& 6, blue 1)

SO, the prepackaged fruit roll ups have: Added Sugars, Processed Oils, Preservatives, Dyes, Low Ingredient Quality, 0 Fiber, and 95 mg Sodium. Click HERE for my book that has Tons more info.



"Healthified" Fruit Roll-Up:
4 cups strawberries (or other fruit)
1/2 cup water
4 TBS Just Like Sugar (TOTALLY OPTIONAL)

Place strawberries (and sweetener if using) in a food processor and blend until smooth add in the water. Place the mixture in a saucepan and bring to a simmer for 10-15 minutes to cook the fruit.

Lightly spray a large cookie sheet or baking dish (I used 2 lasagna pans) with coconut oil spray. Turn oven to 140 degrees and dehydrate for 8 hours. Make sure to keep your oven low enough so you don't bake the fruit, just dry it. OR you can use a dehydrator. Click HERE to find the one on my "wish list!" Makes 8 servings.

NUTRITIONAL COMPARISON (per serving)
Store Bought Roll Up = 55 calories, 0.5g fat, trace protein, 13 carbs, 0 fiber
"Healthified" Roll Up = 23 calories, 0.2g fat, 0.5g protein, 5.5 carbs, 1.4g fiber

Look at that beautiful color! These tasted great with no chemical, plastic-like flavor.

JUST LIKE SUGAR is a sweetener made from chicory root, calcium, vitamin C, natural flavor, orange peel.
SWEETNESS = Same as table sugar. Use cup for cup.
CALORIES = 0
Just Like Sugar has none of the strong aftertastes of stevia or artificial sweeteners.
BENEFITS = Keeps ice cream soft, makes perfect caramel sauce, makes cookies soft on the inside and chewy on the outside, it tastes great. Click HERE to find Chicory Root Benefits.

Cinnamon Rolls

1/2 cup blanched almond flour
1/2 cup vanilla egg white or whey protein
1 tsp baking powder
3 TBS butter or coconut oil, softened
1 egg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Sift almond flour with whey and baking powder. Add the rest of the ingredients together until you have a smooth dough.

Place a sheet of plastic wrap on counter, then spray with coconut oil spray. Place dough on greased plastic, push the dough down a bit, and spray with another layer of coconut oil. Top with another sheet of plastic wrap. Roll the dough out with a rolling pin until a long rectangle shape (9x12) or so. Then remove the top layer of plastic.

CINNAMON FILLING:
3 TBS Butter or coconut oil, softened
3 TBS Cinnamon
3 TBS Swerve (or erythritol and 1/4 tsp stevia glycerite)


Mix all ingredients together and spread evenly over the dough...make sure the top layer of plastic is off. Roll up dough using the edge of the plastic to make a tight log. Cut into 2 inch pieces. Bake for 8 minutes or until baked through (insert a toothpick to check doneness...the toothpick should come out clean).

FROSTING:
6 TBS cream cheese or coconut cream, softened
3 TBS butter or coconut oil, softened
2 TBS Confectioners Swerve (or erythritol and 1/4 tsp stevia glycerite)
A little almond milk (to thin it out)

NUTRITIONAL COMPARISON (per roll)
Make 6 Rolls
"Cinnabon" Cinnamon Roll = 730 calories, 199 carbs, trace fiber...YIKES!!!
"Healthified" Cinnamon Roll with frosting = 323 calories, 3 carbs, 1 fiber
"Healthified" Roll without frosting: 172 calories, 2 carbs, 1 fiber