Pecan Pie Crust

Pie season is here!  Here is our basic pie crust.  We use this for apple pie, pumpkin pie, cheesecake, shortbread cookies, and fruit pizza.

Pecan Pie Crust

1/2 cup softened or melted butter
1 cup whole wheat flour (we like SOFT white wheat flour best, as we do in all pastries when we can get it)
1/2 pecan, chopped
1/4 cup quick oats
2 tablespoons honey (optional, you can just add extra liquid)

Mix everything and squish it in to a pie crust.  I like to flatten the tops of the sides even with the top to give it a more finished look.  It's not your prettily formed pie crust that you can cut into leaves and turkeys, but the rustic look can be charming.  And it's whole wheat, sugarfree, EASY, and the taste beats all!

Bake at 325 for 8-10 minutes, till lightly golden on the edges.

Pickled watermelon rind

Watermelon rind is a Southern delicacy, but unfortunately I have never had occasion to try it! So, when we made this, we just based it on our own tastes.  The sweet version was not what we were after.  I was surprised how much one watermelon made--3 1/2 quarts! Cutting was of course the most time consuming part.  I ended up using a potato peeler, a paring knife, and a large blade. Slice the rind into 1/2 inch wide, 4 inch long slices. Water is mixed with salt, 2 tablespoons to of salt to 4 cups of water. Fill a quart jar with the sliced rind, leaving plenty of room at the top, cover with the salt water mixture to within a half inch of the top. Add 2 cloves of garlic and some fresh dill, if desired. Let it sit on the counter, "burping" or opening the jar once a day. When it is good and bubbly, it is done.  Mine took 4 days. Move it to the fridge, where it will continue to pickle for the next few weeks, though it can be eaten right away.

Probiotic ketsup

Update: we now usually just make this ketsup recipe. Not probiotic, but great and stores in the fridge for 4 weeks.

This would be so much better with fresh tomatoes instead of canned tomato paste, but I said I would post the recipe, so here it is. My ketsup-loving daughter loves this, so it is nice to have something healthy to give her.  Whey is obtained when raw milk sits for several days and is allowed to separate.  The solids are strained out with a cloth (and made into a cream cheese of sorts!) and the watery liquid left is the whey. It will keep for six months in the fridge. Great with baked fries and black bean burgers!

Ketsup

12oz tomato paste

1/4 c whey (or water and an extra tablespoon of salt)

1/2 c water

1/4t dry mustard or 1 t prepared Dijon mustard

2 cloves pressed  garlic

1 T onion juice (I just chopped  and pressed into my garlic press)

1/4 c maple syrup

1/4t molasses

1/2 t salt

In a medium sized bowl, whisk together all ingredients. Pour sauce into a storage container. Cover and leave at room temperature for two days. Will store in the fridge for several months.

Overnight rice pudding

I love waking up to breakfast!

2 cups rice
6 C water
1/2 C honey
1 /2 C coconut
1/2 tsp molasses
1tsp cinnamon
Dash ginger
Dash nutmeg

Bake in a crockpot on low for 8 hrs. Serve with lots of milk and golden raisins.

What does sugar to do mice?

What does a healthy diet plus a moderate amount of sugar do to your health? Moderate meaning three sodas.  Well, mice who were given an equivalent percentage died earlier and had fewer babies--about the same decline in health as you see with inbreeding.  Interesting! Here is the article on the experiment conducted by the University of Utah: Sugar at 'safe' levels may be toxic to health.

DIY Probiotics

We are only nourished by what our body can actually take in!  A couple of weeks ago, I mentioned that we can improve our ability to digest wheat and the gluten in it.  There are a lot of great products out there, I'm sure, but today I wanted to tell you about the wonderful world of naturally occurring probiotics: lacto fermentation!  If you are unfamiliar with this term, please know that lacto is not referring to milk, and fermenting is different than rotting.  This is the process that our ancestors used that captured the healthful bacteria, or lactobacilli (we now call this probiotics...see Mariam Webster's definition) that not only made foods more digestible, it also preserved them.  The term lacto makes us think of the "milk sugar" lactose, but instead it is referring to lactic acid.  So maybe the term lactic acid fermentation would portray this with more accuracy, but if you are looking for recipes, lacto is the term to use.  The probiotics naturally in raw vegetables and dairy, and the idea is to keep the vegetable from spoiling long enough for the probiotics to take over.  Salt will keep it from spoiling, whey (as in curds and whey or the watery stuff in your yogurt) will add a whole bunch of the probiotics to speed up the process, and most recipes use a combination of both.

I started simple, with the Southern delicacy pickled watermelon rind--since I would have just tossed it out anyway, there was no harm done if I didn't like it, right?  It was so fun and exciting I quickly moved on to salsa, beets, and ketsup!  Recipes to follow.  But, I just LOVED that I could can something (though it does need cold storage) without having to cook or seal it, without the expense (and no added nutrition if cooked) of vinegar, and after two days end up with something that will fill my body with the good probiotics I need--and it will keep for months!  This is especially convenient, because I can double the salsa recipe for my taco salad, throw the doubled amount in a jar, and the next time I eat it it has more than doubled in nutrition!  Doctrine and Covenants refers to using our food with prudence, which means taking thought and care for the future.  I have food for today, and I have food for tomorrow!  This feels so right to me.  I'm hooked!

Broccoli Salad, sugarfree and vegan style

Broccoli Salad, with a vegan sugarfree twist

All the yumminess, double the flavor, all ingredients that will make you can feel fabulous! I chop the stem of the broccoli finely.  You can soak you almonds ahead of time and if you don't get around to using them right away you will change the water and they'll still be good for a few days.  Or, you can freeze them until you are ready to make the dressing.  I thaw the soaked, frozen almonds in a bowl of warm water while I am cutting the broccoli.  I use a Hamilton Beech blender that I love, but if you have a Vitamix, you are set, and will be able to get a nice smooth dressing.  My dressing usually has small pieces of nuts, but that is certainly no flaw, as I add sunflowers seeds for their crunch anyway.

Broccoli Salad, sugarfree and vegan style

Dressing:

1/2 cup almonds, soaked for 6 hours

1/2 cup apple juice

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1/4 cup honey

3/4 cup bertolli's light tasting olive oil (OPTIONAL)

dash salt

dash smoked paprika

Salad:

2 heads broccoli, cut into bite-sized pieces

1/2 cup golden and /or regular raisins

1/4 cup sunflower seeds (raw or roasted--you may want to add a little salt to the dressing if you choose raw)

1/2 cup chopped red or 1/4 cup sliced green onions

Add almonds, water, vinegar, and honey to blender.  Blend until fairly smooth, adding oil (or more water) if needed to blend.  With the blender still on, slowly pour in the oil.  Blend at least until all almond pieces are crumb sized.

Pour dressing onto broccoli and stir till all the broccoli is covered.  Add raisins, sunflowers seeds, and onions and mix lightly, so all the goodness doesn't end up at the bottom of the bowl.

Enjoy your summer!

Alcohol free vanilla extract

No sugar, no alcohol, DIY vanilla! I buy glycerine vanilla, and it is pricy, but I've always felt it was worth it. It adds such divinity to food, especially sugar free foods, and I don't have to wonder if I am intoxicating my children if I am not cooking the alcohol out..  The cheapest I have seen alcohol free vanilla is $9.79 for 4 ounces, that's $2.50 an ounce. 16 ounces of glycerine found here (for skin, but IS food grade) is currently $7 for 16 ounces, and vanilla beans can be found here for  $8.95 for 7 beans.  That is $1 an ounce! you can probably find beans cheaper than that.  I paid 44 cents an ounce because I already had the beans and recycled an olive oil jar.  Next time you make the vanilla you can reuse the same beans.  And you can use your alcohol vanilla as perfume!

Alcohol free vanilla extract
16 ounces glycerine
7 vanilla beans
17+ounce glass jar

Slice vanilla bean pod in half length wise and width wise. Place in jar. Fill jar with glycerine.  Store in a cool, dark place for 6 weeks. Vanilla is now ready to be used. When glycerine level is low enough to expose vanilla beans, refill jar with more glycerine you could probably let it stew another 6 weeks before using for best potency.

In defense of wheat

So, I posted the podcast about wheat, but I know it is about an hour long, and I have been wanting to summarize what I learned.

White flour, made on steel roller mills, separates the bran and the germ from the rest of the wheat. That I knew. What I was surprised to hear is that nearly all whole wheat flour from the store uses the same process, but then throws the bran back in.  As the germ would deplete shelf life, it is still left out. I had assumed it was made at least a bit more like the wheat my grinder puts out.  This even applies to most flour and bread labeled stone ground! this was devastating to me, as I often recommend friends who can't afford a grinder to just buy a good flour from the store.  But I have to admit, I can taste the difference.  There is no store bought wheat bread my family will even tolerate.  We like an occasional crusty white flour loaf as a treat, but we still prefer ours!

There is quite a bit if criticism of wheat these days, and much the of it does apply to white flour and store-bought wheat flour (basically glorified white flour!).  I have a friend who has been a devoted bread maker who ground her own wheat who was convinced to go gluten free to relieve some family health problems.  After 6 months, there was no improvement in conditions, so they started making bread again, and were so happy to do so, knowing that at least it wasn't contributing to their health problems.  But the joy they had in making their own bread was great!  And even more cherished after the absence.

I have heard that wheat makes your fat, sick, can cause behavioral issues, food intolerances, gut disorders, etc.  I just haven't seen it! All I have seen, and this podcast verified all this, is that when we make our own bread products by the sweat of our brows, that we rarely get sick, none of us are fat, digestion is healthy and regular, and that when there is bread in the house, we are satisfied and happy!  Home ground wheat bread has a GI of 52, while white and commercially ground wheat GI is 72!  As stable to our blood as it is a source of food, it was noted that Isreal went to Egypt with gifts of food, but it was wheat that he wanted.  As chaos in the world continues, it is wise to stick to this source of nutrition that has existed with every civilization of man. Adam began life out of the Garden with a command to till and make bread.  A paleo diet was not for him! Maybe John the Baptist...I will have to think about that. :)

The strain of wheat itself I have heard criticized, that it is not what our ancestors ate, but an entirely new plant.  Modern wheat has been cross bred, but only just as it always has been, by cross pollinating two plants with desirable traits.  There is no genetic mutation accepted by American farmers--other countries won't even buy it! And while spelt is easier to digest, the higher phytic acid content actually binds with toxins in our bodies and removes them! A natural purifier! This reminds me of something a friend told me once. She has a Masters degree in Archeology--yes, like she digs up things for museums!  She told me that ancient Egyptians has no source of clean water, but if they mixed the Nile's water with wheat, they could safely drink it. I don't remeber the details of what process that meant, but wheat was created for man and we should not, now of all times, forsake it.  The podcast did bring up celiac as a valid concern, but noted that true Celiacs are rare and intolerances are typically temporary, caused by white and commercial wheat flours.  Spelt or teff may be advised while the digestion heals, but focus on whole foods and healthy probiotics and eventually a home ground wheat can be tolerated well and will really nourish the body.

More details on this summary are included in various articles by the same author, found here.

Thanks for letting me step up onto my soap box. I will slip away to the kitchen now...

Ode to Whole Wheat!

Wheat and bread get a pretty bad name these days, but from my personal experience, I just can't see it.  Here is a great talk that explains a lot of the misconceptions out there, and I absolutely agree with it!

Interview with Sue Becker:

http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.messianiclambradio.com%2Flifewithhope.html&h=QAQGp2eJr&s=1

Direct link to the podcast, cause you never know when they might change things around:
http://www.messianiclambradio.com/lifewith/hope7-13-13.mp3

Grillled Pineapple

I've had a pineapple on the counter for a week and a half now, just waiting for the peak of perfected ripeness for this luscious delicacy.  When I shop for produce, I smell all the pineapples, and select the sweetest-smelling one.  Then I take it home and let it continue to ripen, on its side, rotating it every few days so the ripened juice settles evenly around the pineapple.  When it looks like it's about to ferment, I use it right away, or put it in the fridge.  It usually looks pretty awful by then, but the flavor can't be beat!

Grilled Pineapple
1/4 cup honey or white grape juice concentrate
1/4 cup apple juice
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
dash salt
dash cinnamon
drop molasses
one perfectly ripened pineapple, cut into spears or wedges
dollop coconut oil if using stovetop

Wisk honey, olive oil, vanilla, salt, cinnamon, and molasses.  Brush glaze on each slice of pineapple.

On the grill or stovetop (with pan preheated to medium-high heat, melt coconut oil), grill each side until glaze starts to caramelize.  Serve warm!

How to convert a recipe: sugarfree cooking tips

We all have our favorite recipes and sometimes a slice of watermelon just isn't going to cut it.  I thought I would share a few principles of sugarfree cooking that I've stumbled upon in the last 10 years, so hopefully you can try these without having to waste precious time and resources--and create your own beautiful and healthy foods!

I have found that trying new recipes gives me better results than trying to make my old favorites, with few exceptions, because they usually don't come out quite the same and I'm always comparing it to the original.  A lot of people say you can just cut the sugar in half in most recipes.  I have not found this to be the case.  Sugar acts as a liquid in recipes, but it also crisps things up and caramelizes nicely.  If you just add extra water, it just tastes watered-down.  Sugars are often put in to compensate for a lower amount of fats, so if you are ok with that, you can just add more of a good quality fat (including dairy).  We are a bunch of skinnies in our house, so we don't mind at all doing that, but I know most people would rather have the sugar than the fat.  I personally am convinced that good fat doesn't make you fat, but that is another topic.

Honey is our go to substitute.  If you can get your hands on a very light flavored, raw, unfiltered honey, you are set.  If it has some bitterness, it may come through in the flavors.

Maple syrup (not the maple flavored corn syrup, of course) is our next choice, simply because it costs more and we can't get it locally produced.  Something where the flavor of honey would compete rather than compliment can often fare well with maple syrup.  Dairy based items seem to be complimented better with maple, like ice cream, or steamed milk.  Chocolate blends well with maple (though a darker chocolate flavor can get by with a good honey).  Both honey and maple syrup are sweeter, but I don't usually reduce much if I am serving it to my husband or anyone outside of my family.

Fruit is of course our preferred sweetener, though it isn't as versatile.  This is more for practical additions, like to sweeten your morning oatmeal.  Whole recipe books have been written using fruit juice concentrates.  Vanilla and cinnamon both give the illusion of additional sweetness without adding extra sugar.  Sometime I will throw nutmeg in waffles and muffins and that gives it the depth of flavor so you don't miss the sugar.  Salt or roasted nuts can give the same effect.  And, of course, we mentioned fats--coconut oil in particular gives a luscious, rich tone. 

There are a lot of health food sugars like coconut sugar, agave, sucanut, rapidura, and stevia but as you may have noticed, I like to stick to things I can get at a grocery store or from my local farmer.  I see these special sweeteners more and more often in my grocery store, but they just aren't as reliably available to everyone.  Plus, it's cool to use something made by people I know (or could know) without a factory!

As I bake, I taste and smell everything.  If it tastes good raw, it will likely taste good baked.  If it has eggs, you can taste before putting in the eggs. 

Let's looks at specific desserts.  Drinks are some of the best treats to sugarfree.   Juice concentrates, particularly white grape juice, can easily be added in a slightly higher amount than the sugar.  Fruits in blended drinks and frozen mixtures works very well, and anything with an already fruity flavor is usually even better with a stunning specimen of the real thing.  Icy desserts use the same principles.  Hot chocolate and steamed milk are best with maple syrup.

Muffins, pancakes, and other quick breads are great with a direct honey substitution or added fruit, vanilla, and cinnamon.  These especially benefit from coconut oil.  It is expensive, and seems to yield the greatest use per price when applied to the outside, rather than baked in, though if you can afford it, it is awesome inside.  What I mean is that I sometimes brush coconut oil on the loaf pan or waffle make instead of a spray oil.

Pies are an awesome sugarfree dessert.  Baked fruit pies can be all fruit or with honey.  Cold pies can use a gelatin base and get their sweetness from their own fruit.  Pies like pecan pie I have not been able to master, as the crispiness does not come from an alternative. 

Cakes with a texture of muffins, such as a coffee cake, will do great with honey.  If they have a lot of eggs, they are light.  In general, cakes are not the best to make over.  I usually try something already out there.  Cookies are similar.  If they have a muffin texture they will do well.  A crispy cookie won't come out of honey.  But, of course, you can still have your cake and eat it too.  A rapidura or raw, organic sugar are a better alternative in cakes and cookies than totally processed sugar, and can often be used in smaller amounts, though of course the flavor with be more molasses-y.  When we were transitioning, just a touch of one of these seemed to make the recipe just right.  Unsweetened carob chips are pretty good, and if you can find a cookie you like, but not a good chocolate, there is a far smaller amount of sugar in a few chips rather than the whole cookie.  We usually put golden raisins and nuts instead of chocolate chips.  A cream cheese honey frosting can do wonders for a cake and you can put a little on your kids' and a lot of your husband's!

Granola and granola bars are usually perfect to substitute for honey.  If you are going for a crispy granola, it will need enough fat to do that rather than the sugar. 

Fruit puddings, lemon flavored desserts, and jelly consistencies are too light in flavor for most honeys and maple syrups and usually do well with white grape juice concentrate or other fruit base--of course use a greater amount and reduce the liquid accordingly.  Dairy-based pudding and rice pudding do well with maple syrup.

Hopefully that gives you a good overview to dare venture into your own world of sugarfree.  If you find something you love, please pass it along!  I am alway looking for new ideas!

Hibiscus Lime Infusion

Our favorite tea is a hibiscus lime infusion with horsetail and oatstraw for added calcium building benefits.  We were so excited when we took our kids to Cafe Rio and our Hibiscus Lime drink tasted similar to theirs--but without all the processed sugar!
Hibiscus Lime Infusion

water
2 tablespoons dried hibiscus per cup
1 teaspoon dried horsehorse per cup, optional
1 teaspoon dried oatstraw per cup, optional
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice per cup
sweeten to taste with honey or apple juice concentrate

Boil water, turn off burner and add herbs to water.  Steep for 10 minutes.  Add lime juice and sweetener OR, if serving cold, cool first, then add lime juice and sweetener.  Fabulous with ice on a summer afternoon.

How to Teach Your Kids to Sugarfree

Under idea conditions, we sugarfree our babies until they are grown, never have sugar at home ever, and when they do leave, they are never offered sugar-ever.  Wouldn't that make it easy?  No sugar addiction, no problem!  But, of course, we usually don't realize that some kids will refuse to eat anything green ever with a moderate amount of sugar in their diet until it becomes a problem.  Of course our kids are bombarded with candy everywhere they go, and told that they receive it because they are good.  Of course we tell them that a lot is bad for them, but then they receive a little multiple times daily and they get really confused about what "just a little" really means.

As a disclaimer, we have not always been sugarfree.  We are really strict with the kids when they are little, which has not always been easy, but has become easier with time.  We have gone back and forth about eating sugar and not many times, but, really, it's just easier to not eat it at home.  And it's easier to not eat it when we leave the home.  If you are convinced that sugar is addictive, even just a little bit, hopefully this will make sense.  If I eat sugar in a moderate amounts, cravings really don't return until I overdo it--but I am more irritable.  I handle stress more poorly.  As a mom, I see my job as so important that it's just not worth it to be a little ornery with my husband and kids...at least until I go so long and am distracted by a moving across the nation or something that I think it doesn't really affects me.  Then I go through the cycle again.  But most of the time, we are sugarfree.

At home, this is really easy--once you know how.  If you are reading this, you probably have a good concept of this, and if you want a better idea, let me know.  I would be happy to post about it.  The greater difficulty in teaching kids to sugarfree comes when they are offered food elsewhere or cookies are dropped on your doorstep or there is a birthday or you have dinner guests....there is always something, at least in our world!  So, we have to create your own world!  Here are a couple of things we have done that have really helped our kids.

Make it an identity
I didn't start this, my kids did, but it sure has helped when they feel eating healthy is a part of who they are.  "We sugarfree."  "Those are those kids on that blog who sugarfree." Also, share it without embarrassment.  Let your children's teachers know (with your child's permission, of course) that you sugarfree or eat low amounts of sugar.

Have limits
Decide among your own family at an amount that everyone agrees upon, such as sugar not in the 1st 5 ingredients, or 1 piece of candy once a week.  We usually go with if it's going to train their taste buds to love sugar or not.  If it's two tablespoons in a batch of clam chowder, we don't care.  If it's in animal crackers, we do.

It's their choice
We talk a lot about right and wrong in our house, good and bad.  When kids know sugar isn't good for them, their young brains can only understand, "Then it must be bad for me!"  And they may guilt trip you if you give it to them.  Always offer choice.  But, of course...

Make sugarfree more desirable than sugar
Kids get better and better at doing this.  When our kids first were big enough to care that the weren't going to eat the candy at Halloween, we traded them for other treats we knew they loved.  Once we paid them, and it worked, but not as effective.  So, an alternative food is nice.  The equivalent food they'll accept has gotten less and less as they have grown better able to recognize the rewards of being healthy.  More effective for us has been an appeal to their higher senses.  Service!  We send our candy to Afghanistan one year.  Sometimes we'll give it to Santa.  But eventually they realize that if it's not good for us, it's not good for Afghan children either, so that fizzled out.  Our current strategy brings us us to our next point: 

Make it cool!
Right now when our kids get candy, they accept it graciously, then give it to their friends!  Our kids get a lot of popularity, you can imagine!  After a while of this, a few other kids have joined them.  "My mom doesn't let me eat sugar either."  I have heard from kids whose parents I am pretty sure never thought to deprive them so!  But of course we run with it!   Ah, and this reminds me that:

You can be the excuse
Our kids have our permission to use us as an excuse at any time.  I have dropped my daughter off at a birthday party, perfectly assuming she'll eat the cake and ice cream.  Later her friend's mother will tell me my daughter told her I said she wasn't allowed to eat it.  I never mind being the excuse, even if it makes me look like a Nazi-mom.

Hopefully those are helpful!  What has worked for you?

Evolution of the taco

We love "Mexican" food! We could eat it every day! When we first started our family and lived on $20 a month and trips to mom's, we ate a lot of tacos. (Our Americanized version, of course.).  Tortillas were cheap back then and a can of refried beans and maybe some lettuce pulled together a quick newlywed meal quite easily.  We lived quite happily on that for several years, expanding our veggie additions and developing a deep affection for sour cream.  Then we moved across the country, where refried beans and tortillas cost more, and we started soaking and baking our own beans.  Eventually we masted tortillas and every day I rolled dough while one daughter flipped it in the burner, and another cut cucumbers or something.  Then, after my fifth baby, I thought, "Something's got to give!"  And those even those bake-your-own tortillas weren't simple enough.  A friend had just brought me the yummiest chicken and black bean taco meal ever--which my kids still talk about two years later!  There was enough for two meals, of everything but the tortillas. So we put everything on a bed of lettuce and rice.  And it was just as delicious!  Why do some things take me so long to figure out?  So, now we eat beans and rice nearly every day, dinner or lunch, or sometimes both.  But we do it like we would tacos, with all the good stuff.  It isn't as impressive and I can't claim much credit for the meal, but it is easy, satisfying, and takes very little prep time. They are versatile too. We have never paired it with a meat we didn't enjoy. They are easy to convert to a salad, and add all the vegetables you want! And you can please the salad people and the meat eaters at the same meal. Perfect!

Black Beans

Our beans are constantly evolving, but here is our current typical version.  Every Saturday night for 7 years we have soaked beans, crockpotted them Sunday morning, and when we get back from church we enjoy them with rice, quasi Brazilian style. Meat can be cooked in the crockpot right along with the beans. We do several times this amount and serve it in various dishes over the next couple of days.  To check for doneness, pull out a bean and blow on it.  If it splits open, the beans are ready to be salted.

Precooked beans added to chili

 
1 lb black beans, sorted and soaked for 6+ hours
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, pressed
1 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon oregano
1/8 teaspoon cumin
salt to taste

In a crockpot, cover your soaked beans with 4 cups of water.  Add all other ingredients except salt.  Cook on high for 3-4 hours.  Add salt and cook an additional 30 minutes.  Serve over a bed of brown rice with lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, guacamole, sour cream, cheddar cheese, green tabasco, and crushed tortilla chips.

Design Your World: Food Priorities

In yesterday's post I talked about putting your labors where your love is--spending time and effort in an amount appropriate to the occasion.  This really is an important concept in eating well.  In everyday life, we only have so much time, energy, and interest in cooking.  A lot of people will look at health changes and feel very overwhelmed, thinking it will take a massive amount of time or money.  I have had times in my life where I did spend nearly all day cooking everything from scratch--because I loved it!  It was my passion, and what I did for fun with my kids!  But I spend less time cooking today than I have in my whole married life, and we eat better than we ever have.  Eating well does not have to take a lot of time, but it does take some serious prioritization.  We want to show that "everyday type" of love to our family, through our food, in a healthy way every single day and it is possible.

One of my mother mentors, Julie Beck defines her priorities in this way, and I think it applies well to food as well. There are three orders of food: essential for life, necessary for living, and nice food.  Essential food is the staff of life, the staple, the one food your family simply cannot live without.  They satisfy us, both in mind and body.  To our family, it is our whole wheat bread.  Next in line are brown rice and beans.  When these foods are sitting in the cupboard and fridge, I walk into the kitchen to prepare a meal, and life is easy.  Our family doesn't eat these foods every meal, but when we're busy we rely on them--our staff of life literally being what we lean on as we walk through life.  If we go more than a day or two without bread, everyone in the house feels like we need to go grocery shopping, even though the ingredients are right there in the cupboard.  You are the expert in your own home.  What are your family's essential foods?

Next we have foods that are necessary for living.  These are foods that our body really does need for health and our soul for enjoyment, but we could technically survive without for some time.  I define these as vegetables, whole grains, fruit, nuts, seeds.  I see high quality meat, eggs, and dairy in this category as well, especially when vegetables and fruits are out of season.  Other ingredients give food flavor and variety or help me use these other ingredients well.   I would include herbs, spices, Real Salt, vinegars, olive oil, coconut oil,  yeast (especially sourdough), baking soda, moderate amounts of honey and maple syrup, and many others.  Necessary foods are the best of every variety of healthy food in its simple and minimally processed form.   

Finally, we have nice foods.  Nice is defined with words like polite, socially acceptable, and appropriate.  These are our special treats for every day, holidays, or other special occasions.  These are what we buy for convenience and to serve company.  In our society today these are not typically foods (or should I say "foods") that are also nourishing, but that is a recent societal change, and not something we must subscribe to.

When we know what foods are essential in our home, we can put our time into making sure they are there.  The essentials can be ready to go so when little people are hungry, those items are ready.  These items prepare us to make good food choices, because we won't be tempted to run to Little Ceasars when every is hungry and we are tired.  We do this first, before baking cookies or even cutting up vegetables.  We have a time set aside for this preparation so that we can do it in a manner that is as whole and healthy as we want and don't feel the rush of an impending meal.  Your family really will feel the love you put into your food and you can do that best when you put it first into your essential foods, even if it is just brown rice. When your staple is already in preparation, you approach mealtime with enough energy to focus on necessities for a beautiful, enjoyable, and healthy meal without knocking yourself out.  I find that I have much more energy for whipping up a chocolate banana smoothie, a nice food, when I know I've taken care of our basic meals.

Put your labors where your love is

Thanks to everyone who made Back 2 Basics such a success last night!  It was nice to get together with such a great group who loves good, healthy eating.  I was really motivated by Lourdes, Dana, and Alicia and all they had to say, and I had a great time talking about our sugarfree home!  We didn't have a lot of time for discussion, so I would love to hear your additional ideas, comments and questions in the comments here.  There was a lot of skill and expertise there last night that I would have loved to glean more from you!

Last night I really emphasized that food needs to be a labor of love.  A special food needs to be baked when you have time and the emotional desire to make something special!  So, it's pretty funny that I got home after last night, tasted my cheesecake, and realized that you really could taste that I didn't put the labor of love into it that it really needed.  It was good...but not the divinity my original post touts it to be.  But I will talk about it, because it perfectly illustrates my point. 

I'll be honest: it was my worst cheesecake ever!  How embarrassing!  It is supposed to be sweeter and much smoother and the crust was crispy...which is unusual.  :)  I have lots of hypotheses as to why this is, but it really comes down to the fact that I threw it together between dinner and bedtime while my husband was out of town.  I had fun making it, but it wasn't that anniversary-baking-feeling I have that really says "I am making something really special for someone I really love."  I guess I just don't love you as much as I love my husband.  :) Which is why I usually just bring my bread and honeybutter to public events.  It takes 30 minutes of my time, it's affordable, but it still takes a good amount of attention and love and skill.  I guess it's just right for a potluck! And next time I will bring honeybutter with my bread instead of cheesecake.

I will be sharing some additional ideas about how to prioritize our food efforts.  A few practical approaches really help us save time while we are eating well, so stay tuned for those.

And, by the way, the cheesecake was yummier today, as those flavors developed and the texture was smoother, so I guess I really must plan to bake my cheesecake at least 3 days before it will be served.

Be sure to share any ideas or questions we didn't get to last night!

Simple Meal: Pineapple Rice

When you are in the mood for a sweet, light, and easy dinner, crushed pineapple makes a great "sauce" for rice.   You can mix these ingredients together, or put every ingredient in a separate bowl and let your kids select their own toppings.  Dinner doesn't get much easier than this!

Pineapple Rice

1 20 oz can crushed pineapple
1 red pepper, chopped
1/2 cup green onion
1/2 cup slivered almonds

Serve on a bed of brown rice.

Chocolate Banana Smoothie

2 frozen bananas
2 cups milk
2 teaspoons carob powder, cacao or cocoa (more if you like it a darker chocolate flavor)
dash non-alcoholic vanilla

Combine all ingredients in a blender.  Blend, adding more milk till mixture blends smoothly.  Enjoy!

Chocolate Sourdough Cake

This is our number one requested Birthday Cake!  We often feel pie is a perfectly acceptable birthday cake as well.  This is another plan-ahead cake, 24 hours at least.  The dough needs to soak, and after the cake bakes, I put it in the freezer.  Most cakes are easier to frost cold, but this one HAS to so the frosting won't melt!  And must be kept in the fridge until ready to be served.  And this just doesn't seem to turn out well beyond May, as sourdough loves cold weather.

Whole Wheat Bread

This bread is central to our sugarfree home, our staff of life!  As long as we have bread in the house, there is something yummy and satisfying to eat.  The dough is very versatile and makes a great pizza crust, cinnamon roll, scone, or bagel.  The batch makes 4-5 loaves.  I usually do 4 large and one small loaf.  I store it wrapped in a towel in the cupboard if I will be eating it within three days.  It usually takes about a week before it starts to mold, but will of course dry out and have that "day old" taste.  A towel keeps it from dying out, but the crust stays fresher than when stored in a plastic bag.  I use plastic bread bags if I will be freezing it.  This bread does freeze well.  If storing for longer than two weeks, I would use a freezer bag.  The dough also freezes well and is nice to have on hand for a last minute pizza or scone meal.

Whole Wheat Bread

5 cups hot water
2/3 C honey
1 C cooked oatmeal
10-12 C freshly ground white wheat, use 1/2 white flour if using red wheat
2 T salt
2 T instant or rapid rise yeast

Knead 5 minutes, if you have a Bosch, a little more with any other mixer. Let rise till doubled, form into 5 loaves and let rise till doubled again. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes or until done.

Meyer Lemon and Raspberry Cupcakes

The National Honey website has some great recipes. This is my favorite by far!  It's a little more work than I like to go through for an everyday kind of treat, but if you are looking for something a little more upscaled like a ladies luncheon, it would be perfect!  It states to use orange blossom, but any light tasting honey will be great.  The link to the Raspberry Whipped Cream is missing, so here it is!  Of course you'll want to use an all-fruit jam.  I like the Polaner brand.

New York Cheesecake

When my husband I were married, we had cheesecake at our wedding dinner.  I didn't much care for cheesecake at the time, but I soon found out that it was his ultimate definition of yumminess.  So, for the last 12 years I have slaved long hours over an oven and cream cheese.  Not until it was perfected to his tastes with processed sugar dared I venture into the world of sugar free, but I have done it!  My husband considers this recipe my masterpiece, and he will even brag that it tastes better sweetened with maple syrup than sugar (I hope so!).  While I still don't care for a Sam's Club Cheesecake, this cheesecake....is heaven on a fork!

 I didn't say this recipe was healthy.  I just said it doesn't have sugar in it.  :)  But this will not cause your sugar cravings to return, and when your body has had enough, it will not be prevented from telling you so! You will feel satisfied.  Your tongue might want more, but it will be much easier to respect what your body is telling you.  It is also made with whole wheat!  An organic raw cream cheese and this would be a guilt free food to me!  Last time I calculated, it cost about $16 to make, probably $20 by now, and is a definite splurge.  But when the occasion warrants, it is worth every penny!  

This recipe doesn't take a whole lot of actual labor time, but needs to be planned out well in advance.  When I am really at the head of my game, I plan at least three days before.  That way I can pull my ingredients out in the morning to let them reach room temperature.  Then I find a good chunk of time to cook it in the day--planning for that two hours it sits in the oven (while I can't cook anything else in it!), so it won't fall.  Then I let it chill.  Overnight is a minimum.  It continues to season and develop those luscious maple undertones and beautiful texture for another day or two...or more!  With cheesecake, you want a nice smooth batter, but without too many air bubbles, or it will crack. You may want to smooch  around your cream cheese separately and add your eggs after the cream cheese and maple syrup have combined.  A cracked cheesecake tastes just as good, it's just not as pretty! 

New York Cheesecake

Crust:

3/4 cups whole white wheat flour

3 T honey

¼ C pecans, finely chopped

1/4 cup butter, softened

Filling:

2 1/2 pounds cream cheese, softened (totally room temperature)

1 ½ cups pure maple syrup, best quality you can afford

3 tablespoons whole white wheat flour

5 eggs

2 egg yolks

1 T vanilla

1/4 cup heavy whipping cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly coat a 10 inch springform pan with spray oil.  Combine crust ingredients, spread in pan, prick all over with fork.  Bake crust for 15 minutes at 350 degrees. Allow to cool.  Increase oven temperature to 475. In a large bowl, combine all filling ingredients except whipping cream and mix just until there are no lumps.  Add whipping cream and mix only enough to blend. Pour filling over crust and bake for 10 minutes at 475 degrees. Reduce temperature to 200 degrees and continue to bake for one hour. Turn oven off, but leave cake in for another two hours.  Remove from oven and chill overnight.

Easy snack ideas

This area needs expanding, but I'll post it for now and expand later. 


Snacks:
Carrot sticks, sweet peas, red pepper slices, broccoli, 
Popcorn with extra light tasting olive oil (like Bertolli's) and salt
Crackers (make your own!) and cheese
Fruit
Whole Wheat Bread with a nut butter
Smoothies, sweeten with apple juice concentrate (if needed)
Popsicles, sweeten with apple juice concentrate
Pineapple salsa and tortilla chips
Applesauce
Yogurt, sweeten with maple syrup
Juice jello
Quesadillas

What are your easy healthy snacks?

How do our bodies process sugar?

From what I have picked up, everything we know about how our bodies work, is still in hypothesis form.  So, every piece of what I will say has been contended.  But, this is what seems to be the consensus of what is out there, as I understand it. 

A molecule of table sugar is made of two joined molecules.  One is glucose, the other is fructose.  After we eat it, the molecular bond between the two gradually breaks down.  Glucose can be used by any cell in our bodies, so each cell it encounters takes what it needs, and lets the rest move on.  Most of it is broken down in our small intestine.  The stored form of glucose is called glycogen.  When our blood sugar rises (as soon as we eat), our bodies release insulin to process the glucose into glycogen so it can be stored in the liver and muscle cells.  Health problems from overwork of this system range from diabetes to heart disease to cancer.

Fructose can only be processed in one place in our bodies: in our livers.  When we absorb nutrients into our bloodstream, most of the blood circulates through our bodies to our hearts.  However, in the small intestine, there is a connection directly to the liver.  So, fructose is absorbed in the small intestine where it is taken to the liver where is it processed into glycogen and byproducts LDL and triglycerides, aka bad cholesterol.  If there is more fructose than the body can handle, it will store it in the liver (liver disease), and if this continues, the liver will develop cirrhosis, exactly as it would if you were an alcoholic! 

So now we're thinking--wait!  Fructose!  That's fruit sugar.  Well, no one out there seems to think that's too huge of an issue--though speaking from experience, don't go overboard. * A lot of people will say that honey, which varies but averages to be an equal amount of glucose and fructose, is the same thing as sugar.  I don't buy it.  They ate honey in the Bible!  And prized it!  A raw unfiltered honey from a farmer you trust has all the enzymes and nutrients needed for your body to process it.  And (I love this!) does not break down into LDLs and triglycerides!  Obviously, there is a difference.  Though, still, consider the amounts of honey they must have consumed in Bible times and strive for that...you know, maybe how much wealthy Soloman must have had access to.  :)

Consider these topics:

Where does your body get the materials to make the insulin to process the glucose?  (think Weston Price)

Processed sugars have been shown to be more addictive to lab rats than cocaine. 

The Mayor of NYC has tried to limit soft drink sizes because he feels the amount of sugar consumed leads to chronic disease

*I read that fruit had all it needed to basically process itself, and the article recommended fruit instead of breakfast, and anytime of the day eaten alone instead of a meal.  So, we tried it!  It didn't take long to realize that wasn't a good option for us.  None of us felt good...maybe there was more I should've know, I don't know!  Too complicated and I'm out of there!  Food should be intuitive.

Sources Include:

http://www.health.harvard.edu/newsletters/Harvard_Heart_Letter/2011/September/abundance-of-fructose-not-good-for-the-liver-heart
Fructose processed only in liver, 2 bi-products of fructose are LDL and triglycerides – bad cholesterol, cirrhosis

http://westernsagehoney.com/faqs.html
Honey converts directly into glycogen and not triglycerides or bad fats LDL

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=96
Health benefits of honey

http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/digestion-absorption-sucrose-3680.html

http://www.npr.org/2012/02/17/147047545/should-sugar-be-regulated-like-alcohol

Welcome to Our Sugarfree Home!

I have posted a large portion of my arsenal, some of my most beloved recipes!  This represents some of the favorites we've accumulated during our 10 year journey to becoming sugar free in our home.  If you want to learn more, read our story.  The gist is that none of our 5 kids have had sugar until they were three...at least were not intentionally given it by their parents.  ;)  There are a lot of kind and well meaning people in the world and every kid had it given them a couple of times, of course.  No problem!  We don't eat sugar in our home and most of the time we don't eat it out of our home.  We leave it up to choice and right now they are all choosing to not have it out of the home either!  Yay!

We define sugarfree as no processed sugars, but feel good about moderate amounts of honey, maple syrup, and fruit, which we see as whole foods.  The goal is not really "sugarfree" per se, but to be healthy and eat whole foods and the no sugar part just highly supports that.  If it doesn't have sugar in it, it is less likely to have artificial colors, preservatives, MSG, and all kinds of unknown and undesirable chemicals.  The goal is to nurture a love of good food, which requires the purposeful absence of foods or "foods" that detract from that goal.  When we are trying to fill our bodies with lots of nutrients, sugar is just too distracting. Right now, we make a special treat about once a month (typically a birthday) and the rest of the time our snacks are veggies, whole grains, fruit (probably 2-3 servings a day), legumes, nuts and seeds.  We strive for a moderate amount of high quality dairy and meats, and the best oils, salts, etc. we can find/afford.  We used to make our "special treat" items more often and have only gradually adjusted the expectation of the adults, who grew up with a special occasion 3 or 4 times a week, so for wherever you are in your journey, here are some of our "special treats" to get you started and a few other treasures that support a sugar free home.  Please tell us what recipes have been helpful, share your ideas, and enjoy!

Other resources:

• Food Preservation Links
• Sprouts
• Sugar and Behavior

Apple Pie with Cashew Pecan Shortbread Crust

With the shortbread crust, this apple pie has a more rustic look than your traditionally formed pie crust, and the apple filling has a very fresh apple flavor.

This recipe is adapted an old photocopied recipe from my friend Alyssa labeled ‘Sugarless’ Apple Pie, with the only credit being ‘Empire Magazine.’  I am sorry that I can't properly cite it, but if anyone tracks down the magazine, please let me know…I want more recipes like this one!  The crust is purely my creation.

The recipe states to use red delicious apples, "because of their sweetness."  Even though it is not typically a baking apple, or even considered a yummy sweet apple, I usually use red delicious, and it has always turned out perfectly, so I trust them on that!  Consistency is perfect! I have also tried it with a marvelously delicious baking apple from the home I grew up in. Of course that was the yummiest!  

Crust:
1 1/2 cups whole white wheat flour
2 T pecans, finely chopped

2 T cashews, finely chopped 

1/2 cup butter, softened (can use less or substitute with some water, but play around with consistency)

6 medium, Red Delicious apples, peeled and sliced (about 6 cups sliced apples)

1 can (12 oz) frozen apple juice concentrate with no sugar added, thawed

1 ½ tablespoons cornstarch

pinch cinnamon (1/16 of a teaspoon?)
1 T vanilla

3 tablespoons butter (optional)

Mix all crust ingredients, press into a 9 inch pie pan. Bake pie at 350 for 5 minutes.  Crust should be slightly underdone.  Cool.

Place apples and undiluted apple juice concentrate in a large pan.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered, about five minutes.  Dissolve cornstarch in a small amount of water.  Gently stir.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered, 10 to15 minutes or until apples begin to soften and mixture is thickened.  Gently stir in cinnamon and vanilla.  Fill crust with apples.  Dot butter on top of apple mixture.   

Bake in oven preheated to 350 degrees about 45 minutes or until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly. Cook with a cookie sheet under in case the pie spills over during cooking.

Sesame Seed Honey Candy

Thanks to my sister-in-law Shelley for passing this along!   My kids prefer this to Halloween candy, so I swap them every year!

3/4 cup honey

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

pinch of salt

1 1/2 cups (about 8 ounces) hulled (white) sesame seeds

1 cup blanched almonds, finely chopped

Line a 9x13 inch baking pan with foil, allowing it to extend over the short ends of the pan, and generously oil the foil or use a silpat. Set the pan on a heatproof surface.

In a large heavy skillet, bring the honey to a rolling boil over medium heat. Add the cinnamon and salt, stir in the sesame seeds, and cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the seeds begin to color, about 3 minutes. Add the almonds and stir until evenly coated, then immediately scrape the mixture into the prepared pan. Using the back of the spoon, spread it as evenly as possible in the pan. (once the candy has cooled slightly, you can flatten it again with your fingertips if you like). Let the candy cool until it is lukewarm.

Using the foil, lift the slab of candy out of the pan, invert it onto a cutting board, and peel off the foil. Turn the candy over and, using a sharp heavy knife, cut into 1-inch squares. Let cool completely. Store the candies between layers of waxed paper in an airtight container at room temperature. (The candy will keep for several days.)   Makes 8 dozen candies.

Honey Vinaigrette

My go to sweet salad dressing!

1 cup apple juice
1/2 cup any vinegar...but raw apple cider vinegar is the best!
1/2 cup honey

Add ingredients to a quart jar and shake well!  Serve on a green salad or as a dip for a crusty bread.

Chocolate PB Cup

The famous-coveted-sugarfree-mouthful-of-heaven-but-can't-take-it-out-of-your-house-or-it-will-melt-Chocolate-PB-Cups.  Hmmm, I guess the original recipe is more catchy.  :)  I'm pretty sure that after I had baby #4, I ate a whole muffin tin worth of these by myself within a day!

1/3 cup melted virgin coconut oil (organic, unrefined)

1/3 cup maple syrup

2 tablespoon cocoa

1 teaspoon vanilla

dash salt

mix with an electric mixer until smooth (not by hand, the oil will separate)

2/3 C peanut butter

¼ C honey

Mix with an electric mixer until smooth and dough-like.

Pour a small amount of chocolate into the bottom 12 cups of a small muffin tin.  Divide PB mixture into 12 pieces and roll with hands into small balls.  Place one in each cup and pat down.  Pour the rest of the chocolate on top.  Place in freezer for half an hour.  Remove your fantastic au naturale PB cups by sliding a butter knife into the cup.  It should pop out easily.  Eat right away and hide any leftovers in the back of the freezer. 

Two cake alternatives and Pumpkin Pie with a Pecan Shortbread Crust

I love this recipe blog, the Nourishing Gourmet!  She follows Nourishing Traditions practices, but is also dairy free and keeps a budget!  Of course I have adapted many of these recipes, but since I don't have permission, I will just link to them.

We have actually used this Sweet Souffleed Omelet for birthday cake in a pinch (in the middle of a move)...but it isn't really that pretty, just that yummy!  We have made this often.
http://www.thenourishinggourmet.com/2009/07/5-dish-sweet-souffleed-omelets.html

This brownie pudding cake is one of my favs and no eggs! It's like a volcano, but lighter.  I use almond milk (I've tried just water and it's a little to light in flavor) for the cake and use the lemon juice, not the cider, if you don't use buttermilk or sour milk.  For the pudding part,  I didn't want quite a dark chocolate flavor, so I use only 2 tablespoons of cacoa or cocoa, and use 1/3 cup maple syrup instead of the honey.  I also add a tablespoon of vanilla.  Yummy topped with pecans. It needs an overnight soak, and some thickening time, so plan accordingly.


For my pumpkin pie, I use the Libby's Pumpkin Pie Recipe, but directly substitute the sugar for honey.  I also leave out the cloves, add vanilla (of course!), and use my pecan shortbread crust!

Pecan Shortbread Crust:

1 1/2 cups whole white wheat flour

4 T pecans, finely chopped

4 T water (room temperature, add more if needed for consistency)

1/2 cup butter, softened

Popsicles

Here's my favorite popsicle recipe:

Throw the following in a blender:
yummy, sweet strawberries
more strawberries
and more strawberries
blueberries, maybe
raspberries, maybe
bananas if you really, really like them (as much as Matt does--I just prefer...strawberries!)
a touch of vanilla
apple juice concentrate, sweetens to taste
enough milk or yogurt that your blender will mix everything

Blend well

Pour into "kid cups," those small, bathroom, paper cups, set a popsicle stick in or press in later if your mixture is too thin for the stick to stand upright. Freeze. Serve on a sunny day with sprinklers.

Why go Sugarfree?

 Want some motivation?  Watch this 60 minutes video, Is Sugar Toxic?

and also the original Youtube inspiration for this video:

Here is a great one for kids!