April's Energy Balls....Healthy Coconut Treats

These days it really is all about energy - we seem to be running on empty, even when we are full or feeling drained, although we do so much to stop the leaks. Of course a huge amount of our energy (all of it?) must come from our food, and when we are eating things made from machines - well, let's just say that warm and fuzzy feeling is missing.

If you would like to try a dairy free, sugar free, wheat free - yummy treat, try these little energy balls. I have a more involved recipe listed below, but really, it you have a food processor, just use a handful of almonds, a few dates and figs and make a paste. Then roll into balls and sprinkle on some coconut.

It couldn't be easier to treat yourself....and lets face it - you deserve the best (say it often and believe it).

April’s Energy Balls

2-3 cups of chopped dates, figs or apricots and other dried fruit
¾ cup of crushed almonds, cashew or walnuts
2-3 tablespoons of sugar free strawberry jam
Maple Syrup (about 1-2 tablespoons)
Dessicated Coconut (1 cup)
½ to ¾ cup Tahini or Almond Butter

This recipe can be made differently each time you make it according to the ingredients that you have on hand. Also, the measurements can not be exact as sometimes the dates, figs and apricots may be a little drier and will therefore need more of the ‘wet’ ingredients to hold them together.

I chop all dates, figs and apricots by hand as fine as possible and combine in a large bowl (if you have a food processor, use this). Next I put in the nuts, jam and maple syrup. Mix all of these together loosely by mixing lightly, then add the tahini or almond butter slowly- seeing how much you will need to make the dry ingredients stick together.

Tahini works best for this recipe because it is not sweet and does not make Coconut balls overly sweet, and also because it is less thick then the almond butter. However, I have made it with both and it has worked out well. Even try a combination to give a nice nutty taste too.

Once all those ingredients are mixed in, see if you can squeeze a small teaspoon full into a ball- if this is done easily then do not add any thing else. If it is too wet, add more dates and if too dry add more jam and/or tahini.

Now that you can make little balls with this, roll them onto a plate covered with the coconut until each one is coated entirely. Then place onto a separate pan or serving dish.

These look very nice, are a balanced, healthy snack and are quite tasty with a cup of dandelion coffee. I serve them with seasonal fruit such as fresh strawberries or orange sections on a platter for nibbles at the end of a meal or at any party. Enjoy!

Or drop by my market stall in Bantry or Skibbereen to have a treat....can't wait to see you,

April

A bowl of Energy Balls.....yumm! 

Sugar Free Easter Treats - Coconut Fudge

Last night was a late night for me, I was up until all hours making a few Easter treats for the children – I  ended up with some Coconut Balls (raw figs, dates, nuts, almond butter), Fig Newtons, Cashew & Date Bars and Coconut Fudge.

The one thing I have mentioned to people time and again about the way we eat, is how we are never deprived. How I don’t miss sugar or any other addictive substance because we eat so much better and are quite satisfied with our food.

There is a way around everything and a way to have your cake (or cookies or dessert) without  adding or using anything nasty in the recipe. This is just good wholesome food the way it was intended to be – homemade of course.

So – for a treat at any time of the year and something that I would consider to be far superior in taste – try some Coconut Fudge. It can be made with any number of things, we like to use fresh organic orange zest, but I also like lime and lemon too or sometimes a few berries.

The taste of coconut and orange is refreshing without the guilt or after taste (I never like the way my body felt even an hour after eating sugar)  of eating sugar. This fudge also nice crumbled over a cake or some other dessert as a topping.

Coconut Fudge

1 package creamed coconut

3 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons grated orange zest

To make coconut fudge is easy! All you need to do is melt the creamed coconut in a small saucepan over a low heat. As it melts, add in the honey and keep stirring gently to ensure it is all melted.

Once there is only liquid in the saucepan turn off the heat and stir in the orange zest. You may also use lime or lemon if desired. For a little extra citrus taste add 1 tablespoon orange juice.

Pour out this coconut cream into a shallow dish (I cover the bottom in parchment paper) and place in the fridge to cool until it is set. As it cools it will harden – you can then cut it into pieces – just like any other fudge.

This tastes great and the best part – it’s sugar free!

April

Cooled down and ready to cut - Coconut Fudge

Almond Citrus Cake

For another take on using oranges in our baking I decided to mix two of my favourite food together - almonds and oranges. I wanted to use up some oranges but also to bake using less flour and more of other, different ingredients.

Almonds are lovely because they grind down into a floury powder, yet retain that deep taste that goes throughout a dish. And they pair up well with citrus - especially orange. I also like the texture of cake, cookies or other foods like nut loaf when made with almonds.

Cakes are easy to make with nearly any combination of ingredients and are just as easy to freeze for those days when something a little sweet would be nice with your dandelion coffee. 

This recipe is really straight forward and easy to follow - I had my children working with me on this one too - we usually bake something on Fridays for our home school project....

Almond Citrus Cake

2 cups ground almonds

1 cup whole grain spelt flour (or white spelt)

1 large organic orange

3 eggs (I use duck eggs)

1/4 cup maple syrup

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon Apple pie spice

1/4 teaspoon cardamom

pinch salt

7 to 8 tablespoons orange water

Place the orange in a saucepan cover it with water and bring it to a gentle boil for about 1 hour. It should cook gently, otherwise it will be tough. Once boiled, take off the heat and cool. Then cut it open and remove the seeds. The orange then needs to be blended into a pulp together with one or two tablespoon of the water it was boiled in.

Turn on the oven to 180C and prepare a baking tin - I usually use a bundt pan for cakes.

In a deep mixing bowl, place the dry ingredients and sift them together (flour, almond, baking powder, baking soda, spices, salt). Break the eggs in a small bowl and whisk together with the maple syrup. Next, add the wet ingredients (including the orange pulp) to the dry almond mixture and start to mix together - you will need to add the orange water here - add enough to ensure it is wet but not sloppy. Usually around 7 or 8 tablespoons.

Spoon this batter into a prepared tin and bake for about 40 to 45 minutes. Once a toothpick comes out clean - turn off the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes then turn out onto a rack. This is lovely served with orange sections, or drizzled with maple syrup.

Enjoy!

Almond Citrus Cake

Oaty Crunch Cereal

I don't know about you, but I love my porridge, especially on these cold, damp, windy, dark winter mornings....so it also goes that I like oats. And usually cereals, but not the cardboardy kind that taste as bad as the box they are in likely tastes.

A few days ago, I had a memory of eating something crunchy, sweet and oaty for breakfast - that wasn't muesli. It was a roasted oat cereal that was really nice for a change from the usual fare and ever so ever simple to make.

I set about working on a recipe to call my own and having a few taste testing mornings (and evenings!) with everyone. The following recipe is the one we all loved - it wasn't overly sweet, or too oaty or not filling enough - it was just right.

To make this cereal:

3 cups oats

1 cup chopped pecans

6 tablespoons goat's melted butter 

6 tablespoons maple syrup

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

pinch salt

Preheat your oven to about 150C and prepare a large baking tray by covering it with a sheet of parchment paper. 

Mix all of your ingredients together in a deep bowl taking care to make sure all the oats are well coated with the butter and maple syrup. It should not be overly wet.

Then spread out the mixture evenly over the baking sheet and place in the hot oven for about 25 to 30 minutes. After 15 minutes or so, give it a little stir to ensure browning throughout. Then leave in the oven until it takes on a golden colour. 

I turned off the oven after 30 minutes and left the cereal to cool on the tray. Once cool I broke it up into clumps and stored in an air tight jar until we were ready to use it. This is lovely with goat's milk, a few fresh berries or chopped apple and of course on it's own.

It will keep for a couple of weeks like this - but it doesn't last long as it tastes so good!

April

Oaty Crunch Cereal

Herb & Spice Loaf

Today I wanted to make something quite different - I had been thinking of using up some of the dried fruit leftover from Solstice as well - so I put these two ideas together to come up with a bread/cake that everyone would enjoy.

There is a traditional loaf made most often with a strong tea (Tea Loaf or Tea Bread) however, as I don't drink tea, but I do drink anything with herbs in it, I decided this could be made using some of the more flavourful ones.

A tea loaf is usually spiced as well with either pumpkin pie spices or apple pie spices. If you don't have any, this is not a problem as we most often have the ingredients for these in our cupboards. To make apple pie spice mix together cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, allspice and a little cardamom.

Now for the bread - I mixed about 1 and half cups of dried blueberries, dried cranberries, sultanas, dates, and my personal favorites, elderberries. These were soaked in 1 1/3 cups of boiling water to which I added 3 teabags of lemon and ginger.

However, anything would do - perhaps lemon verbena, chamomile and lavender or any combination of herbs for taste, flavour or added health benefits. I put the apple pie spices (about 1 teaspoon) in with the soaking fruit - just to blend the flavours more.

This fruit was left for about an hour in the hot water, but could easily have been sitting overnight to bring out the full blend and tastes. As well, the spices could have been added to the flour mixture for a more subtle taste.

Next I put 3 cups of spelt flour in a deep mixing bowl and then sifted in 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1/4 teaspoon sea salt. Once these were thoroughly mixed I rubbed in 3 heaping tablespoons of goat's butter until the flour was forming peas.

In another bowl I had an egg well beaten with 1/4 cup of molasses - I like to use the black strap because it has the most mineral and highest nutrient content. I poured this in with the flour mixture and then the fruit was gradually added together with the water it had soaked in.

Once this was mixed it resembled a thick cake batter. I spooned the batter out into a prepared loaf tin and baked it for about 1 hour at 180C. It is a rich dark cake with a lovely moist texture...great with a cup of herbal tea.

April

Herb & Spice Loaf

Sage & Coconut Biscuits

Well, once again I find myself with things sitting around my cupboards and I want to be using it up....but also I like to expand my recipe base at the same time. Often we find ourselves stuck in with the way we cook, bake or go about preparing food.

When we venture out of that box and go back to the drawing board some interesting points tend to be raised. First of all you can do nearly anything - with what you've got. I am not one for special ingredients or strange stuff I will never use again or in anything else.

Secondly, we can tend to have some types of food we enjoy but only prepare it one or two ways. I was like that with cabbage, which I posted on yesterday with a lovely slow cooker recipe. But, I am also like that with coconut.

I love coconut - and use it shredded in several dishes such as muesli, cookies and cakes. I also like the coconut milk in rice dishes and a couple of soups I make. But that seemed to be it really - so yesterday I set about playing around in the kitchen with blocks of creamed coconut.

And the results were quite interesting! I ended up with a lovely biscuit that the kids loved and I can't wait to taste. It looked very much like a scone but I was told it was sweet and creamy tasting with a different texture from a floury scone.

To make these biscuits I did the following!

2 1/4 cups spelt or barley flour 

200 g creamed coconut

1 tablespoon rubbed sage

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 cup water (hot)

1/2 cup goat's yogurt or sour milk

sea salt

In a saucepan I poured the 1/2 cup hot water and added the coconut block - this was gently heated on the wood stove while being stirred until it was uniformly melted. In the meantime I preheated the oven to 180C and placed a piece of parchment over a baking sheet.

Next I measured out 2 of the cups of flour into a deep mixing bowl and added the other dry ingredients (soda, salt and sage). This was sifted around to mix thoroughly. In another small dish I placed the goat's yogurt - I ended up using half yogurt and half sour milk. (add 1 teaspoon cider vinegar to make the milk sour).

After mixing the milk mixture in with the coconut I added this to the flour in the deep mixing bowl. It will blend nicely into a soft ball which you can then turn out onto a floured surface. Use the extra flour to handle the dough sprinkling a little over top to keep it from sticking to your hands.

Flatten it down a little and start punching out round circles (sort of like cookies or scones) and placing them onto the cookie sheet. Once the dough is used up, sprinkle some more sage over top and put them in the oven for about 15 to 17 minutes. 

They turned out wonderfully (I made them twice with different flours) and smelled like they had butter inside - but they don't, it's just lovely coconut!

April

Sage & Coconut Biscuits 

Organisation Takes the Stress out of the Season..

I am usually an organized person - I remember well the days I was completing my Master's, working at home, homeschooling my son and then the arrival of a new baby. Those days taught me a lot about lists, piles, not procrastinating and doing what you say you are going to do.

So, I have learned to do what I want, make the most of where I am and what I have as well as keep the energy moving forward by taking action when possible. That usually means doing what I need to do to have the lifestyle I want to have - living off the food grid. 

However that is only one aspect of what this time of the year puts on our plates - the main things I see when I am out and about in the shops are the immense, grotesque, obscene piles of rubbish that people like you and me are expected to buy.

And eat by the bucket load over the holidays. Then to make matters worse - studies and reports are released this week stating how far more people become diseased or die from overeating (obesity and related problems) as opposed to being under fed.

Naturally. So what's a person to do about all of this confusion and mixed messages surrounding food? What I have personally found over the years is to rely on my organizational skills and prepare for the season like nothing else.

That way, the only temptation is what I have on hand - ready made sweets, treats, goodies, delicious foods to eat and enjoy as much as I want without any thought of anything other then organic (as much as possible) wholesome goodness and great taste.

All of this can be accomplished without sugar, preservatives, additives, colours, dyes, artificial anything or any other kind of drug. You can have the food you want without any guilt or worry about damaging your body in any way.

You can do this by spending a few hours cooking and baking with the carefully planned ingredients you have bought to make your holiday a real food zone. Think of the amount of time and energy you will save yourself when you no longer stress over this one aspect of the Solstice/Christmas season.

What freedom!

April

Wild Rice, sweet potato & figs.... 

Maple Pecan Steamed Pudding

My first adventure in pudding making was a great success... and I had every excuse in the book as to why I wouldn't be able to make one, why it wouldn't turn out right and whatever... but I surprised myself here...

On the weekend I made a Maple Pecan Pudding and it was lovely! I was a bit concerned that it would not turn out right, because well, it is steamed and not baked and for the life of me I could not figure out how that would be an advantage.

And it's not really - however it is a completely different taste, texture and the process involved in making a pudding is quite interesting in itself. First of all not many people would have a pudding steamer and I certainly don't.

So, you have to improvise and that's not difficult at all. I used a glass bowl for the pudding, placed an upside down measuring cup on the bottom of the saucepan, then made a cover for the pudding using tin foil and parchment paper. It was all fastened with string and even a little handle...

To make the pudding I used 1 cup of chopped pecans, 4 tablespoons oats and 1/4 cup of maple syrup. I mixed these up and placed them into the buttered glass bowl at the bottom. Then to make the pudding I used 2 cups of spelt flour, grated orange rind, 1/4 agave syrup, 2 eggs beaten, 1/2 cup goat's milk, cloves and a pinch of salt.

I mixed all of these other ingredients together in a mixing bowl until it resembled a batter and then spooned it carefully onto the pecans. This would form the bottom part of the pudding. I covered the glass bowl with the foil and string and then carefully placed it into the saucepan (on it's perch) and turned up the heat.

This steamed for 2 hours with me checking to make sure there was enough water. I kept it up about half way around the bowl. 

To be honest I was not at all certain it would steam and cook - so was pleasantly surprised when I opened it and it was cooked. Nicely. To serve, this type of pudding is great with homemade custard and  drizzled with more maple syrup...

April

Maple Pecan Pudding... already sampled!

Creamed Coconut Macaroons - Sugar Free!

I am always trying to improve on a recipe - and when I think of some ingredient that will make an already good recipe taste great, I can't wait to try it out. These past few days I have been waiting until my cleanse was finished so I could play around with some ideas I had for my macaroons.

We are people who enjoy coconut but probably don't eat that much of it. Maybe that's why we still really like it - it's a treat to find it added to a dish or in a cake or cookie. My husband grew up eating coconut macaroons and would name them as one of his favorite treats.

As for me, my available treats would have been far more traditional with fruit cakes, pies and oaty squares being the usual fare. In our house now, we just want to eat well, try new things and improve on the old ones... so with this in mind I have been working on the macaroon.

I like a chewy cookie, it's not a biscuit - it also needs to be sweet but not overly and distinctive without being overwhelming. This type of cookie lends itself to this situation because it can easily be made the way your family likes it.

This morning I made some Creamed Coconut Macaroons using the following recipe;

Creamed Coconut Macaroons

1 ¼ cups whole spelt flour

½ cup ground almonds

1 ½ cups desiccated coconut

1/2 cup grated creamed coconut

1 cup goat’s milk

¼ cup maple syrup or apple concentrate

½ teaspoon ground nutmeg (optional)

1/8 teaspoon salt

Turn your oven on to 180°C and prepare a large flat baking sheet. You can butter and flour it or cover with parchment paper. 

In a deep mixing bowl, measure out the flour, desiccated coconut, grated coconut, ground almonds, nutmeg and salt. Sift together until well mixed. Then pour in the maple syrup and milk – continue stirring until mixture is thick and sticks together well.

Using a wooden spoon, drop medium sized amounts onto the baking sheet until you have used up all the batter and these are evenly spaced. If making smaller ones you can space them closer together. 

Bake in the hot oven for 14 -16 minutes until golden brown on the outside. These are spicy and chewy, great as a snack anytime....

Enjoy!

April

Creamed Coconut Macaroons

Cake and the Magic of Life...

So, right now we are in the middle of some sort of a cooking, baking, foodie craze...apparently there are more cooking shows, new cookbooks, recipe sites and blogs then ever before. And that is all great, right? It keeps us focused on eating well and using our food to get healthy....

Oh, I forgot, 99% of these shows, blogs, books and what not have nothing to do with eating well, healthy meals or removing rubbish from your diet. In fact, the latest fad to hit the airwaves is the cake and baking madness with impossible techniques, equipment and ingredients.

No one enjoys nice cake more then me, especially with a great cup of dandelion coffee. But that is just it - I would make it myself, it is sugar free, organic, whole grain, fresh, made from unprocessed everything and actually still registering on the food pyramids.

I was out and about at the weekend and could clearly see the evidence of this baking craze - with heaps of new recipe books, baking pans, measuring cups and each shelf topped off with icing sugar or some other type of poison. 

Not to mention the use of colorings, additives, tins of ready made this or that, chocolate laced, sweet and full of empty calories. So, what is this all about anyway? Yet another way to get you looking at food, thinking about food and perhaps making high calorie meals?

I don't think so. I think it's about making you think - that cake looks perfect, I can't possibly make that so I still want it and I will go out and buy it. Just like everything else out there - it comes in a box and all you have to do is fork it into your mouth.

I just finished reading a study that found people who watched cooking shows ate more calories from sugary sweets during and immediately afterwards. Whereas people who watched a nature show did not. 

Personally, I would recommend you throw out the televisions (yes, bring it to the curb) clear out your cupboards of all the rubbish and start over with the basics. Get back to talking to each other, cooking with realistic ingredients and baking a cake without sugar, caffeine, chocolate or processed anything. 

Then watch the magic that happens (p.s. it's called 'life')....

April

Borage in the garden

Banana & Date Mini Loaves

Last night I was eager to bake or make something - there are not many of us eating in the house right now - and it is way too early to be baking things for Solstice - so my options are fairly limited. But, nevertheless, I had bananas ready to be used and some ideas....

I love these flavours and smells, especially this time of year - cinnamon, banana, date, nutmeg - all warm and toasty yet gentle on the system. With this in mind I decided to expand my usual muffin making routine a little bit further.

With children, muffins are handy little breads to have around, but so are mini loaves. Right now with only small mouths to feed, I don't need to make large amounts of anything. But also, when we are all back  eating again, mini loaves such as these can be used for little desserts.

Banana and Dates also go together quite well, they are both sweet, sticky and take well to the addition of nutmeg or cinnamon. With this recipe I decided to add a little bit extra to it to fill it out a little more, so I added some coconut as well.

Starting with my usual 3 cups of white/whole spelt flour blend, I added baking soda, baking powder, a little salt, nutmeg, and ground coconut. I love the taste of coconut too and I always think I should be using it far more in recipes, I try to fit it in where possible.

For the wet ingredients I used a duck egg, 1 cup of goat's milk, 1/4 cup date syrup and 3 mashed bananas. Once these were all blended in a medium sized mixing bowl (still chunky with banana bits) I added this mixture to the flour.

In the meantime I had chopped 1/2 cup of dates into smallish pieces - these went in last after the batter was mixed enough. Of course some of them stick together, so be sure to separate as you stir. However, I never like to over stir anything - so don't overdo it.

Using mini loaf pans, spoon the batter into each pan and bake in a moderate oven for about 30 minutes. They will be moist and delicate when done... These can also be made into 12 large muffins or 4 small loaves. 

Lovely! 

Banana & Date Loaf 

Sugar Free Samhain

Today has been a busy day with running around for classes with the kids - I love Saturdays for that reason and I get a lot done out and about. One thing caught my eye today however and it never dawned on me before now -

It's Halloween in a couple of weeks and we don't do anything processed! Not that I have given out sugar treats in the past 10 years or so, however, I would buy healthy snacky things to have on hand. This year with our nothing processed rule, is going to be interesting indeed.

This was our topic of discussion as we were coming home earlier today - what on earth to do about Halloween. First of all, let me clarify things here - this is Ireland and usually we would not get anyone at all come to the door trick or treating. But the odd time it does happen.

The other point to be made is in years past my own children would get to eat the snacks and we would have our own little celebration of Samhain. However, this year we are all geared up for some great homemade treats such as cookies, halva, flapjacks and so forth.

As of right now I have quite a line up of delicious foods to make over the coming holiday (love long weekends) and our house will once again go into party mode. My own children don't eat sugar and never have - they are quite happy to indulge in our own homemade treats.

Other people's kids I am not so certain about! LOL It was decided today that should someone show up looking for a treat, we would invite them in for home pressed apple juice and sugar free cookies and cake. 

I'll have to let you know if there are any takers!! 

April

Nut butter cookies 

Creating a food legacy.... The Change Starts with You

One of the things I hope I am getting across here is the fact that we can enjoy great food which doesn't cost too much - but saves you plenty in the end because your health improves. Another point I hope to be making is how easy it is to remove processed foods, sugar, chemicals and other unnecessary nasties from your food chain.

As human being living on this planet never before in our life times of millions of years have we been faced with so much food, and nothing decent to eat. But what is worse 'now' is how so many of us go blindly forward eating all the rubbish shoved into our faces. 

Seemingly without question.

The funny thing is I remember the days when I just ate what was in front of me, or convenient easy to prepare food. Without giving it much thought - I can't even remember if I tasted anything. It seems to me now that everything tasted the same. 

Perhaps because now I have a clean palate and can actually taste and smell very precisely the dishes I am preparing - my food tastes very different to me. Things are sharper, sweeter, crisper or something along those lines. 

Once I had removed the stimulants such as sugar and caffeine - my body calmed down enough for me to make some more rational decisions about the rest of my life. Then once I removed medicated foods such as cow's milk, tap water and meats - my digestion changed almost as fast as my outlook.

I am a person who believes when something is removed something better should be replacing it - when you take sugar away from the diet, other healthy sweet options take their place. Caffeine is a drug and I do not choose to be under the influence of anything - when this went out I found dandelion coffee and have never looked back.

Making significant changes to your diet is no longer a matter of choice - this is an issue of health, well-being and commitment to pursuing a higher path (for those going that way). But just because you should take diet and lifestyle more seriously doesn't mean you will compromise on taste or eat lettuce for the rest of your life.

I have never eaten better food, been so well nourished, felt as fit, healthy and well or been as tuned in to myself and my family as I am at this moment. And I know without a doubt it all comes down to my faith in the food I eat.

It has taken me years to get here - because I did not know enough to eat better and from years of living like that (even at an early age) I could not discern any difference. The best part of living this way, is my children are learning how and what to eat and will grow up to be fit and healthy adults.

 Can't beat a legacy like that! 

April

Me and my daughter

Going Sugar Free... A Lifestyle Choice?

I have been sugar free completely and utterly for a while, pretty close to 9 years right now with no intention of ever going back to eating that nasty stuff. A lot of the time in my baking and cooking, I just take it for granted that I will substitute into the recipe something other than granulated sugar.

However, I do watch the adverts and read labels as well as keep up with some of the words being thrown around when it comes to foods that claim to be sugar free. But I will back up here for a minute, because I want to mention why I became sugar free in the first place.

Actually I am a few things free for nearly 9 years -- about that time all those years ago I was battling cancer and had no choice but to take full responsibility for my health or else (I took no medication or treatment and healed myself - that's another story!). Of course, my choice was and is clear - I want to be here, I want to raise my family and I will eat what my body needs to remain in good health. 

Nothing more, nothing less.

What I do know about sugar and it's cousins, is that it promotes cancer or any fungal condition within the body such as diabetes and hormone imbalance. Sugar is not a food, it is not needed for any function of the body - contrary to some opinions out there! (Glucose is a 'sugar' and is the fuel used by cells to function - this is something different entirely)

I remember those days, before my enlightenment around food and eating- feeling absolutely addicted to sugar. Since that time I have come across references used in association with sugar as 'slavery'. The connection being made back to the days of plantations and the use of slaves to work them.

Of course, everything about that level of business and trade was criminal - but it managed to get people the world over addicted to this new drug - more sweet then anything else available at the time - white, powdered and pure poison. 

There might be several ways sugar works - perhaps by suppressing something in the brain, and by feeding colonies of mold, yeast and nasty bacteria in the gut. It is an anti-nutirent meaning it will cost you something to digest it, not the best thing to be using in wholesome meals. 

In my cooking and baking I use honey, maple syrup and apple sauce (amongst others) to sweeten something. I do not go for sugar 'substitutes' such as the powdered granulated stuff in plastic bags - you might have seen it around. To me that would be like coming off of one drug and replacing it with another. 

Yet, I do like something sweet. However since I have given up sugar, my tastes have changed and I will find fruit, especially dates or figs are very sweet. I can enjoy them with a cup of dandelion coffee or in a dish and be totally satisfied. 

When a recipe calls for sugar - choose something that will work just as well perhaps it might be fruit or honey, you only need a small amount. Then adjust the dry ingredients accordingly, most likely add a little more flour. 

The resulting taste and texture is better then with the sugar! Think about it - not so very long ago, all these old recipes called for honey, fruit and natural sweeteners. There was no sugar around - perhaps it is time we got back to what is real.

Pull the sugar out of your diet, stop feeding nasties in your gut. Your body systems will run much better, your skin will be clearer and you will find you have more energy. 

April 

Our own honey being drained out through cheese cloth into a jar

Sweet & Sour Honey Pickled Beets

Today I am making pickled beets - with some old larger jars that I had on hand but had not used as they are nearly too large for my canning pot. But, they do mostly fit, so I have been giving it a go to see if I can get these to turn out.

By the way, my jam I made yesterday in the flip top jars, failed to seal in 2 of the jars. Now I know what I don't like about these jars! Because there is no lid that 'pops' when it seals, you do not know if the seal has taken until the next day when you can undo the clamp and see if the lid opens.

I can re-process them again in boiling water or leave them in the fridge and we'll have to eat them sooner. Before I started to become negative about it, I stopped to remind myself that my first try with the other type of jars did the same thing, so perhaps this is all part of the learning curve.

Even as I write this, there is another jar of sweet & sour honey pickled beets in the canner. The entire process of making pickles is far more involved and messy - but again it is something that would only be done a couple of times a year and we would get to enjoy more yummy foods made at home.

1 litre jars for the beets

For the beets I read and read what other people have done and finally decided on a few ingredients that I would enjoy with the beets. These are very sweet vegetables, so I was amazed at the amount of sugar people were putting in with their pickling juice. 

Boiling water bath with the larger pot and jar

Of course, no sugar here, so to keep it from being overly sour I added a little bit of honey, cinnamon, cloves and the vinegar. It certainly smelled lovely, but it takes a couple of weeks to cure before it should be tasted. 

Chopped cooked beets ready to go into jars - hot

As I am fasting for the next week, that is not a problem, but once again I am looking forward to tasting these foods that I am making. Oh and by the way, the jars with the beets sealed right up (popped) a few minutes after coming out of the boiling water bath, music to my ears! LOL

Off to go figure out a recipe for these gherkins....

April

1 litre jar of pickled beets 

Love In The Making...

If I were to be completely honest about the true way that I want to live - the way that I have always dreamed of living, it would be to create, source, grow, make, cook and provide all of my own food. And of course, through doing this as a family we would be even healthier, stronger in body and spirit without much energy coming in from outside sources. 

Most people would look at us and think that already we are pretty well free from food and lifestyle of the majority - and we are. I do not eat the same foods as others, I always cook our own meals, which are mainly vegetarian unless it is a feast day or festival. However, we got to a point that we were feeling stuck in our souls - unable to move forward any further towards our goals, and I feel that this remaining 'food' that was coming into our diets from outside sources, was the sticking point. 

Even though I have been doing this for a little while now, there are still areas for improvement and you would probably not be surprised how easily processed foods creep back in to our food chain when we get busy. There is a lot I want to say about eating this food - the first thing is that it is devoid of love. Machines, people just doing a job, government regulations, corporate rules, bottom lines and business plans - do not place a lot of 'love energy' into the final product. 

Why is this a real problem for those of us wanting to walk the talk and follow a spiritual path you might be asking? It is because, when food is empty of love, it fills up with something else - and this is fear. When an energy is removed (during processing) something else comes in to fill the void, like a vacuum.  So, we have been consuming fear, it doesn't feel good and I am doing something about it. 

I started with jams because this is something that we would eat a lot of - sugar free jam is also relatively easy to make as well. Over the years I would have considered we were buying some of the best quality jams and I have enjoyed them. They are tasty and full of fruit - however, they are still made in a factory which is processed food and contains the negative qualities that I no longer want in my body.

Last night, I decided to start out on the right foot, I researched how to use my glass jars for the jams and followed all the instructions to the letter - at the end of the evening I was sitting down, listening as each jar lid popped and sealed. Exactly as it was supposed to do.

So, I was pleased with the good start. We now have 8 jars of peach and nectarine ginger jam! And I am delighted with it. Of course, it is fruit season right now, so I want to carry on with making quite a few more jams for the winter - you might be hearing a lot about jam making in the coming days. (smile)

I also realized how much more equipment I need to get, as well as to source more jars. I can see that I am going to be busy with this - and of course, there is nothing I would love more.

Have a great day,

April

Some remaining jars waiting for labels - the half filled one, will be enjoyed as soon as we are finished our Master Cleanse!