Hi Terri - 1. The Q & E way is to find recipes that use honey and substitute it 1:1. I have a bunch of honey-specific cookbooks and they were my original guideline when I developed recipes. 2. The general use information says 3/4 c. agave nectar for 1 c. sugar (or 25% less). It also depends on how sweet you like things - so "to taste" also applies. Some agave nectar products may seem sweeter than others. I may only use 1/2-2/3 c. agave nectar per 1-cup sugar. As an example, I make my banana bread recipe with only 1/4 c. agave nectar. The original recipe calls for 1/2 c. sugar. But because there is a sweet-tasting spice, cinnamon, in the recipe, it helps with the sweet-taste, as well as using really sweet bananas. 3. Just like substituting honey for sugar, you may need to adjust the liquid or dry ingredients. A general rule of thumb is to reduce liquid by 1/4-1/3 c., but if there is no liquid to reduce, add 3-4 T. of flour for each 1/2 c. agave nectar used. You have to 'play' with this some... This is where experience in baking comes in handy. 4. Depending on how much agave nectar is in the recipe, you may also want to reduce the oven temperature by 20-25°F to prevent over-browning. If there is over 1/4 c., reducing heat may be beneficial. That's also something agave nectar has in common with honey. 5. Agave nectar gives nearly the same texture as sugar does. It feeds yeast like sugar in yeast breads. It's actually an excellent choice for yeast breads because it's great for fermentation due to its high monosaccharide content. Agave nectar also has a high osmotic pressure. This characteristic helps to inhibit the growth of microorganisms and aids bread from molding quickly. It also increases the water retention properties of foods (hygroscopicity). I believe it's a "secret ingredient" to my homemade breads keeping fresh longer than those made with sugar. It browns like sugar (which chemical non-calorie sweeteners don't do). 6. As a food exchange (diabetic), 1 t. equals a free food. Two servings (or 2 t.) equals 1/2 carbohydrate exchange. 7. It remains liquid indefinitely because of the high level of fructose - unlike honey that tends to crystalize. 8. You can use it in combination with sugar or in combination with non-calorie sweeteners. When used with Splenda, it helps to counter the aftertaste and aids in contributing to browning and other characteristics missing from chemical non-calorie sweeteners that are attributed to sugar, while still maintaining a low-glycemic index. I've used agave nectar as my primary sweetener for about 10-years now. Hope that helps... -Grainlady

A Samap Grain Mill isn't one I've had any experience with. Stones can glaze over and not operate properly if the grain is too damp, or the stones need replacing. Does it have a feed that can be adjusted? Something I read states the harder the grain, the slower it needs to feed into the mill. Good luck, I hope someone with personal experience with this mill can help you out. -Grainlady

I finally made a cake with the Meyer Lemons that fell from my tree. Grainlady, I thought I had coconut oil but I didn't. I looked where I normally shop and wasn't happy with what they had so I wound up using the quick lemon cake recipe that Shambo posted and my lightest, virtually flavorless, olive oil. I still think that the slight coconut flavor of coconut oil with the lemon would be great and I have put it on my phone shopping list. The spicy lime mayo you posted is definitely something we would love and I just looked at their website and one of my local supermarkets sells it, so it's on the list too. Thanks for your help. Sherrmann, coconut oil has been controversial, but from all the reading I've done, I feel it is healthy. We all have to make our own decisions on lots of foods and I will be quick to admit that I often feel there is conflicting research on all sorts of foods. I love butter too, but since my very serious heart surgery I have to be careful about how much I use. Coconut oil has no cholesterol and no sodium and butter is very high in cholesterol. I certainly do eat some butter, but it's in my best interest to limit it which is why my original question was to ask what to substitute for some of the butter. I'm sure this recipe would be fabulously wonderful with the original amount of butter. Lee

Sure thing. The recipe is from the book, "The Amazing Wheat Book" by LeArta Moulton, and is also shown in the video "QUICK WHOLESOME FOODS" by Rita Bingham & LeArta Moulton. It begins with homemade gluten which you can make with regular or whole wheat flour, or using Vital Wheat Gluten and water. The quick method using Vital Wheat Gluten is the one I generally use. I purchase #10 cans (3.5-pounds) of Vital Wheat Gluten from Honeyville Grain (www.honeyvillegrain.com). I use this same ground gluten mixed 50/50 with other kinds of ground meat (beef, turkey, pork...). It has nearly the same amount of protein in it as does beef. Raw Gluten from vital wheat gluten: Mix together thoroughly: 2 c. vital wheat gluten 1/3 c. whole grain or bean flour (any kind) Add 2 c. hot water Stir liquid into flours (takes about 10-stirs) and you will have Raw Gluten. Work and squeeze dough into 4 tight balls. This raw gluten can now be cooked using any of the following instructions for cooking: Steam raw gluten until texture is firm, using one of the following methods (spray pans with Pam): -vegetable steamer - 30 minutes, or until firm -double boiler - 30 minutes or until firm -pressure cooker - 15 minutes at 15-lbs. pressure When cool, grind in a food processor or hand food grinder on medium to large disc. GLUTEN CRUNCH (the "cereal") (You can also use it as a sweet topping similar to granola, for making a pie crust, protein bars, chocolate bars similar to a Nestle Crunch....) 2 c. raw ground gluten (plain, no seasonings or spices) 1 c. coconut, (unsweetened or sweetened) 3 T. melted butter 4 T. honey or raw sugar (I use agave nectar or palm sugar) Combine Ground Gluten and coconut. Melt butter and honey together. Mix all together. Spread on cookie sheet and bake 25-40 minutes at 350-375°F. (Cooking time and temperature depends on how much of the mixture you put on a sheet.) Stir occasionally in order to roast more evenly. Watch carefully so it won't burn. The mixture will take on a dry and roasted effect when done. Let cool. The end product should be crispy. -Grainlady