Cyd Notter

Author and Nutrition Educator, Founder of The "Plan A" Diet™

Gift-worthy Banana Bread

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Looking for a little extra something to include in your gift packages this year? How about a full-sized loaf (or mini-loaf) of an EASY banana bread that's moist, delicious, oil-free, and healthy!

This recipe by Shane Martin over at Shane & Simple is my new favorite. A friend made this recipe into muffins and dropped a few on our doorstep last month. I was hooked and have been making  a loaf every time I have three very ripe bananas!

In addition to bananas, the other ingredients are quite simple and usually always on hand. The only difference from the recipe is that I do include walnuts.

I will definitely be exploring more recipes from Shane's website.

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Bruschetta Cheese Ball

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This Bruschetta Cheese Ball recipe from Sophia at www.veggiesdontbite.com is a definite keeper! We made it for a Thanksgiving appetizer and plan to make it again on Christmas Eve (if we don't eat it all before the party!)

No dairy and no added oil - just nuts, vinegar, garlic, bread crumbs, and spices. Please don't omit the sundried tomatoes and fresh basil - they really add to the flavor and make this tangy cheese ball delicious!

Note: As the recipe indicates, you don't have to go through the process of straining the mixture overnight to form a ball. Instead, you can just serve the mixture as a dip if you prefer - which is what I did.

We spread it on Whole Foods 365 brand "Woven Wheat" crackers and it was a hit!

This recipe was one of many included in the Holiday collection by Terri Edwards at www.eatplant-based.com. Check out the other recipes there as well.

If you make this cheese ball, let me know what you think!

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Olga – Improved Cognitive Function

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I met Cyd at a new church I attended in 2013 and we connected right off the bat. She invited me to spend a week or two with her in Florida just after a few weeks of meeting her. Since I’m retired, I jumped at the chance to leave Chicago weather to swim and sun in Florida.

Cyd was very open about how she chose to follow a whole food plant-based (WFPB) diet and asked if I had a problem with that. In my mind I’m saying, of course not, just invite me to Florida and I’ll eat whatever you’re making. So I jumped at the chance to spend time with my new friend and experience WFPB eating.

Read the rest of her story here.

Chocolate Ice Cream from Squash?

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Are you ready to try something completely different and EASY?

When the Engine 2 Team sent out a blog post showing Five Plant-Strong Squash Recipe ideas, I was eager to look into it because I love to bake squash in the fall. I was NOT expecting to see a recipe for Chocolate Ice Cream, however!

Just five simple ingredients. A bag of frozen squash, 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa (or cacao) powder, 1/4 cup almond milk, 1/4 cup maple syrup, and 1 tsp vanilla. Put all into a high-speed blender, using the tamper to mix the ingredients together until it reaches a sorbet consistency.

Don't do what I did, though. Using a Vitamix, it seemed like the texture wasn't getting very smooth and impatience got the best of me.  I added more almond milk when I shouldn't have, and it affected the consistency. It turned out a bit runny but still good. Lesson learned. Give the blender all the time it needs to process everything smooth, which is only a few minutes.

On a scale of 1-10, I'd give this recipe an 8 for flavor, and an 8 for texture (but my fault). My hubby liked it more than I did. Will I make it again? YES. Low-fat, nutritious chocolate ice cream in about 5 minutes? I'm in.

Butternut squash is very low in Saturated Fat, Cholesterol, and Sodium. It is also a good source of Vitamin C and Folate and a very good source of Vitamin A and Manganese.

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