10th Annual Cookie Weekend….with a twist

We embarked upon the 10th annual cookie bake off with the intention of dialing it back to limit our fatigue………

Well, we had a successful cookie weekend, but as for cutting back on the number of cookies, we were not as successful.  It was a fabulously fun and tiring weekend.  It has become one of those traditions that the bakers and the nibblers all look forward to!

I did experiment with a gluten and dairy free recipe that turned out pretty darn awesome.  It still may need some tweaking because it was a little dry.  Oh, but did it hit the spot!  I took my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe and substituted gluten free flour for the all purpose flour and coconut oil for the butter. The chocolate chips were soy, dairy, and gluten free.  I accidentally put an extra 1/4 teaspoon of salt (Himalayan) in the batter, but I think I liked it that way.  If I make it again, the salt will be dropped back to recipe levels, just to experiment.

Our pitiful and comical relief came from the pups.  One was still recovering from surgery and had to be put in a crate to keep him from going bonkers over the kitchen action.  Once he fell asleep, he was totally out of it.  His brother enjoyed poaching chew toys when the patient was sleeping or out on a bathroom break.  Quite the pair!

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Wrestling, Storms, and Gluten/Dairy Free Creamy Carbs

Pups Learning how to lazy wrestle.

Part 2:  After a “normal” Florida afternoon storm, the phone lines are down.  I only discovered this after trying to use the phone to call my lost cell phone.  Maybe it is time to cancel the land line phone service, but then how would I ever find my phone?

Part 3:  Brown and red volcano rice cooked up, placed in a pan with some coconut milk, left over chicken and various spices.  Did I just make risotto?  Not quite, but still some creamy carbness I was craving.

 

 

Experimenting With Food Sensitivity

I decided to experiment on myself.  I did not randomize, have a control group, and it was not a blind study.  The results were still conclusive.

I have discussed my hypothesis on personal food sensitivities in the past.  Hypothesis in hand, I embarked on a testing method termed avoidance and provocative.

Fasting 10 Days

I started the fast on a bit of a whim.  It ended most purposefully with an apple and a big spoon of peanut butter.  It was not as good as I had been imagining all week, but I looked down at my stomach and asked it, “Are you happy now?”  It gurgled, thank you, back at me.

Lessons and observations from my adventure:

1. Just because I want to eat, does not mean I have to.  I give into cravings so often with the excuse that I should go ahead, otherwise I will never be able to stop thinking about it.  Another favorite excuse:  my body must need something, so go ahead and eat that chocolate milkshake and fries. 8)
2. Media has way too many pictures of food.  There are the obvious commercials for the -gotta have it now- fast food and sugary treats.  Pinterest can be evil.  My DVR has a list of cooking competition shows waiting for me.  I had never noticed how much regular TV shows flash food across the screen.  I envied Homer Simpson’s plate.  Really, craving cartoon food!

Accidental Fast

Have you ever gotten up in the morning and thought, “today would be a great day to start a juice fast?”  Me either, until Wednesday.  I have been feeling bloated and just blah.  With vacation eating and lunch meetings, I had strayed from my low gluten and lactose diet for the past few weeks.

Adding to Juice

  Adding anything from a package to nice, fresh juice seems odd.  I have found three things that I occasionally use to give juice an extra kick or just to have something a little different.

Chia Seeds:  Vegan and gluten free, they add fiber, omega fatty acids, antioxidants, protein, and other vitamins and minerals.  They may also help in weight loss.

Wheat Grass:  alkaline, minerals, vitamins, antioxidants, protein, gluten free and vegan.

Pure Green Protein:  Packed with protein “with the amino acid ratio of human muscle.”  Great for mornings that I feel bad about not having a protein for breakfast or for using the mixed berry flavor to mask an unfortunate juice mix.

Do you have any favorites?