Honey Is Sweet But So Is Knowledge

When my kids were younger, I used to pride myself in hiding all kinds of healthy gems in their meals without having them notice. I would blend up zucchini or kale and add it into pasta sauce. I sprinkled inconspicuous amounts of flax seed into yogurt or nearly anything I could get my hands on. Brilliant, right? 

 

As they grew older, I realized (and I think they did too) that eating well did not necessarily mean a compromise in taste. In fact, becoming creative with the way I cooked and baked not only made me feel better about the choices I was making for myself and my family, it felt empowering to take control of exactly what was going into my body.

 

We all know the biggest dietary culprit when it comes to gut issues, inflammation and poor health in general. Sugar. Did you know that there are at least 61 names for sugar on packaging, including dextrose, fructose, glucose and sucrose. According to Statistics Canada, about 25% of our daily energy intake is through the consumption of sugar. GAH! Sugar has also been found to activate

the same brain regions as some high dependency drugs and requires more of a “fix” to feel the same effects. In other words – addiction.

 

So how do we reap the benefits of the delectable foods we crave without

sacrificing our sweet tooth to the gods of deprivation? Honey. I’ll say it louder for the folks in the back. Honey has literally been a lifesaver in my kitchen! 

 

Now I’m not talking about the honey you find on the shelves at your local Grocery Store. Pasteurized honey involves a filtration process that makes the honey look clearer and of course, prettier on the shelves. But in doing so, also extracts all the healthy substances such as bee pollen; which has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, bee propolis; which contains many immune boosting vitamins and minerals, as well as removing enzymes, amino acids and antioxidants. You want raw, unpasteurized, unfiltered, unheated, straight from the hive, honey.

 

Wow, that was a mouthful. But do you know what else is a mouthful? These gloriously, naturally sweet coconut, banana, pecan muffins! Actually, they are so versatile that you can literally switch the ingredients up and make them your own. Playing around with the recipe is my favourite part, besides eating them, of course. 

 

INGREDIENTS: 

1/2 cup butter OR 1/4 butter & 1/4 coconut oil

1/3 -1/2 cup raw, unpasteurized honey

1 egg beaten

2 ripe bananas, mashed

1/4 cup almond or regular milk with a bit of lemon juice

2 tsp. vanilla

1 cup homemade flour mix

(I grind up a combination of almonds, oats, unsweetened coconut, even cashews whatever I have..)

1/4 cup gluten free or regular flour

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

*Pecans *Raw, unsweetened coconut

 

In Medium bowl, Combine butter and honey with whisk. Add eggs. Gradually fold in the remainder of the ingredients. Fill muffin liners 2/3 full and sprinkle with chopped pecans and unsweetened coconut.

Bake at 400°C for 20 minutes

Cool Completely. 

These store well in the fridge, freezer or even on your counter top! 

 

As for keeping secrets from my kids, I don’t do it anymore. The proof is in the pudding – or in this case, the muffins. One taste and every idea you ever had about missing out on flavor when you substitute for health, goes out the window. Not convinced? There’s only one way to find out. 

 

Ullie Kowcun

 

Ullie is a Canadian poet who began writing as a young girl, bringing her imaginations to life with her pen. You can see her work through her publisher or her Instagram.