Category Archives: living without sugar

Mint Chocolate Cheesecake

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Chocolate Base  (makes 12 small mason jars)

Preheat oven to 350°F.  Place small mason jars on baking sheet.  Divide batter evenly. (approx. 2 1/2Tbsp. per. jar).  Bake for 15 – 17 min.

base just out of oven
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1/8 lb. (2 oz.)stevia sweetened chocolate chips
  • 1/8 lb. (2 oz.) Lindt 95% chocolate
  • 1/4 cup almond milk
  • 1/4 cup date puree
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

Melt butter and add chocolate to melted butter.  Microwave in 10 second intervals until fully melted.  Meanwhile, in medium size bowl whisk together milk, date puree, eggs and vanilla.  Whisk in melted butter and chocolate.  Divide between jars. Once baked and cooled top with cream cheese mixture.

Cheesecake Topping
finished cheese cake
coconut cream
  • 8 oz. cream cheese
  • 1/3 cup date puree
  • 4 oz. melted chocolate. (this can be a combination of the same chocolate used in base or just the chips)
  • 1 tsp. peppermint extract
  • 1 can coconut cream (see photo insert)

Cream together cream cheese and date puree.  Add peppermint extract and continue mixing.  Fold in coconut cream and melted chocolate.  If mixture goes a bit lumpy because of chocolate firming up, just use a whisk and whisk till smooth. Place mixture in piping bag and top the cooled chocolate base.  Refrigerate for approx. 4 hrs. until firm.  Enjoy.

Date Puree

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This is a great replacement for sugar in any recipe.

  • 1 lb. dates
  • 1 1/2 cups water

Chop dates, put in small pan and add water. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer until dates are soft. Let cool. Using blender puree into paste. Store in glass jar or container in refrigerator.

You will find this being used in most of my recipes.

Oatcakes

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these are the two kinds of chocolate
  • 1 cup butter
  • 1/2 cup date puree (or 1/2 cup chopped dates and 2 Tbsp. water)
  • 3/4 cup almond flour
  • 2 cups oats
  • 1/3 cup ground flax
  • 1/3 cup whole wheat flour (to make gluten free use another 1/3 cup of ground flax)
  • 1 tsp. vanilla

If using chopped dates and water put in small glass bowl and microwave or in a pan on stove. Heat until dates are soft and mash or puree. Cream butter in mixer. Add dates and cream together. Add rest of ingredients, mix well. Scoop on baking sheet using approx. 2 Tbsp. per cookie and press down. Bake at 350°F for 15-20 min.

After cooling drizzle or dip in chocolate. These oatcakes are also good just plain with no chocolate. To make chocolate use 2 squares of 95% Lindt chocolate and 1/4 cup of sugar free chocolate chips (sweetened with stevia).

How I got through that first week

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Smoothie every morning

Makes 2

200 ml water, 1 banana, 1/2 cup plain unsweetened yogurt, 2/3cup frozen wild blueberries, 2 scoops protein powder. Blend add 2T chia seeds.

And I still enjoy this almost every morning. I have also used other frozen fruits and have made it with almond/coconut milk. Another option is to use chocolate protein powder or cocoa and add sugar free peanut butter. Just remember if using protein powder make sure it does not contain sugar. The one I use has stevia.

Enjoying Food Without Sugar

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January 2019, I decided that I would try to beat my sugar addiction. After reading a few articles about how bad sugar is for you and knowing how hard it was for me trying to just limit how much I ate, it was time to take a drastic step and quit. Yes it was an addiction. So I got through the first week and the rest is, as they say, history. After a month it became a new way of life. Before purchasing anything I would check the label and if it had any kind of sugar listed, I did not buy it. It’s quite an eye opener; almost everything has some kind of sugar. So when reading labels, I look for sugar and any words ending with”ose” such as fructose, lactose, maltose, galactose, etc. Also, syrups like rice, corn, etc. The first few weeks were interesting but because I never really use much in the way of processed foods and I do enjoy cooking, I found it quite easy to convert. It really became my own challenge. Sugar was the only thing I was giving up. I didn’t have to give up carbs or fats, only sugar. I was still eating fruit and did not worry about the natural sugars in those. Bananas became something I ate or included in my smoothie every morning. I also started using them as a sweetener in making muffins. I did not use maple syrup or honey as I felt that personally I would overuse this type of natural source of sweetness and I still have not had the need or desire to introduce them back into my life. I have become happy with my new lifestyle. My partner has been very supportive in this, enjoys the smoothies and any sugar free baking that I do. He has not cut sugar entirely from his diet, but is eating less than he use to and is amazed at how good sugar free food can taste.

If you would like to follow me on my quest to eat sugar free and healthy foods, I will answer any questions you have and support you on this journey. And yes I am one of those people that could and did eat lots of candy, cookies, cheesecake etc. For example, I could eat a large bag of chocolate covered almonds in a 20 min. car drive on my way home from work late at night. Or it could be a large bag of gummies or licorice all-sorts (yeah, you know the kind, they come in a two bag box around Christmas time…)

Addicted I say.