Paleo Pals - Health, Weight Loss & Support

KSuze - Awesomeness!! My Mum used to say ‘an education is something that can never be taken away from you, and will ALWAYS come in handy’. What you gave those students goes far beyond dollars and cents!

Good morning Cave Peepers!!

As promised I endeavored to whip up a steaming mug of Ksuze's anti-inflam java chai latte. A few pointers for anyone considering making this for the first time:

• Make sure you're fully awake before starting. This will ensure you don't have your pepper mill set on the large grind setting and end up with what feels like rocks in your mouth.

• Repeat step 1, be awake, this will also ensure that you actually read labels and not put onion powder into the mix instead of ginger.

• Have more than one cup of coffee made, just in case you didn't follow step 1 & 2, and need to start over..... like I did.

• Have Windex handy to clean up the mess on your kitchen window after spraying/spewing out your first botched attempt at the latte.

*

OH.EM.GEE. Y'all HAVE to try KSuze's latte recipe posted yesterday (made according to her directions, not my first attempt lol) It was a cupful of yummy, and I'm afraid I might have become addicted at the first sip! It was so good that I'm typing this with one hand.....I refuse to let go of my cup! Way to go KSuze and many MANY thanks for posting!!! I added extra cinnamon because I'm a freak….will that have an effect the health benefits KSuze?

SpecialK - Occasionally I'll read something on the threads that will catapult me headlong into a 'treatment flashback'. Your last reply did just that…..good lord do I remember the slo-mo computer generated shampoo commercials!! They would make my hand automatically run back and forth over my bald head. Not that my hair ever looked anything like the commercials, and I don't think many do have hair like that, barring children. Still though, it would have me cringing internally, yearning for regrowth and feeling that my plight was never ending…..along with many other feelings. Treatment (for me) was expert at stripping back layers of feminine confidence, most triggered by the visuals. As for the Kardashians, I will admit that I took great pleasure when viewing the 'no makeup' pics during my treatment…..how very mature of me LOL!!

JunieBee - Hey darlin! What a dedicated group of people at Stevenson Pet Retirement Community, and what a lovely concept. I tell ya, that 3 legged black lab stole my heart!!! Thank you for posting the link, and post whatever you please on this thread. We're not just food and diet....we're lifestyle, and your video link is exactly what it's about....a complete picture of our lives, from food to pets. Balance is where it's at babydoll! Speaking of balance.....those muffins look like a must, and perfect for this time of year! They'd sure balance out my delish latte! )))))

So off to the gym with me.....hope everyone's day is splendiferous!

Whew-eee, what a day!! Ran the gamut from putting out small business fires to 5 loads of laundry.....all made possible by drinking 14 cups of KSuze's 'addiction in a cup' latte. Absolutely killed it at the gym, and don't expect to sleep until next Thursday ))))) Such is life....never a dull mo.

KSuze - Thanks for the info, so at least the cinnamon may counteract the self induced hypertension my overindulgence may have caused ))))

JKL - What a marvellous contribution your hubs and yourself have going on!! Gold stars to you both on a generous and thoughtful way to 'give back...& give forward'. To think of the difference you'll be making not only to the students, but the possibilities of what their education may mean for all of us is, well, 53 shades of cool!!! That goes to you too KSuze....the gift of education is so vital! Ok I'll get off my soapbox here and move on to tortillas. JKL, I've seen the paleo wraps but was reticent to buy (Amazon, you can't get them here in stores) because some of the reviews said they were received moldy. What has your experience been if you don't mind me asking? I'll be posting a tortilla 'thang soon...store bought would make a great follow up to homemade. I bet your 4 year old adventures were worth the bruise, and a total blast!

Inna (godda davida) & TwoH - ‘sup buttercups, you’ve been gone too long! Cowgal, hows the tummy doing? MAP & Shazzzza, really hope you’re both back in the fold soon!

Good morning Cavies!

Jade - VERY happy to hear from you (didn't expect it would be this soon, but YAY!!) Big thumbs up on making it through like we knew you could. I am sorry that your experience has been less than desirable, neglect isn't right. I am though, very glad to see you're through the surgery, able to type (yay!), and (from your surgery post) able to stand up. The swelling is a concern, so keep us posted on this please....ouch, hope they get that straightened out soon. How is the tummy doing the day after? The post and presurgery meds hit me hard too, no fun at all. So what are their plans for your discharge? Gentle hugs, you did well....onwards!!

Inna (godda davida) - Hiya chickee! I was wondering how your labour nurses even wanted to discuss lunch while tending to you....then again, and as you said, desensitizing happens. Probably necessary in their line of work. I'm sure they see and experience things that would have most of us carted off to the looney bin there wasn't a mental cut off switch. I am so sorry about the H.Pylori (that rhymes lol!)….such a horrible infection! Hoping you aren't in too much pain! Green poo.....how very St. Patricks Day of you LOL!!!! A friend of mine experienced the same while on the meds....along with throwing up what looked like coffee grounds....charming. As for the rads, I found the biggest hurdle was the daily slog over to the center...and the cost of parking being that of a second mortgage! It is exhausting so be kind to yourself....between the infection and the daily rads you need extra special pampering. Keep us posted darlin!

KSuze - I'll apologize now for my past and future punctuation, spelling, and grammatical errors......along with all the dangling modifiers, fragmented & sentence structure faux pas. Oh, and the '...…………..' I so liberally sprinkle in my posts. )))))))

Mornin' Cave Chicks!! Our usual Tutorial Thursday has been pre-empted to bring you Episode 2 of……..

EGAD'S TEST KITCHEN – Screwing up so you don't have to!!!

Our lovable Vamp recently posted about her yearning for a wrap. Our awesome JKL also posted good things about her purchased paleo wraps. Wraps……plaguing Paleo chicks for 10,000 years! My own wrap journey has been a long and arduous one. Recipes…… I've had a few turn out so-so, many outright stinkers and a number of 'toss that in the garbage…like now!' attempts.

Paleo breads are a bitch by nature, and flatbreads of any type don't get off the hook either. Many recipes turn out more of a pancake consistency or are so stiff and crumbly that you can't actually wrap anything in it without it breaking apart and landing in your lap….usually when you're wearing white, before labour day of course! ))))

During one of my youtube fests I came across a couple of interesting looking recipes and grudgingly decided to give them a test drive…..which as you probably know is an expensive gamble. Paleo ingredients ain't cheap!

Ladies, hang on to your hat & start your ovens……..

Ingredients

• 1 cup ground flax seed (golden or dark)
• 2/3 cup water
• Salt to taste

Instructions: Bring water & salt to a rolling boil, add ground flax seed and stir until it forms a sticky ball. Cut into 4 (or 2 for larger wraps) chunks and let cool. Press or roll to desired thickness and fry in an oiled non stick or cast iron pan, 1-3 minutes per side. Make wraps...oh yeah!

Instructional vid......great for initial cooking, you can ignore all the fussing she does getting it perfectly round, read my tips below....will save you a lot of tears and hair pulling.

Yeah. That's all folks!! 3 MEASLY INGREDIENTS turned this out…. (images darker than reality....gotta hate iPhone pictures)

Above: Right: using golden flaxseed Left: using dark flaxseed

This puppy sings the old American Breed tune "Bend me, shape me, any way you want me!" It's flexible, and remains that way even after freezing. They freeze beautifully….no difference to taste nor texture AT ALL. Taste….slightly nutty, but imperceptible once filled with goodies, can be bland so salt to taste. Texture….a little like whole wheat, and can be slightly 'slippery' if they get too wet from the fillings, or once you get chewing. Again, the filing makes up for any texture wonkiness . If made with dark flax seed flour you'll have a slight rye bread taste (woot!)

After freeze/defrost…a simple sliced bbq chicken, tomato, spinach and mayo wrap (yeah went a little heavy on the mayo ))

Now, y'all didn't think you were going to get off easy did you?

Prep and making of this wrap is fiddly, fussy and somewhat frustrating on the first few attempts. The vid makes it look like a breeze….which it is until it's time to pick the wrap up and put it in the pan. Here are some tips…..

• After removing the dough ball from the pot immediately slice into 4 (or two for a large wrap). Careful not to burn your hands

• Let it cool completely before rolling or pressing….the texture when warm is too sticky to work with.

• Roll out the dough between parchment or slip pad, but oil the paper or pad before starting…otherwise good luck getting it peeled of the paper.

• Flip carefully into the pan, it wants to overlap and getting it straight without tearing takes the skill of a surgeon.

• Cook for longer than 1 min stated in the vid if you want colour. I flipped over a few times and probably went 2-3 mins per side.

• After removing from pan, place directly on the countertop until cooled. Putting on to paper towel as instructed will end in disaster…..they'll stick to the paper towel.

• Once cooled off completely you'll have a flexible, very 'like the real thing' wrap. Freeze with wax or parchment paper between each wrap.

• I found it best to use the vid for the initial cooking method….as for rolling and cooking, it takes practice and patience. Once you get the hang of it I'd recommend this for batch cooking and freezing.

Final Impressions: Holy grail status? No, but comes close in flexibility and will be my go-to until I find something that will surpass the results. Getting the hang of it takes it down a notch, but the few ingredients and simplicity of initial prep is awesome! All in all I'm very happy to have found this recipe.

Disclaimer: I haven't eaten any type of wheat/grain based bread in close to 4 years. What delights me, may not delight you....especially if you're new to the wheatless game. Start with small batches and test before wasting expensive ingredients....and then making an Egads doll to stick pins into ))))))))

Stay tuned for episode 3 tomorrow when I'll be continuing with a test on a microwave version of these wraps and new pita flatbread.

LOL, a woman of few words....I take it that's a no go for you Inna ))))

They really are worth it, and not that bad once you get the hang of getting it from the paper into the pan. Best I've tried after all this time, and almost a relief to be able to have an egg salad wrap today.

KSuze - Yes indeedy-do, paleo compliant! We tend to steer away from all things processed, but that brand checks out. The only thing I can see wrong with them is the price...holy cow! Works out to the price of a loaf of bread for one wrap!! I suppose if a gal has to get her wrap on, she’s willing to pay whatever it takes;)) I splurge if it makes me happy!

They’re stiff because of the coconut flour. It sucks up moisture better than a sponge. Thanks for posting...coconut flour wraps are now going on the test kitchen list. Btw, how do they taste? Texture?