July 17th, 2014
When you have your kids at home all day and indoors most of the week, it seems like you are feeding them at every moment of the day even though you do not intend to do it.
I really try to feed only fruit, nuts, or something healthy but sometimes I feed carb-filled snacks. On this very morning I responded to my toddler’s question about having a muffin for a snack. She makes me laugh most of the time because she makes requests that are crazy, silly or spontaneous. I love her for it too!
The next thing I asked my toddler is whether she would like a doughnut which made her eyes light up immediately. She exclaimed, ” Forget the muffins, I want DOUGHNUTS!” It made me laugh for sure. I took out our mini doughnut pan and found a recipe that I decided to make gluten-free and sugar-free.
I’ve been using Xylosweet which is a sugar substitute made from xylitol. It is used by anyone looking to reduce their sugar intake. Since I have been trying to reduce my sugar intake I decided to taste this option and I was so surprised that it sweetened a dessert just like sugar. It is used 1:1 when substituting regular sugar so it was not complicated. Here are a few more facts about Xylosweet:
XyloSweet Facts:
- Zero net carbohydrates.
- Just as sweet and tasty as table sugar, with 40% fewer calories (~ 2.4 calories/gram versus sugar’s 4.0)
- Glycemic index: 7 (compared to sugar’s 83)
- Made of a naturally-occurring substance found in fruits and vegetables like plums, strawberries, and corn cobs.
- Approved by both the World Health Organization and the FDA as safe in unlimited quantities as a food additive.
- Different chemical structure than that of table sugar.
- May, in some cases of excessive consumption, have a laxative effect or cause gas until the body becomes accustomed to the sweetener in larger quantities.
- You’ll find more about adjusting to XyloSweet on the FAQ page.
It looks like sugar but I ended up processing about 2-3 Tablespoons to make xylitol powdered sugar so I could mix with cinnamon to dust the cake doughnuts. It worked so well. I will next begin to bake with a stevia blend so be on the look out. The important thing about this recipe is that they are toddler-approved! Make them for a snack or dessert without worrying about the sugar overload.
Gluten- and Sugar-Free Mini Raspberry Cake Doughnuts
Prep Time: 10 min
Cook Time: 10 min
Ingredients (18 mini doughnuts)
- 1 cup Bob’s Red Mill all-Purpose gluten-free flour
- 1 teaspoon xanthan gum.
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/3 cup Xylosweet (xylitol) or regular sugar
- 1/2 cup raspberries
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 Tablespoons coconut oil, melted
- 1/3 cup almond milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 egg
Powdered sugar
- 3 Tablespoons Xylosweet, ground
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400°F and lightly grease a mini doughnut pan.
Sift the gluten-flour, xanthan gum, baking powder and salt together.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the melted coconut oil, almond milk, sugar substitute, vanilla, and egg. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and stir until just combined.
Fill each doughnut cup 3/4 of the way full with the batter. Fill with a spoon carefully. Bake until the doughnuts spring back when touched about 10 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack.
Ground the xylitol in a coffee grinder and place in a sturdy ziplock bag. Add the cinnamon and mix well. Once the doughnuts are slight cooled, add one doughnut at a time, and dust with the cinnamon powdered sugar.
Disclaimer: Opera Singer in the Kitchen is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com
I also received Xylosweet to review. All opinions are my own.
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July 16th, 2014
Last week I mentioned that another Chick-fil-A in the Downingtown was holding Beach Day which will be tomorrow. Make sure to check out that event. After you attend that one, you need to come to Carnival Day at Lionville.
Chick-fil-A Lionville is where I usually hang either by myself or with my kids at least twice a week. Everyone is so friendly and there are specials always going on. I am looking forward having my little ones experience Carnival Day on Wednesday, July 23rd from 5-8pm. What is to be expected?
- Face Painting and Balloon Art by Merrily the Clown
- Sand Art
- Carnival Games
- Prizes
- Bounce Tent
- and more
Kids will be able to enjoy this with a purchase of a Kids Meal, while supplies last! Make sure to RSVP here:
Once you RSVP your kids have a chance to be among 10 random people chosen to win a “Kids Summer Party Pack. The winners will be posted on the store door during Family Night. Make sure to show ID when claiming prize.
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July 15th, 2014
I was sent the Samsung Galaxy S5 for review for 2 months with service included. All opinions are my own.
Last night I was going through all my photos on my phone and realized that I enjoy taking photos and love the fact that I have a gadget that can be available all the time for any spare of the moment photo opportunity. For almost 2 months I have been using a demo phone from Verizon to aide me in my foodie moments of the day or even events that I get to cover. What phone have I been using of late?
Introducing Samsung Galaxy S5, an Android phone that easily fits the palm of my hand and easy to find since it is surrounded in a beautiful white casing. Even though our family have been devoted Verizon carriers for almost 6 years, Verizon offered me to try the 4G LTE network which is considered to be the fastest and most reliable in the US. What does this mean? It means that this new network is able to function at faster peak speeds allowing for improved streaming at greater capacity! Take a look at this model:
Now how did Samsung Galaxy S5 work for me and where did it go? I was all over the place with this phone and I really did not ever have a problem with its speed. I was always able to connect to the web anywhere I went. I was able to post pictures to all my social media platforms during events. One of the events I covered as a Verizon foodie or #VZWFoodies were the Vendy Awards that were held in Philly. They were very interesting as I have never attended a food truck event like it before especially to judge which was the best.
This Samsung has traveled well and for the foodie that I am, I loved the phone camera as it posted really well on Instagram with clear photos! We cooked a bit while in Houston visiting our family and we also visited a lot of our favorite restaurants especially some good BBQ and Mexican food. I am convinced that the speed of my connection is definitely faster and is great when Wifi is available. I really did not have any issues with the phone at all. Check out my photos:
Curious as to what other phones use the newer and faster XLTE connection? According a recent article, nearly all of the devices Verizon Wireless sells, including the newest DROID devices, Samsung Galaxy S4, S5 and Note 3, and the iPhone 5c and iPhone 5s, are XLTE Ready when purchased. Today, more than 35 percent of all devices operating on the Verizon Wireless network can take direct advantage of the added capacity that AWS provides.
Are you currently happy with your device? Why or why not?
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July 14th, 2014
I was sent items to review. All opinions are my own.
Summer is officially flying by and I have no way of stopping it. How about being able to enjoy it? It is hard to be a bit home bound with my little ones as I recover from my surgery but on the other hand I am getting a chance to cook, develop recipes and to entertain my kids more!
Several weeks ago I received a nice package of goodies from Wild Hibiscus Flower Company and I was truly challenged to think outside the box. I have so many more recipes to develop that I have mentally created that I can’t wait to share with you!
When I create recipes I always think about how my toddlers would respond to a recipe. I want my whole family to respond well to my creations since I do not always create with particular people in mind even though I enjoy doing that too. When I was in Houston a few weeks ago, my mother made a delicious fruit juice-based tapioca for my girls which they quickly devoured and asked for daily while we stayed with her. This is not a new concept though.
Growing up my grandmother would make her delicious brunch spread for us every time we went to visit her. We always made sure her orange juice tapioca pudding was on the menu. Instead of using milk for the base, orange juice was used to bring the tapioca pearls alive. Oh it was so delicious. Here is where my parfait inspiration came from.
Wild Hibiscus comes in tea bags where I made about 2 cups for the base for hydrating the tapioca. I use hibiscus as a juice substitute in our home so I had no problem using it for this recipe and passing it for juice. Hibiscus is super high in vitamin C and well if you have a cold, like our family at the moment, then hibiscus is for you!
Since I have been limiting my sugar intake, I used xylitol as my sugar substitute which is used 1:1 so if you wanted to use ANY other sugar you would be good subbing it in. I thought that the flavor was great! As the tea cooked with the tapioca, I infused star anise and cloves in the mixture. The aroma in the kitchen was intoxicating. I added fresh cubed mango and blueberries to the cooled hibiscus tapioca pudding and refrigerated the mixture and whipped up fresh whipped cream with powdered xylitol which could be substituted with powdered sugar.
The finished product was topped with a candied hibiscus flower that is totally edible and delicious! When I served it I actually did not intend for my toddler to want any since she had just consumed a cookie but she insisted on taste-testing my dessert. She claimed it the BEST dessert EVER! Oh, the joy of having your kids telling you how it is.
How about you telling me what you think? I would love for someone to try this and later tell me what they think. Have you ever had hibiscus and did you know they were an amazing source of antioxidants?
Wild Hibiscus Tapioca Parfaits
by Noelle Kelly
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 10 min
Ingredients (4 parfaits)
- 2 Wild Hibiscus tea bags
- 2 1/2 cups hot water
- 1/3 cup dry quick cook tapioca
- 1/3 cup xylitol sweetener or regular sugar or coconut sugar
- 1 star anise
- 2 cloves
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 1/2 cups fresh mango, pitted and chopped
- 1 cup blueberries
- 1 1/2 cups whipping cream
- 3 Tablespoons xylitol, ground
- 4 Wild Hibiscus Flowers in Syrup
Instructions
Steep 2 hibiscus tea bags in hot water for 5 minutes. Remove tea bags and place tea in a medium pot. Add the star anise, cloves, and tapioca and brings to a boil, making sure to stir. Allow the tapioca to cook for 10 minutes. Add the xylitol sugar sub and vanilla and stir. Place tapioca mixture in a glass bowl to cool for 30-45 minutes.
Meanwhile, chop mangoes and mix in blueberries. Once tapioca is cooled, fold in the fruit and place mixture in the fridge for an hour to set.
Take 3 Tablespoons xylitol and place in a coffee grinder to make into powder. Add the powder into the whipped cream in a small bowl. Whip the cream until there are stiff peaks. Refrigerate until ready to assemble parfaits.
Using 1 cup parfait glasses, spoon 1/4 cup tapioca into the bottom of each glass. Add 1/4 cup whipping cream and repeat with another layer each of the tapioca and cream topping with one candied hibiscus flower.
Refrigerate before eating or consume.
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July 10th, 2014
This is a sponsored post. I received a promotional item as a thank you for participating.
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