Pampering4life Healthy Recipe:Sparkling Lime-Mint Drink

            In the midst of these scorcher summer months we must find the perfect beverages to keep us satisfied and more importantly hydrated! Sodas will certainly not do the trick with their high sugar content; they will only make us thirstier. So how about a simple drink recipe that can be refreshing as an ice-cold mojito minus the alcohol! This Sparkling Lime-Mint drink is healthy, fresh, and extremely easy to whip up for a gathering or just to keep your family cool and refreshed this summer!

Ingredients:

·         1/2 cup freshly squeezed lime juice

·         1/2 cup fresh mint leaves, loosely packed

·         2 tablespoons pure maple syrup, more to taste (stevia or agave nectar can be used as an alternative...you may prefer your drink a little sweeter as this recipe is slightly tart)

·         2 cups sparkling seltzer water (be sure it says Sparkling Seltzer Water and not club soda or tonic water...seltzer water contains only carbonated water)

·         1 cup ice

 

Directions:

 

Add the first 3 ingredients to a large glass, stir to combine. Add ice to 2 glasses, equally divide mixture between glasses and top each off with one cup sparkling seltzer water. Add a few half slices of lime to each glass, if desired. Learn more about healthy eating at nutritionyoudesign

 

Make this the new summer drink that is always at hand!

Pampering4life Healthy Recipe: Heart Healthy Apple Pie

With the holiday season fast approaching. It is always everyone's desire to have a guilt free holiday. What if you could enjoy all the same recipes like apple pie, cookies, cake, that is full of taste but not full of calories? The most important process to transforming to a healthier lifestyle is to not deprive yourself of life guilty pleasures but simply to find alternatives. I have included another delish recipe to do exactly that... Enjoy!!!

Ingredients

Crust

1 Cup Almond Flour
1 Cup Coconut Flour
1/4 Cup Agave Nectar
6 Tablespoons Coconut Oil

Filling

1 Cup Almond Flour
1 Cup Coconut Flour
1/4 Cup Agave Nectar
6 Tablespoons Coconut Oil
4 Cups Peeled and Sliced Apples (loosely packed)
3/4 Cup Apple Juice (I used freshly juiced apples)
1/2 Cup Brown Rice Syrup
2 Tablespoons Lemon Juice
1/2 Teaspoon Guar Gum
1/2 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
1/4 Teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
1/4 Teaspoon Ground Cloves
1/4 Teaspoon Ground Ginger
1/4 Teaspoon Ground Allspice
1/2 Cup Pomegranate Arils                                   

Directions

Crust
Preheat oven to 325 degrees Farenheit.
Mix all ingredients in a medium size bowl until thoroughly combined.
Divide mixture between individual pie pans (or pour into single 9″ pan) and press mixture on to bottom and up sides of pan. Make sure that crust is even in thickness.
Prick the crust, that is on the bottom of the pan, several times with a fork.
Place pie pans on a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes or until crust is evenly browned.
Remove from oven to cool.
Filling
In a 2 quart saucepan, over medium high heat, add all of the ingredients EXCEPT the guar gum and the pomegranate arils. (Those will be added later.)
Continue to cook, and stir, until the apples begin to soften and the juice is reduced by half. The amount of time this will take depends on how thick you cut your apples.
Once the apples reach the texture you are looking for and the juices have reduced, lightly sprinkle the guar gum over the top of the mixture and stir thoroughly. Do not just drop this in directly from the spoon in one big clump. If you do this, you will probably end up with a big blob of congealed mess in the middle of your apple mixture. This thickening agent is far more potent than cornstarch and will thicken on contact. So sprinkle lightly and stir.
Once stirred in and you see that your mixture has thickened, remove from heat.
Let sit for 10 minutes then stir in the arils.
Assembly
Spoon the mixture into the pie shell.
I topped mine with chopped pecans, but you could use chopped almonds or walnuts or even nothing at all.
Serve