Green "Cookie Dough"

So. This week has been attack of the hungries and sweets. It's ridiculous. I have fought and fought and succumbed :-/ I found this recipe for chocolate peanut butter "cookies" - I omited chocolate chips since I can't have cocoa butter, used sunflower seed butter, agave, garbanzo beans, salt and baking soda. The recipe said that they are best hot out of the oven, so  only bake what you want to eat. The dough tasted pretty good...tho I can see how they would be better with chocolate chips. So I baked three, enjoyed them, and put the dough in the fridge.

This morning, I was packing my lunch and saw a random tupperware with an odd color of mush inside. I was like what the heck did I make?! I pulled it out and was like whaaaaa?!?!?!

Apparently, sunflower seed butter turns green...whether it's when it's mixed with other things, refrigerated or who knows what. I took a bite - tastes fine - and the inside is brown. i looked it up on line and there is something about some chloro-whatever acid that normal plants have in roots and stems,  but sunflowers have in their seeds too, so this is what turns it green.

I'm thinking... "green" is always healthy, right?! ;) So this is now uber healthy!? HAHA I'm making them for Bible study group tonight - we'll see how they go over ;)

But, my nutritionist came today. She cleared me for cocoa butter, so I'm hopeful I can eat some version of chocolate this upcoming weekend since I go to visit Hawley.

I mentioned how I'm allergic to all the nuts, and she frowned and thought really?? So as she tested me more, we found out it's the nut FLOURS I'm reacting too... I still think I can't do cashews. But anyways, that opens back up coconut oil and coconut milk, and opens the possibility of the granola bars I wanted so badly, too....So there is HOPE!

She also found out that I'm reacting to salt right now... I brought out my almond butter and she tested me for it and figured out it was the salt... so that is a major  bummer...but will cause me to be more creative in spices. And it should be something I can clear.

She said that only about 25% of people hold their clearings. When she loses her clearings, she'll either get the runs, or a massive headache. She'll have to reclear multiple times. I'm really thankful that I'm able to keep my clearings... So, to be positive :)

And now I feel hope for Moldova...that I'll have some more options for food :)

Discovering Garbanzo Bean Flour

Sooo I think I gave myself leaky gut again - my hands and feet were cramping last week, so I decided I'd put myself back on the repair diet for 5 days. Saturday I blew it and got tea at Starbucks - I thought I ordered the one that doesn't have "natural flavors" but I was wrong :-/ So I told myself, deep breath, start tomorrow. This will keep me warm after soaking myself snowshoeing and having a 2 hour drive home... At least everything else in my diet was right.

So then it is today. Where I started off the morning going to urgent care because I had blood in my urine this weekend and decided (thanks Mom!) I had a bladder infection for the first time ever. However, the doctor says, I don't see blood in your urine, but I see increased Lychocytes (or whatever) that indicate an infection, so I'll write you a prescription for the infection and one to take away the pain. I was like whoooa there Sparky, don't need too many meds, so no thank you to the pain med, b/c Im not that in pain.

Then I started thinking, darn, now I'm going to be taking meds, that's probably not going to help my leaky gut...the doctor mentioned something about the meds doing basically what cranberry juice does...so I ran it by my friend who is a registered dietician, and she suggested drinking the cranberry juice three times a day. I got the all natural, no sugar added stuff - whewww tart!! And will try that to see if things clear up on their own.

But cranberries aren't on the 5 day diet b/c they're not low glycemic :-/ so therefore, today, I blew it again. HOWEVER, I thought, this is less "blowing it" than taking meds...

So then in my consolation, I thought, well if I've already blown it, lets give into the intense sugar craving I've been having like crazy this weekend. So I might have eaten two granola bars (yes, had nuts :-/). So, fail...but tomorrow is another day? :(

The one really good thing to come from this today, is I rediscovered that I have garbanzo bean flour in my pantry. So I thought, wonder how I can cook with this? I stumbled on this website:

http://www.mynaturalfamily.com/recipes/breakfast/my-favorite-garbanzo-bean-recipes/

And today, I made this:

http://www.thisglutenfreelife.org/2011/03/chickpea-farinata-bread.html

It's a bread made from garbanzo beans. WOW. Either I'm super desperate, or that stuff is really delicious!! Wasn't quite as satisfying as the chocolate cupcakes the website has, but it was really delicious actually, and I will totally be making it again. :)

So, happy news - I've discovered another medium with which to cook!

Goodbye, Nuts

Well...there go nuts for 6 months. Which majorly, majorly sucks. I had a suspicion this was going to be the case...but was in denial...I have all this coconut flour and get excited about my muffins ... I just bought all these Raw Revolution granola bars that I can actually eat (and when I want a "dessert" I eat a granola bar that has chocolate in it). 

However, I was testing so ate a lot of coconut muffins in a short time, and put pistachios on my salad that I love. And boy. My hands and feet started hurting pretty good, and getting tingly. I can tell I have inflammation in my body b/c my wrists have been more sore, my  knees have been more sore, and just other joints. My heart feels like it's racing and my stomach...let's just say it's a darn good thing I didn't have to work over time through my lunch today and was able to come home. 

So, with Moldova coming up...sure is going to be interesting!! Tomorrow I'm putting myself back on the repair diet for 5 days...not excited about it, but looking forward to resetting my body and feeling better :) Good thing I have that option. And 5 days will be perfect timing b/c I fly out to see Hawley on Thursday and I'll be able to expand my diet to beans and quinoa again out there ;)

It's ok...it'll be ok...and this is a good reminder to watch what I eat. But oh, so sad. Nuts are so good...

I'm still alive :)

I realized I haven't posted for awhile. I just saw my nutritionist 10 minutes ago on my lunch break. She's such a blessing. Anyways, I kept my bean clearance from last week - YAY! Tho I think I'm getting sensitive to nut...I had cashews this past weekend and my heart started racing and I felt like I was having a panic attack! It was scary. Sooo watching this...

Anyways, she told me today (as she brought me more magnesium) that my body was so deficient, but eventually I'll get to a point where I don't have to take as much mag every day. I had started on 4 tsp/day, and am down to 3 tsp/day. Eventually it'll be significantly less. So I feel very encouraged by that, especially since I go through magnesium so quickly.

My body wanted to clear amalgam/mercury (fillings)...I was like wait, I don't have those anymore. She was like well you did at some point and your body is ready to get over that. She said it was a good sign that my body wants to clear something "environmental" instead of food - I'm making progress.

So I feel encouraged :)

That's all. Nothing too exciting. Except I went to the mountains with friends this weekend and while I brought three grocery bags full of food...it was great! My friends were totally gracious, it was easy to make my own food, and I even found an alcohol I can have...tequila...b/c it's made from cactus! Now, I don't like tequila, but, it's an option for the rare times I feel like a drink. I squeezed 3 lemons, put a little tequila in and some sugar that didn't dissolve and tried it. And puckered. Added some ice cubes and diluted with water and added agave.... MUCH better. It was pretty fun seeing my friends try it out and pucker up ;)

Moldova is comign up in 5 weeks...getting very curious how a whole week overseas will go, but eager for the opportunity to trust God to protect my stomach. I've thought about going on the 5 day diet right before I go so my gut will be as healthy as possible...and need to stay away from nuts for awhile so I can maybe bring some with me. I was picturing the airport scanner of my suitcase showing cans of tuna, an opener, cans of olives, dried fruit...hahaha.

Anyways, I'm feeling good. Life is good. Much better place than where I was at a few weeks ago. Thank God. :)

Mayonnaise

I have found a recipe that I can use to make mayonnaise!! This might not seem so exciting, but it has now opened up the world of tuna salad, which is something new in my diet and I'm quite excited about this! 

Becca - here is the recipe for you - and anyone else who would like it. 

1 c cooked rinsed white beans

3/4 c oil

2 T fresh lemon juice

1/2 t Dijon (I used just ground mustard)

1 t agave (could go without)

1/2 t salt

Puree all but oil until it's smooth, then slowly add oil until it has the consistency of mayo. Refrigerate.

I made a tuna salad with this - tuna, dill, baby tomatoes, and celery. I could stuff my whole face in it :) It was delicious! I'm super excited about this!! 

Branching out in cooking...

So...I recently bought this awesome cookbook that uses greens as a base for cooking...and since I'm not getting calcium really into my diet, and I know those greens are good for me, I thought this would help me branch out on what I can eat. I wish I had taken a pic of the two meals I tried earlier this week. One was sauteed kale and purple cabbage with sesame oil. I put it on quinoa and it was delicious! My FAVE tho was a massaged kale salad (raw kale that you rub for 60 seconds with olive oil to soften it) and then lemon juice and a little agave, with craisins and toasted pistachios. It was AMAZING!!! I can't wait to make it again...trying to give myself a few days between kale so I don't get immune to that :-/

So I had also bought dandelion greens to try to branch out... Let me say, don't waste your time. They are very time consuming to peel off the leaves from the stem and they wilt quickly and just yah, I wasn't impressed. I sauteed them with roasted garlic and olive oil, and drizzled lemon juice on i and put in craisins and pistachios... Too lemony :-/ and the greens are  kinda chewy. I'll finish it up b/c I'm not going to waste food...but definitely is NOT a recipe I'd make again. Darn! BUT I'm branching out and that's huge, considering the last few posts were how I want to be fed intravenously :)