essential ingredient: the scoop on stevia
If you’ve been here for more than a few posts, you’ll notice that the majority of my recipes are free from any form of added sugars. Instead, I love using whole fruits (mostly dates) and stevia to do the heavy lifting of adding the required sweetness because they don’t give you the spike and crash and are more immune system-friendly. Stevia has continued to gain traction in the food marketplace, but with it, packaging that I believe is deceptive and misleading. You might think you’re getting stevia, when you’re actually getting stevia + other sweeteners and fillers. That’s why I decided to go live over on the wildberry press Facebook…
apple pumpkin granola fall parfait (vegan, no added sugar, gluten free option)
Last week, I shared one apple-based recipe and one with pumpkin – both bonus recipes in my Perk Up Your Pantry – Fall edition recipe ebook. Today, I’m ending the debate and bringing both flavors together with one snack-tastic recipe…the apple pumpkin granola fall parfait. When I created Perk Up Your Pantry, my thought was to include recipes that could be enjoyed by themselves, but also easily combined in new ways so your meal plans feel fresh and fun. Which is exactly what I love about this pumpkin harvest granola! You could make this for breakfast or as a snack – even one on the go. To…
pumpkin harvest granola (no added sugar, gluten free option)
Pumpkin lovers, this one’s for you! If this big orange fall fruit-that-we-think-of-as-a-vegetable is your thang, than you’ll want to scoop up this recipe pronto. The pumpkin harvest granola is seasonal twist on my simply saturday version and ushers the spicy scent of fall right into your kitchen. Eat it at breakfast if you want to stick with tradition, but I’ve found a few ways to work it into my snack-happy habits and I’ll be sharing one of those with you next week. It’s recipes like these that are slowing winning me over to the ways of pumpkin…I don’t think it will ever edge out my love of apples, but it…
apple cabbage slaw with apple cinnamon dressing (vegan, raw, paleo, gluten free, no added sugar)
In the apple vs. pumpkin debate, I fall in with the apple crowd. What about you? It’s been a great year for apples here in Northeast Ohio…especially the organic red apples we’ve been enjoying from my parent’s neighbors. Which got me brainstorming ideas for a fresh fall apple-based salad… Voila! Apple cabbage slaw with apple cinnamon dressing. I can eat it like candy. My favorite thing? I can’t decide. It’s a toss up its crunchy sweetness (but without any added sugar!) or being the perfect balance to the heavier comfort food dishes because the apple cinnamon dressing is free of heavier oils found in traditional coleslaw. The apple cabbage…
roasted carrot coconut ginger soup (vegan, dairy free, gluten free, soy free)
This roasted carrot coconut ginger soup absolutely hollers “fall” doesn’t it? The bright orange color. The roasted root vegetables. The richness of the coconut milk and comforting heat of the ginger. Then add a sprinkle of spicy sweet pumpkin seeds and this is a meal and the sings. The inspiration for this soup came from similar versions I’ve seen in stores. But my version comes without the added oils that most store-bought varieties include and cutting back on added oils = a healthier you. There are two extremely important lessons I learned when making the soup: 1) peel the carrots before roasting them. I merely scrubbed them to leave the…
