Archive of ‘Fast n’ Easy’ category

Dairy-Free, Egg-Free, Fast n' Easy, Fruit, Grain-Free, Ice Cream, Ice Cream and Frozen Desserts, Low Carbohydrate, Nut-Free, Paleo/Primal, Vegan

 Real Food Rainbow Popsicles (No Sugar Added!) Made with Natural Sugar-Free Sweeteners (Stevia, Erythritol)

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It’s officially summer! The MS-1s are out enjoying our last “summer of freedom” (doesn’t that sound ominous?), so I’ve been grateful for some down time. (To follow along with my medical school journey and get a glimpse of life in rural North Carolina, head on over to my instagram!).

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Here in North Carolina, the fruit bins are overflowing with seasonal produce.  To celebrate the colorful array and the start of summer, I made cool, creamy, drip-down-your-arm frozen fruit bars. These cheerful treats have no added sugar, made from real whole fruits and a splash of coconut milk for creaminess.

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After working with patients this year on mission trips and at the free clinic, I’ve been more inspired to talk about healthy food than ever before. Many of them have diabetes or are pre-diabetic. The ones I’ve spoken with have been open to making dietary changes, but aren’t sure where to start. Through such conversations, I’ve learned that small tweaks and substitutions are the most manageable for people trying to change their way of life. In my next chapter of blogging, I hope to share more simple recipes with common ingredients that can nudge people towards healthier habits. I’d also like to solicit your feedback, dear readers. What’s one change you made to your diet that kick started your healthy eating? Leave it in the comments, and maybe it’ll inspire others to take a step in the right direction. 

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Fast n' Easy, Ice Cream, Ice Cream and Frozen Desserts, Low Carbohydrate, Sugar-Free

Healthy Mint “Shamrock” Milkshake Recipe! (Sugar-Free)

Every March as St. Patty’s Day approaches, the Shamrock Shake attracts throngs of hungry diners to the Golden Arches. In all its corn-syrup filled glory, a small McDonald’s Shamrock Shake packs a whopping 86 grams of carbohydrates (73g of sugar) and 530 calories!

Fortunately, I was able to come up with a Healthy Indulgences version that clocks in at 8 grams of carbohydrates, no sugar, and 420 calories worth of protein and nourishing fats. It’s basically a meal in the form of a thick, creamy, sweet milkshake. What could be better than that?

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Bread and Muffins, Breakfast, Dairy-Free, Fast n' Easy, Grain-Free, Low Carbohydrate, Paleo/Primal

Weekday Waffles (Low Carb, Grain-Free, Diabetic-Friendly)

These fluffy, gluten-free, nutrient-packed waffles will get you excited about breakfast again. 

Biting into the lightly sweet, bread-like interiors, you’d think these golden brown Eggo knock offs were made from white flour. Not true! Coconut flour, cashews, and a little bit of arrowroot starch (the powdered form of a root vegetable) blend up to create a batter that makes these waffles equals part delicious and nourishing. 

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Although they look fancy and time-consuming to make, these homemade waffles are as simple as tossing the ingredients in a blender and whirling them into a smooth batter. It takes me all of 10 minutes to prep the batter, and another five for the cooking. We use and love a waffle iron similar to this one. It not only cooks up a crispy waffle, but it makes a mean cauli-hash brown… but that’s a recipe for another post! 

The name Weekday Waffles comes from the superb freeze-ability of these toothsome treats. You can make up a big batch on Sunday for a quick breakfast during bleary-eyed weekday mornings. It’s comforting, nutritious fast food. 

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Cheesecakes and Mousses, Egg-Free, Fast n' Easy, Grain-Free, Holiday and Seasonal, Low Carbohydrate, Pumpkin, Sugar-Free

Sugar-Free Pumpkin Cheesecake for a Sweet Thanksgiving!

There’s less than week until Thanksgiving!

You know what that means… it’s baking season! Holiday indulgences will be everywhere, tempting you to gobble sugary treats until you’re more stuffed than the turkey (or turducken) on the table.

This recipe might just be your sweet salvation.

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This No-Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake has the familiar flavors of fall for those pumpkin pie lovers at the Thanksgiving table,  but is blissfully sugar-free! And it’s so good that I actually prefer it to pumpkin pie (but not to Sugar-Free Gooey Pumpkin Butter Cake… nothing tops that glorious creation!). The fluffy, mousse-like texture of the No-Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake filling rests atop a sweet and cinnamon-y, “cookie” crumb crust, making for an irresistible flavor combination.

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Beverages, Fast n' Easy

How To Make The Best Homemade, Healthier Starbucks Peppermint Mocha Latte (Low Sugar, Low Carb)

There are few recipes that I make over and over again. This homemade, low sugar Peppermint Mocha Latte creamer is one of them. We’ve had lattes just about every morning this past week! Sugar-Free Peppermint Mocha, take 2 Warning: You might never want to buy another Starbucks mocha again after whipping up this easy recipe!  In under 10 seconds, you can make an insanely delicious, low carbohydrate mocha latte using this homemade, healthier mocha creamer. Pour it into a mug of boring black coffee to instantly create a fancy coffee drink! No need to drop $4 on a sugar bomb from the store.

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Chocolate, Dairy-Free, Egg-Free, Fast n' Easy, Fruit, Grain-Free, Ice Cream, Low Carbohydrate, Nut-Free, Paleo/Primal, Syrups, Sauces, and Dressings, Vegan

Announcing an E-COOKBOOK (!!!) and Instant Ice Cream and Hot Fudge Sauce for Sugar-Free Sundaes!

UPDATE: The giveaway winner for the Bento lunchbox is commenter #55, Suzie. Thanks for participating in the giveaway, everyone!

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Pictured below is my instant strawberry ice cream with rich homemade hot fudge sauce that’s low carb and sugar-free. Both the ice cream and hot fudge can be made paleo, dairy-free, and vegan. You’ll be able to recreate allergen friendly sundaes that are every bit as yummy as those sundaes you’ve enjoyed at ice cream parlors. Scroll down to the bottom of this post for the recipes…

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With the end of summer comes the beginning-of-school-year scramble! New pens and pencils and binders are carefully arranged in book bags, and text books are purchased begrudgingly by students (hint: Amazon and half.com are your friends). Wardrobes and hairdos and parking permits are revitalized and renewed!


As for me, I’m still stuck in summer mode. Sure, I have my schedule for courses set, my books ordered, and the prospects of new faces and intellectual discovery (shout-out to all my nerds out there!) getting my mind a’buzzing with possibilities. It’s an exciting time, every semester, you know? It’s the thrilling feeling of anticipation that comes with new beginnings, with novelty, with plunging headlong into the unknown.

It all sounds a little dramatic, you say? Well, I have to keep myself excited during my extended undergraduate education, hah! To all you people who knew what you wanted to do with your lives when you were 18 – “congratulations and you suck,” in the immortal words of Marina Keegan, God rest her beautiful soul.

That same feeling—that sense of anticipation—is the one I’ve been getting for the past four years blogging, constantly revising recipes in my messy test kitchen, trying this plate, that camera angle for food photoshoots, and opening my email inbox to new questions that pose new challenges to navigate in the kitchen. The wonderful people (that means YOU) who have given me tips and left helpful comments on the site and Facebook page are the other, more important, reason I’ve kept blogging. Thanks to your encouraging words and donations this website lives on!

After receiving numerous questions from you about sugar-free baking and substitutions, I decided to work on tidying up all the information on this blog into one project. The culmination of this summer’s efforts is the Healthy Indulgences e-cookbook! It’s finally ready, and will be posted for sale on the redesigned website on Monday, August 19th is posted for sale here!
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Cookies, Dairy-Free, Fast n' Easy, Low Carbohydrate, Peanut Butter

Healthier Peanut Butter Cookies (aka Fresh Peanut Butter Cookies!) – A lower sugar, high protein version of classic PB cookies.

These peanut butter cookies are just like grandma’s, but changed up just a little to boost the protein and reduce the sugar. Oh, and they’re gluten-free. Make this one your new classic peanut butter cookie recipe!

Healthier Peanut Butter Cookies (Gluten-Free, Low Carb)

You’re still holding on to that old recipe card, aren’t you? Hmm, well, did I tell you that the dough is made in a food processor, so preparation is a breeze? Yup, it’s true.

Making fresh PB in my Kitchenaid food processor, a Christmas gift I’ve finally gotten around to using. Much more powerful than my smaller food processor, it makes nut butter in minutes. Love!

Freshly Ground Peanut Butter

 
Did I mention you can grab all of the ingredients for these healthier cookies during your next trip to the grocery store? Also true.

Sorry, grandma. I love ya, but that cup of sugar and white flour have gotto go!

 
Made with real butter, freshly ground peanut butter, oat flour, and a mere 1/2 cup of sugar, these cookies have half the carbohydrates of your old favorite recipe…
Healthier Peanut Butter Cookies, pt. 2

…and ALL of the addictive, salty n’ sweet peanut butter cookie taste.

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Cakes and Cupcakes, Chocolate, Dairy-Free, Fast n' Easy, Grain-Free, Low Carbohydrate, Paleo/Primal, Sugar-Free

Healthy Instant Chocolate Cake (aka 1 Minute Microwave Cake) and a GIVEAWAY!

UPDATE: The giveaway winner has been contacted. Thanks for participating, all!

This healthy yet decadent spin on the beloved One Minute Muffin is sure to hit the spot when you’re crunched for time and craving the sweet stuff.

Microwave Chocolate Cake In A Mug

 
Picture this: It’s lunch time, and you’re utterly fatigued after a grueling Monday morning full of meetings with clients/problem sets and paper writing/chasing after the little ones/[choose your own adventure] and your stomach is grumbling. 

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Cakes and Cupcakes, Fast n' Easy, Low Carbohydrate, Sugar-Free, Uncategorized

Busy Day Cake (aka Blender Cake!) – Moist, Yellow Cake That’s Sugar-Free and Gluten-Free

On a busy day, there’s nothing better than a slice of cake.

Low Carb Yellow Cake w/Creamy Sugar-Free Frosting>

To satiate your sweet tooth on those mile-long-to-do-list days, it’s tempting to hit up the grocery store or corner bakery for a pre-made slice, full of trans fatty, sugary frosting and white flour. For gluten-free eaters and low carb dieters avoiding sugar, there are few options for a quick fix. What’s a stressed out cake-lovin’ healthy eater to do?

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Beverages, Coffee (Starbucks!), Egg-Free, Fast n' Easy, Grain-Free, Low Carbohydrate, Nut-Free, Sugar-Free

My recipe for a Sugar-free, Healthy “Coffee-cino” frozen coffee drink. Move over, Starbucks!

The days of overspending on a sugary, fattening frozen coffee drink are over.

 
I’m currently sipping a homemade, sugar-free mocha “Coffee-cino”that cost way less than $3.50 to make. It has all taste with half the calories and carbs of the real deal. Diabetic coffee lovers, carb watchers, and college students – this one’s for you guys.  Come take a coffee break with me and make your own!

 
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