Like my two boys, I can't think of a better way to remember Elana and celebrate her birthday yesterday than by talking about food. Aside from our family, it was the true love of her life. She found great joy in preparing food – especially when it was for me and the children. And despite all of her health challenges, Elana has continued to find ways to improvise her diet into something she enjoys. And while Elana enjoyed making all types of food, chocolate was definitely our love language. No matter what type of diet either of us was on, we were always happy to have a candy bar. When I thought of my favorite Elana foods, they all had chocolate!
Low Carb Buckeye Peanut Butter Brownies. I had to start this because everyone in our family knows that I love anything with peanut butter and chocolate. What is less known is that Elana also loved peanut butter. She never ate as much of it as I did and usually opted for the healthier almond butter. But this is where Elana and I bonded…peanut butter and chocolate.
Crispy chocolate chip cookies. This is sort of where it all began. With the chocolate chip cookie made from almond flour. That was the game changer. It was so much better than any other gluten-free cookie available at the time – and made an incredible dessert as well as a super healthy breakfast or post-workout treat. Limited sugar – lots of protein.
Chocolate Pecan Pie. I probably said that the most when Elana asked what dessert she should make me. Again: nuts and chocolate…what could go wrong. This became a staple for Thanksgiving – and whenever we wanted to be really decadent. Especially adding whipped cream – another big Elana favorite (with minimal sweetener and a bit of vanilla).
Homemade chocolate bars. We often had these in the freezer. Too much. Of course Elana would take them out and cut a piece off to eat. I just took out a whole piece and they started melting on my fingers as I ate them. Elana wanted to make healthy, gluten-free treats that our kids could eat and love, and that their friends would love too.
Homemade Hanukkah Gelt. I had to mention this recipe along with Hamantaschen because they express Elana's love for the holidays. Primarily the Jewish holidays – but Elana really loved every holiday. It was a time of being together as a family – and even when our children left the nest, she just loved the pageantry and food of each celebration.
Gluten free birthday cake. I'm not normally a cake lover… but this one was amazing – especially because of the incredible frosting. The frosting was very important to Elana – we spent many hours making sure we had the right frosting on our wedding cake. But this one is special because it talks about where Elana has shined the most – in preparing food for the children, especially for their birthdays. It was the genesis of Elana's Pantry – how to make gluten-free treats suitable for her birthdays. So many great clown and bunny cakes over the years.
Elana leaves a legacy far and wide in terms of her impact. But seeing our two boys' love of food and passion for cooking always reminds me of Elana as a mother. I miss her terribly—as a wife, co-parent, and friend—but I'm sending her lots of hugs and chocolate kisses today. Happy birthday E. Love R.
