It's For the Baby!
The best thing in the world happened to me just eight months ago, I became a mama! Oh my goodness nothing could have prepared me for this. Not all the breastfeeding and Ina May books lining my shelves, or the ten weeks of Birth Boot Camp and lovely birth videos could have prepared me for my intro into motherhood. It’s been the most breathtakingly beautiful and soul crushing hardest thing I’ve ever done at the same time. How is that even possible? Even after the insane birth and postpartum story of my daughter, I stare at her now and just think, “Let’s make another one!” Considering a few weeks after having her, I told my husband, “she’s great let’s just have one.”
But that’s not what I’m here to talk about today- It’s actually not even close. I am going to tell you about my Paleo Pregnancy and how I managed to still dive myself face first into fried chicken and milkshakes…the right way! Interested?
So, prior to becoming pregnant, I had been on my Paleo journey for four plus years and had no intentions of stopping just because I was pregnant, actually it was the complete opposite and that tiny heartbeat made me want to be extra strict and become a yogi that didn’t gain over twenty pounds… well neither of those things happened but I did eat right and pass my glucose test with flying colors, so that’s success in my book!
Okay so let’s talk cravings, OH THOSE LITTLE DEVILS. Before I got pregnant, I never understood them really. Sure I had cravings as normal non-baby carrying humans do, and would satisfy it with chocolate or guacamole or whatever it was, but as you are all already thinking… I was in for a surprise. I had more aversions than I did cravings, until one night at nine o’clock I found myself miserable and foaming at the mouth for something very specific and not SUMMER PREGNANCY friendly, but I didn’t care. I called my husband who was coming home from a guys night and said, “babe I need you to stop at the store and get me something before you come home.” Not knowing what I was about to ask him he sweetly said, “Sure babe, anything you want.” I proceeded. “ I need you to pick up everything for chicken-n-dumplings… and make me a batch when you get home.” See, this is HIS recipe and only he can make it taste mouthwatering delicious. “Babe, it won’t be done until close to midnight, it has to slow cook in the dutch oven.” All my mamas reading this know that it doesn’t matter what time of day it is, you HAVE to have it. So to wrap up this long story, I devoured the best bowl of chicken-n-dumplings I’d ever had around one that morning… and the heartburn from Satan himself was completely worth it!
Okay, now you know a little bit more about me and know that though I am a Paleo health coach, I do not crave spinach and green smoothies like a robot… Okay so maybe your craving isn’t chicken-n-dumplings, but the fried chicken and milkshakes that I mentioned several paragraphs ago, so as promised ladies, the answer to all your problems. You can “Paleo-fry” pretty much anything, you just have to modify the ingredients. You can’t have typical frying oil or flour on Paleo so simply choose the Paleo version of both of those. Olive oil and Flour (Tapioca and almond for this recipe.) Dip in flour mixture, egg wash, flour again and then fry it nice and hot. DONE. You can literally fry anything this way. Some of our favorite things to fry besides chicken are these Woodstock pickles and onion straws (can y'all say bloomin' onion?) The only other tip I have is to season the flour mixture really well. You want to smell the seasonings not the flour, so take a quick sniff to check. Weird I know, but it works! What we typically use for seasoning: (Salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder) & a pinch of baking powder for those who like it EXTRA crisp.
Mustard lovers- Regular yellow mustard is fine just double-check the ingredients. I use Yellow Mustard and for my honey mustard recipe, I use Dijon Mustard and Raw Honey.
Ok now for my SWEET Mamas. If you have never tried Coconut Bliss ice cream, you must! If this isn’t your favorite, then you can also try So Delicious. You can either inhale this in one sitting while standing at your freezer during a hot flash, or you can waddle a couple steps over to your blender and make this milkshake that I would almost kill for. Add a couple scoops of your ice cream to the blender, a cup or so of Almond Milk and toss in a hand full of Enjoy Life chocolate chips and blend away. Grab a fat straw and a solo cup and enjoy Mama! You deserve it.
Now, would I recommend you making these recipes several times a week, well no. But you are a carrying a miracle, growing out of every article of clothing in your closet and watching tiny purple lines stretch across your big round belly, so dangit, treat your cute self…
Or my personal favorite line, “It’s for the baby!”