Primal Chocolate Cheesecake To Sooth My Millionaire Dreams

I'm a little put out this morning.
I've had to cancel my bid on the 600 acres of land in Hawaii I was hoping to buy.
We didn't win the lottery...this time!
It was a fun week envisioning all of the travel we would do, college tuitions covered, and new cars...oh boy...would I love a new car!
I also envisioned all the people we would help...secretly...you do not want anyone to know you won half of a billion dollars.
Those dreams are put on hold until the next big lottery I guess.
Then I will pull them out, dust them off, and get geeked all over again.
I have a confession to make.
I cheated last night.
Carbs.
It was so beautiful outside and with my husband acting in an Easter play at church, I dragged my daughter out of  the hidey hole in her room to a restaurant that has outdoor tables.
A Mexican restaurant.
Sigh...
I had chips and salsa plus my old standard favorite...chicken chimichunga...with beans.
Sigh...
It did taste wonderful going down, and my daughter was lovely company.
The three tiny birds we threw chip crumbs to were entertaining, the sunset colorful, and the weather was perfect.
That being said...
I had a horrible nights sleep. My hips ached, my ankles and feet hurt, I could not get comfortable, and there were some other side affects which NO ONE wants to know.
Was it worth it? Yes and no.
The time spent with my teenage daughter...priceless.
The terrible night and health repercussions? No.
I am sure there were better choices on that menu, I chose not to look for them, charging straight into an old habit.
Sigh...
It has been easier to resist the foods that I know will make me feel bad.
I enjoy each day more because I feel so good, that aches and pains are almost non existent, and the fact that my day is full of energy!
I regret eating like that mostly because I was too bloated and full to eat the dessert I had made for my husband and kids.
Primal Chocolate Cheesecake!
It looked yummy and my husband said it tasted great...but man!
It is going to be a while before I can look at anything but a protein and a big plate of spinach salad.
Mmmmm...spinach salad...stomach quieting goodness...

Primal Chocolate Cheesecake

Ingredients
Cheesecake base:

• 1 1/2 cups almond meal
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 Tbsp cocoa
• 1 Tbsp sugar or sugar substitute of your choice
• Dash of salt (if almonds and butter are unsalted)

Cheesecake filling:

• 8 ounces of very dark or even unsweetened chocolate
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• 16 ounces of cream cheese
• 1/2 cup of honey
• 3 large eggs
• 3 large egg yolks
• 1/2 cup of sour cream
• 1/2 teaspoon cocoa, dissolved in 1 Tbsp hot water
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions

1. Mix the almond meal, cocoa powder, sugar, and butter and press into the bottom of a 9 inch spring form pan.
2. Melt the chocolate in the cream in a double boiler.
3. Cream the cream cheese.
4. Mix in the honey, chocolate, cocoa, sour cream, eggs, and vanilla.
5. Pour the mixture into the spring form pan.
6. Bake in a preheated 350F oven for 60 minutes, with a pan of water for moisture.
7. Turn off heat and leave cheesecake in the oven with the door slightly ajar for 60 minutes.
8. Let it cool completely.
9. Chill the cheesecake in the fridge overnight.

I hope you try this Primal recipe and enjoy it too.

Gluten Free Primal Pizzels And A Talk With The Primal Doc

Yesterday was a work day for me, and so fortuitous that I was there.
Our doctor is a patient and had come in for his check up and teeth cleaning.
He walked up to the desk and my chin hit the floor.
He had lost so much weight! His face looked like a teenagers!
Our doctor is the one who had given us Mark Sisson's book and suggested that we try living Primal in the first place.
Wow! There was such a change in him.
He looked fit, healthy, and very happy.
I was envious...I want to be in that place already.
The waiting gets very long and I want so badly to be done.
But as the saying goes...the weight didn't come on in a day, so it's not coming off that way either.
All things happen for a reason and I felt the reason he was in on this day was so I could ask him about my fasting.
He was happy to answer my questions, and quickly put me at ease that I was not harming myself or my metabolism by eating this way.
Whew!
I knew it felt right, but hey...it felt right to eat two twixt bars in a row back in the old days.
At least my body is feeling better today.
I haven't changed my pillow in years and recently my shoulder has been sore, along with my neck and back.
I did some research on a bunch of different pillows, went to Bed Bath and Beyond, Macy's, and a few other places, and finally settled on My Pillow.
They had a 60 day money back guarantee and an A+ Better Business Bureau rating.
That pillow is amazing.
I was very sceptical when it came shrink wrapped into a cylinder and needed to be fluffed in the dryer first to get it's shape back.
Oh man! This morning I woke up from a very deep sleep and could not remember tossing and turning at all!
My neck has not hurt a bit, my shoulder is still sore, but nothing like yesterday morning.
Heaven!
I will let you know if things change or it squishes flat on me, but for now...happiness!
My children are now happy too.
Yesterday they were both displeased that there was nothing to munch on after school.
Displeased is not a strong enough word...really.
So I got out my old pizzel iron and heated it up. I found a recipe for regular pizzels and set out to recreate it for our Primal palate.
They turned out sweet and pretty, and are already gone!

Primal Pizzel Cookies

Ingredients

• 4 Eggs
• 1/2 Cup Butter
• 2 Teaspoons Pure Vanilla
• 1/2 Cup Coconut Flour
• 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Powder
• 1/3 Cup Honey
• 1/2 Teaspoon Salt

Directions

• Beat the eggs until smooth. 
• Melt the butter in the microwave or in a small saucepan on low heat. 
• Allow the butter to cool while you blend the honey and vanilla into the egg. 
• Then add the melted butter into the mix and blend. 
• Add in the dry ingredients, stirring until all the lumps are mixed out.
• Take a small spoon and put a ball of batter in the center of each grid of the iron.
• Close the lid and lock it, wait about 45 seconds to 1 minute and lift the lid, the pizzels should be ready to come out. 
• They should be golden in color. Lift out of iron with a thin spatula and cool on a rack or the counter.
• This recipe made 10-12 pizzels.

I hope you try this recipe and enjoy it as much as we did.

Primal Sweet Potato Chips And A Hot Cook

This was me yesterday, lookin' smokin' as I slaved over a hot stove.
Well...to be honest I didn't want to frighten my teenagers into therapy so I wore a sweatshirt and jeans...but in my mind I am starting to feel a bit sexier.
Losing close to forty pounds does that to a girl.
Yesterday was 'Cooking Day'. The day where I make a large load of protein and Primal snacks to hold the kids for the week.

First I made eight pieces of chicken.
I cooked them low and slow on the stove top in coconut oil and spices.
These always stay moist and flavorful in the fridge, ready to be chopped on a salad or tossed into a stir fry or even eaten on a cheddar biscuit.

Then I froze coconut milk yogurt into discs for the smoothies that we make for the kids and their friends.
I was worried about getting the discs out after they were frozen, but if you put the bottom of the pan in a tiny bit of warm water they loosen up enough to pull them right out.
I toss them in a plastic container in the freezer to be used at a moments notice.

Next I baked up the nitrate free bacon for the week.
I bake it at 350 for about fifteen minutes and then pat it dry and store it in the freezer.

That way the kids can pull out a few pieces and warm them up in a paper towel for 30 seconds.
I also get a nice jar of bacon squeezin's from it to use for stir fries and other dishes.

Primal Sweet Potato Chips

The last thing I made was the first to disappear completely! Primal Sweet Potato Chips.
I never wanted one of those small fryers in our house.
We were super fat and in no way needed to be frying our foods, but since going Primal and using mainly coconut oil, I bowed to my husband and son's wishes and bought us a very small Presto fryer.
It took $8 worth of coconut oil to fill it to the full mark, but man...was it worth it!!
Those chips were better than anything I have ever had chip-wise.
Not greasy in the least and super full of flavor.
It hardly used any of the oil at all!
Since my kids don't drink coffee (which is where I get most of my coconut oil in) I am happy they are getting a bit of it this way.

Primal Sweet Potato Chips

• heat your fryer with the coconut oil to 330 degrees
• slice your potato slim (we used the food processor)
• lay the slices out on paper towels and press hard to get the moisture out
• fill the basket 1/4 full and lower into the oil, slowly
• we separated them with a knife so they all floated individually, not touching
• let cook for 6-7 minutes
• lift basket out and toss them on a paper towel covered cookie sheet
• we separated them again and gave a sprinkle of salt

These might be the best chips I have ever eaten.
I hope you try this recipe and love these healthy chips too!

Gluten Free Primal Cheddar Crackers And A Feeling Of Relief

Hello Monday!
I lost more weight...and inches!
I could not feel better, physically or mentally.
It is an amazing feeling to have so much energy and not be a slave to food.
I just wish I could have learned how to live this way when I was in my twenties instead of my forties.
I won't look back...only forward. I can't change the past and get back all those years I hated myself for being so fat and out of control, I keep looking forward to a brighter healthier future.
I've still been a little worried about only eating once a day.
It feels so right, but convention and nutritionists say that it's wrong.
I would hate to be harming my body or metabolism eating this way, but man...I feel great!
So this weekend I took more time to read what other people had to say about this, were other people eating once a day and thriving or were they going crazy?
I found account after account of people who had been eating one healthy meal a day...for years.
They felt clearer headed, had more energy, slept like champs, and had lost all the weight they needed to or were holding their main weight rock steady.
Almost every single one was eating like I do...a meat, a bunch of veggies, a fat, a fruit, and complex carbs like sweet potatoes or such.
Relief! I was not the only one!
I do have to say that anyone who is eating a SAD (Standard American Diet) would have a hard time eating only once a day.
I know I never could have.
If I went so long as three hours without food I was a bear and my head hurt.
The sugars and the simple carbs are just as addicting in your body as a narcotic, they might kill you slower than heavy duty drugs, but kill you they will.
My kids on the other hand still eat three meals a day, plus some snacks!
This weekend my daughter requested something crunchy-salty to take to the Hunger Games Premiere last Thursday at midnight. I quickly made up a batch of my Primal Cheddar Crackers.
These taste amazing and really hit the spot for that crunchy-salty craving.

Primal Cheddar Crackers

• 1/2 cup of coconut flour
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 teaspoon of salt
• 2 tablespoons of grass fed butter
• 1 1/2 cup of organic cheddar cheese

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

Blend all ingredients together until they are well combined.

These never came together as a batter so I squish it into 3 same size balls.

Put one ball on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet.

Place another piece of parchment paper on top of mixture and use a rolling pin to thinly spread it out. Gently pull off the parchment paper.

Score with a pizza cutter into cracker shapes.

Bake crackers for 10+ minutes, but keep and eye on them as they go from brown to burnt quickly.

Take the crackers out of the oven and score them with a pizza cutter again as the cheese melts it all back together again.
Repeat with the two other balls.

We love these crackers and they come out consistently well every time.

I hope you try this recipe and enjoy it as much as we do!

Primal Steak Stroganoff and The Hunger Games

My husband and I are taking a load of teenage girls to the midnight premier of The Hunger Games.
We don't plan on making it home until 3:30 or 4:00 in the morning after dropping everyone home.
I am going to be one cranky momma in the morning.
My daughter and I loved these books, not as much as Harry Potter, but better than Twilight.
My husband was all in to go this time too, most likely it was how violent I had said the books were.
Men...they love them some blood sport!
You would never have caught him at the Twilight movies with us.
This will be my first movie that I have been out to since we went Primal at the end of December.
We love getting our movies from the Red Box for a dollar, and being able to eat yummy Primal snacks at home.
I am going to try not to miss the popcorn and candy...I know the popcorn smell is going to knock me over with it's goodness...but I will try to resist.
I am going to bring a 85% dark chocolate bar and a baggie of Primal Cheddar Crackers (I will post that recipe soon). I think the salty and sweet combo should keep me out of trouble tonight.
Before hand we need a dinner that is rich and hearty enough to keep us full till the movie starts, so I am making Primal Steak Stroganoff for dinner.
It will be different having it without the thick cut egg noodles underneath, but I'm a stronger girl now. I'm thinking about spaghetti squash or even having it on top of left over creamy cauliflower.
Mmmmm...that sounds good!
Wish us luck tonight, and here is the recipe.

Primal Steak Stroganoff

1 lb top sirloin, sliced into thin strips

6 tbsp butter

8 oz mushroom, sliced

1/2 onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup dry white wine or red if that is your favorite

1 cup beef broth

1 cup sour cream

1 tbsp flat leaf parsley, chopped

salt and pepper

1. Heat a heavy skillet over medium high heat add 1 tbsp of butter and add half of steak slices. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
2. Flip steak pieces over and brown the other side, about one minute. Remove steak to a plate.
3. Repeat with another tablespoon of butter and the remaining steak. Remove to the plate.
4. Add another 1 tbsp of butter and the sliced mushrooms. Sprinkle mushrooms with salt and pepper. 
5. Turn heat down to medium and the last 2 tbsp of butter. Add onions and garlic and saute until soft.
6. Add white wine to deglaze the pan, scraping up the tasty bits in the pan. 
7. Once wine has cooked off add sour cream and beef broth, stir and heat until smooth. Add steak and mushrooms back into sauce. Stir and simmer until hot. Garnish with the parsley.

This made a nice hearty meal that was rich in taste and very satisfying. I enjoyed mine over the leftover creamy cauliflower, but my son and husband just had bowl fulls of it.
I hope you try this recipe and enjoy it as much as we did.


P.S.  The movie was great! The girls and I really enjoyed it. It followed the book pretty well. For my husband who had not read them, it left him a bit confused and he was less enthralled as we were.
Still it was a great movie and a fun night with all those giggly girls.

Primal Chicken Soup For A New Woman

This spring has to be the most wonderful I can ever remember.

Taking walks in January, February, and March in ever increasing temperatures is unheard of in Ohio!

I am giddy and thankful for other reasons.

I finally have control.

Control over what I eat...control over when I eat.

I've never had this before in my life.

It always eluded me and was unattainable especially about the food.

Now that I am living Primal I have it.

Washing the grains and crap out of me and my life has given me the power to eat only what I want and when.

Before this I was ravenous.

I could eat and eat and then eat some more.

Not now...I am not hungry.

I have make myself eat dinner around five or six o clock.

Tomorrow I will get up, have my coffee and go about my day with no thought to food. When evening rolls around I will make myself something Primal and healthy.

I will take the time to really enjoy what I make and eat, savoring each bite, not hurrying through the whole thing in a rush.

I will take time to be thankful for my food, and for the lessons I have learned this year about food.

Jackie sweating in the 80 degree temperature on our walk

Our little dog Jackie has enjoyed the change in his food too.

He no longer turns up his nose when we put down his bowl.

Instead of being filled with chemically altered dry kibble, I boil chicken, rice, and carrots for him.

The kitty gets just the meat but is thrilled to have it and has slimmed down a lot.

They both enjoy the broth of my homemade chicken soup when I ladle it on their dinners.

It is another one of the staples I keep made in the fridge for the kids to have when they are hungry.

It's perfect with the coconut flour biscuits.

Primal Chicken Soup

• 2 tablespoons of butter
• 6 organic carrots peeled and cut
• 6 stalks of celery cleaned and cut
• 1/2 cup of sliced mushrooms
• 1 medium onion chopped fine
• 4 cloves of garlic chopped fine
• ground salt and pepper to taste
• Spices (I use oregano, basil, and a Tuscan blend in rather large amounts)
• 4 cups of chopped chicken (used a roasted one from Costco and put every bit of it in there)
• 4 quarts of chicken broth (I make mine once a week - recipe coming soon)

1. In a large stock pot, heat the butter, then saute the diced garlic, onions, and mushrooms.

2. Once the onions are translucent and starting to brown add the chopped carrot and celery.

    Saute until they begin to soften.

3. Add the chicken broth, salt, and the spices, bring to a boil.
4. Once it reaches a boil, turn the heat down to medium, cover and simmer for about 20-30  minutes or until the carrots and celery are as soft as you’d like them to be.

    They should be easily pierced with a fork, but not mushy.

5. Add the cooked chicken, and simmer for about 10 minutes more until it is heated through.

We serve ours with the coconut flour biscuits that we love. You can add any other veggies that suit your taste buds and it will still taste great.

I hope you try this recipe and love it as much as we do.

Mashed Creamy Cauliflower And A New Feeling Of Freedom

I've noticed something.
I haven't been hungry lately.
There are days when I make myself eat lunch, even though I'm not hungry.
Some days I don't eat dinner till nine or ten o clock at night because...I'm not hungry.
This is new and strange for me.
I was always hungry.
Since turning to Primal eating in late December I have noticed this getting stronger each week.
No hunger.
What a novel thing in my life...it is a very freeing feeling, when you are no longer plagued by the constant thought of putting food in your mouth.
I read an article on Mark's Daily Apple this weekend about intermittent fasting or IF.
This concept really slammed home for me that maybe I didn't have to eat each meal...that maybe I could just skip one or two and be fine?!
It's a worry though.
I don't want to screw up my metabolism anymore than I already have by being obese and a slave to carbs and sugar for decades.
But this morning I woke up and made my coffee...and sat.
I couldn't think of a single this to eat...not hungry.
So I'm going to try an experiment this week.
I am not going to eat anything food wise till I am good and truly hungry.
When I do decide to put something in my mouth I am going to make it a good protein, an omega rich fat, and wonderful leafy green veggies.
I will keep you updated on this weird fasting experiment.
In the mean time let me show you our new  veggie obsession.
When I do feel like eating, it's cauliflower I have been craving...mmmmm...cauliflower!
I needed a side dish to have for the hubby and kids (they were going to revolt if I gave them another side salad) so I looked on Pinterest for a recipe that I could make, and up popped cauliflower.
This makes the smoothest, creamy and dreamy cauliflower ever.
The secret is to not steam it.
Here is how it's done.

• 1 head of cauliflower
• 1/3 cup of heavy organic cream
•  2 tablespoons grass fed butter (Obviously I went overboard the first time I made this, because that amount in the picture is totally crazy!)
• 1/4 cup of sharp cheddar cheese (I used Kerrygold white Dubliner, extra sharp and good)

Clean and trim the cauliflower, breaking it into medium sized pieces.
Place in a microwave safe bowl with cream and butter.
Microwave, uncovered, on high for five minutes.
Stir to coat cauliflower with cream/butter mixture.
Microwave for another 5 minutes on high.
Remove from the microwave and put into a food processor along with the cheese.
Puree until smooth.
Season with salt and pepper to taste. 

I eat it cold and straight out of the container the next day...it's that good.

I hope you try this recipe and enjoy it too.


PS: the last pic is from whole foods, since we ate all of our cauliflower before I could remember to snap a picture :)