Fruit and Granola Parfaits

Thick, creamy sweet yogurt with fruit and crunchy granola...

I didn't reinvent the wheel here- parfaits are not a novel idea. And for good reason! As Donkey says on Shrek, "ain't nobody who doesn't like parfait!" I'm glad fast food joints are trying to provide healthy alternatives. But most commercially sold parfaits, like Starbucks, McDonalds (page 6), Einstein Brothers (page3), and Chick Fil-A versions, have whopping amounts of calories and as much sugar as a soda in them- pretty frustrating when you're thinking your eating healthy on the go. And, the numbers on their nutrition information may not reflect what's actually being given to you- numbers are per serving. Yikes.

The culprit is the addition of sugars and sweeteners in the yogurt, fruit, and granola. Yogurt's claim to fame nutritionally is calcium, protein, and probiotics. But sweetened yogurts, which is what is in most pre-made parfaits, are loaded with sugar or sugary byproducts. Granola has this health halo, when many versions are far less innocent their appealing organic looking packaging claims, thanks to added oil and (you guessed it) sugar. In spite of this, there's no reason why you can't have your parfait and eat it too. Swap out a few ingredients, and your in the honey hole. I reclaim parfait for health food!

Fruit & Granola Parfaits

Ingredients:

0% Fage plain greek yogurt

Fruit(s) of choice, fresh or frozen

splash of vanilla

honey, agave, stevia, or Splenda

healthy granola, such as Nature's Path, Bear Naked fit, or Bob's Red Mill. Kashi GoLean also has a nice crunch.

1. Make your yogurt flavor.

• flavor ideas:
• vanilla yogurt (splash of vanilla+ stevia+ yogurt)
• strawberry (microwave frozen strawberries, smash + stevia+ yogurt)
• blueberry (microwave frozen blueberries, smash + stevia + yogurt)
• honey (honey + yogurt)
• lemon (lemon zest and juice + stevia/honey+ yogurt
• peach, pineapple, etc...

2. Add your fruit

• fresh or frozen berries- any kind

3. Sprinkle with granola

• don't go overboard here, be aware of your serving size

When you heat fruit, especially frozen, the natural juices run out, which flavor and color your yogurt base. Layer your yogurt, fruit, and granola in a pretty glass, and feel like your being spoiled!

The cup pictured above has about 4 oz yogurt, 2 tbs blueberry pomegranate juice, 1/2 cup blueberries, and 1/4 cup granola

207 cal, 4 g fat (3.5 unsaturated), 28.5 g carbs, 3.5 g fiber, 17.5 g sugar, 15.5 g protein

high inVitamin C and Calcium, good source of Vitamin K and Iron

Ginger Bread

Spicy, aromatic, warm gingerbread with a hot cup of tea...

What is it about fresh baked gingerbread that warms you from the inside out? Most people wait until winter holidays before they pull their gingerbread recipes out, but, I think its worth a nod year round. This bread isn't overly sweet, but with fresh, natural, and wholesome ingredients, it makes a yummy breakfast when paired with a hot beverage, or a nice after dinner sweet when paired with something lemon.

Gingered bread

1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp cloves

1/2 cup water

2 egg whites (1/2 cup egg substitute)

1/4 cup molasses

1/4 cup brown sugar (or agave)

1 apple, diced (or applesauce)

1/2 inch think piece fresh ginger, chopped (more if you love it)

preheat oven to 350

1. Stir together first six ingredients in a mixing bowl. Set aside.

2. Put water, egg whites, molasses, sugar, apple chunks, and ginger in a blender or food processor. Puree, increasing speed until high, until smooth, about a minute.

3. Pour wet mixture into dry, folding in gently. If adding crystalized ginger for extra punch, fold in now.

4. Pour batter in greased 8x8 pan. Also, you can use a loaf pan or two mini (6x2) cake rounds

5. Bake for 20-25 minutes.

Makes 12 servings

per serving:

98 cal

2 g fiber

10 g sugar

*Serve with a drizzle of lemon glaze, lemon curd, lemon sorbet, vanilla ice cream, or sweetened yogurt and fresh berries.

• White whole wheat flour is both white and a whole wheat- it is not enriched, bleached, or brommated. This kind of flour is made from a different kind of wheat. Normal whole wheat flour is made from hard red winter wheat; this kind is made from white wheat grains. White whole wheat boasts the same nutrients as the other whole wheat, but has a lighter texture, less carbs, and more fiber, making it a great baking alternative.
• Molasses is a by-product of making refined sugar. Ever wonder where all the nutrients and minerals go when sugar cane is processed and refined into the white stuff? Molasses! It is high in iron, copper, manganese, potassium, and magnesium.
• Ginger has been used forever for its many health benefits, such as a cure for upset tummies and nausea (hello first trimester of pregnancy), a digestion aid, an immune system aid, and an anti-inflammatory.

Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups

Smooth, rich dark chocolate, sandwiching a

luscious layer of creamy sweet peanut butter...

My husband nearly fell over when I showed these to him. He thought for sure I had finally caved in to hormone induced binge cravings of pregnancy. The easter candy isles had been beckoning, in spite of the fact that I know that they are filled with processed, empty calories and neon luminescent food dye to make your intestines glow in the dark. Why ?

I will forgo my soapbox speech, for now, and get to the good stuff. These little babies are ridiculously easy to make, nourishing (!), and a delicious treat.

Dark Chocolate Reese Cups

8oz (70%) dark chocolate

3/4 cup natural peanut butter

honey/agave/sweetener to taste

I tsp vanilla

1. Arrange a cookie sheet or muffin tin with muffin cups.

2. In a small bowl or measuring cup, melt your chocolate progressively. Add a dollop of melted chocolate to each cup, using a little less than half

of your melted chocolate. Use a clean craft paintbrush or the back of your spoon to push the chocolate up the sides. (This is the most difficult step of the whole thing-

you'll get a feel for it)

3. Put tray of painted muffin cups

in the freezer to set.

4. In another bowl, combine peanut butter, sweetener, and vanilla. Stir till smooth.

5. When the chocolate is set, take

your pan out and make little peanut butter balls for each cup. Smush the peanut butter down into the corners a little, until it is roughly even with the chocolate line. They don't have to be perfect...

6. Using the rest of your chocolate, cover the peanut butter mixture. If you run out of chocolate, just melt some more...

7. Return to refrigerator or freezer to let your

chocolate set, and viola!

per peanut butter cup:

188 cal

15.5 fat (9.5 unsaturated)

16 carb

2.5 fiber

10 sugar

7 protein

This made 12 peanut butter cups in my warm kitchen

• Dark chocolate has well documented health benefits, eaten in small portions. Many doctors recommend about 2 ounces a day for optimum benefits.
• Natural peanut butter has noble amounts of Vitamin B and E, folate, calcium, iron, fiber. It is high in protein, while being free from partially-hydrogenated oils, excess refined sugar, and other junk. Heart healthy unsaturated fats in peanut butter are essential and they Chuck-Norris-ninja-chop bad cholesterol.
• Honey is good for the immune system, and slow releasing natural sugars prevent blood sugar spikes and the aftermath (i.e. the irresistible urge to fall into a carb coma at your desk, your children bouncing off walls...). Honey also has been linked with reducing heart disease.
• Agave is sweet cactus nectar, which is has an even lower impact on blood sugar. The less processed it is, the better.
• Alternative sweeteners such as splenda and stevia boast 0 calories and no impact at all on blood sugar. Most research indicates they are both safe, so use your own convictions on this one.