Polenta chocolate cake GF

Yesterday I decided it was time to at least LOOK for some ideas for next years curriculum. There are a few things we have not yet covered formally in homeschool which will be covered, and then there are things I believe Nick will enjoy and benefit from. Those descisions are easy- the actual application of these things is what is in question. So I started surfing for ideas and inspiration, and kept running into homeschoolers who blog about their homeschool AND homelife. These kinds of blogs I love, but inspire me to do bad things. Like bake. I got some glimmer of an idea for how to do next years work as well as a massive desire to make a cake !. Doing so in the traditional way would have been a bad thing. I am finding that I can tolerate one serving of gluten per day ( according to the energy testing ), and cake is gluten. Not only that but unless I make cupcakes or a cake that will serve 3, leftovers would be a problem with my son. I suddenly remebered a recipe I had for a gluten free cake that sounded promising, so I headed to the kitchen to make a guilt free , gluten free cake- Chocolate Polenta Cake !

Polenta Chocolate Cake GF

1 cup instant polenta
3 cups water
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
7/8 cup dark chocolate
OPTIONAL: 1/2 cup or more raisins -- preserved ginger, glace cherries, candied peel,
nuts -- whatever else you'd like to add

Bring water to the boil. Add polenta and baking powder while stirring and stir/mash well
(a slotted spoon helps) to stop it from getting lumpy.
Immediately add remaining ingredients and stir well (a wooden spoon works well at this point)
until the chocolate's melted and everything is mixed in evenly.
Turn into a small springform loose-bottom tin; leave to cool in the fridge. When completely cooled,pop out and enjoy.

Verdict- it tastes less sweet than a traditional cake and has the consistency of a brownie. You never run the oven so it is a good option for a hot summer day. I don't think I would serve it as a birthday cake or a company cake, but as a kind of snack cake it works.

A new friend, a new pizza and weigh in

Another good, pain free day, and an increase in activity. We are doing school 3 days a week during the summer, so for two days i get to devote more time to myself. Weekends are still going to be filled with all of the necessary errands and about a thousand commitments. Is it just me or is this summer going to be very busy ?

I my quest for "wings that work" ( I.E. Exercises that will strengthen my muscles enough to allow my joints to be supported enough to move with arthritis and not do further harm) I came across several sites written by physical therapists and the recommendation is stationary bike work as opposed to tread mills, and best exercise is water aerobics. No pool this year, no room for a full bike, so I mentioned to Bob I need a bike that is apartment friendly. He came home with this, my new little friend

It's basically pedals with a frame. All the cardio benefits of a bike without the seat or handles. Very portable and fits nicely in a really cramped space. So with the addition of My Little Friend.my activity for yesterday came out to be this

Exercise
15 minute walk outside( got cut short due to wardrobe malfunction)
50 wall push ups
25 wall slides
40 standing leg abductions
15 counter squats
35 Bridging
30 straight leg raises
20 calf raises
20 Power Knees
40 back kicks
20 isometric chest presses
100 "pull your navel in towards you backbone" thingies ( no idea what they are called, but they
help repair abdominal distasias ( separated ab muscles- thank you two surgeries !)
5 animal frolics (QiGong- an oriental exercise form sort mixing yoga with martial arts)
Qi Gong breathing exercise
cycle 15 minutes ( only because the bike did not enter my life till dinnertime)

For dinner , I made a new pizza- this time with a polenta crust. It turns our that this may be closer to what was actually eaten in earlier times by Italians. Not sure, but it is the best gluten free pizza option I have come across so far !

Polenta Pizza

1/2 cup milk
2 1/2 cups water
1 c cornmeal
1 T oil
toppings as desired ( here it was mushroom, cheese and sausage)

Bring milk and water to a boil, whisk in cornmeal, stirring
constantly till the mixture is as thick as oatmeal. Remove from
heat and stir in 1 T oil. Spread on a baking sheet to a depth of 1/2
inch, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 1 hour.Bake at 425 for
25 minutes till it begins to crisp. Prepare toppings( cook your sausage,
vegetables, etc). Place on crust, top with cheese and return to
the oven for 5 minutes, or till the cheese melts.

And another week has completed and it's time for weigh in

Me- UP 0,4
Nick - DOWN 2.8
Bob -DOWN 2.4

It's getting better all the time

Oh, my little herb friends, I could kiss you !! You may be common, green and thought of as weeds by many, but you have never let me down ! Yesterday was one of the "bestus" days I have had in a long time in regards to pain. Not only was I able to function in comfort, but I was able to get in some actual exercise ! Check out my activity log for the day

Exercise
20 minute walk outside
Using guide at Safe exercise for arthritic joints here
50 wall push ups
20 wall slides
40 standing leg abductions
10 counter squats
25 Bridging( it's the Yoga position The Bridge)
30 straight leg raises
20 calf raises
20 Power Knees (Sit in a straight-backed chair and cross your legs above the ankles.
Your legs can be almost straight, or you can bend your knees as much as you like. Try several positions.
Push forward with your back leg and press backward with your front leg.
Exert pressure evenly so that your legs do not move. Hold and count out loud for ten seconds.
Relax. Change leg positions. Be sure to keep breathing.)
40 back kicks

I also slept so well that I woke up very, very early with the feeling that I have had enough sleep and I could start my day.I am sure that will fade, but it was very nice to be awakened by something other than pain. This stuff ROCKS !!! I have great faith in herbs because unlike drugs they have never let me down. Drugs always seem to work partway on my body and create a wake of problems in that course of action. Herbs have always gotten to the root cause, addressed it and the symptoms of the problem fade away. it is like the symptoms are the messenger of an imbalance and once the imbalance is addressed, there is no need for a messenger .

Food was also very good. Here is the log :

Food log
Breakfast
1/2 cup cottage cheese, 1 cup assorted melon cubes, 2 T ground flax. 1 T sliced almonds, coffee, 32 oz water
Lunch
1 c 15 bean soup, 2 c cut veggies( carrots, celery, broccoli) 1/3 cup hummus, Diet Rite, 16 oz water, sugar free fudsicles ( we need to get these out of the freezer so we can make ice cubes)
Snack
2 c air popped popcorn, 16 oz water
Dinner
Aloha pork with brown rice, roast broccoli and green salad with fruit and rosemary roast pecans, Diet Rite
Snack - nonfat plain yogert, blueberries and 1/3 cup Kashi crunch ( not Core so i had to count it)

Dinner was a spur of the moment change that involved the crock pot. I was feeling so good and wanted to just accomplish as much as I possibly could lest I started feeling a backlash of pain, and I did not want to be tied down making dinner at a specific time. The crock pot would give me the freedom to roam as I want to, so I grabbed this recipe from my files- Aloha Pork served with roast broccoli and a green salad tossed with the last of the melon cubes and rosemary roasted nuts ( THESE are potential crack !!)

Aloha Pork ( Gluten free, Core)

4 lean pork steaks ( Boneless skinless Chicken breasts would work fine as well)
2 tsp olive oil
1/2 fresh pineapple, cored , peeled and sliced
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup packed brown sugar twin
2 Tbsp quick-cooking tapioca
2 Tbsp - cat sup
2 tsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp - dry mustard
1 pint cherry tomatoes
2 cups hot cooked brown rice

In a large skillet brown the pork steaks on both sides in hot oil. Transfer the steaks to slow cooker.
In a bowl combine drained pineapple, water, brown sugar twin, tapioca, catsup, soy sauce, and dry mustard; pour over steaks.
Cover; cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours (or on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours). At the last half hour, add the cherry tomatoes Skim fat from sauce.
Serve over hot cooked brown rice. Makes 4 servings

Nettles- my love !!

It was another humid day yesterday, which meant another day of having to deal with arthritis. It gets SOOOO frustrating to know that you must move to not only lose weight but to just plain feel better but be in a state where every single step makes you feel like your knees are no longer going to support your body weight and you have to think about every step , looking for something to grab onto in the event that your joints do give out. It was one of those days where my arnica rub was not working, asprin was not working , nor was Tylenol Arthritis strength working ! However, I had to press on. We did school, I had the house to clean ( vacuuming while hanging on walls is an interesting thing), and I got the menu planned for next week. When Bob got home we had planned to go out shopping to one of the fabric stores to look for a pattern and fabric, but the pain was so bad I almost decided to skip it. I didn't , and I told myself at least in a store I will be able to walk around with the aid of a cart. It's not a marathon run or even a jog, but it is movement and I needed it. So we went, I really did not find any inspiration, and we came home. I drug my extremely achy body upstairs, and noticed a medicinal tincture I had made sometime back on the shelf, but had forgotten to use. It was labeled Arthritis Tincture, and I made it because it addresses two of the big issues with arthritis- pain and swelling. I was desperate for some relief ( to the point of seriously thinking about getting an appointment for a knee replacement), so I decided to give this a try. Just 10 drops in a glass of water. 20 minutes later, I felt the first real relief I have had in about 3 weeks . An hour later I was no longer needing to hang onto walls and other stable things when I walked. Last night when we went to bed i was able to feel comfortable instantly and when I woke up to pay a potty call I was able to simply stand up from the bed and walk. This stuff is a near miracle ! This morning I feel so good , we are going to go out for a walk once Nick wakes up. What's in it ? Willow bark and stinging nettles. Willow bark contains the same chemical compound as asprin, but before the refinment of a lab , and so it contains some natural compounds that prevent one of the worst side affects of asprin( bleeding). Nettles , amongst other things , help the body to block inflammatory substances from attacking the body. I think I am in love , once again, with nettles !!!

As to the rest of the day, food wise it was good. I have decided to keep and post a food log to help me transition into the Core program ...and give a reason to post food pictures again !

Food log
Breakfast
1/2 cup cottage cheese, 1 cup berries, 1/3 cup homemade granola ( oatmeal pumpkin seeds sliced almonds honey and oil), coffee, 32 oz water
Lunch
1 oz deli ham, 1 cup carrot and celery sicks, 1 apple, 1 sugar free fudgsicle 16 oz water
Snack
3 cups air popped popcorn 16 oz water
Dinner
1 1/2 cups 8 hr stew, green salad with 1 T cashew /Hibiscus mix, 1 T dressing, Diet rite soda
Snack
1 c nonfat plain yogurt, 1 cup frozen blueberries, 1/4 cup homemade granola

8 Hour Stew ( Gluten Free, Core)


3 cups peeled and cubed Potatoes
2 cups quartered Mushrooms
1 1/2 cups chopped Carrots
1 cup chopped Onions
2 cloves Garlic -- minced
1 tsp ground Thyme and dried Basil
1/2 tsp Black Pepper
2 lbs meat cut into 1" cubes ( I used pork)
1 cup FF Chicken broth
1 1/2 tbsp Tomato Paste
1 teaspoon lite Worcestershire Sauce
1/4 cup chopped fresh Parsley

Combine the first 8 ingredients in a 3-quart or larger crockpot.
Arrange meat over top of vegetables.
Mix broth, tomato paste and Worcestershire sauce in a small bowl.
Pour over meat.
Cover and cook on LOW setting for approximately 8 hours.
During the last hour, stir once or twice, breaking apart any turkey cubes that have stuck together. Be careful not to remove the lid for more
than a minute or so. Stir in parsley just before serving. Makes 6 servings

Off to walk and enjoy a pain free day !

Decoration Day

Kind of a run and shop weekend here. Our family does not gather for Memorial Day BBQ's, but instead gather at the cemeteries to pay respects to those who have gone before us. Decoration Day, as my grandmother would call it. We would go out to the cemetery, spruce up the graves, place geraniums ( a white one and a pink for the ladies, red for the men) , and tell stories about them. It was not until years later I heard of the day called Memorial Day with the intention of honoring the fallen Vets. There was only one member of my family who served in the military ( desk job- never saw combat), so that aspect was not involved. It seems that after WW1 the practice of honoring Vets was started, and my grandmother did not want to leave anyone out and so the practice was started to honor the whole family. I will go tomorrow to pay my respects, and perhaps encounter a few of my living relations in the process.

Meanwhile it has been shopping, and some further adventures in gluten free. Last night for dinner I made something called Cottage Cheese and Spinach Pie, but substituted red swiss chard for the spinach

Cottage Cheese and Spinach Pie ( gluten free)

1 package frozen spinach (very well drained -- (10 oz.) water squeezed out)
1 cup low or non-fat cottage cheese
3 egg whites
1 small onion -- chopped any way you like
A handful of fresh basil -- chopped
Fresh garlic cloves to taste (I used 5 medium)
4 tbsp. Grated Cheese (I use Romano)

Combine all ingredients. Place into non-stick sprayed casserole, or 9-inch cast iron skillet. Bake at 350§ for about 45 minutes or until top is browned.

Verdict ? Swiss chard, when frozen , gets a very strong flavor. Next time I will use spinach ! The fact that this is a crustless pie makes it gluten free, low carb and lower in calories than a quiche. I served it with a salad of romaine, dandelion greens, watercress , berries and pepitas.

Today is going to be a shopping quest. I have to find an outfit for a wedding ( for both Nick and I) that happens in a couple of weeks. Problem with this one is that it is an outdoor wedding. While it is casual, it is still a wedding , so I don't think shorts and tee shirts will cut it. I am scratching my head as to what to wear for this one and hoping I will get inspiration once I see what is offered. Second objective is a new computer for me. Sharing a computer with Nick is simply not working out. We do most of his school on the computer ( and we are doing summer school this year) , I use it for household management, research, gathering of homeschool materials and more. While we have been able to share, it always winds up one of us is up into the wee hours of the morning trying to catch up with the tasks we could not accomplish during the day. So before we start getting sick from lack of sleep or becoming aggravated with each other, a another computer will enter out lives. I just need to find room to put it !

But can I eat out ????

Very hot and humid here yesterday, and once again I had the feeling of being nauseous until I started exercising.With the humidity however, the feeling passed even quicker, which would add even more credence that it is from detoxing from gluten. I mentioned the nausea to Bob and his reaction was "Are you pregnant ???" said in anticipation, glee and dread. Nope- I can pretty much guarantee that I am not pregnant. And strangely enough when I was that way in the past I never suffered from morning sickness. This I am pretty certain is from getting off of gluten , and just whispers to me I am on the right track and should keep on it.

Which suddenly presented a big problem with an unexpected bit of good fortune. Bob had a meeting with the company president and was given a bonus for the 10 years he has been employed with his company. While on first response the impulse with such things is to run amuck with toys or travel or so forth, for us this will prove to be the saving grace for the summer months. During the summer his Cantor schedual drops, income drops, electricity rates double ( no matter if you run an AC or not) and we are left with time but no money. This bonus will help us to be able to actually do something. However, Bob suggested we go out to dinner to celebrate, I said lets do, and then it hit me- where in the heck can you go out to eat that is gluten free, not an hours commute away and will not have a bill that makes me cringe ??

I told Nick about the good fortune, and he suddenly began telling me all the things we should do, the name of every video game being released, details of every video game he has ever played, where you can find old Nintendo 64 sites on line, every color that game cartridges come in and a million other game related things. Did I mention games ??? Meanwhile I am thinking , trying to search for gluten free restaurant options finding only bakeries in twoards the city and I started freaking out. My first thought was Outback , but then remembered the points value ( calorie , fat and fiber calculation used on Weight Watchers) for even a simple chicken breast and baked potato meal , and then things about the sodium content of most of their meats and realized this is NOT an option. I remembered that up till now our only acceptable restaurant options because of fat, calories, sodium and so froth was Sweet Tomatoes or the deli bar at our produce store, and now with the gluten factor Sweet Tomatoes was out ( gluten in most of the soups, the pasta and the breads). So I moaned about it on Facebook. and was offered some helpful advice from several friends and a site from a cousin in law that listed several restaurants in our immediate area with gluten free options. There are several, but it seems you have to order them in a very specific way. It is doable, but it can take a little pre- planning. I stopped freaking out and started thinking. Then I got 30 seconds chatter free and I thought some more. I realized that my problem may not be as severe as some. I do not have celiac disease, but I do have a problem with inflammation from wheat, so is it absolutely necessary to drag out the big guns ?

Then it dawned on me that for me another possibility would be a restaurant that we had gone to in the past but have never been able to go to for a while because of crowds- Golden Corral ! Many argue that buffets are a disaster, but if you drop the "all you can eat" mentality and see it as a great palate with which you can paint your own meal, it works beautifully. As long as I avoided anything with bread, breaded or in a sauce, I should be fine. So once Bob got home we headed out to Golden Corral for a celebratory dinner. It was a very good choice ! I was able to make a salad with baby greens, broccoli, cauliflower, tomatoes, spinach , fresh fruit and a sprinkling of sliced almonds ( skipped the dressing because they had nothing that sounded like a match, a roated chicken breast with a baked sweet potato, asparagus ( not disgustingly wimpy canned stuff) and corn on the cob. I splurged and got a squirt of chocolate ice cream and a rice crispy treat. Thank you rice crispies for being wonderfully gluten free and almost as common as water !!!

I think I did well. This morning the nauseous feeling is back, and I am off to work out !

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).

Nice Rice baby !

Yesterday was an adventure in flour buying - amongst other foods. While you can live gluten free with meat, vegetables, fruit, dairy, starchy things become a problem. Things like corn, potatoes , flax and rice will serve you for many things, but there will come occasions when you want to have an actual slice of sandwich bread or a roll or even a birthday cake. There are many commercially made mixes on the market today , but sometimes you just do not want to be trapped into what someone else decides that you should be limited to eating. Here is where the multitude of gluten free flour enter your life. From what I have discerned from several recipes on line, the tools (flours) of the trade are rice flour, potato starch, besan flour, corn flour, tapioca flour and xanthan gum, so it was my intention to get a supply of each and do some experimenting. Could not find the tapioca starch ( trip to Whole Foods later today will remedy this) and I was blown away by the price of xanthan gum ! A small bag costs nearly 20 dollars. I have no idea what the heck a xanthan is, let alone why it's gum is so darn expensive, but thankfully you use small amounts when you use it. I brought it home, found shelf space for it ( not an easy thing here) , and kissed my bag of brown rice , for being so versatile and so cheap ! I was especially thankful for one of the nummies it can create- rice pudding. We have a custom of having a treat on Saturday night, and lately it has been a thing from the bakery in a single serve portion. Mine used to be brownies, but the contain gluten( wheat flour, white flour, rye flour or barley flour) and are a no no. In anticipation of this dilemma, on Friday I made Brown Rice pudding in my crock pot

Rice Pudding GF (6 servings)

3 cups cooked brown rice
3 cups almond milk
1/2 cup splenda
2 chopped apples
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 egg, beaten
3/4 teaspoon vanilla ( extreme sensitives should use gluten free vanilla powder)

Combine all in a crock pot and cook on low for 4 hrs.

The weather is supposed to be nice today, so we are off to play on a driving range today and hopefully get in a walk in the woods. There has been a lot of flooding in the area , and several trails have been underwater or a sea of mud, so hopefully we can find something clear to walk on !