Despite all the press about salmonella, I have to say it:

I do love me some peanut butter.

To celebrate my salmonella-free jar of peanut butter bliss, I am posting my all-time favorite peanut butter cookie recipe.  It’s all-natural, but it’s not likely to help you lose weight, if that’s what you’re looking for.  It does, however, make a very delicious cookie.

Eat some cookies.  Move your body doing something you love, like cycling, snowshoeing, visiting a rock gym, sledding with the kids, taking the dog out, or shooting hoops.  Call it even, and love your life.  (Simple, right?)

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Audience, meet my Darkest Mint Stars:

And have you yet made the acquaintance of my diabetic-friendly, cinnamon-sprinkled, maple-kissed mixed nuts?

Did I mention yet how delicious December was going to be?  Mmmm…

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The Challenge: Pull off Christmas dinner for seven in a one-butt kitchen without tripping over any one of the five dogs underfoot

The Menu: Lentil soup, roasted root veggies, green bean casserole, fresh bread, stuffing, garlic mashed potatoes, mixed greens salad with goat cheese, cranberries, and pecans, pumpkin and pecan pies, and the requisite turkey and gravy for the omnivores in the group

Mom and I had a pretty elaborate choreography going on in the kitchen.  As mentioned, it’s a one-butt kitchen, and there were two to three human butts in it at most times, never mind the doggie butts…or the extremely hopeful doggie faces.  Despite the occasional butt bump, everything went extremely well.  So, ready for the skinny on a couple of the dishes?  After the jump, find out how I modified some classics for vegetarians and those concerned about blood sugar.

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Because Miz Valerie has been asking about some rough-and-ready guidelines for granola for the faint of heart, in the interest of research, I riffed on my generic granola recipe and made some extra-nutty honey nut granola yesterday with twice as many nuts as usual, no millet or flax, buckwheat honey thrown in with the sweeteners, and a generous splash of almond extract.  Hello, deliciousness!

What prompted the out-of-season granola fest?  Well, a few things have been weighing on Miz Valerie’s mind about the granola-making process.  Specifically, she wanted some wet-to-dry ratios and the details on how long it would keep.  Miz V, this post is for you.

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As the mornings get chillier, breakfast ’round these here parts keep getting warmer.  Exhibit A: Millet.  Note the heavenly glow.  It’s a godsend on cold days.

Millet is a filling whole grain, high in magnesium and niacin for a healthy heart and improved cholesterol levels.  It cooks reasonably quickly, it’s easily digestible, and it’s generally safe for people who have a lot of allergies or reactions to food.  It’s also a happy sunny color.  I like it.

This is one of my on-the-fly recipes, which means I made it up this morning while peering into cupboards to see what we had.  Although I have a nice, long shelf groaning under the weight of a plethora of cookbooks, I have figured out over the years that, overall, recipes aren’t as important as being comfortable in the kitchen and knowing a couple things about nutrition.

Yup.  I can tell you this because I’m not planning on publishing a cookbook.  I’m more interested in getting more people comfy with food and cooking.  To that end, I’m giving you a front-row seat today into the workings of my noggin.  Pull up a chair.  Can I get you some spiced cider?

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Note: Since I am still on my delirious food tour of Philly, frolicking merrily with friends I love and far too busy to update you on the fun I’m having while I’m having it, I penitently offer you a post I wrote before leaving about some very delicious muffins I recently made. See–I planned ahead because I care. (I also knew it was impossible not to have ridiculous amounts of fun with Rachel, Sara, Becca, and Mary.) I leave for New York tomorrow, and I hope to have a little time to tell you all about the amazing places I’ve been so far in Philly–the Italian Market, Reading Terminal Market, Sabrina’s Café, White Dog Café, and Dock Street Brewery. Stay tuned!

One of the best things about the change of the seasons is the coming ready of different crops. Right now, apples are blushing and growing heavy, greens are sprouting tall, and squash are swelling full and bright. Other times of year have other gifts to offer. Last May, the Unicyclist and I took advantage of the first peaches of the year at Schnepf Farms in Queen Creek. The orchards are about a half hour from our home, and they grow several different varieties in pesticide-free orchards. We spent a morning there among the trees, enjoying the evidence of natural pest control–I came across several of the little alligator-like lacewing larvae as we picked, and an assassin bug stowed away in one of our flats of peaches. Both creepy-crawlies are beneficial insects that keep crop-munching pests under control.

We came back with a small mountain of fragrant peaches and apricots that filled the house with a wonderful scent. Then, a friend came by with about 20 pounds of peaches a neighbor had giver her from a tree in their yard. The peaches she brought were even more juicy and sweet. Softly furred, delicate, sunset-colored, we ate a half dozen fresh peaches or more a day. However, a couple days passed and the peach pile still loomed large. It was time to get down to business. Peach crisp. Peach jam. And a whoooooole lot of frozen peaches to enjoy later. All we had to do was wash them, pit them, and cut them in generous slices.

Since fresh peaches are long gone from this neck of the wood, I decided last weekend that it was time to enjoy some of them again. I pulled out a bag of my frozen peaches and chose, after a bit of deliberation, that muffins were the destination. This recipe is loosely based on the blueberry muffin recipe in Rose Levy Beranbaum’s The Bread Bible. They turned out great–dense and moist, sweet and tasting richly of peaches. While you may not have such amazing peaches hiding in your freezer, try it with fruit you do have squirreled away, or experiment with what’s fresh now. Recipes are frameworks, not rules.

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Sweet treats and dessert do have a place in a healthy diet.  Many delicious options exist for crafting recipes that you will love while you also get a nutritional boost.  The key to making good-quality desserts and baked goods is to understand that they don’t need to be calorie-free; rather, just try to ensure that they are not empty calories.  Below, you will find a run-down on the different options of sweeteners available.  If you experiment, you may find that you like certain sweeteners for certain recipes, such as stevia for teas, rapadura for cookies, agave nectar for muffins, and barley malt for spice cake.  Have fun exploring!

Sweeteners for Going Easy or Avoiding

Aspartame, Sucralose, Other Artificial Sweeteners

These products are made in labs, not kitchens. Different studies suggest artificial sweeteners are linked to weight gain and obesity because they interfere with the body’s ability to judge caloric intake. Allergic reactions and sensitivities to these chemicals also occur, including panic, rashes, dizziness, and bowel problems. I personally don’t care for them because they have a slight bitter taste and unpleasant texture when used in baking. In a nutshell: they’re not food, so don’t eat them.

White Sugar, Brown Sugar, and Molasses

Once you’ve gone beyond white sugar, you’ll never go back. White sugar is the purified, crystallized, bleached byproduct of either sugar cane or sugar beets. It is sweet in a sharp, clean way. It’s also bad news for diabetics and anyone else with blood sugar issues or glycemic index concerns. In addition, studies suggest refined white sugar may suppress the immune system and raid our bodies for stored minerals such as calcium—bad news for those with low bone density.

Molasses is a thick syrup extracted from sugar cane or sugar beets during the refining process. It is very strongly flavored and contains a variety of trace vitamins and minerals, including calcium, magnesium, potassium, and iron. It typically complements other sweeteners in baking but is not used alone. This is diabetic-friendly, but it can’t stand on its own.

The soft, packable sugar labeled “brown sugar” is simply refined white sugar with a little molasses added back in. It’s not a good choice for diabetics or the average person.

Better Choices for Those Without Blood Sugar Concerns

Honey

Honey comes in many varieties, hues, and intensities. You can get it raw, pasteurized, whipped, or otherwise processed, but I recommend getting local honey from your grocery store, co-op, or farmer’s market to enjoy the flavor of your home. My favorite here in Arizona is mesquite honey, which is rich, dark, and somewhat vanilla-y.

Honey is antibacterial in nature and raw honey can be used externally on cuts and scrapes. Internally, it is low in nutrients, but is believed to contain antioxidants. Honey should never be fed to infants because it can contain dormant bacteria that can cause illness. Honey is swiftly absorbed into the bloodstream, making it a poor choice for diabetics.

Maple Syrup

Real maple syrup is delicious, and if you need syrup on your pancakes, make sure it’s either this or agave nectar. Avoid any syrup with “maple flavor.”  Really, maple flavor is a sad, unfortunate thing.

Maple syrup is the boiled sap of maple trees, high in zinc and manganese to protect your heart and boost your immune system. It is absorbed quickly into the bloodstream and is not well-suited to diabetics.

Sucanat, Rapadura, and Turbinado

These are terms for sugar which should be less refined than other kinds. The grains tend to be light brown to deep caramel in color, reflecting the trace minerals they contain. However, the manufacturing process for some of them has changed over time, so it’s worth it to check occasionally. All these sugars are deeper and rounder in flavor than white sugar, and add a wonderful complexity and richness to your baked goods even as they give you a nutrient boost over the straight white stuff. The information below is from the PCC Natural Markets website.

• Rapadura is a brand name for organic, unrefined crystals. Unlike other methods of cane processing, the sugar stream is not separated from the molasses when the cane is crushed, which helps retain trace minerals and nutrients.  This sugar has more nutrient value than others.
• Muscovado sugar is made by evaporating and draining off the molasses, leaving impurities that make it dark and moist.
• Sucanat is a brand name for organic cane juice that’s clarified, filtered and granulated, with some molasses added.
• Turbinado sugar is made the same way as white sugar without the last extraction of molasses, leaving it a golden color. It’s closer to refined sugar than raw sugar.
• Demerara sugar is turbinado sugar with larger, crunchy crystals.

Short version: rapadura is a whole food. The others are trying to pass themselves off as healthier without deviating too far from the taste of white sugar. None of these are the best option for diabetics.

Slow and Steady Sweets

Stevia

Stevia is a natural sweetener which comes from the leaves of the stevia plant, which is native to South America. It is 200-300 times sweeter that sugar, and it can be purchased in liquid, refined powder, and dry leaf forms. I have tried using it all three ways, but I have never been able to get past the sharpness of its flavor and the bitter aftertaste. It is safe for diabetics, so you may want to give it a try if you are diabetic, though I would recommend a more natural form, such as the crushed leaves. Personally, I prefer the liquid sweeteners described below.

Agave Nectar

Agave nectar is a syrup from the heart of the agave, a desert succulent. You can get it in light or dark grades (the darker has a stronger flavor), both of which are slightly sweeter than sugar. However, agave nectar is safer for diabetics. It is also delicious, with a light, sweet taste. Also, it dissolves very well in beverages, consistently pours well, and does not crystallize. The only downside? As a sweetener, it is pricier than a lot of other options. However, as health care, it beats the pants off the cost of diabetes drugs. It is my personal favorite for low-impact sweeteners.

Brown Rice Syrup and Barley Malt Syrup

Both of these liquid sweeteners are about half as sweet as sugar and metabolize slowly, making them safe for diabetics and others concerned with the glycemic index. In both cases, the whole grains (sprouted, in the case of barley) and enzymes are cooked down to a sweet syrup full of nutrients.

Brown rice syrup has a light, straw-like taste, while barley malt is richer and more like molasses. I recommend against using them to sweeten beverages, as the flavor is noticeable. They can be easily used in baked goods, and barley malt is particularly well-suited for gingerbreads, spice cakes, and pumpkin-based goodies.

Eating healthily and naturally is a lot easier with a well-stocked pantry. In this section, you can find information on all sorts of good stuff, such as:

• whole grains
• legumes (beans and lentils, oh my!)
• sweeteners
• basic kitchen spices
• essential kitchen equipment
• how to read a label
• how to store produce

This portion of the site is under construction, so stop back often for new tidbits. Also, if you have something you’d like the Simple Spoonful to cover, drop me a line with your suggestion at laurel (at) simplespoonful (dot) com!

It’s the weekend, which means it’s probably a good time to cook up something delicious for the coming week. To help you in your endeavors toward deliciousness, I offer you the very first of an ongoing series of recipes. Here, to kick off the recipe portion of the Simple Spoonful, I present you with…Mighty Morning Granola!

Take a look–ain’t she purty?

Granola has become a staple here in our household. Either the Unicyclist or I cook up a batch on a biweekly basis, and it’s almost never the same. Granola is a very forgiving dish, not to mention a wonderful platform for experimentation. You want coconut? Toss it in! Hate cashews? Use peanuts! Want to find out what happens when you swap almond butter for some of the oil? Yee-ha! Want dried apples, raisins, and cardamom in this batch? Go for it! It is inevitably delicious.

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