YOU CAN STILL HAVE YOUR CAKE AND EAT IT TOO!!

When people start trying to "clean up" their diets and eat healthy, they think they can't have some of their favorite foods like baked goods.  The problem with baked goods are they are made with dairy--eggs, butter and milk--not to mention oil...all full of calories, fat and cholesterol.  However, that doesn't mean you will not have baked goods again.  All you need to do is substitute the dairy and oil for healthy choices.  Really it's trial and error but, there are so many tried and true recipes available, it's easy to make something really delicious and good for you without all the guess work.  

One of my favorite baked goods is banana bread.  Of course my family's favorite recipe called for eggs and a lot of oil so I had to find something to replace those ingredients with  but still make it taste really good and not like cardboard.  I found this recipe on the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine website....DELICIOUS!

BANANA BREAD

2 ripe bananas
1/4 c maple syrup
1 1/4 c Almond milk
2 t vanilla extract
2 1/4 c whole-wheat flour
1 T baking powder
1 t baking soda
1/3 c walnuts, chopped
non-stick cooking spray

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Mist an 8 inch square glass baking pan with cooking spray.  
2. Combine bananas, syrup, almond milk, and vanilla in a large bowl and mix well.  Place remaining ingredients, except walnuts, in a separate large bowl and stir together.  Gradually stir dry ingredients into wet ingredients, sprinkling in about 1/3 at a time.  Mix until well combined.  Batter will be very thick.  Stir in walnuts.
3. Spoon batter into prepared baking pan.  Bake on center rack of oven for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. 
4. Cool in the pan on a cooling rack.  Serve warm. 

Another favorite recipe of mine is for Apple Crisp.  Here is a healthy version that is really, really good:

APPLE CRISP


1/2 c old-fashioned rolled oats
1/2 c frozen unsweetened apple juice concentrate, thawed
2 pounds apples, sliced
1/2 t ground cinnamon
1/4 t ground nutmeg
1 T whole-wheat flour

1. Preheat the over to 425 degrees.
2. Coarsely chop the oats in a food processor or a blender.  Stir in 1 tablespoon of the apple juice concentrate.  Set aside. 
3. Place the apples in a mixing bowl and mix with the remainder of the apple juice concentrate.  Add the cinnamon, nutmeg and flour.  Toss to coat.
4. Place the apples in a nonstick 13 x 9 inch pan. Crumble the oat topping over the apples.  Bake for 30 minutes, or until hot, bubbly and golden brown. 

If you have time over the weekend, try these recipes.  I hope your family likes them as much as mine does!

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