I don’t know about you but I love this time of year for food. It seems like some of the best foods are in season. I may be biased because I’m a foodie but man oh man am I loving all the apples, squashes, and other fresh harvest fruits & vegetables. I had so many apples this year that I had to find ways to use them and this apple crisp was so good it barely lasted 3 days.

Apples to Apples

I’ll never forget learning in undergrad how apples are in one sense a processed food. Now, don’t go running and screaming yet. They aren’t processed foods like the ones you’re thinking. They don’t come in a box/bag/package, just their own skin. But if I remember correctly it takes about 20+ steps for store-bought apples to get from the tree to your hands. TWENTY PLUS STEPS! That’s insane!

If you’ve ever been to an apple orchard, you know that getting an apple from the tree to hand is ONE step. You literally walk up to a tree, grab an apple and BOOM instant gratification. Unfortunately, because we want to have apples year-round, we must get used to the idea that for the apple to last long enough AND be safe enough to eat, the average apple touches 20 different steps.

The way to prevent this? Shop locally and seasonally. Go to the actual farm and pick the apple. If you are unable to do that, no worries, just do your best to buy apples from September-December and look for the label to say something close to where you live.

Count Memories, not Calories

Okay, so regardless of where you get said apples for this recipe, you shouldn’t be concerned necessarily about the calories. When I’m looking to make a dessert, I’m not thinking of the calories, I’m frankly, thinking of the memories that will be made with said dessert. Why? Well, usually when I’m making a dessert it’s for some occasion.

I made this apple crisp recently when we were having friends over for dinner. I didn’t once think about what calories were in there, instead, I was thinking about how my friends were going to get to enjoy the fruits of my labor, aka cooking. Remember that food and your health is so much more than calories in and calories out. IF we allowed ourselves to enjoy food more often, I think we’d have a healthier relationship with food and therefore a healthier outlook, end of story.

Gluten-Free Apple Crisp

Dessert happens. Don’t have regrets, instead, have dessert and move on.

I love crisps because they are not as intensive as some other desserts. You can mess up the measurements of a crisp and still get a good end result. Last year I made a Pear-Cranberry crisp and this year I decided to stay traditional with an apple crisp.

I would recommend enjoying this warm topped with pumpkin or vanilla ice cream, but that’s just me! I’d also recommend getting yourself an apple corer of sorts to be able to enjoy the process of slicing the apple and so that you waste less of the fruit. You know what they say, waste not, want not.

Anywho, enjoy this with friends and make some memories over such a simple, yet delicious dish.

Pro Tip: Use any type of apple, especially those that are starting to go bad as the sugar will save them! Feel free to use regular flour if gluten-free is not necessary.

xoxo,

Sassy

ps. my friend Ashely over at MyWeeklyEats also recently posted an Apple Crisp (great minds think alike!) check it out here.

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I MAY BE COMPENSATED THROUGH AFFILIATE LINKS IN THIS POST AND ON THIS SITE. HOWEVER, ALL OPINIONS ARE MY OWN. COMPENSATION HELPS WITH ANY EXPENSES NEEDED TO KEEP THIS BLOG GOING.

I’ve said it before but one of my all-time favorite Halloween candies is Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. I don’t often crave them but when it’s that time of year (aka Halloween) it happens. I see the orange wrapper at grocery stores and Target and start to get that mouthwatering sensation. While it’s okay to eat these once in a while, it’s not really something I want to be putting in my body often.

Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups

Here’s the thing, Halloween is next week, and my guess is that candy is going to come into your life in some way, shape or form. What I don’t want to happen is for candy to take over your life and overstay it’s welcome through the holidays. Instead, commit to making yourself some candy and when it’s gone, it’s gone!

I mean, let’s get real for one moment, here are the ingredients of the beloved orange wrapped candy:

Milk Chocolate (Sugar, Cocoa Butter, Chocolate, Nonfat Milk, Lactose, Lecithin, PGPR (emulsifier)), Peanuts, Sugar, Dextrose, Salt, TBHQ (preservative), citric acid (to maintain freshness). 

It just seems to me that there are A LOT of unnecessary ingredients for such simple candy. Really all you need is peanuts, chocolate, some fat, and a little sugar and you are good to go. Unfortunately for that candy to stay edible and not melty for as long as possible, it must be processed in the manner that it is. I get it, but I don’t like it.

Sassy’s Peanut Butter Cups

Okay, so when I get annoyed at a product that I want but I don’t like, I set out to make it on my own. They say to put your money where your mouth is and vote with your dollar. That’s exactly what I did with these peanut butter cups. I decided to take matters into my own hands, buy some dang good peanut butter, and get to work.

The ingredients?

Chocolate, Peanut Butter, Butter, Honey, Cocoa Powder

They taste just as good (if not better), melt in your mouth (and hands), and are a true labor of love. I feel like when you make your food you are less likely to overindulge and more likely to eat less purely based on the fact that it takes longer to make the food than it does to purchase the product.

Anywho, make this recipe and maybe share it with friends at a Halloween party, bring it to work (or in my case the gym), and let others enjoy the tasty goodness that is Sassy’s Double Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups.

Allergic to peanuts? Swap in some sunflower or pumpkin seed butter instead!

Pro Tip: it’s OK if these don’t gel together like Reese’s, the combo of chocolate and PB is good enough to not worry about these looking perfect.

What is your favorite candy this time of year?

xoxo,

Sassy

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I MAY BE COMPENSATED THROUGH AFFILIATE LINKS IN THIS POST AND ON THIS SITE. HOWEVER, ALL OPINIONS ARE MY OWN. COMPENSATION HELPS WITH ANY EXPENSES NEEDED TO KEEP THIS BLOG GOING. 

Dessert doesn’t have to be unhealthy. With this Raspberry Lime Sorbet, you can have your cake (errrr Sorbet) and eat it to! Enjoy this sorbet recipe all summer long. 

Happy Tuesday. Boy am I so glad it’s Tuesday. Have you ever had a day where nothing seemed to go right? That was my Monday yesterday. It wasn’t like anything terrible happened but every time I tried to get anything done there were 5 road blocks preventing me from doing the task at hand and also kicking me in the butt. To top it all off, my laptop keyboard decided to quit working and they want $600 to fix it, NO THANK YOU. So I’m looking for someone who knows Macs, if you’re that person, please send help.

The only good part about yesterday was the food that I made after 9pm, no joke. I got home from coaching the 630pm class at CrossFit Aevitas (ok, coaching went well too) and I decided to blow off some steam. How do I manage my stress? I cook/bake/create food. So that’s exactly what I did even though it was so late (for me anyway).

Food is Medicine

They say that food is medicine and I believe it (obviously I’m a dietitian). But i don’t think they meant it also to mean it helps to heal/manage stress. I find whenever things go wrong, cooking/baking/creating food can always cheer me up. Something about turning beautiful food into something delicious and fun just makes me happy.

Last night I decided I wanted to make burgers (coming tomorrow) with some local meat we got from my friend’s farm and some sorbet to cool off and satisfy my sweet tooth. The maple syrup I used in this recipe is also from her farm, thanks Jackie for all your delicious fruits of labor!

Sorbet seemed like an easy win and one JJ and I could both enjoy. If you don’t know, JJ is super lactose intolerant so whenever I want ice cream he wants sorbet. The good news is I also like sorbet so it can be where we meet in the middle for desserts.

After all, who likes to eat dessert alone? (Ok, I will but it’s far more enjoyable with others)

Sugar, Honey, Honey (or in this case, Maple Syrup)

Desserts are usually laden with sugar. I mean, the food industry knows we are addicted to it so they are smart to put it in everything. The sad part is that a little sugar goes a long way. Ever gone on a sugar detox only to realize that carrots are sweet? Yeah, crazy what the body gets used to.

Any who, looking at some generic sorbets on the market gets me all riled up. Why is there so much sugar in such a tiny amount of food? Fruit is delicious just the way it is. The great part about this recipe is if you need less sugar in your life, you can cut back on the amount you add and it will still taste delicious. If it doesn’t, this is your sign that you need to cut back on sugar, sorry, not sorry.

Raspberry Lime Sorbet

Alright, here is the star dessert of the smmer for me. It is rich in color, flavor and texture. It is so creamy you will think it must have dairy in it, don’t worry, it doesn’t. 3-ingredients and a blender, couldn’t get any simpler than that.

Show up to your friends’ parties this summer with a dish in hand that took you all of 5 minutes to make, win-win for everyone. Don’t have raspberries? No worries, use a blend of berries or your berry of choice. I personally used fresh raspberries and froze them in a single layer on a baking sheet but you can grab some already frozen at your local supermarket. Easy peasy.

Pro tip: if you’re short on time, buy frozen berries and lime juice in a bottle. Quickest Raspberry Lime Sorbet ever!

xoxo,

Sassy

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Lemon Berry Cheesecake Dip

Yesterday I posted the menu I had for last week’s Super Bowl Sunday party. My friend had asked if I could make cheesecake on Saturday night. If you have ever made cheesecake you know it is a process. While, yes I could have made the time on Sunday to make it, I might not have been able to get the rest of the menu finished.

So, I compromised. I had heard of a cannoli dip and frankly, I think this could pass as that too. So I thought, why not a cheesecake dip? I love cheesecake and mostly just want the inside anyway, the crust I could give or take. I served the dip with graham crackers for those that wanted a more authentic cheesecake experience. I dipped strawberries in the cheesecake and man was it delicious.

Treat Yo Self

As a dietitian, I get slack all the time for eating too healthy or only wanting people to eat perfectly. That is so far from the truth. I have most of my clients strive for balance. It is in this balance that we are able to keep sane around ice cream 90% of the time. It is balance that allows us to eat veggies for most meals and chocolate cake on the weekend and a glass of wine on Friday night. Being perfect with your diet doesn’t mean you win anything.

You can give yourself a gold star for a “perfect” diet but don’t expect to get one from me. There is literally no perfect diet out there so get off your high horse and do what is mostly perfect for YOU. If that means ice cream once a week to fend off the binge that would ensue otherwise, great. If that means enjoying a Super Bowl party instead of judging everyone for what they are shoving in their pie-hole, awesome!

Don’t let a self-proclaimed google-nutrition expert sway you. Do what’s right for you and when that isn’t helping you reach your goals, seek out a professional who knows what they’re doing. This balancing act is not easy and looks different for everyone. Just know that you should never be judged for how you eat….unless of course you refuse my food…just kidding 😉

I Dip, You Dip, We Dip

I’m an appetizer, snack and dip kind of gal. Big meals don’t settle well in my stomach and I like to have a small bite of everything because I just LOVE food. So, a party like the Super Bowl party is right up my alley. I can have small bites of most dips and not feel like I have to eat a large meal. It’s a win-win in my book.

I am so glad that my friend asked for cheesecake because this is going to be one of those dips that I bring to parties in the future. Takes 2 seconds to make AND is a crowd pleaser, enjoy.

Pro tip: Make this ahead of time and wait to add berries in until serving time. Cut back on sugar (all the way up to half) if you don’t mind it being more cheesy and less sweet.

xoxo,

Sassy

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