Maria

Thank you! I’m so glad my concept of a “free world” makes you smile. We gotta do that, right? And yes, I remember the oat bran craze! It reminds me of a very funny (to me, anyway) New Yorker cartoon around that time that had two executives driving out of an estate gate in a fancy car, one saying to the other, “So much for oat bran!” I hope you have your own special foods that delight this holiday season. And if you ever feel inspired to come up with an “oat free” version of these Holy Shadow Cookies, or anything else I post, please share your inspiration with us! Happy healthy safe holidays back to you!

Maria

Let’s see..I tend to add the grated fruit in when I’m adding the cooked amaranth mixture, so it becomes part of that “binding process,” and then the dried fruit and chopped dates at the end. But I’ve done it the way you suggest, too, all at the end because I forgot about the grated fruit until then. 🙂 Either way, it turns out fine. The point is to mix everything into a “batter” you can shape into the cookies. I hope you enjoy them!

Maria

you are a tremendous inspiration to me. Your concept of a “free world” constantly brings a smile to my lips. I am allergic to oats – this was the first one which I identified – shows up as a crippling arthritis. And it doesn’t take much – though apparently oat bran is worse than just whole oats. Remember the oat bran craze? I couldn’t walk! The holidays are a challenge but one we can get through with a smile and bringing along our own special foods for everyone to enjoy and for us to make it home healthy and safe. Thanks.

Thank you so much for reading here and for your lovely comments. Glad you liked the tip about pear applesauce, and, of course, so glad the beautiful story I passed on about the Holy Shadow spoke to you. It’s so good to have you along here, truly. Hope you will read along as you can.

xo

Maria (moonwatcher) 🙂

It all looks so good and the tips like pear applesauce – well, I never would have thought of that at all. I miss you posting over on that other site – but I am so glad you have this huge audience to share your knowledge with. Not to mention the beautiful asides like the “Holy Shadow” – how wonderful that thought is to hold 🙂

Michelle

Thank you! I am so glad the cookies–and the image of holy shadows–appeal to you. You are very welcome.

I have a pear tree in my yard, so I make pear sauce, like people make applesauce, and can it. I use a time honored recipe for that out of the Ball canning cook, that is just the pears, no sugar. But you can make some easily without canning, by cutting up pears and cooking them, then running it through a food mill or your food processor for a smoother consistency. Peel if you want, but I don’t. Another very quick easy fine way would just be to whir up a chopped, sweet, ripe pear in the food processor or blender. Voila! Pear sauce. Let the consistency and condition of the peel be your guide on whether to leave it in or not.

So glad you want to try the cookies. Let me know how your experimenting goes.

Maria

Please tell me where to get pear sauce – do you blenderize pears to make it?