About Moi

About Moi
My Name is Brittany, and I'm 23yrs old. I was diagnosed with Lupus when I was 15, and then diagnosed with RA, when I was 18. I also got married when I was 18, and I'm enjoying my happily ever after with my hubby! When I got married, I was slim and trim...But not for long. After getting married, I started to gain a LOT of weight! In 1yr, I gained 50lbs! Finally, I went to the Doctor, where I discovered I have low thyroid. After being put on medicine, my weight gain slowed down, although over the next 3yrs, I gained an additional 26lbs. When I was 20yrs old, I got yet another diagnoses of Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome. That's 4 diagnoses in a 5yr period, if you lost count. They all effect my weight, in one way or another. Add on top of that, my love affair with food, and every 1 of those 76lbs gained was accounted for. Being 76lbs over weight is unhealthy for anyone, but it was especially unhealthy for me, and my health issues. Since starting this blog, in Jan-2010, I have lost 40lbs! I'm a new, slimmer, and healthier me! Before losing weight, I was told I needed knee replacements. Losing weight was the ONLY tool I had to help me hold off on that life changing surgery. Since losing 40lbs, my knees have never felt better! My husband and I are also trying to start a family, but my PCOS was not going to make it as easy as 1,2,3, as I didn't have periods on my own. My doctor had told me if I wanted a baby, I HAD to lose weight. Since losing 40lbs, I've had regular cycles for the first time in my life! Which is very important when trying to have a baby ;) This journey of mine is more than me simply wanting to wear skinny jeans. It has been a quest to becoming :Deliciously Healthy, so ALL of my dreams can come true! I'm almost half way there! With each new day, I get closer and closer to my goal of 120lbs, and becoming :Deliciously Healthy!

Friday, November 19, 2010

Easy Apple Dumplings, and my :Deliciously Healthy Thanksgiving Menu

The one and only Pioneer Women has this amazingly delicious apple dumpling recipe. It involves 2 sticks of butter,
1 1/2 cups of sugar, and 2 cans of mountain dew, among other things.

It's so good...but you know that's going to go
straight to my hips
.

I also love her recipe, because it's very, very simple and quick. The prep time is seriously like 10 minutes.

Simple + Delicious = It has to find a place at my Thanksgiving table this year.

I just had to figure out how to lighten them up a bit.
A little less heart-attack in a casserole dish, and more Deliciously Healthy.

And I think that's exactly what I did.

I cut out some of the sugar, cut the butter in half, and used
apple cider in lieu of mountain dew
.And it tastes exactly the same.
That always amazes me.

(because I was experimenting with this, I cut the recipe in half, making only 8 dumplings, instead of 16. I've listed the full recipe, but my pictures are of half the recipe)


Deliciously Healthy Apple Dumplings:

What you need:
  • 2 granny smith apples
  • 2 cans of Pillsbury crescent rolls
  • 1 cup apple cider or apple juice
  • 1 stick of smart balance buttery spread (it's half butter, half margarine... and half the cal.)
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • cinnamon
What you do:
Preheat your oven to 350. Butter a 9x13 baking dish. Peel and core apples, then cut each apple into 8 slices, so you end up with 16 apple slices. Roll out the crescent roll dough. Then roll up an apple slice into each of the crescent rolls. Lay them side by side in your greased baking dish. Melt 1 stick of butter in sauce pan over low heat. When butter is melted, add apple cider, sugar, vanilla, and just barely stir together. You want it to be lumpy. Poor the mixture over the top of the dumplings. Sprinkle cinnamon over top, and bake for 30-40 minutes. Then get ready for some warm gooey goodness.
My husband may, or may not have screamed like a girl when he had one.I added a little low-fat whipped cream. It would be divine with vanilla ice cream.

info:
servings: 16
serving size: 1 dumpling
calories per serving: 230
How many calories are in a traditional slice of apple pie? 410!
I nearly cut the calories in half.
I'm making these apple dumplings in lieu of apple pie. Because by the time you're done eating your turkey, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, and everything else, there's just no room to eat 5 different kinds of pie. You always hope there's going to be, but there never is. These apple dumplings are going to be the perfect solution, to the too many pies problem. A slice of pumpkin pie, and one of these, and I'm
good to go
.

What other Deliciously Healthy yumminess is going to be on my table?
Funny you should ask:
  • Turkey, of course ;)
  • Mashed potatoes
  • Gina's stuffing
  • Whole wheat rolls
  • Cranberry sauce out of the can. Thanksgiving isn't thanksgiving to me, without a can shaped mold of cranberry sauce on the table.
  • And pumpkin pie. This is going to be this Monday's kitchen adventure. Wish me luck, and tune in on Monday to see how it goes!
I hope everyone has a very happy, and healthy thanksgiving!

8 comments:

Hannah Houshangi said...

You know you are totally feeding my food porn addiction. SOOOOo have to try making these. I have trouble finding Apple Cider in NZ tho and often wind up using Apple juice in recipes that call for it. Was what you used anything like Apple Juice?

135by2012 said...

This looks amazing and so easy. I think my husband would eat the whole baking dish over the course of a week. I wonder how they taste reheated?

I have to link back to this recipe in my blog today. AWESOME!

:Deliciously Healthy said...

Hannah- apple juice would work great! Apple cider is just what I had on hand. It's pretty much the same thing as apple juice.

They taste great reheated, or cold.

Unknown said...

Mmmmm, they look divine!!! I will be making this some time this season, for sure!!! Thanks for the recipe!

Alexia said...

looks so so good, brittany! and cute, too! gosh, everything can be made healthier huh?

:Deliciously Healthy said...

Yup! ;D

erica said...

Those apple dumplings lookout of this world! Thanks so much for sharing I will definitely give them a try!

xo

ladyofthehouse said...

Oh my goodness - these look and sound delicious!!! I will definitely be trying these!!

Thank you!
diane :)