These Are a Few of My Favorite Things

"...When the dog bites/ when the bee stings/ when I'm feeling sad,/ I simply remember my favorite things,/ and then I don't feel/ so bad!" Ah, there is nothing better to cheer you up than a good musical. While The Sound of Music is definitely one of my favorite things, this post shall focus on my best-loved Primal Eating things. Though music is super awesome, too. Great foodstuff:

• Stevia’s been all the rage; a no calorie, equally yummy sweetener! I, too, was aboard the train of Stevia Love for a long time. The only issue I had with it was the slight, sickly aftertaste it left behind in my fruit cobblers. But then I discovered the brand Lakanto, and their monk fruit sweetener, as well as Swerve’s erythritol sweetener. I will never go back. You can learn more about my love life with Lakanto and its benefits here, or about Swerve here.
• Yacón syrup is also amazing! According to Wikipedia, “Yacón syrup is a sweetening agent extracted from the tuberous roots of the yacón plant (Smallanthus sonchifolius) indigenous to the Andes mountains.]It was used by the Incas. In Peru, people eat yacón because of its nutritional properties—few calories and low sugar levels.” Sounds odd, tastes great, especially in baked goods! It can be used similarly to honey, molasses, and maple syrup. It doesn’t come cheap, but a little goes a long way. This is a great recipe for it.
• You’ve had milk in your tea. It’s great, makes it nice and creamy. Maybe you’ve ventured with half and half and experienced even more delectable results. But heavy whipping cream takes your mug to a whole new level. We know that fat is what our bodies crave, and is great for us! So pass on that sugary Starbucks latte and enjoy your favorite hot drink with a generous amount of heavy whipping cream instead. My favorite brand is Organic Valley.
• Parmesan cheese is heavenly stuff, and thank the stars that it’s pretty good for you, too. Now imagine - parmesan cheese aged for 14 months. In cracker form. But no wheat or anything at all except for… cheese. Mmmm. Meet your new fav snack food, Cello Whisps. I’ve read recently that they have cheddar and asiago-pepper jack varieties now, too.
• When I was a wee lassie, I loved nothing more than a refreshing glass of orange or apple juice after school. Turns out, that stuff is loaded with sugar, sugar, and more sugar. Did I mention that juice has sugar? Now, I treat myself to a delicious glass of Bai, an antioxidant infusion drink sweetened with stevia and erythritol. I enjoy the Molokai Coconut Cocofusion in particular. Tastes like vacation.
• Here are some more products I love: nut butters and nuts, such as Brazil, macadamia, and hazelnuts, as well as almond. Pepitas and coconut products. Baba ganoush and cream cheese dips, such as this artichoke and (not so spicy) jalapeño spread. Jones Dairy Farm Canadian bacon and most hard cheeses. For baking, almond flour, coconut flour, and arrowroot powder are super. Chia seed is lovely, and Bob's Red Mill has a great Paleo flour. For a bit of a sweet treat, as dates are quite sugary, I do enjoy a good Chocolate Sea Salt RXBar. But there is really nothing better than 85% and up dark chocolate. I do think I'll go have a piece right now. Maybe with a mug of tea with a splash of heavy cream and a teaspoon of monkfruit. Mmmm!

Here's to eating well!

-Maya

Photo by Rachael Gorjestani on Unsplash