Anyone who knows me, knows that I was “Daddy’s Little Girl” growing up.
I’ve always been a bit of a tomboy, and my Dad and I buddied around a lot when I was growing up and even into my teens and 20s. Dad and I are still very close, and he is still very quick to tell me that I’ll always be his little girl.
When I was in my early teens, Dad was diagnosed with diabetes. One of the hardest things for him was trying to suddenly change a lifetime of eating habits and cut out extra sugar. It seemed like the more something was bad for him, the more he wanted it.
To help him out, I began trying to learn to cook things sugar-free by either finding new recipes or finding ways to alter things we already cooked in the family. Luckily, there are several options for artificial sweeteners that made it easier to convert existing recipes to something he could eat.
In honor of Father’s Day, I am sharing a few sugar-free recipes for the diabetic with a sweet tooth in your family.

Sugar Free Apple Pie
Ingredients:
1/3 cup thawed apple juice concentrate
8 teaspoons Splenda
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pastry for double-crust pie (9 inches)
8 cups thinly sliced peeled tart apples
1 tablespoon butter
Directions:
Combine the first four ingredients. Line pie plate with bottom crust; add apples. Pour juice mixture over apples; dot with butter. Roll out remaining pastry to fit top of pie; cut slits or an apple shape in top. Place over filling; seal and flute edges. Bake at 375 degrees for 35 minutes. Increase oven to 400 degrees; bake 15-20 minutes or until apples are tender.

Sugar Free Strawberry Jam
Ingredients:
3 pints ripe strawberries, capped and cut in half
3/4 cup water
1 (1.75 ounce) package Fruit Pectin for Lower Sugar Recipes
1/2 cup Splenda Granulated
Directions:
Crush strawberries using potato masher or food processor.
Place exactly 3 cups of crushed strawberries in a large saucepan; stir in water. Gradually add pectin, stirring until blended.
Bring mixture to a full rolling boil over medium-high heat. Boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; add Splenda, stirring until it dissolves.
Skim off any foam with metal spoon. Allow to stand for 5 minutes to minimize separation of fruit and liquid. Jam is now ready to be canned.

Sugarless Spice Cake
Ingredients:
2 cups raisins
2 cups water
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 eggs, beaten
2 tablespoons liquid artificial sweetener
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Whipped cream, optional
Directions:
In a saucepan, cook raisins in water until water has evaporated. Add the applesauce, eggs, sweetener and oil; mix well. Blend in baking soda and flour. Stir in cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla. Pour into a greased 8-inch square baking dish.
Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Garnish with whipped cream if desired.