I love freshly baked bread, buns, quiches, brownies, if it has yeast and sugar, even some salt is acceptable- I stand in line.
Or used to.
I don’t actually need to stand in any line since I love spending time in the kitchen and baking is not rocket science.
I beg all offended artisan bakers forgiveness, but this is the truth.
If you have a Kenwood /the likes of it, a decent enough oven (no need for fancy sh**, a regular working clean one will do just fine), flour, live yeast, sugar, salt, and warm water/plant milk -you are set for success.
Mind you baking is the numero uno trick for entertaining people.
This always works.
Your kids are grown ups and announced they are coming in an hour?
get the pizza ready to the level of toppings by then.
MIL or some other VIP are coming and you are too lazy to fancy up the table?
Small Foccacias topped with whatever you have in the fridge.
Everyone at home is hungry and you only have enough soup for 70% of the house population?
Get that grand Foccacia rolling in 10 minutes.
Or-
and
The kids want “something to eat” and you will not give in to processed snacks?
Let them help you bake their own homemade buns. I assure you they will devour them like locust- because it’s yummy + they connected with the buns while making them.
So what’s the problem?
Well, the problem is I am about to turn 51 in a month, and in my personal experience- when I so much as sniff a bun, look at a focaccia or glance at freshly baked bread- I gain 2 pounds,
I kid you not, It’s enough for me to stand next to these things and I feel my organs expanding.
This is an absolutely amazing phenomena mind you. I should be on the discovery channel or something.
You might wonder so what.
Legitimate question.
I think that as much as this question is legitimate- my personal answer is legitimate too.
I believe that to each his own, and size most definitely does not determine beauty in my opinion. it does, however, in my personal experience, influence my athletic performance, and my emotional wellbeing- as a direct result of the first.
As of January this year, I have been practicing intermittent fasting, meaning that (with some exceptions) I do not eat after lunch, which is around 13 am -or earlier. on some days I do feel hungrier -I eat a snack or something after that but I try not to exceed 15: 00, otherwise, I simply don’t feel well. my body has adjusted to the rhythm of fasting until 8:00 am, after my first workout.
More on that –Trying to listen to my body
6 Healthy simple vegan snacks+frugal tips
Dealing with my body issues (cup A personality type?)
In my personal experience, eating baked goods ( meaning- carbs) is very filling, yet not as filling and not as nutritious as protein-based meals, and since I eat only breakfast and lunch, I simply can’t “waste my food space” on the beloved carbs.
I also found out that once you get reacquainted with simple raw fruits and veggies, nothing added to them, you rediscover they actually taste great just the way they are.
Meaning no need to bake a fruit cake out of them.that is unless they are ripe to the point of no return- then you can bake their a## away for all I care.
*I already told you many times I am no nutritionist or whatever- I am a 51 years old retired lawyer, doing my best to keep myself healthy and strong because I am an introvert and a strong believer in trust thy selves .-
I am totally aware that baked goods are really tempting, and many doctors are saying that a diet that excludes carbs is dangerous-
Well, I don’t exclude carbs altogether- I eat brown rice, potatoes, rice noodles- but in moderation- basically as a side to my protein based main dish.
Do I feel deprived?
Well, to say the truth- sometimes I do.
I bake a lot for my family, and it has happened that I was tempted to eat some focaccia or the likes, but since I spend a lot of time and effort in preparing myself fresh, healthy and tasty food every day, ( I love eating and I appreciate food) the feeling of deprivation is rare and passes quickly.
On the other hand- I feel the advantages of my pastry free diet almost every day while exercising, and every evening when I go to bed not feeling hungry and miserable.
enjoy- the cooliflower.