Thinly sliced apples combined with one of my favorite healthy secret ingredients make these Apple Pie Cinnamon Rolls not only delicious, but tipping the scale on the healthy side too!

Sometimes it’s good to be thankful for the little things. Like neighbors with apple trees.

Of course, neighbors with apple trees who like to share is even better.

The thing about a neighbor’s apple tree is that it gives you a much better idea of what organic really means. Yes, these apples don’t look like the glossy ones you find in supermarkets. But you know what they say? Looks can be deceiving. That is absolutely the case with these apples.

“They’re somewhere between a Gala and a Jonathan.”

“What?” I replied with my typical slightly raised eyebrow which I hope makes me look inquisitive. It’s my favorite cover for the standard, underlying condition that I usually feel – confused.

“When I moved here, the guy told me the apples from this tree taste like something between a Gala and a Jonathan apple.”

“Oh,” I said, a big smile spreading across my face. I don’t really care if they taste like a muttly mix of this or that, I’m just glad to have some fresh, organic apples. I decide not to tell her that. “Thank you so much!”

“Well, help yourself if you’d like more. There’s more than we can eat.” She must have sensed the hesitancy ebbing from my being because she continued, “Seriously, help yourself to more anytime you like!”

I envision her looking out the kitchen window and seeing me shimmying up her tree to grab an apple at six in the morning. I suffer from a serious case of bad timing so I could definitely see a scenario like this one playing out. I cringe.

I give her a big smile and say “Thanks!” I walk away with my big bag of backyard apples like I must have just won the lottery.

Life can be so good sometimes!

And I vowed to make some tasty sweets with those apples, and the first item on my list? Cinnamon Rolls! Yes, I know they don’t traditionally have apples in them, but that was something I intended to change.

For the recipe: Apple Pie Cinnamon Rolls with Coconut Cream Drizzle

Source: namelymarly.com

I made use of my donut pan again! Yay! This time, the batter came out to be more than just the 6 that the pan has room for so I might have made them very full when putting the batter in… in turn, the outcome was a donut on one end but a muffin top, kind of, on the other end. Haha, who cares, it’s fun. The flavor was delicious and my dad loved these! He asked me why I didn’t bring more home when I went to visit them on Sunday. He said he could have eaten a whole bunch and more.. as long as he had milk (I don’t know what his obsession is with eating pastries or baked goods with milk. It’s like, he must have milk with it. Strange man haha).

My mom loved that these were’t overly sweet and that they had a subtle cinnamon flavor. I kind of expected them to turn out even more cinnamony, but my parents ensured that the cinnamon flavor was perfect – not overbearing with just the right amount of pow. I guess it’s just me, I am known for dumping a whole bunch of cinnamon into everything I eat though… that’s my obsession I guess. I just love the flavor though. Plus I love the fact that cinnamon helps balance out blood sugar, so I don’t feel as bad eating more sweeter foods. You already know how big of a yogurt obsessed freak I am. Sadly, there is quite a bit of natural occurring sugars in yogurt. Sigh.

For the recipe: Apple Protein Donuts

Source: sensualappealblog.com

• 2 cups low fat milk
• 1 cup sliced apples
• 1 tbsp skimmed milk powder
• 1 tsp cornflour
• 2 tsp low fat cream
• 2 tsp sugar substitute
• a pinch of cinnamon (dalchini) powder
• 3 to 4 drops of lemon juice

• a few apple slices