HAPPY ENDINGS
DESSERT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE SUPER SWEET TO BE A TREAT FOR YOUR KIDS
We all know that the holidays are a time of celebration— and many of us
celebrate by
consuming sugary treats.
With all these treats comes the tricks
of sugar: the rush, the
fall, the fatigue and worse. Add to the sugar-induced
roller coaster, the stress of the
season and you've got a recipe for disaster.
The key to enjoying this time of the year—with all of its super sweet temptations— is
to practice moderation, remain
balanced in your eating and your activities and have
fun. Spending time with your family helps, too. Now is the perfect
time to cook up—or
bake up, actually—some homemade fun with your kids.
The following four recipes from quick, easy, delicious, kid-friendly and healthy ways to beat this sweet and not-so-sweet season.
| Calm Down Cookies (courtesy of The Rodale Institute's www.kidsregen.org) |
| Delicious cookies made with a helpful herb Prep time: 20 minutes Baking time: 10 minutes Makes 4 dozen cookies Things You'll Need: Medium mixing bowl Wooden spoon Small mixing bowl Cooking spray Cookie sheets Teaspoon Spatula Cooling Rack Ingredients (use organic whenever possible): 1/4 cup dried chamomile flowers, crushed 1/2 cup salted butter, softened 1 cup sugar 2 eggs (free-range) 1/4 tsp vanilla extract 1 3/4 cup whole wheat flour Directions: 1. Adult: Preheat oven to 350° 2. Kid: In a medium bowl, mix the butter and sugar together until smooth. Beat in the eggs and vanilla until smooth. 3. Kid: In a small bowl, stir together the flowers and the flour, then add this mixture to the medium bowl. Mix until well-blended. 4. Kid: Lightly coat the cookie sheet with cooking spray, then put small teaspoonfuls of the dough onto the cookie sheets. Be sure to space the dough evenly around the sheets. 5. Adult/Kid: Put the cookie sheet into the hot oven and bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the cookies are golden brown. Use the spatula to remove the cookies from the sheet and place them on a rack to cool. |
| Pumpkin, Pineapple and Pecan Compote (courtesy of The Rodale Institute's www.kidsregen.org) |
| Compote is a dessert of fruit cooked in syrup Prep time: 15 minutes Baking time: 40 minutes Serves 8 Things You'll Need: Measuring cup Measuring spoons Knife Ovenproof dish Spoon Aluminum foil Fork Ingredients (use organic whenever possible): 4 cups fresh pumpkin Small can of pineapple chunks 1/2 cup brown sugar 1 tsp cinnamon 2 tsp unsalted butter, cut into small pieces 2 tsp water 1/2 cup pecan halves Directions: 1. Adult: Preheat oven to 350° 2. Kid: Carefully cut the pumpkin and pineapple into small pieces. Place in the ovenproof dish. 3. Kid: Add the sugar, cinnamon, pecans, water and butter. Mix well. 4. Adult: Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for 40 minutes. 5. Adult: Remove dish from oven and let cool. 6. Kid: When compote is cool, mash it gently with a fork. Serve cold. |
| Chocolate-Peanut Butter Fudge (courtesy of Lisa Jobs' Sensational Stevia Desserts) |
| Serving size 1 square (1 1/2" X 1 1/2") Makes 25 Ingredients: 1/3 cup boiling water ¾ tsp Stevia liquid extract or 1 ¼ tsp Sweet Leaf Stevia Powder 4 tbsp unsalted butter, cut in small pieces 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract, divided 1 cup (8 oz) instant nonfat dry milk 1 pkg (12 oz) chocolate chips or carob chips* 1 cup natural peanut butter Directions: 1. Measure 1/3 cup boiling water and add stevia. Mix until dissolved. 2. Add the butter and stir until most of it is melted. 3. Add ½ tsp vanilla extract and stir. 4. Pour in a mixing bowl and add the dry milk. Mix until blended. 5. Place chocolate chips and peanut butter in a microwave-safe bowl and cover. 6. Heat chocolate chips and peanut butter in microwave for 2 minutes. 7. Stir well and microwave another 30 seconds or until the mixture is melted and smooth when stirred. 8. Add butter/milk mixture to peanut butter/chocolate and blend well with electric mixer or by hand. 9. Add remaining 1 tsp vanilla and stir thoroughly. 10. Line an 8" square pan with foil and place fudge in it. 11. Flatten top with knife or wooden spoon. 12. Cover and refrigerate for about 1 hour. 13. Cut into squares. Keep refrigerated. Stays fresh for 3 to 4 days in fridge or in freezer in an airtight container for up to 2 months. *If you use carob chips, microwave them for 1 min. 30 seconds first and then continue to microwave in 5 to 10 second increments until melted. Nutrition Facts/Serving (With Chocolate Chips) Calories 160 Carbohydrates 12g Total Sugars 9g Fiber 1g Fat 11g Cholesterol 6mg Sodium 40mg Protein 4g Nutrition Facts/Serving (With Carob Chips) Calories 158 Carbohydrates 11g Total Sugars 8g Fiber 2g Fat 10g Cholesterol 6mg Sodium 84mg Protein 5 |
Wonderful White Chocolate Chip-Cherry Cookies (courtesy of Lisa Jobs' Sensational Stevia Desserts) |
| Serving Size 2 cookies Makes 13 (26 cookies) Ingredients: 2 large eggs ¾ tsp stevia liquid extract or 1 ¼ tsp Sweet Leaf Stevia Powder ½ tsp vanilla extract ¾ cup (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, softened 2 cups unbleached flour ¾ tsp baking powder ½ tsp sea salt ½ cup unsweetened dried cherries ½ cup white chocolate chips Directions: 1. Preheat oven to 350°F. 2. Place parchment paper on two cookie sheets. 3. Beat eggs, stevia and vanilla extract with electric mixer. 4. Add butter and blend well. (The mixture will not cream as it does in traditional sugar recipes, rather the butter will be separate from the eggs. However, it will incorporate when dry ingredients are added.) 5. Sift flour, baking powder and salt, then add half to egg mixture. Mix well. 6. Add the balance of the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly. Dough will be thick. 7. Process dried cherries in food processor until in large bits. 8. Fold chips and cherries into dough mixture. 9. Shape into 1 " balls and press down with hand until about 2" flat onto baking sheets. 10. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until bottom of cookie becomes slightly browned. 11. Cool on wire racks. Nutrition Facts/Serving Calories 172 Carbohydrates 17g Total Sugars 6g Fiber less than 1g Fat 10g Cholesterol 46mg Sodium 90mg Protein 3g Variation I: White Chocolate Chip-Cranberry Cookies Replace cherries with dried cranberries. Variation II: Chocolate Chip Cookies Replace white chocolate chips for regular chocolate chips, increase stevia to 1 tsp and reduce baking powder to ½ tsp. |
Pumpkin, Pineapple and Pecan Compote and Calm Down Cookies © Rodale Institute, www.kidsregen.org
Chocolate-Peanut Butter Fudge and Wonderful White Chocolate Chip-Cherry Cookies recipes Copyright© 2005 Sensational Stevia Desserts by Lisa Jobs. For more information on stevia, or to purchase the cookbook, please visit www.steviadessert.com
Kelly Scotti, HHC, is the Founder and Director of Flying Dragon Wellness, www.flyingdragonwellness.com, a nutrition and wellness counseling practice in Bucks County, Pa. She's Board Certified by the American Association of Drugless Practitioners, and obtained her training from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition in NYC. She and her husband also run an online baby boutique for boys, www.ohboybabyboutique.com. For more information, or to schedule a consultation, please email Kelly at flyingdragonwellness@yahoo.com.
If you would like personalized stress and weight management support this holiday season, please join Kelly in her Why Weight for the Holidays? Teleclass series. Every Sunday night from November 5, 2006 to January 7, 2007, Kelly will provide support, counseling, and suggestions for holiday weight and stress management in a group teleconference setting. The entire series is only $200, or single calls are $25. All calls will be recorded in .mpg format for distribution to participants via email, and you can join the series at any time. Please visit www.flyingdragonwellness.com for further details or to register.
