Low Fodmap Spanish Meatloaf via Dr Sue Shepherds book The Low Fodmap Diet Cookbook

I wasnt sure about this recipe, but made it & fed it to the grandies as well. They ate it All, I couldnt believe it! So here's to hidden veges & lean meat.

I used a premium minced beef, as I'm intolerant of fats, but you could use whatever grade you like.

I also tweaked the recipe to suit my body's needs & the kiddies tastes.


I'll upload the pic as soon as I can find it, my Mac is eating pics somehow & I cant find them...weird!
Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 pounds (700g) extra lean ground beef
• 1/2 cup (125ml) tomato paste
• 3/4 cup (90g) dried gluten free soy free bread crumbs
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 tsp garlic or chilli infused oil
• 2 tsp olive oil
• small handful of chopped parsley leaves
• 3/4 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp ground chilli powder (I left this out)
• 1 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (I left this out)
• 1 1/2 tsp sweet paprika (I used smoked)
• salt & freshly ground black pepper (I will use 1/2-1 tsp salt next time)

1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC) Line an 8 1/2" x 4 1/2" (21.5 x 11.5cm) loaf pan with foil & spray with cooking spray.
2. Combine the beef, tomato paste, bread crumbs, eggs, chili infused oil, olive oil, parsley, ginger & smoked paprika, salt & pepper in a large bowl.I added a few leaves of chopped silverbeet & a grated carrot as well.
3. Mix well & then press evenly into the loaf pan. I run wet hands across the top to smooth it.
4. Bake 40-45 mins until cooked through & juices run clear when cut. It also shrinks away from the sides when cooked.
5. Rest for 5 mins before cutting. Serve with garlic mashed potatoes. (I made mashed potatoes with coconut & olive oil to mash)

That Sugar Film & Fructose

Who's been to see That Sugar Film?

I went a few weeks ago, & was astounded at the impact sugar has on our health.
Its all  backed up medically, if you didnt see it.

Its been a journey for me, along with visiting a dietician for ongoing gut issues. I have lost a few kilos, & my system is much happier these days. And oh boy do I notice the sweetness of foods, since cutting down on my sugar!

I actually had to cut down my fat, as I'm sensitive to it, but needed the carbs for energy, while I was catching buses for the last six months. This increase included adding a little more sugar, which I wasnt thrilled about, but had to do. e.g. Buying lower cocoa butter content sugar meant increasing the sugar content...gag!

There is a cute little car parked in my driveway now, so I will need to rethink the carb intake as well I guess. Who wants to walk in the freezing wind & rain that we get in New Zealand in Winter? Not me thats for sure!

Hope you've all been doing well, drop in & share your journey sometime.

No recipes to share lately, as my food is quite simple at the moment. I'm on a Low Fodmap diet, & finding it is great for me. The reintroduction phase begins this week, so its going to be interesting to see how High Fodmap foods affect me.

The thing about being on this diet, as prescribed by a dietician is, the amount of fructose in foods you'd never suspect. Like honey, apricots, dates, & other  'healthy' foods.

If you're going 'natural' like I have been prior to this, watch out for those. They are still interpreted by the brain as sugar, & have the same effect on the body.

Enough for now, go out & do some research. I'll post a list when I have more time.

Losing Weight

This subject has consumed my thoughts for the better part of last year. For the first time in my life, I've had to deal with carrying extra weight! I"m a small person, so I notice if I get too heavy.


Now I get how it can consume your thoughts, diet choices, shopping, feelings...

There is hope! Throughout last year, I started researching this subject, walked more, & faster, cut back on things like dessert, (which I LOVE), bread & baked goods. Now I'm not saying I cut them out completely (mustn't overdo these things), I just cut back so far as to make them treats.

I read blogs & articles from people who know more than me, & there are plenty of those...Dr Libby has an excellent article on weight loss,Read Here as well as some dieticians, nutritionists who I follow & trust. Dr Beth is one of those people. You can search her free articles Here. Also a lovely lady I trained with at university, Marcelle Bolweg is a Very qualified dietician amongst other things. Check out her blog here

Not all though! I had a book on nutrition that I had started reading & found it full of controversial 'facts'.

My journey also includes the processing of foods, added hormones, preservatives, high levels of salt etc.

The pattern I'm seeing is the mighty dollar sign. Eg; if we pump the meat with colour & water, it looks fresh & juicy & people will still buy it...sad face goes here. And yes, supermarkets do this! Not all thankfully.

I've noticed the tomatoes, peas, strawberries, greens I grow, go limp Very quickly in the heat. Whereas, the store bought ones take 3-4 times as long to deteriorate!
That concerns me!

My typical lunch of garden greens, tomato, seeds etc

One of the things that is important to do, is check out your source of information before blindly following them.
There is So much information on the internet & some of it is right. The rest is wrong.

Eat single ingredient foods where you can & lose weight like me. I"ve lost 4 kg so far, sleeping better, drinking more water, exercising & remaining as stress free as possible. My hormones are balanced more in the mature years too. The bottom line is losing weight isnt all about eating, its about a combination of factors.

Here's to being healthier this year!

Getting Fresh

Happy New Year everyone! Today is the day we traditionally take down the Christmas tree. This last year has been full of surprises! Some good, some not my favourites. Here's to a New Year, full of good things, good relationships, new beginnings & new recipes of course.
If you overly partook of the good foods of Christmas, like I did, now's the time to jump back on that wagon & eat single ingredient foods.

 

I went to the doctor yesterday & was told my last cholesterol test came back great! That's a testimony to my eating choices over the last year! The only things I buy processed are coconut milk/cream, organic tomatoes in cans, hulled seeds, cocoa, dried beans or canned, tea bags, coconut oil, olive oil, tamari, and shampoo.
This year I plan to change over to cacao & buy more organic brands of those things.
Being financially challenged, that's difficult to achieve each week, but if I buy one product each week, I can do it...and so can you :0)

Here's to better food choices! Let's Show the traditional medical profession & other eaters the way to better health!

My daily breakfast all year. Wholegrain soaked cooked oats, nuts, seeds &

 fruit

 


Summer has well & truly arrived in New Zealand, yay!
Christmas has been, the holidays are upon us. Sitting in the sun listening to cicadas sing, jet skis on the water & children playing. Life is good! How are things with you right now?

Have a chocolate on me

Is anyone else having weird crazy weather? A beautiful blue sky very hot day today! And about time I have to say!



So what about this Summer we're not having...

This is the view from my flat at 3pm...sea fog & drizzly rain.
On the upside, its been a great day or few days for getting all the Christmas sewing & baking done. How are you doing with your prep?


Sorry about the lack of warning for changing the blog. Its been on my mind for sometime, to modernise it the way other blogs that appeal to me are. And the clean fresh feel of white, who can go past it!

Do you like it?

Makes the food pics pop, dont you think?

My fave easy dessert, a baked apple, stuffed with dates, coconut sugar & currants

Flour Substitutions

Hi again, I found this today. Its a keeper!

http://www.superhealthykids.com/blog-posts/the-essential-food-allergy-substitution-guide.php

More User Friendly?

Hi there, how frustrating it can be when you want to cook something from someones blog, & the font is too small to follow easily. 
I've just increased the size so its easier for you.

Let me know how that works for you please?

Are you eating your colours?

And please remember to go like the Facebook page, thanks.

Im getting pickled

Its that time again, time to make some more delicious fermented cabbage...aka sauerkraut.

I made a small jar expecting not to like it. Just the thought of soggy salty cabbage is enough to make me gag! But I persevered thinking about the free probiotics I would get with it. Thats always a win!

Boy was I wrong! The cabbage, carrot & ginger I made up was only slightly salty...I used the right amount of salt this time, & Crunchy! So I've just made a new batch, dare I say a huge batch! So easy to make too!

So you want to know how to make it? Ok here's the recipe:

Ingredients:

• Enough cabbage, carrot, fresh ginger or any other veges you like, to fit into your jar, leaving enough room for liquid to cover it.
• Water
• 1 Tbs salt

Instructions:

1. Cut up the cabbage, carrot & ginger as rough or finely as you like
2. Put them in a bowl & bash them to release the juices
3. Layer them into the jar, sprinkling a little salt on each layer.
4. Fill the jar with water & use some kind of weight to hold the vegetables down under the water.
5. Leave on the kitchen bench or counter for 24-48 hours until the liquid starts to taste fizzy. You will see bubbles coming up & popping.
6. If you like the taste, push the veges back down, close the lid & put in the fridge. Job done!
7. Drink 1 Tbs of the liquid before meals for the probiotics & eat the vegetables with meals or by itself. I'm hooked! Such a great way to use the other half of the cabbage before it spoils too!

It keeps for months by the way, win! Not that it'll last that long!

Sweet Potatoes aka Kumara

Why do I keep adding weird recipes with vegetables in them? Simply because they are so much healthier than recipes without! Which means we can eat more treats right?
And kids can eat yummy snacks, so Moms/Mums dont have to worry about their nutrition so much, win!
Not to mention the fact that they will sustain us for longer.

So todays lesson is about sweet potatoes, grab a drink & have a read:

Chocolate Sludge (recipe on baking page)

Sweet potatoes are a powerhouse when it comes to nutrition.

They’re rich in beta carotene, Vitamin A and C, and act as an anti-inflammatory in the body. One large potato provides 4 grams protein, 6 grams of fiber, and just 162 calories. 

And if you'd like to read more of the nutrition info, go here:

Sweet Potato info

Now go ahead & indulge yourself 

Go check out the Facebook page

Here: Feeding You Well

The Cooking Angel doesnt always cook healthy either ;)

Cooking with kids...Fun!

Especially when there is recipe testing involved!

Which Diet? Low Fodmap, GaPs, Jenny Craig, Weight Watchers...

I've been doing some more thinking & research on diets.

My gut is pretty unhappy right now, because Ive been eating Way Too Many carbs lately!

Why do I do it? Its the only leverage I have in my budget, like many of you I"m sure. Also post menopause I crave them, bad I know.

One of the common patterns Im seeing in all of these diets, is to eat more veges & protein. For me that means eggs, nuts, meat, fish & chicken, as I"m dairy & gluten intolerant.

So how do we incorporate more veges & proteins into our food?

Here are some suggestions:

Roast Vege Salad - goes with everything, eat hot or cold, travels well & keeps for a week in the fridge.

Scrambled Eggs on Toast - Different versions include: with rocket, chilli, parsley (is a green vegetable), other herbs & spices you like. Get creative with it!

Quiche- A great way to hide veges, with cheese & milks, lots of eggs

Fish Pie- Made with veges in a white sauce as the second layer, under the fish. I always eat fresh fish 99% of the time now, to avoid the Massive amounts of salt used in tinned fish. 

Desserts- with eggs, seeds, veges & nuts: You can eat these at lunchtime too you know.

• Pumpkin custards, it really is delicious, give it a try
• Chia pudding w berry coulis (made with cashew milk)
• Rice pudding, made with eggs & milks
• Egg custard pies & tarts
• Avocado chocolate mousse & ice cream
• Pumpkin spice ice cream- by Minimalist Baker

Just some ideas for you to start with, even a meat & salad lunch or sandwich. Make sure you add some seeds for extra nutrition

And Snacks, mustnt forget them!

• Chopped up raw veges in containers in the fridge
• Pumpkin custards are great for that
• Chocolate sludge too
• Sunflower crackers, or thyme & garlic, cinnamon
• Hummus & dips with raw veges or crackers
• Cheese for those who can eat it
• Yoghurt, not dairy food though
• Dates, but only a few (sugar)
• Protein bar, but don't go crazy (sugar) 

Tightening Your Belt to use funds more efficiently?

In my opinion, the recession is still very much ON. I'm sure a lot of you would agree with me. When the  number 1 Shoes are closing their doors, thats enough proof for me!
I forget which store, but saw it on the news, 4000 jobs will be lost, dislike. 

Sad day, I walked to my mall today & saw that #1 Shoes is gone!

So how can we make our money go further?

Here's a couple of ways to have healthy inexpensive snacks that almost everyone will eat:

Kumara chips

• Peel kumara (sweet potato) if not organic, Slice finely & toss in a bowl with a little olive oil. 
• Bake until crisp, approx 30-45 mins on 375ºF (180ºC)

Organic Air Popped Popcorn (Bin Inn)

An Excellent Article to read over & over until we Get It. Take some time out to read this, its worth it I promise

Chef Pete Evans added 2 new photos.

8 hrs · Edited · 

I know it is a big read, but yesterdays post by Dietitian Caryn Zinn with her link to her teams 55 page document to have NZ dietary guidelines looked at is really compelling and if you get a chance to read it, please do. This mornings post is also an interesting one, and of course these are observations, they don't equal causation, but are pretty difficult to ignore. I'm sure the experts will agree. This article appeared inwww.preventdisease.com
Renown Heart Surgeon Speaks Out On What Really Causes Heart Disease.

We physicians with all our training, knowledge and authority often acquire a rather large ego that tends to make it difficult to admit we are wrong. So, here it is. I freely admit to being wrong.. As a heart surgeon with 25 years experience, having performed over 5,000 open-heart surgeries,today is my day to right the wrong with medical and scientific fact.

Its a Dogs Life

And this is how I did it...

Today is grooming day! And that means a fight in this house. Lexi HATES being groomed. I have no idea why, I've never cut her or hurt her, but she did used to come home from a groomer exhausted & shaking when she was a puppy...so perhaps that experience has traumatised her?

Wow

What a day! That moment when after weeks & months of cold, wet, stormy weather, you wake up & open the curtains & its a blue sky day!

Today I'm making an American recipe, called gluten free orange raisin drop scones.
When I"ve made them I'll post the recipe & pic.

Have a great day, because you woke up

Good Morning

Here in New Zealand, its almost Spring! How happy we all are! The sun is shining most days, the daffodils are out, lambs are leaping & there is a feeling of joy in everyone. 

My apologies for not having all the recipes up yet, its been a busy week, with the official launch. I'll get there, as we do. 

Meanwhile feel free to ask for any recipes you'd like to see, or cooking tips & I'll endeavour to answer them as quickly as I can. 
Have a great day, because you woke up 

Being Resourceful cont

HI again, nice to see you! Well figuratively anyway.

Yesterday I got into my stores of dry food & what was left over in the fridge etc & made some very yummy things to eat!

I started the day with my traditional wholegrain oats, with sesame seeds, turmeric, cinnamon, ginger & some frozen cranberries(man those things are Sour) in it. Chopped apple & brazil nuts on top.

I had brown rice, so I made rocket lemon risotto with chicken for dinner. It was So good! I used the liquid from cooking the chicken as the water for the risotto, picked some of the larger leaves of rocket from the garden & had been given some lemons, so the zest & juice went in at the end. (zest gets bitter otherwise) You can find the recipe on my main meals page

I also had some coconut flour, a banana & other dry ingredients like currants, so I made what I like to call Banana Bread, but its more like coconut fruit bread with only one banana. You can find the recipe on my baking page.

Then I had some Chia Pudding with Cranberry Compote for dessert. You can find the recipe on my dessert page.

Next I found some dried chickpeas, to make hummus & roasted chickpeas for snacks. They are cooking right now! Find those recipes on my snacks page.

Being Resourceful

This week is a challenge for me, to  be as resourceful as I can. Its that time when the bills roll in one after the other, with surprises in between. You know what I'm talking about, no matter what country huh!

I"m looking in my cupboards to see what I can make. So far I've found dried chickpeas, they will be roasted chickpeas & hummus, with a lemon & garlic I have. If I had a can of tomatoes I'd make Moroccan chickpea soup, but I don't.

I found a banana in the freezer, & eggs, so banana bread is on the menu, along with the apple cider bread to use up. I still cant get why anyone would want to eat that stuff! Its sour!

I have 2 chicken thighs for today, what shall I make with them? I was thinking soup but I have NO vegetables left.

I have rice, gf noodles, lentils, gf flours, 2 eggs, a small can of coconut milk & coconut flour. Lend me your creativity today, all ideas welcome.

All Blogs are Not Equal

A bit of a controversial subject I know!

https://www.facebook.com/FeedingUwell/photos/a.672606116122081.1073741828.671856869530339/685904914792201/?type=1&theater

This is what I made today. As it was called an apple cider bread, I shouldn't be surprised that it reeked of vinegar, & worse still...tasted of it...a LOT!

Ok I swapped out 1 cup of the sorghum flour for flax meal, buckwheat & added an egg. 
But still! Bread shouldn't taste of vinegar should it? Perhaps its my limited cultural tastes?

Anyway, the texture was good, and the general feel & taste was good. I could post the recipe...but do you want it? Best wait for the next one.

Bone Broth

HI, how are you today? Thanks for dropping in to visit my blog, without you there'd be no point doing one. 

Bone broth is the latest catch word, everyone who's anyone is using it. Why? Because its Full of nutrients!

I've seen bone broth before, in fact its a staple of a chefs kitchen, chefs call it stock. Though chefs don't put vinegar in theirs. Its said to bring out all the gelatine in the bones. They use vegetables, chicken bones, beef & fish bones, to make nutrient rich, flavoursome, flavoured broths for our dishes. Yum! 

Chefs use stock instead of water in most dishes that call for water. They do this to add more flavour to the dish, these days its used nutritionally, & thats a good thing in my opinion.

My grandmother used to save the water from all the vegetables she cooked, & either drink it with the meal, or freeze it to use another day in her cooking. Very thrifty! Not to mention health conscious, she was a whizz at things like that.

Some examples of places you could use bone broth are:
E.G. risotto, soup, pasta dishes, sauces, to cook vegetables in, polenta & meat dishes.  *Use it in the place of water.

Heres a recipe or two from the New Zealand Chef 2002 by Lesley Christensen-Yule & Hamish McRae

Going Organic

Going Organic:

One of the dumbest things I've heard is the statement, "we don't believe going organic is any more healthy than not". (The food authorities)

Thats a strong thing to say, & I just cant understand the reasoning behind it.
If the vegetables & fruit have been sprayed with pesticides, who wants to or feels safe to eat the skin?

NOT me thats for sure!
So when I buy organic, I leave the skin on all my fruit & veges, where applicable of course.

Why do I do that?
Because heaps of the nutrients are in the skin!
The end, have a great day everyone. If you woke up, its a good day.




More on Snacks:

Gluten, dairy, egg, soy, sugar & nut free Crackers
From what I'm hearing its definitely the snacks that are hardest to find, in a more healthy or allergy friendly form. So I'm doing some research, learning a lot along the way, & producing some very tasty little morsels for you! See my baking page for more x


HI again, I've been thinking...did you smell the smoke?


One of the issues that a lot of people have difficulty with, when trying to eat a more healthy diet, in my experience, is snacks!

e.g. What can I eat between meals when I'm still a  bit hungry?...