Candy For Conscious Parents

Chocolate Candy Crunchies

Makes 12 servings

These are perfect for any festive occasion. While they look and taste like candy, there is no added refined sugar. All the sweetness comes from the raisins and chocolate. Both of these ingredients are also powerful antioxidants. My grandmother told me, and I have passed this down to my own kids, that everything that goes into our bodies should nourish us. These certainly do the trick. When I put these out at parties, there is never any leftover. Need I say more?

Ingredients:

½ cup of toasted walnuts
½ cup soft raisins
½ cup organic cornflakes
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
½ teaspoon ground flax seeds

Directions:

1. Chop the nuts finely.
2. Toss nuts into a bowl with the raisins and cornflakes.
3. Gently melt the chocolate chips on top of a double boiler.
4. Pour chocolate into the bowl and stir all ingredients together.
5. Drop mixture onto parchment paper by using a small tablespoon.
6. Chill in the refrigerator for one hour.

Enhance Young Brains

Omega 3 fatty acids in walnuts and almonds are the beneficial fats found to be important for kids’ mood and cognitive function. To determine the brain benefits of Omega 3, scientists prescribed Omega 3 fatty acid supplements to elementary school children who were struggling academically. After taking the supplements, many children reported to having better focus and improved academic performance. The best and most absorbent omega 3 fatty acids are DHA and EPA, which are found most abundantly in nuts, fish and avocado. Snacking on these foods a couple times a week typically provides enough omega 3 fatty acids for the average child.

Strawberry Bran Snack Muffins

Makes 12 standard size muffins

This muffin is based on one of my grandmother’s recipes. She used this high fiber, high iron recipe to help treat her high cholesterol and  constipation problems, She called this muffin the magic cure. But most of all it is delicious and helps my kids calm their sweet cravings. Always better with fresh strawberries from the farmers market, for now we will use the frozen berries we have from Trader Joe's in our freezer.

Ingredients:

1-¼ cup whole wheat pastry flour

1-½ cups All Bran cereal or pure wheat bran (sometimes called Miller’s Bran)

1 tablespoon baking powder

½ teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon nutmeg

¼ teaspoon salt

1-1/4 cups milk of choice (dairy, coconut, soy, almond, rice, hemp, etc.)

½ cup honey

¼ cup liquid coconut oil or grape seed oil

2 egg whites or 1 whole egg

1 teaspoon grated lemon peel

1 cup fresh or frozen strawberries

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Line a muffin tin with paper muffin cups.

3. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, bran, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Set aside.

4. In a medium bowl, combine milk, honey, oil, egg and lemon peel until thoroughly blended.

5. Mix liquid ingredients into dry ingredients.

6. Fold in strawberries.

7. Fill muffin tins no more than half full.

8. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until muffins test done. Allow muffins to cool for 30 minutes before removing from tin

Why Strawberries?

These regal berries, so bright and juicy and delicious, are important additions to your warm weather diet. Available in most markets from late April through July, strawberries boast off-the-chart levels of vitamin C, plus huge stores of fiber, antioxidants and other phytonutrients. Not only are they important for keeping kids free of illness and helping to quickly heal wounds, strawberries promote strong eyesight, ward off heart disease and cancer, and have powerful anti-inflammatory powers. Eating them raw is one scrumptious option, but strawberries are also great tossed into smoothies, fruit and green salads, added to muffin and quick bread recipes, and even simmered into syrups” and sauces.