Something Tasty {Paleo Muffins}

As of right now I am still eating a Paleo diet. I have been adding a safe starch maybe once or twice a week to pick up more carbs because I feel so fatigued all the time. So I guess it could be argued that I'm not eating Paleo! Oh well. Until I can get tested for adrenal fatigue or get further testing on hormone imbalances I have decided I might just be the kind of person that needs a little bit more than just 10% (or lower) of carbs a day.

 I found this recipe on Fed & Fit for Paleo Scones. They are made with cashew meal and taste SO much better than an almond meal scone (I think). When I made these scones the first time I loved the texture but I wasn't fond of tasting the coconut oil in the final product. I let them sit in the fridge for a day or so and the flavor mellowed out a bit. The second time I made them I used olive oil instead of coconut oil. Personally, that really made them great right out of the oven. But hey, if you like the taste of cooking with coconut oil then more power to ya! 

So for the THIRD time I made these puppies I thought....why not try mini muffins? YES! This is the final result that is finally...my favorite. 

The changes that I made were I used blackberries and raspberries instead of blueberries and swapped out olive oil for the coconut oil. I did reduce the time in the oven by 5 minutes for the mini muffins. 

These are so delicious. You do not need to grind the cashews yourself if you live near a Trader Joes. They have Cashew Meal in a bag. Easy!

I have used just blueberries before and they have tasted wonderful. I have used frozen and fresh and the only difference that I can find is that the frozen fruit will change the batter color slightly because of the juice. 

Even if you're not on a Paleo diet these little guys are a great way to get your healthy fats in through your cooking oils! 

Something Tasty {Blackberries & Cream...A Paleo Treat}

In my "I'm addicted to sugar post" a few days ago I talked about my Paleo lifestyle and how much I love sugar. The two do NOT go hand in hand. When I have reached the end of my rope and I need something sweet and I haven't been awesome enough to break the sugar cycle...I eat this sweet treat. 

Blackberries & Cream.

Technically that is not cream in that photo. It is coconut milk. But doesn't cream sound so much more delectable?

Here's what you will need to make this recipe! 

* Blackberries (or raspberries, strawberries and even snozberries! Sorry. I couldn't help it)

* Coconut Milk (The full fat Thai Kitchen is what I use)

* Honey

As always, organic ingredients are the bet for the Paleo diet. Honey is not approved on the Whole30. Some people don't even agree with it being Paleo but some people do. Just choose a side and go for it. I happen to embrace honey because there is evidence that it is good for you when used correctly. Raw honey is the best since it is less processed but I liked the good ole' local honey for this recipe. Plus I like to be the Queen Bee at my house. Or at least pretend to be the Queen Bey. 

Just place the berries in a sweet little bowl that makes you smile. Pour some coconut milk over them and drizzle with honey.

A lovely dessert...all for you! You deserve it! And gosh darn it you're worth it.

ENJOY!

*recipe adapted from text in Well Fed 2

What is your favorite Paleo dessert? 

Life Lately {Sugar}

If you have been a reader here for a while you know that I am an alcoholic (closely related to why I love sugar so much) and I will pick up my 3 year sobriety chip in July of this year. Woohoo! Super proud of myself and all that fluff and stuff but that's not what I'm here to talk about today.

Today I'm talking about SUGAR.

And how it was easier to quit drinking than it is to quit SUGAR.

Is that not crazy? It is crazy.

After years and years of walking around with a bloated gut the hubs and I did some research and stumbled upon the book Wheat Belly which lead to more research which led to the Whole30 challenge which led to Paleo. At that time in my life I was overwhelmed at the idea of doing a Whole30 challenge but I really started to like the idea of Paleo. Once I got this cookbook I was ready! Pretty soon after switching to Paleo, I noticed my swollen belly appearance shrinking. It was and is still there somewhat throughout different times of the month but I can now directly relate it to my monthly cycle (TMI - sorry). I am STILL working on pinning that problem down. Just went for an ultrasound today. But that's a different story for a different time. Cutting out the wheat got me closer to solving my intermittent bloated feelings. NOW. Onto the reason for this post!

SUGAR

On the Paleo diet I do allow myself to have honey, as well as dates, and "clean" chocolate. I still have cheat days too! After the holidays though I really needed to detox. I looked hard at Whole30. Real hard. Basically stared a hole through it. A new one started on January 1st. Perfect timing! Just what I needed! It's only 30 days....but wait....no honey? No dried fruit? No chocolate?!? Eeeeeek. It's only 30 days.

I then decided that I was just not ready. I wanted to be ready, but I just wasn't. I decided to do a pseudo Whole30 of my own. I'm not eliminating them but I have been trying very hard not to eat a lot of dates or honey. I tried to not have a fruity breakfast so that I don't start the day of with sugars, even though they are natural sugars. That only lasted a few days. I missed my bananas. I haven't had a cheat day and I don't plan on having one for a while because I ate everything AND the kitchen sink at Christmas. There ain't no room for cheating. 

Needless to say, this detox has been hard! I was sad y'all. Straight up sad. And very, very cranky.

I gave in one day this week and ate a Larabar...ate fruit for breakfast...ate (paleo) chocolate chips! Sheesh! What the crap is wrong with me? Can I not leave the sugar alone?

I then thought - I need help. I need Netflix. Documentaries!

I watched Fed Up and got some seriously good motivation from that. Not quite enough motivation to take the 10 day sugar free challenge.

I am working up to it.

I'm thinking summertime might be easier? I don't know. I do need to give myself credit for not giving in and having a blueberry scone and a cafe mocha from Starbucks, the last of my son's waffle drowning in syrup or those deeeelish cupcakes from Trader Joe's that I love so much.

But dang it's hard! I keep telling myself....

You quit drinking. You can quit sugar.

Surely.

photo source