Sugar Free Stewed Rhubarb and Ginger Compote

I love rhubarb season and having three mature rhubarb plants in the garden there is always plenty to go round. We always enjoy stewed rhubarb, it is such an easy way to use up a great harvest. But I am not keen on the amount of refined sugar that is used. Rhubarb has quite a bitter taste when it is cooked without the sugar. This got me thinking as to how I could stew rhubarb using only natural sweeteners. It took quite a few tastes, adding more ingredients but I finally got a balance between the sweet and sour flavours and have got a healthier stewed rhubarb.

This is what I did...

Dairy Free, Free From Refined Sugar Easter Fruit Oaty Snack - An Alternative #FreeFromEaster with Aldi

Recently I have been experimenting more and more with free from baking so when Aldi challenged me to create an alternative Easter bake I jumped at the chance. At the end of the week the children break up for the Easter holidays and we all know how important it is to keep them busy. This weeks Aldi recipe is perfect to make with the children and I even had a little helper when I made these.

These lovely little fruit oaty snacks are a bit like a soft flapjack that can be cut into a range of shapes and decorated as you wish. They are dairy free and free from refined sugar. We added fruit and honey to give them a natural sweetness. Aldi have got lots of delicious Easter recipes, including some free from treats, in their Easter section. But for now let me and my little helper show and tell you what we did...

Gluten Free Banana Bread (Wheat-free, Rice-Free and Free From Refined Sugar)

Finally I have my baking mojo back and I have a very happy hubby! Since discovering The Free From Fairy Gluten-Free Wholegrain Flour my gluten free bakes have literally been transformed. Using this fantastic flour gives us bakes that do not have the powdery finish that I got using other gluten free flours.

Whenever I have any ripe bananas that are going brown I love to use them in bakes and as I had a bag of The Free From Fairy flour I knew it was the perfect time to have a go at making a gluten free banana bread. Believe me, we were not disappointed!

This is what I did...

Gluten Free and Refined Sugar Free Easter Cupcakes - #FreeFromEaster

Following on from the Free From Pancakes collaboration I am, again, joining forces with some amazing free from bloggers to bring you a free from Easter.

I have been told by the hubby that he misses my baking so I am going to be experimenting a lot more with gluten free bakes. I will admit I have found the thought of baking gluten free quite daunting. I can bake gluten free cakes but I am yet to perfect a loaf and still need to try making pastry. So over the coming months I am going to rediscover my baking passion. I find reading the other free from blogs so inspiring and they really do give me the confidence to try more. My aim is to show you that it is possible to create baked treats that are gluten free and will please the whole family, not just those that follow a gluten free diet.

For my first of two free from Easter bakes I have made some delicious chocolate cup cakes and next week I will be sharing a savoury recipe. So keep an eye out for that one!

Today's recipe is a simple sponge cupcake but is gluten free and free from refined sugar. This is what I did...

Pancake Day is Coming!

Next Tuesday is one of the children's favourite foodie days. Next Tuesday is Shrove Tuesday, Pancake Day!

So when Aldi asked me if I would like to share our favourite fillings I knew that I wanted to make this years pancakes healthier than normal. We usually have pancakes with chocolate spread or lemon juice and sugar. I know it is only once a year, but we have hugely reduced our sugar intake and do not want to have pancakes filled with sugar this year!

This year I want to move away from the usual lemon juice and sugar and go for a healthier sweet filling. I have also made a savoury pancake topping which the twins loved! I am going to show you how you can still enjoy pancakes without all of the added refined sugars and still have incredibly tasty pancakes that the kids will love!

When it comes to making the all important batter the easiest way to remember the amount of flour, eggs and milk that you need is to remember the 1, 2, 3 rule. 100g of flour, 2 eggs and 300mls semi skimmed milk or dairy free milk.

This is what I did...

Green Goodness Breakfast Bowl

As it is National Breakfast Week I thought that I would share with you my favourite breakfast. Recently I have begun to enjoy breakfast time more and more. My breakfast usually consists of a smoothie or muesli. But recently thanks to Deliciously Ella I have discovered how you can transform a smoothie into so much more by simply adding avocado!

My smoothies have done from a drink to something so much more filling and nourishing. My smoothies are now thicker and have more of a yogurt consistency. 

Today's recipe contains 4 different fruits, avocado, coconut milk, manuka honey, seeds and green matcha tea!

This is what I did...

Great Bloggers Bake Off - Free From Week - Coconut Bounty Cake

When I saw that the week that I would be hosting the Great Bloggers Bake Off linky party was free from week to say I was excited (and pleased!) is an understatement!

I have recently been baking and eating more free from foods. This have been a journey of food discovery. Free from baking is completely different from traditional baking. All of the weights that you regularly follow go out of the window. It is like learning all over again. Different flours and ingredients act in different ways so some research needed to be done.

This week, in the tent, the bakers had the following challenges...

• The signature challenge saw the bakers create a variety of sugar-free cakes. They used honey, agave syrup and fruit, but there's more to replacing sugar than just adding sweetness.

• Paul's technical challenge was gluten-free pittas, which are made with a very sticky dough which really tested the bakers' skill.

• For their show-stopper, the bakers made dairy-free ice cream rolls. Mary and Paul were looking for silky-smooth ice cream, surrounded by jam and a light sponge. 

After seeing what the challenges were I decided to make a cake which is not just a sugar free sponge, but is also gluten and dairy free. The chocolate ganache does contain sugar in the dark chocolate but is also dairy free.

This is what I did...

Coconut Boost Bites

I recently discovered how great it is to cook with raw coconut oil. Not only does it add some delicious flavours to any dish but it is also really good for you. It can help strengthen your immune system, helps with easy digestion and it helps to heal damaged tissues and infections to name but a few benefits.

I really wanted to experiment and use it in baking. That is how this recipe came along. I simply got some of my favourite ingredients and put them all together to create this delicious boost bite. This bake is full of goodness so you will not need to feel guilty eating it!

This is what I did...

Lemon and Strawberry Sugar Free Cake

In our quest for healthier living we have been cutting out sugar. Thankfully there are natural ingredients that can be used!

I have recently discovered how substituting sugar with maple syrup can create such a delicious cake. Today I am sharing one of my latest cakes using maple syrup. I have added lemon juice to the sponge and topped with strawberries.

When baking with maple syrup you need to make sure that you use pure maple syrup as maple flavoured syrup contains sugar!

This is what I did...