Healthy In Candy Land

Oct 19 2012

Healthy Halloween No Bake Balls

By Candy

Guess what?

There are only twelve days until Halloween!

I am getting more and more excited, doing more and more decorating, and this weekend I have big plans to build something for our yard to add to our existing decor. I may need an intervention soon.

Look what I found today at the book store:

Of course I had to have it.

Before I do anything else though, we need to talk balls.

Specifically, Halloween balls.

There must be a gazillion recipes out there on the internet of various types of healthy no-bake balls that are reminiscent of traditional balls of cookie dough. But these you can eat without the guilt of regular cookie dough, or risk of salmonella.

We make balls all the time. They are a quick, easy, portable snack that is nutrient dense and good for you. Kids love them, and grown ups love them too. We pack them in school lunches, have one before or after a workout, or before soccer practice, whenever.

I decided to Halloween-ify a couple different recipes and make them the latest edition to a healthier Halloween menu, along with my previously featured Halloween smoothie.

For the first one I made Laura’s Coconut Brownie Bites from Mommy Run Fast.

I ground the unsweetened coconut a bit finer in the Vitamix and tinted it orange with some natural orange food coloring. (It’s made from annatto seeds, not cancer-causing chemicals.)

I then inserted a piece of pretzel stick and voila–little chocolatey, healthy Halloween pumpkins!

They are delicious! And nutritious! Chock-full of healthy fats, antioxidants, and protein and free of any refined sugar.

Plus, they are sort of adorable, don’t you think?

But wait, there’s more!

Next, it was time to get a little more gory.

Naturally, no-bake dough balls were screaming to be turned into no-bake eye balls.

These were adapted from Laura’s PB-Oat Balls, but I made a few additions and changes.

No Bake Peanut Butter Eye Balls

by Candy Ladenburg

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: –

Keywords: raw dessert snack gluten-free sugar-free peanut butter oats coconut Halloween fall

Ingredients (Makes about 10 eyeballs)

1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup old fashioned rolled oats
1/4 cup oat flour (ground oats)
4 T maple syrup
3-6 T water
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut
2 T chocolate chips
1 natural dried fruit strip, optional

Instructions

Add peanut butter, oats, oat flour, and maple syrup to food processor and process until well combined.

Add water, one tablespoon at a time until mixture comes together and starts to form a ball.

Using a cookie dough scoop, form and roll into ~1 inch-balls.

Roll in coconut until completely covered.

Insert a chocolate chip, tip side down, onto center of ball until flat side of chocolate chip is nearly flush with the doughball.

If desired, use natural fruit strip, cut into small pieces to form eyebrows.

Refrigerate or freeze for about 20 minutes to set up.

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator or freezer.

Does it feel like someone’s watching you?

And then, because some people are not fans of coconut, I made some without it, and molded them using some fun Halloween ice cube trays I found at the Dollar store.

What do you think?

Are you getting excited for Halloween or am I the only one?

Posted in Dessert, Gluten-free Adventures, Halloween, Kid Stuff, Recipe, Snacks, Sugar alternatives, Treats, Vegan, Vegetarian | 8 Comments »

Oct 18 2012

Apple Pie Granola

By Candy

There I was, in the middle of the kitchen, concentrating on making a new-to-me recipe for dinner, while the dog kept wandering in right next to my feet, checking to see if I dropped anything on the floor since the last time he checked 32 seconds earlier.

He does this every. single. time. I cook.

And every single time he is told to get out of the kitchen while I am cooking.

How many times has he been stepped on under such circumstances?

Many.

But he doesn’t learn. He really is a smart dog, but apparently he has a short term memory, because “Out of the kitchen!” seems to only apply to the few seconds it takes to say those words.

The slight chance (okay, if I am cooking chances are better than slight) that he will find a dropped morsel and be rewarded for his diligence apparently outweigh the risk of a severe maiming injury.

While I do appreciate him cleaning up the floors for me, I’d rather not see him suffer any broken bones in doing so.

Anyway, somehow, while reading a recipe and cooking, shooing the dog out of the kitchen, answering questions about 4th grade geometry homework and listening to a tediously verbose description of the events that took place during first grade recess, an idea popped into my head.

A granola idea.

(Don’t ask me how there was room for granola in there. My mind works in weird ways.)

I was so excited about this idea though, that instead of planning for teaching my first art classs of the year the next morning, I set to work on making granola immediately after dinner.

While still shooing the dog out of the kitchen.

Apple Pie Granola

by Candy

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 45-60 minutes

Keywords: bake dessert snack breakfast gluten-free vegan apple oats fall winter

Ingredients (Makes about 8 cups)

2 sweet, crisp apples (Fuji or Honeycrisp work well)
6 cups old fashioned rolled oats
1 cup walnuts, chopped
1/2 cup pepitas
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp cardamom
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup raw sugar
1/2 cup maple syrup
4 T coconut oil, melted
4 T unsweetened applesauce
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp almond extract

Instructions

Preheat oven to 275*.

Slice apples into thin slices (a mandolin would be great, or just a knife and a careful hand) works too.

Place slices in a single layer on parchment paper and bake, flipping halfway through, for 60 minutes, or until dry, crispy and beginning to turn golden brown.

Set aside to cool.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, mix dry ingredients for granola (oats, nuts, spices & sugar). Set aside.

In a small bowl, mix wet ingredients (syrup, oil, applesauce, vanilla & almond extract).

Add wet ingredients to dry and stir until evenly coated.

Turn out onto a large baking sheet (or two regular sized sheets) and bake for 45-60 minutes, stirring every 15-20 minutes, until light golden brown.

Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.

Once completely cooled, break or cut apple chips into small pieces and add to cooled granola, stirring to combine.

Store in an airtight container.

(For a more detailed explanation you can check out my post on how to make apple chips.)

I am not trying to toot my own horn, but guys, this tastes just like apple pie.

You know how I love apples, right? And apple pie is my favorite pie of all, but I haven’t had it in years since going gluten free.

Tragic, I know.

But now? I can have it every single morning if I want.

For breakfast!

Right after I shoo the dog out of the kitchen. Again.

Posted in Breakfast, Dessert, Gluten-free Adventures, Recipe, Snacks, Vegan | 6 Comments »

Oct 16 2012

Halloween Smoothie

By Candy

Guess what I recently realized?

It may sound like blasphemy in the blog world at this time of year, but….

I don’t really like pumpkin all that much.

(Gasp!)

I do like it in savory dishes, but as for the sweet pumpkin flavor that is everywhere you look at the moment, I’m just not a huge fan anymore. I guess I used to be, because as I was sifting through my recipes I found several that I blogged about last year.

My taste buds must have changed in my old age. First I start liking coconut, then I start disliking pumpkin?

So, what is one to do when they have been dubbed The Queen of Halloween, is planning several festive functions to celebrate the greatest day of the year, and the idea of one more pumpkin flavored thing is enough to make them go batty?

They make a smoothie.

An orange-colored, delicious tasting, perfect-for-a-healthy-Halloween menu smoothie. With no pumpkin in sight.

(Except a jack-o-lantern or two!)

Halloween Smoothie

by Candy

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: –

Keywords: raw beverage breakfast snack gluten-free vegan sugar-free carrots orange Halloween fall summer

Ingredients (Makes 2 servings)

1 cup unsweetened almond milk (or milk of choice)
2 oranges, peeled
1 banana, peeled and frozen
1 large carrot, top removed
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 scoop vanilla brown rice protein powder (I use Sun Warrior)

Instructions

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth and creamy.

Serve immediately.

Don’t worry, as The Queen of Halloween, I am all for a festive treat or two during the Halloween season–a few handfuls of candy corn here and there are not going to kill anyone. But bag after bag of candy corn and Hershey’s Fun Size bars, and pumpkin cupcakes and bat-shaped cookies with black frosting and green jello with gummy worms sticking out of it and white chocolate covered donut holes that look like eyeballs all on the same day is just. too. much. The month of October should be filled with fun, not diabetes!

Yes, Halloween can be done healthy.

There are plenty of real food items that can dress your Halloween table with all the festive fun this day deserves.

I have a few more ideas in store, so stay tuned! But don’t worry, I am not going this far:

Posted in Dessert, Halloween, Party!, Raw food, Recipe, Smoothie, Sugar alternatives, Treats, Vegan, Vegetarian | 11 Comments »

Oct 14 2012

What’s For Dinner 3.0

By Candy

I will do my best to compose myself long enough to get this post finished, as I am still on a fantastic high from seeing Wicked last night! I woke up this morning with the music still playing in my head!

The show was nothing short of amazing and instantly became my favorite musical of all time. And I’ve seen many! I will try to refrain from singing for the remainder of this post.

Here we are at week 3 of the Menu Planning Challenge, and I am still going strong. It took some forethought and some serious planning ahead this week (why yes, I do plan ahead to get planning done), but it will so be worth it–we have another busy week in store.

Last week’s menu went well and I didn’t have to make any changes from it. I have to admit, it was kind of nice not having to cook three of the nights!

This week though, all of our dinners will be at home, so while that means there will be lots of good stuff available, it also means I will need to rely on some quick-fix meals a few nights. I am making an effort to try out some of the gazillion recipes from other blogs I have bookmarked to try, and I included two of them this week.

Here we go:

Monday: Mexican Crockpot Casserole with Tempeh–Mondays have become crockpot nights thanks to busy days and soccer practice during my usual cooking time. I don’t have many vegetarian crockpot recipes so when I come across one, I get excited to try it. This week I am using Happy Healthy Mama’s recipe as a base and giving it a Mexican spin. I can’t wait to try it–thanks, Maryea!

Tuesday: Chana Dal–another lovely find, from Sharon at Bit of the Good Stuff. We love Indian food and as soon as I saw it I knew I wanted to devour try it.

(source)

(Sharon has so many beautiful, delicious, healthy recipes I always end up drooling on my keyboard whenever I visit her blog. You might want to go visit too, just sayin’.)

Wednesday: Breakfast for Dinner: Scrambled Eggs, Fruit & Pancakes–My little guy has soccer practice on Wednesdays too, so it’s another night I don’t have much time to cook. It’s been a long time since we’ve had breakfast for dinner and since Laura put together such an awesome collection of healthy pancake recipes last week I’ve had pancakes on the brain. I have no idea which recipe we’ll try–it’s going to be a difficult choice!

Thursday: Fresh Rolls with Tofu–these were on the menu the week before last but they got bumped by something hot on a chilly night. Cameron has specifically requested them for this week.

Friday: Pizza Friday! Check out this old post to see my two favorite pizza chefs in action. I consider myself pretty spoiled to get to have such incredible, healthy homemade pizza each and every week!

Saturday: Salad & Sweet Potato Fritters–it’s Erik’s poker night so just the boys and I will be having dinner. This is an easy dinner that I know they like (I just leave out the strong spices to make them more kid-friendly). This will leave us more time for harvest partying, soccer playing, and movie watching.

Sunday: Apple Chili–It might sound weird, but trust me–it is amazing. We have been stockpiling organic apples at the farmer’s market every week before it closes down for the winter (their price is a full dollar per pound less than the grocery store sale price!) so I will use up a few of them here.

And there you have it, dinner is planned. Be sure to check out the other menu plans (or link up your own!) at Mommy Run Fast! to see what else is for dinner this week around the blogosphere. There are many good ideas to be had!

Question: What are you having this week? Do you make any meals that sound sort of weird but actually taste delicious? Have you seen Wicked?

Posted in Dinner, Vegetarian, Weekly Menu Plan | 19 Comments »

Oct 11 2012

Fried Pineapple with Maple Greek Yogurt and Toasted Coconut

By Candy

Never mind that it was the 10th of October and we had our very first day of true fall-like weather, complete with misty fog and temperatures that never rose above 50 degrees.

Never mind that everyone else on the planet is noshing on seasonal apple and pumpkin desserts and snacks as if their life depended on it.

Never mind that it takes some serious kahunas to do a healthy makeover on a Weight Watchers recipe.

Never mind because even though it was cold outside (as in, no longer summer weather even though it is fall), I took a break from my daily apple snack, and cut into a very ripe, juicy pineappple, and created a version of a dessert my mother-in-law made for us a couple weekends ago that I haven’t stopped thinking about since.

She made us Weight Watcher’s Grilled Pineapple with Coconut Sorbet and it was delicious.

But it was a dessert for sure as it contained plenty of sugar with sweetened coconut and pineapple sherbert (she couldn’t find the coconut sorbet that the recipe calls for).

But I wanted a healthy snack, not dessert. (Not that there is anything wrong with eating dessert in the middle of a Wednesday afternoon!)

What I came up with was allllmost just as good as the dessert, and for a healthy snack, it was awesome.

Pan Fried Pineapple with Maple Greek Yogurt and Toasted Coconut

by Candy

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Keywords: fry grill dessert snack gluten-free sugar-free vegetarian pineapple greek yogurt coconut

Ingredients (Serves 1)

1 (~half inch thick) slice of fresh pineapple, rind and core removed
1/2 cup plain greek yogurt
2 tsp maple syrup, plus more for drizzling on top
1 T unsweetened coconut

Instructions

Lightly toast coconut by placing on a baking sheet under the broiler while keeping careful watch until it turns light golden brown. Set aside.

In a small, dry pan preheated on medium-high heat, place pineapple slice in the middle and cook for 3-4 minutes until it begins to carmelize and turn golden brown. Flip over and repeat.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, add maple syrup to greek yogurt and stir well.

Place fried pineapple onto a plate and sprinkle with toasted coconut.

Scoop yogurt into a mound in the middle of the pineapple and top with additional coconut and a light drizzle of maple syrup.

Serve immediately.

There was no way I was pulling out the grill in that chilly weather (while wearing my comfiest sweats and slippers and nursing a sinus headache and drippy nose, no less) for one piece of pineapple. The saute pan worked well enough for me. (But if you are so inspired, by all means grill your pineapple–it is yummy!)

I didn’t miss the added sugar in the coconut whatsoever. (Oh look! Another coconut recipe!) Definitely don’t skip the toasting of the coconut though. So, so good.

The coolness of the slightly tart yogurt combined with the warm sweetness of the pineapple was a gorgeous combination, then the flavor and texture of the toasted coconut brings it all together for a healthy snack that is reminiscent of a dessert. This definitely could pass for dessert as well. Actually it did that night. I made it again after dinner for the rest of my family, and everyone loved it.

How do you like dem (pine)apples?

Posted in Dessert, Gluten-free Adventures, Recipe, Snacks, Sugar alternatives, Treats, Vegetarian | 8 Comments »

Oct 09 2012

Coconut Lentil Vegetable Soup

By Candy

It was one of those weekends that we didn’t want to end.

It couldn’t have been more fun, it couldn’t have been more jam packed, it couldn’t have been more seasonal, it couldn’t have been spent with anyone else I love more, and it couldn’t have been more perfect.

It was quality family time at it’s very, very best, and I couldn’t be more thankful.

It included some amazingly warm, beautifully sunny weather, a Student of the Month award at the school assembly,

and two Saturday morning soccer games complete with hearts played out, goals scored and games won by both of my boys. And excited squealing and screaming by me.

There was also the perfect pumpkin selection process,

caramel corn and caramel apple consumption,

pumpkin launching prowess,

Lego convention mind blowing,

salmon spawning festival fun,

And all of the little moments in between where we laughed together, chatted together, experienced together, and enjoyed together. Blasting the new Maroon 5 song in the car and everyone singing along together was among the little, yet-oh-so-big moments we shared.

It was a weekend so full of fond memories our thoughts and hearts are literally still overflowing.

Monday had a tough act to follow.

It knew it couldn’t compare, so it didn’t even try.

But just as during the weekend, something lovely, seasonal, and so-full-of-goodness-it-makes-you-want-to-sing was created.

Coconut Lentil Vegetable Soup

by Candy

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 3-6 (crockpot) hours

Keywords: slow-cooker entree soup/stew gluten-free soy-free vegan vegetarian lentils coconut milk fall winter

Ingredients (Feeds a small army)

1 1/2 cups dried lentils
1 T coconut oil
1 large yellow onion, diced
1 1/2 cups carrots, diced
1/2 large head cauliflower, diced
4 stalks celery, sliced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
4 leaves kale (~ 3 cups), destemmed and chopped
1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce
2 1/2 cups low sodium vegetable broth
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 T fresh ginger, grated
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp coriander
1 tsp turmeric
2 tsp sea salt
3 cans light coconut milk
1 cup (packed) cilantro, chopped, plus more for garnish
roasted coconut chips for garnish, optional (but highly recommended!)
crushed red pepper flakes, optional

Instructions

Rinse dried lentils well then place in a large glass dish, cover with several inches of water, and allow to soak overnight.

Drain water and rinse well.

Place soaked lentils in a large pot, cover with several inches of fresh water and bring to a boil (add a thumb-sized piece of kombu to water, if desired). Cover, reduce heat and simmer for about 20 minutes until just tender.

Drain any remaining water and set aside.

To a slow cooker add the coconut oil (melted), all the veggies, garlic, spices and 2 cans of coconut milk.

Cook on low for 3-6 hours, stirring occasionally (if possible).

About 15-20 minutes before eating, add the cooked lentils, the last can of coconut milk and the cilantro.

Once thoroughly heated through, serve, garnished with addtional cilantro, coconut chips, and red pepper flakes, if desired.

Enjoy!

I had been dreaming up this recipe in my head for a few weeks now, as it seems I am going through a coconut obsession at the moment. (Which is interesting since until recently I used to detest anything coconut!)

This soup is hearty yet light yet creamy, if you can imagine such a thing.

I cooked the lentils in the morning while I cut up all the veggies and prepped the crockpot. Like for most people, our Mondays are busy and with a late afternoon/early evening soccer practice, and by the time we get home it is time to eat dinner. There is no time to cook, so it works out well to have a hot dinner ready and waiting for us.

Especially this dinner.

Whatever you do, don’t skip on the coconut chips–they are what make this soup. (I found them at Trader Joe’s.) They are that final touch that, if you were Italian would have you kissing your finger tips and tossing them away–the pièce de résistance, if you will.

This soup may not be able to compare to this weekend, but it did make Monday just a bit more bearable.

Enough so that I want to bottle it up and save it for another day (which I did because it made a ton!), just as I do with the memories of this weekend.

Both of which are still making me smile.

Posted in About me, Activities, Dinner, Family, Gluten-free Adventures, Good Things, Recipe, Vegan, Vegetarian, lunch | 17 Comments »

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