My high school boyfriend’s family was of Polish decent. Every Christmas Evey they shared a beautiful and sad story about his great grandmother being taken during World War II from Poland by train and sent to a prison camp somewhere in Russia. When the war was over she was not sent home, but left to her own devices with other prisoners. From this unhappy situation she walked several thousand miles across a harsh Russian landscape, meeting with many tails of both adversity and kindness along her way. Eventually she made it home to her family and her husband. At this point her family chose to emigrate to the United States and a new story began in upstate New York.

For many years her family has thus celebrated Christmas Eve as both the Eve of Christmas, but also of the beginning of the New Year, wishing each other and their guests “Health, Wealth and Happiness” for the coming year. And although it has been many years since I have spent the holiday with this tale, I continue to appreciate the significance and history behind this New Year’s Greeting.

In this world of ours there continue to be stories of both adversity and kindness in our very own communities and around the world. The economic woes of the past few years and the political, military and religious woes since 2001 have served to highlight adversity in a world that is continually striving to do better and yet continually encountering set backs.

For better or worse 2009 presented me with multiple opportunities to both give thanks for the gifts that I have been given, but to also contemplate the fragility of life. My nearly invincible grandmother had a stroke in April and then broke her hip in December (she is amazingly going strong, although with a bit less steam). One of my cousins underwent surgery for a rare type of cancer, but just as she was healing her brother (another cousin) died of a cardiac arrest at the relatively young age of 40.  And yet again, the first cousin again underwent surgery for cancer. She is doing well, but there is much to be hoped for in the New Year.

I’d not been close to the cousin who passed on as he’d moved away after high school; however, several years before he’d moved, he’d introduced me to MTV. Perhaps an insignificant event in the world of many children, but for a child who lived in the mountains without a TV and with parents who did not pay much attention to pop culture, it was a significant to me.

I specifically remember watching the music videos of 3 musicians who have have since had an influence on my life. The first was Paul Simon (self contemplation, world music and politics), the second was Robert Plant (the simple love of melodies and rock music) and the third was Michael Jackson. Today, I am going to focus on Michael Jackson. The young me was hugely influenced by the Michael Jackson persona of the 1980s and early 1990s that was genuinely concerned about making the world a better place. From his collaboration with a handful of artists on “We are the World” to “Man and the Mirror” or even “Heal the World” and to the millions of dollars that he donated to helping children around the world, I definitely took the lyrics of these songs to heart. And I so you might say that my theme song going into 2010, is going to be “Man in the Mirror.”

A willow deeply scarred
Somebody’s broken heart
And a washed out dream
They follow the pattern of the wind ya’ see
‘Cause they got no place to be
That’s why I’m starting with me

I’m starting with the man in the mirror
I’m asking him to change his ways
And no message could have been any clearer
If you wanna make the world a better place
Take a look at yourself and then make a change

Taking the time to look in the mirror and making a change based on what we see is such a wise, yet simple recommendation that it could have easily come straight from a Buddhist tome on Enlightenment. And, it is a theory that I have pretended to follow for the last decade or so. In fact my original screen name on Live Journal (I deleted the account long ago) and various other online venues was “waterreflecting,” a term I had used in a meditation given by Thich Nhat Hanh.

We all have ideas about who we really are, but our actions (our reflections) speak to the reality of our being much more accurately than our thoughts. What is a dream without action?

In theory I pride myself on being a family person and yet as my grandmother has grown older and frailer, I have spent less time visiting her in persona and or speaking with her on the phone.  I am uncomfortable with the changes in her life and unsure how to react. I don’t want to offend her or God forbid be offended by her and so I hold my silence and my distance. I understand the reasons for my behavior, but I am not proud of it and so this year I will let down my own ego and do what I can to help my grandmother enjoy the last years of her life.

Awareness of the fact that I’ve been ignoring my grandmother, to put it bluntly, has been heightened by the loss of my cousin last summer. I’d always intended to visit or to mention to him that he’d had a positive influence on me as a kid. That he’d opened up the world of music (outside of classical) to me and that I was forever grateful, but I was too shy to take the first step. He didn’t contact me, so why should I take the first step? It is so easy for us to put things off for another day, but honestly, we never know that their will be another day, and so we might as well seize the day.

Seizing the day goes not only for my relationships with my family and friends, but also for my personal life. My own health, the health of my immediate family. Our physical health, spiritual health, and even our financial health. And so, going into the New Year I am going to focus on a few goals that will promote Health, Wealth and Happiness for myself and for those around me.

Happiness Goals:

- I will make an effort to connect with my living cousins. Facebook is oddly a wonderful forum for keeping tabs on busy families and kids, but perhaps we should take the time to actually have some Face-Time. First I need to visit with my cousin who just had surgery for cancer (the second time in since last year). It is clear that her experience has taught her to seize the day and yet I keep putting off making actual plans to visit with her.

-I will write my grandmother a letter with real pen and paper and send it by pony express each week. I actually made this promise in person to my grandmother the week before Christmas. I have not sent a formal letter, but I did write a nice note with her Christmas card and included another with a small gift that I sent her last week.

-I will make time to spend with both of my parents. I’ve been better about this since the arrival of my son 2 years ago, but I still feel as though we don’t see them enough.

- Take the time to read books that both broaden my horizons and stretch my noodle. It seams that since having my son I have gone from reading 4 books per week to 4 books per year!

- Be calm.

- Practice yoga.

Health Goals:

- Figure out exactly what is up with my digestive system and potential gluten intolerance. Right now I am actually eating a small amount of gluten and dairy each day, so that I can be tested again later in the month. So far it has been tolerable and honestly a little bit of fun — just yesterday I had some Truffle Tremor Cheese. It is also bittersweet, because depending on the results, I just may never have this chance again!

- Get adequate sleep, so that I can continue to get up at 5:45 AM and walk with my faithful morning walking partner!

- Weight train at least 2 days per weeks, so that my body retains proper balance and strength and I do not re-aggravate old injuries whilst running or hiking.

- Get back into running. My walking partner and I have been doing some jogging with our walks a few days per week and so this goal will start off with the Oatmeal 5K this Saturday. (Thanks to a A Mama’s Blog for the motivation!)

Wealth Goals:

- reduce spending on groceries (we tracked all expenses in 2009 and our food budget was OUTRAGEOUS!)

- continue a vacation savings plan started late in 2009

- continue to pay ahead on car loan and mortgage

- jump start my own retirement savings program (hubby has his down pat)

And More on Happiness (because you just can’t have too much!):

- Become an expert gluten free baker and possibly turn this into a career

- Continue to walk, jog and exercise regularly

- Spend dedicated time playing with Little Boy Green Me each day

- Have date nights every 6 weeks or so with Mr. Green Me

- Plant a garden

Ingredients:

3 to 4 cups Colorado Tart Cherries

1 Cup POM Pomegranate Juice

1 tsp Cinnamon

2 Teaspoons Calcium Water

1 Cup Colorado Honey

2 Teaspoons Pomonas Universal Pectin

Instructions:

1. Sanitize 6 Jelly Jars (8 oz) and lids in Dishwasher
2. Heat water bath to boiling
3. While water bath is heating keep cleaned lids sanitized in simmering water on stove
4. Puree fruit in food processor or blender
5. Add calcium water and cinnamon to pureed fruit and stir in Pomegranate Juice
6. Heat fruit and juice mixture to boiling
7. Combine pectin with honey and stir well. Add honey pectin mixture to boiling fruit and stir rapidly to combine.
8. Bring mixture back to boiling and then turn off or remove from burner.
9. Fill jelly jars to about 1/2 inch from top. Wipe rims clean with sanitized cloth.
10. Carefully place lids and screw tops on jars, tighten and add to water bath.
11. Boil jelly in jars for 10 minutes plus 1 minute for every additional 1,000 feet of elevation. This means that on the Colorado plains at approximately 5280 feet of elevation I boil them for 16 minutes.

For more precise or thorough instructions please consult the printed instructions in your packet of Pomona’s Universal Pectin. There are several other brands out there, but I prefer Pomona’s because it can be used to make low sugar and or fruit only jams and jellys. And, it is a 100% natural product.

Quote directly from the back of my Pomona’s box:

“POMONA’S UNIVERSAL PECTIN makes thick jam and jelly with rich, full flavor undiluted by large amounts of added sugar. Ordinary fruit pectins require your jam or jelly to be 55-85% sugar to set firmly.

POMONA’S UNIVERSAL is a low methoxyl type pecticn extracted from citrus peel. Its jelling power is activated by calcium (included), not by sugar content.”

I have never used more than 1 cup of sugar or honey with my Pomona’s and I usually use less. On several occasions I have used 100% fruit and fruit juice and I have always had excellent results. The process is simple and the instructions are clear enough even for a novice!

A few weeks ago I decided to use juice and flax seed to make a fruit based mini-muffin as a snack. We were hosting a play date for a baby sitting co-op that my neighbor is putting together. At the meeting I had guests with allergies to eggs and nuts, as well as, gluten and dairy intolerance. One of the guests may have also had an issue with soy.

To get around all these food issues I made a pumpkin muffin using rice flour and juice for the liquid. The muffin turned out pretty tasty, but it was not quite perfect and so warranted a little adjustment. Most of all I was pleased to discover that juice made a perfect substitution for milk in a muffin recipe and so I was quite thrilled this morning to find a box of POM juice on my front porch.

Earlier this fall I’d been contacted by POM to see if I’d like to try some of their juice in a few recipes. I’ve been a pomegranate lover since I was a little kid and my husband and I were definitely early adopters of POM Pomegranate juice; however, in the last few years since having our son we’ve sort of fallen off the band wagon.

One issue with being gluten free or dairy free or really “anything free” is that folks who eat these diets are more prone to nutritional deficiencies due to limited food groups. Dairy free folks tend not to get enough calcium and vitamin D.  Gluten free folks can easily miss out on fiber and other nutrients found in wheat, rye and or barley. And, so not only is it fun to make a muffin focusing on increasing antioxidants and other nutrients, but it is also smart!

And so, with a box of POM juice in my kitchen I was inspired to make an “antioxidant” muffin. Pomegranate juice has been all the rage for the last few years not only due to taste and its rich color, but because the fruit is packed with more antioxidants than your average fruit or berry. To make this muffin I decided to combine the antioxidant power of the POM with some organic cocoa powder rich in polyphenols and some flax seed meal to add both fiber and lignans, which are yet another antioxidant powerhouse.

You will also notice that I used raw Agave and cinnamon. Some people like agave, some don’t. If you are in the anti-agave camp feel free to substitute an equivalent amount of honey for similar results. I’ve found that adding cinnamon to recipes with either chocolate or fruit rounds out the flavor. Furthermore, studies show that cinnamon may help reduce both blood glucose and cholesterol. These are not health issues for my immediate family, but they are for much of the population, so whether or not you choose to use agave, I do insist that you make these muffins with cinnamon!

Sift Together Dry Ingredients:

1 and 1/4 cups gluten free flour mix (I used Bob’s Redmill)

1/4 tapioca flour

1/4 cup finely ground flax meal

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 cup cocoa powder

1.5 tsp Ener-G Egg Replacer

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

Add 1/2 cup mixed dried berries after sifting and stir to coat berries with flour.

Mix together Wet Ingredients separately:

1/3 cup canola oil

1/3 cup Raw agave

3/4 cup POM Pomegranate Juice

Preheat oven to 350F. Combine dry with wet ingredients and mix thoroughly. Lightly oil mini-muffin pan (makes 24) or line regular muffin tin with liners. Spoon batter into tin until just below the top of the tin - do not over fill. Bake mini muffins for about 18 minutes and regular sized muffins for about 22 minutes. Muffins should rise gently and be springy to the touch when finished baking. Remove from oven and cool in the tin for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes gently remove from tin and cool on rack for another 10 to 20 minutes.

Serve immediately or eat within 24 hours. Freeze any muffins that are not consumed in 24 hours. Gluten free baked goods tend to taste better when frozen and reheated rather than being left out.

Substitutions:

• You can easily substitute the gluten free flour mix with a regular whole wheat flour. If you do so, omit the tapioca flour and reduce the baking powder to 3/4 tsp.
• You may substitute the ener-g egg replacer for one real egg. Add the egg to the wet ingredients and reduce the canola oil by 1 tablespoon.
• You may could also increase the flax meal by one tablespoon and eliminate the egg replacer with no additional alternations.
• If you do not have POM juice on hand you could use another juice; however, if you are looking for pomegranate juice read the labels carefully. In my own research I’ve not been able to find another pomegranate juice that is 100% Pomegranate — they all seem to be diluted with grape juice or other fruit juices. Also, POM juice is made from 100% California Pomegranates, which is important if you are concerned about clearing of forests elsewhere to grow pomegranate trees.

Nutritional Info for 2 Mini Muffins or 1 regular muffin (recipe makes 24 or 12): 180 calories; 7 grams fat; 22 grams carbohydrate; 2 grams protein; 3 grams fiber.

Disclaimer: The author of this blog did receive complementary POM Pomegranate Juice from POM; however, I have no other agreement with nor have I received compensation from POM other than to use the juice in recipes. I readily agreed to this offer as I am continually looking for healthy and tasty ways to mix up and inspire our everyday foods! Please feel free to add questions or comments below and I will respond as best I can!

Yesterday I had a friend visiting for tea who is allergic to corn. I wanted to make a snack that was guaranteed to be corn free with a hint of Christmas. At first I was dismayed to learn that all I happened to have left in my pantry was a package of arrowroot flour! I made a quick Google search for “arrowroot flour recipes” and came upon these tasty little cookies!

They were quick to make, easy to roll and are quite pleasing to eat! The big surprise is that they are very light and delicate with a crunch. Much more like a meringue than a traditional sugar cookie. The flavor was lightly sweet with a hint of almond and I will definitely make (and eat) them again.

I made some adjustments to the recipe to make them 100% corn and dairy free, as well as, gluten free.

Ingredients:

• 2.5 cups arrowroot flour (plus more for rolling)
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1/2 tsp almond extract
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 4 oz +/- plain soy milk

Per the instructions at the Perfect Pantry I first sifted the flour and sugar together. I then beat the egg and canola oil together with the almond extract. Next I added in 2 oz of the soy milk. While stirring I added the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, slowly adding additional soy milk until everything was just barely combined. I then commenced kneading the dough. At first I was skeptical that it would become pliable, but all of a sudden it was almost too pliable. I turned the dough on my silicon mat and sifted about a teaspoon of arrowroot flour on the dough, which I then kneading back in. I had to do this a few times until I had a soft, but workable dough that was easy to roll out and perfect for cut cookies! Next time I make them I will use coconut milk (or cream), but it is good to know that the recipe worked just perfectly with a substitute!

editor’s note: These cookies also make good cat treats. When we returned from an outing to the park several were broken and one was on the floor. I figured my toddler must have gotten at them when I was putting on my shoes, but later in the afternoon I caught my cat eating one! Needless to say the remaining cookies are now in the cookie jar!

On Saturday night we attended the annual holiday party for my husband’s office. For the past few years the party has been held at the lovely home of one of his co-workers and the finger food style dinner has been “catered” by Whole Foods. The food is generally very good, but not friendly to a gluten or dairy free palate.

Rather than feeling sorry for myself I decided to whip up a few Whole Foods inspired dishes to complement the standard party fair. First I baked a loaf of Gluten Free Rosemary Olive Oil Bread. I’ve made this twice and followed the recipe precisely, except that I do not add xantham gum or walnuts. It makes an excellent bread, especially when served warm.

And, second I made Brownie Bites. If you have not had the opportunity to try the Whole Foods Bakery Brownie bites you are missing out. They are dense, moist, chocolate, and irresistible in the fashion of a potato chip. You can never eat just one. Sadly however, they are made with flour and not gluten free, and so I had to create my own recipe to satisfy the craving. They were a hit to say the least!

Gluten & Dairy Free Brownie Bites

3 eggs
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
½ tsp orange extract

3 oz dairy free dark Bittersweet or Unsweetened Bakers chocolate
8 oz dairy free chocolate chips
1 cup (2 sticks) Earth Balance Buttery Sticks

1/3 cup rice flour
¼ cup arrowroot flour
2 tbsp cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
½ tsp baking powder
1/8 teaspoon xanthan gum

1. Heat oven to 350 F.

2. Grease a mini muffin pan (makes 24)

3. Beat eggs and blend well with sugars, vanilla extract and orange extract

4. In a double boiler or stove top pan on low, slowly melt the chocolate and the buttery sticks together. Stir until smooth and then slowly add to egg/sugar mixture.

5. Sift together the flours, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder and xantham gum. Add to wet mixture and stir well.

6. Spoon batter into mini-muffin tins (makes 24 bites) or spread in 9×9 non-stick pan and bake for 18 to 22 minutes.

I apologize for the lack of photos, but the brownie bites did not stick around long enough for a photo shoot!