tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9602464.post113943010129795963..comments2023-08-11T04:12:44.379-04:00Comments on Frugal Veggie Mama: Sugar Is Sweet but...Katiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17911065931537643607noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9602464.post-1139835729823268792006-02-13T08:02:00.000-05:002006-02-13T08:02:00.000-05:00Agnes,Thanks for the encouragement,Agnes,<BR/><BR/>Thanks for the encouragement,Katiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17911065931537643607noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9602464.post-1139667171347549882006-02-11T09:12:00.000-05:002006-02-11T09:12:00.000-05:00Good for you! We are trying to use less sugar too....Good for you! We are trying to use less sugar too. Packaged products have so much sugar content disguised under many names. We are using brown rice syrup and honey and unsweetened applesauce. In fact, I often omit the oil from a recipe and replace with the applesauce. Sometimes we use dried fruits in small amounts since there is still lots of sugar in them (actually more sugar in the same amoutn of fresh fruit because all the water content has been removed). Also, the mashed banana works well or other fresh fruit or even the juice from fresh fruit. Processed juice has lots of sugar. We are enjoying the experiements and don't miss the white stuff. Once you ween yourself from it and then taste something made with it, ugh, it's not even enjoyable. Makes my teeth hurt. And if I bring a baked item to a party I don't even bother to go into the "substitutions" I've made. No one has ever said the stuff wasn't sweet enough and the items always disappear. Wonder how much of our dependence on sugar is emotional? I will be checking back for recipe ideas. Thanks!vbhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14250317561020060806noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9602464.post-1139516741742068722006-02-09T15:25:00.000-05:002006-02-09T15:25:00.000-05:00Ruthie & Jennifer,Thanks for the tips and the reci...Ruthie & Jennifer,<BR/><BR/>Thanks for the tips and the recipe. I'm always looking for applesauce ideas! I like the idea of using more sweet foods to sweeten recipes (like that handy dandy applesauce!)Katiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17911065931537643607noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9602464.post-1139494069916935992006-02-09T09:07:00.000-05:002006-02-09T09:07:00.000-05:00I've been trying to omit sugar completely this yea...I've been trying to omit sugar completely this year with mixed results. Here's a recipe I've been using when I want a sweet treat, which has no sugar, and as a bonus it uses applesauce!<BR/><BR/>Applesauce Bar Cookies<BR/><BR/>20 oz applesauce<BR/>2 cups dried fruit (chopped if large pieces)<BR/>3 cups oats<BR/>1 cup oat bran<BR/>1 cup shredded unsweetened coconut<BR/>1 cup chopped nuts<BR/>3/4 tsp salt<BR/>1 1/4 cups apple or orange juice<BR/>1/4 cup oil<BR/><BR/>Combine applesauce and dried fruit in a saucepan. Cook on medium heat, stirring frequently, until thickened. In a large bowl, mix oats, oat bran, coconut, nuts and salt. Stir in juice and oil. Press half of the oat mixture in a greased 9 x 13" pan. Spread the applesauce mixture on top, then sprinkle on the rest of the oat mixture. Press down lightly. Bake at 350-degrees for 30 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool and cut into squares.Jennifer C.https://www.blogger.com/profile/06577833861854690187noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9602464.post-1139448984280971852006-02-08T20:36:00.000-05:002006-02-08T20:36:00.000-05:00YAY for less sugar! :) I have found that mashed ba...YAY for less sugar! :) <BR/><BR/>I have found that mashed bananas and apple sauce make baked goods sweeter and you can omit some sweetener if you use them to moisten. I.E. If you're making banana muffins, you can get by with using 2-3 Tb of sugar instead of 1/4 a cup. :) And that means just 1/2 tsp per muffin!<BR/><BR/>It's been hard for us to decrease our sugar intake, because less-sweet things just aren't as tasty! But considering the dips and jumps of my blood sugar lately, it's purely necessity.<BR/><BR/>Please tell me any insights you find!<BR/>RuthieRuthiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15385890645302358783noreply@blogger.com