MagicallyDelicious

Healthy breakfast?  I mean, normally I’d rather make pancakes or waffles drenched in butter and syrup.  Or bacon.  Or more bacon.  MMmmbacon.  Oh but that’s not what this post is about.

This is a MyPlate recipe, which means it’s balanced and (gulp) healthy.  But don’t let that stop you.  This was a quick, delicious little plate of filling breakfast.  You won’t even notice it’s healthy, I swear.  And if you think it’s too good for you, just sprinkle a little full fat cheese in there.

Check it out and make yourself a lovely breakfast pita for here or on the run – it’s a fork-free alternative to that greasy round puck of mcgrease and it doesn’t take any more time than sitting in the drive thru.  You can grab this delicious breakfast recipe here.

The picture even refused to upload right side up, and I refuse to try to fix it.

I’ll start by saying, I’d planned to write a post talking about how good this banana bread is, and showing a lovely picture.  But I decided instead to tell the truth.  I’ll preface by saying, none of this is the recipe’s fault.  The parts of the bread I could salvage did taste good, and I’d recommend trying this recipe.  But not if you’re having a day like mine.

I tend to be an all or nothing kind of person.  So when I have a day where things go wonky, I’m all in.  I can’t just have one thing go bad and move on.  I have to be sure that everything I touch goes far, far South.  Today I blew up things at work that would normally be a walk in the park.  And then blew them up again, inexplicably.

Normally when I have this kind of day, I turn straight to baking.  Stress baking I call it.  Because there’s something really centering about following a recipe precisely, and knowing that the result will be something beautiful and delicious that people will drool over and/or enjoy thoroughly.  It gives me something to focus on for an hour, helps me clear my head and move on.

Today was not a clear my head and move on kind of day.  Enter: the Paleo Banana Bread Incident, which it will be called from now on.

I read the recipe as I always do.  Gathered, measured and mixed the ingredients as always.  Slid it in the oven and set the timer as always.  And let my nose be my guide.

About 10 minutes before the recipe said it would be done, the bread smelled done.  I’ve never made this recipe before, and haven’t ever worked with almond flour before.  So I went with what I knew about a white flour bread, checked with a toothpick that came out clean, pushed on it and it felt firm, and it was dark brown on the outside like a white flour bread would look when it’s done.  So I did what I rarely do and moved away from the recipe and took it out early.

It stuck to the bottom of the pan, which isn’t unusual for my pan – I keep meaning to get a new one.  I flipped it over and instead of the torn bottom I expected…goo.  It looked like oatmeal inside.  So I flipped it back into the pan and put it back in the oven.  I figured it couldn’t get any worse, and I was right.

I was able to salvage about 3 small slices of the bread and the only way to make it look decent was to cut those slices in half down the middle.  What was done was very good, and as I said when I started this long, sad story, I’d recommend making it if you’re a gluten-free or paleo baker.  I’d probably add a little salt – it’s not as sweet as a normal banana bread but it’s good.

The picture above is what happened when I tried to slice it.  It came apart in strange clumps and the best I could do was get a few pieces from around the edges.  I should have taken a picture of the goo, but I was still in denial, and hoped I could salvage the destruction.

In any case, I hope you have learned from my mistakes.  The morals of this story are:

1. Follow the directions if you have no experience making a recipe.  The rules are probably there for a reason.
2. Everyone has off days – whatever your skill level there will be some flops.  You can laugh or cry; laughing’s more fun.
3. Make sure I don’t try to help you in any way if you see I’m having one of *those* days.  There’s no telling what could happen to you.

If you dare take advice from me tonight, give the Paleo Banana Bread a try – it’s good if you, you know, bake it all the way through.

This isn’t my normal kind of treat, but as part of the AllRecipes AllStar program, we get monthly activities to do and this was one of them.  Fiber One sent us some cereal and our job was to make the haystacks and create an original recipe of our own.

I will admit, honestly, I’m not a fan of the cereal on its own.  It’s just my food issues I’m sure, but the texture doesn’t make me smile, and my stomach really doesn’t enjoy it.  So, this challenge was more of a challenge than normal.

That said, the haystacks are a pleasant surprise.  I can say the texture still isn’t tops on my list even with the the chocolate coating, but even I think these aren’t bad.  The peanut butter and chocolate add just enough sweet, and if I just have one or two of them, my stomach doesn’t turn them into pain and anger.

And if you’re watching your weight or your Weight Watchers points, they won’t add much to your totals, and they’re pretty filling from the fiber.

So, would I happily reach for them instead of a cupcake?  Probably not.  But they’re a nice replacement for something sweet when I’m watching my calories, and they’re super easy to make.

Click to get the recipe.

According to the Griesels, many of the ingredients left over from your holiday meal can make great low fat/carb meals. “Instead of stacking turkey on slices of white bread that only contributes to weight gain,” they say, “make a big pot of turkey vegetable stew that fuels your body to burn fat and stay satisfied at the same time.”

Looking for something easy to do with that leftover turkey you’re serving for Christmas Dinner? Try this recipe and enjoy a healthy comfort meal:

TURKEY VEGETABLE STEW

1¼ cups sliced carrot
1 cup sliced celery
¾ cup chopped onion
¾ cup water
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
2 tablespoons tomato paste, salt-free if possible
2 (10-ounce cans) low-sodium chicken broth
1 (15-ounce can) of whole Tomatoes (no-salt-added), undrained and chopped
¼ teaspoon pepper
¼ teaspoon hot sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 ½ cups chopped cooked turkey breast (skinned before cooking and cooked without salt)
1 (10-ounce) package frozen English peas, thawed
1 (10-ounce) package frozen spinach or okra, thawed

Combine first 8 ingredients in a large Dutch oven. Add next 3 ingredients, stirring well to combine. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes. Stir in turkey, peas, and spinach or okra; simmer, uncovered, 10 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Makes 9, 1-cup servings.

Dian Griesel, Ph.D, TurboCharged®, http://www.turbocharged.us.com

Avoiding the typical 5-10 pounds most people pack on during the holiday season doesn’t have to be painful. In fact, it can be quite enjoyable with a little planning, preparation and simple, yet powerful mindset shift.

First, always bring your own dish or two when invited to a party. Make a decadent, healthy dessert and/or side dish that you and the other party-goers will love without the guilt. No one will even guess that your platter of raw chocolate coconut balls are good for you and have little to no sugar.

Next, allow yourself to experience the pleasure that food is meant to give you. Most individuals stuff their faces without really tasting the food and this leads to overeating. Give yourself permission to enjoy every bite of your raw chocolate coconut balls and eat them with mindful awareness as you relish in their rich deliciousness. You will feel more satisfied with less food, not feel deprived and wake up New Year’s morning happy to step on the bathroom scale.

Chocolate Coco Balls

Ingredients:
1 cup shredded coconut
4 tbsp raw cacao (raw chocolate)
1/4 cup raw agave nectar
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp sea salt

Directions:
Mix thoroughly in a bowl
Shape into balls and place on a non-stick platter
Put in freezer for one hour and enjoy!

Optional:
Put an almond in the center of each ball

Kelly Cornell, Holistic Nutrition Coach, KellyCornellWellness.com

Try making this sweet treat to bring to your next holiday party to provide a delicious, healthy alternative to the sugary baked goods that usually adorn the dessert table.

Enjoy the taste of pumpkin pie with only a fraction of the fat and calories.  Pumpkin pie is a holiday staple that along with delicious flavor is often high in sugar, fat and calories. Make this light Pumpkin Souffle that is friendly on the waistline and is sure to satiate your pie craving!

Pumpkin Souffle

Ingredients:

1 1/2 C Pure Pumpkin (Canned Pumpkin)
1 tsp Cinnamon
1/2 tsp Vanilla extract
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 C powdered sugar
1/4 tsp chili powder
6 egg whites
4 Boxes Organic Mini Fillo Shells (12 count – The fillo factory brand)
Additional powdered sugar for Brulee

Instructions:

Using an electric hand mixer, combine pumpkin, vanilla, nutmeg, chili powder, powdered sugar and cinnamon until well blended. In a separate bowl, beat egg whites on high speed until it forms stiff peaks. Gently fold in egg whites with the pumpkin mixture, being careful not to collapse the egg whites. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil Scoop 1 tablespoon of pumpkin filling into each of the mini fillo shells and place on baking sheet. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.

To make the brulee, thinly spread powdered sugar on aluminum foil and broil for a minute or two – watch carefully so the sugar doesn’t burn or catch fire. Allow brulee to cool, break into pieces and place on top of pumpkin souffles

Notes: If you don’t have mini fillo cups, no worries, the souffle bakes nicely in cupcake baking cups (I used Reynold’s) as well as standard souffle dishes.

Vianessa Castaños, Actress, Recipe Developer & Fitness Junkie

AllRecipes user Crystal

Delicious dessert doesn’t have to be loaded with fat and sugar.  Enjoy this less-guilty version of the traditional pumpkin pie on your Thanksgiving table this year.

Your guests won’t even notice that a lot of the fat and sugar are missing.  Pumpkin brings fiber, potassium, vitamin A and beta-carotenes to this make-ahead pie.

If you’d prefer to not use Splenda, substitute one can of sweetened condensed milk (14 oz.) for the evaporated milk and Splenda.

AllRecipes.com

Celery, onion, garlic, parsley and basil pack this stuffing with antioxidants, vitamin A and phytochemicals. Be sure to cook this separately – stuffing your turkey compromises the quality of your bird, and can lead to unsafe food temperatures in your stuffing.

This recipe makes enough stuffing to accompany a 10 to 12 pound turkey. Originally submitted to ThanksgivingRecipe.com.

AllRecipes user: Roysaper

Turkey is a great source of protein, B vitamins and is low in saturated fat.  Consider using olive oil and herbs with your bird this Thanksgiving instead of butter to roast a flavorful bird without adding the saturated fat.

This recipe for Rosemary Roasted Turkey can also be used for Cornish game hens, chicken breasts or roasting chicken. Select a turkey sized according to the amount of people you will be serving.

AllRecipes user mulan922

Here’s another opportunity to sneak in the vitamins and minerals of sweet potatoes in a delicious bread for your Thanksgiving table.  This is definitely a make-ahead item to reduce the cooking rush on Thankgiving day.

These are great with soups and stews as well.  Make a big batch and freeze the extras.  To use them from frozen, let them defrost for approximately an hour, place on a lightly greased cookie sheet and bake for about 10 mins. at 300º.