Paleo "Oatmeal"? Heck, yeah!

Since I am now on Day 12 of The 21-Day Sugar Detox, I have had to come up with interesting meals that both the kids and I can eat AND WILL ACTUALLY ENJOY! And, since I have always been a big fan of oatmeal/cream of wheat or rice for breakfast, imagine my excitement when I created this totally 21DSD-safe "oatmeal" that the kids really do like!

Here's what I did:

Paleo "Oatmeal" (21DSD, gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free)

FIRST...

Make your own coconut milk using 2 cups of water and 1 cup unsweetened, shredded coconut. Place coconut and water in a blender, pulse, and let sit for 4 to 5 hours or overnight, pulsing periodically. At the end of the soak time, run the blender for about 5 minutes. Place a flour-sack towel or thick cheesecloth over a jar, and pour the coconut-water mixture into it. Squeeze the coconut milk out and reserve the leftover coconut shreds. Continue until all of the coconut is thoroughly squeezed and the blender is empty. Enjoy your coconut milk! Now, take the leftover coconut shreds (which don't have much flavor anymore, now that they have had the goodies squeezed out of them) and use them for the oatmeal...

1 c. leftover, finely blended coconut (from making coconut milk)
1 green-tipped banana (or use a ripe banana if you're not doing 21DSD) 
2 T. raw pumpkin seeds (or seed/nut of your choosing)
2 tsp. cinnamon (to taste)
1 c. unsweetened almond milk (I used vanilla.), divided

Put coconut in a pan. Add remaining dry ingredients. Pour almond milk in to just moisten "oatmeal". Heat on very low heat, stirring frequently. DO NOT BOIL! Remove from heat when "oatmeal" is steamy, and put servings into bowls (If I double the coconut milk recipe, the remaining leftover coconut will feed my 4 kids and myself a decent-sized breakfast, but my kids are little oinkers! *wink*). Top with remaining almond milk. Yum! This "oatmeal" is great for chilly mornings when nothing but comfort food will do!

If you're not doing the detox, you can add raw honey, raisins, apples, even chocolate chips.

If you try it, let me know what you think and if you tweaked, added, subtracted, etc! Enjoy!

Over Halfway Through!

Here I am, on Day 11 of The 21-Day Sugar Detox, and I am still feeling pretty great, especially now since I know I've passed the halfway point! Here's some inspiration for the day, in case anyone is needing a boost/reality check/whatever:

From BalancedBites.com:

"Nothing changes if you change nothing.

Or, said even more simply…

Nothing changes if nothing changes.

These words resonate with me often.
I think many of you who read this blog regularly know that I’m a proponent for things like practicing an attitude of gratitude, living your life in the driver’s seat, and being open to opportunity when it comes up and grabs you in the face.
I’m also always in favor of putting people first.
What you may not know is that I am a serious fan of change. And I don’t mean the kind that jingles in your pocket or in the bottom of your purse.

I mean real change. Life change. BIG CHANGE.

Photo credit: Drew of toothpastefordinner.com

Now, don’t get me wrong, I don’t mean that “big change” always has to mean geographically, physically or even financially large in size, volume, or expense.
It could simply mean a BIG change in mindset.
Most of us have made up our minds about a lot of things, perhaps right now the way you eat is something you think you’ll never question again.
Perhaps you can’t possibly imagine moving somewhere far away from a life you have created and have grown to love.
Perhaps you can’t imagine ever (gasp!) not CrossFitting. (Relax, I’m not saying you shouldn’t CrossFit!)
Or perhaps even your entire view of the world was as one thing or one way, but somehow, with some motivation and inspiration – or perhaps a good kick in the fanny to “wake up” to the world around you – you could view the world almost entirely differently. That is a BIG change.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying you should be questioning whether things you fully know and believe in your life are “non-negotiable.”

What I am asking you to consider is this:

What if something you think is non-negotiable right now really is negotiable?
What if simply changing how you think about all of the non-negotiables in your life could actually change your life?
What if you made some of those non-negotiables suddenly open to discussion?

Changing your thoughts can change everything about your life.

“You cannot control what happens to you, but you can control your attitude toward what happens to you, and in that, you will be mastering change rather than allowing it to master you.” – Brian Tracy

How can you go about changing your thoughts?

• Create a gratitude journal. Or even simply a list each night, or once a week. Write down all the things in your life for which you are grateful. Do not focus on that which makes you feel unhappy, disappointed, or unfulfilled – these are counter-productive thoughts.
• Reconsider your non-negotiables. As I outlined above, question yourself – very seriously – about that which matters most to you. Then make some tough choices. Open your mind up to something outside of your comfort zone, and allow the changes to flow.
• Look outside of yourself. Maybe this change of thoughts requires help from others – friends, peers, or colleagues perhaps. Reach out to people you trust, you may be surprised at how ready they are to lend a helping hand.
• Change just one small thing. Sometimes making the first change is the hardest – whether its in mindset, or a physical change – just the first step may cascade into the others much more easily than you imagined.

How do you approach change? Are you afraid of it? Do you face it head-on?"

I'd love to read what others think about this. Leave me a comment!

Paleo Parents and Slim is Simple movie

It is Day 9 with my 21-Day Sugar Detox, and I have to say that I am actually doing quite well! The only thing I have really missed, as far as sugar goes, is my homemade, Paleo creamer. I usually mix a can of full-fat, organic coconut milk with honey, cinnamon, and vanilla, but, on the 21DSD honey isn't allowed, and I discovered the Costco Kirkland vanilla has sugar in it, so those are out. And, as much as I hate to say it, coffee without those things just doesn't taste very good! I still put the coconut milk and cinnamon in it, but without the honey, it just isn't the same. =(

As I said, though, I am doing quite well. I was looking through my pictures for a "before" picture (which, I realized, I don't have a whole lot of - I've never really liked having pictures taken of me - gee, I wonder why...), and when I find one, I will post it. Since I'm only on Day 9, it'll be a while before I post the "after" picture, but I will.

I just checked out the Paleo Parents blog (Their cookbook, Eat Like a Dinosaur, is great, and they're coming out with a new cookbook, Beyond Bacon, soon.), and saw that Stacy, the mom of the Paleo Parents, had done the 21DSD. Naturally, I wanted to check out her "before" and "after" pics. The difference is quite astounding! And all in just 21 days makes it even more impressive!

Which brings me to the second part of the title of this post... Slim is Simple movie. Now that I've been sugar-free for over a week, and I feel pretty dang good, I want to share some things I've learned. Check out the movie and let me know what you think!

Day 3 of The 21-Day Sugar Detox! Ready to ROCK!!!

I am feeling pretty dang good! I did have a brain-fade on Day 1 - I ate a Coconut Crème Pie LaraBar, thinking of the coconut oil (21DSD safe), nuts (also 21DSD safe), and the unsweetened coconut (again, 21DSD safe), but forgot completely the dates (NOT on the 21DSD "yes" list!). Oops! Oh, well! Since it was just a brain-fade and not an intentional attempt on my part at sabotage, I do not feel bad about it and have just moved on!

Speaking of moving, I have been doing the workouts also. Day 1 was fine and dandy. Day 2 was a bit tougher. Here we are at Day 3, and I have not been able to complete my workout yet - darned kids! Always wanting something! ;^)

I am sore today, a bit. Obliques, especially. Must've been the side plank moves. Ugh.

Anyway, still doing it. Still liking it. Still looking forward to where I'll be in 18 days! Woo hoo!

Day #1: The 21-Day Sugar Detox...

I've always been a major sugar addict. I know this. But now, since going Paleo, I've been acutely aware of just how sugar-dependent I truly am. Dependent, as in: "This York Peppermint Pattie is okay because it's got dark chocolate and egg whites in it." Or, if I'm being truly honest, "These THREE York Peppermint Patties are okay because they've got dark chocolate and egg whites, and they're buy 2, get one free. Can't pass up a deal like that! And, heck, if I eat them all tonight, no one will know, right?"

Which brings me to today... I began Diane Sanfilippo's "The 21-Day Sugar Detox" (www.the21daysugardetox.com)! I chose to do level 3, since I am already used to not eating bread, pasta, and grains or refined, pre-packaged stuff. She even has a workout for each of the 21 days (which, sadly, I chose to do level 1, since I am severely out of shape after having my four kids and arm and shoulder issues - which, by the way, was challenging even though it was supposed to be the "easy" workout!). I enjoyed it, though, and decided to jot down this quick blog entry before heading to the kitchen to scarf down some scrambled eggs with veggies and avocado! YUM!

I will keep everyone filled in on my progress. I am looking forward to feeling the amazing LIBERATION from sugar addiction, and it might be nice (Who am I kidding? It would be awesome!) to drop some more pounds over these three weeks!

Ta ta for now!

Valentine's Day Awesomeness!

In the spirit of saving time, hassle, and money, I asked the kids if they would like to be hubby's and my restaurant for Valentine's Day this year. They responded with an enthusiastic "YES!!!"

Here's what we did:

I bought wild-caught lobster tails for me and natural steak for hubby. Our 9-year-old drew up a super adorable menu, calling the lobster and steak "Surfin' and Turfin' " (see picture below).

He also planned side, beverage, and dessert choices. We determined that he would be the chef and would do most of the cooking (with a little help from me), Zoe (6) would be the server/waitress, Devon (4) would be the busboy, and Carrie (2) would be the hostess.

As the time for hubby to arrive home drew near, we began preparations. The kids helped set the table, Chef Troy prepped the salad and side veggies, and I got the lobster ready and seared the steak, so Troy would just have to pop it in the oven while we were eating our salads.

While he did most of the prepping, I dipped washed and thoroughly-dried (Remember my post from yesterday? Chocolate and water do not get along!) strawberries in 1/2 cup dark chocolate, melted with 2 tsp. palm shortening and set them up on a sheet of waxed paper to dry.

Here's what the table looked like:

The flowers were added by hubby when he got home - roses for me and tulips for each of the girls!

The dinner was great! Hubby and I walked out to his car to pretend we were walking into a restaurant. Carrie greeted us at the door and led us to our seats, giving us our menu. Troy pushed our seats in for us, and Zoe was quick to introduce herself, saying, "My name's Zoe, and I'll be taking care of you tonight." Cute! Devon wasn't really into helping much, but he did do a little dance for us.

Troy poured us some wine, and we "ordered" our salads. Zoe brought them out and the Chef put the lobster and steak in the oven.

The steak and lobster were a bit over-done when we ate them, and the baby squash was as well, but, overall, it was a wonderful dinner, mainly because we know it was made with love by our great kids!

Well, I Did It Again...

... this time, however, I did have pretty good reason (for awhile). My old, crappy computer finally died completely. Which actually kinda sucks, since I had a bunch of stuff on there that I do want that I had just done right before it died.

So, while we waited FOREVER for the new computer to arrive, I couldn't blog from my old, crappy phone.

I did get a new phone in the time that I had to wait for the new computer, but it has a touch keyboard instead of a slide-out, and I don't really like texting on it, let alone blogging.

The new computer finally arrived, I took it out, got it set up, and anxiously pressed the power button... to NOTHING. So, we returned it after the tech support guy said, "Well, it's pretty much a dud. Just return it."

We reordered it and had to wait FOREVER, again, for it to arrive. It came, I got it hooked up, turned it on, and voila! It works!

Then, however, came the madness of Christmas, with family coming from out of town, then my youngest daughter's birthday (which is also New Year's Eve), and getting the kids started back at school.

So, here we are on Valentine's Day, and I am finally posting again! Now that I've given you my excuses, here's my apology and a yummy Valentine's Day recipe to make up for the time we've missed.

 

Coconut Butter Dark Chocolate Candies

 

I came up with this all on my own! =)

 

Chocolate Coating:

1/2 cup dark chocolate (I used Enjoy Life chocolate chips - no soy, no dairy.)

2 tsp. palm shortening (Spectrum brand)

 

Filling:

1/4 cup coconut butter (I used Maranatha.)

1 Tbsp. raw honey

 

In a double boiler, melt the chocolate and palm shortening together, being extra careful not to get water in the chocolate. (Chocolate and water have a long-standing animosity - water always wins, making chocolate seize up and turn yucky.)

Use a small spatula, paintbrush, or popcicle stick to put a layer of melted chocolate into the bottom and up the sides of a candy mold of your choosing (I used little hearts for Valentine's Day, of course.). Put the mold on a cookie sheet into your freezer for 15 to 20 minutes to harden.

In the meantime, soften the coconut butter in a hot water bath. You can use the water still in the pan from the double boiler, but, again, be careful not to get water into the coconut butter. (Evidently, no one really likes water in this recipe!) Mix the honey into the warm coconut butter. Set aside.

Take the candy mold out of the freezer and put a small amount of the coconut butter mixture into the now-frozen chocolate in the candy molds. Spread the filling to the edges, but keep it just below the top of the mold. Put the whole thing back into the freezer for about 15 minutes. Rewarm the chocolate/palm shortening mixture for the last part.

After the filling has sufficiently cooled in the freezer, take it out, and top the filling with more of the chocolate mixture, being careful to cover it all the way to the edges so the filling doesn't ooze out. Freeze again for 10 to 15 minutes. Invert and twist the mold gently to release the candies.

Yummy time! 

You can see in the pictures that my hearts are not "perfect," and the chocolate extends beyond the edges of the heart. That doesn't bother me too much - more chocolate to enjoy! - but if it bothers you, you can spread your top layer of chocolate more carefully or use a knife to cut the excess off.

 

Enough for today! Enjoy, and Happy Valentine's Day!