Honey is a great alternative to sugar. I love it and have been using it for years. Whenever possible I buy local honey. Local food always tastes fresher to me plus it’s a simple way to give the environment a little extra TLC. Other than local or not-local, I admit that I never really gave honey much thought.

Until now.

Recently my youngest sister introduced to me to raw honey. I had no idea it could be so different from the honey I was buying at the grocery store.

For starters – raw honey is creamy, smooth and spreadable. It’s not runny at all. The highest quality is unheated and unfiltered. A fresh unopened jar usually has a layer of beeswax, pollen and propolis (made by bees to glue the materials of their hives together and for centuries has been used to treat ailments ranging from acne to osteoporosis and cancer) on the top. The honey is underneath and since it has never been heated or filtered, it’s full of enzymes that can aid in digestion, plus amino acids, vitamins and minerals. Yes, it’s definitely pricier than runny honey, but in my opinion, worth every penny.

Check out how thick raw honey is in this picture. Amazing. Rich sweetness. Yum!

Many consider raw honey to be a superfood. And for good reason. Here is just a brief list of some of the benefits that raw honey can bring.

* increase calcium absorption

* help arthritic joints

* natural and gentle laxative

* constipation and allergy relief

* when applied topically, can speed healing of tissues damaged by infection and trauma

* facial deep cleanser for acne and unwanted blemishes– mix with an equal amount of oatmeal, apply to the face and let it sit for 30 minutes before washing off

Delicious, health promoting and a facial cleanser? Sorry, runny honey, but you just can’t compete with your raw sister.

Thanksgiving was my first encounter with sugar in weeks. Now I find myself craving something sweet in the middle of the day or after dinner. Or both.

That’s the thing about sugar – it’s a slippery slope. A little bit can open the floodgates and leave you always wanting more.

Instead of reaching for something that comes in a box, I whipped up these subtly sweet cookies instead. They have just enough sweetness to satisfy without going overboard. That’s the cool thing about eating real food – your taste buds are so much more alert to flavor so a little bit goes a long way.

Ingredients:

3 cups gluten free rolled oats

2 eggs

½ cup coconut milk

½ cup sucanat

1 tablespoon cinnamon

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

¾ cup raisins

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Grease cookie sheets

Pour 1.5 cups of rolled oats into blender and blend to create flour

Put wet ingredients into mixing bowl and mix well with spoon

Put dry ingredients except raisins into mixing bowl and mix with spoon

Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix well

Add raisins and combine

Scoop spoonfuls onto cookie sheet

Bake until cookies slightly harden – about 12 to 15 minutes

Most of the loved ones that I celebrated Thanksgiving with this year.

As far as non-Jewish holidays go, Thanksgiving is my absolute-favorite – Passover will always trump Thanksgiving in my book. What I love most about Thanksgiving is how pure of a holiday it is – it’s not about presents or “stuff”. It’s about family, good food and laughter. Thanksgiving is an annual reminder to reevaluate our priorities and to remember what’s really important – what we should be thankful for.

The last few years my family has asked everyone joining us at dinner to write a note about what they are thankful for and place it in a big woven basket before dinner begins. Between dinner and dessert the notes get passed around the table and read out loud. There are no names on the notes so no one knows who wrote what. It’s a sweet, but quick way to commemorate the holiday and I really enjoy hearing the kind words that my relatives share.

I hope you had a very happy Thanksgiving!

Here’s some of the delicious gluten free (except for the rosemary bread) and dairy free food that we enjoyed this Thanksgiving. I am so lucky for so many reasons including having a family that is incredibly supportive of my dietary limitations – although this meal hardly felt limiting to anyone.

Local turkey

Quinoa with herbs and pomegranates

Roasted veggies

Asparagus with mustard glaze

Whole wheat rosemary bread (recipe below)

Dutch Oven Bread

Ingredients:

6 cups whole wheat flour

1/2 teaspoon yeast (active dry)

3 teaspoon salt

3 cups warm water

3/4 – 1 cup honey

6 twigs package Rosemary, stems removed and leaves chopped

Directions:

Measure out yeast in a bowl and add warm water. Stir until yeast dissolves.

Add in flour, salt, honey and chopped Rosemary.

Stir ingredients until flour is all mixed in.

Let flour rise overnight.

Grease Dutch oven.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees with Dutch oven inside.

Put dough into Dutch oven and cook for 45 minutes. Take off lid and cook for 15 minutes.

To remove bread from Dutch oven, turn Dutch oven upside down.

Another shot of the bread because it was so delicious (so I heard).

Triple Chocolate Brownies (recipe by www.MyraKornfeld.com)

Triple Chocolate Brownies (recipe by www.MyraKornfeld.com)

Ingredients:

4 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped

3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped

1/4 cup cocoa powder

1 ¼ cups natural sugar – maple or succanat

1 cup silken tofu

1/2 cup coconut oil

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3/4 cup sorghum flour

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions:

Line an 8×8 inch baking pan with parchment paper.

Melt the semisweet chocolate and unsweetened chocolate together over a double boiler. Stir continually to prevent burning or hardening – about 5 minutes. Mix in the cocoa powder and remove the double boiler from the heat.

Blend together the sugar, tofu and coconut oil in a blender or food processor until smooth. Transfer to medium bowl, stir in the chocolate, then the flour, cayenne, baking powder and salt.

Pour the batter into the baking pan, making sure it spreads evenly. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 50 to 60 minutes, until slightly puffed. You’ll know it’s done if a toothpick inserted at the center comes out with some crumbs.

Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan for 2 hours before cutting into squares and serving.

Banana bread

Banana Bread

Ingredients:

2 cups almond flour

3 very ripe bananas

2 eggs

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1 tablespoon cinnamon

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup raw honey

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Grease loaf pan

Combine all ingredients in mixing bowl

Use electric mixer to blend ingredients almost thoroughly – I like it with a few banana chunks remaining

Pour batter into loaf pan and bake until top is brown – about 45 to 60 minutes

Allow loaf to cool for at least an hour before slicing and serving

Tonight begins the Jewish New Year. If you celebrate, Shana tova! If you don’t, then Happy Wednesday!

Ryan and I are attending services tonight, but tomorrow night our friends will be joining us for dinner. I am very excited to celebrate our first holiday in our new home! Although my “free time” is extremely limited these days, taking the time to celebrate holidays and special occasions by getting together with friends and family and break bread is a huge priority.

I’ll share the rest of my recipes after I make them tomorrow, but today I took a study break and made this chocolate chunk banana bread. I had 3 bananas that were a day or two away from spoiling so I thought I’d try to turn them into dessert instead of putting them in the freezer for green smoothies. I debated between turning the batter into cookies or a loaf of bread. End of the story is that I’m very happy I decided on banana bread.

Ingredients:

3 very ripe bananas – should be pretty easy to mash them with a fork

2 cups almond flour

1 cup teff flour

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

2 eggs

1/2 cup sucanat

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup chocolate chips or chopped dark chocolate from chocolate bar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Grease loaf pan – I used a Pyrex 9 x 5 loaf pan

Peel bananas and place in medium mixing bowl and mash with fork

Add remaining wet ingredients and mix well

Add flour, sucanat, cinnamon and baking soda. Use electric mixer to combine well.

Fold in chocolate chips with a spoon.

Pour batter into loaf pan and put into oven. Bake until top is firm and brown on the edges – about 40 minutes.

Store any leftover in refrigerator.

One of my favorite things about making good food at home is how the aroma spreads throughout the house. It’s better than any candle, potpourri, or scented oil. Well, I think so anyway.

Cookies are one of my favorite scents – who doesn’t love the smell of sweets? Although, I have to admit, that I do not enjoy the smell of super sugary treats the way I used to. I find the sweet smell is too strong.

Chocolate chip cookies are a classic – for all generations and all ages. These cookies are soft and chewy with a subtle sweetness and rich chocolate taste.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups almond flour

1 cup teff flour

1 tablespoon vanilla

1/2 cup agave nectar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup apple sauce (no sugar added)

1/2 cup coarsely chopped dark chocolate (70% of higher)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Combine all dry ingredients except chocolate chips into large mixing bowl. Mix with spoon.

Combine wet ingredients in medium mixing bowl. Mix with spoon.

Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredient bowl. Use electric mixer to combine ingredients thoroughly.

Use spoon to mix in chocolate chips.

Batter will be soft, but shouldn’t be runny.

Use spoon to scoop batter into greased baking sheets – each scoop should be about 2-3 tablespoons. Use back of spoon to flatten top.

Bake until tops are golden brown – about 20 to 22 minutes.

Remember these? May be not, since the last time I tried they came out completely wrong (but tasty). Well, I tried the blackberry oat bars again this weekend – only this time I used blueberries instead because that was what I had in my refrigerator. Oh and I followed the directions correctly. That’s what really made the difference.

They were pretty delicious. And definitely a go-to for company, potlucks or even something sweet and satisfying for us to have around the house just for us!

Growing up, whenever a new neighbor moved onto our street, my mom always stopped by to welcome the new family to the neighborhood. She typically brought a basket of goodies with her – usually her famous apple chocolate chip cake.

However, when I lived in a huge apartment building in NYC with a few hundred other New Yorkers, I didn’t really expect to meet many neighbors, given the reputation of New Yorkers. And I didn’t. And that was ok. That was “normal” for New York.

I was a little surprised though, when I didn’t meet any neighbors in Cincinnati either. May be times have changed since I was a kid? May be it’s just me? I’m not sure. Either way, it’s ok. Hopefully we won’t be moving anytime soon and there’s plenty of time to meet the neighbors. I can say though, that having been the “new kid” a number of times in the last three years, I will always try my best to be the Welcoming Committee for any new neighbors that move into my ‘hood.

Anyway, the other day I noticed a bottle balloon flying in front of our next-door neighbor’s house so I decided to break the silence and introduce myself, say congratulations and drop off a plate of something tasty.

I had planned on making something nourishing, wholesome and nursing-friendly. But when I ran my idea by my fiancé he thought it might be a little too “adventurous” for people we’ve never met. He was probably right on some level, but I was still a little bummed.

So out came these chocolate cinnamon cookies instead. Yes, they are still tasty and made with real ingredients, but not as baby-weight or nursing-friendly as my original idea. Oh well. Still better than the prepackaged stuff at the grocery store. I hope the new parents enjoy them and that I have successfully broken the silence. That was the point after all.

Ingredients:

1 cup teff flour

1 cup almond flour

2 eggs

1/4 cup unsweetened coconut milk

1 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking powder

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon sucanat

1/4 – 1/2 cup honey

1 cup dark chocolate chips or chunks (I like to chop up a 70% dark chocolate bar into big chunks)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Add wet ingredients (eggs, coconut milk) in small mixing bowl and use fork to mix well

Add dry ingredients, except chocolate chips, to medium mixing bowl and mix well

Mix wet ingredients with dry ingredients – except chocolate chips

Use electric mixer to blend batter well

Use spoon to mix in chocolate chips

Use 2 spoons to scoop batter onto greased cookie sheets

Bake until cooked – about 20 to 25 minutes

Allow to cool for 5 minutes before moving to cooling rack

Sleep – something we’ve been doing since the day we were born and yet can be a struggle for so many of us. In theory, we should be pros by now, know exactly what to do to catch those 8 hours of zzzz’s. Clearly this isn’t the case or the “sleep aid” industry wouldn’t exist.

Getting enough sleep is important for our health. Research suggests that sleep is just as important for maintaining good health as diet and exercise.

Obviously sleep contributes to tiredness, mood disturbances and productivity but it can also affect our weight. Research indicates that two hormones play a big role in the connection between sleep and weight – leptin and ghrelin. Leptin sends signals to the brain to indicate when we are full. Ghrelin simulates our appetite. When we don’t get enough sleep, the production of leptin goes down, so we don’t feel satisfied after eating, AND our ghrelin levels increase so our appetite is stimulated. Not exactly ideal for our waistline.

What we eat and drink in addition to how we spend our time when we’re awake can have a big impact on how well we sleep.

I used to have a lot of difficulty falling asleep AND staying asleep. I admit that my sleep today isn’t perfect, but overall it’s significantly better than it used to be a few years ago. If you’re having difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep here is what helped me the most and hopefully will help you too.

Turn Out the Lights – This might seem obvious, but light confuses our body’s biochemical clock so even though it might be late into the evening, light causes our body to believe it’s earlier in the day than it actually is. Even the light from your digital alarm clock, DVD player and other bedroom gizmos can have an impact. Personally, I sleep with an eye mask to guarantee total black out and it has made a huge difference in the amount and quality of my sleep.

Wind Down Before Crawling Into Bed – Get off the phone, step away from the computer and turn off the TV. I spend so much time constantly on the move so my body needs to be still and my brain needs to wind down before it is capable of sleep. I like to read a book or do some light stretching before bedtime. When I have a really stressful day, breathing exercises help a lot too.

Ditch the Caffeine and Sugar – We are all different and unique so we react to these stimulants differently. For me, any caffeine or sugar during the day will have an impact, but my fiancé can have an espresso at dinner and fall asleep shortly after. If you’re having sleep challenges, try cutting the caffeine and sugar out completely for at least a week and see if you notice a difference.

Keep a Paper and a Pen Nearby – May be it’s just me but bedtime is the first time all day that I can relax. So what happens? My mind starts running and thinking about everything I have do the following day. Or I start mentally packing for an upcoming trip. Or making my grocery list. You get the idea. Now I keep a to-do list handy at all times. When something pops into my head I write it down and feel assured that I won’t forget. My mind is now quiet when I crawl under the covers.

Crank Up the AC – I know I sleep better when the room is cool. It’s that simple. I’m not talking freezing temperatures in the bedroom 24/7, but if my bedroom is even a few degrees too warm then I won’t sleep well. An hour before bedtime I turn up the AC and let the room cool down so that it’s a comfortable temperature when I’m ready for sleep.

Exercise – We know exercise is great for your health for many reasons. Improving sleep is absolutely one of them.

So there you have it. My not-so-secret strategies to getting a good night sleep!

I know. I know. This picture isn’t exactly salivating-worthy. Let me explain.

I originally saw a recipe for blueberry oat bars on this website and wanted to give it a try – with a few modifications based on what I already had and what I had access to. However, I accidentally forgot to add the applesauce and water to the crust, but by the time I realized my error the layers had already been made. Instead of throwing everything away and starting over I decided to peel off the layers and save what I could. I purchased the blackberries at the farmer’s market the day before for the sole reason of making this recipe (there weren’t any blueberries available) and didn’t have a back-up supply on hand. So I added the water and applesauce and put everything back into the baking dish according to the recipe’s directions.

So while this outcome you see pictured above is not as aesthetically pleasing as it could be and the layers are not distinct, you can’t tell at all by the taste.

These bars are sweet enough for dessert, but light enough to compliment the summer heat. Personally, I love chocolate desserts year-round, but some of my friends prefer fruity desserts and I think this will make the perfect go-to recipe next time I’m dining with these folks.

I thought about waiting to share the recipe with y’all until I could make the bars correctly the first time around, but decided against it. I’m not a professional chef and don’t pretend to be one. Sometimes I mess up and my meals don’t always look pretty. But I use real ingredients and that is more important to me than what it looks like.

There was a time when I would have, without a doubt, thrown everything out and started over so that everything would look perfect for my readers. Perspective is a powerful thing and can completely change the way we deal with stress and expectations. I had 2 options once I realized my mistake. (1) I could have gotten upset and frustrated that I screwed up these oat bars. My entire day could have been ruined. A little bit of a drama-queen-like example, but I’m sure we all know people like this on some level. Instead of a baking mishap, may be it’s getting stuck in traffic, arriving late to a meeting, bad weather on a special day, you get the idea. (2) Or – I could say “Oh well. They still taste good.”

We’re only human. And sometimes stuff happens.

What really matters is how we handle it.

Ingredients:

Filling:

1 pint blackberries

5 tablespoons agave nectar or honey

¼ cup water

½ teaspoon vanilla

3 tablespoons cornmeal

“Crust”

3 cups rolled oats (not the instant variety)

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1.5 teaspoons baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

1 cup unsweetened organic applesauce

6 tablespoons water

2 tablespoons agave nectar or honey

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease an 8×8 inch baking dish.

In small saucepan combine blackberries, agave nectar and ¼ cup water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.

When it is boiling, add vanilla and cornmeal. Stir as mixture boils and thickens. Remove from heat and set aside.

Put 1.5 cups of rolled oats into blender and grind to a fine powder. Pour into medium-sized mixing bowl.

Add 1.5 cups of rolled oats, cinnamon, baking powder and salt. Mix.

Add applesauce, agave and water. Mix well.

Spread half of the crust batter into the greased pan – smoothing to cover the bottom of the pan.

Spoon the blackberry filling over the batter and cover the filling with the remaining crust mixture.

Bake for 30 minutes or until the top is lightly browned. Allow to cool before cutting into bars.

*** Store somewhere cool – like your refrigerator – to extend “shelf life”.

I’ll admit it – I am still recovering from the holiday season, and by recovering I mean trying to kick the super-sweet tooth that took over during the holidays. Even though all of my desserts and “indulgences” were homemade with only real ingredients like whole grains and natural sweeteners (read: no refined flours or sugars), I am aware that I am craving sweets more than I’d like to be; more than what is “normal” for me.

Making changes is hard, especially when it comes to sugar. Drastic changes are even harder because they don’t last. Depriving yourself of foods that you crave is not going to do you any good. Gradual changes are long lasting because they are habit-forming.

So instead of dwelling and feeling guilty, I remind myself that I am only human and that I am a work in progress. My sweet treats are made only with whole foods. These cookies, adapted from Clean Food, really do the trick. If I only have one a day then I am ok with that.  One “sweet treat” every other day next week will be even better. Then I will be  almost back to my good ‘ol self again.

Ingredients: (makes 20 cookies)

1.5 cups teff flour

¼ teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup 100% peanut butter (chunky or smooth works)

1 cup maple syrup

¾ of a 3.5 ounce bar of dark chocolate (I like Green & Black 70%) chopped into chunks and shavings

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine all dry ingredients except chocolate in one bowl and all wet ingredients in another bowl.

Pour wet ingredients over dry and blend thoroughly. Do not overmix.

Fold in chocolate with a spoon.

Line cookie sheet with parchment paper.

Drop batter by teaspoons onto cookie sheet.

Leave cookies free-form or press down in crisscross pattern with tines of fork.

Place in oven and bake 13 minutes or until lightly browned.

Do not overbake.

Remove and place on cooling rack.