This giveaway is closed. Winner announced here.
Just a few short weeks ago I had never heard of Agave Nectar before, I just ate plain regular white sugar. But after DT and I went on our sugar and gluten free diet, I dove right into natural sweeteners like Agave nectar. Agave (if you not familiar) is similar to honey in taste and texture (although slightly thinner in consistency) and tastes pretty much like honey, but it does seem quite a bit sweeter, so a little goes a long way, and doesn’t interfere with the taste of other foods as much as honey does. In short, it’s delicious and I am a total believer.
Shortly after I had posted a few sugar and gluten free recipes using agave I was contacted by Robyn of BetterBody Foods and Nutrition and she offered to give me (to use and review) and one for a giveaway an 18oz. bottle of Xagave and a Xagave Cookbook. Awesome! Right??
I could not wait to get this giveaway for the Xagave. I was so impressed with the cook book and the wonderful recipes it had. It also has super useful sugar exchange table for any of your existing recipe you want to covert using Xagave. And a wide selection of recipes from sauces, main courses, desserts, smoothies, and of course adult beverages
like a classic Margarita
After a long look at the cookbook I decided to make the Whole Wheat Carrot Pineapple Cake.
and look it even saves over 3000 calories, how could I not love that. But the real test is the taste and if I could tell a difference in it.
And the results? I could not even taste the difference. My husband was just as surprised as I was including my parents who thoroughly enjoyed the cake never knowing it was made with Xagave nectar. Till I told them and they both agreed it was wonderful and they couldn’t tell.
Did I mention this should be a 3 layer cake, but I dropped the top layer trying to put it on the cake!!! I am just not the most talented cake decorator.
2 layers of not it tasted pretty dang awesome! (if I say so myself)
It was very moist, light and never would you know it was made without white sugar or white flour.
Did I mention this cake didn’t last very long????
Here are some more cool facts about Xagave:
1. It is a blend of both blue and white agaves.
2. It is raw and organic.
3. It contains inulin, a prebiotic fiber that makes your lower intestines and immune system happy, plus it increases the absorption of calcium.
4. It contains calcium, vitamins, and minerals too – which occur naturally in the root of the agave plants.
5. It mixes well with both hot and cold liquids.
There are a ton more wonderful benefits and properties of Xagave and I encourage you to check out the website if you want to learn about them.
I’m so excited about this giveaway, the great people at Xagave have agreed to let me offer the same thing, to you! One winner (US only) will receive an 18oz bottle of their Premium Raw Agave, and their “Delicious Meets Nutritious” cookbook. Like I said, it’s packed with great recipes for using agave.
To enter:
1. Just leave a comment answering this. Have you tried any Agave Nectar before? If so what’s your favorite way to use it? If not, don’t worry leave a comment or question anyhow. And if you’d like please go visit the Xagave website
Extra entries
2. Subscribe to my either via RSS Feed or Email.
3. Follow me on Twitter .
4. Become a Facebook Fan of Newlywed’s blog.
You don’t have to have a blog to enter so please enter everyone.
Remember, you have to mention it in the comments of this post for it to “count” toward an extra entry. How else will I know you’ve done it?
Contest runs from blog posting time (ie- now!) on February 1, 2010 thru noon February 6, 2010.
Winner will be chosen at random by Saturday February 6th and notified by email (so please be sure to leave a valid email address). Winner has 3 days to respond to email after which a new winner will be selected.
Full Disclosure Statement: I did receive free products from Xagave. Though I am not being paid to share their products with my readers. Instead, I am sharing them because I like them.
This post is listed @ Simply Sugar & Gluten free, The shopping Mama, Saving Cents with Sense
Print This RecipeWhole Wheat Carrot Pineapple Cake with Agave
Posted by Stephen Richards
1 1/2 cups canola oil
1 1/2 cups Xagave
3 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
2 tsp. soda
1 tsp. salt
1 cup unsweetened coconut
2 cups grated carrots
2 cups crushed pineapple (with juice)
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 cup chopped nuts (walnuts or pecans)
3 cups whole wheat pastry flour*Steps:
Preheat oven to 325°F. Mix all the ingredients in a bowl and stir until smooth. Pour into greased 9 x 13 inch pan. Bake at 325°F for 50 – 60 minutes. Let cool and frost with Cream Cheese Frosting. This cake tastes better on day two!
Cream Cheese Frosting:
This delicious frosting is easy to make and saves you 3,000 calories over the sugar equivalent and tastes better.
Ingredients:
1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick) at room temperature
8 oz. cream cheese at room temperature
1 tbsp. lemon juice
2/3 cup XagaveSteps:
Put all ingredients into a large bowl and blend until smooth with an electric mixer. Refrigerate until ready to use.
I have got to figure out how to make print-friendly recipes!
I haven’t tried it yet, but it sounds like something I need to look into!
P.S. For a YUMMY modification on your carrot cake icing, try swaping orange juice for the lemon juice and add 1 tsp of orange zest. It PERFECTLY compliments the carrot/pineapple combo…
I haven’t tried it yet but would love to!
I haven’t tried agave, but I am curious about it now. 🙂
I subscribe to your rss feed.
I havent tried it…but my waistline is telling me its time 🙂
I haven’t tried it but would love to!
I follow you on Twitter. 🙂
We tried Agave nectar for the first time several weeks ago. We had a berry salad with walnuts. It was awesome!
I haven’t tried Agave Nectar, but I think I need to start using it.
It looks wonderful! I need to try the Agave Nectar.
I haven’t tried Agave Nectar, but am interested in it since reading your posts. You’re a great advocate for it.
I’ve never tried this product but I had noticed it in several of your recipes! So I’m highly curious! Thanks for having this giveaway.
Oh yes, I am a follower.
@Reneé, Thank Renee great tip, I just love orange flavors.
@Susie’s Homemade, Its a plugin through WP. Don’t worry I had help with it.
I would love to try agave nectar.
I have been so intrigued by agave nectar, would be very excited to experiment!
We like to put it in smoothies (: It is Yummy!!!
Thank you for the awesome carrot cake recipe I am looking forward to giving it a try!!!
I have never tried agave before but I saw it at the grocery store for the first time after you had started your sugar and gluten free diet. I will need to try the recipe above I love carrot cake!
I’ve never tried Agave — but would LOVE to! I already reduce sugar in our diet, but this would give me a kick start in trying to decrease it more!
I haven’t had agave before, but am interested in trying it. My daughter’s first birthday is this month, and I was planning to make a naturally sweetened whole wheat carrot cake, but wasn’t sure what I could do to sweeten the frosting without powdered sugar.
I have no used agave before. I’ve seen it used in a recipe, but didn’t know exactly what is was or where to get it. A few weeks ago, I finally saw it at my grocery store…..I may have to try it out.
I have never tried agave nector before, but I would love to! I have a few friends and family who eat gluten and sugar free and it’s great to have new things to make for them.
I subscribe to your RSS feed! 🙂
And now I’ve joined your facebook fan page.
Thanks for the giveaway 🙂
Hey, girl! Great give away! I have used agave in MANY things! I’m hooked too! I’ve been most surprised using it in my oatmeal msot mornings. I’ve also added it to tea and drizzled a bit over baked cinnamon peaches for a healthy treat!
I haven’t tried it, but it looks awesome! Especially that margarita! I wonder if that cookbook also has some healthy Mexican food options to go with the margarita?? 🙂
I actually switched to using agave as my only sweetener a couple of months ago, but I have not tried the xagave brand. I use it as the sweetener in all my baked goods: cookies, granola, granola bars, fruit crisps, etc. I also use it to sweeten my oatmeal, use it to top my pancakes, use it on toast with nut butter. Yummy!
I also became a fan on facebook!
I’ve never used Agave nectar though I have seen it on the shelf at Trader Joe’s before. I had no idea it was similar to honey and that it could be used as a replacement for sugar in recipes. I think next time I’m at TJ’s I’m gonna pick up a bottle!
That carrot cake looks SO good!!
I’m already a follower on Twitter!
I started the Clean Program a few weeks ago and started using Agave nectar then. I am in love with it. I am drooling over this recipe book too. I want it!
never tried it, but i want to start now !
i subscribe in google reader.
I would love to win! Enter me please.
A year ago, when my husband and I were in Mexico for our honeymoon, we searched high and low for agave nectar, for a friend of ours. We found it in Cozumel. Who knew it had so many uses?
I use it in muffins. It’s a great substitue sweetener. I want to try Xylitol as well. Ever used it?
I’m a FB fan!
I subscribed to RSS feed via yahoo!
I tried Agave nectar once, in coffee, at a demonstration at Trader Joes. It was pretty good! I’d love to try it in baked goods.
I have never tried it but I would love to since I bake a lot and all that sugar just can’t be good for me!
Where did you get the agave nectar? I’m impressed if you got it in your small town. I tried to sign up for the giveaway but not sure I did it right. The Hearty Cabbage soup was really good.
A co-worker introduced my to agave nectar and I use it regularly in my hot tea. I haven’t baked with it yet, but I love the taste.
I’m a subscriber via email.
I just became a fan on Facebook.