Watermelon, Berries, and Whipped Cream

I was inspired by this fabulous watermelon cake on Pinterest to make whipped cream. I was too lazy to decorate a watermelon all fancy so I decided to go for a dipping method instead! It turned out great! I'm trying to stay away from dairy most days, but I do eat cheese made from raw milk and occasionally use cream. Cream is ok in moderation and tends not to be inflammatory because it is mainly fat. The inflammation caused by dairy is from the protein casein and the sugar lactose. So in my book cream is ok on special occasions or splashed into your coffee in the morning. Just don't go overboard! Coconut milk from the can can also be used to make whipped cream. My only issue is the BPA that lines cans. The coconut milk from the carton did not work for me, but I did read on another blog that it was possible to whip carton coconut milk (I do not think the author tested her claims!). Onto the good stuff.

Printable Recipe

How to make whipped cream:

1. Pour the desired amount of cream into a blender. The small 8oz carton serves 2 hungry hippos like my husband and me. (If you're still hooked on sugar you can add a dash of the sweetener of your choice, but I do not recommend it for optimal health) You can also use a food processor, kitchen aid or immersion blender. I use the paddle attachment on my Ninja blender. 
2. Blend on a low setting. The liquid will all of the sudden puff up and look like whipped cream. 
3. Blend another 30 seconds to thicken. Do not over blend! This will cause the cream to be too buttery. It should not take more than 2 minutes to thicken. 
4. Pour the cream into a bowl and top with berries and sliced almonds. You can eat it like this with a spoon or dip watermelon in it. The sugar in the fruit will make it taste sweet! You can use any variation of fruits.  

Health Notes: Berries are the healthiest fruit in my opinion because they are full of antioxidants are not packed with sugar. Bananas and oranges are loaded with sugar and starch so if you're trying to trim up stay away from those. If you're my husband, EZ, feel free to load up on the starchy sugars. 

Now What? Mayo Sequel

So you have all this heart healthy mayo and you're wondering to yourself, "How will I use this all in a week?" I have the answer for you!

Here are some options:

Egg Salad
2 hard-boiled eggs
2-3 tbs of mayo
1tsp Sriracha (this can be left out and doesn't have the best ingredients, but for the minuscule amount used, your body should be able to tolerate it)

Combine ingredients and serve on gluten free bread (we do not eat grains around here because they are inflammatory food, and carbs are directly linked to clogged arteries and weight gain, but if you are a freak of nature who the rules don't apply to, i.e. my husband get on with your bad self. i do recommend avoiding gluten/wheat products at all costs.), eat it all by its lonesome, or make a lettuce wrap using my personal fav, butter lettuce. Serves 1 person

Chicken Salad
1 chicken breast, cooked and shredded
2-3 tbs mayo
1/2 medium avocado

We grilled last night, so I threw on some extra chicken. You could also bake, or cook in a skillet on the stove. To shred the chicken, my momma says to use 2 forks, my sister would say throw it in the food processor. I chose the 2 forks because there is less clean up. Mix all the ingredients together until well mashed. Serve the same as the egg salad. Serves 1 person

Spicy Mayo
3 tbs mayo
1 tsp Sriracha

You can tailor this to increase or decrease the amt. Serve with stir-fry or homemade sushi rolls.

Coleslaw
1 cup shredded cabbage mix
1-2 tbs of mayo
1 tsp Sriracha

Mix all ingredients together and serve chilled. I added chunks of avocado and cherry tomatoes to this and ate it as a salad for lunch.

Ranch Dressing
1 cup Paleo Mayo
1/2 tsp dried parsely
1/2 tbs dill
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/8 tsp salt (or more to taste)

Combine all ingredients and whisk together until well combined!

Wholesome Mayonnaise

Growing up I used to order a turkey sandwich with fries and a side of mayo. I would dip the sandwich and the fries in the mayo! Yuck! My mom also used to make my bologna and mayo sandwiches on white bread to take to daycare. Little did she know, I would take the bologna out and throw away the bread. As I got to high school, I decided I hated mayo (and bologna which I still refuse to eat). What a strange kid I was! Now I'm back on the pro-mayo team as long as it is wholesome! I also love Ranch dressing and Spicy Mayo, so I needed a healthy option to make. You should see what ingredients they put in the mayo that is on the shelf. And Miracle Whip is even worse.

***Update: The best/easiest way to make this is with an immersion blender, so if you have one skip over to here to see the easy recipe.

What you need:

2 eggs at room temp. (try to buy organic, vegetarian fed. they also offer omega 3 enriched)
4 tbs white or apple cider vinegar (this is a great remedy for acid reflux when diluted, so if your hesitant to buy a whole bottle, go for it! its worth it!)
2 tsp salt or more/less to taste
1 tsp cayenne
1 3/4 cups of olive oil (this was a lot of olive oil, so be prepared. also make sure to buy a very light olive oil or it will overpower everything else)
1 tsp mustard

How to get it done:
Combine all ingredients in a blender except the olive oil. Blend on a low setting until well mixed. I used the dough setting on my Ninja blender with the blade attachment. Slowly trickle in the olive oil while still blending. You don't want any oil to gather at the top while it is mixing. Continue until all the oil is added. The mayo should start to thicken and will be yellow in color. It looks just like yellow custard. Remember to taste test! I started with 2 tbs of vinegar and then added 2 more because I couldn't taste it at first. Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. It makes 3 cups.

Mayo on the shelf has canola oil which used to have a healthy Omega 6/ Omega 3 ratio, but due to unnatural genetic modifications it is no longer healthy and should be avoided. Most Mayo also contains some form of MSG which I have found causes migraines, headaches, and addiction to food. Msgtruth.org has a whole list of reasons why MSG is detrimental to our health and gives a list of all its secret names.

This recipe is adapted from Sarah Fragoso at Everyday Paleo. She is amazing and you should stop by her blog. I tweaked it a bit to cater to my personal taste, so feel free to do the same with my recipe!

Update: I tried this with white vinegar and liked the taste much better. I also reduced the oil amt. from the original post.

**contains raw eggs: You can pasteurize your eggs (kill any buggers that might be growing in them even though this is a rare occurrence) by letting them come to room temperature and placing them in 145 degree Fahrenheit water. Leave them for 3-5 minutes, remove and let them come back to room temp. You will need to use them that day.

Enjoy!

Update! New Blog Name, New Life.

It has been well over a year since I posted anything on this blog! I have been neglecting the poor thing. But good news! I am back and with a whole new view on life. SO much has happened over the past year. Here is a photo to sum it all up!

(in time order) One of my best friends joined us in Hobbs for a year. We added a new furry member to our family. His name is King. I got engaged! We got married in October 6th 2012 after I became a 3rd grade teacher. EZ completed a Half Ironman, we ran a 10K together (if you know me this is a huge feat....I am not a runner), My niece and nephew grew up! We went to Antigua for our honeymoon, to Seattle to see the oldest sissy and Baton Rouge for a close friend's wedding. My bestie got engaged! My beautiful grandfather passed away. We miss him everyday, but I know he is in a better place finally reunited with my grandma after 20 years. I finished a whole year of teaching! My husband and I have permanently given up gluten! We are embarking on Paleo and I can't wait to share all my new recipes and findings. My family has also started a new blog to reveal the truth about America's health situation and share recipes for every type of diet.

*As I start writing again, my view on nutrition and exercise has changed. I will leave up all my old recipes, but note that they are not the healthiest and most contain gluten. My new recipes will include whole foods and will be published with optimal health in mind.