My Kingdom for a healthy sweet

I apologize for the formatting. I am havin issues with pictures. I will redo as soon as technology likes me again.

I crave sweets. I love them and grew up eating cakes, candies, and chocolates. Loved them. Still do. YUMMMM.

My definition was very narrow: if a dessert included fruit or nuts it was not dessert. Fruit was healthy; desserts are not supposed to be healthy. What were they thinking? It was a parent's way of trying to sneak something I didn't like into my mouth. I was having none of it.

Raw cookie dough -- not the same as raw cookies 

These days though, I feel icky when I eat a lot of sugar. My body now craves protein. I can no longer exist on Sees chocolates through the Easter season. And I need to lose a few pounds (okay, more than a "few"). So what is a sweet-loving woman to do? 

I have found a saving grace. My goal in life is to eat yummy foods but make them healthy. Really healthy. If my sweets are healthy I can eat as many as I like, right? My search began in earnest. I used organic ingredients; replace "unhealthy" flours with more healthy ones. But I still knew I could eat only a little.

Then I stumbled on raw foods. They are made of things that, frankly, I would not have even tried eating as a kid: nuts and dates. However I was willing to try now because all the recipe reviews had people saying they tasted like cookie dough. 

Being a HUGE fan of dough over the baked product, I knew I had to give them a try. 

I made up my own recipe based on the many that you can find on the web. I played with the ingredients until I came up with one that works well and really does taste just like chocolate chip cookies with oatmeal in the dough. 

If you have ever tried that recipe that was sent all over email as the "Mrs. Fields True Cookie Recipe" that had all that oatmeal in it, then you know what I am talking about. 

Laureen's Raw Cookies

Ingredients

1/3 cup raw cashews 
1/3 cup raw walnuts 
1/3 cup raw oat flakes (or steel cut oats for a crunchier cookie) 
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon 
1/8 tsp sea salt 
2-3 Medjool dates, quartered and pitted
2-3 T RAu drink (or water if RAu is not available in your area)
1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract 
3 tbsp raw cacao 
Instructions

1. In a food processor, process the cashews, walnuts, oats, cinnamon and salt just until the oil starts to come out of the nuts. It will be grainy.
2. Add the dates, RAu or water, and vanilla. Process to combine.
3. Taste the "dough." If it is not sweet enough for you add another date.
4. Next, add the raw cocoa and pulse just to combine. Taste again. My raw cocoa is very bitter and sometimes I need to add another date.
5. Roll the cookie dough into balls about 1 tbsp each and place them in a tightly covered container. You can freeze them to make them more firm but they do not need to be refrigerated.

I bring them on trips and they last for 4 or 5 days without refrigeration. I'm not sure how much longer they would last because I eat them all within that amount of time. :) 

I like being able to eat something that cures my cravings yet is still healthy.



What if I use fertilizer?

Flowers:My favorite hobby. But that is for another post

This poem was written by a friend of mine, RWarren. You can find her blog here: The Star Seer's Prophecy. 

Her poem really spoke to me because it seems we are all working towards finding the path to the life we want to live. 

If you are like me, you have little patience for the journey; you just want to get there. I want my life magically perfect. Today. Now. 

I'll work for it but give it to me now. 

But I'm sure all of you are much more patient than I. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.


“Spring forward!” they say,
“Hurry up and bloom!”

But my heart says,
“Whoa, slow down.

Can’t rush the river along, 
Can’t push the daisys to bloom

No.

Slow breathing, 
Relaxing, 
Allowing.

Welcoming rain and sunshine,

Slow unfurling, 
Opening, 
Widening
 
This is the way to bloom."

~Beautifully penned by RWarren

Spring Forward, Fall Ill

Ugh. Colds. As soon as the time changed I started to fall ill with very sore throat, swollen adenoids, stuffy nose--you know, the usual. 

However, I'm extremely grateful that I am dealing with only a cold right now. Friends of mine have befallen much worse lately. 

To combat my symptoms and help my body heal I am using all organic and natural products. I love Hyland's Sore Throat and use them regularly when feeling under the weather. I have also found Eclectic Institute's Vita Biotic which helps boost your immune system. You can take them every couple of hours and they really helped me feel better.

My wonderful husband has made homemade minestrone soup and that always makes me feel better.  It is chocked full of vegetables and beans. It is the most soothing meal we make.

Laureen's Minestrone Soup

Laureen's Minestrone Soup 

**For Vegan, use the quinoa. For meat eaters add the chicken

Ingredients

4 Boneless skinless chicken breasts diced -or- 1/2 cup quinoa
1 1/2 teaspoon coconut oil
2 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 cup diced onion
3/4 cup diced carrots
1/2 cup diced celery
1/2 cup green beans
--you can add any other vegetables you would like
 
1/3 cup diced red or yellow bell pepper
3/4 teaspoon finely chopped fresh oregano
1 1/4 teaspoon finely chopped fresh basil
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 3/4 cups peeled and diced tomatoes
3/4 cup shredded cabbage
4 cups vegetable stock
16 oz drained and rinsed red kidney beans
16 oz drained and rinsed garbanzo beans
2 teaspoons chopped parsley

Instructions 

1. In a large saucepan, heat coconut oil with garlic and onions. Cook over medium heat until onions are translucent. 
2. Add chicken, if including, and cook through. If you are not including chicken jump to next step. 
3. Add carrots, celery, peppers, herbs and spices and continue to cook just until vegetables start to get tender--about 7-8 minutes.  
4. Add tomatoes, cabbage, stock and quinoa, if you are including it. Bring to a boil. 
5. Stir in the cooked beans and continue to simmer over low heat for 20 minutes or until vegetables are soft and quinoa, if using, is cooked.

 Adapted from the Canyon Ranch Spa Recipes

Serve hot with some sourdough bread or crackers. It is the most wonderful, soothing soup. It not only is emotionally soothing but is great food for your body to use to cure you. 

After taking all my supplements, eating my soup, and getting some extra sleep, I was better the next day. It's hard to believe but it was true. I really was better the next day, not just somewhat better, but better. Not even a sore throat, which is something I get frequently. 

Baby Shower Success

I've been planning a baby shower for a friend at work who is having twins. Twins! We have been so excited for Kathy as we watch those babies, and Kathy's baby bump, grow.

We held the shower at a hotel near the office, because all of the guests were coworkers. We invited both men and women as Kathy's husband also works for the company and we wanted to include everyone who wanted to wish Kathy well.

In my previous entry (Baby Shower - First steps in planning) I described how I was starting the planning for a baby shower. 

I answered the foundation questions for the party (from Party and Event Planning - Lay the foundation) and determined the following:

Guest list:  Approximately 15 people, both women and men
Nursery Theme: Jungle
Colors: Soft blues and greens 

In my second post on planning the shower, Party Planning: Next steps in planning the baby shower We found the following napkins at a local party store and from the design I created an invitation.

We used these as the inspiration for the remainder of the decorations. 

I also showed the spreadsheet I created to track the food order with the hotel. Using the spreadsheet, it was easy to adjust the amount of food as the headcount changed.

The Friday before the shower, I contacted the hotel with the final headcount and made sure I wasn't ordering too much or too little food or drinks. 

We served heavy appetizers, wine, and beer. The hotel did a lovely job setting up the buffet table. The weather was chilly and misting so we moved the party indoors. The appetizers were a range for all palates. We included Ahi Martinis for the seafood eaters, Macaroni and Cheese balls, cheese-stuffed African peppadew peppers and avocado tacos for the vegetarians, 2 varieties of flatbread pizzas for the meat eaters.

We ordered a cake from a local bakery and used the napkin and invitation as inspiration.The bakery did a wonderful job in matching the designs, as you can see in the pictures below. 
 
Be sure to order a cake that fits with the current tastes of the mother-to-be. I asked her for her favorite flavor and filling so I could make sure it was something she would enjoy.

We had an area reserved for us in the restaurant. It set with a large square table where everyone could see each other and interact. The bottom table cloth was black and the top was a beautiful light powder blue that complimented the shower colors. They also provided hydrangeas in low vases and candles for the centerpiece.

Another friend at work made an adorable diaper cake which we put in the center of the table surrounded by the flowers and candles provided by the hotel.

The diaper cake was made to match the design of the shower and was filled with small gifts of clothing, blankets, and other essentials.


The two stuffed elephants on the top will make wonderful first toys for the twin boys and added a touch of whimsy to the decor. 

Kathy was showered with gifts which were displayed on a shelf waiting to be opened. 

It was nice to have a place for the presents that was away from the food and separate from the table where we ate. 

We ended up having a few more guests than we thought but had plenty of food and drink for them to enjoy. Everyone mingled, and enjoyed the social evening. We didn't play games at this shower because Kathy, and the guests, would not have been comfortable. 

The party ran like a birthday or cocktail party with cake and present-opening after the appetizers and drinks. Everyone enjoyed themselves and Kathy was showered with much-needed items and best wishes for a smooth, healthy, happy birth. 



I have 2 parties in the works which I will be describing shortly: one is a tea party for a 4 year old, the other is a bridal shower. Such fun! 

Make sure you celebrate the events in your lives and the lives of those around you. Imagine the wonderful life that you want, really see it in your mind's eye, then do it. Create the life you want.

Celebrate life!
Laureen 

A doughnut by any other name would taste as sweet

Oh I soooo want a doughnut! I have been craving them lately. I haven't eaten a doughnut in years. I miss them, or, really the thought of them. I miss the warm cakey sugary goodness of a fresh doughnut.


But alas, the reality is not the memory. The last time I ate a doughnut it made me feel ill and it didn't taste like I remembered it. It was light and fluffy like I wanted it to be, but the taste was overly sweet. And this wasn't from some grocery store or chain doughnut shop. This was a wonderful family owned shop in my neighborhood. Apparently in my search for healthy eating, I lost my taste for overly greasy and sweet.  

But lately I have craved that wonderful taste that is in my mind. I wanted the aroma, the flavor and sweetness without the upset stomach afterwards. I searched the internet to find something that could match what was in my head; a recipe that I could adapt to a healthy version without losing that taste. 

I found my base recipe in a muffin. I found it with slight variations under different names: French Toast Muffin, Coffee Cake Muffins, and Cinnamon Sugar Muffins. But one thing was consistent in all recipes: the person writing about the recipe said it tasted like a doughnut.

The original recipe is a traditional one with white flour, white sugar, oil, etc. I use organic ingredients and like to mix as much nutrition into my food as I can while still having it taste good. I modified this recipe to add more fiber, less white flour, healthier fats and less sugar. 




Doughnut Muffins (makes 12)
1 cup organic unbleached white flour
¾ cup oat flour
1-½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon nutmeg
¾ teaspoon cinnamon

⅓ cup coconut oil
¾ cup organic evaporated cane juice (organic sugar)
1 egg
¾ cup coconut or almond milk

For the Cinnamon Sugar Topping:
1/4 cup soy butter, melted
1/3 cup evaporated cane juice (organic sugar)
1 Tablespoon cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 350º. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon.

In a separate bowl, combine coconut oil, sugar, egg and milk.

Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and stir only to combine.

Coat your muffin pan well with nonstick cooking spray (preferably organic olive oil) and divide the batter evenly among the cups.

Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Tops should be lightly browned and muffin should spring back when you lightly touch the top. 

Run a knife around the sides of the muffin and shake them out of the pan while still hot.


Melt the butter in a bowl.

Combine the white sugar with the cinnamon in another bowl (I used a shaker so I could sprinkle the cinnamon/sugar on top instead of dipping).

Dip muffins in butter, then into the sugar/cinnamon mix. Let cool. Eat immediately.



The muffins are warm, cinnamon goodness with that wonderful flavor of a fresh doughnuts without the grease.

They are very moist and taste fabulous the next day as well. They hold their moisture and flavor for at least 2 days after baking--which is when we devoured the final muffin.

A little about Coconut Oil 

Coconut oil has many health benefits that other oils do not. There is a lot of research on the internet, a good source being CoconutOil.com

The picture on the right shows the coconut oil in the jar. It is solid to about 78 degrees F. 

The picture on the left shows it scooped into the measuring cup. It smells incredibly good (if you like the smell of coconut) and is said to be used by the body as energy instead of stored as fat. It has the same caloric values as other oils. I plan to use coconut oil for most of my cooking, but you can read the information and make your own choice.


I will continue to refine this recipe until I have the healthiest "doughnut" I can make. I will share future successes with you.

Happy Sunday!
Laureen