My Sweet Tooth Kicked In

My sweet tooth kicked in and now I want some chocolate. What is a gluten free, sugar free, dairy free girl to do? Well, there is always some Coconut Bliss to be had. I never get tired of ice cream and Coconut Bliss fits my bill every time. But my birthday rolled around and I wanted something cake like. I wanted chocolate. I hadn't really had anything cake like since starting my healthy eating plan. I am not a girl that LOVES frosting, so I didn't need a traditional cake. I searched recipe sites far and wide. I dreamed of the chocolate ganache that I had at Sunflower Cafe. I found nothing close to it.

Then I remembered a brownie recipe that I found, guess where? At Elana's Pantry of course. You can find it here.

I LOVE these brownies. I hadn't made them before for a few reasons. 1) it makes a big pan of brownies 2)the ingredients are expensive, around $10 total 3)I didn't want a huge pan of brownies in the house because I would eat them!!!

So, when my friend Jen asked if she could make something for my birthday I jumped on this recipe. I supplied the ingredients and Jen whipped them up. They are SO good. Everyone agreed. These are a hit!!

What I LOVE about these brownies 1) anyone can make them. No special ingredients needed. Everything can be found at the local grocery. Get baking for your gluten free friends!!! 2)they are high in protein and low in natural sugar. No guilt in these babies! 3) they keep well 4) I could take these to a potluck or friends house and everyone would be satisfied 5) it makes a big pan of brownies so I don't get mad when Dave eats three or four in a day

Have you had your brownies today??? Maybe you should make some.......

Pumpkin Bread That is Gluten free, Sugar free AND Delicious?

Yes, that is right!!! Thanks to my new favorite website I have made delicious pumpkin bread that meets all of my dietary requirements. It is super moist, easy, and high in protein. Are you as excited as I am?

The recipe is from Elana's Pantry. You can find it here. It is super amazing. You have to check out her recipes. I want to make so many of them. The only thing that I changed in this recipe was that I made mini loaves instead of muffins. I hate cleaning muffin tins. I also doubled the recipe since it is for only 8 muffins. I think next time I am going to add a bit more spice as well. I like my spiced breads spicy!!

I am off to make some more pumpkin bread.... Enjoy!!!

Healthy Eating Update

You may be wondering how my healthy eating is going. Just for a reminder I am gluten free, sugar free, dairy free, yeast free, and corn free. It was difficult at first figuring out how to eat, but I am pretty used to it now. I really don't get tempted often and even then, saying no is easy when you know that thing will make you feel yucky later.

Meals really aren't that hard or different. We just stick to meat and vegetables with an occasional side of rice. I can still have Dave's amazing grilled steak which gets better every time he makes it. So far I am not missing too many foods either. I will admit, Thanksgiving might be tough. I love cornbread dressing. sigh. That will be missed.

As a result of all of this healthy eating, I have become the incredible shrinking woman. Do you remember that movie? I need to look it up. Anyway, without trying to, nor did I expect it, I have dropped almost thirty pounds. This side affect of losing weight wasn't on my horizon. I was quite happy with my weight and size. I didn't look in the mirror and wish that I was smaller. Now I am faced with getting a whole new wardrobe. Almost nothing fits that did before. I think that most women would love this- losing weight and having to buy new clothes. Have I mentioned that I hate shopping? Especially when I can no longer judge what will fit me just by looking at it on the rack. To set out an outfit only to have it hang off of you when you put it on is no fun. And when you decide that you will try to wear it anyway and your friend tells you that it looks like you have a load in your pants, you decide to go shopping.

I bought my first pair of skinny jeans. What!!! Dave is thrilled of course. One bonus of all of this, I actually have normal sized calves!! My fluid retention has gone way down. I am so thrilled about that. I have shopped here and there for bits and pieces, but I need to get some more work clothes soon.

My energy levels are up and down. I had been doing pretty well, but a month of stress at work knocked me down. I am trying to get back to where I was. Oh, my creative juices are flowing again though!! I have been hand stitching up a storm and loving it!! I haven't really sewn in two years. I am so glad to have that creative energy back. Be in the look out for pictures of my creations.

Ok, now that I have written a short book, I am going to enjoy my day.... I hope that you are enjoying yours too!

Dairy Free, Sugar Free, Gluten Free Ice Cream?

Is there such a thing that tastes good? Yes!! There is. I have had the pleasure to try two different brands of coconut milk ice cream. They are both very good. The first one is by Purely Decadent.

It is creamy and delicious. Some of their flavors do contain sugar, so be on the look out. My main draw to this product- it is available at Kroger! That means I can feed a craving in the middle of the night! 

The second brand is Coconut Bliss.

When I have time to plan for ice cream this is my choice. I found it at Whole Foods and Life Grocery near me. I find Coconut Bliss to be creamier than the Purely Decadent brand. I like that!!

Both of these brands are sweetened with agave nectar. Both of these brands have been eaten by dairy lover friends of mine and they liked them!

What I love about these- I can have ice cream that is tasty and delicious!! Shoot. My Dr. even asked me if I had tried Coconut Bliss. YES! was my emphatic reply. Thank you Purely Decadent and Coconut Bliss for making such wonderful products for those of us who have limited diets or food allergies. Keep them coming!!

Well.....

It is official. I had my one month check up. My healthy eating plan isn't a temporary thing. My Doc says I should continue on this path for the rest of my life. I kind of knew that in my gut. It makes me feel like I wasn't silly for completely cleaning out the pantry, going gangbusters looking for cookbooks, and sticking to it.

My body is changing. A few people have commented lately, "Have you lost weight?". My reply, "Uhm,  maybe. I have no idea, but my clothes are baggier." I have told you all that the swelling in my legs has gone down and it has continued to do so. My ankles are probably the smallest that I have seen them since I was 16 or so. So crazy!!! I don't recognize my own legs. And..... I have lost ten pounds. I had no idea that I lost that much. Most of it was probably inflammation. My healthy eating plan and homeopathic meds have helped flush out the bad stuff and reduce the inflammation. My energy levels are still low, but I do have a good amount of energy in the morning. I am trying to plan things around that, but it is difficult.

I found out that I can have all fruits and vegetables. Yay!! That is so exciting. Funny how joyous eating a watermelon or cantaloupe sounds. No dairy. Ever. I will try to stay away from sugar and yeast. And gluten is not my friend. I will probably be spending a lot of time talking about gluten from here on out. Eating gluten-free, dairy-free, brown rice-free and sugar free is a challenge. I really want to share any information that I can. Especially good eats and treats.

The challenge will be to eat like a hippy but not be one. I mean I might start sprouting, fermenting and eating raw. Ok, only fermenting a couple of things. I hate the smell. Sprouting is easy and delicious. But we will get into that another time.

So, my friends ask, "What does that mean when we eat together?".  Most likely if we are eating in a home I will bring along a big salad or some hummus and veggies to share. I am not going to die if I eat off my my plan. I just might not feel good. I will be cautious. I will be careful. But treating me to a teaspoon of sugar here and there might make me smile! I am learning how to be prepared for eating out, weddings and get togethers. There are some good restaurants that have a gluten free menu. And many others have a list of gluten free items. Don't worry, I will be writing some about that too.

Actually I am excited. This is a challenge that I am fully capable of accepting. I will feel better, Dave and I are eating healthier and maybe you will be too if I find some stellar recipes. Alright, gotta go search out some more good eats!