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.
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