Sugar, Ahh, Honey, Honey!

"Sugar, ahh, Honey, honey. You are my candy girl, And you got me wanting you."
For the last year and a half I have seriously cut back on my sweets and treats. No sugar, no honey! No Oreo cookies, no ice cream! No candy, donuts, desserts! (o.k. I did have a small piece of the "Two Die For" cake and some Monkey Bread) I've lowered my blood sugars and cholesterol and lost weight. But for as much as I have cut back, I've discovered I still need "sugar" in my life.

On the web you can find several recipes that have eliminated, reduced or substituted sugar. Some recipes are great, others not so. The recipe in this blog has no sugar and no flour. It's not bad. It helped to modifying the original recipe to increase the cinnamon and peanut butter, and adding nuts. I did add (a small amount) of white choc. chips...... "You are my candy girl, And you got me wanting you!"

Oatmeal Peanut Butter Bars
Preheat oven to 375.
Mix together 2 cups oatmeal (instant) and 2 tsp. cinnamon.
Beat 2 eggs and 2 cups milk together. Add 2 tsp. vanilla.
In a 2 cup glass measuring cup, fill with a 1/2 cup water. Add enough peanut butter to displace the water up to 1 and 1/2 cups. Pour into egg mixture (water and pb). Whisk together. Stir into oatmeal. Pour into an 8 x 8 pan.
Bake 20 minutes at 375.
Meanwhile, melt 1/4 cup white or choc. chips in microwave until smooth. When bars are done, remove from over, drizzle with melted chips and sprinkle nuts (any choice) on top. Cool. Cut and enjoy!
Is that song stuck in your head now?

Too "Die-4" Cake

Over 50 years ago, while my mother was on her honeymoon, a restaurant owner gave her a cake recipe. This cake recipe has become our family favorite; "Mom, please make!" cake. It is delicious, moist, with hints of spice and a topping that is sweet and sinful. The problem is Mom will not give anyone the recipe. I told her I wasn't going to wait until she died for me to get it from her recipe box.  After 25 years she has finally given in! 

(i've modified the recipe to use whole wheat flour and Splenda Baking Sugar)

1. Soak 1 cup of Quaker Oatmeal oats in 1 1-2 cups boiling water. Set a side.

2. Cream together 1/2 cup softened butter, 1 cup brown sugar, 2 eggs, and 1/2 cup Splenda Baking Sugar. (use one cup regular sugar if you prefer).

3. Add oatmeal (step 1) with 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour, 1/2 tsp. salt, 2 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp. baking soda. Mix together with cream ingredients (step 2).

4. Pour batter into a greased 8x8 pan. (this recipe should be doubled because you'll want seconds!) Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. Use the toothpick method to check for doneness about 30 minutes.

5. While batter is baking make the frosting. In a sauce pan melt together 4 tablespoons melted butter, 1/2 cup evaporated milk, and 1 cup brown sugar until sugar is dissolved. Turn off heat and add 1 cup nuts (pecan or walnut or none if you prefer), 1 cup coconut and 1 tsp. vanilla. 

6. Remove cake from oven when done, spread frosting onto warm cake, and place back into oven for 5 minutes until coconuts browns slightly. Remove from oven and cool.

I told you this cake was "2-die-4"!

ps. you could add 1 cup choc. chips to the batter or 1/2 cup choc. chips in with the coconut and nuts.