Healthy and Green Living

Children happily devour these Halloween cookies.

Barley flour and spelt flour substitute well for wheat flour in most recipes.
You can use dried cane juice or date sugar instead of sugar.
Date sugar is a naturally produced sweetener that can be used
in baked goods. It is simply dried and ground dates, truly a
whole foods sweetener!

1 cup barley flour
1 cup spelt flour or kamut flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon allspice
3/4 cup pureed, cooked pumpkin, winter squash, or sweet potato
3/4 cup dried can juice or date sugar
1/2 cup apple butter or plain yogurt
2 tablespoons cold-pressed vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 350 F. Combine flours, soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and allspice in a mixing bowl; set asiide. In a separate bowl, combine pumpkin, dried cane juice, apple butter, and oil. Add wet ingredients to dry mixture. Lightly oil a cookie sheet and drop by tablespoons onto cookie sheet. Bake 15 minutes.

Note: Unusual grains can be found in the health food store.

Yummy Yum Frosting

This naturally sweet, beautiful golden-orange frosting is used to top cookies, cupcakes, quick breads, graham crackers, or gingerbread people. This recipe makes enough to frost 2 dozen cookies or a one-layer cake.

1 cup mashed baked yams
2 ounces or 1/4 cup softened cream cheese or soft tofu
2 teaspoons melted unsalted butter
2 tablespoons maple syrup or brown rice syrup
1 teaspoon lemn or orange juice

Place yams, cream cheese, butter, syrup, and juice in a bowl and cream together. Puree this mixture in a blender, food processor or with a hand mixer to a smooth, spreadable consistency.

Preparation time: 5 minutes
Makes 3/4-1 cup frosting

For Babies 6 Months and Older
Reserve some extra baked yam. Mash well and serve.