A test of the tastebuds

Sugar Free Recipe Facebook Group

The last couple of weeks has seen me getting my hands (and kitchen) dirty as I have been trialing and testing out numerous sugar free recipes for my family and me. Some have been a complete flop and others a wonderful scrumptious suprise. I've started a sugar free Facebook group where I've been sharing some of these recipes and inviting others to do the same.   Click here to join this page and check it out.

My sweet potato bread

A couple of interesting things happened while I was doing all this cooking. I cooked Sweet Potato Bread, which included 1/4 cup of rice malt syrup and some sultanas.  I woke up in the morning with ants all over my kitchen bench and when I followed the little ants trail, they were feasting on my Sweet Potato bread! At that moment, I realised that the use of sultanas and rice malt syrup probably attracted these ants to my bench and I wasn't suprised. It reminded me of a book I read which mentioned sugar being used in toothpaste. One of the telltale ways of seeing if there is sugar in your toothpaste is waking up to see ants climbing all over it....Mmmmm



Russell and Kelly



While I was going crazy for homemade bread, I also made carrot, coconut and cocoa bread. No, the ants didn't make it to this bread. It didn't stay on the bench long enough as we took it to my mother in laws house for an after dinner treat. When Ben and I tried this bread, we couldn't believe it. It was sooooooooooooo sweet, yet I had added no refined sugar, just rice malt syrup, raw cocoa and sultanas. We toasted it and spread it with butter and were LOVING it. I was rather excited sharing it with Jean (my Mother In Law) and the following day I shared it with my good friends Russell and Kelly. It was at that moment that I realised that what is sweet to us (my family) does not mean sweet to others. "Isn't it amazing?", I said to Kel and Russ. I got no reply. Russell just glared at me as he was slowly chewing (he reminded me of Mr Ed the talking horse with a mouthful of peanut butter) and Kelly was scrunching her nose up. When Kelly told me that it tasted like cardboard, I couldn't believe it. I kept telling them that it was so sweet to me and that I was even considering keeping the sultanas out next time to reduce the sweetness. Russell's eyes perked up "Sultanas!!!  Where??? Give me one"...he was searching for some kind of sweetness. Then I realised, to Russell (who had drunk a bottle of Coke earlier) and to Kelly (who also enjoys her sugar), this bread was no comparison. I then gave them some more so that I could take their photo when Russell said, "Do I have to eat this?". I shook my head as I was scooping up the last of the crumbs to eat. We just had to laugh, but boy, what an insight!

I've finished reading "Eat Fat Lose Fat" by Dr Mary Enig & Sally Fallon, and have written a little book review in my 'Reading List' post. To keep it short, if you're interested in improving your health and losing weight, read this book. I'm now reading Sugar Blues, written by Willliam Dufty in 1975.

Did you know that Sugar Blues was a song written in 1931? It coincides with the prohibition, which saw an increase in the use of corn and sugar (for home brew). Here are the lyrics.

SUGAR BLUES, EVERYBODY'S SINGING THE SUGAR BLUES
THE WHOLE TOWN IS RINGING
MY LOVIN' MAN'S SWEET AS HE CAN BE
BUT THE DOGGONE FOOL TURNED SOUR ON ME

I'M SO UNHAPPY, I FEEL SO BAD
I COULD LAY ME DOWN AND DIE
YOU CAN SAY WHAT YOU CHOOSE, BUT I'M ALL CONFUSED
I'VE GOT THE SWEET, SWEET SUGAR BLUES, MORE SUGAR!
I'VE GOT THE SWEET, SWEET SUGAR BLUES