Homemade Healthy “Twizzler” Bites

I am so pleased!!  Ok, first of all, I love sweets.   I also love being healthy and having lots of energy.  Candy and long lasting energy don’t mix so I wanted to try to make a healthier version of candy.

“Twizzler” Bites!!!!

Or some other name that sounds good.  Not necessarily a name to describe what they look like though.

I found some recipes online but was always missing an ingredient.  Since today is Sunday and I live in Norway, most shops are closed.  Since I am also too impatient to wait a day, I decided to figure out how to make my own version and I did!!!  I did!!!
The Recipe

One bag or 200 grams of dates

1/3 cup frozen berries (strawberries or raspberries tasted best)

One teaspoon beetroot powder (you could probably skip this but I like the added minerals and taste)

About 1/3 cup water

Put in small food processor and blend until very smooth.

I made the recipe up as I went so feel free to add more berries for taste or water if the food processor begs for it.  Also, choose organic if possible.  Better taste and better for you.

Put into a piping bag with a tip just under 1/2 centimeter.
Put short bites on baking paper.  Smaller seemed easier to store but any size is probably fine.  Just not too thick.  Maybe try a straight line too.  I was too excited to get them on the paper.  Look at the one in the middle on the left, it looks like a sea horse doesn’t it!

I put it in the oven at 60 Celsius or 140 Fahrenheit for 6-8 hours.  Yes, a long time but I was using my oven like a dehydrator.   Use a dehydrator if you have one.

After many taste tests to see if they would hold together, I was finished!

So yummy and I don’t feel so bad about eating them!  It’s like a baked fruit smoothie!  Next time I will make more!  Yay!!!!!!

Bread Making Recipies And Weddings

First of all, weddings are stressful.  There’s a reason you are only supposed to do it once (or maybe a reason most weddings happen in the same country you live in).  Saying that, I AM enjoying the planning and hearing of guests plans for the Scotland side of the wedding.  I am also enjoying helping people out with their plans.  I know Edinburgh almost as well as I know Oslo.  I used to want to be a travel agent.  The stressful part is talking to caterers, having people say “oh just give us a ring or stop by.”  Stop by?  Uh, yeah, give me a minute, be right over.  Fortunately, I have amazing in-laws in Scotland and family and friends in Minnesota who are extremely helpful when I need them.

The past six weeks were a bit crazy for my brain.  Gym flooded, moved to new gym, became really sick for 12 days.  Really sick.  Really really sick.  Got better Wednesday and flew to Germany Thursday to teach a dance weekend workshop.  SO FUN!  Luggage arrived Saturday night.  Taught Sunday and flew to Edinburgh Sunday night.  Wedding wedding wedding.  Sourced materials for decoration… To be continued a week before the wedding.

Now I am home, work is going as work does, but I am feeling lost and a bit pushed around.  Possibly from being shuffled from one country to another, one event to another.  All good events though!  So how do I take control?  I stick myself in the kitchen, raise my arms, and say “Create!”  I made a few new recipies.  I really have a hard time following one.  I’ll look at a few and make my own version.  Some are better than others.  I am a way better cook than I was in MN.  For a while, that was all I could do here!  Sorry if you had to eat one of my meals in MN.

Since the Easy Peasy Bread (just made that up) (oh gee, now I want to do the SCD) has had the most requests, I’ll start with that.  Now, I don’t have a bread maker and never have.  At this point, I don’t see the need.  (HA!  Knead!)  (I think the caffeine from my green tea is kicking in.)

 

Easy Peasy Bread Basic Recipe

3 Cups White Flour

1/4 tsp Yeast

1 1/4 tsp Salt

1 1/2 Cups Warm Water

Mix the fist three ingredients, add the water, mix with spoon, put a towel or plastic loosely over the bowl, and set in a warm place for 12-18 hours.

Mix it again, cover it, and let it rise for 2-6 hours.  I added seeds to the second mix.

Preheat the oven to 450 F or 232 C.  Place round glass oven safe bowl in oven to warm.

Take glass bowl out, flour the sides.  I prefer potato flour but any kind will do.  Add the dough, cover, and place in the oven for 30 minutes.  Take the lid off, and bake for another 15 minutes.

Take the bread out of the glass and let it cool.  Then eat it with your favorite spread!!!

Now the fun part!!!!!!

Being creative with the Easy Peasy Bread!!!

2 Cups White Flour and 1 Cup Spelt or Whole Wheat or Rye

1/4 tsp Yeast

1 1/4 tsp Salt

1 1/2- 1 3/4 Warm water

1 Tsp Olive Oil (optional)

Here is my plug for organic: ORGANIC!

 Go through all the same steps but after the first rise, you can add different ingredients.

My faves?

Seeds – flax, sunflower, pumpkin

Cinnamon and raisins

Dried basil and chopped Sundried tomatoes.  I shapped them like baguettes and rolls.  Bake at 325 F or 163 C.

  

  

If you want to speed up the process of rising, add 1 tsp honey to warm water.  Sprinkle 1 1/2 tsp yeast and let sit for 5 minutes.  Add the rest of the ingredients and mix a little longer.  Follow same directions.  Should be ready in 3-4 hours.

Yum and you know exactly what you are eating.  Happy bread making!!!!

Easy Healthy Sweet Potato Soup

I wanted something good, warm, high in protein, and easy to make.  So I came up with this recipe.  I LOVE it!

Serves two or one hungry vitamin craving Jamie

Ingredients:

1 Clove Garlic

1 Sweet potato, peeled

1 Carrot

1 Apple

1/2 Cube Veggie Stock

1/2 Cup Greek Yogurt (or more)

Little Olive Oil

Parsley is optional

 

Chop all ingredients.  Not super fine because you will put it in a food processor or blender.  Add a little oil and garlic to the pot on med – high heat.  Add sweet potato… add carrot… just cover in water… add veggie stock.  Do 25 wall pushups, 30 calf raises, 20 squats, downward dog, and stretch your splits.  Once carrots and sweet potato are mostly cooked, add the apple.  Set the table, find the blender, get out the Greek yogurt.  Turn off the heat.  Pour everything into the blender.  Hot stuff is hot.  Add the yogurt.  Blend.  Top with parsley and eat!