Sweetness in a Bottle

I have a sweet tooth, a really BIG sweet tooth. It used to be so bad that I could put away a gallon of "Light" ice cream without blinking (the thought of it now makes me sick to my stomach). My point is, once I put sugar into my mouth, I couldn't concentrate until I could get another bite in....and so the painful cycle began. Things got better when I moved in with my now husband, because he could at least distract me from the sugar cravings. After my son was born, I was spoiled with an increased metabolism and got re-hooked on having sweets on a regular basis because I could get away with it. But as I began to find alternatives to cooking with flour, I discovered a world of healthier baking and cooking. A world that used no gluten, no dairy, a rare egg or two, and no refined sugars. Because I love to bake, I was willing to try any new recipe, but secretly I was wondering how on earth something could taste good without sugar. Little did I know about what I was going to discover...

Maple Syrup: You have to use the real stuff, none of that pancake syrup loaded with high fructose corn syrup. Grade B is the best and offers a higher mineral content that refined sugar and also contains low levels of anti-oxidants. One of the minerals is manganese, which supports overall body function and lowers trigylceride levels. Zinc acts as both a mineral and antioxidant and strengthens the heart by repairing and replenishing endothelial cells. Together, Manganese and Zinc support the immune system (they are also both important for male reproductive health).

Stevia: I have always been skeptical of Stevia, just as I have been skeptical of Splenda and Nutrasweet, but turns out it is rather quite safe and been around for forever. It comes from the Stevia plant and is available in liquid or powder form. I have mainly used Stevia in my cookie and banana bread recipes and really like the added sweetness it gives baked goods that are made without refined sugars. I have also occasionally thrown it into a smoothie that I can't get quite sweet enough.

Honey (especially raw honey): Raw honey is anti-fungal, antibacterial, and anti-viral. Raw honey also contains many anti-cancer fighting properties, phytonutrients, and anti-tumor properties. When raw honey is extensively heated, it's amazing properties disappear, so try for the raw varieties when you can. There are so many local beekeepers here in the PNW, so look to buy local on this if you can.

Coconut Sugar (or palm sugar): this is a great substitute when you can't substitute liquid sweeteners for dry; I use it in a 1:1 substitution for brown sugar in my cookies. Palm sugar is definitely not as sweet as sugar and will give your baked goods a dark hue, but it won't raise your blood sugar like refined sugars do. Don't make the assumption, like I did, that if palm sugar is a healthier option that palm oil is too; as far as I can tell, it's not and it is better to stay away from palm oil when you can.

Brown Rice Syrup: This is a great alternative to sugar and one that I love using in my banana bread. It is not really that sweet to the taste, but when baked, creates a nice subtly sweetness that makes baked goods yummy. If you stay away from gluten, make sure you find a gluten-free variety as some brands are made with barley.

Agave: I saved this one for last because I recently changed how I feel about this sweetener. It is touted as being a great alternative to sugar because it doesn't raise your blood sugar like white sugar does. I recently found out that agave has higher levels of fructose than high fructose corn syrup. Granted, it is not processed or fake like HFCS is, but such high levels of fructose can be hard on our bodies. I will still use agave (made from the same plant as tequila), but I'm not using it as much, and trying to use raw honey more.

Since discovering and only using these sweeteners, my sweet tooth has diminished. I still love my sweets at the end of the day, but I don't feel out of control like I can't get enough, and I feel very satisfied with a much smaller serving. Additionally, when I now eat something that has processed sugar, it tastes WAY too sweet and is unappetizing. I thought that would NEVER happen!

Let me know if you have any questions about using these sweeteners.

Finding the Perfect Coconut Milk...and Then Making Yogurt

I recently did some research on Carrageenan and found countless articles on how awful it for us to consume, so I sent an email to Kelly over at SpunkyCoconut.com, who I follow religiously. She and I had a discussion on the best and safest coconut milk on the market. She then sent an email to the makers of Native Forest Coconut Milk who reported that although some BPA is present in their cans, it's as little as 0.2 parts per billion. That doesn't sound like much to me, but what do you think? I have just been so eager to make my own yogurt ever since I read how easy it is from Kelly's website and also from her latest cookbook, but I needed to use coconut milk. So I gave it a shot tonight...it's still warming on the stove. I had bought a yogurt maker and guess what? It totally didn't work, and I mean that I went to plug it in and it didn't warm up. So I reverted to keeping it warm in glass jars while in a shallow pan of simmering water. I really hope it works, but if it doesn't work, I will be sending it through the ice cream maker. I'll keep you posted when we try it tomorrow.

On another note, I also made this wonderful ice cream recipe tonight: Vegan Caramel Apple Ice Cream. I have just fallen in LOVE with cashews lately. They are sooooo creamy and yummy. You can also try this recipe that I discovered in a cooking class I took today: take raw cashews and grind up with water in the food processor. You can determine the thickness based on how much water you put in. We had this and melted chocolate to dip fruit into...it was heavenly!

And on one more note...here are the latest pics of the house. We had it painted this weekend and although we now wish we had gone one shade darker on the house, we think with some black shutters and a black door (the paint job done on this today is temporary), the house will actually look like it's not from the 1960s.

Hope you all had a fantastic weekend!

Mama's Famous Chocolate Cookies

Okay, so I finally got brave enough to create a gluten-free, refined-sugar free version of my mom's famous cookie recipe. Are you ready for this?? They were not only approved of by the hubby, but also my niece and my mother-in-law!!

1. Cream three stick of organic butter (or dairy-free margarine like Earth Balance) with 1c. coconut palm sugar with 1/2c. brown rice syrup (make sure it's the gluten free kind) and 1/2c. honey (preferably raw).

2. Beat in three eggs at room temperature

3. Beat in one packet of organic pudding vanilla mix (do not use the Jello Brand as it is full of chemicals) and 1.5 tsp of organic vanilla extract (the real stuff, not the imitation). I also added 10 drop of stevia but I think you could get away with not using it, the cookies just won't be quite as sweet. (This is "secret ingredient" in my mom's amazing cookies!)

4. Beat in gradually a mixture of 2c. of a gluten free flour mix (I make my own, but you can buy them in any grocery store; Bob's Mill is a popular one, but there are others), 1c of gluten free rolled oats (oats are naturally gluten free but almost always share a factory with regular flours so is therefore contaminated), 1c. coconut flour, 1tsp of each xanthan gum, baking soda, and baking powder.

5. Then add 3c. of a chocolate chips; we use dairy free Enjoy Life mini chips, but you can use whatever you like.

6. Bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes depending on your oven. They should light brown and slightly soft to the touch; they will harden as they cool. If you like them a bit more dough-y, like my husband, cook them a minute or so less.

I added a few links for some harder to find items in case you need them. Enjoy!!

Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow

Okay, such a cheesy post title, I know. But appropriate. On Wednesday, I went in to have my locks chopped (at my favorite Oasis Spa in Woodinville), and donated to Locks of Love. I was nervous going in but also excited. My hair was so long and thick that I couldn't really wash it anymore; I just couldn't get it all wet, let alone lathered up to get it clean. I had a wonderful hair stylist (who may have gone a little snip happy), but still did a wonderful job. Part way through the hair cut, she began to tell me about this "new" Keratin treatment that was safer than the Brazilian Keratin treatment. She said it would make my hair more manageable and beautifully straight. I was so tempted (although less tempted when I heard about the price tag-$75), but knew I should probably do my research first. It does seem like the new version of the Brazilian treatment is safe as they do not use formaldehyde and they claim to use no harsh chemicals. I am still tempted to try this, although now with short hair, it's less of a big deal (and unless I win the lottery, I'm not willing to pay the price for a short-term--6-8 week--straightening product). If anyone out there has tried it let me know thought! Here are a few pics from the big day:

Food Wax

Today was a very busy day in the Larson kitchen. As I prepare to head back to my day job (or the one that earns me a paycheck), I'm trying to get as much baking done as I can because 1) it distracts me, and 2) I've just been having so much fun trying different recipes and seeing how the husband and baby respond. Today was an exceptional day. I started off the afternoon baking Zucchini Brownies from a favorite blog of me: www.athomewithginac.com. I really made these for a friend who is in the hospital, but of course, I couldn't give him ALL of them, so we selfishly kept the rest of them for ourselves. Mine aren't as pretty as Gina's, but they tasted so incredible.  They almost didn't come to be, however, because I nearly ate all the batter :)

As those baked, I cut up eight gala apples to make Crockpot applesauce...can you say, Yes Please!! No peeling, no baking, and no sugar!! You place enough water in the Crockpot just to cover the bottom and then toss in your apples. Cook on low for six hours. These almost leads me to tonight's post, but I'll get to it in a minute, I just want to finish with our afternoon of cooking. 

For dinner, I made burgers from a friend's cow. And when I say 'friend,' I mean a poor college student intern who has had to put up with me the last three months...(yes, her family owns many cows). The cows are all grass fed; the taste is a bit different, but we are getting used to it. It agains reminds me of how important the diet of the animal is that we are eating (they are supposed to eat grass after all, right?) Grass fed beef has higher levels of omega-3 fats which is just another good reason to eat this type of meat. The burger was simple: kelp salt, pepper, oregano, and a few sprinkles of Herbamare seasoning. On the inside of the burger, a surprise piece of smoked mozzarella cheese! Mmmmmm so yummy and Jackson couldn't eat his fast enough!!

And I have to brag that he ate more broccoli than both me and Jeff!!

Okay, on to tonight's blog...so I used to buy my organic apples from Costco. I LOVED that they provided healthy organic produce, until one fateful day they didn't have the organic apples (they ran out). So I ended up at my favorite store, PCC, to buy their much more expensive apples. Right off the bat, I noticed a difference: there was no wax coating the fruit. When I got home and finally tried one, I couldn't believe the taste different. The fruit was much sweeter and more vibrant than any other apple I had eaten at Costco. Since then, I've been meaning to research fruit waxes to see why they are used and if they are harmful. Here's what I have found:

• Waxing primarily helps limit water loss, preserve the look of the fruit, prevent mold growth, and extend shelf life. 
• The waxes on food are similar to those used to shine floors, furniture, shoes, and vehicles. Derived from petroleum and natural sources, they often contain some combination of paraffin, shellac, carnauba, polyethylene and synthethic resins. Due to its high melting temperature, the wax cannot be washed off and often used as a vehicle for applying bactericides, fungicides, growth regulators and dyes.
• The FDA has limited research on the safety of waxes and are labeled "generally recognized as safe." 

As much as I wanted to, I couldn't find any definitive evidence that the waxes are bad for us, but most of it was anecdotal and not based on anything than personal opinion. My opinion is that the wax seems to distort the taste. I also am such a purist, that I don't believe I should be putting chemically made waxes in my body. I did read that using vinegar is helpful to wash off the wax, but I haven't tried it, because I'm now a convert to the local, non-waxed organic variety :) 

I also just added "My Favorites" from Amazon.com. I thought this might be helpful for some of you to find some of my favorite things. I'll keep updating it, but there's a pretty good list of things right now. Full disclosure: I get a little kickback when you use my link to purchase. 

Blessings in the Garden...

So I just have share a quick little story: we found our first tomato this morning!!! Jackson helped pick it right before dinner. I was going to put it on our salad, but then I had a thought. What if I cut it up right in front of Jackson? Maybe my non-tomato eating son will actually want to eat it? Well wouldn't you know, Jackson ate the whole thing! (well, Jeff and I did get a bite or two) But literally I couldn't cut him pieces fast enough. All I have to say is that this is why we have a garden; the power of growing something in your own backyard is truly amazing.

Mmmmmm....Chlorophyll.....

Okay, so just a quick post tonight...Did you know that you can eat carrot greens?!?! I did not until just the other night! I am just so proud of our carrots from our garden, that I couldn't bear to waste the greens, so I did a little research and turns out the greens, although a bit bitter, are full of chlorophyll, which helps to fight cancer! So, I just chopped them up and added them to the dish I was making. And then I did it again tonight. They do have a bit of a different taste to them, but if you chop them like you would parsley you'll hardly notice. You can stir them into your dish or just garnish on top...I feel healthier already! (sort of)

PS: You may have trouble finding greens since most grocery stores chop them off, but you will find many a topped carrots at the farmers market or PCC...