Some food snapshots

Hello!

A week has gone by since my last post and whilst I have studying to do, I thought I should share some photos of what I’ve been eating over the past week.  Whilst there aren’t any recipes, the photos will give you an idea of what a gluten free, vegan girl eats.  Most days I have lots of salad and fruit but on the days where I cook, here’s what I enjoy.

This was a lazy fruit salad that I bought from Marks and Spencer; mango, melon and blueberry.

A simple red pepper, yellow pepper, and carrot stir-fry sauted with olive oil, ginger, garlic, tamari and dried thyme; served with brown rice and peas.

Ahh, I had this salad after an awesome yoga session.  It’s just green leaves, celery, red onion, and cashews dressed with a bit of hummus and balsamic vinaigrette.

This was my first attempt at miso soup and our first taste of tempeh.  This tempeh had bits of sea vegetables in.  Not sure if I enjoyed the tempeh- it has quite a strong almost cheese like taste.  Maybe it just didn’t work with the miso soup.  Anyway, I stir-fried the tempeh with some vegetables and ginger then added it to the miso soup.  Loved the miso soup though.

I’m off to do some research about the specific needs of providing nursing care to elderly patients, before I head off to do a late shift.  Hope you’re enjoying your Sunday

It’s Gluten Free Lifestyle Blog Carnival Day!

Welcome to the November 1st, 2009 edition of the gluten free lifestyle blog carnival.

There have been loads of great entries this month, thanks guys.  There are product reviews and a host of delicious recipes for you to try out as the winter nights draw in and socializing becomes less (if you’re anything like me; I prefer my sofa, pyjamas and duvet in the winter months). Have a browse through the following posts by fellow bloggers and see what tickles your fancy.

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Product Reviews

Ginger Carter Miller presents A B-Udi-ful Product for the Gluten-Free posted at Ging Recommends!, saying, “The best!”

Kim, The Food Allergy Coach presents Product Review: Edward & Sons Exotic Rice Toast posted at The Food Allergy Coach, saying, “Check out these yummy crackers that I found at my local wine & cheese shop!”

Katrina Morales presents Yummy Gummy In My Tummy…. posted at Gluten Free Gidget, saying, “Delicious, healthy treat for kids or kids at heart!”

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Recipes

Gluten Free Mains

Tamara Duker presents A Tearful Reunion with Mushroom ?Barley? Soup posted at What I’m Eating Now.  Tamara says, “If you’ve been looking for a perfect GF substitute for pearled barley just in time for soup season, allow me to introduce you to a little known grain called “Job’s Tears.”"

Ray Burton presents Blackened Chicken Cajun Dry Rub posted at Planning Diets Natural Nutrition, saying, “Spicy Cajun Blackened Dry Rub – no worries for gluten allergies. I use it all the time for chicken and hot stir fry.”

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Gluten Free Baking

Linda presents Gluten-Free French Bread Rolls posted at The Gluten-Free Homemaker.

Iris presents Hearty Apple Cinnamon Waffles, posted at The Daily Dietribe, and they’re gluten free!

Linda Simon presents M is for Millet- Muffins Two Ways | Kitchen Therapy posted at Kitchen Therapy, saying, “Whole grain muffins. With buttermilk and egg, or flaxseed and Amazake. Tasty either way.”

Cinde presents Gluten Free Frosted Pumpkin Doughnuts posted at Gluten Free Taste of Home.  Here’s what Cinde says about her blog, “Gluten Free Taste of Home offers gluten free vegetarian comfort food recipes and product reviews.”

Cheryl bannon presents Pumpkin Streusal Bundt Cake posted at my realistic life.

Amy Green @ Simply Sugar & Gluten-Free presents French Apple Tart posted at Simply Sugar & Gluten-Free, saying, “If you thought that flaky gluten-free pie crust wasn’t possible, think again. Better yet – try my sugar & gluten-free French Apple Tart. It’s simple to make, light, flaky, and it comes out perfectly every time.”

Kim, The Food Allergy Coach presents Buckwheat Brownies posted at The Food Allergy Coach.  She recommends them as they are, “Very yummy and suitable for many folks with multiple dietary restrictions.”

Meg’s Gut presents Chocolate Chip Cookies posted at The Gut Gazette, saying, “Delicious gluten free chocolate chip cookies! Yummmmmy!”

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That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of the gluten free lifestyle blog carnival using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

Happy gluten free blogging!

I’m still alive…

These last two weeks or so have been crazy so today I’m giving you a quick update.  I’ve been getting used to shift work again, and working on an elderly medicine ward (very heavy work), whilst studying at the same time.  Needless to say, I have been a little tired.  However, I love the ward and the work so it’s all good.  In foodie related news, I have been trying to up my raw game but my digestive system has been complaining.  So, I’ve cut back on a few things, and added a few things into to my diet to see how my body reacts.  It’s all trial and error, people, until you find the right  diet that suits you and your needs.  Still loving being vegan and how much energised and less bloated I feel.  Whilst on shift it’s quite easy to eat raw as we have little to no cooking facilities in our staff room/sisters office so salad is my best friend.  However, some days I like a bit of variation so I delved into the world of sushi making for the first time the other night!  The more I made, the better the sushi  My first sushi roll was a disaster and fell apart, but by the third attempt I had it nailed.  Here’s a photo of yesterday’s lunch before my late shift…

I must confess that whilst my main meals when working are raw/high-raw, I have found that my cravings for caffeine and sugar have come back with a vengeance.  And, I have occasionally given into these cravings.  How to remedy this?  I think I need to make more of my raw chocolate balls as snacks because the mix of dried fruits and nuts should give me a more sustainable energy boost.  These sugar and caffeine embibing times have reminded me how sensitive my body is to blood sugar level fluctuations so that’s also a good thing.  Isn’t it great that as soon as we listen to our body rather than our addictions/cravings we can learn more about what it wants and needs.  Marvellous (love that word).

In other news, this Sunday November 1st, I am hosting the Gluten Free Blog Carnival that has been set up by Kim the Food Allergy Coach.  It’s the third carnival so far and I’ve already recieved lots of great entries so hopefully, if all goes to plan, you should be able to take a look at them then.  It will showcase all the great food you can eat even if you are living with food allergies, as well as giving tips on allergy free and healthy living.  If this sounds good to you, I shall hopefully see you on Sunday!

Raw Chocolate Bombs

Good afternoon!

It’s a beautiful, sunny, fresh autumnal day in Bristol (my favourite kind of day), which I would capture on camera if my photography skills were up to it.  But they’re not, so you’re just going to have to trust me on this one.  Not only is it gorgeous outside, the day also started well with a hardcore hour and a half of yoga.  I was quite impressed with myself as last night I went to bed with a stomach ache and nausea, and woke up still feeing ropey.  I blame the wraps I posted about last night…  Maybe I can’t digest nuts and seeds very well, and in combination with starchy foods, but I’ve almost given up in trying to understand my digestive system.  Anyway, this afternoon I made a batch of Raw Chocolate Bombs, inspired by Charlie, of Charlie’s Raw Treats fame.  She kindly sent out a recipe book of 5 treats to those who recieve her newsletter, and this recipe is adapted from there.  Wow, do they taste good.  I’m even giving them as a gift to a friend for her birthday; rarely do I trust my cooking (or un-cooking) enough to give the results as gifts.  I’ve recycled a Swedish Glaze carton to use as the present box.  And yes, I used my new food processor, which is still amazing.

Raw Chocolate Bombs

Ingredients

50g sundried goji berries, soaked in warm water for 30 mins to soften
100g almonds, soaked for 6 hours (apparently this makes them easier to digest, which is always good)
50g raisins
100g dates
60g raw cacao powder

Method

Strain the almonds and the goji berries, squeezing any excess liquid out of the goji berries.  Put all the ingredients into your food processor and mix until a dough is formed (takes about a minute or two).  Then roll out the dough into little balls, and put them in an airtight container in your fridge to firm them up.  Or just eat them straight away!

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Whilst your munching on these delights, you can ruminate over how good these are for you, especially as they contain superfoods:

Almonds are great for your skin as they are rich in vitamin E, as well as magnesium, manganese, and other vitamins and minerals.  Studies have also shown that  they can lower LDL-cholesterol and protect against heart disease and diabetes.  Furthermore, there’s no need to worry about weight gain (unless you eat them in ridiculous quantities) as apparently they contain good fats, and can guard against weight gain.  They may even help on a weight loss diet.  Bare in mind, that when eaten roasted and salted their health benefits dramatically decrease so keep them unadulterated.

Goji berries are rich in amino acids, dietary fibre, and loads of other nutrients.  Weight for weight, they have more vitamin C than an orange, more iron than a steak, and more beta-carotene than carrots (which is a relief because they are rather pricey).  I’m not sure if they are very good in terms of food miles though (they have to be imported from China, Tibet and Mongolia; but on the other hand this may boost the places econonies).

Raw cacao has loads of antioxidants; more than green tea, red wine and goji berries combined.  As well as a concentration of magnesium, chromium, and iron (and is also expensive to buy!).  It’s also good for your skin, heart, and helps with the management of chronic diseases such as diabetes.

I feel even better about devouring these now!

My new kitchen toy!

I finally have a proper food processor!  That is, in fact, mine pictured above, sitting on our now rather cramped work surface.  And, as you can see, it’s not just any old food processor; it’s a Magimix 4200!  After weeks of researching the best value food processors, and scrutinizing my mum’s recently purchased food processor, I decided to spend a little more than planned and buy one that will last a while.  Especially as I’m likely to be using it alot; I’ve already made a list of recipes I plan on making (I embrace my food geekiness).  I’m hoping it will help me make a greater variety of meals to nudge me closer to my raw food-vegan ideal.  At best, I’m hoping to eat all raw in the day and then have something cooked in the evening, with a raw side dish.  However, I’m not going to pressure myself, particularly as it’s winter and I may be craving loads of warming foods.  Instead, I’m going to try to listen to my body and eat intuitively.

Truly, this is the best principle to go by whenever you’re making changes to your lifestyle, be it an exercise regime or a new diet etc.  Putting pressure on yourself and striving for perfection will only lead to disappointment and guilt as perfection doesn’t exist.  Set yourself realistic goals and, if you have an ideal, be prepared that you won’t always reach that ideal; be flexible.  It’s much healthier for you psychologically to take it easy on yourself, embracing and learning from any slip ups you may make.  I’ve learnt this the hard way (for example, I used to practice restrictive calorie counting and the guilt, and low moods, that would ensue when I didn’t reach my impossible ideals made things miserable for me and those around me).

If anyone’s intrigued by the raw food diet and lifestyle and is thinking of flirting with it occasionally then a great website to check out is Choosing Raw by Gena, an inspiring lady.  It’s an informative blog that is packed with guidance, tips and recipes on pursuing a raw diet and healthy lifestyle (not necessarily one that is 100% raw).  Gena has just re-instituted her Raw Wednesdays, which are a great way to sample what it’s like to eat raw, but without the long-tern commitment.  In fact, I have christened by food processor with one of Gena’s recipes, Raw Zucchini (courgette) Hummus.  Perfect for a hummus fiend like me.  I halved the recipe, which still made loads(!), and used it as a dip for some rice pancakes filled with strips of raw carrot, yellow pepper and mushroom….

… In hindsight this perhaps wasn’t the best combo for a sensitive digestive system like mine, but it tasted great and it’s a perfect transition dish for going raw.  And here’s the chaos in my kitchen during its making…

I’m off now to call the parents to gloat about my new food processor before watching Ugly  Betty.  Hope you’re having a good evening.