Recipe: Chocolate Caramel "Crack" (THM - sort of)

Hello! Happy Tuesday night!

A few years ago, a neighbor made the most amazing creation she called "Christmas Crack" which was essentially butter, sugar, saltines and chocolate. What's the big deal with those ingredients. Don't be fooled - when combined it is the most delicious thing I have ever tasted. For real. It's sweet, salty and crunchy. 

Fast forward to now and being on THM I haven't had it in a very long time. In fact, Ifortunately hadn't even thought about it until it started popping up in my newsfeed on Facebook and on Pinterest. Ugh. 

Then a few weeks back in the Trim Healthy Mama groups page the lovely Briana Thomas posted her own recipe. So immediately I pinned it and looked at it but honestly it was a little too involved for me and I moved on with my craving.

So tonight while grabbing some items out of the pantry I noticed a package of wasa crackers and I decided to experiment.

I grabbed some foil, the wasa crackers, my THM super sweet blend, a stick of butter and vanilla and went to work.

I quickly searched for a recipe and found this one from Smitten Kitchen - http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2009/04/chocolate-caramel-crackers/

So I followed the directions loosely.

I didn't make a full recipe so I halved it. I spread about 9 crackers on the foil and preheated the oven to 350. I added the stick of butter to a saucepan and added about 1/3 cup super sweet blend and stirred. However, it wasn't thickening or coming to a boil. Seeing as how the real "Christmas Crack" calls for brown sugar, I didn't have any or any THM brown sugar. So I cheated a bit and added two small teaspoons of regular real sugar. As soon as I did the mixture came to a rolling boil and simmered for a few minutes. Then, I added the vanilla and poured over the crackers and spread with a spoon and popped the tray in the oven. After about 8 minutes it was ready with the edges turning brown and I sprinkled dark chocolate chips on top. I use the Enjoy Life brand. However, I didn't have enough so I did use some Nestle tollhouse chocolate chips I had on hand to fill in some gaps. These are clearly not on THM (hence the name of the post) but I figure it's better to have a smidge of real sugar than to indulge in completely off plan foods.

After the chips sat on top and melted I spread them around with a spatula. I sprinkled the top with some coarse sea salt and popped it in the fridge to cool.

Then I proceeded to open and close the fridge numerous times waiting to be able to taste it!! 

Finally, after an eternity - or about 15 minutes - it cooled enough for me to taste to make sure it was going to be good enough to satisfy my craving.

Oh, you guys. It was AMAZING!!

I popped it back in the fridge to cool a bit more and then broke it into pieces. 

And of course I continued to taste test. Even my son wanted a piece. I'm not going to lie - I hesitated to share! Haha but like a good mom I let him have a piece (a small one). He loved it!

This recipe is definetly a keeper. And while I did use some off plan ingredients, this hit the spot and I don't feel bad at al for having this along with my S meals!

~Carly

The D14 Recap

Yikes! I completely forgot to post my recap from the results of The D14 program!

Overall I was down about 5 pounds and almost 8 inches! My clothes are looser and fitting well, I'm still very much not bloated and truly feeling great!

I'm back to eating Trim Healthy Mama style - not that I really stopped - but just continuing to eat well. I have been careful to re-introduced too many of the things I cut out. However, I have had some small amounts of cheese here and there but am going to try to avoid gluten as much as possible.

Since I was finished with my nutritional rebalancing I feel truly amazing and I encourage anyone who is looking to get healthier, maybe lose a few pounds or just detox a little bit if you're feeling sluggish, etc.

~Carly

The D14 Day 14

I made it!! I measured this morning and lost another inch or so for a total of 7 3/4 inches lost in 14 days! I'm still less bloated and feeling good. I can't believe it was so easy to cut out some things from my diet for these past two weeks and I'm so much better for it!

I really can't say enough good things about this detox. Whole food nutrition is so important and I really am going to keep what I learned about myself going forward. 

I started my dieting journey in 2010 by counting calories. While it worked initially it can be quite a pain long term - but when you find food freedom like I have with Trim Healthy Mama you can lose the numbers and measuring obsession.

~Carly

The D14 Day 12

It's crazy that I only have two days left on my first round of The D14 and then go into Maintenance! I plan to continue using the shakes and eating my THM way.

Cutting out some things from my diet hasn't been as hard as I thought - some moments yes but my body is thanking me for it. I'm much less bloated. I am bouncing a bit on the scale but still feeling so great! 

I went for a walk yesterday with my dog - a little over 2 miles. Then today I took her for a walk again but it started to rain so I brought her home and went to the gym and walked hills on the treadmill for about 35 minutes. It felt great to exercise today.

So, just a quick update. I'm going to make the most of these last two days!

~Carly

Two Year Trimaversary!

Happy Sunday and Happy Two Years of Trim Healthy Mama to me!

Started at about 170 and really large for me personally (left). I had tried numerous diets - South Beach, Atkins, Eat To Live, meal replacement diets (found one product I do love now though!) and then right before finding THM I did the 21 Day Sugar Detox which was a great segue into the Trim Healthy Mama lifestyle.

The pic on the right was from the other night before going out to dinner with my husband. I'm currently doing a THM-friendly detox with some Juice Plus+ products and I'm about 153/154 pounds right now. I'm also down a few more inches in just the past few days and feeling very less bloated and trimmer.

So there it is. While I didn't lose a ton of weight, I lost inches and gained so much more happiness than I could have ever thought. 

~Carly

The D14 Day 10

Happy Saturday! 

Ahh the weekend. We have a good balance of a busy Saturday and hopefully a productive and relaxing Sunday.

Today starts day 10 and still loving this truly easy detox. I can't believe I only have four days left! I did fluctuate up and down and a bit up by about a half pound for some reason over the past two days  - lady cycles and water intake are likely to blame - but I'm still feeling slimmer and really great! 

Thursday night I attended a party with a cookie swap and grab bag so I did have a baby glass of wine and a taste of a drink my friend brought but did not eat anything except a few olives! I was really proud of myself and was shocked I was not tempted to graze or eat any appetizers! Or a cookie!! 

Last night we hosted my parents and in-laws for dinner to celebrate Hanukkah. I had a delicious gluten free pasta with an eggplant sauce for dinner and a side salad and made a yummy lasagna for the rest of the family. I did a small taste of the meat sauce while cooking and it was delicious. 

About to make breakfast and I'm thinking I will eat some veggie eggs and save my shake for on the go for later as it gets busy!

Have a great weekend!

~Carly

Healthy Tip/Trick

Happy Wednesday!

I wanted to share a quick health tip/trick that I've always tried to do. Since life is busy (more so around the holidays) and errands run long or we find ourselves out and about for longer periods of time - stuck at a sports practice or in traffic. And it's always inevitable that hunger will strike. It does for me anyways! 

So I always keep some things in my bag with me for just those instances. Like today for example I was running errands and got a late start and figured I would be home in time for lunch. 

Wrong! I was shopping when hunger struck while at Kohls. And I mean starving. Of course, there's no real food there except the Godiva chocolate at the register. So it's a good thing I always keep that bag in my bag! I actually re-stocked it this morning!

Currently inside are some Quest bars, one packet of Vanilla and Chocolate Complete mix with a container of unsweetened almond milk, a package of peanut butter crackers for the kids, a package of Annie's bunny gummies, a few packages of Juice Plus gummies, two small mini bags of M&Ms, small serving bags of Brookside dark chocolate pomegranate snacks and a few Brookside dark chocolate bars.

I've been saved by having goodies like these for me and my family on so many occasions I can't even list or count! I'm pretty good about packing our reusable water bottles before we go - I have stainless steel thermos brand ones for the kids and I like my Camelback Eddy bottle.

What are some ways you keep healthy on the go?

~Carly

The D14 Day 6 with some RESULTS!!

Hello, hello, hello!

It's been another GREAT day so far.  My son ended up staying home today unexpectedly.  He said he wasn't feeling well ten minutes before the bus came so better safe than sorry, right? 

Turns out he just wanted to stay home and play with toys.  We had a chat about that.  Why am I telling you this?  Well, it's actually quite relevant to this D14 journey I'm so pleased to be on. 

The past two days I've felt much calmer in general but especially as a parent.  I mentioned I was more clear and focused but I haven't "flown off the handle" or lost my "mommy sh!t" as much as I have been when my kids are on my last nerve, not listening or dilly-dallying before bed.  And I'm convinced it has much to do with The D14 program. My blood sugars are balanced which means my insulin is regulated which is all intertwined with hormones and I'm just more stable.  Crazy, right?

I'm not a doctor or a nutritionist (although I'd love to be either or) but it's fairly general knowledge that if you aren't filling your body with sugars and carbs and other ingredients or chemicals then your body can function the way it is designed to BE.  I'm truly feeling that from these last 6 days.

And guess what?  The scale is showing it, too.  I love when that happens - seeing the evidence aside from only feeling it.  Because guess what - kinda hard to show feelings over the Internet, huh?

Yep.  So I will show ya.

Image below is as follows:

Top Left is last Thursday (start day), middle is this past Saturday, top right is same weight for both Sunday & Monday and bottom left is this morning 12/8.

 

I'd like to apologize quickly for my winter feet and our ugly bathroom tile.  Additionally, I have no idea why my left foot looks more "tan" than my right foot in each of the pictures. I'm guessing it has to do with the lighting as well as the way I'm holding my iPhone to take the pictures when I first wake up ;)

 

I'm also not departing from my Trim Healthy Mama plan which I still love and rely on.  The Juice Plus+ products really are complementing this plan for me and providing me with extra whole food nutrition that is getting me closer and closer to my ultimate goal. 

 

My ultimate goal has always been to get to where I was before my first child - because it's not called child weight either!! 

 

I'm about to have a Complete shake now as my day kind of went off track when I decided my son could stay home.  Dinner is to be determined but will be in accordance with the D14 guidelines :)

So, there you have it...I'm pretty shocked, hopeful, happy and motivated.  If you're ready to join in on this please, please, please don't wait!  If you've followed me or read any posts at all, you know the struggle is real and how many "diets" I've truly tried on this journey. 

Email me at carlykirsch@gmail.com - you'll thank yourself!!!
~Carly

The D14 Day 5

Wow, this is quite a few days in a row of me posting! I have to be honest - I really had NO intention of posting every day but I cannot help myself!

Now on Day 5 and woke to the same number on the scale as yesterday which was a little surprising only because I have been seeing a drop every day since I started but that doesn't mean dissapointment! I'm still feeling awesome. It's funny because I always read people on a detox or cleanse feeling "clear" and I didn't really understand what that meant until now. My mind feels clear. I'm remembering more and feel more focused and honestly a little less crabby than normal. Coincidence? Not sure yet but I'm thinking its definetly a result of this. 

So, Day 5 has gone like this:

Wake up and have water and some coffee and water

Vanilla shake in blender with fruit and almond milk around 7:45 am

Lunch was around 11:45 so I drank my detox drink and quickly scrambled some eggs and had some trail mix quickly before I had to run out again.

Snacked on some rotisserie chicken and water around 4:30 pm

Then...dinner. My son requested pancakes for dinner and I couldn't disagree. Not only because it is his birthday but also because it sounded yummy. But I'm on a strict 14 days here - so what to do? 

Make pancakes out of my Complete mix of course! It's a packet of vanilla, 1/2 cup of gluten free oat flour, one egg and two tsp of baking powder and about 1/4 cup of unsweetened vanilla almond milk.

Mix all ingredients together and voilà - pancakes!!! I added blueberries, too.

Oh they were deeelish. It's about 8:40 pm and I'm still full.

Enjoy the evening!

~Carly

The D14 Day 4

Day 4 done and in the books!

It was a busy but good day! Woke up again to a decrease of pounds on the scale! I'm really happy!! 

Today was my son's birthday party so breakfast was a Vanilla Complete shake with some added fruit and ice with almond milk.

I had coffee again on the way to the party and then just water. I did not have any pizza or cake at the party! Whoop! Needless to say by the time I get home I was starving! I threw some Chocolate Complete in a shaker bottle with 10 ounces of almond milk and drank that while my son opened presents.

Since this weekend was busy I haven't done a grocery shop yet so we decided it was out to dinner we go. 

My son chose Jakes Wayback Burgers so I ordered a side salad and a grilled chicken sandwich and only at the chicken. 

The salad came with some cheese on top and croutons - I picked off the croutons but did eat the cheese.

So, overall a great day! I didn't unfortunately drink the detox drink but plan to before bed actually.

Looking forward to see what the rest of the week holds - good night!

~Carly

The D14 Day 3

Good evening! 

I saw some more movement in the right direction on the scale this morning! Very happy and excited about that for sure! I'm also feeling really GOOD considering this is a "detox" and a nutritional rebalancing. 

So today went like this:

Woke up around 6:30 and drank water and a small cup of coffee (note: it's recommended to cut out caffeine during this program for maximum benefit but it's just simply something I don't do 100% on my journey)

7:30 am - I made a chocolate Complete shake in a shaker bottle with 10 ounces of unsweetened vanilla almond milk. Normally I would have used a blender and blended up a shake and added some goodness to it but my son had his first morning of basketball.

11:45 am- I drank my D14 detox drink before having some left over Quinoa bean veggie soup and a small piece of very dark chocolate 

3:30 pm- I snacked on some fruit after going to Target with the family and later had a cup of herbal decaf tea

5:30 detox drink before dinner and a large green salad with fresh diced peppers, red onion, roasted pepper with grilled chicken on top and balsamic dressing

Yummmm!

So Day 3 is in the books and I can't wait to keep going!!

Tomorrow will be a challenge as it is my son's 6th birthday party tomorrow and unusually sneak some frosting or a bite of cake every now and again...fingers crossed I will resist!

~Carly

The D14 Day 2

Good afternoon!

It's day 2 of my detox/reboot and I'm feeling really great!

Thankfully my sinus/headache thing has seemingly gone away - hopefully for good! I woke up to a lot less bloating and one pound lighter! That's after ONE day so I'm very optimistic for the next 13!

So full disclosure as always - I'm up a few pounds in general from Thanksgiving and such but not a lot and definitely not currently at my lowest weight. I have been maintaining and bouncing with the same 3-4 pounds. That's where I'm expecting this D14 to help me bust through my rut/plateau. 

Back to today...After I had my JP+ Complete shake for breakfast and capsules, I put the kids on the bus and went for a 3 mile walk this morning with a good friend and our dogs. 

For lunch I had my Quinoa Bean Veggie soup and an apple also with the detox drink that is suggested in the D14 program.  I'm pretty full right now!

Since it's chilly today,  I'm sipping on some tea while typing this and for dinner I plan to have a large salad with grilled chicken on top.

 

So, cheers to the weekend and plan to update you over the weekend. If not early next week!

~Carly

The D14 Day One

Good morning!

Despite having a sinus/headache thing going on for the last week or so I am feeling pretty awesome this morning.

I'm starting a detox/jumpstart program called The D14 which is a 14 day program that helps get the body detoxified, proper digestion going and a general "tune up" of how your body was designed to metabolize food and generally function. 

Before you get skeptical of the word detox - stop! This program is designed not to be harsh or unpleasant and you eat FOOD. Yes, real nourishment for your body to flush the toxins out - which means a less bloated you! 

Since it is a detox, you do need to refrain from eating a few things. But, before I lose you again it's only 14 days.  the program was created by Courtney O'Donnell - she's a mother of five, a personal trainer and a director at the Juice Plus company.  All the details are provided to you when you commit to the program

I'm still following my Trim Healthy Mama principles alongside the D14 - I'm coming up on two years on that lifestyle, too!

So, here I go...if you're interested in the program feel free to email me directly at carlykirsch@gmail.com.

~Carly