 |
| I had a long ways to go... |
With visions of self-improvement and a desire (at the time) to get off the farm, I didn't necessarily enjoy the tomato juice; and the chocolate chip cookies certainly had a lot more to offer in the yummy category than a saltine cracker.
 | |||||
| Current magazines gave me hope....In college, I forced myself to eat canned spinach until I did to like it--especially with a dash of salt and pepper. I experimented with various fruits and vegetables but still was addicted to the morning
gooey caramel rolls at Augustana College.
Many years later, I returned to the nutrition kick when expecting a baby. After all, wasn't I forming a new life inside me? With the first baby, I graved oranges and grapefruit; with the second, hot fudge sauce; with the third, tomato-based meals; with the fourth child, I can't remember. If you have more than two children, you get this. However, I do remember coming home after our last child was born and graving mashed potatoes and gravy. Hmmm.
As the children grew, I thought of their nutrition needs. With a reduced budget and varying taste-buds, we did the best we could.
The inevitable happened and I grew older. Wanting to be conscientious of calories and eating to stay energetic, I considered the value of thinking of nutrition first.
What do we need to stay healthy?
Will the calories take care of themselves?
So, of course, I was interested in the book.
It will validate what I already think I know, or provide new information.
I'm going to put information from Paula in a nutshell and then get back to the title of this blog--
Brownies Can Be Healing Foods.
After-all that's why you're here, right?
It's about the brownies, right?
Paula wrote:
*If there's one food group you can never eat too much of, it has to be vegetables.
*Fruits are higher in vitamins; vegetables are higher in minerals.
*Grains are the primary source of energy.
*Nuts and seeds provide protein, minerals and Vitamin E and are important for skin, circulatory system, and reproductive organs.
*Some foods do not fit into any category above; however, are healing. These include turkey, salmon, eggs, live* yogurt, honey, blackstrap molasses, dark chocolate.
Is there such a thing as
dead yogurt?
Dark chocolate? Must be a "brownie" lead-in here. 
In the recipe below, all the ingredients (except the flour, sugar, and baking powder) are listed as healing foods in Paula's book.
Black-Bean Brownies
1/2 C canola oil
1 15 oz can black beans (pureed)
1/8 C molasses
1/2 C brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1/3 C dark cocoa
1/2 C chocolate chips
1 1/2 tsp coffee
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 C whole wheat flour or mixed white and whole wheat
1/2 C chopped walnuts
1 1/2 tsp cinammon
1 T flax
1 T wheat germ
Mix all together until well blended.
Bake 325 in a 9 x 9 pan for 40-45 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.
Which is the brown-bean brownie?
{If you guessed--the left one--you're correct. The right-side is Betty Crocker.}
If you add a plump strawberry to the top, you have a treat for someone special and a lead-in to fruits--fruits of the spirit, that is.
But the fruit of the Spirit is
love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,
goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
Galations 5:22
What we eat is important to our health and well-being.
What we think, how we act, and what motivates us is important to our spiritual health and well-being.
If one could ingest love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control, and, then, reflect it to others, the WORLD would be a healthier, safer place.
We can all do our part.
Enjoy the brownie.
Reflect the fruits of the spirit.
 Next week's blog: Grace. What is it? |
No comments:
Post a Comment