Since going Paleo, I've really been wanting to make paleo crackers so I decided today was the day. I was planning to make the cinnamon walnut crackers from Mark Sisson's Primal Blueprint Quick & Easy meals but as I glanced over the ingredients, I realized I didn't have most of them. So I improvised and was quite pleased with the results. If you want yours sweeter, then add more honey because they aren't really sweet at all. After making these, I decided to put cashew butter and jelly on it for Ellie. She wasn't interested it so I ate it and OMG! It was so yummy. We use Bionaturae strawberry fruit spread because it does not have any sugar added to it. So without further delay, here is the recipe I adapted from Sisson's recipe.
Almond Sunflower crackers
3/4 cup almond flour
1/2 cup sunflower butter
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tsp cinnamon
1 TBSP butter
1 TBSP honey
1 TBSP water
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line an 8x8 dish with parchment paper. Mix all ingredients and spread on prepared pan. The spreading takes some time so be patient with this step to get it even and smooth. Bake 12-15 minutes until browned on the edges. Let cool mostly before cutting.
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Saturday, May 26, 2012
It's all in your perception
Recently I've been having some "whoa's me" moments about my body not changing fast enough. I've been doing the Primal diet since mid-April and thought I would be a lean machine by now. Of course that was not a realistic expectation but I was still hopeful. The reality is that I have lost three pounds and since I only had 10 to lose, and I'm gaining muscle, the number actually means nothing.
After complaining to my husband yet again about hating how my clothes look, he suggested that I go buy a couple things that look great. Not just "ok" but great. Of course I'll never turn down a shopping opportunity but I'll admit I was a bit scared to meet that "great" expectation because frankly I haven't been feeling great about my body.
A good friend of mine joined me on my venture for new clothes and together we worked out two outfits. I was still expecting these outfits to make me suddenly look like a lean machine when in reality, they were just what looked good on my body. After our shopping trip, this wonderful friend said something to me that really put everything into perspective.
She had stopped working out after gaining weight from her workouts and was feeling defeated. She was wearing clothes that were too big to hide the curves she wanted to lose. She then noticed an acquaintance of her at a gathering and noted that she looked stunning. This woman's body was no different then her own but she was not afraid to show it with nice fitting clothes. It then occurred to me that by wearing baggy shirts and frumpy pants, I was making myself look very unattractive not only to myself, but to others.
We can't always change our body makeup overnight but we can embrace what we have while going through the process. The size of our clothes and the number on the scale really mean very little compared to how we feel. Frankly, eating a primal diet makes me feel full of energy and clearer in my thinking than my pre-primal state. I could have easily sabotaged my primal journey by letting my lack of weight loss get me down. I now realize how important perception can be in maintaining a good sense of self-esteem.
How about you guys? Anyone out there ever sabotage their fitness goals based on poor perception?
After complaining to my husband yet again about hating how my clothes look, he suggested that I go buy a couple things that look great. Not just "ok" but great. Of course I'll never turn down a shopping opportunity but I'll admit I was a bit scared to meet that "great" expectation because frankly I haven't been feeling great about my body.
A good friend of mine joined me on my venture for new clothes and together we worked out two outfits. I was still expecting these outfits to make me suddenly look like a lean machine when in reality, they were just what looked good on my body. After our shopping trip, this wonderful friend said something to me that really put everything into perspective.
She had stopped working out after gaining weight from her workouts and was feeling defeated. She was wearing clothes that were too big to hide the curves she wanted to lose. She then noticed an acquaintance of her at a gathering and noted that she looked stunning. This woman's body was no different then her own but she was not afraid to show it with nice fitting clothes. It then occurred to me that by wearing baggy shirts and frumpy pants, I was making myself look very unattractive not only to myself, but to others.
We can't always change our body makeup overnight but we can embrace what we have while going through the process. The size of our clothes and the number on the scale really mean very little compared to how we feel. Frankly, eating a primal diet makes me feel full of energy and clearer in my thinking than my pre-primal state. I could have easily sabotaged my primal journey by letting my lack of weight loss get me down. I now realize how important perception can be in maintaining a good sense of self-esteem.
How about you guys? Anyone out there ever sabotage their fitness goals based on poor perception?
Sunday, May 20, 2012
The best Paleo brownies ever!
Warning!! These are super moist yummy brownies. There are many recipes out there claiming to be the best Paleo brownie and I'm pretty sure I've tried most of them. This recipe is not only the best, but it is nut free, dairy free and gluten free. It can be easily adjusted to be vegan as well. It packs in 3 grams of fiber for one piece and only 15 carbs!
A friend of mine recently sent me a recipe for fudgy brownies. It utilized almond butter which my palate has not quite adjusted to yet. More importantly though, I'm making these for my kids as I generally don't crave sweets other than fruit anymore. I figure if I can get Brayden to eat his sweets Paleo, then I'll be off to a good start in transforming him. On to the recipe.
I decided to use sunflower seeds as I wanted to make them nut free for purposes of taking them to school and possibly bringing them to my nephew next weekend who has a nut allergy. I was so excited at how great these turned out. Here it is:
Paleo Brownie Bar
1 cup sunflower seeds
1/3 cup coconut oil, melted
2 eggs, tempered (optional, see below)
1/2 cup canned coconut milk, room temperature or warmed 10 seconds
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt
1/3-1/2 cup of carob or cocoa powder (I used carob powder)
1/3 cup coconut palm sugar (*this is key to a rich caramel flavor and can be found at Whole Foods)
Optional add ins: chocolate chips, shredded coconuts, nuts, dried cherries
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Grease an 8x8 pan with coconut oil or line with parchment paper.
In your food processor, ground the sunflower seeds until thickened about 3 minutes. Stir in the coconut oil until smooth. (You could alternatively use sunflower seed butter from the jar). Add your tempered eggs (microwave for 10 seconds), milk, vanilla, and salt. Stir until smooth. Add cocoa, sugar and any add ins.
Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool before cutting.
To make these vegan, increase the sunflower seeds by 1/2 cup. They will be chewier than this version. I prefer eggs in mine. The reason you have to temper your eggs and warm your milk is because of the coconut oil. You can mix a different oil with your sunflower seeds to skip the warming part or if you use the jar version of sunflower seed butter then you can skip it.
Let me know what you think. I'm having trouble not eating the whole pan!
A friend of mine recently sent me a recipe for fudgy brownies. It utilized almond butter which my palate has not quite adjusted to yet. More importantly though, I'm making these for my kids as I generally don't crave sweets other than fruit anymore. I figure if I can get Brayden to eat his sweets Paleo, then I'll be off to a good start in transforming him. On to the recipe.
I decided to use sunflower seeds as I wanted to make them nut free for purposes of taking them to school and possibly bringing them to my nephew next weekend who has a nut allergy. I was so excited at how great these turned out. Here it is:
Paleo Brownie Bar
1 cup sunflower seeds
1/3 cup coconut oil, melted
2 eggs, tempered (optional, see below)
1/2 cup canned coconut milk, room temperature or warmed 10 seconds
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt
1/3-1/2 cup of carob or cocoa powder (I used carob powder)
1/3 cup coconut palm sugar (*this is key to a rich caramel flavor and can be found at Whole Foods)
Optional add ins: chocolate chips, shredded coconuts, nuts, dried cherries
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Grease an 8x8 pan with coconut oil or line with parchment paper.
In your food processor, ground the sunflower seeds until thickened about 3 minutes. Stir in the coconut oil until smooth. (You could alternatively use sunflower seed butter from the jar). Add your tempered eggs (microwave for 10 seconds), milk, vanilla, and salt. Stir until smooth. Add cocoa, sugar and any add ins.
Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool before cutting.
To make these vegan, increase the sunflower seeds by 1/2 cup. They will be chewier than this version. I prefer eggs in mine. The reason you have to temper your eggs and warm your milk is because of the coconut oil. You can mix a different oil with your sunflower seeds to skip the warming part or if you use the jar version of sunflower seed butter then you can skip it.
Let me know what you think. I'm having trouble not eating the whole pan!
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