Mac N Cheese Foul...Improper substitution.
8.22.2011
Trial and Error....Polenta = Error
8.21.2011
Grilled veggies, asparagus, zucchini and mushrooms are a common staple around here lately. I wanted to try something new though, as a GlutenFree side dish....so I opted for Polenta. Seemed easy enough! But MAN it tasted like....well...nothing! I even tried to add in sauteed onions, tomatoes and garlic to give it flavor. Nope, still nothing.
Then I realized, my co-worker had recommended that recipe for QUINOA. Oops.
SUGAR Blues. (aka SAD)
Eating out for events with family, friends, and co-workers is the HARDEST time to stay true to a new health regime, even if you are eating gluten-free and sugar-free....the bottom line is, there is NEVER a good time to start any diet. It's boring. It's not fun. It got me thinking, why do we enjoy things that are bad for us? It's the age-old question, the reason why the bad boy gets the chicks....why sneaking out late gives you a rush of adrenaline...but with food, food can be down right addicting, comforting, euphoric, and let's be real, chocolate does make you happy...why do you think aphrodisiac inducing cocoa confections earned cliche titles like "Better than Sex Chocolate Cake?" & "Death by Chocolate?" The latter cliche concerns me, because of the not so subtle truth behind it.
Check out these fun facts from Nutrition Diva while I attempt to convince myself sugar is the devil:
- Sugar suppresses the immune system. When you eat a big dose of sugar, like a bottle of Coke or a candy bar, you temporarily tamp down your immune system’s ability to respond to challenges. The effect lasts for several hours, so if you eat sweets several times a day, your immune system may be perpetually operating at a distinct disadvantage.
- Sugar promotes inflammation. Inflammation, which is part of the immune response, is not always a bad thing. But eating sugar foods can fuel excessive, inappropriate inflammation that serves no useful purpose and actually promotes aging and disease. In my show on foods that fight inflammation, I pointed out that cutting back on sugary foods will help you avoid excess inflammation.
If you want to slow down the aging process, do what you can to naturallyenhance your body’s production of human growth hormone. Avoiding foods that are high in sugar is a good way to do that.
- Sugar suppresses the release of human growth hormone. You know those ads in in-flight magazines that show a super-buff guy, who, thanks to a radical anti-aging program, looks about 50 even though he’s approaching 70? He’s most likely injecting himself with human growth hormone. Of course, he’s alsowatching his diet, spending a couple of hours a day in the gym, and using lots of self-tanner, but there’s no doubt that the hormone shots have a lot to do with his physique. Although the effects can be dramatic, hormone treatments are expensive and risky, so I don’t personally recommend this course of action. But if you want to slow down the aging process, you definitely want to do what you can to naturally enhance your body’s production of human growth hormone. Avoiding foods that are high in sugar is a good way to do that. Exercising, going longer between meals, and avoiding undue stress also help.
- Sugar promotes glycation. Sugar molecules treat your body like a singles bar. Once they get into your bloodstream, they start looking around for things to hook up with, like attractive protein and fat molecules. The hook-up is known as “glycation” and like most hook-ups, the results aren’t pretty. These glycated molecules act like drunken sailors, careening around your body, breaking things and peeing where they shouldn’t. They produce toxic compounds called advanced glycation end products, or, AGEs. That is perhaps the most poetically-just acronym in biology, because AGEs essentially throw the aging process into fast-forward. And much of the damage done by AGEs is irreversible. If that doesn’t motivate you to walk away from the M&Ms, I don’t know what would.
- Sugar raises insulin levels. An influx of sugar into your body will have a fairly predictable result: Your blood sugar levels will zoom up. Shortly after, your pancreas will release a bunch of insulin to help clear sugar from your blood into your cells. As blood sugar levels go down, insulin levels return to normal. But when you eat a lot of sugar, you’re constantly calling for insulin, and that can backfire in a couple of ways. Over time, it takes more and more insulin to get the job done. Eventually, your pancreas may just stop responding to the call. Congratulations, you’re now an insulin-dependent diabetic. And along the way, exposing your cells and organs to chronically high insulin levels accelerates the aging process.
The main concern for me is the inflammation, while 99% of Americans, both adults and kids, struggle with other nasty effects of the crack-like drug.
Anyways, we went out to lunch at this lovely Italian Bistro in Claremont over the weekend, and check out what my hubby ate vs. what the "Pile High Stack of Arugula" I selected from the eating for Rabbit-Friendly Menu. The funny thing is, while I was salivating over the delicious bread, inhaling the warm savory pasta aromas floating through my nostrils from the plates on either side of me, I attempted to focus my attention on conversation and the great company; somehow I managed to chow my way through the mountainous leafy mound fairly decently, and actually became quite full. An appetizer of caprese didn't hurt either. The salad was arugala, extra virgin olive oil and balsamic dressing, Romano cheese, walnuts, cherry tomatoes and dried bing cherries. I stayed away from the cherry tomatoes only because I had already eaten quite a few in the caprese salad appetizer and was kind of seeded out.
And the desserts....this is where I really start to shake. As if the decadent dessert tray that was rolled past us the night before at the Angels game wasn't torturous enough....we all passed, after a birthday sunday surprise...and went to the In-laws house for dessert.
This was an amazing pistachio ice cream cake on saltine crust - sweet with a little salty, A-M-A-Z-I-N-G - but not gluten free. I gave in though, because I have never experience this green delight! Of course, my mother-in-law the angel that she is, thought of myself and my brother-in-laws girlfriend who is a Celiac, and provided us with Yummy Soy Chocolate Cherry ice-cream, of which I had TWO small bowls. Ya, I know, I'm a work in progress...It's HARD to say NO! Even when it is for a good cause.....like your health!
And of course delicious fruit tarts - I am not trying to tempt fellow GFree followers, but COME ON! This is the temptation we all face daily, I think it gets easier, but putting me in front of sweet treats is akin to puttin' an alcoholic in a BAR!
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This was an amazing pistachio ice cream cake on saltine crust - sweet with a little salty, A-M-A-Z-I-N-G - but not gluten free. I gave in though, because I have never experience this green delight! Of course, my mother-in-law the angel that she is, thought of myself and my brother-in-laws girlfriend who is a Celiac, and provided us with Yummy Soy Chocolate Cherry ice-cream, of which I had TWO small bowls. Ya, I know, I'm a work in progress...It's HARD to say NO! Even when it is for a good cause.....like your health!
And of course delicious fruit tarts - I am not trying to tempt fellow GFree followers, but COME ON! This is the temptation we all face daily, I think it gets easier, but putting me in front of sweet treats is akin to puttin' an alcoholic in a BAR!
Chocolate Raspberry Cupcakes - My Cousin's Baby Shower!
Over the weekend we celebrated my sweet and beautiful cousin at her very first Baby Shower! My cousin, Sunny threw the baby shower. She was stressing about throwing a party for one of the MOST creative people we know (my cousin Kacey is a photographer, among her many talents....see her website here.) But there was no reason for her to stress as you can see below! It was a BEAUTIFUL and perfect shower with family and friends!
While I was limited in what I could eat at the brunch, due to the gluten and sugar restraints, which can be so hard at events like these, especially when you have cupcakes like THOSE....) I still HAD to show off these adorable chocolate cupcakes with multi-colored frosting and a raspberry on top!
Gluten-free Lemon Meringue Cupcakes
8.16.2011
Really? Really? I'm just jealous, but how do these people have the TIME?
I want one. Now.
Miracle Leftovers: Quick Vegetarian Gluten Free Pasta
Sauteed Asparagas, Squash, Zucchini, chopped onion and unsalted Organic butter and a little olive oil, pepper and garlic salt poured over leftover rice noodle pasta.
Yum Yum. Thank you B. He seriously should have his own column - he cooked and cleaned - I was too exhausted to do anything. My pain level is better, and I feel overall better since switching to GFree, but, I just don't have the energy or motivation sometimes to dream up meals every night of the week! And eating healthy is not akin to the "convenience" type meal which got us all in various states of unhealthy to begin with. And it's only Tuesday. Sigh. Read more...
The Russian Mafia is in my Kitchen and Chocolate Ice-Cream is on the White Couch...
We all have secrets. The kind of secrets that do not escape the front door. Like the mess we make when no one is around, or the entire meal we burn only to start over again, or realistically, pour a bowl of cereal and call it a night. The idiosyncrasies and nuances that the first few months of marriage reveal are timeless, classic, memories. This week Bryan and I learned a bit more about each other.
As Murphy's law would have it, the past two weeks both of our cars have broken down and been in the shop, the refrigerator service light is on, and our dishwasher has been broken for 3 weeks (my life mimicking a country song).
I have been boycotting doing dishes on principal alone. B, because he was dutifully in charge of handling the maintenance repair for the dishwasher, has drudgingly, yet faithfully been hand-washing the stacks of pots, pans and plates that accrue exponentially.
A couple weeks ago, B called a repair service, and a Russian man came out to the house, late at night, to provide an estimate for repair. Upon departure, he told B he would have to special order a part, and he would get back to us once it was in. The company called a week later to set up a follow up appointment. B waited around for 3 hours one night waiting for the Russian who ended up standing us up.
The following few days B placed multiple calls to this mystery Russian Repair Company. The reason for the extended delay, we were told, was because the part that was needed for our dishwasher was back-ordered, naturally. So we waited. And waited. And waited some more. Finally, we were told the part was in and our appointment was scheduled for Monday evening from 6pm-9pm!
At about 8:30pm, two disheveled Russians arrived at our door: the man who had come out to provide the estimate and his sidekick/ Russian Mafia understudy.
At this point, we were desperate to have a machine wash our dishes. They came in and immediately took over the entire kitchen, spralling out and prohibiting my dinner preparations. I was making a Gluten Free pizza crust, which is easier said than done. I stop preparations and decide this is as good a time as any to go to Fed-Ex to pick up a mystery delivery that we had received two notices on our front door about, but of course were not home to sign for the package, whatever it is.
I come home to sweaty Russian #1 spralled out on the kitchen floor and see the dishwasher is now fully dismantled. Realizing this is not a good time to continue preparing the dinner, I retreat to the bathroom to color by roots. B is left standing by in the family room amidst streams of Russian curses and grumbling about "custom" installed dishwashers. The Russians continue to converse as if we are not home. The understudy was standing by, arms folded, brow furrowed, as if he was doing something important. All he really did though was repeat everything his master said.
Finally, I cannot wait any longer and I squeeze in behind the Russian on the floor to remove the pizza from the oven. The top is burnt and the crust resembles nothing of a pizza dough crust.
The Russians are finally finishing up. They say, as they check various parts of the machine, "See work Perfect." He turns on the hose and water sprays everywhere. The understudy assuredly states "That's Normal, thats normal."
The leader says "Oh shit what happened here, what happened here." B says, "Wait a minute that didn't happen before." Russian leader says, "How do I know that didn't happen before?"
He fixes the geyser and returns to his check list, "Oh-key. Start good. Oh-key. Stop good. Oh-key. Drain good. Oh-key. Check the hoses in the back good. Oh-key. Inspect this, good. Oh-key ever-tin good."
$400 dollars later, they finally leave at 9:13pm, I am finished eating the pizza-nast, and am enjoying my pint of coconut chocolate ice cream on our white couch with a full head of dark brown/black dye. Bryan tells me to be careful with my hair on the white couch! I tell him I will be good. I dig deep in the pint for a big spoonful of chocolate therapy and flip, now there is chocolate ice-cream on our white couch. Bryan just LAUGHS. He says, I needed that. I can't help but laugh too, and thank God for Folex, the best stain remover of all time and a staple housecleaning item every housewife needs.
I clean up the spot and return to the couch. Bryan asks if I have sauce on my lip or if it's a zit. Of course it's a zit, because the pizza did not even have sauce on it. Really? I'm about to call the Russian Mafia back to our house. He laughs, crunches on the hard dough, and says with his mouth full, "I thought it was Sriracha!"
Ah. Married life. I finish the pint of ice cream, set it down on the ground along with my water, and B turns and asks...leave some for me? I tell him convincingly there are 3 bites left. To which he replies, "Do you have pilates this week?" Oh geez. He knows the minute he said it that it came out wrong. At this point, I realize I never heard the timer for my hair ding, so I check it, and it is off. Bryan says it went off 10 minutes ago. Of course I did not hear it.
Slick. I go to wash out my hair, and B scoots over on the couch and knocks over my water all over our hardwood floor. He yells "Why do you leave things here!?" I just laugh. It's nights like these when patience is tested and you're at your wits end, that you learn to appreciate each other and chose to enjoy the little things in life. And remember that living together is a learning process, and that life's pleasures are best enjoyed in the moment.
I don't want to now what the Russian's secrets are, but I am thinking of seeing Easter Promises. I am in no way discriminating against Russians, I am just telling the story the way it happened. And on another note, I educated myself a bit about the Mafia markings and statistics from the internet, the obvious truth searching engine. But in the end, they came, they fixed, and they left. And I am grateful.
I'm just sayin, B was very quick to do everything they said, just in case. ;)
August Birchbox Spillage
Yes, it's that time again....the time when I run out to the mail hoping the little pink box is inside full of beauty testers and samples!
Today was the day. Hooray! I opened the Birchbox, not knowing what was going to be inside.
The perfume smells delish, at first there is a fresh citrus scent, then a little while later, the smell begins to take on an Abercrombie, vintage yet still citrus smell, hard to describe, but definitely I likey - I will have to wait to see how long it stays on me though.
The mascara appears to be decent. The Instant Peel and the Line Erasing Serum I look forward to trying (amen to any line eraser. period); although, neither one are large enough to really see results from in my opinion.
The biggest bust was the Hair Treatment Oil that spilled all over and took away from my Sample. Don't worry though, I have already e-mailed BirchBox Member Services, and hope they resolve this indiscretion promptly. I signed it Esquire. Just kidding, I didn't, but the lawyer in my always comes out in these kinds of situations, I just can't help it!
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Gluten-Free Chocolate Cupcakes, Sugar Free Cream Cheese Frosting
8.14.2011
Over the weekend we had a family BBQ...great food, even better conversation. I brought dessert, naturally, because I up until last week when the anti-sugar bomb was dropped on me, I have managed to live my days gleefully as a functioning sugar-hoic, blissfully ignorant in my dysfunctional saccharine relationship.But now, I am trying to feed my hubby and myself non-artifical sugary confections. And while there are a lot of great recipes available out there, you never know how they are going to turn out. If you have ever boughten store-packaged sugar free cookies - you have probably experienced the disappointment as you crunch down on a cardboard crumble. So I am determined to make good tasting desserts, so I can continue to love baking, but just with less bad stuff. I started with Bob's Red Mill Mix, the next one I try will be all from scratch, but this mix was a good start. And let's be honest, I don't have all dang day!
Here's the recipe I used....
Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting
Makes enough to frost 18 mini cupcakes or a large 13 x 9 inch cake
8 ounces light (Neufchatel) cream cheese, at room temperature
1 tablespoon agave nectar
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch of salt
Packet of SweetLeaf (or few drops of liquid Stevia)
1 cup cold heavy whipping cream
Whip cream cheese, vanilla, agave, and salt with electric mixer until smooth and light.
In a separate bowl, whip heavy cream until fairly stiff and the cream takes shape
Stir 1⁄4 of whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture. Gently fold remaining whipped cream into Neufchatel cheese mixture until combined. Can be made one day ahead. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Tip: Put mixing bowl and beaters that you're going to use to whip the heavy cream in the freezer for 10 minutes before using them. The chilled bowl and beaters will help the cream to whip properly. Also, make sure that your cupcakes have cooled completely before icing them.
I modified the recipe from Simply Sugar & Gluten-Free.
I also made a yellow cake, non gluten free, for those who prefer conventinal baking. also wanted to see how the cakes compared. A lot of people did love the yellow cake (with cream cheese frosting from my mom - which is AMAZING - I will post tomorrow)
But the chocolate also had a lot of fans! It turned out really good!
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