Sweet Stuff!

So I've done really well on the diet; I haven't minded (much) just having water to drink --I don't enjoy hot beverages, so no, I don't drink tea or coffee--or skipping on the fruit, but for the last three days I haven't been able to shake my "I want some dessert!" craving. I tried eating a few squares of dark chocolate, but it didn't really  help much. Sooo....  I decided to make some primal muffins!


Here's the recipe:

 Coconut Muffins

4 eggs
1/2 cup coconut flour (more if batter is too runny)
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp of lemon juice
1 can coconut milk (14 oz or 1.5 cups) 
1/4 cup coconut oil (or KerryGold butter)
1/4 cup raw honey (optional but recommended)*
1 cup cashews
1/2 cup raisins/cranberry mix
Cinnamon


Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Gather all of your dry ingredients, mix them together in a small mixing bowl. If desired ingredients can be sifted.


Melt the coconut oil (or butter) in a small bowl. Begin to add one egg at a time to the batter mixture. When all the eggs are mixed in, add the honey, lemon juice, and coconut milk to the mixture and stir. * I used just under a 1/4 cup honey


Slowly begin to add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients while stirring. When all lumps are gone, fold in the cashew/raisin-cranberry mix. 


When fully blended, begin to pour the batter into your pan or muffin tray about half way full. Be sure you oil your pan or muffin tray to avoid sticking (I used an olive oil spray). At this point sprinkle the top of the batter with cinnamon. 


Place in oven for 18-22 minutes. Insert a toothpick to the middle. If it comes out clean they are ready. They should be firm, yet spring back. 


The only issues I had was they are a bit dense, and the fruit/nut mix sunk to the bottom. So maybe it's better to insert the mix after it's in the muffin tin?


They turned out well, but still a bit dense. Regina and the baby loved them. Veronica and Tom could take it or leave it. I enjoyed having a "grain-like experience" though I still found the coconut flour kinda odd.  

  


But... it did not take away my dessert craving. Boo. So I drank more water, ate more salad, and had some ribs. Dessert thing? Still there. 


So... I decided to Google a Primal Cheesecake. Yeah, I know, you can't eat the whole thing (dairy in moderation), but we've done really well on this way of eating, and we have earned a piece of cheesecake. So hush up! 


I've never made a cheesecake before, so I don't know how the Primal version compares to the "normal" version, but it did take a while.  Elizabeth and I headed to the store to make one last look for almond meal (for the crust). It took a while, but I finally found it

Man, this stuff is so much better than coconut flour!  Although, I'm sure coconut flour will work better in some recipes, so I'll keep it on hand. 


I couldn't find coconut crystals. I guess I'll have to order them off Amazon. So I used my agave syrup. The recipe calls for one cup of coconut crystals... what's the ratio between coconut crystals and agave syrup? I tried to Google the difference between the two on the glycemic index, but it was taking forever, and I had Elizabeth hanging off my leg. So I used 1/3 cup syrup, plus another 1/6... I think that works out to about 3.5 oz., which was incorporated into a massive cake.


It finally finished baking, and I thought it would take about an hour for it to cool down. Then I noticed in the recipe it says to keep it in the fridge all night in order to cool down. What?!?!  I want it now!  I waited for about 90 mins, and then I stuck my fork in it and took a bite, and it was soooo good! I then stuck it in the fridge and I cannot wait to have it for breakfast. ;) If this cake doesn't take away the dessert attack, then nothing will. I'm excited to see how it turns out once it sits over night. 


The best part is that it's a huge cake. I can easily slice it, freeze, and then pull out a single slice when I really want it. 


I wish could take a photo of it, but I can't take it out of the spring form pan yet. Until then, I'll leave you with the recipe. Here ya go!



What's your favorite primal-approved cheat?

# 2 Update from Tom.

"Overall I'm glad we're doing this. I needed to be jolted out of my growing and unhealthy affinity for sweets. I'm glad I now understand the truth about the "low-fat" craze. And I know I am taking better care of myself now that I'm not eating a lot of the stuff I used to eat.

But I can't bring myself to agree with people who think this is a breeze, that over time I won't miss my old favorite foods, etc. Maybe. I doubt it. Steak and salad can be great, but I don't want to eat meat all the time, and I don't want my only non-meat alternative to be salad.

Frankly, I still very much want pizza, pasta, an occasional Coke, orange juice with my breakfast, a bagel with cream cheese, a stack of real pancakes, and a cookie once in a while.

I envision myself moving forward as follows. I want to stay faithful to this at least 70-80% of the time, which means that the food I eat at home will conform to it. But when I travel, and occasionally when I'm just out for dinner, I do still intend to indulge in things that make me happy. On net I am still enjoying a vast improvement in my old habits, and I think that's about as far as I can make myself go."

I keep telling Tom that he doesn't have to give up his favorite things forever.  

He still feels guilty about it though... mainly, I think, because I don't cheat.  (Well, I did twice in the last 33 days.... one was HERE, and the other was I had a slice of cheese cake (which was awesome!) when we went out for Dinner Theater. Other than that, I've stayed Primal.) But he forgets that I have a lot of weight to lose, and therefore I can't afford to cheat often. Plus, I really don't like the way I feel when I do eat non-primally.

I've told Tom we are not going to police each other. If I want to cheat, I don't want eagle eyes on me. And if he wants to eat something that will totally have him out of commission for that day... well, that's his call. ;)  Seriously though, I don't care what he does as long as it doesn't kill him, and he makes a real attempt at staying Primal.

He's really done very well for the last month, so I'm really proud of us all that we have been able to make it work as well as we have.

Some Food This Week (Photos)

 Beginnings of sweet potato chips

 Very thin slices of sweet potatoes, fried in coconut oil

 The finished product

 Rib night!

 Ribs from the crockpot (12 hours), a bit of bbq sauce, and sweet potato chips.

 Regina made the dinner salad.

 Amy's lunch

 

 A little runny, but would be better with a bit more flour.

 I guess they're a hit.

The little thief.

Chats in the Van

On the way home from school today, Regina (8) and Veronica (7) were talking to each other about "eating healthy at school."  


Veronica: Yeah, so I took out my lunch and I said to all the kids "Okay, I know it's weird, and it's already embarrassing, so don't laugh." 


Regina: Yeah, I know, it's like they just like to laugh.


Me: What?  Are you guys embarrassed about eating good-for-you-foods?

Veronica: Uh, yeah!


Regina: Well... I'm not ashamed of it. But it is kind of embarrassing to explain to other kids why we have such different food.


Me: What does your food do for you?

Regina: It makes us healthy. It helps keep cancer away... and... um.. makes us feel happier.


Me: Good. So what does the school food do?


Regina: It makes you feel sick and tired. 

Veronica: It makes me want grains! (LOL)


I got distracted for a bit, and then I hear Regina say:


"Don't you think it's terrible the kids are all getting sick?"


Me: They are? With what... when did it start?


Regina: Well, I guess cancer, becaues all they eat is sugar! 


Uhhhhh

Me: Okay, but it's important to remember we don't say things like "you're going to get cancer!" to the kids, because that is not charitable. And it is up to their parents' as to what they eat. So you just eat your food happily, and let them eat what they have. 


Regina: Well, I told one kid [who has repeatedly made fun of her food] "at least my mom cares about me!" because, you don't want us to get cancer, but I think her mom doesn't care much about her, because all she eats is pudding and cheetos.


Me:  ACK!  I mean, thanks, but... yeah, we don't say that either. I am sure her mother cares a lot about her, but maybe doesn't know about food, or doesn't have the time to take care of it. So we should only say kind things, like "I'm glad you're interested, maybe I can bring you an extra piece tomorrow."  All parents really love their children, okay?


Regina: Oh. 


Veronica: Sooo.... can I have grains?


Me: No. 


Yeah, so I hadn't thought about what my girls would have to say to their friends about the radical switch in diet. I had said a quick word like "you tell people that it's a new way of eating that makes you feel healthier and happier."  


For years we've talked about food, its properties, and what it does for you, so they do know many benefits and they know why we eat the things we eat, but they are still embarrassed. Any thoughts on how to handle this?

Coconut Products

 This is the brand of coconut chips I have. It's the only brand I've had so far, so I don't know how they compare to other brands.

And This is the canned coconut we use. Amazon has a great price (at least, the best I've seen here) too!

Day 30 (I think).

The kids have a routine/responsibilities they are supposed to follow once they get home from school. One of these things is to clear out their lunch boxes, and place them on the kitchen counter, so they can be ready for me to pack at night.  Well, they didn't do this last night (they've been forgetting a lot lately), so ... I didn't make them a lunch. 


Don't freak out. I didn't send them to school without any food all day. I told them they'd have to make their own lunch, and they had exactly four minutes before we had to be in the van. This was partly a test to see what they would choose, and partly a "see how annoying it is to pack lunch, so you'd better start eating all of it!" kind deal. 


I don't even know what they packed, because I had a crying baby hanging on my legs, so four minutes later I said "Get in the van!" Around lunch time I thought "sure hope they packed enough", but if they didn't, I'll bet they will eat dinner!


As soon as they walked in the house, they devoured the berries(and some kiwi) plate. Then we had to do some cleaning up of toys and art supplies. They were really hungry by that point. 


I made salads first.  Romaine lettuce, orange peppers, celery, broccoli, and cucumbers with a olive oil, salt, and lemon. They ate this fairly quickly... except Veronica. She always takes forever when it comes to salads. 


Then I made a plate of chips (made from squash and zuchini from the dehydrator) with tomato salsa, and a big hunk of roasted turkey. They ate everything.  And were still hungry.  I asked what they had packed for lunch:


Regina: Some roast beef, some carrots, and some grapes
Veronica: Well, I didn't have lunch really
Amy: Cheese and some roast beef. 


All three agreed they need more food. And tonight, all three lunch boxes were cleaned out and waiting on the kitchen counter. he he he 


I should note that they had a Coconut Smoothie for breakfast. Coconut milk, strawberries, blueberries, eggs, cinnamon, and salt.  Yummy, yummy. 


So after dinner and homework, they wanted another snack... so I offered yogurt or nuts. They wanted the nuts. Then they had a few grapes. Then I noticed Regina snuck an apple and an orange. Then the others wanted something more to eat. And I said no, it's bedtime, and I knew they had plenty to eat. 


Then I was hungry. So as soon as I could get away with it (without all the kids knowing) I made a coconut parfait. 


1 can of coconut cream/milk
1 oz of Dark Chocolate (72%)
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp Vanilla

1/2 Medium Banana

Blend everything (but banana) in blender until all mixed together.  
Spoon into a cup. 
Layer with a few banana slices
More coconut mix
More bananas
More coconut 


Eat. 

I thought it would be a good high-fat "dessert" and the banana gave it just the right amount of sweetness. Since I am still trying to stay away from too much fruit, I only used half a banana. And then I gave half on my dessert to Regina who was still awake and asking for food. 


I had eggs and bacon for breakfast. Tom had a smoothie (we really need a new word for this). Elizabeth ate half my breakfast. She has also given up on eating yogurt. D'oh!


For lunch I made a fresh giant salad, and added about 6 oz (maybe less?) of turkey. Turkey is my new love. I love it more than chicken in my salad. Yumm!  Turkey also goes a long way. I had for my salad, we had it for dinner, and we're going to use it again for turkey-lettuce wraps tomorrow. 


I think it might be time for steak though. I could really go for a huge sirloin right now.  


Btw, I can't remember who asked, but I buy canned coconut milk (the box of milk is more like water consistency, whereas the can has a lot of cream and fat) at my local grocery store. It's in the healthfood section. Do not buy the Light version. You want all the fat you can get.  


As for coconut chips, I couldn't find them at our regular grocery store, so I drove to the one little Health Food store we have around here. They had them in the refrigerated section. If all else fails, you can probably ordered them online. 


I asked the butcher (at the grocery store) to please give me two pounds of ground round (his suggestion for jerky) and to please slice it very thin. He says he can give me two pounds, but he can't slice it with a slicer... regulations.  "But... you are a butcher?"  That makes no sense to me. Well, I tried. I'll have to think about this....

 What are you favorite dishes so far?

Second Official Weigh-In

Da-da-da-daaaa!


As of today I have lost 9.8 pounds of fat. 11 inches all around. I've upped my hydration level by 3.2 percent. And my BMI has gone down by 1.8 points!


Tom has lost another pound, bringing his total to 8.5 pounds. 


So we're excited!  


My boots ( I bought in November) are the stretchy type, to accomodate larger calves, and they are now about 2-3 inches too loose. So I'm losing fat in places I didn't even think about needed to lose fat. pretty cool. 


To see a list of all the good things that have come out of the diet this far, click here!


We're continuing on with the "diet". I'm hoping to add in some exercise and new recipes this week, but we'll see. ;)