Witty Noggins

Current Mood: Happy

“As the frog said!”  That always made me giggle.  Time sure is getting away from me.  I’m taking another online class to help me figure out where my time is going.  Trouble is…I’m not getting to the class because so much is happening and I HAVE NO TIME.  LOL

I did get the chance to try the pie crust recipe from The Art of Gluten Free Baking.  It was FABULOUS!  The crust had a similar taste to a wheat crust, though the texture was slightly different.  In my opinion it was actually better.  My pie crusts can turn out a bit doughy.  This one was flaky and perfect.  I loved it.  Rolling it out was a bit tricky.  I actually ended up using my fingers some in the end.  But I could not have asked for a better result.  I’ve really enjoyed reading the  articles and trying some of her creations.  I’ve not been disappointed once with the results.  Okay, I was disappointed in the bread made with my bread maker…but that was more the bread baker and not the recipe.  I have the other half of my pie crust in the freezer and will try it out soon.  It’s another great option for freezer cooking.  I can see making quiches and pot pies among other goodies.  Can’t wait to get more into that.  Just trying to get through the end of this school year.

The  kids only have 3 weeks of school left.  I’m pushing my daughter to finish up her last two classes for this year.  She had a performance last weekend with all the extra dance classes and rehearsals that go with that.  My son is finishing his sophomore year in high school and is pushing my buttons big time with his procrastination.  He’s also had band rehearsals, a concert and his big band banquet coming up this week.    I’m in the process of planning a birthday gathering for my daughter.  Her birthday is in July, but we will be gone, so we’re going to have the party before we go in June.  We’re going to work on the invitations this weekend.  I bought a new Cricut Cartridge for it and am very excited about the invitations we will make.  I’ve found a tutorial and I’ll share pictures here when it’s all done.  She will be turning 12 and wants a slumber party.  Oh boy!  I’ve found another great site full of ideas for the party.  (Studio 5 – It’s a Slumber Party)  The problem with this site is it has so many great ideas that I have to be careful not to get  in over my head.  That’s so easy for me to do.  I have a friend who laughs at me every time I say, “That looks easy!  I can do that!”  I’m somewhat of a perfectionist and it’s not always as easy as it looks.   So I’m off to finish my tasks for today and then get started on my weekend.

Current Mood: Happy

The last few posts have been about gluten free eating.  A quick update on that.  I could not follow the South Beach Gluten Solution Diet as written in the book.  I didn’t have the time nor finances to do so.  Instead I am using the list of foods and creating my menus from that list.  I am still reading it as it does have some good information in it.  I’m also continuing to work on emptying my freezer so that I can get back to freezer cooking.  When I had it under control, it was the best solution to maintaining a healthy diet and saving time for me.  I still have not had the chance to make the pie crust I mentioned either.  (Long story short, there was illness in the family and other projects that took up my time.)  I started a class in January that I am trying again to refocus on.  It goes along with all of these things I’m trying to do.  What it all comes down to is making changes to be a healthier me.  So for this week I will continue to focus on eating well (gluten free) and moving more.  I managed 4 mornings at the gym this past week.  My goal this week is 5 days. The following quote is the quote for this month from my Move More, Eat Well Class.  And my choice is to keep on trying. 

 “It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.”

― J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Current Mood: Esctatic

After my last post, I pulled out the cookbook, Gluten Free Baking for the Holidays, that  I mentioned in the post.  Guess what recipe I found in the book?  You guessed it!  Pie Crust!  This weekend I plan to try my first gluten free pie crust.  I’m going to make a Derby Pie. If it’s any good, I’ll share the process when I finish.  I have to bake one for Derby Day and now I’ll be able to sample it too.  Yeah!

I also have decided to start back on the South Beach Diet and started looking through my books and online for ideas in getting my meal plans together.  Guess what new book I found out there?  The South Beach Diet Gluten Solution.  As mentioned in an earlier post, the last time I followed the original diet I did really well.  That is, I did really well until the 2nd phase.  I thought it was the “sugar” issue.  But I still do not eat much sugar.  It’s very rare that I have it.  I’m to the point now, that I can’t eat much sugar.  If I do, I start feeling yucky instantly.   He talks about people like me in this book and it’s one more indicator that I have a gluten issue.  It helps to know that I am not alone and to explain some of the problems that I have.  I’m going to give it another shot (after I make the Derby Pie this weekend, LOL).  I’ll let you know how it goes next week.  Then when it comes to phase 2, I’m going to continue the gluten free solution and see how it goes.

We are planning a big family vacation this summer and part of the plan is to do some hiking.  I’d really like to be able to hike with the group and not huff and puff and hold everyone else up while I catch my breath.  Loosing some pounds and getting good exercise will not only help to solve that problem, but it will help to move me in the direction of a healthier me.  I’m hoping that giving up the gluten will also help with increased energy and focus which are two of the major causes for my present health situation.   Wish me luck.  My starting goals are walking every night, getting to bed at a reasonable time, and sticking with my gluten free diet.  Next week I’ll add the South Beach Diet to the mix.

Current Mood: Cool

Gluten Free seems to be the new buzz word.  While channel surfing on TV, I came across the Dr. Oz show.  This particular show was on Gluten Intolerance and Celiac Disease.  It caught my attention because about 2o years ago, I was diagnosed with “wheat allergy”.  I tried at that time to do away with wheat but I was a young inexperienced cook with not much time to experiment and not many options available.  I decided that my allergies were not life threatening and that I couldn’t give it up.  I L-O-V-E-D wheat products (breads, soups, cookies and cakes….)  and was unable to find any “good” substitutions at that point in time.  After watching the show I realized that many of the symptoms he mentioned, I had.  I also remembered about 8 or 9 years ago, doing the South Beach Diet and how much better I felt after completing the first two weeks.  Guess what’s missing in the first two weeks?  Among other things…Wheat.  I have decided to give it another try and to go gluten free.

I started researching in the book store.  I came across a book (which I got for Christmas and have been pleasantly surprised and the few recipes I have tried) titled, Gluten-Free Baking for the Holidays, by Jeanne Sauvage.  Thru the book I found that she has a website called The Art of Gluten Free Baking.  She has some great suggestions for going Gluten-Free and I’m finding the suggestions I have tried thus far to be great “satisfying” alternatives.  I made the bread and even my son who is adamantly against “gluten-free” cooking, gobbled it down.  It was just homemade bread to him.  He loved it.  I have found a gluten-free pasta that is tolerable by reading her blog too.  I bought it on Amazon and cooked it as suggested by Jeanne on her blog and was very happy with the result.

There are a few other goodies that I have discovered on my journey.  I found a meal planner that is gluten-free.  Emeals offers a variety of menu choices for breakfast, lunch and dinner.  Two of the dinner menus are gluten-free.  There are several new family favorite recipes that we have added to our menus from this list.  I have also discovered Udis, per a recommendation of another person in the health food store.  Udis offers a hamburger bun that is just as good to me as a regular bun.  And…I can get them in the freezer section of my local Publix. Yeah!  I’ve also discovered in Publix, a gluten-free version of Bisquick that is pretty yummy.  It’s not exactly the same, but close enough and quite tasty.   I’ve also discovered the brownie mixes.  They are pretty good and get gobbled down quickly in our household.

My next quest is to find an acceptable gluten-free pie crust.

Current Mood: Happy

I heard this quote for the first time this morning during a discussion on giving. The discussion caused me to rethink my giving. I’ve never been one to think of giving as a chore. I’ve always considered it more of a blessing for both the giver and the receiver. But I have been guilty of just giving monetarily and of my talents without giving of my personal time and myself. I enjoy doing for others but sometimes find it difficult to take the extra time to interact with those I give to. After the discussion, I think the giving means more if you give of yourself as well. For example, I can make a cake for a neighbor and take it to them as a gift. Or I can bake a cake for a neighbor and take it over and share it with them. The relationship that is developed in the time you take to be with them makes the gift that much better. The relationship that is developed makes the gift “more”.