Okay, I set out to do that avocado post with the sole intention of posting my favorite new avocado recipe, and I completely forgot about it. This is a recipe for people who may not think they love avocados – Avocado Ice Pops
Take the flesh of two avocados, and combine in a blender with 1/2 cup of agave nectar or simple syrup (the recipe I tried called for a simple syrup made by dissolving 1/2 cup of sugar in 1 cup of water and letting it boil and cool before adding to the avocado) and 2 tbs of lime juice. Freeze into ice pops. These are so creamy and mild tasting, and if you puree really well, until there are no telltale chunks, even the most reluctant kid will love it. Lola did!
This weekend, we are staying a Hyatt resort near Disney World, and we are making around Main Street Disney when I saw an outpost of Babycakes, the famously vegan, clean bakery. Their display was so enticing and so beautiful that I stopped to have a peek, and snagged a menu and a card. And as I was walking away, the last piece of an idea I’ve been thinking about for weeks came to me. I am going to embark on a clean eating baking challenge this summer. Now, although I love to cook, baking has always been a bit trickier – my results have never been consistent, and I’ve always frankly been intimidated by it. And why bother, when the most delicious desserts – far more elegant looking than anything I could create – were so easy to buy. So I told myself, a couple of years ago, that I would only bother to bake if what I made was substantially better – as in healthier – than anything I could buy. Otherwise, why bother? So this summer, my goal is to learn to make clean, healthy versions of the following basic recipes:
1. Whole Wheat Pizza Dough: I have to conquer my fear of doughss of all sorts, and this seems like a
good place to start. Whole wheat pizza dough is a great foundation to healthy homemade pizzas, calzones and other stuffed lunch or dinner ideas, flatbreads, etc. I will experiment with a couple of recipes, but this one from Gracious Pantry looks like a good place to start.
2. Whole Wheat Pie Crust: Again, a great versatile recipe – not just for desserts, but also for savory dishes like quiche. Clean Eating Magazine has a recipe I’ve always wanted to try.
3. Whole Grain Bread: I think I will try the shortcut recipe from America’s Test Kitchen Healthy Family Cookbook. It uses Bob’s Red Mill 7 grain cereal as a base, so you don’t have to buy a million different flours.
4. Chocolate Cake: A little trickier, but I’d like to master a treat that is as good for my girls bodies as it is for their spirits. I’m sure the Babycakes cookbook has some great ideas.
5. Chocolate Chip Cookies: I’ve tried the Deceptively Delicious version with chick peas in the batter, which I loved, but can I make the whole thing healthier?
So who wants to join me? I am planning to start with the Whole Wheat Pizza Dough this week. I’d love to hear if you have a great, clean pizza dough recipe, or if you want to attempt one for the first time!
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