Merry Christmas to Me!

When the holidays come around I can sometimes start feeling really sorry for myself cooped up all alone out in the middle of nowhere imagining the rest of the world going to parties, family gatherings, and eating a massive amount of health-destroying foods. Yummy, sweet, chocolaty foods dripping with frosting and whipped cream loaded with preservatives, food colorings, and additives. Yum! Even without tasty holiday treats, I celebrate the season with Christmas music, make a wreath, and have a fine time. Pre-MCS I used to spend the month of December spreading cheer by making and delivering cookies to friends and family. I don't do that anymore. It's too tempting. This year I decided to find something yummy and sweet to give the junk man at the city dump who puts up with me showing up once every two weeks to scrounge for used house parts. He rarely has anything for me, but every now and then I score.

Last time I was there I spied a really cool wood frame hanging on the wall in the dump station. I asked him why it was hanging there and he said, "Oh, just to decorate the place." I didn't burst out laughing. I'm sure he doesn't even notice the putrid smell of rotting garbage all around him. He gave me the frame. Maybe I could use it for a window frame? I've also considered collecting old wood picture frames, paint them, add a mirror, and sell them. Someday. So I got my new-old frame home, cleaned all the dust and grime off it and surprise!, it's REALLY NICE!

I'm not even sure I want to paint it now! So I felt incredibly grateful and thought I should take him some holiday treats to show my appreciation in hopes he will feel more motivated to save me house parts.

Of course, this means I get to go shopping for Christmas treats! I initially thought I would try to find some homemade-type cookies. There was no way I was going to bake them as I wasn't sure I could resist tasting and I don't imagine most people would care for gluten-free products. Instead I headed to a couple bakeries. Most of them had pre-packaged type cookies and desserts that didn't look very edible. Then I found a bakery that made these adorable cupcakes!

I apologize for the lack of photo quality as I photographed them through the plastic protective containers. I don't want to mess them up. It was bad enough they started melting in my van on the way home. I was so excited to buy treats, even if I wasn't buying them for me, I couldn't stop at cupcakes, and bought one magnificently decorated double-fudge brownie. He is a lucky junk man.

So in light of all this temptation on the premises, I decided I needed to treat myself to something kind of bad, but relatively healthy.

My friend, Urfa, collects Paleo recipes and she highly recommended one for Paleo-style pumpkin pie. I wasn't confident as my gluten-free baking skills are so embarrassingly poor, but I jumped in there anyway. It's easy, too. Unfortunately, it does use dates as the sweetener which is a problem since any kind of sweetener is not on my diet. It amazes me a year ago I was woofing down a whole bag of dates in one sitting before I realized they were causing a lot of my fatigue. At least in a recipe mixed with other less sweet ingredients, the effect won't be as bad. They also have a tiny amount of organic maple syrup, an ingredient also not on my diet but I know it's filled with vitamins so I'm less inclined to worry about effects. Besides I need to do something to celebrate the holidays and at this point, nothing is going to stop me! (Did I make a good case for cheating?) Here is the recipe:

PALEO PUMPKIN PIE

1 can organic pumpkin
1 can organic coconut milk, full-fat
4 egg yolks (or two whole eggs)
4-6 dates, soaked in water and pitted
1 T. organic, Grade B maple syrup
pumpkin pie spice: cinnamon, allspice, ginger, cloves, nutmeg

Throw it all in a blender and mix. Place in little bowls and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

Cool. In fact, cool for 24 hours for best results. It's really so incredibly easy. If you wanted to do make this recipe properly,  you could buy a big organic pumpkin, skin it, chop it up, boil it to mush thereby avoiding a canned product, but that is a whole lot of work and pumpkins have pretty much disappeared for the season. And instead of canned coconut milk, I've come across recipes making the milk out of dried coconut flakes. It's a whole lot of extra work, but probably healthier. More Paleo as canned goods are definitely processed goods.

AMAZINGLY SCRUMPTIOUS. Notice they don't have a crust. There are some Paleo/gluten-free crust recipes, but I haven't tried them as I don't want to get addicted to anything too devilish. I figure the dates are bad enough.

I chalk this whole experience up to outstanding willpower. Bring on the cupcakes and brownies and waft them under my nose. I don't care. I'll eat Paleo Pumpkin Pie instead!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO EVERYONE!