One of my Christmas favorites is my grandma’s date nut bread. (She’s also responsible for that delicious cranberry recipe I shared earlier.) Although Grandma’s recipe calls for sugar, you can also substitute agave. If you’re not familiar with agave, it’s much the consistency and color of honey, and it has a lower glycemic index than sugar. Since it tastes sweet with no additional flavors, it’s a great substitute and requires only 3/4 cups agave to 1 cup of sugar.
Grandma’s Date Nut Bread
1 tsp. baking soda
1 cup boiling water
1 cup cut-up dates
2 Tbs. soft butter
1 cup sugar (or 3/4 cups agave)
1 tsp. vanilla
1 egg
1 1/3 cups flour
3/4 cups chopped walnuts (optional)
Pour soda and boiling water over chopped dates. Set aside. Cream butter and sugar. Add vanilla and eggs. Beat well. Add flour and mix. Pour in date mixture (and nuts if using). Bake in a 9 x 5 greased loaf pan at 350º for 45 – 55 minutes.
No matter how healthy I eat all year long, the holidays come along and visions of high fructose sugar plums start dancing in my head. Not that healthy! I want to enjoy the seasonal goodies, but I still want to maintain my health. I’ve been making an extra effort this year to find some recipe treasures that are still sweet, or rich, or decadent – without being bad for me and my family. I love cooking and baking with dates because they are so sweet and wonderful, and they’re healthy too. Here’s a recipe that will be added to our family Christmas recipe box: Coconut Date Balls.
Cranberry relish one of my favorite Thanksgiving Day foods, and it’s probably one of the easiest to make! Not everyone cares for cranberries, but I do believe it’s because they just haven’t hit on the right recipe yet. This is a simple cranberry relish recipe, and it’s very adjustable. The most important trick is to have a spoon nearby and adjust the ingredients until it suits your tastes. Here’s my take on my grandma’s recipe:
I’m still under the weather, so while I make what seems to me to be a “too-slow” recovery, my husband and I have been trying to find quick, easy, and (most importantly) healthy recipes. My husband has become quite a champ in the kitchen, taking over the cooking duties while I stay on the sidelines waiting to get back to speed. We have quite an array of cookbooks, but one of my favorite resources for healthy vegetarian fare has become 
I’ve always loved garlic bread, but all the butter and the salt can be a bit much when you’re trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle. My mom turned me on to an easier and healthier approach, and we enjoy this regularly in our home.
