Everything listed under: coconut milk ice cream

I will apologize upfront for the typos, mispellings, random thoughts, etc. in this blog. You see, I am in the middle of taking a self administered medical test this morning and have been up for two hours, with barely any water, much less caffeine. Yesterday, I had to reduce my diet to anything 'white', which, if you are not new to my blog, you would know is my own personal hell. I crave vegetables. My favorite 'white' foods are coconut Jelly Bellys and that addictive cookie dough Coconut Milk ice cream mentioned in my previous blog. My directions specifically stated "Plain white bread, plain white rice, plain white potatoes, baked or broiled chicken or fish, water, non-flavored black coffee or tea. Salt may be used to flavor your food." Well, thank God. At least I could have salt. Everything else on this list was my nightmare. Seriously? WHITE RICE? I haven't had that since the early 80s when no one knew any better! (But back in the day I did love me some Rice a Roni, the "San Francisco Treat". And I'm here to tell you, I cheated yesterday. I made my usual latte with my fave unsweetened Almond Milk. I had half a Larabar in one of my favorite flavors, Cinnamon Roll. And then I picked at whatever I could find that would be as gastronomically harmless as white rice. As well as nutritionally void. Saltines with a tad of Polaner All Fruit, Blueberry. Gluten free crackers. Water. Ugh .  .  . the blueberries and hemp seed protein were calling my name. But I was to avoid, specifically : "Beans, pasta, meats (steaks), fiber or bran cereals, soda (pop) cola drinks, butter or margarine and high fiber foods (whole grains)." Like I said, it was hell. 
But it didn't say anything about juices (?!?) so I 'indulged' in glass of carrot, greens and ginger deliciousness. And then for dinner? Well, it said simple broiled fish, and I got very excited. It's the little things you know? I've always wanted to try cooking fish in parchment paper so I seized the opportunity. What could be 'simpler' than the "en Papillote"? I picked out a beautiful piece of Wild Salmon and recycled parchment paper at my favorite health food store here in Tampa, FL, Village Health Market on South Mac Dill (much like Everything Natural in Clarks Summit, it is my saving grace here), and was ready to rock! Well, let me be the first to tell you, it turned out BEAUTIFULLY! I am so excited and proud of myself, as, while I am constantly whipping up grain and vegetable dishes, being single for so long, I rarely took the time to make myself a fish meal. This was SO easy. All I did was place the fish on the parchment paper, cut two slits in the fish and stick garlic slivers in them (that may have been against my 'rules' but whatever. I already broke a bunch of them!) drizzled with lemon and olive oil, added two lemon slices on top of the fish and VOILA! Wrap that fish up on a baking sheet and stick it in the oven at 400* for 15-20 minutes (The time will depends on how well done you like your fish. I was using salmon and I like mine still slightly pink!)

I couldn't believe how gorgeous this turned out! And no mess to boot. You just toss the parchment paper when through, which by the way is 100% recyclable! I so thoroughly enjoyed this and can't believe it took me this long to experiment with parchment paper. The next move? A whole meal with parchment paper. You can add veggies and some grains with the fish and all the flavors will bake beautifully together. Stay tuned for more experiments with this! For now, my buzzer just went off for the final stage of my 'test' and I'm a turning on the stove to make my coffee. The latte calls. If you are interested in how to make the best at home latte, email me here!

The biggest downside to having a boyfriend is undeniable weight gain. I swear, dudes can eat whatever they want, whenever they want and it doesn't affect them in the LEAST! I watch my love down burgers, pasta, bagels, whatever, and not put on a pound or feel a shred of guilt. Somehow, God removed the genes in men that make women feel AWFUL about anything they put in their mouth that is not green. I'm never 'jealous' when he eats this stuff in front of me, because for the most part, I don't crave or wish I was eating a piece of steak or a plate of gnocchi. 
But the sweets, I can't resist! I won't even be hungry and if they are in front of me, watch out. Which is why I don't keep 1 pound bags of peanut M&M's lying around or any other 'traps'! I'll eat dessert with the best of them, but if that stuff is in my fridge or cabinets I will fall prey to mindless eating, just as easily as the next woman.
So last night, I was left to fend for myself for dinner as BF (code for 'boyfriend', as he will from here on out be known) grabbed a bite with his friend uptown. Good. I don't have to pick off his plate and I'll make myself a nice healthy dinner and go to bed early in preparation for my BALLET BODY DVD PR shoot on Good Morning America Health! (Very excited by the way!) Post yoga, I picked up some roasted cauliflower and decided I'd eat that along with a few chips and hummus and roast the brussel sprouts I purchased earlier in the day at the Farmer's Market. Nice easy, healthy. All went according to plan until BF said at about 9:30pm, "I want something . . . mmmm. . . like a mint chocolate cupcake!" Great! I figured I'd lace up, go for a nice brisk fall evening post meal walk with him to seek out what he desired and return to finish up the night and head to bed. Well, if you've ever been around mid-town NYC at 10pm on a Monday night, you'd know it's not exactly the mecca of late night cupcake joints. With the exception of Buttercup Bakeshop, which closes promptly at 9pm. How convenient. 
So, with no 'specialty shops' in site or anyplace to get a somewhat 'healthy' cookie, me and the BF dropped into the abyss of Morton and Williams, which for those of you who don't live in the city, is a chain grocery store. And mind you the grocery stores in NYC are NOT like the one's in L.A. where organic produce is as prevalent as conventional or there is a separate organic or 'health food' section. Oh no. Real estate is not easy to come by in this town, thus the shelves are filled with what a majority of America demands, which is not an organic wheat free cookie from Nana's (one of my favorites by the way!) But from a distant I'll I heard the BF yell "They have the Coconut Milk Cookie Dough ice cream!" And you can imagine that it all went downhill from there. Shit. What were the odds?!? Seriously? I can resist a cupcake, I can resist those icky cookies you see sitting in a grocery store bakery at 11pm that have probably been sitting there for well over a week. But the Coconut Milk Cookie Dough ice cream? I didn't have a chance in hell. And who was I to deny a man of his right to dessert? I'd just say no when we get home. I can do that.
Apparently I can't. 11 o'clock and I'm scarfing a portion of the good stuff along with some caramel soy crisps. WHAT?!? Am I so weak I can't wait ONE NIGHT to do this? Knowing full well, I had a shoot for which I should be looking my most radiant healthy and joyous self?!? Instead, I lie in bed awake until 3am, most likely due to a sugar high. They call this stuff PURELY DECADENT for good reason. Although for me, it is a great alternative to dairy ice cream, made with coconut milk, no gluten and no soy, I would still not label it as 'good for you'. It's perfect on a hot summer night when you are dying for an ice cream. Not ideal at 11pm in the middle of November.
The morning is not going to be pretty I thought. And as my alarm jolted me out of a deep slumber and a peculiar dream, I realized I was right and cursed myself. I can't believe I let myself DO THAT. And now hours later, post GMA shoot, I still feel awful. Tired, bloated, heavy and anything BUT beautiful. So in order to purge myself of the guilt, the anger at my BF for purchasing the culprit of my misery, and my undeniable hostility toward food, I write my feelings here. I am tired, cranky, and yes, pissed off.  Hopefully enough to remind me the next time I reach for a pint of pure decadence, to pick up my pen and paper instead.