Toaster waffles have a tendency to taste like cardboard with sugar added. I usually don't buy them, unless I'm really craving that toaster waffle taste (which is pretty rare, maybe every other year or so). However, I have been severely bummed that I can't have my normal waffle excursion to the waffle place in town every weekend. I used to go down there, usually on Sunday, and get either and egg sandwich or a waffle.
So, I've been craving waffles lately (gee, I don't know why) and I came across one that said "Gluten-Free" on the package in big, bold letters. In smaller letters, but still on the front, it said "Egg-Free and Dairy-Free" so I decided to give it a try.
If regular toaster waffles taste like cardboard, this stuff tastes like granulated cardboard pressed back into a waffle shape. It was very granular and didn't hold together. It didn't taste and feel like a waffle should, even compared to other toaster waffles. I chose to do my first taste test with just butter and syrup, as it is a classic. It did have a nice crispy crust that I liked, but that is it.
I'm going to try them with some fruit and yogurt on top instead of butter and syrup to see if that makes a difference.
I think I'm going to add a waffle iron to my wish list so I can try to make my own toaster waffles at home, omitting the egg from the ingredients. They might taste better that way...
Friday, September 2, 2011
Trial and Error
So, I've been testing my new-found allergy to eggs, just to see what I react to... So far, baked goods don't usually make me react - things like cookies and cakes, as long as they don't have too many eggs. However, straight scrambled eggs tend to make my skin hyper-sensitive. It feels very itchy, but the act of scratching causes more pain, rather than alleviating the itch... Based on previous tests, I figured that anything that had the egg protein basically pulverized wouldn't make me react very much and anything that was primarily egg-based, like custard products, would make me react like the scrambled eggs.
Today, I was bored and hungry and I went in search of food. I tried a restaurant that does a fairly decent soup/sandwich lunch special, but the parking lot was full. I didn't feel like paying for parking in the garage across from the restaurant, so I headed back towards my house while figuring out what I wanted to eat. I settled on a local diner that Aaron and I like to go to. Once there, I didn't really feel like eating the lunch items, so I ordered off the breakfast menu. In defiance of my allergy (and because I was curious), I ordered French Toast. I used to enjoy the French Toast at this restaurant before my allergy was known.
Uh, yeah, that was not such a great idea. I didn't have the same skin sensitivity reaction as when I eat straight eggs, but my stomach wasn't too keen on the idea of eating such an egg-y product. I couldn't finish the plate (something I wouldn't have been able to conceive of before) and I felt rather nauseous afterward. So much so that I didn't have an appetite for dinner until around 10:00 PM this evening (even after a 3-mile hike in the mountains). I guess my aversion to eating eggs has made it more difficult to eat egg-y foods... Hopefully, this means that I will STOP craving eggs...
Today, I was bored and hungry and I went in search of food. I tried a restaurant that does a fairly decent soup/sandwich lunch special, but the parking lot was full. I didn't feel like paying for parking in the garage across from the restaurant, so I headed back towards my house while figuring out what I wanted to eat. I settled on a local diner that Aaron and I like to go to. Once there, I didn't really feel like eating the lunch items, so I ordered off the breakfast menu. In defiance of my allergy (and because I was curious), I ordered French Toast. I used to enjoy the French Toast at this restaurant before my allergy was known.
Uh, yeah, that was not such a great idea. I didn't have the same skin sensitivity reaction as when I eat straight eggs, but my stomach wasn't too keen on the idea of eating such an egg-y product. I couldn't finish the plate (something I wouldn't have been able to conceive of before) and I felt rather nauseous afterward. So much so that I didn't have an appetite for dinner until around 10:00 PM this evening (even after a 3-mile hike in the mountains). I guess my aversion to eating eggs has made it more difficult to eat egg-y foods... Hopefully, this means that I will STOP craving eggs...
Thursday, August 25, 2011
New Projects!
It's time to tighten the belt and get serious about saving money and getting out of debt (past time, actually). I mentioned on my other blog that an absent husband can cost more money that one that is home, simply because it is easier for me to go out to eat rather than cook a bunch of food that I won't finish (another waste of money). He hasn't been flying much recently, so our savings is dwindling (we had hoped that it would be a short-term issue, but it is turning into a long-term one).... So, we need to buckle down and I need to come up with new ways to prepare food that don't cost me more money...
I received my inspiration from the September issue of Every Day with Rachael Ray. In it, she outlines a month of dishes that use food that was prepared on one day, portioned into 1 c. portions, and frozen. Some of the stuff she made with the ingredients doesn't really fit well into my particular eating requirements (eggs were added, or it had some ingredients that I don't like, etc), but I was inspired. I took her idea and ran with it.
I have only just started my new project, but I plan to stock up over the next few weeks. My plan includes preparing/roasting pork, beef, and chicken, then shredding and freezing each into Ziploc bags. Then, I plan on freezing brown rice. Since I get organic fruits and veggies every other week, I should be OK in the produce department. If I run low, I can add some frozen veggies from the store, portioned out the same way as the meat and rice. One departure that I am making from the magazine (and from all the other research done online) is that I am using MY recipes for the roasts. Why make something that I don't like to eat? Then I run into the same problem as before...
So, last night, I started with the pork roast, mostly because Aaron wanted tacos. This recipe is more of a method than an actual recipe. Feel free to adjust quantities and seasonings to your liking. Also, I cooked it in the oven, but you could easily use a crock pot.
2 Boneless Pork Shoulder roasts - about 4-5 lbs each
2 Tbsp whole black peppercorn (approx)
1 Tbsp whole Coriander (approx)
2 Tbsp Sea Salt (approx)
2-4 Cloves of Garlic (approx)
1 white onion.
2 bottles of Dos Equis Amber beer
I bought 2 bone-less pork shoulder roasts (although, bone in is probably better for flavor. My grocery store didn't have any at the time). I cracked the black peppercorn and coriander and then added all of the seasonings to the dutch oven. I roughly chopped the onion and added that to the pot. Then, I added the two roasts and then the beer. I let it slow cook in the oven at 350 for about an hour and a half, then reduced the heat to about 300 for another 2-3 hours. The beer lends a great flavor to the meat as well as helping to tenderize it. If you don't care for beer, then you can substitute water or chicken/veggie broth. It's up to you. You can do this recipe in a crock pot (I usually do, but my insert broke and I haven't replaced it yet). If so, then it is best to cook everything on low for 8-10 hours. You can do it on high in 4-6, but the meat won't be as tender as the low and slow method.
Once the meat has cooled enough, shred and put into Ziploc freezer bags in 1 cup portions. Add a little of the cooking liquid and then get as much air out at possible. Freeze flat and don't forget to date the baggies. When you want to use the meat, just take it out of the freezer and put in the fridge to thaw in the morning. When you get home, it should all be thawed! (I say should, because I haven't actually completed this step yet). The pork can be used in tacos (my favorite), enchiladas, soups, pasta, casseroles, sandwiches, or as a side by itself. The possibilities are endless!
I received my inspiration from the September issue of Every Day with Rachael Ray. In it, she outlines a month of dishes that use food that was prepared on one day, portioned into 1 c. portions, and frozen. Some of the stuff she made with the ingredients doesn't really fit well into my particular eating requirements (eggs were added, or it had some ingredients that I don't like, etc), but I was inspired. I took her idea and ran with it.
I have only just started my new project, but I plan to stock up over the next few weeks. My plan includes preparing/roasting pork, beef, and chicken, then shredding and freezing each into Ziploc bags. Then, I plan on freezing brown rice. Since I get organic fruits and veggies every other week, I should be OK in the produce department. If I run low, I can add some frozen veggies from the store, portioned out the same way as the meat and rice. One departure that I am making from the magazine (and from all the other research done online) is that I am using MY recipes for the roasts. Why make something that I don't like to eat? Then I run into the same problem as before...
So, last night, I started with the pork roast, mostly because Aaron wanted tacos. This recipe is more of a method than an actual recipe. Feel free to adjust quantities and seasonings to your liking. Also, I cooked it in the oven, but you could easily use a crock pot.
2 Boneless Pork Shoulder roasts - about 4-5 lbs each
2 Tbsp whole black peppercorn (approx)
1 Tbsp whole Coriander (approx)
2 Tbsp Sea Salt (approx)
2-4 Cloves of Garlic (approx)
1 white onion.
2 bottles of Dos Equis Amber beer
I bought 2 bone-less pork shoulder roasts (although, bone in is probably better for flavor. My grocery store didn't have any at the time). I cracked the black peppercorn and coriander and then added all of the seasonings to the dutch oven. I roughly chopped the onion and added that to the pot. Then, I added the two roasts and then the beer. I let it slow cook in the oven at 350 for about an hour and a half, then reduced the heat to about 300 for another 2-3 hours. The beer lends a great flavor to the meat as well as helping to tenderize it. If you don't care for beer, then you can substitute water or chicken/veggie broth. It's up to you. You can do this recipe in a crock pot (I usually do, but my insert broke and I haven't replaced it yet). If so, then it is best to cook everything on low for 8-10 hours. You can do it on high in 4-6, but the meat won't be as tender as the low and slow method.
 |
| The meat was so tender, that it fell apart while taking it out of the pot :) |
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Late Updates and New Cleaning Tips!
So, I haven't been as consistent as I wanted to be when I started this blog... I guess that I got a little carried away, but I'm still glad I started it...It still gives me a place to chronicle my journey and reminds me how far I've come...
When I started this journey, I weighed 187 lbs... As of the date of my last physical (a few weeks ago), I have lost 7 lbs! Yay me! Still a lot to go (target weight is 130) but progress is progress! I am still plugging away with my food goals, especially focusing on the types of ingredients and the portion sizes that I am eating. I'm glad I don't own a scale so I can't get obsessed about daily weigh-ins...
My physical brought a new diagnosis to light - fibromyalgia... I haven't really started to do anything to address this issue yet, but I will be talking to an acupuncturist in the near future, hopefully to avoid the typical medical treatment plan of anti-depressants. Other than that, I'm relatively healthy :)
In my constant fight against my allergies, I've been trying out different home cleaning options. I especially wanted to replace my dusting spray with something that doesn't give me a headache. Oddly enough, my new dusting spray is strong tea with a little lemon juice added... Seriously! It is supposed to be really good for pollen. It seems to work well with the dog hair/dander too. I usually have an allergy/asthma attack anytime I try to dust anything in the house, but I don't have the same reaction when I use the tea spray. In fact, I haven't had an allergy attack at all! It works really well on my leather furniture too! My old furniture spray would leave an oily residue on the couch that would make it more difficult to sit on the couch. The tea spray doesn't leave a residue and doesn't make everything smell like tea. It is amazing! I can't say enough things about it.
To make the tea dusting spray - boil 3 cups of water. Add 2 bags of regular tea to the water and let it sit until it cools completely (leave the tea bags in the water the whole time). Add 1 tbsp. of lemon juice and pour into a spray bottle. Spray directly on to a paper towel or rag and dust away!
I've used this on my couches, my lamps, my end tables, and my washer/dryer! Recently, I caught up on all the laundry piled around the house, most of which was covered in dog hair... My washer/dryer combo was coated in dog hair and dust as I would move things in and out of the washer. The spray worked really well at attracting the dog hair and lint dust that was all over my laundry area... AWESOME! Can't say enough good things about it :) I'm still testing other areas of the house, but so far, I haven't encountered a hard surface it CAN'T tackle!
When I started this journey, I weighed 187 lbs... As of the date of my last physical (a few weeks ago), I have lost 7 lbs! Yay me! Still a lot to go (target weight is 130) but progress is progress! I am still plugging away with my food goals, especially focusing on the types of ingredients and the portion sizes that I am eating. I'm glad I don't own a scale so I can't get obsessed about daily weigh-ins...
My physical brought a new diagnosis to light - fibromyalgia... I haven't really started to do anything to address this issue yet, but I will be talking to an acupuncturist in the near future, hopefully to avoid the typical medical treatment plan of anti-depressants. Other than that, I'm relatively healthy :)
In my constant fight against my allergies, I've been trying out different home cleaning options. I especially wanted to replace my dusting spray with something that doesn't give me a headache. Oddly enough, my new dusting spray is strong tea with a little lemon juice added... Seriously! It is supposed to be really good for pollen. It seems to work well with the dog hair/dander too. I usually have an allergy/asthma attack anytime I try to dust anything in the house, but I don't have the same reaction when I use the tea spray. In fact, I haven't had an allergy attack at all! It works really well on my leather furniture too! My old furniture spray would leave an oily residue on the couch that would make it more difficult to sit on the couch. The tea spray doesn't leave a residue and doesn't make everything smell like tea. It is amazing! I can't say enough things about it.
To make the tea dusting spray - boil 3 cups of water. Add 2 bags of regular tea to the water and let it sit until it cools completely (leave the tea bags in the water the whole time). Add 1 tbsp. of lemon juice and pour into a spray bottle. Spray directly on to a paper towel or rag and dust away!
I've used this on my couches, my lamps, my end tables, and my washer/dryer! Recently, I caught up on all the laundry piled around the house, most of which was covered in dog hair... My washer/dryer combo was coated in dog hair and dust as I would move things in and out of the washer. The spray worked really well at attracting the dog hair and lint dust that was all over my laundry area... AWESOME! Can't say enough good things about it :) I'm still testing other areas of the house, but so far, I haven't encountered a hard surface it CAN'T tackle!
Friday, June 17, 2011
What to make for dinner?
When I got the list of organic produce in my box this past week, I wondered what in the heck I would do with baby bok-choy. Luckily, I have the internet :)
I found a recipe for Salmon with Hoisin, Orange, & Bok Choy that sounded tasty. I did make a departure from the recipe. First, I used Halibut instead (I don't care for Salmon). Second, I used Coriander, but omitted the Cilantro (Aaron doesn't care for Cilantro).
Here are my notes:
This method produces a light, moist, tender fish! However, the hoisin sauce overpowered the fish. The bok choy turned into this mushy crap in the bottom of the foil packet, but it tasted like mild steamed spinich. Neither one of us ate more than two bites of the bok choy (the texture turned us off more than the flavor). Aaron enjoyed the fish more than I did. I think I'll try this sauce (and method) over chicken sometime, but add some soy sauce and brown sugar or honey to make it more of a teriyaki sauce. That might hold up better to the combination of flavors. I'll just stick to broiling my halibut simply with salt and pepper and maybe a little garlic.
I found a recipe for Salmon with Hoisin, Orange, & Bok Choy that sounded tasty. I did make a departure from the recipe. First, I used Halibut instead (I don't care for Salmon). Second, I used Coriander, but omitted the Cilantro (Aaron doesn't care for Cilantro).
Here are my notes:
This method produces a light, moist, tender fish! However, the hoisin sauce overpowered the fish. The bok choy turned into this mushy crap in the bottom of the foil packet, but it tasted like mild steamed spinich. Neither one of us ate more than two bites of the bok choy (the texture turned us off more than the flavor). Aaron enjoyed the fish more than I did. I think I'll try this sauce (and method) over chicken sometime, but add some soy sauce and brown sugar or honey to make it more of a teriyaki sauce. That might hold up better to the combination of flavors. I'll just stick to broiling my halibut simply with salt and pepper and maybe a little garlic.
Friday, June 10, 2011
Over the river and through the woods...
One of the best reasons to live where I live is the beautiful hiking trails that are nearby to my house. Several trails in town are paved and my favorite one is on the other side of the Mendenhall River from where I live. There is a section of it that is unpaved and is called the "Horse Trail". Many residents walk their dogs on these trails, and I am no exception. While on the paved portion of the trail, you are required to keep your dog on-leash (but hardly anybody does... being a strict rule follower, I do). If you divert on to the horse trail about a quarter of a mile down the paved part, the dogs can go off-leash. Noni and Lijha love it. It is quite a good walk as it goes up and down hill a good portion of the hike. Once the trail merges back with the paved part, we cross the path and take the fishing access trails to go down to the river. Lijha loves playing in the water. Then we continue the loop back to the start of the horse trail (but on the river side) and head back to the car. It takes about an hour to do this hike and I've done it for 4 days in a row so far (yay me!).
I haven't really had time to fit this one-hour walk into my day, but I have made the time. Mostly as a weapon in my fight against fatigue. Getting myself moving helps my joints and keeps me active. I am very careful to not overdo it and completely exhaust myself. It is slow-going, but I have felt my over-all energy levels increasing day by day.
It doesn't hurt that the woods are amazing to walk in and the setting is so peaceful. There are hazards, such as bears, that I have to take into account. Bears have been spotted recently in the area of the hiking trail. However, I keep up a steady stream of conversation with my dogs (or if I happen to go with a friend, I talk to her, so I don't sound crazy). I've heard that constant noise alerts the bears to your presence and they generally stay out of your way. You have problems when the bear doesn't know that you are there and you take it by surprise. The dogs are also key because they can tell when wildlife are in the area. They haven't alerted to anything yet, so I think I'm safe.
Silver lining? Not only am I getting my exercise, but the walk tuckers out the puppies so I can focus on my homework after the walk without interruption. A tired puppy is a good puppy :)
I haven't really had time to fit this one-hour walk into my day, but I have made the time. Mostly as a weapon in my fight against fatigue. Getting myself moving helps my joints and keeps me active. I am very careful to not overdo it and completely exhaust myself. It is slow-going, but I have felt my over-all energy levels increasing day by day.
It doesn't hurt that the woods are amazing to walk in and the setting is so peaceful. There are hazards, such as bears, that I have to take into account. Bears have been spotted recently in the area of the hiking trail. However, I keep up a steady stream of conversation with my dogs (or if I happen to go with a friend, I talk to her, so I don't sound crazy). I've heard that constant noise alerts the bears to your presence and they generally stay out of your way. You have problems when the bear doesn't know that you are there and you take it by surprise. The dogs are also key because they can tell when wildlife are in the area. They haven't alerted to anything yet, so I think I'm safe.
Silver lining? Not only am I getting my exercise, but the walk tuckers out the puppies so I can focus on my homework after the walk without interruption. A tired puppy is a good puppy :)
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Fighting Fatigue...
One of my many challenges in life is my Rheumatoid Arthritis. I was diagnosed when I was 17, after 4 years of constant knee pain and inflammation. As I have aged, my RA has started affecting other areas of my body. One thing that I have noticed about my RA, is that it focuses on areas that have been damaged in the past. The knee that started it all was severely bruised when I hit it on a rock while floating down the Yellowstone River the summer I was 13. When I was 20, I was in a car accident that damaged my C2 vertebrae (well, damaged isn't quite the "right" word for it, but it is constantly out of alignment, and only frequent chiropractic adjustments keep it in place). Other aches and pains of crept up throughout the years. I have problems with my left hip and my right ankle (I keep spraining it in my sleep, go figure)... You get the point. Whenever I have a flare-up, the pain is focused in these "damaged" joints throughout my body.
My flare-ups seem to be weather related. Anytime we have a long stretch of nice weather, my body gets used to it. As soon as the weather changes, the sudden increases and decreases in barometric pressure cause me great pain. I was "blessed" with this experience this past Saturday. I had to get out of bed to take care of my dogs, but as soon as they were out and fed, I went back to bed. Fatigue swept over me and I slept for most of the day. I had no energy and any movement would cause excruciating pain. Yeah, it was a lot of fun... The good thing about these types of flare-ups, is that they usually only last a day. The excruciating pain dissipates as I get used to the new barometric pressure.
Not that this experience is new, but it is getting rather irritating. I have been researching options for increasing my energy levels to fight the fatigue that is an almost daily companion now, but it is difficult. It seems that the only answer is rest (and medication, which is another post altogether). As much as I know that rest is the best thing for me, it isn't a reality. I am the wife of a pilot. That means that I am basically "single" for half of my life while he is off flying somewhere. Not that I begrudge my husband his career, it's just a fact. I am forced to be completely self-reliant a good portion of my life. I have to take care of our dogs, I have to go to work... I am also enrolled in school and working on my Bachelor's Degree. My life is busy and I have little to no time to rest. I notice a difference in my health when I have a 3-day weekend. It seems to take about that long to recharge my batteries.
So, I am at a cross-roads... Do I keep going at the pace that I am going, knowing that when I get home I will be too tired to do anything (chores, homework, walk the dogs, exercise, cook)? Do I reduce my hours at work to allow my self to get enough rest at night and still feel like I have the energy to do everything else in my life? Do I quit my job to work for myself so I can dictate my hours as my energy levels fluctuate?
The only thing I know for sure is that I need more time to rest, either time to take a nap during the day or more time to sleep at night. Until then, I'll just raise my sword and shield (lightweight, of course) and battle my every-day fatigue.
My flare-ups seem to be weather related. Anytime we have a long stretch of nice weather, my body gets used to it. As soon as the weather changes, the sudden increases and decreases in barometric pressure cause me great pain. I was "blessed" with this experience this past Saturday. I had to get out of bed to take care of my dogs, but as soon as they were out and fed, I went back to bed. Fatigue swept over me and I slept for most of the day. I had no energy and any movement would cause excruciating pain. Yeah, it was a lot of fun... The good thing about these types of flare-ups, is that they usually only last a day. The excruciating pain dissipates as I get used to the new barometric pressure.
Not that this experience is new, but it is getting rather irritating. I have been researching options for increasing my energy levels to fight the fatigue that is an almost daily companion now, but it is difficult. It seems that the only answer is rest (and medication, which is another post altogether). As much as I know that rest is the best thing for me, it isn't a reality. I am the wife of a pilot. That means that I am basically "single" for half of my life while he is off flying somewhere. Not that I begrudge my husband his career, it's just a fact. I am forced to be completely self-reliant a good portion of my life. I have to take care of our dogs, I have to go to work... I am also enrolled in school and working on my Bachelor's Degree. My life is busy and I have little to no time to rest. I notice a difference in my health when I have a 3-day weekend. It seems to take about that long to recharge my batteries.
So, I am at a cross-roads... Do I keep going at the pace that I am going, knowing that when I get home I will be too tired to do anything (chores, homework, walk the dogs, exercise, cook)? Do I reduce my hours at work to allow my self to get enough rest at night and still feel like I have the energy to do everything else in my life? Do I quit my job to work for myself so I can dictate my hours as my energy levels fluctuate?
The only thing I know for sure is that I need more time to rest, either time to take a nap during the day or more time to sleep at night. Until then, I'll just raise my sword and shield (lightweight, of course) and battle my every-day fatigue.
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