Christmas Baking Dilemma

I stalled for a long time deciding what to make for my edible gifts this Christmas. The truth is I have a dilemma. I think the gift should be something sweet, but I no longer eat a lot of sweet things and have learned to like less sweet treats. In addition, I have almost completely given up grains over the last year.

Grain-free and low sugar desserts (like grain-free honey cakes) are expensive to make. And, let's be honest, they usually do taste a little bit different than the normal versions. They taste great to me -- but I know that my tastebuds have become accustomed and happy with a less intense sweet.

Pork Ribs with Tomato Marinade

Thanks to this week's Wednesdays with Donna Hay challenge I have got over a long standing fear: cooking pork ribs. It turns out they are easy! All I did was mix together a marinade and leave the ribs overnight. Then bake for 40 minutes and they are done. Wow, what was I so worried about?

I changed the marinade recipe. I could not believe it called for one cup of brown sugar. That would sure make the ribs sticky, but it is too much sugar for me. I would rather sacrifice some stickiness in order to not get a sugar high from my main meal.

Sweet Potato Soup with Whipped Goat's Cheese Topping

Simple sweet potato soup: just four ingredients. This is my kind of meal. When my husband is away (and hence I'm allowed to eat vegetarian), I whip up a soup or salad or both for my dinner.

I made this soup just a tad more special by whipping a goat's cheese topping. I used 1/3 c (100 g) soft cheese, 1/4 c (60 ml) of sour cream, and 1 T of milk, with lots of pepper. A quick whizz and it's a little bit fluffy. The goat's cheese complements the soup by adding a bit of complexity. Also, the topping is cool while the soup is steaming so it's a great contrast. I like to incorporate a tiny bit of topping with each spoon of soup to enjoy the colours and flavours together.

Grain-Free Cloverleaf Rolls

In middle school, one of my traumas was my uneven earlobes. One was higher than the other! Gasp, the agony. I could not wear earrings because it made me feel so uncomfortable. They were clip-ons, uncomfortable anyway, but the delicate dangling earrings just made me feel even more awkward. Thankfully my earlobes have evened out now, or maybe my head is wider and no one notices if they are a little off!

Humans love symmetry. Studies show that we are more attracted to symmetrical faces. I think that we are also attracted to symmetrical food! Hence I adore and recommend these cloverleaf rolls. They are cleverly baked in a muffin tin so they come out with three pull-apart sections.