Root vegetables, other than carrots, weren't something I ate much of as I was growing up. As a result, I never really had an interest in them. But now, eating low carb, it's a whole 'nother story! I recently got some turnips on sale, and had to use them. Since my husband had roasted chicken for our dinner earlier and had left the pan on the stovetop, I peeled and diced a couple of turnips and tossed them in the chicken drippings with a few pieces of bacon, and put it back in the oven. About 20 minutes later I had THE most delicious vegetable dish I think I've ever eaten! The turnips were dark brown and caramelized...I put them in a bowl with a little (1 Tbsp or so) shredded cheddar cheese on top and had them for my afternoon snack-meal-thing. (Hubby is at work and I usually don't have full meals when I'm alone, I just sort of graze.) So sweet and tender, a little sticky...oh no, my mouth is watering just thinking about it! And about 12gN carbs for the whole thing.
As my dad used to say, "You can't beat that with a stick!"
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Moving Day! A New Beginning
Well, sort of...today I moved my blog over from another blogging site, because there were so many times that the other site gave me grief that I was tired of dealing with them. A friend has been urging me to move here after also having issues with the other site...so here I am. As you can see (I only moved 18 posts!) I haven't been blogging that long to start with. So it didn't take long to move. I think I'll be happy here :).
Friday, February 6, 2009
Thinking About Carbs
Since a discussion with a friend recently where I made the comment that "eating low carb isn't about giving anything up, it's just about shopping and cooking differently", I've been trying to think of something that can't be replaced with a low carb equivalent. I'm coming up empty.
"I couldn't live without bread!" is the most common excuse I hear - and the one that I used to use myself as well. But we eat bread. There are plenty of low carb breads on the market (our choice is Aunt Millie's Light Potato Bread which isn't far removed from evil white bread, hence my husband's enjoyment of it) if one must. There are some great recipes for low carb bread machine bread as well (my own version incorporates rich tasty sunflower and sesame meals and is YUMMY - makes great toast)! And we can make/buy/use low carb wraps or tortillas...
Rice? Cauli-rice, which, when used in casseroles or oriental or mexican dishes, is perfect! Potatoes? Fauxtatoes or other, less carby, root vegetables depending on the recipe. Or, just baked or fried potato skins! I can bake a nice big potato and scoop out the white part and just eat the skin, loaded with butter and sour cream, when I feel the need! Desserts? Baking without grain-based flours and sugar and high-sugar fruits is EASY, once you know how! Chocolate? Cocoa powder is very low carb; the healthy dark cocao-based bars are low in carbs! Chips and other crunchy foods? Deep-fried daikon slices, sprinkled with garlic salt and parmesan...thin slices of cheddar cheese, baked until crispy and eaten with a sour cream dip...even buttered popcorn which is high in fiber, eaten in moderation!
I've gotten really creative in the kitchen and lost 90# in 5 months eating my own versions of the carby processed foods, and never missed them.
Concerns about budget? It is cheaper for us to eat low carb than when we used to eat processed foods. Concerns about "artificial sweeteners"? Sugar alcohols are natural if you have to cater to a sweet tooth, you never need to eat artificial anything.
So what's the problem about eating low carb, again?
"I couldn't live without bread!" is the most common excuse I hear - and the one that I used to use myself as well. But we eat bread. There are plenty of low carb breads on the market (our choice is Aunt Millie's Light Potato Bread which isn't far removed from evil white bread, hence my husband's enjoyment of it) if one must. There are some great recipes for low carb bread machine bread as well (my own version incorporates rich tasty sunflower and sesame meals and is YUMMY - makes great toast)! And we can make/buy/use low carb wraps or tortillas...
Rice? Cauli-rice, which, when used in casseroles or oriental or mexican dishes, is perfect! Potatoes? Fauxtatoes or other, less carby, root vegetables depending on the recipe. Or, just baked or fried potato skins! I can bake a nice big potato and scoop out the white part and just eat the skin, loaded with butter and sour cream, when I feel the need! Desserts? Baking without grain-based flours and sugar and high-sugar fruits is EASY, once you know how! Chocolate? Cocoa powder is very low carb; the healthy dark cocao-based bars are low in carbs! Chips and other crunchy foods? Deep-fried daikon slices, sprinkled with garlic salt and parmesan...thin slices of cheddar cheese, baked until crispy and eaten with a sour cream dip...even buttered popcorn which is high in fiber, eaten in moderation!
I've gotten really creative in the kitchen and lost 90# in 5 months eating my own versions of the carby processed foods, and never missed them.
Concerns about budget? It is cheaper for us to eat low carb than when we used to eat processed foods. Concerns about "artificial sweeteners"? Sugar alcohols are natural if you have to cater to a sweet tooth, you never need to eat artificial anything.
So what's the problem about eating low carb, again?
Sunday, February 1, 2009
In Minneapolis
I wrote a big long thing yesterday about our trip: why I'm here, what we've seen and done, etc...then I accidentally hit my refresh button in a moment of sheer stupidity, and lost it all. I will try again...
My sister was coming to Minneapolis because of family business. She was going to drive all this way alone, then deal with all her "stuff" alone - some very emotional "stuff" even - and then drive all the way home alone. I couldn't imagine that so I offered to come with her if I could gather up the funds. She told me that she was already paying for the gas and the room, so I just had to pay for my own food and that'd be it. That made it affordable for me to come along and keep her company in the car (I can't drive, don't have a license anymore due to my eyesight - or lack thereof) and also keep the homefires burning back at the hotel, listen/offer feedback as needed, etc.
(For those who may not know, Gwen has literally saved my life twice in the last 2 years, intervening and advocating for me with a medical profession that wasn't interested enough, setting aside her own and her family's needs for the duration each time, and at great cost to them. We are there for each other, it isn't a one-way street, and there haven't been many opportunities for me to be there for her as she's been for me.)
Anyway, we left Michigan last Wednesday and had a blast driving across the U.P., it was so beautiful! Took lots of pictures across US 2. Stopped in Escanaba for gas and $1 cheeseburgers at McD's, and continued on to Wausau, WI where we spent the night at a forgettable hotel.
Thursday morning (that would have been Jan.29th) we completed our journey across Wisconsin and the Mississippi River, arriving at the hotel that was to be our home for the next 5 nights right at check-in time. (I gotta say, this place is great, very nice, helpful, clean; Gwen could not have chosen a better place. The only problem is that she came here in large part because of the hot tub, and was SO looking forward to it, but when we got here she discovered that it is "closed until further notice" and was bitterly disappointed.)
So far things have been going well for me. She's been busy with her family things, and I have been minimally involved, but have had the opportunity to do the website updates that needed to be done by today (Feb.1st), and will be updating another site that I do as well. I brought along my precious keyboard because, frankly, I couldn't imagine being without it for a week, and have had some special worship time in music as well.
So we'll leave here Tuesday morning, and take 2 days going home so that we can stop and smell the roses (snow-covered though they are) along the way. I am homesick for my husband who is carrying the burden of all of the critters (4 dogs, 11 parrots, and a cat) in addition to my business and his full-time job. I appreciate that he's doing this more than words can say...I also miss our pets, and my recliner and home...but I'm thankful to have had this opportunity to be with my sister and be whatever help I can be. She's told me she's glad I'm here and she doesn't know how she would have done it without me. That's why I'm here.
My sister was coming to Minneapolis because of family business. She was going to drive all this way alone, then deal with all her "stuff" alone - some very emotional "stuff" even - and then drive all the way home alone. I couldn't imagine that so I offered to come with her if I could gather up the funds. She told me that she was already paying for the gas and the room, so I just had to pay for my own food and that'd be it. That made it affordable for me to come along and keep her company in the car (I can't drive, don't have a license anymore due to my eyesight - or lack thereof) and also keep the homefires burning back at the hotel, listen/offer feedback as needed, etc.
(For those who may not know, Gwen has literally saved my life twice in the last 2 years, intervening and advocating for me with a medical profession that wasn't interested enough, setting aside her own and her family's needs for the duration each time, and at great cost to them. We are there for each other, it isn't a one-way street, and there haven't been many opportunities for me to be there for her as she's been for me.)
Anyway, we left Michigan last Wednesday and had a blast driving across the U.P., it was so beautiful! Took lots of pictures across US 2. Stopped in Escanaba for gas and $1 cheeseburgers at McD's, and continued on to Wausau, WI where we spent the night at a forgettable hotel.
Thursday morning (that would have been Jan.29th) we completed our journey across Wisconsin and the Mississippi River, arriving at the hotel that was to be our home for the next 5 nights right at check-in time. (I gotta say, this place is great, very nice, helpful, clean; Gwen could not have chosen a better place. The only problem is that she came here in large part because of the hot tub, and was SO looking forward to it, but when we got here she discovered that it is "closed until further notice" and was bitterly disappointed.)
So far things have been going well for me. She's been busy with her family things, and I have been minimally involved, but have had the opportunity to do the website updates that needed to be done by today (Feb.1st), and will be updating another site that I do as well. I brought along my precious keyboard because, frankly, I couldn't imagine being without it for a week, and have had some special worship time in music as well.
So we'll leave here Tuesday morning, and take 2 days going home so that we can stop and smell the roses (snow-covered though they are) along the way. I am homesick for my husband who is carrying the burden of all of the critters (4 dogs, 11 parrots, and a cat) in addition to my business and his full-time job. I appreciate that he's doing this more than words can say...I also miss our pets, and my recliner and home...but I'm thankful to have had this opportunity to be with my sister and be whatever help I can be. She's told me she's glad I'm here and she doesn't know how she would have done it without me. That's why I'm here.
Some Music
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-LzATdSrDk
Oh kneel me down again, here at Your feet.
Show me how much You love humility.
Oh Spirit be the Star that leads me to
The humble heart of love I see in You.
You are the God of the broken, The friend of the weak
You wash the feet of the weary, Embrace the ones in need
I want to be like You, Jesus, To have this heart in me
You are the God of the humble, You are the humble King!
(copyright 1999, Vineyard Songs)
Oh kneel me down again, here at Your feet.
Show me how much You love humility.
Oh Spirit be the Star that leads me to
The humble heart of love I see in You.
You are the God of the broken, The friend of the weak
You wash the feet of the weary, Embrace the ones in need
I want to be like You, Jesus, To have this heart in me
You are the God of the humble, You are the humble King!
(copyright 1999, Vineyard Songs)
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Now THIS is living!
From a note I sent to my friend Shelly (who has known me forever, since high school in fact) in our Scrabble game:
I just had THE most invigorating, fun morning!! We got up early and took Casey home, then had breakfast at BK, then wandered around the St. V dePaul store which we love to do. After that we drove around our end of the lake (this lake is huge, the biggest inland lake in the state) and watched the ice fishermen and snowmobilers - HUNDREDS if not THOUSANDS of them! - and drove around the outside of TipUpTown. PACKED with people, all having a blast, lots of little kids on the rides and milling about. TuT used to be about beer but a couple of years ago they decided it needed to be a family event, now the beer tent is a couple of blocks away from the rest of the action. Then we came back to (world-famous, at least since Frozen Stupid was filmed here!) Lyman's and parked and walked about 1/4 mile out to the lake. It is SO COOL to see people driving and walking and snowmobiling and 4-wheeling all across the lake, I think I like it better in winter than I do in the summer! We stayed out on the lake for quite a while as I took pictures and videos of hundreds of people having fun, it was so exciting and exhilirating, especially after that long illness I just have to thank God that I can do everything again! Just to be able to walk - or drive - across the lake to get where you want to go, how cool is that????? Everything about today has just been awesome!!!!!! This is life, not sitting in a recliner holding my head in pain and being waited on for months on end...
I love living here, I love being able to get out and do things again, I love Houghton Lake in the winter!
I just had THE most invigorating, fun morning!! We got up early and took Casey home, then had breakfast at BK, then wandered around the St. V dePaul store which we love to do. After that we drove around our end of the lake (this lake is huge, the biggest inland lake in the state) and watched the ice fishermen and snowmobilers - HUNDREDS if not THOUSANDS of them! - and drove around the outside of TipUpTown. PACKED with people, all having a blast, lots of little kids on the rides and milling about. TuT used to be about beer but a couple of years ago they decided it needed to be a family event, now the beer tent is a couple of blocks away from the rest of the action. Then we came back to (world-famous, at least since Frozen Stupid was filmed here!) Lyman's and parked and walked about 1/4 mile out to the lake. It is SO COOL to see people driving and walking and snowmobiling and 4-wheeling all across the lake, I think I like it better in winter than I do in the summer! We stayed out on the lake for quite a while as I took pictures and videos of hundreds of people having fun, it was so exciting and exhilirating, especially after that long illness I just have to thank God that I can do everything again! Just to be able to walk - or drive - across the lake to get where you want to go, how cool is that????? Everything about today has just been awesome!!!!!! This is life, not sitting in a recliner holding my head in pain and being waited on for months on end...
I love living here, I love being able to get out and do things again, I love Houghton Lake in the winter!
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Today I gotta gripe!
Lovely beautiful white fluffy snow falling, the air is crisp and fresh and clean...yet everywhere I go, people are complaining about winter! I live in northern lower Michigan, where lots of snow and cold temps are expected, and most of the people here just go about their lives. It is a given that our weather changes throughout the year, and we accept it, and life goes on. In fact, in our tourist town this weekend and next are thousands of downstaters and even folks from other states, here to celebrate winter! All sorts of wintry activities here in the 59th annual TipUp Town festival - and people LOVE IT! Those that came for it, and most who live here.
So, why so many people who choose to live where there is always a cold snowy winter, complain throughout the season? I don't get it. If I chose to live in Miami, I certainly wouldn't complain about the heat, although I'd hate it. I choose to live where the weather suits my preferences, and if I were to choose to live somewhere I hated, why would I feel I had the right to dump all over everybody else, rain on their parade if you will, and make them regret my own choices?
OK, so people have reasons to live in those parts of the country where there is a real winter: family, job, whatever. But it's still their choice to stay, whatever their reason, we always have a choice.
Quit trying to ruin MY lovely winter happiness, just because YOU are miserable, and I will promise not to whine to you about the heat and humidity of summer while you enjoy your beaches and your boats. Deal?
So, why so many people who choose to live where there is always a cold snowy winter, complain throughout the season? I don't get it. If I chose to live in Miami, I certainly wouldn't complain about the heat, although I'd hate it. I choose to live where the weather suits my preferences, and if I were to choose to live somewhere I hated, why would I feel I had the right to dump all over everybody else, rain on their parade if you will, and make them regret my own choices?
OK, so people have reasons to live in those parts of the country where there is a real winter: family, job, whatever. But it's still their choice to stay, whatever their reason, we always have a choice.
Quit trying to ruin MY lovely winter happiness, just because YOU are miserable, and I will promise not to whine to you about the heat and humidity of summer while you enjoy your beaches and your boats. Deal?
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