Meal timing and circadian rhythm

Does it matter when you eat during the day?  Apparently it does—if you sync your diet with your body's natural circadian rhythm, that can have a lot of benefits, including weight loss.  Some articles below discuss this matter.  

Key findings:

1) A calorie eaten earlier in the day isn't equivalent to one eaten later.  If you consume a higher percentage of your daily calories earlier in the day, you're more likely to lose weight.  

2) You should try to eat all your meals within a window of eight to ten hours each day.  Unfortunately, most people eat within a fifteen-hour window, facilitating weight gain.

3) It's better for your window of eating to begin and end earlier in the day.  Ideally, it should finish several hours before bedtime.  This makes it easier to lose weight and to sleep well.

4) It's best to eat breakfast within two hours of waking up.  However, if you skip breakfast, apparently that confuses your hunger hormones, making it more likely you'll overeat later in the day.

Here are the articles:

https://www.washingtonian.com/2013/08/08/when-to-eat-your-biggest-meal-of-the-day-for-maximum-weight-loss/

https://www.forbes.com/sites/nomanazish/2018/10/25/this-is-the-best-time-to-eat-breakfast-according-to-a-dietitian/

https://aaptiv.com/magazine/circadian-rhythm

I see a lot of people conscious about their weight and they strictly follow a diet plan each day but don't you think it has also a negative effect on the facial and body skin? how to maintain the health and keep our skin tighten in a natural way?
MZ Skin Coupons

helen560 wrote:I see a lot of people conscious about their weight and they strictly follow a diet plan each day but don't you think it has also a negative effect on the facial and body skin? how to maintain the health and keep our skin tighten in a natural way?

Hi helen560,

Interesting question.  I think it depends on whether you're getting enough fat in your diet.  I eat lots of saturated fat, including butter, coconut oil, full-fat dairy, etc.  The only thing I really try to limit is my carbs.  As long as you're eating a lot of healthy fat, I suspect that your skin should be fine.   Sometimes I apply coconut oil or tallow to my skin as well.

Okay, anything food-related will go in this thread.    

Have you ever tried to make mayonnaise at home?  It's actually pretty easy if you use a food processor.  However, there's a lot of clean-up—the parts of the processor take up a lot of room in the dishwasher.

So . . . enter this interesting recipe.  You actually make the mayonnaise in the jar that it's going to be stored in!     The process can be a little tricky, but still not that difficult.  All you need is a basic handheld blender, along with a 16-ounce jar.  The key is to make sure your jar is just wider than the head of the blender.  

I've made this ingenious recipe three times already—without any problems.  And it's so neat having very little clean-up!    Once you make your own mayonnaise, you'll never go back to the store-bought stuff.  For the oil, you can use up to about a third coconut oil with no problems—I always use at least three different oils, including extra-virgin olive oil.  Concerning the raw egg, if you use organic eggs or eggs from a local farm, that shouldn't be a problem.  But if you're using conventional eggs, I wouldn't risk it.      At the end, I think adding onion powder and smoked paprika gives a lot of flavor as well.







https://www.seriouseats.com/two-minute-mayonnaise

The Food Lab's Foolproof Homemade Mayonnaise

(Note:  Make sure that all your ingredients are at room temperature.)

1 whole egg
1 tablespoon lemon juice (from about half a lemon)
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard (or half a teaspoon dried mustard)
1 medium clove garlic, minced (optional)
1 cup oil
Sea salt
Black pepper

Place egg, lemon juice, and mustard in the bottom of cup or jar that just fits the head of your immersion blender. This is vital.  The circumference of the jar must be just larger than the head of your blender and the egg/lemon juice mixture must reach the blades for this to work. If the mixture does not reach the blades, double the recipe before attempting.

Add garlic, if using. Pour oil on top and allow to settle for 15 seconds. Place head of immersion blender at bottom of cup and turn it on high speed. Do not pulse or move the head. As mayonnaise forms, slowly tilt and lift the head of the immersion blender until all oil is emulsified. Season mayonnaise to taste with salt and pepper. Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

What's one of the most popular foods out there?  Peanut butter.  Well, why buy it when it's so easy to make yourself?  

Of course, one thing you need is a food processor.  But once you have that, homemade peanut butter is a breeze.  Not only that, I think it tastes a lot better than store-bought.   

A few things to keep in mind:

1) It's best to use organic peanuts, since peanuts can be high in pesticides.  

2) If you use raw peanuts, then you need to roast them first, because it isn't really safe to eat raw peanuts.  Roasting nuts, though, is pretty simple.

3) You can add as much (or as little) salt as you like.  You can also add a sweetener, and even some oil to help thin out the peanut butter.  I used a little coconut oil in mine.  

4) There are different kinds of peanuts to choose from.  I used Valencia peanuts.  Even though they aren't traditionally used for peanut butter because of their low oil content, Valencia peanuts are likely to be the lowest in aflatoxins, which are often found in peanuts.

5) It's okay to leave any skins on the peanuts.  I did that, and my peanut butter tasted just fine.  

Okay, time to get started, folks!    

Note:  For most people who are healthy, peanut butter is fine in moderation.  However, you should not eat it every single day, and when you do, you shouldn't eat a ton of it.  Why?  Well, one reason is that it's high in lectins, which are considered an "antinutrient."  Anyway, just use your common sense and go easy on it.  In a nutshell (no pun intended), peanut butter is okay occasionally as a snack, but it shouldn't be a staple of your diet.  





https://www.thespruceeats.com/oven-roasted-peanuts-4172872

https://www.thespruceeats.com/homemade-peanut-butter-recipe-4163557

Roasting Peanuts


Ingredients
One pound shelled peanuts (or 1 1/2 pounds unshelled peanuts)


1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Place the raw peanuts in a single layer inside a shallow baking pan, and then place in the oven.

3.  For shelled peanuts (peanuts removed from the shell), bake for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring once or twice during cooking, until the skins become loose and the peanuts are lightly golden. For unshelled peanuts (peanuts still inside their shells), bake for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring once or twice during cooking, until the shells are lightly golden brown. The peanuts will continue to cook when removed from the oven.

3.  Let cool 10 minutes before eating (or grinding).

Homemade Peanut Butter


Ingredients
2 cups roasted, unsalted peanuts
1/2 teaspoon sea salt, or more to taste
1 to 2 tablespoons coconut (or other) oil, optional
Natural sugar, raw honey, or other sweetener of your choice, optional


1.  Place the peanuts and salt in a food processor.

2.  Process until the peanuts become peanut butter—at least two, and up to three minutes, scraping down bowl with a spoon or butter knife as necessary.  At first the peanuts will be chopped, then clump together into a ball, and finally break apart into smooth nut butter.  If you like chunkier peanut butter, then stop before it gets too smooth.  

3.  If you want thinner peanut butter, add the optional oil—a little at a time—and process to combine. Taste and add more salt, if you like.

4.  If using, add the optional sweetener, and then process to combine.  Be sure not to add too much, though!  

When I was young, my parents used to buy fruitcake that came in a round metal container, and my siblings and I all hated it.     So, I always thought that fruitcake was just repulsive.  It wasn't until much later that I learned that fruitcake can actually be tasty if made right.  

Some years ago, I got a basic recipe for gluten-free fruitcake off the Web, and then made quite a few tweaks to it.  Even though I'm not allergic to wheat, I sometimes make gluten-free recipes like this one.

Anyway, Christmas is probably the time of year most often associated with fruitcake, so as an early Christmas present, here's my favorite fruitcake recipe.     

This recipe has quite a few steps, but overall, it's not terribly difficult.  However, if you don't know your way around a kitchen, this might be a bit over your head.  

For a close-up view, just click on the pic below.  






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Notes:

1) The zest is just the colored outer layer of the peel of citrus fruit.  It's best to use organic citrus for this, or else you need to wash the peel really well.  In addition, a microplane grater is the best tool for the job.  

2) It's also best to use organic almonds and walnuts.  I usually soak and dehydrate the nuts beforehand too, but that step's optional.  Anyway, here's how to do it if you're interested:

https://www.wikihow.com/Soak-Nuts

3) There are two kinds of cinnamon:  1) cassia (the kind you find at the grocery store) and 2) Ceylon (also known as "true cinnamon").  The second kind is much more expensive, has a milder taste, and is preferred by chefs.  I usually use half cassia and half Ceylon cinnamon in this recipe, but you can just use all cassia since it's easier to find.

4) Be sure to use full-fat coconut milk, not "light."





2 cups chopped mixed dried fruit (284 g)  
(Note:  You can use whatever dried fruit you want, but some suggestions are:  dates, cherries, raisins, apricots, mangoes, prunes, figs, cranberries, etc.)

grated zest from 1 lemon
1 Tbsp. grated orange zest, or 1 tsp. orange extract
1 tsp. grated grapefruit zest (optional)

3 oz. dark rum
1 Tbsp. crème de cassis or other fruit-flavored liqueur (optional—if not using, use 1
   more Tbsp. water)
4.5 oz. water

72 g whole almonds, with skins intact (about 1/2 cup plus 1 Tbsp.)
78 g coconut flour (about 3/4 cup), divided
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. sea salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. ground allspice
1/2 tsp. ground cloves

1 1/4 cups coconut milk (300 g)
1/3 cup honey (112 g)
1/4 cup melted butter
1 Tbsp. molasses or pomegranate molasses
1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 eggs

1/2 cup – 1 1/4 cups coarsely chopped walnuts (47 g – 117 g)


1.  Mix dried fruit with citrus zests.  Combine rum, optional crème de cassis, and water, and add to fruit.  Stir well, and cover.  Let sit at room temperature for at least a day (or up to a week), stirring occasionally.

2.  In a food processor, process almonds along with about half of the coconut flour until mixture is fine, scraping down bowl as necessary.  Place mixture in a bowl, and add the remaining coconut flour, along with the cinnamon, sea salt, baking soda, allspice, and cloves.  Mix well.

3.  Using a mixer (or by hand), beat coconut milk, honey, butter, molasses, and vanilla until well blended.  Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Add dry ingredients, and mix well.  With a large spatula or spoon, stir in soaked fruit and walnuts.

4.  Preheat oven to 275 degrees F.

5.  Note:  You need a 9 x 5–inch loaf pan for this recipe, or one that holds at least 1.5 quarts.  If you're not sure about the capacity, just do this easy test:  Pour exactly 6 cups of water into the empty pan.  If the water doesn't spill over, then your pan should be big enough for this recipe.     But if you don't have a pan this big, just use two smaller ones instead, but reduce the cooking time.  

Pour batter into a greased 9 x 5–inch loaf pan.  It may look like there's too much batter to fit into pan, but it always does.     Bake for about 80 minutes (rotating pan halfway through cooking time), or until a knife comes out mostly clean when inserted near the center.  (Cooking time will vary according to whether you use a metal or glass pan.)  Let cool on a wire rack.

6.  Enjoy!   

What are the holidays without eggnog, right?   

The good news is that it's really easy to make at home, and homemade tastes so much better to boot.  This simple recipe uses canned coconut milk, which isn't hard to find.  It also uses raw eggs.  If you raise your own chickens or ducks, no problem.    Or if you can find high-quality organic eggs (preferably from pasture-raised hens), or eggs from a local farmer, those raw eggs should also be fine.  Otherwise, to be safe, it's probably best to use a pasteurized egg product instead.     

Unlike the holiday fruitcake, this eggnog is a breeze.  So, even if you're a total putz in the kitchen, you should still be able to manage this.  But if you can't, then . . . well, maybe you should learn to boil water first.  






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Notes:  

1) Use regular coconut milk, not "light."

2) If you don't really care for nutmeg, you can use less—or just leave it out entirely.  Also, freshly grated nutmeg gives the best flavor, but pre-ground is okay too.  If you want to use another spice instead, cinnamon should work.

3) If you don't like alcohol, or want to make this eggnog kid-friendly, just leave out the rum and bourbon.  You can substitute a little vanilla extract instead.  





Makes 3 to 4 servings.

1 1/2 cups canned coconut milk
2 eggs
3 tablespoons + 1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon dark rum
1 tablespoon bourbon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg (preferably freshly grated)
pinch of sea salt

Pour all ingredients in a blender.  Whiz everything together for at least 10 seconds.  Refrigerate, and enjoy.  Eggnog should keep at least several days.

Okay, dudes—today we're going to learn how to make tahini.    

"What's tahini?" you ask.  Hey, it's anything you want it to be!!!

Actually, tahini is basically just ground-up sesame seeds—a staple of Middle Eastern cooking.  For instance, it's a key ingredient in hummus and is often drizzled on falafel too.   The good news is that it's easy to make at home.  Not only that, but it'll probably taste better too.  

The first step is to toast the sesame seeds, which I always do on the stove.  Then after they've cooled, you just grind them up with a food processor, which can take a few minutes.  You can add some oil and salt too.  







Notes:  

1) It's best to use hulled sesame seeds for tahini, which are less bitter and easier to digest.  It's also preferable to use organic seeds if you can find them.  I always order mine off the Web.

2) For the oil in the recipe below, you can use whatever kind you want, but I think a mixture of olive oil and coconut oil works nicely.  However, you can leave out the oil—and the salt—if you like.

3) When toasting the sesame seeds, be sure to stir them often so that they don't burn.






12 ounces hulled sesame seeds (about 2 1/2 cups)
1 3/4 teaspoons fine sea salt
0.6 ounces extra-virgin olive oil (a little over a tablespoon)
0.6 ounces coconut oil (a little over a tablespoon)

Pour sesame seeds into a large skillet, and place over medium heat.  Toast for 8 minutes, stirring frequently.  Turn off burner, but leave pan on stove for 4 more minutes, again stirring frequently.  Remove from heat, and stir occasionally until seeds have cooled.

Place seeds in a food processor along with sea salt.  Process on high speed until the seeds start to "pile up."  Stop the processor, scrape down the bowl with a knife or spatula, and then continue processing.  You'll probably need to stop the food processor and scrape the bowl at least ten times.     Don't worry—just try to be patient.  It'll be worth the wait.  

Once seeds have started to form a thick paste, add the oil.  Continue to process for at least a minute or until the mixture has thinned out a bit.  Taste the tahini, and add more salt if you wish.  Stored at room temperature, the tahini should keep at least several weeks.  Or refrigerate it if you want.

Enjoy.    And here are a few ideas on how to use tahini:

https://www.seriouseats.com/ways-to-use-tahini

A couple of weeks ago, I bought a fresh pineapple at the store.  After bringing it home, I left it on the counter for a couple of days, and it started oozing liquid out the bottom.    Turns out it was waaaaaay overripe, and I ended up throwing over half of it out.   🤮  I eventually took my receipt back to the store and asked for another pineapple.    

So . . . how exactly do you pick out a good pineapple?  Well, turns out this is the stuff to be on the lookout for, and the article linked below provides further info.  Now you're all set to up your pineapple game and avoid making the same mistakes I did.  

1) Pineapples that are fresh and fully ripe should have bright and healthy green leaves, as well as a greenish-yellow exterior.

2) Ripe pineapples should have a firm shell that is slightly soft when squeezed.

3) Ripe pineapples tend to have a sweet smell at the base of the fruit.

4) Pineapples that are heavy for their size are often juicier, sweeter, and more ripe.

5) Fronds that are easy to pull out may indicate that a pineapple is ripe and ready.

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/how-to-pick-a-pineapple#3.-Smell-it

Speaking of meal timing, this is pretty funny:   

I tried this recipe a few days ago, and it's very good.  What makes it stand out is the fruit in the stuffing—fresh apples and dried cranberries (I added some raisins too)—as well as the fresh rosemary.  I don't think dried rosemary would pack nearly the same punch.  

I've adapted the recipe slightly from the original below, and also cut it in half.  It's not all that hard, and definitely worth a try for the holidays.  


--------------------------------------------
Notes:

1)  I never eat white bread, so I used whole-grain instead.  Homemade bread is best, but if you don't time for that, a good store-bought brand should work fine, like this one:

https://www.hometesterclub.com/us/en/reviews/food-for-life-7-sprouted-grain-bread

2)  For the dried fruit, you can use cranberries, raisins, or a mixture.  Dried cranberries at the store actually have a lot of sugar in them, so I made my own.  To do that, you basically just simmer fresh or frozen cranberries gently a few minutes in some water until they soften, and then drain. Next, if you want, you can toss them with a little sweetener, oil, and/or salt. Finally, you dry them in a slow oven for a couple of hours or so.  This link tells you more about how to do it:

https://kitchenous.com/dry-cranberries/

3)  As I mentioned above, fresh rosemary adds a lot of flavor and really is worth seeking out for this recipe, even though you only need a little bit.

4)  If desired, you could add some fresh minced garlic when you sauté the onions and celery as well.

5)  The ingredient amounts in this recipe are not gospel.  You can use more (or less) onion, celery, apple, etc., according to your taste.    











Serves 5.


4 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup celery, diced
3/4 cup onion, diced
8 oz. apple, chopped
1/2 cup dried cranberries and/or raisins
2 tbsp. fresh parsley, minced
1 tbsp. fresh rosemary, minced
1/4 tsp. dried thyme
1/4 tsp. dried sage, crushed
8 oz. whole-grain bread, cubed
sea salt and pepper, to taste
1 1/4 cups chicken broth, preferably homemade
extra parsley for garnish (optional)


1.  Melt butter gently in a large skillet over medium heat, and sauté celery and onion until softened.

2.  Add apple and continue to cook until it begins to soften.

3.  Remove skillet from heat and toss in dried fruit, parsley, rosemary, thyme, and sage.

4.  Pour bread cubes into a large mixing bowl and stir in apple mixture.  Season with sea salt and pepper, and pour in about half of the broth. Gently mix.

5.  Slowly pour in remaining broth, mixing gently until bread cubes are softened.  If mixture seems too dry, you can add some extra broth.

6.  Pour stuffing into a greased medium-sized baking dish and spread out evenly.  Cover with foil and place in a 325-degree oven for about 20 minutes (you don't have to preheat).  Remove foil and bake for another 15 to 25 minutes, or until heated through and top is golden brown.

7.  Serve warm, garnished with parsley, if desired.


https://www.ingles-markets.com/recipes/apple-cranberry-stuffing

Concerning meal timing, here's a video that gives some valuable information.  You can just start watching at about 34:00 in the video:







Here are some key points:

1.  You should (ideally) wait about two or three hours after you get up before eating your first meal, because your cortisol level is probably going to be high when you wake up.

2.  Around 95% of Americans have “insulin resistance,” which is basically a road to diabetes.  

3.  The single most important strategy you can take to improve your health is to eliminate seed oils (also called "vegetable" oils), which include soybean, cottonseed, canola (rapeseed), sunflower, safflower, corn, and peanut oils.  For more info, please see:

https://chriskresser.com/how-industrial-seed-oils-are-making-us-sick/

4.  Only about 10% of Americans eat in a 12-hour window.  Unfortunately, eating outside a 12-hour window is a recipe for poor health.  

5.  Your largest meal(s) should be earlier in the day.  Of course, that's not always easy to do, but at least it's something to aim for.

Now that the holidays are upon us, it's only normal to want some great dessert, right?  

Although not really traditional for this time of year, a good cheesecake is something that almost everyone likes.  Just recently, I made this nifty recipe for no-bake cheesecake.  It's not that difficult, and is really delicious.  Most no-bake cheesecakes use either gelatin or sweetened condensed milk to thicken them.  This one, however, uses something different—whipped cream.   The only problem is that it's so difficult to find cream that isn't ultrapasteurized these days.     While raw cream is best, pasteurized will at least do.  

I made this recipe without a crust, and honestly didn't miss it one bit.  Since I'm not a fan of store-bought cream cheese, I also made my own, which takes some time but is ultimately worth it.  The only problem there is that your homemade cream cheese won't be as thick as what you buy at the store, which may cause the cheesecake to "weep" a little.  I fixed that problem by freezing the cheesecake after it had fully set in the refrigerator.  Anyway, if you want to learn how to make your own cream cheese, here's a helpful link:

https://culturesforhealth.com/blogs/recipes/cheese-recipe-homemade-cream-cheese

I also just used a regular pie pan instead of a springform pan, and things turned out fine.  If you do decide to use homemade cream cheese, you're going to need to add some salt as well.  I normally reduce the sugar when I make desserts too, but this one isn't that sweet to begin with, so I recommend using the full amount.  In addition, I don't ever use white sugar—I used some dark, unrefined sugar called panela, and it worked really well.  You can also make your own powdered sugar in a spice grinder or blender.

Okay, without further ado, here's the (crustless) recipe:   













1 1/4 cups very cold heavy cream or heavy whipping cream (preferably not ultrapasteurized)
24 ounces (678g) full-fat brick cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar (preferably unrefined)
2 Tablespoons (15g) powdered sugar
1/4 cup (60g) sour cream, at room temperature
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract


Instructions:

1.  Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip the cold cream into stiff peaks on medium-high speed (be careful not to overbeat).  Set aside.

2.  Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a whisk or paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and granulated sugar together on medium speed until perfectly smooth and creamy.  Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed.  Add the powdered sugar, sour cream, lemon juice, and vanilla extract.  Beat for 2–3 minutes on medium-high speed until smooth and combined.  Make sure there are no large lumps of cream cheese.  If there are lumps, keep beating until smooth.

3.  Using your mixer on low speed or a rubber spatula, fold the whipped cream into the cheesecake filling until combined.  This takes several turns of your rubber spatula.  Combine slowly (and carefully) as you don’t want to deflate all the air in the whipped cream.

4.  Spread filling into a large pie pan.  If desired, you can use an offset spatula to smooth down the top.

5.  Cover tightly with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and refrigerate for at least 6–8 hours and up to 2 days.  For best results, 12 hours is best.  I chill mine overnight.  The longer refrigerated, the nicer the no-bake cheesecake will set up.

6.  Using a clean sharp knife, cut into slices for serving.  For neat slices, wipe the knife clean between each slice.

7.  Serve cheesecake with desired toppings.  Cover and store leftover cheesecake in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.



Adapted from:  

https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/no-bake-cheesecake/

While cookies may not be essential for Christmas, they certainly help make it a lot of fun.  

I guess every country has a similar version of this cookie, but this one is traditional in Greece.  My grandmother used to make these cookies, called kourambiedes, every Christmas and mail some to us (along with other sweets as well, like baklava), and they'd just melt in your mouth.  

Kourambiedes are really not that difficult.  My grandmother used white flour and white sugar, but the recipe below is much healthier.  And instead of flour made from modern wheat, this recipe uses einkorn flour.  What's einkorn, you ask?  It's an ancient wheat that has never been hybridized—in fact, I think it's the only wheat that you can find that isn't.  It's supposed to be very digestible too.  You can buy einkorn flour (both whole-grain and white) at many stores, but I prefer to grind my own.  It's also best to use sprouted einkorn, which has fewer "anti-nutrients," making it even easier to digest.  

Here's the kind I buy:

https://healthyflour.com/product/organic-sprouted-einkorn/

And here are a few tips for this recipe:

1)  If you can't find whole-grain einkorn flour, you could substitute whole-grain spelt flour or even whole-wheat flour, but the texture of the cookies will probably be drier.  If you're an experienced baker, though, this shouldn't be a big problem.  You could maybe just use less flour.

2)  It's best to grind your own almonds (with the skins on).  (I don't use almond flour.)  Or you can just grind walnuts.  Either way, it's easiest to grind them in a food processor.  It's also a good idea to add some of the flour along with the nuts, to keep the ground nuts from turning into nut butter.  🤭

3)  I don't use white sugar—I use natural, unrefined sugar, which is pretty dark.  Some common names for it are sucanat and panela.  

4)  You can make your own powdered sugar using a blender or coffee grinder.  Just add regular sugar and then process it until it's fairly powdered.

5)  I bake these cookies in a smallish toaster oven using the convection setting.  If you use a regular oven with no convection setting, then increase the temperature to about 275 degrees F.  Also keep checking the cookies toward the end to see if they're done, because they may require more or less time than stated in the recipe.    

6)  This is a small recipe, and can easily be doubled.


However, if you really just want to make these cookies the traditional way using white flour and sugar, you could try this recipe instead:

https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/kourabiedes-greek-butter-cookies/














Makes about 12.

1 stick (113 g) unsalted butter, softened slightly (about 60 degrees F.)
8 g confectioner's (powdered) sugar
1 cold egg yolk
21 g finely ground almonds or walnuts
200 g whole-grain einkorn flour
pinch sea salt
100 g confectioner's (powdered) sugar


Instructions:

1)  In a stand mixer, cream butter for about 5 minutes.  (You could also use a hand mixer.)  

2)  Add powdered sugar and egg yolk.  Beat for 1 minute.  Add ground nuts, flour, and salt.  Mix gently.  You want a reasonably firm dough.    
3)  Let dough rest for an hour (optional).  If dough is too sticky, refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes.  Divide dough into about 12 equal pieces, each weighing about one ounce.  Shape each piece into a ball, place on a greased baking sheet, and press center down gently.  If dough was refrigerated, let balls come to room temperature first before baking.

4)  Place cookies in a cold oven.  Bake at 250 degrees F., using the convection setting, for about 55 minutes, rotating the baking sheet halfway through.  (If your oven doesn't have a convection setting, increase the temperature by about 25 degrees.  The cookies may require more or less time as well.)

5)  Turn off the oven and leave cookies in for 10 more minutes.  

6)  Remove cookies from oven and place on a large plate or bowl.  While they're still hot, completely cover with remaining powdered sugar.  

Wait at least 30 minutes before eating to allow sugar to melt over cookies.  Enjoy!  

Shortly before Christmas, I watched a video about how to make a Jamaican Christmas drink, which I'd never even heard of.  It's a pretty bright red—and offers lots of vitamin C.  What's kind of goofy, though, is that they never actually wrote out the recipe for the drink they're describing in the video.  

Anyway, I ended up finding another recipe and adapting it, but here's the video if you'd like to learn more about this drink:

Okay, now here's the actual drink recipe.    It's really pretty easy.  I adapted it from the recipe at the link below, simplifying it and reducing the number of servings.  Some recipes call for citrus juice and zest too, but this one's pretty basic.  

Some tips:

1) The easiest way to grate the fresh ginger is to whiz it in a (small) food processor.  

2) Try to use organic ingredients, especially for the ginger and sugar.  You can use white sugar, but unrefined sugar is much healthier for you.

3) The longer you let the solids steep, the spicier your drink will be.  But you shouldn't let it go much beyond three days, because then it will start to ferment—and no longer be sweet.

4) You could actually reuse the strained hibiscus leaves and spices to brew another, slower batch.  















3 cups water
100 g natural, unrefined sugar (such as sucanat or panela)
30 g dried hibiscus leaves, rinsed with cold water in a colander or strainer
24 g peel-on fresh ginger, washed and grated
3 whole cloves, coarsely chopped
1/4 tsp. ground allspice (or five-spice powder or cinnamon)
generous pinch sea salt

1) In a 1-quart glass jar, combine all the ingredients.  Shake well.

2) Let sit at room temperature for at most three days, shaking at least once a day.  Try to open the lid of the jar each day to let out any gases.  

3) Strain and serve!     You can refrigerate too if you want.

Adapted from:

https://www.seriouseats.com/jamaican-sorrel-hibiscus-drink

These days, it seems that more folks than ever are struggling with weight gain—and even obesity.  Unfortunately, so many of them don't even have a clue about what could be wrong.  

Some folks are wondering, "If I could do just ONE thing to seriously improve my health, what should that be?"  Thankfully, Cate Shanahan, a physician whose latest book is Dark Calories, answers that question in the video below, which discusses the heinous oils she dubs the "hateful eight."  

Also, I wanted to point out that just about every restaurant out there uses at least one of these oils to fry their food in.    Similarly, almost every bottle of salad dressing at the store contains at least one of the oils.  So, you do have to be diligent to avoid these nasty oils, but with a little bit of "elbow grease," it can be done.  

From Dr. Cate herself:

The good news is this is the most important thing:  If you just memorize these eight things and start avoiding them, . . . 80 percent of all of your dietary work is done!  

There are eight [harmful] seed oils.  I call them The Hateful Eight.  They are corn, canola [rapeseed], cottonseed, soy, sunflower, [and] safflower, which you’re going to see in the grocery store.  These other two are mostly in quality restaurants:  rice bran and grapeseed oil.