First off I want to share a recipe that is a tradition in our family. I make this only at Christmas, and it goes fast.
EASY CHRISTMAS FUDGE
3 cups organic semi sweet chocolate chips
2 tablespoons organic butter
1 -14 oz can organic sweetened condensed milk
1 1/2 tea vanilla
dash of sea salt
Topping:
2 cups marsh mellows
3 tablespoons organic butter
Line a 9x9 pan with foil
In a sauce pan over low heat, melt all the fudge ingredients
Spread into the pan
Meanwhile: Heat the marsh mellows and butter in another small pan. When melted pour over the fudge and swirl in with a knife.
Refrigerate for several hours.
Remove the lining and cut the fudge into squares
Return to the fridge in an air tight container
Now that I've shared a recipe with everything organic in it but the marsh mellows, you may be wondering...what's up with that? (Unless you've purchased "It's All Good without Gluten".)
Well, what's up is that I've learned how much better organic is for you, especially in baking. One of the main sources of immune system depression that causes us to get flus and colds comes from sugar. You see, white sugar is full of chemicals used in processing. Those chemicals take a toll on our bodies and immune systems. The chemicals are also addictive which make us eat to much. This is one reason all the kids seems to get sick after the holidays. Sugar overload.
So what do you do? NEVER have sweets again? No, that isn't realistic or enjoyable. What you can do is substitute your white sugar for organic (unprocessed) sugar or as it's also called Cane Juice. You are getting sugar in a pure form without all the chemicals. And though it's still sugar, so you still need to eat in moderation, it's so much better for you. And, it tastes so much better. In baking, it actually makes things more moist because the granules hold in the juice.
"I can't afford that!" you say. Well, my tip for the day. COSTCO. They sell a 10 lb. bag that lasts a long time for the fraction of the price. And it's worth it. If you completely switch over like we did 10 years ago, you will cut medical bills. My kids are very healthy. Each one of them has had perfect or almost perfect school attendance in the past years, and my son has never taken antibiotics, (my daughter - only before we changed our eating habits). Why? They're not getting all the chemicals and artificial stuff. CORN SYRUP, is another huge no no. You may as well prepare to get sick after ingesting it regularly.
Sound difficult? Not at all. Start with the sugar. Just replace your white sugar with the organic. Then slowly begin to weed out corn syrup. Check juices, syrups, and canned fruit, deserts and fruit snacks. There are alternatives to these without corn syrup.
Dole fruit cups with fruit juice
Minute Maid and Juicy Juice
Newman's cookies
Amy's fruitsnacks (Target)
Real Maple Syrup
Organic Ketchup
You'll notice that the recipe I included contains marsh mellows. This is one item I've never found organic and it's got corn syrup. The key there, ONCE a year. If you can make the changes you will see a difference. It's not about cutting out everything you enjoy...it's about changing the ingredients to their purist form and using moderation.
Happy Christmas baking!
