I did 31 days of gluten free eating. I read a list of the 10 most common symptoms of gluten sensitivity and I had 7 of them. Seemed like it would be worth the effort to do a month of retricted eating to see if it made a difference. Well I did it. I bought 7$ a loaf gluten free bread and pasta made of corn that costs twice as much as whole grain. I switched to corn tortillas and I ate more tofu and did without my beloved Boca spicy chicken burgers and Morningstar buffalo wings for 31 days.
My observations were that within 3 days my tummy was flatter and I had hardly any bloating during the entire month! No uncomfortable tummy or overly full feeling or tummy aches. No changes in digestion otherwise or skin itchines or dryness. No marked improvements in energy or mental clarity. I didn't lose any weight at all.
So I am not gluten sensitive. But it does make me bloat. I did look and feel thinner while I ate gluten free. Using this information I am coming up with a new plan. My plan is simple. Eat gluten free as much as is reasonable to my budget and time. And reduce carbs and grains all together. I felt better without them so that is reason enough to eat less of them.
Sunday, March 9, 2014
Monday, March 3, 2014
Polenta French Toast with Maple Cream Cheese Sauce
Hey y'all,
I thought I would share one of our new favorite recipes today.
Polenta French Toast Sticks!
I found this recipe when I had a horrible craving for my Grandma's cinnamon french toast back around Christmas time.
It is quite simple which is how I like all my recipes! Make a double batch of grits and add in a splash of vanilla, a couple packets of stevia sweetener and cinnamon and pour into a greased cake pan and chill overnight. In the morning cut the chilled polenta into 1x3 to 4 inch sticks and lay out flat on a cookie sheet, bake at 350 till golden brown on edge, flip and continue to bake till sticks are dry on edges all the way around. I serve with a sauce that is Tofutti cream cheese and maple syrup mixed together just thin enough to be a dip consistency. We love these. I never seem to make enough!! Let me know if you give t a shot what you think of them!
I thought I would share one of our new favorite recipes today.
Polenta French Toast Sticks!
I found this recipe when I had a horrible craving for my Grandma's cinnamon french toast back around Christmas time.
It is quite simple which is how I like all my recipes! Make a double batch of grits and add in a splash of vanilla, a couple packets of stevia sweetener and cinnamon and pour into a greased cake pan and chill overnight. In the morning cut the chilled polenta into 1x3 to 4 inch sticks and lay out flat on a cookie sheet, bake at 350 till golden brown on edge, flip and continue to bake till sticks are dry on edges all the way around. I serve with a sauce that is Tofutti cream cheese and maple syrup mixed together just thin enough to be a dip consistency. We love these. I never seem to make enough!! Let me know if you give t a shot what you think of them!
Saturday, March 1, 2014
Wait Here!
hey y'all,
a while back I was trolling Ebay for aviation related items for Husband Darling and found the most fabulous vintage painted metal sign. I twas rusticated and worn out and bright and dirty and I drooled for it. But it was 70$ and not in my budget. So I took myself to the craft store in search of metal to paint. I couldn't find any prefab panels that were not a hazard to my health with their sharp edges. A bleeding mama with a paint brush in her hand is not exactly the sight I want my kids to come home from school too! No dice on the metal but I picked up a little wooden one for a couple bucks, very budget friendly.
So I brought him home and started painting. Here is the finished product. I just free-handed, obviously. But the old sign I saw was hand lettered so that worked for me!!
Seems appropriate for the wife of a pilot doesn't it? I spend much of my life doing just this! I'll show you a finished product up on my gallery wall soon!
a while back I was trolling Ebay for aviation related items for Husband Darling and found the most fabulous vintage painted metal sign. I twas rusticated and worn out and bright and dirty and I drooled for it. But it was 70$ and not in my budget. So I took myself to the craft store in search of metal to paint. I couldn't find any prefab panels that were not a hazard to my health with their sharp edges. A bleeding mama with a paint brush in her hand is not exactly the sight I want my kids to come home from school too! No dice on the metal but I picked up a little wooden one for a couple bucks, very budget friendly.
So I brought him home and started painting. Here is the finished product. I just free-handed, obviously. But the old sign I saw was hand lettered so that worked for me!!
Friday, February 28, 2014
Paint!!!!
OMG, I had a whole day of crafts and painting and projects the other day and it was delicious!!!!!
Sometimes I forget how much I love doing that stuff. I am going to share one of my projects with you, don't worry I will share more in other posts!!!
But today is a canvas painting I made. I got the idea from Pinterest and just did my own version of it so I can't claim full artistic credit. But I sure as heck painted this one. It's a simple canvas and painters tape. I ran out of painters tape and used masking tape but the paint bled so don't do that!
Sometimes I forget how much I love doing that stuff. I am going to share one of my projects with you, don't worry I will share more in other posts!!!
But today is a canvas painting I made. I got the idea from Pinterest and just did my own version of it so I can't claim full artistic credit. But I sure as heck painted this one. It's a simple canvas and painters tape. I ran out of painters tape and used masking tape but the paint bled so don't do that!
Here it is.......I call it "trees" cuz I am super clever like that
Thursday, February 20, 2014
Channeling My Inner Summertime
The other night I made one of or favorite summer meals, maybe yours too. Ours was made with tofu and you may have chicken but we enjoyed the little glimpse of summer it inspired. We had BBQ tofu, dill potatoe salad, baked beans, broilled pineapple and sauteed veggies. In the summer it would be grilled but with all the snow still on the ground that style of cooking is on hold!
I had several people ask me how I make BBQ tofu so I decided to share how I do it. My kids like it so much they ask for it!! Even my still partially carnivoric husband likes it!
BBQ Tofu
Marinade:
1 pkg extra firm organic tofu
a bit of liquid smoke
sea salt and pepper
garlic powder
bottled BBQ sauce watered down to easy to pour stage
I mixed it all together in a bowl and marinated the diced and pressed tofu for an hour or so. Drained it and put it on a cookie sheet sprayed with cooking spray.
I poured bottled BBq sauce over it and sprinkled it with cornmeal. Breadcrumbs would be a good option but I am doing GF and didn't have any. Then I gave it a quick spray of cooking spray and baked until the edged started to brown and the sauce was bubbly and thick.
That's it! Fast and easy!
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I had several people ask me how I make BBQ tofu so I decided to share how I do it. My kids like it so much they ask for it!! Even my still partially carnivoric husband likes it!
BBQ Tofu
Marinade:
1 pkg extra firm organic tofu
a bit of liquid smoke
sea salt and pepper
garlic powder
bottled BBQ sauce watered down to easy to pour stage
I mixed it all together in a bowl and marinated the diced and pressed tofu for an hour or so. Drained it and put it on a cookie sheet sprayed with cooking spray.
I poured bottled BBq sauce over it and sprinkled it with cornmeal. Breadcrumbs would be a good option but I am doing GF and didn't have any. Then I gave it a quick spray of cooking spray and baked until the edged started to brown and the sauce was bubbly and thick.
That's it! Fast and easy!
Tuesday, February 18, 2014
Pet Peeve Tuesday
Ok, so this may offend some but frankly my dear I don't give a damn.
Today I did a 30 minute Body Transformation circuit video. It incorporates, weights, cardio and strength and endurance training. In a nutshell, it kicks your ass for 30 minutes of your day. Then I did weighted squats and lunges until I thought I would cry then I did about 30 more of them. To finish it off, just so my abs wouldn't be jealous of the beating my ass just took I did plank oblique twists and side planks until I could see my own sweat wetting the carpet under me.
This was a single workout day. An easier day for me because I had errands to do. Tomorrow after I finish my body transformation beating and my squat challenge excercises for the day I will do a Fitness Pilates workout and finish with some stretches. My point is, I work hard. I dont take a week off here and there. I get up 6 days a week and bust my ass to look like I bust my ass!!
I tell you this because it all leads up to a huge pet peeve I have. This is my weight loss/ fitness journey. I am at goal weight so I am working hard on building muscle and trimming my body fat percentage down into the teens. I work really hard.I work really hard 6 days a week on it. That is my choice,
no excuses.
Cue someone who doesn't respect the work involved.
"Well, you can eat a whole cheese cake if you want because you are so tiny. It must be nice to be so little and eat whatever you want. Why are you eating carrots, have some chocolate. You are so skinny! I wish I were so skinny so I could eat whatever I wanted to" Here is the problem I have with this.
I don't eat whatever the hell I want or I wouldn't look like this!! I don't think I am skinny. I think I am fit.
No I am not being vain, because I have earned it. No I don't think I am done because being fit takes maintenence and hitting my goals is going to take plenty of hard work. Work I am not afraid to put in to get what I want.
So the next time someone sitting on their well fed ass complaining about how skinny I am and stuffing their mouth with dessert has the nerve to tell me to just stop obsessing and eat a cheesecake I am going to tell them to shut the hell up!! If they are unhappy with their life, their size or their choices that is all on them. Not me, not my problem. So kiss this girls ass, the one I am doing killer amounts of squats with so it is nice and high and tight!
Today I did a 30 minute Body Transformation circuit video. It incorporates, weights, cardio and strength and endurance training. In a nutshell, it kicks your ass for 30 minutes of your day. Then I did weighted squats and lunges until I thought I would cry then I did about 30 more of them. To finish it off, just so my abs wouldn't be jealous of the beating my ass just took I did plank oblique twists and side planks until I could see my own sweat wetting the carpet under me.
This was a single workout day. An easier day for me because I had errands to do. Tomorrow after I finish my body transformation beating and my squat challenge excercises for the day I will do a Fitness Pilates workout and finish with some stretches. My point is, I work hard. I dont take a week off here and there. I get up 6 days a week and bust my ass to look like I bust my ass!!
I tell you this because it all leads up to a huge pet peeve I have. This is my weight loss/ fitness journey. I am at goal weight so I am working hard on building muscle and trimming my body fat percentage down into the teens. I work really hard.I work really hard 6 days a week on it. That is my choice,
no excuses.
 |
| my goal! |
Cue someone who doesn't respect the work involved.
"Well, you can eat a whole cheese cake if you want because you are so tiny. It must be nice to be so little and eat whatever you want. Why are you eating carrots, have some chocolate. You are so skinny! I wish I were so skinny so I could eat whatever I wanted to" Here is the problem I have with this.
I don't eat whatever the hell I want or I wouldn't look like this!! I don't think I am skinny. I think I am fit.
No I am not being vain, because I have earned it. No I don't think I am done because being fit takes maintenence and hitting my goals is going to take plenty of hard work. Work I am not afraid to put in to get what I want.
So the next time someone sitting on their well fed ass complaining about how skinny I am and stuffing their mouth with dessert has the nerve to tell me to just stop obsessing and eat a cheesecake I am going to tell them to shut the hell up!! If they are unhappy with their life, their size or their choices that is all on them. Not me, not my problem. So kiss this girls ass, the one I am doing killer amounts of squats with so it is nice and high and tight!
Monday, February 17, 2014
3 Days of Effort
Well, for 3 days I have been working on the next menu plan. 17 days of gluten free and vegan dinners. And a couple extra just in case I don't get to the store or run out of ingredients for something on the plan. I really wanted to have different meals then the last 17 days. I get so tired of eating the same things! So here it is!!!
Feel free to comment with suggestions or other recipes or meal ideas!!!
GLUTEN FREE AND VEGAN DINNERS
1) BBQ tofu, dill potato salad, baked beans and sauteed veggies(corn, peppers, mushrooms, zucchini)
2)gluten free spaghetti and chunky veggie red sauce. Green salad heavy with veggies and gluten free cherry turnovers. GF beer or lemonaid
3)lemon spaghetti squash, spinach salad with cranberries and black bean brownies. White wine
4)hummus with gluten free crackers, carrots, grape tomatoes, olive medley, couscous with parsley, cilantro and roasted red pepper and garlic.Stuffed grape leaves. Chocolate dipped apricots. White wine
5) sun-dried tomato, mushroom, artichoke pizza with basil on zucchini crust, tomato and cucumber salad and banana chocolate cookie. GF beer
6). stuffed portabello cap with cheese, artichoke and spinach, served with roasted rosemary potatoes. strawberries with coconut cream. White wine
7)crockpot beans, spinach enchiladas and mexi rice. Mexican corn and pepper salad and pico de gallo on shredded lettuce. Lime water
8)tofu fried rice, cabbage, carrot mushroom veggie broth soup with fresh ginger. Cucumber lemon water
9) cornmeal mush with blackberry syrup, coconut bacon-new recipe, potato cake and mixed fruit. Dandelion tea
10)taco soup and baked corn chips, cinnamon crisp with tofutti cream cheese and GF crust. Lime water
11)split pea soup with home made garlic GF croutons, fresh pears, with strawberry drizzle. Lemonaid
12) tofu chili cheese fries on home made fries with soy cheese, tofu sour cream and jalapenos. Spinach and kale salad with radish and grape tomato.Roasted Parsnips. apple slices. GF beer
13)chickpea (tuna substitute) salad with soy pepper jack cheese on polenta and baked plantain fries, potato fries for the boys,broiled pineapple. Cranberry water
14)Breaded, broiled tofu squares with italian seasoning, sun dried tomato salad with olives, sauteed onions, green peppers and mushrooms served on wilted spinach. GF lemon bars. White wine
15)pan fried smokey tempeh, sauerkraut, cheese on open face GF bread with horseradish sauce, pickles and GF breaded onion rings. Spinach salad with onion, mushroom and radish. GF beer
16)bean burritos (corn tortillas) with mexi salad and salsa, lemon/stevia sorbet lemon/lime water
17)roasted onions and mushrooms over lentils. With balsamic vinegar glaze and a sprinkle of olive oil. tofu chocolate mousse and strawberries White wine or cranberry water
EXTRAS: corn chowder with roasted red pepper and garlic, loaded baked potatoes with black beans and salsa,tofu curry in simmering sauce with rice and roasted broccoli,stuffed green pepper(rice and veggies) protein pancakes and toasted tempeh
mmm I am getting hungry!!!
Feel free to comment with suggestions or other recipes or meal ideas!!!
GLUTEN FREE AND VEGAN DINNERS
1) BBQ tofu, dill potato salad, baked beans and sauteed veggies(corn, peppers, mushrooms, zucchini)
2)gluten free spaghetti and chunky veggie red sauce. Green salad heavy with veggies and gluten free cherry turnovers. GF beer or lemonaid
3)lemon spaghetti squash, spinach salad with cranberries and black bean brownies. White wine
4)hummus with gluten free crackers, carrots, grape tomatoes, olive medley, couscous with parsley, cilantro and roasted red pepper and garlic.Stuffed grape leaves. Chocolate dipped apricots. White wine
5) sun-dried tomato, mushroom, artichoke pizza with basil on zucchini crust, tomato and cucumber salad and banana chocolate cookie. GF beer
6). stuffed portabello cap with cheese, artichoke and spinach, served with roasted rosemary potatoes. strawberries with coconut cream. White wine
7)crockpot beans, spinach enchiladas and mexi rice. Mexican corn and pepper salad and pico de gallo on shredded lettuce. Lime water
8)tofu fried rice, cabbage, carrot mushroom veggie broth soup with fresh ginger. Cucumber lemon water
9) cornmeal mush with blackberry syrup, coconut bacon-new recipe, potato cake and mixed fruit. Dandelion tea
10)taco soup and baked corn chips, cinnamon crisp with tofutti cream cheese and GF crust. Lime water
11)split pea soup with home made garlic GF croutons, fresh pears, with strawberry drizzle. Lemonaid
12) tofu chili cheese fries on home made fries with soy cheese, tofu sour cream and jalapenos. Spinach and kale salad with radish and grape tomato.Roasted Parsnips. apple slices. GF beer
13)chickpea (tuna substitute) salad with soy pepper jack cheese on polenta and baked plantain fries, potato fries for the boys,broiled pineapple. Cranberry water
14)Breaded, broiled tofu squares with italian seasoning, sun dried tomato salad with olives, sauteed onions, green peppers and mushrooms served on wilted spinach. GF lemon bars. White wine
15)pan fried smokey tempeh, sauerkraut, cheese on open face GF bread with horseradish sauce, pickles and GF breaded onion rings. Spinach salad with onion, mushroom and radish. GF beer
16)bean burritos (corn tortillas) with mexi salad and salsa, lemon/stevia sorbet lemon/lime water
17)roasted onions and mushrooms over lentils. With balsamic vinegar glaze and a sprinkle of olive oil. tofu chocolate mousse and strawberries White wine or cranberry water
EXTRAS: corn chowder with roasted red pepper and garlic, loaded baked potatoes with black beans and salsa,tofu curry in simmering sauce with rice and roasted broccoli,stuffed green pepper(rice and veggies) protein pancakes and toasted tempeh
mmm I am getting hungry!!!
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