Healthy Happy Life Secrets

Low FODMAP Diet Restores Bloating

Low FODMAP diet is one food map you can follow when you have bloating symptoms… that anyone can feel from time-to-time caused by disagreeable food choices.

…That’s just a part of living and trying new foods.

When that happens, restoring the gut with a list of researched, healthy, and selective food choices that will soothe the tummy is the fastest and least painful cure with tummy discomfort.

It’s easy to do when you know what to do.

And choosing a low FODMAP diet (at least temporarily) is the easy way.

…It’s like reigning in Nature’s medicinal foods, where Nature is a 3rd party talking some sense into your gut.. so you can bounce back to less restrictive eating and get back to regular food celebration.

…Where baby foods and water aren’t the only items on the menu.

A Low FODMAP diet can also be a digestive reset, supporting a healthy eating lifestyle. The foods are mostly all plant-based and anti-inflammatory. 🌱

So you can think of a low FODMAP diet as a food map to optimize healthy eating. And lower gut acidity that can show up as heartburn, upper GI inflammation, or lower bloating abdominal discomfort.

Many of our American or Western world diet foods are high acidic and can tip the cause to a condition called GERD… that I can attest to feels like amped up heartburn.

…So it’s good to keep a handy list of Low FODMAP foods that won’t 🌱 exacerbate stomach acidity, so that you can fully enjoy your preferred daily foods and beverages.

Where it gets tricky is that some foods can fall into higher or lower FODMAP categories.

Coffee is one such example. It’s a Low FODMAP healthy ingredient. But the way it’s prepared (like as a regular hot brewed coffee) makes it more acidic.

That’s why on that note, daily home cold brew coffee is my safe choice so I don’t have to give up the healthy caffeine starter. Cold brew is easy to make and an easy tweak. But I still cushion with food like a banana. 🍌

Another example is nuts where walnuts and peanuts can be okay… that is, assuming you can even eat nuts.

But then other types of nuts like cashews and almonds that you and I can cross off the list as they can be digestive havocs… it’s nut. 🤪 and there’s no rhyme or reason or easy way to remember (other than with a handy list).

That doesn’t even factor how the foods react individually with us.

But you can see how complex it can get in our busy world food choices.

Food is not black-and-white to our guts.

With any food, we can feel poked and burdened with the weight of lead after it goes down.

So bypassing questionable how-it-will-go-down ingredients, you can go straight to the unquestionable and safe… simple to digest foods..

…Early on, we relied on the B.R.A.T. diet that was bananas, rice, apples and toast. It was easy to remember and you didn’t have to break out a list.

It was so short and easy to remember that I also added yogurt on my stomach-friendly list when I was a young brat. 🧒🏻

Yogurt has probiotics and protein. It’s relatively inexpensive food medicine.

And finding the lowest sugar yogurt option optimizes the good bacteria count.

And the B.R.A.T.Y. (I added the “y”) simple digestive diet still works.

But these days… NOT ALL SO SIMPLE.

…With all the tempting choices around us.

So a personal Low FODMAP list that works for your palate and body is good to compile, so you can reach for the safe decisions made when needed. You can even set the list in your pantry cupboard for your emergency convenience.

I have a label on my Five-Spice.

That way you’re not confused or anxious when emergency calls… and especially with all the conflicting information out there of what may or may not help your bloating or digestive symptoms.

…Like ACV mixed with water.

In my world, it works.

It signals to the stomach to stop producing acid that it does.

Our bodies are all about being counterintuitive mystery curve balls where the best proof is our baby steps and trial-and-error.

That’s how we learn anything specific in our lives.

We test the apples.

And apple fruit is another one that is low FODMAP questionable depending on the apple type (for us apples).

Apples are on the B.R.A.T. diet from a simpler world time.

And you may find you do better with unsweetened applesauce as I learned with my stomach.

What works for one person may not for you.

Just don’t be afraid to try foods for variety.

Most guts aren’t happy on an empty stomach and delays our healthy restoration.

Our guts are forgiving if we’re biodiverse trying… otherwise none of us would be still be on the planet.

It comes from a similar diversifying principle of not putting all your eggs in one basket.

Eggs, btw, are generally ok too. 🥚

And even if we make a one-time food mistake, we can cushion with foods and ingredients that are generally safe on a low FODMAP list:

-bell peppers and most veggies

-avocado

-many fruits (and believe it or not… green bananas are lower FODMAP than soft, ripe ones).

-Yogurt (low-sugar Greek yogurt)

-quinoa, oatmeal, cooked soft rice

Amaranth is one grain I discovered to be super gut-friendly. It has a Cream of Wheat bowl texture… but is gluten-free.

If you’re a sourdough or bread making person, for Low FODMAP you can even add amaranth to your whole grain roll or bread loaf.

And, some other Low FODMAP list adds:

-herbs/spices: fennel (in Five Spice powder), anise, peppermint

-teas: green, black, and some herbal teas (chamomile, chicory root, peppermint).

Peppermint tea is something I always keep in my “food-as-medicine” cabinet. It does wonders for stomaches and other body aches like headaches.

And instead of reaching for candy or sugar sweets, you can chew on an anise star or make a low-sugar applesauce blueberry cobbler.

Use fruit and maple syrup for sweeteners.

Those can be okay if you’re experiencing high acidity where a GERD grocery list is also a good idea next time you’re in the store.

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Fruit Pastry Tart (Low-Sugar)

Fruit pastry tart that’s jam berry-filled is berry filling and puts a smile on some days and faces. And you can make a healthier, low-sugar version with little butter, so you can save the calories and still enjoy the pastry anytime!

Like these clouds, star, and moons…

That have a zing-y blackberry glaze for your starry gaze!

For the pastry filling, you make your own jam or use a store-bought (organic) jam with 10 grams of cane sugar per tablespoon or less.

It’s not the low-sugar 5 grams per 100 grams, or half-a-cup… but it’s lower sugar that still counts.

And for this fruit pastry tart, the pastry is made from whole wheat flour that’s a little more fiber and protein vs. all-purpose flour more commonly used.

Every little healthy bit adds up.

For the fruit pastry tart below 👇, you could use the steps to make a wholewheat simple pastry dough… or use the dough you would use for a pie shell or shortcrust.

No proofing needed.

And there’s no need for folding pastry to make lamination layers like in puff pastry (that looks like fabric bolts in a fabric store if you need an imaginary visual).

But the difference is the ingredients below are modified to healthier ones.

And if that’s important, save these measured steps because this is a simple pastry recipe that you can use over and over again for many baking and dessert applications.

So let’s begin…

First off, allow about an hour from start to finish.

The baking itself will only take 15-20 minutes, but pastry dough is easier to work with when it’s cold. So stopping to refrigerate twice (or at least once) when you’re picking up the delicate cutout dough shapes, will pay off in the end.

…I’m just trying to prep you for what to expect.💭

And the good news is that the minimal extra time needed to refrigerate is about as complicated as it gets for this pastry!

Fruit Pastry Tart Ingredients:

And so starting with the easy prep, gather your pantry cupboard ingredients and combine in a bowl with a regular spoon:

Whole wheat flour, honey, and neutral (light) olive oil will add to the healthy aspects. You can also sub in coconut oil that has a different viscosity, so the amount can vary.

Small amount of butter: Keep in mind it’s easier to work with butter when it’s room temp soft so you can bring out what you will need (the 2 pats), a few hours or a day before.

If you forget, you can use heated, melted liquid butter. Both ways will work in the end.

But before you add to the other ingredients, let warm butter cool down because you want to work with a colder dough.

Water: Use coldish water after you combine the other ingredients.

Add flavor extract, salt, and baking soda.

And after you’ve combined all the ingredients together by hand or machine (if you wish), you can roll out your pastry dough onto a sheet pan (like a 17″ x 11″ cookie sheet pan with a Silpat setup works great).

Add some bench flour, so the dough doesn’t stick to your hands and rolling pin.

If you use a full size Silpat, you’ll know you’re done rolling when you reach the inner orange edges (or about 1″ from each side).

When you’re happy with your evenly rolled out dough, then take your chosen cookie cutter(s), and imprint-cut 12 shapes (2 for each shape if you use different shapes, as you’ll need a top and bottom).

Any regular size cookie cutters will work, and you will have extra pastry that you can make more with or save for another pastry project. I’m a scrapbooker, so this step makes me happy! 😊

And at this point, do not remove the excess pastry yet as it’ll be easier if it’s cold. It’s easier to move shapes when the pastry is cold.

I mentioned that already, but it’s worth repeating.

fruit pastry tart shapes in the making. — Imprint cut but easier to remove shapes when the pastry dough is cold. ☁ ⭐️🌙

So then this is a good pause point to refrigerate the pastry pan for at least 10 minutes. (You can do a few yoga moves if you don’t know what to do).

Then when cold, bring out and remove the excess pastry from your shapes with a knife or offset spatula that you’ll use to pick up the shapes. I find it easiest to put the matching cookie cutter shape ontop of where I’m removing the excess pastry as I move from left to right on the pan.

But you do you! …and the way that makes sense to you.

Then add jam to center of the bottom shapes (or 6 of the shapes). Leave some room for the jam to ooze out when you close up the pastries.

Refrigerate again: You can refrigerate the pan for the second time so you don’t mess up the shapes. This mostly depends on how quickly you work. I’m purposefully slow and detailed, so I refrigerate again.

You’re less likely to mess up the shapes when they’re cold and firmer.

When pastry sheet is cold again or easy to work with, use an offset spatula (or regular cooking spatula) to pick up the top fruit pastry tart shapes (without jam) and gently place on top of the bottom shapes.

Then crimp the matching tops and bottoms together with a silverware fork (no fancy tool needed).

I find this step very satisfying too. 😉

And if instead of vertical line patterns, alternatively, you can also use a toothpick to poke holes evenly spaced apart on the pastry shape edges, and then push down on the pastry making a line in-between the toothpick holes you’ve made. See the star and moon shape below.

You do this with the long side of the toothpick . . . like you’re connecting dots.

Then when you’re happy with your pastry creations, bake your fruit pastry tart pan.

It’s a quick bake… like cookies.

So stick around. And while you’re waiting for the bake, you can make the glaze.

You can use crushed berries. I like a blackberry, lime, and honey trio. You can use a sieve to filter the berry seeds and push the glaze through into a bowl so the consistency will be the same (consistent).

Let the fruit pastry tart pan cool before adding the glaze ontop.

These look like soft leather plushies. I could put a few faces on these. 🙂

Regarding freezing… yes, you can freeze them (and with a glaze), and bring them out and revive them with a smeared drizzle of honey (or maple syrup).

Like changing clouds, the smeared honey look like shadows… and now they’re glazed shiny again, happy, and ready to eat.

These will pair well with a refreshing low-sugar lime sherbet with blackberry.

Whole Wheat Berry Filled Pastry

These are pastries that you can serve anytime with your favorite cookie cutters!

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Prep Time 40

Cook Time 20

Total Time 1

Servings 12 pieces

Author Brandy @ Healthy Happy Life Secrets

Equipment

cookie sheet pan
Silpat optional
offset spatula optional

Ingredients

2 cups whole wheat flour
2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp butter, softened
1 tbsp neutral oil (light olive oil)
1/2 tsp vanilla or almond extract
3/4 cup water
1 tsp baking soda
pinch of salt
fruit jam
berries, maple syrup, juice and/or water for glaze

Instructions

Add the flour into a bowl. Then evenly combine the softened butter.
Add the remaining ingredients and form a pastry dough ball.
Roll out on a sheet pan. If you use a full Silpat (17" x 11-1/2") sheet, the dough will roll out to the inner orange edge or about 1" from the edge on each side.
Use your cookie cutters to imprint cut shapes but do not remove the excess pastry yet. Refrigerate for about 10 minutes.
Then remove excess pastry. You'll be left with extra pastry you can re-roll or freeze for another time or pastry project.
Add jam to center leaving an edge on the pastry shape bottoms.
Refrigerate again.
Add a top pastry with the same shape ontop.
Use a small silverware fork to make an edge pattern and crimp edges shut. Alternatively, use a toothpick to make evenly spaced hole indents and then press down with the long side of the toothpick to "connect the dots."
Bake pastry on 350°F/180°C for about 15-20 minutes. The bottom edges will look darker. Don't overbake.
For the glaze: crush berries and add milk, maple syrup, and water or liquid like lime juice until you get the right glaze consistency. Tip: push the glaze through a filtered sieve. If it's too thick, it won't go through.

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Work-Life Balance Tip (From An Avocado Seed)

Work-Life Balance is the way for daily joy and a recipe for a more happy and healthy life.

…These days on those missions, workers are choosing work-life balance, joy, self-care, wellness, and delaying gratification of traditional retirement. Because our world has changed, and you can work anywhere these days.

And you can create your own job in the growing Creator Economy.

That’s one hopeful and healthy reminder that you can do anything in this Life. And a small way to plant your intention is by growing an avocado plant. 🥑

The easy steps are below to grow a healthy plant from an avocado seed. 🌱

Small ideas like this encourage our daily joy that help move you to take action (that moves the needle).

And if you’re at a job that started great and then took a downward spiral or is stagnant, you are not alone!

So many are waiting on their DREAM JOB to show up and out.

From my lens of holding dozens of corporate management positions, it doesn’t exist. I hoped and hoped… and still hope, but evolved into writing my own job description that has given me more joy.

And you can do that today wherever you are to gain your happiness without delay in your dream work-life balance life… and doing what you’re meant to do… creating, helping others, and solving world problems.

Without delay.

You can hit publish, empower yourself to step in, or pick up the phone and connect. The world is big and wide and you don’t have to look far.

Working for an employer is jut one way that helps you get experiences and learn skills while contributing your time, effort, labor, and mind. And you get paid in exchange.

But empowering yourself as your own boss in your domains is the cherry-on-top… where you get the best of all worlds and feel unhindered.

And when you think of it like that, you can create so much good exchange in this world.

And also always be useful doing meaningful work. That helps your growth.

And when work doesn’t grow or we’re no longer contributing, then we know it’s time to move on… and that’s healthy good for everyone involved.

…And if you’re like me, or maybe I’m odd (or old-er 😉)… I never want to retire. I think work is part of purpose and the right kind helps us stay young.

Redefining work is where it’s at!

I believe you should love working your passions, interests, and gifts you’re good at that you enjoy.

Maybe because I’ve had so many experiences, both good and bad.

Early on, I loved my teen job where I had very little responsibilities.

That was good for that youthful time. I had fun. And the reward was development and growth and taking on new, impactful challenges while saving money to buy a car.

But I wouldn’t go back to that as I’ve outgrown those fun, no-real responsibility jobs. It doesn’t suit or align with my identity. It’s a mis-match like wearing Love’s Baby Soft fragrance would be.

And finding where you fit now is where you get the most out of this world.

At some point, you fully realize that you only have this one life you get and you won’t get this time back.

And that you have so much more to give than a lowly position that’s replaceable by another body or teen.

You’ve gathered experiences, and grown into a wiser brain that can be put to good use for the world you and I share.

In my walk, that’s the realization I had disappointment after disappointment collected, one job role after another for a couple decades.

I didn’t feel like my contributions and impact was commensurate to my knowledge and what I had to offer the world.

The corporate jobs at-hand sucked all my energy and most my hours for the week.

So I kept going and growing, even though the jobs looked respectable and good on paper.

And I eventually landed myself into freelance writing work the year of the pandemic when many of us career pivoted.

I also started this healthy and happy blog that year.

As a writer, I found work-life balance that didn’t just mean working from home. That’s one aspect or benefit.

It also meant choosing to prioritize health, and a healthy lifestyle over stress (high Pitta).

I could write all morning and then be ready for something else in the afternoon. I wasn’t chained to a desk or forced to attend office meetings that wouldn’t matter in a year (or sometimes even the next day).

There was work-life balance in every way.

I could find emotional freedom feeling calm during unplanned yoga time and not have to wait until later.

And I could run errands when others were at work.

I could also avoid public mobs and heavy traffic patterns that I grew up with in the DC metro area, that’s now the worst traffic.

And staying aligned, I vowed never to work jobs without some (healthy and happy) passion EVER again… and/or loving or believing in the people and mission I work directly for.

I realized work-life balance with PASSION WORK EXISTS where you get paid for your efforts. It’s not a pipe dream.

That was my new HIGH bar to keep reaching for.

…And I haven’t been disappointed putting in the risk and effort tradeoff.

And if you were to reach for your abundance and believe your dreams to come true, balance and passion work EXISTS for you!

You can leapfrog to work-life balance sooner rather than later in your choice.

…From those who did, I’ve only heard that the only regret they had was that they didn’t do it sooner!

Maybe that’s the motivation you need.

And helpfully could be for you… am I wrong?

Some are consciously walking off the job for their personal lives, health, and safety… choosing work-life balance and creating the life they want in work, life, and balance.

People on the job these days have to wear so many different work hats while multi-tasking life.

It’s no wonder so many people have ADHD signs, brain fog, and burn out symptoms that they need to medicate.

Today post-2020, it’s much more acceptable for us to slow down, take self-care sabbatical time, and pivot work and careers more often without harsh judgment.

And in my work-life balance pivot to a healthy lifestyle, I started this hobby of growing healthy avocado plants as a metaphor…

How to Grow an Avocado Plant from a Seed (a healthy reminder for work-life balance)

…One day I took a baby avocado seed and grew it to an avocado plant after my breakfast with a plant-based avocado smoothie.

It’s such an easy thing to do.

You don’t need a green thumb.

And the plant doesn’t need much window space or light in case you’re in an apartment with limitations like I was.

An avocado plant is like a Peace Lily plant you sometimes see in offices. They do not need a lot of natural or artificial light, so you can enjoy them indoor in a shaded spot. 🌱

These are the steps to how you get your plant going and growing:

Rinse off your avocado seed. Peel off the brown paper-ish skin shell. I think this step gets often missed from others I’ve talked to. This helps to let the root grow.

Your nails are the better way to get the shell off without scratching the seed.

So you’ll want to do this when you haven’t just gotten your nails done. 💅

Then when you have a bald seed, you’ll see it bare looking like a peanut (light beige) color in a walnut shape.

You’ll want to fully moisten some paper towel and wrap over the seed, and then place the wet seed in a plastic bag and leave alone in a cool/shaded spot in your kitchen where you visit often.

Leave for a week or two, and then check in on it. By week two, add more water if needed. Keep it soaked.

After some more time, you’ll start to see a crack in the avocado seed and a budding root.

The fault line means birth is happening (a happy baby seed 🌱).

When the root grows to about a thumbnail’s length, place 3 toothpicks in the seed and prop it over water in a glass or cup with fresh room temperature filtered water reaching the root.

Keep it in a shaded spot.

Keep checking and filling up the water to about the same level, and changing out if it looks cloudy and has too much debris.

If you notice any root rot or slime, gently clean it off and you can rinse your seed off if the water gets dirty.

Gradually over the weeks and months, move your new baby avocado to a sunnier spot indoors. And when your glass is full and you have substantial roots growing, plant into a larger glass so the roots aren’t crowded.

The avocado plant is an amphibian plant (living in water and then soil).

Eventually, after months or years will go into potting soil. I waited 2 years before planting mine in soil.

Waiting until there are leaves is a good idea.

Keep this article as reference, so you can review the steps (and not get too antsy to plant in a soiled pot). 🪴

And the longer you keep your growing avocado plant living in water instead of dirt, the stronger the roots get before you give it life on earth soil. This ensures stability for growth.

After a few months or so, you’ll see some good progress with green leaves and a stem that goes up and root that goes down like described in the cute All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten book 😉

A few leaves are the sign to add a pot with soil.

You can water every few weeks or less. Do it when you remember (ssshhh, talk about low maintenance! This plant is great for brown thumbs (🙋🏻‍♀️), lazy gardeners, or frequent travelers… and no worries, as you don’t need a plant sitter!).

Daily or weekly, check in with your plants when you can pause and work-life balance. 🪴 The leaves will tell you if it needs water.

Grow an Easy Avocado Plant

After you enjoyed your avocado on toast or with a meal, you can plant your seed for an avocado plant for daily enjoyment. It's perfect greenery for an apartment or bookshelf where you can grow your own plant when you have a brown thumb or want to appreciate avocado abundance. This a great project for adults and kids! 🌱

Author: Brandy @ Healthy Happy Life Secrets

Materials

drinking container or glass
toothpicks
paper towel

Instructions

Clean off your seed. Larger round to medium seeds work better.
Peel off the brown outer layer so you see the bare seed flesh that has a peachy flesh color. Tip: Do this when before you go to the nail salon as you will need to use your finger nails. Knives and sharp objects won't do the job without damaging the seed. It may be easier to wet soak the outer layer first to make it easier to peel off.
Take partial paper towel and full soak seed with water. Wrap around the entire seed, but don't leave too much excess paper.
Place the seed in a sealed plastic bag (works best) and set in a darker, cool room temperature place in a place you don't forget about.
When the paper towel starts to dry out over the days, moisten with fresh filtered water. Keep repeating this step. One day you will see a middle crack in the seed. This is to allow the root to sprout and grow that can take a few weeks. Be patient! And if your seed crack breaks the seed (no worries and don't give up), keep the seed half that has the root.
When you see an obvious root bud growing, you can place 3 toothpicks evenly around the seed and set in a drinking glass or container with a rim. Glass works nicely so you can see the roots from the outside. Then add water so the bottom and middle of the seed is "bathing" in the water, but the top of the seed does not need to be submerged in water.
Over more weeks, you will see a green stem grow upward and eventually leaves will sprout (months later). Enjoy and keep adding water to your glass as your seed roots are thirsty. The roots will eventually outgrow the glass where you may then choose to transplant to a larger vessel. This is a great easy project for the Kindergardener in each of us where the roots go down and the plant goes up!

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Baked Alaska (Oven Method) Made Easy

Baked Alaska is one of my food dreams I’ve had ever since I started my career in catering after graduating college. And I finally made my own and you can too with just your oven! You don’t need fancy fiery equipment. The easy steps and healthy ice cream cake recipe 🍨is found below.

Jump to Recipe

And I get excited dishing on the Baked Alaska dish! 🎂

It was served on a dish in hotel events I worked hard in.

And I had been thinking about it, but didn’t try one until two decades later. 💭

…Can you imagine!? My mind and stomach never forgot and when I tried my FIRST ever celebration for my birthday at the swanky DBGB DC restaurant.

…Say that 10 times! I don’t think I can… but I think I can eat it 10 times. 😊‼️

DBGB near restaurants where I event planned

My memorable Baked Alaska experience that became experience-sss did not disappoint.

…So I was inspired to make my own. I mean… what’s better than cake and ice cream, I scream! 😀

baked Alaska in the freezer before going in the oven. How dramatic! — The freezing before the oven broiling… how dramatic! 🎂

Because when you look at this cake as an ice cream cake, it makes it so much less intimidating.

And I can tell you, it’s much easier than you may overthink like I did.

If you’ve worked with meringues, you’ll be golden… as in golden brown flecks on the meringue.

The bombe effect may be a little more effort, but you can make the ice cream cake part and then decide if you want the fireworks. 🎆

And this recipe is Baked Alaska in the oven.

If you were like me on my first Baked Alaska bake, you may have wondered how the ice cream didn’t melt…

A-ha! I figured out why…

The magical oven 🪄 doesn’t melt ice cream that is sooo cold (as has been in the coldest back part of the freezer for hours). Something to do with 32°F melting points and not reaching that limit… but scoring baked (Alaska) points.

…And btw, the dessert is named after the purchase of Alaska in case you’re wondering.

That was a celebratory reason to have cake. As much as end of summer, new season, or a birthday is. 🎂

And for your Baked Alaska, you can start with a boxed cake… but I think you’ll find baking a homemade chocolate cake easy and simple for your first one.

You can try a healthy chocolate cake with eggs or healthy chocolate cake with no eggs recipe.

You can even use a NO-BAKE rainbow cake that’s called a rainbow cookie… you decide!

And for ice cream, you can use store bought ice cream or make your own ice cream that’s so easy to make…

You can make the ice cream dairy free with coconut cream. You can even make this a Neapolitan (strawberry, vanilla, chocolate ice cream trio)… up to you! Or add a soft serve ice cream.

With cake and ice cream prepared, you’re ready for the meringue.

So here we go with the steps.

First off, grab a big bowl like one you would put a big salad in. It won’t be baked but it will need to be freezer safe. Be sure to clear enough space in your freezer for your Baked Alaska dessert.

Add a plastic wrap layer to line the inside of the bowl. I use a stainless steel round bowl. Those were the kinds I saw in hotel and restaurant kitchens I worked in, so I know they work well.

Or you could use a glass Pyrex or freezer safe one as all glass are not created equal. And some could break in the freezer. But then that’s why I used stainless steel.

Then make your meringue and add a layer to the plastic lined bowl. You actually don’t need to freeze your meringues at all. But for a better effect, you can freeze for a few minutes.

Another tip is to make your meringues and ice cream ahead of time. That’s the planner tip to do less in one swoop. That way you can enjoy the assembling on the day you want to enjoy your Baked Alaska (aka baking day or Alaska baking day!).

This is a great dessert to celebrate holidays, change of seasons, and flavors that are calling you like cinnamon and/or a healthy chocolate cake made with coconut oil that was on my mind. You get the picture! 😁

Flavors like chocolate, coffee, vanilla, Neapolitan trio, or cinnamon (my fave 🍥) always WOW 🤩 and work for a Baked Alaska.

Also, if you love the idea of a Baked Alaska ice cream cake, you’ll probably also love to make an easy and fun party tartufo dessert.

Easy Baked Alaska (Apartment Oven Toasting Method)

Baked Alaska is my favorite celebrations cake hands down and you can make your own cake, meringue and ice cream. I heard about the dessert working in catering and waited until I was ready to have the best cake slice of my life at DC's DBGB restaurant in 2015.

Course desserts

Cuisine American

Author Brandy @ Healthy Happy Life Secrets

Equipment

bowl to fit the ice cream shape
cake stand or plate

Ingredients

meringue shell
ice cream of choice
cake of choice

Instructions

You can make or prepare ice cream and meringue a day ahead or a few hours in advance.
Bake cake. Let cake cool or set aside covered in fridge until you're ready to bake. Cut the cake around the circle part of your bowl you'll be using.
Line your bowl with plastic wrap. Make meringues and add a meringue layer as thick as you want (up to 1" recommended). Cover with fanciful swirls if it suits your fancies.
Add ice cream until the bowl is full. Flatten out the top of the bowl.
Freeze meringue and ice cream at least 2 hours in the back of the freezer (but before/without icicles forming that would add unwanted moisture). Bake same day.
Lower top oven shelf low enough to cover the height of the Baked Alaska plus a minimum of 6 inches from top of oven to broil.
Pull ice cream/meringue bowl out of freezer and place into oven. Broil for several minutes until there's a toasted top. Safety tip: do not turn or move the cake (optional) in the hot oven without turning OFF the oven first! Then wait for the broil setting oven to cool down before opening oven door and turning oven/broil setting back on (optional). Watch the broiling for several short minutes until lightly toasted pretty, that happens quickly.

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Strawberry Banana Smoothie – Frozen Anti-Inflammatory

Strawberry banana smoothie is one I can get behind. It’s a great start.

For frrozen smoothies, frozen strawberries are a reliable source. They are a high source of Vitamin C.

For bananas, you don’t have to wait until they are ripe for a smoothie as texture best. You can go ahead and add your just bought bananas to your freezer.

Peel the banana and add to a freezer safe bag. The bananas will turn brownish black but they will be a good taste and soft texture for your smoothies. So like strawberries you can freeze or buy frozen, you have your bananas ready.

I learned this after I had been using fresh bananas that were too soft to eat by themselves. I like bananas when they are firm and about a day away from their green unripe peel.

And if you’re picky like I am with banana brown spots, if you freeze them you won’t have to deal with them. The entire banana will be brownish.

Frozen Strawberry Banana Smoothie

This is a reminder of childhood popsicles.

Course beverage

Cuisine American

Author Brandy @ Healthy Happy Life Secrets

Ingredients

3 frozen strawberries.
1/2 medium banana
almond milk (or milk of choice)
basil, mint, or cilantro.
orange juice
coconut oil (optional)

Instructions

Blend the ingredients. When you add the herby flavor, it gives a third dimension. Mint will be mildest, basil is middle of the road, and cilantro will the the most pungent. Save Money Tip: you can freeze your fresh organic strawberries when they are in season.
Pour about 3/4 full, leaving a little room for the orange dreamsicle layer.
Mix orange juice and milk about half and half.
After frozen, pour the orange layer on top.
Freeze again or add crushed ice to the top layer
Enjoy!

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