Sweet treats that are actually good for you!

[coveredinharmony]

Hi, sisters! I was wondering if any of you have some recipes for something sweet that's healthy (I unfortunately for me have a major sweet tooth!). Being at home all day, while it is wonderful the majority of the time, becomes problematic when I'm faced with a kitchen full of goodies galore.

And while I'm asking, let me share with you one of my favorites. I'm sure some of you have heard of freezing grapes (take them off of the stem, rinse them, and freeze them; make sure they're seedless!). One of my favorite things to do is to take a bowl of a handful of grapes and add a couple of spoonfuls of vanilla yogurt. The yogurt freezes up around the grapes, which while sometimes they get stuck together makes a really tasty and satisfying snack.

Love in Christ,

Little Sarah

[SisterNancy]

healthy sweets are fruit lol

but, I do have some recipes for deserts that you can make in a healthier way.

this is one of our favorites:

'Peanut Butter Cup'
Serves 1

Ingredients
1 no sugar added fudgsicle
1-2 tablespoons natural peanut butter
1-2 tablespoons light frozen whipped topping or whipping cream

Instructions
Take a no sugar added fudgsicle and scrape it off the stick (microwaving it for about 15 seconds helps). Then stir in 1-2 tablespoons of natural peanut butter and 1-2 tablespoons of light whipped topping. Mix together and enjoy.

I will post more in a bit...tell me what you like most and I can come up with a healthy alternative or a healthy way to make it.

cookies...use whole wheat all purpose or baking flour and splenda instead of sugar. or stevia is even better then splenda.

but I have all sorts of recipes.

[SisterNancy]

make a great "milkshake"

take one cup of flavored yogurt, one cup of milk, add fruit(blueberries are healthiest) and whip in blender then enjoy.

if you use plain yogurt you can add sf (sugar free) jello to flavor it just a spoonful to taste. add ice instead of milk for an alternative too. just a different variation. if you don't have fruit or milk to add.

plain yogurt is good with just the sf jello in it as flavor too. not as a shake I mean.

[SisterNancy]

Stuffed Chocolate Peanut Butter Baked Bananas

Bananas
Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips (or sugar free)
Natural Peanut Butter

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Lay the bananas so the ends are pointing up. Using a knife, cut a slit down the inside top so you can open it like an envelope, careful not to rip open the peel. Spread 1 tablespoon of peanut butter inside each banana and sprinkle with chocolate chips. Close the peel of the banana up and wrap the entire banana in aluminum foil. Place the bananas on a baking sheet and transfer to the oven to bake, about 10 minutes or until the insides of the banana are soft and warm and the chocolate is melted.

enjoy

[SisterNancy]

fruit pizza. serve cold:

Crust:
1 1/2 cups ww flour
1/2 tsp. salt
2 Tblsp. Splenda
3 Tblsp. skim milk
1/2 cup ICBNB (the spray pours right out)
Mix all ingredients with a blender. Spread evenly on an ungreased pan (I used a 12 in. pie plate)
Bake 15 minutes at 375 til golden brown. This crust MUST be completely cool before filling is added.

Filling:
4 oz. Light cream cheese
1/4 cup Splenda
1 Tblsp. skim milk
1 Tblsp. Orange juice
1 Tblsp. Lemon Juice
1/2 pint low fat Cool Whip
Mix cream cheese in blender until is is fluffy and has no lumps. Add the rest of the ingredients except for the Cool Whip and process until it is well blended. Add the Cool Whip and whip until thick. Spread the mixture evenly on the COOLED crust.

Fruit:
Top with sliced strawberries, bananas, kiwi, rasberries, blueberries or any combination of fruit you prefer!!

some people make and serve this on a pizza stone too.

[SisterNancy]

also some of my favorites are ricotta creme's.

Peanut Butter-Chocolate Ricotta Crème

Two servings.

1 cup low fat or part-skim ricotta cheese

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 or 3 packets Splenda

1/2 to 1 tablespoon natural peanut butter

1/2 to 1 tablespoon baking cocoa (or 1 to 2 tablespoons sugar-free chocolate syrup)

mix together and enjoy!
___________________________________________________

for just a peanut butter one I forgo the cocoa.

you can make this with just ricotta, any flavored extract (almond etc) and splenda too! another easy variation.

[SisterNancy]

This just came recently in an email from splenda.com. It looks very interesting

Chocolate Yogurt Pops

1 (8 ounce) container plain nonfat yogurt
1/4 cup sugar-free cocoa mix (read labels for SB ingredients)
1/4 cup SPLENDA® No Calorie Sweetener, Granulated
4 popsicle sticks

Serves: 4 Prep Time: 3 Min
Directions
1. Mix all ingredients in a small mixing bowl. Spoon mixture into four, 3 ounce paper cups. Set cups in a muffin pan or on a flat plate. Place popsicle sticks in the center. Freeze about 3 hours or until solid.

2. Peel paper cups away from popsicles before serving.

[SisterNancy]

If you don't like the ricotta creme's You might like this:

Peanut Butter Whip
1 pkg.instant sugar free,fat free pudding
(white chocolate, butterscotch, vanilla work well)
1 1/2 C cold milk
1/4 C. Natural Peanut Butter
1 1/2 C light cool whip
Mix pudding and milk beat 1-2 minutes....starts to thicken.. stir in peanut butter and then fold in cool whip... chill and eat

ok, I'm done for now.lol if you have anything in particular you are looking for let me know.
Let me know if any of you try these and enjoy them too.

[allenehatherell12]

Dear Sisters,
As many of you know, I am from UK and we do not have the same level of convienence foods as you do in the USA. I remember being so shocked when i first visited a supermarket in the USA...and even finding cheese in a can, fake cream etc. I thought I would mention that Splenda may not be terribly good for you...
I thouht you may be interested in this:
The FDA has no definition for “natural,” so please bear with us for a biochemistry moment: Splenda is the trade name for sucralose, a synthetic compound stumbled upon in 1976 by scientists in Britain seeking a new pesticide formulation. It is true that the Splenda molecule is comprised of sucrose (sugar) — except that three of the hydroxyl groups in the molecule have been replaced by three chlorine atoms. (To get a better picture of what this looks like, see this image of a sucralose molecule.)

While some industry experts claim the molecule is similar to table salt or sugar, other independent researchers say it has more in common with pesticides. That’s because the bonds holding the carbon and chlorine atoms together are more characteristic of a chlorocarbon than a salt — and most pesticides are chlorocarbons. The premise offered next is that just because something contains chlorine doesn’t guarantee that it’s toxic. And that is also true, but you and your family may prefer not to serve as test subjects for the latest post-market artificial sweetener experiment — however “unique.”

I know man on this board try to live a simple plain life and that perhaps in light of this we ought to try and eat the same way, avoiding ''fake'' foods. Sugar is not bad for us as long as it is taken in moderation. I try to avoid processed and manufactured foods in my home which have all the additives etc. I am looking forward to having a garden in my new home where I can grow fruit and vegetables. I read about a lady in UK who did a sort of experiment with her family for 12 months where they just ate what could be grown locally or within a 40 mile radius...by the end of the 12 months the family had more money in their pockets and where healthier too.
God Bless, Sisster Allene x

[SisterNancy]

I forgot to say...I use stevia which is an all natural sweetner from the health food store. the recipes call for splenda but you can use anything.

should I delete the recipes then?

[Tammy]

I don't think that deleting them would be necessary. It's an easy substitution to make.

Thanks, Sis Nancy, for the great recipes!