Home-Made Apple Dumplings

I love fall and during this breezy season what is better than a warm home-made apple dumpling?

Nutrition:
Servings: 16
Kcals per serving: 180 kcals
Fat per serving: 5 grams
Sodium per serving: 230 mg

Ingredients:
2 large golden delcious apples, peeled and cored
2 (10 oz) cans of refrigerated crescent roll dough
.5 cup butter
.5 cup sweetened applesauce
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 can of Diet Mountain Dew or Diet Gingerale

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Lightly spray a baking dish.  Cut each apple into 8 wedges and set aside. Separate crescent roll dough into triangles.  Roll each apple wedge in a crescent roll dough starting at the smallest end.  Pinch to seal and place in baking dish.  Melt butter in a saucepan and stir in cinnamon, sugar, and applesauce.  Pour over the apple dumplings.  Pour Dt. Mt. Dew over the dumplings.  Bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm with Arctic Zero Vanilla Maple Ice Cream!

Ghoul-tastic Sweets for Halloween

Halloween is right around the corner, along with all the Halloween candy!  While I certainly understand it is tempting to "splurge" for the once a year festivities, I encourage everyone to remember the key word: moderation.  So try some of these recipes for a fun treat with friends or kids. They are guilt-free, delicious, and won't leave you with a belly-ache!

Ghoul-Pops
Nutrition:
Servings: 6
Kcals per serving: 100 kcal
Fat per serving: 4.6 grams
Sodium per serving: 3 mg

Ingredients:
1 cup shredded coconuts
3 bananas
12 chocolate chips
6 raisins
1.5 cup orange juice
6 popsicle sticks

Directions:
Peel banana and cut in half width-wise. Insert popsicle stick in flat end of banana. *Be careful not to break banana in half. Continue with all six "ghost pops".  Place in freezer for 4 hours. Dip frozen banana into orange juice. Roll banana in coconut. Place two chocolate chips on banana for "eyes". Place 1 raisin for "mouth".  Enjoy this potassium-filled treat!

Dracula Teeth
Nutrition:
Servings: 4
Kcals per serving: 200 kcals
Fat per serving: 6 grams
Sodium per serving: 5 mg

Ingredients:
1 large apple
8 tablespoons peanut butter
20 candy corn pieces
Lemon juice
4 cups water

Directions:
Stir lemon juice into water. Using an apple slicer, slice/core apple into 8 equal portions.  Place apple slices into lemon water.  Let sit for 15-20 minutes.  Drain and pat dry with a towel.  Spread  1 tablespoon peanut butter on one side of each apple slice.  Push candy corn into peanut butter on apple slices.  Top with another slice of apple.

*Optional: Don't like candy corn? Substitute for mini marshmallows or sliced almonds!

Key-Lime Pie

My birthday was earlier this month and one of my all-time favorite treats is Red Lobster's Key-Lime Pie.  It's just so refreshing and tasty!! Honestly, I wouldn't mind eating it everyday.  After looking at the nutrition facts, I noticed it had 580 kcals per serving, 22 grams of fat, and 450 mg of sodium!  I made it my goal to recreate a healthier version that is just as tasty! Try it out and tell me what you think!

Nutrition:
Servings: 12
Kcals per serving: 230 kcal
Fat per serving: 8 grams
Sodium per serving: 180 mg

Ingredients:
1 graham cracker crust
14 oz sweetened condensed milk
5 eggbeaters
4 limes, juice and zest
4 kiwis, cut into thin slices

Directions:
Heat oven to 375 degrees. Whisk condensed milk, eggbeaters, juice, and 4 teaspoons zest until it forms a thick, cream-like mixture.  Pour over graham cracker crust and smooth the top with a spatula.  Bake until edges are firm but center slightly jiggles. (around 10-15 minutes)  Cool for 30 minutes. Decorate with kiwi slices and chill for 1 hour.

Meatless Monday Ideas

Today, I wanted to emphasis the trend "Meatless Monday's" and incorporate a few meatless recipes.  If you are not already familiar with Meatless Monday, it is an international campaign encouraging people to not eat meat on Monday as a way to improve their healthy and the health of the planet.  Studies have shown there are several benefits to going meatless once a week including preventing conditions such as cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and obesity. It is also a great way to reduce your carbon footprint, limit water usage, and help reduce fossil fuel dependence.
Here are some great ideas you can try today!

Breakfast:
Instant oatmeal with nuts and dried cranberries
Low-fat yogurt layered with crunchy cereal or granola and fruit
Almond butter spread on a bagel with banana slices

Lunch:
Veggie Sandwich. Slice tomato, pepper, onion, cucumber, and avocado in a whole grain pita
Large salad with dried cranberries, nuts, fruit or tofu
Veggie burger with mushroom, tomato, and lettuce on a whole-grain bun
Peanut butter and banana sandwich with carrots and celery
Chili made with beans and vegetables for an extra crunch with cornbread

Dinner:
Tofu and veggie stir-fry with brown rice
Whole-grain pasta with tomato sauce plus vegetables (eggplant, mushroom, tomatoes, peppers, and onions)
Taco or burrito filled with beans and vegetables or tofu
Veggie pizza topped with tofu
Tomato soup and whole-grain crackers

Snacks:
dried fruit
trail mix
nuts
popcorn
low-fat or fat-free yogurt
hummus and pita wedges
smoothie made with frozen berries and banana

Peanut Butter Recipes

I love peanut butter. I mean LOVE it. I could easily sit down with a spoon and eat half a jar. While I would never recommend that, yesterday I read an informative article about how peanut butter can reduce the risk of breast cancer. (the link to the article is located below) Since October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, I wanted to create a few healthy food options that incorporated peanut butter.

Healthy Recipe Number 1:
Peanut Butter, Banana, and Chia Seed Bagel

Ingredients:
1 bagel
2 tablespoons peanut butter
1 banana sliced
1/2 teaspoon chia seeds

Directions:
Toast bagel, place 1 tablespoon peanut butter on each side of bagel, top with banana slices and sprinkle with chia seeds.

Healthy Recipe Number 2:
Peanut Butter Protein Bars

Ingredients:
1/3 cup honey
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 cup peanut butter
5 cups raisin bran
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup chopped Craisins
1/3 cup protein powder

Directions:
Heat honey in a large pot. Add sugar and stir until bubbled. Add cinnamon. Continue stirring. Stir in peanut butter and protein powder. Remove from heat and stir in raisin bran and Craisins. Line pan with foil and press mixture firmly on foil. Place in fridge for 4-5 hours. Cut, serve, and enjoy!

Healthy Recipe Number 3:
Apple, Peanut Butter, and Granola Sandwich

Ingredients:
1 apple, cored
2 tablespoons peanut butter
1/2 cup low fat granola

Directions:
Core apple and slice apple horizontally in several slices to create "bread". Spread two apple slices with 1 tablespoon peanut butter. Sprinkle with granola.



Link to article:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2438566/Teenage-girls-eat-peanut-butter-twice-week-reduce-risk-breast-cancer-39.html