Yummy, Healthy, Late Night Dessert!

Now that Autumn is here and the nights are getting cooler, I've been spending more evenings indoors. I am not much a TV person, but I've become slightly addicted to British drama. As I sat last night wrapped up in my big comforter, watching the last episode in Season One of Happy Valley, (available on Netflix), I had the most intense sweet craving. It would not go away! I paused the show and began rifling through my cabinets looking for something sweet -  A cookie. A piece of chocolate. Anything. Of course, I already knew there was nothing of the sort here in my house, but I was hoping I would find something left over from when my son lived here with me. He moved to LA about a month ago.

No such luck. 

I stood there in my kitchen debating whether to make a quick run to the store or mix up a batch of homemade cookies. I didn't really want to go out ( I was so cozy in my PJ's and would have to get dressed again) and I didn't want to get involved in the mess of baking cookies at 10 PM. Not to mention, I certainly didn't need several dozen cookies in the house. I just wanted one or two. To enjoy with a cup of tea.

Maybe I need to curtail my viewing of all these British dramas. 

They're always having tea and sweets in those shows. 

Well.... you know the saying! Necessity is the Mother of Invention! 

Or in my case - Concoction! 

I decided to use what I had in the house and managed to whip up a healthy and 

incredibly delicious dessert in about 30 minutes.

Here's what I came up with: 

Baked Apples in Maple Almond Butter Sauce with Vanilla Coconut Yogurt!

Ingredients:

3 Organic Apples. 

I used Gala Apples. Any variety will do, but I wouldn't recommend Delicious or McIntosh apples.

Ground Cinnamon

1 Tablespoon Natural Almond Butter. 

I used crunchy almond butter, but creamy is fine, too. Peanut Butter, Cashew Butter - any type of NATURAL nut butter works.

Organic Maple Syrup

Plain Coconut Water
You can use regular water in a pinch - you're just using it as a thinner for the sauce. I've been on a Coconut Water Kick lately and it's a little thicker than plain old water. Plain Almond or Soy milk will work, as well. 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Very lightly coat the bottom of a glass a 8 x 8 baking dish with oil or cooking spray. 

I used coconut oil cooking spray. 

Wash the apples and slice them - not too thin.

 I left the peels on my apples. That's where most of the fiber is, but it's your choice.

Pile the apples into the prepared baking dish and sprinkle with ground cinnamon.
No need to measure. Just sprinkle away. Cinnamon is good for you! 

Bake at 350, for about 20 minutes or until apples are soft.

In the meantime, make the sauce.

Put the almond butter into a small mixing bowl. Add about 2 -3 drops of maple syrup for sweetness and mix together with a spoon until blended.  

Lick the spoon! Yummy! Now, take out a new spoon or wash the one you just licked - more than once, I'm sure! 

Add a bit of coconut water to thin the Maple Nut Butter. You don't want it too watery, just thin enough to pour over the apples. Stir and keep adding the coconut water until you reach the desired consistency. I didn't measure, but I probably used less than  1/2  tablespoon of the coconut water. 

Drizzle the Maple Nut Butter Sauce over the baked apples and pop back into the oven for about 5 minutes. 

Serve warm, with a dollop of chilled Vanilla Coconut Yogurt. This is just vanilla-flavored yogurt made from coconut milk. Any type of vanilla yogurt will do.

Makes two delicious and satisfying servings. 

Enjoy! 

Yours in Good Health,

Cynthia

xo

I Want a Fit, Toned, Healthy Body!

Who doesn't want a fit, toned, healthy body? If that's what you want, you can have it, but all the thinking and wishing in the world won't get you any closer to it. You have to start taking steps in the right direction. They don't have to be giant steps. Those can be overwhelming and exhausting. We're all guilty of trying drastic measures in an effort to get things done quickly.

WE WANT RESULTS NOW!!  

What do I mean by Giant Steps? 

You haven't exercised in months (or years). One day you wake up and you are a maniac, working out several hours a day, and pushing and torturing your body in an effort to get fit fast.

OR....

You shock your body by drastically reducing the amount of food you eat and you wonder why you're tired, frustrated and not losing weight.  You starve and deprive yourself. You try all of the latest and greatest fad diets.

What usually happens when you take those kinds of giant steps? Eventually, you end up aggravated, frustrated and tired. You make everyone around you miserable. So, you give up. You slip right back to your regular, old habits and gain every ounce of weight you did lose back and then some............

Why torture yourself this way? Why not just take smaller steps?

Small steps in the right direction will still get you where you need to go.

Small Steps in the Right Direction:

Exercise. Definitely exercise! You don't need to wear yourself out or live in the gym. Just do something every day, for about 20 - 30 minutes. You can spread it out over your day if you don't have that much concentrated time to spare. Perhaps if you turned off the TV or stepped away from the computer, you would have the time. Just sayin'. :)

Yoga, weight training, Pilates, bike riding, dancing, swimming, house work, a walk around the block, in the park or on the beach, and yes, even sex, count as exercise. So pick one. Better yet, pick more than one and commit to doing something every day!

Forget crash dieting. Just make better food choices. Avoid fast food, if possible.  Eat more fruit, more vegetables, lean protein, whole grains. Fire up the BBQ and start grilling instead of frying. Skip the crappy carbs (bagels, rolls, white bread, white flour pasta, white rice, mashed potatoes). Limit sugar and sweet treats like cake, cookies and pies.  Try a square or two of dark chocolate when the chocolate cravings kick in. And watch the alcohol! Those calories count and alcohol slows down your metabolism and increases your cravings for crappy carbs.

No, you will not miraculously drop fifty pounds overnight, but you will lose excess fat and inches. And you will have firmer, more defined legs, arms, and abs! And your butt will look better in your jeans, too!  No, you will not look the model in the photo. At least not right away. She didn't get that body overnight and neither will you. But every move you make will bring one step closer.........

You will look and feel so much better. You will want to keep going. And you will be healthier; body, mind and spirit.  And healthy is sexy. Always.......

Yours in Good Health,
Cynthia