Alter Everything

Day 120: Until It's Gone

The first spoils of The Leftover Game: Pumpkin Pie Custard 
 

Don't panic. I'm not eating dog food for breakfast.  I have, however, invented a new game.  Any interest in playing along?

If you've been visiting for any amount of time, you may have noticed; I'm obsessed with food.  To be clear, I was always a fan (even when I was healthy), but after nearly two months of eating a highly modified gluten-free, sugar-free, yeast-free diet--I'm beyond crazy.  So, in search of options (and to avoid dying of boredom), I've been trying to mix it up a bit.

The adventure began with these fantastic pumpkin cookies. Have you tried them?  Man, they are REALLY good.  Trouble is...now we're left with a half can of pumpkin--a familiar dilemma; REALLY healthy, REALLY expensive ingredients, use half of them, the rest rots in the fridge.  Am I alone on this???

So, sick of wasting money and food, I invented The Leftover Game; Not a new idea, but one that's keeping me sane (which is a good thing).

The game goes like this.  You make a recipe and, if you have a leftover ingredient, you make another recipe with that.  For example, below is my modified recipe.  Note: To suit my diet (and ingredients), I halved it and altered a few other things--original can be found here.

Pumpkin Pie Custard
Like the pie without the crust (and really awful stuff). For kicks, try it for breakfast (that will alter your morning). My healthy husband sampled it and did not spit it out...which is a good sign.

1 large organic egg

1/4 tsp liquid Stevia

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1/2 can of organic pumpkin

1/2 13 ounce can of organic coconut milk

Dump everything into a bowl, mix well, put in sprayed pie pan, and bake at 350 degrees (F) for 50-60 minutes.  Let sit for 15 minutes or more; then chill overnight in the fridge.  Voilà. 

By the way, the custard is FANTASTIC (like the best breakfast ever); don't let the photo fool you.  Now (she says, tapping her finger on the bow of her lips)...what to do with the rest of that coconut milk...

Altered Today: Waste, boredom, easy baked stuff

Day 118: I'm Winning: Sugar-Free, Gluten-Free Pumpkin Cookie Joy

My little bundles of pumpkin joy. Aren't they beautiful???

Ok. Don't fall out of your chair, but I just made delicious, semi-healthy pumpkin cookies. It comes as a big win; especially on the heels of my Gluten-Free Brownie fail.  But, I've soooo been craving something other than meat, vegetables, nuts, eggs, corn chips, beans, and fruit, I had to keep trying.

The original recipe can be found on Sparkpeople.com, but here’s how I Abracadabra’d it to fit my yeast-free, sugar-free, gluten-free lifestyle.  Bonus: It was super easy to make--perfect if you’re really tired or really sore; I did the whole thing with just one hand--literally. 

You’re Going to Thank Me Pumpkin Cookies
Light, chewy, cinnamony, soft cookies with crunchy bits and edges. 
Think pumpkin bread with a little extra somethin'-somethin'.

1/2 c. butter (can also use shortening or probably coconut oil)
1 1/2 c. Swerve (granulated Stevia might also work)
1 large organic egg
1 c. canned organic pumpkin
1 tsp. gluten-free vanilla extract
2 1/2 c. gluten-free flour (I like Namaste Perfect Flour Blend)
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 c. unsweetened carob chips (sounds gross with pumpkin, but trust me)

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a mixing bowl, cream together the butter and Swerve until light and fluffy. Beat in egg.  Add pumpkin and vanilla until combined.

3. In a separate bowl, combine the flour and the next 5 ingredients. Slowly add the flour mixture to the pumpkin mixture and stir until mixed. Stir in the carob chips.

4. Drop by heaping teaspoons or small ice cream scoop onto un-greased cookie sheets.  Flatten cookies slightly and bake for 15-17 minutes (fyi: they won’t spread so put them close). 
Note: Do not over bake (this will be slightly soft when they come out).

5.  Rejoice!!  You just made something so yummy, even a healthy person will like it.

Altered Today: Something my hubby didn’t spit out.  New goodies in the freezer.  Cooking with Swerve.

Day 115: Mind the Meat

 

I'll admit it; I've become a bit of a food snob.  I no longer just want organic, I now want to interview chickens, check out the "free range," and meet the people behind the magic (and I've been working hard to do it).

My search has led to a few places:  Eatwild.com--a directory of local, grass fed meats, eggs, and dairy; Homegrown--the closed food Co-op I visited yesterday; and Petty's Meat Market--known for their gourmet cuts of meat.  Today, it took me (or rather my husband took me) to a nearby farmer's market; one rumored to sell quality poultry, pork, and beef for a very reasonable price.

Past the dreamcatchers, just North of the Kettle Corn, I spot him--the legend--the guy that makes mealtimes happen. He looks more like a business man than a farmer, but hey what do farmers look like?  I watch from the side while six people wait anxiously for their turn.

"See these?  These are Jumbo eggs," he brags, pulling a carton from a cooler.
"Is the ham sliced?" a lady asks, pointing to an unmarked Ziplock bag.

The conditions don't look...well...sanitary, but I'm open. For a minute, my husband and I survey the options:  Slabs of bacon, small chickens for $5.00, pre-cut pork chops, sirloin steak. It looks like the kind of food you'd get from your Grandma's walk-in; poorly butchered, with fat stringing down the side. Still, people come and go, waving dollar bills, excitedly loading their purchases into plastic Dollar Store bags.

After several minutes of watching, we notice a few things: the red Cooler--the one that houses the eggs--stays open a lot; the meat case--though it's 70+ degrees outside--shows no condensation; another guy--across the way wrestling sweet potatoes--claims he has sliced turkey in his truck (what is this, meat on consignment???).

In the end, we leave empty handed.  Call me picky or poisoned by having a friend who's a health inspector, but I prefer my "fresh" meat the old-fashioned way: wrapped firmly, chilled excessively, handled safely, and with a label.

Altered Today: Embracing my snooty status.  Avoiding Meat Roulette and new health complications. Eliminating shopping options.

Day 108: A Day of Soups and Stews

Homemade Beef Stew thanks to my pressure cooker

I never felt that connected with food.  Purchased in cans and boxes and often via a drive-thru window, I didn't care much about its past--only that it tasted good and was handled safely.  Now, eating wholesome, nutritious meals is a full-time job, and with that job comes a profound gratitude for the people and the products that are helping me heal.

People like the Strawberry Lady who for two decades ran Pappy's Patch so I could enjoy red, vine-ripened smoothies. Or, appliances like my Vitamix that chop, dice, and slice when my fingers no longer can.  They are a large part of my life--and a small part of a bigger net that has softened a very hard fall.

This afternoon, as I eat my $10 organic chicken, I am overwhelmed with appreciation; for the bird who gave its life, for the farmer who cared enough to feed it grains--rather than plump it with hormones and chemicals, and for the machine that allows me to mince carrots, celery, and onions with just the touch of a button.
 
It is a new feeling to have so much love for things that don't talk: 

...the poultry

...the machine,

...the vegetables,

...the broth.

Although I am not Buddhist, I offered a special prayer before cooking that bird today.

God, thank you for this bird's life. Please watch over all those who cared for it and let my actions be worthy of having it in my body.

Altered Today: Gratitude for food, people, gadgets, and gluten-free rice pasta.  Comfort in the little things. Meats and vegetables into soups and stews. New prayers of thanks.

Day 99: Gluten Free, Sugar Free Brownie Fail

Ummmmmmmmmmmmmm.  Hot, delicious, chocolatey  brownies.  Just what I needed to perk up my rainy Thursday afternoon.  Feeling adventurous, I take to my computer.  'Sugar Free, Gluten Free Brownie Recipe' I type into the search bar.  At the top of the list, comes this option with this footnote.  "This recipe is very yummy," it says, luring me in.

"Let's try it," I say, convincing my friend to do the tough work for me.  One by one, we go through the ingredients.

Butter--CHECK
Eggs--CHECK
Vanilla--CHECK
Water--CHECK
Baking Powder--CHECK

Gluten free baking flour--CHECK
Salt--CHECK

Cocoa--we replace with Carob powder (can't have chocolate)
Honey--we replace with Yacon  Syrup (can't have honey)
Xanthan Gum--we replace with Maca Powder (could have Xanthan, but don't have it)

She mixes. She stirs. We sample as we go along. Yacon's sort of molasses-like, but it will do. "Not incredibly chocolatey, but not baaaad," we say as she puts the batter into the pan. 

For 30 minutes, we excitedly sniff the cocoa drenched air.   "It smells really good," I say to my friend. Finally, we get to cut.  The texture is amazing--crispy corner edges surrounding a chewy dense cake.  It looks like the best brownie you are ever going to eat.  No kidding.

With anticipation, my friend gets a piece, then my husband, then me.  "Here we go," hubby says, taking a bite.  Slowly, his eyes widen as I follow. Within seconds, we're both spitting...not only brownie, but teeth, saliva, and anything else we can to get the taste out of our mouths.

My friend--obviously more optimistic--holds out, trying to disern the taste of failure.

Friend:  It's just not sweet.  It just doesn't taste chocolately. If I shut my eyes, it's not so bad.  Maybe it tastes like corn bread.
Husband (insisting):  But cornbread tastes GOOD!!!

Final verdict??????!?!?!  If you like the taste of Battery Acid and feet you should definitely get my recipe.

Altered Today: First fail at Gluten Free Sugar Free Recipe.

Day 92: Vitamix vs. Blendtec: How I Picked the Best Juicer

For weeks my husband and I have been wrestling with an important question:  Which one's better, Blendtec or Vitamix???  We've searched everywhere for answers...on websites, in message boards, through Facebook posts, with friends and family.

"Blendtec offers a special milkshake-blade jug that makes shakes lighter & airier…Vitamix does not," raved one opinionated junkie.

"Watch Iron Chef America and guess which blender they put there reputation on. That’s right, Vitamix," reasoned another.

Arguably, both products trump traditional blenders. They chop fruits whole (seeds, skins, and all), make ice cream, and, within minutes, create hot soup--right on the countertop.

Both also have their pro's and cons.

Vitamix

Pros:
-Large, 64 oz. BPA-free carafe
-Tamper--to move things around
-Opening in lid to add things as you go along
-Preffered by professionals
-Seven-year warranty
-Comes with a cookbook

Cons:
-Too big to put on the counter under the kitchen cabinets
-More expensive than Blendtec
-Attached blade base--not removable for cleaning
-Needs a separate pitcher for grinding flour

Blendtec

Pros:
-Fits under counter
-Less Expensive than a Vitamix
-Claims to be sooo good it doesn't need a tamper
-Removeable base for cleaning

Cons:
-Smaller pitcher size
-No hole in lid
-No tamper
-Three-year standard warranty

Of course, there's always this to consider...

Luckily, I'm not interested in iPad smoothies.

The final verdict?  After weeks of discussing, hours of research, tons of crazy conversations, it all came down to this.

Husband (calling me on the phone): Baby, do you believe in signs?
Me: Sure (thinking he's found the cure to my sickness)
Husband: Well, I'm at Whole Foods and guess what they're doing?
Me: What?
Husband: A VITAMIX demo.  Do you believe it????  You should come over here.
Me:  That's ok. You can handle it.
Husband:  REALLY?!?!?  It's pretty cool. You don't want to come talk to this guy and check it out?
Me:  No. Not Really. I trust you.
Husband: OK

30 minutes later

Husband (calling again, obviously excited): I watched the whole thing and talked to the guy. This thing's amazing.  I really think  it's the way to go.
Me: OK.
Husband: So, I should buy it?
Me:  If you think so.

$399 later, I have a very fancy, schmancy smoothie maker.

Altered Today: How I use vegetables and make decisions.

Day 87: Being Green: Not Easy, but Worth It

   

I'll never forget one of the first times I talked to my friend Jen about nutrition.  "You shouldn't drink that," she said, staring at my glass of super sweet tea with a look of panic.  She then went on to share horror stories about yeast, food chemicals, and the dangers of contaminated meat.

For years, Jen casually dropped hints about buying whole foods, choosing organic, hormones, etc. "Have you seen the movie SuperSize Me?" she would ask.  "How about Food, Inc?"

She wasn't trying to lecture. She was trying to love. 

Did I listen???  Somewhat. 
Did I change?  Not really.

Now, I should preface this by saying: Jen is beautiful. Like if 12 supermodels got together and made a baby, I doubt they could produce anyone so perfect. 

Jen is also EXTREMELY dedicated to health and nutrition.  She makes her own almond milk, doesn't feed the kids Cheerios, sprouts unrecognizable things on her kitchen counter top, and takes her own burgers to parties.

In truth, this perfection leads to her downfall.  Although everybody would like to look like her, few people believe they could ever live like her so it sometimes makes her message unrelatable.

Funny thing, after six months of sickness, I don't just relate to Jen, I've become her. 

My pantry has turned into a billboard for Whole Foods.

My drinks into something fit for the Hulk.

Green Goddess made with organic apple, cucumber, spinach, kiwi, and green grapes.

As Oprah once said, "The universe speaks to us in whispers. If we ignore the whispers, we get pebbles of warnings. If we still don't pay attention, we get bricks of problems, and if we're really hardheaded, eventually the entire brick wall comes crashing down."

I didn't realize I was so hardheaded, but I'm starting to get the picture.

Altered Today: Food Choices. Listening for whispers, pebbles, and everything in between.

Day 81: I Want to Go There--The Anti-Yeast Wonderland

1949 Original Candy Land Game courtesy of Fanpop.com

"Baby, this is SOOOOO good," said my husband, looking a bit like a kid in a candy store.  "You want some," he asked, temporarily forgetting my new diet.

In front of him sat the perfect banana nut muffin: split in two, crisped on the grill top, complete with crunchy, brown edges toasted to perfection. "YES, I do want some," I thought/muttered as I dug my fork into my salad.  "But the truth is I'd rather be healthy."

So...at the doctor's request, I've eliminated white flour and sugar from my menu.  It's not that I'm gluten intolerant, it's that yeast thrive on white stuff and I won't get better or be eligible for treatment until I get the dirty rascals out of my system.

A necessary, but not fun alteration.

Hearing the dilemma, a friend offered an potential solution today.  "Have you ever been to that new healthy bakery on Fairbanks?  Maybe they have something?"

Past the rainbow trail near the peppermint forest, we found it--a blessing for anyone who's been struggling with health problems.  Introducing Natural Delights...a wonderful, teeny weeny jewel that makes healthy treats that also taste good.

                Feast your eyes on these beauties.

Make from Yacon Syrup, Dates, Agave, and other yummy natural goodness, the bakery offers amazing Gluten-Free, Sugar-Free desserts (words I have never been able to utter in the same sentence).  I tried the chocolate cupcake with beet, the buckwheat chocolate chunk cookies, and the lemon cupcake with cream cheese (Lemon cupcake, om nom nom). 

Thank God, the doctor also took me off Weight Watchers.

Altered Today: Putting healthy, sweet, and delicious together as a food category, a diet I can live with, love for my friend. 

Day 58: My Favorite Drink Is ????

Did you ever come to the realization you are not who you think you are?  If you haven't, just wait.  It's really disconcerting. If you have, you might understand what I am about to say...maybe.

My whole life, I've been a tea drinker. I love tea. 

I love it iced.  I love it hot.  I love it frozen in dixie cups with little bits of ice crystals.  I love it, love it, love it.

Growing up, Mom always had at least 3 gallons of tea in the fridge.  She stored it in those old yellow tupperware containers. 

The recipe was simple: 4 tea bags, one gallon of water, 2 cups of sugar. 

As an adult, I have spent HOURS scouring restaurants for the best tea in town.  I know who serves it sweetened, what brand of leaves they use, whether the ice is cubed, crushed, or shaved, whether they have a drive through, how late you can get it, what kind of to-go cups they use, etc. etc.

If I do say so myself, I have PERFECTED the art of finding the perfect glass of iced tea in Central Florida (and in some parts of Georgia).

WHY?  Because drinking tea is the best thing in the world...at least I thought it was...until today.

Turns out, after 40 years of non-stop, obsessive tea drinking, I don't actually like tea.  I just thought I did.

Let me explain.

Over the past several months, I've majorly cut sugar out of my diet.  If you do the math (see recipe above), you can understand why. It's not good for you.  It adds weight.  It does funky stuff to your insulin, etc. etc.

To compensate, I switched to Splenda (ohhhh noooo, you might should be thinking).  And my doctor couldn't agree more. 

So, in the world of tea (and in the pursuit of altering my health), I'm left with a few options.  A) Use Stevia or some "via" equivalent (which I don't like)  B) Use Agave or some honey- like syrup (ok, but not the same) or C) Drink it unsweetened and see how it goes.

After putzing along with options A and B for the past several weeks, this week I selected option C and the results were shocking.  Turns out, I'm not actually interested in tea.  What I am interested in is a SUGAR delivery medium.  Can you believe it?!??!?  I am like a little junkie for sugar. I could care less about the leaves.

So, with my "non-alcoholic" batch in hand, I have a whole new perspective on what I choose to drink.  I'm not saying I'll never have a brewed glass again (that would be crazy), but at least now I know what I am really craving has got nothing to do with Tetley. And that's a real eye opener.

Altered Today: Realized my Favorite Beverage is Actually Sugar, Hydration Habits, Taste Buds, Smarter Health Choices

Day 54: Neurotoxic...what? If you have weird symptoms and can't sleep, you should read this.

Since being sick, I journal daily. I note what I eat, how I'm sleeping, any new aches and pains, and any other number of odd things that come up that require attention.  If you read my post the other day, you might remember I haven't been sleeping well lately.  In fact, since last Monday, I've only slept three nights: one without disturbance, the other two with limited interruption.  The other four nights I was awake completely wired.

At first, I thought it must be my newly prescribed vitamins..  "Boy, these herbs  really make me edgy" I told my husband.  Then, having still taken the vitamins, I slept soundly the next night.  "That's odd," I thought.  "Wonder what else it could be?"

Today, I think I found my answer.  As I scoured through my food journal, I noticed an interesting pattern.  EVERY night I was wide awake, I ate either a chocolate pudding or a chocolate yogurt bar late in the evening. "Aha, chocolate," I said to myself...thinking I'd solved it. However, I had cocoa on other nights with no reaction. 

Stumped again, I went back to my food journal.  The items in question both contained probiotics.....a healthy choice.  "Wonder what else is in there?" I thought as I  looked up the ingredients.  The results floored me.

Introducing carrageenan-- a seemingly harmless vegan alternative to gelatin that's made from red seaweed.  It's found in lots of stuff including soy milk, pancake syrup, ice cream, toothpaste, and diet sodas.  It's also been noted as a Reaction Triggering Neuro Toxic Chemical.

According to the RTNC411 website, 1 in 4 people are sensitive to chemicals like carrageenan, but most don't even know it. 

The website also reports RTNCs can cause serious reactions including:

• Headaches, migraines, insomnia, coughing, chronic fatigue, aggression, hyperactivity, anxiety, and depression.

• Asthma attacks, obesity, attention deficit disorder (ADD), tinnitus, restless leg syndrome (RLS), and neurodegenerative diseases such as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS).

The ironic thing?  By eating these products I thought I was doing something GOOD for my health. I mean don't they SEEM healthy???

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My conclusion?  Although the verdict is still out whether these products have been truly been contributing to my insomnia or health concerns, I've found enough information to make me permanently stop buying them.

Altered Today: Buying ANYTHING Without Reading the Label, Thinking People Who Talk About Food Safety and Toxic Overload are Nut Jobs

Sources:

http://www.notmilk.com/carageenan.html
http://www.rtnc411.org/rtnchome.html
http://www.scdrecipe.com/blog/archive/2010/05/03/illegal-list-carrageenan/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carrageenan
http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/id/QAA44833