Month: September 2021

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To me nothing says cooler weather dessert than bread pudding. I have always enjoyed bread pudding but when the nights get cooler and the days of Fall are here or almost here my enjoyment for this little dessert really kicks in. Now that Blueberries are still good and cheep I thought combining the two would be a great recipe to share and why not add a little bitt of Summer with the lemon so we can welcome in the Fall but with most of us are still warm this sauce is perfect for on top.

I thought that with muti-grain or brown bread with plant milk and not refined sugar makes this dessert bordering on the edge of almost healthy, not to mention the blueberries. Blueberries are low in calories but high in antioxidants. They may help with lowering your blood pressure and cholesterol plus helping prevent heart disease and cancer. I am thinking not to bad to name a few benefits in this dessert and if eaten with in reason not to bad for the waist line.

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Blueberry Bread Pudding:

Ingredients:

8 large eggs, lightly beaten

2½ cups unsweetened almond or oat milk

¼ cup pure maple syrup or 3/4 cup unrefined sugar

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1 tsp. ground nutmeg

Pinch of sea salt (or Himalayan salt)

8 slices sprouted whole-grain bread, cut into 1-inch cubes

2-3 cups fresh (or frozen) blueberries

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Preheat oven 350
Combine eggs, almond milk, maple syrup, extract, nutmeg, and salt in a
medium bowl; whisk to blend. Set aside.
Place bread and blueberries in a 13 x 9-inch baking dish or Dutch oven that is lightly
buttered.
Top with egg mixture; mix well to blend. Refrigerate, covered, for 30
minutes.

Place baking dish in roasting pan. Add water to roasting pan to come an
inch up the side of baking dish. (Baking dish will be sitting in water.)
Tent aluminum foil over roasting pan so that foil does not touch bread
pudding. Cut two slashes in foil to allow steam to escape. Bake for 35
minutes.
Remove foil. Bake an additional 35 to 45 minutes, or until bread pudding
is puffy and custard is set.

You may serve and enjoy as is or top with the lemon sauce.

Basic Lemon Sauce:

1 cup of water

1 tablespoon of butter

2 tablespoon of lemon juice ( or I use pure lemon essential oil)

1 tablespoon of grated lemon rind

1/2 cup sugar

1 tablespoon of cornstarch

pinch of salt

optional nutmeg per you taste

In a bowl add sugar, cornstarch, salt and nutmeg sift together until smooth. In a sauce pan add butter and lemon rind melt them together. Add water, lemon juice (or essential oil) bring to a boil slowly add the sugar. Continue to slowly stir on a low boil until sauce gets thickens. Remove of heat pore over bread pudding directly or store in container for no more than 5 days.

I don’t have children at home that go to school anymore but I know how the end of Summer can be for parents. The lazy summer days will give way to a busy schedule that starts way to early for most parents and last long into the night.

I honestly can say I don’t miss the back to school shopping and the dreaded home work that could turn a wonderful evening into one that made getting your teeth pulled look like a walk in the park.

I do miss the after school stories I got to hear as my kids would have their snack. The snack that I would have to get very creative with. I had a tall order it had to fill up growing kids and yet tasty enough to be enjoyed.

So for todays recipe it is such a quick simple snack that can be for after school or to take it along for a great healthy snack when you’re out. I had it as a kid (thank you mom) and my kids loved it and in fact still do.

Peanut butter has such a wide range of health benefits. From reducing the risk of diabetes, to heart health, high blood pressure, to even helping aide in decreasing the risk of contracting viral or fungal infections! You also get some pretty good protein. I could go on with the benefits but the fact that it helps with viral or fungal infections should be enough for you to load up on peanut butter with the season of spreading germs just around the corner.

My daughter with a peanut allergy didn’t miss out, I used almond, soy or cashew butter to just name a few and even if you are not allergic they are great to try.

The Peanut Butter Apple:

Wash the apple, remove the core then replace with peanut butter or peanut butter alternative.

It is that simple and such a great health quick snack that looks cute too.

 

In case you need more inspiration:

10 Healthy and Tasty Treats (kid approved)

1. Plain Greek yogurt with honey…some extra options are fruit and trail mix layered like a parfait
2. Chia Seed Pudding full of omega 3 and when you make it with your kids it turns into a great science project because these great little seeds really expand!
3. Toasted Pumpkin Seeds, so full of calcium, magnesium and potassium and you can’t get any more back to school and Fall than this.
4. Apple Sauce and get creative make your own with other fruits like Pears or peaches.
5. Homemade Trail mix this is great on its own or add it to the Greek Yogurt.
6. Smoothies, you can get creative and cheaper when you use frozen.
7. Veggies and Hummus, great source of fiber
8. Baked Apple, Kale, Sweet Potato or Beet chips
9. This is my favorite, one I had as a kid and got the recipe from the Television show Mr. Rogers. He made them and so I call them

Mr. Roger Treats

1 cup of peanut butter or any nut butter

1 cup of raisins

1 of dates

A scoop of butter

Mix all the above ingredients into balls the roll the balls into graham cracker crumbs. Place in a container and refrigerate.

My favorite time of year is almost here! I love the Fall and all things that come with it, so to share some recipes that have a touch of warm and cozy with healthy is even better. Squash is always a favorite for me and I don’t think you can get anymore of a comfort food than mac and cheese. To combine these is just the recipe for me to share. I did not come up with this great recipe, I wish I had but it comes from Beachbody and fits the 2B mindset from Ilana Muhlstein, it is only 300 calories per serving so it is a win win all around in my book.

I have been on my health journey for over three years and am happy to share that I am at a point in this new normal of mine that I have a streaming service to workout in my home plus I run a fitness group online for those who are health challenged and needing guidance plus it is always a great way to swap good recipes, struggles and wins. I will continue to share off and on my health journey and recipes that I find or come up with but I hope you enjoy and try todays.

Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese:

INGREDIENTS:

1lb dry whole-wheat macaroni

1 tsp. olive oil

1 medium onion chopped

2 medium red bell peppers chopped

3 cups cubed butternut squash

1 3/4 lo- sodium organic chicken broth ( used veggie broth)

1 cup low-fat milk ( or plant based worked too)

2 Tbsp. lo-fat plain Greek yogurt

1 cup shredded Gruyere or Swiss cheese (again you can substitute plant base for both cheeses)

1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Sea salt and ground black pepper per taste

Finely chopped fresh parsley for garnish (optional)

( if you use Nonstick cooking spray)

INSTRUCTIONS:

Preheat oven to 375° F.

Cook macaroni according to package directions. Drain and set aside. Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and bell peppers; cook, stirring frequently, for 4 to 6 minutes, or until onion is translucent. Set aside. Combine squash, broth, and milk in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium; gently boil for 22 to 25 minutes, or until squash is tender.

Place squash mixture in a blender or food processor; cover with lid and kitchen towel. Blend until smooth. Combine squash mixture, macaroni, onion mixture, yogurt, and cheeses. Season with salt and pepper if desired; mix well.

Place macaroni mixture in a 13 x 9-inch ceramic or glass baking dish that has been coated with spray. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until sauce is bubbling. Garnish with parsley if desired.