Baking for Animals.

Today at work, I started thinking....
What can I do to actually help someone or something. In my head I always think I can help people. But really the truth is I usually can't.. and don't know how. But I was trying to think of how I could REALLY help make a difference. How could I bake and help make a difference? This may be a small difference in the world, but something important... This is what came to my mind..


Lately I've been thinking a lot about my cat I had to give up. I miss him and hope he is in good care. And I've been wanting to volunteer at the Humane Society in town... but I figure with my allergies.. I don't know if I'd be able to stand being in the building too much. However, I'd put up with it anyway, just to be around the animals.


But It popped in my head - I SHOULD HAVE A BAKE SALE!  A bake sale in order to earn money for the Humane Society. To give the animals good quality food, toys, and money for medical check ups, etc. So tomorrow I'm going to go around town and figure a few things out. I'm thinking I may be able to hold it at a place I have some connections.. if only I can draw people in. If I design some posters/flyers maybe I can draw people in. Not sure if I should wait, so I can plan more and do it later on.. or I thought Valentine treats would be a good idea. I'm going to talk with the Humane Society and a facility to possibly use. We'll see... !
This post from a blog I follow is quite helpful towards the subject matter.. How To Put Together A Bake Sale FAST


Also.. Check out ...
Great American Bake Sale

More Info. on Stevia

Stevia can't be referred to as "sweetener," instead it is considered a dietary supplement.

This ingredient is not on supermarket shelves next to sweet n' low, but can be found in health food stores as a dietary supplement. FDA has little control over supplements. But as a sweetener, commonly used, "We don't have enough data to conclude that the use [in foods] would be safe." Canada or the European Union do not let companies add stevia to their products.

Though Stevia is known to help stabilize blood sugar levels and previously used to help with heartburn.. There are still concerns about this ingredient and not enough information is known. Large amounts consumed... toxicity?? Seizures?? Can cause dizziness, muscle weakness, nausea. Too much contained could be dangerous. It is NOT recommended for pregnant woman and children should NOT consume stevia.

Not sure if this is all old news, maybe they've done more research and found differently. I'll have to research more. But I found it interesting that I found negative information about this natural sweetener. I did just browse the natural section at HyVee and found Stevia in the form of a powder and a liquid. Each package had a note saying that all the information on the package was not approved by the FDA. It definitely doesn't sound like an ingredient that is certain to be good for one's health. It has a lot of negative concerns aside from the good, therefor using it as a sweetener definitely does not sound like a good idea to me.

http://www.healthline.com/natstandardcontent/stevia?brand=
http://www.usnews.com/health/family-health/articles/2008/07/28/the-zero-calorie-sweetener-stevia-arrives.html
www.cspinet.org/nah/4_00/stevia.htm
http://www.stevia.net

Beautiful Music.

You only make me strong. How come Ryan Adams lyrics are so depressing, but it puts me in an amazing mood? It is so beautiful.

I'm in the mood for music.

I've been in the mood for this type of music the past few days.
I somewhat hate the Eels, they bring back bad memories. But at the same time, I love them.

Coconut, is it a common allergen? Use of Coconut Flour and Oil.

http://www.mercola.com/products/coconut_flour.htm

So I know coconut oil is a great ingredient to use.. But, coconut is considered a tree nut. So is it safe for many with allergies? Is Coconut as dangerous as other tree nuts?
http://foodallergies.about.com/od/nutallergies/f/coconutallergy.htm
http://surefoodsliving.com/2008/12/01/tree-nut-allergy-questions-coconut-palm-oil/

It's said that coconut allergies are far less common than allergies to almonds, cashews and other tree nuts. And coconut flour is a good ingredient for those with milk, nut, and other allergies...
I am allergic to peanuts/walnuts and must avoid them and most tree nuts. However I am unsure of coconut. If I am not allergic to coconut and it is something I could have, using coconut oil and possibly coconut flour may be a very healthy option.

Clippings, ideas, thoughts, recipes, findings, research, cake sketches and more!

I'm starting a journal/recipe book/sketch book thinggggg. YAY!


I wish I didn't have to have a real full time job right now. And i could just experiment all day long. 

Raw Unrefined Sugar vs. Refined Sugar

Of course, unrefined raw sugar is not the same as the brown sugar that you see in the store, even though they are both brown. Unrefined raw sugar is made from the juice from the sugar cane plant and still contains trace minerals and nutrients.

It contains minerals and nutrients that are usually taken out of regular white and brown sugar. Raw sugar has the same vitamin and mineral consistency that is found in the juice from the sugarcane plant, such as: Phosphorus, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, and Potassium. In addition, when sugar is refined and processed there are many harmful ingredients that are added to the sugar as a result. Unrefined raw sugar does not consist of these chemicals, which include: Phosphoric Acid, Sulfur Dioxide, and Formic Acid.

So.. although alternative natural sweeteners may be a healthier option and work in some recipes, when using sugar, Unrefined Sugar is obviously a much better solution to Refined Sugar. 

http://www.naturalorganiclifestyle.com/unrefined-raw-sugar.html

Stevia, a natural healthy sweetener

       I got some sweet new books in the mail. They are very informative. I received a book about Natural and Healthy Sweeteners, and have been reading more about different sweetening alternatives.. such as Stevia - which is a non-toxic shrub. Its leaves are extremely sweet, so little is needed supposably! It is calorie free, non-glycemic (safe for diabetics), doesn't promote tooth decay or yeast overgrowth, and has numerous minerals and antioxidants. AND its suitable for baking!
       It also contains high amounts of minerals - potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, cell-protective antioxidant phytochemicals including quercetin, apgenin, luteolin and kaempferol (whatever that means I guess). With out a GI value, it doesn't increase blood sugar levels.
       Powdered stevia and crystallized stevia extracts can be purchased in bulk forms. It can be used to sweeten tea, smoothies, desserts, and etc. It's said that some may not enjoy stevias sweet flavor though.. some describe it as being similar to licorice and having a slight bitter aftertaste. Others adore the taste and can't get enough. It's a very unique and healthy natural sweetener. Sounds very interesting and worth testing and experimenting with. Maybe the right type of dessert/cookie it could add the perfect flavor... ??


I'll continue reading and see what other ingredients I find interesting!

Now to test different sugar alternatives...

Soft Chocolate Chip Agave Cookies (egg free, sugar free)

My first attempt in using agave nectar..

I took a couple of recipes and kind of put them together, altering them based on amount of dry and wet ingredients. I wrote down my own recipe before hand, based on research. I replaced the sugar, decreased some of the other ingredients to what I thought would work well, and also replaced the egg. While mixing the batter, I gradually added more dry ingredients and more of other ingredients in order to give what I thought it needed for moisture, bonding/helping replace the egg, and I wrote down things as I went and crossed things out, to keep track of what I did. But, I figured ... this is definitely going to be a first run, there is no way these cookies are going to turn out and I should be okay with that. I expected them to taste awful.. and I'd have to go through many tries to come up with the right taste, or to get them to rise correctly... But.. They actually turned out pretty well. I think my research before hand and knowledge really helped me completely come up with a recipe that actually worked. 

I first tried them while they were warm and my impression at first was, "OH THESE ARE VERY BLAH AND NOT SWEET AT ALL. NO FLAVOR!" But once they cooled, they actually tasted like normal chocolate chip cookies, pretty darn good! They were maybe a bit too cakey for my liking, and I'd like to see if I can make them a bit chewier.. and maybe a bit more flavor to them. But they turned out surprisingly well.. and even look perfect. They maybe look a bit TOO perfect. They look like processed, store bought cookies... too round and not chewy looking.. which I don't find amazingly pleasing. But I am pretty satisfied with the results so far. Pretty tasty. 

The agave gives a bit of a different taste though, kind of a nutty, maple-ish taste. My friend Brett, someone who can normally have egg and normal ingredients, said they were very good. I'm thinking a double chocolate cookie or even brownies would be good with agave nectar, that way the chocolate would cover up the nutty taste... I want to try Brown Rice Syrup as an ingredient to experiment with next. I'm thinking that I would maybe like that better, for I'm not one for a nutty flavor. I'm analyzing too much! Overall, these were great! But I have an attitude where I always think things can be better. My mom always tries to tell me to stop trying to be perfect. . but.. well I like to try to perfect things. And if I like to do it, then so what! 

Better Sugar

I am researching Brown Rice Syrup and other forms of natural sugars versus refined sugar. I was curious about Brown Rice Syrup and started thinking... maybe its just as bad as Corn Syrup for all I know, being it must go through being processed. But that isn't the case..
Brown Rice Syrup and Agave Nectar have a lower glycemic index than refined sugar, making them healthier alternatives. Brown Rice Syrup is about half as sweet than white sugar though, so alterations in recipes need to be made.
http://www.bettersugar.com/ This site explains things briefly, but will help you understand better forms of sugar that are available.


SweetSurprise.com, High Fructose Corn Syrup -- You and refined sugar aren't very good for one's health. There are healthier alternatives which can be used.


These better sugars are healthier alternatives to all, including diabetics, however sugar in moderation is still best. But it's nice to know there are healthier options...