This recipe is not healthy.  Not at all.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie Slice

But ’tis the season to make your kids the sweet foods that they’re asking for, so I’m singing “Fa la la la la, LA LA LA LA!” with my fingers in my ears when it comes to sugar consumption right now.

OK, OK… <insert fake, dramatic eye roll here> I guess I can make Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie.  Twist my arm whydontcha.

I’ve been making my own coconut ice cream at home for a couple weeks now.  I will totally eat regular, dairy ice cream – but I love coconut ice cream too.  So whether you can’t eat dairy or simply choose not to – or if you’re just nutty for coconut, let’s talk about this!

Homemade Coconut Milk Ice Cream

I must tell you upfront that coconut milk ice cream making is an art as much as it is a science.  There are also some pros and cons when it comes to making it yourself versus shelling out the bucks for a pint of the already-made coconut milk ice cream you can find in the grocery store freezer case.  For instance:

Good news!  I’ve got an awesomely healthy delicious snack to share with you.

Bad news.  I’m not actually sharing this with you.  I’m only sharing the recipe.  If you want some you’ll have to make it yourself.

Good news: Zak is still on his juice fast.

Bad news: You can’t juice an avocado.

Good news: I am not on a juice fast.  I can eat all the chocolate avocado pudding I want.

Chocolate Avocado Pudding

Deceptively Delicious by Jessica Seinfeld was one of the first books I read when I was beginning to learn more about cooking and nutrition.  (The Family Nutrition Book by Dr. William Sears was another one if you’re just getting started.)

I remember looking at her recipe for brownies with spinach and wondering if you truly couldn’t tell there was vegetables in them.  This was about a year before I discovered green smoothies and did not yet understand the invisibility powers of spinach when prepared the right way.

How to Make the Best Homemade Chocolate Chip Cookies

December 23rd, 2012 | Posted by Alison Spath in Short or Sweet - (Comments Off on How to Make the Best Homemade Chocolate Chip Cookies)

It’s sort of a bummer that I read Deep Nutrition just as the holiday season was descending upon us. A bummer in terms of writing blog posts, anyway. I can’t come here and write about eating fewer refined carbs smack dab in the middle of the sugariest, sweetest time of the year.  Nobody wants to think about that right now!  Everyone wants to eat fudge! And pies with whipped cream and cookies with frosting! Let us rejoice and be glad!

Potluck Apple Crisp

October 4th, 2012 | Posted by Alison Spath in Short or Sweet - (1 Comments)

Over the weekend we had a potluck picnic on the calendar and we were asked to bring an autumn themed dish to pass.  I needed something simple, but more importantly, something that I could remember most of the ingredients to off the top of my head.  Per usual, I was making my decision about what to make while I was on my way to the grocery store.

What’s that saying?  If you fail to plan, you plan to fail?  Whatever.  Let’s just make apple crisp.

First thing on the morning of our picnic, I tore into my bag of Granny Smiths and got to work.

I have just returned from Iowa! Did ya miss me? Did ya happen to see a 5 month pregnant woman running through the Atlanta airport last night in an effort to catch her connecting flight back to New York on time?

If you did, let’s just pretend that wasn’t me.

No, instead let’s chat about Iowa! I was invited to speak at a conference called Women Blazing Trails for the non-profit group, Iowa Women in Natural Resources at the Springbrook Conservation Center in Guthrie Center, Iowa.

Today let’s be thankful for leftovers.

Pumpkin Pie Without Evaporated Milk

I made pumpkin pie this year! Until this week, the only thing I knew about pumpkin pie was that I liked to eat it.

Therefore, as a pumpkin pie newbie (and a girl without a lot of extra energy to spare right now), I decided to go with the tried and true recipe on the side of the can of Libby’s pumpkin puree.

And it looked simple enough. Pumpkin, sugar, spices, eggs… a can of evaporated milk?

Merry Happy Birthmas

October 27th, 2011 | Posted by Alison Spath in Life - (5 Comments)

Some days you’ve totally got your act in gear.

Holly Muffin Tins

And then there are other days where you don’t. Like the kind of days where you’re forced to use holiday muffin tins for pumpkin muffins at the end of October.

Pumpkin Muffins

Good thing the horde of hungry kids at snack time didn’t notice.

Sometimes you can’t always be Suzie Homemaker. Sometimes birthday dinner comes pre-made from the Wegmans bakery and is topped at home.

Bakery Pizza Topped at Home

(cheaper and at least slightly healthier than take out!)

Tomorrow We Run With Zombies

October 21st, 2011 | Posted by Alison Spath in Dinner Time - (5 Comments)

In preparation for running from zombies tomorrow, we hit up the only logical place for dinner tonight.

Actually, in preparation for running from zombies tomorrow, first I dropped the girls off with Aunt Ellen, then I picked up The Man and we hit the bar.

Vegetarian Bar

The veggie bar at Wegmans. If I hope to ditch any zombies tomorrow, greens tonight are a must!

Veggie Bar

This is one of my favorite places to eat in town. No place else can I load my plate up with greens and then pile on a ton of fun stuff.