Truth: Fair is an illusion and life is weird.
I wish I could take credit for coming up with that eloquent and clever sentence, but the credit goes to my friend, Melanie Dale, who is one day away from releasing her second book It’s Not Fair: Learning to Love the Life You Didn’t Choose.
If you tune in to the Finding Joy podcast you may have already heard about the book from my episode with Melanie. If not, that’s OK! Because today we’re going to talk all about it (and paleo lemon bars, of course).
Melanie’s book couldn’t have arrived at a better point in my life. We all have moments where we feel like life’s not fair, and two weeks after the book launch package arrived at my front door, I entered my own it’s-not-fair season (INFS). This is not the first INFS I’ve ever had — just the most recent. But the fact that I’ve gone through several messy life experiences doesn’t make this one any easier.
Last week I found out that the digestive problems I’ve been dealing with since January could have been diagnosed back in April when I had a SIBO test done … but someone read the report wrong. You’ve got to be kidding me. I thought to myself as I sat on the phone with my gastroenterologist’s nurse. The saddest thing about all of this? Had I not called the office to have someone go through every page of my file (it was that or wait two months for another appointment) I may have never discovered this and continued to feel like a blimp for the rest of my life.
The treatment for SIBO is part antibiotics part SCD, and I started the elimination diet last week to get a head start. Guys. All I’m eating right now is meat, aged cheese, nuts, coconut milk and low FODMAP fruits and vegetables. The first night I ate a spaghetti squash boat with tuna, avocado, olives and olive oil while my husband enjoyed the baked ziti I made for him. Ugh. This is so not fair, Lord! Then I remembered Melanie’s book.
To quote Melanie again, “It’s going to be sor-kay. Sort of okay. I have no idea how I know this or how it’s going to be sor-kay, but I know it will be. Somehow. You will survive. You will learn to smile again. You will remember what’s important. You will love and you will live and you may even love living.”
As I walk through the next 30 days of this “unfair,” super restrictive diet, I’m keeping Melanie’s book close to my side. Not just because she has some really great points in it, but because it’s full of the hard truth, witty humor, tough love and compassion we all need to get through and INFS. I hope you will join me in reading Melanie’s latest book. For more information or to preorder (it comes out tomorrow!!!) click here.
And if you’re in an INFS, here’s a healthy lemon bar recipe to make your life a little sweeter today. Because when life’s not fair and it gives you lemons, you can make these lemon bars. <3 XOXO, Lauren.
- [b]For the crust:[/b]
- 7 tablespoons butter, melted
- 1 ¾ cup almond flour
- ½ cup coconut flour
- 2 Tablespoons raw honey
- [br][br]
- [b]For the filling:[/b]
- 3 eggs
- ½ cup honey
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon lime zest
- 1 tablespoon coconut flour
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- ¼ cup lime juice
- Preheat oven to 350˚ F. Combine crust ingredients in a bowl and mix until combined. Press dough into an 8×8 pan and bake for 12-14 minutes until golden brown. Remove crust from oven and set aside. Lower oven to 325˚.
- Combine filling ingredients and pour over crust. Bake for 20 minutes and let cool.
Oh boy, I’m sorry they read your results wrong (idiots), but I’m so glad someone finally figured it out!! With your help of course! Hugs, girlfriend – hopefully this is the first step in a speedy recovery and you can go back to eating normal soon! So, I LOVE that quote from Melanie – “Fair is an illusion and life is weird.” I’m totally using that! And I love these lemon bars! Tart deliciousness going on here! Cheers friend! Xoxo
Oh, life is not fair, is it, Lauren! I wish I could find that Bible verse that promises it will be!
So sorry for your health issues right now.
Asking God to give you much grace as you navigate this crazy diet!
I’m so sorry, Lauren! The tests are miserable and it sounds like the diet isn’t any fun either. And how frustrating to have a test read incorrectly. I love that sor-kay. I’m going to remember that. Thanks for encouraging this book. It sounds like it would be super helpful for everyone . . . because well, life’s not fair! 🙂
Hi Deb! Sor-kay is one of the things that will stick with me forever from this book. I love Melanie for her honesty and vulnerability in writing about it!
Wow, Those GI people really messed up. I’m sorry you’re going through this.
I think there’s two kinds of fair. The first type of fair is the kind you can’t control. This, like Melanie said, is an illusion. I wish you were dealing with the second kind of fair….the kind we can control. It’s described perfectly in one of my favorite Avett Brothers quotes: “So if ever someone says to you, ‘life isn’t fair, get used to it’; then you should say ‘well it might be, if folks like you would let it be'”. I’ve used this quote as a decision maker when I can’t decide what’s right. It’s not perfect, it doesn’t fit every situation, but I like to let it guide me.
I wish you weren’t going through all this. If there’s anyone that can whip up a low FODMAP ziti, it’s you!
So sorry to hear of your diagnosis, but LOVE that you are literally making lemon bars out of the lemons life gave you. These look amazing, and I love everything lemon. Pinning for later and if I do try them, maybe I will blog about it and definitely give you credit/link back to you!
Sorry to hear you’r not well, I hope you feel better soon.
Love the quotes your friend made.
Those lemon bars look amazing.
Yummy….this lemon bar seems rather quick & lovely! 🙂 Recipe saved! I’ll tell you how I liked it 😉
So sorry to hear about your health issues. It must be difficult having to adjust your diet like that. The lemon bars look really yummy!
Oh, Lauren! The medical world is so frustrating! I’m so sorry this happened to you. I have learned over the years of many many illnesses for myself and my children, that one must be their own biggest advocate and not be shy to request, pester, or even annoy! Ha! I’ll be praying this new diet and meds will significantly improve your health!!!
These bars look awesome. Both my son and I must eat gluten free so this will do the trick! However, we are allergic to almonds so we can’t use almond flour. I’ve tried many of the other substitutes, but which flour would you recommend? Rice? Coconut?
Blessings and smiles,
Lori
Hi Lori, yes you are so right about that!! To make the lemon bars without almond flour, you can use gluten-free flour in its place. 1:1. 🙂
Totally going through an ‘it’s not fair’ phase right now. I’ve got one more year left of college but I’ve come to realize I don’t really want to pursue what I am currently studying but dropping out now would be a waste of money and time. So basically I’ve got to stick it through.
I’m sorry about your struggles too, that really sucks!
Good for you for being smart and persistent. I”m sorry that an error has put you behind in sorting out all the answers, but hope after 30 days, you’ll be closer to a solution. Until then, treat yourself to these lovely lemon bars!
Oh my sweet friend, beautifully stated. Life is so not fair at times, but it is up to us to make lemonade or these delicious lemon bars! Love you!
So sorry they messed up! as my m.d. husband is fond of saying, they are only human (blast!) – blessings on your temporary new normal – love the melanie quotes. love you!
So frustrating Lauren! I am very familiar with struggling with fairness, and it is difficult. It is true though, we survive, and it is sor-kay. I like that word. And I like these lemon bars. So life gave you lemons and you made lemon bars? 🙂 Pinning, friend!
These bars look wonderful!
Sounds like a book I need and a diet I need as well. I just had a doctor friend telling me I needed to do an elimination diet as well. So not fair! 🙂 Thanks for linking up with #JesusandCoffee this week. Hope to see you again!
I’ve seen so many recommendations for Melanie’s book – I think I might have to get it. Thanks for sharing. 😉
Oh Lauren, that does sound tough. I’m so sorry about the test results. Agghh! I’ve been through my own “one thing after another,” “life’s definitely not fair” time, so I can relate to what you’re saying here. Grace to you, friend.
This looks like a beautiful recipe.
INFSs are no fun 🙁 Hope you’re doing better! These bars would certainly brighten up any drab day – I’m especially intrigued by this crust – yum 🙂
The crust is my favorite part! You’re gonna love it, Megan! 🙂