YES YOU CAN MAKE ANY RECIPE HEALTHIER AND YUMMILICIOUS!

Hi Guys…long time no write. Life has been crazy, I’ve been depressed but I am pulling myself out of it by baking and cooking, seriously it works!  It’s actually amazing how it helps me feel better to feed people. I think it’s an innate Italian thing in my DNA! Fiaschetti…spaghetti, see my name even rhymes with the most popular food on the planet.So, I’ve had this amazing recipe for weeks trying to carve out some time to make it for the team up at the radio station, yes we are all a bunch of serious foodies!  The recipe is Peanut Butter Apple Banana Bread.  The original recipe calls for some things that are not very good for you though like Canola or Vegetable Oil and All-Purpose Flour.So here are the recent facts on canola oil and vegetable oil straight from the experts:Dr. Bruce Fife, N.D. writes in the Well Being Journal that canola oil comes from a hybridized, genetically modified rapeseed plant, contains erucic acid, is associated with cardiac fibrosis, produces free radicals and causes blood cell membranes to become rigid.The New York Times best seller, The Paleo Approach: Reverse Autoimmune Disease and Heal Your Body, by Sarah Ballantyne, PhD and Foreword by Robb Wolf, author or The Paleo Solution, writesin their “Summary Guides” Foods to Avoid: Processed Vegetable Oils- Canola Oil (rapeseed oil), corn oil, cottonseed oil, palm kernel oil, peanut oil, safflower oil, sunflower oil, and soybean oil.And, now the All-Purpose Flour. I have pulled some facts from some very respected doctors like David Ludwig, M.D., PhD, he says “refined carbohydrates like refined grain products (i.e. all-purpose white flour) are the single most harmful influence in the American diet today.”Dr. Ludwig is an amazing doctor who has been on the show before.Having written all of the above, I made better choices for my recipe.  For example, I used pasture raised eggs, free of abuse and full of the rich nutrients that a chicken only can give when they are on a pasture. I also chose Avocado Oil, again rich in amazing nutrients and vitamins like Vitamin K, Folate, Vitamin C, Potassium, Vitamin B5, Vitamin B6, and Vitamin E, and small amounts of Magnesium, Maganese, Copper, Iron, Zinc, Phosphorous, Vitamin A, B1 (Thiamine),  B2 (Riboflavin), and B3 (Niacin). Also, avocado oil does not contain cholesterol or sodium, and are low in saturated fat.  Avocado Oil is loaded with heart healthy monounsaturated fatty acids.I used fine ground Almond Flour which is a great alternative to refined and bleached All-Purpose White Flour. I also used all organic & non-GMO ingredients and "Real Salt" all natural sea salt instead of regular table salt.  Little things like mineral salt can make a huge difference in the nutritional value of any recipe. Did you know that there are also a vast difference in the quality of sea salts on the market today? It’s important to buy unrefined, not kiln dried, heated or altered with chemicals. The better brands like Real Salt has 60+ necessary trace minerals for your body and brain!Chemicals are NOT Yummilicious! Little things can make a big difference in the quality of nutrients in the food you prepare for your family and friends.I also lowered the recommended temperature a little to 325 Degrees and added 10 minutes to the baking time. LOW AND SLOW IS THE WAY TO GO!And, my last little tip is to use measuring cups that are from a set (all the same) to get more accurate measuring. Consistency matters.Get your yummy on! BernHere is the original recipe:

• 1 large egg

• 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed

• Coupons

• 1/3 cup canola or vegetable oil (liquid-state coconut oil may be substituted)

• 1/4 cup granulated sugar

• 1/4 cup sour cream (lite is okay; or Greek yogurt may be substituted)

• 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter

• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

• 1/2  teaspoon baking powder

• 1/2  teaspoon baking soda

• 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste

• 1 cup mashed ripe bananas (about 2 large or 3 small bananas)

• 1 cup grated apples (about 2 small or 1 extra-large grated on the coarsest blade of a box grater; I used unpeeled gala apples)

• 1 cup peanut butter chips (butterscotch chips or a mix-and-match combination of peanut butter and butterscotch chips may be used)