FitSugar

Weekend Well-Being: Bake Something Healthy

FitSugar — Sat, 24 Mar 2007 09:00:00 PDT

I care a lot about what I put into my body, but I still crave sweet treats. The cookies, cakes, pies, and muffins you buy at the store can be loaded with fat and sugar. Most of them are made with white flour and refined sugars, which offer you no nutritional value whatsoever.

I love to bake my own treats, but never have time during my busy week. Plus for me, baking is a time I can relax, and have fun with my girls (it gives my husband a chance to hit the gym or watch sports). Plus it's a chance to teach them about healthy eating, and also learn some math skills like measuring.

I love to bake a big batch of something on Sunday so I can enjoy it for a few days that week. I can have it for breakfast, a late afternoon snack, or pack it in my kids' lunch (the girls love that).

Want to see one of my favorite recipes? Then

For 1 loaf of Banana Walnut Bread you'll need:

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup Sucanat
3 ripe bananas
1/2 cup apple sauce (instead of oil)
1 egg
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 cup chopped walnuts (save some for the top of the bread)

Preheat the oven to 350.
Unpeel and mash the bananas in a bowl with a fork.
Add the egg and apple sauce and stir well.
Mix in the flour, Sucanat, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt.
Stir in most of the walnuts, leaving 2 handfuls left.
Grease an 8 x 4 inch loaf pan with canola oil spray. If you don't have the spray, just take a paper towel, pour a little canola oil on it and smear that on the pan.
Pour batter into the pan and top with the remaining walnuts.
Bake for 45 min to an hour, checking it with a knife or toothpick to make sure the inside is cooked.

Fit's Tips: For breakfast or an afternoon snack, try toasting a slice of Banana Walnut Bread for a minute, and then spread some almond butter on it. Delicious, satisfying, and between the walnuts and almonds, it's a great way to get some protein.

Sucanat: Pure Sugar Baby

FitSugar — Fri, 23 Mar 2007 11:00:00 PDT

We all know that white sugar is like the devil. It's got zero nutritional value and rots our teeth. It also makes us feel crappy when we eat it because it makes our blood sugar level spike up and then come crashing down.

Have you heard of Sucanat? It stands for Sugar Cane Natural. It's sugar in its most natural form - pure cane juice with only the water removed. This process preserves all the vitamin-filled molasses. It's organically grown with no added preservatives or additives.

Sucanut can be used in place of white sugar or brown sugar when baking, and adds a wonderful flavor due to the molasses. Unlike refined white sugar, Sucanat contains iron, calcium, vitamin A, vitamin B6, potassium and chromium.

Fit's Tips: Look for Sucanat in the baking aisle at your local health food store. It's a little bit more expensive than refined white sugar, but you're paying for the extra vitamins. Try it next time you bake some cookies or muffins. It can also be used to sweeten sauces and marinades.

10 Tips to Save on Memorial Day Grocery Shopping

Emily Co — Sat, 26 May 2012 00:15:10 PDT

It's fun to host people for a barbecue, but it can also get quite pricey when everyone isn't chipping in. Consumer expert Andrea Woroch provides suggestions to cut your grocery bill when shopping for your Memorial Day meal:

Prepare most of your meal. Woroch says, "The general rule for prepared foods is that they are more expensive, and it's cheaper to buy the ingredients to prepare yourself." For example, prepared veggie platters and fruit salads "are never a good deal" and aren't exactly the freshest produce. However, prepared potato salad at a regular supermarket is less expensive and will save you time in the kitchen.

Get chicken from the butcher. Buy chicken breasts from the butcher counter instead of the prepared packets. They tend to be cheaper and are generally more fresh.

Consider boxed wine. Save money by skipping the bottled wine and going for the box. "Boxed wine is an affordable option for large parties, and the quality has greatly improved in recent years," she says.

Buy liquor at a superstore. If you're insistent on a specific bottle, then check out warehouse clubs like Costco. There are better deals on wine, liquor, and beer at a superstore, according to Woroch. While you're there, pick the store's generic version of vodka for an even cheaper deal.

Make your own salad dressing and marinade. Check out recipes online - here's a list of over 60 different marinades to make. "Most people will already have the basic ingredients like olive oil, some type of vinegar, and herbs at home," she says. "Other ingredients like lemon or lime, soy sauce, or honey won't cost much extra."

Read on for more.

A Veggie-Filled Indoor Picnic

OnSugar Blog — Thu, 24 May 2012 11:45:46 PDT

A sandwich of asparagus and mushrooms could be kind of dull - or, as Between the Bread demonstrates, it could be a triumphant lesson in culinary restraint.

Ann Arbor's famed Zingerman's Deli is known for its corned beef sandwiches, but it's also not shy when it comes to packing on farmers market fresh veggies.

This recipe, dubbed Rodger's Big Picnic, comes from my trusty Roadfood Sandwiches cookbook, which describes this sandwich as Zingerman's ode to Michigan produce and particularly asparagus.

Putting this recipe together, I worried it would be too dull. The mushrooms are just broiled, not marinated, and the sandwich is adorned with nothing but sharp cheddar and Dijon mustard.

But with perfectly cooked, totally fresh produce, two ingredients are all you need. The sandwich was unexpectedly graceful, simple yet full-bodied, and hard to put down.

For the recipe, keep reading.

Dig Into Sasha and Malia Obama's Favorite Cauliflower Mac and Cheese

Sara Yoo — Wed, 23 May 2012 11:25:00 PDT

In honor of next week's release of Michelle Obama's cookbook, American Grown, we baked up something sweet, and now we're onto another one of America's favorite comfort foods, mac and cheese.

I was initially a little wary of this version because it didn't call for making a roux, which gives most mac and cheese recipes that creamy, hearty texture. In the first lady's recipe, you simply stir together cauliflower puree, milk, cheese, and pasta, and you're ready to go. While I love the fast and easy nature of her rendition, it missed a few of my favorite characteristics of homemade, from-scratch macaroni and cheese.

To ensure a crunchy crust, I sprinkled some buttered bread crumbs across the top and popped the dish in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes. What resulted was a bubbling, crusty casserole that - despite the unmistakably delicious flavor of cauliflower - could pass for homestyle mac and cheese any day. Mrs. Obama says that this is Sasha and Malia's favorite, and I can certainly understand why! Ready for the recipe? Just read on.

8 Oreo Treats You Can Make at Home

Anna Monette Roberts — Wed, 23 May 2012 10:47:04 PDT

According to the U.S. Patent and Trademark office, the first Oreo was sold on March 6, 1912. This makes the Oreo 100 years old. To celebrate its centennial, whip up one of these tasty Oreo-inspired treats. From bread pudding to spiked shakes, there's something for everyone. Go ahead and buy a package of America's beloved cookie, and create one of these delectable delights.

Sources: Jennifer L for Kirbie's Cravings, Naomi Robinson for Bakers Royale, and Nicole Massaro for Bake Me Blush

15 Sweet Treats For Your Memorial Day Bash!

Lisa Horten — Wed, 23 May 2012 06:47:15 PDT

Memorial Day is right around the corner, and whatever your weekend plans entail, we can't think of a better way to celebrate than with a special sweet treat. Whether you prefer a classic patriotic theme or want to get inventive with cupcakes that look like they just came off the grill, stock up on some sugar, heat up the oven, and get baking!

Pucker Up to a Lemon Buttermilk Bundt Cake

Sara Yoo — Mon, 21 May 2012 06:15:30 PDT

After eating my way through the cupcake craze, I'm ready to put my muffin tins away and dust off the cake pans that have been sitting at the back of my cupboards.

Don't get me wrong: I love a tiny handheld treat. But there's something very satisfying slicing into - and serving - a full-sized cake.

This time of year, I want something that goes well with a cup of tea or a scoop of fresh berries, something that makes me feel like a real hostess when friends drop in. So when I came across a recipe for a glazed lemon buttermilk cake, I knew I had found the perfect match.

The cake is moist and tangy, thanks to the addition of vegetable oil and buttermilk, but it's the lemon glaze that gives it a real lemony kick. It's great as a dessert, but I enjoy it most as a midafternoon excuse to put off doing laundry for just a little bit longer! For the recipe, just keep reading.

Michelle Obama's All-American Apple Cobbler

Anna Monette Roberts — Tue, 22 May 2012 14:15:36 PDT

Michelle Obama's first cookbook American Grown will be released on May 29, and we're cooking up some of Michelle's tried-and-true recipes like this apple cobbler, a favorite of President Obama.

The First Lady has a unique, slow method of preparing this cobbler. She marinates the apples in their spicy, sugary juices overnight, then slow cooks the cobbler at a low temperature to gradually break down the apples and crisp up the crust. The end result is absolutely heavenly: the cinnamon and nutmeg are perfectly balanced; the slow marination and long cook-time create a complex, caramel flavor; the apples dissolve upon bite, and the crust is as crispy as promised.

I used the lesser amount of sugar, and opted for a crisscross pattern on the top of the cobbler rather than covering the entire baking dish. Despite the 12 or more hours it requires to make this cobbler, it is a cherished, special occasion treat to be enjoyed during family gatherings or neighborhood barbecues.

Make the recipe here.

The Bachelorette Is Short on Entertaining Drama

Annie Scudder — Tue, 22 May 2012 11:40:30 PDT

I never thought I'd say this, but I kind of miss Jake and Vienna. The Bachelor vets brought lots of crazy to the franchise and gave viewers a reason to tune in. The only contestant from this season of The Bachelorette who could possibly make the cut for Bachelor Pad, the offshoot that is more blatant about capitalizing on unstable cast members, would be Kalon. He's this season's villain, who made his grand entrance in a helicopter. The other guys take offense to Kalon's supposedly sophisticated vocabulary and choice of luggage. Could it get more tame than that?

Between baking cookies and Muppets, Kalon, aka Chopper, did sour the saccharine season momentarily last night in episode two, picking a fight with single dad Doug while lounging in the pool with his stunna-shades on. Kalon accused Doug of taking time off from being a dad to compete on the show and said, "I always imagined that my first child would be my actual child." Uh oh. I see tears in the future when Emily gets wind of that. Watch the clip of the pool fight now, and tell me if you think viewers would rather be entertained by the reality TV dating show than see the contestants "find love."