Grain-Free Pumpkin Cheesecake by The Foodie and The Family

I decided to give up chocolate this year for lent. Well, not really for lent (because I don't pretend to be religious), but at least the time frame that lent represents. It's more of a personal challenge, and I'm curious how often I would be temped by something so delicious (the answer is: everyday). In lieu of chocolate, I've been finding some awesome desserts that feature other flavors. 

This recipe, unlike the last paleo cheesecake I tried, is pumpkin flavored. I was drawn to it by the photos. Tara, the writer and chief of The Foodie and The Family makes the cheesecake look so dense and rich. I had to try it. 

Grain-Free Pumpkin Cheesecake by The Foodie and The Family

The Good

• Thick rich consistency
• Very easy to follow
• Not too sweet

The Bad

• Would've added a bit more pumpkin puree
• I burnt my crust

Overall - 4/5 Stars

This cheesecake is super rich and light on the sugar (which I like). It has a subtle pumpkin flavor, which is nice, because it's not overpowering. It has a fantastic thick creamy consistency. The only draw back to this recipe is the crust.

The recipe calls to cook it for 20 minutes (before the rest of the cake). I put it in the over for 15 and when I took it out it was already burnt. That was a little frustrating. I'll have to be more careful with that next time. But the recipe had a very nice flow to it. Once the crust is cooking you have time to prepare the filling. 

I would make this again, but maybe I'll use Everyday Paleo's recipe for crust - which was delicious when I made it two Thanksgivings ago. 

Day 32 - The End of My Paleo Challenge

I'm done. I can start eating what ever I want now. My 30 day Paleo Challenge is over! But what do I want to do. This experiment certainly had its highs and lows. Do I want to continue? Let's see if I can organize my thoughts on this.

The Good

• Eating more vegetables
• Cooking more
• Better performance in hockey and workouts
• Eating 3 meals instead of 5 per day 
• More involved in the food chain (farmers market)
• Noticeably better looking skin
• Overall feeling of limberness

The Bad

• Consistently feel lower level of energy than before
• Bad breath is more common
• More expensive than mostly grain based diet

The Ugly

• I still miss cereal !!!

Overall, I am very impressed with the effect that eating this way has had on my body. I am going to continue to use it as a blueprint for my nutrition and just tweak with some of the variables. Perhaps, I have to add in more carbohydrates because I feel a lack of energy.

All in all there are not a lot of downside to this approach to nutrition. Have you tried the 30-day challenge yet? If not, give it a shot. It's not too late to make it your New Years Resolution. As for me, it's time to decide my cheat meal, so I can see how the grains, dairy and legumes will affect my body now that my gut has healed. Mmmm, I'm thinking either Captain Crunch or a nice PBJ should do the trick.