Sugar Detox Day 6: April's Bakery

Have you ever thought about what occupation you would have if you could be or do anything?  If the possibilities were limitless?  I have.  Danny and I have spent a few evenings talking about our "dream jobs."  Danny, my third generation farmer, loves to think about designing and building structures.  He is a very good artist and enjoys sitting down with pencil and paper and drawing, even now.  One of his dream jobs is an architect.  He has others of course, like being paid to ride his motorcycle or mountain bike.

My dream jobs are all very different.  From managing a horse ranch in Kentucky, to owning a book store, or even being one of those people who travel all over the world to write travel books.  But my favorite dream job is running a bakery.  A super cute bakery, like the one in that Meryl Streep movie, It's Complicated.  

See?  Doesn't Meryl look happy?   And she doesn't seem to be overindulging in the pastries that literally surround her!  But that, sadly, wouldn't be me, at least way back when I was a sugar addict (5 days ago).  I'd be having eclairs for breakfast, croissants for lunch, and cake for dinner.  

My point is that I love baking.  I like cooking meats and veggies and salads, of course, but they're not as exciting or pleasing as cookies, cakes or cinnamon rolls.  I've missed baking very much since starting this little journey on Monday, so I decided to do some baking last night.  For the kids.  And Danny.  Let's just make that very clear.  

I baked a Vanilla Coconut Pound Cake to serve with strawberries and blueberries in honor of the 4th of July.  I found the recipe on the back of my Bob's Red Mill Coconut Flour bag I picked up Vons.  By the way, for all of my Valley peeps, our local Vons carries all kinds of gluten free goodness, and they're Bob's Red Mill section is growing!   My family has started avoiding wheat products ever since my second child, Clara, started showing signs of a sensitivity to gluten.  The recipe called for a mixture of coconut flower, gluten free flower, brown rice flower and sugar.  Sigh.   

The pound cake smelled glorious baking, and I started getting nervous. Why, oh why, did I decide to do this??!!  I can avoid a chocolate bar in the house, ice cream, sugary cereals, but a baked pound cake?  One that smells like a perfect mixture of vanilla, coconut, and heaven while baking?  The pound cake came out of the oven looking like a loaf of golden moist deliciousness, and I felt almost mad at it.  How dare it look so good?  Does it have any idea what I'm going through?!  I wished it would run out the door like a gingerbread man and leave me alone, but alas, I would be the crazy old woman running after it.  

So I served the warm pound cake with a topping of fresh berries and whipped cream.  The family oohed and aahed.  I sat with my fancy dish (I read that using a pretty dish can make one's food appear more decadent) and nibbled on my berries sans cake, sans whipped cream.  And you know what, it was good.  Really good.  Just the berries, with their natural sweetness was enough.  I must admit that I had one spoonful of the warm pound cake, and it tasted amazing, and sooooooo sweet!  But that one spoonful was plenty.  I know it sounds silly, but I know that God helped me with restraint.  I truly didn't feel that I needed anymore, and that is not in my nature.  He had taken over for me.  

I don't think I'll ever have my own bakery.  So I'll have to live vicariously through my family's annual cinnamon roll stand, and my own little kitchen.  And you know what?  That's the dream job I was meant to have anyway.  

On to the weekend, and on with the detox!  Each day is getting better, each morning a little sunnier, as the white poison leaves my body.   Yay!