How to fit into your dress and still eat chocolate!
It's that time of year when many brides and bridesmaids are dress shopping or scheduling fittings. The wedding date seems like it's just around the corner, and the details must be nailed down. Having gone through my own wedding and been a bridesmaid for both my sisters, I know that feeling of wondering if I would fit into the dress I tried on months ago. Before my twin sister's wedding, I only ate salad for an entire week to ensure that I would fit into the bridesmaids dress!
Now, as your wedding and event planner, I am not here to tell you how to eat, but I do have some inspiring first hand accounts of how to edit your daily meals and snacks. For the last year or so, I have made dramatic changes to my diet. Limited to no dairy, no bread, and limited to no carbs. For a girl who grew up in a home with French and Italian roots, this was a difficult undertaking. However, it has been an incredible journey. We Rocky Mountain women naturally gravitate towards richer foods in the Colorado winters, but rich does not have to mean high calorie! Coconut milk, maple syrup, brown rice syrup, oats, dates and coconut oil have become my new best friends. When I crave something sweet, I can now enjoy a slice of peanut butter chocolate pie or a chocolate fudge bite and not worry about putting on weight.
My new favorite cookbook is 'Oh She Glows Everyday' by Angela Liddon. In our little town of Steamboat Springs, Colorado, we have many restaurants, but home cooking is still my favorite. Here are some recipes from her book that you can enjoy, still eat chocolate, and ensure that you fit into the dress for the big day!
Chocolate Fudge Bites
Makes 10-14 balls
3/4 cup pitted dates
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/16 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
2 tablespoons shredded coconut
1/2 cup raw pecans
Optional - mini chocolate chips
Blend all ingredients in a food processor (apart from the chocolate chips). Remove the dough (it will be squishy) from the blender. Add the chocolate chips and mix. Roll into balls or bars, or use the dough as a piecrust. Keep refrigerated for freshness.
Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Balls
Makes 14 small bites
1 1/2 cups oat flour
2 tablespoons coconut oil
2 tablespoons smooth peanut butter or almond butter
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup almond meal/flour
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
2 tablespoons mini dark chocolate chips
In a food processor, blend the oil, peanut butter, maple syrup and vanilla. Add the almond flour, oat flour and salt, and blend until well combined. Add the chocolate chips. Roll the dough into small balls. Store the balls in the fridge.
Enjoy!
