Check out the newest addition to our kitchen!

What is almond meal/flour?

Almond meal/flour is skinless, blanched almonds that have been finely ground.

What makes it so special?

It adds a moist texture and rich, buttery flavor to baked goods and desserts. It’s also low in carbs and a good source of protein, fiber, vitamin E, and magnesium. One serving (1/4 cup) has 160 calories, 14g fat (1g sat), 3g fiber, and 6g protein.

What made you decide to try it?

The CrossFit cult. Just kidding! Well, sort of.

Our box is starting a Grain-Free Challenge next week, so our coaches are gearing up with The Paleo Diet. I’m not planning to do Paleo, but I’m using aspects of it to clean-up my diet (i.e. more lean protein and healthy fats, less junk, but keeping the whole grains, beans, and dairy). Plus, I like trying new things, so I’m giving a few of the Paleo recipes a whirl. The Grain-Free Challenge also involves fitness and weight loss elements, so I’m participating in those parts. I’ll tell you guys more about it tomorrow!

Dinner

I broke open my new bag of almond flour to make an Almond Flax Pizza Crust, which I topped with ground beef, peppers, onions, cheese, and marina sauce.

Yum!

The crust turned out really well—thick, sort of cake-y, and really hearty and satisfying. Those two pieces of pizza sat in my stomach like a rock!

After dinner, I enjoyed a dark chocolate Ghirardelli square.

A dirty martini with olives.

And a bunch of pistachios that I shared with Mal.

Breakfast

This morning, I rocked the almond flour once again, but, this time, in the form of pancakes!

In the mix:

• 1 cup almond flour
• 1 tbsp ground flaxseed
• 3 eggs
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
• Cinnamon to taste

Makes 4 pancakes

I made sure to use every last once of pancake batter because almond flour cost as much as is like gold.

I topped my pancakes with fresh blackberries and maple syrup that the Federation of Quebec Maple Syrup Producers sent me to test out.

Did you know that Quebec is home to more than 7,400 maple businesses, making it a producer of close to 80% of the worldwide maple syrup output? Crazy, right? I had no idea so much maple syrup came from there. Maple syrup also has over 54 antioxidants! I didn’t know that either!

Off to the dog park with Mal and Murphy!