Thursday, May 14, 2015

Strawberries

I've decided to eat better this year and I'm finally at my favorite time of the year- strawberry season. Who needs candy or soda when there are naturally sweet and delicious strawberries? 

Wednesday, May 6, 2015

Honey

One of my biggest problems with food came from the sugar used to sweeten things. I made the switch from sugar to honey and feel better and use much less. I even put it in my coffee! 

Photography






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Being an artist

I tried, I really did. I tried to not be who I really am. I am an artist. I have taken up photography and dear readers I plan to inundate my blog from time to time with these pictures. 

Wednesday, April 8, 2015

Searching For Sunday

Searching For Sunday was a book I started reading awhile ago.  It reminded me of the song "Killin Me Softly" by Roberta Flack and later the Fugees.  In the lyrics the singer notes that someone has a great deal of insight into their personal struggle and pain.  The same thing is true for Searching For Sunday.  In her remarkable narrative the author Rachel Held Evans explores her journey to finding personal peace and the church in the modern era.  It sounded so familiar as if she had knowledge of my struggles with modern Christianity and finding my own place in it.  I know that from talking to others in my age bracket that they feel similarly to me and to Rachel.  Rachel's story has a happy ending whereas I am still finding my place.  Anyone seeking to find their path and who does any kind of soul searching regarding religion should certainly seek out this book.  It can be used to prove that others are struggling just as we are and can be somewhat of a how to guide/self- help text.  I keep re-reading passages over and over circling back to particular ones that are relevant to me at a particular time.  At the end of the day this book is a source of hope that the struggle will end and that there is always hope and to never give up.

Monday, April 6, 2015

Reading Deuteronomy

I have recently started reading several books with the objective of later writing reviews of them.  One of these books is by Stephen Cook.  Dr. Cook is a professor of the Old Testament at Virginia Theological Seminary.  His most recent work is a part of a series examining individually the books of the Old Testament- each written by different contributors.  His is entitled: Reading Deuteronomy, and is impressive.  As a history instructor I rarely come across books regarding historical matter that appease my need for quality research and new interpretations.  This book does just this- as I am reading this book I have developed a better understanding of an ignored segment of the Bible and as result of this new understanding I have a greater appreciation for the role that this book plays in both the Old and New Testament.  While a historical and theological reading can be burdensome and provide intellectual stimulation overload; readers will not necessarily experience that here.  We are guided at a steady pace that seems to allow for the information to be absorbed before building onto it.  I highly recommend this book to anyone seeking to better understand the Judeo-Christian origins.  I also found this to be an appropriate read during the week of both Easter and Passover.

Easter Sunday

Well I made it to church yesterday for Easter service without any flat tires.  I then made my way to my grandmother's house.  I watched and listened as children laughed and yelled during the Easter egg hunt.  I think though what I was most thankful for this Easter was the ability for most of my family to gather around the dining room table to partake in a meal together.  The sounds of conversations mixed together with the smells of food (mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, stuffed ham, turkey, beef, broccoli casserole, homemade rolls, and oh so much more) and the sight of everyone being together made my heart happy.

Monday, March 30, 2015

Slow down

Sometimes life forces you to slow down even when you don't want to. Today I learned that lesson the hard way. A completely flat and shredded tire thanks to nails in the road forced me to stop and rethink my day. I am so grateful to companies like AAA who do their best to help the uneducated in automotive repairs like myself and have deduced that the errands I wanted to run can wait. A day at home sounds nice.

Wednesday, March 25, 2015

Curling Up With A Good Book

Part of this journey that i am undertaking is a spirtual element.  For many years the focus was on religion and not spirituality.  One can satisfy the mind and yet not inspire the soul.  

While on this quest I have decided to take time for simple pleasures.   I recently became a  participant for a scial media launch team for a new book by Rachel Held Evans entitled: "Searching For Sunday". My copy of the book just came in and it will be a perfect way to spend tomorrow- which is supposed to be rainy with thunderstorms.  I will let everyone know my thoughts on this particular book. 

Monday, March 23, 2015

Change

Apparently there is the myth that it takes 21 days to form a new habit. Well, I think I have made it past that and all I know is that I would never go back to the old me.  As an Episcopalian who grew up in the Catholic faith I every year, give up something or try to take up a new habit for Lent.  Usually after Lent I return to the behaviors or habits that I gave up earlier.  This year was different.  I wanted to make a change and wanted it to last longer.  I wanted to change my attitude, my energy, my outlook- in other words just about all of me.  I took up better eating, drinking water, and exercise like many people.  I also began meditating and thinking more positively- seriously I was one negative person prior to Lent.  I actually began considering that whatever energy I put out into the universe meant something.  Finally, I began to take chances and risks more, i started to acknowledge failures as a lesson learned, and reflected back on what were my passions.  

Long ago I put down the paint brushes, the pastels, and charcoals that I used for art projects and labeled them as childish frivolity that as an adult I couldn't pursue.  Imagine my disbelief that engaging in art was a much needed creative release for me.  I have also found out that I love baking and love decorating the cupcakes I make for others.  I find myself trying new recipes (chocolate cupcakes with peanut butter frosting!) Never before would I have even thought to do that.  

I have realized that life is a journey- one that you can enjoy and take part in.

That has helped me find peace and positive energy around me and within me.



Thursday, March 19, 2015

Question?

Has anyone ever used coconut flour? Any thoughts on it? We have some and I don't know what to do with it.

Thanks!

Chicken

Chicken is a regular part of our weekly meals in my house. It's something that everyone can eat. Tonight's dinner is chicken seasoned with cumin, turmeric, mustard, paprika, garlic and onion powder. It smells awesome in the kitchen. Topping all of this is guacamole! It's chicken with a kick! Chicken doesn't have to be boring. 

Spring

Spring is upon us! You can feel it in the air. Birds are sweetly singing. Ladybugs have taken over everyplace in the house. Seeds are ready to be planted. And for the first time in years I want to be a part of it. I want to be outside. I want to plant things and watch them grow. I want to take in the yearly reminder of rebirth and renewal. This year is my spring- my rebirth and my renewal. 

Wednesday, March 11, 2015

I love my crockpot

I love my crock-pot.  I really do.  It makes cooking so easy.  Yesterday, I didn't feel like cooking thanks to a flare up of my fibromyalgia (for more on that please see the previous post).  That being said, I still had to eat and so did the other people living in the house.  So I took three boneless, skinless chicken breasts. I added: honey (several tablespoons), spicy brown mustard (a must in my pantry- and I added several tablespoons of that to the honey to start), a pinch of salt, garlic powder, and onion powder.  I cooked the chicken on high for several hours and then left on low.  When I was ready to eat, the chicken was so well cooked and tender that I easily shredded the chicken and mixed it in with the honey mustard marinade.  It was amazing!!!!

Yumaste!!! 


Monday, March 9, 2015

My Life With Fibromylagia

Fibromyalgia seems to be one of the most controversial terms in modern medicine.  Many people debate the existence of what they call an "invisible disease".  For the most part one of the biggest issues with Fibromyalgia is defining exactly what it is.  According to the Mayo Clinic, Fibromyalgia is a "disorder characterized by widespread pain". Fibromyalgia hurts because the nerve receptors in the body over react to stimulation and send signals to the brain that tell the body to feel pain.   What causes Fibromyalgia is also debated- it can vary from person to person which makes understanding this disorder much more difficult.  Injury, stress, or infection seem to be some of the leading causes.  I often wonder if autoimmune disorders play a factor as well.  Two other factors that are relevant for me are: 1) women are more prone to be diagnosed with fibromyalgia, and 2) genetics- my mother was also diagnosed with fibromyalgia years before I was.  So I have a family history of it. (Learn more about the definition of fibromyalgia and the symptoms at: http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/fibromyalgia/basics/definition/con-20019243)

I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia at the age of 18.  I will turn 32 this year and can count only 2 days of being pain free since I was diagnosed.  I was lucky to have a primary care physician that took my pain seriously and since his wife also had Fibromyalgia he was knew that I wasn't faking the symptoms.  Many people suffer with Fibromyalgia silently because they don't show signs of being ill.   My pain is chronic and can be worsened with stress- particularly emotional stress.  My pain tends to set up camp primarily in my shoulders, neck, and the back of my head.  As a result of my pain I have frequent headaches- they can escalate into full blown migraines. This isn't like the aches and pains people get with the flu- Fibromyalgia pain can be so consuming that it can lead to depression.  It can so debilitating that for some they cannot work and find day to day functions challenging and exhausting.   

I consider myself lucky in many regards.  Yes, I ache and yes, I am tired but I have a doctor that listens to me and I am still able to work.  Sometimes I get fibro fog and get a little forgetful and I consume cups of coffee but I can manage. The only way I am not lucky is that I cannot take Lyrica or the other medications available to ease the pain.  Sadly, these medicines I am either allergic to or they interact with my thyroid medicine.  

There are things that I try to do daily to lessen the amount of pain that I am in;

1) Daily prayer and meditation.  Being in chronic pain can bring me down if I let.  I spend at least ten minutes day sitting and focusing on the positives which helps reduce the amount of stress I have.
2) Exercise.  Hard to believe that my pain is worse when I don't get up and move.  I may feel like I'm dragging myself through the day but I am always more upbeat after a workout.
One of my favorites is yoga.  Yoga seems to help relieve the muscle tension that seems to go along with my Fibromyalgia- this helps lessen the amount of pain I am in.  I try to spend a few minutes each day doing yoga- like when I first get up and I feel much better.  
3)  I try to eat gluten free- I mean I kind of have to since gluten and my stomach just recently stopped getting along but gluten also seemed to agitate my symptoms making them much worse.  I also felt more lethargic after eating pasta or bread which isn't fun.  Gluten free sounds boring but it doesn't have to be.  I just know that cutting it out of my diet has made me feel much better.





One thing that has helped to ease my pain is a Vitamin B-12 shot.  The first time I had one over a year ago- I was pain free for 2 days!! Two days of not hurting- it was amazing.  The second time I had the shot the pain didn't go away entirely but it was much, much less. Of course this in't a daily thing but it can help. I see my doctor for this shot.

Fibromyalgia is to many who do not understand it, a made up illness.  We seem to have this idea that if we can't see the symptoms then they are not real.  I'm here say that Fibromyalgia is real.  My pain is real. My fatigue is real.  I am not making these symptoms or any of other symptoms up.  No one I know with Fibromyalgia is faking it to get attention.  I have made it a point to live a healthier life in order to help ease the disorder and to take back control of my life from it.  

Sunday, March 1, 2015

Hair health

My poor hair- it's naturally wavy, coarse, and brittle. It's been colored and straightened within an inch of its life. The products I usually use are loaded in chemicals that often make the damage worse.  I came across two more natural options to help save my hair. Apple cider vinegar makes a great conditioner- you only need a small amount and run it through wet hair after shampooing and leave in for a few minutes before rinsing out.  Instead of using a regular heat protecting spray that dries my hair out I've used a small amount of coconut oil- a dime sized amount and run it through my wet hair and wow! Less frizz and my hair is shinier and more manageable. 

Saturday, February 28, 2015

My thoughts on meditation

Meditation

Part of my quest for better health includes mental, emotional, and spiritual well being.  Today's world is filled with almost 24-7 demands. It used to be we could turn off distractions and rest but now with social media and technology that's portable it's difficult to escape. Now add in the mixture having Attention Deficit Disorder and with it the inability to focus it just create chaos. 

Now yes I'm on medicine for my ADD but I've also added something else to help.  Meditation. I know, I know it sounds so new age and weird but it works. Closing my eyes and focusing on just breathing or on one concept (like positive thinking) has been to say the least life changing. My ability to focus and concentrate has improved immensely. I also know that morning meditations help me to keep a positive outlook during the day. I missed a day earlier this week and I was grouchy.   My family has noticed the improvement and encourage me to continue meditation. I found this post on the Facebook page for My Uoga Online and I think it accurately depicts my brain before and after meditation.

Friday, February 27, 2015

Creative cooking

In my attempt to make gluten free ravioli I realized that the dough was too sticky to roll out and cut individually. What could I do? Waste the dough? Throw it out? Hmm- use a mini muffin pan to make the ravioli and to stuff them. I stuffed mine with mushrooms marinated in balsamic vinegar. I baked them in the oven for 15 minutes at 375 degrees. They taste great! This recipe is a keeper! In the future I plan to make them with chicken or turkey instead of mushrooms and a tomato sauce.

Yumaste 

Thursday, February 26, 2015

Cinnamon walnut brittle

This brittle is a sweet treat! Easy to make and diabetic friendly with a pinch of cinnamon to give something extra.

Ingredients:
2 cups sugar or Whey Low
1/4 tsp cinnamon 
1/4 tsp baking soda
2 tsp vanilla
2 cups walnuts

In a heavy duty pan (a lighter weight pan will cause the sugar to burn- I use a cast iron pan) melt the sugar
Once sugar is completely melted remove from heat
Add vanilla, baking soda, and cinnamon 
On a baking sheet covered with parchment paper place Walnuts trying to not layer them
Pore melted sugar over walnuts as evenly as possible
Freeze for several hours
Break apart and enjoy

Yumaste 


A poor attempt at gluten free baking

Don't let this bread fool you- it looks ok but taste terrible. I figure that I could have done with less baking powder since I think that is causing the bad aftertaste. A failed attempt is still an opportunity to learn.

Gluten free bread- an experiment

I love bread- it's wonderful and glorious and joyfully filled with carbs. But... I also live with people who cannot have bread. The idea of life without bread- that magnificent dietary staple seemed depressing. It did until I found a recipe for gluten free flaxseed based bread. It sounds good- in theory and the first few bites were ok but it was off somehow.  The texture was close to regular bread, the rosemary and oregano helped to flavor the bread, and yet there was an aftertaste. I'm not going to give up on finding an alternative to bread but this recipe is going in the trash.

Wednesday, February 25, 2015

Sugar substitute


There are a lot of sugar substitutes out on the markets.  Most of them have a bitter aftertaste and are made from questionable ingredients.  I have found one product though that tastes similar to sugar, doesn't have an aftertaste, can be used for baking, cooking, or just to sweeten a cup of tea or coffee.  Whey Low is a diabetic friendly sweetener that can b used measure for measure in place of sugar.  It is made with natural sugars like sucrose, fructose, and lactose.  The sweetener was developed by a husband seeking to help his wife who was diagnosed with diabetes.  There are a variety of types of Whey Low including a brown sugar alternative, one for making ice cream, and one particularly marketed for Type-2 diabetics.  I use all of these products and my family can't tell the difference between Whey Low and sugar in their food.


















Diabetic friendly dessert

Several people in my family either have diabetes or are borderline diabetic.  Dessert often means blah, bland pudding or sugar free candy.  I have a recipe for cinnamon walnut brittle that diabetics and non-diabetics alike will enjoy.  Tomorrow is my uncle's 60th birthday and I plan on making some to take to him later today since we are supposed to get snow tomorrow evening.  I will post a picture of the brittle along with the recipe later.

Yumaste!!

Gluten Free Pasta

I'm gonna do it- this time I'm serious... I'm gonna make gluten free pasta from scratch. The stuff in the box at the local health food store isn't very appetizing or flavorful.  So I'm going to try to make my own. I will attempt to make ravioli stuffed with mushrooms. I will probably end up using every pot and pan I own and may run away screaming but the pursuit of food that is healthy and that taste good is worthy of trial and error. I will let y'all know how this experiment turns out.

Best Ever Gluten Free Chicken Nuggets Recipe

These chicken nuggets are so easy to make.

Ingredients:

2 boneless, skinless chicken breast
3 cups of ground flax seed
2-3 tsp of cornstarch*
olive oil
salt
herbs of choice- I used rosemary, sage, thyme, turmeric
onion powder
garlic powder
salt and pepper

Directions:
in one bowl mix together the olive oil and cornstarch put aside
in another bowl mix together the ground flax seed, herbs, salt and pepper, onion and garlic powder (for the last ingredients season to taste)
Thaw out the chicken breast and cut into chunks or pieces
dip the chicken in the oil/cornstarch mixture then into the dry mix (best to use the wet hand/dry hand method- less likely to get Frankenstein fingers)
Place chicken on baking sheet- I used a stoneware sheet for the best result
Bake chicken in oven at 375 degrees until crispy- usually takes 25-35 minutes
* the oil and cornstarch mixture is used to replace eggs as a coating to help the flax seed stick to the chicken

We dipped the chicken in mustard but for a kid friendly option ketchup works just as well

Enjoy!!!!!

Yumaste

Tuesday, February 24, 2015

The best gluten free chicken nuggets ever

I have tried to find a gluten free version of chicken nuggets to feed my family and until now it was illusive. But here we have a herbed chicken nugget. The coating a mixture of herbs and ground flaxseed. It's amazing. Recipe to follow.

The best gluten free chicken nuggets ever

I have tried to find a gluten free version of chicken nuggets to feed my family and until now it was illusive. But here we have a herbed chicken nugget. The coating a mixture of herbs and ground flaxseed. It's amazing. Recipe to follow.

Monday, February 23, 2015

Yumaste

Hi, everyone!  Let me introduce myself and tell you a little about the this blog.  I'm a history professor at a community college.  When I'm not grading papers I can usually be found in the kitchen baking or cooking.  I've recently begun a quest to pursue overall health- physically, mentally, and emotionally. Part of the journey so far has included daily meditation. I wanted to share my journey with others as well as my cooking adventures. In my family food allergies are common.  These allergies include: gluten, fish, shellfish, eggs, dairy, and peanuts, and chocolate (yes chocolate- it's just awful).  So you can imagine that I have to get creative when cooking food that won't result in hives, but thy also tastes good as well.  I hope you enjoy reading about my adventures and misadventures!!!

Yumaste