Update and Quinoa Cookie Recipe

So, a quick update on this elimination diet. I am still holding off on adding a lot of items back in and have actually removed a few more which seem to be possible offenders.

With doing this elimination diet I have been fairly diligent in keeping track of what I am eating and by doing so seem to be finding a few more items that may be contributing to my eczema.

It is still not fully cleared, however it is way better than it was and I have not had any more flare ups since last weekend when I noticed the few more offenders.

Nightshades have now been completely removed. You may be asking yourself, what are nightshades?

Well, let’s sum this up:

Nightshades, also known as Solanaceae family are mainly – Potatoes, Tomatoes, Bell Peppers, Eggplant, which also include such items as pimento, papricka, cayenne, Tabasco, tobacco and morning glory plants.

If nightshades are an issue it would explain why this eczema got progressively worse when I was in early high school (as I smoked), although I quit smoking years ago (10-11 years ago) my diet has changed and I tend to consume a lot of the offending nightshade foods.

This is not a definite diagnosis, at this point it is a suspicion. I have also eliminated bananas and lemon to ensure they are not an issue but have shown no issues with almonds, coffee and dark chocolate….ok so I have my priorities and as always there is room for improvement here but I still love my comforting cup of java and had decided I wanted that comfort back and if the worst of my habits is a caffeine addiction, well, for right now I'll take it....and enjoy it!

Recipe post of the weekend, Quinoa Cookies!
My teacher at school sent out this link a few weeks ago:
http://www.peggyk.com/recipes/peggys-quinoa-cookies/

So, this weekend I decided to test it out and made a few variations, which I actually plan to vary again the next time because lets face it, who really likes to follow the rules, let alone someone else's directions when you can put your own mark on it.

Here is my version (which is not that different, yet!) - makes 24-30 depending on your drop size

Preheat oven to 375
Cream together the following:
Mash 4 bananas (mine were frozen/thawed so a bit too liquidy)
1 scoop of chia seeds (optional)
1 tsp pure vanilla
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 c coconut sugar (palm sugar) (will decrease next time)
1/4 c almond butter (optional)

Add
1 cup cooked Quinoa
1 cup oatmeal flakes (or quinoa flakes if gluten intolerant)
1 cup unsweetened coconut
pinch of sea salt
1/4 cup hemp seeds (optional)

Mix all together then add
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

Instead of chocolate chips you could do the following variations:
1 - add 1/4 cup of cacao powder instead and make them chocolate cookies
2 - 1/4 cup raisins and 1/4 cup of raw walnuts or nut of choice

Drop by spoonfuls on parchment or silicone lined baking pans and bake for approximately 30 minutes

Enjoy!

These are gluten free (if omitting the oats) dairy free, egg free and low in sugar.

Coconut sugar is low glycemic therefore does not send you on such a roller coaster sugar effect, therefore better for you.

Quinoa is actually a seed, although it has all of the regular characterics of a grain. It cooks like a grain, you utilize it like a grain and it looks like a grain.

Quinoa ia a complete protein, it is a great source of magnesium and manganese. It is high in fibre, a great source of minerals, vitamin E and B2. Quinoa is gluten free and an excellent protein source for vegans.

If you happen to check out Peggy's link to the cookie recipe she notes that you can utilize this recipe in 3 ways, as a cookie, as a breakfast cereal and as a pancake. All fantastic ideas. I had a hard time getting the cookies into the oven as I quite enjoyed the cookie dough.

p.s. I borrowed the cookie photo from Peggy's site

Happy Baking!

Pancake Tuesday!!

For as long as I can remember, Pancake Tuesday meant and still means Pancakes for Dinner! Who doesn’t love pancake Tuesday!

So, technically it is "Shrove Tuesday" which is the day before lent and traditionally it is the day that everyone would use up the sugar, fat, flour and eggs prior to lent as these foods are restricted during that time. This recipe below is a lighter cleaned up version but still tastes extra yummy and my kids have never ever complained.

I thought I would share one of my go to pancake recipes seeing that Tuesday is Pancake Day! (ok, so no pancakes for me this year, but the kids will enjoy it for me I’m sure!)

Rice Pancakes (makes approximately 14 (4) inch pancakes)

1 ½ cups almond milk (or alt milk of choice)

1 ½ tbsp white vinegar

1 ½ cups rice flour

½ cup oat or millet flour

2 tsp baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

¼ sea salt

1 Tbsp apple butter

1 Tbsp olive oil

2 eggs

(optional ingredients I like to add include cinnamon and mashed bananas or chopped bananas)

Mix the almond milk with the vinegar and allow to stand for 5 minutes until it curdles. Mix dry ingredients together and set aside. In a large mixing bowl, beat apple butter, oil, eggs and milk. Add dry mixture and stir gently.

Cook on a preheated pan, silver dollar size

Recipe adapted from the Ultracare for Kids parent guide (we had this from year’s ago when Abby was on an elimination diet and still use the recipe to this day)

Ooey gooey fudge balls!

Well, after almost 3 weeks on this elimination diet and my “issues” are still doing much better but I have had a few flare ups, so either there is still something in my diet that is causing the issue or the change in weather has prompted its return, the verdict is still out.

I am still continuing on the clean eating (meaning better than the clean eating I was doing, just kicked it up a notch, or two) however decided that I needed something ooey, gooey and delicious! So, I decided to make some Fudge Balls, also known as Fudge Babies, Energy Bites, Date Balls, really you can call them whatever you like, I call them YUMMY and so does Ab's, which makes them that much better.

Who doesn't love a healthier treat! The only problem with these is having self-control, I don’t make them very often because I find I certainly can’t stop at just one and have a hard time limiting the consumption at all!

These can be made a billion different ways, as you know I love options and tend to use whatever is available in the house at the time. I have made these without nuts and used coconut, I've used raw almond butter, raw peanut butter, raw cashews, raw walnuts, seeds, no seeds, really whatever you want! I've even made them without cocoa, all in all they are fantastic and fudgy just like a brownie!

You can shape these into balls, bars, bites, and cookies, whatever you wish.

Today’s version was:
Ingredients (makes approximately 20 balls)

½  c dates

½ c almonds

2 tbp sunflower seeds

1 scoop chia seeds

2-3 tbsp cocoa powder (or cacao if you have it instead)

1-2 tbsp water (if needed)

Process all in a food processor

Roll into balls

Consume this totally awesome yumminess!

A few nutritional tidbits on Dates:

They are an excellent source of soluble fibre, they contain minerals, antioxidants and are an easily digested form of carbohydrates. Do keep in mind that they are naturally high in sugar content, with most varieties containing glucose or fructose, however they are a natural sugar so if you're going to eat sugar you are far better to consume the natural form.

This little treat is not weighed down with flours and flavorings, sugars and butter, they are chock full of natural whole ingredients so when you're looking for a sweet treat, these are far better than anything you're going to pick up at the store.

Enjoy!

Chia Seeds - Chia Pudding, who would have thought?

Ok, so I’ve had a fascination with these little seeds now for quite a long time. I typically love them on a bowl of fruit or mixed in a bowl of oatmeal and love them in the Pumpkin Chia Muffin recipe that I have posted on this blog too. Since I can’t eat oatmeal right now and have been trying to find some new breakfast ideas (as that’s my only real complaint so far about this current diet plan I’m on) I decided to try something totally different, pudding!

So, not your average pudding, but chia seeds gel when you put them in liquid and seeing that I used some leftover canned coconut milk this was super thick and creamy!

Chia seeds are a total superfood, you know the one, chchchch chia from the commercial, well those little seeds pack a powerful punch:

-          High in antioxidants

-          High in fibre

-          High in omega 3’s

-          Great source of calcium

-          Great source of protein

-          Great source of magnesium

-          ….the list goes on!

  Chia Pudding (typically serves 2)

·         3 scoops Chia seeds (some recipes call for 1/4 cup chia to 1 cup milk of choice - so this is still in experimental stage)

·         1 cup coconut milk (or use non dairy milk of preference)

·         1 tsp pure vanilla (or vanilla bean) – optional

·         A few dashes of cinnamon - optional

·         1 small or ½ large banana smashed – optional

Mix the above together and refrigerate overnight (or if you don’t have that kind of time, mix thoroughly and let sit 15 minutes, stir again and should be ready)

In the morning top with a1-2 tbsp of hemp seeds (again, optional)

Fresh fruit of choice (I used blueberries)

 You can mix and match this however you wish.

(Apple and almonds, nut butter and banana, berries and cinnamon, unsweetened coconut, as always the options are endless)

You can add some raw cacao to make it chocolaty, you can use a teaspoon of honey or pure maple syrup to make it sweet, again the options are endless!

I'm totally seeing a healthy chocolate version of this on the horizon, will be sure to take pics and post an update. Totally hoping the kids like this one.

Recap on this elimination process

So just as a recap and to clarify a few things.

I've been following (well, as a rough guideline) Dr. Cranton's Caveman Diet for the past few weeks. I decided to take this on as I have some health issues that have been bothersome for the past few years and I've finally decided to stop and take a look at myself and utilize some of my knowledge that I have gained over the years.

I chose Dr. Cranton's diet as I found it to be fairly straight forward, restricts most foods that I could possibly find to be offending foods, gives my internal systems a break and, well, I thought it was well written. Really it's an elimination process - limiting the toxins, however I'm going to call it "the diet".

This diet was not intended to lose weight, this diet is intended to give my body a break, allow my immune system to relieve itself of some stress and to possibly diagnose some food allergies or intolerances.

Now, I knew I would lose weight following this plan as it does what any good diet and really what all of us should be doing anyway and that is:

CUTS ALL OF THE CRAP

Seriously people, if you're eating shit your body will show it! This applies to you and me and everyone else out there, it's not new's it's a fact.

My weight has been at the higher end of my preferred range for the past quite a few years (although I am not overweight, however carrying a few more pounds than what I like the scale to read) and I know what needs to be done to lose weight, hell I've been there, done that but sometimes it's just hitting the wall and looking at yourself and realizing that it's simply another decision and you have the reigns so it's up to you to change your direction.

Do I plan on eating like this the rest of my life, well YES in some aspects and already do/did in some aspects. I don't want to be as restricted as this detox has made me, and although I eat very healthy as it is, this detoxification process has opened my eyes to show me just where I've been slipping for the past few years. It's not difficult but it does require an open mind.

I have stumbled upon loads of great recipes lately and from there have a few thoughts of my own, however until I can add a few items back into my eating plan I am holding off on attempting any.

Happy day to you all!

Turkey Vegetable Soup

Being that I am still following my elimination diet/detox I have been eating alot of turkey these days, since my alternate protein sources are limited to mostly nuts and seeds.

Don't get me wrong, I've had my share of seeds, nuts, fish etc, however I needed to expand my eating and needed a warm comforting soup. This one summed it all up and even Bill (my non soup eater) ate it up and loved it.  It just goes to show that you never know how something is going to turn out, you just have to be open to try.

I love creating something out of whatever I happen to have on hand. I've varied this soup a few times over the past two weeks and tried more carrots, used sweet potato, omitted the cabbage, left it chunky, pureed it all. The possibilities, as usual, are pretty much endless.

Clean out the fridge Soup

·         1 large carrot – peeled and diced

·         2 celery stalks – diced – leaves and all
·         ½ acorn squash – peeled and diced
·         ½ bag cabbage coleslaw mix
·         2-3 cups leftover turkey
·         2-4 cups of broth (depending on how thick you want it)

1. Cook the first 4 ingredients in a soup pot for approximately 20 minutes – until tender and cooked down
2. Add water or stock to the pot if required
3. Once cooked add 1 cup of turkey stock (or chicken or veggie stock)
4. Run through the blender until smooth
5. Add an additional 1-3 cups of broth to reach your desired consistency –continue running through the blender
6. Add back to pot
7. Add 2 – 3 cups of leftover turkey
8. Sea salt to taste

Serve warm

This can be seasoned to your liking (suggested seasonings include garlic, pepper, rosemary, bay leaves, thyme, savoury, poultry seasoning).

I am on an elimination/detox, therefore kept it fairly simple. I used homemade turkey stock and found that this soup did not require any further flavour. It creates a thick rich broth with a generous amount of protein from the turkey.

My stock was homemade:

·         Turkey bones

·         3-4 whole celery stalks – leaves and all
·         4 good slices of ginger
·         Water to cover

1.      Let cook on low overnight in the crock pot

2.      In the morning strain through a colander or sieve

3.      Discard everything but the liquid (you can pick off any remaining meat from the bones at this point and set aside

4.      Once cooled pour into mason jars and freeze for up to 6 months or keep in the fridge for up to a week.

Uses for homemade stock:

·         Use in soups and stews

·         Use it to cook rice or pasta or to boil your potatoes in

·         Use it to make mashed potatoes

Possibilities are endless, use your imagination.

Meet Meghan Telpner

I just wanted to pass on info on the coolest chic that I have stumbled upon. Ok, well maybe not stumbled. I think I happened to find out about her from one of my teacher’s at The Edison Institute of Nutrition. She mentioned her name in an email to me so as usual I did what I always do and went online and looked her up. God I love technology!
 
Anyway, everyone meet Meghan Telpner – Nutritionista from AwesomeTown! Check out her wicked website here:

www.meghantelpner.com

 

This girl completely rocks. I have not met her in person, YET but she is now on my list of must meet peeps. I absolutely love her humour, her knowledge, her zest, her honesty and love of life.

Please check out her story, her shop, her amazing recipes that I am drying to try and all things fun that you will come across on her website.

She’s totally got it going on. Check her out and let me know what you think.

And just to review why I think she’s so awesome, check out her conversation on Poo Juice! Now you totally know why I talk like I do sometimes, it’s the Nutritionist in me!

 
http://meghantelpnerblog.com/2012/01/31/wilder-returns-to-play-and-talk-deto/

Happy Valentine’s Day Everyone!