Coco Polo Sweet And Healthy Chocolate

 Spring is here and that usually means lighter treats. However it's also the season for rich Easter candy that's full of calories and sugar. Not to worry. Coco Polo Bliss  can easily be put into any Easter basket and truly enjoyed.

I discovered this treat not long ago as I was searching for something that wasn't too sugary. Luckily there is Coco Polo Bliss

This is a chocolate made with upcycled cacao pods that ordinarily would have been discarded in the chocolate making process.It enhances the candy's nutritional profile. The company has been around for almost thirty years with founders John Cunnell, Diane Yamate and Sandra O'Shea. 

The Bliss version comes in these elegant little squares. They are sweeter in a fruity, raisin-y flavor thanks to the candy being made with stevia. It'a a nice change up from regular chocolate.I would love to try their hibiscus infused flavored ones .These would be a wonderful addition to any brunch dessert.

Try Coco Polo Bliss for a truly light and lovely Spring treat.It;s different from the other chocolate out there. It;s sustainable and upcycled, good for you and good for the planet.

The Prediabetic Diet

 Any diagnosis with the word "diabetic" in it can be scary. Yet it you've been diagnosed  as prediabetic , there are ways to reverse it. It does require some sacrifice but it comes with some delicious ways  to get your sugar down.

I was recently diagnosed with this condition and it did freak me out. Diabetes doesn't bode well , with the threat of amputation and all the restrictions - and there are many. Yet with cutting out , eating less and exercising more I may just have a chance to reverse this.One aspect my doctor stressed was cutting the carbs. This is an easy thing to do. It's rare that I eat pasta and bread. I have tried to limit these in the past. However there are ways to work around this. Grocery stores - as well as Amazon sell all sorts of pasta made from different flours. Banza has one of the best and most variety. Theirs is made from chickpea flour and has half the carbs as regular wheat based spaghetti and manicotti. Classic pasta companies such Ronzoni are also creating veggie based spaghetti and a super greens rotini. The first has spinach and tomatoes cooked in while the second is a mix of spinach, zucchini, kale parsley and broccoli. with any of these you can serve them hot with any kind of tomato based sauce or as salads with chopped veggies. Pizza is usually off the table with a prediabetic diet. Again this can be remedied by making one with a cauliflower crust, such as Green Giant's or ordering one from Blaze Pizza. As for bread, keep away from the refined white kind. Go for the whole wheat.

Of course sodas and sweetened juices are also off the table. However you can get a Soda Stream and make your own sodas and seltzers. As far as their add ins use them sparingly. You can get creative by adding fresh squeezed blueberries or strawberries . Fresh mint leaves are also a good flavor booster. The only juice prediabetics should consider is kale which controls and can even reverse the condition. Think  plain iced tea and coffee when you want a frothy iced cappucino. Don't worry about sweetening. I've discovered liquid stevia which is a plant based sweetener - that i keep in my car. Not many restaurants or coffee places have it , instead offering artificial sweeteners instead. The liquid stevia bottle is small enough to fit in a pocket or purse and a drop can sweeten any hot or iced coffee or tea. Lunches and dinners should also changed- but just slightly. Get rid of the red meat. Roasted chicken or turkey without the skin is the best. Think chicken or turkey breasts with asparagus or broccoli. Beans are another good choice in the prediabetic diet. They take time to digest and are high in necessary fiber.

Don't freak out of you've been diagnosed with prediabetes .It can be reversed with some delicious foods. It's easy to sub in these healthy alternatives and still have a varied and tasty diet.

Oh Sugar

 The holiday  baking season is firmly in place. Sugar is one of the key and top ingredients in every aspect, from cakes, to cookies, frostings to icings. Yet can we sub in one kind for another? It's an interesting question that needs to be answered.

All sugars are not created equal. The New York Times did an interesting pictorial in last Wednesday's food section about sugar cane and how families have been making it for two  centuries since 1814. It's purple can sugar which has a lovely magenta tint. It is expensive but can it be subbed in for regular sugar? Yes. The tastes are the same. The only thing is adjusting the recipe to fit liquid measures.  Another sub in for this is maple syrup although you will have that distinct maple flavor which may not work with such traditional cane sugar desserts as syrup cake. What about white and brown sugar? Surprisingly they can be interchanged however there are slight differences. Brown sugar is naturally moist so the baked goods' textures will be softer and less dry than their white sugar made counterparts. If you want a regular cake such as chocolate or vanilla with a dry crumb, then stick to white sugar. A fruity cake like banana bread needs  a moist crumb so brown sugar is good.  Also cakes and cookies baked with brown sugar come out darker in color. Think the golden brown of chocolate chip cookies.Is there a difference between light brown and dark brown sugar? Not really.It's down to the amount of molasses in each. Light brown has around 3.5 percent while dark has much more.

Many organic and vegan bakers claim honey is the way to go. It is better for you health wise, because it doesn't raise blood sugar levels the way white sugar does. It also has magnesium and potassium, vital elements for the body. However it can also be responsible for fatty liver disease too. You can easily sub in a cup of  it for a cup of sugar  however it may make the final product a bit more sweeter. The same applies to maple syrup which is also better for you since it doesn't cause a significant rise in blood sugar. Keep in mind that it does have woodsy caramel notes which can change the flavor of traditional cookies and cakes like shortbread and chocolate. If you are intent on using it, then try recipes that call for it such as maple shortbread  or maple cupcakes. What about stevia? Everyone is adding it to their coffees and teas along with their mocktails. Leave it in those. It's really not suited for baking being overly sweet in flavor. One teaspoon of sugar equals one eighth of a teaspoon of stevia. You could easily add too much and ruin a whole recipe.What you could do instead is add applesauce which has natural sugar for a healthier bite. Just reduce the amount of liquid used by a quarter of a cup,

Yes, there is a difference in sugars. Be aware of this as you begin to bake for the holidays.A good sugar background will mean tastier treats this season.

Gimme Some Natural Sugar

We have been hard wired to crave sweets since our Neanderthal days. Yet all that processed sugar, whether in drinks or treats can be damaging. What to do? Go natural. There are plenty of all natural sweeteners that you can use.

It is hard to give up sugar, especially when you have to.Luckily there are many choices to help you go through the withdrawal process. (Keep in mind that refined white sugar is just as addictive as cocaine).Many right now are using stevia as their go to sweetener. Some are even attempting to grow the plant in their backyards which you can if you live in warm conditions where it thrives. Stevia is 200 times sweeter than refined sugar and can help in reducing weight and cavities. There are some great products out there made with it. One, Zevia Soda is a must buy if you want to wean yourself off regular sodas. It's made with 100 per cent stevia and comes in a wide range of flavors. I've tried both their black cherry and cola flavors and really enjoyed them. They also have ginger ale and their take on Dr. Pepper., Dr. Zevia. Can you bake with it? Yes! It just takes eighteen to twenty-four packets to create one cup. There's even stevia confectioner's sugar that you can buy on Amazon. Use this when you want to create fluffy buttercream icing.

Another must have is maple syrup. It has a lovely buttery sweet taste that can work in anything. One of my new favorites is a homemade maple "ice cream."It's taking plain , unflavored yogurt, and mixing it with a tablespoon of maple syrup in one of those Slushie cups.It  turns into a creamy kind of frozen yogurt. You can also bake with it. Just use 3/4 cup  for every one cup of sugar. Keep in mind that it can also be used for marinades for all sorts of meats.Try it blended with rosemary for a different glaze for chicken or salmon. Honey is the original sweetener, going back thousands of years  in first sweetening oat cakes. I like it in sweetening  up tomato sauce  with dark California wildflower honey instead of sugar because it doesn't leave that sweet candy taste. It gives the blend an earthy flavor that melds with the tomatoes and various spices. It's the same reason I use a teaspoon or two of it in my Mom's chili recipe too.Baking with honey is another good idea. It adds a much more mellower flavor than refined white sugar. Keep in mind that honey is a liquid and that's going to throw off any baked good's texture. You'll have to reduce the liquids amounts by two tablespoons to get the right batter and dough consistency.

You can get off sugar. Use natural sweeteners and you'll be surprised at how good they taste and how versatile they are. Try them and seen.

Your Summer Must Have Pyure Stevia

Stevia seems to be the sweetener of choice these days.Yet there are so many kinds to choose from.The worry is over .Use Pyure ,a sweetener that's good for you and tastes good too.It's the perfect plus for summer dining.It can go from barbecue to dessert, in variety of recipes. I like using Pyure for a number of reasons.One it has fiber which can help lower cholesterol.The company also uses the best of the leaves from the stevia plant which means a sweeter taste.The company also practices sustainable farming, a big plus on my list.Pyure comes in a variety of forms,making it extremely versatile for both cooking and baking. The packets can be used to sweeten summer coolers such as lemonade or fresh brewed iced tea as well as sweetening my regular nighttime herbal one(another benefit of using Pyure is that it won't keep you up at night like regular sugar would)"The sweetener comes in a granular form and you use it the same way you would sugar.The measure for the two are the same although I would decrease the amount of stevia used because ot it's intense sweet taste.The company also make a green tea energy drink featuring Pyure and natural fruit flavors. Loke sugar, Pyure can be used in a variety of different summer recipes.Try a pinch of it in a homemade low calorie barbecue sauce.Mix ketchup,Pyure ,and apple cider vinegar along with some fresh ground pepper or cayenne for a sweet and fiery rib sauce.It can also be used as a dry rub for different kinds of meats such as chicken wings, brisket , and beef ribs.Mix two to three packets with sea salt, fresh ground black ,white and pink pepper corns along with a dash of garlic powder.Rub and then cook.Of course Pyure is a great sweetener for ades but it can also be used in cocktails too.Try it in a star fruit martini or a watermelon cucumber cooler.Pyure can be added to sliced strawberries to create a sweeter, low calorie shortcake and do not hesitate to use it to sweeten fresh whipped cream.This last will go well with any short cake or even over ice cream.Pyure can be used in making this last as well as in homemade sherbets, ices and sorbets. If you have to pick a stevia brand for your summer cooking, look no further than Pyure.It has a great taste and great benefits.Use it in everything from barbecue sauce to homemade ice cream.Have all those fun summer foods without the worry of too many calories.