It is hard to believe that foods I once loved and couldn't get enough of, I can now resist. The other morning, I slept in and Ben made cinnamon rolls. When I got up, there were three left. I didn't even think about having one. I knew it was better for me not to. I knew I wasn't missing out. Today at Ben's cousin's Annie's house, I brought a velvet chocolate layered cake that I bought from Tortas and Truffles from downtown Anoka. When the cake was served, Ben asked if I was at least going to have a bite and I said no. Again, I am sure it would have been very good, but I didn't need it.
Don't get me wrong...I love sweets! It just has become easier for me not to want them all of the time. I do want to find great gluten free dessert recipes for when I do want sweets. But now when I am at a gathering of some sort, I won't feel like I am missing out if I don't eat a dessert if it is not gluten free. It is a great feeling to have. Both my stomach and waistline are thanking me.
My sister-in-law Michele made me gluten free chocolate chip cookie dough. I made the cookies tonight and boy were they good! Thanks Michele! She is going to give me the recipe and then I will post it on my blog.
Sunday, September 4, 2011
Saturday, September 3, 2011
The Gut (TMD)
Back to The Maker's Diet book. Chapter 3
"Did you know that we have over 100 million nerve cells in our gut? The gut is more responsible than we ever imagined for mental well-being and how we feel. It is said to be our 2nd brain. The brain and gut are much alike. Both have natural ninety-minute cycles. The slow wave sleep of the brain is interrupted by periods of "rapid eye movement," or REM sleep, in which dreams occur. Patients with bowel problems also tend to have abnormal REM sleep, and poor sleep has been reported by many if not most patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and nonulcer dyspepsia ("sour stomach").
After I read this, I was like "yes" makes total sense to me. Most nights if I have eaten something during the day that is unhealthy (which has been probably most everything) I don't sleep well. I toss and turn and my stomach is tight and uncomfortable. It's like my body (my stomach) is working overdrive to process what I have eaten. Which also becomes the reason that I was so over exhausted all of the time. After eating gluten free and not having that bloated feeling and eating healthier, I have noticed that I am sleeping better. I do have more energy...still get tired though (I do have 3 kids that wear me down sometimes...) but I don't feel tired from the foods I have eaten.
Today, I made home made tomato sauce and it turned out really good. I used the tomatoes from our garden. I am going to use it for chili, spaghetti sauce, or pizza sauce. Homemade Tomato Sauce I also added brown sugar and red pepper flakes.
I am trying to make my own "foods". That way, I know what is in them.
"Did you know that we have over 100 million nerve cells in our gut? The gut is more responsible than we ever imagined for mental well-being and how we feel. It is said to be our 2nd brain. The brain and gut are much alike. Both have natural ninety-minute cycles. The slow wave sleep of the brain is interrupted by periods of "rapid eye movement," or REM sleep, in which dreams occur. Patients with bowel problems also tend to have abnormal REM sleep, and poor sleep has been reported by many if not most patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and nonulcer dyspepsia ("sour stomach").
After I read this, I was like "yes" makes total sense to me. Most nights if I have eaten something during the day that is unhealthy (which has been probably most everything) I don't sleep well. I toss and turn and my stomach is tight and uncomfortable. It's like my body (my stomach) is working overdrive to process what I have eaten. Which also becomes the reason that I was so over exhausted all of the time. After eating gluten free and not having that bloated feeling and eating healthier, I have noticed that I am sleeping better. I do have more energy...still get tired though (I do have 3 kids that wear me down sometimes...) but I don't feel tired from the foods I have eaten.
Today, I made home made tomato sauce and it turned out really good. I used the tomatoes from our garden. I am going to use it for chili, spaghetti sauce, or pizza sauce. Homemade Tomato Sauce I also added brown sugar and red pepper flakes.
I am trying to make my own "foods". That way, I know what is in them.
Friday, September 2, 2011
2 Weeks
It's been about 2 weeks now that I became gluten free. It seems like a lot longer though. I think I have already learned a lot and I am excited to learn more. I need to get back to working out! Since becoming gluten free, I have maintained a loss of 2 lbs - probably due to not eating so much extra carbs and eating a little healthier. My goal is to lose another 2-3 lbs. I still have a couple of pairs of jeans that I want to fit into before fall/winter.
For dinner tonight, I made spaghetti and meatballs for "the boys" and for myself I used pasta made out of rice and just regular ground hamburger. The rice pasta didn't taste that different than regular pasta. We also had a caprese salad (tomatoes - from our garden, fresh mozzarella cheese, and basil - from our garden drizzled with balsamic vinegar).
I forgot to mention that the other day, I opened up a can of black beans and rinsed them in the sink. I found a live worm in with the beans. I freaked out, yuk! My friend Rachel only buys dry beans and cooks them herself. Now I can see why...plus they are supposed to be better for you.
Tomorrow, I will share more about what I am learning from The Maker's Diet book.
For dinner tonight, I made spaghetti and meatballs for "the boys" and for myself I used pasta made out of rice and just regular ground hamburger. The rice pasta didn't taste that different than regular pasta. We also had a caprese salad (tomatoes - from our garden, fresh mozzarella cheese, and basil - from our garden drizzled with balsamic vinegar).
I forgot to mention that the other day, I opened up a can of black beans and rinsed them in the sink. I found a live worm in with the beans. I freaked out, yuk! My friend Rachel only buys dry beans and cooks them herself. Now I can see why...plus they are supposed to be better for you.
Tomorrow, I will share more about what I am learning from The Maker's Diet book.
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Chocolate Krinkles - Take 2
Yes, I am determined to make a great chocolate krinkle cookie recipe...and yes, I know krinkle should be spelled crinkle, but I like how the "k" looks instead of the "c". Weird, I know!
So I tried a different recipe and it turned out a lot tastier than the first recipe, but not chewy like the first recipe.
I think I will go back to the first recipe and use a different flour than what I used before. The flour I used in "take 1" was potato flour and in "take 2" I used rice and tapioca flour. For "take 3" I want to try sorghum flour. It is supposed to be similar to wheat flour, so I hope it works and tastes good. Ben told me to just make the original recipe, but I don't want to. I want to make the cookies gluten free.
For lunch today, I had a turkey and cheese sandwich with the gluten free bread I made. It was pretty good for a sandwich - better than the rice bread I bought.
I still feel great. Not being bloated all of the time, is a wonderful feeling. I really wish that I had made this change years ago!
So I tried a different recipe and it turned out a lot tastier than the first recipe, but not chewy like the first recipe.
I think I will go back to the first recipe and use a different flour than what I used before. The flour I used in "take 1" was potato flour and in "take 2" I used rice and tapioca flour. For "take 3" I want to try sorghum flour. It is supposed to be similar to wheat flour, so I hope it works and tastes good. Ben told me to just make the original recipe, but I don't want to. I want to make the cookies gluten free.
For lunch today, I had a turkey and cheese sandwich with the gluten free bread I made. It was pretty good for a sandwich - better than the rice bread I bought.
I still feel great. Not being bloated all of the time, is a wonderful feeling. I really wish that I had made this change years ago!
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Sandwich Bread
I haven't eaten a sandwich since I went gluten free. Well...I did try eating a chicken salad sandwich with that rice bread, but wasn't good. I found a recipe on seriouseats.com for sandwich bread. I made a loaf today and it turned out great. The bread isn't like "normal" sliced sandwich bread, but I am still excited to make a sandwich with it for lunch tomorrow. I searched today for other sandwich bread recipes (with great reviews) and hopefully they turn out great too.
Sandwich Bread
2 1/2 cups flour blend
2/3 cups cornstarch
2/3 cups dry milk
1 tbsp xanthan gum
1 tsp salt
1 3/4 cups warm water
1 packet yeast which equals 1 tbsp
2 tbsp vegetable oil (I think you can exchange 2 tbsp butter instead for a better taste)
2 eggs
Mix yeast and 1 3/4 c warm water and set aside. Mix together dry ingredients and then add the yeast mixture, oil and eggs. I used a hand mixer, but if you have a stand mixer remember to use the paddle attachment. Pour into greased 9 x 5 pan. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 1 hour. Bake at 350 degrees for 55 minutes. Either slice and freeze or eat within 2-3 days. Do not put in refrigerator or the bread will become soggy. (I shortened the directions - if you want the original directions, click on the link above)
I mentioned in an earlier entry about cream of mushroom soup having wheat flour in it. Well, I thought I found one that did not have wheat in it, but I was wrong. I looked at the ingredients and there is no word that would suggest that there would be wheat in it and then at the bottom of the label it said in bold letters contains: wheat, milk. I don't get it. I still used it to make a green bean casserole for dinner. Was I wrong to do so?
Sandwich Bread
2 1/2 cups flour blend
2/3 cups cornstarch
2/3 cups dry milk
1 tbsp xanthan gum
1 tsp salt
1 3/4 cups warm water
1 packet yeast which equals 1 tbsp
2 tbsp vegetable oil (I think you can exchange 2 tbsp butter instead for a better taste)
2 eggs
Mix yeast and 1 3/4 c warm water and set aside. Mix together dry ingredients and then add the yeast mixture, oil and eggs. I used a hand mixer, but if you have a stand mixer remember to use the paddle attachment. Pour into greased 9 x 5 pan. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 1 hour. Bake at 350 degrees for 55 minutes. Either slice and freeze or eat within 2-3 days. Do not put in refrigerator or the bread will become soggy. (I shortened the directions - if you want the original directions, click on the link above)
I mentioned in an earlier entry about cream of mushroom soup having wheat flour in it. Well, I thought I found one that did not have wheat in it, but I was wrong. I looked at the ingredients and there is no word that would suggest that there would be wheat in it and then at the bottom of the label it said in bold letters contains: wheat, milk. I don't get it. I still used it to make a green bean casserole for dinner. Was I wrong to do so?
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Chocolate Krinkles - Take 1
I love chocolate krinkle cookies! The first time I had one was at the Taste of Scandinavia restaurant in Shoreview, MN. I tried making my own...I tried a couple of different recipes, but they never tasted like Taste of Scandinavia's cookies. I gave up trying to make my own and then one day Ben's mom called and told me that she was at their (Medford, WI) farmers market and there were some Mennonite women selling baked goods. They had chocolate krinkle cookies! She said they were very good and the next time she saw them, she would ask for the recipe. Well...the Mennonite women never came back and Sally (Ben's mom) ended up "hunting" them down to get the recipe for me. Thanks Sally! Now I need a gluten free recipe.
After that long story...I found a recipe on Food.com. The feedback said that they were great and no one knew they were gluten free. The recipe was also similar to my original recipe, so I thought I would try it. I made a batch today. I titled this entry "chocolate krinkles - take 1" because they were good, but not great. My goal is to find a great recipe!
Tonight we ate dinner at "Dickeys BBQ" Owen's choice. My first time eating out gluten free. Ben and I shared a sandwich - I only ate the meat and then had a caesar salad no croutons.
I'm not going to mention my meals unless I have something interesting to share.
After that long story...I found a recipe on Food.com. The feedback said that they were great and no one knew they were gluten free. The recipe was also similar to my original recipe, so I thought I would try it. I made a batch today. I titled this entry "chocolate krinkles - take 1" because they were good, but not great. My goal is to find a great recipe!
Tonight we ate dinner at "Dickeys BBQ" Owen's choice. My first time eating out gluten free. Ben and I shared a sandwich - I only ate the meat and then had a caesar salad no croutons.
I'm not going to mention my meals unless I have something interesting to share.
Monday, August 29, 2011
Endless Options
Today I researched more recipes. I definitely need a good recipe for:
Sandwich bread - I tried store bought rice bread and do not like it. I know I can make my own.
Artisan bread - I want a good bread that I can serve with meals.
Chocolate krinkles - My favorite cookie - I need to be able to have them gluten free.
Cinnamon rolls - The Arndts love their cinnamon rolls. It has to be possible to make a good gluten free option for me.
There seems to be endless options (recipes/websites) to look at. I appreciate it when people write feedback/ comment on a recipe or product they have used. It helps me to decide whether or not if it is worth my time or money. Since I want to make my own breads and baked goods, I don't want to waste my time or money on trying so many recipes.
Hopefully I found some winners...I will let you know how the recipes I found turned out.
Remember when I said to read the label? I was going to make a casserole dish that needed tomato soup (canned)...finds out that it has wheat flour in it. I already make some home made soups, but never tried making tomato soup. Now I will add that to my list of recipes to find. We have a full garden of tomatoes to use and I am sure it will be easy to make.
Meals:
Breakfast - green drink and raisin toast
Lunch - quinoa, chips and home made salsa and veggies
Dinner - scrambled eggs, bagels and bacon. I just ate the eggs.
Snack - gluten free chex cereal.
Sandwich bread - I tried store bought rice bread and do not like it. I know I can make my own.
Artisan bread - I want a good bread that I can serve with meals.
Chocolate krinkles - My favorite cookie - I need to be able to have them gluten free.
Cinnamon rolls - The Arndts love their cinnamon rolls. It has to be possible to make a good gluten free option for me.
There seems to be endless options (recipes/websites) to look at. I appreciate it when people write feedback/ comment on a recipe or product they have used. It helps me to decide whether or not if it is worth my time or money. Since I want to make my own breads and baked goods, I don't want to waste my time or money on trying so many recipes.
Hopefully I found some winners...I will let you know how the recipes I found turned out.
Remember when I said to read the label? I was going to make a casserole dish that needed tomato soup (canned)...finds out that it has wheat flour in it. I already make some home made soups, but never tried making tomato soup. Now I will add that to my list of recipes to find. We have a full garden of tomatoes to use and I am sure it will be easy to make.
Meals:
Breakfast - green drink and raisin toast
Lunch - quinoa, chips and home made salsa and veggies
Dinner - scrambled eggs, bagels and bacon. I just ate the eggs.
Snack - gluten free chex cereal.
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