let them eat cake… and cookies
Sometimes, you just need a piece of cake. Or a yummy cookie. Like when you get out of bed one morning and realize that, once again, you have a subluxated rib. As the day wears on, all attempts to push it back into place fail so in one last ditch effort, you stretch quite violently… and wrench your neck muscles and now cannot move your head. One of those kinds of days where you realize, in hindsight of course, that driving 25 minutes to the chiropractor was definitely the better choice.
But what can you do except wait out the next few days of lying about doing next to nothing. And no, as much as you might think so, lying around doing nothing gets old. Very fast.
Which brings me to cookies and cake. I don’t know about you, but when I’m really sick or have suffered yet another self-inflicted injury (it happens a lot. don’t ask)… I just want something comforting. I’m only human after all, and the thought of noshing on a plate of veggies just doesn’t cut it when you’ve had hours and hours to spend thinking about all kinds of forbidden foods. There comes a point where it’s either give in and eat something or go insane. Or as in my case, more insane.
With that in mind, I decided to walk my crippled self into the kitchen and prepare something yummy and yet still healthy. It really couldn’t be anything but that as my entire house is free from grains, sugars, and other things that would enable someone to cheat. What I did have was the following: coconut sugar, almond flour, light olive oil, cocoa powder. And of course the standard salt, eggs, etc.
The following cookies were the result. Soft and chewy and more than a bit bitter. Yes, I might make cookies but that doesn’t mean that I’ll be loading them with sugar. Even my somewhat-safe coconut sugar. Because I felt like it and had it on hand, I added a little something special in the form of dried orange peel. Chocolate and orange… maybe not the most utterly awesome of pairings, but definitely in the running.
These cookies are divine. They’re a bit Christmas’y and sinful. The orange gives a burst of unexpected flavor and the rich dark chocolate is more than satisfying. You don’t even miss the normal sugar punch that typically come with a cookie. All things considered, this might be my best cookie ever. And it’s relatively safe as well. The best of both worlds.
Chocolate Orange Cookies
makes 12-18, depending on size (who am I kidding? it makes 12, ok?)
2 cups almond flour *
1/2 cup light olive oil or other oil (coconut oil, melted, would be a great choice)
1 egg
7 Tbl organic coconut sugar
7 Tbl cocoa powder
2 tsp vanilla
3/4 tsp baking soda
few dashes of dried orange peel
Mix everything except almond flour in medium bowl until soft and silky. Add almond flour and beat just until mixed.
Drop onto cookie sheet (greased or lined with silpat or parchment paper) and bake at 350F for 10 minutes.
Remove from oven and let cool until room temp. Moving them before they are fully cooled off will likely result in cookie crumbles.
Enjoy with a nice cold cup of homemade almond milk or fresh brewed ice tea. And then eat another. You know you want to.
* about almond flour. This is a case where not all almond flours are created equal. I recommend and only use Honeyville almond flour. It is not only gluten-free (yay!) but also has a softer, more silky texture than others on the market (like Bob’s Red Mill, which is far more coarse). Using this flour will help to mask any after-taste one usually associates with nut flour and does away with the odd texture that you get when baking with almond flour. And if you buy it on Amazon, it’s like $5.20/lb. Can’t beat that with a stick.
eco-friendly and msg-free
We flew home from Hawaii on Sunday. So sad. A few days in advance of our flight, I called Hawaiian Airlines to find out what my dining options were. On the flight to Hawaii (which left at 8am) I ate some jerky, carrots, and sugar snap peas. After 6 hours of that and no breakfast, I wasn’t feeling too swell by the time we landed. I am not a big snack-eater, I prefer a normal meal and noshing on those things just made me sick to my stomach. Bleh.
I figured that since it was a long’ish flight (6 hours) and since we were given a meal, that perhaps they would offer a gluten-free alternative. Below is a recounting of the phone call.
me: I am flying out on Sunday and wanted to find out if your airlines offers any allergy-friendly or gluten-free meals?
rep (in broken English): oh, all our food is eco-friendly!
me: uh, ok, thanks for that, but I need something that is gluten-free. no wheat.
rep: our food is eco-friendly and contains only organic when possible.
me: that’s fabulous, but what about something for someone who has allergies?
rep: oh yes, I understand that you are wanting to eat a meal that is non-allergenic?
me: no, not really – I just need something that is gluten-free. No bread, no wheat, no gluten. On the flight here you served breakfast burritos and I was unable to eat those or the snack packs as they contained pretzels and other items made with wheat. And the premium meal available for purchase did not have any ingredient information so I was unable to eat that (a chicken salad) either.
rep: ok, you would like a special meal that is non-allergenic and I can tell you that all our food is made fresh.
me: umm, that’s nice. Do you see anything about gluten-free?
rep: hold for a moment (she’s gone for a few minutes and then returns and quite excitedly says…) our food is MSG-free!! There is no MSG used in the production of our in-flight meals!
me: oh dear. Well, that’s not helpful. I don’t care about msg, I was hoping that I could pre-order a meal that would be *gluten-free*
rep: we offer premium meals for an additional charge. Please note that Hawaiian airlines is a cashless flight so you will need to use your credit card to purchase one of these meals
me: the premium meals are not labeled and on the flight here, there were no gluten-free options. So you don’t offer special meals for those with dietary restrictions?
rep: unfortunately, we cannot offer you a dietary-restricted meal. You should bring your own food onboard and eat that or one of our premium meals. Those are available for purchase and are also eco-friendly and msg-free.
So after that, I decided to throw caution to the winds. I found a delightful little organic deli a few miles from the airport and on our way there, we swung by so I could order a gluten-free turkey sandwich. Yes, made with grains and other things that I don’t eat. But it was that or another long day of snacks and in the end, based on the time our flight left and the lack of meals I would have, I opted for the yummy sandwich. And let me tell you, that thing was super yummy! Though it was 6 hours old by the time I ate it, it still was delicious. Thinly sliced and toasted gluten-free bread with a nice stack of turkey, carrots, and sprouts. With mustard. I demolished it in a manner of minutes along with club-soda with some apple juice. A meal fit for a queen!
Best of all, we landed at 2am and I wasn’t starving or feeling ill. Next time we fly, I’m just packing another sandwich. Travels well and stays mostly fresh and I don’t have to deal with forks or salad dressings or other things that’ll leak or take up room or maybe be quite odorous and bother my seatmates.
nom nom in Hawaii
Yes, life is tough. It’s tough to find food on the road and especially when you’re on an island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. (heavy sarcasm, of course)
We are on an 8 day trip to Hawaii with one of my sisters and her hubby. Apart from having the best time EVER, we are really enjoying the local food that can be had on virtually every corner here. The fresh fruit makes the stuff we normally get at Costco and the local farmer’s market taste like plastic. The mangoes here are amazing. So juicy, sweet, fresh, fruity. I’m in serious danger of needing to go to mango-detox when we leave. The bananas are short little guys but packed full of nummy flavor and they don’t cause me as much of an oral allergy as the bananas at home do. Not sure why – I’m not complaining. Just eating tons of them.
But the pineapple. Oy. Fantastic! We don’t normally eat any of these fruits as they are far too high on the glycemic index. But how can you go to Hawaii and not enjoy the fresh fruit?? Not possible. Well, ok, I’m sure it’s possible but it’s also insane. We’ve been eating super great so we can afford to relax a bit and enjoy the wonders that sprout from the trees and bushes here.
Amazingly enough, between my meds and the hours spent playing in the ocean daily, my sugar levels are fantastic. Phenomenal even! Every afternoon has seen a lower number than the day before. Today I’m celebrating with a 94. I’ll take that. Considering that just 4 weeks ago or so, my afternoon readings were well over 140, I’m happy happy happy with the 90′s. I’ve even dipped into the 80′s a few times while we’ve been here. Woo!
Enough about fruit. We didn’t visit our fruit stand today and I’m craving mango so I best stop. On to the luau. Last night we went to one and the photo above is the pig, fresh from the pit. Here’s the thing – I *hate* pork. Cured pork is one thing (bacon, ham, sausage)… I love that. But actual pork pork? Like chops and tenderloin and other cuts? In the historical words of my 12 year old self – “grody to the max!” So while I was excited to participate in an actual luau, I was less than thrilled at the prospect of the pork. And on top of that, very concerned about what would actually be available for me to eat since I am gluten-free (by necessity, not choice). As it turned out, not much. Rice, sweet potatoes, pineapple, pork.
I don’t normally eat rice. Apart from the fact that it’s not on my diet plan, my tummy just doesn’t like it. But I was starving and the thought of a plate of nothing but pork was less than appealing. So I ate plain rice, the super delicious sweet potatoes (which I think were BBQ’d or something and then sliced into rounds), a few chunks of fresh and juicy pineapple and then the kalua pork (that’s what they all that luau pork).
I loved the sweet spuds. They were plain but man, so flavorful. Not sure if it’s because I’ve not had one in eons or because they are cooked a certain way or what. But those were delicious. The pork started out pretty tasty but I knew it was time to stop eating when I gagged after a bite about 3/4 of the way through. Hahaha. Told you, I’m just not a pork person! My hubby happily snarfed it down for me. Unfortunately, something in what I ate had some cross-contamination or outright gluten in it. Ended up feeling quite ill almost immediately. No more luau for me. Which is probably fine. Because unless it’s a side of beef or chicken wrapped up in there, I’m really not terribly interested. While the food wasn’t my cup of tea, the actual event was pretty interesting and fun to participate in. Lots and lots of Hawaiian dancing!
This is what I’m most excited about. That is garlic shrimp from one of the many shrimp food trucks that pepper the island (we’re on Oahu, by the way). Both hubby and I are making a few exceptions since we’re on vacation – butter is one of them. These shrimp are cooked in a garlic butter with chunks of garlic which is then poured over the rice and the whole mess is served on paper plates with a small handful of salad and italian dressing. I NEVER WANT TO LEAVE. Tonight will be our 4th night eating shrimp for dinner and we all are salivating at the thought.
The shrimp is sooooo juicy and fresh. With the garlic and butter on it… heaven. The shells are on so you have to peel them off. You end up with butter and shrimp juice running down your hands and arms but it’s so worth it. Seriously, I could eat 4 plates of this stuff. nom nom nom nom nom x 10000000.
Unfortunately, tomorrow night will be our last time for the delicious shrimp truck. When we leave on Sunday, this vacation will be comprised of 3 main memories. Surf. Fruit. Shrimp. And I don’t think we could ask for anything better.
bummer, dude
so my 4+ months of eating paleo and removing all diabetes meds didn’t have the desired result. My latest A1C is considerably higher than my previous (very good) one. From 5.8 to 7.3. So starting yesterday, I’m back on the metformin.
I can’t do the dosage I was at before (2500mg/day) as it caused some less-than-desirable side effects including major hair shedding (it’s fine and thin to begin with so I don’t need to be losing huge amounts or I’ll be bald before you know it!) and intense neuropathy in my hands/feet. So for now, I’ll be doing a ping-pong dosage: 1000 one day and 1500 the next. Hopefully that won’t be high enough to cause those same symptoms.
The plan for now is to do this for 3 more months and then do another A1C. If it’s not back down to a better number, then I guess it’ll be time to speak to my Dr about other medications and insulin. Major bummer. I was really *really* hoping to be able to control this with diet alone.
But I didn’t get this disease through poor eating and with my other allergies and celiac disease, I was already eating a mostly-paleo type diet so the change wasn’t that major and apparently, that’s just not going to do it for me.
So it’s back to the meds and pressing on with our new way of eating. That won’t be changing that as we both really enjoy it. Breakfast this morning was homemade sausage (made with organic ground pork and my own spice blend), green peppers, red peppers and spinach with scrambled eggs. Yum! And dinner last night was browned chicken thighs (hot frying pan with some garlic and coconut oil) topped with slices of zucchini, peppers, spinach, and topped with organic tomato sauce and diced tomatoes. Double yum!
Disneyland and the forbidden foods
We went to Disneyland last week and I ate all kinds of things that were definitely NOT on my new lifestyle eating plan. Burgers with a gluten-free top bun (threw out the bottom one), fries, half of personal size gluten-free pizza (cheese and crust – oh my!), cotton candy, some fudge. It was all so very delicious and I didn’t feel any guilt.
Why? Because of my 90/10 or 95/5 guide. I eat properly and well 90-95% of the time which allows me to *occasionally* indulge in something that is definitely off the menu. I read on another blog (I think that is where I saw it..) that eating healthy is like depositing money into a bank account. Do this long enough and you build up a substantial savings account which allows you to “make withdrawals” without going bankrupt or broke.
So I spent all of January, February, March eating only what was permitted. Meats, veggies, fruits, fats. This gave me a big fat account that I could spend while we were on vacation. Without going completely over the top, I enjoyed the things mentioned above while still eating properly the remainder of the time. Breakfast was my standard eggs, veggies, meat. We went to In-n-Out a few times and I enjoyed a delicious lettuce wrapped burger sans cheese.
The end result was a trip that was fun and yummy and blood sugar levels that didn’t spike too high. For my own personal bank account, I am planning ahead to my birthday (August) and dinner out at my favorite pizza joint with some form of gluten-free baked good for dessert and Christmas (cookies and chips!) for future spending. This gives me the opportunity to indulge a few times each year without going hog wild and blowing everything I’ve worked so hard on.
And now that we’re back home, it’s back to my normal way of eating. I was actually looking forward to this – it’s hard to get the same amount of veggies in your breakfast eggs on the road as I can prepare at home. And though In-n-Out is delicious, it does get old pretty fast. A plain patty with mustard and tomatoes wrapped in lettuce is only good so many times. I missed my chicken thighs and a mountain of sauteed veggies on the side. Yum!
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