Double Chocolate Orange Almond Flour Cookies (Naturally Sweetened and low carb)

Sometimes a girl just need chocolate.  I know ladies. It's just a fact. I've been having these little bad-boy chocolate cookies to save my sanity over the last year...and they have. 

Men, in case you need the scientific facts about chocolate and women, read on!

The unmistakable woman chocolate truth:

• Truth: Never underestimate the power of a woman who needs to eat chocolate and still fit into her jeans. It's an evil vortex of genius.
•  Truth: All  really bad  female headaches can only be cured by rubbing an intense dark sea salt soiree bar in the mouth and counting to 100.
•  Truth: The secret cure  to female moodiness that has baffled husbands for years is to do a choc-incantation while holding a chocolate doughnut with each index finger for added balance. This incantation must be done while wearing chocolate ceremonial garb...

•  Truth: Woman wearing ceremonial garb must also be  watching at least 2 hours of Pride and Prejudice...particular during a certain cycle of the moon that will only be discussed in secret woman circles (in hushed tones) for fear that men will actually understand us.

 **Men Please note: there are 3 days in the month that men must never question the seemingly evil chocolate force that overtakes a girl and can only be cured by creamy smooth dark squares of chocolate taken orally...and alone. Let her hide in a closet undisturbed during this phase and you will find peace in the land. Deny her chocolate during this phase...and sleep on the couch with a pillow over your...never mind. I've been told that during menopause this phase is extended from 3 days to 3 years. I'm getting a villa in France for that phase Here.

 To my husband Ace, I'm sorry. 3 years is a long time but I think it would be better if you didn't see me like that. Knowing Ace, he'll probably follow me anyway and just pat my shoulder and say (in a hushed tone), "poor, poor, thing." {By the way if you've never seen my favorite movie Harvey then that last "poor, poor, thing" won't mean a thing to you.}
 There is however, the very high chance that Ace will  throw  his hands in the air and say, "FINE!#$*%***# Have it your way Mrs. INSANE!!...France is really nice this time of year!"  


Here we go ladies. It is time to be sucked into the vortex of evil genius. I sense there is still some good in you. { Giggle. Giggle.}

Double Chocolate Orange Almond Flour Cookies
2 cups Natural Almond Flour
1/2 cup Pyure Natural Organic Stevia granules (natural sugar-free calorie free sweetener)
1/2 cup egg whites
2 Tbsp. Chia Seeds 
zest of one orange
1 tsp rum extract
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 Lily's Sweet Dark Chocolate Bar, Stevia Sweetened, chopped

Directions: Combine all ingredients in a large bowl, mixing well. Dough will be stiff.  Divide into 20 cookies and roll into balls.  Place on ungreased cookie sheet 1 inch apart, smashing lightly.  Bake 350 10-12 minutes.  Allow to cool on the sheet, about 10 minutes. Store in an airtight container.

My Fitness Pal Nutritional Information: Yield 20 servings. 63 calories each, 5 g fat, 3 g low-impact carbohydrates, 1 g fiber (2 net carbs) 2 g protein. 

There you go darlings! Let's rock the weight loss and healthy whole food eating! Ya know, it isn't about losing weight so much as it is about making sure I take care of this body that God gave me. It is a gift to be alive. I'm treating it that way. 

Always My Very Best,
Your Friend Chef Tess

Chef Tess Low-Carb Grain and Seed Bread Recipe (Plus the Skinny on Carbs)

I'm here to share some outstanding ideas for those who are struggling with carbohydrates. Food and science have come a long way. Hold on a minute. I need to put on my geekish lab coat (and sky-blue hair net). Okay...now I have the proper ceremonial  garb to talk techno-rocket-chef. Take a walk with me, if you dare, into my secret lair. Yes. I did rhyme right there. I'm winking at you. Do you see me? Okay. Now. Are we ready to be serious?

I'll start off sweet. There's been a lot of talk in the media and in blood-sugar news (Do you think the blood sugar news delivers on Sunday? With comics?). For the most part the thing that the publications can agree on is the fact that sugars that are broken down in your body from starches that you eat will have an impact on the "blood glucose" level in your body. For diabetics and those wanting to control their blood sugar level, the use of foods that have a minimal effect on how fast your blood sugar levels rise is a really happy idea. I have a sister that I call Auntie Em. I've loved her my whole ding-a-dang life and have seen her struggle with type 1 diabetes. It's a frustrating disease with fatal side effects if not taken care of properly. So, can I start out in all seriousness, by saying that though I'm silly sometimes, I know that this is a very important post. It can affect a lot of people to have some idea of how to eat to help control their blood sugar levels. If you're not diabetic, when someone says they are diabetic, it is not something to take lightly. When their blood sugar levels get too low or too high, the results could land them in the hospital.  However, controlling your blood sugar is not only a concern for someone struggling with diabetes, but also for anyone wanting to lose weight. Period. It's a proven fact. If you eat food that keeps your blood sugar levels at a nice even rate, you will burn fat. Now do I have your attention?  What a treat.

Revolutionary Ideas

A few years ago, Auntie Em had me read a book called "The Glucose Revolution". I had a paradigm shift my thinking when it came to carbohydrates. I no longer used the the term "complex carb" like I had in school. The evidence was put clearly enough for me to know that my line of thinking when it came to carbs was one that needed to be re-visited. Since that book there has been a lot of research on how blood sugar is effected by carbohydrates. There is now a lot of evidence supporting a method of tracking the impact carbohydrates have on your blood sugar using a chart called the Glycemic Index. "The Glycemic Index is a numerical Index that ranks carbohydrates based on their rate of glycemic response (i.e. their conversion to glucose within the human body). Glycemic Index uses a scale of 0 to 100, with higher values given to foods that cause the most rapid rise in blood sugar. Pure glucose serves as a reference point, and is given a Glycemic Index (GI) of 100." For more information on the science behind this index, go here.

Switch it Out

For the most part, I found that I could easily change how I looked at carbohydrates. By choosing ones that were low on the Glycemic index, I could still eat carbohydrates and lose weight. For Auntie Em, this meant that she too could eats some carbs more than others and still control her blood sugar levels. It made a huge impact on my family and my life. So, that's what I'm sharing today. Generally, I try to keep my GI under 55 on the index. I still eat carbs, not in excess, but found some result really amazing for foods I thought were "complex". In general, grain that is kept whole, cracked or rolled will have a lower GI than those that are milled into flour. The only exception is Almond flour, it's high in protein and very low GI. Even so, whole grain flour, because of its fiber, will be lower on the GI. I've also discovered the benefits of using a lot more fiber in my diet!  Wow does fiber effect...a lot of things...um...including your colon health. How's that for being tactful right there? What a treat.
In all reality, there are other factors, but the one that most excited me was seeing what the common foods were that I used, that could easily be changed or replaced with lower Glycemic index foods to help me. You will want to read about the Glycemic Load and how you don't have to entirely avoid all high "GI" foods. Here's a chart that I found helpful. Portion size does matter. Darn it...you still can't eat until you pop...but at least you can feel great knowing you're taking care of something very important to your health.

Glycemic Indexes and Glycemic Loads for Common Foods
The table below shows values of the Glycemic Index (GI) and Glycemic Load (GL) for a few common foods. GI's of 55 or below are considered low, and 70 or above are considered high. GL's of 10 or below are considered low, and 20 or above are considered high.

Learning More: Here

Hooray for Bread!

The good news, is that we can still have bread. We just need to use a lot of whole grain with fiber and protein. In this battle I employ Vital Wheat Gluten very often as a lean protein boost.  For those who are really concerned about impact carbs...this is a bread that I think you'll really like that is also lower on the GI...and at 5 net carbs a slice, even the diabetics will call it their new best friend! What a treat.

Chef Tess Homemade Low Carb Bread
Yield 1 loaf (12 slices at 5 net carbs each)

4 tsp yeast
1/2 tsp sugar
3T olive oil
1 1/4 cup warm water (no hotter than 115 degrees)
3/4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup Pyure Organic Stevia Erythritol baking blend
1 cup Vital Wheat Gluten
1 cup Blanched Almond Flour
1/4 cup Flax seed
1/4 cup Corn Bran
2 Tbsp.  Sesame Seed
1/4 cup Teff

• In a gallon size bowl, combine the baking powder, salt,  Erythritol, Vital Wheat gluten, almond flour, Flax seed, corn bran, Sesame Seed and teff.
  
• In a medium bowl combine the yeast, sugar, olive oil and water. Set aside until yeast mixture activates and bubbles. Add to the dry ingredients and knead by hand about 3 minutes until a mass of seeds can be seen safely nestled in a mesh of vital wheat gluten. Form into a ball. Cover and allow to raise until doubled in size, about 1 hour. 
  
•  Punch down. Transfer to a counter top that has been lightly misted with water. Form into a loaf (tutorial here). Lightly coat the top of the loaf with a misting of oil. Cover loosely with plastic and allow to raise 45 minutes longer. 
  
•  Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Bake bread 35-40 minutes (until over 165 degrees internal temperature). 
  

There you go! What a treat!  Happy baking. Happy new world of carbs!

Always My Very Best,

Your Friend Chef Tess

Walking for Auntie Em!

 Who do you know with Diabetes? I've seen it personal and up close with my dear sweet sister Em...and yesterday she sent me an email that made me break down in tears. It wasn't anything she said, but it finally made me realize that of all the people on earth who have to deal with this...it just didn't seem fair that it was her. She was excited to get a CGM (constant glucose monitor) that would help with the blood sugar issues. She eats very healthy meals. She exercises everyday. She watches everything she eats and still struggles with her blood sugar. It made me think. It made me mad. It made me want to punch something actually. So...rather than just do nothing, I decided it was time to really put my money where my heart was. I decided I needed to join a walk for diabetes. It isn't even per say about the money I'm hoping to raise to help find a cure...it's about my sister. It's about people like her every day who wake up and don't let the challenge get in the way of living a pretty normal life. Emily rarely complains...if ever. In fact, at times I forget she even has diabetes until I visit my family and see her. The first time I saw her insulin pump was on my last trip to Utah. It was magnificent! Oh the freedom she was finally able to have from extra needle pokes. But...it isn't a cure. It isn't enough to just hope that someday it will be enough either.

So, I'm doing it. October 1st I'm taking the walk for Em {Type 1}...and Cussing Granny {Type 2}...and for my grandpa who died from complications of Diabetes...and for April Lopez's mom in the hospital right now...and every other person I know who battles this every day. Come on now...who's with me?! Can you donate 5$...50$?
I told Em once that I had never had a nice pair of red shoes and would love to own some. She laughed at how we had always struggled with money. Never ask for money. Never ask for extra. I'd feel guilty. Then I realized this isn't 'extra...Living free isn't "Extra"!


• The American Diabetes Association is the only non-profit organization
supporting all 23.6 million Americans living with diabetes – including type 1
and type 2 diabetes; children and adults.
• In 2007, more than $170 million or 75 percent of our total expenses was
invested in our program activities – research, information and advocacy.
• Diabetes is a disease that has deadly serious consequences, and there
is no cure.
• 1 in 3 children born in the year 2000 will develop diabetes in their lifetime if
current trends continue. The ratio is even greater for minority children with
1 in 2 developing diabetes in their lifetime.
• In 2007, the total estimated cost of diabetes in the united States
was $174 billion.
• Since its inception, the Association has invested more than $450 million
and provided funding for more than 4,000 research projects.
• The Association continues to be the largest provider of Diabetes Camps
as well as weekend retreats.


This is why I walk. For Emily. Will you donate to this walk? Share it on Facebook and Twitter? Help get the word out? I'd appreciate it. Together we can make a difference! Or...Donate Here

Your friend,
Chef Tess