Sweet Thangs

Great news - the bar exam is over. I can officially be a normal and nice person again. Yes, that does mean if I ignore your call or text message it is intentional and not because i'm too caught up or stressed about studying. Unless its in the next two weeks - then it's because I am in Italy.

Life is not all about sweat, blood, gore and all things miserable and as promised this post is about some sweeter things in life. I'm not going to lie, I do not feel great right now. I used the last couple weeks of studying for the bar as an excuse to make and eat all these treats and then some. Day 1 of the bar exam, I packed all my snacks for the day in the morning - I ate all of them in the morning as a distraction from not knowing the answers and had to refill for the afternoon. By the time I get back from Italy in two weeks I should be sufficiently out of good health that the three of you who care what I say should stop listening to me. This post exists to empower you to follow me down the rabbit hole.

TMI: You know what else doesn't feel good? When you haven't had dairy, gluten or sugary alcohol in over three months and decide to have it all in one night. If anyone was thinking this is a good idea - it really really really isn't. It is a good way to see a lot of bathrooms in Manhattan the next day however.

Zucchini Carrot Bread

I really don't feel all that bad about this recipe. It is a great breakfast bread and served me well as a travel breakfast before the bar exam. It is a sweet baked good and is mightily delicious however so it has earned a spot here. Word to the wise - store leftover in the fridge or freezer. I kept a couple pieces out in an airtight container and they molded after 4 days. The rest I sliced into individual portions and put in ziplocks in the freezer; 45 seconds to a minute in the microwave and you are all set with a nutrient-dense breakfast bread. I've enjoyed picking up on its savory notes by topping it with bacon, a poached egg and sauerkraut as well as its sweet notes with sliced banana. It is also good just all on its own. To make it I doubled this recipe and left out the raisins. Feel free to bake it in a loaf pan, muffin tin, or a roasting pan, whatever suits your fancy.

NOTE: Zucchini retains a ton of water. Anytime you are using it in a baking recipe, you will be well-served by wrapping your shredded zucchini in paper towel, setting it in a bowl and letting it dry out a bit over night.

Almond Butter Brownies and Cinnamon-Chocolate Swirl Banana Bread 

I am so far gone down the "paleo" rabbit whole that I find myself insulted by it being called a diet because "it's just about eating real food." It is true and I fully subscribe to it, but sometimes you forget who you were before you discovered that eating good can still make you feel good. In those instances you want to prove yourself to your cheesy-pasta friends - this is your recipe. These are the recipes that will make your friends converts. They are as good as, if not better than, whatever gluten and dairy filled desserts you have been baking. The bad news? Being gluten and dairy free does not make them calorie free and if you eat all of them at once (like me) you won't feel great or skinny. The only remedial measure I know is to immediately freeze leftovers. It only takes 45 seconds in the microwave to bring them back to life, but some days 45 seconds extra effort is all you need to save you from yourself. These are both amazing served with coconut milk ice cream (see below).

Coconut Milk Ice Cream

Brownie a la mode Paleo style

So the first time I made this, I made it with the 1/2 c of honey and went full famine mode on this stuff. I literally ate the entire batch of ice cream. The second time I made it was almost accidental. I started making frozen banana "ice cream" where you just blend a frozen banana until it looks like froyo, but felt inspired halfway through to add a can of coconut milk, vanilla and a pinch of salt then to throw it in the ice cream maker. Result? Delicious and I was able to walk away from it without inhaling the entire batch. It was even better enjoyed over several days with leftover Almond Butter Brownies. Conclusion - the recipe with the honey is really phenomenal, but you might eat it all. Swap out the honey for the banana and feel proud for exercising some restraint in your indulgences.

NOTE: it does get really hard after being in the freezer. Never fear - stick it in the microwave for 30 seconds prior to serving and you are good to go.

NOTE NOTE: Having an ice cream maker doesn't mean you can just make any liquid and stick it in there and ice cream magically pops out. I tried that too and it DID NOT work.

Fruit and Nut Bars aka Homemade Larabars aka "Liarbars"

Larabars are super delicious and often enough you can find them on sale for only a dollar each. Still, I cannot bring myself to by them because they are so easy to make. Seriously if you turn over the the Cashew Cookie Larabar where it says "Ingredients: cashews, dates," and then you still buy it, you are either starving or just lazy. All a Larabar entails is throwing some nuts and dried fruit in a food processor. I just borrowed Nom Nom Paleo from the NY Public Library and she calls her homemade version "liarbars," which make me chuckle every time I think about it and I really wish I could take credit for it. REMEMBER: If you start eating Paleo to lose weight, eating high calories nuts and sugary dried fruits is not going to cut it. Yes, it is better for you than a snickers, but not if (like me) you use it to justify eating 20.

These bars are a great snack though (or dessert as I have eaten 3 writing this post) and I needed them to get me through the bar exam.. So, I made a big batch of two varieties, wrapped them individually, through them in the freezer and took a couple up to Albany with me.

Basic Steps: 1. Put ingredients in food processor. 2. Pulse until mixture forms a ball. 3. Put mixture on a piece of parchment paper. 4. Use another piece of parchment paper to flatten into desired shape (go for rectangle). 5. Refrigerate for a couple of hours to overnight. 6. Cut into individual portions. 7. Wrap individually and put in fridge or freezer (can be eaten right out of either).

Combos:

• Walnuts, Goji Berries and Coconut
• 1 cup walnuts, 1 c dates, 1/3 c Goji Berries, 1/3 c Coconut, pinch of salt
• Macadamia Nut Brownie
• 1 c Macadamia Nuts, 1 c dates, 1/2 c cocoa powder, 1/2 tsp vanilla extract, pinch of salt

The possibilities here are really endless. I will try to keep updating this post with new combos I try out, but feel free to comment with your own!