Saturday, October 29, 2011

All I want is a buttermilk biscuit with honey

Confession: Mike and I have been doing a food detox for the last couple weeks. No carbs, no sugar (or sugar substitutes), no dairy, no legumes, no ingredients you don't recognize. Only fresh fruit, veggies, and meat. It's both torturous and simple. The torture comes when I douse Jude's steaming whole-wheat buttermilk biscuit in honey or slather peanut butter on his perfectly toasted bread and then smear on a huge dollop of home-made peach jam. (He looks at me like: "Mom, geez, just give me the dang sandwich...and back up a few inches while you're at it.) I almost get close enough to snort it. As if it would do any good in my nasal cavity. (Pull it together).......I love how it has forced me to realize how many carbs and sugar I would normally eat, as I am passing up chocolate cake with dark chocolate ganache frosting and Halloween candy and pizza and and and. And. I also love how it has forced me to be a little more inventive in the kitchen. Prior to this cleanse, I had not made my own almond milk. And I am enamored with almond milk from scratch. I blend the almonds up with a few dates and then steep the milk with a vanilla bean. I would guzzle it by the gallon. And Mike and I made some ice cream last night by steeping coconut cream with a vanilla bean (vanilla beans have changed my life) and then blending it with some dates (running it through the ice cream maker) and THEN topping it with roasted almonds and raisins. It may be that it was tasty because our brains have been deprived and desperate for a sugar fix. It's possible. But I'm willing to embrace that. On the savory side, I made some rockin' cauliflower "mashed potatoes" with roasted garlic and macadamia nuts. And gravy without flour. And a pork loin covered in prosciutto and stuffed with kale, shitake mushrooms, and apples on a bed of roasted apples. And I like making dressing for salads out of cashews. And I like poached eggs. And avocado with just a little sprinkling of sea salt. And I guess Halloween candy isn't really worth it (although I'm sure the chocolate cake with ganache was...). The point is. I'm glad I know I have a little self-control and that I can be a little inventive in the kitchen. And so help me, I better be sleeping better, bubbling with energy, and have the skin of a baby's bum by the end of this thing. Confession over. Time to go nibble on a picture of a buttermilk biscuit with honey.

5 comments:

Elise said...

Wow. You are amazing. That is amazing. Come teach me discipline.

Carrie said...

I wish I had more discipline too! Better strengthen my resolve:)

Britton Stanfill said...

I think the tastiness of Emily's cooking makes it less difficult for sure.

Deja said...

Hang in there, Girl. I think eating like that changes us in some fundamental way, reminds us of what's beautiful and real about food. You should share those recipes in more detail, pretty please. I love poached eggs. They are like a little packet of the most decadent and delicious sauce ever invented. I've been known to top a stirfry with one ... mmmm.

Luna said...

Coconut! I got some coconut from Whole Food (I can't remember if it was dehydrated or freeze Dried... but I think it was dehydrated) It had no sugar and was SOOOO sweet. I loved it to add a little sweetness to things when i was going sugar free.