This week’s post is truly inspirational, and may well come at a perfect time for some of you if you’ve overindulged over Easter…
When I invited Melissa from The Glen House to take part in my guest post series I knew that it may well be a challenge for her to fulfil the guidelines of bringing a vegetarian, sugar free, gluten free, healthy dish, but she jumped at the chance of being involved, which made me very happy! Lovely, friendly, vivacious, Melissa makes amazing cakes, she loves baking, and eats very differently from me, but her post captures the essence of the series completely, I hope you enjoy it..
So, Melissa, what would you feed me?
Elaine asked me write a post that was gluten free and sugar free. Me? Me that uses copious amounts of sugar, chocolate, butter and flour in her posts and in her every day life? Why not, I thought!
But I wasn’t thinking.
Elaine and I are from the opposite ends of the foodie spectrum; she’ll often post a piece and my response would be something along the line that “it would be great covered in chocolate”. Elaine posts healthy dishes and snacks, whilst I write about cakes and cookies. How on earth could I write her sort of post?
I knew I’d have to stick to what I know, there was no point just serving up a fruit salad or a plate of veg. I needed to make Elaine something ‘sweet’ like a cake or muffin, but I had to use her sort of ‘sugar’. I had to put myself in her shoes…
So, for the month of March I gave up sugar. I GAVE UP SUGAR. I-GAVE-UP-SUGAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! No more cakes, biscuits, muffins, Haribo, chocolate, alcohol…. Even bananas and mangos were off limit! I stopped snacking altogether and stuck to three meals a day. While I was at it, I did away with potatoes and bread too! After two days of mind blowing headaches, I was ok. My sugar fix came from berries, I rekindled my long lost love affair with avacodos and my palette began to change. I lost a stone and a half in four weeks by eating this way- not diet AT ALL, just eating properly.
New ways of cooking and baking called out to me; I discovered Ella Woodward of Deliciously Ella fame and Sarah Wilson, who has written several books on life without sugar. I began to understand how to use nuts and fruit to replace eggs, butter and sugar and how I can replace normal flour with healthier alternatives. So, I’m making Elaine a recipe I’ve come up with myself, based on my research.
Banana, Date and Pecan Muffins
Ingredients:
1 cup pecans
1 cup brown rice flour
1 cup dates
2 large bananas
1/2 cup almond milk
2 tsp gluten free baking powder
vanilla (I used Dr Oekter vanilla grinder)
a pinch of maldon salt
Method:
Preheat the oven 180 degrees and line a muffin tin. Blend the pecans to a fine powder in a food processer. Add them into a bowl with the other dry ingredients and stir. Mix the milk, dates, bananas and vanilla and blend until smooth. Stir the wet ingredients in with the dry ingredients and spoon into the muffin cases. Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes.
I enjoyed my banana goodies with a cup of liquorice tea (try it, it’s amazing!)
32 days after giving up sugar and I can still count the amount of sugar based ‘treats’ I’ve had on one hand. I can’t honestly say that I will give up sugar completely, but I will never go back to eating the amount I did before. NEVER.
Melissa xx
Darling Melissa, I LOVE your muffins, but more than that, I love how you embraced the challenge and what you achieved for yourself. What you have done isn’t easy, sugar is a drug and not easy to give up, and you achieved that. Huge respect from me, honey! I hope you feel fabulous xx
Wow, what a lifestyle change! To lose a stone and a half in just a month whilst eating well must have been quite an eye opener. I look forward to seeing what new creations Melissa will post on her blog!
LikeLiked by 2 people
I know, amazing loss in such a short time!! I look forward to what Melissa creates too 🙂
LikeLike
Reblogged this on The Glen House and commented:
Here’s my post for good friend Elaine… And the journey I took along the way.
LikeLike
Great post, Elaine! Can’t wait to see what Melissa will conjure up next! There’s no turning back now 😉
LikeLiked by 2 people
I know!!!
LikeLike
Thanks guys xx
LikeLiked by 1 person
That is just so amazing, Melissa and catalyst, Elaine!! So happy for and proud of you both, really. Super well done and keep it up!!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Hasn’t she done just amazingly well?? I never expected such a radical change 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
This is so inspiring Melissa! The muffins looks too good ❤️
LikeLiked by 2 people
This is Ama-zing. …
LikeLiked by 2 people
🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wow such major changes all at once! I would love these muffins. Full of flavor and fiber.
LikeLiked by 2 people
I know, hasn’t she done well?! And fab muffins 🙂
LikeLiked by 2 people
Amazingly good. I try to eat consciously too and it made me think I need to tighten the reigns a bit :).
LikeLiked by 2 people
Oh dear Elain, indeed, sugar is a drug. God help me! 😀 )))
Melissa, What a creative muffins you have come up with. Reading the ingredients made my mouth drool. And, I had never thought of gluten-free baking powder. Bravo! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m so glad you like it, Fae. Melissa did a great job 🙂
LikeLiked by 2 people
These look amazing and this is a great recipe, Melissa 🙂
LikeLiked by 2 people
Didn’t she do well??? 🙂
LikeLiked by 2 people
Very well Elaine xx
LikeLiked by 2 people
Wow – no sugar for a month, now that’s not easy, even I allow myself a little on weekends! What a great recipe to show off your new low-sugar self Melissa. Elaine – thanks for sharing!
LikeLiked by 2 people
I’m glad you enjoyed it x
LikeLiked by 2 people
Reblogged this on The Vintage Housewife.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank you 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
I absolutely love this post Elaine! I must go visit Melissa and talk with her about it. We did the same thing! We gave up sugar, gluten, dairy, caffeine and alcohol for a month too. It was a huge eye opener. I didn’t realize how much of these things we were consuming and the effects of it on our body and gut! We are not intolerant of any of these things but what we found was how much better we feel cutting it out. Now that the 30 days are over we have a very small amount of these things (since we’re not intolerant) and love our new eating plan. Sorry to be so long winded… I got excited. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hey, please don’t apologise, it’s wonderful to read your excitement 🙂 well done!! I’m very happy for you, keep feeling fab 🙂
LikeLike
Amazing post! Well done, Melissa!! The muffins look groovy!!!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Beautiful muffins and so well done Melissa. perfect for Elaine and all of us. Your dietary changes took a lot of willpower and determination and I think it’s wonderful what you have accomplished, Good for you!!
LikeLiked by 2 people
I completely agree x
LikeLiked by 1 person
I really hope I keep it up, my taste buds are changing, it’s brilliant!
LikeLiked by 1 person
They will, more and more x
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m really very happy about your decision and that you speak about it. Sugar is good as long as in reasonable amounts, and that’s very little. It is so important to speak about it. Thanks for your post.
LikeLiked by 2 people