NSA Banana Creme Pie with Oatmeal Coconut Crust

I adapted this recipe after browsing through the Murray website (murraysugarfree.com) and had to share!

Ingredients:
- 20 Murray sugar free oatmeal cookies
- 2 tablespoons of unsweetened flaked coconut
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 3 tablespoons light margarine, melted (or butter)
- 2 3/4 cups of cold skim milk
- 1/2 teaspoon coconut extract
- 2 packages of sugar free vanilla instant pudding & pie filling
- 1 large banana
- 1 1/2 cups frozen sugar free whipped topping, thawed (optional)

Directions:
1. Finely crush cookies. In a small bowl, combine the cookies, cinnamon, and coconut. Add the margarine and toss to coat. Press onto the bottom and sides of a 9-inch pie plate lightly coated with a nonstick cooking spray. Bake at 350 degrees F for eight minutes and cool completely.

2. In a large bowl combine the milk and coconut extract. Then add the pudding mix. Beat with a wire whisk for about 2 minutes or until thickened. Pour half of the pudding mixture into the crust. Slice the banana on top. Pour the remaining pudding mixture over the banana. Spread the whipped topping over it all. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, and you're done!


The website recommended sugar free vanilla pudding mix. However I know that Jell-O makes a sugar free banana creme pudding mix which might be better. Alternatively, you could use Jell-O's sugar free white chocolate pudding mix for an extra decadent taste and perhaps skip the banana.

No Sugar Added No-Bake Cheesecake

Ingredients:

- Mini cupcake foils

- 1-2 packs of Sugar Free Shortbread Cookies, I've used Murray's:

- Half of a lemon
- Splenda, Stevia, Agave syrup, etc.
- 16 oz cream cheese
- fresh berries
- 32 oz Greek yogurt
- (Optional) NOW Vanilla Extract which has no sugar or corn syrup added

Directions:
1. Soften the cream cheese by leaving it at room temperature for around an hour.

2. In a large bowl, mix the cream cheese, Greek yogurt, vanilla extract and the juice of the lemon half. Add sweetener to taste.

3. Chill the bowl in the refrigerator.

4. Put a spoonful of the no-bake cheesecake onto a cookie and place into a cupcake foil. Add a berry (or two!) on top.


Enjoy!

What are my options at Starbucks?

No/low sugar options at Starbucks:

~ "Double Light" Frappucinos = made with skim milk and sugar free syrup. Be sure you ask them to use the sugar free syrup to make the drink because "Double Light" might be just Chicago slang.

Sugar-free flavored syrups (for any drink):
- Vanilla
- Cinnamon Dolce
- Caramel
- Mocha

- Order an unsweetened beverage then sweeten it to taste with Splenda, stevia, etc.

- Tazo tea

- Avoid the whip

By adding a sugar-free syrup or your own sweetener and holding the whipped cream, you can enjoy most of your favorite beverages at Starbucks without feeling guilty about your blood sugar.

For example, an iced skinny flavored latte:

Evaluation of Sugar Free Reese's

The Sugar Free Reese's look great. Unfortunately their taste leaves much to be desired.

The sugar free peanut butter is okay, but the chocolate is asinine. I don't quite understand how Hershey's can befoul chocolate to the extent that they have. They're a company devoted to chocolate! Come on! Have some standards!

The chocolate dissipates in your mouth like an over-chewed piece of gum. It doesn't possess the rich and creamy texture of regular chocolate which slowly melts on your tongue. It's sweetened with Maltitol and sucralose (Splenda). Maltitol has a problem as an artificial sweetener in itself-- eat enough and it acts as a laxative. Upon comparing the ingredients, I could not determine what caused the chocolate disturbance. I will keep investigating though. Maybe the Maltitol...?

The numbers--
Price (1 cheap -> 5 very expensive): 3

They're substantially more expensive than regular Reese's.

Quality (1 awful -> 5 wonderful): 2

The peanut butter filling was decent...

Authenticity (1 not at all similar -> 5 can't tell the difference!): 1

No where near the creamy majesty of regular Reese's.

Evaluation of SoBe Zero Calorie Lifewater

As a kid, I cherished SoBe drinks and the rare opportunities to indulge in them. Their magnificent hues and bold flavors infatuated me. If offered the choice to drink one beverage for the rest of my life, I surely would have accepted SoBe.

In middle school the drinks lost some of their appeal. Maybe it's because I started buying some of my own things and SoBe ran a little high for a $2/week allowance...

Regardless, SoBe has once again attracted my attention with their Zero Calorie Lifewater. The colors are as bold and beautiful as I remember them:

But mere appearance has deceived me in the past. At first I was wary of this new wonder water. I didn't want to tarnish my mind's divine image of SoBe with another disappointing diet drink (unintentional alliteration utopia).

Thankfully, SoBe Zero Calorie Lifewater reached my hopes. I had missed fun fruity drinks with my hypoglycemia, but now it's not so bad.

Of course, the numbers--

Price (1 cheap -> 5 very expensive): 1.5

Depending on the store, it can cost just a bit more than your average bottled water.

Quality (1 awful -> 5 wonderful): 4

I love the exotic flavors and variety. The taste is crisp and refreshing.

Authenticity (1 not at all similar -> 5 can't tell the difference!): 5

If the bottle didn't have the white tops I'd never know that the Zero Calorie Lifewater isn't the golden drink of my youth.

(P.S. I'm not an advertisement. I promise. I just thought that I should do some reviews of good products before the bad ones!)

Fruit Salsa and Cinnamon Chips

Credit: Marcel's Culinary Experience

A very savory and healthy snack. Perfect for summer! Most fruits could be used, it just depends on what is in season.

Ingredients:
~ 2 kiwis, peeled and diced
~ 2 Golden Delicious apples, peeled, cored, and diced
~ 8 ounces raspberries
~ 1 pound strawberries
~ 3 tablespoons Splenda, Stevia, or your other favorite sweetener
~ 3 tablespoons of fruit preserves, any flavor (there are some sugar-free varieties in supermarkets)
~ 10 (10 inch) whole wheat tortillas (Trader Joe's has good ones)
~ butter-flavored cooking spray
~ 2 tablespoons cinnamon & sweetener blend

Directions:
1. In a large bowl, thoroughly mix kiwis, apples, raspberries, strawberries, sugar substitute, and fruit preserves. Cover and chill in the refrigerator at least 15 minutes.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

3. Coat one side of each tortilla with butter-flavored cooking spray. Cut into wedges and arrange in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Sprinkle wedges with desired amount of cinnamon and sweetener blend. Spray again with cooking spray.

4. Bake in the preheated oven 8 to 10 minutes. Repeat with any remaining tortilla wedges. Allow to cool approximately 15 minutes. Serve with chilled fruit mixture.


If anyone tries this recipe, please comment! Suggestions are always welcome.

Evaluation of Sugar Free Oreos

At first, I was skeptical when Mom had purchased a box of sugar free Oreos. Almost all sugar free chocolate that I had tried prior to these had not lived up to my expectations. I could taste the difference both in texture and richness immediately. So I postponed diving into these as a normal teen might with a pack of regular Oreos.

Eventually I opened the box. I carefully placed a few of these mutant Oreos onto a paper towel and grabbed a glass of cold milk. They felt like regular Oreos. They smelled like regular Oreos. The anticipation continued to rise. Could they taste like normal Oreos?

I dunked a cookie into the milk and watched bits of chocolate swirl around it. This was it. Too eager to wait for the milk to saturate the Oreo, I bit into it. If I hadn't known they were sugar free, their lack of sugar wouldn't have occurred to me. THEY TASTED LIKE REGULAR OREOS. *cues the heavenly music*

And down to the numbers--
Price (1 cheap -> 5 very expensive): 2

They're pretty cheap but normal Oreos are less expensive.

Quality (1 awful -> 5 wonderful): 4

Oreos aren't a delicacy but the next category clinches this spot for them...

Authenticity (1 not at all similar -> 5 can't tell the difference!): 5

Excellent! I can't tell it's not a regular Oreo.

Obligatory Introduction

I discovered that I had hypoglycemia when I was 16. Since then I've been searching for foods and drinks to make the transition more pleasant. This blog will hopefully compile my findings in an informative yet entertaining form.

In the process, I sincerely wish that people with other blood sugar problems will find this blog helpful. The market for no/low sugar products has expanded, but not enough.