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Holiday Sale 2024

December 11, 2024

Dear Friends and Family,

What better way to show your loved ones you care than to give them a gift of good health? Today, through December 15th, take 20% off our Mixed Box of 12 Breakfast Cookies.

Each Mixed Box contains three of each of our four delicious flavors: Orange Cranberry Nut; Gingered Apple; Banana Coconut; and Cocoa. And each individually-wrapped Breakfast Cookie contains 2000 milligrams of heart-healthy, fast-acting Omega-3s. Now that's a gift that will keep on giving.

Please use the Discount Code Holidays2024 to take advantage of this offer. And please remember that it expires on December 15.

Michele and Teddy and I are wishing you a very happy holidays.

Be well,

Susie

Five Easy Ways to add Omega-3s to your Thanksgiving Dinner

November 26, 2024

Happy Thanksgiving to you all,

I am so grateful to have such enthusiastic and loyal customers!

I know I've said this before (and I'm sure that most of you are well aware): there are many ways to make sure that your Thanksgiving dinner is rich in Omega-3s and has a healthy balance of Omega-3s and Omega-6s.

1. Use Omega-3 rich butter such as Kerry Butter from Ireland or Anchor butter from New Zealand. There are also local butters made from grass-fed cows but I am never sure whether the cows are grass fed year round.

2. Add flaxseed meal to your stuffings -- and even to the flour that you use to make your gravy. I'm not cooking this year but if I was, I'd be adding a half a cup of flaxseed meal to the stuffing that I'll be roasting inside my 15-pound bird, and I'd be replacing one fifth of the flour I use to make the gravy with flaxseed meal.

3. Use canola oil to coat the bird before roasting. I usually sprinkle my turkey with salt and pepper and coat it with oil before roasting. And I use canola oil for that purpose, of course, since it has a very favorable balance of Omega-3s and Omega-6s!

4. Use Omega-3 eggs for all your baking.

5. Choose a free-range turkey if you can find one within your budget.

Follow all of these steps and you're sure to be serving a healthy -- as well as a delicious -- meal to your family and friends.

Happy Thanksgiving from Susie's Smart Cookie.

Be well,

Susie

Teddy's First Birthday

October 03, 2024

Hello Friends and Family,

Teddy turned one last month and celebrated with a long walk in the Ward Pound Ridge Reservation with all his favorite humans.

He's a wonderful, curious dog who loves to chase frogs and balls. And he comes almost everywhere with us -- in kayaks; bikes, and on foot. I, in turn, make sure he has a healthy balance of Omega-3s and Omega-6s in his diet by giving him Zuke's salmon treats in addition to his Great Lakes Dog Food.

Happy Birthday Teddy, and I hope you have a lifetime full of fun and frogs.

Stay well everyone,

Susie

Plum Torte

September 26, 2024

Hello Family and Friends,
Is there anyway to improve on Marian Burros' Original Plum Torte from The New York Times, first published in 1983? I think so. A simple substitution of two tablespoons of the flour with two tablespoons of ground flax meal results in a more wholesome crumb -- adding the Omega-3s that all of us need. I can't stop making and eating this torte and have it with Skyr for breakfast or whipped cream for dessert. Now is the time to find plums in farmers' markets so go ahead and indulge.

Be well,

Susie

Yield: 8 servings

¾ to 1cup sugar
½ cup unsalted butter, softened (Grass-fed butter, of course!)
1 cup unbleached flour minus 2 tablespoons
2 tablespoons ground flax meal
1 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of salt (optional)
2 eggs (Omega-3 eggs, of course!)
24 halves pitted purple plums
Sugar, lemon juice and cinnamon, for topping
Preparation
1. Step 1
  
  Heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Step 2
  
  Cream the sugar and butter in a bowl. Add the flour, flax meal, baking powder, salt and eggs and beat well.
3. Step 3
  
  Spoon the batter into a springform pan of 8, 9 or 10 inches. Place the plum halves skin side up on top of the batter. Sprinkle lightly with sugar and lemon juice, depending on the sweetness of the fruit. Sprinkle with about 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, depending on how much you like cinnamon.
4. Step 4
  
  Bake 1 hour, approximately. Remove and cool; refrigerate or freeze if desired. Or cool to lukewarm and serve plain or with whipped cream. (To serve a torte that was frozen, defrost and reheat it briefly at 300 degrees.)
Tip
- To freeze, double-wrap the torte in foil, place in a plastic bag and seal.

Tarragon Dressing

August 20, 2024

Dear Friends and Family,

I've always loved the taste of fresh tarragon in summer and was thrilled, this year, to find a place in my garden where this licorice-flavored herb seems to thrive. I picked some the other day to make a dressing for hot, smashed potatoes and now have been slathering it on hard-boiled eggs, toast and everything else I can find. The original recipe calls for the teaspoon of sugar but I don't think it's necessary. The dressing was a tad sweet for my taste so I would cut the sugar in half the next time or eliminate it altogether. Enjoy!

Be well,

Susie

Ingredients:

1/2 cup canola oil (non-GMO expeller-pressed if you can find it)

2 Tablespoons Dijon mustard

2 Tablespoons tarragon vinegar (if you have it) or white balsalmic

1 Tablespoon chopped, fresh tarragon

1/4 Teaspoon Kosher salt

1/8 Teaspoon fresh ground pepper

1 Teaspoon sugar (optional)

Whisk together all the ingredients until emulsified. Use immediately on potatoes or vegetables or store for a few days in an airtight container.

Honeybees also need a healthy balance of Omega-3s and Omega-6s! Of course they do!

August 02, 2024

Dear Friends and Family,

This new study on the importance of a balanced diet in honeybees is so crystal clear that I have copied the entire press release here. The message is the same for honeybees and humans: pay attention to your intake of Omega-3s and Omega-6s!

Be well and stay cool,

Susie

A new study from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem has revealed that a balanced diet is essential for the optimal health and task performance of honeybees, a key species for pollination and ecosystem stability. The study, led by Prof. Sharoni Shafir from the Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, investigates how honeybees balance their nutritional intake to maintain homeostasis and enhance fitnes

The findings indicate that an unbalanced diet with a high omega-6:3 ratio (5:1) significantly affects the bees' ability to nurse larvae, delaying the onset of nursing, reducing the frequency of nursing visits, and altering the attention given to larvae of different ages. The study is published in the journal Animal Behaviour.

To test these effects, 1-day-old adult worker bees were fed either a balanced diet or an unbalanced diet for seven days. The bees were then released into a common-garden hive, tagged with barcodes, and continuously filmed for six days. The analysis revealed that those on the unbalanced diet exhibited delayed nursing behavior and reduced efficiency in caring for larvae, particularly in differentiating between 3-day-old and 4-day-old larvae.

"Balanced nutrition is fundamental for honeybee colonies, impacting not just individual health but also the overall efficiency and survival of the hive," said Prof. Shafir. "Our study underscores the importance of maintaining a balanced omega-6:3 ratio in the diet of honey bees to ensure they can perform their crucial roles within the colony effectively."

The implications of this research are far-reaching, particularly in cultivated landscapes where the availability of nutritionally balanced pollen sources may be limited. The shift towards a greater omega-6:3 ratio in these areas could pose a significant threat to bee populations, affecting their health, cognitive abilities, and ability to sustain their colonies.

"This study opens new avenues for further research linking fitness-related behaviors to nutritional balancing in honeybees," added Prof. Shafir. "It also highlights the need for conservation efforts to ensure diverse and nutritionally adequate pollen sources are available for these essential pollinators."

The research aligns with broader findings in other species, where nutritional imbalances are known to affect survival, reproductive success, and offspring health. It calls for increased awareness and measures to support the nutritional needs of honeybees, essential for maintaining their populations and the vital pollination services they provide.

More information: Danny Minahan et al, Unbalanced dietary omega-6:3 ratio affects onset of nursing and nurse–larvae interactions by honey bees, Apis mellifera, Animal Behaviour (2024). DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2024.05.007

Journal information: Animal Behaviour

Provided by Hebrew University of Jerusalem

The plants bees need to maintain a healthy diet have been revealed

Cold Soba Noodles with a high Omega-3 Peanut Sauce

June 03, 2024

Hello dear Readers and Friends,

I've always loved cold noodles with sesame sauce but have never made them -- before now -- because of all the Omega-6s in sesame oil.

Then I saw this recipe in the New York Times and realized that I could substitute the peanut butter with Smart Balance Peanut Butter to create a dish with a healthy balance of Omega-3s and Omega-6s. I even went a step further and used chopped walnuts -- instead of peanuts -- on top. This is a very delicious and forgiving dish. I think you can use whatever veggies you have to top it off. It also keeps well in the fridge if you have even left over! The only trick is to rinse the cooked soba noodles well.

INGREDIENTS

Yield: 4 servings

Kosher salt
10 ounces soba noodles
1medium zucchini or cucumber (about 6 ounces)
5 radishes (about 4 ounces)
1bell pepper (any color)
1tablespoon sesame oil
½ cup roasted walnuts or salted peanuts (about 2 ounces), roughly chopped
2 scallions, trimmed and finely chopped
Handful of cilantro leaves
1lime, cut into wedges for serving

FOR THE SPICY PEANUT SAUCE

½ cup smooth Smart Balance Peanut Butter
¼ cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 tablespoons lime juice (from 1 lime)
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 teaspoons chile oil or hot sauce, plus more to taste
1garlic clove, grated

Bring a pot of salted water to the boil. Add the soba, stir to prevent sticking, and cook according to package instructions until just tender. Rinse under cold water until the noodles are completely cold.

Meanwhile, make the sauce: In a medium bowl, combine the peanut butter, soy sauce, maple syrup, lime juice, sesame oil, chile oil or hot sauce, and garlic. Add ¼ to ½ cup water, 1 tablespoon at a time, and whisk until the sauce is a pourable consistency. Taste and add more chile oil or hot sauce as desired; set aside.

Cut the zucchini or cucumber and radishes into ⅛-inch thick slices, then cut into thin matchsticks. Slice the peppers into ⅛-inch pieces. Place them all in a large bowl.

Loosen the soba noodles by running them under some water, then allow to drain again. Add them to the vegetables, add the remaining 1 tablespoon sesame oil and toss to combine.

When you are ready to serve, drizzle with spicy peanut sauce and top with peanuts, scallions and cilantro. Serve immediately, with lime wedges alongside. Delicious!

Update on Teddy

February 08, 2024 1 Comment

Hello Everyone,

Some of you have been asking about Teddy. He's doing great but is so hard to capture in a photograph! Here's one with one of my grandsons and a couple of his naughty

moments and one with yours trully. Happy Spring! I saw two red-shouldered hawks flying overhead this morning so it is on its way.

Be well and Happy Valentine's Day to you.

Happy Holidays and Welcome to the newest Smart Cookie: Teddy

November 25, 2023

Hello dear Customers and Friends,

Just had to share this picture of the newest Smart Cookie in our household: little Teddy, a Pembroke Welsh Corgi.

I haven't had a dog in a while so, of course, I had to make sure that whatever food I chose for him was high in Omega-3s and has a healthy balance of Omega-3s and Omega-6s, information that isn't on any of the dog foods I looked at. In the end, I chose Great Lakes Pet Food because it has Menhaden oil and Kelp meal among its ingredients and no high-in-Omega-6 vegetable oils. And because that is the food the breeder has been feeding her Corgis -- and it seems to be working!

One way for you to stay healthy and well-nourished during these busy times is with our high Omega-3 Breakfast Cookies.

And why not send your loved one a box of Susie's Smart Breakfast Cookies to celebrate the holidays?

If you do, please use the Discount Code Holidays2023 to take 15% off your order and/or for the first box of a new subscription. The discount can't be used for existing subscriptions, unfortunately, but existing subscribers can easily cancel and resubscribe.

Our sale ends 12/31 but in order to guarantee delivery before Christmas, please have your orders in by December 14th. Shipping, as always, is free. Happy Holidays to all of you from Susie's Smart Cookie; please stay well -- and as frisky as Teddy!

Susie and Michele

Five Ways to Add Omega-3s to your Thanksgiving Dinner

November 16, 2023 1 Comment

Happy Thanksgiving to you all,

I am so grateful to have such enthusiastic and loyal customers!

I know I've said this before (and I'm sure that most of you are well aware): there are many ways to make sure that your Thanksgiving dinner is rich in Omega-3s and has a healthy balance of Omega-3s and Omega-6s.

1. Use Omega-3 rich butter such as Kerry Butter from Ireland or Anchor butter from New Zealand. There are also local butters made from grass-fed cows but I am never sure whether the cows are grass fed year round.

2. Add flaxseed meal to your stuffings -- and even to the flour that you use to make your gravy. I'll be adding a half a cup of flaxseed meal to the stuffing that I'll be roasting inside my 15-pound bird, and I'll be replacing one fifth of the flour I use to make the gravy with flaxseed meal.

3. Use canola oil to coat the bird before roasting. I usually sprinkle my turkey with salt and pepper and coat it with oil before roasting. And I use canola oil for that purpose, of course, since it has a very favorable balance of Omega-3s and Omega-6s!

4. Use Omega-3 eggs for all your baking.

5. Choose a free-range turkey if you can find one within your budget.

Follow all of these steps and you're sure to be serving a healthy -- as well as a delicious -- meal to your family and friends.

Happy Thanksgiving from Susie's Smart Cookie.

Be well,

Susie

Walnut and Anchovy Pasta

November 02, 2023

Hello Everyone,

I may be the last person in the world to have tried Walnut and Anchovy Pasta, but in case I am not, I post this incredible recipe here.

Ever since Vital Choice Seafood was purchased by 1-800-Flowers and my go-to wild salmon was no longer the same, I've been lacking a quick-and-easy meal that would deliver the benefits of fatty fish, i.e, the long-chain Omega-3s: DHA and EPA.

I decided to experiment with anchovies -- and now I've found it: an easily-prepared, high Omega-3 meal that uses ingredients that I, for one, readily have on hand.

For those who don't like anchovies, don't worry. This pasta is full of umami flavor -- not fish! I used Ortiz anchovies, btw; and I substituted canola oil for the olive oil in Martha Schulman's original recipe in The New York Times. But you could use a half-and-half mixture and the dish will still be plenty high in Omega-3s.

Enjoy and please send me your favorite anchovy recipes.

Be well, Susie

Ingredients

½ cup shelled walnuts (2 ounces)

¼ cup good canola oil (expeller-pressed)

3 garlic cloves, minced

4 anchovy fillets, coarsely chopped

¾ pound spaghetti

¼ cup minced flat-leaf parsley

freshly ground pepper

¼ cup freshly grated pecorino or parmesan (optional)

Preparation

Step 1

Begin heating a large pot of water over high heat. Meanwhile, lightly toast the walnuts on a baking sheet in a 375-degree oven for just a few minutes until fragrant, or in a pan over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. When the walnuts smell like they’re beginning to toast, remove them from the heat and transfer to a clean dish towel. Wrap them in the towel, and rub between your hands to remove some of the papery shells. Chop the nuts medium-fine, and set aside.

Step 2

In a wide, heavy skillet or saucepan large enough to accommodate the cooked spaghetti, heat the oil over medium heat and add the garlic. Cook, stirring, until it begins to sizzle, and add the anchovies. Cook, mashing the anchovies with the back of your spoon or with a fork, for about 30 seconds until they begin to fall apart and melt into the oil. Add the walnuts, stir together for about a minute and remove from the heat.

Step 3

When the water comes to a boil, salt generously and add the spaghetti. Cook al dente, following the timing recommendations on the package but checking about a minute before the indicated time. When the pasta is almost done, add ¼ cup of the pasta water to the pan with the walnuts and anchovies, and reheat over medium heat.

Step 4

When the pasta is ready, drain and toss with the walnut and anchovy mixture. Add the parsley, adjust salt if necessary and add pepper. Serve, passing the pecorino at the table.

TIP

Advance preparation: You can toast the walnuts well in advance, but the sauce can be done in the time it takes to boil the water and cook the pasta.

Apple Sharlotka is still the easiest and most delicious apple cake!

October 20, 2023

Happy Fall Everyone,

My generous neighbor has given me another bushel of delicious apples. And so my thoughts returned to the Apple Sharlotka I made last year.

Turns out that this apple cake is just as easy to prepare and delicious to eat as I remember it.

Once again, I didn't peel the apples -- since there's a lot of flavor and texture and nutrition in those peels; and eliminating peeling means that you can throw this cake together in about ten minutes. So I highly recommend skipping this step -- especially if you know that your apples haven't been sprayed.

Again, I substituted 3 Tablespoons of ground flax meal for 3 Tablespoons of the flour, a change that adds Omega-3s to this recipe, as well as a large dose of wholesomeness.

Ingredients:

9-inch springform pan

butter for greasing pan

6 large tart apples

3 large eggs at room temperature (Omega-3 eggs, of course).

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup flour -- minus 3 tablespoons.

3 Tablespoons Flaxseed Meal

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Powdered sugar to finish

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper and butter the bottom and sides. Halve and core the apples and slice them into smallish pieces. Pile the cut apples directly in the prepared pan. In a large bowl, beat the eggs with the sugar with an electric mixer until thick (don't overbeat). Beat in the vanilla. Then stir in the flour and flax with a spoon until just combined.

Pour the batter over the apples and use a spatula to spread the batter so it covers all exposed apples, pressing down on the apples. Bake for 60-65 min, until a tester comes out free of batter. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then flip out onto a plate. Peel off the parchment paper and flip onto another plate. (In reality, you can use either side as the finished side.) Dust with powdered sugar and serve warm or at room temperature, with or without a dollop of slightly sweetened whipped cream.

Enjoy -- and let me know if this becomes your favorite apple cake too!

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