Real Food Advent Calendar: December 9 - Contrast

When I first went paleo, I was shocked to discover how - after a couple of weeks - previously bland or even bitter foods took on a new sweetness. Now, almonds and pistachios taste sweet to me - and even grapefruit is no longer tart to my tastebuds, but almost indulgently sweet. It's a lesson in contrast and context; if I ate a slice of store bought sheet cake, and then tried to eat some almonds, they would taste fairly bitter. But, when I've not had sugar for ages, almonds' natural sweetness comes through. These almonds, for my daughter's advent box, were very lightly coated in a bit of butter and palm sugar, and then toasted.

By the same token, Jesus challenges how we think about ourselves - He describes how God knows and cares about the status of even a humble sparrow, and contrasts that with the value of any one person's daily grind to the Almighty God. So while we're off eating the sheet cake of self-pity and withered self esteem, God is waving us over saying, "You, stop eating that sheet! Come discover the sweetness of these almonds and pistachios instead."

Real Food Advent Calendar: December 8 - Forget Not His Benefits

Kumquats! I found these kumquats in a pint container at WalMart. Go figure. We've never had them, so it was a fun adventure to try them out - the outside (the skin) looks like it should be removed, but in fact you eat it - it's sweet in contrast to the tart and juicy center. I like to think of this kumquat verse as a reminder of the value in meeting God as far as you can - match his blessings on offer by giving your 100%, and just imagine the results!

Meanwhile, I had found this mini forget-me-not grow kit from the dollar section at Target. Though the pot was too big for the advent box, I simply put the label and contents into the box, and made the pot materialize later, after the box had been opened. Now the forget-me-nots sit in the sun near the kitchen sink, just barely peeking soft green buds out of the soil, and they remind us that God's blessings should always be at the forefront of our thoughts, serving as an low level, consistent exercise in gratitude.

Real Food Advent Calendar: December 7 - Coconut "Milk and Honey" Walnut Cups

The Israelites wandered for 40 years in the desert before finally arriving at their promised land, a, "...land flowing with milk and honey."

Sometimes - say, in learning how to eat right and to get active - even when you want the fastest path from A to B, it turns out that you need the journey, even a journey that's more roundabout. By the time you finally do reach point B of figuring out what works for you, your very character has been changed for the better because of the process.

Commemorating a final "milk and honey" goal is a little cup with chocolate on the bottom, and on top, melted coconut oil mixed with warmed coconut manna (which mimics the creaminess of coconut milk) and a trace of honey. I dropped in a few walnut pieces to give it crunchy texture and popped the whole thing in the freezer to set.

Meanwhile, to fit the idea of the process being of importance, is an egg of Silly Putty - because it is God with the end point in mind, and He is the Sculptor of our destinies. A "common use" does not denote "unvaluable" - a common water jug used every day is very valuable in its services offered - and thus is of equal importance to some finely sculpted unique object d'art. So - do not worry about whether your destiny is common or noble. Rest in the knowledge that it is valuable and fully in God's hands either way.

Real Food Advent Calendar: December 6 - Great Joy for All the People

Isn't this Lindt angel super precious? I thought, she's perfect for the little advent box! Then I got home and realized - she was about half an inch too long. D'oh! So, she was kind of already hanging out of the box a little when my 4 year old got to it. At least I know that she wasn't feeling stuffy. :-p

And the angel said, be not afraid! Again that phrase enters my thoughts for the umpteenth time in recent memory. The shepherds were cowering at the sight of this unexpected guest, but the angel wanted to allay their fears immediately and instead to boast the tidings: He is HERE!

The wee Christ child, born into the humblest and most awkward of circumstances, in a dank manger, to an unwed mother. Yet from this setting came the biggest of miracles!

In the same way, God asked the Israelites for their donations, knowing that they would be modest on the individual level, in order to melt down their jewelry and convert their treasures into fittings for His temple. This is where my daughter's treasure for today came in - this time something decidedly not from the dollar store - a necklace of Baltic amber.

Through His power - via the donations and skills of His people - God spun an awe-inspiring miraculous home for his Spirit. God with us. With the Israelites in their temple. With Joseph and Mary in the manger. And with us still today!

Real Food Advent Calendar: December 5 - A Hard Pressed Treat

Ah, December, the most relaxing, rejuvenating, peaceful month of the year.

*ahem*, not. 

Are you feeling pressed in from many sides? Pressure to get the holidays just right? Unsure that you'll get the gifts and other traditions together before Christmas? Or just trying to manage "regular life" under the weight of a bunch of holiday obligations?

I hear ya, so. there. The day after Thanksgiving I got back on the lower carb train, had about two days of brain fog, then by Monday was feeling pretty good again. So here I am, trying to be faithful in weight loss efforts - and allocating my modest fruit and starch carbs intake very strategically just before and just Crossfit workouts...and I'm making advent calendar treats for my daughter every day! Though very tempting, I haven't given in to eating any of the treats yet; my stable blood sugar isn't worth compromising for me right now. 

So due to me attempting to bear down, the number on the scale is going down - 9.2 lb. since Black Friday. BUT, I'm feeling the effects in my Crossfit workouts - especially the higher cardio ones. I've read before that with Crossfit you have to prioritize leaning out or performance, so it's making sense from that perspective.

This day's treat is inspired by the concept of being between a rock and a hard place - the idea of being "hard pressed". Here we have almond butter and maple syrup combined in 1:1 ratio, then squished between two plain rice crackers, then covered in high quality dark chocolate. It's my less-processed gluten-free take on the chocolate covered Oreos that seem to emerge this time of year. ;)

So if you're feeling hard pressed this year, hang on; the chocolate covering is coming sooner or later. :)

Meanwhile, some silvery foil fingernail stickers with a star pattern appealed to the inner glamour girl. It's a reminder that doing things well does eventually stand out and serve as a testimony - whether faithful healthy eating or simply shepherding your family steadily through the chaos of the holidays.

Real Food Advent Calendar: December 4 - Salted Sweet

Today's sweet was a piece of chocolate with sea salt and almonds. Sea salt! It enhances the sweetness of the chocolate - the same way that carefully seasoned words enhance the tone of a conversation. It served as a reminder to me that our words must be considered carefully when describing to someone why it is that we believe what we believe, and why we do what we do. Thus being prepared to explain oneself logically and with references, owing to continuous and scrupulous self-education is of paramount importance, whether in scripture, or in your nutritional research.

The whistle came as a thought of God using his whistle to call his faithful - the same way ancient shepherds called their sheep. Even from the greatest distance the sheep could be summoned by use of the whistle. May I always hear the whistle when God is calling me to something!

Real Food Advent Calendar: December 3 - The Value of Traditional Ways

Now over a year and a half into this traditional foods / paleo lifestyle, I'm learning so much about how folks were preparing foods just a couple of generations ago. So, the Proverbs verse really rings true to me in this context; it heralds the value of learning the passed on knowledge of one's elders, like a precious necklace.

As for the chocolate covered hazlenuts, I thought that the slightly sweet dark chocolate outside and mildly bitter crunchy inside were good illustrations of the outside/inside analogy of people. Hopefully my daughter can remember as much even as she munches through them. :)

To make these, I simply melted a small handful of dark chocolate chips in a microwave safe dish in the microwave, then I stirred the chocolate until smoothly melted. I tossed a small handful of hazlenuts into the bowl and stirred them until they were evenly coated. I then spooned the hazlenuts onto parchment paper to cool before popping them into their mini silicone muffin cup.

Real Food Advent Calendar: December 2 - Strengthen Me With Raisins

Fun fact: it was recently determined by researchers in a study that raisins are a better workout recovery tool than sports gel. Can you imagine that? After a hard workout, a whole, natural source of carbohydrates does a better job at replenishing the body and muscles than artificially colored and flavored high glycemic index sports recovery gel. It's almost like we were meant to eat the raisins instead after taxing our bodies... In fact, the Song of Solomon indicates as much.

We don't consume tons of raisins at our house, but I think that they are perfectly fine, particularly for active and growing bodies. They work well for us as an on-the-go emergency snack option, usually when combined with nuts trail mix style. However, raisins are just rare enough to still constitute a treat for my girls, so in this case their advent treat for the day is a minimix of sliced almonds and raisins.

And as for the almonds? Israel sent them with his sons back to Egypt as a peace offering to the his son (then-covert) Joseph - a gustatory olive branch. (I don't know about you, but I'm definitely a sucker for nuts as a hostess gift. That Israel knew what he was doing!)

So the treat comes with the undertones of strength (for the raisins) and peace (for the almonds). I can't think of two more apt qualities that arise from those who tell their testimonies about how Christ has changed their lives - the same Christ who said, "I am the Light of the World. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."

Commemorating that verse is a fun little battery powered tealight - which can be found at dollar stores (mine sold them in three packs for a buck) or bought in bulk online.

Real Food Advent Calendar: December 1 - Coconut Manna Walnut Cups

Psalm 150

Quite the jamboree, eh? I am a person who really gets into Christmas music - I have it on almost constantly from mid-November through the New Year. I saw this little drum and thought it the perfect reminder that sometimes a good worship jam session can get me and my daughter better mentally prepared to herald the celebration of Christ's arrival. It doesn't have to be lingering fireside carols (though I enjoy those too!) - a couple of exuberant tunes with high octane drums and guitars courtesy of Relient K gets us from 0 to 60 in no time flat. :)

Exodus 16:4-5

Now for the December 1st advent calendar treat! These are very, very easy to make - and take less than 5 minutes. I like that they involve coconut manna - it reminds me of the fact that God gives us exactly what we need, exactly when it is needed. (It's learning to trust in that fact that is the hardest part for me!)

Coconut Manna Cups
Makes about 6 cups

Ingredients
1/2 cup high quality dark chocolate chips
3 tablespoons coconut butter or coconut manna (or coconut butter)
6 walnut halves

Directions
In a microwave, melt the chips in a microwave-safe bowl on half power (this should take a minute or two). Stir the melted chocolate until it is completely smooth. Pour just a bit of melted chocolate in the bottom of six mini silicone muffin cups (or silicone mini muffin cup liners). Use a teaspoon to spread the melted chocolate from the bottom of the cup up the side.

Allow the chocolate in the cups to cool for a bit.

On top of the chocolate in the cups, add 1/2 tablespoon of crumbled coconut manna and a walnut half broken into 2 or 3 pieces. Top these with more melted dark chocolate and use the teaspoon to smooth it over.

Place the manna cups in the freezer to further set, if desired.

New Series Coming This Week: The Real Food Advent Calendar, a Healthier Alternative

I'm super excited!!  A few weeks ago, I bought a "fill your own" advent calendar at IKEA, and starting tomorrow, December 1, I am going have a daily post through Christmas on the calendar's compartments' contents.

Advent is a special season built on anticipation - for Christians it's when we remember how long the world waited for our Savior, as we (in microcosm) now eagerly await the celebration of his birth. I loved advent calendars as a kid -- doing the countdown to Christmas was that much more special having a calendar to watch and a little daily treat (usually chocolate) to enjoy.

These days, advent calendars can be found in a wide range of prices and qualities - some can be had at a dollar store, while others can be purchased from high end chocolatiers, and feature very high quality chocolate.

As for us and our IKEA special, I enjoyed both the idea of knowing exactly what ingredients went into the treats and the ability to add a something more than just chocolate to those cute compartments - a little toy or ornament, perhaps, that my oldest could enjoy finding. It allowed me to customize the calendar exactly for my 4 year old's attention span and interest levels. In our house, we'll read a bit of scripture while opening our daily countdown drawer as well, which I hope adds to our sense of anticipation as we celebrate Christ's arrival as Emmanuel - "God with us".

Some strategies for this project:

• I'll be using minimuffin cup liners to separate the treat from the toy inside each compartment. (Mine are silicone but disposable would work equally well.)
  
  
• I'll be using the dollar store and the dollar section at Target for toy resources. (This project is also another great reason to surf the Target dollar section's seasonal stuff just after a holiday expires to get little fun items for pennies on the dollar.)
  
  
• Lest you think I've already completely filled the calendar's compartments, nope! I'm only about three days out right now. My plan is to go in 3-4 day chunks of filling the drawers, which will hopefully be a doable pace. Maybe next year I'll have the benefit of experience on this and be more ahead of the game. ;-)
  
  
• The treats will be varied in their real food content. Some might include dairy, or nuts, or eggs - and some small amounts of sugar in the form of high quality dark chocolate. The treats will all be gluten-free, however. If your household doesn't eat one or more of those ingredients and you're still hoping to fill an advent calendar of your own, then feel free to adapt or come up with treats that are better suited to your family's dietary restrictions instead!

To see all of my Real Food Advent Calendar 2011 posts, click here.

Are you and your family doing advent calendars this year? How do you celebrate the countdown to Christmas?