I wonder if your cooking and food tastes have changed or ‘matured’ as mine have over the years?

I used to salt my vegetables way more than I would ever consider doing today. I used to eat more meat than I do after reading Michael Pallan’s ‘The Omnivore’s Dilemna’. Now meat is more the side-dish that my vegetables and salad once were. I drink milk and eat yogurt for all the benefits they provide my body but only the low-fat and unflavored variety.

In general I think my cooking and food tastes reflect a simpler, less rich diet. Not because just I know that this is better for me but after years of reduced fat, less meat and less salt, I prefer the taste of food prepared in this way.

I have however, one eating ‘Achilles heel’ for which I can thank my dear mother. My sweet tooth developed as a result of her passion for the sweet things in life, especially on the dinner table. I grew up surrounded by puddings with ice cream or lashings of cream. Cakes and cookies were always part of our morning coffee. My cereal was always buried under a mountain of sugar and I was a mature adult before I experienced a real cup of tea, undiluted by milk or flavored with sugar.

This sweet ‘addiction’ has been difficult to control across the years. When I gain a few pounds, it’s generally because my sweet food intake has risen. As I shed this unwanted weight, I still crave something sweet, long before a baked potato!

How do I manage this life-long ‘sweet tooth’? I’ve reduced but not eliminated processed sugar from my daily menu. I never eat sweet foods when I am hungry. These are always an ‘added extra’ to the protein, fiber and grains that I eat. Generally, I take care to only to eat a small portion of sweet foods that won’t impact on my overall weight.

I maintain regular sugar intake from fruit but I sometimes indulge in cooking with processed sugar. I eat this food in moderation and I don’t starve my family of cake from time to time or the occasional rich dessert.

So how does this differ from my mother and grandmother’s cooking and food choices? I serve smaller portions of cakes or desserts less frequently as well as undisguised tea and oatmeal that can always be sweetened with a spoonful of honey.

Try my easy Orange and Poppy Seed recipe for your next morning tea!

Orange and Poppy Seed Cake

a peeled orange (without the pith)

3 eggs

60z butter

1 cup sugar

Blend briefly in blender

Stir in:

1 and a half cups self rising flour

2 and a half tablespoons of poppy seed

Cook for 50 minutes in a moderate oven (350F/180C).

Melt 1/4 cup caster sugar and 1/4 cup orange juice slowly in a saucepan.  Pour over cake as it cools.

This has a delightful citrus flavor that detracts from its sweetness but remember to serve in small portions!

Warm Regards

Rowena French

For The Team @MightyDigitalDownloads.com

Rowena French says that cooking and food can interest those who want to maintain a healthy body shape or even lose weight. Food is not meant to be dull and boring! The more we know about cooking and food the better we are able to nourish our bodies and still enjoy small portions of less healthy foods. For ideas to make cooking interesting, nutritious and sometimes just a bit naughty, stay updated through my blog posts or check out my website at www.mightydigitaldownloads.com