Sunday, December 30, 2007

Some low-sugary goodness

Some time before Christmas, I had promised my husband homemade peanut butter cookies. Then we found out about his diabetes. So, in order to fulfill my promise, I went on a hunt for low sugar or sugar-free recipes. I found one that looked fairly simple (at cooks.com, I think) so I decided to give it a whirl.

Sugar-Free Peanut Butter Cookies

1 c. and 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
1/2 c. Splenda
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
2/3 c. creamy peanut butter
1/4 c. cooking oil
1 egg
2 tbsp. water
1 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 375 F. Place flour, Splenda and baking powder in mixing bowl. Add peanut butter, cooking oil, egg, water and vanilla. Mix well. Shape into 1 inch balls and place onto ungreased cookie sheets. Flatten with fork. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned.

They came out looking so nice, and the hubster said they were delicious. I didn't try them, but he's not the type to say he likes a new recipe if he didn't.

The second recipe comes from my aunt. She is also a diabetic, so she's a good resource for recipes. It's been modified to be sugar-free, but can be easily made for non-diabetics.

Fruit Salad Dessert

2 small boxes sugar free vanilla pudding
2-15 oz cans no sugar added fruit cocktail
8 oz sugar free Cool Whip

Mix fruit (with the juice) and pudding in a bowl until all the pudding is dissolved. Add cool whip and mix until light and fluffy. Chill.

*If you want to make this non-sugar free, add 2-8oz cans of crushed pineapple and 1 1/2 cups mini marshmallows.

Yay! I have a blog!

Welcome to Kristen's Kitchen. (What a catchy title!) I love recipes, whether or not I actually make the ones I collect is another story entirely. My husband and I are also changing our eating habits to manage his recently-diagnosed diabetes, so there might be some interesting posts about that, too.

Without further ado, my first recipe:

Marital Discord Meatloaf*


2lb ground beef
1 packet meatloaf seasoning (McCormick makes it, so do some store brands)
1-2 eggs
½ to 1 cup Italian breadcrumbs
dash of garlic powder
dash of onion powder
dash of black pepper

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. (I only use 1 egg at first and add the second if the mixture feels dry). Shape into a loaf and bake, covered, in an oven-safe dish for 60 minutes or until meat is browned in the middle at 350 degrees Farenheit.

*This is a tried-and-true recipe, but I don't actually measure the ingredients. As for the name, a friend once asked if I'd make dinner for her husband while she was away on a family emergency. The husband loved it, and asked his wife to get my recipe. Apparently, it hurt her feelings, but she did ask for it. The title was just a joke, but when she made it, she did something else to it, so he still thought mine was better! So, the title stuck. When I make it for my husband though, there is no marital discord. It's only when I make it for other people!