I fully disclose that as a Certified Lifestyle CoachI do, at times, receive monetary compensation as such. See The Fine Print on the “About Me” page of this blog.
I am OVER THE MOON about Denise’s results and couldn’t wait to share them with you! This is another story from one of the members of my weekly group coaching sessions. Denise is an example of what happens when you make changes in your life and see the victory. We talk about those victories our members see on the scale and that’s great because losing excess body fat is so important. But those non-scale victories can be the ones you really want to shout about.
Denise is not someone special who got abnormal results that are not achievable for someone like you. She learned how to fuel her body and it changed her life. Your body is fearfully and wonderfully made and you can learn to treat it as it was designed to be treated.
Feel free to contact me about private coaching or if you are local, join us in person. We meet weekly. It’s a joy for me to think that I had a part in Denise’s journey to success and that I may be able to help you, too!
I fully disclose that as a Certified Lifestyle CoachI do, at times, receive monetary compensation as such. See The Fine Print on the “About Me” page of this blog.
I had some excitement today and I couldn’t wait to share it with you!
For the back story, I had a birthday several days ago and Pookie asked me what kind of cake or other dessert I’d like to have, but stipulated that since the restaurant they were taking me to for my birthday dinner wouldn’t allow us to bring in our own dessert, we would have to have a separate little birthday celebration just for that. Well, I’m all for celebrating twice so that was fine with me. Then, as is the way with things, stuff happened and then more stuff happened and Birthday 2.0 seemed to get bumped and bumped and bumped some more and I finally received my delicious treat today.
What did I request, you ask? As you may know, I don’t eat the SAD (standard American diet) stuff. I know, I know, it wouldn’t be the end of the world if I ate something hideously bad for me on my birthday, but I’ve learned that it’s not worth it. It makes me feel rotten (now that I know what it’s like to feel good all the time) and then there are additional portions of it in the house for days. After flipping through various Trim Healthy recipes, I suddenly remembered exactly what I wanted and told Pookie to make me the Cake of Wonders.
This recipe, from page 37 of the Trim Healthy Indulgence cookbook seemed to be the talk of social media, the podcast and all over the Trim Healthy community ever since the cookbook came out but I just hadn’t gotten around to making it.
I’m giving it an absolute 5-Star review. Even though Pookie didn’t give it a topping of chocolate drizzle and an arrangement of fresh berries on top as shown in the photo in the cookbook, I don’t see how the taste and texture could be any better. Esther Allison hit the ball out of the park with this recipe. This is fit to serve at any wedding. It is that good!
Yes, I am a Trim Healthy Certified Coach, but no, I am not a retailer of their products. When I recommend this cookbook and this recipe, I am not gaining anything from it but your smiles and happy tummies.
Also, the pie crust recipe in that book is out of this world. I think I’m going to bake one sometime and just eat it by itself! That’s how good it smells while it’s baking. Right now, Esther’s Peanut Butter Cup Cake is featured as a free recipe on the website, so be sure to print that out.
If you do need support in your journey to better health and weight loss, blood sugar control, hormonal balance, etc., head to the Contact page or my Food Freedom pages on Facebook and Mewe and let me know. I’ll give you all the info on group sessions which I conduct locally in person as well as details on private coaching in person or by phone. Share with friends and let’s see how many are ready to get Trim & Healthy!
The Trim Healthy Mama Plan is a great way to boost your immune system, reduce inflammation, and certainly to lose weight safely and sustainably if you need to do that. I know that many people want to steer away from the standard American diet because they know it’s taking a toll on their health, but they just don’t know how to be happy doing it. That’s what I teach.
If you’ve tried Esther’s Cake of Wonders, leave a comment and let me know how you liked it. I’m curious – what is your favorite dessert that you’d miss most if you decided to adopt a healthy eating lifestyle?
And (sigh), as is the way of things, I didn’t get to share my cake with Lil’ Snookie today. More stuff happened. But you know what that means? It means I’ll freeze slabs of it between slips of waxed paper and then we’ll have Birthday 3.0 in a few days. I know how to manage this birthday thing.
I fully disclose that as a Certified Lifestyle Coach I do, at times, receive monetary compensation as such. See The Fine Print on the “About Me” page of this blog.
I am super thrilled to be writing this post – and just a tad riddled with guilt. I love it when I hit a home run in the kitchen! I’ve invented many a recipe in my time and, believe me, they were not all worthy of winning three “golden ladles” such as my soup here, or of getting a 5-star review from those gathered at the table, if you know what I mean.
There’s a story behind everything here on the blog and this is where the guilt comes in. It was a dark and stormy night…just kidding.
One of the more recent additions to the Trim Healthy Mama line of products has been “No-Carb Easy Bread”, a packet bread mix that when blended with a couple of simple ingredients, is poured right into the pan to bake. When they say “easy”, they mean easy, as in whisk three things in a bowl and bake! BONUS: It’s Fuel Pull, so it can be enjoyed with FP or any other “S” and “E” meals on plan. It can be baked in a loaf or as buns.
As with everything in THM world, it will not spike blood sugar, so that makes it great for people watching that who may not even be aware of what the THM plan is all about.
I ordered a couple of packets to try and I was not only thrilled with the simplicity, but also the flavor. I knew this could easily become my “go-to” substitute for the morning English muffin, the hamburger bun, whenever I needed an on-plan bread. I could butter it up for an “S”, fill it up with lean meat and greens for sandwich and keep it FP or toast it to have alongside a delicious “E” soup like this one.
I spotted my dilemma. I’d only ordered two bags. I could see myself constantly running out of this and wishing for more. We’re budget conscious around here. Shipping costs add up and I usually make my THM orders when I have several things I need.
I set my mind to coming up with a mix of my own that would come as close to Serene and Pearl’s as possible (without having to making as many attempts in my kitchen to get it right as Pearl says she did).
I make up about six recipes of the dry mix at a time and put them into quart freezer bags upon which I’ve written the additions, oven temperature and baking time. This way, I don’t even have to pull out a recipe. I just grab, mix, pour and bake. Then, I made a discovery. After doing some number crunching with fats and carbs and realizing that I mis-read something, I found all those bags of mix were actually “E” and not “FP”!
Anyone who knows me knows that I don’t throw away perfectly good food, so I began enjoying it as an “E”, especially in bun form. Hey, we all need more “E” meals, right? I shared it with my clients and a even made up “E” sandwiches on buns and took them to a soup ‘n sandwich dinner party and they were a hit. The hostess’ hubby took a leftover sandwich to work the next day and bragged on it, saying he could eat that bread anytime!
Now I needed to work on a “FP” version because I am determined to help my clients keep their THM life simple and I never wanted them to feel “stuck” if they run out of pre-packaged items. After a few attempts that weren’t quite what I had in mind and some further crunching on the calculator, I came up with a mix that works. You may think it can’t compare to THM’s No-Carb Easy Bread, but if, by chance, you even prefer it, then I’m sorry, Serene and Pearl – I love you and I didn’t mean to show you up.
DISCLAIMER: I totally guessed at this. I haven’t been down in Tennessee rooting through dumpsters at the THM facilities. I don’t know how this happened other than to say it was a shot in the dark. I’ve no intentions of selling it, so I don’t see any reason to end up standing in front of a judge. It can’t be the same recipe, because I’ve never seen the real recipe.
Try both recipes and see if you like them. I’ve grown to love making it up into buns as pictured because it seems more versatile for our needs. There is a slight tweak to make if you do these the way I do, so be sure to read the notes and see the weird bun pan in the photo. If this bread saves you money, makes your life simpler and keeps you away from “frankenfood” breads, that’s great. You could literally whip up a batch every day and never strain a wrist. If it’s not quite your thing, then by all means go for the real thing and order up some “No Carb Easy Bread” from Trim Healthy Mama.
I’m offering you a free printable with both recipes on one sheet so that you can jump right in and make both breads.
TIP: When I made the “E” sandwiches, I used a Laughing Cow light cheese wedge to spread over the two halves of the fun. Half of the sandwiches I then drizzled balsamic glaze onto the Laughing Cow for a sweeter flavor and on the other half, I generously added the Kickin’ Dippin’ Sauce, Dip or Dressing (page 518, Trim Healthy Table) for those who like a more spicy flavor. (I added a little gluccie to the blender when making this to make it a bit thicker.) I had the deli slice my provolone cheese on the #1 thickness so that I could keep the fat on the sandwich to a minimum by using one slice. Lettuce leaves and mesquite deli turkey breast completed the tasty “E” sandwich.
Here are both recipes. Don’t forget your free printable below.
Coach Barb’s Copy-cat No-Carb Easy Bread “FP”
1 1/3 cup egg whites (I use carton type for this)
1 package of dry mix (see the mixture below)
¾ cup water
In a large mixing bowl, whisk egg whites vigorously for 60 seconds until very frothy.
Add dry mix and water; whisk until well combined.
Pour into a parchment lined 9”X5” loaf pan.. Carve a large “X” across the top. Or, pour into 6 or 7 holes of a silicone mesh 4” bun pan. Bake at 450 degrees for 50-60 minutes for bread or for 20-25 minutes for buns. Use convection setting if you have it and reduce the cooking time accordingly. (I do bread for 50 minutes and buns for 20 minutes on convection.)
Grasp the edges of the parchment paper, lift the loaf from the pan and place on a cooling rack as soon as it is finished baking. Peel away the parchment and cool completely. If using a mesh-style bun pan, allow to cool ten minutes in the pan and they should “peel” from the mesh cleanly.
Dry Mix 1/2 cup oat fiber
1/2 cup golden flax meal
1/2 cup whole husk psyllium flakes
1/2 cup unblanched almond flour
2 teaspoons aluminum-free baking powder
2 teaspoons nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon erythritol
½ teaspoon mineral salt
2 doonks Pure Stevia extract
Now for the version that gives you all those good carbs!
Coach Barb’s Slow-Carb Easy Bread “E”
1 1/3 cup egg whites (I use carton type for this)
1 package of dry mix (see the mixture below)
¾ cup water
In a large mixing bowl, whisk egg whites vigorously for 60 seconds until very frothy.
Add dry mix and water; whisk until well combined.
Pour into 9”X5” loaf pan lined with parchment paper. Carve a large “X” across the top. Or, pour into 6 or 7 parchment lined holes of a 4” bun pan. Bake at 450 degrees for 50 minutes to an hour for bread or for 20-25 minutes for buns. Use convection setting if you have it and reduce the cooking time accordingly. (I do my loaf for 50 minutes and my buns for 20 minutes on convection.)
Take hold of the edges of the parchment paper and lift the loaf from the pan and place on a cooling rack as soon as it is finished baking. Peel away the parchment and allow to cool completely. If using the mesh-style bun pan, allow the buns to cool ten minutes in the pan and then they will peel away from the mesh without pulling apart.
Dry Mix
4 ounces oat flour (or 1 cup, plus 2 tablespoons)
¼ cup golden flax meal
¼ cup psyllium husk flakes (add two more tablespoons if making buns in the mesh style pan – See notes)
1 tablespoon unblanched almond flour
2 teaspoons aluminum-free baking powder
2 teaspoons nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon erythritol
½ teaspoon mineral salt
2 doonks Pure Stevia extract
NOTES: I had trouble finding a bun pan with holes large enough for what I considered a hamburger sized bun. I ended up with the one in the photo which I found on Amazon. Even though the description said “mesh”, I was not prepared for the rolled up thing that arrived – the limp and floppy thing you see here. I had my serious doubts as to whether it could even be used for such a loose dough as this. I did end up stirring in 2 additional tablespoons of the psyllium husk flakes to make the dough thicken a little before spooning into the holes. I also thought the buns might not want to come out of the pan, but let them cool 10 minutes and you’ll be able to “peel” them right off the mesh! Strangest item of cookware I’ve ever bought! If you like a taller bun, then be sure to fill only 6 holes rather than 7. Look for something which has holes in the 4” range if you want more of a bun rather than a muffin size. Here’s the link to the one I ordered.
YIELD: 6 or 7 buns or 1 loaf of bread.
Grab that FREE PRINTABLE RECIPE!
I give full credit and honors to Pearl Barrett and Serene Allison for the inspiration for these recipes and for their great products at TrimHealthyMama.com such as No-Carb Easy Bread mix. Thank you for all you do to help others live a healthy life!
If you need support in your journey to better health and weight loss, head to the Contact page or my Food Freedom pages on Facebook and Mewe and let me know. I’ll give you all the info on group sessions which I conduct locally in person on a weekly basis. Private coaching can be done in person or by phone. Share with friends and let’s see how many are ready to get Trim & Healthy!
The Trim Healthy Mama Plan is a great way to boost your immune system, reduce inflammation, and certainly to lose weight if you need to do that.
Leave a comment and let me know how you like the bread and what is your favorite way to enjoy it.
It’s fun to try something new, especially when it’s this easy!
