"Apple of My Eye" Sauce

I will never buy store bought applesauce again.  As it is, I only bought unsweetened apple sauce for baking purposes, but now I don't even need to do that any more.  This morning I was taking stock of my pantry, and I realized I was out of apple sauce cups.  I like the cups because they 1/4 cup and are perfect for substituting oil in a double batch of homemade waffles.  I also like to substitute applesauce for oil in things like brownies and corn bread.  What I did have were 6 lunch box sized apples that had been rolling around in the fruit bin for way too long.

Does this happen to anyone else?  The family says they want apples when you ask what kind of fruit to buy, but the no one ever eats them so they just sit there, getting bruise and mealy? Well if it does, now you can use them to make the best all natural, clean apple sauce.  This recipe could not be easier, and it tastes so much better than store bought!

Ingredients:
6 lunch box sized apples (small to medium sized), any variety
1 cup water

Directions:
Combine the water and the apples in a medium sauce pot.  Cover and bring to a boil.  Reduce, and simmer approximately one hour until the apples can be mashed with the back of a spoon.  Turn off the heat, and allow to cool.  Puree in a blender or food processor until you achieve your desired consistency.

The apple sauce has no added sweater to it, but if you are looking for more of a sweet treat, you could drizzle with raw honey and sprinkle with cinnamon.  This would be great as a topping for waffles, pork chops, oatmeal, yogurt.  I plan on using mine in baking, so I will be freezing it in small containers.  Otherwise, store in the refrigerator for about a week.  Makes 2 cups, 1/3 cup + 1 tbsp equals 1 Purple 21 Day Fix container.

Sweet Potato Chocolate Cake

I was raised with the mantra of "If it's not chocolate, why bother?" If you ask me what flavor ice cream I want, it's always chocolate.  If you offer me a slice of cake, I'll want it to be chocolate.  Brownies are one of my favorite foods.  However, due to food intolerances and a family history of diabetes and high cholesterol, I don't eat these foods a lot.  Until now.  I have been playing around with minimally processed ingredients, heart healthy fats, and cleaner sugar substitutes.  This has all led me to Sweet Potato Chocolate Cake.

I'll admit, this wasn't 100% my idea.  I had some leftover sweet potatoes, and I new I could bake with other forms of squash, so it seemed like it might work.  I also felt like the natural sugars from the sweet potato would cut down on the amount of added sugar I needed.  But, since I was using cocoa, I knew I needed some sugar.  So I turned to the internet.  I wanted to use coconut sugar has my other sugar (because I had some on hand) and because I knew it worked in a 1:1 ratio of regular sugar.

After comparing what other bakers and bloggers had done, I finally settled on a plan.  My last hurdle was the flour.  I knew I could replace the dairy in a regular cake with cashew milk, the sugar with coconut sugar, and I had figured out how much sweet potato to use, but the gluten free flour was still a mystery to me.  If you've ever tried to bake with gluten free flour, it's always a gamble.  I decided on using a gluten free flour blend, and converting the measurement to grams.  So, if you are not gluten free, then just use the same weight of regular flour.

Ingredients:
2 eggs (This is one of the few foods I don't have an issue with so I refuse to abandon them.  If you can't tolerate eggs, you could try flax or mashed banana)
1/2 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup coconut sugar

1/2 cup cashew milk
1/2 tsp vanilla
2/3 cup mashed sweet potato (about 1 sweet potato)

1/8 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 cocoa powder
156 grams flour

Directions:
Combine the eggs, coconut oil and sugar in a blender and blend until well combined and the sugar is dissolved. Add the cashew milk, vanilla and sweet potato and blend until smooth.  In a mixing bowl combine the dry ingredients.  Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix gently to incorporate. Pour into a greased baking dish or round cake pan.  Bake for 20-30 minutes in a preheated 350 degree oven until a tooth pick inserted comes out clean. Refrigerate for up to a week.  Reheat individual servings for 15 seconds in the microwave for optimum texture.

Tip: I used a 2 inch biscuit cutter to cut mini cakes that perfectly fit into a yellow 21 day fix container.

Fabulous Fruit Punch

My Husband has developed a fruit punch addiction.  It started when he got sick after Easter.  Nothing tasted right, he was trying to drink plenty of fluids, and the only thing he wanted was fruit punch.  He started drinking Hawaiian Punch, but I really wanted something healthier for him.  I managed to switch him to Juicy Juice, but I still felt like we could do better.  So I made my own!

This punch was really easy to make, and I used ingredients I already had on hand.  It made about half a gallon, although I suspect it will go a little further if he mixes it with sparkling water.  The juice is made from a mix of fruits, veggies, water and some raw honey for sweetness.

Ingredients:

1 beet, peeled
8 baby carrots
1 lemon, peeled
1 lime peeled
1 apple
1 cup mixed berries
4-6 cups of water
1/4-1/2 cup raw honey

Directions:

Chop the fruits and vegetables into small pieces and place in a zip top bag.  Place the bag in the freezer over night.  This step is optional, but you may end up with more pulp if you don't freeze the produce.

Add 2 cups of water, 1/4 cup honey and the fruit in a blender.  Blend until smooth, adding more water as necessary (I used 4 cups). Using a fine mesh strainer to catch any pulp, pour the blended ingredients into another pitcher.   Set the pulp aside for another use (Refreshing Fruit Popsicles!)

Once you have strained the juice, add additional water until you reach your desired consistency.  I used 6 cups of water total, but next time I may use less to make a juice concentrate.