Children are out of school and now prep for Eid al-Adha can begin. My children are excited to see the family and celebrate this special day. We see both my husband’s family and mine on the first day of Eid, so it is quite a hectic day from morning till evening. But mostly it is a day filled with laughter, happy children, cake, food, presents and more cake and sweets!

I am not a fan of refined sugar and its effect on our bodies and I definitely think most people would benefit from reducing their intake of sugar. I must admit I am a sugar addict – or a somehow recovered sugar addict. I still have a sweet tooth and if I did not know what I now know about sugar I would ALWAYS pick sweet over savory. Most of the time I do not eat sugar but when it is Eid, I indulge in Eid cakes and sweets that contain refined sugar – and I enjoy it without regret. Regrets don’t do you any good in life and I try to live a balanced life where I eat a wholesome diet with many vegetables, healthy fat and protein. From time to time, I eat refined and unhealthy food, but all in moderation because my body will most surely send me signals if I overdo it.

Even though I enjoy sugary treats in Eid, I also enjoy making some of our cookies and cakes in a healthier version, last year I tried making these Kaak cookies for Eid. This year I am trying a Halwa, which is basically a sweet dessert with tahini that usually is made with sugar in the Middle East. I love any dessert with tahini as it adds this great subtle taste and extra flavor to the dessert. Besides the great taste they are easy to make and you do not need many ingredients. I would recommend using some salted nuts when decorating as they add a saltiness to the sweet dessert.

I wish you all a blessed Eid and hope you enjoy my halwa recipe.