Apple Peel Pancakes

 

As the seasons change it is fun to try new recipes and get re-inspired with healthy fresh ingredients. This time of year we can start looking forward to going to the pumpkin patch or apple orchard to pick our own for an adventure or go to the grocery store to fill our carts with locally grown late summer/early fall produce.

Something my family loves is slow cooker apple butter from the fresh harvest of apples I bring home. Last year when making the apple butter I had a lot of apple peels and got inspired to make use of them. In doing some research on spiralized recipes I realized I could come up with my own “Apple Peel Pancakes!”

Apple Peel Pancakes are a great way to make use of leftover peels. They are whimsical to look at, easy to make, and tasty to eat.   And, because of the peel used, they are packed full of fiber, vitamins and minerals. Here is the recipe I came up with riffing off of a recipe from Spiralize this! cookbook by Martha Rose Shulman:

Apple Peel Pancakes

• 2 cups apple peel, cut into 4 inch strips with scissors
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 teaspoon brown sugar
• 1 cup white whole wheat flour
• ½ cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 large eggs
• 1 ½ cups buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 tablespoons canola oil
• Cooking Spray

Directions

1. Preheat griddle to medium high heat.
2. Heat butter in a cast iron skillet. When melted add the peels and brown sugar to the butter. Sauté for 3 minutes, just until they begin to color. Remove from heat.
3. Sift together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, sugar and salt.
4. In another bowl whisk together the eggs, then add the buttermilk, whisk together, then add the oil and vanilla, whisk together again.
5. Add the dry ingredients to wet ingredients, whisking together. Do not over mix. A few lumps are fine.
6. Spray griddle with cooking spray. Drop batter in ¼ cup LivSpoon amounts onto the griddle. Distribute a 12th of the apple peel across the top of each pancake.
7. Cook until bubbles begin to break through, 2 to 3 minutes. Turn and cook about 1 minute on the other side, or until nicely browned. Remove and place on a platter in a warm oven while the next batch of pancakes is cooked. Continue until all the batter is used.

Serve while hot. Makes 12 4-inch pancakes.

Nutritional Information

Serves 4. Serving size: 3 pancakes. Calories: 370; Fat: 17.3g; Carbohydrates: 43.3g; Dietary Fiber: 3.5g; Protein: 11.8g.

Tips

Use slow cooker apple butter as an alternative to maple syrup.
Freeze leftovers to enjoy these pancakes on another occasion for a quick fix breakfast.

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Delicious Healthy Baking Recipes

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Cranberry Orange Scones—Perfect for a Tea Party!

Delectable Homemade Cranberry Orange Scone

Watching your weight and planning out your weekly menu does not mean all the fun and spontaneity around joyous events and family traditions are eliminated. Quite the contrary! There is no reason life moments and meaningful traditions can't be part of your plan. For instance, why shouldn't everyone enjoy a deliciious tea party with home made scones! Choose a variety of your favorite teas and steep them in the teapot or French press you have tucked away. Slice some lemon to add some panache to your tea and you have stage one of your tea party set. Then there are the special cups and saucers, linens, plates and maybe even a nosegay of flowers to set by the Tea Party ensemble.

Then there is the food. Keep it simple, mindful and tasty. Offer fresh whole strawberries on their own serving plate that people can pick up by the stem with their fingers and eat. Next offer fresh hicama sticks dusted with a combination of paprika and salt (1tbs of sea salt to 1/4 tsp paprika) assembled artfully on a beautiful platter so you can pick up each stick individually. Then make fresh scones...

Sprinkle The Fresh Baked Scones with Orange Rind Mixed with Truvia

Cranberry Orange Scones

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup yellow cornmeal
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 1/4 cup driend cranberries, low sugar
• 1/2 cup lowfat buttermilk
• 1 1/2 teaspoons grated orange rind, divided
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• Cooking spray, canola or vegetable
• 1/2 teaspoon Truvia baking blend

Directions

1. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and the next 5 ingredients (flour through salt) in a bowl; cut in butter with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add cranberries, tossing to coat.
2. Combine buttermilk, 1 teaspoon of orange rind, and egg; add to flour mixture, stirring just until moist (dough will be sticky).
3. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead lightly 5 times with floured hands. Pat dough into a 7-inch circle on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Cut the dough into 10 wedges, cutting into but not completely through dough. Bake at 375° for 30 minutes or until golden. 
4. Combine 1/2 teaspoon of orange rind with the Truvia. Sprinkle mixture over scones; serve warm. 

Nutritional Information

Servings: 10. Serving size: 1 wedge. Calories: 164; Total Fat 3.2g, Sodium 130mg, Total Carbohydrate 30.7g, Dietary Fiber 1g, Total Sugars 10.8g, Protein 3.6g.

There is Nothing More Delectable Than a Fresh Baked Scone Served Up on Livliga!

Enjoy Your Healthy Tea Party! And always remember to Live vibrant!

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Half the Stomach, Twice the Taste: Cooking for the Bariatric Lifestyle

There are some wonderful programs for bariatric patients that now exist around the country. This was not always the case. More and more there are clinics and hospitals that are focused on the long-term success of their bariatric patients, which includes providing the information and resources necessary to succeed. Livliga is blessed to be included as a resource for many of these institutions and their patients. This is the case for a new cookbook available at the Comprehensive Weight Management Program at the University of Utah Health.

This new cookbook, Half the Stomach, Twice the Taste: Cooking for a Bariatric Lifestyle is authored by Hilary Cutler, MS, RD, CSOWM, CD and Emily Tieu, MS, RD, CSOWM, CD. It is clear that these two dedicated and talented registered dietitians are committed to supporting their patients’ success. The cookbook is evidence of this commitment. The cookbook is set up so that bariatric patients can understand how each recipe can be adapted to fit into each step of their journey depending on how many weeks out they are from their surgery. Each recipe has an accompanying photo so it is possible to visually understand the recipe as well as see how appealing it is intended to be. It is wonderful to note that the majority of the recipes were taken using Livliga’s Just Right Set® bariatric.

The authors and the University of Utah Health graciously allowed us to share the recipe and photo below from the cookbook. It is a breakfast recipe. There are also recipes for lunch, dinner, snacks and protein shakes.

Sunrise Egg Salad served up on a Just Right Set® as seen in the new bariatric cookbook

As the authors mention at the beginning, “The recipes in this book are inspired by ideas from both our patients and our own homes. All recipes in this book have been taste-tested to ensure that you find each bite flavorful and satisfying…Additionally, we aim to use easy-to-find, inexpensive ingredients for your convenience.

Interested in finding out more? This cookbook is currently available through the Comprehensive Weight Management Program at the University of Utah Health. To get your copy of Half the Stomach, Twice the Taste, visit weightmanagement.uofuhealth.org and ask to talk to a University of Utah Health expert.

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Monday Motivational Meal

Do you love biscuits? We have the perfect healthy recipe for you! Try our famous Sweet Potato Biscuits and don't forget to serve them up on our Halsa pattern for the perfect breakfast, brunch or dinner.

Want to try this tasty recipe? You can get it here!

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Monday Motivational Meal

Try this healthy, bariatric-friendly Shakshuka recipe! We partnered with @bariatricfoodie to bring you this non-traditional breakfast idea for those who don't like breakfast. It is one of those recipes that works for lunch or dinner too. This North African/Middle Eastern dish is perfect to make when you're low on time but want to enjoy a healthy meal! Serve it up on our Just Right Set® bariatric for a perfectly portioned anytime meal!

Want this recipe? Try it here!

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Shakshuka: The best breakfast you’ve never heard of!

Shakshuka for Breakfast Served Up on Livliga! (photo curtesy of @BariatricFoodie)

Shakshuka.

I’m here to tell you it’s as fun to eat as it is to say, folks. But to get ourselves in the festive spirit, let’s just say it a few more times.

Shakshuka. Shakshuka. Shakshuka, Shakshuka, Shakshuka!

There. I feel good already. How about you?

Now you may be wondering, “Fun name aside, what exactly is Shakshuka?” And that’s a great question!

Shakshuka is a dish that is eaten for breakfast in parts of North Africa and the Middle East. It doesn’t have to be breakfast food, but it’s got eggs and tomatoes and onions and spices so it’s a great alternative if you are bored of typical American breakfast fare.

I like this dish for any meal for three reasons:

1. I must reiterate the name. It’s just fun to say!
2. It doesn’t have a lot of ingredients, and most of the ingredients are stuff I already have in my pantry or refrigerator.
3. I like this recipe for others because this is an easy, low-stress way to make poached eggs if you like them but have ever been scared to make them at home yourself. 

So let’s get started, shall we?

At its core, Shakshuka is simply tomatoes and onions, infused with spices, with poached eggs in it. You make it all in one skillet and simmer it until the tomato sauce has thickened a bit, making it almost the consistency of chili.

I personally use a combination of canned and fresh tomatoes. I especially love a product called “fire-roasted tomatoes.” Look for them in your grocery store! To save yourself some time, you can also get canned tomatoes that already have spices, such as Italian style canned tomatoes. The fresh tomatoes just bring a bit of brightness into the dish.

You start off by sautéeing your onions and garlic in a little bit of olive oil, until soft, then adding in the fresh and canned tomatoes, along with any spices you’ll use. Let it come just to a boil before dropping down your heat, making a few indentations in the mixture and adding your eggs. Then put a top on it and let it do its thing. It’s really that simple!

My family likes to eat this on whole wheat toast or an English muffin. I like to eat it as-is. Whatever you choose, do try this flavorful and fun dish – and don’t forget to serve yourself on a beautiful Livliga dish!

Nik’s Take on Shakshuka

Ingredients:

• 1 large onion cut into slivers
• 1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 20 oz. canned tomatoes (I used fire roasted tomatoes from ALDI)
• 2-3 fresh tomatoes (roma, on the vine, etc.) diced (optional)
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tsp. paprika (I used smoked paprika but be warned: it packs heat!)
• 1/2 tsp. cumin
• 1/4 tsp. chili powder
• 4 large eggs
• 1 bunch cilantro and/or parsley

Directions:

1. Set a skillet over medium heat and allow it to get hot before adding olive oil and then onions. Sautée about 2 minutes until they are softened.
2. Add the garlic and sautée another minute before adding the canned and fresh tomatoes and stirring.
3. Add the spices, including salt and pepper and stir again. Allow the mixture to come just to a boil, then drop the heat to low. 
4. Make four "holes" in the tomato mixture. Crack a whole egg into each hole. Reduce heat to medium-low and cover the pan.
5. Cook for about 5-8 minutes or until eggs are poached to your liking. Turn off heat and allow the pan to cool. Tomato mixture will thicken upon standing.
6. Serve by itself, or atop a slice of whole wheat toast or a whole wheat English muffin and enjoy!

Nutritional Information:
Serves: 4. Serving size:  ¼ of the Shakshuka mixture. Calories: 294. Total Fat 10.3g; Saturated Fat 2.3g; Sodium 739mg; Total Carbohydrate 44g; Dietary Fiber 11.4g; Total Sugars 3.4g; Protein 15.8g.

Guest Blogger Bio

Nikki Massie is a rising star in the bariatric community. She is a gastric bypass patient (January 8, 2008), mother, writer, and author of the BariatricFoodie, where she helps post-ops learn to play with their food!

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Monday Motivational Meal

ChooseMyPlate.gov is a wonderful resource and offers great healthy recipes to share with family and friends. We tried out these scrumptious Sweet Potato Pancakes with Balsamic Maple Mushrooms. It tastes as good as it looks on Livliga's Celebrate plate! Enjoy!

You can try this budget-friendly breakfast recipe here!

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MyPlate Sweet Potato Pancakes with Maple Balsamic Mushrooms and a Livliga Twist

Livliga has been honored to be a National Strategic Partner of USDA MyPlate for a number of years now.  The ChooseMyPlate.gov website is an incredibly robust resource available for free to the public. It amazes me how many people are not aware of this.  One of the areas of information is the many healthy recipes available that are also budget-friendly. Every recipe provides the nutritional information as well as the MyPlate Food Groups represented so you can ensure you prepare a healthy, balanced meal. 

We thought we would try out the Sweet Potato Pancakes with Maple Balsamic Mushrooms recipe. Not only is it a budget-friendly recipe, it is also one that is both savory and sweet and can be served either for brunch or dinner. We love upside-down dinners in our family so these pancakes fit the bill.

The pancakes are beautiful to look at and so appealing with the mushrooms layered between each pancake. In execution what I found was that three medium sweet potatoes made the pancakes more like eating smashed sweet potatoes.  I thought I could make the pancakes a little lighter and provide a specific measurement of sweet potato other than “three medium sweet potatoes” described in the current recipe. Depending on what your grocery store offers, three medium sweet potatoes can vary greatly in size. The first time I did this recipe I ended up with over 3 cups of sweet potato, which was way too much. With a little experimentation, I found 1 cup of sweet potato was the right amount to make wonderful pancakes.

The sautéed mushrooms with maple syrup and balsamic vinegar was delicious with the sweet potato pancake. I added a pinch of Gayle’s Herb Salt to the mushroom mixture, which further enhanced the flavor.  With the syrup as the sauce for the mushrooms, there is no need for added syrup or butter that you might add with traditional pancakes.

To complete the meal I added an arugula salad with a few mixed berries and light vinaigrette. The plate was so beautiful to look at and the tastiness of the sweet potato pancakes with the arugula salad was so satisfying. We served our meal up on Livliga’s Celebrate pattern.

This meal seemed festive and special, even though it was so easy to prepare. The whole family thought it would be a great meal to offer up to friends and family for a Sunday brunch in addition to becoming an anytime family favorite.

MyPlate Sweet Potato Pancakes with Maple Balsamic Mushrooms and a Livliga Twist

Ingredients

For Sweet Potato Pancakes:

• 1 cup sweet potato, baked and mashed (about 1 medium sweet potatoes or yams with orange flesh)
• 1 cup non-fat milk
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 
• 1 cup white whole wheat flour
• 2 teaspoon baking powder 
• 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
• Cooking spray, as needed 

For Balsamic Maple Mushrooms:

• 1 pound cremini and/or white button mushrooms, quartered 
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 2 pinches of Gayle’s Salts (or 1 pinch of Herbes de Provence and 1 pinch Kosher salt)
• ⅓  cup maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar 

Directions 

1. Bake or microwave sweet potato until soft; let cool. Peel and mash potato, using an electric mixer. Measure 1 cup.
2. Add milk, egg, and vegetable oil to potato; mix. Sift together dry ingredients and add to potato mixture. Mix on low until just blended. 
3. Heat non-stick skillet or griddle over medium heat; coat skillet with cooking spray.
4. Use ¼  cup of batter per pancake (LivSpoons are handy for this), ladling into hot skillet. Wait until pancake bubbles and looks slightly dry on top before flipping over.
5. While pancakes are cooking, heat 1 tbsp vegetable oil in another skillet (preferably cast-iron) over medium flame.
6. Add quartered mushrooms and toss  to coat with oil and add Gayle’s Salts . Let simmer, stirring occasionally, until juices run. 
7. Add maple syrup and balsamic vinegar to pan and stir until mixed. Let simmer until sauce reduces and thickens.
8. To serve, use 3 pancakes and ¼ of the mushroom mixture. Place one pancake on a plate then alternate with balsamic maple mushrooms as you stack the pancakes. Leave a few mushrooms and some of the syrup mixture to top off each stack.

Nutritional Information:
Serves: 4. Serving size: 3 pancakes with ¼ of the mushroom mixture. Calories: 342. Total Fat 8.9g; Saturated Fat 1.4g; Sodium 725mg; Total Carbohydrate 57.5g; Dietary Fiber 4.7g; Total Sugars 24.5g; Protein 11.3g.



#StartSimpleWithMyPlate #MyPlate #ChooseMyPlate #MyPlateRecipe #HealthyEating #HealthyRecipe #Vegetarian

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Summertime Meal Making

Diabetes-Friendly Portioning with LivSpoons

Summer is making its annual crescendo. I don’t know about you, but our family looks for ways to make meal planning and preparing easier during the hot months ahead. We do this so we can spend more time outside hanging out with family and friends, gardening, biking, walking, hiking, kayaking, playing badminton or croquet, as well as enjoying a swimming pool or slip ‘n slid. There are so many fun things to do!

To be mindful of eating healthy, it is still important to plan ahead, even when the meals themselves are simple to prepare. It is always important to think ahead, have the right foods on hand and make sure through out your week you are able to make balanced meals that are perfectly portioned.

We thought we would share some ideas on how you can create simple, healthy and diabetes-friendly meals in right-sized portions. Each portion is measured by LivSpoons to illustrate the specific measurements as well as the comparative measurements of the different types of foods. The images below illustrate how easy it is to create a meal combining food groups for a balanced, healthy meal. Imagine what breakfast, lunch and dinner can look like!

• 1 cup sautéed sweet pepper  (use our vegetable rub to add additional flavor)
• ½ cup roasted potato
• ¾ cup scrambled eggs (Egg Beaters can be a preferred choice for lower cholesterol)

• 1 cup mixed salad greens
• ½ cup chickpeas, rinsed, and with a pinch of sea salt
• ¾ cup cottage cheese, garnished with parsley

• 1 cup roasted Brussels sprouts
• ½ cup cast iron grilled corn
• 3 ounces sliced steak

Before you get caught up in all the fun of summer, take a minute to refresh your memory and remind yourself on the doable and repeatable ways you can be mindful living with diabetes with our FREE and downloadable ebook, Manage Your Diabetes Through Portion Control.

Download Our Free eBook:
Manage Your Diabetes Through Portion Control

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Monday Motivational Meal - Recipe from Livliga's Bariatric eCookbook!

This recipe is one the Bariatric Foodie shared in our FREE and DOWNLOADABLE bariatric eCookbook. It looks yummy served up in our Just Right Set® bariatric bowl!

Download Our Free
Just Right Set^® Bariatric eCookbook

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Diabetes-Friendly Turkey and Sweet Potato Hash with Fried Egg

There is nothing better than leftovers to inspire creativity. Before I discovered roast turkey as a great year-round food, I relished the leftovers in order to make my favorite comfort foods like turkey tetrazzini and of course, turkey hash.

 

Turkey hash is easy to prepare and is perfect for breakfast, brunch or a Sunday supper. My version is packed full of healthy ingredients that not only include high quality protein but also vitamins, especially vitamin C; minerals, like potassium; and antioxidants found in foods like garlic, onions and cauliflower used in this recipe. Providing comfort food that is also health promoting is particularly welcome during the colder months when we are combatting flu and colds. It nourishes our soul and our bodies. Below is my favorite hash recipe that is perfect for using up leftover turkey.

Diabetes-Friendly Turkey and Sweet Potato Hash with Fried Egg 

Ingredients

• 1 medium sweet potato, cubed and roasted
• 1 ½ cups cauliflower, chunked and roasted
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 yellow pepper, chopped
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
• ½ teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 cups cooked turkey, diced
• 4 large eggs
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• Cooking Spray, olive oil flavored

Directions

1. Prepare the cauliflower and sweet potato, placing them on a cookie sheet sprayed with cooking spray. Roast for 15 minutes at 375°. 
2. Next, spray a cast-iron skillet with cooking spray and add olive oil at medium heat. Add onions, peppers and salt. Cook until tender, about 5 minutes. 
3. Add garlic, paprika and cumin. Cook, stirring constantly for 1 minute. 
4. Add the roasted vegetables and turkey, stirring occasionally until the turkey is heated thoroughly, about 3 minutes. 
5. Meanwhile, heat a skillet sprayed with cooking spray over medium heat. Add eggs and fry for 3 – 5 minutes, or until they are cooked as you like to serve them. 
6. Divide the turkey hash to serve 4. Top each serving with an egg. Sprinkle evenly with pepper and serve immediately. 

Serves: 6
Calories per serving: 221
Total Fat: 9g
Carbohydrates: 13g
Sugars: 5g
Sodium: 430mg
Fiber: 3g
Protein: 21g

Enjoy! And Live Vibrant!

Download Our Free eCookbook:
Living Life to the Fullest with Diabetes

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Reigniting Your Metabolism with State of Slim Pumpkin Pancakes!

These pancakes, served on Livliga, are specifically designed to help reignite your metabolism (photo by LivligaHome)

I have a confession to make. I have an inflexible metabolism. In fact, as it turns out at least 73% of us in the United States and 35% globally have the same problem. If you are overweight your body is sending more food you eat to be stored as fat than you burn. The more we overeat and the less we move the more inflexible our metabolism becomes and the fatter we get. Ugh. The good news is there is a way to reignite your metabolism and start burning fat, as your body is designed to do, and do it for the long term.

Most of what I have read has made me think losing and maintaining a healthy weight was merely a matter of consuming a certain amount of calories. To lose weight you just need to consume less calories than you burn in a day. If you want to maintain your weight you just eat what you burn each day. Turns out it is not that simple. What we eat and when we eat during the day is equally, if not more, important.

According to Drs. Holly Wyatt and James O. Hill of the Anschutz Health and Wellness Center in Colorado and the authors of the State of Slim, the fat burning “drain” in our body is clogged. The solution they have found through research is to eat foods that do not automatically go to fat storage, eat them in modest amounts every 2-4 hours, 6 times a day, and get moving. This combination acts as “Drano” for our clogged metabolism.

Does their plan work? Is it doable? The answer is “yes” to both questions. I thought it was time to test it out for myself. In the three weeks I have been following the plan I have lost 15.9 pounds and have not once found the need to cheat. I do get hungry but I never feel starved. Willpower is not an issue. The menus are full of flavors, colors and textures, which is really important to achieve satisfaction at the end of a meal. Serving it on a right-sized, beautifully designed plate, like Livliga, makes the food look plentiful so you feel like you are eating enough. And as we all know, feeling full and satisfied is key to a healthier lifestyle.

To reignite your metabolism all carbs, except those found in non-starchy vegetables, are eliminated from your diet. Instead, you eat a lot of protein with the non-starchy vegetables because your body can only store a small amount of these foods. Oatmeal is the one grain included. By eating these foods it forces your body to go into fat burning mode. This does not mean you are without your treats. Consider, for example, pancakes that are specifically designed to help reignite your metabolism. This is a great way to enjoy a weekend meal.  Here is the gluten-free recipe:

State of Slim Cinnamon-Pumpkin Protein Pancakes

Ingredients-
1 ½ cups old-fashioned rolled oats (not-quick cooking)
2 scoops vanilla protein powder
1 tablespoon stevia (baking formulation)
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 ½ cups liquid egg whites
¼ cup canned unsweetened 100% pumpkin puree
Cooking Spray

Directions-
1. In a blender grind the oats to a flour-like consistency.
2. Place the ground oats in a bowl with the protein powder, stevia, baking powder, and cinnamon. Whisk them together until well blended.
3. Whisk in the egg whites and pumpkin puree into the oat mixture until smooth.
4. Coat a preheated skillet or griddle with cooking spray.
5. Pour the batter onto the skillet/griddle in 3-inch diameter rounds (use a ⅛ cup per pancake for easy pouring).
6. Cook about 3 minutes on each side or until the pancakes are golden in color and spring back when touched. Serve hot from the pan. Add a serving of sugar free syrup or jam on top of the pancakes to complete the meal.

Nutritional Information-
Yield: 20 pancakes. Serving size: 4 pancakes. Calories: 190. Fat 2.5g; Saturated fat .5g; Protein 14.3g; Carbohydrate 28g; Fiber 7.2g; Total Sugars 3.7g; Cholesterol 8mg.

Enjoy! And Live Vibrant

Re-posted from Sheila's Blog on TheEpochTimes.com.  

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Yummy & Healthy Holiday Muffin- Maple Squash Muffin

Yummy & Healthy Holiday Muffin- Maple Squash Muffin (by LivligaHome)

Muffins can be so easy to make. They can also be healthy, tasty and beautiful to behold. Better yet, they can be modest in their calorie count. Muffins go well with just about anything from eggs at breakfast to salads at lunch or stews at dinner. They also freeze well. This makes them an ideal holiday gift. 

When I think of the holidays I think of pumpkin or squash, nuts and the aroma of spices like cinnamon. Why not combine all those holiday ingredients in a delicious muffin? 

Maple Squash Muffin

Ingredients-
1 cup unbleached flour
¾ cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon, ground
¼ cup pecans, chopped
2 egg whites, lightly beaten (or scant ⅓ cup egg beaters)
¾ cup butternut squash, cooked & mash (or canned pumpkin)
⅔ cup plain yogurt, nonfat
½ cup maple syrup
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Vegetable Cooking Spray

Directions-
1. Combine first 7 ingredients in a large bowl; make a well in center of mixture.
2. Combine egg whites and next 4 ingredients. Add to flour mixture, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened.
3. Spoon batter evenly into muffin pans coated with cooking spray.
4. Bake at 400 degrees for 18-20 minutes, until tops are golden.
5. Remove from pans promptly.

Yield: 1 dozen. Calories per muffin: 153.

Happy Healthy Holidays!

Enjoy! And Live Vibrant!

Like the delicious look of this Maple Squash Muffin on a Livliga plate? It can be yours! Go to LivligaHome.com.

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Mediterranean Diet-- Greek Style Frittata

I think I have mentioned it before, I love Frittatas. They are a lot like quiche but they don't have the crust and carbs. You can also put anything and everything in them depending on your mood and what you have in your refrigerator. They are great for cleaning out the fridge! Frittatas do not take long to cook either.

They can be served for brunch. lunch or supper. When I was in the Peace Corps, we would pack up leftover frittata for traveling meals. I have even been known to eat frittata cold for a snack. Some may eat cold pizza, I prefer cold frittata for breakfast!

Recently I fixed a Medterranean Frittata (253 cal). As you can see from the photo, it was beautiful fresh out of the oven. It sliced well after sitting on the counter top for a few minutes after taking it out of the oven. I altered the recipe slightly to reduce the calories, make it healthier and to use what I had on hand. It called for 1/4 cup olive oil; I used 2 teaspoons. It called for fresh basil; I used arugula instead. It also called for 1/2 teaspoon salt; I used none.

To make a menu I added Asparagus vinaigrette (50 cal/6 spears) and a low fat, freshly baked Morning Glory muffin (203 cal).  Total calories for the meal were 506. Everyone loved the meal with all its flavors and plentiful ingredients. It was a hit and a definite repeat.

Enjoy! and Live Vibrant!
Livligahome.com

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Super Duper Healthy Oatmeal

Oatmeal is so good for us. It has been proven to lower our cholesterol. It is also one of those foods that keeps us feeling full throughout the morning so we are less tempted to snack on unwanted foods.

I invented our version of an oatmel breakfast that I wanted to share. Even since developing this rerecipe I have discovered it is better to eat the flaxseed ground than whole so you might well want to do the same.

You can find this recipe as well as a number of others on our Livliga website-- http://www.livligahome.com

Enjoy! And Live Vibrant!

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Livliga Fruit Smoothie

Tasty Fruit Smoothie in an Attractive Livliga Beverage Glass 
(photo by LivligaHome)

This Fruit Smoothie is something we started consuming when we were on the Fat Flush Diet - Fat Flush Plan. We drink it almost every morning as part of our daily routine. Here is our modified version-

Ingredients
1 Cup frozen fruit (i.e., pineapple, mango, cherry, strawberry, raspberry, blueberry, peach, banana)
1 serving whey protein powder (i.e., French Vanilla Designer Whey or Whole Foods 365)
1 Cup/ 8 oz. cranberry water*
¼ tsp. Stevia, or to taste
1 tablespoon Flaxseed oil
½ cup crushed ice

Directions
To make the *Cranberry Water you need to buy pure, unsweetened Cranberry Juice. Make sure to check the label to avoid buying a cranberry juice sweetened with sugar or other juices. Knudsen makes an unsweetened cranberry juice that can be bought at Safeway. Use a 32 oz. jar/bottle (can be an empty juice bottle) and pour 4 oz. of cranberry juice in the bottom. Fill the bottle full with water. Use for Long Life Cocktails and Smoothies as directed.
 
For the Fruit Smoothie combine any variety of frozen fruit together to make 1 Cup of fruit. Place the fruit and all other ingredients in a blender. Mix until rich and creamy. Serve with a straw.

If you want your smoothie thicker, add ½ cup of ice and blend with other ingredients until smooth.

If you want your smoothie thinner, add up to ½ cup water until you arrive at your desired consistency. Blend completely.

To add a twist of flavor include ½ teaspoon fresh crushed mint or a dash of ground ginger to any smoothie.

Calories: 235

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Enjoy! And Live Vibrant! 

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