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Thursday, June 28, 2012

Frozen Banana No Sugar Chocolate Coconut Ice Cream


I Scream, You Scream...
Frozen Banana Coconut Chocolate Ice Cream 

So, I came across the link for one ingredient frozen banana ice cream could this be true?  I admit, I was skeptical, but guess what?  We are having a BLAST playing with this recipe! 



There is also an enticing chocolate mousse-like recipe by Chocolate Covered Katie out there made with coconut milk cream, so I had the idea to kinda combine the ideas and came up with my own RICH, AMAZING, CREAMY, SMOOTH and just wonderful chocolate vegan, healthy, no sugar "ice cream"! The creative possibilities are endless!  Try a few strawberries....maple syrup, instant coffee....on and on.  Here's how I made these:

* 3 frozen bananas (slice in 1/2 in pieces and freeze on a cookie sheet in the freezer)

* 2 T Thai Kitchen Coconut milk (just toss can in fridge when you buy it and the cream will rise to the surface, this is what makes it super creamy, disregard the clear water settled at the bottom of the can...you can use this cream to whip for vegan whip cream as well! It MUST be this brand only)

* 1/4 cup organic unsweetened cocoa powder

*  2 powdered stevia packets (optional for your sweetness level, but any sweetener can be added or not)

* (unnecessary for sure, but I added a 1/2 scoop of my no sugar vanilla protein powder mix just to amp 
 up the protein in it, but it is made from whey so it's not vegan)

* dark chocolate chips and pretty chocolate wafer cookie added for photographic consideration :)
(nah, they were so yum!)


Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Back to The 4th of July

Getting it all ready, again!


 It's been two years since my last 4th of July party celebration, and it's on again this year. I've hit my creative flow and I'm in the zone.....last night as I busily created and assembled decorations, I realized, when the sun came up, I actually never went to bed!  Oh how I love the flow.... But this year will be a little different. I am putting energy into creating a menu and dessert area that are mindful of my new commitment to a low sugar and healthier diet with my new montra, "Stylized and kid approved parties without all the sugar or processed food!" So come back and visit again to see how I pull it all together. My new parties are on a budget, I use a few simple staple items purchased from the dollar store that are changed up, re-decorated and reused in new and resourceful ways. 
Here's a little preview of the process.....


 Firecrackers in the works here using dollar store glass vases, scrap booking paper, some red ribbon I found on a Christmas clearance for .15 cents and a few inexpensive craft store stickers and stars.  It really is easy, inexpensive and since so much is reused and adapted for so many other holiday themes, it doesn't require much storage at all!


Ahh, below are some wonderful memories of  my children and their friends enjoying the previous Independence Day party.  Take a look at the upgraded post of that party HERE.
























Saturday, June 23, 2012

No Bake- Healthy Power Cookies

NO Bake Healthy Power Cookies

Huge success here in the healthy trial kitchen while still on my quest for planning and styling parties without a dessert table full of sugar and processed foods.  Here is my latest kid approved, no bake cookie.  It really tasted like a Resees's cup.  It is protein and fiber packed with heart healthy and Omega oils and vitamin B.  


Here our little guys are all dressed up for the next party, the 4th of July!  I folded the cupcake liners inside out to give more color.
They will be a great kid pick for sure!


No Bake Healthy Power Cookies
adapted from "Gimme some oven" Blog

~1 cup dry old fashioned organic oats (grind a bit in food processor if you don't want bigger oat pieces, I preferred this consistency better and it mixed the flavors more)

~ 1/3 cup of natural organic peanut butter with no added sugar

~1/2 scoop all natural vanilla protein powder mix (I used a natural brand with stevia as the sweetener and no added chemicals or preservatives by Jay Robb sold at GNC)

~ 1/2 cup  no sugar added coconut flakes

~ 2T ground flax

~ 2T wheat germ

~ 1/3 organic honey

Stir all ingredients together,  kneading with hands to push honey and peanut butter oils into dry ingredients.  Form preferred shape (truffle ball or cookie style), place on cookie sheet to place in refrigerator for 1/2 to chill.  Dip into dark organic or grain sweetened melted chocolate.  Set on chilled cookie sheet again to harden chocolate.  Re-chill for about 10 min in fridge.  Place onto serving dish or pretty liners to match your party theme!  They last about a week in covered dish. 

Easy recipe with a mountain of possible additions: almond butter if peanut allergic, dried fruits, chopped nuts, rice grains, tiny dark chocolate chips, chocolate protein powder......


Healthy protein mix is my new secret ingredient I have been experimenting with it in many recipes, I am even working on a frosting mix......since it is mixed with stevia it is all natural and does not contain artificial sweeteners or sugar.  It is a wonderful way to get more protein into some treats and baked goods. 







Monday, June 18, 2012

Super Hero Father's Day

"Dad Is My Hero"

As long as I can remember,
 my kid's amazing dad has
loved, collected and celebrated comic books, super heros and all that comes with it.  He and the girls have seen all the super hero movies.  It's like they speak their own language!  So, what better way to party for father's day than to have their best hero appreciated and celebrated in what they all share passion in?  Here is our creative, inexpensive take on a superhero party for the greatest dad!


We covered cereal boxes in white wrapping paper, used square hole punchers to glue on the windows and then attached clip art from the internet.  Our little super hero on top of a tall building was a gift one of the girls had given him several years ago!


Plates and napkins were a real steal at Big Lots for a dollar.  
Sky scrapers were random cut black paper from The Dollar Tree attached to a tri fold cardboard display.


Cute colorful banners were found on clearance at Target. 


Target also sold the balloons in their party section.



I DID make my coconut flour healthy chocolate cupcakes with the organic dry milk healthy frosting, and they did not disappoint!  Check the recipe out, really parties don't need all that sugar!!!
See new VEGAN frosting recipe on this post HERE



To add to my healthy dessert quests for parties, I cut watermelon in star shapes with cookie cutters and covered some banana pieces in dark chocolate for a simple treat. I also make almond flour cookies, but wouldn't recommend that recipe, so I left them out. 



These cupcake liners are the new stand alone liners that don't need a muffin or cupcake pan.  I love them so much!  Hobby Lobby carries them.  SO easy and the color stays true. 








Cute Super Dad trophy found at CVS and plays the theme to Superman!  


I covered a lazy susan with chalk spray paint from Walmart, and the kids each wrote notes to their dad.




Our Captain America!



Chocolate covered bananas in a wonton base!



Dad requested some of his favorite foods, albeit mostly contraband here on normal days, but it was HIS day.  I did cut low fat organic ground beef with chopped veggies, flax and wheat germ though. He grabbed his own rolls, and some low fat simple chips.



This macaroni salad is his childhood favorite and I make it once a year for him since it is made with white pasta.  But our broccoli slaw was not shunned by the healthy mom!







Clark Kent?? or Dad??  

Friday, June 8, 2012

Test Kitchen....

Test Kitchen INSANITY!


I've been working hard in the kitchen, just like the days of perfecting my cake recipes for my RSVPS event cake business, I am tweaking and remaking and perfecting my NEW and improved ideas of
party styling using confections with
 NO REFINED FLOUR / NO REFINED SUGAR
with healthy foods that nourish your body 
with high proteins and high fiber and with a low glycemic index..  

ALL of my recipes and frostings contain only organic natural foods without any flour or sugar!
I will be posting my finalized recipes and adaptations soon
 HERE on my blog...

while next, I move on to cookies and how to decorate them without high fructose corn syrup fondant!  
I am stubborn and determined to create a movement and inspiration to celebrate life without all the sugar, chemicals and processed foods we are used to seeing at parties!  This is the evolution of the party, and it ain't your grandmother's Betty Crocker cookbook!

Lemon zest organic lemon almond flour cupcakes with  no sugar, low fat cream cheese frosting

The same cupcake with a  no sugar cream cheese glaze 
I added the bone sprinkles because they went to my orthopedic office  :)

No Sugar lemon zest cuppies with no sugar raspberry piping frosting adorned
with pretty butterfly hole punches

New and improved no flour, no sugar chocolate cuppies with cream cheese frosting

Perfecting the no flour no sugar lemon cuppies again....

retrying the no sugar organic raspberry glaze and making sure it gives the same jaw dropping results....

...and it did! 

Organic no flour and no sugar carrot cake too, WOW!

No sugar caramel cream cheese for carrot cake....

This was truly amazing, so stay tuned for the results of the final draft of recipes
after attacking all the neighbors, family and UPS guy as taste testers, I am confident I got the finalized recipes for these!