Monday, May 24, 2010

supercenters and meatballs


Got in a nice walk yesterday , but not in the intended place ! The day was very warm and humid, and the humidity sent my level of arthritis pain through the roof. Gluten free is helping with the day to day pain and overall health, but I still have arthritis and there are still going to be days when arthritis is a factor no matter what- at least for a while. I do notice it is different though. Instead of this feeling of totally wiped and serious throbbing pain , now it is just serious throbbing pain, which I CAN push through. The last few mornings have also found me with a feeling of nausea until I start doing something physical. ( often happens when the body is detoxing from a substance). Anyway, I need, wanted and desired to walk , but on days like these I need something to hang on to because my knees do give way sometimes and falls can occur. Bet place to walk in these conditions is someplace with a cart. One of the best places to walk with a cart is a large store with wide isles and not so many people that you cannot get up speed. Number one choices in this area would be stores like Menards, Home Depot or Lowes. Wide isles because they handle cats filled with lumber, even on the busiest Saturday you can wander through and never find a traffic jam with other patrons, and they have a lot of stuff to inspire daydreams of future projects. So off to Menards we went, walked the store completely about 2 and a half times, worked up a sweat AND found a cart that should help to manage the video game mess better.

Dinner was a request from Nick, inspired by last weeks Biggest Loser. He was really excited that Mike made spaghetti and meatballs, and wanted us to try the same dish. So we went out on the internet and found his recipe through one of the Chicago newspapers online. Happily, they are gluten Free


Mike's Biggest Loser Turkey Meatballs and Pasta ( GF )

1 – 1.25 lb package ground turkey
1/3 cup chopped parsley
1/2 tablespoon pepper
1 cup garbanzo beans, pureed
1/2 cup egg substitute (such as Egg Beaters) nor 2 eggs

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a cookie tray or jelly roll pan lightly with non-stick cooking
spray.In a large bowl, mix by hand or with a spoon the ground turkey, parsley, pepper, pureed garbanzo beans, and egg substitute. Roll the ground turkey mixture into small meatballs and place on prepared pan.Bake meatballs in the oven at 375 for 20 minutes or till no longer pink inside. Meat should reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees.

I served then with jarred sauce and a salad of romaine, blackberries and sliced peaches on corn pasta. The verdict ? They would be much better if the parsley was exchanged for italian seasoning or basil, because they are a little flat tasting. Very tender however, and it makes for a VERY filling meal ( I could only eat half of mine).

2 comments:

karen said...

I had every intention of looking to see if this recipe was online tonight at work. Thanks, Nick, for reading my mind!!!

Diane Fit to the Finish said...

What a great idea to head to a home improvement center for walking. It's cool and like you said, fun to look at things.

That recipe sounds like something my whole family would enjoy!