oh no we "doughnut", oh yes we did!

Please excuse the title and my pathetic efforts to come up with something catchy. Creativity is not my 1st, 2nd, or 3rd nature. Moving on now....

My 30 day Paleo Challenge is coming to an end. Last night in bed Ryan asked me where I'd like to go eat to celebrate the commencement of this "caveman diet" and although we agreed we'd go get frozen yogurt, I told him I'm going to try and keep the Paleo-lifestyle up. I won't be as strict as I have been and the only reason I have been strict is because of the challenge and maybe the prize my CrossFit gym has been doing (come on baby, mama wants to win those lifting shoes).

To explain what I've felt this past month it's important to know my eating has had it's struggles like many others. I never ate super unhealthy, but when I did, I would eat A LOT ALOT of it. It's pretty bad when the hubby has to tell you, "Are you sure you want more of that? I don't want you to get sick." "OF COURSE I WANT MORE....GIMMME GIMMME!"

Then I would get sick and feel so gross. What we put in our bodies affects more than just a waist line. When we put good food in, we feel good. Same goes for bad. Going 30 days without processed foods, no added/refined sugar, focusing on lean meats, fish, vegetables, fruits, and peanuts....man i feel really good. Not once have I had the feeling , Man, I really shouldn't have eaten that. There definitely is more planning and work with cooking, but to feel great about everything I've put in my body has been SO worth it.

And can I say something about desserts and the baked Paleo goods I've been making? Everything is in moderation and the baked goods are okay to have but not every single day. With Paleo, raw honey or agave can be used as natural sweetners when used in moderation. With that being said, I've loved baking Paleo. My biff and I made these doughnuts from the Spunky Coconut and one thing about eating sweets that are grain/gluten free with natural sweeteners, I don't feel gross after eating it. (Eating a box of ding dongs from the grocery store, as yummy as they start out to be, leave me feeling BLAH!)Not that you should be binging on paleo sweets either. Although the biff and i did eat the whole batch but to my defense they are smaller doughnuts. Ha! You get my point.

As if this post couldn't get any longer, here's the recipe:

Chocolate Doughnuts with Coconut Cream Frosting

Add to blender:
1 egg

1/2 cup almond butter
2 tbsp honey

2 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 to 1/4 tsp vanilla stevia (i didn't use)

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp sea salt

2 tbsp cocoa powder (or 2 tbsp coconut flour for vanilla doughnuts)

1/4 cup to 1/2 cup coconut milk, as needed

Note: The amount of milk you need depends on how thick your almond butter is. You want the batter to be fairly thick - almost too thick to pour from the blender. Add the milk gradually - you can always add more, but you can't take it out :-)

Puree the batter.

Add 1/2 tsp of oil (I use coconut oil, liquified) to each doughnut well. My doughnut pan holds six regular sized doughnuts, and it is non-stick. You really need the oil for these doughnuts even with the non-stick pan. Rub the oil all around each well.Pour the batter evenly between the six doughnut wells. There may be a little left over. Bake at 350 degrees for about 12 minutes. They will continue cooking slightly as they cool in the pan. Cool the doughnuts in the pan for at least 10 minutes before carefully taking them out.

Coconut Glaze Ingredients:

1/3 cup warmed coconut butter (should be able to pour it)

2 tablespoons honey

Add 1 tsp of water as need till smooth and creamy. You can add more warmed coconut butter if it gets too thin.

Happy Friday!