I didn't end up having any noticeable side-effects from the two drop dose of iodine on Saturday. I think what I was feeling was just normal weekend blahs and crankiness and hunger!
I've been feeling a little tired of chicken, especially the boneless skinless variety, so I decided to switch around our meals a little this week. This week's menu is heavy on beef, though we did have chicken thighs tonight.
Speaking of tonights dinnner, I tried a new recipe. I made Moroccan style chicken from Nourishing Traditions, and buckwheat and lentil pilaf. The chicken was pretty flavorful, and the pilaf may be an acquired taste... my husband and I thought it was okay. Both dishes definitely had a combination of flavors that we don't often eat, so it was kind of refreshing.
The grain and lentils were soaked for about 24 hours, as per the recommendations in the Nourishing Traditions cookbook. Soaking, sprouting, and fermenting grains, lentils and beans deactivates the anti-nutrients (phytates and lectins) and makes them more digestible. These anti-nutrients are the main reason these foods are discouraged on the paleo diet.
I ate pretty awful stuff this weekend. I have noticed since reintroducing grain, sugar, and dairy, that my resolve has weakened and my cravings are a lot worse. My plan for this week is to focus on eating properly prepared grains (if I eat grain products) and to eat only cultured dairy products. I also want to cut way back on sugar and I'm even considering eliminating it almost completely (except for berries).
There is a method to my madness. Next time I post I'll explain the thoughts behind the plan and post some references.
Work week, here I come!
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Update on iodine experiment and reconsidering grains and dairy
I have been taking Iodine every day since I last posted about it. Last Monday, I decided to increase to two drops in the morning and I experienced some odd symptoms. I had the same slightly increased salivation as when I first started with one drop, but when I got to work I sneezed all day long, and got a wicked bad sinus headache which lasted almost all day. I got home and did some googling and came across several resources which indicated that this condition is called iodism, or basically an overdose of iodine. Some of the sources made this sound really frightening, but a little more research indicated that there's some evidence that this reaction may be caused when there is bromide present in the body.
So, for most of the week I decreased my dose back to one drop which I had no problem with, and then tried increasing the dose again on Friday. This time, no sinus headache, sneezing, or increased salivation. I also noticed that about midmorning, I felt pretty good overall.
However, this morning the same two drop dose has me experiencing some slight sinus pressure. I just took it, so we'll see if it subsides or gets worse throughout the day.
Last Saturday we went to one of our favorite local diners and I ordered, totally on a whim, a monte cristo. I'd never eaten one, but I heard from many people that this place serves up one of the best and, figuring that I already felt like garbage, I ordered it.
For those who may not know, the monte cristo is a thick sandwich, filled with two types of cheese, ham, and turkey, and egg battered and... fried. Sometimes it's topped with powdered sugar and most I've seen are served with jam. So, this was a real departure from my no grains, no dairy diet. Like, miles away.
Well, I ate about half of the sandwich. It really was a work of art. The batter was thick, light, and crispy, unlike most fried foods you find anymore. But, I mean, it was... fried. And I haven't eaten anything that fried in who knows how long, so half plus a bite or two was all I could do. And it was quite yummy. Not something I could eat often, but probably an experience I should have at least once in my life.
Then, my stomach got super upset and I had to run off to the bathroom. When I came back, the other half of my sandwich was gone, and my husband had puffed up cheeks and canary feathers poking out of his mouth. Which was fine, because I was quite done with the sandwich!
For most of this week, I returned to my grain and dairy free diet. Thursday I made chicken soup and served it with sourdough grilled cheese sandwiches. I actually ate a fair bit of sourdough bread this week. I didn't enjoy the cheese much, though. I'm finding that typical cheeses like cheddar and colby jack aren't terribly pleasing to my palate anymore. They taste kind of... bland.
Anyway, I have been reconsidering dairy and grains in light of some podcasts I listened to, from Cheeseslave.com. I've read her blog off and on for a couple years now, and she's just recently started podcasting. I was quite suprised to hear her discuss with some of her guests the pitfalls of a paleo diet and it sort of got me thinking. It actually provided a nice counterpoint to a lot of the reading (and listening, and researching...) I've done over the past year.
The author of cheeseslave.com (maybe I'll just refer to her as cheeseslave from now on) advocates a traditional foods diet, a la Weston A Price. I won't go into the Weston A Price Foundation in this point, except to say that the diet they advocate focuses on traditional foods such as meat, animal fats, soaked and sprouted grains, cultured dairy and fermented foods. There is a fair bit of research around this (Weston Price's life work, or at least what he is most known for these days), but the diet is pretty controversial. Then again, what diet isn't controversial anymore?
So, I'm doing some research into this and have started eating grains and some dairy again, though I'll admit they are not the healthy grains and dairy recommended by WAPF. I've definitely noticed a difference in how I feel, too, and I can't say it's all good.
Anyway, this is probably long enough for now! Expect more to come in the way of traditional foods and my experiments with recipes and a new way of eating.
So, for most of the week I decreased my dose back to one drop which I had no problem with, and then tried increasing the dose again on Friday. This time, no sinus headache, sneezing, or increased salivation. I also noticed that about midmorning, I felt pretty good overall.
However, this morning the same two drop dose has me experiencing some slight sinus pressure. I just took it, so we'll see if it subsides or gets worse throughout the day.
Last Saturday we went to one of our favorite local diners and I ordered, totally on a whim, a monte cristo. I'd never eaten one, but I heard from many people that this place serves up one of the best and, figuring that I already felt like garbage, I ordered it.
For those who may not know, the monte cristo is a thick sandwich, filled with two types of cheese, ham, and turkey, and egg battered and... fried. Sometimes it's topped with powdered sugar and most I've seen are served with jam. So, this was a real departure from my no grains, no dairy diet. Like, miles away.
Well, I ate about half of the sandwich. It really was a work of art. The batter was thick, light, and crispy, unlike most fried foods you find anymore. But, I mean, it was... fried. And I haven't eaten anything that fried in who knows how long, so half plus a bite or two was all I could do. And it was quite yummy. Not something I could eat often, but probably an experience I should have at least once in my life.
Then, my stomach got super upset and I had to run off to the bathroom. When I came back, the other half of my sandwich was gone, and my husband had puffed up cheeks and canary feathers poking out of his mouth. Which was fine, because I was quite done with the sandwich!
For most of this week, I returned to my grain and dairy free diet. Thursday I made chicken soup and served it with sourdough grilled cheese sandwiches. I actually ate a fair bit of sourdough bread this week. I didn't enjoy the cheese much, though. I'm finding that typical cheeses like cheddar and colby jack aren't terribly pleasing to my palate anymore. They taste kind of... bland.
Anyway, I have been reconsidering dairy and grains in light of some podcasts I listened to, from Cheeseslave.com. I've read her blog off and on for a couple years now, and she's just recently started podcasting. I was quite suprised to hear her discuss with some of her guests the pitfalls of a paleo diet and it sort of got me thinking. It actually provided a nice counterpoint to a lot of the reading (and listening, and researching...) I've done over the past year.
The author of cheeseslave.com (maybe I'll just refer to her as cheeseslave from now on) advocates a traditional foods diet, a la Weston A Price. I won't go into the Weston A Price Foundation in this point, except to say that the diet they advocate focuses on traditional foods such as meat, animal fats, soaked and sprouted grains, cultured dairy and fermented foods. There is a fair bit of research around this (Weston Price's life work, or at least what he is most known for these days), but the diet is pretty controversial. Then again, what diet isn't controversial anymore?
So, I'm doing some research into this and have started eating grains and some dairy again, though I'll admit they are not the healthy grains and dairy recommended by WAPF. I've definitely noticed a difference in how I feel, too, and I can't say it's all good.
Anyway, this is probably long enough for now! Expect more to come in the way of traditional foods and my experiments with recipes and a new way of eating.
Friday, March 5, 2010
The iodine experiment
After a fair bit of research, I've decided to start supplementing with iodine.
Iodine is a necessary micronutrient which many people believe we don't get in sufficient amounts in our diets, due to soil depletion, absorption of heavy metals and halogens, and the fact that about 1/2 of home cooks no longer use iodized salt.
Iodine is required by many organs and glands in your body, most notably the thyroid and reproductive organs.
I'm using a product called Iosol, which is a water soluble form of iodine that also contains iodide (your body requires both iodine and iodide). One drop contains 1830 mcg of iodine, roughly 1200% of the RDA. However, many Japanese consume 13 mg of iodine on a consistent basis with no ill effects.
I took my first dose today. I'm starting with one drop in a glass of Emergen-c in the morning. I couldn't taste the iodine at all, luckily. I didn't notice much in the way of effects except for a very slight metallic taste in my mouth and slightly increased amounts of saliva, neither of which were unpleasant. Within the first hour of taking it, those effects diminished.
I'll be updating about how things are going with the supplementation. In the meantime, here are some further resources on iodine supplementation.
Two podcasts with Dr. Jorge Flechas
Jimmy Moore interviews Dr. Flechas (appx 50 mins)
Nora Gedgaudas of Primal Body, Primal Mind features a guest on thyroid and iodine
Dr. Brownstein, article on iodine supplementation
Iodine and halogens
Iodine is a necessary micronutrient which many people believe we don't get in sufficient amounts in our diets, due to soil depletion, absorption of heavy metals and halogens, and the fact that about 1/2 of home cooks no longer use iodized salt.
Iodine is required by many organs and glands in your body, most notably the thyroid and reproductive organs.
I'm using a product called Iosol, which is a water soluble form of iodine that also contains iodide (your body requires both iodine and iodide). One drop contains 1830 mcg of iodine, roughly 1200% of the RDA. However, many Japanese consume 13 mg of iodine on a consistent basis with no ill effects.
I took my first dose today. I'm starting with one drop in a glass of Emergen-c in the morning. I couldn't taste the iodine at all, luckily. I didn't notice much in the way of effects except for a very slight metallic taste in my mouth and slightly increased amounts of saliva, neither of which were unpleasant. Within the first hour of taking it, those effects diminished.
I'll be updating about how things are going with the supplementation. In the meantime, here are some further resources on iodine supplementation.
Two podcasts with Dr. Jorge Flechas
Jimmy Moore interviews Dr. Flechas (appx 50 mins)
Nora Gedgaudas of Primal Body, Primal Mind features a guest on thyroid and iodine
Dr. Brownstein, article on iodine supplementation
Iodine and halogens
Monday, March 1, 2010
Meh
Well, the apple crisp was absolutely delicious. After I ate it, however, I didn't feel so hot. I had a second serving today (because I'm stupid) and I felt just fine. !#$&%!
I am not feeling well in general. I noticed last week that I was getting some abdominal pain in what is probably my right ovary. It was mild but persistent when sitting down, and I have the, *ahem* privelege of sitting down all day at work so it kept up that whole time. It continued through most of the weekend and is back today, slightly more painful than before. I am also just generally experiencing a lot of pain. Weird pain here and there... wrists, back, arms, legs. I don't know what's up. If the abdominal pain persists I'll probably go see the doctor.
I am not feeling well in general. I noticed last week that I was getting some abdominal pain in what is probably my right ovary. It was mild but persistent when sitting down, and I have the, *ahem* privelege of sitting down all day at work so it kept up that whole time. It continued through most of the weekend and is back today, slightly more painful than before. I am also just generally experiencing a lot of pain. Weird pain here and there... wrists, back, arms, legs. I don't know what's up. If the abdominal pain persists I'll probably go see the doctor.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
The next step
Well, it's unanimous in my household. Back to no grains, no dairy.
I went out to breakfast with my husband yesterday and he mentioned that he felt better eating the 'way we were before', meaning that he felt like crap this week since we've been eating like crap. It's rare for him to really mention something like this, so that was my indication of what direction I need to move in.
And I totally agree with him. With the exception of some odd general malaise* I mentioned in the last post, I felt better without the grains and dairy. Even with the weekend treats and a little sugar here and there. The remarkable thing, though, is that when we eat well, my husband rarely if ever has to use his inhaler. Over the last week he's had some wheezing and stuffiness and has used it a lot more. I've had stuffiness, and a return of a little acne. This is not entirely surprising, since I've often heard that cutting out sugar and grains can improve asthma, but it's surprising that my husband noticed and mentioned it ;)
*regarding the 'general malaise', I am pretty sure as I previously mentioned that this is due to some change in my thyroid function. Since I was never clinically hypothyroid anyway, I'm going to try getting off my thyroid medication (I take Thyroid-s in lieu of Armour, since Forest Pharmaceuticals decided that they would change Armour into a placebo and my pharmacy decided they would stop dispensing it *rolls eyes*). I'm a little nervous about this prospect, since I experienced such an awesome improvement in my life when I started Armour a couple years ago. It literally changed my life and almost entirely rid me of depression. But, I've been having this nagging feeling lately that it's time to try going off it.
So, I've decided to try supplementing with iodine, specifically Iosol. It's also supposed to be great for PCOS. Looking at my diet, I realize I eat hardly any iodine containing foods, and I cut iodized salt out of my diet many years ago. I'm probably getting next to no iodine. I also have been feeling like my use of thyroid medication could be causing some side effects, such as elevated blood pressure. I wish my doctor was more on board with this aspect of my care, because I'd really like to get some labs run to see where my levels are at so I'd have some data to reinforce my suspicions. Perhaps I'll try making an appointment.
Rest assured, I will definitely be posting about my experiences with Iosol and weaning off my thyroid meds.
On a completely different subject I made another apple crisp tonight. No finished pictures yet but it's in the oven right now. It's not entirely paleo with 7 teaspoons of organic cane sugar and 1/4 cup of gluten free oats, but I felt it was a decent compromise. I also made ghee to put in the topping, since normal apple crisp calls for butter in the topping. I could've substituted coconut oil but I wanted to give the ghee-making a try. If you wanted to make this entirely paleo, you could always sub in more almond flour for the oats, use honey or apple juice for the sweetener, and use coconut oil in place of the ghee.
Almost Paleo Gluten Free Apple Crisp:
Filling:
4 apples, peeled, cored, sliced
1 tsp sugar or sweetener of choice
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla
1 tbsp macadamia nut oil
Topping:
1 cup blanched almond flour
1/4 cup certified gluten free oats
1 heaping tbsp coconut flour
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup butter, made into ghee (heat on stove until milk solids separate then skim them off and discard)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all filling ingredients and place in glass baking dish. Combine all dry ingredients for topping, then add wet ingredients. Mix until blended and slightly crumbly. Spoon over filling. Place in oven and bake for appx 45 mins, until apples are soft.
I went out to breakfast with my husband yesterday and he mentioned that he felt better eating the 'way we were before', meaning that he felt like crap this week since we've been eating like crap. It's rare for him to really mention something like this, so that was my indication of what direction I need to move in.
And I totally agree with him. With the exception of some odd general malaise* I mentioned in the last post, I felt better without the grains and dairy. Even with the weekend treats and a little sugar here and there. The remarkable thing, though, is that when we eat well, my husband rarely if ever has to use his inhaler. Over the last week he's had some wheezing and stuffiness and has used it a lot more. I've had stuffiness, and a return of a little acne. This is not entirely surprising, since I've often heard that cutting out sugar and grains can improve asthma, but it's surprising that my husband noticed and mentioned it ;)
*regarding the 'general malaise', I am pretty sure as I previously mentioned that this is due to some change in my thyroid function. Since I was never clinically hypothyroid anyway, I'm going to try getting off my thyroid medication (I take Thyroid-s in lieu of Armour, since Forest Pharmaceuticals decided that they would change Armour into a placebo and my pharmacy decided they would stop dispensing it *rolls eyes*). I'm a little nervous about this prospect, since I experienced such an awesome improvement in my life when I started Armour a couple years ago. It literally changed my life and almost entirely rid me of depression. But, I've been having this nagging feeling lately that it's time to try going off it.
So, I've decided to try supplementing with iodine, specifically Iosol. It's also supposed to be great for PCOS. Looking at my diet, I realize I eat hardly any iodine containing foods, and I cut iodized salt out of my diet many years ago. I'm probably getting next to no iodine. I also have been feeling like my use of thyroid medication could be causing some side effects, such as elevated blood pressure. I wish my doctor was more on board with this aspect of my care, because I'd really like to get some labs run to see where my levels are at so I'd have some data to reinforce my suspicions. Perhaps I'll try making an appointment.
Rest assured, I will definitely be posting about my experiences with Iosol and weaning off my thyroid meds.
On a completely different subject I made another apple crisp tonight. No finished pictures yet but it's in the oven right now. It's not entirely paleo with 7 teaspoons of organic cane sugar and 1/4 cup of gluten free oats, but I felt it was a decent compromise. I also made ghee to put in the topping, since normal apple crisp calls for butter in the topping. I could've substituted coconut oil but I wanted to give the ghee-making a try. If you wanted to make this entirely paleo, you could always sub in more almond flour for the oats, use honey or apple juice for the sweetener, and use coconut oil in place of the ghee.
Almost Paleo Gluten Free Apple Crisp:
Filling:
4 apples, peeled, cored, sliced
1 tsp sugar or sweetener of choice
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla
1 tbsp macadamia nut oil
Topping:
1 cup blanched almond flour
1/4 cup certified gluten free oats
1 heaping tbsp coconut flour
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup butter, made into ghee (heat on stove until milk solids separate then skim them off and discard)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all filling ingredients and place in glass baking dish. Combine all dry ingredients for topping, then add wet ingredients. Mix until blended and slightly crumbly. Spoon over filling. Place in oven and bake for appx 45 mins, until apples are soft.
The milk solids I skimmed off the ghee. I tasted this out of curiosity and got quite a shock. I guess the majority of the salt from the butter remains in the milk portion... yuck.
The crisp before baking
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Tales of grains and dairy
Last week we took a trip to visit my father in law. I've always found traveling to be difficult with pretty much any type of dietary restriction but even more so when cheese, bread, and milk are out of the picture and protein is the main staple in your diet.
I tried to plan some stuff out beforehand... I took a load of macadamia nuts with me, several oranges, a couple apples, some uncooked chicken, a sweet potato, and some mayo. I did great up until Sunday at lunch, when I found myself in a seafood restaurant where almost all of the lunch options were breaded and fried.
On a whim I ordered the 'oyster burger'. I'm not usually a fan of cooked oysters, and these ones were pretty heavily breaded in panko and fried. They also came on a thick bun, so I obviously made a bad choice.
I figured one of two things would happen... I'd either feel like crap or I would feel fine. Even though I vowed not to order the oyster burger again, I ended up feeling fine. And the rest of the weekend went well! I ate at Red Robin and had a lettuce wrapped burger and some fries. I ate at Sizzler and had a really, really overcooked steak with broccoli and salad (ordered rare and delivered burnt and well done. Maybe next time I'll tell them not to cook it at all and they'll get it right?), and we ate at a diner where I ordered a chicken sandwich with ham, turkey, bacon and a side salad.
But things have been a bit of a disaster since we got back. I had no meal plan in place for this week so our meals have been sub-par and on a whim. I haven't made the best choices. In fact, I've deliberately made bad choices. Sunday I made rice pasta with italian sausage and tomato sauce. Monday we had peppered beef with roasted potatoes. But we've also had frozen pizza, frozen apple pie, donuts, Hostess pie and mexican food (cheese, beans, grains, chips).
Even though I was eating on plan before we left on our trip, I felt awful while we were gone. I can't really connect this with the way I was eating, so I think something else was going on. I also didn't get the usual mood boost I get after my cycle ends. If I connect this with some other weird things that have been going on (pain, fatigue, really foggy head and spaceyness, bone pain, toothaches, and a general feeling that I'm falling apart), I'm beginning to think that staying off of grains and dairy helped my thyroid become more active, decreasing the need for the medication. Initially I thought that I was deficient in calcium due to not eating any dairy, but I'm starting to think that was incorrect.
So, I don't know what the next step is. I'm going to get back on no grains no dairy starting today and I guess I will decide from there how to proceed.
I tried to plan some stuff out beforehand... I took a load of macadamia nuts with me, several oranges, a couple apples, some uncooked chicken, a sweet potato, and some mayo. I did great up until Sunday at lunch, when I found myself in a seafood restaurant where almost all of the lunch options were breaded and fried.
On a whim I ordered the 'oyster burger'. I'm not usually a fan of cooked oysters, and these ones were pretty heavily breaded in panko and fried. They also came on a thick bun, so I obviously made a bad choice.
I figured one of two things would happen... I'd either feel like crap or I would feel fine. Even though I vowed not to order the oyster burger again, I ended up feeling fine. And the rest of the weekend went well! I ate at Red Robin and had a lettuce wrapped burger and some fries. I ate at Sizzler and had a really, really overcooked steak with broccoli and salad (ordered rare and delivered burnt and well done. Maybe next time I'll tell them not to cook it at all and they'll get it right?), and we ate at a diner where I ordered a chicken sandwich with ham, turkey, bacon and a side salad.
But things have been a bit of a disaster since we got back. I had no meal plan in place for this week so our meals have been sub-par and on a whim. I haven't made the best choices. In fact, I've deliberately made bad choices. Sunday I made rice pasta with italian sausage and tomato sauce. Monday we had peppered beef with roasted potatoes. But we've also had frozen pizza, frozen apple pie, donuts, Hostess pie and mexican food (cheese, beans, grains, chips).
Even though I was eating on plan before we left on our trip, I felt awful while we were gone. I can't really connect this with the way I was eating, so I think something else was going on. I also didn't get the usual mood boost I get after my cycle ends. If I connect this with some other weird things that have been going on (pain, fatigue, really foggy head and spaceyness, bone pain, toothaches, and a general feeling that I'm falling apart), I'm beginning to think that staying off of grains and dairy helped my thyroid become more active, decreasing the need for the medication. Initially I thought that I was deficient in calcium due to not eating any dairy, but I'm starting to think that was incorrect.
So, I don't know what the next step is. I'm going to get back on no grains no dairy starting today and I guess I will decide from there how to proceed.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Results of baking experiment and more
Gosh, it's been a long time since my last post! Mostly that's because things have been going along just fine. I am still avoiding dairy and most grains. I do think I've been having a few too many treats here and there, though, and I know I need to rein that in. I am pretty sure the cravings are due to PMS, though.
Speaking of PMS, it's been relatively mild this month and I am very thankful for that. I am definitely attributing it to the way I'm eating because last month was basically hell, and I can tell that I'm a lot more even tempered and mellow this month.
I've 'slipped' a couple times on the no dairy, no grains, but in keeping with my goal of making this a lifestyle change I'm not making a huge deal out of it. The dairy slip was a slice of cheese that melted onto my Carl's Jr. burger patty before I could get it off (long story... ugh. But, honestly, it was 'American' cheese, so how much milk does it really have anyway?), and the grains came in the form of corn tortillas I ate last week and this week with my pork tacos. As I mentioned in a previous post, I also had a teeny serving of rice a couple weeks ago. Other than that, it's been no dairy and no grains for me.
So, on to the baking experiment. I made this the weekend before last and meant to post it sooner but I procrastinated. I opted not to do a baking experiment last weekend because this one was, uh... delicious, and actually had a lot of sugar even though I only added relatively small amounts of honey.
If I were to do this again, I definitely would put the chocolate in between the layers and put the fruit on top, since most of it spilled out of the cake. The presentation is sub par but for a dairy free, grain free cake, this was delicious!
Also, I did prefer the texture of this cake to a straight coconut flour cake (which can seem rubbery if you ask me), but don't expect the texture to be like regular cake. It's dense, almost like cornbread. The flavor is good, though!
Chocolate cherry cake, adapted from this recipe at elana's pantry
2 cups blanched almond flour
¼ cup coconut flour
½ teaspoon sea salt
10 eggs
6 oz honey
1tablespoon vanilla extract
½ cup cherry filling, or fruit filling of your choice (see below)
1 batch vegan chocolate frosting (I used honey in place of the agave and walnut oil in place of grapeseed oil)
In a medium bowl, combine flours and salt
In a larger bowl, whisk together eggs, honey and vanilla
Whisk flours into egg mixture until well blended
Spray sides of cake pans with nonstick spray and line bottoms with parchment paper
Divide cake batter evenly between pans
Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes
Remove from oven when cakes are golden brown and a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean
Cool cakes for at least one hour
Run knife around cake to loosen from pan, remove from pan and peel off parchment
Place bottom layer on a cake plate and spread with filling
Place top layer on cake and frost entire cake with chocolate frosting
For cherry filling:
simmer a 10oz bag of frozen cherries and 1/4c apple juice until soft
puree cherries in a blender or food processor
put cherries back into pan and continue to simmer
combine 1/4c apple juice and 2 tsp of arrowroot powder. stir til smooth.
slowly add arrowroot mixture to simmering cherries until the mixture starts to thicken
remove from heat and cool until needed
the ingredients
pans and parchment
ready for the oven
cooling
the filling
right before all the filling spilled over the sides!
the finished product
Speaking of PMS, it's been relatively mild this month and I am very thankful for that. I am definitely attributing it to the way I'm eating because last month was basically hell, and I can tell that I'm a lot more even tempered and mellow this month.
I've 'slipped' a couple times on the no dairy, no grains, but in keeping with my goal of making this a lifestyle change I'm not making a huge deal out of it. The dairy slip was a slice of cheese that melted onto my Carl's Jr. burger patty before I could get it off (long story... ugh. But, honestly, it was 'American' cheese, so how much milk does it really have anyway?), and the grains came in the form of corn tortillas I ate last week and this week with my pork tacos. As I mentioned in a previous post, I also had a teeny serving of rice a couple weeks ago. Other than that, it's been no dairy and no grains for me.
So, on to the baking experiment. I made this the weekend before last and meant to post it sooner but I procrastinated. I opted not to do a baking experiment last weekend because this one was, uh... delicious, and actually had a lot of sugar even though I only added relatively small amounts of honey.
If I were to do this again, I definitely would put the chocolate in between the layers and put the fruit on top, since most of it spilled out of the cake. The presentation is sub par but for a dairy free, grain free cake, this was delicious!
Also, I did prefer the texture of this cake to a straight coconut flour cake (which can seem rubbery if you ask me), but don't expect the texture to be like regular cake. It's dense, almost like cornbread. The flavor is good, though!
Chocolate cherry cake, adapted from this recipe at elana's pantry
2 cups blanched almond flour
¼ cup coconut flour
½ teaspoon sea salt
10 eggs
6 oz honey
1tablespoon vanilla extract
½ cup cherry filling, or fruit filling of your choice (see below)
1 batch vegan chocolate frosting (I used honey in place of the agave and walnut oil in place of grapeseed oil)
In a medium bowl, combine flours and salt
In a larger bowl, whisk together eggs, honey and vanilla
Whisk flours into egg mixture until well blended
Spray sides of cake pans with nonstick spray and line bottoms with parchment paper
Divide cake batter evenly between pans
Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes
Remove from oven when cakes are golden brown and a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean
Cool cakes for at least one hour
Run knife around cake to loosen from pan, remove from pan and peel off parchment
Place bottom layer on a cake plate and spread with filling
Place top layer on cake and frost entire cake with chocolate frosting
For cherry filling:
simmer a 10oz bag of frozen cherries and 1/4c apple juice until soft
puree cherries in a blender or food processor
put cherries back into pan and continue to simmer
combine 1/4c apple juice and 2 tsp of arrowroot powder. stir til smooth.
slowly add arrowroot mixture to simmering cherries until the mixture starts to thicken
remove from heat and cool until needed
the ingredients 
pans and parchment 
ready for the oven 
cooling 
the filling 
right before all the filling spilled over the sides! 
the finished product
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