I can hardly believe that my detox is coming to an end. Not to be all dramatic, but I think truly within the span of this last month I felt every emotion-I felt so good at times that I felt almost high, I felt challenged by the idea of changing my cooking style and had fun with it, I felt healthy and happy, I felt grumpy as I went through caffeine withdrawal, I felt anxious as it neared the end and I wanted chocolate so bad it hurt, I felt tired and sluggish and right now...I just feel proud, relieved and ready for it to be over.



I have always thought of myself as eating relatively healthy, sure over the holidays maybe I drank a little too much wine and ate a hell of a lot of cheese, but in general I am pretty healthy. But this detox was an eye opener because I felt pure. I ate way more fruits and vegetables than I normally do and I will carry this habit into my after-detox life. I also really enjoyed the brown rice and protein combination as it made me full for longer, got me away from my constant snacking and just helped me feel balanced. I really enjoyed avoiding processed foods and cooking more so I didn't eat crappy snack food and this will be a habit that I will definitely incorporate into my future.

I am curious to see where I take my diet and eating habits from here. I do not have a clear plan, but I definitely have an enhanced self-awareness and I plan on experimenting as I add items back into my diet and possibly delete them again. I did find that towards the end I felt tired and I am curious to play around with adding gluten back into my diet to see if that helps especially before or after big runs or strength training days. I obviously love a glass of wine with my girls, however I am curious to see how my body reacts and absorbs alcohol. As one guy told me he wanted to be the one to take me out on March 1st because I would be a cheap date...hate to be the bearer of bad news my friend, but the girls get me tomorrow. And I have been bouncing around the idea of sticking to a detox style diet during the week or 6 days a week, but giving myself one day a week to truly enjoy food. Or I may just add items back in, see how I feel and how my body reacts and go from there. But whichever direction I go I promise this blog will follow.


Today, however, I have started the wine and chocolate countdown. Ok sure it actually started last night. I can't wait to have chocolate and wine as the clock strikes midnight. So I spent my day in preparation. I had several wine clubs that had pick-up parties this past month and I avoided them, well for obvious reasons, however today I stopped by my favorite and picked up my wine. I swear I didn't open them, but they are on the table in anticipation...and no I won't drink all 4 bottles at midnight. Silly!!

It was also a rare rainy day in So Cal, so I decided to bake Toasted Coconut Chocolate Chunk Cookies to have with my glass of wine. I can't even tell you how euphoric I felt baking again. I think that was one of the things I missed the most about the detox. I love tackling a baking project at night after work or on a lazy Sunday afternoon and I truly missed that tradition.


I also think my Kitchen Aid was super excited to come back out and play. It was truly sitting on that shelf for the past month turning green with jealousy because the blender and food processor were having all of the fun. So back to the cookies.

Before

First of all toast the coconut in a 350 degree oven for 7 minutes.

After

Cream the sugar and butter in the mixer. Add in the vanilla and an egg and blend together.

Next add the flour, baking soda, salt and baking powder to the butter mixture.


Stir in the toasted coconut and chocolate. I just bought a chocolate bar and chopped it into chunks with a knife.

Bake for 8-10 minutes (on a baking sheet with cooking spray) in a 350 degree oven. Cool on a wire rack.

Here is the actual recipe:

Ingredients:
1 cup flaked sweetened coconut
4.5 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1 cup)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened $
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
2 ounces dark chocolate (70% cacao), chopped $
Cooking spray

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Arrange coconut in a single layer in a small baking pan. Bake at 350° for 7 minutes or until lightly toasted, stirring once. Set aside to cool.
3. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl; stir with a whisk until blended. Place sugar and butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended. Beat in vanilla and egg. Add flour mixture, beating at low speed just until combined. Stir in toasted coconut and chocolate.
4. Drop by level tablespoons 2 inches apart onto baking sheets coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 10 minutes or until bottoms of cookies just begin to brown. Remove from pan, and cool completely on wire racks.


Ok I can't tell you how they taste because I still have 3 hours, however the house smells amazing and they look luscious!

Thank you to all my friends, family and readers who have followed me on this journey. I appreciate all of your support, insight and laughs, both at my expense and with me. Cheers with a glass of wine in 2 hours and 39 minutes!