An Apple a Day

Apples are yummy this time of year. You can find fresh apples in every store as well as the opportunity to go pick apples right from the tree around NH right now. How many recipes can you think of for apples? How many are healthy? Ok probably a lot, right? Well, this one is so easy and so versatile! I like to make mine over a bonfire or campfire but you can make them right in the oven as well. All you need is fresh apples, some honey and some raw sugar--oh and a source of heat!

First you want to wash the apples and make sure they are free from inhabitants--of course the marketplace should have already done that for you but if you picked your own you may want to double check. After washing them you can place them onto your roasting stick--look for a good thick stick because apples do outweigh marshmallows. You want to keep it out of the actual fire so you are not just creating apple coals, roll the apple slowly in the heat of the flames.



Once you see the skin begin to crack and the apple juice bubbling out you know the apple is ready!

Roasted Apples
Serves 2
1 tbls raw honey
1 tsp raw sugar
2 pinches Apple Pie Spice


In a small bowl add honey and sugar along with apple pie spice, or cinnamon and nutmeg, or even pumpkin pie spice--whatever spices you like--heck add in a small pinch of cayenne pepper spice for something totally delicious and different.

Place your very hot apple onto a plate (use caution, please note I said VERY HOT) and then spoon the spiced honey mixture onto the top center of the apple and allow it to melt with the heat of the fruit until it coats almost the entire apple.
Share with a friend!

You can bake the apples in an over, without the seasoning , at about 350 degrees. Once the apples are done the skin will begin to wrinkle ad pop and juice will bubble out, remove from the over. Then apple the topping as directed above.


There are really tasty and warming to the soul as well as the belly!

Chasing the Ice Cream Truck is Not Cardio

Well, we are having quiet a wave of heat right now in New Hampshire. this heat has actually causes the Ice Cream trucks to drive up and down my street in the afternoons--it's melody calling out to the world "Summer is Here--Enjoy a Treat!" and of course many of us on a fitness journey are rarely satisfied with a serving portion of ice cream. For those of you not in-the-know; a serving portion is 1/2 a cup worth. How small is a that you may be wondering? Do you remember those Dixie paper cups we used to rinse our mouths out with after brushing? Yeah--not quit that much. So, I got to thinking about ice cream and how to make it Squeaky. A good friend of mine and someone who is a quoted review in our book told me about using xanthan gum in her protein shakes to thicken it. I decided to experiment and was more than thrilled with the results! The texture is ice cream--smooth, rich and creamy.


Ladies and gents--we give you:

Squeaky Gourmet Ice Cream
Serves 2

8 fluid ounces chilled skim milk
1 scoop vanilla protein powder
1 average sized FROZEN banana (roughly 4 ounces peeled)
1 tbls Xanthan gum

In a blender on high speed blend the milk, protein powder and gum until a smooth, rich consistency is reached. Chop frozen banana and add slowly to the ice cream as it is being blended. Poor into 2 goblets and chill in the freezer for at least 30 minutes.
You can top this with DaVinci sugar free syrups, chopped nuts, fruits--I added hemp hearts to mine!

Calories per Serving: 169
Carbohydrates: 24 grams
Fiber: 5 grams
Fats: 1 gram
Protein: 16 grams

Let them eat FRUIT!

I am doing a presentation at the end of April to a near by health food store. This presentation is to offer parents healthy food choices to their kids in a fast food and sugar laden marketing world. I know how hard it is to even get through the local market without my kids asking me to purchase something they have seen on TV or in a kids magazine because of the FUN FUN FUN feeling the advertisers place on the food product. For our children, they cannot separate the wonderful world of fantasy and the foods being marketed to them. We as parents have to battle that same child like excitement and innocence when we just drive past McDonald's or wander through the cereal isle at the grocery store. We also have to keep in mind, kids are programmed just like we are. There cannot be a negative to represent a positive. Meaning, we cannot simply say, we do not eat those foods (negative) and not offer a solution of what they CAN eat (positive). All that will do is offer resistance to our desires and we already have enough resistance from the kids as it is, right? So, I am on a quest to offer delicious alternatives to my own five test subjects, one of which DOES cry when I suggest she eat fruit as a snack. My work is cut out for me, I assure you!

Today I want to share with you 2 recipes, one which is so easy you will be thrilled! Let's share the easy one first. My youngest daughters love this recipe. The dip tastes like a rich luscious frosting because we use a low fat sour cream versus a low fat yogurt.


Fresh Fruit and Vanilla Dip
2 pounds fresh strawberries-washed and hulled
2 pounds seedless grapes-washed
1/2 cup low fat sour cream
2 tbls sucanat
1 1/2 tsp Vanilla
1 tbls honey

Wash the fruit and set aside on a paper towel to dry. Mix the sour cream with the vanilla and sugar until well blended. It may take a bit for the sucanat to blend with the sour cream so I let it sit after the first blending and then mix again before serving.

Arrange the fruit on a plate with a dollop of the dip and a drizzle of the honey on top of the dip.

The second recipe tastes better the next day. However, it is also fantastic served warm with some of the vanilla dip from the above recipe!




Raspberry Oat Bars
2 cups old fashioned oats
1 cup gluten free pancake mix
1 Stick Butter
3 tbls honey
1/2 cup sucanat
1lb frozen raspberries-thawed
2-3 tbls ice water





Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a mixer add the pancake mix and oats and blend well.
Melt the butter and honey in a pan when the butter is fully melted add the sucanat to the liquid and blend.

When the butter and sugar are mixed into a dark liquid add slowly to the oat mixture while blending on low speed adding just enough ice water to create a meal like texture to the mix. This will look like a pie crust dough, crumbly but holds form when pinched together. Press half the mixture firmly into a parchment lined 9"cake pan.

In a separate bowl add the raspberries and blend with a hand mixer until pureed. Add the berried evenly to the "pastry dough" . Make sure that it is evenly spread since there is a lot of liquid which you do not want pooling on the dough causing it to lose its firmness. Cover the berries with the remaining crust and bake for 35 minutes or until golden brown.
Allow to cool for 5 minutes and then cut into bars but do not remove from the pan until they are cooled.