Thick, Creamy Sugar-free Frozen Yogurt

by Carolyn Ketchum

 Ingredients:
3 cups greek-style yogurt*
3/4 cup granulated ZSweet®
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
OR
1 teaspoon lemon zest

Preparation:
In a medium bowl, mix yogurt, Zsweet® and vanilla or lemon zest, until Zsweet® is dissolved.  Chill for at least one hour. Pour into ice-cream maker and churn according to manufacturer's directions.

*If you cannot find greek-style yogurt, strain regular yogurt by placing in a colander lined with paper towels or coffee filters for 6 to 8 hours.  It will require 6 cups of regular yogurt to make 3 cups of greek-style.

photo credit: sikegami

ZSweet® Cocoa Cream Cheese Mints

yields 50-60 mints

Ingredients:
1 cup ZSweet®, ground to powder (I do this in the coffee grinder)
2 tablespoons cocoa*
few drops of mint oil (to taste)
4 oz cream cheese, softened to room temperature
addtl. 1/4 cup ZSweet®, ground to powder, for rolling mints in

*Note: If you leave out the cocoa, be sure to add a pinch spirulina or 1 teaspoon ground mint leaves for green color

Equipment you will need:
bowl
wire whisk / 2 forks / pastry cutter
wax paper lined baking sheet
flexible molds or a rolling pin
small container (to shake mints in)


Mix 1 cup ground ZSweet® and cocoa together in a medium-sized bowl. Cut in cream cheese with a wire whisk or a couple of forks (or a pastry cutter, if you have one). The resultant mix will be dry and crumbly. At this stage, mix in the mint oil to taste and knead the mixture with your fingers until it starts to clump up into a dough (the heat from your hands helps to further soften the cream cheese).

Once you have one big ball of dough, pinch off pieces to put in your flexible molds and fill them, one at a time, mashing them in well, and scraping off the excess. If you do not have molds, you can also roll out the dough onto wax paper with a rolling pin till about .25" thick and cut into 1" squares with a butter knife.

Take the small container and put the 1/4 cup of powdered ZSweet® into it. Pop out a few mints at a time into the container and shake until well-coated, and tap each coated mint against a flat surface (I use the container lid) to release any extra ZSweet®. Lay each mint onto the wax paper-lined baking sheet in rows. When all the mints are finished, cover with a dry cloth and let sit for 24-48 hours to dry out completely. Put in a sealed container and store in the fridge (if they have not dried out yet, the container will get condensation on the inside of the lid). They will last in the fridge for a couple weeks, or can be frozen for up to 6 months.

Recipe Author: Paula Bishop, North Carolina

ZSweet® is "rather naughty"

European customers are loving ZSweet®. I get such a kick out of the charming phrases they use to describe ZSweet®. In a recent article, "Zero calorie sugar launches and claims 100% natural", the writer stated the following: "For all the 2 million people in the UK living with diabetes, sugar has become a scary no-no. But here’s for some great news! Zsweet (Zsweet®) is the first, natural, truly zero calorie, zero glycaemic sugar alternative that tastes, well just like sugar, instantly allowing you to devour some rather naughty puds...."

I had a chuckle and had to look up "puds" to be sure of what was being said, sure enough puds means desserts, like pudding, and yes, it's true, you can still have a lil' naughty dessert when you swap sugar for ZSweet®.

For customers within the European Union shop at www.ZSweet.eu.

Healthy Sugar-free Thoughts & Actions

Looking for more ZSweet® recipes? Life Coach & Weight Counselor, Janet Ciel has some creative & healthy ideas at her site: healthythoughtshealthyactions.com.

Try her Oatmeal Pancakes, Artichoke & Carmelized Onion Frittata, Apple Turnovers, Pumpkin Muffins & Chocolate Pudding Cake!



photo credit: healthythoughtshealthyactions.com

Vegan / Sugar-Free / Gluten-Free Goji & Pistachio Raw Cacao Recipe

goji and pistachio raw cacao

by Kelly Keough

1 1/4 cups Artisana coconut crème

3 tablespoons Madhava agave

2 teaspoons chocolate extract

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/4 cup ZSweet®

3 tablespoons Navitas Naturals cacao

3 tablespoons roasted carob powder

1/4 cup pistachios, shelled

1/4 cup Navitas Naturals Goji berry

2 tablespoons Navitas Naturals cacao nibs

Manitoba Harvest hemp milk for thinning

Melt coconut crème and place in food processor. Add agave, stevia, and ZSweet®. Blend. Add cocoa and carob and blend. Add in Goji, pistachios, and nibs. Pulse until just incorporated. Use extra hemp milk for thinning. Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread mixture a 1/4 inch thick. Set in freezer for 15 minutes. Break into pieces.

What's The Best Sugar Substitute?

The search is over, the best sugar substitute is Zsweet® all natural sweetener. "Prove it!" you say? Ok, I will.

Every individual has different needs when choosing a sugar substitute: the dieter wants it to be zero calories, with no hidden calories like most so-called "zero calorie sweeteners"; the health nut wants it to be natural, GMO-free, free of artificial ingredients and flavors like MSG and not chemically processed; the diabetic needs it to be zero glycemic impact; people with candida want it to be sugar-free and also without certain fillers that will feed their candida; Moms want an alternative to sugar that won't cause cavities and send their kids into a sugar rush; sugar-free veterans don't want another sweetener that's going to having them rushing to the bathroom after each use or that has a bitter aftertaste; there's also the gluten-free and low-carb eaters, the vegans and those who eat kosher. You can make different suggestions for each of these people as to which sugar substitute will fit their individual needs, or you can recommend the same sweetener for all of these people and cover everyone's needs together all at once by recommending Zsweet®.

Zsweet® is naturally zero calories, zero glycemic index, zero net-carbs, vegan, kosher, gluten-free, GMO-free, MSG-free, will not promote candida growth or tooth decay, will not cause gastric distress and contains no known allergens. It's the all-in-one zero worries sweetener. You can happily serve Zsweet® to any family member or friend, especially those with dietary restrictions, with confidence and peace of mind.

Zsweet® is made using a natural culturing process; fermenting sugar to produce erythritol, a natural sugar alcohol; and then after adding natural non-citrus fruit extracts, Zsweet® crystalizes. The end result is similar to sugar in texture and taste. Unlike artificial sweeteners, aspartame, saccharin, and sucralose, Zsweet® is not made in a laboratory and is not a man-made chemical compound that can not be found in nature. All of the ingredients in Zsweet® can be found in fruits and plants.
Why is Zsweet® better than plain old erythritol? A few reasons. First, plain erythritol is only 70% as sweet as sugar, but after adding our trade secret blend of natural fruit extracts, Zsweet® granular is 100% the same as sugar, and supersweet Zsweet® packets are twice as sweet as sugar.

Second, plain erythritol has a minty aftertaste or cooling effect as some describe it. Most people find this aftertaste very unpleasant in coffee and baked goods. Zsweet®'s blend has eliminated that aftertaste to produce a taste that is sweet like sugar with no lingering cooling sensation. This makes Zsweet® a great natural sugar alternative for cooking and baking. We recommend using recipes that are formulated for Zsweet® or erythritol to get the best results.

Third, even though clinical studies have shown that erythritol is the most mild sugar alcohol and thus not required by the FDA to carry a warning label, if consumed in large quantities plain erythritol can cause a laxative effect, especially for those sensitive to sugar alcohols. Zsweet® has been able to reduce the amount of erythritol to 1 gm per serving in our supersweet packets, therefore those with sensitivities can benefit from the high potency of the supersweet blend and keep their sugar alcohol intake to a minimum.

Zsweet® has been recommended by Dr.'s Nicholas Perricone, Andrew Weil and Julian Whitaker as a natural and healthy alternative to sugar and artificial sweeteners. Zsweet® can be found at Whole Foods Market and other natural retailers nation-wide as well as online at www.Zsweet.com and overseas at www.Zsweet.eu.

Consider all the benefits, try Zsweet® for yourself, and see if you're as convinced as I am, that Zsweet® really is the best sugar substitute out there.

Diabetic Friendly Zsweet®

Did you know that Zsweet® all natural sweetener is not only zero calories, zero-net carbs, but also zero glycemic impact? That is great news for Type 1 & Type 2 diabetics and also those concerned about pre-diabetes symptoms.As I mentioned in a previous blog post, a lot of "zero calorie" sweeteners sneak in hidden calories; that's because the FDA allows just under 5 calories per serving to be labeled zero calories. For many people with diabetes who rely on sugar substitutes as a staple of their diet, those hidden calories can add up fast! Some have even complained of mysterious blood sugar spikes, perhaps because they didn't count all those calories that weren't listed on their sweetener. Most people are unaware of this fact, so why wouldn't they assume a packet labeled zero calories is truly zero calories?

That is the beautiful thing about Zsweet®; the no worries sweetener; it is truly zero calories! When we say zero on the label, we mean it. Not only is it zero calories, but since it is zero-net carbs, there are no carbs in Zsweet® that are converted into calories, no matter how much you use. So next time you're looking to satisfy your sweet tooth, go ahead and sprinkle as much as Zsweet® as you want.

If you want to get creative, d-Life.com is a wonderfully comprehensive resource for people with diabetes and you can find many delicious Zsweet® recipes there, as well as a plethora of other sugar-free meal ideas with all the nutrition facts clearly stated. Enjoy!

Click here for recipes:

Attention: UK Chocolate Lovers

Red23, Organic online Health Food store serving the UK population, sent us a sample of their Raw Chocolate Coconut Milk bars with Zsweet®... OMG!

These bars are delicious!!! They aren't like your typical waxy, sugary candy bar, that satisfy a guilty craving and then send you crashing later; nor are they like other tasteless, sugar-free bars that you try to tell yourself taste good so that you'll be happy about picking a healthy candy bar. These Red23 bars are both healthy & delicious! How did they do it? With Zsweet®, of course.

One of the major benefits of a sugar-free chocolate bar made with Zsweet® is that you won't end up with cramps or bloating later. Other sugar-free treats either have a nasty aftertaste from being artificially sweetened, or they send you running to the bathroom because they're made with powerful sugar alcohols like maltitol or xylitol.

If you live in the UK, definitely try these bars. They are absolutely fabulous!

UK & EU customers can shop for Zsweet® at www.Zsweet.eu.

Who Likes The Taste of Chocolate & Mint?

Kelly Keough shares her simple sugar-free mint chocolate pattie recipe.

All the ingredients are natural & healthy, now that's sweet. Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS
Candy
1 ½ cups extra virgin coconut oil, melted
¾ cup hem butter
½ cup Zsweet® powdered
1 teaspoon peppermint extract
3 drops Peppermint Liquid Stevia
3 drops Chocolate Liquid Stevia
¼ cup agave
¾ cup roasted carob powder
½ cup raw cacao nibs
½ cup hemp seeds

Filling
½ cup hump butter
¼ cup agave
¼ cup powdered Zsweet®
2 drops Peppermint Liquid Stevia

PREPARATION
Line mini cup cake tins with paper liners. Melt coconut oil by placing jar under hot water or spoon into saucepan and melt over low flame. When coconut oil turns to a liquid, pour oil in medium bowl. Slowly whisk in peanut butter until smooth.
To powder Zsweet®, place in high powered blender and blend on low and increase speed high for 30 seconds. Measure amount needed. Whisk powdered Zsweet® into wet batter. Add in peppermint extract, Liquid Stevias, and agave one at a time and blend.
Slowly stir in carob and cacoa powder a spoonful at a time. Stir in raw cacoa nibs and hemp seeds one at a time. Batter should run off of spoon easily, but not too runny.

To make filling, in a small bowl mix together hemp butter and agave. Add Zsweet® and Liquid Stevia and mix. With two spoons, spoon drop a small teaspoon full of filling into prepared paper liners. Spoon a tablespoon full of prepared batter on top of filling. Freeze for 15 minutes. Store in freezer.
Yield: 50 candies.

For more delicious, guilt-free recipes visit: www.kellykeough.com.

Zsweet® Recipes on dLife.com

Many of our valued Zsweet® customers are children and adults with diabetes. A wonderful resource for those in the diabetic community is dLife. Members of dLife can access expert advice, manage meals, receive exclusive coupons and use the recipe finder for diabetic friendly recipes with all the nutrition facts.

Additionally, dLife.com has added Zsweet® recipes to their recipe finder, and they even have some posted that we don't even have up on Zsweet.com yet. I highly recommend checking it out and becoming a member!


To look up Zsweet® recipes go to dLife.com, then click on the "Diabetic Recipes" icon and type Zsweet into the keyword search bar.