Around Halloween, health-conscious moms around the country are faced with the challenge of how to avoid all the HFCS and GMO-laden candy that surrounds us this time of year.
I want my son to be able to participate in Halloween Festivities, to dress up in costumes, to Trick or Treat, and to bob for apples with the best of ’em, but I don’t want him subjected to the metabolic havoc of gorging on Snickers Bars, Smarties, and Candy Corn.
So, we have struck a bargain with the “Switch Witch.”
I tell my son that he can collect all the candy he wants on Halloween, and then give it to “The Switch Witch,” who will exchange it for his favorite foods. This year I asked him what those foods were and he replied, “French Fries” “Chocolate Chips” and “Bananas.” So, we gave the the Switch Witch the candy, and she gave Mama the raw ingredients. The next day, I created the following recipe for “Banana Chocolate Chip Cupcakes” (being primarily comprised of of eggs, almond butter and sweet potato, these are much more like nutrient dense, grain-free muffins than cakes.)
And, as a bonus, it gave us a super-educational and fun activity to do all morning, as my three-year old got to measure everything out, press the button on the food processor, and, of course, lick the spoon!
Next activity is making gourmet french fries from our garden potatoes and local, home rendered tallow (lard works great too!)
Voila: some (not so) naughty homemade treats to replace the typcial nasty Halloween fare. THANKS, SWITCH WITCH!
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RECIPE: Grain-Free Banana Chocolate Chip Cake
•4 cups cooked, mashed sweet potatoes (cooled, or else the chocolate chips will melt, which is just as yummy….)
•1 1/2 cups homemade almond butter (made from soaked & dehydrated unpasteurized almonds–buzzed in food processor about 2 minutes)
•4 eggs (100% local & pastured with deep, rich golden yolks!)
•1/3 cup raw honey (or to taste)
•2 organic bananas (overripe ones work great)
•2 Tbsp. powdered gelatin (Great Lakes)
•couple handfuls of fair trade, organic, dark chocolate chips
•1 1/2 tsp. sea salt
•1 tsp. baking soda (optional)
Grease cake pan with coconut oil, butter, or other yummy saturated fat.
Process almonds in food processor or blender til it turns into almond butter. Add remaining ingredients except chocolate chips and mix together. Consistency should be like a cake batter. If it needs more liquid, you can add milk, cream, or cooking water from sweet potatoes. Stir in chocolate chips before folding into cake pan or lined muffin tins.
Bake at a low temp–250 degrees for about 1 hour. This cake comes out pretty dense, almost pudding-like in the center, so we are basically dehydrating it a bit in the oven, and allowing the batter to “gel” rather than “rise.” If you want fluffy cupcakes, add baking powder to batter, increase oven temp to 350, and reduce baking time to 20-30 minutes.
(Need I mention that these go great with homemade lard frosting? Just pulse lard with maple syrup and spread it on!)
Bee Well this Halloween!
Nala Walla, MS, FIMCA, NTP (June 2015)
Ecosomatic Wellness Coaching
http://www.bcollective.org/html/professional.html
Ecosomatica: Integrating Body & Ecology 