Healthy Fall Baking

As the weather cools and pumpkins show up in door steps and displays across the nation, it always puts me in the mood for fall baking. Pumpkin bread, pumpkin pie, pumpkin custard. YUM... but what about healthy eating you ask? Never fear, Pamela's Healthy Pantry is here!  You can enjoy these treats with a few modifications that make them super healthy! Enjoy!

Healthy Pumpkin Pie


1 14oz can solid pack pumpkin
6 egg whites
1 ½ cups fat free evaporated milk (or soy milk)
3/4 cup Coconut Nectar
1 ½ tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp nutmeg
½ tsp ground gloves
1 tsp vanilla extract (or for a fun flavor use maple instead)

Preheat over to 350º. Prepare pie crust as directed in
the Basic Pie Crust Recipe, set aside.
In large mixing bowl combine pumpkin, and egg whites.
milk, coconut nectar and spices. Pour into pie shell and
bake for 1 hour or until knife inserted in center comes
out clean. Cool, cut and serve.

Serves 6-8

For an extra healthy boost you can add ¼ cup of raw bran or ¼ cup of milled flax seed to this filling before baking.



Basic Pie Crust

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup almond flour or almond meal
1/2 cup olive oil (look for the type for cooking/baking
1/2 cup cold water
Additional flour to use when rolling out dough

Preheat over to 350º. Use a pastry blender or fork
to mix flour and margarine and until crumbly. Make
well in center and add cold water. Mix until dough is
consistent and you can form a ball. Divide the ball
into three smaller balls. On parchment paper dusted
with flour roll dough into thin circles just larger than
your pie pan. Carefully adjust dough into pan so that
there is no space between the crust and the pan.

For a Two Crust Pie: Fill with your favorite fruit pie recipe.
Roll second ball into large thin circle. Brush edges of bottom
crust with water and egg white mixture. Place top
crust and pinch to seal. Poke holes in the top crust. Brush
top with water and egg white mixture. Sprinkle with cinnamon,
nutmeg, or ginger any spice that will complement
your filling. Bake. for one hour or according
the pie recipe.

For a one crust custard type pie such as pumpkin or pecan, just fill and bake according to your
favorite pie recipe.

Happy Baking...watch for more great recipes on the Pamela's Healthy Pantry page on facebook.

Let's Dance

Hi my name is Pamela and I am a recovering addict.

Wow, I can hardly believe 28 days have passed since I first posted about this addiction. Today is my 29^th day of food-sobriety and I feel terrific. I never knew I could feel so free while taking better care of myself. In AA and NA they use the serenity prayer as a mantra in each meeting. I decided to start each day incorporating that into my morning talks with my Heavenly Father. ­

God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, (like the ingredients in processed food that triggers a binge in my body, or the fact that stress can be a trigger for me too.) The courage to change the things I can (I can change the way I react to those triggers and I can change what I eat so that most of those triggers are avoided. I can get enough sleep, and drink enough water so that my body is operating fully charged and fueled properly) and the wisdom to know the difference (I must do what I can do this day, this moment, unless I am healthy and walking in food sobriety, I cannot be useful to anyone else.)

Step 4 says this, “Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.”

When I first read it I didn’t think that really applied to food addiction. I mean, overall I am one of the most moral people I know. I don’t even watch TV that has violence or illicit sexual themes, I don’t get drunk, I don’t use drugs, I don’t usually cuss, I love my country, my mama and my dog, I don’t cheat on my husband…Yep, I could go on and on. Moral inventory seemed more appropriate for people who struggle with bad morals. But, I want to do this with integrity, so I decided to ask God to show me anything I needed to recognize as immoral in my life, or anything that was hindering me from the freedom to live healthy and food-wise in sobriety.

We tend to label things according to what we find to be moral, but none of us is without sin, therefore no one is completely moral. Lusting after Nutty Bars, Committing Gluttony with French onion dip, following a binge with sloth thereby keeping every calorie preserved in our hips and many other practices of the food-addict are all immoral by God’s standard. If we really allow God to show us the truth of our lives and take that FEARLESS moral inventory, we will recognize the things we CAN change with the help of God.

The good thing is, I already took a moral inventory at the same time I admitted my powerlessness over this addiction in step one. The hard part is, there is still more God is revealing to me as I walk in my sobriety and these steps are not a group of instructions that you follow one at a time until you have worked all 12. All 12 have to be worked all the time. Initially you have to come to understand them one at a time, but I believe these steps are more like a dance than a lesson plan. Thankfully most dances I know don’t have 12 steps to learn, but this life of sobriety is like, 1-2-3-Kick…repeat.  Every day that I dance in food sobriety is a day closer to understanding how much God can use me when I am not under bondage to unhealthy foods and stress induced habits.

Let’s dance!

Three and a half weeks in...

Hi, my name is Pamela and I am addicted to unhealthy & processed foods.

Three-and-a-half weeks into food-sobriety and I feel amazing. I was elated when the first 15 pounds came off so easily just because I was not participating in my addiction to processed or sugary foods. But, the first 10-15 pounds always comes off easily, so I rationalized that it would slow down right away. I didn’t want to be discouraged if my food-sobriety didn’t always have that awesome side effect. Well, so-far I have lost 24 pounds, and yes, I do expect it to slow down at some point and I will have to increase exercise to keep the weight coming down, if that is what I choose.

The great thing is, I get to make that choice. My big discovery this week is that I am seeking food-sobriety, and choosing to walk in that sobriety with God’s help on a daily basis FOR ME. My motivation is not to lose x number of pounds by a certain date or event, it’s not to impress my viewers or readers and it’s not even because my mom has been telling me I should get some weight off. For the first time in my life, no one else is making this choice for me. For the first time in my life, it is truly not primarily about a number on the scale, but about staying sober and vigilant about my food choices. It’s not even that absolutely everything I am eating would be considered the healthiest by some people. I eat regular cheese, I eat red meat sometimes, I even ate some stroganoff the other night…but I’m not eating any of the foods that I know will trigger a binge.

I did get caught unexpectedly this past Sunday. A friend and I went to lunch after church. The restaurant serves baskets of popcorn on each table, fresh and warm. I thought, A few pieces of popcorn sounds good. So I ate a few. Not more than 10 and I was fine. I thought, Cool, that was tasty. We ate our lunch and went our separate ways. I was surprised that on the way home I had an urge to swing through a drive through. I didn’t even know what I wanted…my body was just signaling that I wasn’t fully satisfied with lunch. I knew better. I had enjoyed two servings of squash, onions and peppers and a petite steak. I was fine. Still, even as I resisted that urge and arrived home everything in me, except my spirit and my will, craved something else to eat. I thought back on my food choices for the day…what had I eaten to trigger the craving? It was the popcorn, the popcorn oil/salt combo they use on it is like what movie theater’s use. I am positive it has ingredients that are not natural, but I didn’t consider that before I ate it.

With the mystery solved I was able to avoid a binge, but it was a tough afternoon. Lesson learned…if I do want popcorn I will select a natural variety and pop it myself, that way I know what I am putting into my body.

How about you, what were your successes and struggles this week?

Marinated Cucumber Salad

This is one of my absolutely favorite side dishes, and it's super easy to make. You can leaves the
peel on the cucumbers if you want to, just taste a slice first to make sure it's not bitter.

2 cucumbers, peeled and sliced

1 small onion, thinly sliced

1 small red bell pepper, julienned

1 TBSP chopped fresh dill, or 1 tsp dried dill.

1 pkt Truvia, or 1 TBSP Agave Nectar (I like the agave but truvia is better for diabetics)

¾ cup white vinegar

2 ¼ cups water

Combine all ingredients, put in fridge and marinate at least 3 hours, but overnight is better. Yum

Step 3: Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God, (as we understand Him.)

I am amazed at the difference in my body and my mind after just over two weeks of food-sobriety. Truly I have not ever gone two weeks without even one of the foods my body is addicted to. I have lost weight many times and have eaten “healthy” for months in a row; but not without cheating at some point, even in the first two weeks. I didn’t call it cheating, I justified it using the mantra we have been taught since birth, “everything is fine in moderation.” That is just not true. At least not for me, and not for someone addicted to unhealthy ingredients in processed foods. Moderate amounts of healthy, natural foods are great, but just as you wouldn’t feed on moderate amounts of arsenic, consuming moderate amounts of chemical preservatives, fillers and trans fats is not healthy and leads us off the path of food sobriety.

I bought into the idea, hook, line and sinker. It’s health-seeker-friendly actually, even though it is fallible. We would love to believe that if we usually eat healthy, here is nothing wrong with cheating once in a while. That works for millions of people, but it does not work for an addict. The idea of moderation made me believe that weight-loss and healthy eating were something I could manipulate and control through games of just- one-bite, okay, maybe one, and well, it’s a special occasion.  There was no way, as an addict, that I could limit myself to those games. Even IF I stopped at one in public, the binge that came later left me feeling like a failure and clouded with depression over my poor choice and lack of willpower.

My solution could be called bulemia by some, but I believe it was more of a symptom of the addiction. I could hide my binges if I kept losing weight. I could deny the lack of control, if there was one thing I could control. Yes, I am saying it…for the first time publicly. The binge/purge cycle that began in high-school never left my thoughts and while for years I did not surrender to the practice, as an adult in my late 30s and early 40s it became a controllable defense against the cycle of
addiction I had yet to realize.

I knew I had to stop. I couldn’t keep throwing up all the time without causing more damage to my body and it wasn’t working anyway. My weight loss had come to a stop and I was actually gaining weight, again. So, I stopped purging out of fear, but binges didn’t stop. I still craved my drug of choice; processed, sugary, fat laden foods.

Honesty is key. I have always known the scripture that tells us, “The truth will set you free,” I just never equated eating with dishonesty. Although, there is really no other way to describe baking a cake in the microwave, eating the whole thing and hiding the box in the bottom of the trash can so no one will notice. I cannot excuse telling the sixteen year old in the drive through that I was taking dinner to my husband in the field so they wouldn’t look at me funny when I ordered two extra value meals. Indeed my addiction had caused me to explain away odd behavior and unhealthy patterns, and in the thick of it, I didn’t even realize it was just plain dishonesty. I was not only addicted to those foods, I had become a liar too.

Today is different. This is a new day and a new life. I choose this day to walk in wholeness, wellness and food-sobriety. I choose to allow my will and my life to be fully in the care of God.  Today marks my 17^th day of food-sobriety and the completion of step 3 in the 12 step cycle. The bonus? As of this morning, sobriety has led to a 17-pound loss of unhealthy toxins and fats from the body that belongs to God, on loan to me for as long as HE wills. 

Deconstructed Apple Pie for Breakfast (AKA Apple Pie Hash)

Hi my name is Pamela and I am addicted to unhealthy foods.

Many food addicts struggle with the fist meal of the day. Perhaps breakfast is difficult because our body is enjoying the fast from the chemical preservatives and junk we typically fill it with during the day. As a result we don't feel hungry in the morning. I have noticed that when I am walking in the addiction, I cannot stand the thought of eating early in the day...but when I am eating healthy everything is different. I am actually ready for a huge glass of water and within a half hour of being up, I need to eat. But what to eat??? Yes, I keep a box of Cheerios on hand because it makes a great fast breakfast on days I don't have a lot of time. But I like to be creative so I'm not limited to cereal, veggie omelets and oatmeal. 

This is one of my favorite things to have for breakfast and it packs nutrients including protein, vitamin C, and more...and it's so good. Enjoy

Pamela's Healthy Garden - Apple Pie Hash

2 apples shredded (I like to use Granny Smith, Jonathan and/or Fuji)

2 tsp cinnamon

½ tsp nutmeg

1 Pkt Truvia

1 egg

1 ounce fat free shredded cheddar cheese  (If you shred it yourself, that will look like about a quarter cup)

Combine apples, spices, Truvia and egg until all ingredients are well incorporated. Heat skillet over med/high until water droplets sizzle when sprinkled on skillet. Spray skillet with non-stick spray. Spoon a quarter of the mixture into the skillet. Repeat until all of mixture is used as long as you have room in your skillet to turn your apple pies. Cook until golden brown, and holding together. Flip carefully to cook the other side. (I use two spatulas to keep the delicate patties in tact) It takes about 2 minutes on each side. You want to cook these a little slower than other types of griddle cakes so the apple softens a bit. Flip again, sprinkle cheddar on top, dividing it between each one. Cover and turn off burner, remove skillet from heat if using an electric stove. Serve as soon as cheese is melted to your preference. You can serve this without melting the cheese if you prefer.

You could dump the whole mixture in the pan and toss it until the apples are tender, allowing it to brown on each side...but the presentation is so pretty with the patties...and you know, I'm all about presentation. LOL.

Serves 2, less than 200 calories per serving. 

Enjoy, and keep coming back. It works if you work it.