Heart-to-Heart with Diane

Hello and Welcome! Isn't raising a family the greatest!? I know I've got the best job in the world, just being Mom! I love sharing things I've discovered that make being "Mom" better, easier or more fulfilling, and that is what this blog is all about. Welcome!

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Sugar Free? Try a "Fool" for Dessert


Delightful whipped cream!

I've been off sugar so long that I really can't remember how badly it had a hold on me. Six months abstinence can really break a habit. I'm glad to be off of it and know I can never go back. To my great surprise, my husband decided as a New Year's resolution to join me in my sugar-free eating habits. He is cruising along happily, making it look a lot easier than my "getting-off-sugar" struggle. We now have more sugar-free members of the family around the table than sugar-eaters. Hey, this is amazing!

I still enjoy sweets and am always on the lookout for a sugar-free dessert to replace the social refreshments that sugar provides at parties and family gatherings. This dessert isn't fat-free, of course, but delicious, impressive, and very sweet—without sugar. Serve sparingly in long-stemmed parfait dishes and I think you'll be quite satisfied that you have had dessert after all!

As long as you have whipping cream, you can make a dessert at a moment's notice. Just add 6 drops of liquid stevia to 1/3 pint of cream and whip it up. Taste it and add more drops of stevia if you need, but don't get it too sweet. The fruit will add more sweetness.

A "fool" is an English dessert made of whipped cream and crushed fruit. The British countryside is full of berries: gooseberries, red currants, strawberries, raspberries and mulberries. Berries and the cream of a good milk cow make a wholesome dessert!

Here are some "fools" to try:

*sliced banana and blueberries and a big dollop of whipped cream. Sprinkle with pecans.

*frozen berry mix (strawberries, blueberries and blackberries) can be partially thawed and then stirred into whipped cream, for a brilliant fuchsia-colored dessert.

*very ripe pears, chopped and mixed with whipped cream. Top with walnuts and a sprinkle of cinnamon.

*chopped bananas, topped with whipped cream sweetened with chocolate liquid stevia. Sift a light dusting of unsweetened cocoa powder on top for a dramatic effect. Sprinkle with peanuts. Very pretty table presentation. (Stir before eating, so the cocoa powder takes on the sweetening).

*put a dollop of whipped cream in the bottom of a parfait dish. Top liberally with raspberries. Put another small dollop on top. Sprinkle macadamia nuts on top.

Be a "fool" for dessert!


P.S. Mix homemade applesauce, cinnamon and unsweetened whipped cream together— luscious served on French toast. Tastes like dessert!

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