Diet, Dessert and Dogs

Look!  It’s Ricki at the Vegetarian Food Fair again!

Nope, I didn’t take a spin in the Time Tunnel.  Nope, I don’t have a twin sister who demonstrated a recipe at another Veg Food Fair this weekend. Nope, I haven’t figured out how to implement Einstein’s theory of relativity and traveled back in time.  And nope, you did not unwittingly ingest some strange form of hallucinogen, which is now showing its effects in this blog post.

This post is simply a means to re-post last week’s Butterscotch Blondies with Chocolate Chips and Dried Cranberries recipe, which was lost when a *&%$!!! hacker broke into my blog site and hijacked the page for a few days.  I contacted my service provider and they cleared it up–minus a couple of entries (and minus all your wonderful comments about the Food Fair–sniff, boo hoo!).

I’ll post another recipe tomorrow, but in the meantime, here are those blondies again.  And nope, I didn’t eat them this week, either.

Butterscotch Blondies with

Chocolate Chips and Dried Cranberries

from Sweet Freedom

These are a favorite dessert in our house. They are rich-tasting, chewy, and the combination of rice syrup and maple syrup mimics a butterscotch flavor extremely well. Use the suggested cranberries and chocolate chips, or any of the variations, below.

1 cup (140 g) light spelt flour

3/4 cup (90 g) barley flour

1 tsp (5 ml) baking powder

1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) baking soda

1/4 tsp (1 ml) fine sea salt

1/3 cup (80 ml) brown rice syrup

1/3 cup (80 ml) pure maple syrup

1/3 cup (80 ml) sunflower or other light-tasting oil, preferably organic

1 Tbsp (15 ml) pure vanilla extract

1/4 tsp (1 ml) rum or butterscotch flavoring  (optional)

1/2 cup (100 g) non-dairy chocolate chips

1/3 cup dried tart cherries (45 g) or cranberries (40 g)

Preheat oven to 350F (180C). Line an 8” (20 cm) square pan with parchment paper, or grease well and then flour the pan (flouring is essential, as the blondies tend to stick to the bottom of the pan without the parchment).

In a medium bowl, sift together the spelt flour, barley flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the brown rice syrup, maple syrup, oil, vanilla and flavoring (if using) until well blended. Gently stir in the chips and cherries.

Pour the dry mixture over the wet and stir to blend. You will have a fairly thick and sticky batter. Turn the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a rubber spatula.

Bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, rotating pan about halfway through, until a tester inserted in the center comes out just barely clean (a moist crumb or two is fine). Take care not to overbake, or these will dry out! The batter will fall a little as it cools; this is as it should be. Allow to cool completely in pan before cutting into squares. Makes 16 squares. May be frozen.

Variations:  use 1/3 cup each pistachios (or nut of choice) and dried cranberries, or replace the cranberries with raisins and add about 2 tsp (10 ml) freshly grated orange zest. 

© 2009 Diet, Dessert and Dogs

Last Year at this Time: Banana-Berry Breakfast Cakes

First of all: Wow.  I am truly bowled over by the enthusiastic response to the giveaway, and thrilled that so many of you would like my cookbook!  Thanks, all, for your entries and your comments.  I have been slow in responding to comments, but have read them all and will respond to any questions later today.  (Oh, and the contest continues until May 15th, so if you haven’t entered yet, you still can!)

I did want to clarify one point about the recipes, though:  while there ARE some gluten-free recipes in it (about 25%), the book does not include gluten free recipes exclusively.  Spelt does contain some gluten–though about 30% less than wheat–and it is often suitable for people with gluten sensitivity such as myself.  Most of my recipes employ spelt, barley, or oat flours (much like any of the desserts on this blog).  I thought it important to mention this, in case some of you are expecting a gluten-free cookbook (that will have to be next time!)

[My typical dinner these days: raw collard rolls with bean spread; fresh tomato; green beans. No wonder there are no new recipes!]

I’m afraid I don’t have a new recipe for you all today, as much as I’d intended to post one a few days ago.  After a whirlwind high school reunion last weekend in Niagara Falls, I came home to discover that the charming candida in my system was being its opportunistic self and took advantage of my slightly altered diet and shift in regular routine while away from home.  Ever since I got back, I’ve been feeling sapped of energy and spending more hours in bed than Sleeping Beauty (no prince for me, though. . . unless you count Chaser licking my ear as a magical “kiss”).   

(“But Mum, I have to keep licking your ear!  All beauty aside, how else am I supposed to let you know it’s time for a walk?”)

My (conventional) doctor has now prescribed an oral anti-fungal medication for me, something about which I’m not at all pleased (even though it does confirm candida as a culprit), but which, it seems, is entirely necessary since virtually none of the other methods I’ve tried have worked.  On the ACD site where I found my current diet, they do caution that a candida problem can never be entirely eradicated with diet alone; so I’m okay with the pills. I will see my naturopathic doctor next week, so perhaps he’ll have a new idea.

In the meantime, I am determined to continue with the regime, and have faith that it will take effect eventually, bringing about a healthy change–as it did the last time I followed this diet (for a duration of two years!! Let’s hope it doesn’t take that long this time round).  The only bright spot so far is that the weight-loss lull has finally been shattered:  as of this morning, I’ve lost 17 pounds (7.7 kilos) since I began the diet on March 9th (just about 8 weeks). My weight hasn’t been this low since 2003. Yowza!

[Butterscotch blondies with chocolate chips and dried cherries]

I did bake some goodies from Sweet Freedom for the gang at the reunion, though (still can’t resist baking something for any gathering!).  There were about 60 of us.  And while I’m still in regular contact with my own (female) friends from that era, such as Sterlin (who flew in from England to room with me!), the Geminis, Phil, Babe, and so on, I haven’t seen any of the guys since grade eleven (the highest year of high school in Montreal).  And when I did finally see them–Quel Surprise!

[Miniature orange-cranberry scones]

There were a few blank stares as I first spied some of the men, but once they introduced themselves, it was easy to spot the sixteen year-old in the forty-something faces and there were hugs all around.  Within minutes, we all assumed our old, familiar camaraderie and went on to enjoy a raucous weekend with tours of the Falls, karaoke (I didn’t sing, but Sterlin and I did hop on stage as backup “dancers” for a pair who sang “Addicted to Love”), and a goodbye brunch complete with awards for everything from “Guy you’re most surprised is a parent” to “Person who brought the most photos of family” (that was Sterlin).

[Easiest Almond Cookies--grain free and gluten free]

Am I glad I went?  Absolutely.  I reconnected with a couple of people with whom I’d been very close in high school, and with whom I’m sure I’ll be in touch once again.  And it was terrific to hear, “You haven’t changed a bit!  I’d recognize you anywhere!” repeatedly, despite my own sense that I’d changed dramatically in the past 30 or so years.  There’s already chatter on Facebook about the next reunion!

[Chocolate Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies]

For the next little while, my posts may be a bit less regular or more infrequent than usual, as I feel I need to concentrate a bit more diligently on regaining my physical health and equilibrium.  I will still be cooking, though, and will post recipes whenever I have them!  And I’ll continue to read all your blogs and comment whenever I can. 

[Ultra-Fudgy Brownies]

As always, I am deeply grateful for all of you out there who read this blog and continue to provide support and comments. Because of all of you, these health issues have been made to seem manageable.  Now it’s time to really kick that candida’s butt once and for all!

Last Year at this Time: Vanilla versus Vanilla (cupcakes and muffins)

© 2009 Diet, Dessert and Dogs