The strength and stamina that honey offers to athletes has been a well-known fact since the ancient Greek and Roman times. Maybe refined sugar just became easier to manipulate over the course of time in recipes but we are losing out on the antioxidant content that honey delivers.
Honey contains phenolic acids and flavonoids, both of which are known to fight free radicals, a necessary health benefit in today's world. Honey recipes (or recipes that incorporate honey sugar) are actually quite easy to prepare, and have the same sweetness - and a much finer flavor - than the processed food containing refined sugar we buy at the market without even thinking about what ingredients they really contain.
Honey barbecue sauce, for example. Have you looked at the back of the bottle to see if there's even any honey in that mixture of chemicals, additives, and flavor? There are many honey recipes that actually have honey in it, and here's an easy one. Simply combine one can of condensed tomato soup, cup of honey, 2 tablespoons of worcestershire sauce, 2 tablespoons of your choice of salad oil, and one tablespoon of lemon juice adding 1 teaspoon of mustard and a dash of hot pepper sauce for bite. Stir it in a saucepan and bring it to a boil, then simmer while stirring until it's at a desired consistency, and remove.
If you have a sweet tooth that just has to be fed, buy some frozen yogurt or custard and make up a honey caramel sauce fit for a four star restaurant. You will receive far less calories than ice cream loaded with chocolate syrup and a host of vitamins from your treat. Mix 1 cup honey, cup heavy cream, 1 TBSP butter, 1 tsp vanilla and 1/8 tsp salt in a heavy saucepan. Cook the first two ingredients to 238 degrees F, remove from the heat and add the remaining ingredients. Your sauce will thicken and be absolutely luscious.
Honey recipes can include tasty snacks that you can prepare and store for weeks. A healthy alternative to chips and candy is granola. You can even use as breakfast cereal with milk. You can combine sweet and salty, depending on your taste but here is a basic honey recipe that you will love.
For one of many simple, honey recipes, grease a cookie sheet and preheat your oven to 350 degrees; then, add four cups of oats, two cups of coarsely chopped nuts and one cup of raisins in a large bowl. Mix them thoroughly and set it aside. In a large saucepan mix three fourths cups honey, half a cup of melted butter or margarine, two teaspoons of ground cinnamon, a teaspoon of vanilla and a dash of salt. Stir well and bring it to a boil, cooking the sauce for one minute. Then remove it from the heat, pour it over your oats, nuts, and raisins, and mix it well before spreading it onto the cookie sheet. Bake for twenty minutes, taking it out every five to stir. Let it cool, crumble it up, and eat!
If you make an effort to replace your granulated sugar with a small amount of honey sugar, it won't be long before you don't even notice that absence of refined sugar. Test your regular recipes with honey sugar, taking care to account for the liquid measure. Remember to reduce your liquids by a quarter cup per each cup of honey, and add half a teaspoon baking soda for each cup of honey used in baked goods.
As we take a long, hard look at natural foods, comparing organic and homemade to store bought and chemically 'improved,' we begin to realize how our bodies are affected by the empty calories we get from fast food and processed sugar. Honey recipes are easy to use and give us all the flavor of sugar, with honey sugar being so much better for us. Be creative and try making your own honey recipes to serve your own family.
You can see a lot more honey recipes using a honey sugar like organic and natural honey crystals by visiting the Mama Healthy website.
Disclaimer: All information on this site is provided for informational purposes only! By no means is any
information presented herein intended to substitute for the advice provided to you by any health care or other professional
or organization.
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