Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Special Delivery!



I wanted to start this blog off by saying that I do not suffer from celiac disease and no I am not vegan. What I am though is someone who cares about my body and what I put in it (most of the time). Why do I say all this, because I just received in the mail a copy of the babycakes recipe book and you don't have to be any of those things to own it. I first heard about babycakes from an ultrarunner and blogger named Devon Crosby-Helms. She has a gluten intolerance and a huge passion for cooking. If you read her blog, you will see the name 'babycakes' all over it. Babycakes is a bakery based out of New York City that offers up Vegan, Gluten-Free, and mostly Sugar-Free goodies.

As someone who loves cooking and baking, I was especially interested. I have never owned a 'baking' book and I thought I would give this one a try.



My one guilty pleasure: I love watching The Biggest Loser. Call it a trainer's dream show. Yes, the show can be a little ridiculous at times, but simply, I love watching success stories. I was reading an article in a magazine about Jillian and she said something that really resonated with me. Here is the quote:

"I am not the girl who loves the gym. Wrong girl. And I'm not the one who loves broccoli, either. But I am the girl who feels potent, capable and confident when she feels strong, and I don't want to give that up. To me it's not about building a better body. It's about building a better life. And if your health is your platform for life, it's got to be rock solid. If you want to take on the world, you need a good foundation".

I, like Jillian, look at health as my platform for life. I am comfortable with myself when I am treating myself well. I am kinder and better able to give and receive love when I am feeling 100% about myself. When I was in high school I did not eat healthy. Part of me still feels like the kid I once was. It's a constant battle to make the right choices. Everyday we are faced with choices in health, and it's way harder to say no to something you know is going to taste damn good. That's not to say I never eat treats, because that would be a lie. I just choose not to indulge in large quantities every single day. That's the hard part I find about being an ultra runner sometimes. Because I run so much and burn so many calories, I feel that I have that leniency to eat whatever I want. And I probably could. But, I know from experience that I won't feel good about it. There are times when I have finished a long run and all I want is wings and beer, so I do. Sometimes I indulge and sometimes I don't. I am slowly starting to listen to the little voice that sits inside my head, that says "you don't really want that".

So, let's bring this back full circle. I bought this book because I love to bake. I don't however, like the crap ingredients that go into my own baking- butter, sugar, eggs (I have a food sensitivity to eggs) and white flour. I am a sucker for home baking. But, even when I bake cookies, part of me still doesn't feel good about what I have put inside these cute little bundles of joy. All of a sudden, here comes along a solution. A recipe book I can feel good about. Most of the ingredients are all natural and there is no white flower, refined sugar, butter, or eggs anywhere in this cookbook.

I am probably going to spend a fortune on all these new ingredients. But hell, if I am going to feel better about my health and myself, then it is worth every penny!

I'll keep you posted on my adventures in the kitchen and will post a few of my favorite one's once I get the baking ball rolling.

Until then, see you in the trails!

2 comments:

Steve Bell-Irving said...

Very cool new blog photo at the top!!

Devon said...

:) Babycakes, babycakes, babycakes!!! I love them, I spent about 2 hrs hanging out there last monday talking food and baking with the gals that work there (and eating lots of cupcakes, it was the day after VT50). The ingredients are harder to find and can be pricey,but the improved nutrition and quality makes it worth it! Enjoy the cookbook and let me know what you bake up!