Diet, Dessert and Dogs

For those of you celebrating Easter, I hope you have a great long weekend and enjoy your holiday! There are some great last-minute recipes in a previous roundup post. 

For those of you celebrating Passover, I hope you had a great start to the holiday! If you’re looking for more Passover friendly recipes over the next few days, you’ll find a whole bunch in that roundup post as well.

As always, your recipes blew me away last week. Since I barely had time to sleep, let alone cook on my own, I just drooled over your dishes instead: Almond Butter No-Bake Bars, Better Than Nutella Cheesecake, Savory Cous Cous, Peanut-Free Tagalongs, Smoky Carrot and Cabbage Salad, and so many more! Check them all out (and 34 more!) here.

Now that major book work is done, I had time to lift my head from the keyboard and look around blogland a bit more. Here’s what’s been going on.

Newsy tidbits:

• Do you sometimes feel like sugar controls your life? I’ve been there (and sometimes, I’m still there). Could you go two weeks without sugar and see what happens? A new course from functional nutritionist Andrea Nakayama, “You’re Not the Boss of Me: Control Your Blood Sugar Before it Controls You,” examines issues of blood sugar, getting control of sweets cravings, and detoxing from sugar with a 2-week program with live support. I’m delighted to be part of this course (I developed all the recipes and will offer insights into the emotional and psychological aspects of sugar addiction). To listen to a free audiotape about Why Blood Sugar Matters, or to learn more about the course, check out Andrea’s website, here (early bird discount applies until April 1st).
  
• Sonnet from For the Love of Food is giving away a prize pack of savory teas! Totally intriguing, right? I hadn’t heard of these, either, but they sure do sound good. To read Sonnet’s description of the teas, learn more and enter the giveaway, check out Sonnet’s blog. Ends this Sunday.
• If you’re anything like me, mornings can be hectic, and it’s not always easy to prepare a good breakfast. Here are some of my best tips for breakfast on the go.
• The “Orange Foods” blog event continues over at The Blissful Chef with a month of orange recipes! If you love porridge but are trying to cut down on grains, I’m sharing one of my favorite recipes for grain-free “porridge.” Head over to Christy’s blog to check out the recipe!
• There’s a great Dairy-Free Chocolate Easter Bunny (and more!) roundup over at Go Dairy Free. If you’re looking for allergy-friendly treats this Easter, check it out!
• I’m giving away a SIGNED, PERSONALLY INSCRIBED COPY of Nava Atlas’s Wild About Greens! For a sample recipe and to enter, see this post. Ends at midnight, Wednesday, April 3rd!
• Wellness Weekend has its own Pinterest board! Now you can find all your favorites in one place. Check it out here (and be sure to follow!)

Do you have a blog linky event or giveaway you’d like me to mention? I also will occasionally mention new courses that bloggers offer their readers. Send me an email with the details to dietdessertdogsATgmailDOTcom and I’ll include three or four each week. Please note that I cannot always accommodate all requests.

PLEASE DO NOT ADD YOUR GIVEAWAYS OR CONTESTS TO THE LINKYS BELOW–THEY ARE FOR RECIPES ONLY.

This Week’s Picks:

I’ve been blending like mad since I finally got my repaired Vitamix back from the company (did you know they will take it back, fix it, and then ship it back to you for free if it’s still under warranty? I love my Vitamix!!).  Naturally, this week’s picks all focus on the theme, “raw & blended recipes”:

Raw Spicy Garden Soup from Gluten-Free Cat. This would be a perfect first course for any meal, but especially with warmer weather coming up.

Fruit Tray Smoothie from Gluten Free Easily. Shirley shows us a great way to repurpose party leftovers!

Chocolate Cherry Basil Smoothie from Sweet. Smart. Vegan. Oooh. . . I’m drooling just at the thought of those flavors all melding together. Mmm!

And This Week’s Readers’ Choices:

Readers’ Choice, Savory:

Raw Sunflower Seed Butter from Small Footprint Family. I love making my own nut butters, and happy to see you all like the idea for seed butter, too!

Readers’ Choice, Sweet:

Fudgy Sweet Potato Brownies from The Healthy Maven. These hardly need an introduction–I mean, they’re brownies! And fudgy! With sweet potato!

Thanks for joining in and sharing all your healthy, sugar-free and vegan recipes. I love seeing what you whip up each week! And I hope you’ll also share on twitter, Facebook and Pinterest, too!

Here’s How to Participate:

The event occurs once a week, starting Thursdays at 8:00 PM my time and running until the following Monday at midnight.

1. Simply link up a vegan recipe you made (and posted about) that contains health-supporting ingredients. This means any good-for-you whole foods, especially those with antioxidant properties or “functional foods” (ie, offering naturally medicinal or health-promoting qualities–such as garlic, coconut oil, all vegetables, fruits, herbs, etc.)–but any fresh, real food is welcome! No-no’s include white flour or sugar, highly processed foods, or animal products. Definite no-no’s include: cane sugar (evaporated or otherwise), sweeteners ending in -itol, margarines, or faux meat products.Items like vegan protein powder, grain or bean flours, or coconut milk are fine even though they are technically “processed,” since they either contain a single ingredient, or could technically be made at home. Also, please note that this is a vegan recipe event. A minor ingredient with a vegan option is fine, but if the main ingredient is intended to be meat or other animal product, your recipe likely belongs in a different link up event. 
2. This is a recipe event. Your blog post must contain a recipe.
3. You may link up older posts from your archives as long as they contain a link to this post. Please do not link up any posts you have previously shared at an earlier Wellness Weekend event.
4. Please link the post with your recipe, NOT your blog’s home page or another event page. The post must contain a recipe.
5. You may submit up to three recipes, but please follow the guidelines for each one individually. ONLY ONE THUMBNAIL FROM EACH BLOG POST, PLEASE.If your post contains two suitable recipes, link up once and people will still see all your fabulous recipes when they click on the linky.
6. Please mention this event and include a link back to this post so that others can find all the recipes posted!
7. Feel free to use the blog badge, above (or see the left sidebar of this page–if you need the html code, let me know and I’ll send it to you). Many thanks to Adrienne of Whole New Mom for setting up the badge code for me!

PLEASE NOTE: In order to promote your posts and the event, I like to occasionally tweet, mention on Facebook, or pin your blog post(s). On occasion, I will repost your photos in the following week’s Wellness Weekend as well. If you prefer that I NOT use your photos or links, please let me know in the comments below, or send an email to me at dietdessertdogsATgmailDOTcom. Thanks!

I will reluctantly remove any links that don’t comply. I apologize, but I will no longer be able to leave a comment telling you that I’ve removed a non-compliant link. I hate to have to remove links! PLEASE READ THE GUIDELINES BEFORE POSTING!

And now. . . what have you been cooking up lately? Please share!

Never miss a recipe–or a comment from The Girls! Click here to subscribe to Diet, Dessert and Dogs via email. (“We love subscribers, Mum. . . almost as much as we love treats!”).

Newsy Tidbits:

• Are you craving spring the way I am? Check out these 6 spring salad recipes, over at Fitalicious.
• Are you a fan of tahini? (For me, it was an acquired taste). Now I love it–and here’s a whole post comparing types of tahini, with lots of recipes. Thanks to Dreena Burton for the post.
• Get the book for free! My friend Stephanie has written an ebook, Golden Angels, about her experience losing her beloved Golden Retriever Buddy Girl. The book contains 13 essays and 13 accompanying recipes. It’s a great book for anyone who’s lost a loved one, and she’s donating 10% of all sales to the SPCA until May 31st.  And tomorrow, Friday, March 22, she is giving it away for free on amazon.com! Be sure to check it out then.

Do you have a blog linky event or giveaway you’d like me to mention? I also will occasionally mention new courses that bloggers offer their readers. Send me an email with the details to dietdessertdogsATgmailDOTcom and I’ll include three or four each week. Please note that I cannot always accommodate all requests.

PLEASE DO NOT ADD YOUR GIVEAWAYS OR CONTESTS TO THE LINKYS BELOW–THEY ARE FOR RECIPES ONLY.

This Week’s Picks:

This week’s picks all focus on the theme, “sweet stuff”:

Maple Glazed Nuts from Bit of the Good Stuff. A perfectly healthy sweet snack! And nuts contain so many good-for-you fats.

Very Berry Rhubarb Pie from My Munchable Musings. I love rhubarb! Combined with berries, this gives you a perfect level of sweetness in a healthy dessert.

Raw Chilli-Cinnamon-Sea Salt Chocolates from Bite-Sized Thoughts. How incredible do these look? And CHOCOLATE! (need I say more)?

And This Week’s Readers’ Choices:

Readers’ Choice, Savory:

Gluten Free Vegan Whole Grain English Muffins from Tessa the Domestic Diva. If you’ve been missing English Muffins, try these babies from Tessa.

Readers’ Choice, Sweet:

Raw Banana Coconut Cream Pie from The Tasty Alternative. I do miss bananas! If you can have them, this pie sounds spectacular.

Thanks for joining in and sharing all your healthy, sugar-free and vegan recipes. I love seeing what you whip up each week! And I hope you’ll also share on twitter, Facebook and Pinterest, too!

Here’s How to Participate:

The event occurs once a week, starting Thursdays at 8:00 PM my time and running until the following Monday at midnight.

1. Simply link up a vegan recipe you made (and posted about) that contains health-supporting ingredients. This means any good-for-you whole foods, especially those with antioxidant properties or “functional foods” (ie, offering naturally medicinal or health-promoting qualities–such as garlic, coconut oil, all vegetables, fruits, herbs, etc.)–but any fresh, real food is welcome! No-no’s include white flour or sugar, highly processed foods, or animal products. Items like vegan protein powder, grain or bean flours, or coconut milk are fine even though they are technically “processed,” since they either contain a single ingredient, or could technically be made at home. Also, if you render a recipe vegan-friendly by adding a vegan option to your ingredients, your post will be good to go! Definite no-no’s include: cane sugar (evaporated or otherwise), sweeteners ending in -itol, margarines, or faux meat products.
2. This is a recipe event. Your blog post must contain a recipe.
3. You may link up older posts from your archives as long as they contain a link to this post. Please do not link up any posts you have previously shared at an earlier Wellness Weekend event.
4. Please link the post with your recipe, NOT your blog’s home page or another event page. The post must contain a recipe.
5. You may submit up to three recipes, but please follow the guidelines for each one individually. ONLY ONE THUMBNAIL FROM EACH BLOG POST, PLEASE.If your post contains two suitable recipes, link up once and people will still see all your fabulous recipes when they click on the linky.
6. Please mention this event and include a link back to this post so that others can find all the recipes posted!
7. Feel free to use the blog badge, above (or see the left sidebar of this page–if you need the html code, let me know and I’ll send it to you). Many thanks to Adrienne of Whole New Mom for setting up the badge code for me!

PLEASE NOTE: In order to promote your posts and the event, I like to occasionally tweet, mention on Facebook, or pin your blog post(s). On occasion, I will repost your photos in the following week’s Wellness Weekend as well. If you prefer that I NOT use your photos or links, please let me know in the comments below, or send an email to me at dietdessertdogsATgmailDOTcom. Thanks!

I will reluctantly remove any links that don’t comply. I apologize, but I will no longer be able to leave a comment telling you that I’ve removed a non-compliant link. I hate to have to remove links! PLEASE READ THE GUIDELINES BEFORE POSTING!

And now. . . what have you been cooking up lately? Please share!

Never miss a recipe–or a comment from The Girls! Click here to subscribe to Diet, Dessert and Dogs via email. (“We love subscribers, Mum. . . almost as much as we love treats!”).

Note: This post may contain affiliate links. If you purchase a product or service after clicking on the affiliate link, your purchase will help to support this blog via the small compensation I receive.

[Sometimes, you just want a dish that's quick and easy--no fuss.  I've decided to offer a mini-post every once in a while, for a dish that comes together incredibly quickly or else is so simple to make that no recipe is required. Here's today's "Flash in the Pan." (For other FitP recipes, see "Categories" at right).]

Some people love surprises. Me, I’m not a big fan of the unexpected. Well, let me rephrase that: I’m not a big fan of the unexpected when I’m the one being surprised.  If someone else, on the other hand, is treated to an unforeseen birthday party, or engagement ring, or earwig, well, then, I just lurve surprises!

Case in point: some of you will recall my snowbound trail-walk with the Girls a couple of weeks ago, which I reported on Facebook.  It was the afternoon following (yet another) snowstorm**, and I’d spent the requisite 27 minutes bundling myself in layers as protection from the cold: two pairs of socks; long underwear topped with thick corduroy pants; cotton undershirt under cotton turtleneck, under fleece-lined sweater.  On top of that, I added a pair of thick rubber galoshes, a padded ski jacket, a pair of thin gloves underneath a pair of thick gloves, a fleece hat topped with earmuffs for good measure, and my hood.  Oh, and let’s not forget my sunglasses, huge contraptions that I wear over my regular glasses (really).

Looking like some bizarre Alaskan zombie, I somehow managed to ease myself out of the car and waddle my way along the trail, which was still blanketed in pristine snow that had clearly not been trod by anyone else that day.

The Girls always love these walks, so I’m happy to provide them.  Besides, it’s kind of fun to watch Chaser scampering and leaping, bunny-like, through the snow whenever she’s off-leash. On that day, however, she was doing something different: not just leaping and prancing, but diving face-first into the snow, burying her entire head in it, over and over, at 2-foot (3/4-meter) intervals. Then she’d surface, nose covered in powder, sniffing the air as if a steak were sizzling nearby. What was up with that?  I couldn’t help but laugh as I recalled a documentary the HH had been watching a few nights earlier about foxes, who thrust their snouts into the snow in order to seize their prey.  How funny, I thought. Tee hee hee. . .

And then, it happened.  Chaser dove head-first into the snow and came up with. . . a mouse! A LIVE MOUSE.

IN. HER. MOUTH!!

What followed could have come straight out of a National Lampoon vacation movie. I started shrieking like a banshee: “Drop it! Drop it! DROP ITTTTTT!!!!” as I sprinted (well, more like shuffled, zombie-like) through the snow toward her, arms flailing like a flag in a hurricane.  And, to her credit, she did drop it.

The mouse stumbled across the path (by this time a bit wobbly), aiming to scoot back into its burrow.  By now Elsie had figured out something was afoot, and came charging; she too, grabbed the tiny rodent in her muzzle and held it aloft for me to admire, the mouse’s feet and tail flapping uncontrollably. And again, my horrified shrieking, “DROP IT!!!” as I leapt to grab The Girls’ collars and prevent any further nose-poking of the mouse across the snow. By now my voice was pretty hoarse and my face was pretty darned red.

But as I threw myself forward, I lost my footing and crashed down–thwack!–rather ungracefully onto the snow (luckily, the depth of the snow, combined with my natural padding “back there,” saved me from injury). Before I could regain my composure, the mouse went berserk, zig-zagging across my legs. All I can say is that I’m glad there was no one else around to see what ensued as I struggled to get up, legs jerking like loose wires in an electrical storm, still shrieking (shrieking even more!), still clinging for dear life to the Girls’ collars so they couldn’t dive in for Round Two.

Finally, with all three of us panting and our hearts racing, I steadied myself, once again upright and watched as the mouse ambled back to safety under the blanket of snow.  Frankly, I am still not sure which one of us was more traumatized by the experience.

So as you can see, I don’t react too well to unexpected, er, “visitors.” Needless to say, we won’t be back to that particular trail as long as the snow remains on the ground.

Now, when I receive an unexpected surprise from food, well, that’s a whole ‘nother story. This spread (or dip) came about, for instance, as a serendiptious discovery because we had run out of fresh produce. What with all the book edits, I’ve had not time for grocery shopping. (I know, boo hoo for me. Okay, cue violins). The only green ingredients left in the fridge were a few limp stems of fresh cilantro, half a cucumber from our CSA, half a lime and that neglected chunk of the HH’s brie cheese, cowering way at the back. I decided I’d create something based on all the nonperishable ingredients in the cupboard that I’ve been hoarding saving for a day just such as that one. I rooted around to find a can of black beans and some almond butter. I could work with that!

A quick whir in the food processor and my slightly unconventional black bean dip was made. We ate it with leftover corn chips from our previous nacho night along with the remnants of the cucumber. The following day (after a trip to the grocery store), I smeared it on a raw collard leaf, added grated carrot and sprouts, and had a fabulous raw collard wrap.  If you’re looking for a high-protein snack or light meal, this is a great recipe.

And–don’t let it surprise you–you may just discover that you love it.

** I’ve officially dubbed this  season “The Winter that Refused To Leave.” I mean, really, Mother Nature? This isn’t funny any more.

I’m linking this recipe to Megan’s Whole Food Fridays.

DDD READERS: It May Be Time To Update Your Subscription!

I know that many of you, like me, read your favorite blogs via Google Reader. Well, if that’s how you keep up with DDD, be warned that Reader is closing down as of July 1, 2013! (I know–boo hoo).

I am always so grateful for your visits and your comments on the blog and I don’t want you to lose touch! To ensure that you continue to receive notices whenever I add a new blog post–or to get updates on the new cookbook or other happenings here at DDD–you can easily subscribe via email.  That way, you won’t miss a thing!  Just click here to receive every new DDD post right in your Inbox.

Thanks so much for reading. (And if any of you know of other good readers to use instead, please share in the comments!).

Never miss a recipe–or a comment from The Girls! Click here to subscribe to Diet, Dessert and Dogs via email. (“We love subscribers, Mum. . . almost as much as we love treats!”)

Last Year at this Time:  (gluten free; ACD  All Stages Stage 2 3 and beyond Maintenance)

Two Years Ago: Happy Hemp Two-Bite Brownies (gluten free; ACD Stage 3 and beyond)

Three Years Ago: Ten Things That Make Me Happy

Four Years Ago: Marvelous Maple-Flax cookies (gluten free; ACD  Maintenance)

Five Years Ago: Katie’s Creamy Aspara-Dip (gluten free; ACD  Stage 3 and beyond)

© Ricki Heller, Diet, Dessert and Dogs

Hello everyone! Are you tired of winter yet? (Or, if you live in the antipodes, are you tired of summer?–nah, didn’t think so!).

As I count the days until the end of winter, one of the things that always perks me up is checking out your recipes for Wellness Weekend. Thanks, again, for a fabulous array of delectable choices last week!

Newsy Tidbits:

• Whoo hoo! I just found out that my ebook, Good Morning! Breakfasts, is nominated for Best Gluten Free Cookbook over at Triumph Dining’s “The Best of Gluten-Free” Awards. I’d love your vote for the book if you are so inclined! Just head over here and skip to “Stores and Reslources,” where you’ll find the category for cookbooks.
• I’m still working like mad on book edits, but you can find some of my new recipes on VegNews, where they’re featuring three sweet treats, all with a secret ingredient that you’d never expect. See the article here.
• For those of us on a special diet (and methinks that’s the majority these days!), here are Five Easy Ways to Serve Guests on a Special Diet from my friend Amy.
• Win a ticket to Canada’s largest Gluten-Free Expo! Gluten-Free Makeup Gal is giving one away, here. Ends March 16th.
• Bob’s Red Mill is giving away a four-package low-carb flour kit! Win four types of flours. Enter here, until March 19th.
• Another new recipe–one that will help chase away those winter blues–is this very green, very fresh Creamy Broccoli Salad with Garlic Crunch Topper over on the Attune Foods Blog. This is a salad that will remind you of spring even though it’s delicious all year round.

Do you have a blog linky event or giveaway you’d like me to mention? I also will occasionally mention new courses that bloggers offer their readers. Send me an email with the details to dietdessertdogsATgmailDOTcom and I’ll include three or four each week. Please note that I cannot always accommodate all requests.

PLEASE DO NOT ADD YOUR GIVEAWAYS OR CONTESTS TO THE LINKYS BELOW–THEY ARE FOR RECIPES ONLY.

This Week’s Picks:

I can’t wait for spring! As I mentioned this morning, I’ve been dreaming of green lately. So this week’s picks all focus on the theme, “Gimme some Green!”:

Santa Fe Quinoa Stuffed Bell Peppers from Practical-Stewardship. Love the mix of ingredients in the filling!

Roasted Acorn, Beet, and Satsuma Salad with Almond Sesame Dressing from Vegan Richa. Richa recommends baby kale for this salad–sounds perfect to me!

Suran (Yam) and Malabar Spinach Curry from Cooking with Siri. Such a great idea to include spinach in your curry–all in one flavor AND nutrition.

And This Week’s Readers’ Choices:

Readers’ Choice, Savory:

Five-Ingredient Sesame Nut Crackers from Food & Yoga for Life. Easy to make–and sound so good!

Readers’ Choice, Sweet:

Decadent Dark Chocolate Fudge from Healthy Life Lessons. I swooned a little when I read about this fudge. And it’s only got 4 ingredients.

Thanks for joining in and sharing all your healthy, sugar-free and vegan recipes. I love seeing what you whip up each week! And I hope you’ll also share on twitter, Facebook and Pinterest, too!

Here’s How to Participate:

The event occurs once a week, starting Thursdays at 8:00 PM my time and running until the following Monday at midnight.

1. Simply link up a vegan recipe you made (and posted about) that contains health-supporting ingredients. This means any good-for-you whole foods, especially those with antioxidant properties or “functional foods” (ie, offering naturally medicinal or health-promoting qualities–such as garlic, coconut oil, all vegetables, fruits, herbs, etc.)–but any fresh, real food is welcome! No-no’s include white flour or sugar, highly processed foods, or animal products. Items like vegan protein powder, grain or bean flours, or coconut milk are fine even though they are technically “processed,” since they either contain a single ingredient, or could technically be made at home. Also, if you render a recipe vegan-friendly by adding a vegan option to your ingredients, your post will be good to go! Definite no-no’s include: cane sugar (evaporated or otherwise), sweeteners ending in -itol, margarines, or faux meat products.
2. This is a recipe event. Your blog post must contain a recipe.
3. You may link up older posts from your archives as long as they contain a link to this post. Please do not link up any posts you have previously shared at an earlier Wellness Weekend event.
4. Please link the post with your recipe, NOT your blog’s home page or another event page. The post must contain a recipe.
5. You may submit up to three recipes, but please follow the guidelines for each one individually. ONLY ONE THUMBNAIL FROM EACH BLOG POST, PLEASE.If your post contains two suitable recipes, link up once and people will still see all your fabulous recipes when they click on the linky.
6. Please mention this event and include a link back to this post so that others can find all the recipes posted!
7. Feel free to use the blog badge, above (or see the left sidebar of this page–if you need the html code, let me know and I’ll send it to you). Many thanks to Adrienne of Whole New Mom for setting up the badge code for me!

PLEASE NOTE: In order to promote your posts and the event, I like to occasionally tweet, mention on Facebook, or pin your blog post(s). On occasion, I will repost your photos in the following week’s Wellness Weekend as well. If you prefer that I NOT use your photos or links, please let me know in the comments below, or send an email to me at dietdessertdogsATgmailDOTcom. Thanks!

I will reluctantly remove any links that don’t comply. I apologize, but I will no longer be able to leave a comment telling you that I’ve removed a non-compliant link. I hate to have to remove links! PLEASE READ THE GUIDELINES BEFORE POSTING!

And now. . . what have you been cooking up lately? Please share!

Never miss a recipe–or a comment from The Girls! Click here to subscribe to Diet, Dessert and Dogs via email. (“We love subscribers, Mum. . . almost as much as we love treats!”).

Note: This post may contain affiliate links. If you purchase a product or service after clicking on the affiliate link, your purchase will help to support this blog via the small compensation I receive.

Are you starting to crave green like I am? It’s around this time of year that I grow weary of squash and root veggies and instead start dreaming of all things green (well–given my anti-candida crusade–the exception there is mold, of course). This creamy broccoli salad that I created for Attune foods is a perfect example. It’s a vegan and gluten free recipe that’s easy, quick, and yes, very green.

One of my favorite vegetables that works in any season is broccoli. It’s great cooked, roasted, in soup, raw or as a vehicle for your favorite dip.  In this salad, the brilliant emerald hue heralds spring, and the combination of creamy dressing and crunchy, garlicky topper creates a stellar culinary experience.

Head over to the Attune foods blog to check out the recipe, and get a little early taste of spring!

(PS Book edits continue apace. . . I should be breathing normally again next week. Thanks, all, for your patience!).

What if you could snack on raw cookie dough that was full of protein, lower on the glycemic index, gluten free. . . AND designed specifically as a snack rather than a baked good (though I bet this would bake up just fine–)? There’s also a filling, delicious breakfast tart and perfectly portable nutrient-dense muffins for your lunchbag or backpack.

That’s right: sweet treats. . . from chickpeas.  Yes, seriously!

With frantic book edits going on now, I haven’t created much in my kitchen in the past couple of weeks, but I had to share these sweet treats I created last month for VegNews, each made with chickpeas or chickpea flour.

To see the recipes for raw Oatmeal-Raisin Cookie Dough, Breakfast Socca with Cinnamon-Glazed Apples and Sweet Potato Spread or Applesauce Muffins–all three can be eaten on an anti-candida diet**–head over to VegNews.  And don’t forget to leave a comment and let me know what you think!

** to make the cookie dough ACD-friendly, omit the raisins and replace with unsweetened carob chips or cacao nibs.

Oh, and I couldn’t end this post without mentioning that my Girls have got their moment of fame (well, on a site other than this one, that is!).  Check out Elsie and Chaser as the “cover dogs” on Our Hen House’s “This Animal on This Day” feature today!! (“That’s great, Mum. . . but frankly, we’d rather eat some of that cookie dough!”).

Never miss a recipe–or a comment from The Girls! Click here to subscribe to Diet, Dessert and Dogs via email. (“We love subscribers, Mum. . . almost as much as we love treats!”)

Last Year at this Time:  Butterscotch Walco-Nut Butter (gluten free; ACD  All Stages)

Two Years Ago: Adzuki Spread (gluten free; ACD Stage 2 and beyond)

Three Years Ago: Cheese Filled Olive and Onion Bread (gluten free; ACD Stage 2 and beyond)

Five Years Ago: Cookbook Review: Nava Atlas’s Vegan Express

© Ricki Heller, Diet, Dessert and Dogs

Hi Everyone! Once again, I can hardly believe how quickly the time is flying!

Just a heads up: I may not be around the blog as much as usual over the next three weeks while final book edits are in full swing. Given the number of comments and requests for changes from my editor (let’s just say it looks like she wrote more than I did!), it may be hectic in the DDD household until April. (But did you see the sneak peek at the cookbook photos I posted yesterday?).

But that won’t stop WellnessWeekend! As always, you all rose to the challenge with panache and creativity last week. I loved the Sexy Raw Maca Chocolates, Gluten-Free Pear Spice Cake, Kabocha Chickpea Fries and all your other marvelous recipes! Do keep ‘em coming.

Newsy Tidbits:

• I participated in a fun Q & A called The Next Big Thing, in which I answered questions about my upcoming book, what’s in my fridge, and who I’d like to play me and the HH in a movie of my life. In case you missed it yesterday, check it out here (and see the list of other participating cookbook authors at the bottom of the post).
• There’s still time to make comforting casseroles before winter’s over! This post on Blisstree.com features ten of them. See the Blisstree post here.
• Wondering whether you should still use agave nectar? I examine the pros and cons in my recent post on Fitalicious, here.
• Does intentional eating help control obesity and maintain weight loss? This article by my friend Cheryl Harris examines the topic from a dietician’s perspective, but I found it infinitely useful, too. Read it here.
• And finally, an alternative to hummus! Here’s my recipe for Byesar (fava bean dip) that’s just as delicious–and maybe even easier. See it on The Balanced Platter, here. 

Do you have a blog linky event or giveaway you’d like me to mention? I also will occasionally mention new courses that bloggers offer their readers. Send me an email with the details to dietdessertdogsATgmailDOTcom and I’ll include three or four each week. Please note that I cannot always accommodate all requests.

PLEASE DO NOT ADD YOUR GIVEAWAYS OR CONTESTS TO THE LINKYS BELOW–THEY ARE FOR RECIPES ONLY.

This Week’s Picks:

Here are this week’s picks on the superfood ingredient theme, “recipes with seeds”:

Creamy Vanilla Bean Chia Custard from Triumph of the Lentil. Vanilla + custard = irresistible dessert!

Carrot Hemp Seed Crackers from Cats in the Kitchen. These sounds super-simple and yet so delicious–almost a sweet treat!

Watermelon Curry from Green Gourmet Giraffe. I love how Johanna used this familiar ingredient in such a different way here. Intriguing, indeed!

And This Week’s Readers’ Choices:

Readers’ Choice, Savory:

Five-Ingredient Salad Dressing from Whole New Mom. Gotta love the simplicity of this yummy dressing!

Readers’ Choice, Sweet:

Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies from Sift, Stir, & Savour. You won’t believe what’s in these!

Thanks for joining in and sharing all your healthy, sugar-free and vegan recipes. I love seeing what you whip up each week! And I hope you’ll also share on twitter, Facebook and Pinterest, too!

Here’s How to Participate:

The event occurs once a week, starting Thursdays at 8:00 PM my time and running until the following Monday at midnight.

1. Simply link up a vegan recipe you made (and posted about) that contains health-supporting ingredients. This means any good-for-you whole foods, especially those with antioxidant properties or “functional foods” (ie, offering naturally medicinal or health-promoting qualities–such as garlic, coconut oil, all vegetables, fruits, herbs, etc.)–but any fresh, real food is welcome! No-no’s include white flour or sugar, highly processed foods, or animal products. Items like vegan protein powder, grain or bean flours, or coconut milk are fine even though they are technically “processed,” since they either contain a single ingredient, or could technically be made at home. Also, if you render a recipe vegan-friendly by adding a vegan option to your ingredients, your post will be good to go! Definite no-no’s include: cane sugar (evaporated or otherwise), sweeteners ending in -itol, margarines, or faux meat products.
2. This is a recipe event. Your blog post must contain a recipe.
3. You may link up older posts from your archives as long as they contain a link to this post. Please do not link up any posts you have previously shared at an earlier Wellness Weekend event.
4. Please link the post with your recipe, NOT your blog’s home page or another event page. The post must contain a recipe.
5. You may submit up to three recipes, but please follow the guidelines for each one individually. ONLY ONE THUMBNAIL FROM EACH BLOG POST, PLEASE.If your post contains two suitable recipes, link up once and people will still see all your fabulous recipes when they click on the linky.
6. Please mention this event and include a link back to this post so that others can find all the recipes posted!
7. Feel free to use the blog badge, above (or see the left sidebar of this page–if you need the html code, let me know and I’ll send it to you). Many thanks to Adrienne of Whole New Mom for setting up the badge code for me!

PLEASE NOTE: In order to promote your posts and the event, I like to occasionally tweet, mention on Facebook, or pin your blog post(s). On occasion, I will repost your photos in the following week’s Wellness Weekend as well. If you prefer that I NOT use your photos or links, please let me know in the comments below, or send an email to me at dietdessertdogsATgmailDOTcom. Thanks!

I will reluctantly remove any links that don’t comply. I apologize, but I will no longer be able to leave a comment telling you that I’ve removed a non-compliant link. I hate to have to remove links! PLEASE READ THE GUIDELINES BEFORE POSTING!

And now. . . what have you been cooking up lately? Please share!

Never miss a recipe–or a comment from The Girls! Click here to subscribe to Diet, Dessert and Dogs via email. (“We love subscribers, Mum. . . almost as much as we love treats!”).

Note: This post may contain affiliate links. If you purchase a product or service after clicking on the affiliate link, your purchase will help to support this blog via the small compensation I receive.

[Sometimes, you just want a dish that's quick and easy--no fuss. I've decided to offer a mini-post every once in a while, for a dish that comes together incredibly quickly or else is so simple to make that no recipe is required. Here's today's "Flash in the Pan." (For other FitP recipes, see "Categories" at right).]

Have you noticed that there are more Flash in the Pan (ie, quick or simple-to-make), recipes on the blog lately? Aside from the fact that many of you have requested faster and easier fare, I must admit that lately I turn to whatever thing it is I can conjure up in the kitchen with either (a) 30 minutes or less total time from prep to table; or (b) almost-instant prep time with a more protracted cooking time that allows me to go off and to my own thing for, oh, a few hours (finally, I get why so many of you love your slow cookers). These divine onion crisps fall into the latter category.

The other night, I was frying up some onions as the first step to some other recipe (which now eludes me).  It was close to dinnertime, and The HH happened to walk through the door from work just as the onions reached their peak of bronzed, pliable, caramelized glory.

“Oh, wow, those smell good,” he remarked as The Girls stampeded toward the door to greet him. “There’s nothing quite like fried onions, is there.” It was more a statement than a question, to be sure. And I couldn’t agree more.  When I catch a whiff of onions being sautéed up for a stir-fry, or a pilaf, or the beginnings of a soup, I often want to stop right there and just pile a bunch of the tangled golden mess on top of a cracker and enjoy.

Well, I decided to follow that urge with these crisps.  I’ve feasted on kale chips and zucchini chips, and I’m always trying to find other kind of veg chips I can bake up at home. They’re a great way to consume more veggies without too much starch, fat or salt, but it’s the prep that always stops me, since I don’t own a mandoline and cutting slice after slice of zucchini or sweet potato or parsnip or whatever feels like too onerous a task.

Enter. . . onions! Onions come ready made with their own, built-in, slices!  Just cut into quarters and peel apart. It’s almost instant! I took an onion, peeled it and tossed with olive oil, and popped it in the oven on a cookie sheet for 20 minutes.

[Raw onions on their way into the oven.]

. . . . And burned most of it. (It was at that moment I wished I hadn’t sold my dehydrator four years ago). Regular heat was just too intense for the delicate edges of the onion layers.

But I was not deterred! I knew that onions offered a good amount of flavonoids (a kind of antioxidant), especially quercetin, useful to reduce allergies–exactly what I need during the winter months (though it can’t actually get rid of my “allergy” to winter itself, sadly.). Onions are also rich in sulfur compounds that can help prevent cardiovascular disease; they can improve the quality of bone and connective tissue (as someone with osteopenia, I love that one); they are anti-inflammatory; and they help prevent cancer. And, of course, there’s the heavenly flavor of a well-caramelized onion. For 46 calories in an entire medium bulb, you really can’t go wrong.

In the end, I found a way to make these so that they are evenly browned and perfectly light and crisp. If you like onion rings or caramelized onion, you will love these crisps. I also realized that a dehydrator might not work quite as well, since the onions won’t actually brown if the temperature is too low. But if you’re okay with that, go for it.

So go ahead and try these out. They practically make themselves while you head out to focus on the rest of your life.

I’m linking this post to Thank Your Body Thursday.

[Your perfect snack awaits.]

I’m linking up to Iris’s Five-Ingredient Mondays.

“Mum, I’m sorry to say that those crisps don’t look at all appealing to me. . . I guess because they’re onion, which you know is poison for dogs. But then again, poo looks appetizing to me and Chaser, so what do we know?”

Never miss a recipe–or a comment from The Girls! Click here to subscribe to Diet, Dessert and Dogs via email. (“We love subscribers, Mum. . . almost as much as we love treats!”)

Last Year at this Time: Butterscotch Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies (gluten free; ACD Stage 3 and beyond)

Two Years Ago: Crunchy Green Salad (gluten free; ACD Stage 2 and beyond)

Three Years Ago: Warm Chickpea and Artichoke Salad (gluten free; ACD Stage 2 and beyond)

Five Years Ago: What To Do with the Weight When You Lose It

© Ricki Heller, Diet, Dessert and Dogs

Hey Everyone! It’s that time again. . . . Wellness Weekend time! (Wait, does that sound like a beer commercial?!).

Well, no beer in last week’s event (that would not exactly count as a whole food, would it?), but there were 32 amazing creations, all filled with good-for-you ingredients and many suitable for the candida diet! Thanks so much to all of you who participate, and who visit/comment on all the entries, too. What an amazing virtual pot luck we create together each week!

Newsy Tidbits:

• I’m going to be a speaker at the Gluten Free Garage event in April! This is a popup event in Toronto that showcases all things gluten-free! And I’m very excited to know that my friend Maggie Savage is also on the roster! I’ll remind you all again, but if you’re looking to attend, here’s the basic info.
• The March-April issue of Simply Gluten-Free is out! It’s called Spring Fling and contains loads of the latest gluten-free news, information about kids, makeup and travel, and–of course–recipes! Here’s a peek at one of mine, a Savory Crepe with Caramelized Onion, Asparagus and Edamame and Cashew Cream Drizzle that I modeled after one I ate in New York City. Yum!

• My friend JL from JL Goes Vegan is giving away a copy of the new cookbook by Robin Robertson, Nut Butter Universe! That’s right: EVERY recipe contains nut butter!  Check out the details or enter the giveaway here. Until March 4th.
• Recipe Renovator is giving away a copy of The Artful Vegan as well as as well as a $50 gift certificate to Millenium Restaurant in San Francisco! Wish I lived there. . . . Details here. Runs until March 7th.
• Out to Lunch Creations is giving away the ebook Crash Course in Gluten Free Living by Kristin Rugg Dovbniak. The book is a primer for living gluten-free with lots of vegan recipes and info. To enter, go here. Ends March 9th.
• I had a little fun by posting this “teaser” pic on Facebook today of the amazing new snack I’ve been munching (the recipe will be up tomorrow on the blog). Well, I’m loving the guesses from everyone as to what these are made of! Want to add your opinion? “Like” DDD on Facebook and chime in here! (And don’t forget to come back tomorrow for the reveal!).

Do you have a blog linky event or giveaway you’d like me to mention? I also will occasionally mention new courses that bloggers offer their readers. Send me an email with the details to dietdessertdogsATgmailDOTcom and I’ll include three or four each week. Please note that I cannot always accommodate all requests.

PLEASE DO NOT ADD YOUR GIVEAWAYS OR CONTESTS TO THE LINKYS BELOW–THEY ARE FOR RECIPES ONLY.

This Week’s Picks:

Here are this week’s picks on the theme, “the sweet stuff”:

Raw Orange Creamsicle Swirl Cheesecake from Sweet & Healthy Living. I’ve been able to consume oranges again once in a great while–my next one is going to this!.

Oatmeal Raisin Muffins from Veggie V’s Vegan Adventure. Breakfast yum!

Date Paste from Gluten Free SCD and Veggie. I know lots of you use this in your sweet treats–SO versatile!

And This Week’s Readers’ Choices:

Readers’ Choice, Savory:

Bejeweled Brussels Sprouts from glutenfreehappytummy. I’m so glad you all loved this recipe as much as I did! Caralyn has a knack for making gorgeous, colorful veggie dishes–this one is no exception!

Readers’ Choice, Sweet:

Three-Ingredient Vegan Cinnamon Raisin Peanut Butter Cookies from Wayfaring Chocolate. How can you go wrong with “Three Ingredient”? And Peanut Butter? And COOKIES?!

Thanks for joining in and sharing all your healthy, sugar-free and vegan recipes. I love seeing what you whip up each week! And I hope you’ll also share on twitter, Facebook and Pinterest, too!

Here’s How to Participate:

The event occurs once a week, starting Thursdays at 8:00 PM my time and running until the following Monday at midnight.

1. Simply link up a vegan recipe you made (and posted about) that contains health-supporting ingredients. This means any good-for-you whole foods, especially those with antioxidant properties or “functional foods” (ie, offering naturally medicinal or health-promoting qualities–such as garlic, coconut oil, all vegetables, fruits, herbs, etc.)–but any fresh, real food is welcome! No-no’s include white flour or sugar, highly processed foods, or animal products. Items like vegan protein powder, grain or bean flours, or coconut milk are fine even though they are technically “processed,” since they either contain a single ingredient, or could technically be made at home. Also, if you render a recipe vegan-friendly by adding a vegan option to your ingredients, your post will be good to go! Definite no-no’s include: cane sugar (evaporated or otherwise), sweeteners ending in -itol, margarines, or faux meat products.
2. This is a recipe event. Your blog post must contain a recipe.
3. You may link up older posts from your archives as long as they contain a link to this post. Please do not link up any posts you have previously shared at an earlier Wellness Weekend event.
4. Please link the post with your recipe, NOT your blog’s home page or another event page. The post must contain a recipe.
5. You may submit up to three recipes, but please follow the guidelines for each one individually. ONLY ONE THUMBNAIL FROM EACH BLOG POST, PLEASE.If your post contains two suitable recipes, link up once and people will still see all your fabulous recipes when they click on the linky.
6. Please mention this event and include a link back to this post so that others can find all the recipes posted!
7. Feel free to use the blog badge, above (or see the left sidebar of this page–if you need the html code, let me know and I’ll send it to you). Many thanks to Adrienne of Whole New Mom for setting up the badge code for me!

PLEASE NOTE: In order to promote your posts and the event, I like to occasionally tweet, mention on Facebook, or pin your blog post(s). On occasion, I will repost your photos in the following week’s Wellness Weekend as well. If you prefer that I NOT use your photos or links, please let me know in the comments below, or send an email to me at dietdessertdogsATgmailDOTcom. Thanks!

I will reluctantly remove any links that don’t comply. I apologize, but I will no longer be able to leave a comment telling you that I’ve removed a non-compliant link. I hate to have to remove links! PLEASE READ THE GUIDELINES BEFORE POSTING!

And now. . . what have you been cooking up lately? Please share!

Never miss a recipe–or a comment from The Girls! Click here to subscribe to Diet, Dessert and Dogs via email. (“We love subscribers, Mum. . . almost as much as we love treats!”).

Note: This post may contain affiliate links. If you purchase a product or service after clicking on the affiliate link, your purchase will help to support this blog via the small compensation I receive.

[No, you're not in a time warp or losing your mind. . . this is, indeed, a repeat of an earlier post from January of this year, that was lost when my blog was hacked. Luckily for me, two intrepid readers, Jayme and Cristina, printed it out and were able to send it to me (thank you so much to both of you!). So here it is, re-transcribed in full, for your reading pleasure. Sadly, they weren't able to save all your wonderful comments from the original. So please do comment again--or if you missed it the first time!]

[Yes, you can eat all of these things on Stage 1 of the diet! Clockwise from upper left: Kale Salad, Fully Loaded; Black Bean Fudge; Grain and Veggie Bowl; Grain-Free Coconut Flour Biscuit; Sweet Potato Wedges with Sweet Almond Sauce; High Protein Snackin' Orbs. ]

While I’m not big on “year in review” posts on the blog and I don’t believe in new year’s resolutions (though I do set goals every year), I thought it was time for another anti-candida diet update for those of you who’ve been following along this journey with me since March, 2009–and for those of you who are newer to the blog, here’s why I eat the way I do. (Oh, and if you’re here just for the recipe, feel free to skip on down to the bottom of the post and enjoy some anti-candida friendly Nachos Supreme).

FIRST, AN ANTI-CANDIDA UPDATE:

I haven’t shared much about the ACD lately. For many of us, just embarking on the diet is a Herculean task, the first three or so months so challenging that you want to vent and share and question and gain some sort of catharsis just by putting all your frustrations, fears and fury out there. For me, the beginning of the diet was like hearing from an old nemesis who’d moved away for a while and then suddenly thunders back into town, harassing you with phone calls every day and asking for all kinds of favors. You dread hearing from that “friend” again. No wonder I’ve avoided the topic.

Still, now that I’m heading into four years on the diet, I feel as if I’ve established a certain level of stability and imagine that this is the way I will live for the rest of my life. This kind of balance is, in most ways, reassuring and allows me to go about my daily business without having to pay attention to every morsel that passes my lips, and without having to worry too much that I’ll have a reaction to something I eat (though that still does happen, too–see below).

I’ve developed a strategy to deal with outbreaks and, for the most part, can anticipate them. But there are still ongoing challenges for me, in any case, that continue to this day. For those of you who’ve just started and feel as if there’s no end in sight, for those of you who may also be maintaining, or for those of you who are just curious, here’s an update, and what I’ve learned after almost 13 total years of experience with this diet.

[Faux Chocolate for when you can't have the real thing. . . or even when you can.]

1. Hold Steady on NO sugar, fungus, vinegar (except ACV), active yeast.

Over time, it gets easier to allow some formerly taboo ingredients back into your diet. I will never (NEVER) eat refined sugar again; however, my repertoire of natural sweeteners has grown from stevia and yacon syrup in Stage 1 to stevia, yacon, coconut sugar, coconut nectar, lucuma, and the (very occasional) agave. I still don’t consume maple syrup (sob) or any kind of cane sugar (take note, those of you on “sugar-free” diets: evaporated cane juice is just a fancy name for “sugar.”)

Also still prohibited from my culinary repertoire are mushrooms of all kinds (though I did take a tincture for sinus issues that contained some mushroom extracts, with no ill effects); any alcohol (double sob, especially at this time of year–Oh, Segura, how I missed thee on New Year’s Eve! Dear Glenlivet, how I wish you could warm my heart this winter; and take note, G&Ts, summers will never be the same without you), or regular vinegar (I do use apple cider vinegar, often referred to as ACV, since it’s known to have anti-fungal properties, among other myriad health benefits.)

I did re-introduce some previously banned foods once I entered Stage 3 and maintenance, a couple of years ago. These include whole-grain gluten-free flours (though I’ve come to realize that too much flour or too many flour-based foods don’t work for me), plus some lower glycemic fruits that I missed terribly and eat only on occasion (to wit, pomegranate, or goji berries in place of raisins and prunes in place of dates, plus a few others).

2. Address Slip-Ups as Quickly as Possible.

Just because I don’t eat sugar doesn’t mean I’ve beaten my sugar addiction. When I make desserts and consume them too often (which for me means once a day), I find that I crave them, begin to eat more, and eventually succumb to a “binge” (my definition of a binge these days is 3 or 4 cookies, say, nothing like the entire tubs of Betty Crocker Cream Cheese Frosting I used to eat, straight from the can, with a butter knife).

I still subscribe to Stacy Halprin’s philosophy, mentioned earlier on this blog: if you do slip up, do not berate yourself. Simply move to the next meal, or next snack, and start over as if it never happened. Repeat until the behavior sticks. Apparently it takes 6-8 tries for a smokers to permanently quit smoking; when I learned to drive (at the ripe old age of 33!), it took me more than a year–driving every day–before that habit became natural to me and I no longer had to think actively about it. I don’t see why overriding poor eating habits and conquering sweets cravings should be any different. In other words, I’m willing to keep trying 50 times, or 500 times, to prevail with healthy eating that sticks permanently. Nine-five percent of the time, I’m successful.

[Grain-Free Butterscotch Pudding.  Good for all stages of the diet, plus a bonus vegetable serving!]

3. My Weight Will Fluctuate.

Right now, my weight is “up” again. I tend to fluctuate up to 20 pounds in one direction or another (kids, do not try this at home). If I am consistent in my healthy eating and exercise, it eventually balances out again (though my naturopath is now suspecting adrenal fatigue–for which I’m currently being treated–and hidden, uncovered allergies in this case, for which I’ll follow an elimination diet eventually).

For me personally, certain carbs (mostly grains) seem to be the culprit. However, my diet also relies on fat-laden foods like nuts and seeds for much of my protein (and sweet cravings), so I am sure that my weight is connected to how much of those I consume as well; not to mention that I’m not heading into the stage of “mature woman” (though not getting those senior discounts just yet–darn!), which can cause weight gain. And, as many of you have helpfully pointed out in the comments, addressing long-standing emotional issues is essential to permanently banish excess weight. Despite many years of therapy (and continued visits), those emotional issues still hang on. But I’m working on it! If I go up a few pounds (or ten), I try not to freak out too much, which only causes stress (and then stress eating. . . a vicious cycle).

4. Pick Your Battles, in Food as in Life.

Even though I know that some foods might trigger cravings, I am not willing to forfeit all aspects of a “normal” life at this point being on the diet. My hubby and I still eat in restaurants on occasion (and that “occasion” has decreased dramatically from 3-4 times a week in our first year together, down to maybe once a month at present).

Similarly, when we’re on vacation, I do my best to ensure that the meals are ACD-compliant, but if I have some vinegar in a salad dressing, or even (gasp!) dates in a raw dessert, I do not worry about it. I find those aren’t he events that trigger overeating in any case; when I’m on holiday, I don’t have access to my own kitchen, so I won’t go bake up a brownie and scarf down three pieces of it one afternoon. For me, the triggers are much more here at home.

[Still a favorite snack and an absolute must for me when I want a "safe" sweet.]

5. When Necessary, Return to Square One.

Unlike weight-loss diets, the ACD is kind of a diet for life, and you don’t get to reincorporate most of the foods you gave up once you’ve attained your “goal.” It does afford the opportunity, on maintenance, to enjoy so many of the delicious, even decadent, desserts that I love so much; but with the ACD, I find that (for me, at least), it’s a good idea to return occasionally to the first stage of the diet, sort of like a detox or the way you can “revert to default settings” on your computer. I revisit Stage One when I feel I’ve veered too far from the strictures of anti-candida living (say, like when I’ve been baking 4 or 5 times a day over several months when testing for a new cookbook). At those times, I try to par down the diet and consume only the foods that helped to reverse the symptoms in the first place: clean veggies; fresh fruits, sparingly; nuts and seeds; less starchy legumes and beans; some grains.

When I’m attempting to reset my metabolism this way, I forfeit any baked goods and most flours as well, going grain-free as much as possible (I don’t worry about the occasional bowl of steel-cut oats or rice with Indian food, for instance, but I don’t’ mix up muffins or cakes or pancakes for breakfast during those times). After a couple of weeks on this regimen, I usually feel recharged and revitalized, ready to resume my regular ACD activities.

My goal this winter is to incorporate more fresh juices and raw foods into my winter diet. I love fresh juice–even 100% vegetable varieties–and raw foods have always been a favorite. The challenge, I think, will be to steer clear of sweeter desserts, even as I bake them up daily for the next month to complete a manuscript. [Edit, February 2013: manuscript completed--baking done for a while!]

[Cranberry, Pomegranate and Kale Healthy Cocktail]

So how will that affect what I post here on the blog? Expect to see more savory dishes and more grain-free fare (including desserts). I was delighted with your response to my detox juice post a while back and hope to post more juice recipes as well. And, of course, I want to hear from you and what you’d like to see more of: Stage One foods? Later foods? Stevia-based desserts? More main dishes? Let me know and I’ll go for it–I am always up for a recipe challenge!

If you’re on an anti-candida diet, or, like me, have been on it for a while, I’d love to hear how this compares to your experience. What are the greatest challenges for you on the diet? What has helped you to stay the course? Please share your experiences, tips and tricks, or anything else candida-related that you’d like in the comments! (Even if you’re not following an anti-candida diet, feel free to share your experiences around consuming sugar and how it has affected you as well).

And now–today’s recipe (congratulations if you’ve made it this far!).  This is a dish The HH and I have whenever I’m stumped for what to make for dinner, or if we simply feel like eating something that tastes a little bit “naughty.”   These are nachos fully loaded with all the toppers that we love and that make for totally indulgent “junk food.” This dish hits all the key spots for gustatory variety and satisfaction: crunchy (corn chips), salty (ditto), smooth and creamy (cheese sauce), briney (olives), hot and fiery (jalapenos), saucy (salsa), meaty (meat crumbles).  Feel free to substitute your own favorite cheese sauce or even grated Daiya if it means speeding up the prep time.

Never miss a recipe–or a comment from The Girls! Click here to subscribe to Diet, Dessert and Dogs via email. (“We love subscribers, Mum. . . almost as much as we love treats!”)

Last Year at this Time: Byesar (Fava Bean Hummus) (gluten free; ACD  All Stages)

Two Years Ago: Pâté Campagne (Country Pâté) (gluten free; ACD All Stages)

Three Years Ago: Flash in the Pan: Spicy Roasted Seeds (gluten free; ACD  All Stages)

Five Years Ago: Roasted Potatoes with Sweet and Sour Cippolini Onions (gluten free; ACD  Maintenance)

© Ricki Heller, Diet, Dessert and Dogs