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Fabulous Baked Beans

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IMG_2839Growing up I always loved a can of baked beans. They reminded me of sitting around the campfire and enjoying them usually with hot dogs. But when we changed our diet canned baked beans was another thing that had to go! 🙁 Usually made with brown sugar and molasses (molasses being the worst culprit; which is 50% sucrose and is actually a by product of making refined white sugar, with the added chemicals) I had to forgo baked beans for awhile.

In fact, I never thought that I could make my own. Funny enough I thought they come in a can so how could I? Yet one day we went for supper at my neighbors house and he had made them from scratch. Thinking nothing of it, a little while later my mother said she wanted to make baked beans for the camping trip that she and my father were taking my oldest son Matthew on. I then remembered that my neighbor had made them and kindly asked for his recipe.

eden-foods-barley-malt-24412By this time I knew enough about different natural substitutes to make the necessary changes in ingredients. Barley Malt is often substituted for molasses and we had found a ketchup, that was not only organic but sweetened with honey. It was perfect!

And of course I love using my slow cooker, putting something in in the morning and let it cook slowly all day, the sweet smells wafting through the house as it cooks. By the time they are ready to eat our mouths are watering in anticipation!

The recipe turned out beautifully and so delicious! I often make them myself when we go camping and just reheat when we get there. I even make them at home from time to time and they are always gobbled up! I have a friend who I introduced them to, who now says that he will never be able to go back to the canned ones. Which I guess is good and bad 🙂

True, this is not a recipe that you can whip up in 30 minutes, but it is totally worth the time it takes to make them. And really it only takes a little prep and preplanning.

IMG_2836Now the original recipe calls for only 1/3 pkg. of bacon but I use the whole thing. In fact I buy the cheapest and fattiest brand I can find, which is probably why mine are better than my Mum’s even though we are using the exact same recipe! (sorry Mum)

So whether you are looking for something around the campfire or warm comfort food at home these beans will not disappoint! Once you’ve tried this recipe please return and share your comments about how they turned out.

Baked Beans

2 cups red kidney beans (soaked overnight)

1 pkg. bacon

1 onion chopped

1/2 c. Honey Bunny Bodacious Ketchup

1/3 c. pure maple syrup

1/4 c. barley malt

1 tsp. dry mustard

Soak beans overnight in water. Use a large container and add in generous amounts of water as beans will soak up quite a bit of it. Cover with lid.

Boil gently soaked beans until soft. Put beans into crock pot. Mix the rest of the ingredients together in a bowl and pour over beans. Cover and put on low. Cook all day (for a minimum of 8 hours)

*if you prefer a sweeter recipe you can adjust maple syrup and barley malt to taste

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Sugar Free Thanksgiving Recipes

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Thanksgiving Turkey

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. I am not sure if it is because the meal contains so many foods that I love, such as turkey, stuffing and gravy, or my favorite pumpkin pie! (Actually I love anything pumpkin – pumpkin muffins, pumpkin spice lattes)! Or if it is because of the warm, comforting feeling that surrounds the holiday. The fall season, that makes me think of burning candles and cozying up by the fire.

Pumpkin muffins

Either way I thoroughly enjoy it, and it is something that I look forward to. Last year, when we went sugar free at our house, I was a bit concerned, in fact I was very concerned about how to make my pumpkin pie. This was not something that I wanted to give up. Was it possible to find or create a recipe that would be just as good? I hoped there was, so I started looking and within a short time discovered a recipe that met my requirements and was just as easy to make. I found the recipe at Honey Bunny, the same company that makes the Bodacious Tomato Ketchup and BBQ sauce that we now buy. The Honey Bunny recipe called for evaporated milk and since we are also a dairy free household made a simple adjustment and used coconut milk instead. It turned out beautifully! and was just as delicious if not more, than what we were used to. In fact I think we all had 2 pieces!

The other thing that I adjusted last year was our cranberry sauce, as store bought brands contain a lot of sugar. I have never been a fan of cranberry sauce, but others in the family enjoy it. So I decided to make my own. I got the original recipe off the bag of fresh cranberries and simply substituted honey for the sugar. Again I had great success! and even I enjoyed some cranberry sauce last year.

I find that the highest amounts of sugar that we consume are around the holidays, and Thanksgiving marks the beginning of a lot of feasting and delectable delights. I know many people who feel like they have overindulged during the holidays and put themselves on a strict diet after Christmas. But if we had treats that were good for us and did not contain the sugar than we could enjoy the holiday feasting and not feel guilty or like we have overdone it. Eating healthy and well can be done, regardless of what is going on.

There are many alternatives out there and ways to still enjoy the foods you love without the sugar or worry. You will also feel so much better and so will your family! Perhaps this Thanksgiving is a great time to start. Try these recipes below and add them to your dinner feast. You’ll be amazed how good they are and if you don’t tell anyone else at the table, I bet they won’t even notice.

Honey Pumpkin Pie

1-398 ml can pumpkin puree
2 eggs
1/2 cup honey
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1-398 ml can coconut milk

Preheat oven to 425°F.

Combine all ingredients together. Pour into 9 inch pie crust.
Bake at 425 F for 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 F and cook for 35 minutes. Test with cake tester, if it comes out clean pie is done, and centre will move only slightly when gently shaken.

*note: if you do not have any of the above spices, you can use doTERRA essential oils – Cinnamon Bark, Ginger & Clove or On Guard blend. Use 1-2 drops of cinnamon and ginger, 1 drop of the clove. Also note that not all essential oil brands are created equally and not all essential oil brands are safe to ingest. If using an essential oil other than doTERRA (which is safe to take internally) ensure you research the brand you are using to make sure it is safe for use internally.

 

Cranberry Sauce

1 -12 oz. pack fresh or frozen cranberries, rinsed and drained

1/4- 1/3 cup honey

1/2 cup water

1-2 drops Wild Orange essential oil (or grated orange zest)

Put all ingredients (except Wild Orange essential oil) in a large saucepan and bring to a boil. The amount of honey you add will depend on your desired level of sweetness. If you prefer your cranberry sauce more tart then use 1/4 cup of honey, if you prefer sweeter than add up to 1/3 cup. Let boil until berries start to pop (about 5 minutes). Stir as they cook.

Once all berries have popped remove from heat, cover and cool completely at room temperature. Refrigerate until serving time.

Makes 2 1/4 cups

Happy Feasting!


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Sugar Free Condiments

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When we went sugar free at our house I began reading labels more diligently to ensure that we were not purchasing products with sugar in them. I believed that if we had to eliminate sugar for Matthew to have it really make a difference, we needed to do it across the board. Which meant everything, not only the obvious stuff like candy, cookies, cake, etc. but the hidden sugars as well. So in things like bread, ketchup, relish, mayonnaise, even table salt (yes it’s true), all contain sugar.

Some of these things I have been able to easily make myself. For instance, I bought a Cuisinart breadmaker and now make all our bread. Anything from whole wheat to cinnamon swirl, I have been able to find or adapt a recipe to make yummy fresh bread. And I love my breadmaker! In the past I avoided making bread because I always had trouble getting it to rise and ended up with a firm heavy loaf. With the breadmaker I simply put all the ingredients in, select the right loaf, size and crust and I walk away. In 3-4 hours I have fresh bread. That is my kind of breadmaking!

Condiments are one of those foods that we as a society use frequently that can be very high in sugar. Things like salad dressings, ketchup, barbeque sauce, and mayonnaise. Though I have found and tried some recipes in making my own, there are some products available to buy from the grocery shelf without sugar, that are excellent. Though I am very dedicated to meeting my family’s dietary needs, I do not want to spend my life in the kitchen! So when I find a product in the store that meets our requirements, it makes life a little easier.

These are the condiments that I have found, so far, that are sugar free and delicious.

Bodacious Tomato Ketchup – made by Honey Bunny, this organic tomato ketchup is sweetened with honey and is very good. I used to be a loyal Heinz ketchup user and found that other brands just did not measure up, but I find this one to be quite good.

There are also other brands of ketchup out there that sweeten it with agave and though I have not tried them myself, could be a good alternative.

Amazing Dad’s BBQ Sauce – also made by Honey Bunny this is a really good BBQ Sauce. The original flavour is the only one that is without sugar, sweetened with honey.

 

Vegenaise – made by Earth Island, this is a dairy free, as well as a sugar free option for mayonnaise. There is no sweetener in this product whatsoever.

Relish – I have yet to find a relish on the grocery shelf without sugar, so my only option at this point is to make my own. But I am sure there is one out there, so I will keep you posted!

Salt – I no longer buy regular table salt but have moved to buying Sea Salt. There are many brands out there to choose from, but I find Bob’s Red Mill Sea Salt to not only be a good brand but reasonably priced.

Condiments in general seem to have a lot of added sugar in them. Salad dressings are another condiment that often have added sugar. Though I have found some tasty salad dressing recipes I have yet to discover a product off the shelf without the added sugar.

In the meantime check out your local grocery store for some of these sugar free options, give them a try and decide for yourself!

PS If you have found any sugar free products such as salad dressings or other condiments I invite you to comment below and share your discoveries with us! It is always great to share resources.

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Homemade Macaroni and Cheese Dairy Free…What?

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Macaroni & Cheese is definitely a kid favorite. One that many of us remember having as a ‘treat’ growing up. We would get so excited when Mom announced that she was making mac & cheese for lunch! I would gobble it down asking for another serving, sometimes overindulging myself as it was sooo good. Yes we were having the Kraft Dinner in a box, full of processed goodies with likely no nutrition at all. But we loved it!

When I became a Mom and was more conscious of what we were eating I began to make my own macaroni and cheese from scratch. It is pretty easy to do. Just cook the macaroni and then add milk, cheese and butter to make the sauce. But then we went to dairy free. Hmmm…I know you are probably sitting there scratching your head wondering, how the heck can you have macaroni and cheese without any dairy. “Impossible!” you say, but I tell you it is not.

Chloe loves mac & cheese!

When we decided to move to a dairy and sugar free household, due to alleriges and personal choice, one of the things that I wanted to ensure was that I could still provide all the things that we liked to eat without having to feel like we were giving things up or the kids feeling like they couldn’t have what all the other kids were having.

I found that with so many good dairy alternatives on the market now that making macaroni & cheese without dairy was actually very easy. I simply substitute Earth Balance, a vegan buttery spread for the butter, use Ryza rice milk for the milk and Vegan Rice Cheddar made by Galaxy Nutritional Foods, for the cheese. Now I have to admit that the vegan rice cheddar is not the same as regular cheese and though it works well in cooking it is not something that I would cut a slice of and put on a cracker.

Matthew enjoying his mac & cheese

Regardless, the dairy free version is a hit at our house, Matthew loves it and eats it up usually a bowl or 2 and the babies have at least 2-3 helpings themselves. When making it for the kids I usually put in 3 cups of macaroni keeping everything else the same. The recipe says it serves 6 but with my kids it is ‘serves 3’.

Matthew is the only one who would know the difference between the dairy and non-dairy version and if you were to ask him now he likely wouldn’t remember. He would just say that what we make is good. He likes to add a little bit of salt and pepper, as well as ketchup (we have a brand of ketchup that is sweetened with honey called Bodacious Ketchup) on his macaroni. I was never a fan of ketchup on macaroni, or eggs for that matter. I always looked at other kids weird when I was at their house and they added ketchup. I thought it was gross, but to each his own.

Whatever condiments you may like to add to your mac & cheese you’ll find this recipe to be a great hit at your house. The original recipe comes from Company’s Coming Pasta, but I have posted the dairy free version we make at home here. One other adjustment that I have made is I use brown rice pasta now too. This makes it a nice gluten free option as well. So make, eat, enjoy! It is super healthy for you. And really with mac & cheese how can you go wrong?

Dairy Free Macaroni and Cheese

2 c. elbow macaroni

1/2 c. rice milk

1/4 c. Earth Balance

1 tsp. onion salt

1/8 tsp. pepper (white is best)

2 c. grated Rice Vegan Cheddar

Cook macaroni in a large pot of boiling water until tender but firm, about 5 to 7 minutes. Drain macaroni, rinse in hot water and return to pot. Add remaining ingredients. Heat slowly, stirring to melt cheese.

Serves 6

Luke gobbling it up!

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