Raw lemon blueberry bars

No-cook lemon blueberry bars, nut free

 Lemon-flavored desserts have become the new chocolate for me. It's not that I'm not wild about chocolate. It's just that candida continues to sabotage my love for it.

Yum!

Recently, a medical test revealed that I still have a candida overgrowth after months of battling it with medications, supplements and a low glycemic diet. That would be discouraging enough but I also found out I have been playing hostess to a rather bad bacteria that potentially can damage one's liver. This bacteria usually is found in contaminated food or water.

The treatment plan was not something I wanted to hear. First, there would be a 10-day course of fairly strong antibiotics to kill the bad bacteria, along with all my good bacteria. Under these conditions, the candida would flourish, gain a major stronghold on me and my symptoms would come roaring back.

Raw nut-free lemon bars from http://nomyumfree.com/raw-nut-free-lemon-bars/

Well, guess how I have been spending the past 10 days. The antibiotic course is almost over and yes,  my candida symptoms have come roaring back. Next up will be more treatment to kill off the candida overgrowth and restore my good-bad bacteria balance. The bad bacteria sounded pretty serious or I never would have agreed to put myself through all of this again.

The blueberry version of the lemon bars

At least, I can still enjoy a delicious but low glycemic treat now and then. I have been alternating between a lemon bar recipe (free of nuts) from http://nomyumfree.com/raw-nut-free-lemon-bars/
 and my version, Raw Lemon Blueberry Bars, nut free. Both of these treats are ACD-friendly, all stages.

Here's what you need:

Bottom Layer

3/4 cup sunflower seeds, ground into a flour

1/4 cup fine unsweetened coconut flakes

2 T. coconut butter

dash of sea salt

zest of one lemon

1 T. unsweetened sunbutter

Middle Layer

Meat from one large avocado or two small

1/2 cup fresh or thawed frozen blueberries

Zest and juice of one lemon

1/4 cup softened coconut oil or coconut butter

Optional: Stevia, to taste

Top Layer

3 T. coconut oil plus 3 T. coconut butter, softened

Zest and juice of one lemon

Here's what you do:

For the bottom layer, grind the sunflower seeds into a course flour in a food processor or spice grinder. Continue adding the other ingredients to form a grainy dough. Press the dough into the bottom of a regular-sized loaf pan. I opted for a silicone loaf pan. Place the loaf pan in the fridge or freezer to harden up the bottom layer.

Without cleaning your food processor, add the middle layer ingredients and blend until smooth. Spread the lemon blueberry filling evenly over the bottom layer. Return the loaf pan to the fridge or freezer.

For the top layer, soften the coconut oil/coconut butter mixture in a microwave or over a pan of warm water for a raw version. Stir in the lemon zest and lemon juice. Continue stirring until the topping is thick and creamy. Use a spatula to spread the lemon topping over the filling. Return to the fridge or freezer for a few hours to harden. When ready to serve, cut into bars. Store leftovers in the fridge or freezer. 

 Recipe contributed to: http://siftstirandsavour.com/

http://allergyfreecookery.blogspot.com/2013/07/allergy-friendly-lunchbox-love-7513.html

http://dietdessertndogs.com/2013/07/04/wellness-weekend-july-4-8-2013/

This is the life!