🎥 Pumpkin Chaffles (recipe included)
Wanting to succeed with your goals, you have to take into account what you are eating. Focusing on breakfast because it is the most precious meal of the day. Audio and Video included scroll below
True or False, the Empire State Building in New York was developed in Winston-Salem, North Carolina? I’ll give you the answer in a little bit. I was hankering for a good meal at a restaurant. My hubby and I headed into Winston-Salem to satiate our desire. We decided to check out the Kimpton Cardinal Hotel's The Katharine Brasserie and Bar located downtown in the Reynolds building. The tastebud adventure includes a quintessential French brasserie with a Southern flair prepared by Executive Chef Daniel Tippett. The food and ambience were delightfully perfect. If you want to be a little more extravagant, you can rent a cute cozy igloo or a romantic gondola for two to enjoy your meal.
The limestone-faced Art-deco skyscraper Reynolds building has a unique history. It was designed in 1927 by R. H. Shreve and William F. Lamb, built between 1928 and 1929, for a reported $2.70 million. It reaches an architectural height of 315ft (96m). It has a total of 24 floors, 21 above ground, and 3 basements. When it first opened, it housed retail and commercial shops on the lower levels off the elevator lobby, including a barber shop, restaurant, pharmacy, telegraph office, and a railway ticket office. Today, the sleek, streamlined exterior with a distinctive stepped ziggurat roofline wraps the Kimpton Cardinal Hotel and private residences.
What does this have to do with the Empire State Building? Well, the Empire State Building’s top part is modeled after the Reynolds building, and the base is modeled after the Carew Tower in Cincinnati. So, the answer is true, the Empire State Building in New York was developed in Winston-Salem by the same architects William F. Lamb, Loomis Harmon, along with their new partner Arthur Harmon. Pretty cool, right? If you find yourself in Winston-Salem in search of a belly full of good food, check out the Kimpton Cardinal Hotel's The Katharine Brasserie and Bar and be sure to wander the first floor of the Reynolds building and take in 95 years of history.
If you are really wanting to succeed with your goals,
you have to take into account what you are eating. What I have seen over the years working with my clients reestablishing good gut heath is the side effects they never thought would happen. It wasn’t just the 20-40 pounds of weight loss, it was the new found confidence, loss of brain fog replaced with clarity, acuity, balanced moods, a more positive outlook on life, more days feeling happy and contentment and energy, tons of energy.
Food can literally fuel your body, brain, mind and soul. It can keep you focused on track and motivated. Think about, is it easier to obtain goals when you are focused, full of energy and motivated? Or, is it easier when you are feeling sleepy, listless, low energy and lacking motivation?
If you need more proof, In a cohort study of 10 775 individuals, higher consumption of ultra-processed foods was associated with reduced cognitive decline in middle-aged and older adults.
It also found those who consumed 20% of their calories or more showed a 28% faster rate of overall cognitive decline.
Those eating the highest levels of ultra-processed foods showed a 25% faster rate of executive function decline. Interestingly what was measured, judgment, decision-making, problem-solving, planning and self-control.
If you are trying to obtain your goals and aspirations whatever it is, do you think it is possible consuming junk food?
This is why, I am still dedicating part of my monthly Substack to nutrition. Everything I have shared with you in the past had a recipe because I want you to put your best 100% foot forward! It is all a part of being worthy of what you want out of life.
This month, I am focusing on breakfast because it is the most precious meal of the day. It breaks the overnight fast, levels out your blood sugar setting you up for postive moods.
I will admit, this was a hard one for me because I do not eat typical breakfast foods. I usually eat veggies and animal protein for breakfast, left overs and salad, which most find gross. I find it gross that someone eat a doughnut or cereal breakfast. I do however, have a couple of different kinds of chauffle and waffles in the freezer, individually wrapped ready to go in a pinch.
But, just starting somewhere is the first place to start. Protein, fat and veggies are going to smooth out blood sugar and keep you balanced. If your goal is weight loss or better fitness, guess what? You got it! It starts with the right type of breakfast.
The key is to make a couple of the recipes, then dish them into single serve containers and freeze. if you get into the habit spending one day a week you can keep your breakfasts stocked so there are no excuses. Now, I would be throwing a frozen breakfast into the HotLogic and give myself a nice hot breakfast.
This month I was going to make a breakfast casserole for you all, until I realized my oven is broken.. just add it to the rest of the motorcoach honey-do-list! I know I could make it in the HotLogic, but my spidey-senses had me feeling your eye balls roll back in their socket.
But, I will plug it here anyway. If you have a HotLogic, you get my obsession. If you don’t, guess what? It works in a pinch when your oven quits working! Seriously, the HotLogic makes making whole foods a breeze. Ninety-eight percent of the time, you throw the ingredients into a container, turn it on and forget about it. Then when your tummy gremlins are getting the best of you, open up, inhale the aromas, grab a fork and dig in! That simple!
As for my oven, at least the broiler works! I was having a good chuckle making nutola (grainless granola) trying to mimic a 400f oven by turning on and off the low broil. Oddly, the recipe came out awesome, even husband-approved!
I am not quite ready to share it with you because I want to make sure it is actually duplicatable in a working oven. stay tuned!
I did however, mange to make a new recipe with the mini waffle maker. I was trying to pick something to show you that with a little elbow grease, patience and time, you can set your week up with things to make ahead, freeze into individual containers for grabbing that are healthy for you and keep your mind, body and tummy fueled.
Nutrition is the mission!
The chaffles I made in the video, I am going to apologize right now. Once I started to record, I started to feel sick and it was coming on FAST, Half way through you hear me starting to sniffle. In fact the moment I stopped recording the flu wrapped its venomous claws all through my body and took me down for 4 days!
Hopefully in February the oven will be fixed, or should I just stick to the HotLogic? Which is wayyyyy easier?
Any way I have included the recipe (and the video) for the Chaffle below and a bunch of links to Karen Approved recipes. Here is a little tip, swap out the sweeteners for allulose. It is safer on the gut, joints and brain over the others.
Mini Pumpkin Chaffle
1 tb cream cheese, melted
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 tb cocnut flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
2 tb allulose
1/2 tb pumpkin spice
2 tb pumpkin puree
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
1 large egg
1 tsp oil or ghee for greasing the waffle maker
Sir together, let it sit for 2-3 minutes to allow it to thicken
Brush oil over both sides of the waffle maker. Add 2 tablespoons of the batter to the waffle maker, close and allow to cook for 3-4 minutes until there is no more steam coming out. Remove with a non metal utensil or spatula.
Karen Approved Links for yummy high protein, fat low carb breakfasts.
Porridge
Waffles
Pancakes
Eggs; sandwhich, caserole and such
Eggs Florentine Casserole - use cream or 1/2 and 1/2 instead of milk or a milk subtitute
Keto Breakfast sandwich (Meal Prep) - Use straight allulose, omit the Maple extract
P.S. I do make a small commission on the sale of a HotLogic. I love this product because I believe in it 100% and have been using it for over 6 years. It makes life so much easier. Use the 10% discount code HEALTHYGUT on the checkout page.
Have a great healthy week
~Karen