So Paleo

I'm so excited! I am finally doing it. I'm eating Paleo/Primal! Go me!! I sat down last week, made a list of all the recipes I've found, snack ideas, etc. And I laid it all out on a calendar. I then went grocery shopping, and did some cooking. And here we are.

Had a bit of a rocky start on Saturday, but I'm still going strong. Not feeling sick yet, thank goodness. I attribute that to the fact that I've been making a lot of paleo recipes lately, so I've been eating less carbs/sugar already. I haven't been eating perfectly paleo, but I'm trying as best I can, and not stressing over the rest.

Today was the weirdest day so far. I was STARVING all day. I ate a 3-egg omelet w/ veggies for breakfast, and by the time I got to work (an hour later), I was busting out the almonds. I then went for some sweet potato chips. Then some pistachios. Then it was lunch time. I had a bowl of sweet potato chowder (loaded w/ veggies and chicken). Finished that off w/ some grape tomatoes. Then another helping of sweet potato chips (I know I OD-ed on the sweet potato today, my bad). Finally started to feel satiated. Yeah...this all went into a 5 foot 3, 110ish pound girl, who has not worked out for 2 days. CRAZY!

Once I have some time, I will post some of the recipes I've been enjoying. I'm keeping a food log, may even share that. This has been an exciting change for me, and I'm excited to see the results in my body and overall health.

BONUS: Went to lunch w/ my husband yesterday and was telling him how the plan was going so far. We also went into some of the parameters of the diet, and what I CAN eat. He then said he would be willing to eat paleo with me! WIN!

Stay tuned!

One Ingredient Ice Cream

I am still testing the waters of going paleo. I've read lots and lots of websites and books! I'm building my own 30 day meal plan to do my one-month-trial. I am pretty sure everything I bought at the grocery store last week was paleo-friendly! Honestly, right now I'm eating 80% paleo. But I'm still hesitating to take the plunge.

Sugar is still one of my big hang ups. I'm trying to incorporate more fruit instead of treats. I'm chewing gum or drinking water whenever I have a craving. Mostly it's working. Still a work in progress though.

A friend posted this recipe on facebook tonight, and I thought, well, at least I know I have the ingredient. So, I ran downstairs to give it a try.

One Ingredient Banana Ice Cream

Original "recipe" here

Easy enough: Slice up a couple bananas and throw them into the freezer for 1-2 hours. Lucky for me, I had some already waiting for me in the freezer (the benefit of having two people in the house who get tired of eating fresh bananas after like, day three of me buying them...).

Put the banana slices into a blender or food processor (I used my Vita-Mix, of course). Process for a minute or two, until things start to get creamy and thick. You will have to stop and scrape down the sides a few times.

When it starts to look ice cream-y, stop and taste it. I did, and while I like bananas, I don't LIKE bananas. So I threw in a tablespoon of dark chocolate almond butter. Blend a little more.

Serve.

Delish! This is very thick, almost like a frozen pudding. I didn't put mine back into the freezer, just ate it, and it was great!

Next time, I think I will try some cocoa powder and almond butter, for a treat with even less sugar.

I am definitely adding this to my list of paleo-approved foods!

This recipe is linked to Linda @ The Gluten Free Homemaker's Gluten Free Wednesdays, and Amy @ Simply Sugar and Gluten Free's Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays.

Strawberry Shortcake

I love strawberries! I like to eat them plain, throw them in my smoothies, enjoy in a bowl of cereal, or add to some creamy and/or chocolate-y dessert.

I know I'm a little behind strawberry season with this post, but I had a carton of gorgeous red berries in my fridge, and wanted to do something spectacular with them. I dehydrated several pints of strawberries last month, and they were fantastic, but a lot of work for a treat that only lasted me a few days. I figured I ought to do something a little easier with this bunch of berries.

I jumped online, and drooled over a few recipes that I've been dying to try...

Carol's Strawberry Almond Tart

Linda's Angel Food Cake

Brian's Strawberry Pie

In the end, I decided on a strawberry shortcake. I followed recipes from Elana's cookbook, The Gluten Free Almond Flour Cookbook, substituting out the whipped cream called for in her recipe.

First, I made the drop biscuits, similar this recipe, which calls for butter instead of oil.

Then I made her vegan Creme Patissiere (pastry cream - here's a great non-vegan recipe and video) recipe, which uses cashews. YUM!

I then layered the creme and berries in a biscuit sandwich. And there you have it!

Strawberry Shortcake

Recipe adapted from The Gluten Free Almond Flour Cookbook

1 batch pre-made drop biscuits (see recipe, below)

1 batch creme patissiere (see recipe, below)

1 pint fresh strawberries

Clean, hull and slice the strawberries.

Cut the tops off of the biscuits.

Arrange biscuits on individual serving plates.

Note: Elana's original shortcake recipe called for 4 cups whipped cream. I managed to get 2 cups of the creme patissiere, but didn't double the recipe.

Classic Drop Biscuits

Recipe adapted from The Gluten Free Almond Flour Cookbook

(makes 8-10)

2 ½ c blanched almond flour

½ tsp sea salt

½ tsp baking soda

¼ c olive oil

1/4 c agave nectar

2 eggs

1 tsp lemon juice

In a large bowl, mix together oil, agave, eggs and lemon juice. Add the dry ingredients on top, and mix together until thoroughly combined.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet w/ parchment paper or oiled foil.

Scoop the batter onto the baking sheet, about 1/4 c per biscuit, and situate them about 2 inches apart. I managed to get 10 from my batch.

Bake for 15 minutes, until biscuits are golden brown. Check w/ a toothpick, if desired. Cool briefly on the baking sheet, then remove to a wire rack and let cool.

Creme Patissiere

Recipe adapted from The Gluten Free Almond Flour Cookbook

(makes 1 1/2 - 2 c)

1 c raw cashews

1/2 c milk/substitute of choice (original recipe called for all water.I needed to use up some almond milk)

1/2 c plus 1 tbsp water

1/3 c agave nectar

1 tbsp vanilla extract

1 tbsp arrowroot powder

Combine cashews, milk, 1/2 c water, agave and vanilla in a blender. Puree on high for 1-2 minutes, until mixture is smooth.

Pour into a medium saucepan, and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring frequently.

While it is heating, mix together the arrowroot and remaining 1 tbsp water in a small bowl. Stir to create a paste. Keep nearby.

Once the cashew mixture boiling, whisk constantly for 1 minute. Increase the heat to high, and mix in the arrowroot paste. Whisk constantly for another minute, until the mixture starts to thicken. Remove from heat, and let cool for a few minutes. Transfer to a glass jar, and cool completely.

Will keep, refrigerated, for 2 days.