Everything in moderation...

I truly believe in this slogan.  (Is it a slogan?)  Whatever, it's true.  I don't think you can ever be successful in a healthy eating lifestyle if you don't divulge, at least sometimes, in sweets or other garbage food, like fried stuff.  At least this is true for me anyways. 

So, in this frame of mind, I will first share with you my Farmer's Market haul from the 10th...

(I was at Cyclebration last weekend so no Farmer's Market for me)

Like that fancy labeling?? 

• Pluots - note how pluots come in all sorts of shapes, sizes and colors.  My favorites are still the dinosaur egg looking ones.  Those little yellow-ish/red-ish ones are called Flavor Bursts.  They are goo-ood!  I know this is a lot of pluots, but I am eating about 2 a day at this point, so don't you worry about them going bad in my fridge.

• Figs - I bought heirloom tomatoes from the same vendor the week prior and he had me try one of these figs.  I have never eaten a fig before and it was really good!  I went back to buy more, but the line was super long.  So, this time I made sure to buy some when I got my tomatoes.  I think they would be tasty on pizza, but I'm afraid next time I return to the market the fig season will have passed.

• Heirloom Tomatoes - the best tomato variety.  Hands down.

• Purple bell peppers - those look pretty nifty, huh?  I thought they were interesting, then another customer was telling me how they're really good and especially good on fajitas.  They also apparently turn that translucent green color all over when cooked.  I like them, they're a little sweeter than regular old green or red.

• Ambrosia Melon - it was basically a cantaloupe.  Actually, I think it was a cantaloupe.  I just learned how to know if your melon is ripe (thank you Nana).  Smell the little belly button on the end, if it smells like the fruit, it's ready.  Also, Nana said she buys the watermelons that are the most sun-faded and beat up on the outside, because they are usually the juiciest (from getting the most sun).
• Herbs!  I got these for 3 for $1.  Steal of a deal.  I roasted those red potatoes, then cut up the cilantro and chives and mixed them around with the potatoes when they were done.  It was good and fresh tasting.  I cut up the mint and put it on some sliced pineapple and ambrosia melon, also tasty.  Our friends Coco & Tankupeet cook with herbs a lot and/or add them to salad.  I am inspired!  I was with Coco when I bought these herb, she was getting some, so I was less afraid.  Plus you can't beat that price.
• Red potatoes - they are red potatoes, see above.
• Cucumbers - we've been putting these on sandwiches.  Or as The Cyclist says "lunch meat sandwiches".
• Asian Pears - I ate one today.  Don't let the boring outside fool you, they are super juicy.

Let us return to Everything in Moderation.

I figure since I've been eating all this good stuff, it's probably OK that I also ate some of this:

Yes.  Those are cupcakes.

Icing on the Cupcake, in fact.

Is it true that if you cut them in half the calories fall out?

We have:

Boston Cream

Red Velvet

Coconut Macaroon

and something we were calling Pinkadot - the signature cupcake with pink frosting and chocolate cake

Banana Bread (?) (that one is in the box, not on the plate)

Oh yeah, and chocolate/chocolate (also in the box)

This is me doing quality control testing.

 I also seem to be deep in thought.

I actually ate 1/2 of 2 cupcakes = 1 cupcake.

That wouldn't have been so bad, except my birthday was Saturday....

So on Friday we had this at work...

 

From Ettore's

And then on Saturday I had not 1, not 2, but 3 cakes and cake balls.

I hear you laughing but I am not kidding.

Coco (the best & most creative dessert chef I know) made me a cake.

I'm not sure what it's called, but it tasted fruity and had sprinkles on top.

I think it had blueberries inside too.  It was good.  Thank you!

I would have photographed it, but the boys ate a bunch of it before I remembered to do so.
Then, The Cyclist got 2 cakes from Karen's for the BBQ and surprised me.
(Thank you Honey)
One of them was German Chocolate...

...and the other one was some type of yummy peach madness. 
The peach one was seasonal, so no picture there either.
(Sorry, I was eating cake!)
And, to top it off, Mrs. R made cake balls!
You can't pass a cake ball if it is put under your nose.
That's the rule.  I didn't make it up.

So, moderation went kind of haywire recently.
I'm hoping all that cake will be balanced out by all these fruits and veggies....

 

Or maybe this post should have been called,
"Everything in Moderation....and cake"

I need to go running now.

Recipe Find - Healthy Cake

Hmm.  Healthy cake sounds suspicious.  Maybe I should instead call this post Healthier Cake.  Oh well, you get the idea.

The Cyclist and I are both strong believers in not piling kids full of sugar.  I am still kind of amazed at how our society promotes the idea that giving kids sweets and junk food is OK or just for fun.  We get all kinds of crazy looks when we say "no, he can't have a 'treat'" or "no, he doesn't eat cake".  All I have to say is, I know what some junk food or a piece of cake does in my body; imagine what it does in a 30 pound kid.  My best response to the naysayers is "would you like to babysit while he bounces off the walls because he just ate a cup of sugar?"  The answer has always been no. 

Now, before I move on, let me just say that we aren't super granola-no sugar-no junk-ever-people.  But we do (probably) eat healthier than the general population.  Plenty of kids get a yummy sugary cake for their birthday and are fine.  Our preference to keep the sugar low all the time is just ours.  I'm not knocking what anyone else might do with their own kid.

Instead, I'll offer an alternative.  In our quest to keep The Munchkin eating healthy but still getting good stuff on special occasions, I was on the lookout for a healthy (er, healthier) cake.  This year for The Munchkin's 2nd birthday, I found a recipe for Banana Cream Layer Cake from Eating Well.

Here is the file photo:

This recipe did some pretty interesting and creative stuff to keep the cake tasty but cut the fat and sugar.  It calls for whole wheat pastry flour which according to the recipe, "...contains less gluten than regular whole-wheat flour and helps ensure a tender result in delicate baked goods while providing the nutritional benefits of whole grains".  For the Bavarian Cream topping, you mix low-fat milk with unflavored gelatin (and some other stuff), let it set and later add in some whipping cream.

So, although this cake does have sugar and whipping cream, it's significantly less than a traditional recipe would call for.  And, most importantly, it was really good!!  The Munchkin devoured it. 

Here is our version:

Note:  I was busy chatting with The Munchkin's mom and I let my jello/milk mixture set too long. 

I think the topping would have been creamier if I avoided this, but, it still tasted good.

So, after we found this cake and it was successful, I checked Eating Well again when DD's birthday rolled around.  His favorite is carrot cake.  Lot's of people seem to have the impression that carrot cake is already a healthy (healthier) cake....I guess because it has "carrot" in the title, but it's really pretty decadent. 

As an alternative, I found this recipe.  According to the site, this carrot cake "...version has about 40 percent less calories and 50 percent less fat than most".

Here is the file photo:

This cake also used the whole wheat pastry flour and buttermilk.  It also used crushed pineapple and pineapple juice, which I assume helped cut the sugar.  The frosting was good!  Low fat or Neufchâtel cream cheese mixed with powdered sugar.  The recipe also called for walnuts, which I added, but The Cyclist & DD both requested I leave those out next time.  Also, the recipe called for unsweetened coconut, which I could not find, so I just added less coconut than what the recipe called for. 

The carrot cake was really good, it did not taste like it was lacking anything.  I will use this frosting recipe again for other desserts.  I didn't take a pic of my cake.....I cooked it in too small of a pan and ended up cutting and stacking it.  It was kind of a mess even though it tasted good.  DD sweetly told me he didn't think it was ugly at all.  Thanks DD.  :)

Last but not least, since we're talking cake, I have to share this one:

This was The Munchkin's 1st Birthday cake.  It was a sugar-free banana cake.  I did not make it!

But, if you're interested (and in the Sacramento area), I can put you in contact with the baker who did.

You're not surprised it was a bike cake are you?

That is all for now!