Chocolate Chip Cookies & Lemon Melt-aways (Paleo)

So, here I am writing yet another post late. I made my first couple batches of Paleo cookies from scratch for a New Year's Eve get-together. I love cookies! (Who doesn't??) They are my sweet-tooth weakness. I've never been a big candy fan but something about cookies... probably just a flood of good childhood memories more than anything. Chocolate chip cookies are my fave but I also love anything lemon so the melt-aways were intriguing.

For the Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe, click here. I followed this recipe to the letter. You could prob sub sugars {maple syrup/honey/date paste} and fats {coconut oil or the grass-fed butter} but this will alter results slightly. I didn't have almond flour on hand so I just chopped up some slivered almonds in my mini Ninja and it worked great.  Tip: Get the almonds as finely chopped as you can! The finer, the better.

And for the Lemon Melt-aways (no bake), click here. Again, I followed this recipe completely. It lists the options for sugar so use whatever you like (I wouldn't recommend agave though). I used maple syrup again. These are sooooo good! Perfect amount of lemon and not overly sweet. Yum-o!

*Even though these are Paleo and use top notch ingredients, they are still a treat!*
I know, I know. Party pooper! But seriously, I don't want to mislead anyone. Paleo treats are awesome and have nutritional value but they also have sugar so, just keep that in mind so you don't over do it.

One of my friends is allergic to nuts so I searched high and low on Pinterest for coconut flour only cookies and couldn't find any with rave reviews!  Everything called for some level of almond flour.  I'll have to keep looking, I guess or try and get creative.  If you know of any recipes with good reviews, share them!

Jess

T-day Breakfast

I have never been a big cook.  I actually used to hate it.  I still kind of do but I've realized it's kind of necessary for survival.  The planning part is what makes me crazy.  It's a huge process of planning, shopping, preparing, and then finally... eating.  Once I get in the kitchen and have my plan with all the ingredients... I actually enjoy it and get excited to see how it comes out. It becomes a creative outlet because I usually tweak the recipes as I go - especially now. I Paleo-ize everything!

**Totally posted this LATE and well after Thanksgiving.  Oh well. But it is my VERY first recipe and food photo post. {Happy dance}**

This Thanksgiving I am making most of the food because my mom had to have surgery this week.  It's kind of cool that I'm cooking because this is my first Thanksgiving since going Primal/Paleo.  I have the CONTROL!  So... it's grain free.  I have found some AMAZING recipes from all the lovely bloggers I follow and I am so excited to eat them and share them.  Or share them, THEN eat them. I'm not sure how I'd share them if I've already eaten them.

Anyway.

I've been cooking since last night which is INSANE for me.  I went to bed late and then 7:30 this morning I was up and at 'em.  I was even awake before my son and that rarely happens!  I even made breakfast in the midst of my T-Day preparations.

Here's what I came up with when I tweaked a recipe I found on Pinterest. And yes, I know there's hardly any protein but we will be getting plenty later.  Gotta live a little.

Coconut Banana Muffins
2 ripe bananas
2 eggs
1 c plain whole milk yogurt (I used Stoneyfield Organic)
2 tbsp 100% maple syrup (Not the fake stuff!) You could prob add another tbsp if you want it sweeter.
1 c coconut flour
1.5 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 c almond milk (I used Original Almond Breeze)

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Throw all ingredients in a food processor or blender. Blend until smooth.
• Grease your muffin pan with some coconut oil or use those little paper liners.
• Fill each muffin mold almost to the top.  (These are heavy muffins and don't rise much.)
• Bake for about 20 mins. Check them with a toothpick to make sure they are done throughout.
• Nom, nom, nommmm.

Here is the recipe I found and tweaked to my liking: Oatmeal Banana Muffins

I subbed the oats out for coconut flour which changed the consistency of my batter so I had to add the almond milk to keep it moist. Yeah, I prob could have done something different to make it lighter but then Id be eating 5 muffins verses 2. 

I also used the maple syrup instead of sugar to add sweetness even though the ripe bananas are sweet too.  Personally, I don't like super sweet stuff (and lots of sugar isn't good for you) so these were perfect for us. If you need it sweeter, just add some more maple syrup or use raw honey. OR top it with something like a nut butter.

Christmas Cards

I've really gotten into sending out Christmas cards every year.  Shutterfly.com always has a really great selection and then they give you the option of mailing/addressing the cards yourself or them doing it for you.  Cost isn't too bad especially when you can use their promo codes.  I just got 40% off and Free shipping.  This year we had fall photos made so I used some of those for the cards.  Aren't they cute?

Stationery card

View the entire collection of cards.

I didn't even plan our outfits to match the colors on the card.  Pure coincidence!
If you haven't bought your Christmas cards yet, check them out!

Doctors thinking less of their overweight patients

Seriously? I just read an article in the July issue of Prevention magazine and the article focused on doctors who think their overweight patients are 'weak-willed, sloppy, and lazy.' I find this hard to believe. I honestly feel, after reading the way the article was written, that it was more about women being sensitive about their weight and having a hard time accepting the doctors honesty/bluntness. The article also interchanges the word 'overweight' and 'obese' which are 2 different terms. (Overweight just means being over the standard weight for your height which can even be an athlete or body builder. Obese is about body fat percentage which is the more health concerned term.) They use the term obese when they reference a study where 620 primary care doctors characterized obese patients as 'awkward, unattractive, ugly, and non-compliant'. Let me say this...doctors are human and can think whatever they want. Just because they may think this doesn't mean they want to or will treat you differently. Most doctors have seen just about everything so do you really think they hold that strong of a judgement? The 'non-compliant' part shouldn't be an insult but can be a concern. I cant imagine the frustration trying to help someone who just doesn't want to help themselves.

Another part in the article talked a 350lb woman having her female exam and the doctor explained he couldn't feel her ovaries accurately because of her weight. He then had her sign a wavier that if she did have cancer, that the clinic wouldn't be held responsible. I'm not sure I understand the issue here? The doctor simply stated a fact. When are people going to be responsible for themselves? A doctor is looking at the health aspect when they address issues even if they may have some personal thoughts as well. As professional as they can be and even as numb/desensitized to things since they see so much everyday, they are still human. Why is it that society tends to forget that people of "high status" be it a politician, a doctor, a celebrity, etc are still just as human as the rest of us? Regardless, her weight is an issue for many reasons and it's something that needs to be addressed whether he could feel her ovaries or not.

If I'm an alcoholic, and the doctor tells me that my liver is suffering from all the alcohol I'm ingesting, am I supposed to get offended? Am I supposed to think, "How dare you tell me what's wrong with me?" Isn't that why we go to the doctor?! I understand bedside manner and some doctors just don't have the same manner as we'd hope for but we always have the option to switch.

The Skinny on Fat

Two words:  Eat. Fat.

Yes. I'm for real.

For a long time I thought low-fat diets were the healthy way to go.  I was misguided and WRONG.  The people that still preach this just don't know any better.

Any product that says "low-fat, no fat, fat-free, etc." is NOT good for you.  (Most likely its processed anyway so STEP AWAY!)  Since a product has stripped the fat to lower calories, it also took all the flavor so guess what they had to do to make it taste good?  That's right... load it up with sugar and other junk you cant pronounce to make it a 'yummy food-like substance'.  Just keep this in mind...

So... no, that does not mean you can go binge on everything high in fat.  Not all fats are created equal. (Same goes for calories!!)  So, what's good?  I'll tell you...

• Coconut oil (Best. Stuff. Ever. for a bajillion reasons)
• REAL butter from a grass-fed cow (I know Paleo says no dairy but for those who aren't intolerant, this is super good for you.) 
• Avocados
• Olive Oil

That's pretty much it.  These fats are THE only ones I cook with.  I use coconut oil in everything - no canola, no vegetable, no Crisco, no Pam, no soybean.  I put butter on my sweet potatoes and a few other things.  Avocados are versatile in all sorts of things like egg salad/chicken salad/tuna salad instead of mayo (which has yucky soybean oil!) and are fabulous in salads, on meats, and of course... fresh, homemade guac. 

Fats help with a lot of things one major one being nutrient absorption.  Vitamins and minerals are either water-soluble or fat-soluble meaning some are better absorbed with water and others with fat.  If you are eating no fat in your diet, you are not absorbing vital fat-soluble nutrients well or at all!

Another important fact about fat is that fat controls satiety.  Its incredibly hard to binge on anything with a high fat content.  If your meals are balance with protein and fat, you will not get hungry in an hour or need a bunch of snacks.  Kind of throws the theory of portion control out the window, doesn't it? Counting calories doesn't work long-term (it's not a lifestyle so its a temporary "diet") but we'll talk about that another day!

BTW - I know coconut oil is high in saturated fat which they say is bad for your heart... First off, that is a MYTH (ONE study that was blown way out of proportion) and second, the saturated fat in coconut oil is medium chain fatty acids, which are very diff.  Wanna know more about the science? Check out Robb Wolf.  I LOVE the nerdy talk, but I'll let the pro biochemist explain.

Food Sources!

Coconut Oil

Grass-fed Butter - sold at US Wellness Meats

Eating Well Vs. Convenience

Here's a link to a post on Etsy's blog about food. I have to say I was impressed to see something about food on Etsy but its awesome! What's even more awesome are the comments...so many people agreeing and some expressing their differing POVs (respectfully for the most part). Check it out...

Can We Eat Well, Conveniently?

I whole-heartedly agree with some of the posts that talk about how the way we feel and look are seriously affected by the way we eat. I think many people are in denial about this. It's a lot to have to think about especially when we are so busy already. But its the honest truth...if you want to feel better, REALLY evaluate your diet and do some research. Information is so readily available these days. Get on it!

How do YOU eat well conveniently?

Date Day

So, my mom watches my son through the week while we work and she was gracious enough to watch him on a Saturday so we could have a "date day". We started out at National Harbor and then ended up in DC...I love no-plan days like that. Enjoy!

Where do YOU go for date day?