Spiced Baked Apple

Hey my Gorgeous Readers!

Thanks for all of your support these past weeks. It has really helped me get through finals and come off conqueror. I’m at my great uncle and aunt’s home right now and really enjoying the break. I’ve actually slept 8 hours a night here – I can feel the sleep deprivation I experienced from the stress at school. Stress won’t let me sleep well. I can fall asleep pretty easily, but staying asleep is the hard part. After 4 hours I am tossing the rest of the time and can’t stand myself anymore by 6 hours so I get up. But here at my extended family’s home where it’s quiet and peaceful and I have absolutely NOTHING I HAVE to do, I’ve been able to rest and have some fun. My classes don’t start again until next Monday, and since my apartment is already set up and I have my folders already organized to insert my next class assignments, I really don’t have anything to do except rest and focus on taking care of myself emotionally, physically (getting enough sleep, exercising for energy and strength, and nourishing with healthful food), and spiritually. I’m enjoying this time to focus on my scriptures, the piano, skyping and talking with my family, etc. It’s been a nice relief.

Anyways, I promised I’d be back with some deliciousness!

Here’s one of my favorite desserts – something easily made and quite good for you.

A Single-Lady Spiced Baked Apple!

Core and cut the apple in half.

Measure out the smart balance butter, cinnamon, and stevia and add them to the bottom of a large soup bowl or pasta plate (you can also use a glass baking dish).

Melt the butter mixture and spread it to cover the bottom of the bowl/pan. Place each apple half face down over the cinnamon mixture, and microwave for 4 minutes, or until soft.

Place each apple half face down over the cinnamon mixture, and microwave for 4 minutes, or until soft.

Grab a fork and dig in!

Spiced Baked Apple

Ingredients

• 1 apple, cored and cut in half
  
• ¼ tsp. cinnamon
  
• 1 tsp. smart balance lite buttery spread (or butter/coconut oil)
  
• 1 packet stevia (or a large pinch of sweetener of choice)
  

Directions

Melt the smart balance with the cinnamon and stevia at the bottom of a large soup bowl or pasta plate. Place each apple half face down over the cinnamon mixture and microwave for 4 minutes, or until soft. Grab a fork and DIG IN!

Print This!

I love how I can throw this in the microwave and have a dessert that tastes like it took a whole lot more effort than it actually did. I hope you enjoy this as much I as do!

With lots of hugs,

Sneaky Roasted-Red-Pepper Hummus

Hey my Luscious Spring Blossoms!

Thanks for all of your comments on my last few posts. Your continuing support really means a lot to me and I am so grateful to have friends like you. I’m so grateful for my family and everything they do for me each and every day. I’m so grateful for the opportunity I have to be up here in college. I am learning so much and I’ve been dying to share some of it with you. Here are a few things I’ve been learning throughout my various classes:

(Disclaimer: Though I’m studying Health Science: Health Promotions with an emphasis on Nutrition and Personal Health and Fitness, I’m still a college student. I don’t have my degree yet. Nonetheless, these are some of the things I found really interesting as I’ve studied for my health classes. Don’t forget to consult your health professional before revamping your entire diet and/or lifestyle.)

………………………………………………………………………………………………..

What’s an easy way to know if I’m hydrated or not?

Check the color of your urine! An easy rule-of-thumb to tell if you’re well hydrated is to check the color of your urine. A light lemonade or clearish-yellow color usually indicates that you’re well hydrated. The darker the shade of yellow becomes, the more dehydrated you are. (This doesn’t always work; i.e. excess riboflavin, a B-Vitamin, is excreted through the urine, and when riboflavin mixes with the water it turns yellow.)

Why do we need to grind flaxseeds and not chia seeds?

It’s because the outside layer of the flaxseed is insoluble. If they aren’t ground up, they will simply pass right through your gastrointestinal tract and be excreted. Chia seeds on the other hand have a soluble outside layer, so their nutrients can be absorbed right into the blood and lymph systems.

How does soluble fiber (found foods such as legumes, oats, and flaxseed) help lower cholesterol?

Bile is produced in the liver from cholesterol. After the gallbladder excretes bile to help the lipase “divide and conquer” the fatty acids, a lot of the bile is then reabsorbed and taken back to the liver to be recycled. In simplified terms, the soluble fiber can attach itself to some of the bile and make it be excreted in the stool. The liver then has to produce more bile, which it creates from cholesterol in the body, which then lowers cholesterol.

Why is it important to get the right ratio of omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids?

Because my book says it better than what I could, here’s what it says: “… [T]he omega-6 and omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids made from them are used to make hormone-like molecules called eicosanoids. Eicosanoids help regulate blood clotting, blood pressure, immune function, and other body processes. The effect of an eicosanoid on these functions depends on the fatty acid from which it was made. For example, when the omega-6 fatty acid arachidonic acid is the starting material, the eicosanoid synthesized increases blood clotting; when the omega-3 fatty acid EPA is the starting material, the eicosanoid made decreases blood clotting” (*page 145).

Why you should be grateful for adipose tissue (fat cells)?

You might ask why I would say something like that. Why on earth would someone want to be grateful for fat cells? Let me explain. One gram of fat contains 9 calories of energy. 1 gram of protein and 1 gram of carbohydrate each store 4 calories of energy. If the body were to store the excess calories as either protein or carbohydrate, you would be “twice” the size in a sense. And, since carbohydrates and proteins hold on to water, you would be much larger than you were now. Fat is a compact version.

Carbohydrates are not the enemy.

They provide the body the most efficient form of energy and allow protein to do it’s job. “Body proteins that are broken down  [in the case that there is not enough carbohydrates] to make glucose are no longer available to do their job, whether the job is to speed up a chemical reaction or contract a muscle. Sufficient dietary carbohydrate ensures that protein is not used in this way; carbohydrate is therefore said to spare protein” (*page 112).

In addition, eating more protein than you need does not build muscle. Exercise builds muscle. Sufficient protein can be used to rebuild the muscle after exercise, but only if the body has enough energy to do it – it gets that energy from carbohydrates. Instead of worrying about carbohydrates, simply focus on the kinds you eat: try to get most if not all of them whole and unrefined.

* Grosvenor, Mary B. and Lori A. Smolin. Visualizing Nutrition: Everyday Choices Second Edition. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2012.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

In addition to these fun-facts, I wanted to share with you another delicious hummus creation – this one with extra sneaky veggies blended in!

My Sneaky Roasted-Red-Pepper Hummus!

If your garbanzo beans (chickpeas) are canned, drain and rinse them thoroughly.

Measure out the roasted red pepper, tahini, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, and spices.

Add the chickpeas to your blender.

Add the other ingredients and secure the lid on top.

Turn your blender on med/high.

Blend until it becomes smooth and creamy — it may take a couple minutes. (If your blender is having trouble thoroughly processing the chickpeas, add a tablespoon of water at a time as needed to help it out.)

Spoon it out into a 2-cup container, grad some dippages (I like raw carrots and celery especially – pretzels actually taste great too).

Roasted-Red-Pepper Hummus

Ingredients

• 1 ¾ cup cooked chickpeas/garbanzo beans (or one 15-oz can, drained and rinsed)
  
• ½ cup roasted red peppers
  
• 1 ½ tbsp. tahini (sesame seed paste)
  
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
  
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
  
• ½ tsp. cumin
  
• ½ tsp. chili powder
  
• ¼ tsp. salt
  

Directions

1. (If your chickpeas/garbanzo beans are canned, drain and rinse them thoroughly.) Measure out your other ingredients. Add them and the chickpeas to your blender and secure on the lid.
   
2. Turn your blender on med/high. Blend until it becomes smooth and creamy, or for a couple minutes. (If your blender is having trouble thoroughly processing the chickpeas, add a tablespoon of water at a time as needed to help it out.)
   
3. Spoon it out into a 2-cup container, grad some dippages (I like raw carrots and celery especially – pretzels actually taste great too).
   

Print This!

Yum yum yum.

…………………………………………………………………………….

What is one way you like “sneaking” more vegetables into your diet?

With lots of hugs,

The Lord is my Strength + Baked Potatoes

Hey my Delightfully Delicious Chocolate Chips!

Thanks for all of your comment on my last post. I really love it up here in college. Yes, my life is crazy hectic, but I always find those days to be the best. It’s those days where I feel like I won’t ever be able to finish everything I need to before the deadline that I am praying to my Father in Heaven constantly, whether on my knees or in my heart. Wednesday was the beginning of one of those days. I was pretty overwhelmed. Uncertainty was entering my heart and I just felt weak. But then I called my mom and she helped me refocus and get back to my work. Throughout the day, I realized that my time was short, as I had to finish my scripture reading block, write a paper, study for my test in my scripture study class the next day, get ready for my Chemistry lab the next morning, and study 4 chapters for my Personal Health and Fitness test right after my Lab. And it was already starting to get dark outside and I knew I needed to get a good night’s rest to focus in Lab and on my tests the next day. So I said a prayer. I asked my Heavenly Father to help me focus on my schoolwork. I asked Him for strength and persistence. I asked for His Spirit to be with me and help me understand what I was learning, had learned, and was studying.

That night, I got to bed at 10:00pm. I had finished my paper, read part of my reading block, and studied 2 of the 4 chapters for my Personal Health and Fitness (which included my notes from lecture, my notes from the text, and the text itself). I had gotten more than I thought I would have given the time I had. I said a prayer thanking my Father in Heaven for all His help throughout the day.

That next morning, I woke up at 6:00am. I slept a complete 8 hours without once tossing through the night. I said a prayer. Somehow I found the time before Lab to study another chapter. And somehow, my lab partner and I were able to finish the lab early and I was able to use that time to study my last chapter for my P H&F class. After I finished my studying, it was time for class. I said a prayer before I took my test, and went for it Afterwards, I actually found the time to both finish my scripture block and study for my test on the last week’s material. To my astonishment I did amazing on the tests. In retrospect, I can’t believe how easily I understood the questions and how I knew the answers. I know it must have been the Lord guiding me and teaching me through His Spirit.

Earlier this week my scripture study took me to KJV Philippians 4:13. “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” I know it was because of Him that I was able to get through this crazy time in my life. I know He will be able to help me, but first I have to do my part. I can’t just procrastinate and do only insignificant things. I have to pay the tuition of effort. Then He will help me with the rest. I know that a lot of craziness still lies ahead of me, but I know that if I rely on the Lord he will help me come off conqueror. I know that He is my strength.

…………………………………………………………………………………………….

As a part of my experience here up at college, I want to start incorporating recipes that I make up here at college. I use my crock-pot lot, but I also use the oven once in a while.

One thing I like to do to save time and money is to make big batches of something, then split it up into smaller portions so I can grab and go throughout the week. A few weeks ago I made some baked potatoes, and after they finished baking and cooling I stored them in my fridge and have been able to use them throughout the week.

Here’s how I did it.

Pick the potatoes you want to bake and wash them in cool/warm water. (I scrubbed them with my hands instead of a fancy brush.)

After you wash them, take a fork and stab them about 12-16 times, depending on the size of the potato. (I do half on one side and half on the other.) – You can count this as a triceps workout btw!

All my lovely potatoes.

Tear a piece of aluminum foil long enough and wide enough to surround the potato.

Roll it up (shiny-side out).

Then fold in the sides.

Lay them out on a baking sheet. (You can also just place them straight on the oven rack.

Place the potatoes in the oven and bake in a 400*F (200*C) preheated oven for 60-90 minutes, depending on the size and number of potatoes.

Let them cool completely, then store them in the fridge – leaving one out for eats now.

Top with desired toppings and dig in!

Baked Potatoes (in Aluminum foil)

Materials:

• Potatoes
  
• aluminum foil
  
• fork
  
• optional: dry baking sheet
  

Directions:

Pick the potatoes you want to bake and wash them in cool/warm water. (I scrubbed them with my hands instead of a fancy brush.) After you wash them, take a fork and stab them about 12-16 times, depending on the size of the potato. (I do half on one side and half on the other.) – You can count this as a triceps workout btw!

Tear a piece of aluminum foil long enough and wide enough to surround the potato. Roll it up (shiny-side out). Then fold in the sides. Lay them out on a baking sheet. (You can also just place them straight on the oven rack.

Place the potatoes in the oven and bake in a 400*F (200*C) preheated oven for 60-90 minutes, depending on the size and number of potatoes. Let them cool completely, then store them in the fridge – leaving one out for eats now.

Top with desired toppings and dig in!

Print This!

……………………………………………………………………..

I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

with lots of hugs,

P.S. I am just waiting on the response from Tropical Traditions and then I’ll do my review/giveaway on coconut oil. Stay tuned!