"Guiltless" Raspberry Almond Bars

My sweet tooth just won out!  The great part of  living an active lifestyle and eating healthy balanced meals (most of the time) is the lack of guilt over treats!!!  We are having a lunch meeting at work tomorrow and I had an idea to mash a couple of recipes together. Here is the results.  I hope you enjoy them as much as my husband and I did!

Raspberry Almond Bars

Raspberry Almond Bars

Bottom layer:
1 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups flour

1/4 cup seedless raspberry jam

Top layer:
1/4 cup butter
1 cup white chips
1 egg
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup sliced almonds

Cream together 1 cup butter and 1/2 cup sugar.  Add 2 cups flour and mix until well combined. Pat evenly in a 13 X 9 inch pan. (Greased and floured or lined with parchment paper.)



Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until slightly browned on the edges.





While the crust is baking prepare the top layer.  In a saucepan melt 1/4 cup of butter, remove from heat and add 1/2 cup of the chips (do not stir.) Set aside.

In a mixer beat the egg until until foamy;  gradually add sugar.  Stir in chip mixture and almond extract.


Combine flour and salt and add to egg mixture.  Fold in 1/2 cup of chips. 

In a small microwave safe bowl, heat jam for 30 seconds or until melted. Spread over warm crust.

 Drop batter by teaspoonful on top of the jam.  If desired, sprinkle with a few additional chips and 1/4 cup sliced almonds.


Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.
Cool, cut and serve!

Um Um Good!

Chicken Wild Rice Soup

With the winds howling and the temperature dipping back below
zero here in the Midwest, there is no better time to whip up a
batch of homemade soup. It's comfort food at its best!  It smells
so good and warms you up from the inside too!  

My family loves soup: beef barley, chicken, potato, split pea, tomato and broccoli cheddar to name a few. One of my favorites is Chicken Wild Rice :) 

You can make your own broth or use a prepared version to make this quick creamed soup.  This recipe keeps the calories in check by using low fat evaporated milk. In this recipe I use vegetable oil to make the roux, which provides fatty acids that our bodies need, but to reduce the calories even more you could use a slurry* instead of the roux to thicken the soup (and omit the cream.)

Chicken Wild Rice Soup

2 quarts chicken broth

1-15 oz. can low fat evaporated milk

1 teaspoon dried parsley

1-teaspoon marjoram

1-teaspoon thyme

8 Tablespoons avacado or olive oil

½  cup flour

1 cup sliced carrots

1 cup cooked diced chicken

2 cups cooked wild rice

Salt and pepper to taste

¼ cup heavy whipping cream (optional)

Combine chicken broth, evaporated milk and spices—set aside.  In a large kettle, make a roux to thicken the soup; over medium heat, combine oil and flour—stirring for two minutes.  Add 2 cups of liquid mixture to roux, stirring constantly until thickened.  Add another 2 cups stirring until smooth and thickened.  Add the remainder of the liquid and stir until smooth.  Add carrots and simmer until tender.  Stir in rice, chicken, cream and heat until warmed through. If you prefer a thicker soup make a slurry on 2 tablespoons of corn starch and 1/4 cup of cold water--stirring, add a small amount at a time until desired consistency is reached.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Serve warm.

Tips:

To reduce fat content omit cream and use a slurry to thicken soup rather than a roux. *To make a slurry combine the flour with 1 cup of cold liquid and stir until smooth.  Add to soup stirring constantly, simmer for 5 minutes.

Thickening Video Resources:
Simply Ming
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDgPLZYbI9E
Making a roux and white sauce
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bynJX7S3pOQ

Healthy Fats, Healthy Snacks!

I orginally wrote this post at the beginning of a new year. It was January, and the time of year when people focus on being or becoming healthy--exercising, losing weight and eating right.  Today, we are emerging from the 2020-21 Covid Pandemic and finally getting our lives back--in many ways it feels like January.  I have updated the links in this post, but most of the information and recommendations stayed the same.  If anything is different for me--it is an emphasis on getting more omega-3 fatty acids and keeping up with the research and controvery over the amount of omega-6 we should get.

Make sure to check out the Harvard Health Publication link below, and I hope you enjoy the humus recipe!

When I became a parent I had to work hard at carving out time to exercise and focus on health, establishing a habit that I still maintain.   Living in the Midwest, spring, summer and fall outdoor activities make it easy for me to stay active.  But, as I write this from home because of a "cold day" (no school today because temps dropped to -20 degrees F, plus wind chill below -38,) I have to fight the urge to stay huddled under a blanket with with a book and a hot cup of tea.  I must admit wearing my pedometer does help keep me motivated. I'll be on my elliptical trainer or dancing around the house later.

Eating healthy can actually be a bit more challenging.  A quick Internet search will illustrate the plethora of information floating around out there on food, diets and diet recommendations. Two of my guidelines to healthy eating are to consume a variety of foods in moderation and eat fresh or minimally processed foods.  It really helps when you grow it and make it yourself too!

Eating a variety of food includes FAT too.  How much fat should I eat? What kinds of fat should I eat? 
 Does fat make you fat? Is saturated fat really bad for you?

One of the best articles I have read on fat is from the Harvard Health Publishing, Harvard Medical School,

It addresses the controversies on high fat-low fat diets, the consumption of saturated fats, and the effect of fats on obesity, heart disease, stroke and diabetes.

The Harvard article along with other resources emphasize the health benefits of consuming mono and polyunsaturated fats. Making sure that you include nuts, seeds, fruits, vegetables, grains and fish that provide these nutrients may be connected to better health and weight management. Here is a link to a chart showing the breakdown of fats in food (The Food Chart.)

A few of my favorite ways to include these fats in my diet are:
1.  Topping oatmeal or salads with almonds, pecans, sunflower seeds or walnuts
2.  Replace butter with olive or avocado oil (dipping oils, drizzled on popcorn, for stir-fries and roux)
3.  Eating hummus, guacamole and salsa for snacks
4.  Use natural peanut butter (rather than those with added hydrogenated fat and sugar :( )

Here is my favorite humus recipe. Adjust the spices to suite your taste!

Roasted Garlic Hummus  

One 15 oz can chickpeas (garbanzo beans)*
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup Tahiti paste (ground sesame seeds) (can substitute peanut butter)

2 cloves roasted garlic, minced

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2-1 teaspoon salt

1/2-1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
2-3 tablespoons water

*Extra olive oil, red pepper flakes and or paprika for serving

Directions:
1.  In a food processor or blender combine the lemon juice and Tahiti paste for 1-2 minutes or until light and fluffy.

2. Add remaining ingredients and blend for 2-3 minutes, stopping twice to scrape down sides. Add enough water to achieve the desired consistency. Adjust the spices to your taste.

3.  Place in a serving dish and garnish with olive oil, red pepper flakes, paprika, pine nuts or minced roasted red peppers.  Serve with pita chips and ENJOY!!!

*For a slightly creamier version--slip the skins from the chickpeas before processing.

Read on.....

https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/fats-and-cholesterol/

http://www.nytimes.com/2002/07/07/magazine/what-if-it-s-all-been-a-big-fat-lie.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm

https://bodyecology.com/articles/6_benefits_monosaturated_fats-php/

https://www.thefoodchart.com/fat-food-chart.php