Home Cooking for Body and Soul Lesson #5--Sweet as Honey

Home Cooking for Body and Soul

Lesson #5—Sweet as Honey

Dinner: Honey baked chicken w/ honey glazed carrots and biscuits (see below)

Verses: Proverbs 14:24 & 24:13; Psalms 19:10-11 & 119:103; Genesis 43:11

I was amazed to see the numerous references to honey in the Bible. I was equally amazed to see the significance “honey” has literally and symbolically. Let’s first take a look at some of the references and then at honey itself.

Honey makes things sweeter; therefore, any comparison to it would connote positive, healthful effects.

Proverbs 16:24 pleasant words are good physically and spiritually—like honey!

Proverbs 24:13 associates honey with wisdom

Psalms 19:10-11 God’s Word is sweet like honey; honey is healthy just as God Word is

Psalms 119:103 God’s Word is sweeter than honey which is really sweet

Genesis 43:11 used as a bribe; therefore it had high value

In many places Canaan, The Promised Land, is described as a place flowing with milk and honey.

Although not a biblical reference, the following is probably based on the above references. In Jewish tradition, honey is a symbol for Rosh Hashanah (the New Year). They serve apples dipped in honey to symbolize the feast.

Now let’s look at honey itself. According to Prescription for Nutritional Healing honey:

• is made up of 35 percent protein
• contains half of all amino acids
• is a highly concentrated source of many essential nutrients, including large amounts of carbohydrates (sugars), some minerals, B-complex vitamins, and vitamins C, D, & E
• is a natural antiseptic which is good for burns and wounds
• is great for sweetening other foods/drinks as it is approximately twice as sweet as sugar; therefore you need less

According to Natural Medicines and Cures Your Doctor Never Tells You About, honey seems to fight fungi, bacteria, and inflammation. A study done at the American Health Foundation in Valhalla, N.Y. showed that an ingredient of honey stops precancerous colon changes in rats.

Beauty Secrets of the Bible by Ginger Garrett tells us about “Honey’s Sweet Little Secrets”—honey contains 24 sugars, 11-21 amino acids, 18 sugar acids, 11 minerals, 5 enzymes, and at least 4 different proteins. She also shares a recipe for “honey tonic” to nourish and plump. She shares that honey helps the skin attract and hold moisture as well as counteract the effects of pollution. It also helps reduce fine lines and wrinkles and skin irritations such as razor burn and acne. It helps rebuild collagen and elastin which are needed to fight visible signs of aging.

Honey Tonic: Apply 1-2 drops honey to wet fingertips and massage onto wet face. Do not rinse. Pat dry.

Finally, I looked up honey on Wikpedia.com.

• gels that contain honey are being used to treat drug resistant strains of MRSA and diabetic ulcers
• honey is a poor environment for growth of microorganisms and bacteria
• it is being proven that antioxidants in honey reduce damage done to the colon in colitis
• honey is great for sore throats and coughs—mix it with lemon juice, consume slowly and it will coat the throat which lessons discomfort as well as heals because of the antibacterial and antiseptic qualities of honey
• honey may also reduce odors, swelling, and scarring
• honey prevents a bandage from sticking to a wound
• it has been shown to effectively treat conjunctivitis in rats
• honey is sometimes used to alleviate allergies (if local honey is used)

Money-saving tip: Buy in bulk, but make sure you check price per unit. Shop around to find the best prices. It may be a lot cheaper to buy from local farmers and you can bet foods are fresher, and probably have less pesticides than food from big farms.

Health tip: HONEY! See above reasons.

Honey Baked Chicken with Honey Glazed Carrots & Biscuits

Honey Baked Chicken

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts 1/3 cup butter, melted 1/3 cup honey

2 tbsp prepared mustard 1 tsp. salt

Arrange chicken in a baking dish. Combine rest of the ingredients and pour over chicken. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 1 hour, basting every 15 minutes.

Honey Glazed Carrots:

3 to 4 tablespoons butter 1/2 cup water 1/2 cup honey

2 28-ounce bags (the large ones) of frozen carrots Dash of curry powder

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add water, thawed carrots, honey and curry powder to the butter and stir to coat the carrots in the butter. Heat through.

Sky High Biscuits

3c. flour 4&1/2 tsp. baking powder 2 Tbsp. sugar 1/2 tsp. salt

3/4 tsp. cream or tartar 3/4 c. butter 1 egg - beaten 1 c. milk

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Combine dry ingredients in bowl. Cut in butter till mixture looks like coarse crumbs. Add all liquid ingredients at once & stir quickly. Turn out on to floured board & knead 10-12 times. Roll to 1 inch thick (I roll to about 3/4 inch). Cut with floured cutter. Place on greased baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes. serves 6

Chocolate Pudding

3 cups milk 1/3 cup cornstarch 2/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa dash of salt 3 tbsp butter

1 tsp vanilla

In a two-quart sauce pan combine the cornstarch, sugar, cocoa, and salt. Mix very well. Gradually add the milk, whisking it in until the mixture is smooth. Heat the pan over medium heat, stirring constantly. Bring the pudding to a full rolling boil. Boil and stir for one minute. Remove from heat. Stir in the butter and vanilla. The pudding will thicken as it cools. You can pour the pudding into a pretty serving dish or small individual cups. Store in refrigerator.

serves 6