Let's Do Lunch Community

Hey Savannah,

I have a new batch baking in the oven as we speak. 
I will bet the Gingerbread Brownie will become the official birthday cake of LDL! 
I had posted in my  journal that I made it as a dessert for me and my daughter so we wouldn't have B' day cake on my sons' birthday.

If I make it for a dessert again, I will try to make 2 smaller layers and put some Raspberry Polaner in the middle like icing. It was also good with some SF cool whip on top - but what isn't? 
Julie

Hey Crickadoodle....I didn't add any ginger because I didn't have any at home...I just used spices that I had on hand...I'm sure you could add some successfully though...give it a try and let us know

Savannah I am new to this LDL web site and found this recipe but I don't know what 1 Tablespoon EVOO is??? and on the 3/4 c Kidney beans is that cup or can??  I would like to know before I try and make this.  So far I like almost every thing I have made on LDL.

Thanks Deborah

Deborah,

EVOO is Extra Virgin Olive Oil.   

Although I have not made these yet, I am sure 1c is 1 cup.

Welcome to LDL!!!  You will love it.

Kathy

Boy did I get lucky... I went to 2 grocery stores and found only ONE CAN of packed pumpkin! They had plenty of other canned pumpkin products, filled with corn syrup, but only one can of 100% packed pumpkin! I almost cried with joy when I saw it.... I can't wait to make these for ME tomorrow (yes I will share with the family, but MY health is the reason I'm making them)... or should I make them today? Which would be best.. waiting and having them while they are still warm and yummy or would making them ahead and microwaving them be okay
Tiffany 

Deborah....bludaffodil answered correctly....its a cup & evoo is extra virgin olive oil....sorry I'll have to explain myself better with future recipes

I've been working on making family cook books for Christmas presents...and I've typed so many recipes lately that I just ASSUME everyone knows the lingo...please forgive me, just goes to show we can always learn something new every day

Hi Friends,
Well I had a fun day today because of two things: (1.) for the very first time ever, I used our food processor that we've had for about 6 years!    Go figure. My adult DS has used it LOTS 'cause he's a genuine "foodie." But even when he was out of the country for 13 months until Aug. '09, the processor just sat in the cabinet, alone and unused!      (Guess I thought it was just too newfangled for me to figure out how to use it.    WRONG! After (finally) watching the video and reading the book that came with the appliance  (imagine that!) I had a blast (2.) making the Gingerbread Brownies from Savannah's recipe. But here's where a problem occurred: instead of 3/4 cup of kidney beans, I rinsed, drained and added to the work bowl - the whole 15 oz. can by mistake. So then I started individually removing the kidney beans by hand and filled a 3/4 cup measuring cup, noticed there were about an equal amount still in the bowl...then for some reason decided I'd just use 'em all anyway. Not cool! The resultant brownies came out dark and beautiful, with a great consistency and texture and smelled great because of the cinnamon....BUT! I think using that much more kidney beans than I was 'spozed to, I should have added 2 or 3 times the amount of Stevia sweetener. My brownies are just NOT sweet - by themselves. I have eaten three of them today ( I'm no  you see) with strawberry Polaner no-sugar fruit spread, and that made them palatable enough for me to enjoy. However, I did hear through the family grapevine (adult DS!) that DH tried one of the brownies and immediately spit it out.  Hey, DH: did you not see the printed recipe on the kitchen counter the past 2 days with NO CHOCOLATE, NUTS, or SUGAR in the recipe???? And did you not hear me today, saying that those baked gingerbread "brownies" are NOT sweet enough BY THEMSELVES for my taste buds????  Well, too bad, how sad....and nanny-nanny-boo-boo to DH (the love of my life!  ) 'cause I intend to enjoy the rest of MY dessert that I made   with MY OWN remedy (Polaner Spread) anyways. [Folks, my DH doesn't have a weight problem or on-going health problems, the brat  ...and he eats chocolate, REAL CHOCOLATE almost everyday.  ] But you know what?? Since I've been following LDL, not only does chocolate NOT call out to me anymore, it doesn't even know MY NAME!!!!  And next time I make this (very easy and delicious) recipe, I plan to actually follow the recipe. 
I hope you all had a good day too!
Best wishes,
southernyankee

I enjoyed reading your post, Southern Yankee!  I can imagine your husband's face when he ate the brownie! 

thanks for sharing your blooper with the Brownies SouthernYankee.
give me the courage to share my own. I had just started LDL and was trying out recipies like mad. I got on the msg boards and would copy the recepies down then make whatever it was. With this recipe I forgot the blend till smooth step with the beans and voila ended up with a very lumpy gingerbread brownie hmmmmmmm I ate some of it but well just too many lumps for me. I then went back on the msg board and found my mistake. OOOPPPPPPs
On my next try I added way more cinnamon and some nutmeg. Must have overbaked them cause they got really dry and not so great tasting. me and this recipe seem to be having our problems.
Will give it another try one of these days and not bake it so long. I do love the creativity this WOE give us! so cool to find new ways to make really healthy healing foods.

Well I did the same thing.. put the whole can of kidney beans in... got the same result, not sweet at all! BUT, I decided to  cut the brownies in half (into two thin layers) and then thinly layer some banana slices on top... heated it with some Smart balance spray and sprinkled some stevia right on the top... OH YUM! 

Hi Savannah,
Thanks for keeping me in the loop on the recipe and experiments thereof!  You know, I've decided I will make it again sometime even WITH the extra beans  (wacko as that may seem) because of their high nutritional value. And it's very quick and easy, too.  But it definitely needs tweaking to make it sweeter .... yet I must admit I got to enjoy the whole pan of them MYSELF over a week's time because they weren't sweet enough to satisfy my family's sweet tooth!  I've been thinking that perhaps the Gingerbread "Brownies" should be renamed "GingerBEAN Brownies" to emphasize that they are chock full of great LDL ingredients (lots of pureed beans and 100% pumpkin) and they can be enjoyed many ways. For example, I ate my brownies once chopped up/mashed up on a veggie salad; with a drizzle of orange juice; with some canned 100% pineapple chunks and a little pineapple  juice; with about 2 tsp. of Polaner Allfruit; and with 100% applesauce and a sprinkle of cinnamon....those are just the ways I can remember on spur of the moment. I intend to go back into the threads about this recipe to make note of the other spices that were recommended besides cinnamon. Somebody wrote in that perhaps this recipe could be the official LDL birthday cake - that's an idea I could go for, especially to underscore that it's a treat, not a "pure" or by-the-book LDL food.  Say, Food Police, can we get a verdict on this idea?

Best,
southernyankee

How ofen, how much of gingerbread brownies can you have?
Thanks,
Kathie in Fl.

Also, if I am using splenda...how much is the equivalent for Stevia?

Thanks and make it a great Friday! 
(Can't wait to make some of the soups Julie posted, this weekend.  I can *taste* the corn chowder and taco soup.)

Kathy

Thanks for the reply Mary.. I don't think I can control those gingerbread brownies right now.. I would eat them all.. perhaps I should wait for a couple more weeks on this plan?  They do sound so yummy tho.. sigh.  I will look for something else that will satisfy..
Kathie K in fl

Hi Mary.. well, I still am learning and its wonderful that you are there coaching.  I am going to stick to the book and try to get to a reasonable and enjoyable way of eating in order to loose my weight.  I can hardly wait for that to happen.  I wish I weren't such a newbie but you have to start somewhere. I can tell you that I enjoy cooking my meals for my lunches at work and working at a grocery store is a plus.  I do have to watch the pennies and cooking large meals for a couple of days is working out great for me.

I think I might try to get into cooking some dry beans on my days off.  It might be a little less expensive.
I am going to look into cooking Taco soup next. I still have another day or two of Pizza soup left.

The thing that I can see happening is that my mood has changed already.. maybe its the blood sugar levels and also I do have more energy.  I am no longer uncomfortable in my skin even tho I have little weight loss or maybe none at all right now. Its truly amazing.
Thank you Mary.. I sure appreciate you being there to answer these questions and to prod us along. I am sure you must look amazing. I bet your skin looks healthier and more vibrant since doing LDL.

What is evoo

Extra Virgin Olive Oil 

My husband and I have been LDLers since July 5th and this is the first time I have tried this recipe. My husband couldn't believe that it is made with BEANS!  I cut the brownies into squares and I topped the one I ate with Polander Orange Marmalade -- scrumptious!  I put the cut brownies into the freezer, two to a baggie, so we don't eat too many at one time.  They defrost quickly on top of the kitchen counter.