Delicious Blueberry Pie – Sugar Free & Naturally Sweetened

Posted on August 4, 2018 by Carmen

Fresh blueberries are a popular summer treat. Those succulent little juicy berries are delicious and nutritious with many health benefits. Blueberries are one of the richest food source of Anthocyanins, a plant compound which gives it it’s blue color and it’s many health benefits. They have been shown to benefit heart health, bone strength, mental health, cancer, healthy blood pressure and are extremely high in antioxidants. Who knew these little blue berries could pack such a punch?

I often buy copious amounts of blueberries in the summer and do all kinds of things with them. From simply eating them straight to freezing them for later, to muffins and smoothie combinations. One of the things that I hadn’t done for a while though was to make a blueberry pie. I have no idea why, as I make all other kinds of pies in the summer like cherry and peach. I guess I somehow had it in my head that I should freeze them all and that they were too small to make a pie out of. (This could relate to the many summers my sisters and I would go up to the blueberry patch on the barrens to pick blueberries – with intentions of picking enough to make a pie. It took us hours to get the amount we needed and sometimes we were not able to get enough).

But this year, when I did my regular purchase of fresh Okanagan fruit I decided that I needed blueberries as well and was definitely going to make a sugar free blueberry pie! (In fact, I even went back to the fruit stand before we left Oliver to get the blueberries as I had not purchased them the day before when I got the peaches and cherries).

Of course, I had to create a recipe that was sugar free, which by now has become fairly easy to do after many years of being sugar free and using natural sweeteners. Honey is my favorite sweetener due to its many health benefits and being one of the more natural sweeteners (things like stevia and agave nectar are still processed and under controversy as to whether or not they are any better than using refined sugar).

I played a little bit, taking a bit of this and that from a few recipes and then combining and modifying ingredients to make my own. I even got a little fancy with the crust by creating a full top and then adding small shaped hearts on top (believe me I do not always have the time or the desire to do this).

The kids of course waited in anticipation as the pie baked. Turning on the light in the oven to check on it and see if it was ready. Chloe even remarked on the little hearts and thought that was a good idea (she likes to create other shapes and treats with the leftover pastry – you know the pieces that are left over but are too small to really do much with, but you hate to throw out?)

Once the pie was ready and we let it cool – well enough to cut anyway – we dove in! I had forgotten how much I enjoyed blueberry pie and also how much easier it is to make than other pies like cherry and peach where you have to chop and pit the fruit first. Blueberries you just wash and pour them in.

Unfortunately we didn’t have any ice cream on hand (but decided not to wait to get that organized) and fully enjoyed it anyways! In fact, the kids asked hopefully if they could have a piece for breakfast. I said I’d think about it…

Sugar Free Blueberry Pie

2 – 9 inch pie crusts

5 c. fresh blueberries

3 tbsp arrowroot powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp lemon zest

1/2 tsp cinnamon (or 1 drop cinnamon bark essential oil)

1/4 – 1/3 c. liquid honey

Prepare pie crust – whether you are making your own or have purchased pre made. If you have made your own roll out crust and fit to bottom of pie plate. Crust should cover the bottom and up the sides and over the edges slightly.

Place fresh blueberries in bottom pie crust. Mix together cinnamon, salt and arrowroot powder together and sprinkle over blueberries (if you are using cinnamon bark essential oil in place of ground cinnamon omit here and add essential oil to honey before drizzling over blueberries). Measure honey (1/4 -1/3 cup depending on desired level of sweetness) and drizzle evenly over the blueberries.

Roll out second pie crust to cover the blueberries and to the edges of the crust. Leave enough so that you can press the crusts together and crimp the edges. If using pre made crust, place and fit crust over fruit similarly.

With a knife make small slits in top of crust – this is to allow for air and for juices to bubble. Place in a pre heated 425 F oven and bake for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes reduce heat to 375 F and bake for another 40 – 45 minutes until crust is golden brown.

Remove from oven and let cool. *Note you can cut pie while still warm but it will not have set and will likely have juices running out. Let cool completely if you’d like it set and to avoid this.

Yum! Enjoy 🙂

Kids Healthy Cooking – Kids Smoothies

Posted on February 3, 2016 by Carmen

I love smoothies! Whoever invented them was genius, finding a way to combine all of your most nutritionally-packed foods into one glass and make it taste delicious. And smoothies are not just for adults! Kids smoothies are an easy way to get some of those foods into their tummies that you may be having trouble getting in otherwise. Not only will they enjoy it, they won’t even know.

My kids love smoothies but they have been consuming them since they were little as smoothies are a staple at our house. Your kids may be eyeing you suspiciously as they watch you put things into your blender and then refuse to try it. But don’t despair! There are tips and tricks to not only get your kids interested in having smoothies but also enjoying them.

The trick to kids smoothies is finding flavors and textures that they like, as kids palates can be sensitive and change from day to day. Introduce smoothies to them by using ingredients that they like and getting them involved in making it (they can put things into the blender and turn or press buttons to blend when directed by you). It is a proven fact that kids are more likely to eat what they have helped make. It is a great tactic and I have seen it work time and time again.

Start with something simple like strawberry banana or chocolate peanutbutter banana. Add a little milk (regular or non dairy of your choice), mix and voila! yummy kids smoothies. Once they are used to smoothies and enjoying them you can start adding a little greens to their favorite kids smoothies. When the greens are mixed in they will not see it or taste it as the fruit and other ingredients are stronger flavors. It is also a good idea to use baby greens such as baby spinach or kale as they have a milder flavor.

Kids also love to experiment so get them to ‘create’ kids smoothies with you, asking them to choose the ingredients while making suggestions yourself. Giving them options and choice is also a great way to get them to try it. Remember to, if you are experimenting and making more than one smoothie to start with the least sweet one first. We all naturally like sweet! and will likely not enjoy the others if we have the sweetest one first.

This is what I did in my Mini Chefs class. We made 3 different kids smoothies that day, and though they were all sweet I knew the chocolate one would be the most popular. So though we still had other ‘sweet recipes’ with lots of fruit in them, we started with the ones that they were a little less enticing (yes they had vegetables – which I always smile because as soon as they see the vegetables I hear a chorus of what they like and don’t like, but we try it anyway). This worked well as they all at least tried each one in anticipation of the chocolate one to come.

Remember too that all kids palates are different and one child may prefer sweeter smoothies, while another one likes thicker. Once you get going you can use these tips to adjust to their tastes and add a little extra nutrition.

Make it sweeter – add more fruit or natural sweetener such as a teaspoon of honey
Make it thicker – add ice cubes or yogurt (non-dairy or regular)
Add protein – a tablespoon of hemp or chia seeds once blended is basically undetectable. Not only do they offer protein but many other added vitamins and minerals
Add an avocado – great way to add healthy fats with no change in flavor. Also great thickener for your smoothie

A good blender is also recommended, like a Vitamix or Ninja. Not that your regular blender won’t work, but the smoothies may not turn out as smooth (and with kids sensitivities to texture you may want to avoid that) and/or you may have to blend in smaller amounts so as to not burn out your blender.

Fruit Salad Smoothie

Ingredients:

½ c. red or green grapes

1 medium orange, peeled, halved, seeded

½ inch thick slice pineapple, core included

1 carrot halved

¼ medium apple, cored, seeded

2 c. ice cubes

Place all ingredients into blender in order listed and secure lid. Turn machine on and slowly increase speed to high. Blend for 1 minute until smooth. Pour, serve and enjoy! May garnish with a slice of pineapple on side of glass if desired.

Chocolate Banana Smoothie

Ingredients:

1 c. almond milk (may use regular milk or other non- dairy milk such soy or coconut if desired)

1 tbsp. honey

2 bananas (frozen)

1 tbsp. unsweetened cacao powder

Put all ingredients into blender and blend until smooth.

*Make it a chocolate peanut butter smoothie by adding 1 tbsp. of peanut butter

*Amp up the nutrition without the kids really noticing – Add 1 tbsp. hemp seeds or chia seeds and a handful of spinach. Once it’s blended in they won’t know the difference

Green Smoothie (great one to try with kids as it is quite sweet and is bright green)

Ingredients:

1 c. spinach

3-4 stems parsley

1 sprig fresh mint

½ c. papaya

½ c. pineapple

½ c. mango

½ -3/4 c. unsweetened apple juice not from concentrate

Put all ingredients in blender. Start on low slowly moving up to high. Blend on high for 1 minutes until smooth. Enjoy!

*choosing orange or yellow papaya is sweeter but red papaya may be used as well

**Vary the amounts of fruit to make it sweeter or less sweet to taste

Coming next week… Tacos! with our homemade taco seasoning

Sugar Free Thanksgiving Recipes

Posted on October 1, 2012 by Carmen

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!

Summer Treats – Sugar Free Cherry Pie

Posted on July 27, 2012 by Carmen

One of the things I love about summer is all the fresh fruit that is available. Cherries, peaches, strawberries, blueberries, etc. It’s abundantly available, and it’s fresh, sweet and luscious, a taste sensation when you put it in your mouth.

I feel lucky that my parents live in the Okanagan where fresh fruit is rapidly abundant. Fruit stands and u-picks line the sides of the roads where it is not a matter if there is fruit but where you would like to get it from.

I always tend to get a little over zealous and buy lots of fruit to bring home. I make jam, freeze, eat it straight or make various desserts like crumbles and pies.

In fact last weekend when I was in the Okanagan I bought 20 lbs of cherries for $20. It was a steal of a deal! The only thing is when you buy that much fresh fruit you have to do something with it fairly quickly or your ‘steal of a deal’ ends up going rotten and moldy very quickly.

So there I was Tuesday night for 3 hours pitting and jamming cherries, trying to give some away to friends, and getting creative with what I was going to do with this fruit.

(I would highly recommend using a cherry pitter as this makes it much easier to pit cherries. It is also something the kids can do and help with – my son loves using the cherry pitter and I can easily enlist his help).

By the time I was done I was covered in cherry juice (and so was my kitchen), with a mound of cherry pits and stems in the sink and a huge mess to clean up. I never wanted to see another cherry again…

The benefit of all this was cherry pie. Cherry pie is one of my favorite pies, other than pumpkin and coconut cream, so when I was getting to the end of the cherries and still had a lot left I decided to treat myself.

As you may know there is lots of sugar in pie, but as sugar and dairy free household, I have become adept enough to make the appropriate substitutions and still have a delicious experience (where it tastes just as good as one with sugar, if not better). My mouth was already watering at the thought of this pie, with ice cream on top.

I used Martha Stewart’s Sweet Cherry Pie recipe that I found on the internet and adapted it accordingly using honey instead of sugar. It turned out beautifully and everyone had 2 pieces! With ice cream of course!

Vanilla Rice Dream

As for the ice cream, I have recently discovered Rice Dream, a lactose and gluten free ice cream available in stores. It is also sugar free, as it is sweetened with brown rice syrup and agave nectar. It is quite good, in fact it is so good I had way more ice cream than I actually did pie!

I make my own crust (and have been praised for how good it is) simply by following the recipe on the Tenderflake® box, which I use in my crust. It creates a beautiful light and flaky crust.

This pie recipe used a lattice top crust, which I don’t usually do but decided to try it out, and though I found it did look very pretty, I prefer a full crust on the top. A good crust is something we really enjoy at our house, so the more of it the better! Plus it’s really hard to cut once it’s baked (as in getting it out in a decent piece)!

Cherry Pie

4 cups cherries
1/4 cup honey
2 -3 tablespoons arrowroot powder or cornstarch
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
All-purpose flour, for rolling
1 large egg yolk, beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash
2-9 inch pie crusts (make your own or store bought)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. On a floured surface, roll out pie crust one to a 14-inch round. Fold dough in half and gently place in middle of a 9 inch pie plate. Once centered unfold dough so that it fits evenly in the plate (do not stretch dough). Using pering knife trim dough to a 1-inch overhand all around.
In a large bowl, combine cherries, honey, arrowroot powder, and lemon juice; toss until cherries are well coated. Pour into prepared bottom crust.
Roll out second crust to a 14-inch round. If creating lattice, cut into eight 1 1/2-inch-wide strips; discard the shortest two. Weave strips over filling to form a lattice. Using pering knife, trim strips so they hang over rim by 1 inch. Tuck strips under rim of bottom crust; press to seal. Crimp with a fork all around the edge. If choosing not to create lattice, simply fold crust in half and place over pie. Trim, press to seal and crimp as described.
Using a pastry brush, lightly brush lattice/ crust with egg wash.
Place pie on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until filling is bubbling rapidly all over, 60 to 70 minutes (tent with aluminum foil when crust starts to brown, about 40 minutes). Though original recipe calls for above baking time I found that pie was done in about 50-55 minutes. Please use times as approximate and gauge it according to your oven.
Transfer pie to a wire rack, and let cool to room temperature, at least 3 hours.