A Baking Success

I am not very good at baking. I do fine with the cooking part but baking things like cake, cookies, bread, or anything else like that - I fail miserably! I do okay with the boxed mixes, and I make good chocolate chip cookies, but anything beyond that I cannot do.

So, I was given a challenge this week. My boyfriend texted me the other day and told me he had some bananas that were no longer fit for eating, but were perfect for banana bread. The last time I made banana bread the bread crumbled and was not done in the middle. He said he was going to bring me the bananas along with the recipe. So, I took it as a challenge to be successful in this baking endeavor.

Instead of using the gluten all-purpose flour I opted to use brown rice flour. I then had to come up with something in place of the sugar. I have been doing a lot of research on natural sweeteners and whatnot and the other day I came across one I hadn't heard of - coconut sugar. Apparently coconut sugar is made from the nectar of the coconut blossoms that bloom before the coconut grows in its place on the tree. I am able to have coconut, so I figured its sugar counterpart was fine. Just like refined sugar, though, it has as many calories and needs to be eaten in moderation. The plus side is that it has a very low glycemic index score, which means that it won't make your blood sugar spike as quickly as regular sugar does and it is easier for the body to digest. So needless to say, I went and bought some coconut sugar.

Now I was ready to make this banana bread. I whipped up the batter according to the instructions and then put the batter in the fridge. This morning I got up a little earlier than usual and pulled out the muffin pans. I put in muffin papers and proceeded to fill twenty four muffin cups with banana bread batter made with rice flour and coconut sugar. I then put in the muffin pans into the oven and while the muffins were baking, I went and got ready for work. After I was done getting ready for work, the muffins were done.

They turned out really well and they are tasty too! I am happy to say that this baking challenge was a success! People at work liked the muffins and so did my honey! And I have a lot left for tomorrow too! Yay!

I hope everyone has a wonderful New Year! See you all "next year!"

Day 4: My Resolve Is Weakening

Well, I had my first follow-up appointment with the doc yesterday and was able to report that I am doing okay on the diet, but I must say my resolve is weakening!

I don't know what is causing my resolve to weaken. It could be what I discussed with the doc yesterday or it could just be my body craving certain foods and the cravings are almost more than I can stand.
I had a couple of questions about some specifics on the diet - mainly if there were some foods I could have since the diet guidelines didn't clarify on them. The first one I asked about was honey. I know I was told I couldn't have sweeteners but I thought maybe honey was different as it is nectar and bee spit. The doctor said no honey. So basically the only sweet thing I can eat is fruit and I can use spices and herbs and there are some spices like cinnamon and vanilla that are kind of sweet. The next thing I asked about was rice. I know the diet said no rice, but I wasn't sure if that meant white rice or all rice. Doc said it was all rice. And then I asked about oatmeal as I wasn't sure if this was a grain or what. Apparently oatmeal has gluten in it - who knew? So since I can't have gluten, I can't have oatmeal and I love oatmeal. The doc said I could have fruit juice, but only if I juiced it myself and made sure the pulp from the fruit was put back in. But I can buy orange juice at the store, but have to buy 100% juice with lots of pulp. So, that was nice to find out.

The doc then asked me how I was feeling overall. He asked if I was getting any headaches. I had told him I hadn't had any headaches, but then last night one hit me hard. Let the caffeine withdrawals begin! He also asked me if I had any brain fog - well, I didn't yesterday but my brain is a little fuzzy today, but I think it is just because I am tired. I didn't realize that when you are going through a detox how hard it can be on your body.

The first thing I thought about doing this morning was cheating on my diet. I was craving a breakfast sandwich from the sandwich shop that is literally a half a block from my home. They are so good, but I persevered and didn't fall for the craving. I had my "protein" shake this morning and then I had some almond butter with celery sticks and apple slices for dipping. I also ate an orange too. So, I have survived this morning so far.

For lunch I have packed a sweet potato which I plan to "bake" in the microwave. I also have some grapes and cashews. But I am thinking of running out on my lunch and getting a grilled chicken breast from like Wendys or Chik-Fil-A (or as my nephews call it: the Chicken-Cow place).

So, this brings me to my next point. I LOVE to eat out because I enjoy trying to new foods and I really enjoy a few places. Last night I found myself in the food court at the mall. I always knew mall food wasn't very good but when you are on a strict diet what do you eat? I was able to order a chicken sandwich from Chik-Fil-A and I ditched the bun and just ate the chicken breast with the lettuce. Not as filling as I had hoped, but I did feel satisfied in that I got to eat out. I also have plans to eat out for dinner tonight too. I am thinking I am going to get the steamed veggies and mandarin chicken from Panda Express, or I will get a salad from Subway. I will decide when I get there.

So, here is to the rest of the day - I hope I survive. And if anyone is interested in nut butters, check out this site for more information on how to make them yourself. I am exploring this new world of food and nut butters and so I am willing to share what I find. Click here for the information on the nut butters.

And since the doc told me I can't have the traditional Thanksgiving dishes other than Turkey and Veggies, I am going to be finding a rice stuffing recipe but substitute quinoa in place of the rice and I am going to get some buckwheat flour so I can have gravy and I will be attempting to make some mashed potatoes from sweet potatoes as well. And I think I will make enough in case other people in the family want to try it.