How sweet it is: The Skinny on Low Glycemic Sweeteners 73

The market for alternative sweeteners has started blossoming into quite the selection - no longer are consumers tied down to shopping at obscure health food stores or sending away bulk orders to specialty shops to find alternative ingredients, now super markets and even corner stores are following the trend which is shifting toward using natural whole ingredients.

While our quest for natural ingredients may have started as a trend, it may --- as a result of decades of digesting over processed, convenience type foods that saturate the market and whose establishments flood food courts and tend to cluster urban sprawl --- be a necessity to help reverse the ill-effects we have brought on ourselves through poor food choices.

There are many reasons to want an alternative sweetener, some include lifestyle choices - from Vegans who want to avoid bleached all-purpose sugar that may be processed using animal bones, to Raw Foodists who believe that all food they consume should be in the closest state to nature as possible (i.e minimally processed through heating), to those who are required to follow restricted diets such as those who suffer from Celiac Disease, or those who are diabetics^W. There is a great pdf document that you can download that touches on both Celiac Disease and Diabetes - outlining the connection between the two diseases and foods you consume.

In this post I want to concentrate on sweeteners that are suitable for diabetics. Those sweeteners that are low-glycemic. I will show some examples of each category of low glycemic sweeteners: unrefined, sugar alcohol, artificial, and herbal sweeteners.

There are many choices for alternative sweeteners. Natural, unrefined low-glycemic alternatives include:

• Brown Rice Syrup^W, which comes in different grades and gluten-free versions. It is normally used in cooking or baking ,by substituting a ratio of 1 1/4 times BRS to 1 amount of honey, molasses, or all-purpose (refined) sugar called for in a recipe [if using BRS to substitute for AP sugar - reduce liquids in your recipe by 1/4 cup for every cup of BRS used]. The main component of BRS is maltose and several complex carbohydrates - which are absorbed very slowly by our bodies, making it a good low glycemic ^W choice.
• Agave Nectar^W or Agave Syrup, is produced commercially in Mexico. Juice is expressed from the core of the agave, called the piña.^[1] The juice is filtered, then heated, to hydrolyze carbohydrates into sugars. Sources I have read say: "It is not manufactured from starch, but rather from fructans. ^[6] Due to its fructose content and the fact that the glycemic index only measures glucose levels, agave syrup is notable in that its glycemic index and glycemic load are lower than many other natural sweeteners on the market. ^[5] When using Agave, substitute 25% less for sweeteners called for in a recipe (ratio of 3/4 Agave to 1 cup refined sugar or other sweeteners), you will need to reduce your liquids by as much as 1/3. If using for baking make sure to reduce your oven temp by 25 F°.

Other low-glycemic Sweeteners options consist of Sugar derived alcohols such as:

• Maltitol^W It has 75-90% of the sweetness of sucrose (table sugar) and nearly identical properties, except for browning.
• Xylitol^W . This sugar alcohol is used as a naturally occurring sugar substitute found in the fibres of many fruits and vegetables, including various berries, corn husks, oats, and mushrooms.^[2] It can be extracted from corn fibre,^[3] birch, raspberries, plums, and corn. Xylitol is roughly as sweet as sucrose with only two-thirds the food energy.

There are many more sugar alcohol alternatives. Most are great because they actually prevent tooth decay, and they can be used in producing hard candies and confections. (seen allot in dental offices) The downside to these sweeteners is after a certain amount is eaten - it produces a laxative effect.

Another option and maybe the most well known category of low-glycemic sweeteners are those that are artificial. These artificial sweeteners have been largely used in commercialized products.

• Splenda^W , a.k.a Sucralose is approximately 600 times as sweet as sucrose (table sugar),^[4] twice as sweet as saccharin, and four times as sweet as aspartame and can be found in 4,500 products. Unlike aspartame, it is stable under heat and over a broad range of pH conditions and can be used in baking or in products that require a longer shelf life.
• Aspartame^W This sweetener is marketed under a number of trademark names, including Equal, NutraSweet, and Canderel, and is an ingredient of approximately 6,000 consumer foods and beverages sold worldwide. It is commonly used in diet soft drinks, and is provided as a table condiment in some countries. However, aspartame is not always suitable for baking because it often breaks down when heated and loses much of its sweetness.

There is a lot of controversy surrounding artificial sweeteners. and the safety of longterm ingesting. For those who cannot have sugar otherwise, these artificial sweeteners bring hope. Artificial sweeteners tend to have an unwanted aftertaste after ingested, and like Sugar Alcohol based sweeteners , they too have a laxative effect if eaten in large quantities.



The last category of low-glycemic sweeteners are herbal based. These sweeteners generally come from the parts of different herb families:

• Stevia^W The species Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni, commonly known as sweetleaf, sweet leaf, sugarleaf, or simply stevia, is widely grown for its sweet leaves. As a sugar substitute, stevia's taste has a slower onset and longer duration than that of sugar. With its extracts having up to 300 times the sweetness of sugar, stevia has garnered attention with the rise in demand for low-carbohydrate, low-sugar food alternatives.

People have told me there is a learning curve with Stevia - you have to acclimate your tastebuds to the actual taste of stevia - it is sweet, but the ratio needs to be just right or you find a bitter after taste.


Recently the Food and Drug Administration (a.k.a FDA) approved 2 Stevia derived sweeteners, a first for the United States. One of the approved sweeteners Truvia, was developed by Cargil and The Coca-cola company.

Beverage brands such as Odwalla and Sprite's New "Green" line of sodas, all are planning to feature Truvia as the main sweetener in their products geared toward eco-friendly and diet soda buying consumers.







I got a chance to try Truvia. I was pretty interested because of what people had told me about Stevia, and that made it a challenge, plus the approval of this sweetener is pretty huge in the world of herbal ingredients.

Truvia comes in packets, much like Sweet 'n' Low, or regular table sugar you find at restaurants. Each packet is equal to 2 teaspoons of regular all purpose sugar. Truvia is also a Certified Kosher ingredient.

In the realm of eco-friendliness - The box and packets themselves are all recyclable paper and printed with Soy ink (big bonus there).

I tasted a few grains of Truvia by themselves, and noticed a very light vanilla note, and hints of tapioca. The aroma of Truvia is also similair to tapiocca custard. The look and texture is similair to fine sugar used in professional bakeries. I got a slight tingling, almost effervescence like sensation on my tongue once I tasted the Truvia grains.

Truvia did not pass my "coffee" test. I added it to my normal brewed coffee w/ half 'n' half and got a definite bitter aftertaste, similair to that of Dandelion greens. I would say that the ratio of one packet may be adjusted according to personal taste - I would use much less.

But maybe I need to acclimate my taste buds slowly to get used to the taste of Truvia in my coffee? I consider my morning coffee a sacred practice and I think I am not yet ready to change it. My favorite alternative to sugar in coffee is Agave Nectar - this stuff is great, I prefer the light colored agave syrup, as this has the least amount of flavor profile between Light Agave syrup and Amber Agave syrup varieties. If you taste the light agave syrup on your finger, it is very similair to normal sugar in taste.

Truvia preformed well however in my baking tests. I looked through the recipes found on the Truvia website. Some of the recipes include:

• Apple Berry Galette
• Pecan Pie
• Crunchy Apple Cinnamon & Pear Salad
• Zanna's Pumpkin Pancakes
• Strawberry Rhubarb Galette
• Shortbread Cookies
• Pumpkin Pie
• Cranberry Sauce
• Hot Cocoa Mix
• Classic Cheesecake
• Cheesecake with Fresh Strawberry Topping

I decided to try the Classic Cheesecake recipe. It was not that bad, the taste was not as different as I had expected - texture was slightly affected, not as firm as traditional cheesecake formulas, but overall if you were looking to cut out refined sugar and calories this version might be a good bet. This cheesecake recipe has 270 calories and 4 grams of sugar per serving as compared to regular cheesecake that has 310 calories and 20 grams of sugar per serving.

Overall I would say that Truvia is pretty pleasant to the palate when used in baking and is great when trying to use a natural low glycemic sugar substitute, similair to sugar in quality. The ratio of Truvia to sugar might need to be adjusted when substituting in recipes - but you can use a combination Truvia with Agave Syrup to cut the aftertaste of stevia, as they both are low-glycemic sweeteners.

You can visit the Truvia website for more info: http://truvia.com/index.html

Quick Party Eats - Plus Enter to Win $3,000 7

Holidays. No matter what culture or faith you practice, the end of the year, and into January, tends to be a whirl wind of errands and visits with friends, family and co-workers.

Photo Credit: glam.com

If you are not cooking that big feast, or baking up a storm - you may be expected to bring something to a party, or there is always the possibility of having unexpected guests.

Recipes for easy appetizers are always a nice thing to have on hand - and they allow you to tend to other things while a time saving recipe is ready in no-time .

Heinz & Ocean Spray teamed up to create a website geared just for that - easy, simple recipes that free up time, and tips for entertaining . They are even hosting a Sweepstakes to help you throw the Ultimate Party: Grand Prize is $3,000 in gift cards. 20 second prize winners will win a Rival 4 Quart Slow Cooker , to help with your future party plans. You can fill out an contest entry until January 31th, 2009.

Ultimate Party Meatballs

These Ultimate Meatballs are super simple to make - for any cooking level.

Ingredients:

• 1 16-ounce can Ocean Spray® Jellied Cranberry Sauce
• 1 12-ounce bottle Heinz® Chili Sauce
  
• 1 2-pound bag frozen, pre-cooked, cocktail-size meatballs
  

Procedure:

Combine sauces in a large saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring until smooth. Add meatballs. Cover and cook for 15 minutes or until meatballs are heated through, stirring occasionally.
Makes 30 appetizer servings.


**Slow cooker Preparation: Place meatballs in a slow cooker. Combine sauces and pour over meatballs. Cover and cook 4 hours on HIGH.

*---------------------------------------------------------------*

Now you could really do these "Ultimate Meatballs" up right - make your own meatballs using prime cuts, create some fresh cranberry sauce (which is soo easy to do), etc - but the whole point of this recipe is to simplify and free up time in your kitchen. This recipe would make great snacks for Super Bowl on Feb. 1st 2009, (which falls on my husband's Birthday this year - hence even more reason for us to host a party).

When I was thinking about the meatballs, I wanted to include a vegan version. On the net there have been allot of different versions thrown around including what I call the trinity of vegan meat substitutions (tempeh, tofu , or textured vegetable protein). By far this recipe seemed the most pleasing to the eye, and it got some great write-ups on Josh & Chelsea's Blog. This recipe might be a little work, but these will definitely please. If you really want to save time look for Vegan meatballs in your grocer's freezer.

No Whey Jose Vegan Meatballs

2 cups TVP (textured vegetable protein)

1 1/2 cups vegetable broth

1 1/2 stalks of celery, minced

1/2 cup onion, minced

1/2 cup mushrooms, diced (4-5)

1/2 cup breadcrumbs

1 teaspoon oregano

1 tablespoon basil (if making Ultimate Meatballs, omit & use 1/2 tsp thyme)

1 teaspoons garlic powder

2 tablespoons tomato paste

3 tablespoons tahini

1 tablespoon tamari soy sauce

1/3 cup nutritional yeast

2 tablespoons olive oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Procedure:

In a large bowl, combine TVP and broth to rehydrate. Add all other ingredients except nutritional yeast and oil.

Stir well to fully combine. Use your hands to roll golf ball-sized balls and press slightly to shape. (if you are having trouble forming into balls - add a little more broth and toss some nutritional yeast into the mixture)

Put nutritional yeast on a plate or shallow bowl and roll each meatball to cover. Spread olive oil on a baking sheet and arrange meatballs in a single layer.

Bake for 30 minutes, turning every 10 minutes or so, until golden brown. If using in a tomato sauce, add to the sauce 5-10 minutes before serving and carefully spoon them onto a plate to serve.

**If using with Ultimate Meatball recipe , add to the sauce 5 minutes before serving, strain extra sauce from meatballs gently by using a slotted spoon - arrange on serving tray.

Recipe © 2007 . No Whey Jose Blog. All Rights Stay with Original Author.

Related Posts:

• Vegan and Vegetarian Friendly Recipes featured on this blog

Can Elephant Ears do Upscale? Remembering the Circus. 44

One of the highlights of my childhood was getting to ride on a huge pachyderm, a.k.a elephant. For my cousins and I, the circus was a frequent part of our childhood. On this occasion, the circus made it's home in the dusty dirt floored arena of a historic fairgrounds, whose fairway had seen many, many generations of eager carnival, concert or rodeo goers. The concessions had a looming presence between the main arena and the white washed wood, gray roofed exhibition out buildings who had welcomed 4-H livestock, various crafts and the eleclectic mix of gawkers whose ages were of a varied range.

This was all surrounded by a scenery of ancient Maple, Oak and Locust trees - whose gnarled appearances of lacy leafy canopies gave shade on the hot sultry summer nights and perfumed the air with an earthy sweetness, when these events were usually scheduled. A once proud chained link fence, now disheveled kept watch over the whole property, only the ticket booths and metal arms of the floor to head height turnstile gates allowed slowly for the pandemonium to spill outward and overflow into the street.

The circus was an adventure for my cousins and I, we delighted at the splendor and surprise of all that the circus offered. From the sugary sweet aroma of cotton candy and caramel corn and of course elephant ears, to the buttery unmistakable popcorn aroma and roasted peanuts that permeated the whole grounds.

Parking Lot Entertainment By M.Markus

To the magic feeling of the performers and smells and sounds of the trained animals. Through our child eyes, these routines did not seem rehearsed, they seemed as though they had been played out especially for us.

The circus has the power to touch a special part in all of us - to harness the child-like wonder and air of magic, as adults, we wished existed.

I think out of all the circus and carnival concessions, elephant ears might be my favorite. The kid in me loves all of there soft, warm and cinnamon-sugar goodness.

Elephant Ear By {ErinKphoto} aka redcargurl

The baker in me knows their is a more upscale, adult version. The Crispy. Crispies use puff dough as a base. You can find a formula for puff dough here in my previous post Formula: Scratch Italian Puff Pastry

Formula for Cinnamon Sugar (home use version) [commercial version should be increased by 8 times]

• 26 oz all purpose sugar
• 2 2/3 oz. cinnamon
• 1 oz. vegetable oil

Procedure:

Mix together cinnamon and sugar first with paddle attachment in kitchen aide (for commercial version use 20 QT), then add oil .

You can store this in an air tight container for future use with breads, cinnamon rolls etc.

Procedure For Making Crispies:

Roll out or sheet puff dough to 5 cm (you can use a yard stick to measure the dough thickness if rolling it out by hand).

You will need to have a dough width of 20 inches. (remember to roll out your dough a few inches wider , then using your hands push the sides in to get the 20 inches width on your yard stick. This is called "shrinking" which promises that your crispies will stay the size you originally made them and not shrink during bake off).

Egg wash (1 egg beaten), the dough rectangle. Spread the cinnamon sugar over the egg washed dough, leaving 1/2 inch uncovered for seem allowance.

Starting at the top of your dough triangles left side, tuck your first 4 fingers of each hand under the edge of the dough - keep your thumbs free, and start by tucking the edge under using the heal of your hand and thumbs until you have spanned the length of your rectangle to the right. Keep repeating until you have tucked all of your dough, creating a tight roll. (it is very important not to press the layers of puff dough to tightly, as this will effect the integrity of the puff dough it's self.)

Once you have a roll, slowly pull the length of the roll so that it is of a uniform length and width. Using a sharp chef knife cut in increments of 1 inch wide pieces using a rocking motion when cutting each piece - you may need to hold each piece while cutting - be careful in the position of your knife blade.

When you have cut all your pieces, using all purpose sugar, spread it out all over your work surface to form a thin layer. Place each piece spiral facing up and roll with rolling pin until paper thin and semi circular. Place crispies on a parchment covered sheet pan, in groups of six (arranged 2 by 2 by 2). Continue adding new parchment onto the finishes sets of six until your pieces are all done.

You can then bake off each parchment sheet containing six crispies until crisp and golden at 375 F °ree; The unfinished crispies can be refrigerated if encased in a plastic bag, knotted tightly (airtight), to bake off later.

These are a very crispy and sticky sweet version of the elephant ear. They make great garnish for custards or cheesecake - break into pieces and arrange by gently pushing into the center of each dessert portion.

Now back to the topic of circuses, I know there is a circus tour starting soon. Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus have tour dates planned for all over the East Coast and South East corner of the US. There is one Stop in California on the West Coast. You can click on the picture below to see the tour stops below on the map.

To Get more info visit http://www.ringling.com/, where you can purchase tickets or view other fun things.

Formula: Scratch Italian Puff Pastry 5

"Pasta Spogolia Al Vermouth Blanco" is a commercial baking formula, and should be reduced for home usage, down to 1/3 or even 1/4 of the original formulation. This formula requires a 20 QT mixer. It is a Full Developed dough. Ingredients are measured by weight - NOT volume.

This is a really lovely puff dough to work with on the bench, it has a nice feel and tastes pleasing.


# = pound (US standard)
BP = Baker's Percent (disregard if not culinary professional)

Formula:

• 3# 10 oz. Organic Bread Flour Baker's % (80)
• 1# 8 oz. butter (use European style, has better plasticity) BP % (20)
• 1 1/2 oz. salt BP % (2)
• 1 oz. malt BP % (1)
• 7 oz. white wine (boxed is fine for this) BP % (10)
• 1# 4 oz. water BP % (27.5)
• 3 1/2 oz. eggs BP % (3)

Butter For Roll-in/Fold-in

• 3# 10 oz. butter (use European style, has better plasticity) BP % (80)
• 1# 8 oz. Organic Bread Flour
  

Procedure:

Dissolve salt in cold water.

In a 20 QT mixer with the hook attachment, mix the flour, butter, salt & water until well incorporated. Add the eggs and white wine. (slowly pour in) [NOTE: The amount of water needed depends on the hydration of the flour - different batches of flour from the mill will be drier than others, thus requiring more water that stated. You should always add extra liquid slowly 1 ounce at a time, to avoid over saturating your dough.]

Give the dough an intensive mix. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap, refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Mix folding butter & remaining bread flour. flatten the folding butter into a square and reserve in the reach-in /refrigerator.

{When working w/ puff dough - it is critical, for the flakiness & layers to form, to NOT push the edges of your dough down (as if pie dough), you must handle the edges delicately, or it will hinder the steam from forming during bake-off (steam = proper puff & rise).}

Place the butter square (from reach-in) on top of your chilled dough, on the lower half of the dough. Fold the dough in half, completely covering the butter - preform these steps:

1. Roll out the dough until it's length is 3 times it's width.
2. Fold the dough into thirds, like a letter.
3. Rotate the dough 90° and roll out the dough until it's 4 times it's width. (Be sure to roll the dough perpendicular to the first turn.)
   
4. Wrap the dough n plastic wrap, place it into the reach-in /refrigerator for 45 minutes.

Remove the dough and repeat steps 1-5 as stated above . (roll dough : 1 x 3, 1 x 4, 1 x 3, 1 x 4)

The dough is now ready to be used. This dough makes up great pastries - turnovers, palmiers, savory pastries - whatever you desire.

Related Posts:

Commercial Formulas Featured On Renaissance Culinaire

Formulas for Muffins, Scones and Pastries Featured On Renaissance Culinaire

Baking Theory Notes: Archived 26

Here is a list of archived Baking Theory Notes featured on Renaissance Culinaire. These notes focus on the chemistry and properties of different ingredients and their relationship to baking. This page will be updated as more theory notes are added.



Dessert Costing : Banana Strawberry Torte
Mixing Geekdom
Fermentation Chemistry
Yeasts
Proof boxes / Hints for new Bakers
Chemical Leavening &
Dough Strengtheners
Dough Preparation &
Fermentation
Functions of Eggs
Dairy Products Used in Baking
Sweeteners
Other Flours
Rye
Bread Troubleshooting
Bread Baking
Salt & Yeast
Fats
Wheat / Flour

Tutorials 16

Here is a list of popular tutorials on Renaissance Culinaire. Here you can learn step-by-step instructions on a variety of foodie related things. This page will be updated as more tutorials are added.



Learn How TO:

Reverse Macro w/ A Digital Camera

Procedure For Tuile Stencil Cookies

Make A Simple Proofbox for Home Use

Use Greasemonkey Scripts for Culinary

Make Shortbread Tarts

Shape Croissants

Make Chocolate Croissants

Make Great Pate a Choux

Be A Successful Baker

Find The Sex of a Dungenous Crab

Maintian Your Rolling Pin

Sheet Croissant Dough

Eliminate "Black Holes" in Food Photography Pics

Make your own Praline Paste 

Beat Cooking Anxiety!

Beat hunger in America ~ Find a Food Pantry in your area!

Women: Learn how you can be awarded a photography scholarship of your dreams!

How to find Edible Mushrooms in Oregon

Get your face or company logo on M&Ms

How to get the best food shots with a basic digital camera

Groups to join if you love food or are a foodie

Turn your kitchen into a licensed home bakery Part #1, and Part #2

These tutorials are written by me and are original content. These tutorials may not be reproduced without my permission.

Commercial Baking Formulas 29

Here is a list of commercial baking formulas that have been featured on Renaissance Culinaire. These formulas are meant to be used in a professional kitchen or bakery. These formulas include step by step procedure notes with the aid of pictures. The formulas have instructions for reducing the volume for home use. This page will be updated as new formulas are featured.

Americanized Pumpernickel Bread

Croissant with a starter

Wussel Bread

Seven Grain Bread

Lemon curd /Lemon Tarts/ Authentic Scottish shortbread

Callebaut Dark Chocolate Hazelnut Scones

Pumpkin Crunch coffee Cake

Pate A Choux , Éclairs & Cream Puffs revisited

Tuile Cookies Curls

Short Dough Cookies

Praline Paste

Dessert Costing : Banana Strawberry Torte

Scratch Italian Puff Pastry

Commercial Cinnamon & Sugar (for cinnamon rolls, breads etc.)

These formulas are not to be republished or distributed without my permission. All images are copyrighted.

Recipes for Yeast Raised Breads 9

Here are a list of bread formulas featured on Renaissance Culinaire. These are commercial baking formulas, but have instructions on how to reduce for home use. This site will continue to be updated as more formulas are added.

Americanized Pumpernickel Bread

Wussel Bread (a form of french)

Seven Grain Bread

Recipes for Quick Breads 5

Here is a list of quick bread recipes featured on Renaissance Culinaire

Pumpkin Crunch coffee Cake

Recipes for Stuffing 5

Here are some stuffing recipes featured on Renaissance Culinaire. This page will continue to be updated as time goes by and new recipes are added.

Porchini Scented Stuffing w/ Cranberries

Recipes for Souffles 4

Here is a list of recipes for souffles featured on Renaissance Culinaire. As time goes on this page will be updated as recipes are added.

Gruyere and Asparagus Souffle

Chocolate Souffles w/ orange white chocolate sauce

Recipes for Muffins Scones and Pastries 7

Here is a list of muffin and pastry formulas that have been featured on Renaissance Culinaire. Some of these formulas are commercial baking formulas that can be reduced for home use. This page will continue to be updated as more recipes are added.

Thanks Darwin Bell For Use of his Photo.

Fresh Fruit Napoleons with Blackberry Curd

Banana - Rum Napoleons

Croissant with a starter

Hot Pepper Gingerbread Muffins with Orange-Maple Butter

Gulab Jamun | Indian Sweets

Pate A Choux , Éclairs & Cream Puffs revisited

Callebaut Dark Chocolate Hazelnut Scones

Crispies (Italian puff pastry based, similar tasting as American Elephant Ear)

Scratch Italian Puff Pastry

Cookie Recipes 49

Here is a list of cookie formulas I have featured on Renaissance Culinaire. Some are commercial baking formulas that can be reduced for home use. This page will continue to be updated as I add more recipes.

Espresso Shortbread by Claire Sutton

Sunflower Pops - Peanut Butter Cookies (has *Vegan / Vegitarian notes)

Tuile Cookies Curls

Short Dough Cookies

Recipe: Italian Turdilli

Authentic Scottish shortbread

Recipes for Frostings, Fillings and Icings 3

Here are variety of formulas for frostings, fillings or icings that have been featured on Renaissance Culinaire. This page will continue to be updated as recipes are added.

• Mocha Icing
• Vegan Mocha Icing
• Vegan Chocolate Ganache
• Banana Scented Marscapone
• Praline Paste
• orange white chocolate sauce
• Kirsch Scented Whipped Cream
• Spiced Brandy Caramel and Brandy Simple Syrup
• Vegan Spiced Brandy Caramel and Brandy Simple Syrup
• Meringue Mousseline buttercream.
• Heirloom Lemon curd
• Orange-Maple Butter

Vegan & Vegitarian Friendly Recipes 8

These recipes have either had vegan/vegetarian conversions or have notations on how to create vegan / vegetarian friendly versions from the recipe provided.

This page will continue to be updated as I add more recipes.

• Sassy Sunflower Cookies (Peanut Butter)
• Tomatillo - Avocado Salsa
• Pear Chocolate Belle - Helene
• Spiced Brandy Caramel and Brandy Simple Syrup
• Watermelon Gazpacho
• Mocha & Chocolate Cake
• Mocha Icing
• Vegan Chocolate Ganache
• Wasabi Asparagus Shitake Spring rolls
  
• Lime-Ginger Soy Dipping Sauce
  
• Green Tea Sesame Sauce
• Banana - Rum Napoleons
• Vegan Meatballs

Directory Of Poetry 24

This is a listing of all my poetry. These poems are all original, written by me at different times within the last 15 years. The food poems are the most recent. Please read them and if you enjoyed them - please comment. Your comments encourage me to keep creating.

This page will continue to be updated with new poems added.

• Baking is Poetry
• Chef
• Spun Sugar
• Dessert Plating
• Cyber World
• Bonds
• The Long Ferment
• Entertaining Glances
• Once The Whistle Blows
• Autumn's Curse
  
• Ice
• Phlebotomy
• These Soulless Times!
• Grandfather
• Death of a Flower
• Fallen & Forelorn
• Lost In The '90's
• Senior Citizen
• To the Survivors
• Lonely asphalt
• Truck Stop
  

These poems are NOT to be reproduced in any form - without my permission in writing.
Thanks,

Sassy Sunflower Pops Cookies - Healthy & Fun 25

Baking with kids can sometimes be challenging. Creating something while keeping kids occupied or interested is no simple feat. Creating a healthier cookies is on not only on parents minds but also on the minds of many health conscience individuals. I would like to introduce you to a great website with some really fun recipes. Sure to please any kid, even that inner child of yours.

...this will
tempt anyone



with visions
of healthy
lovely treats
to decorate &
devour

I was so excited to be picked for
blogging about the Snackivate website.
It came with perks from Kellogg's company -
namely 2 full size boxes of Kellogg's
Frosted Mini Wheats used to experiment
with the recipes on the site, and a cool
little plastic gadget that you put into
the freezer (the cup has gel within the
walls of the cup,to insulate the milk and
to keep it cool),which once frozen will
hold your milk,while the top (it screws
into the bottom) holds your favorite cereal.
This is a nice little gadget for mom's or
dad's toting kids around. Or even college ,
students or teenagers on the go, in be-
ween classes, who haven't the time to
grab a decent breakfast (I think we've
all been there).

The Snacktivate website is a place for anyone looking for health conscience lot's of downloadable recipes, ranging from all different meals of the day to sweet treats, some samples are pictured above, that would be fun to make with children. There are nutrition tips and more for parents, relatives and teachers. Below is one of the featured recipes from Snackivate website.

Recipe: Sassy Sun Pops
I have added some notes on making this Veg/Vegan friendly. You will need to experiment with different ingredients to find the best formulation for Veg/Vegan style cookies using this recipe.

Prep time: 10 min.
Bake time: 12-14 min.
Servings: 33

These cookies are baked at 350 °F for 12 - 14 min.
Materials Needed:Candy sticks, that are oven proof (you can find at your favorite craft store, i.e Micheal's)
Almonds
Flaxseed
Cookie Sheet
Cookie Ingredients:

• 2 cups (AP) flour
• 2 teaspoons Baking Powder
• 1/4 teaspoon Baking Soda
• 1/4 teaspoon Salt
• 1 cup butter or margarine (soft) (supplement Earth's Balance stick for vegan cookies)
• 1 cup peanut butter
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 2 eggs (if going veg/vegan there are many egg replacers out there, you may want to experiment with what works best in cookies for you - consider the extra dry ingredients by way of the cereal and try opting for something with more moisture content)
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla
• 60 frosted bite sized mini-wheats OR 60 un-frosted mini-wheats (unfrosted is the best vegan alternative due to the gelatin in the frosting) , crushed (pulse in a food processor, or put into a zip lock bag and beat w/ rolling pin)

Procedure:

1. Stir together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
2. In large mixing bowl, add peanut butter, Gran. Sugar, Brown sugar and mix on medium-high w/ electric mixer. Beat until light and fluffy.
3. Add eggs & vanilla. Beat well
4. Beat in crushed cereal and flour mixture. Mix until just incorporated.
5. Drop by spoonful onto a cookie sheet . While pressing down, use back of fork to make across hatch into cookie dough.
6. Add oven proof cookie sticks by pressing stick into one side of the dough of each cookie.
7. TO create sunflower: press flax seeds into the center of each cookie dough round. Press raw whole almonds into the outer edges of each round to form the petals of the sunflower design.
8. Bake at 350 °F for 12- 14 min. or until golden brown, remove baked cookies with spatula from cookie sheets immediately and let cookies cool on wire wracks.

This recipe is adapted from Crunchy Peanut Butter Cookies a recipe © of Kellogg's NA Co. 2008. All Rights Reserved.


Hope you can recreate the fun time I had creating these with my 5 yr old daughter. It was a blast. She loved adding the spoons of dough to the cookie sheets and making the "sunflower" designs. Enjoy!

Product Review: Scrubbing Bubbles' Action Scrubber 5

Recently My Mom sent me this really cool vintage counter top metal cabinet. It has 4 deep drawers on the top for storage of dry goods, and a bread box on the bottom. I had decided to position it right below my cabinet on the largest counter , which happened to be near a sink.

I really didn't think this would be a problem, forgetting that if water over flows from the sink - it tends to collect on the counter (in the area right below my new cabinet). Needless to say water did just that - and caused my beloved cabinet to rust around the bottom edges.

When I moved the cabinet - I could see the tell tale signs of a rusted mess, a deep orange rectangular outline had stained my counter top.

Needless to say, I have tried using any kind of cleaner I could get my hands on to remove this stain - nothing seemed to work, not even my beloved S.O.S scrubbing pads. This surprised me because SOS is great at removing most everything (including that baked on blackened residue on the bottom of pans, and on electric stove burner drip pans).

When I was given the chance to review Scrubbing Bubbles Action Scrubbers, I secretly laughed at myself - I would put these pads to the test - a trial by fire, my stained counter.

Clean Machine


Scrubbing Bubbles Action
Scrubber
Click Here
Get your $2.75 off coupon...

I received the package from Mom Central
and SC Johnson.

Contents:

The product comes with a molded heavy
foam handle

and a resealable plastic tub
with 4 scrubbing pads that are filled with
cleanser.

There were 4 really nice coupons for this
product and other scrubbing bubbles products,
also.

Directions:

Not only were
there directions on the outside packaging,
But a large font printed insert with a
reminder. Then on the plastic storage tub.
The directions are very easy to follow,
and detailed.

Product Assembly:
This product could not be any easier to use. The Assembly
consists of:

1. removing the cleanser filled pad from
   a plastic sleeve
2. applying the molded foam handle to the
   printed side of the pad and gently
   rubbing until the Velcro like strips have hooked
   into the pad.

Product Use & Performance:
Once the Action Pad has been assembled these steps are taken to use the product:

Adding a small amount of water to the pad to activate the cleanser.

Using a circular motion to scrub surface

Rinsing the cleaned surface

Discarding used pad into trash

I followed the above directions, and started to firmly apply pressure and scrub my rust stained counter top. At first I was not impressed, but then the cleanser started to activate, and fizzing bubbles were alive - moving and spanning the surface where I was scrubbing. Then slowly but surely the Action Pad was working - I could not believe this product was removing a stain that my best cleaning products couldn't. But sure enough it did!

This product isn't recommended for surfaces that can easily scratch. I would not use this pad on wood surfaces , or a natural stone counter top (such as marble or slate) due to the high likeliness of marring the protective finish that is applied to the counter top.

Product Storage:

The molded handle rests at the top of the plastic storage tub, there is a recessed area so that it fits partially inside. The scrubber pad refills are stored within the tub.

I would highly recommend if you have kids or pets to store this out of their reach. It's a fun color that might attract kids and dogs would love to chew on this handle - guaranteed.

Overall Summary:
The so called "trail by fire" that I had thought this product would most likely fail, had indeed been no match for Scrubbing Bubbles Action Scrubber. This product is easy to assemble, use - yet gets the job done. Even though it's disposable - it has the scrubbing power of a heavy duty scouring pad. I am an eczema suffer, mainly on my hands, and this cleanser did not irritate my eczema with the small amount of contact it had with my skin.

I would highly recommend this product.

Baking Theory Notes: Cake Baking and Ingredients 6

It all started as...
----->Bread dough enriched with butter and spices, leavened with yeast and air was whipped into the dough.

----->ca. 1837 : Baking Powder revolutionizes cake industry (allows for consistent leavening)

moist coconut cake by babe_kl

Characteristics of Cakes:

*Pound / White / Yellow

• Batter - high ratio cake (fats) , Chemical leavened.

*Angel Food

• Foam - Air leavened, uses whipped egg.

*Chiffon

• Combo of Batter & Foam - whipped eggs added to batter

Ingredients:

1. tenderizers
2. moisteners
3. flavorers

*Flours Used in Cake baking

• Mainly cake flour (7-9% protein, soft milled)
• Can use AP, Pastry,

Why Specific Protein Count needed, how it forms Gluten Structure:

1. Bleached flour (has carotenes taken out)
2. Flours are Made with Matured Wheat - if using a heavier protein percentage (i.e in bread flour etc, will cause cake structure to become dense, unstable and collapse into it's self.
3. Moisture content comes from the flour

*Sugars Used in Cake Baking

What sugar does for cakes:

1. Acts as a Sweetener
2. Extends the shelf life of the cake
3. Aides in creaming (process of whipping air into the batter)
4. Gives cake crust it's color
5. Spreading action (the process of melting during bake off)

Related Posts:

• Baking Theory Notes: Chemical Leavening, Dough Strengthener, Crumb Softeners
• Baking Theory Notes: Eggs
• Baking Theory Notes: Sweeteners
• Baking Theory Notes: Fats
• Baking Theory Notes: Wheat / Flours
• Baking Theory Notes: Salt & Yeast