Friday, December 05, 2008
Had my meeting with the dietician today...
Strangely enough, I went to junior high with her! HA. She came out to the reception room to get me and we both did a double take. Too funny. Especially funny was that she didn't know that I was married to my hubs (who also went to junior high with us), so that gave her a surprise. HA.
Anyways. We started the session off with me asking her some general questions I had about Celiac Disease and about living gluten free.
My questions and her responses:
Q: deep fried items: only eat things fried in fresh oil?
A: I didn't ask this exactly - but she mentioned to only have fries from a dedicated fry fryer. This one is a no-brainer. Ok, many of these questions were no brainers, but I needed a professional to give me the answer...know what I mean?
Q: things like pumpkin pie: can I just eat the filing? Or is that too close?
A: No "just eating the filling" of things like pumpkin pie. Once the filling touches the crust, there is cross contamination.
Q: baking - need to be worried about baking/cooking for others with regular flour?
A: This one surprised me: she suggested maybe wearing a mask and/or gloves to bake with regular flour. I don't know if I will do this...but it is something I will certainly consider.
Q: what kitchen utensils need to be dedicated as GF?
A: Toaster, wooden spoons, cutting boards, AND baking pans. I was really surprised to hear that baking pans should be dedicated as GF. I guess hubs and I are going shopping...
Q: are there any nutrients I need to focus on getting (and how) now that my diet is limited?
A: Nutrients that may be lacking: B Vitamins. She suggested taking Centrum daily (apparently centrum is GF). She suggested that I have a "micronutrient bloodwork panel" done - I'll ask my doctor about this when I go for my physical in February.
Then she started taking my history - asking me what I eat and when, how much I work out, fun stuff like that. I brough my mom to the appointment, and my mom was shocked at the way I eat (or maybe just at how I could rattle off my "typical day" so easily, but that's what happens when you track your food and you eat the same thing most days). Then I talked about how much I worked out (but I downplayed this because I was a little embarassed).
The dietician suggested that I get more milk in during the day - she started by saying that I should be having 3 cups of milk a day. When she could see that I wasn't buying that, she told me that if I start doing a vitamin each morning, and one glass of milk (but don't necessarily take the vitamin with milk - she said to check with the pharmacist on this one), and thenincorporate some margarine, eggs, or fish into my day, I should get a more balanced day. That seemed more reasonable to me.
She seemed quite happy with my typical day overall - and I must say, I was pretty proud to be able to go through my day and have it be so healthy and balanced (and not be lying!).
She talked about how some people gain weight when they go gluten free because they don't realize how calorie dense the GF products are - I think it's a blessing that I count calories because I have been hyper aware of the calories in all of these products. I mean, one slice of GF bread is usually 120 calories - no wonder people gain weight if they don't realize that!!!
She walked me through a list of "safe", "be cautious of", and "don't eat" foods. Something new for me: I should not be eating anything with "hydrolyzed vegetable protein" or "hydrolyzed plant protein" in the ingredient list unless I check with the manufacturer and see if the product is gluten free. Umm, don't think I'll be doing that, so those two ingredients are now on my "don't eat" list! Also, she suggested that starch may not be safe, but this is contrary to what I've read elsewhere, so maybe I'll research this one a little more.
She gave me a list of places that I can shop for GF products locally, and some other useful websites and such. She did go over eating in restaurants, and how it's good that I am calling/emailing ahead, etc. She mentioned that buffets and potlucks should probably be avoided because there is a high risk of contamination (for example, if people use the same tongs in the potato salad as they did in the green salad - or if something is made at home, but they don't realize that I could get sick because they cut bread and cheese with the same knife...stuff like that). So I will just make sure to either bring my own food to these events, or eat before I go...or some other strategy.
She told me that I must be very, very careful - and that it's hard to be TOO careful. I'm quite worried that I'm going to seem like I'm just being fussy, but she reassured me that this is my HEALTH and that there are things that are just not ok (for example, I can not just pick croutons out of a salad - I must have lettuce that has never met croutons! And fun stuff like that).
It was a useful session. She encouraged me to go to some other sessions that are happening - my mom and I are going to do a gluten free cooking class at the end of January together.
So that was my meeting with the dietician. It was interesting. It made me feel better about how careful I have been with ingredients and cooking methods, and it also made me feel really proud of losing 25 pounds over the past year! Oh, another thing - when she asked how much more weight I wanted to lose, I told her that I thought I was done losing weight. This was kind of surprising to me! I may have said this because my mom was sitting beside me and she thinks I should stop trying to lose (but it's not her decision!), I may have said this because I'm so close to my 130 goal that it didn't seem worth mentioning that I wanted to lose another five pounds, or it may have been because I actually *am* good with being 135. Ha. So many options.
If you read all of this, claim your gold star - you deserve it!!
Tuesday, December 09, 2008
Sunday, November 23, 2008
GF Butterscotch Chip Cookies
My MIL (the sweetest MIL ever) has been buying me all sorts of gluten free stuff ever since my diagnosis...once a week or so hubs comes home with a bag of goodies from her. See, I said she was the sweetest!
This week she found a whole gluten free section at a health food store she was at...so she bought gluten free flour and pizza crust mix, and some xantham gum (a binding ingredient that many GF recipes call for). She also bought me a book "The Gluten-Free Gourmet Cooks Fast and Healthy" by Bette Hagman.
Even though it's a cookbook, it has a large introduction - and that's where I'm at in the book! I must tell you, a line in there made me feel so *normal*. Hagman writes "There are other foods that cause some celiacs to feel many of the same symptoms they had before diagnosis. Soy, eggs, citrus fruits, chocolate and MSG are just a few of the common offenders. Other include shellfish, nuts, legumes, apples and yeast" (pg.3).
Why did this make me feel normal?!? Because chocolate and apples and nuts are SO HARD on my tummy that I don't eat any of them any more, but I thought maybe I was just going crazy. Reading that this is common - WOW. The best part?!? These things MAY cause the same symptoms as gluten, but they do not cause the same *distress* - basically, if I'm willing to put up with the pain, I can have any of these things because they aren't doing my insides any further damage!!! YAY. I'm still going to stay away from this stuff for a while - I want to get my tummy used to this gluten free life, and then I may try reintroducing these!
SO - my culinary adventure. Phew. Went for an awesome trail run this morning with my running group - we went on trails I never even knew existed, which I always think is so bizarre considering how long I've lived in this area. ANYWAYS. I started thinking that today would be a good day to make cookies.
Since I've never baked with gluten free flour before, I was prepared for this experiment to be an absolute flop - but it wasn't!!! These cookies turned out really tasty!! Probably too tasty for a girl on a diet. HA. But hey, we watch what we eat and workout a bunch for a reason, right?!?! RIGHT.
In case you're interested, here's my recipe -
Gluten Free Butterscotch Chip Cookies
Ingredients
1 cup butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1/5 tsp vanilla
Just less than 2 cups All Purpose Gluten Free Flour
1/2 tsp Xantham Gum
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 Package Hershey's Chipits Butterscotch Chips
Nutritional Info (per cookies)
Fat: 3.9g
Carbohydrates: 9.9g
Calories:74.1
Protein: 0.4g
Preheat oven to 375.
I used a stand mixer to make these cookies - it whipped them up like magic!
1. Cream together butter, brown sugar and sugar.
2. Beat in the eggs and the vanilla.
3. Add flour, xantham gum, baking soda and salt. Blend until mixed.
4. Add the butterscotch chips.
5. Drop by tablespoon full onto a pan.
6. Bake for 7 - 9 minutes - watch them closely as gluten free flour cooks much faster than regular flour.
7. Let cool shortly on pan after removing from the oven (otherwise they will crumble).
Enjoy!
Number of Servings: 52
(I can't get the picture to load...but they look like cookies! HA)
This week she found a whole gluten free section at a health food store she was at...so she bought gluten free flour and pizza crust mix, and some xantham gum (a binding ingredient that many GF recipes call for). She also bought me a book "The Gluten-Free Gourmet Cooks Fast and Healthy" by Bette Hagman.
Even though it's a cookbook, it has a large introduction - and that's where I'm at in the book! I must tell you, a line in there made me feel so *normal*. Hagman writes "There are other foods that cause some celiacs to feel many of the same symptoms they had before diagnosis. Soy, eggs, citrus fruits, chocolate and MSG are just a few of the common offenders. Other include shellfish, nuts, legumes, apples and yeast" (pg.3).
Why did this make me feel normal?!? Because chocolate and apples and nuts are SO HARD on my tummy that I don't eat any of them any more, but I thought maybe I was just going crazy. Reading that this is common - WOW. The best part?!? These things MAY cause the same symptoms as gluten, but they do not cause the same *distress* - basically, if I'm willing to put up with the pain, I can have any of these things because they aren't doing my insides any further damage!!! YAY. I'm still going to stay away from this stuff for a while - I want to get my tummy used to this gluten free life, and then I may try reintroducing these!
SO - my culinary adventure. Phew. Went for an awesome trail run this morning with my running group - we went on trails I never even knew existed, which I always think is so bizarre considering how long I've lived in this area. ANYWAYS. I started thinking that today would be a good day to make cookies.
Since I've never baked with gluten free flour before, I was prepared for this experiment to be an absolute flop - but it wasn't!!! These cookies turned out really tasty!! Probably too tasty for a girl on a diet. HA. But hey, we watch what we eat and workout a bunch for a reason, right?!?! RIGHT.
In case you're interested, here's my recipe -
Gluten Free Butterscotch Chip Cookies
Ingredients
1 cup butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1/5 tsp vanilla
Just less than 2 cups All Purpose Gluten Free Flour
1/2 tsp Xantham Gum
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 Package Hershey's Chipits Butterscotch Chips
Nutritional Info (per cookies)
Fat: 3.9g
Carbohydrates: 9.9g
Calories:74.1
Protein: 0.4g
Preheat oven to 375.
I used a stand mixer to make these cookies - it whipped them up like magic!
1. Cream together butter, brown sugar and sugar.
2. Beat in the eggs and the vanilla.
3. Add flour, xantham gum, baking soda and salt. Blend until mixed.
4. Add the butterscotch chips.
5. Drop by tablespoon full onto a pan.
6. Bake for 7 - 9 minutes - watch them closely as gluten free flour cooks much faster than regular flour.
7. Let cool shortly on pan after removing from the oven (otherwise they will crumble).
Enjoy!
Number of Servings: 52
(I can't get the picture to load...but they look like cookies! HA)
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Gluten Free Dining Out: My first three experiences
(Written on Wednesday, November 05, 2008)
What a two weeks it has been! Got a wisdom tooth out, was diagnosed with Celiac Disease, and came on vacation to Palm Springs.
The first week of my diagnosis was relatively easy in terms of food choices because all I was able to eat was yogurt, pudding, applesauce and ice cream. Kind of like a forced gluten free diet to ease me into this!
Well, this week has been a little bit different. I'm slowly reintroducing solid foods into my diet (yay!) and we've eaten out a few times in the Palm Springs area. I thought I'd share those experiences with you...
Dining Out Experience #1: Bruch at Las Casuelas Nuevas
This brunch is AMAZING. So amazing I was NOT going to miss out on it. I thought that this would probably be a good brunch for me since it is a Mexican restaurant, and they often use corn tortillas, and other GF (gluten free) items.
I emailed the restaurant ahead of time. I explained what I was unable to eat, and asked what I could eat off the brunch.
The manager wrote back within a day, and told me that he spoke with the head chef - he gave me a list of items that I could not eat (like Chile Relenos, and the sauce for the enchiladas). He did not list the obvious things like the waffles or the breads and cookies, hahaha - he knew I was smart enough not to go near those things. HA.
Anyways, I felt AMAZING going into this meal. I knew what was safe for me to eat - how empowering.
We headed to the buffet...I got an omellete, and mexican potatoes - YUM! While I was standing in the omellete line, one of the chefs brought out this huge plate of bananas covered in coconut with chocolate sauce. My chin hit the floor. I asked him "Is there any flour on that?" - he told me "NO! Just bananas, coconut and chocolate!!". WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! What an amazing dessert! I had it TWICE, hehehe.
I was also able to eat beans, shrimp fajita filling, and then I put some strawberry waffle topping into a bowl and put some whipped cream on top of it - just like having a waffle!!
This meal was AMAZING. I did not feel left out - there was no way I could have tried everything on the brunch anyways, so it's not like I would have had room for all of the stuff I now can't eat anyways.
I HIGHLY recommend this restaurant to anyone!!
AND, I also highly recommend emailing the restaurant before going - you're more likely to get in touch with a manager...and they are the ones who are accountable to what goes in the food.
Dining Out Experience #2: Dinner at Sammy's Woodfired Pizza
This is another one of our favorites! Delicious pizza...but what was I going to eat?!?
I went onto their website before our trip - and was able to check out the menu. I found that many of the wraps listed that you could have flour or corn tortillas. I thought this would work out...I could just have the corn tortillas!
We got to the restaurant and on the menu they listed that you could get a Gluten Free Pizza Crust for an extra $5, but that it would be prepared in a non-Gluten Free facility (of course, it's a pizza place....duh). Hubs suggested I get that and not worry about the extra cost, but I usually get the BBQ Chicken pizza, and I doubted that the bbq sauc was GF, so I leaned towards a wrap.
I said to the waiter "I can not have any gluten - I was looking at this Chipotle Cheese Chicken Taco. Would you be able to confirm for me that there is no flour in it - that the chicken isn't breaded or anything, please?". He snarkily said to me "Well, I don't know if that is gluten free, but I do know it will be prepared in a non-gluten free facility". Yes, thank you, I read the menu already too.
Anyways. He came back and told me that there was no flour on the chicken. Alrighty - hook me up!
The tacos were great...I'm a little suspicious of the sauce that was on them though. My stomach hurt the next day - it could have been because the meal was spicy though...
Learnings: waiter's may not know ANYTHING about the menu. Don't trust them blindly. I should have started off with "I have Celiac Disease, I can not have any gluten - would this meal be safe for me?" or something along those lines. I can NOT be shy about telling people what I can't have.
And another learning.... this could be a fun experience. I NEVER would have tried the tacos had it not been for my diagnosis...and they were excellent!
p.s. if you CAN eat gluten, go to Sammy's!!! It's soooo good!
Dining Out Experience #3: Dinner at the Yardhouse
The trusty Internet served me well again! On a whim I checked out their website before we came down here...we sometimes go to the Yardhouse when we're here, but it's not a MUST VISIT like the other two restaurants I've already mentioned.
Well, much to my surprise, they had a Gluten Free MENU posted on their website!
So, I printed it out, and brought it along to the restaurant.
When the server came to the table, I pulled out my menu: "I have Celiac Disease, and I can't have any gluten. I printed out your gluten free menu - can I order from it? (he nods yes) I would like to ask you about this shrimp rice bowl..." It was THAT easy!
The meal was just ok. But an awesome restaurant to go to if you like beer - they have a ridiculous selection.
*****
So that has been my experience with dining out and being a celiac.
The biggest lesson: the onus is on you as an individual to be prepared. Don't expect your server to bend over backwards to accomodate you - that's YOUR job!
I will be emailing restaurants more - I think that is the way to do it!
I don't want this diagnosis to be a "house arrest sentence". It's nice to eat out. I think I'll still be able to...it will just take a little work. But really, no more work than figuring out how many calories your meal will be ahead of time.
It's all in the planning...
What a two weeks it has been! Got a wisdom tooth out, was diagnosed with Celiac Disease, and came on vacation to Palm Springs.
The first week of my diagnosis was relatively easy in terms of food choices because all I was able to eat was yogurt, pudding, applesauce and ice cream. Kind of like a forced gluten free diet to ease me into this!
Well, this week has been a little bit different. I'm slowly reintroducing solid foods into my diet (yay!) and we've eaten out a few times in the Palm Springs area. I thought I'd share those experiences with you...
Dining Out Experience #1: Bruch at Las Casuelas Nuevas
This brunch is AMAZING. So amazing I was NOT going to miss out on it. I thought that this would probably be a good brunch for me since it is a Mexican restaurant, and they often use corn tortillas, and other GF (gluten free) items.
I emailed the restaurant ahead of time. I explained what I was unable to eat, and asked what I could eat off the brunch.
The manager wrote back within a day, and told me that he spoke with the head chef - he gave me a list of items that I could not eat (like Chile Relenos, and the sauce for the enchiladas). He did not list the obvious things like the waffles or the breads and cookies, hahaha - he knew I was smart enough not to go near those things. HA.
Anyways, I felt AMAZING going into this meal. I knew what was safe for me to eat - how empowering.
We headed to the buffet...I got an omellete, and mexican potatoes - YUM! While I was standing in the omellete line, one of the chefs brought out this huge plate of bananas covered in coconut with chocolate sauce. My chin hit the floor. I asked him "Is there any flour on that?" - he told me "NO! Just bananas, coconut and chocolate!!". WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! What an amazing dessert! I had it TWICE, hehehe.
I was also able to eat beans, shrimp fajita filling, and then I put some strawberry waffle topping into a bowl and put some whipped cream on top of it - just like having a waffle!!
This meal was AMAZING. I did not feel left out - there was no way I could have tried everything on the brunch anyways, so it's not like I would have had room for all of the stuff I now can't eat anyways.
I HIGHLY recommend this restaurant to anyone!!
AND, I also highly recommend emailing the restaurant before going - you're more likely to get in touch with a manager...and they are the ones who are accountable to what goes in the food.
Dining Out Experience #2: Dinner at Sammy's Woodfired Pizza
This is another one of our favorites! Delicious pizza...but what was I going to eat?!?
I went onto their website before our trip - and was able to check out the menu. I found that many of the wraps listed that you could have flour or corn tortillas. I thought this would work out...I could just have the corn tortillas!
We got to the restaurant and on the menu they listed that you could get a Gluten Free Pizza Crust for an extra $5, but that it would be prepared in a non-Gluten Free facility (of course, it's a pizza place....duh). Hubs suggested I get that and not worry about the extra cost, but I usually get the BBQ Chicken pizza, and I doubted that the bbq sauc was GF, so I leaned towards a wrap.
I said to the waiter "I can not have any gluten - I was looking at this Chipotle Cheese Chicken Taco. Would you be able to confirm for me that there is no flour in it - that the chicken isn't breaded or anything, please?". He snarkily said to me "Well, I don't know if that is gluten free, but I do know it will be prepared in a non-gluten free facility". Yes, thank you, I read the menu already too.
Anyways. He came back and told me that there was no flour on the chicken. Alrighty - hook me up!
The tacos were great...I'm a little suspicious of the sauce that was on them though. My stomach hurt the next day - it could have been because the meal was spicy though...
Learnings: waiter's may not know ANYTHING about the menu. Don't trust them blindly. I should have started off with "I have Celiac Disease, I can not have any gluten - would this meal be safe for me?" or something along those lines. I can NOT be shy about telling people what I can't have.
And another learning.... this could be a fun experience. I NEVER would have tried the tacos had it not been for my diagnosis...and they were excellent!
p.s. if you CAN eat gluten, go to Sammy's!!! It's soooo good!
Dining Out Experience #3: Dinner at the Yardhouse
The trusty Internet served me well again! On a whim I checked out their website before we came down here...we sometimes go to the Yardhouse when we're here, but it's not a MUST VISIT like the other two restaurants I've already mentioned.
Well, much to my surprise, they had a Gluten Free MENU posted on their website!
So, I printed it out, and brought it along to the restaurant.
When the server came to the table, I pulled out my menu: "I have Celiac Disease, and I can't have any gluten. I printed out your gluten free menu - can I order from it? (he nods yes) I would like to ask you about this shrimp rice bowl..." It was THAT easy!
The meal was just ok. But an awesome restaurant to go to if you like beer - they have a ridiculous selection.
*****
So that has been my experience with dining out and being a celiac.
The biggest lesson: the onus is on you as an individual to be prepared. Don't expect your server to bend over backwards to accomodate you - that's YOUR job!
I will be emailing restaurants more - I think that is the way to do it!
I don't want this diagnosis to be a "house arrest sentence". It's nice to eat out. I think I'll still be able to...it will just take a little work. But really, no more work than figuring out how many calories your meal will be ahead of time.
It's all in the planning...
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
My blog has readers? Oh, and mashed potatos.
Ok, I was very surprised to get three comments on my blog yesterday. HA. It's nice to know that people read this stuff!
So, let me tell you about my first gluten free cooking adventure.
It wasn't that exciting...but still.
As I'm still recovering from a wisdom tooth removal, I'm only eating soft foods - last night I thought I was well enough to have mashed potatos. Woohooo.
This may be hard to believe, but I had NEVER made mashed potatos start to finish before. Sure, I've done the mashing... I've done the peeling... But I had never done the actual BOILING, so I had no idea how long to cook the things. HA. (I'm 26 - you'd figure this is a skill I would have acquired...but no. Oh well).
So, I quartered about seven potatos - left the skin on! - and threw them in a big pot of water. Boiled them. Took them off the heat when a fork went in them smoothly. BUT - I forgot to keep an eye on how long that took. Bwahahaha.
Anyways, then I threw the potatoes into my Kitchen Aid mixer, plopped in half a cup of sour cream, some garlic salt, salt and pepper, and whipped those bad boys up.
I had heard that the KA mixer made awesome mashed potatos - I heard right!!!
They were soooooo creamy and delicious! No more hand mixing mashed potatoes for me!!
Next time I'll put more seasoning in... but I was pretty happy with them.
Yes, I have a feeling that my gluten free cooking is going to be a tad boring for a while, but that's ok by me!
Now I have a question for my fellow celiacs...
Do you still cook with regular gluten products (ie. flour) for your families?? I still want to bake cookies and muffins for my hubby, but I'm not sure if I'm even supposed to be AROUND gluten flour etc... What do you all do???
So, let me tell you about my first gluten free cooking adventure.
It wasn't that exciting...but still.
As I'm still recovering from a wisdom tooth removal, I'm only eating soft foods - last night I thought I was well enough to have mashed potatos. Woohooo.
This may be hard to believe, but I had NEVER made mashed potatos start to finish before. Sure, I've done the mashing... I've done the peeling... But I had never done the actual BOILING, so I had no idea how long to cook the things. HA. (I'm 26 - you'd figure this is a skill I would have acquired...but no. Oh well).
So, I quartered about seven potatos - left the skin on! - and threw them in a big pot of water. Boiled them. Took them off the heat when a fork went in them smoothly. BUT - I forgot to keep an eye on how long that took. Bwahahaha.
Anyways, then I threw the potatoes into my Kitchen Aid mixer, plopped in half a cup of sour cream, some garlic salt, salt and pepper, and whipped those bad boys up.
I had heard that the KA mixer made awesome mashed potatos - I heard right!!!
They were soooooo creamy and delicious! No more hand mixing mashed potatoes for me!!
Next time I'll put more seasoning in... but I was pretty happy with them.
Yes, I have a feeling that my gluten free cooking is going to be a tad boring for a while, but that's ok by me!
Now I have a question for my fellow celiacs...
Do you still cook with regular gluten products (ie. flour) for your families?? I still want to bake cookies and muffins for my hubby, but I'm not sure if I'm even supposed to be AROUND gluten flour etc... What do you all do???
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Diagnosis: Celiac Disease
I haven't been in the kitchen much lately, hence no blogging!
The reason for my hiatus is two fold:
1. Got a wisdom tooth out last week. Have only been eating pudding, yogurt, applesauce, ice cream and soup. I thought I would like having an excuse to only eat ice cream. I was wrong! I can't wait to eat real food again!
2. I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease on Friday. That's right - no more gluten for me!
So, I guess this blog will now document my adventures in gluten free living! I was very sad about the diagnosis at first, but now I'm very realistic about it - this is what it is. It is ONLY a change in my diet - sooooo simple compared to what many other people have to do for their health. I consider myself blessed to actually know what's wrong with me.
We are going to Palm Springs this week for a vacation. I have already emailed some of our favorite restaurants to ask what parts of their menus I can enjoy...so far it looks like we'll be able to go to all of the places! Yes, I will be ordering different food than usual, but that's no big deal! It will be just like experiencing everything for the first time!
So....join me on this magical journey!
The reason for my hiatus is two fold:
1. Got a wisdom tooth out last week. Have only been eating pudding, yogurt, applesauce, ice cream and soup. I thought I would like having an excuse to only eat ice cream. I was wrong! I can't wait to eat real food again!
2. I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease on Friday. That's right - no more gluten for me!
So, I guess this blog will now document my adventures in gluten free living! I was very sad about the diagnosis at first, but now I'm very realistic about it - this is what it is. It is ONLY a change in my diet - sooooo simple compared to what many other people have to do for their health. I consider myself blessed to actually know what's wrong with me.
We are going to Palm Springs this week for a vacation. I have already emailed some of our favorite restaurants to ask what parts of their menus I can enjoy...so far it looks like we'll be able to go to all of the places! Yes, I will be ordering different food than usual, but that's no big deal! It will be just like experiencing everything for the first time!
So....join me on this magical journey!
Monday, October 06, 2008
What to do with all these apples...
This weekend my in-laws brought over two bags full of apples from their new backyard... They've got three apple trees to contend with - wow.
I decided to begin my apple adventure with some apple muffins. I found a recipe online, and tailored it for us. I'm not sure if I should be playing with recipes yet...I'm still working on this whole "flavor" thing... oh well. I won't learn if I don't try, right?
So here it is:
Whole Wheat and Oat Apple Muffins
Ingredients:
Whole Wheat Flour, 3/4 cup
Flour, white, 3/4 cup
Quick dry oats, 1 cup
Baking Powder, 1 tsp
Baking Soda, 3/4 tsp
Cinnamon, 1/2 tsp
Salt, 1 dash
Vegetable Oil, 2 tbsp
Milk, 3/4 cup
1 Egg
2 Medium Apples, peeled and chopped
Applesauce, unsweetened, 1 cup
Combine all dry ingredients in mixer bowl. Mix with a whisk.
Plop in all wet ingredients. Turn the mixer on the low speed. Batter will be wet and lumpy.
Spoon into greased or paper lined muffin tins. Cook at 400F for 20 mins.
Makes 24 muffins.
Nutritional Info
Servings Per Recipe: 24
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 71.2
Total Fat: 1.9 g
Cholesterol: 8.3 mg
Sodium: 123.2 mg
Total Carbs: 11.8 g
Dietary Fiber: 1.5 g
Protein: 2.3 g
I thought these were really tasty. Probably could have added some nutmeg or something to spice them up.
Later in the day I used 6 more apples to make an apple crisp. Ridiculously delicious, and also ridiculously unhealthy. Don't have any pics of the crisp...just the sweet, sweet memories.
I decided to begin my apple adventure with some apple muffins. I found a recipe online, and tailored it for us. I'm not sure if I should be playing with recipes yet...I'm still working on this whole "flavor" thing... oh well. I won't learn if I don't try, right?
So here it is:
Whole Wheat and Oat Apple Muffins
Ingredients:
Whole Wheat Flour, 3/4 cup
Flour, white, 3/4 cup
Quick dry oats, 1 cup
Baking Powder, 1 tsp
Baking Soda, 3/4 tsp
Cinnamon, 1/2 tsp
Salt, 1 dash
Vegetable Oil, 2 tbsp
Milk, 3/4 cup
1 Egg
2 Medium Apples, peeled and chopped
Applesauce, unsweetened, 1 cup
Combine all dry ingredients in mixer bowl. Mix with a whisk.
Plop in all wet ingredients. Turn the mixer on the low speed. Batter will be wet and lumpy.
Spoon into greased or paper lined muffin tins. Cook at 400F for 20 mins.
Makes 24 muffins.
Nutritional Info
Servings Per Recipe: 24
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 71.2
Total Fat: 1.9 g
Cholesterol: 8.3 mg
Sodium: 123.2 mg
Total Carbs: 11.8 g
Dietary Fiber: 1.5 g
Protein: 2.3 g
I thought these were really tasty. Probably could have added some nutmeg or something to spice them up.
Later in the day I used 6 more apples to make an apple crisp. Ridiculously delicious, and also ridiculously unhealthy. Don't have any pics of the crisp...just the sweet, sweet memories.
Saturday, September 20, 2008
BA's Blueberry Muffin Adventure
Woke up this morning with a complete fry-hangover.
You read right. A fry hangover. After Trev's hockey game last night, we went to the Outback for supper. We shared Cheese Fries. (I apparently forgot about my diet for the moment). I'm paying for that decision this morning.
So, instead of going for a run this morning, I decided to find a blueberry muffin recipe. I had bought (most) of the ingredients for Krissy's muffins, but alas, I forgot the applesauce. I had fresh blueberries in the fridge though, so I decided to search the trusty interweb.
After a bit of searching, I found this recipe. Looked on the money to me, since I still had buttermilk left over from last week's experiment.
Did a little tweaking - ended up with the recipe below.
Ingredients
1 cup white flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/3 cup melted butter
1 cup blueberries, preferably fresh
Directions
1. Line 12 muffin pans. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Beat egg and into it whisk the buttermilk and melted butter.
2. Make a depression in the center of your dry ingredients. Into it pour the liquid ingredients, all at once. Stir just enough to combine the ingredients. 12 strokes should be enough. Mixture will not be smooth. Quickly FOLD in the blueberries. (Tip - lightly coat the blueberries in flour to prevent them from sinking to the bottom).
3. Spoon the mixture quickly into the muffin pans and bake approximately 20 to 25 minutes. Cool slightly and remove from pans. Cool completely. Enjoy!
And, according to my trusty Sparkpeople (recipe site), here is the nutritional information for these bad boys.
Amount Per Serving (12.5 servings per batch. hehe. Every ounce counts!)
Calories 126.0
Total Fat 5.2 g
Saturated Fat 3.0 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.3 g
Monounsaturated Fat 1.3 g
Cholesterol 26.7 mg
Sodium 193.9 mg
Potassium 26.7 mg
Total Carbohydrate 17.4 g
Dietary Fiber 1.5 g
Sugars 2.0 g
Protein 3.1 g
Here's how they looked coming out of the oven. Is it normal that the berries "bled" so much? Hmmm....
I'm not so artsy with my picture taking... but here they are:
Hopefully they help with the fry hangover... I will workout today. I will workout today. I will workout today.
Hubby's rating on the muffins: "(shrugging) Meh, I'm not a huge blueberry fan; but I like them" and after finishing his whole muffin: "...it's not like they're disgusting". (hahaha, he'd not be impressed to know I just wrote all of that. Muahahhaa).
Well, another adventure complete.
You read right. A fry hangover. After Trev's hockey game last night, we went to the Outback for supper. We shared Cheese Fries. (I apparently forgot about my diet for the moment). I'm paying for that decision this morning.
So, instead of going for a run this morning, I decided to find a blueberry muffin recipe. I had bought (most) of the ingredients for Krissy's muffins, but alas, I forgot the applesauce. I had fresh blueberries in the fridge though, so I decided to search the trusty interweb.
After a bit of searching, I found this recipe. Looked on the money to me, since I still had buttermilk left over from last week's experiment.
Did a little tweaking - ended up with the recipe below.
Ingredients
1 cup white flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/3 cup melted butter
1 cup blueberries, preferably fresh
Directions
1. Line 12 muffin pans. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Beat egg and into it whisk the buttermilk and melted butter.
2. Make a depression in the center of your dry ingredients. Into it pour the liquid ingredients, all at once. Stir just enough to combine the ingredients. 12 strokes should be enough. Mixture will not be smooth. Quickly FOLD in the blueberries. (Tip - lightly coat the blueberries in flour to prevent them from sinking to the bottom).
3. Spoon the mixture quickly into the muffin pans and bake approximately 20 to 25 minutes. Cool slightly and remove from pans. Cool completely. Enjoy!
And, according to my trusty Sparkpeople (recipe site), here is the nutritional information for these bad boys.
Amount Per Serving (12.5 servings per batch. hehe. Every ounce counts!)
Calories 126.0
Total Fat 5.2 g
Saturated Fat 3.0 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.3 g
Monounsaturated Fat 1.3 g
Cholesterol 26.7 mg
Sodium 193.9 mg
Potassium 26.7 mg
Total Carbohydrate 17.4 g
Dietary Fiber 1.5 g
Sugars 2.0 g
Protein 3.1 g
Here's how they looked coming out of the oven. Is it normal that the berries "bled" so much? Hmmm....
I'm not so artsy with my picture taking... but here they are:
Hopefully they help with the fry hangover... I will workout today. I will workout today. I will workout today.
Hubby's rating on the muffins: "(shrugging) Meh, I'm not a huge blueberry fan; but I like them" and after finishing his whole muffin: "...it's not like they're disgusting". (hahaha, he'd not be impressed to know I just wrote all of that. Muahahhaa).
Well, another adventure complete.
Monday, September 15, 2008
So not on the diet
Food: PB Cookies
Feet: 4.91km run - gorgeous weather, happy to be outside.
Fun: Watering trees with hubby. Watching The Hills.
So this mixer is seriously hurting my diet... Well, maybe it's more ME than the mixer, but I'd much rather blame an inanimate object!
Tonight's experiment: PB Cookies.
This is my favorite recipe, and always turns out great. I was SUPER impressed with how they turned out - but next time I will press down the balls with the back of a fork...they look like there's something missing without the little lines!
Super-easy Peanut Butter Cookies
1 cup peanut butter (don't use low fat - they don't taste right!)
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
Pour all ingredients into a bowl. Mix.
Form into 1" balls, place on a cookie sheet. Press down with a fork.
Bake at 325 for 15 minutes. Let cool on pan for 5 minutes. EAT.
Now, I MUST find some diet friendly things to make in my mixer. On my run I started thinking about pudding and jello. Though I'm pretty certain you don't need a mixer to make jello (HA. Yes, I'm very green in the kitchen).
OH, Trev said these were delicious tonight! I lovvvvvvve it when he likes what I make!!!
Feet: 4.91km run - gorgeous weather, happy to be outside.
Fun: Watering trees with hubby. Watching The Hills.
So this mixer is seriously hurting my diet... Well, maybe it's more ME than the mixer, but I'd much rather blame an inanimate object!
Tonight's experiment: PB Cookies.
This is my favorite recipe, and always turns out great. I was SUPER impressed with how they turned out - but next time I will press down the balls with the back of a fork...they look like there's something missing without the little lines!
Super-easy Peanut Butter Cookies
1 cup peanut butter (don't use low fat - they don't taste right!)
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
Pour all ingredients into a bowl. Mix.
Form into 1" balls, place on a cookie sheet. Press down with a fork.
Bake at 325 for 15 minutes. Let cool on pan for 5 minutes. EAT.
Now, I MUST find some diet friendly things to make in my mixer. On my run I started thinking about pudding and jello. Though I'm pretty certain you don't need a mixer to make jello (HA. Yes, I'm very green in the kitchen).
OH, Trev said these were delicious tonight! I lovvvvvvve it when he likes what I make!!!
Sunday, September 14, 2008
First foray with the KA Mixer
Found an awesome sale on my KA Mixer, so off Trev and I went last night to buy it!
We got the white one. I was hoping for the Almond colour, or something really fun like the lime or light blue - but alas, white was:
a) on sale
b) in stock
c) sure to go with our white appliances.
Set the bad boy up and broke him in this morning!
I decided to make Coffee Cake Muffins from the Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook (since this book seems to be a staple in most kitchens, I won't write out the recipe, but if you'd like me to, just holla!).
First of all, I made a mess - see exhibit a.
My brown sugar was very hard, so I put it in the microwave with a small dish of water - a trick Trev has used before. Well....the water exploded. EVERYWHERE. So strange. At least it was just water: easy to clean up.
Continued on with the baking. Probably not the best way to break-in my mixer, but oh well. The mixer whipped it all into shape in about 30 seconds. Zoom!
I'll put up a picture of the finished product in another post since I can't get it to load here...
They were okay. Nothing spectacular. Would likely add a bit of fruit to the mix if I make them again.
Calories: 180
How I feel about eating two of them for breakfast: unsatisfied. HA.
I don't think that Sunday morning Mixing will (or should) become a part of my routine... When I was training for the half, I would get up and run on Sunday mornings...a little healthier than getting up to bake! But I am committed to finding some healthy ways to use my mixer!
And I'm committed to finding another race to sign up for - must get that running motivation back!!
We got the white one. I was hoping for the Almond colour, or something really fun like the lime or light blue - but alas, white was:
a) on sale
b) in stock
c) sure to go with our white appliances.
Set the bad boy up and broke him in this morning!
I decided to make Coffee Cake Muffins from the Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook (since this book seems to be a staple in most kitchens, I won't write out the recipe, but if you'd like me to, just holla!).
First of all, I made a mess - see exhibit a.
My brown sugar was very hard, so I put it in the microwave with a small dish of water - a trick Trev has used before. Well....the water exploded. EVERYWHERE. So strange. At least it was just water: easy to clean up.
Continued on with the baking. Probably not the best way to break-in my mixer, but oh well. The mixer whipped it all into shape in about 30 seconds. Zoom!
I'll put up a picture of the finished product in another post since I can't get it to load here...
They were okay. Nothing spectacular. Would likely add a bit of fruit to the mix if I make them again.
Calories: 180
How I feel about eating two of them for breakfast: unsatisfied. HA.
I don't think that Sunday morning Mixing will (or should) become a part of my routine... When I was training for the half, I would get up and run on Sunday mornings...a little healthier than getting up to bake! But I am committed to finding some healthy ways to use my mixer!
And I'm committed to finding another race to sign up for - must get that running motivation back!!
Friday, September 12, 2008
The feet business...
So I did a half marathon about a month ago. It was sooooo fun! Looking for another one - I'm thinking about a February half. Seems like a good idea, until you consider that the weather here is generally awful in February...but that just makes it more of a challenge!
Here I am crossing the finish line (white shirt)!
Back at the blogging?
I've been reading so many fabulous food blogs lately that I want to start my own... so I figured why not come back to this trusty blog I started oh-so-many years ago...
Hoping to get a Kitchen Aid mixer this weekend, so what better way to celebrate than by blogging about the experience?
Now to choose the colour of mixer...and to find the best sale!
Hoping to get a Kitchen Aid mixer this weekend, so what better way to celebrate than by blogging about the experience?
Now to choose the colour of mixer...and to find the best sale!
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