Healthy Comfort: Day 6 of 40 Days

As I contiune the search for work, I think of how lucky I have been to have this past year to recharge and to focus on other things that are important to me. (This, of course, wouldn't have been possible without the large number of family and friends who opened the doors of their warm homes to Lucas and I...thank you! Eternal gratitude!!)

Having had more than enough time to cook, we have been eating really really healthy. Lucas and I have been cooking almost all of our foods from scratch: Whole-food meals, bread, yogurt, cereals, hummus, some of our cheeses, even mustard. We pre-soak, germinate, and/or sprout nearly all of the grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds that we eat. We ferment veggies and keifer. We even dehydrate our sprouted grains and then grind them in our electric mill into flour for our bread and cookies. While this all takes time, the rewards are great. We are receiving optimal nutrition from our foods. It feels sooo good to eat this way, good to be so involved in the creation of what we eat! I encourage cooking from scratch as much as possible! A good resource, highly reccommended if you are wanting a more whole-foods diet, is the book Nourishing Traditions.

I anticipate that my time in the kitchen will be greatly compromised as I start to work. I am determined to not let this prevent me from eating as healthy as I have been, to not let this get in the way of good wholesome meals and creative cooking.

Though I truely love working, to be able to directly help others, there is a part of me that wishes I was a full- or part-time housewife in the 50's, an era when it was still possible for most women to stay at home...I love playing Susie Homemaker! Ha! I mourn that those days are over ;)

With that said, shall I share with you a comfort food recipe? This recipe is lower than average on the sugar content and has lots of delicious additions! It may not be "healthy" but I believe it is healthier than your average cookie. And anyway, it is becoming a household favorite!


MY DELUXE OATMEAL RAISIN COOKIES

1 stick butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 tsp. fresh ginger juice, made in a juicer- Lucas' addition(optional, but worth it)
3/4 cup flour (we use freshly milled, sprouted and dehydrated whole wheat berries)
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 cup raisins
1/2 cup roasted hazelnuts, chopped
1/2 cup chocolate chips

* Cream together the butter, sugar, and egg until smooth.

* Add vanilla, ginger juice, flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, and oats. Mix until evenly combined.

* Stir in raisins, hazelnuts, and chocolate chips.

* Roll into 24 or more small balls. Put 12 balls, evenly spaced, on cookie tray. Bake for 10-12 minutes at 350 degrees, or until edges are browning and center is cooked.

* Enjoy!