All-Natural Alternative Sweeteners

Expectation: That there was somebody else out there who wasn't afraid to make a few substitutions.

I came across this fantastic article on npr.org with some tips about using all-natural, alternative sweeteners. Here are some of those tips, but I encourage you to read the whole article here.

Alternative Sweetener advice from Nicole Spiridakis

Agave nectar, extracted from the agave cactus plant, is a little sweeter than sugar.

Barley malt syrup, from sprouted barley, roasted and cooked down to a syrup with a maltlike flavor, is great for using in more savory recipes, such as a barbecue sauce, rather than baking.

Brown rice syrup tastes about half as sweet as white sugar, with a mild flavor.

A host of organic cane sugars, including muscovado sugar (made from unrefined, evaporated cane juice), organic, whole cane sugar (unrefined and unbleached); turbinado sugar (made by heating sugar cane juice, then spinning it in a centrifuge or turbine to extract moisture and molasses for large, golden crystals) and demerara sugar (similar to turbinado, with large sugar crystals).

Honey

Maple syrup

Molasses, a byproduct of refining sugar cane, is slightly sweet and a source of iron and calcium.

Stevia, derived from a perennial shrub with leaves 30 times sweeter than sugar and calorie-free.

Xylitol, a sweetener made from corncobs that is low in calories and tastes similar to cane sugar, is available online and in some health food stores.

Partnering with Community Fitness

Along with my bakery business in Seattle, WA, I also work at Seattle's best fitness club, Community Fitness (no really, it's the best). I am absolutely thrilled to announce that Grain Expectations is partnering with Community Fitness to help expand options for healthy living in the Pacific Northwest.

In honor of this partnership, Grain Expectations is offering 50% OFF YOUR FIRST DOZEN to all Community Fitness participants!

Click here to see the menu, and check back for more offers in the coming months.

Cheers to a healthy 2012!

Baby Cakes!

Expectation: New parents are looking for a healthier option for their baby's first birthday cake!

Every parent wants to throw their baby a first birthday party. And, what's a birthday party without a cake? Grain Expectations is excited to announce our new offering: Baby's First Birthday Cakes!

Our Baby Cakes are all-natural, sugar free (sweetened with organic fruits and vegetables), and 100% whole grain.

Our cake selection includes banana, apple, sweet potato, and carrot with your choice of either cream cheese or yogurt frosting (sweetened with agave nectar).

Here's our favorite 1 year old, Ansel, at his first birthday party, with a Grain Expectations sweet potato Baby Cake!

Order yours today at www.GrainExpectations.com!

Coming to a health fair near you!

Expectation: That people would be surprised to see baked goods at their office health fair!

Last week, Grain Expectations was invited to a Health and Benefits Fair at the Seattle Nuance office. We brought plenty of free samples, and had a great time chatting with the employees about our healthy baked goods! Check out the pictures of our display:

Reading materials: Information about our business, 

health facts about our baked goods, and our holiday menu.

A few things for sale: mini loaves of Banana Walnut Bread, 

and packages of Snowflake Cookies.

Does your doctor tell you to eat more protein? Try our peanut butter cookies! 

Full of protein, low in carbohydrates and gluten-free.

 

Here's Brian ready to tell you about Grain Expectations!

Good News in the News

I read two things in the news today that made me quite happy.

The first was these questions answered by "liberal foodie intellectual" Michael Pollan, especially this one:

What is the single best food we all should be eating every day?

Here is his answer: Single best? Probably whole grains - they offer a lot that's missing from the industrial diet, from fiber to important antioxidants and healthy fats. People who eat lots of whole grains are generally healthier and live longer than those who don't.

Second was this article from NPR that explains how American farmers are selling $4.8 billion a year in fruits and vegetables in their local markets, including to supermarkets, schools and restaurants. Part of the Grain Expectations mission is to include local produce in baked goods to take advantage of peak flavor and nutrients. Eating locally is a great way to support the economy and lower your carbon footprint. It also has health benefits, as the body naturally needs different nutrients during specific times of the year.

Just a few more reasons to add whole grains and local produce into your diet! I hope my recipes and menu items allow you to celebrate these foods as a part of your daily diet.

Fun with Nuts!

Expectation: That everybody loves nuts as much as I do.

As many of you know, I am a huge fan of nuts. If I had my way, I would put nuts in all of my baked goods. Not only are nuts delicious and perfect for adding a little crunch, they are also full of healthy fats and nutrients. In fact, people who regularly eat nuts are less likely to have heart disease.

I've recently experimented with adding nuts to baked goods in non-traditional ways, through nut butters and ground nuts. Ground nuts can replace flour in many recipes, and it is easy to do. Just toast nuts then grind them in a food processor or blender.

Some of my favorite recipes with nuts include:

Cherry Almond Cornmeal Cake 

(with ground almonds in the cake and slivered almonds on top)

Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies 

(super easy and quite delicious)

Hazelnut Espresso Coffecake 

(with ground hazelnuts inside)

Orange Ginger Nut Bars 

(almond meal crust with pistachios and almonds on top)

Red Velvet Beet Cupcakes

Expectation: That the bold color of beets would create a beautiful cupcake.

Lucky for me, one of my new friends here in Seattle is a big fan of cupcakes, and a skilled baker. I don't have much cupcake experience, so I turned to her for some help. Our first task was an all-time favorite: red velvet.

Red velvet cake has an interesting, somewhat debated history. The Wikipedia entry claims that cake bakers have always used food coloring to achieve that deep, blood-red color. But, it points out three other culprits for the color: the reaction of vinegar with buttermilk, natural (not processed with alkaline) cocoa, and boiled beets. Even if beets were never the true reason behind the red, I do think it's a fun way to use them, so we gave it a try!

Another debated characteristic of red velvet cake is the flavor. It can be found in either chocolate or vanilla. We tried both. I pulled together a couple beet cupcake recipes, and we came up with a plan for a chocolate version and a non-chocolate version.

Pictured above is our tasting set up once the cupcakes were completed. We had looked up the flavor affinities of beets in the amazing Flavor Bible, and found, among others; goat cheese, citrus, honey and maple. We then made up four versions of frosting based on these affinities. Then, we tasted each version cupcake with each version frosting.

I don't want to give away my secrets, but all I can say is that these cupcakes were good! We had no trouble finishing every last one, and we have come up with an AMAZING treat which is definitely going on my menu. Can't wait for you to taste it!