Tag Archives: University of Chicago’s Celiac Disease Center

Food That Says, “I Love You”

February 10, 2016 Deidre Leave a comment

Times have changed in some respects; and in others, not at all. I remember reading aloud the Laura Ingalls Wilder series of Little House on the Prairie to our children every night as we all learned of Laura and Almanzo’s adventures. Today, our grandchildren listen to The Adventures of Harry Potter. I don’t know what the children eat at the Hogwarts School, but Almanzo’s favorite repast had to include fried apples ‘n’ onions.

Being more of a city girl transplanted to small town North Carolina, this notion of apples ‘n’ onions did not beckon to my palate or culinary desires. Too bad.

First of all, they aren’t fried- as in deep fried. I don’t deep fry anything. In country jargon, frying apples implies sauteing and browning until tender and even possibly cooked down to a mush.

But apples ‘n’ onions? Really?

Well, this is the month of love. If you fix apples ‘n’ onions you will LOVE the flavor of this impossibly delicious side dish that happily occupies its spot in the perfect plate fruit/fat component and part of the veggie area. Pair this side with any kind of dark-green leafy veggie, along with lean chicken or pork protein, and you will have a meal that says, “I love you”!

With just three ingredients, this is a cinch to do, and quantities vary according to what’s on hand.

Apples ‘n’ Onions Recipe

Apples – 3-4 apples

Onion (I used a Vidalia onion) – one medium-sized onion

Coconut oil- 1-2 Tbs. of coconut oil to coat the pan well

Method:

In order to activate the beneficial anti-inflammatory enzyme, allicin, slice up the onion first so it has 10 minutes to rest before heating.
Peel, slice, and core the apples into desired shape. I use an old-fashioned hand crank apple peeler/slicer/corer and just cut the slices into smaller pieces.

Melt 1-2 Tbs. coconut oil into large sauté pan on medium heat and add prepared apple and onion slices. You may want to add a pinch of salt.

Stir occasionally and gently cook until browned and tender. Serve warm.

Recipe number two involves an oft’ forgotten little green nugget that used to be buried under an avalanche of melted Velveeta. Boy, once you stop eating “food-like substances,” as found in dairy “products” such as Velveeta, the very thought of returning to them sends chills down the spine. Ick!

IMG_1853-1 — Raw Brussels sprouts and cranberries

So, what to do with that bag of Brussels sprouts? This latest recipe supersedes any I have tried thus far! My book contains a great pan-cooked version of Brussels sprouts that’s really fine and has similar ingredients, but these roasted sprouts are the BEST!

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Fresh Cranberries and Pecans

1 pound fresh Brussels sprouts, trimmed and cut in half

1 cup activated pecans*, coarsely chopped

½ cup fresh or frozen cranberries, (not dried and sweetened), coarsely chopped

1 Tbs. olive oil

1 Tbs. finely chopped shallots

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 tsp. Kosher or sea salt

½ tsp. ground pepper

Optional: 2 Tbs. balsamic vinegar to toss in after roasting

Method:

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Using a large baking pan, toss all ingredients together except balsamic vinegar. When all ingredients are mixed and coated with oil, arrange Brussels sprouts so the cut side faces down in baking dish. Roast for 25 minutes or until golden brown on the edges.

Optional: Toss with balsamic vinegar when roasting is complete. These smelled so good and tasted so good right out of the oven; I forgot the vinegar and never missed it.

*Activated Pecans: Soak raw pecans in salted water 24 hours; drain; dehydrate 105 degrees in dehydrator 14 hours or bake at lowest oven temperature until crispy. This process is explained in my book, Toolkit for Wellness, and makes the nuts way more digestible and yummy.

So, there you have it! Healthy anti-inflammatory eating at its very best. Some old-school goodness from the past and some modern farm-to-table style of today!

Say, “I love you” with some good eatin’!

Happy Valentine’s Day!

-Deidre

Blogging for good health!, Recipes

Ginger Tea – Oh So Goodness!

January 28, 2016 Deidre Leave a comment

I used to call it the “creeping crud.” You know, the variants as sinusitis, bronchitis, laryngitis, coughing, sore throat and the like? Those of us who sing, teach, coach, or otherwise strain our vocal cords on a regular basis, need some relief and prevention.

Enter – Ginger tea!

A fellow singer keyed me into this years ago as a preventative, as well as a therapy. I’d see her going from one rehearsal to another, always clutching her ginger tea. After picking up her habit, I can vouch for the effectiveness of ginger tea; both, as a preventer of illness, and as an aide to healing when the “creeping crud” arrives despite every effort.

The recipe is simple enough:

Green tea

Fresh ginger

Fresh lemon juice

Honey

For two cups of tea, I boiled water, added about an inch of fresh ginger peeled and sliced, juice from ½ lemon, a teaspoon of local honey, and three green tea bags.

Let’s take a look at the healing and health-promoting properties of each ingredient:

Green tea: loaded with antioxidants with many medicinal properties, has properties that improve brain function, increases metabolism and increases fat burning, properties in tea called catechins, can positively impact oral hygiene and reduce infection risks, may help the body process blood sugar, has been shown to be heart healthy, and can decrease the risk of cancer.

Ginger: ancient Chinese source for digestive issues such as nausea, loss of appetite, motion sickness, morning sickness, and chemotherapy-induced nausea. Its pain-reducing capabilities can help with pain and inflammation seen with arthritis, headaches, and menstrual cramps. It has been shown to inhibit the virus that causes colds.

Lemon: antiseptic properties, vitamin C, calcium, potassium, and pectin fiber. Functions as an anti-inflammatory. The list goes on.
Honey: anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties among others.

Now you can see why drinking this is like putting the power of Superman into a cup. Antioxidants, anti-inflammatory agents, and antiseptic properties in every sip!

Wow!

Daily green teas:

Some people brew a super-strong cup of tea using 8 bags of Bigelow Green Tea. It’s their morning “shot” of goodness. I have found Bigelow brand to be the most authentic tasting tea in tea bags.

I have also discovered the joys of loose leaf green tea available on-line from Ten Ren Tea. The Oolong variety has a wonderful aroma and taste. A bag of loose leaf Oolong is expensive, but it lasts a long time. A little bit less than 1 tablespoon of tea leaves yields two of these small pots full of fragrant green tea which will fill my mug twice. Just enough to start the day off right, and my beverage of choice on Sunday morning before singing in choir or before going to special morning choir practices.

A couple cups of Ginger Tea or regular green tea will soothe the mind, tummy, and go a long way to boosting our wellness!

Enjoy a cup while you go through your Affirmations!

In health-

Deidre

Blogging for good health!

Free Affirmations Flash Cards!

January 22, 2016 Deidre 2 Comments

As a National Board Certified Teacher, I was well acquainted with flash cards. The students loved them. A flash card is the only way to learn facts, in my opinion. I have also used them to benefit my meditative time. Positive messages, or affirmations, are also a hot topic for: stress reduction, calming down before bed to get better sleep, mindfully starting the day, and putting your consciousness and faith in the right place.

These flash cards are near and dear to my heart. They came about as a result of reading Dr. Norman Vincent Peale’s book, The Power of Positive Thinking. His up-lifting Bible quotes and affirmations that he penned or quoted from others so moved me that I wrote them down on pretty square sheets of paper.

Around the time of my retirement in 2012, I felt a need to shore my spirit up with affirmations that would sustain me through a waiting period before some much needed major surgery. Contrary to what I thought, I was not going to just ‘have my usual care-free summer’ then have my surgery in late August. No. My physical activity ground to a near halt. My spirit wanted me to hustle around walking along the beach, straightening up the house in anticipation of a post-surgical healing period, and tucking away teaching mementos.

Nope.

It seems that patience is a life lesson that I keep having to work on. It’s a recurring personal theme. Anyway, to get myself in the right frame of mind, going through these affirmations was pure gold. After using these precious squares of wisdom and calm on a daily basis, somehow they got shuffled off into a drawer.

Recently, a friend of mine was facing some major surgery herself, and was a bit tearful about the whole thing. This had been something she had vowed she did not want to do, but do she must. When trying to console her and give her my prayers for peace and a successful outcome, I remembered these gems. How I wished I could have handed them to her!

I had needed my surgery badly, too, and was happily anticipating the day of its arrival. After a recovery period of several months, I was going to be and feel so much better. When waking up from the anesthetic, the first thing I said was, “I’m so happy!” I was so happy for the waiting to be over and so happy to start my recovery, but still in need of my affirmations! Recovery can be maddeningly slow.

There is that lesson in patience, again. Without these little gems, I would have gone out of my mind before and/or after my surgery.
We do not need to be getting ready for surgery, though, to benefit from daily affirmations. They are a great way to start, finish, or revive during the day.

These affirmations would be best printed by you on some pretty paper. Choose your favorite color or find a great floral print or gentle pattern that would not take away from the message on them. So, print your set; there are 8 pages. Each page has lines for you to cut them out. I do keep mine in a certain order because the flow of thought works well for me. You’ll notice there are some blanks on page 8 and a full blank page for 9 so you can add your own.

How to use your affirmations:

The whole idea behind putting these on ‘cards’ and not just printing them out as a list is to give us an opportunity to mindfully read and reflect on each one; taking time to consider, ponder, and apply its truth.

Many of these are Bible quotes that may appear to repeat, but the message is from a different source. Sometime we need repetition. The one about the ‘rough being a state of mind’ is in reference to golfing. When the ball lands in the rough, it is our mindset that controls how “doomed” we feel. It’s not being Pollyanna, it’s being optimistic and embracing a can-do spirit. Mindset is everything.

CLICK BELOW FOR FREE AFFIRMATION FLASH CARDS!! (.pdf format). You can download and print them off!

Affirmation Flash Cards

So, let’s continue with the positive flow of the New Year.

Gosh, we have tackled: 1) Stress, 2) Kale, and 3) Water intake already! Now we can continue with positive thoughts each day.

It has been a personal pleasure to share these Affirmation Flash Cards with you! Please share with me any of your own that I could pass on to others!

In health-

Deidre

Blogging for good health!, Recipes

New Year – New Beginning = New You!!

January 1, 2016 Deidre Leave a comment

As we contemplate turning the calendar page over to a new year, it seems so natural to consider what we want to accomplish for ourselves in 2016. Beyond returning to work, beyond picking up the pieces after happy holiday clutter, and beyond the next trip to the market – what are our goals for 2016? Can making a resolution EVER result in triumph? I think so. I know so!

Don’t you think it is a commendable thing that we consider turning over a new leaf? Even though resolution making has become almost an empty effort because of poor track records, it does reflect hope in self-betterment.

But taking things from resolution to reality can often seem overwhelming and usually result in feelings of frustration and failure soon after the resolution is made.

That’s why I spent considerable time sharing with the readers of Toolkit for Wellness there IS a good way to create change in our lives. We are all too aware of our ‘failure’ at fleshing out our resolutions each year, but this need not be so. Exacting any kind of change or additional projects in our lives is best done in small steps, not in giant leaps, and with a solid, measurable plan.

Consider the differences between wishful thinking and successful planning. One big difference is, when thinking of a goal or resolution, we tend to think BIG and very GENERAL:

• Lose weight
• Exercise more
• Drink more water
• Eat healthier
• Start my own business

What does any of that mean? Do you have a plan? What does it look like day-to-day? What are the individual daily steps you need to take to get you there?

Before you join a gym, commit to doing home exercises each morning while your coffee brews. Rack up success at this small commitment first. My book gives you ideas and a plan on how to do this.

Take the bread/starch component out of just one meal a day – namely, breakfast – and enjoy daily success at feeling better. Add a serving of vegetables to breakfast in the form of a giant handful or two of spinach or baby kale lightly sauteed in a dab of extra virgin olive oil to go along with your bacon and eggs. You will never miss the toast and your meal will last for hours.

Toolkit for Wellness readers absolutely KNOW how to drink more water, AND are DOING it! It’s EASY because it is NATURAL!

Understand what ‘healthier eating’ means. If you have made that one small change to breakfast, you are well on your way! Keep up the good work with breakfast every day and notice the boost in your sense of accomplishment and self-esteem! This is a resolution that will be lasting, perhaps for the first time!

Take a look at lunch in February. Rome was not built in a day, but with small DAILY steps, a strong sense of accomplishment, a proven track record, and a plan in your Toolkit for Wellness, you are DOING this!

Starting that business? Are you learning how to do it? Dream. Write it down. Learn all you can. Stay inspired with other like-minded people. Take the first preparatory step. Do some tiny thing each day to move you forward. Tell others. Share your excitement. Lather. Rinse. Repeat.

Becoming an author was at least a five-year dream for me. A few false starts, sure; then, Toolkit for Wellness actually began to take form in February 2015 and was published November 2015. Much learning. Big support group. Stretching beyond my comfort zone. And SO worth it! I am empowering others with hope and a plan!

My resolutions for 2016

Strengthen my morning routine a.k.a., ”Series of Good Things,” with special emphasis on an expanded exercise routine with added weights, and more time in meditation and prayer. Take notes, journal, and make this my next book.
Write once a week for foodtalk4you,com and add value for my readers from sharing in-depth research
Prepare for and do more Designed for Health Seminars
Expand the reach and presence for Toolkit for Wellness by planning my first book signing early in the New Year, and getting it into key retail locations.

What are your resolutions? Care to share? We can cheer each other on! Leave a comment!

In 2016, readers of FoodTalk4You will see more recipes for healthful eating that will reflect an anti-inflammatory diet, more stress-relieving ideas, and more exercise ideas – all food for our body, mind, and soul!

I wish each of you the happiest and healthiest of New Years!

Deidre

Blogging for good health!, Recipes

Santa’s Got a Brand New Bag! (Oh yeah…)

December 24, 2015 Deidre Leave a comment

Poor Santa! So much sugar! But the poor fellow LOVES cookies! Is there an answer? Yes! No need for the Old Elf to be totally deprived of his seasonal favorites! Step into my Christmas kitchen for a quick recipe share of two satisfying confections that do not deliver a huge sugar/carb hit. These macaroon and oatmeal recipes will more than fill the bill for treats that do not overdo things and will keep you in balance.

Midnight Macaroons were developed to be part of a regular care package sent to our daughter for a moment of hugs-across-the-miles during her grueling night shifts as a Resident Physician. She shared them with her fellow residents during their – rare – breaks.

Midnight Macaroons

Preheat oven to 350 degrees or convection oven to 325 degrees

Cover baking sheet with parchment paper

Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl:

• 1 1/3 cup unsweetened, finely shredded coconut
• 3 tablespoons gluten-free flour (I used Krusteaz Brand)
• 1/8 teaspoon sea salt
• ¼ cup cocoa
• 2 tablespoons mini dark chocolate chips (I used Ghirardelli Brand)

Beat/whip 3 large room temperature egg whites until they become fluffy.

Then gradually add 1/3 cup white sugar while beating.

Add ¼ teaspoon almond extract and continue beating until stiff peaks form.

Spoon whipped egg white mixture into the dry ingredient bowl and gently fold ingredients until combined.

Using a cookie scoop – I used a 2 inch scoop – place dough onto prepared baking sheet. These will not spread out.

Bake 25 minutes and cool on a rack. Smaller cookies will need less time to bake.

For an optional added chocolate “hit” you can easily dip the tops of these into melted dark chocolate.

These are not especially sweet (YAY!) and are totally satisfying and provide LOTS of nutritional goodness through the egg whites, coconut flakes, and dark chocolate.

I stress in Toolkit for Wellness – barring severe allergic reactions – an 80/20 approach to anti-inflammatory eating should meet our needs to be mindful of how we ‘fuel’ our bodies without making us obsessive. I choose to stray from the path of “no grains” once in a while as a serving of white rice is savored or a gluten-free corn chip is enjoyed at a party. But, oatmeal labeled “gluten-free” has been calling me like sirens from the deep.

I bought a bag of Bob’s Red Mill Brand Gluten-Free Rolled Oatmeal last year and ended up just giving it away to a friend. I didn’t trust myself to not go down a very slippery slope into regular bowlfuls of carbohydrates in the morning. Well, I took the plunge this year and used some of that oatmeal to create a fabulous treat. So far, so good. One cookie every other day or so! Who is in control at all times? Me! I can do this!

Traditional oatmeal cookies call for a total of 1 cup sugar (brown and white), but I eliminated one third cup of that and did not lose a bit of flavor or fun. I think this could even be made with less sugar than that and be just fine.

Low Sugar, Gluten-Free Oatmeal, Raisin, Walnut Cookies

Preheat oven to 350; or 325 degrees for a convection oven. Cover baking sheet with parchment paper.

Combine in a medium-sized bowl:

• ½ teaspoon gluten-free baking soda
• ½ teaspoon gluten-free baking powder
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon xanthan gum
• 1 cup gluten-free flour

Cream in a large bowl:

• ½ cup grass-fed butter
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/3 cup white sugar

Mix into the butter mixture:

• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 teaspoons water

Add dry ingredients to the wet and mix until combined.

Stir in:

• 1 ½ cups gluten-free rolled oats
• ¾ cup activated nuts, chopped (See Recipe chapter in Toolkit for Wellness)
• ½ cup golden raisins

Using a cookie scoop, put scoops of dough onto prepare baking sheet.
Bake 10-12 minutes for 2” cookie scoops. Smaller scoops will require less time.

cookies in freezzer — Cookies in freezer

My only improvement on these delicious recipes is that I will use a smaller scoop next time so I can have more cookies and smaller servings. A move to smaller treats will keep these cookies closer to the 80 side of the equation! These both freeze well, by the way; so the treat can last longer if you are not sharing them.

So, now we see Santa settling by the hearth with his NEW, favorite book to learn of other amazing ‘tweaks’ he can make in his daily life that will revolutionize his health and peace of mind!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to one and all!

Deidre

PS- Thank you for making Toolkit for Wellness a Best Seller in ALL of its categories at one time or another!

Remember! The eBook is still at $0.99 until Christmas when the price goes up. If you prefer reading on a devise, that’s a great bargain for yourself or someone you care about.

But wait, there’s more! The paperback version is ready and also available through Amazon! Click HERE to get yours today!

Blogging for good health!

Let’s Get Back to the Basics!

December 4, 2015 Deidre Leave a comment

Are the basic tenets of personal wellness slipping as the hustle and bustle of the holiday season reaches a fever pitch? Add the daily responsibilities of work, family, and household needs, and we have a recipe for feeling over-whelmed and out of control. Just the opposite of what we want to be about! Let’s rein in this downward spiral by taking just a few minutes to return to the basics.

What are the basics?

As discussed in my new book, Toolkit for Wellness – Master Your Health and Stress Response for Life, before leaping into drastic changes in order to be “more healthy,” a few mindful steps must occur.

B-R-E-A-T-H-E and connect with yourself and your creator…
Amidst the hustle of publishing my book and the increasing responsibilities as a care-giver, I was just as guilty of dropping my stress-reducing practices as anyone else might. Today, that stopped.

Coffee brewing time exercises continued as usual; but calming breathing time and connecting time had slipped by the wayside.
I mean, if I don’t take five minutes for this, what’s the point to living?

So, sit down by the window if it’s too cold or wet to be outside and do the following:

• Close your eyes

• Rest your hands palm side up on your knees to be open to the universe

• Take several mindful breaths – feel the air enter, circle around your lungs, and exit gently

• Think only on the movement of air within you – if thoughts creep in, gently release them

• Acknowledge there have been times when you strove to be in total control and the sole source of power – sort of like relying upon a paper match that only dimly lights and is soon consumed; when, in fact, you should have plugged in to the Power of the Universe instead

• Connect with your “Forever Power Source” to recharge, praise, and seek guidance

• Renew you commitment to working with your body as a team. We all want our bodies to work properly 100% of the time, but are we fueling it properly 100% of the time? Knowing our cars won’t work properly to get us to our destinations if they are not properly maintained and filled with the proper fuel, how can we expect our bodies to get us there if we ignore how we treat and fuel them? At what point today do you not care if your body is functioning properly?

• Remember Thanksgiving! We should count our blessings every day; be thankful you have been equipped to meet the needs of this moment and this day

These basic steps to starting the day take just a very few minutes and will help us all refocus and keep our inner selves on track, even while we do the many extra activities that come with the holidays. These basics may also help us redefine what is really important and what is worthy of our time!

To a calmer, more centered December!

Deidre

Toolkit for Wellness is available as an eBook on Amazon for just $0.99 until December 24th! Just click on the tab under the banner to buy it.

Paperback version is going to be out very soon! I know many of you prefer holding an actual book! Not only will it be nice to have something to hold, but many of you have also said it will make a perfect gift to give this year! I’ll keep you posted about it.

Blogging for good health!

“Toolkit for Wellness” Free Today and Tomorrow! Hurry!!

November 30, 2015 Deidre Leave a comment

This is a birth announcement! Toolkit for Wellness, Master Your Health and Stress Response for Life, is now on Amazon for FREE in its eBook version! Weighing in at 237 pages, it’s already at the top of 2-3 growth charts – depending on which ones Amazon displays! Loyal readers, please help me spread the word to others that improved health is just one easy breath, one anti-inflammatory meal, and one movement away. Help yourself and others know what tiny, daily steps can be taken, which are easily repeatable, and will pave the way to a healthier life.

How to help? Download your FREE copy today or tomorrow and share this opportunity with your friends. You do not even have to own a Kindle; there is a button to push that will enable you to download your copy of Toolkit for Wellness to ANY device!

If you miss the FREE days, don’t worry, Toolkit for Wellness eBook will be just $0.99 until Christmas!

To make sure you take advantage of this exclusive offer, CLICK HERE!

I know most of you want a paper copy as well. The soft cover version will be released VERY soon. There will be plenty of time to get your copies before Christmas. What could be a greater gift for someone than a ‘toolkit’ they can easily, naturally, and successfully use every day for their life-long health!

There will be a book signing in New Bern, North Carolina. Date, time, and location to be announced!

Thanks for everyone’s support in this huge project!

Humbly yours-

Deidre

Blogging for good health!, Recipes

The Time for Thanks Has Come

November 20, 2015 Deidre Leave a comment

As the temperatures start falling, along with the glorious and colorful leaves, our attentions turn inward and homeward to Thanksgiving! Whether you celebrate once, or several times with different groups of family and friends, this is a time of reflection and gratitude. I learned a new twist on my usual turkey and stuffing prep, and wanted to pass this along to you. See, we had our family Thanksgiving early in November this year, so this approach is fresh from the kitchen and just in time for the actual holiday!

With two grandchildren on cranberry cleaning and culling duty, and three adults to tackle everything else, this Thanksgiving was a delightful process, running like a well-oil machine, intermingled with uproarious laughter and memory making for the ages. Even after final cleanup, there was still enough energy for more laughter and stories.

Our daughter created a turkey rub mixture that took a garden-variety-store-label-turkey into the moistest and most flavor-infused turkey I have ever eaten!

Moistness had usually been a hit-or-miss thing for me; but this rub will take chance and good luck out of the recipe, and should guarantee great results every time.

Into our small food processor, Serena put the following ingredients:

Turkey rub:

Rosemary-food-talk-4-you — Sprig of Rosemary

1 cup sauteed onions and red bell pepper

5 – 6 cloves of raw garlic

1/2 stick of butter

Large sprig of rosemary

Handful of parsley

Several sprigs of thyme

Dash of cumin

Salt

Pepper

Blend all ingredients together in a food processor and rub underneath the skin on the breast of the turkey, inside the cavity, and all over the top.

Measurements are approximate. 🙂

The turkey was baked covered with foil until about the last 30-45 minutes until the pop-up timer came up.

Even our cornbread stuffing/dressing seemed extra special this year. The non-dressing lovers among us couldn’t get enough! Here’s what we did:

Stuffing:

Gluten-free corn bread made with applesauce***

3-4 slices of gluten-free bread (we used Glutino Brand, seeded bread)

One onion

3-4 cloves garlic

Poultry spice mix

Salt

Pepper

Cut the breads into cubes and toast. Sauté onion and garlic in butter. Season with poultry spices, salt, pepper. Mix into toasted bread cubes. Moisten with turkey broth taken from the simmering pot of giblets destined to become gravy. When the turkey comes out, add turkey juices from the roasting pan to the stuffing.

Bake at 350 for 30 min, covered in foil.

Enjoy. 🙂

TURKEY RUB AND STUFFING RECIPE

***We had made a square pan full of cornbread using about a half-bag of Bob’s Gluten-free Corn Bread mix. After six of us all had a piece, we used the rest for the dressing. The mix seemed a little dry because it was probably more than half a bag, so we added 4 oz. of unsweetened applesauce. The texture was less crumbly.

So, may you savor the moments with family and friends along with some savory turkey and dressing! You will find, using Serena’s method, the meat throughout the turkey will be moist and kissed with the flavors of the rub. No more dry white meat!

I hope to be publishing Toolkit for Wellness very soon! An announcement will be forth-coming!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Deidre

Blogging for good health!, Recipes

The Pumpkin Patch is Open!

October 6, 2015 Deidre Leave a comment

Do you do a happy dance when all things pumpkin-flavored reappear in the fall? It’s a short season, so I look for every way imaginable to ramp up pumpkin goodness. I have two pumpkin delights to share with you today. First, a pumpkin version of Bulletproof Coffee, and a pumpkin spice version of my Breakfast Cookie recipe.

My early morning solo-brew is either loose leaf green tea or Bulletproof Coffee. It’s a part of my Series of Good Things that starts most days:

Large glass of water after swishing out the cobwebs first thing each morning.

Water on face to open eyes – a real must to enjoy what follows.

Open all the curtains.

Head for my mat in the guest room to do full and half planks, full and half push-ups, and a slant. (All exercises are explained in my Toolkit for Wellness which is finished, but still needs formatting, subtitle, and a NEW book cover- more on that in a bit).

Make my way into the kitchen to preheat tea pot/French press pot and start heating water.

Do my step-to-jog-to-run-in-place exercise while the water is heating.

Brew either the coffee or the tea for 5 minutes.

Do squats and lifts with a kettle bell or arm exercises during brew time.

Pour and enjoy.

Bulletproof Coffee is special coffee made from mold-free coffee beans. I learned from Dave Asprey, who writes the Paleohacks newsletter and sell it, that most all coffees are polluted with mycotoxins that can adversely affect people. Think sinus congestion, headaches, and other ailments. Enter mold-free Bulletproof Coffee.

After the coffee is brewed, I add the healthy fat of 1-2 teaspoons of organic ghee and blitz it in my Vitamix. Ah-mazing!

Being it is pumpkin season, I have been adding a couple tablespoons of pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice, and -yes- a half teaspoon of sugar! This is truly a sensory delight! My own pumpkin spice latte right at home! Even GOOD for me!

What would go great with a pumpkin latte, but Pumpkin Breakfast Cookies? Below is the annotated recipe I have published before on this blog and am putting into my new book, Toolkit for Wellness. We are not interspersing pictures this time so you can see it all together.
Breakfast Cookies freeze well and are a staple to have around for a light meal (2 cookies) or a light snack (1 cookie).

This is like a sneak preview of what is in the recipe chapter of the book!

Breakfast Cookies

Adapted from a recipe by Danielle Walker

This is a large recipe that makes about 27 cookies using two large parchment covered cookie sheets. I use an 11-cup food processor to mix most of this, followed by a final stirring using a large bowl to incorporate the two batches of ingredients.

In a food processor, place the following ingredients and pulse 2-3 times for 15 seconds each. Pulse until dates are in very small pieces and bananas are smooth:

1 Tbsp. lemon juice

3 large, ripe bananas broken into chunks

7 medium-sized dates /or/ 5 large Medjool dates, soaked in warm water for 15 minutes and drained

2 Tbsp. ghee /or/ palm shortening

1 cup unsweetened applesauce /OR/ replace with pumpkin puree

Pour the majority of this mixture into a large bowl. Scraping is not needed. Then place the following ingredients into the processor bowl and pulse for 5-6 bursts until incorporated:

1 cup of hazelnut /or/ almond flour* – This time, I used 2/3 cup almond and 1/3 cup coconut flour

1/4 cup ground flax seed

1/4 cup hemp seed hearts

1/4 cup Great Lakes gelatin

3 tsp. cinnamon /OR/ replace with pumpkin pie spice

2 tsp. vanilla extract

2 tsp. baking soda

Add the following to the nut flour mixture and pulse 3-4 bursts until incorporated:

1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes

1/2 cup dried fruit of choice usually a berry /OR/ golden raisins

Add contents of food processor to those in the large bowl and hand mix using a large wooden spoon or spatula until well-combined. The batter is a bit wet, but should hold its shape well. If it seems too wet, add some more nut flour.

Using a golf ball-sized cookie scoop, form dough and place onto parchment paper-covered cookie sheets.

Using damp fingers, gently press each on down a bit.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes. I used a convection oven, which automatically lowers the temp to 325 degrees. A regular oven may take a little less time at the higher setting. Cookies will still be a little bit soft but not mushy when done. Place cookies on a cooling rack where they will firm up.

A couple of these make an awesome breakfast, especially when spread with almond butter alone or almond butter mixed with a tad of Justin’s Chocolate Hazelnut Butter. Justin’s version of Nutella has organic cane sugar as the third ingredient after hazelnuts and almonds and contains only 8 grams of sugar compared to the others 21 grams of sugar as the first ingredient!

* I have used various combinations of flours depending upon what I had in stock. Coconut flour will dry dough, so the amount of moistness will change depending on how much coconut flour you use.

Click this link for a printable recipe of FoodTalk4U-Breakfast Cookies

NEWS from Toolkit for Wellness!

The book cover currently posted on our Facebook site is NOT the one I’ll be going with! I know everyone just loved the “blue cover” but deep down inside, I just knew it was not representing the larger message. A member of a Facebook Community I am in, not only gave me some pointers as an author, but also shared with me a concept cover based on what he had gotten from my book. Well, folks, he was spot on! So, off to a graphic artist I went and I am waiting to see how this turns out!

A new cover means a delay, but if something is worth doing, it’s worth doing right! I look forward to sharing the new look with you as soon as possible.

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Here’s to pumpkin!

Deidre

Food Talk 4 You

Tag Archives: University of Chicago’s Celiac Disease Center

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Reclaim your health one meal at a time

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Reclaim your health one meal at a time