So it's been a few weeks since I cut out the garlic and yeast (which is hhhhaaaarrrrd, waaaaahh!). But I have been feeling really good. I am a lot happier, since I'm not in a constant state of discomfort. I had no idea how uncomfortable I was, until I wasn't. It was kind of like when you have been wearing a really uncomfortable pair of shoes, and your feet hurt, but you don't want people to know, so you try to grin through it. I finally got the shoes off!
Anyway, to make things easier on myself I have allowed some dairy and soy back into my diet - slowly. It turns out that it doesn't seem to bother me when taken in moderation. (yay!) However, Nick's nursing, sleeping, and fussing habits have taken a turn back to being like he was as a baby - and not just because he's been sick. (He had started essentially sleeping through the night!!!) He also has the tell tale rash on his bum. Poor kid! So it looks like I am back out with the dairy until he weans. I'm going to test the role of gluten vs yeast for us soon. My inclination is that I will keep that out of our diets as much as possible too. We'll see. As for the soy, I am not as careful about it as I was, so long as the form isn't highly processed.
Let's see how much more our lives can be improved!! I can't believe that Nick is growing up so fast before my eyes....
Monday, January 30, 2012
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Taco Soup!
This started out as "corn chowder", but it was a bit boring, so I decided Taco Soup would work a bit better - and it did!
Ingredients:
Corn (Again, I forgot to measure!) About two pounds?
Chicken Stock (A pot full)
Butter (Earth Balance, dairy free, soy free, gluten free butter works)
Corn starch (to thicken if needed)
Olive Oil
1 tomato
1/2 red pepper
1/2 onion
parsley (or cilantro)
Cumin, Paprika, Coriander
1 can of black beans
handful or spinach
some chips for garnish
Boil the corn in the broth until it's cooked. I used frozen corn, but if you had fresh it would be even better! Use an immersion blender to puree the corn, then strain out all of the gunk. Add a little cornstarch to thicken the soup if you would like and heat.
While the corn is cooking, cut up one medium sized tomato, half a medium onion, and about half a red pepper. Or more if you want. Saute in olive oil (about a tablespoon should be fine. Add about a tablespoon of cumin and paprika, and maybe two teaspoons of coriander. If you had chilli powder, I would through that in too....and/or a jalepeno. If you need more olive oil to coat everything, just add a little more - it will only make the texture of your soup silkier :) Heat the spices until fragrant, and add to the (already strained) corn soup.
Now add the beans and the spinach (I'm not sure if lettuce would really hold up, but the spinach was for sure a nice touch to have in there!). Let the soup cook together for about 5 minutes, and then taste and adjust the seasoning as necessary. Put in a bowl and garnish with some tortilla chips...if there are any left. (I like to eat while I cook). If you are eating dairy, this would probably be good with a nice dollap of sour cream on top!
Ingredients:
Corn (Again, I forgot to measure!) About two pounds?
Chicken Stock (A pot full)
Butter (Earth Balance, dairy free, soy free, gluten free butter works)
Corn starch (to thicken if needed)
Olive Oil
1 tomato
1/2 red pepper
1/2 onion
parsley (or cilantro)
Cumin, Paprika, Coriander
1 can of black beans
handful or spinach
some chips for garnish
Boil the corn in the broth until it's cooked. I used frozen corn, but if you had fresh it would be even better! Use an immersion blender to puree the corn, then strain out all of the gunk. Add a little cornstarch to thicken the soup if you would like and heat.
While the corn is cooking, cut up one medium sized tomato, half a medium onion, and about half a red pepper. Or more if you want. Saute in olive oil (about a tablespoon should be fine. Add about a tablespoon of cumin and paprika, and maybe two teaspoons of coriander. If you had chilli powder, I would through that in too....and/or a jalepeno. If you need more olive oil to coat everything, just add a little more - it will only make the texture of your soup silkier :) Heat the spices until fragrant, and add to the (already strained) corn soup.
Now add the beans and the spinach (I'm not sure if lettuce would really hold up, but the spinach was for sure a nice touch to have in there!). Let the soup cook together for about 5 minutes, and then taste and adjust the seasoning as necessary. Put in a bowl and garnish with some tortilla chips...if there are any left. (I like to eat while I cook). If you are eating dairy, this would probably be good with a nice dollap of sour cream on top!
Friday, January 27, 2012
Berry Nutty Hot Breakfast
Since cutting gluten out of my diet, I had been relying quite heavily on eggs as a breakfast option...quick, yummy, and healthy! But, having bombarded my system with eggs, I have started to become sensitive to them...I can tell when I leave the eggs a little runny, or if I eat eggnog. Cooked eggs don't really seem to bother me too much, but taking a break from them will only be beneficial, so that way I can still eat them on occasion without ucky side effects. I have stumbled across some tasty grain recipes that have been wonderful! I alternate between using oatmeal, polenta, and sprouted quinoa. There are two variations that I love, one with brown sugar and maple syrup, the other with honey - both are delicious!
You will need:
1 cup of grain
2 cups of liquid (water, milk, or milk replacement - I have been using coconut milk, and it's fabulous!)
1 tablespoon of cinnamon
1 teaspoon of nutmeg
1 teaspoon (or less) of cloves
brown sugar, maple syrup, and/or honey to taste
Topping:
1 handfull of nuts (almonds, walnuts, whatever)
1 handfull of berries (I used blueberries)
drizzle of maple syrup or honey
Soak your grain in half of the liquid overnight (unless you are using your already sprouted quinoa). So if you are cooking one cup of oatmeal, soak in one cup of water. In the morning do a quick rinse, and then add the second cup of liquid. Or, if you don't soak your grains, just add two cups of liquid to one cup of grain. Your cooking time will be longer if you don't soak.
Heat the grains and liquid on high heat until it just reaches a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Add cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. (and brown sugar, if using). Let simmer for 5-10 minutes, or until grains are tender, and the porridge is at a consistency you like. When the porridge is done cooking, transfer to bowl, and add nuts, berries, and a drizzle of honey (or maple syrup). Enjoy!!
You can also use whatever other grains and berries you have on hand, and still get a Berry Nutty And Yummy Hot Breakfast!
You will need:
1 cup of grain
2 cups of liquid (water, milk, or milk replacement - I have been using coconut milk, and it's fabulous!)
1 tablespoon of cinnamon
1 teaspoon of nutmeg
1 teaspoon (or less) of cloves
brown sugar, maple syrup, and/or honey to taste
Topping:
1 handfull of nuts (almonds, walnuts, whatever)
1 handfull of berries (I used blueberries)
drizzle of maple syrup or honey
Soak your grain in half of the liquid overnight (unless you are using your already sprouted quinoa). So if you are cooking one cup of oatmeal, soak in one cup of water. In the morning do a quick rinse, and then add the second cup of liquid. Or, if you don't soak your grains, just add two cups of liquid to one cup of grain. Your cooking time will be longer if you don't soak.
Heat the grains and liquid on high heat until it just reaches a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Add cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. (and brown sugar, if using). Let simmer for 5-10 minutes, or until grains are tender, and the porridge is at a consistency you like. When the porridge is done cooking, transfer to bowl, and add nuts, berries, and a drizzle of honey (or maple syrup). Enjoy!!
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Pan Seared Chicken in Balsamic Sauce
This is a really yummy dish using "Left Overs Soup" as a healthy sauce! It's warm and delicious and super healthy! Add some hot pepper flakes for some extra heat. You will need:
Olive Oil
Chicken Breast
Left Over Soup (about 2 cups)
Spinach (one small package baby spinach)
Onion (half medium onion)
Garlic (1-2 cloves)
Dijon Mustard (2-3 teaspoons)
Balsamic Vinegar (maybe 1 tablespoon)
Honey (<1 tablespoon)
Butter (<1 tablespoon)
Basil and Oregano
Heat a generous amount of olive oil in a large pan. Add chicken to pan and season with salt, pepper, basil, and oregano. Cook for about 7 minutes (depending on thickness of meat), flip, season other side and cook another 7-10 minutes or until cooked through. If needed add more oil to pan. Remove chicken from pan and let rest several minutes. Cut into bite sized pieces.
In the same pan, with the same oil, saute about one half of a medium sized onion. Cook for approximately 5 minutes or until tender. Add spinach and garlic, and cook until spinach is just wilted, being careful not to burn the garlic. (2-3 min). Cover with approximately 2 cups of leftover veggie soup.
Add chicken back to pan and make sure everything is well coated. It shouldn't be a soup, but there should be plenty of sauce. Add in a bit of balsamic vinegar (probably 2 tablespoons at most - enough to give flavor, but not overtake the sauce). Add the mustard, again, enough to give a kick, but not a ton is needed. Probably 3 parts vinegar to 1 part mustard. Swirl in a bit of honey to balance the flavor. (Regular sugar would be good, or agave nectar, but honey is what I had - it just should be sweet!). And lastly swirl in a bit of butter. I use Earth Balance dairy free, soy free, gluten free butter.
I wish I had a picture of this dish, but I didn't get one when I made it a little before Christmas. I had some red quinoa around that I added too, and it added some nice color to it. Yum! This is an awesome one! And just one pan, so easy clean up!
Olive Oil
Chicken Breast
Left Over Soup (about 2 cups)
Spinach (one small package baby spinach)
Onion (half medium onion)
Garlic (1-2 cloves)
Dijon Mustard (2-3 teaspoons)
Balsamic Vinegar (maybe 1 tablespoon)
Honey (<1 tablespoon)
Butter (<1 tablespoon)
Basil and Oregano
Heat a generous amount of olive oil in a large pan. Add chicken to pan and season with salt, pepper, basil, and oregano. Cook for about 7 minutes (depending on thickness of meat), flip, season other side and cook another 7-10 minutes or until cooked through. If needed add more oil to pan. Remove chicken from pan and let rest several minutes. Cut into bite sized pieces.
In the same pan, with the same oil, saute about one half of a medium sized onion. Cook for approximately 5 minutes or until tender. Add spinach and garlic, and cook until spinach is just wilted, being careful not to burn the garlic. (2-3 min). Cover with approximately 2 cups of leftover veggie soup.
Add chicken back to pan and make sure everything is well coated. It shouldn't be a soup, but there should be plenty of sauce. Add in a bit of balsamic vinegar (probably 2 tablespoons at most - enough to give flavor, but not overtake the sauce). Add the mustard, again, enough to give a kick, but not a ton is needed. Probably 3 parts vinegar to 1 part mustard. Swirl in a bit of honey to balance the flavor. (Regular sugar would be good, or agave nectar, but honey is what I had - it just should be sweet!). And lastly swirl in a bit of butter. I use Earth Balance dairy free, soy free, gluten free butter.
I wish I had a picture of this dish, but I didn't get one when I made it a little before Christmas. I had some red quinoa around that I added too, and it added some nice color to it. Yum! This is an awesome one! And just one pan, so easy clean up!
Left Over Soup
Okay, so I had some feedback saying that I really need to say how much of each ingredient to add. I was brought up where we added things until it was the "right" consistency, and so I am always experimenting, and my dishes almost never come out the same way twice. I promise that after this I will try to give the correct amount of each ingredient...or at least an approximation :)
For Thanksgiving we had a whole bunch of veggies, and of course, they were one of the only things that was left over. It was a mix of broccoli, cauliflower, carrot, and maybe one or two other things. The exact make up isn't really important. It's more the concept of reheated vegetables aren't really the first thing on my list of things to eat. So, in good winter fashion, I added enough liquid (part broth, part water - broth gives more flavor, so I didn't need as many herbs) to just cover the veggies, then I used my immersion blender to puree the veggies. If the soup is thinner than you would like, add about a tablespoon of flour and heat to thicken. I also added a can of stewed tomatoes.
The soup was much more appetizing than a bowl of old veggies on their own. Great with a sandwich, but it actually turned out even better as a base for a sauce. More on this to follow!
For Thanksgiving we had a whole bunch of veggies, and of course, they were one of the only things that was left over. It was a mix of broccoli, cauliflower, carrot, and maybe one or two other things. The exact make up isn't really important. It's more the concept of reheated vegetables aren't really the first thing on my list of things to eat. So, in good winter fashion, I added enough liquid (part broth, part water - broth gives more flavor, so I didn't need as many herbs) to just cover the veggies, then I used my immersion blender to puree the veggies. If the soup is thinner than you would like, add about a tablespoon of flour and heat to thicken. I also added a can of stewed tomatoes.
The soup was much more appetizing than a bowl of old veggies on their own. Great with a sandwich, but it actually turned out even better as a base for a sauce. More on this to follow!
This is It
Current circumstances have caused me to ponder life, as these types of things usually do. It reminds me that this is it; there are no do-overs, no rewind, and "next time" doesn't always happen.
Living well means that you are able to make choices that make you happy, being positive, and enjoying the little things in life. If you need to make compromises or you "mess up", don't harbor bad feelings over it. Own your choices, and let go of negative things. Love each other.
Living well means that you are able to make choices that make you happy, being positive, and enjoying the little things in life. If you need to make compromises or you "mess up", don't harbor bad feelings over it. Own your choices, and let go of negative things. Love each other.
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Allergy Test Results
So I got the test results, and they actually weren't that bad. The biggest offenders were garlic (practically off the charts!), both brewers and baker's yeast, and red beans. There were twenty something other low level reactions that came up, including gluten, wheat, and whey. Almost all beans, banana, kiwi, egg whites, and a handful of other things showed up as well. I can handle this!
The yeast will be hard, but I think once I figure out what my tolerance is, I will be okay. I will SORELY miss bread though. Depending on how this goes, I'll decide once and for all if I want to do the GAPS diet. I know that I should do it, it's a matter of gathering up the courage and actually making it happen.
In the mean time I'm still going to stay away from dairy as much as possible, since I do feel much better without it, and I will try my hardest to keep my diet rotating enough to avoid establishing new sensitivities.
The yeast will be hard, but I think once I figure out what my tolerance is, I will be okay. I will SORELY miss bread though. Depending on how this goes, I'll decide once and for all if I want to do the GAPS diet. I know that I should do it, it's a matter of gathering up the courage and actually making it happen.
In the mean time I'm still going to stay away from dairy as much as possible, since I do feel much better without it, and I will try my hardest to keep my diet rotating enough to avoid establishing new sensitivities.
Monday, January 9, 2012
Let's Play a Game....
I am taking this directly from Sally Fallon's Nourishing Traditions book. (http://www.amazon.com/Nourishing-Traditions-Challenges-Politically-Dictocrats/dp/0967089735/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1326124769&sr=8-1).
Guess which product these ingredients belong to:
Salt, Hydrolyzed vegetable protein, corn syrup solids, sugar, beef fat, monosodium glutamate (flavor enhancer), dextrose (corn sugar), onion powder, water, garlic powder, caramel color, natural flavorings, disodium guanylate & disodium inositate (flavor enhancers), partially hydrogenated vegetable oil (soybean oil and/or palm oil and/or cottonseed oil), artificial color.
Before I tell you what this is, let's go through the ingredients a little closer. I'm assuming we all know about salt, and that it's bad for us. This is listed as the FIRST ingredient! This means that the majority of this product is salt.
Next is Hydrolyzed vegetable protein....what that supposed to mean? I found a link to a book that goes into what this can mean. It was written by this doctor. I suggest reading over some of the articles (http://www.russellblaylockmd.com). Many companies use the term hydrolyzed vegetable protein to disguise the addition of MSG. (which is a known neurotoxin). Classically, hydrolyzed just means that it was broken down. Here is an excerpt from the book:
"Earlier I mentioned a substance called hydrolyzed vegetable protein, also referred to as vegetable protein or plant protein. This powerful excitotoxin mixture is often portrayed as a perfectly safe and 'natural' substance. [...] Actually, this mixture is made from 'junk' vegetables that are unfit for sale. They are especially selected so as to have naturally high contents of glutamate. The extraction process of hydrolysis involves boiling these vegetables in a vat of acid. This is followed by a process of neutralization with caustic soda. The resulting product is a brown sludge that collects on the top. This is scraped off and allowed to dry. The end product is a brown powder that is high in three known excitotoxins -- glutamate, aspartate, and cystoic acid. It is then added by the food industry to everything from canned tuna to baby food."
Now maybe this is a little bit of a conspiracy theory-ish, but if companies were just using vegetables, why wouldn't they just list those on the label?
Next are Corn syrup solids. This is basically dehydrated corn syrup, so processed sugar.
Then there is Sugar. Okay, more sugar. Sugar really messes with your system, probably even more than you know. It prevents you from recognizing when our you are full by messing with your hormones. It causes tumor cells to activate. It's HIGHLY addictive.
Beef Fat is next. Yum!
Those were the first 5 ingredients. Salt, sugar, and fat. This combination of foods is significant because we are biologically programmed to eat as much of it as possible. Because it is actually very rare in nature. Food companies know this, so they use this trio because they know that you literally can't stop eating it. You can't even tell when you are full! Your pleasure and reward centers are activated in your brain, and you crave it. Nice, huh?
When we go through the rest of the ingredients, we see MSG (more neurotoxic salt), dextrose (sugar), and Oh My Goodness! A real (sort of) ingredient! Onion and garlic powder. And water. Next is caramel color. (Food colorings are KNOWN to cause behavior problems in children! Which means that it is changing their brain chemistry, right? (I have NO idea why my font keeps changing, by the way). Followed by so called Natural Flavorings, which yes can also be MSG, or any other addictive substance that at one point may have come from a natural source. (Watch this video from 60 minutes: http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7389748n). They do also try to make the product taste good, it's just not with whole foods. Then flavor enhancers...why would we need to enhance these flavors anyway? Oh yeah, it's another way to add MSG!
Next we go into the partially hydrogenated oils. Trans fats. These are horrible for you! Somehow, when you look at the nutrition labels on products, they can get away with saying that there is 0 trans fat in something, even when there is! It's listed right there in the ingredients.
And the last ingredient, artificial color. Great. And that's it, folks! This product is just salt, sugar, and fat. With a splash of artificial color, and oh yeah some onion powder and garlic powder.
So what is it? Wyler's Bouillion cubes. I will say that this book was published some time ago, so I don't know that this is exactly right, but I do know that it seems to be on par with other ingredient lists I have read for similar products.
It truly is sobering and scary to come face to face with what we are eating and what it is doing to us. I try to keep in mind that these companies did not set out to poison us! But that is kind of what is happening. And it's totally and completely legal. When the FDA tests ingredients, they do so mostly on their own and not as a combination. And certainly not in the levels that people eating the "typical American Diet" are ingesting. So people, READ THE LABELS ON YOUR FOOD! Cook whole foods from scratch whenever possible. It will really and truly make a difference in your life and in your children's lives. But don't be mistaken, you will have withdrawals if you try to cut this stuff out all at once! These foods affect the same parts of our brain as heroine!
If you are trying to cut down on this stuff, know that it is definitely possible. It's hard, and it involves a huge commitment and a lifestyle change, but you will feel SO MUCH BETTER if you can do it. Even just a little.
Guess which product these ingredients belong to:
Salt, Hydrolyzed vegetable protein, corn syrup solids, sugar, beef fat, monosodium glutamate (flavor enhancer), dextrose (corn sugar), onion powder, water, garlic powder, caramel color, natural flavorings, disodium guanylate & disodium inositate (flavor enhancers), partially hydrogenated vegetable oil (soybean oil and/or palm oil and/or cottonseed oil), artificial color.
Before I tell you what this is, let's go through the ingredients a little closer. I'm assuming we all know about salt, and that it's bad for us. This is listed as the FIRST ingredient! This means that the majority of this product is salt.
Next is Hydrolyzed vegetable protein....what that supposed to mean? I found a link to a book that goes into what this can mean. It was written by this doctor. I suggest reading over some of the articles (http://www.russellblaylockmd.com). Many companies use the term hydrolyzed vegetable protein to disguise the addition of MSG. (which is a known neurotoxin). Classically, hydrolyzed just means that it was broken down. Here is an excerpt from the book:
"Earlier I mentioned a substance called hydrolyzed vegetable protein, also referred to as vegetable protein or plant protein. This powerful excitotoxin mixture is often portrayed as a perfectly safe and 'natural' substance. [...] Actually, this mixture is made from 'junk' vegetables that are unfit for sale. They are especially selected so as to have naturally high contents of glutamate. The extraction process of hydrolysis involves boiling these vegetables in a vat of acid. This is followed by a process of neutralization with caustic soda. The resulting product is a brown sludge that collects on the top. This is scraped off and allowed to dry. The end product is a brown powder that is high in three known excitotoxins -- glutamate, aspartate, and cystoic acid. It is then added by the food industry to everything from canned tuna to baby food."
Now maybe this is a little bit of a conspiracy theory-ish, but if companies were just using vegetables, why wouldn't they just list those on the label?
Next are Corn syrup solids. This is basically dehydrated corn syrup, so processed sugar.
Then there is Sugar. Okay, more sugar. Sugar really messes with your system, probably even more than you know. It prevents you from recognizing when our you are full by messing with your hormones. It causes tumor cells to activate. It's HIGHLY addictive.
Beef Fat is next. Yum!
Those were the first 5 ingredients. Salt, sugar, and fat. This combination of foods is significant because we are biologically programmed to eat as much of it as possible. Because it is actually very rare in nature. Food companies know this, so they use this trio because they know that you literally can't stop eating it. You can't even tell when you are full! Your pleasure and reward centers are activated in your brain, and you crave it. Nice, huh?
When we go through the rest of the ingredients, we see MSG (more neurotoxic salt), dextrose (sugar), and Oh My Goodness! A real (sort of) ingredient! Onion and garlic powder. And water. Next is caramel color. (Food colorings are KNOWN to cause behavior problems in children! Which means that it is changing their brain chemistry, right? (I have NO idea why my font keeps changing, by the way). Followed by so called Natural Flavorings, which yes can also be MSG, or any other addictive substance that at one point may have come from a natural source. (Watch this video from 60 minutes: http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7389748n). They do also try to make the product taste good, it's just not with whole foods. Then flavor enhancers...why would we need to enhance these flavors anyway? Oh yeah, it's another way to add MSG!
Next we go into the partially hydrogenated oils. Trans fats. These are horrible for you! Somehow, when you look at the nutrition labels on products, they can get away with saying that there is 0 trans fat in something, even when there is! It's listed right there in the ingredients.
And the last ingredient, artificial color. Great. And that's it, folks! This product is just salt, sugar, and fat. With a splash of artificial color, and oh yeah some onion powder and garlic powder.
So what is it? Wyler's Bouillion cubes. I will say that this book was published some time ago, so I don't know that this is exactly right, but I do know that it seems to be on par with other ingredient lists I have read for similar products.
It truly is sobering and scary to come face to face with what we are eating and what it is doing to us. I try to keep in mind that these companies did not set out to poison us! But that is kind of what is happening. And it's totally and completely legal. When the FDA tests ingredients, they do so mostly on their own and not as a combination. And certainly not in the levels that people eating the "typical American Diet" are ingesting. So people, READ THE LABELS ON YOUR FOOD! Cook whole foods from scratch whenever possible. It will really and truly make a difference in your life and in your children's lives. But don't be mistaken, you will have withdrawals if you try to cut this stuff out all at once! These foods affect the same parts of our brain as heroine!
If you are trying to cut down on this stuff, know that it is definitely possible. It's hard, and it involves a huge commitment and a lifestyle change, but you will feel SO MUCH BETTER if you can do it. Even just a little.
Saturday, January 7, 2012
Local Meats!
I just saw this link, and had to post it. Nick needs to go to bed, so I'll post more about this later!!
http://ediblesouthshoreblog.wordpress.com/
http://ediblesouthshoreblog.wordpress.com/
Salad Dressing
Many of my recipes use vinegar, and I really like them, but since it is now on my list of foods I can't eat, I need to find replacements. My first attempts have been to use lemon instead, and so far so good. At least for salad dressing, which happens to be the most straight forward. I'm pretty sure that this simple salad dressing is going to find it's way into my recipes to replace the vinegar - it's just a matter of how many ways I can tweak it.
So for now, I just whisk fresh squeezed lemon juice and olive oil together with some basil, oregano, and thyme. Simple and delicious!
In the past, I would use either regular or balsamic vinegar instead of lemon juice, and it is delicious. If you like more creamy dressings, you can try out just mixing up mayo and ketchup and you have French dressing! Or one of my favorites is honey mustard. This can be made with or without mayo, but I usually like using the mayo to tone it down a little bit. Just mix mayo, dijon mustard, and honey. Salad dressing is really easy, huh? Makes me wonder what all of those other ingredients in commercial dressings are! These, of course work well for spreads, and can be the basis of sauces.
So for now, I just whisk fresh squeezed lemon juice and olive oil together with some basil, oregano, and thyme. Simple and delicious!
Chick Pea Burgers
Since good meat is so expensive, I've been trying out some alternative proteins as meals instead of just snacks. I was a little skeptical of how these would turn out, but they were really yummy, and on the first try!
If you are eating bread, these would do great in a bun with typical burger condiments, or it was just as good "deconstructed".
Ingredients:
cooked chick peas
onions
quinoa sprouts
oatmeal
egg
oil
cumin, paprika, chili powder, chili flakes, cayenne pepper, coriander, tumeric, ginger, cilantro
(I went a little crazy with the spices, but it was good! it would also work with what I call the "power trio" of paprika, chili powder, and cumin).
Saute the onions and spices in olive oil until the onion is translucent and the spices are nice and fragrant. Add mixture to chick peas, and blend until mixed. Transfer to blender and pulse until the chick peas are ground up a bit and flavors are evenly distributed. Put in a bowl and fold in quinoa sprouts, oatmeal, and lightly beaten egg. These will hold together just enough to heat in a skillet.
Make sure the skillet is nice and hot and cook about 4 minutes on the first side, or until browned, flip once and wait another 3 minutes for the other side. I could have used another minute on mine.
Dress with your favorite burger condiments.
Ingredients:
cooked chick peas
onions
quinoa sprouts
oatmeal
egg
oil
cumin, paprika, chili powder, chili flakes, cayenne pepper, coriander, tumeric, ginger, cilantro
(I went a little crazy with the spices, but it was good! it would also work with what I call the "power trio" of paprika, chili powder, and cumin).
Saute the onions and spices in olive oil until the onion is translucent and the spices are nice and fragrant. Add mixture to chick peas, and blend until mixed. Transfer to blender and pulse until the chick peas are ground up a bit and flavors are evenly distributed. Put in a bowl and fold in quinoa sprouts, oatmeal, and lightly beaten egg. These will hold together just enough to heat in a skillet.
Make sure the skillet is nice and hot and cook about 4 minutes on the first side, or until browned, flip once and wait another 3 minutes for the other side. I could have used another minute on mine.
Dress with your favorite burger condiments.
Split Pea Soup
After Christmas, my Mom gave us the left over ham and bone. We picked all of the meat off, and covered the bone with water. I added a bunch of split peas and brought the soup to a boil, then let it simmer for at least an hour. Again, I like to add wild rice to add a little more oomph to the soup. After it is done, I add some pieces of the ham that we took off before. This soup is even better the next day after the flavors have melded a bit!
Friday, January 6, 2012
Friday Experiment - Eggplant
This recipe came out really well...if you are in the mood for eggplant. It just so happens that tonight I wasn't. I bought the eggplant on a whim without a clear idea of what I wanted to do with it. Sometime during the week I lost my itching for eggplant. So here it is the end of the week and I need to use up my stuff from the week. I really wanted the spaghetti sauce I made earlier, but the flavors just didn't meld well. So I ended up with this.
Eggplant Zucchini Tomato Pasta with Dijon Vinaigrette
First I cut up my eggplant and zucchini and put them in a roasting pan. Then I tossed them with olive oil, oregano, and thyme. Roast for about 25 minutes.
After they were roasted, I added a little balsamic vinegar and dijon mustard. It was at this point that I realized my spaghetti sauce just wasn't going to mesh with this! And what I had wasn't going to work on it's own. I found some grape tomatoes in my fridge and cut them in half and stewed them in olive oil, basil, and a touch of sugar and added those to the mix along with some sprouted quinoa for protein. I added some tagiatelle, and boom. dinner. What really would have made this awesome would be olives and feta. Happy Friday!!
After they were roasted, I added a little balsamic vinegar and dijon mustard. It was at this point that I realized my spaghetti sauce just wasn't going to mesh with this! And what I had wasn't going to work on it's own. I found some grape tomatoes in my fridge and cut them in half and stewed them in olive oil, basil, and a touch of sugar and added those to the mix along with some sprouted quinoa for protein. I added some tagiatelle, and boom. dinner. What really would have made this awesome would be olives and feta. Happy Friday!!
Broccoli Soup
I had a bunch of broccoli to use up one day, so I decided on a broccoli soup. I like soup, especially in the fall and winter. My next few recipes are probably going to stay in the soup realm :)
Ingredients: Chicken stock, broccoli, wild rice
Again, you could use a variety of veggies here - it's all about having a good base. You could also use almost any grain or potato - anything that would help thicken up the soup if you added too much stock compared to broccoli like I did!
Cook the broccoli in the stock until tender. Puree. If it's too thin, cook up some rice in the broth so that it absorbs some of the fluid and the flavor. Add some cheese and cracked pepper to the top for a garnish. I used Daiya cheese replacements until my new allergies came out.
Ingredients: Chicken stock, broccoli, wild rice
Again, you could use a variety of veggies here - it's all about having a good base. You could also use almost any grain or potato - anything that would help thicken up the soup if you added too much stock compared to broccoli like I did!
Cook the broccoli in the stock until tender. Puree. If it's too thin, cook up some rice in the broth so that it absorbs some of the fluid and the flavor. Add some cheese and cracked pepper to the top for a garnish. I used Daiya cheese replacements until my new allergies came out.
Harvest Soup
This isn't really an original recipe - it's been done a lot. But it's soooo good! It's simple, and easy to adjust to what you have on hand.
The only ingredients are home made chicken stock, red onion, kale, squash, and potato. (Yep, my profile picture at the moment). The soup would be good using endless variations. I made it both with butternut squash and acorn squash, and I'm sure any other squash would work just fine. I added the potato so that it would make the soup a little thicker and because I always want more food. But you can leave it out and the soup will be fine. You could also use spinach, chard, or collard greens.
All I did was saute the red onion in a small amount of olive oil, added the broth and the squash and let it boil for about 20 minutes, then I added the kale and the potato and let that cook for about 20 more minutes. Then I mashed up the squash and potato so that it turned the broth that pretty orange color, but left enough chunks so that I could still get a nice texture. If you left out the potato, the colors would be even more vibrant. It's really a beautiful soup and it tastes so good!
The only ingredients are home made chicken stock, red onion, kale, squash, and potato. (Yep, my profile picture at the moment). The soup would be good using endless variations. I made it both with butternut squash and acorn squash, and I'm sure any other squash would work just fine. I added the potato so that it would make the soup a little thicker and because I always want more food. But you can leave it out and the soup will be fine. You could also use spinach, chard, or collard greens.
lAll I did was saute the red onion in a small amount of olive oil, added the broth and the squash and let it boil for about 20 minutes, then I added the kale and the potato and let that cook for about 20 more minutes. Then I mashed up the squash and potato so that it turned the broth that pretty orange color, but left enough chunks so that I could still get a nice texture. If you left out the potato, the colors would be even more vibrant. It's really a beautiful soup and it tastes so good!
How to Stock a Pantry....I think
One of the things I am working on now is how to keep my kitchen properly stocked and functional. Fill up the cabinets too much and you won't use what you have or it will go bad. We know what happens when you don't have enough....although I can say that I have come up with some pretty awesome recipes while trying to substitute missing ingredients. (And there have been massive failures, but we don't need to go into those yet).
I like to keep a wide array of spices and herbs around. The best are garden fresh herbs, but I tend to kill things, so unless my Mom is supplying me with fresh stuff, we used dry. It is my goal to start a garden this spring. We'll see. I use a lot of parsley, basil, oregano, thyme, rosemary, sage; paprika, chile powder, cumin, coriander, tumeric, ginger; allspice, cinnamon, cloves; bay leaves, chili flakes, and dill on occasion. It's important to know that some spices need to be heated in oil to really become potent. Experiment a little - it's fun! I LOVE garlic as well, but I have found out that I am allergic to that, so I stay away now. That's sad.
Other things that I keep in my cabinets are rice, potatoes, onions, coconut milk, and an array of canned/jarred veggies (pumpkin and tomatoes are really helpful!), and beans. I am afraid of BPA and other "stuff" that may be lingering in cans, so I am trying to move more toward things that are in glass jars rather than cans. Actually now that I know about my yeast allergy, I should be staying away from all of that stuff! (Is that really feasible?) I also have some brown sugar, regular sugar, agave nectar, honey, extra virgin olive oil, and some type of flour or flour blend.
For grains, I like to experiment, so I rotate what I have. I really like quinoa, (a complete protein!), so I have a bunch of that on hand. I also keep dried lentils and recently split peas. I also use dried beans a bunch too. If you are using dried beans it's really important that you prepare them properly. (They have toxins on the surface and need to be soaked for some time AND boiled for a little while before they are ready to cook). I also typically have a bunch of pasta on hand...I'm hoping to try and make some of my own next week - I'll share how that goes!
Lastly, in my fridge I always have my Earth Balance "butter", my Spectrum Canola Mayo, Dijon mustard, eggs, and some sprouted beans and/or grains. Usually I keep some Almond milk around too, but not always. In my freezer I generally have enough meat for a broth, and any other "good" quality meat or fish I find on sale. I also have an array of frozen veggies, meat stock, and leftovers that I can pull from.
When I shop I pick out whichever veggies and fruit meet my needs for the week and any other specialty items I may want to have around.
I *try* to keep my kitchen as sparse as I can...it doesn't look like it, but I try to remove all of the extra stuff that is around. I have a one year old that often ransacks my cabinets though...and yes he can open the child safety things on the doors. So alas, my kitchen still looks disorderly....oh well!
I like to keep a wide array of spices and herbs around. The best are garden fresh herbs, but I tend to kill things, so unless my Mom is supplying me with fresh stuff, we used dry. It is my goal to start a garden this spring. We'll see. I use a lot of parsley, basil, oregano, thyme, rosemary, sage; paprika, chile powder, cumin, coriander, tumeric, ginger; allspice, cinnamon, cloves; bay leaves, chili flakes, and dill on occasion. It's important to know that some spices need to be heated in oil to really become potent. Experiment a little - it's fun! I LOVE garlic as well, but I have found out that I am allergic to that, so I stay away now. That's sad.
Other things that I keep in my cabinets are rice, potatoes, onions, coconut milk, and an array of canned/jarred veggies (pumpkin and tomatoes are really helpful!), and beans. I am afraid of BPA and other "stuff" that may be lingering in cans, so I am trying to move more toward things that are in glass jars rather than cans. Actually now that I know about my yeast allergy, I should be staying away from all of that stuff! (Is that really feasible?) I also have some brown sugar, regular sugar, agave nectar, honey, extra virgin olive oil, and some type of flour or flour blend.
For grains, I like to experiment, so I rotate what I have. I really like quinoa, (a complete protein!), so I have a bunch of that on hand. I also keep dried lentils and recently split peas. I also use dried beans a bunch too. If you are using dried beans it's really important that you prepare them properly. (They have toxins on the surface and need to be soaked for some time AND boiled for a little while before they are ready to cook). I also typically have a bunch of pasta on hand...I'm hoping to try and make some of my own next week - I'll share how that goes!
Lastly, in my fridge I always have my Earth Balance "butter", my Spectrum Canola Mayo, Dijon mustard, eggs, and some sprouted beans and/or grains. Usually I keep some Almond milk around too, but not always. In my freezer I generally have enough meat for a broth, and any other "good" quality meat or fish I find on sale. I also have an array of frozen veggies, meat stock, and leftovers that I can pull from.
When I shop I pick out whichever veggies and fruit meet my needs for the week and any other specialty items I may want to have around.
I *try* to keep my kitchen as sparse as I can...it doesn't look like it, but I try to remove all of the extra stuff that is around. I have a one year old that often ransacks my cabinets though...and yes he can open the child safety things on the doors. So alas, my kitchen still looks disorderly....oh well!
Safety in the Kitchen
Organic or Conventional? Stainless Steal? Enamel? Cast Iron? Dishwasher safe? Cage Free? Pasture Raised? Green? Natural?
There are all of these labels on things, and I'm not sure what any of it really means. I know what I think it should mean, but what does it actually mean? I wish I had a clear cut answer, but I don't. And when I try to research things, all of the information makes my head spin. One site says one thing while another says the opposite. So I try to rely on a little bit on common sense and how to apply what I know in a general sense.
In terms of cookware, it's my feeling that anything that is enameled or non stick is covering something that we shouldn't be exposed to. These types of pans should NEVER be scoured. Because that means that you are breaking down that layer which protects us from what is underneath it. Safety tests (if there were any) are done with the assumption that our cookware is in good shape and that we replace what isn't. But how do we really know when that layer is gone? Well, with non-stick it's pretty easy. But it has recently come to my attention that the "safe" go-to, stainless steal, is not necessarily fool proof either. I cannot go out and buy a new set of pans right now, but I make sure that when I wash my pans I don't use harsh soaps or scour them. If I need to soak them in hot water, that's fine. Usually everything will just come right off that way.
I am trying to make more use of my cast iron pan and my stonewear. These should NEVER be put in the dishwasher (if your stonewear says that it's dishwasher safe, then it is enameled and defeats the purpose of what stonewear is supposed to be). To clean them, just use hot water and wipe them clean. Then immediately wipe them dry. No soap, ever. Easy! And my food usually comes out fabulous!
But how about food? There are all of these labels about being "naturally raised", "hormone free", chickens that are vegetarian....wait a minute. Chickens aren't vegetarians. So why are vegetarian chickens a GOOD thing? I don't think they are, it's just creative marketing. I saw this post (http://seasonseatingsfarm.wordpress.com/2007/08/24/meat-eating-cows-and-vegetarian-chickens/
some time ago, and it really hit home. Why, why, why am I paying so much more for "cage free, vegetarian fed" eggs? Or chicken? Because on some level I hope that the conditions are better than the regular stuff. Really what I should be doing, and am looking into for spring, is finding local farms to provide meat and eggs and veggies. Because veggies have some implications of their own, even the organic kind. Mostly political, but I can't help feeling that if I have the knowledge that something is happening, then I have the power, and to some extent the responsibility, to change my actions. And if enough people do the same, we should see some difference, or hopefully even improvement.
My last thing is cleaning stuff. What are we really buying? If cleaning is as easy as vinegar, water, baking soda, and a pinch of lemon....what are all of the "green" chemicals? And why pay so much for them? I can see needing some kind of surfactant for getting grease off of dishes and germs down the drain, but we don't need to be using as much as the marketing companies say we do. And we certainly don't need cancer causing chemicals just because we like the smell of fake fruit, do we? It's cheaper, safer, and easier to stick to home made things...that's my view anyway!
There are all of these labels on things, and I'm not sure what any of it really means. I know what I think it should mean, but what does it actually mean? I wish I had a clear cut answer, but I don't. And when I try to research things, all of the information makes my head spin. One site says one thing while another says the opposite. So I try to rely on a little bit on common sense and how to apply what I know in a general sense.
In terms of cookware, it's my feeling that anything that is enameled or non stick is covering something that we shouldn't be exposed to. These types of pans should NEVER be scoured. Because that means that you are breaking down that layer which protects us from what is underneath it. Safety tests (if there were any) are done with the assumption that our cookware is in good shape and that we replace what isn't. But how do we really know when that layer is gone? Well, with non-stick it's pretty easy. But it has recently come to my attention that the "safe" go-to, stainless steal, is not necessarily fool proof either. I cannot go out and buy a new set of pans right now, but I make sure that when I wash my pans I don't use harsh soaps or scour them. If I need to soak them in hot water, that's fine. Usually everything will just come right off that way.
I am trying to make more use of my cast iron pan and my stonewear. These should NEVER be put in the dishwasher (if your stonewear says that it's dishwasher safe, then it is enameled and defeats the purpose of what stonewear is supposed to be). To clean them, just use hot water and wipe them clean. Then immediately wipe them dry. No soap, ever. Easy! And my food usually comes out fabulous!
But how about food? There are all of these labels about being "naturally raised", "hormone free", chickens that are vegetarian....wait a minute. Chickens aren't vegetarians. So why are vegetarian chickens a GOOD thing? I don't think they are, it's just creative marketing. I saw this post (http://seasonseatingsfarm.wordpress.com/2007/08/24/meat-eating-cows-and-vegetarian-chickens/
some time ago, and it really hit home. Why, why, why am I paying so much more for "cage free, vegetarian fed" eggs? Or chicken? Because on some level I hope that the conditions are better than the regular stuff. Really what I should be doing, and am looking into for spring, is finding local farms to provide meat and eggs and veggies. Because veggies have some implications of their own, even the organic kind. Mostly political, but I can't help feeling that if I have the knowledge that something is happening, then I have the power, and to some extent the responsibility, to change my actions. And if enough people do the same, we should see some difference, or hopefully even improvement.
My last thing is cleaning stuff. What are we really buying? If cleaning is as easy as vinegar, water, baking soda, and a pinch of lemon....what are all of the "green" chemicals? And why pay so much for them? I can see needing some kind of surfactant for getting grease off of dishes and germs down the drain, but we don't need to be using as much as the marketing companies say we do. And we certainly don't need cancer causing chemicals just because we like the smell of fake fruit, do we? It's cheaper, safer, and easier to stick to home made things...that's my view anyway!
Soaking and Sprouting Grains
So, why go through the work of soaking and sprouting? Think of it this way - grains are seeds. Seeds aren't supposed to be digested, IF they get eaten, then they want to go through the digestive system intact. Think about fruit. Those seeds want to get eaten by animals so that the seeds are spread and the plant can grow in more and more places.
Grains are a relatively new (in terms of the human race and how long we have been around) food. In the past, when grains were harvested, they couldn't possibly get the job done in one day, so the grains were sprouting in the fields before they were eaten. Sprouting allows the seed to germinate, which releases nutrients and allows the sprout to be easily digested. Now, we are able to pick and harvest the grains in one step, and the seeds are still seeds when they get into our kitchen. Seeds (this is true for grains, seeds, nuts, and some legumes), are also typically covered with phytic acid to protect it. Phytic acid can't be digested in humans and is an anti nutrient in the sense that it prevents absorption of vitamin and minerals. They also will taste bitter and take quite a bit longer to cook.
Phytic acid can be broken down by sprouting and/or fermenting the grains, and this will make the nutrients available for absorptions. Otherwise, all you are eating is mean roughage! And at the very least soaking your grains will wash off some of the dirt, grime, and pesticide residue. Yuck!
Soaking/Sprouting is really easy, and it's not really a lot of work. It does, however, take planning. But then again it's a good thing to meal plan!
All you need to sprout your grains is a large jar with a mesh top, grain of choice, and a kitchen towel.
Add a scoop of grains to the jar, fill with water, and let sit over night. Some grains will sprout small sprouts rather quickly, others need a bit more time. In the morning, rinse the sprouts with clean water and let the water drain. Do this between 2 and 4 times per day until sprouted. Let your sprouts dry and refrigerate them. They should last a few days in the fridge with no problem. Sprouts can be eaten raw (like bean sprouts on a salad), or cooked.
Here is my sprouting jar. It should have a little more water in there, I think...I just wanted a picture. You will notice that the water is a bit cloudy and bubbly. This what you want to be removing from your grains! I forgot a "before" picture of the quinoa I sprouted, but it looks like an oblong, opaque hard little ball type thing.
Grains are a relatively new (in terms of the human race and how long we have been around) food. In the past, when grains were harvested, they couldn't possibly get the job done in one day, so the grains were sprouting in the fields before they were eaten. Sprouting allows the seed to germinate, which releases nutrients and allows the sprout to be easily digested. Now, we are able to pick and harvest the grains in one step, and the seeds are still seeds when they get into our kitchen. Seeds (this is true for grains, seeds, nuts, and some legumes), are also typically covered with phytic acid to protect it. Phytic acid can't be digested in humans and is an anti nutrient in the sense that it prevents absorption of vitamin and minerals. They also will taste bitter and take quite a bit longer to cook.
Phytic acid can be broken down by sprouting and/or fermenting the grains, and this will make the nutrients available for absorptions. Otherwise, all you are eating is mean roughage! And at the very least soaking your grains will wash off some of the dirt, grime, and pesticide residue. Yuck!
Soaking/Sprouting is really easy, and it's not really a lot of work. It does, however, take planning. But then again it's a good thing to meal plan!
All you need to sprout your grains is a large jar with a mesh top, grain of choice, and a kitchen towel.
Add a scoop of grains to the jar, fill with water, and let sit over night. Some grains will sprout small sprouts rather quickly, others need a bit more time. In the morning, rinse the sprouts with clean water and let the water drain. Do this between 2 and 4 times per day until sprouted. Let your sprouts dry and refrigerate them. They should last a few days in the fridge with no problem. Sprouts can be eaten raw (like bean sprouts on a salad), or cooked.
Here is my sprouting jar. It should have a little more water in there, I think...I just wanted a picture. You will notice that the water is a bit cloudy and bubbly. This what you want to be removing from your grains! I forgot a "before" picture of the quinoa I sprouted, but it looks like an oblong, opaque hard little ball type thing.
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Basic Broths
Broth is a staple in my kitchen. I use it all the time, and the pre-made versions just have too many allergens...or toxins. If I can eat them, it's not usually worth the price. So, any time I see "brothy" meats on sale, I grab them and throw them in the freezer for "Broth Day". Meat stocks to best when you have some bones and some tissue meats. I use a small roasting chicken for chicken stalk, and I use marrow bones with whatever kinds of meats I can find. Either stock will be fine, but bland, unless you add some onion and some root veggies to add depth to the flavor. I haven't ventured into fish stalks, and just haven't done the vegetable stock. Here are the basics:
Chicken Stock/Broth:
Chicken Stock/Broth:
1 full chicken, rinsed
cover chicken with water until there is about 2-3 inches of water above chicken. For more flavorful broth use less water, for more bang for your buck use more water.
Heat just until it boils and skim off the scum that rises to the top.
Add onion, celery, carrot (or leek, celery root, or whatever veggies you have on hand), peppercorns, sea salt, parsley and thyme.
Return to a slow boil. (You don't want a roaring boil because it will break down the meat and make the broth difficult to strain, and you will loose a lot of liquid). Keep at least partially covered. Let it boil for at least 4 hours.
Once cooled, remove chicken and veggies, and strain the broth. Transfer to bowl, cover and refrigerate overnight. In the morning remove the layer of fat that rises to the top.
I discard the veggies, but I keep the chicken to make chicken salad from.
*You could also roast the chicken first and then make the broth from the left over carcass. After you refrigerate the broth, it will become coagulated. In my recipe, the broth will be liquid except for the fat layer on top.
BEEF STOCK:
For beef stock, I get some marrow bones from the grocery store, and whatever inexpensive tissue meats I can find. The marrow of the bones has some really great nutrients, so I find it really important to get that stuff out!
Preheat your oven to 350, and take the big bones and stand them on the ends in a roasting pan so that the marrow and juices can seep out. Roast for 30-45 minutes.
Take the bones and put them in your stock pot and cover with enough water. (until there is a couple if inches covering the bones). Scrape the roasting pan to get all of the liquid and bits into your broth. Add to the stock pot along with whatever tissue meats you have.
Continue on as with the chicken stock.
Having these in the house is awesome in terms of coming up with quick sauces or soups.
So, What Now?
After avoiding dairy, soy, and gluten pretty much completely for at least six months, I started experimenting with them to see how well both Nick and I handled them. At first it was wonderful. I hadn't realized just how stressful it was worrying about every bite of food I ate. I felt indulged. It was glorious. For about half an hour. It's funny, some symptoms crop up almost immediately, others take a few days to come to their peak. Although I often daydream about going back to "care free" eating, I've found that it's not worth it.
I can, however, handle a little bit of dairy in the form of butter on occasion without getting sick. But I am hesitant to do much more than that.
In my research about food allergies, I have uncovered the theory that allergies and intolerances can be caused by two things that I never considered. The first thing is that if you don't vary your diet enough, you body becomes sensitized to the proteins, and if you keep bombarding your system with those proteins, eventually you will develop an immune response. This takes me to the second thing, which is that if you don't have balanced gut flora, you are absorbing proteins that haven't been completely digested, and should not be absorbed. This can also cause your body to react to things. These ideas make a lot of sense to me, especially because I have noticed that I appear to be developing a sensitivity to eggs. I have relied heavily on eggs since eliminating the dairy, etc. Now I feel like I have been kicked in the stomach when I eat them (particularly if they are raw).
In addition to the dairy, soy, gluten, and now eggs, I had my blood tested to see what else would appear. I get the full results next week, but the top two things that were on it were garlic and yeast. (Ugh!!) At first it doesn't sound all that bad - bread and garlic, right? Try anything malted, fermented, or dried. There is yeast naturally occurring in the air, so if I can't rinse it, I can't eat it. Anything fermented is out, and apart from the obvious (alcohol), that also includes dill pickles, soy sauce, ginger ale, and VINEGAR. Yes, vinegar. Sad.
With all of this in mind, I feel that my only real option is to try doing the GAPS Diet. (www.gapsdiet.com). I can't possibly avoid all of the foods I need to without over exposing and developing new sensitivities or intolerances. And I've determined that I can't just go back to overloading my system with all of my allergens and hope to go back to my old "baseline". It's just too painful, and to be honest, I just don't feel happy when I'm not eating well.
There are still a few things to take into consideration: What will the die off do? Not only for me, but to Nick, who is still breastfeeding? I can't switch him to formula (don't want to and I'm sure he would have a lot of issues with it anyway), he doesn't eat enough to wean. Can I do this on my own? I don't know. Just cutting out the dairy, soy, and gluten was really really hard. I can look back now and say that it's all been good, but it was not an easy road.
So I have started this blog. It will hold me accountable, and let others know about this journey. And I can get some (hopefully) yummy recipes out there. I will post some of my favorite DF, SF, GF recipes so far, and hopefully you can try them too!
I can, however, handle a little bit of dairy in the form of butter on occasion without getting sick. But I am hesitant to do much more than that.
In my research about food allergies, I have uncovered the theory that allergies and intolerances can be caused by two things that I never considered. The first thing is that if you don't vary your diet enough, you body becomes sensitized to the proteins, and if you keep bombarding your system with those proteins, eventually you will develop an immune response. This takes me to the second thing, which is that if you don't have balanced gut flora, you are absorbing proteins that haven't been completely digested, and should not be absorbed. This can also cause your body to react to things. These ideas make a lot of sense to me, especially because I have noticed that I appear to be developing a sensitivity to eggs. I have relied heavily on eggs since eliminating the dairy, etc. Now I feel like I have been kicked in the stomach when I eat them (particularly if they are raw).
In addition to the dairy, soy, gluten, and now eggs, I had my blood tested to see what else would appear. I get the full results next week, but the top two things that were on it were garlic and yeast. (Ugh!!) At first it doesn't sound all that bad - bread and garlic, right? Try anything malted, fermented, or dried. There is yeast naturally occurring in the air, so if I can't rinse it, I can't eat it. Anything fermented is out, and apart from the obvious (alcohol), that also includes dill pickles, soy sauce, ginger ale, and VINEGAR. Yes, vinegar. Sad.
With all of this in mind, I feel that my only real option is to try doing the GAPS Diet. (www.gapsdiet.com). I can't possibly avoid all of the foods I need to without over exposing and developing new sensitivities or intolerances. And I've determined that I can't just go back to overloading my system with all of my allergens and hope to go back to my old "baseline". It's just too painful, and to be honest, I just don't feel happy when I'm not eating well.
There are still a few things to take into consideration: What will the die off do? Not only for me, but to Nick, who is still breastfeeding? I can't switch him to formula (don't want to and I'm sure he would have a lot of issues with it anyway), he doesn't eat enough to wean. Can I do this on my own? I don't know. Just cutting out the dairy, soy, and gluten was really really hard. I can look back now and say that it's all been good, but it was not an easy road.
So I have started this blog. It will hold me accountable, and let others know about this journey. And I can get some (hopefully) yummy recipes out there. I will post some of my favorite DF, SF, GF recipes so far, and hopefully you can try them too!
Gluten Intolerence?
Gluten is another toughie. The only thing that has made it easier to avoid is that it's becoming more common for people to avoid gluten, which means that there are more convenience items available. Just remember though, that these foods are still processed, and it's better to just eat foods that are naturally gluten free. I will say though, that it is amazing to have some kind of fall back of ready made foods that I can have on hand if I need to.
Gluten makes me sick. Gluten makes me bloated. Gluten makes me dizzy. Gluten makes my skin crawl...or my blood. It feels as though I can actually feel my immune cells battling the gluten in my blood stream. This happens when I am trying to sleep, and I can't stand the touch of anything on my skin, and I start to twitch. It sucks.
Gluten makes me sick. Gluten makes me bloated. Gluten makes me dizzy. Gluten makes my skin crawl...or my blood. It feels as though I can actually feel my immune cells battling the gluten in my blood stream. This happens when I am trying to sleep, and I can't stand the touch of anything on my skin, and I start to twitch. It sucks.
My Feelings on Soy
I should start by saying that soy, prepared with traditional methods is not what I mean when I talk about soy in general. Properly preparing soy, or food in general, greatly changes it's characteristics and nutritive value. (I highly recommend reading Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon. Even if you don't identify with everything in the book, the general knowledge and understanding of food, diet, and health with be totally worth it).
I don't have a ton to say about soy, just that it makes me miserable. And it's in nearly everything. Italian salad dressing that you may think is olive oil? Soybean oil. Ketchup? Soybean oil. Chips? Soybean oil. Mayo? Soybean oil. Canola oil mayo? You guessed it, usually also contains soybean oil. Pretty much every food that has oil uses soybean oil. Pretty much anything that is not a whole food has soybean oil, soy protein, or some soy content in it. Well, that's not entirely true, their are some brands that recognize that some people need an alternative to soy. Earth Balance, So Delicious, Pacific, spectrum, and veganaise are a couple of examples. But as always, check labels. And also be mindful that sometimes different size containers of the same product have different ingredients. As if things weren't complicated enough, right? Soy is hard to cut out.
I don't have a ton to say about soy, just that it makes me miserable. And it's in nearly everything. Italian salad dressing that you may think is olive oil? Soybean oil. Ketchup? Soybean oil. Chips? Soybean oil. Mayo? Soybean oil. Canola oil mayo? You guessed it, usually also contains soybean oil. Pretty much every food that has oil uses soybean oil. Pretty much anything that is not a whole food has soybean oil, soy protein, or some soy content in it. Well, that's not entirely true, their are some brands that recognize that some people need an alternative to soy. Earth Balance, So Delicious, Pacific, spectrum, and veganaise are a couple of examples. But as always, check labels. And also be mindful that sometimes different size containers of the same product have different ingredients. As if things weren't complicated enough, right? Soy is hard to cut out.
Dairy is PAIN
Pain to avoid, pain to eat. Ha!
I learned I had issues with dairy after I eliminated it for my son. I was (and still am) breastfeeding my son Nick, and realized that he was having awful sticky, mucus-y, diarhea-y and at times bloody stools. He was always in a state of discomfort, and was my little obligate chest sleeper for most of his life. He is just now at about 14 months really beginning to eat table food.
Dairy takes at least two weeks to clear from your system, so for the two of us to see true improvement from eliminating dairy it took us nearly a month. And even then we had to eliminate more foods...and now even more.
It was the first food we eliminated, so it was the most difficult in terms of not knowing what to expect, or how to substitute it in recipes when I didn't really even know how to cook yet. It was hard, it was uncomfortable, but in the end I felt a million times better. I eliminated it because my son was showing symptoms, but I found that I actually had issues as well.
The first few days it was hard in terms of changing habits. No cream in my coffee, no milk in my cereal, no butter on my toast, no butter when cooking my eggs, no creamy salad dressing on my salads, no cream cheese, no cottage cheese or yogurt snacks...no CHEESE! I learned in those few days just how much dairy I actually ate. And how many calories dairy actually contributed to my diet. I think I lost 10 pounds in two weeks.
And not only did I eliminate the obvious dairy, I had to do the so-called "hidden" dairy, so anything with whey protein, lactose, or caesin (milk protein) in it. So, a lot of processed or pre-made foods were out too. Which isn't really a BAD thing, right?
The next few days the withdrawals set in. Seriously, it reminded me of when I quit smoking. I had literally been addicted to dairy?! I was cranky, my nose was runny, I was congested, and my brain just felt weird. This lasted some time. Definitely the hardest part.
Then all of a sudden, I got this crazy surge in energy, and I felt lighter. Not just because I lost weight, but I genuinely felt GOOD. And once I felt good, I found it fun to start experimenting with recipes. It actually pushed me into cooking in a way that I totally didn't expect....and I liked it!
At first, when I didn't just omit the dairy, I just used simple replacements. I used olive oil instead of butter when I cooked, which wasn't a huge change for me, and I got some rice milk and almond milk to try. Not bad, not great, but not bad. But what about cream sauces, egg nog, ice cream, and if you REALLY need a butter fix?
It depends on the recipe, but I alternate mostly between almond milk and coconut milk for milk and cream replacements, and I use Earth Balance (dairy free, gluten free, soy free!!) fake butter spread. (Which is oil, so really not good for you, but on occasion worth the indulgence IMO). I like to stay away from soy because of the phyto estrogens, because the protein is actually similar to dairy (so we do react to it as well), and because it honestly gives me horrendous mood swings. And headaches.
Anyway, dairy did all sorts of yucky things to us, but having been without it for about 6 months, I have been able to reintroduce small quantities (i.e. cooking with butter on occasion), but too much still makes both Nick and I sick. I know if I push it, we will have to go off of it completely again, so I still try to stay away from it as much as possible.
I learned I had issues with dairy after I eliminated it for my son. I was (and still am) breastfeeding my son Nick, and realized that he was having awful sticky, mucus-y, diarhea-y and at times bloody stools. He was always in a state of discomfort, and was my little obligate chest sleeper for most of his life. He is just now at about 14 months really beginning to eat table food.
Dairy takes at least two weeks to clear from your system, so for the two of us to see true improvement from eliminating dairy it took us nearly a month. And even then we had to eliminate more foods...and now even more.
It was the first food we eliminated, so it was the most difficult in terms of not knowing what to expect, or how to substitute it in recipes when I didn't really even know how to cook yet. It was hard, it was uncomfortable, but in the end I felt a million times better. I eliminated it because my son was showing symptoms, but I found that I actually had issues as well.
The first few days it was hard in terms of changing habits. No cream in my coffee, no milk in my cereal, no butter on my toast, no butter when cooking my eggs, no creamy salad dressing on my salads, no cream cheese, no cottage cheese or yogurt snacks...no CHEESE! I learned in those few days just how much dairy I actually ate. And how many calories dairy actually contributed to my diet. I think I lost 10 pounds in two weeks.
And not only did I eliminate the obvious dairy, I had to do the so-called "hidden" dairy, so anything with whey protein, lactose, or caesin (milk protein) in it. So, a lot of processed or pre-made foods were out too. Which isn't really a BAD thing, right?
The next few days the withdrawals set in. Seriously, it reminded me of when I quit smoking. I had literally been addicted to dairy?! I was cranky, my nose was runny, I was congested, and my brain just felt weird. This lasted some time. Definitely the hardest part.
Then all of a sudden, I got this crazy surge in energy, and I felt lighter. Not just because I lost weight, but I genuinely felt GOOD. And once I felt good, I found it fun to start experimenting with recipes. It actually pushed me into cooking in a way that I totally didn't expect....and I liked it!
At first, when I didn't just omit the dairy, I just used simple replacements. I used olive oil instead of butter when I cooked, which wasn't a huge change for me, and I got some rice milk and almond milk to try. Not bad, not great, but not bad. But what about cream sauces, egg nog, ice cream, and if you REALLY need a butter fix?
It depends on the recipe, but I alternate mostly between almond milk and coconut milk for milk and cream replacements, and I use Earth Balance (dairy free, gluten free, soy free!!) fake butter spread. (Which is oil, so really not good for you, but on occasion worth the indulgence IMO). I like to stay away from soy because of the phyto estrogens, because the protein is actually similar to dairy (so we do react to it as well), and because it honestly gives me horrendous mood swings. And headaches.
Anyway, dairy did all sorts of yucky things to us, but having been without it for about 6 months, I have been able to reintroduce small quantities (i.e. cooking with butter on occasion), but too much still makes both Nick and I sick. I know if I push it, we will have to go off of it completely again, so I still try to stay away from it as much as possible.
My Story
Have you had that defining moment in your life when you realize that what you are experiencing isn't NORMAL!? Maybe I'm just a little bit oblivious to the world around me, but it has taken me almost 30 years to recognize that other people aren't plagued with overabundant, um, gas. (Did I mention that this was going to be a really honest account of things??). My Father actually refers to me lovingly as his "Little Gaseous Flower". That should have been my first clue.
But let me back up a little bit. I guess my journey started in a lot of ways when I had my son, Nick. I have always seen myself as being healthy, have always had "clean" physicals, and with the exception of knowing I could be eating better and exercising more, I thought that I was in pretty good shape. After Nick was born (best thing ever!!) I noticed that his stools went from the normal yellow mustard poops to weird slimy green poops. He never slept well, and would NEVER let me put him down. In of itself that doesn't sound too weird for a baby, and his doctor reassured me that it was normal.
When Nick was about 5 weeks old I realized that I had oversupply syndrome, and knew that this had something to do with Nick's constant discomfort. His poops had started to get foamy and forest green colored and he had what seemed like terrible gas pains. He would scream and cry. He still wouldn't let me put him down. EVER. Instead of doing the smart thing and finding a Lactation Consultant to help me out, I consulted Dr. Google for help. I was still in a lot of pain at that point from the birth (I had a "popped" tailbone from pushing a 9lb 8oz baby out over a four hour push fest), and I was exhausted from not sleeping.
I started block feeding to try to decrease my supply. (Feeding off one side for a couple of hours, then switching to the other side for a couple of hours). Nick still wasn't emptying my breasts, and I was still producing WAY too much milk...I went for 12 hour blocks. My supply plummeted. But then we regulated things, and it got much better. It took until Nick was probably 12 weeks old or more for us to get things "good". (I still only feed one breast at a time).
Now, though, Nick's poops were STILL slimy and green. He was still uncomfortable. He still wouldn't let me put him down. I thought that maybe he had a food allergy, but our pediatrician at the time dismissed it. He said that there was little to no chance. So we forged ahead. We had bought a new house! We moved in when Nick was about 4 months old, and we saw a new doctor. Nick started to get bits of blood in his poop in addition to the mucus. He also lost that "mustard" consistency and was pooping mostly water and mucus. It was at this point that the new doctor suggested a dairy intolerance. I didn't believe it really, since the first pediatrician did such a good job of convincing me that it was so far fetched. We didn't change anything.
At 6 months of age, Nick's digestion wasn't improving. He was still waking up every 90 minutes most nights (Thank goodness for Co Sleeping!!!) He had no interest in eating solids. I finally decided that eliminating dairy was a good way to go. I made it a week. It was horrible! I was on and off the "wagon" for that month, until Nick started to wimper and crawl into my lap to poop. I felt SO horrible. How could I have gone THIS long and not been able to do it sooner?? He was pooping almost 6 times per day. He was still sleeping horribly, and for the most part did not sleep on his own. (Still my little obligate chest sleeper - which I didn't mind too much). The pediatrician told me that this all still sounded normal, and that it probably wasn't a dairy allergy.
When Nick was 7 months old, I went cold turkey - no dairy. At all. I survived though; Nick's sleeping was slowly improving, and I could get him to nap short periods on his own on occasion. His poops started to normalize. But they didn't get entirely better. It takes about 3-4 weeks for the dairy to be completely out of both of our systems, so by the time Nick was 8 months old, he still wasn't completely better. I cut out soy and gluten. BAM. What a difference!
Nick went from pooping awful mucus yucky poops multiple times per day, to pooping actual normal baby poops once per day or every other day. Wow, what a relief! Except that I was no chef. It was torture to get through the day and figure out what to eat. I labored over food labels at the grocery store, I worried about EVERY MORSEL I put into my mouth. I lost TONS of weight. I was lethargic. I was hungry. But Nick started to sleep. He was still what is considered to be a "bad" sleeper (a term I HATE). But he started giving me at least one good stretch of sleep per night. (I mean 2-3 hours and at times up to 5 or 6!) And I could usually get him to nap for a little while.
When Nick was about 9 to 10 months old he finally started to try and steal my food. Yay! I was excited. One thing Nick has never been lacking in is size. It's a little crazy to think that for the first half of his life he was having diarrhea multiple times per day, and still managed to be off the charts in terms of growth. It didn't make sense until you looked at me. I was bone thin.
Things were good until they weren't. All of a sudden Nick or I ate something that didn't agree with us, and he was back to his 30-90 minute sleep stretches at night. He would wake up and toss and turn and wimper and fart. What else could I possibly eliminate!?
I decided to go to a family practice at this point. It made more sense to see someone who could treat both of our symptoms, rather than just one side of the problem. I got a blood test to see what kind of allergies I had. I get the results next week. I am a little scared. Scratch that, I am scared numb. The office did let me know the top two results since it would be a little while until they could get me in. Garlic and Yeast.
Do you have any idea how many foods this eliminates!??? It's frighting to know that these foods that I have been eating forever have been making me and Nick sick. Or uncomfortable. Luckily (and I am truly thankful for this) our reactions all seem to be GI and psychological. No threat of death.
But this gets me thinking about what is normal. Excessive farting is not normal. I think of how many times I've been out places and can't even focus on conversations because I need to fart so bad. And my stomach is bloated into pregnant belly. I can't wait to feel at ease. I know it's possible. Most (all?) of my anxiety has been alleviated by eliminating the dairy, soy, and gluten. I wonder what other "DIS-ease" symptoms I can fix?
But let me back up a little bit. I guess my journey started in a lot of ways when I had my son, Nick. I have always seen myself as being healthy, have always had "clean" physicals, and with the exception of knowing I could be eating better and exercising more, I thought that I was in pretty good shape. After Nick was born (best thing ever!!) I noticed that his stools went from the normal yellow mustard poops to weird slimy green poops. He never slept well, and would NEVER let me put him down. In of itself that doesn't sound too weird for a baby, and his doctor reassured me that it was normal.
When Nick was about 5 weeks old I realized that I had oversupply syndrome, and knew that this had something to do with Nick's constant discomfort. His poops had started to get foamy and forest green colored and he had what seemed like terrible gas pains. He would scream and cry. He still wouldn't let me put him down. EVER. Instead of doing the smart thing and finding a Lactation Consultant to help me out, I consulted Dr. Google for help. I was still in a lot of pain at that point from the birth (I had a "popped" tailbone from pushing a 9lb 8oz baby out over a four hour push fest), and I was exhausted from not sleeping.
I started block feeding to try to decrease my supply. (Feeding off one side for a couple of hours, then switching to the other side for a couple of hours). Nick still wasn't emptying my breasts, and I was still producing WAY too much milk...I went for 12 hour blocks. My supply plummeted. But then we regulated things, and it got much better. It took until Nick was probably 12 weeks old or more for us to get things "good". (I still only feed one breast at a time).
Now, though, Nick's poops were STILL slimy and green. He was still uncomfortable. He still wouldn't let me put him down. I thought that maybe he had a food allergy, but our pediatrician at the time dismissed it. He said that there was little to no chance. So we forged ahead. We had bought a new house! We moved in when Nick was about 4 months old, and we saw a new doctor. Nick started to get bits of blood in his poop in addition to the mucus. He also lost that "mustard" consistency and was pooping mostly water and mucus. It was at this point that the new doctor suggested a dairy intolerance. I didn't believe it really, since the first pediatrician did such a good job of convincing me that it was so far fetched. We didn't change anything.
At 6 months of age, Nick's digestion wasn't improving. He was still waking up every 90 minutes most nights (Thank goodness for Co Sleeping!!!) He had no interest in eating solids. I finally decided that eliminating dairy was a good way to go. I made it a week. It was horrible! I was on and off the "wagon" for that month, until Nick started to wimper and crawl into my lap to poop. I felt SO horrible. How could I have gone THIS long and not been able to do it sooner?? He was pooping almost 6 times per day. He was still sleeping horribly, and for the most part did not sleep on his own. (Still my little obligate chest sleeper - which I didn't mind too much). The pediatrician told me that this all still sounded normal, and that it probably wasn't a dairy allergy.
When Nick was 7 months old, I went cold turkey - no dairy. At all. I survived though; Nick's sleeping was slowly improving, and I could get him to nap short periods on his own on occasion. His poops started to normalize. But they didn't get entirely better. It takes about 3-4 weeks for the dairy to be completely out of both of our systems, so by the time Nick was 8 months old, he still wasn't completely better. I cut out soy and gluten. BAM. What a difference!
Nick went from pooping awful mucus yucky poops multiple times per day, to pooping actual normal baby poops once per day or every other day. Wow, what a relief! Except that I was no chef. It was torture to get through the day and figure out what to eat. I labored over food labels at the grocery store, I worried about EVERY MORSEL I put into my mouth. I lost TONS of weight. I was lethargic. I was hungry. But Nick started to sleep. He was still what is considered to be a "bad" sleeper (a term I HATE). But he started giving me at least one good stretch of sleep per night. (I mean 2-3 hours and at times up to 5 or 6!) And I could usually get him to nap for a little while.
When Nick was about 9 to 10 months old he finally started to try and steal my food. Yay! I was excited. One thing Nick has never been lacking in is size. It's a little crazy to think that for the first half of his life he was having diarrhea multiple times per day, and still managed to be off the charts in terms of growth. It didn't make sense until you looked at me. I was bone thin.
Things were good until they weren't. All of a sudden Nick or I ate something that didn't agree with us, and he was back to his 30-90 minute sleep stretches at night. He would wake up and toss and turn and wimper and fart. What else could I possibly eliminate!?
I decided to go to a family practice at this point. It made more sense to see someone who could treat both of our symptoms, rather than just one side of the problem. I got a blood test to see what kind of allergies I had. I get the results next week. I am a little scared. Scratch that, I am scared numb. The office did let me know the top two results since it would be a little while until they could get me in. Garlic and Yeast.
Do you have any idea how many foods this eliminates!??? It's frighting to know that these foods that I have been eating forever have been making me and Nick sick. Or uncomfortable. Luckily (and I am truly thankful for this) our reactions all seem to be GI and psychological. No threat of death.
But this gets me thinking about what is normal. Excessive farting is not normal. I think of how many times I've been out places and can't even focus on conversations because I need to fart so bad. And my stomach is bloated into pregnant belly. I can't wait to feel at ease. I know it's possible. Most (all?) of my anxiety has been alleviated by eliminating the dairy, soy, and gluten. I wonder what other "DIS-ease" symptoms I can fix?
Starting Out
So this is my first attempt at blogging! Enough people ask me about recipes/how to cook for food allergies that I figured I could start a blog about it. I hope this can be a fun place to share recipes, talk about food allergies, and eventually document my journey into the GAPS diet. If nothing else, I will have an easy way to find my favorite recipes!
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