HOLIDAY CHALLENGES
This time of year is a bit tough when you have diet limitations. Just eating whatever I want would be easy, but detrimental to my health. Not worth it. The inflammation and digestive discomfort is not something I want to return to.
Everywhere I go there are grain filled treats and sugary sweets. It is hard to walk past and seek out healthier options. Here are a few things my family does to make it easier to pass up those temptations.
Be Snack Ready: To help my daughter (and myself) to get past the offerings and enjoy the parties and gatherings, I keep a bag of my Chocolate “Cinn” Cashews in my purse. A handful of the rich, sweet nuts gives us both a shot of protein to take away any hunger pangs, making it easier to pass up less healthy treats.
Eat Before You Go: We take time to have a bite to eat before going to an event that serves food. Most parties and festivals have a lot going on other than food. If you take care of hunger before you go then you can give more attention to the non-food festivities.
What Do You Actually Like or Miss? As I have transitioned to grain free eating I discovered something surprising–I usually don’t miss a whole dish, but only one or two aspects of it. From sandwiches I missed being able to pick it up, from lasagna I missed the cheesy gooiness and tomato sauce. I missed the spicy sauces from thai and other asian dishes, not the rice. I couldn’t care less about pizza crust–it is all about the toppings! I focused on what aspects I missed instead of being sad about the entirety of what I used to eat.
The recipe below from my blog and is a version of “mac n cheese” that gives me the comfort food feeling from my youth. I was so happy to figure it out and still enjoy throwing it together when I have a hankering.
If there is a holiday food you miss because it is full of grain or sugar, figure out what about it you miss. Pursue the flakiness or spice or sweetness or gooiness until you find a replacement. It is out there somewhere and worth the hunt.
Eggnog? Pecan pie? Pumpkin pie? Dips? Tamales? You might even find what you are looking for on my food blog, www.anykitchenwilldo.com, for we have been dealing with holiday dishes for years and came up with some zingers.
NEW PRODUCTS
This week we introduce a wonderful drink mix. Our sugar free hot chocolate mix is ready to heat up and warm your belly! It is made of rich, dark cocoa powder, some stevia and pinches of salt and nutmeg to enhance the chocolate flavor.
It takes just one tablespoon of the mix in a cup of liquid–whether it be water, cream, almond milk or a combination–the mix is a decadent treat that will take the chill away on cold days. A teaspoon can also be added to your coffee, making it into a wonderful mocha.
RECIPE
Cauli n Cheese
1 head cauliflower
2 eggs
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 Tbsp sea salt, plus more for top
1 tsp ground black pepper, plus more for top
1 tsp onion powder, plus more for top
1 tsp garlic powder, plus more for top
2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
1 1/2 cups grated parmigiano reggiano cheese
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Remove leaves and stem from cauliflower. Cut cauliflower head into bite-sized pieces, keeping as much of the florets attached to the base as possible – avoid the crumbling of the florets.
- In a medium bowl whisk the eggs and cream, then add the salt, pepper, onion powder and garlic powder. Whisk in the seasoning. Add the cheese and stir in with the cream mixture.
- Arrange the cauliflower evenly in a 9″x13″ baking dish. Sprinkle some salt on cauliflower. Pour creamy cheese mixture over cauliflower, spreading cheese to cover the top entirely.
- Sprinkle a bit more salt, pepper, onion powder and garlic powder on top. Place uncovered in preheated oven for 40-45 minutes, until top is browned and bubbly. Remove from oven and let sit for ten minutes before serving.
LOCATIONS
Sorry to have missed you at last week’s Market! We will definitely be represented this Saturday and every Saturday through December 12th at the Grand Prairie Farmers Market! Besides our new hot chocolate mix we will also have gift packages that are ready to go for you family and friends.
As always, you can contact me directly any time to place special orders. Why not buy a few extra bags of nuts to add to your gifts? Discounts for purchases of five bags or more are available!
DISCOUNT CODE
If you come by my booth and tell me this week’s discount code you will get $1 off any purchase of $15 or more! The code for this week is TURKEY!
Please feel free to forward and share this newsletter with anyone you like! I look forward to seeing you this weekend!