Maple Sweet Potato Cake

 

Maple and Sweet Potato Cake.  Garrett McCord Whenever it starts getting a bit cool I roast sweet potatoes. They're an easy meal in themselves or perfectly fine for a side. Plus, roasting them is so easy. When I roast sweet potatoes I usually make a few extra than I need for that meal. The leftovers get mashed and then scuttled away in the freezer or fridge for future projects. Sometimes I use the mash for a sweet potato shepherd's pie topping, or swirl them into waffle or biscuit dough. However, one of my favorite uses is this crazy easy sweet potato cake. This cake take about 5 minutes of active work followed by 1 hour of baking. The result is a dense, sweet, earthy cake that easily beats out any pumpkin cake recipe you have. It's incredibly rich, and the maple and brown sugar give it a musky flavor. A pinch of cinnamon keeps it simple, but I've happily added ground mace, coriander, allspice, ginger, and even ground star anise for something truly elegant. Serve this plain as a snack or toast a slice before smearing it with butter. I've also used this cake in a trifle with pastry cream, bourbon, and candied cranberries. Lastly, I enjoy serving this with a little bit of black coffee or even a hot buttered rum. Related Sweet Potato Links: Perfect Roast Sweet Potatoes What's the Difference Between Yams and Sweet Potatoes? History of the Sweet Potato in China Are Sweet Potato Greens Poisonous? 7 Health Benefits of Sweet Potatoes Ingredients 1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon of salt 1 teaspoon of baking soda 1/2 cup of sugar 1/2 cup of brown sugar 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1 cup of pureed sweet potatoes 1/2 cup of olive oil 2 eggs 1/4 cup of maple syrup (Grade B, preferably) 2 teaspoons vanilla extract Prep Time: 5 minutes Cook Time: 60 minutes Total Time: 65 minutes Yield: 1 loaf cake Preparation 1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Prepare a 9x5x3 inch loaf pan by spraying it with baking spray or lightly buttering and flouring it. 2. Sift together the flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon and sugars. Set aside. 3. Whisk together the sweet potato puree, olive oil, eggs, maple syrup, and vanilla extract until smooth. Mix in the flour mixture and stir together with a spoon until it just comes together. Pour into the prepared baking pan and bake for 60 minutes or until a cake tester comes out of the center clean. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before removing the cake from the pan to cool on a wire rack. Serve hot, warm, cool, or toasted.   http://produce.about.com/od/Fall-Produce/r/Maple-Sweet-Potato-Cake.htm

Sweet Potato Rolls

 

Homemade Sweet Potato Yeast Rolls.  Photo: Diana Rattray User Rating These great tasting yeast rolls are kneaded in the bread machine, making them a snap to prepare, shape, and bake. Ingredients 3/4 cup milk 1 cup mashed or pureed cooked sweet potato 3 tablespoons melted butter plus a little for the tops when the rolls come out of the oven 1 large egg, beaten 4 cups all-purpose flour 4 tablespoons granulated sugar 1 teaspoon salt 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast Yield: Makes 24 Rolls Preparation Add all ingredients to the bread machine in the order suggested by the manufacturer. Use the basic dough cycle. When the cycle finishes, tear pieces off of the dough to make balls, and place in a greased 9-inch square baking pan so they're just touching but not too close. I make the balls about 1 3/4 ounces each and get about 24 rolls. Cover with a cloth and let rise for about 45 minutes in a warm, draft-free place. Bake in a 375° oven for about 20 to 23 minutes, until nicely browned. Brush the tops with melted or softened butter while they're hot. More Yeast Rolls and Bread: Dinner Rolls Clover Leaf Rolls Sweet Potato Yeast Bread Potato Cheese Rolls   http://southernfood.about.com/od/breadmachine/r/Sweet-Potato-Rolls.htm

9 Cinnamon Tea Recipes to Help the Body Heal Itself

 

Cinnamon tea is a convenient way to get a spice that has been used for thousands of years in ancient cultures for its healing properties. You can benefit from it by simply brewing it up and sipping it as you would any other tea. Cinnamon acts as a natural antibacterial and antimicrobial agent in the body, which may help to explain why it’s been regarded for its medicinal value for quite some time. It’s always best to help the body heal itself, and employing a natural spice like cinnamon can help further that process along. Next time you are out, pick up organic cinnamon sticks to have them handy for when you need them. 1. Sudanese Cinnamon Tea Cinnamon tea doesn’t have to be complicated to make in order to capture its healing benefits. This Sudanese cinnamon tea recipe shows that all you need is cinnamon sticks, water, and tea to get the job done. This will give the tea more flavor than just adding hot water to cinnamon, and you can also add sugar to taste, although if you are trying to use it to heal you may want to drink it without the sugar. Here she’s using ceylon tea, so its bringing additional antioxidants and immune system defense to the table. Photo: Je Suis Alimentageuse 2. Thaicia’s Traditional Cold Remedy This tea is a wonderful concoction, with each ingredient serving to help bolster the body back to health. Cinnamon is included for its anti-inflammatory properties and the boost it gives the immune system. She’s also included lemons for their Vitamin C, which will also help support the immune system. There’s honey added to help sweeten things up and make it easier to drink, but also because honey has antibacterial properties. There’s even garlic and ginger, which might not be the best-tasting duo when you have a cold, but the cinnamon, lemon, and honey help with the taste. 3. Crock Pot Chai Tea Latte This is a chai latte that is made in a way that doesn’t use any dairy and a healthy mix of ingredients that are sure to h A traditional chai latte is made with milk, and using coconut milk instead of cow’s milk will make you less likely to get congested after drinking it. If you are trying to drink cinnamon to help fight or avoid a cold, going with this tea latte is a better choice than a conventional chai latte from the coffee shop. She’s made this using a Crock Pot so you can cook it up and leave it simmering for a pick-me-up whenever you need it throughout the day. 4. Warming Cinnamon Tea Cinnamon has a warming effect on the body, and is therefore helpful in overcoming the symptoms of several conditions. This tea takes things back to basics, showing you that you can make a cinnamon tea just using cinnamon and your choice of an all-natural sweetener, like honey. They’re recommending that you go with raw honey, and we’d further add that you should make sure it’s organic, or from a local source that you trust. When consuming such a simple tea it’s important to only use the best possible ingredients. Photo: House of Treats 5. Lemon and Cinnamon Tea This is a simple combination of cinnamon, lemon, cloves, and tea that can help your body heal itself through the use of all-natural ingredients. The lemon provides Vitamin C, while the cloves provide additional anti-inflammatory properties. While she’s using Earl Grey for the type of tea, you can always customize this to your own taste. Using green tea would be one way to get more antioxidants and other substances that help the body, both short term and long term. The English version of this recipe starts halfway down the page. 6. Ginger Cinnamon Detox Tea The combination of ginger and cinnamon is a quite powerful one, and this tea isdesigned to help you detox. You’ll often find healthy ingredients like this combined together, especially when their flavors complement each other. In this case ginger and cinnamon are both rather harsh flavors, and there’s no sugar or sweetener used in this recipe to offset this. It’s meant to be a detoxifying tea, so you don’t want to add anything to it that the body is going to have trouble with. Drink this tea at the first sign of a cold to help warm the body up and shorten the cold’s duration, possibly even avoiding it. 7. Cinnamon Sore Throat Tea For those times when your throat is bothering you, try sipping this sore throat tea made with cinnamon and other ingredients designed to soothe the situation. This is a milky concoction that uses cinnamon and honey, as well as ginger to not only help soothe the throat, but also combat the cause of it. The milk they’re using isn’t cow’s milk, it’s your choice of either almond, rice, or coconut, so you won’t be filling your system with dairy at a time when you could be coming down with a cold. You’ll also score the extra nutrients these milks provide. Photo: Gourmande in the Kitchen 8. Spiced Persimmon Turmeric Tea This tea has a lot going on, but what shouldn’t be overlooked is the use of high-quality cinnamon sticks. It’s going to infuse the tea with the goodness of cinnamon, in addition to everything else it contains. Turmeric is gaining attention for its healing benefits to the body, but has long been known by several cultures that use it everyday in their cooking as well as in tea form. Ginger has a cleansing effect on the body and can help reduce symptoms in a number of conditions. Persimmon is known for its anti-cancer properties and can help protect you from colds. 9. Ginger-Clove-Cinnamon Tea The trio of ginger, cloves, and cinnamon come together nicely in this tea and promise to help the body heal in a natural way. All three of these ingredients are anti-inflammatory, so you can use them to treat a myriad of symptoms from any condition caused by or worsened by inflammation. Ginger and cinnamon will both help your digestive system as well, which in turn helps you process foods and break down their nutrients better, helping your overall health and ability to heal. The instructions themselves are as easy as adding boiling water to the three ingredients.   http://bembu.com/cinnamon-tea-recipes

Sweet-potato waffles with blueberry syrup

 

By Mayo Clinic Staff Dietitian's tip: A hint of spices and a blanket of juicy berries make these waffles a breakfast treat. Leftovers can be frozen and popped into the toaster. The syrup will keep, covered and refrigerated, for up to a week. Serves 6   Ingredients   For the syrup: 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries 2 tablespoons water if using fresh berries 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest 1 tablespoon dark honey 1 tablespoon light molasses Pinch of ground cloves 1/3 cup peeled and diced sweet potato, or 1/4 cup canned pumpkin puree 3/4 cup all-purpose (plain) flour 1/4 cup whole-wheat (whole-meal) flour 1/4 cup cornmeal, preferably stone-ground 1 tablespoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger 1 cup plain soy milk (soya milk) 2 tablespoons light molasses 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 egg white Directions To make the syrup, in a saucepan, combine the blueberries, water (if using), lemon juice and zest, honey, 1 tablespoon molasses, and cloves. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer until the berries burst and the juices are slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Frozen berries may take slightly longer to thicken. Set aside and keep warm. If using sweet potatoes, bring a small saucepan half full of water to a boil. Add the sweet potatoes, return to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium low and simmer until very tender, about 10 minutes. Drain and puree in a food processor or mash with a potato masher until smooth. Set aside. If using pumpkin puree, reserve. In a small bowl, sift together the flours, cornmeal, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and ginger. In a large bowl, whisk together the soy milk, sweet potato puree, olive oil and 2 tablespoons molasses. Add the flour mixture and stir just until combined. Using an electric mixer on high speed, beat the egg white until stiff peaks form. Make sure that the mixing bowl and beaters are spotlessly clean and free of fat. Even a small amount of fat, such as egg yolk or oil, can prevent the egg whites from whipping properly. Once whipped, gently whisk 1/3 of the egg white into the batter to lighten it. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the remaining egg white into the batter, mixing just until incorporated. Place a baking sheet in the oven and preheat to 225 F. Preheat a waffle iron. Spoon or ladle about 1/2 cup batter into the waffle iron, depending on the size of the iron. Spread evenly and cook according to the manufacturer's instructions. If the batter thickens, thin with a little soy milk. Transfer the waffle to the baking sheet in the oven to keep warm. Repeat with the remaining batter to make 6 waffles. Serve topped with the syrup.   Nutritional analysis per serving Serving size :1 waffle with about 1/3 cup syrup Total carbohydrate 39 g Dietary fiber 3 g Sodium 352 mg Saturated fat 1 g Total fat 6 g Trans fat 0 g Cholesterol 0 mg Protein 5 g Monounsaturated fat 4 g Calories 230 Sugars 10 g   http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/recipes/sweetpotato-waffles-with-blueberry-syrup/rcp-20049624

Strawberry banana milkshake

 

Dietitian's tip: For this milkshake, you can substitute 1 cup of sliced fresh peaches in place of the strawberries for an equally tasty treat. Serves 2 Ingredients 6 frozen strawberries, chopped 1 medium banana 1/2 cup soy milk 1 cup fat-free vanilla frozen yogurt 2 fresh strawberries, sliced Directions In a blender, combine the frozen strawberries, banana, soy milk and frozen yogurt. Blend until smooth. Pour into tall, frosty glasses and garnish each with fresh strawberry slices. Serve immediately.   Nutritional analysis per serving Serving size :1 cup Total fat 1 g Calories 183 Protein 6 g Cholesterol 0 mg Total carbohydrate 40 g Dietary fiber 8 g Monounsaturated fat 0 g Saturated fat trace Trans fat 0 g Sodium 117 mg Sugars 17 g   Mayo Clinic Healthy Weight Pyramid Servings DASH Eating Plan Servings Diabetes Meal Plan Choices   http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/recipes/strawberry-banana-milkshake/rcp-20049717

Recipe: Zucchini bread

 

Dietitian's tip: Zucchini — a popular type of summer squash — has a mild flavor and cucumber-like appearance. Shredded zucchini creates moist breads and cakes and is an ideal addition to soups, sauces and casseroles. Serves 18 (2 loaves) Ingredients 6 egg whites 1/4 cup canola oil 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce 1/2 cup sugar 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1 1/4 cups all-purpose (plain) flour 1 1/4 cups whole-wheat (whole-meal) flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon 2 cups shredded zucchini 1/2 cup chopped walnuts 1 1/2 cups crushed, unsweetened pineapple Directions Heat the oven to 350 F. Lightly coat two 9-by-5-inch loaf pans with cooking spray. In a large bowl, add the egg whites, canola oil, applesauce, sugar and vanilla. Using an electric mixer, beat the mixture on low speed until thick and foamy. In a small bowl, stir together the flours. Set 1/2 cup aside. Add the baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon to the small bowl of flour. Add the flour mixture to the egg white mixture and using the electric mixer on medium speed, beat until well-blended. Add the zucchini, walnuts and pineapple and stir until combined. Adjust consistency of the batter with the remaining 1/2 cup flour, adding 1 tablespoon at a time. The batter should be thick and not runny. Pour 1/2 of the batter into each prepared pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the centers of the loaves comes out clean, about 50 minutes. Let the bread cool in the pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Turn the loaves out of the pans onto the rack and let cool completely. Cut each loaf into 9 1-inch slices and serve.   Nutritional analysis per serving Serving size :1 slice Calories 141 Total fat 5 g Saturated fat 0.5 g Trans fat 0 g Monounsaturated fat 2 g Cholesterol 0 mg Sodium 103 mg Total carbohydrate 22 g Dietary fiber 2 g Sugars 5 g Protein 4 g   http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/recipes/zucchini-bread/rcp-20049730

31 Quick-and-Easy Fat-Burning Recipes

 

http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20678467,00.html?xid=healthyliving08052015

26 Creatives Super Foods Recipes

 

Superfood Recipes

Recipe: Browned Butter Maple Pumpkin Bread

 

by Jasmine Wiggins It’s true. This time of year is all about pumpkin spice everything. I’m not quite sure what it is about the bloated, orange gourd. There are so many other varieties of squash out there. Why we are not carving butternut squashes and slapping them into lattes and yogurt, I’m not sure. What is it about pumpkin? I mean, I guess I get it. Pumpkin happens once a year. We carve that thing and put it on our doorsteps and bring it to family Thanksgiving in the form of pie. It reminds us of warm fuzzy times spent with friends and family, crunchy leaves and crisp evenings. I personally find it amusing that the humble pumpkin is a food trend. Our culture has generated so much demand for pumpkin spice fill-in-the-blank that there is a glut of pumpkin spice products on the market. Over at Popsugar they’ve tested more than 75 of them. I will say this. I don’t care that pumpkin spice has found it’s way into everything. Have your pumpkin spice eggnog or fettucine. For one thing, I think it’s a sign consumer demand can and will change the face of the food marketplace. Maybe if we drove the same demand for other things—say for foods that don’t use unsustainably sourced palm oil—those products would start appearing at the market as well. Who knows, maybe pumpkin spice is America’s first flirtation with seasonal eating, even if it is with foods with artificial flavorings strangely absent of real pumpkin. That is all I have to say about pumpkin spice. Now, I have created a real pumpkin recipe for you to try. (I do actually have an affinity for real pumpkin). After searching long enough (weeks) and not finding a pumpkin bread recipe I liked (vegetable oil?), I gave up. I made my own. I used real pumpkin, browned butter, and real Vermont maple syrup for a pumpkin bread that is a far cry from the pumpkin spice bonanza. Browned Butter Maple Pumpkin Bread Makes 2 8×4” loaves 1 cup, or 2 sticks unsalted butter 2 cups of fresh pumpkin or 15 ounce can of pumpkin* 3 eggs 3 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour 1 cup brown sugar 1 cup maple syrup 2 teapsoons baking powder 1 teapsoon salt 2 teaspoons vanilla 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon ground allspice ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg ¼ teaspoon ground clove *Note: You can use canned pumpkin to save time, but I really like using organic pie pumpkin. I’ve tested both versions and both are great. 1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut pumpkin in half and scoop out the seeds. Place the pumpkin halves cut side down on an oiled baking sheet and roast for about 50-60 minutes or until soft. 2. When cool, scoop out the pumpkin flesh and discard skin. Puree the flesh in a food processor. Transfer pumpkin to a cheesecloth-lined colander set inside an empty bowl and let drain for three hours or overnight. You can opt to skip the draining, which I’ve done, but this will affect the end volume. Don’t worry, just pop any extra batter into a muffin tin. 3. Heat 2 sticks of unsalted butter in a saucepan over medium heat to create browned butter. Stir periodically to prevent burning. Butter is browned when it starts to foam and there are brown bits at the bottom of the pan. (About 15 minutes). Transfer to small bowl or to stop cooking. Let cool. 4. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and spices in a medium-sized bowl. 5. In a large bowl, whisk the browned butter, maple syrup, and brown sugar until smooth. Whisk in eggs followed by vanilla. Fold in 2 cups of pumpkin. 6. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients a little at a time until blended. 7. Fold in 1 cup of walnuts if desired. 8. Divide batter into two greased 8×4” baking pans and bake at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.   source to this article : www.scientificamerican.com

almond milk cacao avocado banana smoothie

 

 

Craving something sweet? Try this cacao, banana and avocado smoothie. It’s the ultimate sweet fix. The combination of banana, cacao, dates, avocado, almond milk and almond butter is too incredible as each glass is just so deliciously smooth, rich, creamy and chocolatey. Yet still so wonderfully light and, even better, so speedy to make – literally three minutes from cupboard to cup. It’s like a new and improved take on chocolate milk, just a million times healthier! The over-ripe banana, dates and drop of agave really make this so unbelievably sweet, it’s almost hard to believe that it is natural. Trust me, everyone will love this. It was such a hit in the flat last night that we ended up licking the blender clean! It’s just that good. So sweet, so natural, so easy. Recipes like this really make not eating processed sugar, chocolate and candy too easy. I never would have thought I’d say it, but Haribo, Ben & Jerrys or Cadburys, could never taste more delicious than this.

Avocado may seem like a weird addition to the ingredient list here, but it is the magic ingredient as it makes the smoothie so irresistibly creamy. It really works to replace yoghurt, which would normally be used in smoothies. Not only does the avocado make the texture a trillion times better, but it also really vamps up the health properties of this drink as it is such a super food. One of the most awesome things a bout avocados is that they’ve been shown to really increase the absorption of all the vitamins and minerals of the foods eaten with them, meaning you’ll get even more goodness from all the other ingredients. They’re also great sources of vitamins E, K and B, all of which help to keep your body strong by regulating your metabolism, keeping your bones strong and keeping your skin glowing. As well as having serious anti-inflammatory properties, promoting blood sugar regulation and containing a great portion of fibre. So much goodness in one vegetable!

Makes 1 large glass:

- 1/2 a cup of almond milk

- 1 really ripe banana

- 1/2 an avocado

- 4 medjool dates

- 2 teaspoons of cacao

- 1 teaspoon of manuka honey

- 1 teaspoon of almond butter

- a few ice cubes

Peel the banana and avocado, discarding their skins and pit the dates.

Then, simply place all of the ingredients into the blender, blend for 2 minutes until smooth.

Pour, sip and love.

 

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• Kale, Berry and Acai Power Smoothie

 

11 Dessert Hacks that Satisfy Cravings but are Secretly Healthy

 

Is dessert your diet's achilles heel? Well, we have that in common. But often, the psychology of having something sweet is more powerful than the actual need for something that will sabotage your time in the gym. Here's a list of awesome treats from around the web that seem much more sinful than they actually are! These treats are not only delicious, they also have secret weapon ingredients that are actually good for you.

1. Pumpkin Pie Smoothie (above)

There are many varieties of the pumpkin pie smoothie on blogs across the web; this one in particular from the blog Food Plus Words is packed with secret healthy weapons.

Secret weapon #1: Tofu. For those of you who don't have anything against soy, tofu is an awesome thickener. Don't bust it 'til you try it, people. The beauty of tofu is that it tastes like whatever you put it with - in this case, it creates an awesome creamy texture while adding nutritional value. If you're exploring smoothies on your own, just make sure to start out with a little. Too much tofu in the smoothie will start to weird-i-fy the taste.

Secret weapon #2: Pumpkin puree. Many of us only eat pumpkin puree in pies, so we automatically associate the taste with decadence. But pumpkin itself is quite healthy! (Click here for more pumpkin recipes).

2. Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Dip

This dip is high in protein and gluten free - and tastes so much more sinful than it actually is.

Secret weapon: Chickpeas. Can you believe it? Genius blogger Chocolate Covered Katie realized that blending these little suckers resulted in a neutral tasting base for a sweet treat. She took the dip to a party and didn't tell anyone what was in it, and watched as guests made comments about how addictive it was.

3. Avocado green tea (matcha) pops.

Whoa. These Munchin with Munchkin treats pack a punch of everything we love, and are sweetened with agave to boot.

Secret weapon #1: Avocado. Don't wince. Avocado is actually a main shake ingredient in Brazil and Indonesia (avocado vanilla shakes with chocolate - we've tried it - it's unbelievable, trust us.) This recipe takes advantage of the creamy "good fat" texture of avocado for a decadent treat.

Secret weapon #2: Green tea! We don't need to tell you how much we love green tea, but have you ever had green tea ice cream??

4. Banana "Ice Cream"

Secret weapon: Frozen bananas. There are many variations on banana "ice cream", but the secret is the same: blending frozen bananas results in a miraculously creamy consistency and taste. Note that bananas do have a lot of sugar, but if the alternative is Ben N' Jerrys, there's really no competition. Bananas win. Potassium, yo.

Secret weapon: Cocoa. Guys, chocolate only gets a bad rap because we add so much sugar to it. Cacao itself is great for you, promoting seratonin production in the brain (happy chemicals) and providing antioxidant benefits as well.

Source: Gotchocolate.com

5. Frozen Blueberries and Milk, or Blueberries in Whipped Yogurt Milk and Honey

This sounds super simple, and it is. This is a another great treat to satisfy that icecream urge! Freeze blueberries in season, and when the time is right, pop a few in the glass and cover with milk (regular or the non-dairy substitute of your choice.)

Secret weapon: frozen berries. You might notice a trend here: frozen fruit is an amazing way to satisfy that "cold and sweet" urge. Specifically with berries, when you freeze them and add milk, the milk freezes over the berries resulting in a sort of frozen milk mash. The other benefit of this is that it's COLD - meaning you have to take your time eating it. Slower is better, people.

Drawback: Some studies show that eating berries with milk (from a cow) negates the antioxidant properties of the berries. This may be true, but our unofficial studies show that eating berries an milk is healthier than downing a pint of Chunky Monkey.

6. Quinoa Pudding

Do you like rice pudding? This recipe Cannelle et Vanille (exectution by Honest Fare) recreates the treat with a more nutritions grain.

Secret weapon: Quinoa. This power grain is a great subtitution for rice given its high protein content and amino acid count. Top with healthy extras like fruits and nuts.

7. No Sugar Added Strawberry Lemonade Popsicles

Sometimes you just need a good old fashioned fruit popsicle. Try this variation from the blog Sugar Free Mom that achieves the deliciousness without all of the extra sugar.

8. Frozen Grape Kabobs.

There's no secret here. It's just grapes. What we like about this particular method of freezing them is the portioning. By sticking the grapes on kabobs, it will be easier to reach for one at a time (yup, you can overindulge on fruit, too).

9. Whipped Cashew Cream and Raspberries

Test out this delish whip substitute by Kirstin Uhrenholdt of The Family Dinner. "It’s sweet and creamy, rich and fluffy, but without dairy, or added sugar. Made with fruit and nuts it quickly comes together with a whir of your blender."

Secret weapon: Cashews. These nutty guys are great for you and the cream derivation replicates the consistency of good old whipped.

10. Maple Spice Yogurt Dip

Here's a delicious dip from the blog Organizing with a Side of Fabulous for fruits and rice cakes, using protein-packed greek yogurt.

Secret weapon: Tons of spices. Ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg... yum!

11. Raspberry Ricotta Mousse

This yummy recipe from the blog Food For Thought uses blended ricotta, is a great way to achieve a creaminess for those of you who are A-ok with dairy.

Enjoy your dessert hacks! Do you have favorite "brain tricking" sweets? What are they?

Love,

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