Tis the season to enjoy a favorite pumpkin treat or two....

As a diabetic, with intolerance to gluten, soy, dairy and working hard to lose weight portion control is key...so a pumpkin cookie was the recipe I created to enjoy as my bedtime snack.

 PUMPKIN COOKIES WITH STEVIA

Ingredients:

Ingredients

1/8 cup unsweetened apple sauce
1/2 cup earth balance soy free spread
1/2 cup stevia
1/2 cup palm sugar
1/4 cup molasses
1 egg
1 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 cup coconut flour
1/4 cup tapioca flour
3/4 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup oat flour
1/2 tsp xanthan gum
1 tsp baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 cup almond milk
powder sugar for dusting (optional)

 

Directions

In a large mixing bowl cream together applesauce, earth balance, Stevia and coconut sugar til light and fluffy. Beat in molasses and egg. Stir in pumpkin purer. In another bowl sift together the flours, baking soda, and cinnamon.
Stir flour mixture into puree along with milk. Blend thoroughly but do not over blend.

Drop cookie dough with tablespoon cookie scoop...gentle pressing down with back of scoop. Bake 375 degree oven for 12 minutes until set. Cool for a minute.... remove to cooling rack. Dust with powdered sugar (opt) when cooled.
Serving Size: makes 48

 

Nutritional Info

• Servings Per Recipe: 48
• Amount Per Serving
• Calories: 48.6

• Total Fat: 3.0 g
• Cholesterol: 3.9 mg
• Sodium: 52.4 mg
• Total Carbs: 6.2 g
• Dietary Fiber: 0.9 g
• Protein: 0.5 g

 

 

Enjoy....

Scrumptious Pumpkin Pie

A few weeks ago my cousin Margret announced pumpkin pie baking day....I wondered...could a tasteful treat be made gluten/casein/soy free.....to my amazement a first time effort brought success.

First I went to the store to buy basic canned pumpkin and followed the recipe tweaking the crust and the dairy.....

Ingredients-TWEAKED

FILLING
1	15 oz can	Santiam Pumpkin
4		Eggs, lightly beaten
1.5	cups	splenda
2	6 oz containers	So Delicious Coconut yogurt
	12 oz	Almond or Rice milk
1	tsp.	salt
1	tsp.	cinnamon, ground
2	tsp.	pumpkin pie spice
1/2	tsp.	xanthan gum
CRUST
1 1/2	cups	all purpose GF flour
1/2	cups	almond meal flour
2/3 cup	plus  2 tbsp	Earth Balance Soy Free Buttery Spread
1	tsp	salt
4-5	tbsp	cold water
1/2	tsp	xanthan gum
ALL PURPOS FLOUR MIX
2	PARTS	Brown rice flour
1	PARTS	white rice flour
1	PARTS	oat flour
1	PARTS	tapioca flour

 For Crust

Blend flours, salt and xanthan gum with wisk.  With pastry blender mix in EB spread till well blended...slowly add water till a nice ball is formed....divide....roll on well floured wax paper and line pie pans traditionally.

1. Preheat oven to 425°F.
2. Combine pumpkin, sugar, salt xanthan gum and spices.
3. Blend in beaten egg, yogurt and milk.
4. Pour into unbaked pie shells.
5. Bake 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350°F and bake 45 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean.  (cover crusts with foil to avoid burning)

Yield:2 9-inch pies

And my Mary Jo, who usually complains...Gluten free again...had two helpings

 

 

Nutritional Info

• Servings Per Recipe: 16
• Amount Per Serving
• Calories: 198.6

• Total Fat: 15.4 g
• Cholesterol: 46.2 mg
• Sodium: 268.4 mg
• Total Carbs: 19.2 g
• Dietary Fiber: 3.2 g
• Protein: 3.5 g

for full nutrition go to:

http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=1878289

THE CHURCH POTLUCK

I attend the wonderful Peoples Church in Vancouver WA.  IT is HEN PARTY for the ladies only tonight.....CLUCK CLUCK!!!  We were all asked to bring a plate of either chicken salad, egg salad triangular cut tea sandwiches or a bag of chips......(this is not a meal rather a snack....I will make sure to get all my fruits and veggies in earlier in the day)...

Yesterday I read another blog that had a recipe for Socca Bread and wondered if I could use like a tortilla or wrap and be a little creative with the GlutenFree bread in sharing with the ladies...  I read more blogs on Socca Bread recipes to get ideas to work with the equipment and ingredients I already had on hand.  So the experiment began last night.  First try out it turned out fabulous here is what I did.

Most recipes I read were cooked in the oven in cast iron frying pans....I have yet to acquire one.  One recipe cooked stove top yet again in cast iron.  I decided to experiment on my pizza stone.

So I preheated my oven and stone to 425 degrees F.

2 cups Bob's Red Mill All purpose flour (garbanzo bean based)
1/2 tsp salt
2 sun-dried tomatoes finely chopped
3 fresh basil leaves, finely chopped
3 TBSP Olive Oil
2 cups water

Place flour and salt in small bowl, mix.
In another bowl, whisk together tomatoes, basil, olive oil, water.  Add flour 1/2 cup at a time, whisking between additions.  A very thin pancake batter is what you have created.

Open oven and pull out rack with stone upon it....brush stone lightly with additional olive oil.  Pour 1/3 cup of batter in center of stone, spreading to a thin 6" circle. Cook approximately 2 minutes, open oven and flip Socco...bake additional  2 minutes for soft bread...for crispier bread cook each side additional 2 minutes.

Made 12 - 6" Socco disks.
This morning I spread a simple egg salad added some romaine lettuce.  Folded in half and Cut into two...WAALAA pie shaped tasty triangles.

I will keep experimenting...perhaps with flax seed and other flavors.  I have a brunch I am hosting soon, I larger version these should work for the breakfast burritos.

Tuna Quinoa Salad

Hello everyone....time to share a family favorite.....my mother's creation.  My father loves this salad.  As do two of my children.

I have tried several GF pastas in recreating this salad and found Ancient Harvest Quinoa to be a favorite in texture, flavor and firmness.  Rice pasta mush/crumbles to much.  100% corn pasta is a good choice too.  However, the quinoa pasta is a greater bang for the buck nutritionally.  

The original family recipe used 2 cans of chunk light tuna in water....I now use the low sodium white albacore.  Add salt only if needed to taste...but prefer a dash or two of garlic MRS DASH

Ingredients

1 package (8oz) Ancient Harvest Quinoa pasta (you could use any pasta...but i prefer this) 1 cup frozen peas 2 cups (one package of bean sprouts) 1 cup diced onion 1 cup chopped celery 1/2 cup mayonnaise ( I used regular......use low fat to reduce fat) 2 cans (6oz each) Tuna....I use Bumble bee very low sodium solid white albacore) 

Season with a Dash or two of Mrs Dash 

Directions

cook pasta to package directions....if using quinoa pasta cook to tender..not al dente....will firm up during fridgeration...if cook to only al dente gets to hard when chilled.
Put frozen peas in strainer. Drain cooked pasta over the peas.
put in large mixing bowl
add other ingredients
toss
Season to taste.

enjoy
best if served chilled

Serving Size: makes approximately 12 - one cup servings

Number of Servings: 12

Used the recipe calculator on SparkPeople.com to break down the nutrition facts

Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe: 12
Serving Size: 1 serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories		184.9
Total Fat		7.6 g
	Saturated Fat	1.0 g
	Polyunsaturated Fat	0.0 g
	Monounsaturated Fat	0.0 g
Cholesterol		15.0 mg
Sodium		89.0 mg
Potassium		135.9 mg
Total Carbohydrate		19.6 g
	Dietary Fiber	2.6 g
	Sugars	1.7 g
Protein		10.3 g

Vitamin A	5.6 %
Vitamin B-12	0.3 %
Vitamin B-6	2.0 %
Vitamin C	6.2 %
Vitamin D	0.0 %
Vitamin E	2.3 %
Calcium	1.1 %
Copper	1.4 %
Folate	3.1 %
Iron	4.5 %
Magnesium	1.4 %
Manganese	3.5 %
Niacin	13.8 %
Pantothenic Acid	0.8 %
Phosphorus	1.9 %
Riboflavin	3.9 %
Selenium	0.7 %
Thiamin	6.1 %
Zinc	1.0 %

  Sorry I havent taken a picture will do so soon

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING powerful gifts

Health expert I am not.  But through

•         Listening (to God, Self and others)
•         Asking Questions(Dr and experts)
•         Reading (starting with the bible, then on to the internet, pamphlets and food labels)
•        Testing  (learning from the failure too)

I am becoming an expert on me!!!

I have been a diabetic since 1988, and routine is important for me to manage it well

•          7+ blood glucose tests a day (on a good day, week)
•          Insulin shots with each meal and at bedtime
•      Keeping a food journal (I use www.sparkpeople.com)
•          Seeing my doctor regularly (I am getting better at this)
•          Prescriptions in presorted pill boxes (AM and PM)by my bathroom sink
•          Exercising 3-4 times a week (not as routine with cold/flu season hitting me and my household hard)

I have been weight challenged all my life.  But following the routine above along with removing my new dietary speed bumps, gluten and casein intolerant, I have shed 12+ lbs since Dec 2010.

Awareness to my food intolerance started with a very public embarrassing moment I wish not to relive in print.  I am thankful to those who came to my aid.   I didn’t fully listen to my body’s signals till Thanksgiving 2010, when IBS symptoms were occurring often.  My doctor performed a blood test to rule out Celiac Disease (neg).  By process of elimination (trial and error) we came to the conclusion that I am gluten and casein sensitive.

Although challenging, I am finding new ways to adapt and eat well with these speed bumps.  Remember what works for me may not work for you…but lets enjoy the journey together.