It’s Christmas time and for those of you who prepare for the holidays with food allergies in mind I have a fun recipe for you to try: Holiday Honey Cake.  This recipe comes to us from “My Kid’s Allergic to Everything” Dessert Cookbook.  This cake keeps for weeks and it toasts up great!

1 cup rye flour

1 cup spelt flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/3 cup honey

1/2 cup sugar

3/4 cup water

1/3 cup softened butter OR mild-tasting oil

Preheat oven to 350.  Use one 5″-9″ loaf pan, ungreased and unfloured.

Mix rye and spelt flours with the baking soda, baking powder, and cinnamon; set aside.  In a microwave-safe dish or in a small saucepan, mix honey, sugar, and water; heat slowly until small bubbles begin to appear.  Remove from the microwave or stovetop; in the dish or saucepan add the butter or oil; beat until well mixed.  Pour this into the flour mixture and beat for 10 minutes.  Pour batter into loaf pan.

Bake for 40 minutes or until inserted toothpick comes out clean and the top of the cake has begun to crack.

For the best flavor, cool completely after baking, place in a plastic bag, and refrigerate for three days before serving.

Variation: You may use samll amounts of soy, barley, or millet flours in place of some of the rye and spelt flours for a silkier cake.  You can also make this a spice cake by reducing the cinnamon to 1/2 teaspoon and adding 1/8 teaspoon each of ginger, allspice, and cloves.

May your holidays be bright, healthy and safe.  Many blessings to you from “Rainbow On Your Plate” and Indigo Rabbit.

It’s easy to focus on others and their needs, but since eating breakfast is key to everyone at home making the most of the day, here are some easy ways to make sure you all take advantage of this boost to the morning.

1.  When you do your grocery shopping, make sure you include items that will make breakfast a treat (and a snap) like fresh fruit, yogurt, hot and/or cold cereal, whole grain bread, nut butter and orange juice.

2.  Pretend you’re on one of those home shows and you’re staging your breakfast table.  Lay out bowls, silverware, juice glasses and pantry items on the table the night before – and make sure you get up early enough to partake!

3.  Keep breakfast foods within reach of the kiddos so they can help themselves.

4.  If you’re not hungry before you run out the door, grab something portable and eat your breakfast when you do get hungry.

Eating breakfast grants you good health AND healthy body weight.

Enjoy!

It could not be easier to roast the vegetables of autumn – and aside from anything that smells like cinnamon in the kitchen, I can’t think of any food more fall-like.  Take a look at this super easy approach to it at NaturallySavvy.com.

The Wall Street Journal is reporting that these challenging economic times have had an unwelcome impact on our eating patterns.  Many consumers are turning to less expensive options at the grocery store (or off the highway) in order to keep their budgets in check and this means typically more processed foods that are higher in sodium, sugar, fat and calories.

Take a look at the article for tips on keeping our bodies healthfully fueled while not breaking the bank at the same time.

Did you know that our bodies benefit more from the disease-fighting antioxidants from fruits and veggies when we eat them together than when we eat them individually?  So – make yourself a salad!

My daughter’s school ran a babyfood drive last week.  In her eagerness to participate, she threw WAY too many jars in the grocery cart on a recent grocery store trip with Daddy (hmmm).  Needless to say, we had lots of left over ready-made veggie puree – at least that’s what my kids saw on the fridge shelf (not “baby food”).

So, what do they do?  Obviously, what any other normal American kids would do – MAKE MUFFINS!  Could I be prouder?

They used up the carrots, some squash and I think some sweet potatoes, added cinnamon, some maple syrup, and some random raisins they found in the pantry and voila, baby food muffins – I mean muffins with veggie puree.  I wish I could relay the exact recipe, but it faded from their memories after the 3rd or 4th muffins got swallowed.

Cookie lovers often contact us at Indigo Rabbit to share their favorite cookie flavors with us.  Sometimes we’re even lucky enough to hear tips and new recipes from our cookie munching friends.

Some folks enjoy soft cookies.  Some folks enjoy their crispier cousins.  I, personally, love them all.  A gentleman from Cape Cod, MA contacted us today to describe how he placed his favorite Indigo Rabbit Gingerlicious cookies in the toaster to see what would happen.  He LOVED the crispy result.  Another loyal customer warms her favorites in the microwave and tops them with a swirl of whipped cream. 

When you come up with your own ingenious take on your favorite Indigo Rabbit goodies, we’d sure love to hear about your creations!

Many of you are familiar with the ever popular “The Sneaky Chef: Simple Strategies for Hiding Healthy Foods in Kids’ Favorite Meals“.  Here is a fantastic recipe from Missy Chase Lapine that your kids will love!

White Puree

2 cups cauliflower, cut into florets

2 small to medium zucchini, peeled and roughly chopped

1 tsp fresh lemon juice

3 to4 tablespoons water, if necessary

Steam cauliflower in a vegetable steamer over 2 inches of water, using a tightly covered pot, for about 10 to 12 minutes until very tender.  Alternatively, place cauliflower in a microwave-safe bowl, cover with water, and microwave on high for 8 to 10 minutes until very tender.

While waiting for the cauliflower to finish steaming, start to pulse the raw peeled zucchini with the lemon juice only (no water at this point).  Drain the cooked cauliflower.  Working in batches if necessary, add it to the pulsed zucchini in the bowl of the food processor with 2 tablespoons of water.  Puree on high until smooth.  Stop occasionally and push contents from the top to the bottom.  If necessary, add the rest of the water to make a smooth puree.

Double the recipe if you want to store even more, which can be done in the refrigerator for up to three days, or freeze 1/4-cup portions in sealed plastic bags or small plastic containers.

Add this mixture to mac n’ cheese, soup, stew, pasta sauces, dips (like hummus), tuna salad, even hamburgers!

We all have likes and dislikes.

I will candidly admit that some of my own “dislikes” have not necessarily been backed up by “research”.  Case in point – rice and beans.  I have always viewed myself as someone who cannot stand such a combination.  Had I ever tried it?  No.  Had I ever prepared it myself?  No.  I recognized I was behaving less than my age and decided to do something about it.

I tried my sister-in-law’s recipe for Rice and Beans (she gives credit to the newest edition of “Joy of Cooking”).  Now I LOVE rice and beans.  Who knew???  Truly an epiphany.  Now such a basic (and healthful – and easy – and ecomonical) dish is part of my world.  Thank you generous sister-in-law! 

I will share her genius with you.

Heat in a large saucepan:

2 Tbsp olive oil

Add:

1 cup chopped onion

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 habanero pepper, seeded and chopped, or 1/4 tsp chili pepper flakes or powder to taste

Cook, stirring, until tender, 5-8 minutes, then stir in:

1 cup diced tomato

2 1/2 cups water

1 cup long grain rice

1 tsp salt

Bring to a boil, then stir in:

1 can black beans, rinsed

Cover and cook over medium-low heat until water has been absorbed into rice, about 20 minutes.  Remove from heat, allow to sit for 10 minutes, then enjoy!

Summer means lots of different things for people.  For many of us, it means fresh from the farm corn on the cob.  If you’re lucky enough to still be enjoying it, take a look at the Mother Nature Network for yummy ways to munch it up!