Around the beginning of the year, I suddenly decided that I should try to reduce the refined sugar in my diet. (Last year it was that I should cut off all of my hair – I think that my family prefers this new change!)

One of the things I’ve been doing is using more raw, unrefined honey.

So the other day I was jonesing for some brownies, and suddenly honey brownies sounded really awesome!

So I made some, and they turned out really well, if I do say so myself! In fact, after making these, I created a gluten free honey brownie version, which also turned out well (both versions rated two thumbs up from everyone who tasted them, including children!)

Here they are:

Yummy Honey Brownies

1 cup organic butter
2 scant cups raw, unfiltered honey
2 teaspoons organic vanilla extract
4 eggs
3/4 cup organic cocoa powder
1 cup organic flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
small pinch baking soda

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 13x9x2 baking pan.

Melt the butter in the microwave in a large bowl (I use a Pyrex two-quart measuring bowl, which is ideal for this recipe!) Stir in the honey and vanilla, and then beat in the eggs, one at a time. Stir in the cocoa, then the baking powder, salt, and pinch of baking soda. Beat in the flour until nearly smooth.

Pour into pan, and bake for 30 minutes, or until sides of brownies just start to pull away from the pan.

Enjoy!

Saturday is muffin day at Casa Mitchell Young, and these muffins have been declared the best yet. And I have to admit, they are darned good! No sugar (using just honey) and completely whole grain (100% whole wheat, or see my special ingredient for a variation), they are delicious, and very good for you!

Annie’s Strawberry Banana Honey Whole Wheat Muffins
Makes 12

Preheat oven to 325 degrees

1/4 to 1/3 cup dried strawberries
boiling water in which to soak the straweberries (be sure to save some of the water for the recipe!)

2 ripe bananas (medium sized)
2 eggs
1/2 cup honey
1/3 cup oil (we use canola)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour

1/4 cup of the water you used to soak the strawberries

Put the dried strawberries in a container, and cover with boiling water. Set aside.

In your mixing bowl, mash the two bananas, and then beat in the eggs. Add all of the rest of the ingredients, except the flour, in the order listed, stirring well after each addition. Before adding the flour, drain the strawberries, reserving the liquid and add the strawberries. Measure 1/4 cup of the water you used to soak the strawberries, and stir in the 1/4 cup strawberry water, along with the flour.

Spoon into your muffin tin, and bake at 325 for 15 minutes, or until muffins look brown along the edges (the top may not look done before you take them out of the oven).

Variation: Substitute 1/4 cup coconut flour for 1/4 cup of the whole wheat flour. Yummy!

If you don’t like chocolate, you will.

If you do like chocolate, this is bliss.

If, like me, you are a chocolate jezebel, have the paramedics standing by and be prepared to slip into a swoon as the frissons dance up and down your spine, your eyes roll inward involuntarily, and your toes curl.

Yes, Chantico chocolate, rolling out at Starbucks tomorrow, is Just That Good.

I don’t know where they found this stuff, but there are a lot of things I’d do to find out.

It is very reminiscent of Spanish hot chocolate – thick and rich – almost like drinking a thin warm chocolate pudding – in fact I asked my connection before-hand if it would remind me of Spanish hot chocolate, and they replied “no, it’s more European”. Now, last I checked Spain was still part of Europe, but I was asking a barrista after all, not a geography major (which reminds me of the admin I once had working for me who worried about how cold it was in New Zealand, it being up by Greenland and all. Is it a wonder that we homeschool? Ah..but I digress…)

In any event, this stuff is amazing and you should all rush out to try it tomorrow when Starbucks starts offering it.

[How, you may be wondering, did I get to try it now? Let’s just say that I’m known around the local Starbucks…Starbuckses? Starbucksi?]

Anyway, be sure to report back after you try it!

No, it’s not a new political party, although maybe it should be.

I have just discovered Harney teas, and am blown away.

Harney teas are to teas as Penzey herbs are to herbs.

The aroma and bouquet of the *dried* teas, even before steeping, are just incredible. It’s like smelling the finest potpourri; open a tin of Harney’s tea and it’s like walking through a garden after a fresh morning rain. Absolutely incredible.

Incredible enough that I willingly shelled out $7.00 for a tin of 20 bags at the Starbucks concession in a local Barnes and Noble (in my defense, each bag makes two cups). You can get 50-bag tins for $19.00, and also loose leaf for less, at http://www.harney.com

Do it.

Your tea-loving self will be glad that you did.