Merry Christmas!!

Nope, I'm NOT "PC"... when I say Merry Christmas, I mean it.  I'm a Christian.  If you are not Christian, then I accept your views and I'll tell you "Happy... insert your holiday here".  However, being a Roman Catholic, I LOVE to hear "Merry Christmas" or "Happy Christmas" during these next two weeks. 

Mom bought this Nativity for me in 2005... love it!

Kings are on their journey!!

WHAT?  (you say)  TWO WEEKS???  Yep... these two weeks ARE the 12 days of Christmas.  I believe that from Thanksgiving (or around that time) until Christmas day it is Advent... that's the preparation for the coming of our savior, Jesus. 






So, once it's his birthday... it's now officially the Christmas Season.  NOW you'll hear me singing Christmas tunes and being really happy.  NOW you'll see baby Jesus in my nativity scenes around the house... what you won't see are the 3 kings within the nativity... spot them, they're farther away! 

My Snowmen Nativity... wise men are coming!!

Many of you know my college kiddo is 'home' for this next month!  YAY!!  He came home on the 18th and will stay a full 4 weeks!  So far, we haven't done much in Japan.  I seem to have a mental block on what we should DO.  We did go see the Sensoji Temple in Asakusa last week. 

My teen, college kiddo and me in front of the sake barrels

Teen's new profile pic!!

My precious young men.

We went to the Asahi Brewery next, but didn't go inside as we just couldn't figure that one out... we also saw a neat park on the way which had twisted metal and a memorial garden to those Tokyo residents who lost their lives during the bombing of Tokyo in WWII.

The plaque next to the flowers... it was very emotional for the boys as they really like Japan and it's people.

The flowers to the left of the plaque

The twisted metal...

Addison walking through the golden ginko leaves... yeah, it's winter...

Onward to the Tokyo Edo museum where I stumbled into having a free English-speaking guide woman... I thought when the sign said "Free Guide", it was a book.  Nope, a nice older Japanese lady took us around the museum for an hour and taught us about the Edo period. 

Replica of the Nihongashi Bridge and the boats

They had binoculars through which you could look at the models and they looked 'real'

 Hand-made replica with little people... no two were the same.  Each with a different outfit on and different hairstyles! 










The buildings were temporary structures to allow for evacuation, if necessary.  They were covered with the outside coverings of sake barrels... thus the symbols (I enlarged the last photo so you can see them). 

Temporary buildings...

Though this blog was intended mainly for the Paleo/Primal lifestyle... I just couldn't resist adding some family adventures in Japan!!  So... for this next month while my college boy is home, I'll be adding in those adventures.  I'll also post some recipes and let you know how I stayed 90% Paleo during his visit and over the holidays!  So... how does one eat Paleo after a long day adventuring through Tokyo??  Raw fish!!  Sushi/Sushimi.  YUMMY!!!

My guys at our favorite place, Santa Sushi! 

Almond Butter and Brownies!!

Paleo-liscious Brownies:
I took a journey a week or so ago to find the 'best' Paleo brownies so that I could contribute to all the holiday parties…. well, partially true… so I could eat some desert AT these parties!! :) I found two recipes that struck my fancy, so baked each of them. My favorite is the non-coconut containing ones… however, for those who don't mind the taste of coconut, these brownies are the hands-down winners of the taste testing. So… needing more brownies for a culture group Christmas party tomorrow, I made the coconut ones.

Now, background on both recipes. They BOTH contain Almond Butter. My teen said "What the heck IS almond butter?" My answer was "its like peanut butter, but made using almonds instead of peanuts". Well… this commissary (military grocery store) has not had success yet in obtaining almond butter, so since I'd used the one jar I ordered from the states, I was on my own. I bought about 8 bags of 2 lbs of raw almonds with the intent to make almond butter… I even bought a food processor with this specific thought in mind!! Well… it works. Kinda. I googled "How to make almond butter" and got the advice to process two cups of almonds for 12 minutes until creamy. Easier said (or read) than done!! *sigh*

So… before I started making the brownies, I needed almond butter. So starts the journey…

As you can see from the video… it was a noisy process. It took WAY longer than 12 minutes and I worried over the processor the ENTIRE time!! 

 So… the first batch (yep, I did two batches) was processed for about 15 minutes.
Obviously, the first batch (on left) was a little chunkier than the second… 

The second batch was processed for about 18 minutes and is noticably more creamy.


My complaint is that it seems the almonds were too dry because neither is spreadable like the almond butter I had ordered online (the ingredient list said only 'almonds' as ingredients). 


Yes, I could have processed it for longer, but when I touched the almond butter inside the processor bowl, it was WARM. Yep, warm. Even though the sides of the motor assembly were cool, I was worried I'd burn it out.

BETTER BROWNIES: via FastPaleo, posted by MasteringPaleo .  Of course, I adjusted the amount by 3 times to make my batches as a simple 9 x 9 inch pan was just too small for a group of people!!  So… tripled, I filled two 9 x 13 inch pans!!  I also had only ½ the amount of coconut milk necessary, so added almond milk to make the total amount.  I'm writing the original recipe posted by Jessica at Mastering the Art of Paleo Cooking… 

Ingredients:
3 eggs
¼ cup almond butter
¼ cup coconut oil
2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
⅓ cup Honey
⅔ cup Canned Coconut milk (can substitute almond milk without problem!)
⅓ cup almond flour
⅓ cup coconut flour
⅓ cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
⅔ cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips


Combine wet ingredients and mix until smooth.  In a separate bowl, mis the dry ingredients together.  Stir the dry into the wet until combined, then add chocolate chips.  


Pour batter into greased 9 x 9 inch pan (I used coconut oil for the grease, you can use organic butter).  


Bake the brownies for 30 minutes at 350 degrees F.  Makes 18 brownies.  


Wanna triplicate them??  Since I did the math.. here ya go (with my modifications):


9 eggs
¾ cup Almond Butter
¾ cup Coconut Oil
2 Tbsp Vanilla Extract
1 cup Honey (organic, unfiltered)
1 cup Coconut milk
1 cup Almond milk
1 cup Almond Flour
1 cup Coconut Flour
1 cup Cocoa Powder
2 Tbsp Baking Soda
3 teaspoon Cinnamon
2 cups Mini Semi-sweet Chocolate Chips


Grease 2 9x13 inch pans and cook for 30 mins at 350 deg F.  


Zucchini Brownies:  via Fast Paleo , by "MichelleRock" 


Alternative brownies… made with zucchini and NO coconut… my kind of brownies!!  Yeehaw!  Needless to say, these are my favorite AND have NO flour… nope, not even almond or coconut!  Interesting how they rise well and seem like they have flour in them.  They are not as chocolatey as the coconut ones, nor as moist.  However, they do have a serving of veggies, so I feel less guilty eating them!  Ha ha!  Gotta remember, these DO have more sugar (read glucose and fructose) than I'm used to eating… therefore, they CAN put the weight back on.  Perhaps that's why I've stopped losing!!  ;)  

Ingredients:
1 cup Almond Butter
1 ½ cup shredded zucchini
⅓ cup honey
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp nutmeg
½ tsp allspice
1 cup dark chocolate chunks (I put these into the magic bullet and made the dark chocolate into powder!!  It made the brownies chocolate through-and-through.)  


Preheat oven to 350.  Combine all wet ingredients, the dry in a different bowl then add to the wet.  Bake 30 minutes in a 9 x 9 inch pan.  As you can see, the brownie is very cake-like.  Perhaps it'd be sweeter if I used the semi-sweets instead of dark chocolate… but I kinda like the less sweet taste of these.  


ENJOY!!  Happy baking!!

Email to family and friends...

OK, this is a generic email sent out to friends/colleagues/family who have all expressed interest in how I'm losing weight and looking better (you've commented on my hair, skin and even eyelashes!!)… I'm NOT keeping it a secret, 'cause it's a cool lifestyle.  BUT, it was (and IS) a journey… this did not just 'happen', nor did it come easy… however, I figured since you asked me, I'll direct you to the blogs and books that helped me figure out how to eat this way.  

First… expect headaches and irritation, possibly anger, the first few days of not eating wheat/gluten.  It truly IS a drug to our system and you WILL experience withdrawal.  The BEST resource for wheat and gluten that I've found is William Davis, MD… the author of 'Wheat Belly'.  This is the book I'm carrying around with me right now and really is more like an enjoyably written science book.  He references a LOT and that gives me something else to read.  For now, I'll just say, it appears he's referencing properly and not taking things out of context.  He has great recipes in the back of his book and is great for those willing to try the first part of Paleo:  No grains.  Here's his blog link:  http://www.wheatbellyblog.com/

and the book can be ordered through Amazon.  

Next, the second 'hallmark' is NO beans/legumes.  I LOVE a good pot of chili, yep the kind with beans.  However, for years I've had to eat Beano prior to any meal with beans or… well, I might as well sleep on the couch!  Anyhow, after all the gallbladder pain, I've no desire to eat any more beans… however, its hard for many to give up that source of protein and fiber.  I'm not saying you gotta give them up… perhaps start with breads and pastas… but once you get reading, and after you're grain-free then eat beans and see how bloated your belly gets… well, you'll see… anyhow, here's great reading material for you:  

1.  The 'lowdown' on lectins on Mark's Daily Apple:  http://www.marksdailyapple.com/lectins/

2.  Beans and Paleo dieting?  http://www.paleo-diet.co/2010/09/beans-and-paleo-dieting/

Limited dairy.  Paleo tends to be NO dairy, Primal is 'limited' and if you eat/drink it… better be grass-fed cows, no hormones and full fat.  I've been drinking skim milk for as long as I can remember, so instead of drinking full fat milk (yuck), I tend to drink more water these days.  Yogurt?  Yeah, I eat it… it's my one indulgence.  I do make sure there's no added sugars or sweeteners as I can add that myself.  

NO sugars!!  Let's face it, if you're cooking your own stuff, you don't add sugar to … pot roast.  But check out the ingredient listings at the grocery store!!  There tends to be high fructose corn syrup in EVERYTHING!!  Don't buy it!!  There's now ketchup at the commissary that has no HFCS!!  OK, it has sugar, but that's definitely the lesser of the two evils… I LOVE this guy and his explanation of fructose:  

Underground Wellness:  has a blog and many videos on youtube… here's the one on sugar:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdMjKEncojQ

blog: http://undergroundwellness.com/blog/

website:  http://undergroundwellness.com/

My other go-to sites:

1.  Everyday Paleo by Sarah Fragioso.  She has a facebook page, blog and book.  I have all 3!!  LOVE her!!  http://everydaypaleo.com/

2.  Civilized Caveman Cooking by George… he's a hot Marine and knows how to cook!!  He has a facebook page and a blog, too.  

      http://www.civilizedcavemancooking.com/

3.  Primal Palate:  blog and book… getting the book!! http://www.primal-palate.com/

4.  Fast Paleo… the blog on which we can all post our own recipes or look up something and gain a recipe from someone else!!  My 'go-to' place for recipes!!  http://fastpaleo.com/

5.  and lastly… my blog.  I'm silly, I'm cooking, I'm sharing recipes, I'm sharing internal thoughts, it's me… raw and on Paleo.  Be kind.  ;)     

     http://babyptprimal.blogspot.com/

The books I have and have read or are reading:

The Paleo Solution by Robb Wolf … entertaining AND informative, what else can you want?  Has 30 day eating plan at the end…

The Primal Blueprint by Mark Sisson… direct, to the point, doesn't fancy-foot around… facts.  Also has a 30 day eating plan, but now he's come out with a second book that has a 21 day plan… his blueprint includes exercising

Paleo Comfort Foods by Julie and Charles Mayfield - great recipes

Everyday Paleo - smallish explanations, but good recipes and excellent exercises

Wheat Belly by William Davies - what I'm reading now

Books I have and will read next:

Why we get fat and what to do about it by Gary Taubes

Good calories, bad calories by Gary Taubes

Well, the dogs are hungry and it's time to push send… please do not hesitate to contact me if you need support!!  

Debi