It's okay to have a sweet tooth...

Once upon a time, my feelings were tangled around my desire for tasty, sweet things. Some days I'd beat myself up, while other days I'd deny its' very existence. Finally, this led me to a couple of life-changing discoveries I'd like to share with you here....

Lesson #1, or How To Kick Your Little Sweet Tooth?
I decided that my cravings were there for a reason, but I would opt for naturally sweet goodies. It was time to get rid of refined white sugar, full of all its' nasty, empty calories. My focus was to fill up on unprocessed, nutrient-dense options that would serve my precious body & its' millions of cells. The more pure foods we consume, the less our bodies crave the junk anyhow. And, sweets will surely make sugar-junkies out of us if we aren't careful! So, I tried some new things. By crowding out the bad with something truly good, it got easier & easier. I found that organic  agave nectar or brown rice syrup makes my morning coffee or tea just as tasty. Or, brown rice pudding really hits the spot. And, what can be better than naturally sweet fruit & veggies like squash or sweet potatoes to power our days, fight off illness & just make our taste buds sing? After a while, I could barely stand the thought of a refined sugar crash & burn.


Lesson Numero Dos, or Pure Kindness:
Denying my cravings never worked. It isn't fun; and, feeling like "I didn't do it right" is an attitude I can do without. Rather than wallow in guilt, I've learned to think of everything I have accomplished. Staying positive is a great life lesson no matter what your challenges & goals are. You see, whether or not we know it, our cells are listening to the way we talk to ourselves & they will believe us, so we better be careful of the messages we send them.  Apply your "anything is possible" attitude,  approach life with child-like curiosity and find new ways of tackling our goals. So, honor your cells & be good to your bodies & souls with PURE food and KIND thoughts.

Here's a little treat from one of my favorite cook books, "Fresh From Elizabeth's Kitchen", by Elizabeth Kaplan. The sweet potatoes will power your rockin' body longer than the usual fruit cobbler. My whole family loved every bite & I just felt good that they filled up on a healthy treat. It makes my body hum a nice tune too...mmm...enjoy!


Sweet Potato Gratin
with Pecan-Cinnamon Topping
Gluten-free/Dairy-free

Sweet Potato Gratin:
3 lbs sweet potatoes
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons coconut oil, vegan butter (in your local organic market)
2 tablespoons agave nectar
1 & 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamom
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

Topping:
1/2 cup Pure Pantry All Purpose Baking Mix (in your local organic market)
1/4 cup maple sugar or raw organicagave nectar (1/8 cup is plenty sweet for me!)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup chopped pecans

1. Preheat oven to 350. Place sweet potatoes in baking pan and bake until tender; about 1 hour.
2. Grease 8x8 square baking dish. Scrape sweet potato pulp from skins into large bowl. Using elecric mixer, mash sweet potatoes. Add eggs, melted coconut oil, agave nectar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Beat until smooth. Spoon mixture into prepared baking dish.

3. Combine baking mix, maple sugar or organic agave nectar and cinnamon in medium bowl. Add coconut oil and cut in until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Mix in chopped pecans. Sprinkle topping over sweet potato mixture. Bake 30 minutes. Serve warm.