Great new dessert recipe...

I'm actually getting hooked on exercise. I never in my life thought it could happen. I plan ahead to make sure that upcoming time obstacles don't get in my way of the morning excursion to Curves and I'm looking for an exercise video I can stand for the days I can't get there or they are closed. Who'd a thought huh?

I'm still mostly wheatless and don't think I'll ever go back to full time wheat. It's so easy nowadays to be gluten free there simply are no excuses for me or anyone with a wheat allergy or sensitivity to stay on the stuff.

My favourite bread is Udi's Not only is the food great, but so is their website. It has lots of recipes and ideas and a community forum. I'm not interested in the forum, but it's great to see it's there for those who need support or who want to connect with others who have made this food choice.

I'm thinking about Easter now, as well as birthdays - in our large family we have 12 birthdays over the next 9 weeks, including my own, so it's onto different kids of cakes and celebratory meals. I can avoid the chocolate - I like a bit but it's never been a downfall for me. There are gluten free cake mixes so I can have that for my own birthday and simply not eat any of the others. Easter dinner is a bit of a challenge so I"m looking for alternative side dishes and deserts but I expect there won't be any problem finding any.

I'm also starting to think about any other form of food I should let go of. Maybe sugar? I don't think I eat much of that but perhaps I eat more than I think. I'll start watching that over the next few weeks and see what I do.

In the meantime, here's a recipe from Udi's website for a great Easter dinner desert. It has ginger in it which is my favorite taste in the world.

Ginger Brulee with crushed blackberries
 

Ingredients

Ginger Brulee

2 cups heavy cream
2 ounces sliced fresh gingerroot, about 1/4 cup
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/3 cup sugar, plus additional for caramelizing
5 large egg yolks
1/4 teaspoon salt
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

Crushed Blackberries

2 pints fresh blackberries, rinsed
1/4 to 1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Serves 8 Ginger Brulee -Mix cream and gingerroot in a small soup pot and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Off heat, allow to steep for about 1 hour. -Combine vanilla, sugar, egg yolks, and salt in a bowl. Reheat the cream over medium heat and bring back to a soft boil. Steadily pour the cream over the egg mixture while whisking all the white. Strain and discard the solids. -Pour the mixture into eight 5-ounce ramekins. Place ramekins in a large enough baking pan and fill the baking pan halfway with hot water. Transfer baking pan with ramekins to the oven and bake for about 35 minutes. Set aside to cool. -Sprinkle the tops with sugar and caramelize with a hand-held cooking propane torch set on medium (only use this if you have had past experience). -Serve immediately. Crushed Blackberries -Using your hand crush 1/2 cup of the blackberries in a small bowl. Add the whole berries, sugar, and lemon juice. Gently toss and then refrigerate at least 1 hour and up to 2 days. -Spoon Blackberry Crush over the Ginger Brulee.

Read more: http://udisglutenfree.com/recipes/Dessert/Ginger_Brulee_w__Crushed__Blackberries/36#ixzz1r7BhK9Ri

Mini vacation...

We had a min vacation this week and took the 5 youngest of our children to Victoria. We stayed in a nice hotel and ate in great restaurants and saw movies on an IMAX screen and went to Butterfly World and did all that stuff you do with your kids on vacation (have fun and get mad - in equal amounts). What surprised me though, was that almost every place we ate at had gluten free alternatives. Even the Spaghetti Factory, a family favorite, had a gluten free menu for those who wanted the pasta without the problems. Amazing.

I assume this will be another fad, but I hope the restaurants keep the alternative choices when it fades. I can always find something else to eat - salads and grilled chicken or fish are healthy and available at most places I go to. Still, it's nice once in a while to indulge in a pasta or a bread without experiencing the after effects of decreased energy and decreased cognitive processing.

The thing I didn't do on vacation was exercise. I could have - the hotel had a perfectly nice workout room with lots of equipment. And, it was locate right beside the pool so I could have exercised and watched my kids swim at the same time. Oh well, I just didn't want to. The problem for me is - now that we know so much about the links between lack of exercise and dementia, I don't get the same satisfaction from laziness that I used to - now I just get stress, so at least I walked a lot and tomorrow I'll be back at the gym first thing in the morning. I'm even looking forward to it.

Hey, have your best day possible. Here's a recipe I like to make for lunch sometimes on the weekend. It doesn't take long to make and it's tasty and energizing.

Aduki Bean Stir Fry

1		Savoy cabbage
1	tbsp	olive oil
2		garlic cloves, sliced
1		fresh root ginger, peeled and chopped
1		can of cooked organic Aduki beans
1	tbsp	Tamari (wheat free/gluten free soy sauce)
1	tbsp	coconut oil (melted)
1.	Remove the outer leaves of cabbage then quarter it and take out the core. Slice the rest of the cabbage into shreds then rinse it and drain well.
2.	Heat the oil in a large wok or frying pan and lightly fry the garlic and ginger.
3.	Add the shredded cabbage to the wok and stir fry for about 5 minutes
4.	Add the aduki beans to the cabbage and stir fry until they are all thoroughly heated.
5.	Add the coconut oil and soy sauce and toss everything together then serve immediately.

I'm at that point in the wheatless and exercise thing where the novelty has worn off and I'm starting to have to drag myself to Curves. However, I do manage to drag myself and I have no intent on stopping - my couch potato days are over-. I'm sure part of my resolve is the energy I have from being mostly wheatless (I just can't give up my pita bread at my favorite Greek restaurant - but I only go there about once every couple of months, and yes, I know, I do avoidance and denial very well). Anyway, I persevere and I can see some lessening of me. Still no major weight loss, no one but me can see the difference.  I know I'm not imagining it, I will soon have to buy a size smaller in clothes. Yippity doo dah!

Another thing that keeps me exercising is the connection between lack of exercise and dementia. Obesity is also strongly connected to dementia and let's face it, fear is a great motivator and I have FEAR. So, I keep going to Curves and I keep mostly wheat free and I feel great. I can't wait for the gardening season to begin because I know I'll have way more energy to tackle my lovely garden this year than last and I feel the creative parts of my brain just itching to create some new garden beds.

I love chickpeas - I add them to anything I can. This recipe is a tasty and easy to make salad that's great for summer meals and lunch at the office.



Ingredients

30 ounces of drained and rinsed chickpeas
4 large tomatoes  - chopped and cored
4 hard boiled eggs - chopped and peeled (of course)
2 cups of any type of sweet onion -  I prefer the purple Vidalia
2/3 cup of melted coconut oil
6 tbsp of white wine vinegar
a shake of salt, but you can leave this out if you have high blood pressure or other salt avoidant conditions
a touch of pepper
something green for garnish - green onions, chives, or parsley are nice choices

Combine all of the chickpeas, the eggs, and the onions
Mix the other ingredients together and then pour them over the salad
Chill for a bit then serv

My goodness!....Can it be? Can it really be???? Yes indeed, it seems that I am getting hooked on exercise. I've  been hooked on so many things that aren't the least bit good for me so I never expected to find myself looking forward to an early alarm to get me to Curves (nope, I'm not an affiliate marketer for Curves - I'm a regular member with no payback for this). Indeed, I didn't get to the gym one day and I was crabby and irritable. I'm sleeping better, I even have a sleep schedule now. I'm remembering my vitamins every day -which are important for me since I can't absorb  iron well and I'm diabetic. I have more energy every day, I'm even n better emotional health.

Will it last? I think that's my fear, and maybe something that's you've experienced as well. There's that initial high to every lifestyle change but then it becomes something else and one day I realize I'm back at my same old same old. Maybe not this time. I feel like I'm fighting for my life because if I don't get the weight off I'll likely die or worse, become totally disabled due to a stroke. That should always have been enough to get me off my butt,  still I found excuses (good ones) to avoid daily exercise.

What got me going this time? Well, I credit it to my almost wheatless diet. Everything seems to have changed for me since I started with this. So, maybe that will be the difference that let's me stay on exercise routine this time. Here's hoping.

And here's a tasty wheatless recipe you might enjoy.





Black Bean Vegetable StewPrep: 5 min, Cook: 15 min.

• 1 Tbs. coconut oil
• 1 small onion, diced
• 3/4 lb. broccoli florets
• 1 cup recipe-ready crushed tomatoes
• 1-1/2 cups canned black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 Tbs. rosemary, or 3 Tbs. fresh, chopped
• 1 Tbs. red wine vinegar
• sprinkle of shredded cheddar cheese
• sprinkle of chopped green onions
• sprinkle of chopped tomatoes

Heat oil in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Sauté onion 5-6 minutes or until translucent. Stir in broccoli, tomato and black beans. Season with rosemary, vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer 10 minutes or until broccoli is tender.  Sprinkle chopped green onions, chopped tomoato and shredded cheddar cheese on top. Serve this with some fruit such as canteloupe and strawberries and enjoy a cup of green tea with it. 

The gluten free trend under scrutiny...

I've been waiting for the gluten free trend to come under scrutiny and here it is from Today on Health: "Far more people think they have what has come to be called “nonceliac gluten sensitivity,” Corazza says. Sufferers, in whom celiac disease has been ruled out, complain of a variety of symptoms after consuming gluten, including bloating, abdominal discomfort, flatulence and headache. The problem, Corazza and Dr. Antonio Di Sabatino write in an opinion piece in the Annals of Internal Medicine, is that no one is quite sure what gluten sensitivity is. “Considerable debate about nonceliac gluten sensitivity has recently surfaced on the Internet, with a sharp increase in forums, patients or patient groups, manufacturers, and physicians advocating a gluten-free diet,” the two write. “Claims seem to increase daily, with no adequate scientific support to back them up.” check out the link for more.

I agree, there just can't be this many people with allergies to wheat. However, that doesn't mean that no one has the problem. The researchers suggest that there needs to be more double blind placebo tests, and that certainly has to happen to validate any formal research. For you and I though, it's pretty simple - just don't eat anything with wheat in it for a couple of days and see how you feel. I did it and I noticed a difference in 24 hours. I had noticeably less appetite and significantly more mental and physical energy. On the few days when I revert to wheat due to lack of planning ahead, I can feel the difference by the time I go to bed - once again hungry, headachy, slightly depressed, and way too tired. 

Since dropping wheat I've been able to finally start a regular gym routine and my days are brighter and not about food and my nights are sleep filled. I feel released or healed or liberated or something - not sure what - just better and better. So for me, while I doubt I have a gluten allergy, I believe that I am negatively impacted by wheat - so I continue on this wheatless path while I increasingly enjoy my days. What can it hurt?

I also decided to get real with the spiritual component of my weight loss and healing plan and wouldn't you know it - I made that decision on Friday, and on Sunday the service at my church was a healing service with laying on of hands and healing prayer. Funny how that works eh? 

Here's a really nice wheat free recipe you might like. 

Sweet Potato Corn Enchiladas

Ingredients

1 15-oz can organic black beans, rinsed, drained
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
Fresh lime juice from 1 big juicy lime
2 heaping cups cooked sweet potatoes, smashed a bit, but still chunky [I cube mine, then soften just a little]
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder, or curry, or any hot or mild spice that you enjoy
Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro 

Get 2-4 tablespoons light olive oil or vegetable oil, as needed
8 white corn tortillas

A mix of shredded cheddar and mozzarella cheeses

Any tomato sauce that you enjoy - homemade or bought, but if bought, check the label to ensure there is no gluten or wheat

Heat the oven to 350 degree and in the meantime combine the drained black beans with minced garlic and lime juice. Toss to coat the beans and the set aside.

In a separate bowl combine the lightly smashed sweet potatoes with the spices. Season with sea salt and pepper.

Heat a skillet with a touch of oil, I prefer coconut but you can use anything you have.  Lightly cook the corn tortillas then lay the first hot tortilla in the sauced baking dish; wet it with the tomato sauce.
Spoon 1/8 of the sweet potato mixture down the center and top this with 1/8 of the black beans.
Wrap and roll the tortilla to the end of the baking dish and repeat for the remaining tortillas. Top it all with the rest of the sauce and a few chopped green onions.

Serve with sour cream, or guacamole, and a nice green salad. 

Exercise...uggggggg.....

Yes, we all know that exercise is crucial to weight loss and to life in general. I have a sedentary type of job and even though I have a large family to run around after in the evenings, it's not the same as sustained cardio and muscle strengthening. So, I'm finally back at Curves, which is not my favourite place to exercise because of their limited hours, but I have to learn to accomodate that or just accept that I'm going to have a heart attack.

I will never be one of those who jump for joy at the thought of working out. It doesn't make me feel better after, it doesn't call to me. I get bored very easily and working out is just about as exciting to me as watching paint dry, less so, in fact. Oh well, there's lots in life I do that I'd rather not, at least this has the pay off of helping me attain health. We'll see if it also pays off in weight loss.

I've been back on the wheat wagon this week - everywhere I go I find gluten free foods, but I still don't always properly prepare. The biggest thing I notice when I'm eating wheat is that I get hungry way more often and that the food I eat doesn't keep me satiated - nope, in almost no time I'm hungry again. The good thing about this is that my wheat free days increase and therefore my days when I eat more decrease. It's also a great incentive, knowing that I can avoid being hungry just by avoiding wheat. Win - win situation eh. 


Here's a tasty wheat free recipe:

1		green pepper, halved and cored
1		red pepper, halved and cored
1		yellow pepper, halved and cored
6	slices	ham
12	tbsp	cooked brown rice
6	med.	mushrooms, chopped & lightly sautéd
1		egg, beaten
3	tbsp	greek yogurt (you can use non or low fat greek yogurt as well as full fat)
100	g	cheese, grated some peas boiled from frozen - just a few for color and taste
		freshly ground black pepper
1.	Place the peppers in a greased ovenproof dish.
2.	Put 2 tbsps of rice and a few peas in the bottom of each pepper.
3.	Mix the egg and the yogurt together and put 1 tbsp on top of the rice in each pepper.
4.	Scrunch each slice of ham into the peppers on top of the rice, then top this with the mushrooms.
5.	Spoon the remaining egg mixture on top of the mushrooms, and cover the top with the grated cheese.
6.	Bake in the oven for 40 minutes. If you cook the rice the night before while your doing your after dinner clean up, you'll find this a very fast dinner to cook for your family on those evenings when you have to get the kids to different activities all over town and you don't have the time to spend in the kitchen.

Here I am - a fat woman trying everything possible - short of stomach stapling or, the one my teens would like me to do ..... mouth stapling - to lose weight and not really succeeding. I'm still on the wheat belly lifestyle and love it - much more mental clarity even though little weight lost. So, I started thinking about what I'm not doing right (other than not eating right), and it occurred to me that I'm leaving out a vital component - that would be the spiritual part. 


I am a member of a church community so I'm not without a spiritual component to my life, but I know I never use that aspect of my being to it's fullest potential. Somehow, when push comes to shove, I get all cognitive and just forget about the power of faith altogether. Weird and slightly sad, eh. 


Okay, maybe I need to follow this thought thread to some action. I've re-activated my Spark People account and I've even posted once on the spiritual group board. Stop laughing, I know that's very little, but it's a start for me. And talking about this to you is a second step.  I'll just have to see where I can take this. Spiritual growth is always a good thing, and whether it takes me to health or not, it's time to stop neglecting it. One step at a time, one ounce at a time, one prayer at a time......here I go. 


Here's a tasty recipe - love beet greens yum.

1 pound beet greens

1 tbs coconut oil
pinch and a bit more of salt
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
1 tablespoon pine nuts, toasted

1. Chop the stems into 2- to 3-inch lengths and roughly chop the greens.

2. Heat the coconut oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the beet stems and season with salt. Cook, stirring, until they begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook about 30 seconds. Add the beet greens, sprinkle the salt, and cook, stirring, until wilted, about 2 minutes more; if you need more liquid add a wee bit of water.

3. Meanwhile, add to a small pan and toast over medium heat until lightly browned and fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Serve the beet greens topped with the toasted pine 


By the way, I have a new ebook out - it's for parents who have raised extremely challenging children and now need some help re-claiming their lives. You can look at it at Smashwords.http://www.smashwords.com/books/search?query=brenda+mccreight

Have your best day possible.