Any idea how much sugar you eat in the course of a day? The amount might startle you -- even if you don't have a soda habit or a sweet tooth. Most people take in about 430 calories of added sugar every day. That's a lot of waist-widening, nutrition-void sweetness! Following are three ways to add sweet without dipping into the sugar bowl. If you'd like more incentive and recipes to break the sugar habit, sign up for "Taming Your Sugar Beast" with nutritionist Karen Lamphere, this Wednesday, May 23th. Details and a registration link can be found in this newsletter below.

3 Ways to Sweeten Stealthily

In their book, "The Good Housekeeping Complete Household Handbook," the domestic experts at Good Housekeeping offer these three ideas for taking in the reins on your sugar intake:

In your coffee pot: Brew your morning coffee with a cinnamon stick or vanilla bean and ditch the flavored creamers. Just 1 tablespoon of flavored creamer can add 6 grams of sugar.

On your breakfast: Maple syrup adds about 50 calories and 12 grams of sugar per tablespoon. For a little sweet, add fresh fruit or pure fruit purees to pancakes and waffles. Or even oatmeal.

In cookie recipes: You can generally get away with cutting the sugar by up to a third in recipes for cookies, cakes, or other baked goods. Try experimenting with a little less of the sweet stuff on your next batch of macaroons.  

Healthy Pancake Mix

2.5 cup(s) whole-wheat flour

1 cup(s) buttermilk powder (see Tips & Techniques)

5 tablespoon(s) dried egg whites, such as Just Whites (see Tips & Techniques)

0.25 cup(s) sugar

1.5 tablespoon(s) baking powder

2 teaspoon(s) baking soda

1 teaspoon(s) salt

1 cup(s) flaxseed meal (see Tips & Techniques)

1 cup(s) nonfat dry milk

0.5 cup(s) wheat bran, or oat bran

1.5 cup(s) nonfat milk

0.25 cup(s) canola oil

1 tablespoon(s) vanilla extract

Whisk flour, buttermilk powder, dried egg whites, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Stir in flaxseed meal, dry milk, and bran. Store in an airtight container.

Combine milk, oil and vanilla in a glass measuring cup.

Place 2 cups pancake mix in a large bowl. (Refrigerate the remaining pancake mix in an airtight container for up to 1 month or freeze for up to 3 months.) Make a well in the center of the pancake mix. Whisk in the milk mixture until just blended; do not overmix. (The batter will seem quite thin, but will thicken up as it stands.) Let stand for 5 minutes.

Coat a nonstick skillet or griddle with cooking spray and place over medium heat. Whisk the batter. Using 1/4 cup batter for each pancake, cook pancakes until the edges are dry and bubbles begin to form, about 2 minutes. Turn over and cook until golden brown, about 2 minutes longer. Adjust heat as necessary for even browning.

Variations: Chocolate-Chocolate Chip Pancakes: Fold 1/2 cup cocoa powder and 3 ounces chocolate chips into the batter. Blueberry: Fold 1 cup frozen blueberries into the batter. Banana-Nut: Fold 1 cup thinly sliced bananas and 4 tablespoons finely chopped toasted pecans into the batter.

Recipe adapted from Eating Well Magazine

Taming Your Sugar Beast

Karen Lamphere-Certified Nutritionist

Wednesday, May 23, 6:30-8:30 PM                $45

Do you experience afternoon fatigue, feel stressed, exhausted or have difficulty sleeping? Do you gain weight around your middle or find it hard to lose weight? In this class we will discuss the effects of sugar and insulin on the body and why we get cravings. Find out the long term effects of over consumption of sugars, starchy carbohydrates and processed foods. Learn how to eat to eliminate sugar cravings and how to create easy menus to satisfy that sweet tooth. To help get you started, Karen will be making: Roasted Garlic Bean Dip with Sprouted Grain Tortilla Chips; Sweet Potato Quinoa Salad; Lentils with Fennel and Chicken Sausage; and Black Bean Brownies.  

Easy and Elegant Entertaining for Spring

(HANDS-ON, Class limited to 20)

Chris Feller-Chef and Culinary Instructor

Thursday, May 24, 6:30-9:00 PM                  $55

Are you in the mood to entertain, but not up to hosting a large and involved dinner party? Let Chef Chris show you how to whip up a no-nonsense menu with Northwest Style! Cream of Watercress Soup; Roast Leg of Lamb with English Pea and Fresh Mint Risotto; Pan Seared Chicken Breast with Roasted Asparagus & Sauce Fin Herbs and Strawberry and Rhubarb Crisp with Chantilly Cream.

Northwest Wines and Spa Cuisine

CULINARY EXCURSION!

Mike Grace-Owner, Grace Cellars, Lynnwood

Candis Parker-Owner, DeVine Wines, Mill Creek

Leslie Lightner-Director, Culinary Events NW

Wednesday, May 30, 6:30-9:00 PM             $58