This is not a belated April Fool's joke. I'm starting Whole30 on Tuesday, and I'm nervous as all get out. If you haven't heard of Whole30, it's...sort of like paleo? But without the cheat-y substitutes for "real" foods that I see people making. It's basically stripping away grains, legumes, sugar, dairy, alcohol, and additives like MSG or carrageenan.
I'm inherently suspicious of these kinds of fad diets. But this is just...eating real food. Lots of eggs, meat, veggies, fruit, and healthy fats from nuts, avocados, olive oil, stuff like that. And I've grown to realize that I have an addiction to sugar. I don't really enjoy foods as much if they don't contain dairy or carbs. I feel like that's a problem. So with this upcoming 30 days, I would like to physically and psychologically cleanse myself. It's going to be difficult (even if the Whole30 people tell you to suck it up) so we'll see how this shakes out.
The reason I'm starting on Tuesday and not tomorrow (Monday) is because there is a bar baking contest at work on Monday, and I want to taste my competition. My entry is these white chocolate, raspberry, and almond bars. They're from a book my grandparents gave me when I was a kid, and they are delightful. The natural tang of the raspberries balances out the sweet creaminess of the white chocolate. Wish me luck!
White Chocolate Raspberry Almond Bars
1/2 c butter
2 oz. chopped white chocolate
2 eggs
2/3 c sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 c flour
1/2 c chopped almonds
1/2 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
1 c raspberries
Preheat the oven to 350. Grease and line a 8x8 pan with foil. In a medium saucepan, heat butter and and white chocolate, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in eggs, vanilla, and sugar. Add flour, baking soda, salt, and almonds. Spread in the prepared pan and sprinkle with raspberries. Bake for 30-35 minutes until golden brown.
I'm inherently suspicious of these kinds of fad diets. But this is just...eating real food. Lots of eggs, meat, veggies, fruit, and healthy fats from nuts, avocados, olive oil, stuff like that. And I've grown to realize that I have an addiction to sugar. I don't really enjoy foods as much if they don't contain dairy or carbs. I feel like that's a problem. So with this upcoming 30 days, I would like to physically and psychologically cleanse myself. It's going to be difficult (even if the Whole30 people tell you to suck it up) so we'll see how this shakes out.
The reason I'm starting on Tuesday and not tomorrow (Monday) is because there is a bar baking contest at work on Monday, and I want to taste my competition. My entry is these white chocolate, raspberry, and almond bars. They're from a book my grandparents gave me when I was a kid, and they are delightful. The natural tang of the raspberries balances out the sweet creaminess of the white chocolate. Wish me luck!
White Chocolate Raspberry Almond Bars
1/2 c butter
2 oz. chopped white chocolate
2 eggs
2/3 c sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 c flour
1/2 c chopped almonds
1/2 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
1 c raspberries
Preheat the oven to 350. Grease and line a 8x8 pan with foil. In a medium saucepan, heat butter and and white chocolate, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in eggs, vanilla, and sugar. Add flour, baking soda, salt, and almonds. Spread in the prepared pan and sprinkle with raspberries. Bake for 30-35 minutes until golden brown.