Amazing egg-free AIP Pancakes!

I am so excited to share this recipe with you! I've become accustomed to eating strange foods for breakfast since I don't eat eggs, grains, or dairy.  It doesn't phase me to heat up a piece of fish or meat and a type of squash for breakfast. However, it is nice to have a more traditional breakfast option, especially one that my boyfriend (who is very picky) will eat with me.

I've been in denial about food sensitivities for a few months. How could something that is so good for me be bad? My diet is already limited- how could I need to restrict it more? However this week was the test.  I am one week into giving up coconut along with a few other foods which I was suspicious about, and I feel a ton better. I knew it would be hard to replace my coconut butter, coconut flour, and coconut milk (luckily coconut oil doesn't bother me) but experimenting with cassava flour has been great- even better then coconut flour! 

I hope you enjoy these as much as I did. I was making cinnamon Kombucha squash in the oven and my boyfriend said, "those smell like pancakes," which is what gave me the idea. I love the texture AND taste better than regular pancakes!

AIP pancake 

Makes 4 small or 3 large pancakes! 

3/4 cup of cassava flour

2 tbsp coconut oil, melted + more coconut oil for the pan 

1 tbsp cinnamon 

2 tsp vanilla 

Sea Salt 

1/2 cup leftover, cooked, and mashed kombucha squash (or other starch!) 

1/3 warm water + approx. 1 cup warm water 

Combine the flour, cinnamon, vanilla and a pinch of sea salt. Add the melted coconut oil, mashed squash and 1/3 cup warm water, working it until doughy. Slowly stir in the remaining warm water until the dough becomes a batter-like consistency. 

NOTE: The amount of water you add will vary. I do not remember the exact amount of water I used to get the right texture! 

Next heat up a frying pan with coconut oil. Spoon the batter into the pan. Cook the batter as you would a regular pancake! I like mine a little on the crispier side. 

Serve with uncured bacon and fresh fruit or grade B maple syrup for topping (optional) 

The "when I'm VERY hungry" Breakfast

Two very exciting things in TMW lifestyle for me... 

First- I am officially down 20 lbs. Before getting sick I was very depressed about my weight. No matter how much I worked out or how "healthy" I ate (healthy to me then meant lots of gluten, low calorie processed snacks, yogurt, granola, and a starving tummy) I kept gaining weight and feeling less energetic. I still have symptoms but hopefully one day I can say I feel as good as I look! 

Second- while we are on the topic of breakfast- I FINALLY found sugar free bacon at Whole Foods.  The brand Wellshire Farms makes a "Sugar Free Dry Rubbed" bacon that is so delicious; I don't understand why most other brands inject the bacon with a form of sugar! This is a high quality product that does not contain gluten preservatives, artificial ingredients, antibiotics, growth promoting hormones, nitrates or nitrites. View ingredients.

Now for the Main Course. This morning I woke up VERY hungry. Thanks to the heat, I haven't felt like cooking or eating lately SO I took full advantage of my hunger this morning, knowing that as the day warms up I won't be eating anything heavy. I use this as my go-to breakfast when I know I won't have time to eat a nice big lunch or if my lunch plan is a simple salad. Packed with protein, healthy carbs and fats, it makes me super full! 

I start by poking holes in my sweet potato so it can vent then microwaving it for 8 minutes. (We have a very old, low power microwave so it could be less time for you!) Cut it in half to use as a base. Next I cook up some ground turkey. I either season it one of two ways depending on my mood. I like it with rosemary and lemon or cumin and parsley. Either way I add s&p, garlic and onion powder. Add the meat to the sweet potato. Next I make Dr. Amy Myers Whipped Avocado Dressing, whipping together the avocado with lemon juice, sea salt, and olive oil, then add that to the top of the sweet potato/ meat. Finally, I add sautéed onions. Because I was VERY hungry the onions came out rushed today- less sautéed and more crispy (aka burnt). Don't you hate when that happens? 

Garlic Cream Paleo "Pasta"

I am happy to share I started working a job for the first time since last September (hence why I've been busy and slacking with the blog!). It felt amazing to be out in the world talking to random people, even though I had to fight brain fog and tiredness. Hopefully I will be able to handle this job, but if I can't I will just have to wait until my body is ready.

So as you can imagine I was starving after my shift. Searching my fridge for a warm, quick, satisfying comfort food, I ended up creating a delicious dinner that took less than 10 minutes to make.... and it reminds me of a pasta Alfredo!

I find that I don't really miss the taste of pasta- if you think about it pasta on its own is very bland! I miss the quickness of making it and the noodley texture. This dinner was a huge comfort food for me.

I love that the carrots gave this meal a crunchiness. You can add whatever vegetables (broccoli, kale, ect.) you like! I also used a yellow summer squash instead of the zucchini when making this dish a second time.

Garlic Cream Paleo "Pasta" (for two)
1 medium diced onion
2 tbsps coconut oil
2 zucchinis julienned to look like noodles (I used a Veggetti)

1 13.5 oz can of coconut milk
4 handfuls of spinach
1 cup frozen carrots
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1 Tbsp onion powder
1 Tsp basil
salt and pepper
garlic powder (optional)

Saute the onion in coconut oil in a sauce pan. Add in the minced garlic, onion powder, basil, salt and pepper when the onions are translucent. Crack open the can of coconut milk and let it melt in the pan. Once melted, stir in the vegetables- I added spinach and frozen carrots. Once all is cooked together, I usually taste the sauce and add any additional spices needed. I topped this with a little extra garlic powder (because I LOVE the taste of garlic). Serve over your bed of zucchini.  I hope you find this as comforting as I do!

Avocado Coconut Muffins

The struggle is so real to find breakfast-friendly foods when you're egg, dairy and grain free. I miss how easy it was to make a bowl of cereal or grab a granola bar. One reason why I love the coconut avocado muffin: once you make a batch its so easy to toast up in the morning.  Reason two: I can top it in coconut butter.

After picking up my first ever jar of coconut butter less than a week ago, I already finished it. Seriously- the stuff is amazing. With a similar texture to peanut butter and the perfect combination of sweet and creamy I find myself drifting to the counter and eating it by the spoonful.

This recipe is fairy easy and done in three parts. The arrowroot flour, melted coconut oil and water mixture is an egg replacer, so if you aren't egg free you can use an egg instead! They come out just sweet enough in my opinion.

Avocado Coconut Muffins 
(dairy-free, egg-free, nut-free, gluten and grain-free, paleo!)

1 avocado
3/4 cup coconut milk
Juice of 1 lemon

1 tbsp arrowroot flour
1 tbs coconut oil
1/4 cup water

1 1/2 cup coconut flour
1 tsp salt
1/3 cup melted coconut butter
1tsp stevia (or more depending on your taste)
1 tbsp vaneilla

Pre-heat oven to 350

1. Start with combining the avocado, coconut milk and lemon juice in the blender until creamy.

2. Whisk the arrowroot flour, melted coconut oil and water together in a small bowl.

3. Combine the remaining ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Add the small bowl mixture and blended mixture. The recipe should come out doughy but if it is too dry you can add more coconut milk.

4. Grease your cupcake tray with coconut oil (or use paper). Bake in the oven for about 10 minutes or until top browns.

Top with whipped coconut milk, cinnamon, or coconut butter! Toast or re-fry. Enjoy.

Social Struggles from a Chronically Ill Perspective

Cleaning out my closet today felt amazing. I had no idea how many sundresses I had in there. I’m beginning to think I have a problem…

So lets take a break from food- I want to talk about something that’s been bothering me.

After eight months spending much of my time either bedridden or staring at the walls, getting used to the real world is challenging. I have always felt a little socially awkward but this feeling is different- like every time I’m in public I try to figure my way through a social labyrinth. I forgot what it was like to talk to people who weren’t close friends and family. Dealing with passive aggression or just a person with a different personality than I’m used to can be hard, especially when I’m not feeling 100% healthy yet. Sometimes I want to play the sick person card and tell them what I’ve been going through and maybe then they would ease up.

But truth is people are going to say upsetting things to you no matter what. They’re going to be judgmental, competitive, passive or even jealous by human nature (even if you know they don’t have anything to be jealous of- I’ve literally been suffering!). Just because I have a ridiculously large collection of brightly colored dresses, doesn’t mean I’m unintelligent. Just because I like crafting doesn't mean I'm not tough. Just because I graduated from a state college doesn't mean you can talk down to me. And just because I like generic television and music doesn’t give you the right to assume I was a sorority girl in college (that actually happened). Sometimes, as I stew over it hours later (I’m Irish it’s what we do) they probably didn’t even mean to be offensive or maybe they completely forgot it happened.

Maybe you can relate? There is nothing worse than mustering up the courage to leave the house even if you don’t feel well, then someone tries to make you feel bad about yourself or put you down, whether its on purpose or not.

That’s when I take a deep breath and remind myself how lucky I am just being out of the house in this moment talking to this stranger, even if I’m not enjoying it.

Although I've become more compassionate for people who are also fighting, struggling and dealing with poor health, I am more annoyed by the complainers. I’m so sick of hearing girls complain about how their appearance. I want to tell them “so what if you don’t like your hair or your teeth- your body works.” I would do anything for my body to work. (endrant) I know I can’t exactly come out and say something like this. Before my sickness the biggest complaint about my body was my thigh fat and scar from an operation. Maybe they don’t know how it feels to suffer (or maybe they do). Maybe they don’t know they’re taking their body for granted.

Again, more deep breaths.

The moral of this story is to treat everyone with decency; you honestly don’t know what they’re going though. They could look completely fine, better than ever, but more may be going on under the surface. Its graduation season so we have a lot of parties and social events to attend- I'm dreading the small talk. But it's a good time for me to practice my people skills... and testing my willpower to resist cookout treats!