Sugar Free Chocolate Sauce

Sugar Free Chocolate Sauce

Low fat and Low carb too

We love chocolate sauce around here, but now that we eat sugar-free it is hard to come by without nasty chemicals in it. Some homemade sauces I found had a funny texture or taste. I have seen some that would work, but they have fat and I was looking for one that I could pair with either low fat (E), low carb (S) or a combination of both (FP) desserts.  I finally remembered a simple one I made in my sugar eating days and wondered if I could remake it. Sure enough it worked and we love it, in fact my 3 year old chocolate lover like to eat a spoonful of it. =)

Here it is, hopefully your family enjoys it as much as we do.

Ingredients

• 1 cup Cocoa Powder (A good brand works better as some brands get bitter with Stevia)
• 1/4 C Xylitol or Truvia (Ground in coffee grinder)
• Approximately 1/8t (or more if you want it sweeter) of NuStevia  (or equivalent brand of Stevia)
• 1 pinch Salt
• 1 cup Water
• 2 t Vanilla

In heavy-bottomed 2 quart pot, combine sweeteners, cocoa powder, and salt. Whisk to combine. Gradually stir in the water. Stir until well combined. 
At this point taste to see if it is sweet enough for you and if not add more sweetener.
Set over medium heat; stirring constantly until mixture comes to a boil. Boil  about three minutes (Boiling shorter than three minutes gives you a thinner syrup, longer and you can get to more of a fudge sauce consistency.), stirring frequently with whisk and reducing heat if syrup threatens to boil over.

Remove from heat; pour into heatproof 4 cup measure or pitcher. Cool briefly.
Cool on counter (uncovered) until room temperature, strain through fine strainer (straining is optional, but gives it a smooth texture) into container of 2-1/2 cup capacity. Stir in vanilla. 
Store, covered, in refrigerator.

For Trim Healthy Mamas (THM) this is a Fuel Pull (FP) sauce. =)

 This post is linked up to Trim Healthy Tuesdays hosted by Gwen's Nest and Stacy Makes Cents

Sugar Free Peanut Butter Cheesecake Parfait - THM Friendly

Peanut Butter Cheesecake Parfait

Sugar free, Low carb and delicious

 You are probably getting the idea by now that I prefer my food sugar free and either low carb, or healthy carb / low fat. In other words no sugar fats and carbs are separate. =) That means finding all new recipes to replace my favorite foods especially desserts. Well we tried one tonight and I think it is a real winner, so I just had to share it right away!

Sorry it is not the best picture, but after the first bite I knew it was a winner and I would want to share it, so I snapped a quick pic so that I could finish eating it. =)

It came about because my husband was eating cheesecake and we wanted some too, but all we had was frozen cream cheese. I figured if I started blending it we could come up with something good and oh boy did we.

Ingredients

• 1 package frozen cream cheese
• 1t of peanut flour 
• 1 handful of almonds
• Sweetener to taste (I used about 1t of xylitol and 4-5 shakes of NuStevia)
• Dash of vanilla
• 1T cream

 I thawed the cream cheese just enough to cut it into chunks. I put everything in the food processor and blended until creamy with chunks of nuts. Taste to make sure it is sweet enough for you, if not just add a little more sweetener. I then scooped it into bowls and put some of my sugar free chocolate sauce on it (Recipe Here) or you could drizzle skinny chocolate on it. Now all you have to do is enjoy!
No peanut flour? Don't worry, just try adding a little peanut butter and omitting some or all of the cream. =) 

I would say this is somewhere between cheesecake and ice cream.

If you eat THM style this would be a heavy S dessert. =) 

This post is linked up to Trim Healthy Tuesdays hosted by Gwen's Nest  and  Stacey Makes Cents

Lime Twister - Refreshing Summer Drink

Lime Twister

It's refreshing and good for you!

Did you ever wish there was a healthy alternative to soda pop? Something that had that nice zing and was refreshing, but was actually good for you instead of bad for you.  Well I think I found it! I was inspired by a drink named GGMS (or Good Girl Moonshine) by it's creator. You can find it here . One day a friend gave me some lime sparkling water and I decided to use the ingredients that made the GGMS  healthy, but to make my own drink. Voila, Lime twister was born and boy is it GOOD!

Ingredients

• 2 cans Lime flavored sparkling water (no other additives but water and natural lime flavor)
• 1-2T Apple Cider Vinegar (Raw is best)
• 1t Ginger -ground or powder (you can also use juice or grated to taste)
• 7 shakes NuNaturals NuStevia Extract (This is the non-bitter kind)
• Enough ice to fill to 1 qt
• Squeeze of Lime Juice (optional, but gives extra zip)

Making this is simple. The most important thing to remember is to put the sparkling water in first as it tends to bubble over if you pour over the other ingredients. (Yes, I know this from experience). You can either make this in a quart jar or a 1 qt drink cup. This is what I use.

Once the water is in, add the rest of the ingredient except the ice. Give it a good shake or whisk and then add the ice (I liked crushed ice, but any ice will work). Now you are ready to enjoy! Give it a shake or stir every once and a while and sip away, it will be gone before you know it. =)

If you are eating THM style, this would be considered FP and weight loss promoting.

Sip with confidence, knowing you are boosting your health and weight loss!

Benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar

• Rich in potassium, a mineral that is often times lacking in adult diets. This mineral is key for growth, building muscles, transmission of nerve impulses, heart activity etc. It also helps to prevent brittle teeth, hair loss and runny noses.
• Rich in acetic acid. This acid is said to slow the digestion of starch which can help to lower the rise in glucose that commonly occurs after meals.
• Rich in ash which gives ACV its alkaline property. This aids your body in maintaining proper pH levels for a healthy alkaline state.
• It can help regulate blood pressure and reduce bad cholesterol.
• Rich in malic acid which gives ACV its anti-viral, anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties.
• May help improve bowel irregularity and helps to remove toxins from the body at a faster rate.
• It can help clear up skin conditions and blemishes.
• ACV helps with weight loss by breaking down fats so that your body can use them rather than store them.
• A few lab studies have found that ACV may be able to kill cancer cells or slow their growth.

Health Benefits of Ginger

• Helps with weight loss
• Helps you feel full
• Aids digestion
• Helps manage glucose levels
• Helps with Irritable Bowel Syndrome
• Protects Against Alzheimer’s Disease
• Helps the Body Absorb Nutrients
• Helps with Morning and Motion Sickness  
• Improves Circulation
• Blocks Acid from Heartburn  
• Relieves Gas 
• Provides Pain Relief 
• Clears Sinuses 
• Strengthens Immunity  
• Helps Boost Metabolism 

Find more great, healthy recipes at Gwen's Nest and Stacy Makes Cents, they host a Trim Healthy Tuesday each week with lots of link ups to great recipes and tips that fit into THM Style.