When I was a child, and thought of myself as a teenager, I thought I would be a grown up by sixteen. When I was a teenager, my friend Matt and I decided that if we weren’t married by thirty, we would marry each other, as if thirty was some age of desperation. (Incidentally, he is getting married in May, two weeks before his 30th).
The point is that we always have this image of what a certain age looks like, or what it should feel like, or what we should have done, be doing, or planning to do by a certain point in our lives. What I have realized is that none of that means anything. We can be what we want, do what want, live how we want, work how we want and play how we want at any age.
All of those choices, however, will impact how we look and feel. How we live will affect our health, which will affect how we live. So if we want to live the best life ever, we have to do our best to be as healthy as can be.
What does the age fifty-seven look like?
This is what it looks like. This is my mom celebrating her 57th birthday on February 19th and doesn’t she just look amazing?
My mom is my ultimate marketing tool for this very idea. If I could keep her with me all the time, I would have clients lined up out my door, around the block and down the street. In the 29 years I have known my mom, she has never been on a diet, rarely gets sick, and has never spent a day on the couch in front of the TV. My mom exercises regularly, eats really well, and takes care of herself. And the little pat on my own back is that she follows my advice, often better than I do.
My dad took us all out to celebrate my mom’s birthday, and the restaurant served us this giant platter of desserts. All my mom ever wants for dessert is cookies. The dryer the better. So as part of my gift to my momma, I baked up some delicious, healthy biscotti. Here is my recipe and a few more photos of my super sasstastic, freshly 57 mom.
Orange Almond Birthday Biscotti
1/2 cup raw almonds
2/3 cup flour of choice (might I recommend sorghum, brown rice, millet, or quinoa)
1/2 cup tapioca or arrowroot starch
1/4 cup sucanat (can use sugar too I suppose)
1/4 cup honey
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp guar gum
1 1/2 Tbs chopped orange zest
2 eggs
Chocolate Drizzle (optional)
1/4 cup semi sweet chocolate chunks
1 tsp coconut oil
- Preheat oven to 350
- In a food processor, grind almonds to a course meal
- Add remaining ingredients and process until forms into a ball
- Scrape out dough and press onto parchment paper lined cookie sheet. Form into rectangle about 3-4 inches wide and about 12 inches long
- Bake for 25 minutes
- Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly. Slice into long 1 inch wide pieces
- Arrange on cookie sheet so will bake evenly and return to oven for 10 minutes
- After ten minutes, turn oven off and open oven door slightly. Leave cookies in to continue to dry out.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool completelyChocolate Drizzle
- Melt chocolate and coconut oil together.
- Can create a double boiler by filling a large pot up with water. Sit smaller pot containing chcolate inside and stir continuously.
- Drizzle chocolate over cooled cookies and place in fridge to harden
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Thank you Meghan for everything you said and do for me. I can’t take all the credit. Having a husband as wonderful and generous as your dad plays a big part. The biscotti were amazing, ( I’ve already eaten all of them). There was no willpower on this one.
Cheers to your fabulous Mom! Wow. Yes, let’s aim to be just like her at 57.
I also can’t believe it’s been almost a month since we met and since Dominica. Happy end of February to you, gal. xo
this looks great, but I am wondering wht the guar gum and startch are for… otherwise it is very much like the recipes I have been using…
the starch and guar gum are to make up for the grain-free/gluten-free flour. Something’s got to help it stick together a bit.
Your mom has great genes obviously! My MIL is going to be 78 in April and when people find out how old she is they don’t believe it. She eats healthy and does water aerobics three times a week and has a very active life, which includes lots of travel.
I’m so glad I found your blog via 101 Cookbooks. I’m looking forward to making it a daily read ;o) As for myself, I’m looking to get healthier and getting myself motivated to exercise and becoming physically fit. Thanks so much for sharing!
Leesie
Warwick, NY
i am on a biscotti binge these days… just made some with crystallized ginger chunks in it, and it was absolutely incredible… is crystallized ginge a no-no??? sigh…. ginger IS good for you…
[...] Orange Almond Biscotti [...]
[...] have written about my mom before- when we went all out to celebrate her 57th birthday. I am so lucky to have a mom that supports me, is my greatest cheerleader, has never in my life [...]
[...] Orange and Almond Biscotti [...]