Santa is getting ready to sail across the night sky. People are figuring out how to gather in safe numbers and in masks to celebrate their faith. Champagne is chilling as we anticipate a new year.But many are looking at an empty chair. Many are enduring mind-numbing isolation. Many are wondering how the rent will be paid.
Holidays have always been a challenge to mental, emotional, spiritual, and physical health.
This year? Well, you get the point.
My dear grandmother, long departed, used to share a story from her youth from the late 1800s. After enduring and surviving a house fire, her family of nine faced a Christmas with few possessions and no money for gifts. On Christmas morning, however, her father produced several packages to everyone’s wonder.
As her mother carefully unwrapped the first present, it was discovered that he had wrapped up the surviving pieces of silverware taken from the ashes of the fire.
Hard times. Desperate times. Times of survival and gratitude. Times of making do.
We are in such times. Times that require digging into the ashes to discover a blessing and to find gratitude.
May you find special moments with what’s left.
A walk or drive around town to see the holiday lights can bring back feelings of effervescent, child-like joy. Dropping off what you can spare to the local food bank can warm your heart like nothing else. Calling an old friend to check in, grows love and appreciation in everyone’s heart. Decorating a batch of holiday cookies to share can get creative ideas flowing again.
We at foodtalk4you.com encourage each and every one to check in with themselves.
How are you doing? Really? Is what you are facing this holiday season pressing in on you? Do you feel like you are in a deep hole of darkness with no apparent way out?
If you are having such troubles, please know 1) you are not alone, and 2) there IS a way out.
If you are on a precipice, please call 1-800-273-8255 right now. That’s the National Suicide Prevention Hotline. These folks are there for you 24/7 to give you an ear and will assist you in finding resources for getting on a steady path out of the darkness.
If you know that what you are feeling is stronger than your current ability to deal with it, your doctor is a phone call away from helping you, either medically or through a referral to counseling, where you can discover coping techniques.
May you discover the beauty, joy, and hope that is still there for each of us.
We look forward to offering our readers an improved format for recipes next year, and I will be releasing my free class about Caregiver Emotions online.
There’s much to anticipate in the coming year!
Merry Christmas, Happy Hannukah, and a Happy New Year to all! Be safe in all you do.
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Somebody you know needs the help provided in my Toolkit for Caregivers HERE. This is a gift they will read and reread!
Poor Santa! So much sugar! But the poor fellow LOVES cookies! Is there an answer? Yes! No need for the Old Elf to be totally deprived of his seasonal favorites! Step into my Christmas kitchen for a quick recipe share of two satisfying confections that do not deliver a huge sugar/carb hit. These macaroon and oatmeal recipes will more than fill the bill for treats that do not overdo things and will keep you in balance.
Midnight Macaroons were developed to be part of a regular care package sent to our daughter for a moment of hugs-across-the-miles during her grueling night shifts as a Resident Physician. She shared them with her fellow residents during their – rare – breaks.
Midnight Macaroons
Preheat oven to 350 degrees or convection oven to 325 degrees
Cover baking sheet with parchment paper
Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl:
• 1 1/3 cup unsweetened, finely shredded coconut
• 3 tablespoons gluten-free flour (I used Krusteaz Brand)
• 1/8 teaspoon sea salt
• ¼ cup cocoa
• 2 tablespoons mini dark chocolate chips (I used Ghirardelli Brand)
Beat/whip 3 large room temperature egg whites until they become fluffy.
Then gradually add 1/3 cup white sugar while beating.
Add ¼ teaspoon almond extract and continue beating until stiff peaks form.
Spoon whipped egg white mixture into the dry ingredient bowl and gently fold ingredients until combined.
Using a cookie scoop – I used a 2 inch scoop – place dough onto prepared baking sheet. These will not spread out.
Bake 25 minutes and cool on a rack. Smaller cookies will need less time to bake.
For an optional added chocolate “hit” you can easily dip the tops of these into melted dark chocolate.
These are not especially sweet (YAY!) and are totally satisfying and provide LOTS of nutritional goodness through the egg whites, coconut flakes, and dark chocolate.
I stress in Toolkit for Wellness– barring severe allergic reactions – an 80/20 approach to anti-inflammatory eating should meet our needs to be mindful of how we ‘fuel’ our bodies without making us obsessive. I choose to stray from the path of “no grains” once in a while as a serving of white rice is savored or a gluten-free corn chip is enjoyed at a party. But, oatmeal labeled “gluten-free” has been calling me like sirens from the deep.
I bought a bag of Bob’s Red Mill Brand Gluten-Free Rolled Oatmeal last year and ended up just giving it away to a friend. I didn’t trust myself to not go down a very slippery slope into regular bowlfuls of carbohydrates in the morning. Well, I took the plunge this year and used some of that oatmeal to create a fabulous treat. So far, so good. One cookie every other day or so! Who is in control at all times? Me! I can do this!
Traditional oatmeal cookies call for a total of 1 cup sugar (brown and white), but I eliminated one third cup of that and did not lose a bit of flavor or fun. I think this could even be made with less sugar than that and be just fine.
Low Sugar, Gluten-Free Oatmeal, Raisin, Walnut Cookies
Preheat oven to 350; or 325 degrees for a convection oven. Cover baking sheet with parchment paper.
Combine in a medium-sized bowl:
• ½ teaspoon gluten-free baking soda
• ½ teaspoon gluten-free baking powder
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon xanthan gum
• 1 cup gluten-free flour
Cream in a large bowl:
• ½ cup grass-fed butter
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/3 cup white sugar
Mix into the butter mixture:
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 teaspoons water
Add dry ingredients to the wet and mix until combined.
Stir in:
• 1 ½ cups gluten-free rolled oats
• ¾ cup activated nuts, chopped (See Recipe chapter in Toolkit for Wellness)
• ½ cup golden raisins
Using a cookie scoop, put scoops of dough onto prepare baking sheet.
Bake 10-12 minutes for 2” cookie scoops. Smaller scoops will require less time.
Cookies in freezer
My only improvement on these delicious recipes is that I will use a smaller scoop next time so I can have more cookies and smaller servings. A move to smaller treats will keep these cookies closer to the 80 side of the equation! These both freeze well, by the way; so the treat can last longer if you are not sharing them.
So, now we see Santa settling by the hearth with his NEW, favorite book to learn of other amazing ‘tweaks’ he can make in his daily life that will revolutionize his health and peace of mind!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to one and all!
Deidre
PS- Thank you for making Toolkit for Wellness a Best Seller in ALL of its categories at one time or another!
Remember! The eBook is still at $0.99 until Christmas when the price goes up. If you prefer reading on a devise, that’s a great bargain for yourself or someone you care about.
But wait, there’s more! The paperback version is ready and also available through Amazon! Click HERE to get yours today!
As the temperatures start falling, along with the glorious and colorful leaves, our attentions turn inward and homeward to Thanksgiving! Whether you celebrate once, or several times with different groups of family and friends, this is a time of reflection and gratitude. I learned a new twist on my usual turkey and stuffing prep, and wanted to pass this along to you. See, we had our family Thanksgiving early in November this year, so this approach is fresh from the kitchen and just in time for the actual holiday!
With two grandchildren on cranberry cleaning and culling duty, and three adults to tackle everything else, this Thanksgiving was a delightful process, running like a well-oil machine, intermingled with uproarious laughter and memory making for the ages. Even after final cleanup, there was still enough energy for more laughter and stories.
Our daughter created a turkey rub mixture that took a garden-variety-store-label-turkey into the moistest and most flavor-infused turkey I have ever eaten!
Moistness had usually been a hit-or-miss thing for me; but this rub will take chance and good luck out of the recipe, and should guarantee great results every time.
Into our small food processor, Serena put the following ingredients:
Turkey rub:
Sprig of Rosemary
1 cup sauteed onions and red bell pepper
5 – 6 cloves of raw garlic
1/2 stick of butter
Large sprig of rosemary
Handful of parsley
Several sprigs of thyme
Dash of cumin
Salt
Pepper
Blend all ingredients together in a food processor and rub underneath the skin on the breast of the turkey, inside the cavity, and all over the top.
Measurements are approximate. 🙂
The turkey was baked covered with foil until about the last 30-45 minutes until the pop-up timer came up.
Even our cornbread stuffing/dressing seemed extra special this year. The non-dressing lovers among us couldn’t get enough! Here’s what we did:
Stuffing:
Gluten-free corn bread made with applesauce***
3-4 slices of gluten-free bread (we used Glutino Brand, seeded bread)
One onion
3-4 cloves garlic
Poultry spice mix
Salt
Pepper
Cut the breads into cubes and toast. Sauté onion and garlic in butter. Season with poultry spices, salt, pepper. Mix into toasted bread cubes. Moisten with turkey broth taken from the simmering pot of giblets destined to become gravy. When the turkey comes out, add turkey juices from the roasting pan to the stuffing.
***We had made a square pan full of cornbread using about a half-bag of Bob’s Gluten-free Corn Bread mix. After six of us all had a piece, we used the rest for the dressing. The mix seemed a little dry because it was probably more than half a bag, so we added 4 oz. of unsweetened applesauce. The texture was less crumbly.
So, may you savor the moments with family and friends along with some savory turkey and dressing! You will find, using Serena’s method, the meat throughout the turkey will be moist and kissed with the flavors of the rub. No more dry white meat!
I hope to be publishing Toolkit for Wellness very soon! An announcement will be forth-coming!
I just read the title of the food section in today’s newspaper: “Sweeten up the Holidays!” Gadzooks! Do we really need lots more sugar? Now to be sure, Christmas cookies happen; but we should be looking for ways to celebrate using less sugar!
Medi brand knee highs
I want to share with you the results of yesterday’s cookie baking marathon! Thanks to my new Medi-brand maximum-support-knee-highs-without-a-prescription, I was able to happily crank out three batches of macaroons and not kill my legs. Seriously, a wise young Physician’s Assistant recommended these to me and I can genuinely recommend this leg-saving approach to all those who stand a lot. Save your legs NOW! These knee highs are super sheer and really have made the difference in my legs not getting achy and complaining. The best $45 Christmas present to myself … EVER!
Macaroons
Back to macaroons. After our daughter treated us to some designer coconut macaroons from a whole-food-type grocery store, I have longed to recreate some of that tastiness. I think I have found a recipe that can be tweaked in different flavor directions such as mocha, peppermint, cherry, and the like, that could become the centerpiece for your SANE-ish cookies.
Lemon Coconut Macaroons
INGREDIENTS
3 extra large egg whites, room temperature (save those yolks for scrambled eggs using egg whites from a carton)
3 Tbs. raw honey
Honeycombs
2 Tbs. lemon juice (about ½ lemon)
Zest from a whole lemon
1 tsp. lemon extract
2 cups unsweetened finely shredded coconut
3 Tbs. all-purpose gluten free flour
1/8 tsp. sea salt
DIRECTIONS
Macaroons
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper.
Combine coconut, gluten free flour, and salt in a prep bowl.
Beating egg whites
Using the whisk attachment to a hand-held or standing mixer, whip egg whites to soft peaks. Gradually add the honey, lemon juice, zest, and extract while continuing to whip until the mixture is glossy and forms stiff peaks.
Pour dry ingredients in and gently fold to incorporate using a rubber/silicone spatula.
Use a cookie scoop or ice cream scoop to drop ball-shaped scoops of cookie mixture onto prepared baking sheet.
Bake for 12-15 minutes, depending upon the size of your scoop.
Yield is about 22 cookies if you use a 1 ½ inch scoop like I did. That size gives a good dimension that is not excessive (trying to hold things down for the holidays), but is enough for a treat.
Now, sugar and honey net the same bodily response. They both turn into glucose and cause an insulin response. My goal with a sweet treat is to keep the sweetness in rein so there is not a major swing in blood sugar levels. Many prefer the unrefined nature of raw honey as in the previous recipe, and that is good. I did use white sugar in the next recipe, but there is just 1/3 of a cup spread out over 20 small macaroons, so I am happy with that. I am sure the sugar could be replaced with honey (probably less than 1/3 cup) if you wish.
Chocolate macaroons
Chocolate Coconut Macaroons
INGREDIENTS
1 1/3 cup unsweetened coconut
3 Tbs. all-purpose gluten-free flour
1/8 tsp. salt
¼ cup cocoa
2 extra large egg whites, room temperature
1/3 cup sugar
¼ tsp. almond extract
Chocolate drizzle macaroons
Chocolate Drizzle: ¼ cup dark chocolate morsels melted with 1 tsp. coconut oil
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper.
Blend coconut, gluten-free flour, salt, and cocoa in a prep bowl.
Using a hand-held or stand mixer with whip attachment, whip egg whites to the soft peak stage. Gradually add the 1/3 cup sugar and almond extract and whip until glossy and stiff peaks can be formed.
Gently fold in the dry ingredients using a rubber/silicone spatula until all is incorporated. Using a cookie scoop or spoon, place ball-shaped scoops of mixture onto prepared cookie sheet.
Bake about 25 minutes for 1 ½ inch scoop-sized macaroons which will yield about 20 cookies.
If desired, drizzle with melted dark chocolate.
I can easily see how this recipe could use espresso, mint, or finely chopped almonds to change up the flavors!
My third recipe? Well, always being one who is keen on the flavor of almonds, I bought my first-ever box of almond paste and I followed the recipe as printed on the box for almond macaroons. No coconut in these. The reason was, I really wanted to pipe these out with a pastry bag! But because they are sooo sweet (in my book), I made them quite small. You know, “a little dab will do ya’?” My sweet-aholic husband loved these the most, of course! The box’s recipe is follows:
Almond cookies
Almond Macaroons
INGREDIENTS
1 carton Solo Almond Paste
1 extra large egg white
½ cup sugar
They called for maraschino cherries halves for the top, but after reading an article about what’s in those little delights, I decided not to. Yes, I will eat one once in a long while but not this time.
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
Break almond paste into food processor, add sugar and blend together. Add egg white and blend until a dough ball forms.
Bam! That’s all, folks!
Form into desired shape. I used my largest star tip, (#1M), to create many little treats! Bake in prepared cookie pans. Time in the oven depends upon size. My little guys were done in 12 minutes.
I hope this helps you get into a festive mood to fix treats that aren’t so awful for your health. As you start heading off to holiday parties, remember to either eat correctly before going out and then just nibble at the best choices you can make at the party, or concentrate on the veggie and meat trays and eschew the sweets altogether. If gluten is an absolute no-no for you, remember most store processed meatballs are made with gluten-y bread. Also, no one would fault you if you brought your own gluten-free crackers for dipping or spreads.
Holiday exercise? What holiday exercise? I am trying to awaken my “sleeping bear” of a body now! Let’s not wait until January to fix the damage. Not a big deal, but in addition to the jog out to the mail box, I am dedicating coffee brewing time for a little bit of kitchen exercises: kitchen counter push-ups done in slow motion—eight will do, thank you. Eight slow motion squats. Eight palm-up, straight arm, slow motion arm “flaps.” It’s amazing how refreshing coffee-brewing time well used can make me feel!
Best wishes for a blessed, safe, health holiday season to one and all!
