Day 14 Whole30

9 hours sleep

7am: 3 soft boiled eggs, 2 slices apple with almond butter and a few macadamias

10am: Coconut and Almonds with Raspberries (not pictured)

2pm: lamb sausage, carrots, cucumber, yellow peppers all dipped in Sunshine Sauce 

7pm: Crispy duck breast, roasted kumara (sweet potato), asparagus and broccoli. Coconut Manna

Day 13 Whole30

Today is that female time of the month so I didn't feel great. It hasn't been long enough to notice if dropping dairy will affect it, hopefully next month i'll have a better idea. Suffice to say I had some pretty rampant sugar cravings, in particular...you guessed it CHOCOLATE!!! boy I really really wanted to cave today but I didn't.  Dallas and Melissa warn that this part of the program can get really intense, I'm looking forward to day 16 when hopefully the cravings will be gone.

On the bright side I am really loving trying lots of new things because I'm not having any dairy, I really do have to think outside the square! 

My new Well Fed cookbook is just awesome!!! I highly recommend this book, for anyone from beginners to those of us that have been at this a long time, like myself! Great ideas and lots of new flavours, herbs and spices that I wouldn't have thought of.  

The introduction is awesome, a very basic yet well thought out way of explaining Paleo and how to transition to a Paleo diet.  Plenty of advice for meal planning and preparation tips.

It would be a perfect gift for that person in your life that keeps questioning about your "crazy diet" but isn't ready to change their eating habits because they don't understand how to do it. I would say if you read this book and didn't like the recipes and suggestions then there is no saving you ;)

Hubby was blown away by tonights  meal and kept raving about the chicken and sunshine sauce.  You must try this!!!!(links below)

8 hours sleep

8am: 2 egg omelet filled with leftovers from yesterday's lunch (pizza inspired mince & veggies)

2pm: Almond and smoked lemon coated chicken fried in coconut oil, on top of asparagus "noodles", drizzled with lemon olive oil. Blueberries with cinnamon toasted almonds and coconut

8pm: The Best Chicken You Will Ever Eat. Ever. with Sunshine Sauce and chopped up carrots, cucumber and yellow peppers with coriander and Buttercrunch lettuce (this meal was AMAZING!!!!!) 

Day 12 Whole30

Today I was craving chocolate hard!!! That time of the month is due so I'm not surprised, I just really really really wanted chocolate arghhhh! I didn't cave, stayed strong but I probably ate a bit much fruit.

7 hours sleep

7am: 3 small soft boiled eggs.  Blueberries, banana with cinnamon toasted coconut and almonds

1pm: Grassfed Beef mince and pure lamb sausages with Italian seasoning, red peppers, mushrooms & kalamata olives with butter crunch lettuce

7pm: Mushroom soup made with homemade chicken broth and coconut cream, apple slices with almond butter, macadamias and coconut manna

Whipped Coconut Cream

I think you all will love this! Whipped Coconut Cream, yes you can whip coconut cream much like you do with normal cream.

Here I served mine with fresh pineapple and toasted coconut chips on top! I have also made it into Chocolate mousse and it's really amazing.

I buy the Kara Coconut Cream but any Coconut Cream will work, so long as it's the cream not the milk. Keep it in the fridge for a day or place it in the freezer for 30-60 minutes. It needs to be chilled before you even attempt this otherwise it won't hold it's shape

1. Use a large bowl
2. Open up the Carton or Tin and scoop out the most solid part of the cream, it will produce a stiffer whipped cream. 
3. Beat cream until it forms soft peaks, it should take about 4-5 minutes using electric beaters.
4. The addition of Vanilla is amazing!
5. Will keep refrigerated well

You are welcome ;)

Day 4 Whole 30

Today has been a bit tough,  I understand the "Kill All The Things!", see this timeline to understand what I'm talking about.

*It’s probably because your brain is never very happy when you tell it that it CAN’T have something, and take it out of it’s habitual and accustomed comfort zone. An unhappy brain is a stressed brain, an anxious brain, a fearful brain. No to mention your hormones are desperately trying to keep up with your new food choices, your gut is trying to heal, you’ve had a headache for the last three days, and you REALLY MISS YOUR DIET COKE. So yeah, maybe we do know why this is happening now…

In my case it's not diet coke it's dark chocolate and dairy!


Before I started this Whole30 I was very apprehensive, I didn't think I needed it but I'm realising very quickly why I really did need to do this.

So why go to the extreme and do a Whole30?
For me this is a reset, I needed to quit all the little primal/paleo treats I was having, I had lost my way.  I miss the me who could go out to a cafe and not even be tempted by cake, to see the hot chips being delivered to someones table and not even want them.  I used to be that girl and somehow along the way with all the little treats I started having it had turned into a common place in my eating template and it was leading me down a path of feeling unhealthy and all of my old health symptoms returning.

I eat Primal for my health, yes I have been extremely successful with weight loss.  Weight loss was initially my motivator.  What I've come to realise over these last 5 years is that essentially I want to be healthy.  I've been fat, I've been thin and I've been a normal size. I've been sick, miserable, unhealthy and I've been well, happy and healthy and I know I choose the latter.  Healthy to me means having healthy hormones and sleeping well, having consistent energy throughout the day, loving life, exercise that feels natural, eating the foods I love and stopping when I feel satiated.  Unhealthy to me means having whacked out hormones and not sleeping well, energy ups and downs, not enjoying life, exercising for the "calorie burn",  eating only to my "calorie count".  This is what I have discovered is healthy or unhealthy for ME!

8 hours sleep last night
6.45am: 3 hard boiled eggs mashed with ghee, bowl of blueberries with toasted coconut and almonds
1.15pm: 2 lamb chops marinated in tarragon, tomato paste, lemon juice and paprika, brussel sprouts and green beans, 1 tablespoon of Coconut Manna
3.30pm: A few macadamia nuts
7.30pm: Lamb Shepherds Pie with Mashed Kumara (sweet potato) on top, fresh green beans and peas, broccoli with ghee

Today was mentally quite draining and I definitely had a short fuse for parts of the day, there was a moment when I kinda yelled at my sewing machine but otherwise I was ok.  I had an hour thai massage tonight so that was helpful for easing any tension.  Hopefully tomorrow isn't as harsh and then it might just be two days of feeling like I wanna nap and then the detox part of this Whole30 will be dusted and I will be bouncing with Tiger Blood!

Blueberry and Banana Muffins!

I just made these delish Blueberry and Banana Muffins! Nice for a treat and for those transitioning from a CW way of eating.

• 2 mashed bananas
• 6 eggs
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla
• 4 tablespoons coconut oil or butter
• 1/2 cup coconut flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup blueberries

Mash the bananas and mix with the eggs. Add in melted coconut oil or butter and the vanilla, combine with the dry ingredients.
Fold in frozen blueberries.

Fanbake for 15 minutes on 200C
Makes 12

Rum & Raisin Truffle Chocolate

This chocolate is ultra rich and very decadent, you could almost get drunk from it ;) it has a truffle like texture and I promise it will take care of any sweet cravings you have! If you don't like super rich dark chocolate then use all 70% and add some form of sweetener.

• 2 x 100gm blocks 85% Lindt
• 1 x 100gm block 70% espresso chocolate (or just use normal and add a shot of coffee if you like it, won't matter to leave it out)
• 1/2 cup Coconut Oil
• 1/4 cup Appleton Estate Rum
• 1 cup Raisins

Melt the coconut oil, once melted take off heat and add chocolate and let it melt, if needed pop back on heat but not on high or the chocolate won't melt in your mouth once it's set!

Add the rum (less if you don't want it so rich), mix well and then add raisins.

Line a tray with baking paper, pour in mixture and refrigerate for several hours, remove and cut into pieces!

Tip: the way it tastes in the pot is the way it tastes once set so adjust ingredients while you can!

Cashew & Almond Butter Dark Chocolate

Cashew & Almond Butter Dark Chocolate

• 150gms Butter
• 200gms 70% Cadbury Old Gold
• 100gms 85% Green & Blacks
• 2-3 Tbsps Almond Butter
• 200gms Salted Cashews - chopped up
• (optional: coconut, dried apricots or other dried fruit)

Melt butter, add the broken up chocolate so it melts but no need to boil, you just want to melt the chocolate.  Add the almond butter so thoroughly combined, put in the cashews and pour into a lined dish, pop in the fridge and it should be ready in roughly 3-4 hours.

ENJOY!!

Pear and Mango Sponge

Ok so here's my second attempt at Peach Clafouti using Marina's recipe from her awesome blog! http://marinasprimalcooking.wordpress.com/2011/08/07/marina%E2%80%99s-peach-clafoutis-gluten-free/

This was an awesome dish that I would call more of a sponge! Slight alterations made to my batch.

Ingredients:

• 1 Tbsp honey
• ½ cup cream
• 3 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• pinch of salt
• 1/4 cup coconut flour
• ½ cup almond flour
• ½ cup tapioca flour
• 3 cups sliced pears and mangoes

Instructions:

In a blender or food processor combine the ingredients.  Into a shallow dish that has been buttered or oiled first arrange 3 cups of sliced fruit in the pan. Pour on the batter and bake at 350F or 190C until the top puffs and starts to turn golden-brown, about 40 minutes.

Serve with whipped cream or greek yoghurt, even good as leftovers!

Peach Clafouti

I've just had my braces adjusted so I'm back on soft food for a couple of days.  So I pulled out Mark Sissons The Primal Blueprint Cookbook and made the Peach Clafouti (calw-foo-tee).  I followed the recipe as is, the only thing I would do differently next time is use fresh peaches or to drain my sliced peaches completely to the point of drying them with paper towels, there was a little too much liquid in this batch!  Delicious primal desert and amazing with greek yoghurt or whipped cream.  Who says you can’t have desert for Breakfast!!

 Peach Clafouti

• 2-4 Tbsps Pure Maple Syrup
• 3 cups sliced peaches (I used tinned)
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 cup cream
• 4 eggs
• ¼ cup flour (coconut, almond flour or a combination will work)
• 1 tsp Vanilla

Instructions:

Butter a shallow pie dish, Place sliced peaches in dish.  Blend all remaining ingredients for 2 mintues.  Pour the batter over the peaches and bake for 190C or 375F for about 40-45 minute or until clafouti is golden.  Let cool slightly, but it’s best served when warm.

Smooze! Fruit Ice

These have been my summer treat and braces saviour! Instead of ice cream or ice blocks that are mainly pure glucose I have found these little beauties! Yes they still have sugar but mostly natural from Real Fruit Juice, coconut milk and natural cane sugar so no nasties like High Fructose Corn Syrup!

At 11.2gms of carbs per fruit ice and only 64calories you really can't go wrong with these.  Of course if you are doing super low carb then best to have these when you are in maintenance.  They are absolutely delicious and well priced, I picked them up from our local Fruit and Veg shop for $6.99 for a box of 10 so only $0.69c each! such a bargain.

The flavours are Simply Coconut, Coconut + Pineapple, Coconut + Mango and Coconut + Pink Guava, on the NZ site they have Coconut + Passionfruit which I bet is devine! My favourite is the Pineapple, then the Mango, not really a fan of the simply coconut and I'm still to try the Guava and Passionfruit.

They are available in the US, Australia and New Zealand by the looks of it, see websites below for stockists and more info:
http://www.smooze.co.nz/
http://smooze.com.au/
http://www.smoozeusa.com/index.html

You can even join the facebook fan page https://www.facebook.com/pages/Smooze-Fruit-Ice/108071102551584

Primal Banana Crepes

Primal Banana Crepes

• 2 Whole Eggs
• 2 Egg Whites
• 1 Medium Banana
• 1 tsp Cinnamon
• Pinch of salt

Put all ingredients into a blender and blend until all the banana is blended in. Have pan on a really low heat, melt a little butter and fry in small batches, they will be thin and delicate but the end result is well worth it. Flip once but be careful as they will probably break much like mine has in this picture. Or fry much smaller pancakes but you’ll just be there for longer, you have to be patient that they don’t cook too fast and burn, becasue banana is sweet it will burn like sugar does. Once ready drizzle lemon juice over, roll up and eat like you would a normal crepe.
Simple and delicious, such a treat.