Archive for Healthy

Best Gluten Free, Vegan, Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe!

By Dessert Darling · Comments (1)
Monday, February 20th, 2012

Last week I explained what GLUTEN FREE means in this post here. Today I am sharing with you a Super awesome, Vegan and Gluten Free, Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe that I adapted from Leslie Durso’s blog (the Veggie Dreamgirl) here. Yes, it is possible to be Vegan, Gluten Free, and Super Delicious. TRY these cookies and see for yourself.

The Ingredients:

 

Always buy Organic when you can:

  • 1 cup creamy Peanut Butter
  • 1 cup Palm Sugar or Brown Sugar (or half and half)
  • 1 small Banana, well mushed
  • 1 tsp Baking Soda
  • dash of Vanilla
  • 1/2 cup Chocolate Chips

How to Make Them:

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
  • Mix all of the ingredients, minus the chocolate chips
  • Blend well, making sure that the banana is well mushed up
  • Add the chocolate chips, then stir
  • Use a spoon to scoop out the balls onto a buttered pan (not Vegan, but makes ‘em tasty)
  • Press the balls flat, or or else they won’t fully bake and the’ll be shaped like balls
  • Bake for 12 minutes.
  • Remove from oven and let cool
Note: these are gooey cookies thanks to the Peanut Butter & Banana, but fear not. You can safely eat the dough, raw or cooked, since it doesn’t contain any eggs.

 

Enjoy!!!

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20 Naturally Gluten Free Desserts

By Dessert Darling · Comments (3)
Friday, February 17th, 2012

Yesterday I wrote about the significance of “Gluten Free” in this post here. While that information might seem devastating to a dessert fanatic, fear not, there are plenty of naturally gluten free dessert options. In no particular order they are:

  1. um, CHOCOLATE
  2. Ice Cream
  3. Pudding
  4. Macarons
  5. Meringue
  6. Pavalova
  7. Flourless Chocolate Cake
  8. Souffles
  9. Divinity
  10. Fudge
  11. Bananas Foster
  12. Milkshakes
  13. Sorbet
  14. Italian Almond Cookies
  15. Raw desserts
  16. Caramels
  17. Candy Apples
  18. Chocolate fondue
  19. Custard
  20. Peanut Butter Cookies

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wow- there’re a lot of awesome options. So relax, Gluten-Free doesn’t mean Dessert-Free. As always, read the ingredients carefully, especially if you have a true allergy to gluten. For example, an ice cream with pretzels in it would have wheat. Other things to avoid would be traditional chocolate chip cookies, brownies, cake, cupcakes, and donuts. Woa- and pop goes the cupcake bubble! I kid ;)

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Thinny Thursday: What does GLUTEN FREE Mean?

By Dessert Darling · Comments (0)
Thursday, February 16th, 2012

Gluten Free products are sprouting up everywhere and it’s no wonder why since there has been a 400% increase in Celiac’s Disease. Holy crap, say WHAT?! Ok, let’s back up.

What is GLUTEN?

Gluten is a substance in grains, especially wheat, that is responsible for the elastic texture of dough. It basically acts like.. a GLUE. So when you mix flour, water, and salt to make play-dough? Well that sticky-gummy like substance is what gluten also does in your insides when you consume it.

What is Celiac’s Disease?

Celiac’s is a digestive disease that wreaks havoc on the lining of the small intestine and interferes with the absorption of nutrients. People with Celiac’s Disease cannot tolerate Gluten (source).

Why the Increase in Gluten Allergies?

Turns out that yet again, GMOs are to blame (what are GMOs? See video here). In the case of wheat, it was genetically modified with the promise of feeding millions of starving people world wide. The result? There are now “30% more obese than undernourished in the world.”  (source)

Genetically Modified Wheat 

The wheat in our food today is drastically different from the wheat our grandparents or even parents had growing up. According to Dr. Mark Hyman’s fascinating article here, some facts about the wheat of today:

  1. It contains a Super Starch – amylopectin A that is super fattening.
  2. It contains a form of Super Gluten that is super-inflammatory.
  3. It contains forms of a Super Drug that is super-addictive and makes you crave and eat more.


Crickies! What’s a DD to do?!

I know, you’re totally scratching your head right now, wondering WTF you can do and eat that’s still delicious and doesn’t tear up your intestines and make you sick and fat, right?! Or something like that. Fear not- you CAN take action.

  1. Eat Organic
  2. Eat Gluten Free- I shall be on the look out for fantastic GF dessert options! Stay tuned
  3. Eat Raw desserts (always Gluten Free)
  4. Sign this petition to ask the FDA to label foods with GMOs
Eat yummy, stay healthy!  Together, we’ll learn how. ;)
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Thinny Thursday, the Skinny on Raw Desserts

By Dessert Darling · Comments (1)
Thursday, February 2nd, 2012

Someone on Twitter recently asked me what Raw Desserts are, so I’m taking this Thinny Thursday to explain. Raw Desserts are basically a God-send if you’re abstaining from refined foods, white sugar, flour, are Vegan, Gluten-free, and like sweets! According to About.com, a raw food diet consists of “raw, vegan foods that have not been heated above 115 degrees Fahrenheit” so as to not lose their enzymes and nutritional value. These desserts are sweetened with natural and unrefined ingredients like dates, agave nectar, coconut and fruit. Additionally, they use crushed or pureed nuts to make the base of these treats. While Raw Desserts can be high in nut fat, every ingredient is usually a healthful item with minerals, vitamins, protein, and fiber. You can usually find Raw Desserts in a refrigerated area of a health food store like Whole Foods. Below is an image of one of my favorite Raw Chocolate Treats by Hail Merry (see review here).  Yum!


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Organic Gummy Bears by Yummy Earth, DD Approved!

By Dessert Darling · Comments (2)
Thursday, January 19th, 2012

You may have seen my recent posts about Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) in our food and my deep sadness over how sick they are making our nation (for more, click here). When I was a kid I ate my share of sugary cereals and Candy Candy Candy everyday! Yes, everyday I would go to am-pm after school to buy a treat!! And then go home and eat Lucky Charms! And while it wasn’t “good” for me then, it wasn’t the same grade of poison that today’s candy is with its High Fructose Corn Syrup made from corn seeds that were cross-bread with insecticides by Monsanto’s scientists. Bleh! I wonder how I’ll feel someday, letting my future kids go trick-or-treating when I know how detrimental today’s candy is to their health. It really bums me out as Halloween is a holiday that is near and dear to a DD’s heart! In this vein I’ve kept my eyes peeled for candy that children can have now that won’t alarm their systems with a barrage of chemicals, artificial colors, unpronounceable substances, and GMOs. I came across these Organic, Gluten Free Gummy Bears by Yummy Earth at Whole Foods and they are totally delicious! They even have that perfect, tough consistency that a Haribo Gold-Bear has (my childhood favorite). Sure they don’t come in the same technicolor rainbow as other candies, but they also don’t have those toxic colors that contribute to ADHD (see here). I’m really glad that I found Yummy Earth. They carry other organic candies that I hear are phenominal… particularliy the lolipops. Yummy Earth is DD Approved with 5 Shiny Cherries!

Ps:  I like to freeze my Gummy Bears. It takes longer to eat them and I enjoy how my mouth has to melt each one. :)

Pps:  Click here to ask the FDA to label foods with GMOs so that you don’t have to shop in the dark.

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Thinny Thursday- America’s Poisoned Food & its Devastating Effects

By Dessert Darling · Comments (1)
Thursday, December 1st, 2011

Hi all, I try not to be preachy in my La la land of Desserts, but this Ted Talks video was so captivating, jaw-dropping, and mind-boggling, that it completely changed the way that I view food in America. While I eat desserts every day, I still promote eating real food with all natural ingredients. For example, a cupcake with real butter, sugar, and flour is a thousand times better than a packaged dessert with an unending list of preservatives, chemicals, and artificial colors. If you wonder about Allergies, Obesity, Diabetes, Autism, and Cancer rates, then watch this video.

 

 

What can you do to protect yourself and family? Click here to sign a petition to have the FDA labels foods that have GMOs in them so that you are not shopping in the dark anymore. In the meantime, buy organic when you can or shop at stores like Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods that refuse to carry products with GMOs in them.

XOXO

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Ginger-spice Cookies from Williams-Sonoma Catalogue

By Dessert Darling · Comments (0)
Tuesday, October 25th, 2011

3 Cherries
These ginger-spice Halloween cookies from the Williams-Sonoma catalogue remind me of the German “peppernut” cookie, Pfeffernusse.  They bubble out and have a soft consistency, with a thin, mild, and hardened glaze that somewhat tempers the strong spices and cloves in the cookie.  With only 2.5 grams of fat for five little cookies, these are a very low-fat and forgiving treat.  While these Gingerbread cookies aren’t quite the way grandma made them, they’re cute to put out in a bowl or tray for Halloween festivities. Kids would surely love the fun and colorful options and they’re just the right size for little hands. Just don’t buy these cookies in hopes of total decadence, otherwise, you’ll be tricked expecting your treat.

 

Img4m

For more info on ordering these cookies from Williams-Sonoma, click here.

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Macrobiotic Strawberry Shortcake & Tiramisu at M Cafe- Not Bad!

By Dessert Darling · Comments (0)
Thursday, October 20th, 2011

The other day I had a lunch with my favorite girls at M Café in Beverly Hills. M Café is an organic, macrobiotic restaurant, which means dessert-wise, everything is prepared without eggs, dairy, or refined sugars. When I told the girls that our upcoming desserts were sweetened with brown rice syrup instead, my friend dryly responded, “I didnt’ know brown rice was sweet.” Ha! We were surprised. :)

The Strawberry Shortcake was nothing short of delightful (even though we had an ugly strawberry on top). The rice syrup worked brilliantly as a substitute for refined sugars and the fresh strawberries gave a perfect balance of natural flavors.

The Tiramisu was not nearly as exciting in my book. It was fine for a plain, sweet cake, but that’s all it was… sweet.  Where was the flavor? The kick of coffee?? The spike of alcohol? The dash of salt? Boo- while pleasantly sweet, I found this rendition of a Tiramisu to be bland and flavorless.

Overall, we were impressed by the healthy, macrobiotic feet that M Cafe had pulled off with their cakes. Furthermore, we didn’t feel “gross” after eating desserts that were made from wholesome ingredients. A nice win win all around.

For more information on M Cafe, click here.

XOXO

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Mint Chocolate Milkshake from Cafe Gratitude

By Dessert Darling · Comments (1)
Wednesday, September 21st, 2011

What does a Dessert Darling eat the day before her wedding? Why, a healthy milkshake, of course! Thankfully there was a Cafe Gratitude in the adorable town of Healdsburg where I could take all of my bridesmaids for a special, pre-wedding lunch. While the girls ordered fabulous, savory dishes, I happily settled for this Chocolate Mint Milkshake that I could justify thanks to the Vitamineral Green that they sneak in there. The shake was incredibly yummy and I think I’ve officially become obsessed with Cafe Gratitude!

To learn more about Cafe Gratitude, a California organic, vegan restaurant chain that features amazing Raw desserts, click here.

Thank you Autumn Reeser for snapping this photo!

XOXO

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SCOOPS Gelato, Perfect for this HEAT!

By Dessert Darling · Comments (4)
Wednesday, September 7th, 2011

5 Cherries
The Heat is ON!  No complaints here! This just means I get to eat more of my favorite dessert… gelato!

The other day I finally checked out SCOOPS, a charming little gelateria that serves both traditional gelato as well as vegan, gluten and lactose-free options made with soy milk. This gelato holds true to the Italian tradition of using milk instead of cream, which results in a markedly lighter fair. This fresh rendition is incredibly desirable during a heat-wave (and a diet, for those counting cals)!

In addition to great consistency, Scoops boasts unique and original flavors like Mascarpone Butterfinger, Honey Lavendar, Red Velvet Cake (with cake and icing in it!) and their best selling “Brown Bread,” which is an incredible combo of brown sugar with crunchy Grapenuts! Mmm. Five cherries all the way!~

Gelato-crop“Brown Bread” on top of Honey Almond and gluten-free Pistachio

For more info on SCOOPS in Silverlake, click here and SCOOPS Westside, click here. 

XOXO

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