| (Ailsa's Apple Crumble Diet)I'm Scottish, so it's not a big | | | | before, if that's possible ... Oh, to be Gorgeous!!Apple |
| stretch that I love Oatmeal, like any Good Scot! We | | | | Crumble for OneCrumble Mix:4 Cups of Oatmeal |
| grow up eating tons and tons of Porridge, and then | | | | (Quick-cooking Rolled Oats)1 Cup Flour (Regular, Barley |
| anything else with lots of Oatmeal in it. Oatmeal is like | | | | or Whole Wheat... I use the Barley Flour all the time, |
| Soul Food for the Scots! After my Second Child | | | | now.)1 Cup Bran Flakes1/2 - 3/4 Cup Brown Sugar |
| (Aidan) was about Two, and I still hadn't lost that 'Baby | | | | (Start with 3/4 cup of Brown Sugar, and gradually use |
| Weight' -- not all of it, since there was a fair bit to lose... | | | | less...)1 - 2 tbsp. Cinnamon3/4 to 1 Cup Butter, melted or |
| Anyway, I knew I had to come up with something that | | | | soft (I always pop it into the microwave for about 30 |
| was tasty enough to make me want to eat it, and | | | | seconds to melt it.)2 tsp. VanillaFruit Base:Apple Sauce |
| good enough to replace my delicious Chocolates. And | | | | Just keep a jar of Unsweetened Apple Sauce in the |
| it had to be something I could make quickly and easily, | | | | Fridge -- the 'Fruit Base' goes in a regular Bowl right |
| and that I could just incorporate into my regular daily | | | | before you add the Crumble Topping, don't add it into |
| diet. That's when I came up with 'The Scottish Diet', | | | | the Apple Crumble Mix(!)...Optional: You can add any |
| with the Apple Crumble for One Recipe.And in case | | | | other fruit -- peaches, stawberries, blueberries, |
| you're wondering, 'The Scottish Diet' is not "Eat | | | | raspberries or any other Fruit Mix are delicious. This |
| Sweeties all day, then have Fish & Chips for Dinner" ... | | | | Dish uses a Full Serving of Fruit, so it's very good for |
| although that does sound good! ha,ha! No, no. It's all | | | | you, too!I like to put some chopped Pecans or Walnuts |
| about the Oatmeal for this Diet. Oatmeal is a food that | | | | sprinkled on the Apple Crumble, and that's really |
| 'stays' in your system ("sticks to yer ribs", as they say | | | | tasty.You can mix 'n match so you always have 'new' |
| in Scotland...), so it's a great thing to add to your Daily | | | | treats!Directions for the Crumble Mix:Blend the Dry |
| Diet to help you feel satisfied and full and at the same | | | | Ingredients, then mix in the Butter and Vanilla... I use a |
| time control your hunger for a few hours. It's very filling, | | | | Pastry Cutter to mix up a big batch of the Crumble |
| as well as being nice and tasty. Oatmeal is a Natural | | | | Mixture, but you can use a Spoon and Fork just as |
| Whole Grain Product, so it digests slowly, which is | | | | well.Put it in an Air-Tight Container or a Large 'Zip-up' |
| good for maintaining your Blood Sugars (important for | | | | Freezer Bag and pop it in the Fridge.I put in a 1/4 or 1/2 |
| Diabetics or when you need to control your Food | | | | cup measuring cup -- those plastic ones -- right in the |
| Intake and Cravings...).Oatmeal helps with Lowering | | | | container so I can easily measure out a 1/4 cup for a |
| your Cholesterol and, of course, it's good for 'moving | | | | small serving of the Apple Crumble Treat, or 1/2 cup |
| things through' your system. Sorry -- had to say it! | | | | of the Crumble mix if it's for your Breakfast or |
| Actually, if you or someone you know has IBS (Irritable | | | | Lunch.(Add a wee bit more Cinnamon if you are |
| Bowel Syndrome), tell them about this Apple Crumble | | | | dealing with Diabetes, since there have been some |
| for One so they can give it a try. And the Bran & | | | | studies to indicate that Cinnamon may help in managing |
| Barley in this Recipe are great for that, too. There | | | | your Blood Sugars.)How to Make Apple Crumble for |
| have been some Studies to indicate that Cinnamon | | | | One :Pour about a 1/2 Cup of Applesauce into a Bowl |
| may help with Diabetes, so if you are dealing with that, | | | | (or Peel and Cut 1 Apple into little pieces and put on a |
| add an extra Tablespoon or Two of Cinnamon in your | | | | plate)Sprinkle 1/2 a Cup of the Oatmeal Topping over |
| Oatmeal Mix, or sprinkle it on each bowl of Apple | | | | the Fruit.Pop it in the Microwave for 1 Minute on |
| Crumble.There's a Full Serving of Fruit in each Bowl of | | | | HighThe Cut Fruit will probably require between 2-5 |
| the Apple Crumble for One, so that's very good for | | | | minutes, depending on how soft the apple is, so the |
| your overall health. It's nice and sweet, and you can | | | | Apple Sauce is much faster and easier.Voila! You're |
| change the Flavor of the Crumble Dish by adding | | | | done and now you have Apple Crumble for One! |
| different types of Fruit, and occasionally sprinkling | | | | Good luck with the 'One' bit, though, since it often |
| some Chopped Nuts on top of the Crumble. Chopped | | | | seems that someone comes into the kitchen just as |
| Pecans with the Apple Crumble is very, very | | | | this comes out of the Microwave who 'just wants a |
| tasty.Quick word about the word 'Diet'. Not a big fan | | | | wee bite', then they take at least half of it! ha,ha,ha! But |
| of that word, except in the sense of 'what you might | | | | at least they're all eating something tasty and healthy! |
| eat each day' in a nice, normal kind of way. I'm no' one | | | | Now, that's a real treat!I developed this Recipe to help |
| for denying myself, if you know what I mean! ha,ha,ha! | | | | me to lose some weight -- about 30 pounds! No |
| My take on depriving yourself is that it is a surefire | | | | kidding! Check out my Apple Crumble Diet Page if you |
| way to prevent weight-loss, since then you're mad that | | | | want to find out how you can lose weight with Apple |
| you can't have what you really want (and feel you | | | | Crumble, too! It really works!Another name I considered |
| clearly deserve...!). I think you can still have a treat -- | | | | for this Scottish Diet -- "The Chin-Be-Gone Diet"... do |
| just keep it in moderation, and have your wee treat in | | | | you like that?? How about, "Oh, Hey! There's my |
| the early part of the day. Maybe for a mid-morning | | | | feet!"... you'll only get that if you've been through the |
| snack, or in the middle of the afternoon. It's the | | | | stage where you look down and really can't see yer |
| Bedtime Cheesecake you want to avoid... If you eat | | | | feet, then one miraculous day, there they are -- in plain |
| the treats during your busy part of the day, you'll have | | | | site! And, oh, that's a joyous day, ain't it?? ha,ha!One |
| 'used up' your treat by the time you go to | | | | More Thing (fer sures, this time!): I've heard a lot about |
| bed.Anyway, make up a giant batch of the Apple | | | | psyllium lately. I hear it's fantastic for weight loss, so |
| Crumble Oatmeal Mix, keep it in the Fridge with a jar | | | | that's enough for me to run out and buy two boxes of |
| of Apple Sauce, and have it at least once a day. More | | | | whatever I can find that might mention 'psyllium' on the |
| often if you are wanting to lose a fair bit of weight. I | | | | Label... Anyway, I found All Bran Cereal with Psyllium at |
| lost well over 30 pounds on this 'Scottish Diet', but | | | | Walmart, and now my favorite breakfast is Special K |
| some of it snuck back on, so now I'm back at it. Good | | | | sprinkled with the All Bran with Psyllium, topped with a |
| thing I love it so very much!If you want to lose 20 | | | | lot of Blueberries. Yum! It's sooo crunchy and delicious... |
| pounds or more, have the Apple Crumble for One for | | | | really!And then I've started to occasionally sprinkle the |
| Breakfast, Snacks, and Lunch. When you get down to | | | | All Bran Cereal (with Psyllium, of course!), onto the |
| the last Ten Pounds, or to maintain your New Weight, | | | | Apple Crumble for One, after it's been in the |
| have the Apple Crumble once or twice a day to keep | | | | microwave, so the 'Bran Buds' (oooh, that sounds |
| things nice and stable. (And I feel like 'the last ten | | | | tasty, don't it? Bran Buds??) don't get mushy. Gives |
| pounds' are your own personal decision about how | | | | the Apple Crumble, which I love, a little crunchy |
| much you think you should weigh, or how you want to | | | | texture.Dwight Tidbit: One morning I was having this for |
| look -- not some stooopid number in a book... you | | | | breakfast, when I said to Dwight that I couldn't see the |
| know when you look and feel good, so go with your | | | | Psyllium listed as an ingredient when it was written right |
| 'gut instinct', so-to-speak, on that one!)Pop into my | | | | across the Cereal Box.... well, Dwight looks at me like |
| Fitness Page to see some easy and very effective | | | | I'm an idiot and says in a not-very-nice voice, "Psyllium |
| exercises you can do at home so you can start to | | | | is part of the Bran, Ailsa..." Hmmm. So I says to him, |
| Build Muscle, which is one of the other Big Keys to | | | | "Mystery Man, don't talk to me like I'm the moron...". I |
| slimming down and staying in Shape. Remember never | | | | said it mostly to amuse myself, but now you can see |
| to 'Drink your Calories' -- try to drink Water, Tea -- | | | | how lovely it is around here in the mornings! |
| anything that has no Sugar in it. I'm a 'Tea Jenny' | | | | ha,ha,ha!Oh, and if you're wondering how I got from |
| (Scottish for someone who drinks a lot of Tea!), and I | | | | 'Dwight' to 'Mystery Man', it's very clear in my own |
| realized that I was adding a fair bit of extra Fat to my | | | | head -- Mister to Mystery plus man.. Mystery Man... |
| Daily Diet just from the milk in my Tea, so I switched | | | | seems about right, since there's more than one |
| over to Skim Milk Powder, which I love.Oh, and here's | | | | mystery around here!Ailsa Forshaw is a Writer |
| my last wee Diet Tip: Eat what you Love. If you aren't | | | | currently stuck in Alberta, Canada, but with great |
| enjoying the food tremendously, skip it. Enjoy every | | | | aspirations of 'living somewhere warm'-- and Publishing |
| bite, or forget it. And Chew Slowly -- the wolf-like | | | | many items! Ailsa's website, ( came after years of |
| eating canny be good for you! ha,ha,ha! Plus, that's | | | | Teaching, Building & Writing. She has Two lovely |
| never good to look 'beastly' when you're eating, right? | | | | children, 17 & 5 (very careful planning), and is still |
| So take wee bites, chew well, and eat yer Oatmeal! | | | | married...with one gorgeous wee dog. |
| Soon you'll be even more beautiful than you were | | | | |