Gluten-Free Miniature Desserts: Tartlets, Mini Pies, Cake Pops, and More

Image Credit: Skyhorse Publishing

There's one thing that has helped me stay on track with my whole foods diet. Sweets. Yes, that's not a typo.

I'm a firm believer that you shouldn't deprive yourself of what you love. For me, it's chocolate.  And, caramel. Oh, and cookies. Enjoying these goodies in moderation makes it easier to eat sensibly the rest of the time.

When a copy of Gluten-Free Miniature Desserts: Tartlets, Mini Pies, Cake Pops, and More from Abigail R. Gehring came across my desk I was delighted. The whole idea of this cookbook focuses on enjoying sweets in respectable portions. Sign me up!

I know when I make a pan of brownies or a homemade pie I want to cut huge, decadent pieces. Well, that's what leads to bad eating habits and a little extra padding around the mid-section, you know?

With Abigail's recipes, you can enjoy your sweets without the worry of an allergy reaction if you're gluten sensitive or have Celiac Disease. Yes!

OK, so what's inside the book?

• You'll find helpful information on baking with gluten-free flours and ingredients. I know my first few ventures into working with rice flour and xanthan gum were disastrous. This book takes out the guesswork if you're new to gluten-free baking.
• The book includes tips for finding uncommon ingredients (like gluten-free graham crackers) or necessities like cake pop sticks for making bite-size desserts.
• And of course, there's recipes galore! Get ready to drool over cakes, cheesecake, petit fours, tartlets, whoopie pies, cobblers, mini pies, galettes, parfaits, frozen treats and even bonbons! Hungry yet?

The only thing missing is a break down on the nutritional value and calorie counts of each recipe. But then again, maybe I don't want to know. Sweets are treats, not meals!

I simply can't wait to wrap my lips around the rhubarb shortcake sliders once the stalky vegetable is in season. What's your favorite dessert to make? Tell me all about it in the comments below!

Until Next Time,
Choose Healthy!

Angela Tague
Whole Foods Living

Disclosure: The cookbook, Gluten-Free Miniature Desserts: Tartlets, Mini Pies, Cake Pops, and More from Abigail R. Gehring, mentioned in this blog post was provided free of charge from Skyhorse Publishing for review purposes. No monetary compensation was sought or awarded in exchange for the review. All thoughts expressed on Whole Foods Living are solely my own. ~Angela

Easy Colorful Three-Bean Winter Salad

Photo Credit: Angela Tague

The lack of a garden or local farmer's market makes the winter months tough. How in the world am I supposed to enjoy fresh, local produce with a blanket of snow on the ground?

It's time to get creative with what's available at the grocery store.

I was craving a non-leafy salad the other day and tossed this little gluten-free gem together. It was delicious enough to eat as a main course. Leftovers worked well as a side dish. If you love three-bean salad, give this simple vegetarian recipe a try!

Colorful Three-Bean Winter Salad

• 3 Roma tomatoes, chopped
• 1 avocado, cubed
• 1 cucumber, chopped
• 2 cups three-bean salad (homemade from a jar, or canned)
• 1 can garbanzo beans (or soak and cook your own!)

Toss all ingredients together in a bowl and let them soak in the tart dressing from the three bean salad. Enjoy!

What types of salad have you been making during this cool weather?

Until Next Time,
Choose Healthy!

Angela Tague
Whole Foods Living

Even the Best Cooks Need Some Inspiration

Photo Credit: Skyhorse Publishing

We all have our favorite meals. But, where do you turn when your go-to dishes suddenly lose their oomph?

I adore reading cookbooks. Yes, I read them.

They sit on my nightstand and get perused page-by-page to give me a little cooking inspiration. Sometimes I make the recipes and other times I use them as a starting point for my own creations.

I absolutely adore cookbooks with research and information about the ingredients and cooking methods.

This past fall, Skyhorse Publishing was busy putting out several new titles. I'm happy to give you a sneak peak of a few upcoming reviews I'm working on.

The Non-GMO Cookbook by Megan Westgate and Courtney Pineau
With the recent announcement by General Mills to stop using GMO ingredients in its original Cheerios cereal formula, everyone's interested in genetically modified organisms and how they affect our health. The Non-GMO Cookbook is put together by the directors of the Non-GMO Project, a movement to bring awareness about food labeling and nutrition. This cookbook explains the good, bad and ugly side of GMOs. Recipes in the book cater to several lifestyles including vegan, diary-free and gluten-free.

Gluten-Free Miniature Desserts by Abigail R. Gehring
OK, I've already talked about my weakness for sweets on Whole Foods Living too many times. So, when Gluten-Free Miniature Desserts crossed my desk, I was beyond excited. Finally, I can have my allergen-friendly sweets in healthier portions. This cookbook ventures into everything from tarts and cookies, to whoopie pies and bundt cakes. I'm drooling already.

Low Carb High Fat Baking by Mariann Andersson
So, so there's this "new" concept behind healthy eating called LCHF--or low carb high fat foods. It's supposed to reduce your cravings for sugar without denying you delicious baked goods. Coconut flour, a byproduct of coconut milk production, seems to be the cornerstone of this approach. I can't wait to learn more by reading Low Carb High Fat Baking.

The Paleo Effect by Meghan Little and Angel Ayala Torres
Are you going paleo? If so, The Paleo Effect serves as a primer for this grain-free, dairy-free "caveman-like" approach to eating. The whole idea is to eliminate processed foods from your diet (Yes!!) and focus on eating natural, whole foods (Woo!). This type of eating is supposed to benefit people with gastrointestinal issues, lactose intolerance, diabetes and autoimmune conditions.

Have you stumbled upon a great cookbook recently? Tell me all about it in the comments below. I'm always looking for more cooking inspiration!

Until Next Time,
Choose Healthy!

Angela Tague
Whole Foods Living

Disclosure: The Skyhorse Publishing books mentioned in this blog post were provided free of charge from Skyhorse Publishing for review purposes. No monetary compensation was sought or awarded in exchange for the review. All thoughts expressed on Whole Foods Living are solely my own. ~Angela

Healthy Hoo Hoo for Healthy Women

Photo Credit: SXC

Living a healthy lifestyle means taking care of various facets of health.

We try to eat wholesome foods to nourish our bodies, exercise our muscles to get stronger and keep our minds active for mental clarity.

And ladies, we also need to take care of our hoohoos. You know, down there. I try to keep this blog family friendly, so pardon my creative wording. Although it seems a little funny to talk about, it's not a good idea to lather up in the shower and use body wash, um, everywhere.

According to Healthy Hoohoo, it's important to keep your body balanced, which means avoiding perfumed sprays, bubble baths, douching, baby powder and soaps on your hoohoo. That's why Healthy Hoohoo developed a line of gentle feminine care products including a wash, foaming cleanser and wipes.

These products fit into a Whole Foods Living lifestyle because they are all:

• paraben-free
• fragrance-free
• pH balanced
• gluten free

After my morning workout, I gave the Healthy Hoohoo Tidy Up Wipes a try. They're made of durable, soft cloth that reminds me of baby wipes. Each wipe was thoroughly saturated with the cleanser. During use, the wipes foam a little making it easy to tell where you've already cleaned. Although the product is fragrance-free, there is a mild lingering fresh scent.

After using Healthy Hoohoo, I felt refreshed. Sometimes you simply don't have time to shower right after a light workout, so this is a great way to remove sweat quickly, reduce bacteria build-up and get on your way.

Until Next Time,
Choose Healthy!

Angela Tague
Whole Foods Living

Disclosure: The Healthy Hoohoo products mentioned in this blog post were provided free of charge from Healthy Hoohoo for review purposes. No monetary compensation was sought or awarded in exchange for the review. All thoughts expressed on Whole Foods Living are solely my own. ~Angela

Hello, 2014! Do You Make Resolutions?

Image Credit: SXC

Well, it's time to take inventory. Did you stick to your 2013 New Year's resolutions?

We all have great intentions, and start off January with a bang. Then, another year slips away. I hope you met your goals, tried new challenges and can look back fondly at your accomplishments.

Last January I vowed to make yet another healthy goal. Instead of focusing on diet or exercise, I promised myself I'd improve my financial health.

I'm happy to report, I feel successful.

The hubby and I both paid off our credit cards, padded the savings account and even treated ourselves to a vacation. I was also able to save up PTO and enjoy PAID time off from my small business.

It's amazing what budgeting and saving can do for your finances.

This coming year, I'm making another health-related goal. I'm hoping to be more positive. Now, for those of you who know me personally, you're probably surprised. I'm a pretty happy person already. But, I have a bad habit of feeding into gossip and conversations filled with negativity, which ultimately hurts my feelings and sickens my emotional health.

Instead of letting others bring me down, I'm adopting an attitude of letting negativity roll off my back. After all, downing others or taking negative comments to heart does absolutely nothing good for me.

So, have you set a goal or resolution for 2014? Feel free to share your ideas in the comments below. I find vocalizing my intentions makes it easier to stick to my goals.

Until Next Time,
Choose Healthy (And Happy)!

Angela Tague
Whole Foods Living

PS: Want to stay in touch all year long? Scroll to the top of this page and sign up for email notifications or join with Google Friend Connect in the left margin. Happy New Year!

###