This Lemonade Layer Cake is a classic dessert and perfect for every occasion this summer, from birthday parties and picnics, to celebrating simply making it through the week! It’s bright, zingy and full of lemony flavor—bold, tangy, and unique. Each slice is essentially a ray of sunshine in your mouth!

The cake bakes up light and moist, and together with the frosting makes the most divine combination—delicious, simple and just the right amount of indulgent. It’s ideal for hotter weather when you don’t want a heavy dessert, but you still want something sweet that will hit the spot. It’s decadent in all the right ways!

To get this cake’s bright and zingy flavor I used Florida’s Natural^® Brand Lemonade. Florida’s Natural Lemonades are a family favorite of ours: delicious and refreshing on their own, or used in marinades, salad dressings or desserts, like this cake! They come in five tasty flavors: traditional Lemonade, Lemonade with Strawberry, Lemonade with Raspberry and Peach, Lemonade with Blackberry, and Zero Sugar Lemonade.

And, last but not least, this cake is gluten-free! The fact that it’s gluten-free makes the cake light and airy. It is truly one of a kind, and proves that gluten-free baked goods can be just as good, if not better, than conventional gluten cakes.

Enjoy!

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lemonade Layer cake

Miryam's Original recipe

Yield: 10 servings

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 35 minutes

Ingredients:

Cake:

• 4 cups almond flour
• 2/3 cup coconut flour
• 6 organic eggs
• 1/2 cup almond milk
• 3/4 cup Florida’s Natural® Brand Lemonade
• 1 cup canola oil
• 1 cup unrefined sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp aluminum-free baking powder
• 1/2 tsp aluminum-free baking soda
• 1/2 tbsp grated lemon zest

Frosting

• 16 oz cream cheese
• 1/3 cup Florida’s Natural® Brand Lemonade
• 1 cup swerve sugar substitute
• 1/2 tbsp grated lemon zest
• Edible flowers or mixed berries, for decorating (optional)

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350F.  Line the bottom of two 8-inch round cake pans with unbleached parchment paper. Grease them lightly with butter.

In a medium mixing bowl add the eggs, milk, oil, vanilla extract, sugar and Florida’s Natural Lemonade. With a wire whisk mix until combined. Add the flours, baking soda, baking powder and lemon zest. Combine until well-mixed.

Pour batter evenly into  the two prepared pans and bake for 25-30 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Let the cakes cool in the pan for 20-30 minutes before removing from the pan to completely cool on a wire rack.

While the cake cools, prepare the frosting by beating together the cream cheese, Florida’s Natural Lemonade, lemon zest and sweetener in a mixing bowl with an electric mixer, or in a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until well combined.

Finally, assemble the cake. Place one cake layer on your cake stand or serving plate. Evenly cover the top with about 1 1/2 cups of frosting. Top with second cake layer and evenly spread the remaining frosting all over the top and sides of the cake. Finish by decorating with edible flowers or mixed berries, if desired. Refrigerate for at least 30-45 minutes before slicing. This helps the cake hold its shape when cutting.

The cake can also be covered and stored in the fridge for up to two days.

Cover any leftover cake tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to five days.

The post lemonade Layer cake appeared first on Eat Good 4 Life.

To be able to see the content in Spanish, click on the translator on the right side of the page, selecting the correct language.

This recipe is sponsored by the American Heart Association and the American Diabetes Association®. The opinions and text are all mine. The end.

I love making crustless quiches because it does not involve the work of having to do the dough like a conventional quiche pie does. Not only it is time consuming having to prepare the dough, but avoiding the crust you can save the highly processed carbohydrates.

It is very important to avoid highly processed carbohydrates when it comes to preventing diabetes. Simple carbohydrates are stripped of their nutritious germ and fiber. Unhealthful diets often contain too many carbohydrates processed into concentrated forms (corn syrup) that provide calories and little else. The bottom line: when you fill up with carbohydrates, like complex carbohydrates such as whole grains.

For this recipe I also made the preparation shorter. No need to sauté the veggies since in the oven they will cook evenly. I am always for saving time while cooking, since we all know how busy families are nowadays. 

I am working with the American Heart Association and the American Diabetes Association to bring you recipe ideas. This crustless asparagus and tomato quiche is heart healthy and great for people living with diabetes.

Whole grains, starchy vegetables, beans, soy foods, green vegetables and fruits–foods served as nature grew them–are the carbohydrates that pack the highest nutritional octane. They’re rich in compounds that support good health, including fiber, nutrients, and phytochemicals. A dietary pattern based on these foods lowers the risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes and many major cancers.

In addition, people living with type 2 diabetes are two times more likely to develop and die from heart attacks, heart failure and strokes than people who do not have diabetes. But it doesn’t have to be that way, reduce your risk. 

It’s time to prioritize your health—do it for yourself and those who love you.

Time to cut your risk of heart disease and stroke and fight for the amazing life you’ve made for yourself. To get started, visit DiabetesdeCorazon.org, to check out even more recipes and resources. Then talk to your doctor to learn how to lower your risk.

You’re ready to say, “Now I know, and now I’m changing my story.” It’s time to change your story and reduce your risk.

Visit DiabetesdeCorazon.org for more information on how to lower your risk for heart disease and stroke.

Do You Know the 4 Questions to Ask Your Doctor?

It is very important to ask the following questions to your doctor to be able to take care of yourself the best way possible.

https://diabetesdecorazon.org/recursos/4-preguntas/

• ¿Qué cambios debo hacer para cuidarme el corazón?
• ¿Qué debo hacer antes de mi próxima cita?
• ¿Cómo sé si los cambios que he hecho están teniendo efecto?
• ¿Qué recursos tengo para aprender más?

Los adultos con diabetes son 2X más propensos a sufrir un ataque cardíaco o cerebral que las personas sin diabetes.

Con una sola conversación puedes empezar a reducir el riesgo.

I hope you are able to use this information. Having the right information is key. You can also start your healthier you in the kitchen with heart healthy recipes like this crustless asparagus and tomato quiche. 

Enjoy!

Crustless Asparagus and Tomato quiche

Yield: 4 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

• Cooking spray
• 10 ounces asparagus, trimmed and cut diagonally into 2-inch pieces
• 4 medium green onions, chopped
• 12 grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
• 4 large egg whites
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard (lowest sodium available)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, crumbled
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 cup shredded or grated low-fat cheddar or Colby cheese

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly spray a 9-inch glass pie pan or 4 individual 3 inch pie pans with cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, whisk together  egg whites, large eggs Dijon mustard, thyme and pepper. Set aside.

Divide the asparagus, green onions and cherry tomatoes between the 4 pie pans. Pour egg mixture over 4 pie pans.

Bake for 20, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Sprinkle with the cheese. Let the quiche cool for about 10 minutes before slicing.

The post Crustless Asparagus and Tomato quiche appeared first on Eat Good 4 Life.

This recipe is sponsored by Know Diabetes by Heart, a joint initiative of the American Heart Association and American Diabetes Association.  The opinions and text are all mine. The end.

I love making soups especially around this time of the year not only because my family loves them but because most soup recipes tend to be simple, don’t require much preparation and they are very versatile. I have been wanting to try this tomato basil bisque soup for a while so today I am glad I got around to doing it. It turned out fabulous.

For my tomato basil soup version I was able to shorten the preparation time and steps require to make it, so I hope you get to try it. My family enjoyed it quite a lot. I kind of wish I doubled the batch to be honest.

I am collaborating with Know Diabetes by Heart a collaboration between the American Heart Association and American Diabetes Association to bring to your recipe ideas. This tomato basil bisque not only is heart healthy but great for people living with diabetes. 

People living with type 2 diabetes are 2x more likely to develop and die from heart attacks, heart failure and strokes, than people who do not have diabetes.  But it doesn’t have to be that way, reduce your risk. 

It’s time to prioritize your health – do it for yourself and those who love you.

Time to cut your risk of heart disease and stroke and fight for the amazing life you’ve made for yourself.  To get started, visit Knowdiabetesbyheart.org/resources/recipes/, check out even more recipes and resources. Then talk to your doctor to learn how to lower your risk.

You’re ready to say, “Now I know, and now I’m changing my story.” It’s time to change your story and reduce your risk.

Visit Knowdiabetesbyheart.org/  for more information lowering your risk for heart disease and stroke. If you are new to diabetes type 2, if you are managing your diabetes type 2 or helping someone with diabetes type 2, there is a lot of useful information.

You will be able to learn how to best prevent your risk of developing heart disease and stroke. Having the right information is always key.

You can begin your healthier you in the kitchen with heart healthy recipes great for people living with diabetes.

Enjoy!

tomato basil bisque

Yield: 8 servings

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 25

Total Time: 30

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp canola oil
• 2 medium leeks (white part only), thinly sliced, or 1/2 cup sliced onion
• 2 small rib of celery, diced
• 4 medium garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 2 lb tomatoes
• 2 cups of water
• 1/2 cup loosely packed fresh basil
• 1/2 cup fat-free half-and-half

Directions:

In a large saucepan, over medium to high heat, heat oil and add stir leeks, celery, garlic, salt, and pepper for 3 minutes. Add tomatoes and stir. Cook for another 2-3 minutes.

Add water to the pan. Reduce the heat and simmer, partially covered, for 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Turn heat off and add chopped basil and half and half. With an emersion blender, blend ingredients until desire consistency.

Serve warm or refrigerate in an airtight container until chilled.

Recipe source: KnowDiabetesbyHeart

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I love making cookies, especially chocolate cookies of any kind. Today, I tried something that I have never done before—an orange chocolate cookie. I’ve made orange chocolate truffles before, but not cookies, and they were even better than I’d imagined. Orange is the perfect seasonal flavor to welcome spring and complements the rich chocolate so well. If you like chocolate (who doesn’t?) you are going to absolutely love these gluten-free Chocolate Orange Truffle Cookies. 

These Chocolate Orange Truffle Cookies are simply the best. They are almost like brownies, with an intense chocolate flavor. Rich and fudgy with a touch of citrus, these will satisfy any chocolate craving.

For the orange juice that gives these cookies their delicious citrus flavor, I choose Florida’s Natural Orange Juice. Florida’s Natural comes from pure Florida oranges. There are no artificial flavors or ingredients, and Florida’s Natural only uses oranges hand-picked from their grower-owned orange groves in Florida. Plus, Florida’s Natural orange juice is full of vitamins and minerals like potassium and vitamin C.

This recipe calls for two types of chocolate, which gives the cookies their sensational brownie flavor. I wanted to keep my cookies strictly orange and chocolate so the flavors would really stand out, but you can also include add-ons to the recipe, such as walnuts or pecans that will add just a little bit of crunch.

These Chocolate Orange Truffle Cookies are decadent, exceptionally tasty and perfect for any chocolate lover. If you are looking for a cookie with a rich, fudgy texture and intense chocolate flavor, this is your recipe.

Enjoy!

.

Chocolate orange truffle cookies

Miryam's original recipe

Yield: 24 cookies

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 3 tbsp Florida’s Natural^® Orange Juice
• 12 oz dark chocolate chips
• 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour or gluten-free flour
• 1/3 cup unsweetened or Dutch-process cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon Celtic salt
• 1/3 cup coconut oil, room temperature
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 2 tablespoons orange zest
• Flaky sea salt, optional

Directions:

Melt 8oz of the chocolate chips in a double boiler or in the microwave. If using the microwave, cook in 20-second increments, stirring after each until the chocolate is completely melted. Set aside to slightly cool.

In a large bowl, whisk the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, and remaining 4oz of chocolate chips together. Set aside.

Transfer the melted chocolate to a large bowl or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Add the eggs and orange zest and beat on high speed until combined, about 1 minute. Add the coconut oil and mix for another minute or so on medium speed, until combined. Add dry ingredients and mix on medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes.

Transfer the dough to the refrigerator and chill for at least 30 minutes or up to two hours.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with unbleached parchment paper.

Spoon the dough onto baking sheets, using approximately 2 tbsp of dough for each cookie, placed 3 inches apart. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the edges appear set. The centers will look a little soft.

Remove from the oven and allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. If desired, top cookies with a pinch of flaky sea salt.

 

 

 

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How are your new year resolutions going so far? New eating habits are one of the most popular new year resolutions, so I decided to share this roasted vegetable salad with orange vinaigrette. The dressing is what makes this salad superb. It’s a perfect pairing in this recipe, but you can get creative and use it on others!

In short, the dressing is simple yet flavorful. I think it has become one of my favorite dressings to use across salads because of its citrus flavor profile. I’ve all together quit buying dressing at the grocery store because of the long ingredients list. Store bought salad dressings often have a long ingredients list, with some being artificial. Making your own and keeping it in the fridge for future consumption is perfect.  And, salad dressings keep well. I have had homemade salad dressings for over two weeks in the fridge and they are still good. Making your own is a win-win. Since making your own dressing is super easy, I would rather do that because it also allows me to get creative.

For this roasted vegetable salad with orange vinaigrette, I used vegetables that are in season, but you can use any vegetables you prefer. I thought the butternut squash, red onions and beets made for a great combination. I am usually not a fan of butternut squash or beets, but I am striving to introduce new and different vegetable combinations into our family meals this year.  We really enjoyed how the salad came together.

When you use orange juice in this recipe, opt for Florida’s Natural® Brand Orange Juice which is made from one simple ingredient — Florida oranges. And only Florida oranges. No water, sugar or preservatives are added.

Florida’s Natural orange juice comes from pure Florida oranges. There are no artificial flavors or ingredients. Florida’s Natural doesn’t fuss with their farmers’ oranges — they’re simply squeezed, gently pasteurized and poured into cartons that ensure a straight-from-the-grove taste that my family loves. I feel good about using Florida’s Natural as a key ingredient in many of my recipes and dressings.

If your new year resolution is centered around your diet, try for small changes at first. For example, try to incorporate one new veggie each week, have one less drink, or even try a new kitchen hack to keep you inspired and enjoying meal prep. Starting right now, you can make your own salad dressing!

Try this roasted vegetable salad with orange vinaigrette. Swap any veggies of your choice, the dressing is truly what makes the recipe, so I hope you like it.

Enjoy!

Roasted vegetable salad with orange vinaigrette

Miryam's original recipe

Yield: 4 servings

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

• 4 red beets, cubed
• 2 large red onions, cubed
• 1 lb butternut squash, cubed
• 6 oz fresh spinach
• 4 tablespoons olive oil divided
• 8 oz goat cheese
• 1 tsp Celtic salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper

For the dressing

• 1/2 cup Florida's Natural orange juice
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 3 tbs raw honey
• 2 tbs rice vinegar

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees F

Place the sliced beets on a baking sheet and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and black pepper.

In another baking sheet, place the sliced butternut squash and red onions. Drizzle with 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and black pepper. Roast the veggies for 20 minutes or until tender. Set aside to cool for at least 10-15 minutes.

While the beets are roasting, prepare the dressing. Combine dressing ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside.

In a large bowl, add the roasted veggies. Add the fresh spinach and salad dressing, then toss to combine. Divide salad among four plates and sprinkle the goat cheese over the salad. Serve immediately.

I like to store my salad dressings in salad dressing jars. So convenient!!

The post Roasted vegetable salad with orange vinaigrette. appeared first on Eat Good 4 Life.

I must say, this gluten free lemon blueberry cake turned out great. We liked it so much that I made it two times in a row. I was also able to share it with some friends and they couldn’t believe it was actually gluten free. A keeper recipe for sure!

I have been experimenting with a new ingredient to make cake frosting. When it comes to frosting cakes, I hate using the conventional confectioners sugar because of all the simple sugars it add to cake recipes. I have been using a sugar free powdered sugar called Swerve confectioners sugar. that actually doesn’t add too much of an after taste. This has been my keeper ingredient when it comes to frosting cakes for me.

I know blueberry season is almost over, but just keep in mind that you can use frozen blueberries or even any other fruit you may like for this gluten free lemon blueberry cake recipe.

For gluten free cakes I have found that a combination of quinoa, almond and brown rice flour works pretty good. I have also made a poppy seed variation of this and while it was great we preferred the blueberry kind.

Well, I hope you get to try this amazing gluten free lemon blueberry cake. If you do let me know how you liked it. I am sure you will be pretty pleased.

Enjoy!

Gluten free lemon blueberry cake

Miryam's original recipe

Yield: 8 servings

Total Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cup brown rice flour
• 1 1/2 cup quinoa flour
• 1 1/2 almond flour
• 1 cup Greek yogurt
• 1 cup maple syrup
• 1 cup coconut oil, melted
• 2 tsp aluminum free baking powder
• 1 tsp aluminum free baking soda
• 6 eggs, room temperature
• juice of 3 lemons and zest
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups fresh blueberries

Frosting

• 1 1/2 cup Swerve confectioners sugar
• 16 oz cream cheese, room temperature
• juice 1 lemon and zest. If mixture is too thick, add more lemon juice

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two 8 inch round baking pan with parchment paper. Alternatively you can grease and flour them instead. Set aside.

Add eggs, maple syrup, Greek yogurt and coconut oil in a stand mixer and combine. Add the vanilla extract, lemon juice, and zest. Combine. Add flours, baking powder and baking soda and combine. Fold in the blueberries.

Divide mixture between prepared baking pans. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the top becomes golden. Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack before removing the cakes completely from the pan.

In a stand mixer add the frosting ingredients. Pulse until you obtain a smooth homogenous consistency.

To assemble the cake, place one cake layer on a serving plate or cake stand. Spread half the frosting over the cake. Add the 2nd cake layer and spread with the remaining frosting making sure you frost the outside of the cake. Serve. Store in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Note: Also, if you don't have all the flour at home you can do a mixture of 2 of them. It will still come out great.

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