Mock Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Frappuccino Blended Coffee Recipe (low carb, no sugar)
Place all ingredients into blender in the order listed, except for whipped cream and sugar-free caramel topping. Blend well until no chunks of ice remain. Taste and add additional sweetener, pumpkin, and/or salt to your taste preference. Top with whipped cream, if desired. Drizzle with sugar-free caramel topping, if desired. Quick and easy enough that you can whip this up in a jiffy and satisfy your cravings for such a wonderful pumpkin spice frappuccino, whether you are on the Atkins diet, Trim Healthy Mama, or Paleo! Posts from Joy In Our Journey.com that you might also enjoy: Thanks so much for coming by to visit! The Lord is so good to us! This post was originally published on http://www.JoyInOurJourney.com. If you see this posted elsewhere, it has been illegally scraped, and I'd love it if you would let me know. Thanks!
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Silicone baking mats replace the need for parchment paper, wax paper, oil, or grease! Note: this blog post contains quite a few graphics. If you are receiving this via email, you may want to click back to the original post to view the photos and graphics more accurately. Thanks! However, when I received this BakeItFun Silicone Baking Mat, I realized that this new product was going to be a lot more fun to use! It's a standard half size baking sheet size, which is great, about 1/2" narrower in width than the Silpat. It fits my rimmed baking sheets better. This is a USA Half Size Baking Mat - 16-1/2" x 11" (280x420mm). See the "ruler edge" on all four sides of the baking mat? I really like the measurement guides on all four sides because they make the mat so versatile. Nice for rolling out dough to the correct measurements! I also think the "cookie placement" circles on the sheet itself are a great option. I'll be using this for years to come.
Do you have other ideas for using silicone baking mats? If so, I'd love to be able to share them here with future readers, so please leave a comment below, and I'll add it to my list! Thanks. ☺ |
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Note: Ingredients and some products often use affiliate links to Amazon, but obviously you should shop for the best price and try to keep your dollars local when you can. Please note that there are affiliate and referral links on this page. If you click on them and make a purchase, I might make a tiny commission. I only recommend products I use personally. Your support is very much appreciated and helps keep this free resource up and running!
After eating the Trim Healthy Mama way for over 18 months now, my family misses a few family favorites from the past, now and then. We used to love eating mashed potatoes and other potato-based dishes.
However, we've discovered that in many cases, we can substitute lightly steamed cauliflower in place of the potatoes, and some of that favorite deliciousness from meals in the past comes right to our dinner table!
This recipe received blue-ribbon scores from all of my family members as the top recipe we tried this month. ☺ Usually, one or two of us really like a new recipe, and the rest of the family is ho-hum about it. I'm usually one who likes just about anything, so I enjoy trying new recipes.
In fact, we liked this so well that we doubled the batch to fill a very large rectangle baking dish so we could enjoy it for a couple of nights as leftovers - yum!
Here's the recipe and the printable recipe page to download and print out. This recipe will work delightfully for all of you who are following Trim Healthy Mama or need to be on a low-carb or low-glycemic diet:
When cauliflower has started to soften, drain it well, place cooked cauliflower back into the pot, and mash it with either a potato masher, a hand mixer, or my favorite stick blender. (A stick blender will give more of a "mashed potato" texture, while a hand mixer or a potato masher will give more of a "riced cauliflower" texture.)
Stir in the cream cheese mixture and combine well with the mashed cauliflower. Gently mix in the cubed ham. Season to taste with pepper. Spray an 8x8" casserole dish with nonstick coconut oil spray. Spread cauliflower mixture into the dish; spread out evenly and sprinkle with cheddar cheese. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the cheese has melted and lightly browned, and the mixture is hot throughout and has started to bubble. Remove from oven and allow to sit for 10 minutes for any extra liquid to be absorbed. Serve hot. Serves 4-6.
Free recipe printable:
Read below to see how I make quick, sparkling Raspberry Lemonade!
I don't know about where you live, but our summer here in Oregon has been extraordinarily hot.
I remember in my childhood when the unofficial state pet was the banana slug. ☺ Ha!
This summer, we've had weeks upon weeks of 90° + days! There are very few slugs to be found. Whew!
Making homemade raspberry lemonade is a wonderful treat on a hot day, but what's a Trim Healthy Mama to do if she wants a quick, cold beverage? If you are diabetic, pre-diabetic, gluten free, paleo, low carb, or trying to break your soda addiction, this is the beverage for you!
I've discovered True Lemon's new Raspberry Lemonade drink mix this summer. Guess what? It's not only "on plan" for Trim Healthy Mama, it takes about 5 seconds to mix up! Definitely a Drive-Thru Sue type of beverage, if you've read Trim Healthy Mama. ☺
What about True Lemon's Raspberry Lemonade Nutrition and Ingredients?
- no artificial sweeteners
- Fresh-squeezed lemon taste with a burst of raspberry flavor
- Just 10 calories per 2-cup glass
- Preservative-free, sodium-free, and gluten-free
- Sweetened with a blend of Stevia and a very light touch of sugar
Here is the list of ingredients:
- crystallized lemon: citric acid, lemon oil, lemon juice, Vitamin C
- sugar (very tiny amount)
- natural raspberry flavor
- Stevia Leaf Extract
- Beet Juice and Turmeric (for color)
But...if you love sparkling, bubbly beverages on a hot day, here's what I do!
I fill my SodaStream bottle up to the line near the top with cold water. I twist the bottle of water up into the SodaStream, push the button on top until it makes three "buzzes", and now I have carbonated water. ☺ If you don't own a SodaStream, you can buy club soda and chill it in the refrigerator until needed. |
Sparkling Raspberry Lemonade Recipe!
***Pour the drink mix powder into a tall glass first! Then, pour 1/4 to 1/2 cup of carbonated water into the glass; stir gently until powder has disappeared. Slowly add more carbonated water until you've added around two cups altogether. Stir, add ice, and enjoy!
And yes, I learned the hard way to add the drink powder first when using carbonated water. Ha! We're talking Raspberry Lemonade all over my kitchen counter, shooting up toward the ceiling, and all over me!
Wow. Lesson learned. ☺
There are some new flavors that True Lemon is also making:
- Peach Lemonade
- Original Lemonade
- True Lime Black Cherry Limeade
- True Orange Mango Orange
- True Orange-ade
Want to make Raspberry Lemonade |
I didn't receive any True Lemon products free in exchange for a review. I wasn't paid to write this. I just no longer crave soda due to being able to make my own sparkling raspberry lemonade in 1-2 minutes, and thought you might want to know about this, too! Disclosure: Some content includes links to affiliates, which gives me a very small percentage of the sale. You are not obligated to use these links when you make a purchase, but when you do so it helps to support this site, so thank you!
I stopped eating flour-based foods and most processed foods in January 2013.
While much of the transition to gluten-free, low-carb eating has worked well for my family, I've really missed eating crackers and chips.
Yup. It's the simple things in life that inspire me. ☺
I used to love to nibble from a box of Wheat Thins crackers from time to time. So there were supposed to be 8 servings of crackers in a box of Wheat Thins? I guess I missed that part. Ha!
Recently, I saw a recipe for Sour Cream and Chive Crackers on Low Carb So Simple.com. Could a homemade, gluten-free, low-carb cracker actually be as good as that website promised?
I decided to give it a try. And I was astounded with the amazing results! I changed up the recipe a little bit, making it work better for my finicky taste buds, and here are my results:
- 4 cups almond flour (I love the Honeyville brand for being finely ground)
- 1.4 oz or 40 grams green onion stems or fresh chives
- 1/2 cup + 2 tsp. full fat sour cream (I love the Daisy brand - no chemicals!)
- 1-1/2 tsp. unrefined sea salt or to taste (Redmond RealSalt is wonderful)
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
Preheat oven to 250° F (100° C). Holding a small bunch of green onion tops or chives, use kitchen scissors to snip them into very small pieces, or use a knife to slice them thinly. In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients with your hands or a heavy spoon. Knead dough until smooth, approximately 30-60 seconds. Divide dough into two balls.
Place each ball of dough on a separate baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a Silpat silicone baking mat. Cover each dough ball with a piece of parchment paper. With a rolling pin or pastry/pizza roller, roll the dough as thin as you can - the thinner the dough, the crisper the cracker. Remove the top parchment paper.
Cut the dough into 1" or 2" squares with a knife, pizza cutter, or pastry wheel. The pastry wheel does a nice job of giving the crackers that zig zag look. ☺ I use my grandmother's 80-year-old pastry wheel, but this one would work well, too.
After crackers have cooled, store them in airtight containers or ziplocks. They will stay crisp for at least 4-5 days...if they last that long!
Here's the free printable version for your 3-ring binder:
Click on the picture, below, to download the printable recipe:
Yummm...the smell and crispy crunch of homemade waffles has been something I've really missed.
When we switched to a low carb eating plan, traditional waffles were no longer on plan.
But I love 'em! Especially with peanut butter and syrup! Yum. ♥
Inspired by the Trim Healthy Pancakes in the new book, Trim Healthy Mama, I was determined to come up with a healthy, low carb version of waffles that would not only be nutritious, but also delicious.
And that sounds like poetry...or an advertising jingle.
"Nu-tri-tious and de-li-cious!" Okay, laugh at me if you want. That's just where my mind wandered. ☺
Here's the recipe we've made numerous times, that is quite tasty! Not only that, it's super speedy to mix up! The best of both worlds.
- 2 cups old-fashioned oats, uncooked
- 2 cups 100% liquid egg whites or 14 egg whites
- 2 cups nonfat or low fat 1% - 2% cottage cheese
- 4 tsp. aluminum-free baking powder
- 4 tsp. Trim Healthy Mama Sweet Blend (*see below for other sweetener alternatives and measurements)
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 1 tsp. salt (I prefer Redmond RealSalt with its full mineral content)
- 1/2 tsp. glucomannan powder
- coconut oil spray
- butter
Heat waffle iron to medium or medium high. The level of heat may take a little bit of experimentation on your part, depending on what type of waffle iron you own. Blend old-fashioned oats in blender until powdered. (Higher end blenders will do this quickly at high speed; for lower end blenders, pulse at low speed until well blended.)
Add remaining ingredients except coconut oil spray and butter to blender. Combine well; let sit for 1-2 minutes to thicken slightly.
Lightly spray entire cooking surface of waffle iron with coconut oil spray. Pour batter onto hot waffle iron until surface is half filled with batter. Close waffle iron and heat to desired level of doneness or until golden brown to dark brown.
Remove waffles from waffle iron. Place waffles on serving platter or plate and store in warmed oven, if desired (200° F) or serve immediately. Before pouring additional batter from the blender, lightly spray entire cooking surface of waffle iron again with coconut oil spray. You'll need to grease the waffle iron each time before you pour any new batter onto it. If you forget to grease the waffle iron one time, you'll probably never forget again. It's time consuming to have to clean out that waffle iron when the oil has been forgotten!
Since this is an E ("Energizing") meal, you'll want to eat no more than 2-3 squares of waffles at a meal, and be sure to top them with only a tiny amount of butter, if you use it at all. These are delicious topped with Polaner All-Fruit Jam with Fiber or homemade fruit syrup that doesn't contain sugar in any form.
*4 tsp. THM Sweet Blend is the same as:
- 4 "doonks" THM Pure Stevia
- 3/16 tsp. other stevia sweeteners
- 6 tsp. Truvia or homemade "Truvia"
- 6 packets Truvia or stevia
- 1/4 cup erythritol/Just Like Sugar/ xylitol
- 1-1/2 tsp. liquid stevia
Download and print off the free printable recipe page for your recipe binder!
Have you seen the FREE printable Trim Healthy Mama grocery shopping lists I have available?
Check them out!
I know a lot of you gals are eating low-carb diets or following the Trim Healthy Mama eating lifestyle plan.
Some of our guys are all in - convinced that the THM or low-carb eating plan is for them, and they're losing weight and gaining all these amazing health benefits right alongside us.
Others balk at any changes in the meals they're served. ☺ Or downright refuse to eat any new recipes.
My good friend, Serena, gave me a recipe years ago for delicious Venison or Elk with Mushroom Gravy. When she invited us over for dinner one day, we enjoyed this so much! Yum! What I loved about it was that it took me 15-20 minutes of preparation time in the morning, and then the crock pot did the rest until our dinner was ready!
We started using Trim Healthy Mama in our home in January 2013. Since that time, I've neglected to make Venison with Mushroom Gravy - even though it's one of my husband's favorite recipes - because of the off-plan ingredients found in cream of mushroom soup.
This morning, realizing that I still had at least 10 lbs. of venison packed up in my freezer, I decided that today was the day that I served my husband one of his favorite MAN recipes: THM-style. ☺
If you don't have any venison or elk, feel free to use stew meat or 1/2" thick sliced beef roast.
Homemade low carb, gluten free cream of mushroom soup actually takes very little time at all to prepare. The neat thing is that it makes a big batch, 6 cups' worth, so there's enough to use for now and freeze for later. That's the best of both worlds!
I filled my 6-quart crockpot (here's my favorite crockpot in the whole wide world!) about half full of thawed, browned venision, but I didn't think to weight the meat to see how much I added. I'm going to make an educated guess and say that I used 3 lbs. of venison for this crowd-pleasing meal. Feel free to cut yours down in half for a more manageable recipe for a smaller family. We're not a large family, but we love leftovers!
- 3 lbs. thawed venison, elk, stew meat, or beef roast
- 1/2 cup coconut oil
- 1/2 cup coconut flour
- 6 Tbsp. butter
- 2 Tbsp. fresh sage, chopped
- 1 lb. sliced mushrooms
- 2 celery ribs, chopped
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 4 cups vegetable or chicken broth
- 1 Tbsp. sea salt, or to taste (I like Redmond RealSalt)
- 1 tsp. pepper (or to taste)
- 1/2 tsp. glucomannan powder (or if not low-carb, arrowroot powder or corn starch)
Place coconut flour into a shallow dish or plate. Add 2 Tbsp. coconut oil to 12" frying pan on medium heat until oil shimmers. Coat both sides of wild game or stew meat or sliced beef roast in coconut flour; place coated meat into hot oil in frying pan for several minutes until both sides are browned. As meat finishes browning, remove from frying pan and place browned meat into large crockpot (4 quart or larger). You will probably need to add additional tablespoons of coconut oil with each pan of meat that you brown.
While meat browns in the frying pan, begin making Low Carb Mushroom Gravy: In a large 6-quart pot or dutch oven, heat butter over medium heat until it begins to brown and becomes fragrant, 3-4 minutes. Add chopped sage and cook for one additional minute. (Turn down the heat if the butter begins to burn.)
Add sliced mushrooms, diced onions, and chopped celery ribs, stirring well. Saute until mushrooms and vegetables are tender and lightly browned, 4-5 minutes. Pour broth into pot and bring to a simmer. Cook for an additional 4-5 minutes, letting flavors blend.
Transfer broth/vegetable mixture to food processor or blender. Caution: this is hot, so handle with care. Blend or puree broth and vegetables until smooth. Taste and add additional salt and pepper, if desired.
When all of the browned meat is placed into the crockpot, pour blended broth/vegetable gravy over meat. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours. Just before serving, sprinkle 1/2 tsp. glucomannan powder over gravy in crockpot; whisk well. Whisk in 1 cup heavy cream; add additional salt and pepper, if needed. If needing thickening, sprinkle additional glucomannan and stir well. Serve immediately in soup bowls, or over Dreamfields pasta (follow directions on box) or cauli-rice (recipe for cauliflower rice not provided).
FREE printable recipe ~ Venison with Creamy Low-Carb Mushroom Gravy
Like many of you who are following the Trim Healthy Mama eating plan or a low-glycemic or low-carb diet, the sweetener aspect of eating this way has been a bit tricky for me. And I do love sweet treats. ♥
When Trim Healthy Mama was originally written, the authors recommended NuNaturals Pure Stevia Extract as one of the best stevia products to use with their plan because of its purity and taste.
Unfortunately, in April 2013, NuNaturals changed the formulation of their Pure Stevia product. My family couldn't get used to the change in taste and level of bitterness...and we're not very fussy.
When the NuNaturals version of stevia was no longer an option my family could use, we chose to use several other stevia/erythritol options...but didn't really love any of them. If our bodies could have tolerated xylitol, we would have used that, too. We weren't too happy about using Truvia, because it's most likely made with GMO corn products, and it is highly processed. :(
Over the last year, we have anxiously been awaiting the new Trim Healthy Mama Stevia products. I'm very excited to let you know that these products are now available!
Pearl and Serene sent me some of their new sweeteners so I could give them a try.
THM Stevia sweeteners are available in three different varieties, for various uses:
The THM Pure Stevia Extract IS NOT an artificial or chemical sweetener; it is made from the non-bitter, naturally occurring, sweet component of the herb stevia - a glycoside called Rebaudioside A. This naturally sweet component is isolated from the stevia leaf using a gentle water extraction process. No bleaching is involved in this process. The THM Pure Stevia Extract is also so minimally processed, it has not even been granulated, which means it remains as a fine white powder – like a dust, which is unusual for stevia products, because most stevia is overprocessed. The THM Pure Stevia Extract comes in two sizes: 1 oz. and 4 oz. The 1 oz. bag will actually last quite a long time (2-3 months of daily use for my own family), because such a tiny amount (a "doonk") is used at one time. |
How is THM Pure Stevia best used?
It contains a tiny "doonk" (spoon) to sprinkle very small amounts of stevia in your foods and beverages.
Based on my 15 months of experience in using stevia products, the THM Pure Stevia would best be used by adding it to beverages and anything needing sweetened but not needing the bulking action of sugar.
For example, I wouldn't use this as the only sweetener in most baked goods (cakes, cookies, etc.), but it could be used in combination with the other THM sweeteners (THM Erythritol or THM Sweet Blend) in baked goods.
- sweeten a cup of coffee or tea
- sweeten a cup of yogurt
- add to fruit syrups
- 1/2 tsp. = the sweetness of 1 cup sugar
- sweeten protein shakes
- and more!
When opening the bag of THM Pure Stevia, tap it on your counter a few times. Then, zip the seal before opening the bag, because the powder likes to "plume" a little when first opened. You’ll find a tiny spoon (1/32 of a tsp.) inside the pouch. This is your “doonk” spoon. When adding the powder to your drink or recipe with your doonk, turn spoon downward and gently tap it on the side of your glass or bowl as you empty it out. This will allow the stevia to flow out of the spoon.
Don’t put the doonk back in the pouch, as you’ll have to dig around in the white powder to find it. Find your doonk its own special home somewhere else in your kitchen. ☺
THM Erythritol is a delightful tasting sweetener that has zero impact on blood sugar levels. Even "purists" will love the fact that THM Erythritol does not contain any Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO), nor is GMO material used in its production. Erythritol is the only sugar alcohol which has a zero glycemic index reading and zero calories per serving. Other sugar alcohols, like maltitol, sorbitol, and xylitol are often used as sugar substitutes because they provide a sweet taste yet do not raise blood sugar to the same extent as sugar does. However, many people have trouble with gas, bloating, and diarrhea when eating these sugar alcohols. Erythritol is much easier to digest, and its high antioxidant levels help to fight free radicals in the body which are responsible for the aging process. |
You can also combine THM Erythritol with THM Pure Stevia to make your own homemade "Truvia"; see directions on the chart below for the "Homemade Sweet Blend Recipe".
THM Sweet Blend is the perfect combination of two natural sweeteners: THM non-GMO erythritol and the organic THM Pure Stevia. Both are diabetic friendly, certified Kosher, offer numerous health benefits, and have no impact upon blood sugar. The THM Sweet Blend looks and acts similar to regular sugar (although it is a little sweeter) without the negative health and weight consequences. It is heat stable and offers bulk to your baked goods, so you’ll love it for baking, along with all your other sweetening needs. It's also a great product to use with recipes using baking cocoa, which can often be difficult to sweeten with alternative sweeteners and still taste good. |
Stevia takes a while to get used to using, for most people. Keep in mind that if you have never used stevia extract or stevia products, there will be a period of adjustment to the taste...although the THM Stevia is far better tasting than anything else I've used so far!
For my own family, it took us 6-8 weeks to adjust to the taste of foods made with NuNaturals stevia so that we couldn't taste the "aftertaste" anymore. Even though the THM Stevia products taste wonderfully, you may possibly have an adjustment period where your body is adjusting away from using sugar as its sweetener source, and switching to using stevia and erythritol exclusively. This is normal.
Also, the THM (Trim Healthy Mama) Stevia sweeteners are definitely sweeter than other stevia products on the market, which is nice! You'll use less of it each time, saving you money in the long run.
It's time for a giveaway of THM Stevia products!
Two winners will be selected in this giveaway: one will win a 1 oz. bag of THM Pure Stevia Extract, and the second winner will win a 1 lb. bag of THM Sweet Blend!
The giveaway ends on Friday, April 11th, 2014 at midnight (Pacific time)...
...and please read the requirements, below, for entering this giveaway. ☺ I will be validating the winning entries to make certain they are legitimate entries. U.S. entries only, please. Thanks!
Entrants must be 18 years or older; only U.S. residents are eligible to enter this giveaway.
I will select the winner of this prize using Random.org (via this Rafflecopter entry form, below).
I will be verifying the winning entrant's giveaway entry options to make sure they are valid. In the past several months, multiple potential winners were excluded from winning even though their names had been selected randomly as winners, because they said that they had signed up for email subscriptions but had not completed the process, which includes clicking on an email you will receive to confirm your subscription. An email subscription to Joy In Our Journey.com is not a requirement to enter our giveaways, but if you do use an email subscription option to enter to win, please make sure that you click on the confirmation email that you will receive. That will validate your entry. Thank you! :)
In the interest of full disclosure, some of the links in my posts are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I receive an affiliate commission...without it costing you a penny more. I only recommend products I use personally. Your purchases through these links help support Joy In Our Journey. I humbly thank you for your support!
My family began using the low-glycemic, low-carb eating plan by Trim Healthy Mama in January 2013. We have been so thrilled with the improvements in our health over the last 14 months!
What we haven't enjoyed, since April 2013, was that the recommended alternative sweetener, pure stevia extract, made by NuNaturals, changed its formulation - and it no longer tasted good to us.
In fact, we would rather have gone without any sweet treats than to use NuNaturals' updated version of pure stevia extract. If you've been following any of my sweet recipes here at Joy In Our Journey.com, you know that this would be a huge sacrifice for me!
Since that time, I've been able to "beta test" two versions of pure stevia extract for Pearl and Serene, the authors of Trim Healthy Mama. And guess what?
We've loved the new stevia extract that they've decided to start selling! Truly, it is amazing.
I thought you would want to know that the Trim Healthy Mama website will now be officially selling:
- THM Pure Stevia Extract
- THM Baking Blend (pure stevia extract + non-GMO erythritol)
- pure non-GMO erythritol
The sales of these new products will begin on Monday morning, March 24th, 2014...so now's your chance to place your order for some amazing stevia products on www.TrimHealthyMama.com!
Pearl and Serene have sampled pure stevia extract from all over Asia, where it is manufactured. They want to sell pure stevia extract, with no fillers or maltodextrin. They have sought a product that is organic, of the highest purity, and has a nice rounded sweetness without that bitter high end taste most stevia is known for.
One of their husbands flew to the area where this stevia is grown, and he documented the entire process from leaf to powder. Absolutely no bleaching is involved nor are any strange or unhealthy chemicals used. The leaves are soaked in water, and the end result is a fine, white, ultra-sweet powder perfect for all-day sippers, shakes, smoothies, and Greek yogurt, etc.
In fact, the new THM stevia is so minimally processed, it has not even been granulated, which means it remains a fine white powder – like dust.
When you receive your pouch, tap it on your counter a few times and then zip the seal before opening the bag, as the powder likes to plume a little when first opened.
Trust me - it "poofs" a bit, so don't take a deep breath when opening up the package. ☺
You’ll find a tiny spoon (1/32 of a tsp.) inside the pouch. When adding the powder to your drink or recipe with your tiny spoon, turn spoon downward and gently tap it on the side of your glass or bowl as you empty it out. This will allow the stevia to flow out of the spoon. Don’t put the spoon back in the pouch as you’ll have to dig around in the white powder to find it. Find your spoon its own special home somewhere else in your kitchen.
Along with the pure stevia extract, Trim Healthy Mama is also excited to launch THM Sweet Blend which is a completely non-GMO baking blend – a mixture of their organic stevia and non-GMO erythritol – no other sneaky ingredients added. It is sweeter than sugar, and even sweeter than most other store-bought stevia blends like Truvia.
Pearl and Serene know that mamas are on tight budgets, so they did their very best to make it affordable for the everyday mama to buy a full pound at a time...although smaller quantities are also available.
If you are used to using 4 tsp. of another blend like Truvia in your Muffin in a Mug recipes, try just 3 tsp. of their Sweet Blend and see if that is just about right.
I'm going to hold a giveaway for the THM stevia products here, soon, so stay tuned for more about that in the next few weeks. I can't wait to place my order on Monday, for the new THM sweeteners! Place your orders here (not an affiliate link).
Was it really that long ago that it took 10 seconds to make breakfast for my family each morning?
At first, our motivation was that cereal was just getting too expensive - even though we weren't buying sugar-laden cereals in the first place.
But then, we realized that it would be so much better to have a healthy hot breakfast every morning, one that rotated around simple, wholesome ingredients. And we had friends who were trying to find buyers for their farm fresh eggs. Yum!
While it would be quick and easy to fry or scramble eggs each morning - which we did for over a year - we eventually got to the point where we were kind of sick and tired of eggs every morning.
I know, I know, first world problems...but it is what it is.
☺
I will confess that there are mornings I really would prefer to have boxes of cereal in the house. But that's just plain laziness. I'm going to call it what it is. Too lazy to get up early enough to fix a hot meal for everyone...too lazy to do the extra dishes vs. 4 bowls and 4 spoons (if we had cereal).
Thankfully, eating a low-glycemic diet has helped us figure out how to make a variety of breakfast foods that work well in the mornings.
Here's one we just love! Caramel Apple Pie Oatmeal works well for those on a low-glycemic diet, as long as you use old-fashioned oats and 30-calorie almond milk with it.
And it only takes about 10 minutes, from start to finish, to make enough for you and 1-3 others:
- 1-2/3 cups unsweetened or vanilla almond milk (30 calories/serving)
- 1/8 tsp. full-mineral sea salt (like Redmond RealSalt)
- 1 cup old-fashioned oats (no quick oats)
- 1 Granny Smith apple, chopped
- 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp. ground ginger (optional)
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 tsp. caramel extract
- stevia extract powder or liquid stevia drops
Core and chop one medium to large Granny Smith apple into 1" (1 cm) cubes. Combine all ingredients in a 2-quart saucepan, except vanilla, caramel extract, and stevia. Stir well and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to medium-low or low and simmer for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until apples are softened. Remove from heat. Add vanilla extract, caramel extract, and stevia (to taste), stirring well. Cover and let stand for 2 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with additional ground cinnamon, if desired.
If you are eating the Trim Healthy Mama way, you'll want to add a dollop of 0% Greek yogurt on top or on the side to boost your protein with this meal.
4.9 grams fat; 34 grams net carbs per serving.
Here's a free printable recipe page for your recipe binder:
I have to update what I did tonight so my husband and oldest daughter could have some of this very quickly in the early morning tomorrow!
Thursday mornings are very, very early for my husband and my daughter since he takes her to Toastmasters at 5:45 a.m. or something. (I'm still asleep, so I don't remember exactly when it is...and she doesn't quite have her driver license yet.)
So tonight, I chopped up an apple, added some erythritol (maybe 2 Tbsp. per apple), and about a teaspoon of apple pie spice, and 1/4 cup water, and simmered those apples down for about 25-30 minutes on the stovetop on medium-low. There were still some juices left after 30 minutes, so I barely sprinkled some glucomannan into the apple mixture and stirred for another minute or so until it formed a thicker sauce.
I placed the delicious smelling apple pie mixture into the refrigerator to cool down. Early in the morning, they'll just need to place a big spoonful of the apple pie mixture into their oatmeal and cook it really quick in the microwave. Easy - and delicious!
What's your favorite quick and easy breakfast recipe?
Hi! I'm Julieanne!
You'll find me in the kitchen
trying new Trim Healthy Mama recipes, loving God, and carrying out that love as I bless my husband and teen daughters.
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