Glucose Test - AKA The Icky Orange Drink

So its about that time. I'm scheduling the glucose test that pregnant ladies take to check if they've acquired gestational diabetes during their pregnancy. This is something that I have been a little nervous about, since I read that eating paleo actually can skew the results of this test. I'm not sure the exact details and chemistry involved in everything, but when I was reading paleo pregnancy blogs at 5 weeks pregnant, I read a couple times (not sure the validity of course) that since paleo eaters eat such a low amount of sugar, drinking that sugary drink will spike your glucose levels significantly. So I read suggestions to carbo-load a couple days before the test so that you don't have to go through the trouble of returning back for the extra long re-test to prove you don't have gestational diabetes. What a pain.

So I got some good news at my last appointment with my mid-wife. I don't have to drink the orange drink!!! This is her reasoning...what good does drinking a super-sugary drink tell you about how you eat and how your body responds to sugar on a daily basis? I love this lady. So simple and true. So instead I get to go in before I eat breakfast to give a blood test. Then she send me home to eat what i would NORMALLY eat for breakfast (probably am going to predict that is going to be eggs...not an orange sugar drink). Then I come back and she tests me again. It makes much more sense to see how your body responds to normal food.

I just wish that everyone could have the option (especially my fellow paleo eaters out there) of testing this way. I know there are a ton of reasons for both sides and why some doctors do things the way they do, but either way...I'm just glad I don't have to worry about it this time around. Whew.

Gingerbread Snowmen Pancakes

I said it before and I'll say it again, I LOVE CHRISTMAS! I have never been into gingerbread in the past, but this year I can't stop searching the internet to make anything gingerbread. There's those pregnancy cravings for ya I guess.

So I was on a mission. Last night we took the kids to the store and I bought my molasses (had no idea what molasses were or where to find them since I've never needed to use them.) and some extra spices.  I woke up this morning and started mixing.

GINGERBREAD PALEO PANCAKES

Adapted From: http://cupcakesomg.blogspot.com

1 ½ cups almond meal

½ tsp. baking soda

¼ tsp. salt

1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon

1 1/2 tsp. ground ginger

1 tsp. nutmeg

½ tsp. ground cloves

3 eggs

¼ cup coconut milk

2 Tbsp. raw honey

2 Tbsp. molasses

Mix the dry ingredients first, then mix in the wet ingredients. Mix with a hand mixer for 1 – 2 minutes to blend well. Grease griddle or pan with coconut oil. Drop by ¼ cup on med-high heat. Flip pancake when the top begins to look dry.

I needed to share this awesome idea to get your kids into the holiday spirit (and yourself in the holiday spirit too actually!)Once the pancakes are made, add some dark chocolate chips to decorate (super fun for kids to do themselves...as long as they aren't like my 2 year old and will eat them instead of putting them on the pancake...he's a sneaky one!!!) and some coconut "snow" flakes at the bottom. If I was really good, I'd cook bacon and add that as a scarf around the neck...To my sons' demise, we didn't have that much time this morning though.

I don't know if I've mentioned that I also run a daycare and preschool from my home. We are learning about the Gingerbread Baby this week. So I'll definitely get my gingerbread fix with the projects we got going this week! YES! This will be a good week!

Paleo Gingerbread Cookie Cutter Cookies

The goodness of the holidays, paleo style. I love it...AND these are amazing.

GINGERBREAD COOKIE RECIPE        

Adapted from: http://fastpaleo.com

3 1/4 cups almond meal

2 TBSP. ground ginger

1 TBSP. ground cinnamon

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp. sea salt

1/2 cup honey

1/4 cup molasses

1 Tbsp. coconut cream or milk

1/4 cup coconut oil

2 TBSP. Almond Butter

Heat oven to 320 degrees. Combine the dry ingredients together. In a pan over medium heat, melt honey, molasses & coconut oil. Remove from heat and stir in the coconut milk and almond butter. Add wet ingredients to dry mixture and stir until combined.

You may drop them onto a coconut oiled cookie sheet right now, or you can make cookie cutter cookies by chilling the dough for at least an hour in the refrigerator. 

Make sure cookie cutters and dough are as cold as possible before rolling out dough between 2 pieces of wax paper to 1/4 inch thickness. The dough rolls out best when cold, and gets a little sticker as time goes on, so its best to work fast!

Place on coconut oiled cookie sheet and bake for 10 -12 minutes. Let cool on pan for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

The kids LOVE to frost cookies. We used melted dark chocolate. You can put on in whatever creative way works best for you. We used craft sticks and skewers to "paint" our chocolate onto the cookie.

I thought I'd have to cut a lot of our Christmas traditions out since we are full on paleo this year. But it has been so fun hunting and altering recipes so that we can still bake cookies, have our holiday meals (paleo style) and enjoy the season while feeling good too. I hope you enjoy this recipe. We sure have!

Gingerbread Snowman Pancakes

I said it before and I'll say it again, I LOVE CHRISTMAS! I have never been into gingerbread in the past, but this year I can't stop searching the internet to make anything gingerbread. There's those pregnancy cravings for ya I guess.

So I was on a mission. Last night we took the kids to the store and I bought my molasses (had no idea what molasses were or where to find them since I've never needed to use them.) and some extra spices.  I woke up this morning and started mixing.

GINGERBREAD PALEO PANCAKES

Adapted From: http://cupcakesomg.blogspot.com

1 ½ cups almond meal

½ tsp. baking soda

¼ tsp. salt

1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon

1 1/2 tsp. ground ginger

1 tsp. nutmeg

½ tsp. ground cloves

3 eggs

¼ cup coconut milk

2 Tbsp. raw honey

2 Tbsp. molasses

Mix the dry ingredients first, then mix in the wet ingredients. Mix with a hand mixer for 1 – 2 minutes to blend well. Grease griddle or pan with coconut oil. Drop by ¼ cup on med-high heat. Flip pancake when the top begins to look dry.

I needed to share this awesome idea to get your kids into the holiday spirit (and yourself in the holiday spirit too actually!)Once the pancakes are made, add some dark chocolate chips to decorate (super fun for kids to do themselves...as long as they aren't like my 2 year old and will eat them instead of putting them on the pancake...he's a sneaky one!!!) and some coconut "snow" flakes at the bottom. If I was really good, I'd cook bacon and add that as a scarf around the neck...To my sons' demise, we didn't have that much time this morning though.

I don't know if I've mentioned that I also run a daycare and preschool from my home. We are learning about the Gingerbread Baby this week. So I'll definitely get my gingerbread fix with the projects we got going this week! YES! This will be a good week!