I Yam what I yam...........

  written by Linda Gauthier

Nope, I'm not talking spinach, that's for another time, but I yam talkin' about yams. Tee he. 

On Sunday morning, my favorite day of the week, we had a nice lazy start to the day, and made a nice brunch.  It was raining outside, so we decided to have a quiet day in, to have a brunch and to play the rest of the day by ear.  My sweet husband surprised me with a dozen long stem red roses, which arrived just before we sat down for brunch.  The door bell rang, I answered and to my surprise there was a lady at the door with a gift for me, total surprise, no special reason.  Okay what has he done, what's this about, my usual suspicious reaction kicks in.  Nothing he says, nothing other than I love you, uh uh I say, still waiting for the other shoe to drop, thinking he bought something or some other silly thing. Nope nothing he says, other than he had the opportunity to purchase them through a fund raising event for the Rotary, smart man I married! He gets brownie points from me and a tax receipt to boot, no moss grows on that shiny dome that's for sure!! For whatever reason he made the purchase the sentiment was not lost, thanks again Sweetie.   Oops, side tracked again.  Yams not roses that is what I was going to talk about so lets get on with it.

I created a new dish or at least new to me, I've never seen a recipe for it but it sure tasted good and was as easy as pie.  I will definitely be making it again.

The following information is found at www.Livestrong.com one of the sites I use for my nutrition information.

Reduced Cholesterol

Yams are rich in vitamin B6, which helps reduce levels of cholesterol in the blood. A 2005 study in the "Journal of the American College of Nutrition" found that replacing the staple starch -- rice or bread -- with 390 g of yam for two of three meals a day for 30 days resulted in a 5.9 percent decrease in blood cholesterol. High levels of cholesterol are linked to increased risk of cardiovascular disease.

Reduced Blood Pressure

Yams are also a good source of potassium, which can help reduce hypertension. Its main tuber storage protein, dioscorin, also reduces blood pressure. 

Antioxidant Properties

Yams have high levels of antioxidants, which neutralize free radicals and prevent oxidative damage to your cells. Scientists in the Philippines analyzed nine common variants of yams and found two major sources of antioxidants in them. Antioxidants contribute to protection against cancer, cardiovascular disease and stroke.

Estrogen

Yams have traditionally been used in Chinese herbal medicines to affect female hormones. The same 2005 study that reported a reduction in cholestoral also found that in postmenopausal women, consuming 390 g of yam twice a day for 30 days resulted in a significant increase in estradiol levels. This could ease menopausal symptoms as well as help reduce the risk of breast cancer in older women.

Weight Control

Yams contain fiber, which helps fill you up and make you stay feeling full longer. It also slows the release of carbohydrates into the blood stream, preventing a spike in blood sugar and insulin levels. This also helps prevent feeling tired and hungry.

Well in the vernacular of our hero ,"Enough is enough , I can't stands it  no more, lets end this edumacation stuff."

 As Popeye says, "I yam what I yam and that's all that I Yam" he speaks the truth, even though he may not be talking about the tuber, there is wisdom in his words.  What? you say, well,we are what we are, and we are what we eat, so maybe we should listen and learn from Popeye the sailor man, what do you think?

"I can't stans it, I can't stans it no more, I'm out the door." 

Have a great day and remember to enjoy the little things in life, as you can see I do, if you don't believe me you try writing a blog around a play on words involving a tuber :) Be talking to you soon, bye for now. Take care of yourself.

With a snuffly noise she said, "do you want a feelawful?

 written by Linda Gauthier


To which he responded "No, you can keep your germs"  What ??? What are you talking about? Your cold, you can keep it, I love you Honey, but I don't want it!  No, you dork!! Do you want a Falafel Pita and Greek Salad for dinner?  That was an excerpt from a recent conversation, between 2 individuals who shall remain nameless.
So I guess you can tell what recipes are coming now. No not cold remedies, but my recipe for Falafels, I'm presuming you all know what Falafels are, they are Yummy that's what they are, they also are made from chickpeas and they are great for you and terrific for my diet.

Definitions  links above not working try these:

Falafel

Tahini

Bulghur

I thought I might give you some more information about chickpeas and chickpea flour.  I have found, through my reading that they are extremely good for us and it seems that we in the western cultures have been missing the boat by not using them both in our diets.
here is an excerpt from an article on www.LiveStrong.com 

Chickpea flour, also known as besan, garbanzo flour or gram flour - not graham - is a wheat-free flour alternative made from lightly roasted, dried and ground garbanzo beans or chickpeas. Indian markets and/or health food stores are the best places to find this legume-based flour. It is high in carbohydrates and protein, contains some fat and is gluten-free. This nutrient-rich flour is a food source of many vitamins and minerals as well as dietary fiber.

Types
There are two main types of gram or chickpea flour, roasted and unroasted, also referred to as toasted or untoasted. While roasting does not change the nutritive values, it does alter the flavor. Roasted chickpea flour is made from dried chickpeas that are briefly roasted first; the unroasted one is made straight from unroasted dried chickpeas. Ethnic cuisines worldwide, from India to the Middle East to Italy to Provence, France, use chickpea flour. It is extremely versatile, in addition to being a nutrient powerhouse.


Uses Worldwide

Indian cuisine incorporates chickpea flour into more dishes than other cultures. It is used as a thickener and to make pancakes and fritters, such as chilla, an Indian "street" or fast food. In the Middle East, chickpea flour is an important ingredient for making falafel, deep-fried chickpea 'balls.' French Provencal chefs use chickpea flour to make socca, a pancake popular in Nice. Liguria, Italy is known for 'panissa,' a chickpea flour-based polenta. For vegan recipes, you can replace eggs with equal parts chickpea flour and water. If you do not eat it, you can wear it, literally. Indian women make a paste composed of besan and water or yogurt and apply it to their face as an exfoliant.

The wonderful smell of Roasting Tomatoes...

As I've said in the past, I'm doing a lot of canning this fall.  This is my second batch of tomatoes. I purchased this case of 20 lbs from a small farm just up the road from my home. Imagine a working farm within the city limits on a lot that could contain a condo unit, wonderful, absolutely wonderful!  Fresh veggies a stone's throw from my door, picked daily.  A little farm supporting a family, and changing the face of how we can get our vegetables in Victoria, bravo; now let's hope more people move in this direction.   I have only canned 10 lbs of the 20 so far from this lot.  I decided to make tomato sauce, the result was 18 pints of wonderful roasted tomato sauce.  The aroma that filled my kitchen was so soul satisfying, I had to make pasta for dinner that evening.

The 18 pints cost just .55 cents each, not bad for gourmet tomato sauce, don't you think?  The following is my recipe, it's not exact  I'm afraid, because I'm more or less a "bit of this, some of that" type of cook, but I did try to keep track of what I was doing this time. 

Turkey Meatballs with roasted Tomato Sauce,  with Broccoli Slaw.

Yummy!!!

By doing this canning I'm improving my diet in several ways, I lower the salt and preservatives we consume.  I'm supporting our local farmers, thus supporting sustainability.  I'm improving my bottom line while reducing our bottom line :) get it bottom line! 
ha ha !!! bottom line,  diet blog,  good lord I must be tired, or my cold medicine has kicked in, either way sorry for the corny jokes. 

So before this turns into a sorry slapstick blog, I think I'm going to take myself to bed, and try get rid of this silly cold that has decided to take up residence in my head.  I'll be talking to you again tomorrow, but first just a little something to leave you smiling enjoy.  I know it made me laugh, though it could be the NyQuil.  Nah, it's my crazy mother sense of humor kicking in, this would be like something my son would have done.  I'll tell you another time about a boy, a fence and a basketball and a similar situation. Have a great night.

So it Begins

written by Linda Gauthier

Be an appreciator of the seemingly small things in life; a smile, a kind word, a beautiful flower, a few hours of unstructured time, a laughing child, for it is the small things that become the warp and weft of the fabric of your life. Lucy MacDonald

What is it about the change of seasons that makes us start organizing and cleaning?  Why was I not feeling like this a month ago?  I'll tell you why.  I was lazing around next to my beloved pond pretending I was a lady of leisure!  Enjoying the neverending summer.  See?  That's what happens on this coast (the left side of the country) when you give us sun.  We play hooky, same as when we get a smidgen of snow, the cry goes out and we declare it a "Snow Day".  We are notorious for it really, we are; same as when Ottawa, Halifax, or St. Johns is getting snow, we smugly say "oh, it's only 12 degrees here and I was golfing on the weekend".  Never mind we were golfing in rain gear and gumboots, we were golfing.

This weekend was spent organizing my pantry.  For a couple of reasons, the normal fall weather of rain, rain and more rain had returned and I was temporarily insane.  You see, I have a walk-in pantry, which I have a love-hate relationship with.  It's wonderful to have all that storage space, but for some reason, give me space and I turn into "Miss Haphazard Putter Away Person."  I think I know where everything is, and what I have in there, but that can't be true, because if it was, I wouldn't find 4 bags of corn meal in 4 different areas of the cupboard, and all but one open.  I wouldn't find 3 poultry spice of varying ages on 2 different shelves.  One trying to creep out of the bag using a cane.  Nope, that wouldn't happen now, would it?  So, with my new motto of downsize, downsize, downsize, I decided to tackle the monster within the confines of the area laughingly called the pantry, when in reality it should be called "close the door quick before it escapes place."

However, after this weekend, I can proudly say that I have conquered that monster and it can once again be called "The Pantry."  Jars labeled, items condensed or cleared away, old spices released and sent onto the old spice home. It's strange though, I find myself walking into my kitchen and just standing looking at my "Pantry".  I also have to get my ears checked, I keep hearing those angels singing again, only this time when the word pantry is said or thought, weird , really weird!!  Wonder if this is a symptom of retirement, blogging and hearing angels, what do you think?

So here we are at Thursday, somehow I lost a day or 2 in there and I'm only just getting my recipes up online, but since no one comments out there it may not even be noticed.  I know someone or something is reading my blog, the stats tell me so, but I'm not sure who or what or where.  So feel free to let me know you are out there and I have not gone totally insane and talking to myself, okay?, I'd appreciate it.

Cucumber slices in Greek Yogurt and Mint

I have found using Chick Pea flour to be very useful in making several dishes, this week, as you will see in later recipes.  It also is instrumental in helping me reduce the amount of gluten in my diet.  Many years ago, just before the birth of my children,  I was told I had an allergy or a sensitivity to wheat, and I poo-pooed the idea. However, I'm beginning to think they may have been right.  At that time, they told me I had sensitivities to 48 different foods, many of which I craved, and being a stubborn Taurus, I figured I knew better and they had to be wrong.  However, I have noticed since I have reduced my wheat or gluten intake that I am feeling a lot better.  The following information is from one of the nutrition blogs I follow, take a look see if you notice anything in there that might pertain to you.

Information on Chick Peas and Chick Pea Flour


The chickpea, or garbanzo bean, is a beige-colored legume commonly included in Middle Eastern and Indian food. The chickpea is the primary ingredient in hummus, a popular dip for pita chips and vegetables. The dense texture and nutty flavor of the chickpea provide a substance in food that often replaces meat and nuts in vegetarian meals. The dry chickpea is soaked prior to cooking, and rinsing the canned chickpea prior to using it, improves its digestibility. Including chickpeas in a dietary weight-loss plan provides several benefits.

FIBER
A 1 cup serving of chickpeas provides 10.6 g of fiber, or 42 percent of the 25 g recommended by Food and Drug Administration daily value.  Including fiber, a component in plant-based foods, in a diet plan for weight loss is important. The body does not digest fiber. Fiber provides volume in foods that satisfies hunger and it regulates the digestion of carbohydrates, preventing the blood glucose level from rising abnormally and causing hyperglycemia, a precursor to diabetes.

FAT
Chickpeas contain a low concentration of fat compared with other protein-based foods, such as meat. One cup of chickpeas provides 2.74 g of total fat, or 4 percent of the FDA recommended 65-g daily value, and 11.9 g of protein, or 24 percent of the 50-g daily value. A serving of chicken that provides an equivalent amount of protein contains 13.3 g of fat, more than four times the amount of fat chickpeas provide.

VITAMIN C
A 2006 Arizona State University study found that if you have a healthy blood level of vitamin C, the rate you lose fat from exercise increases. A 1-cup serving of chickpeas provides 9 mg vitamin C, or 15 percent of the FDA daily value. Vitamin C is a water-soluble nutrient and you need to include foods that contain at least the daily requirement each day to maintain a healthy supply of the nutrient.

LOW-GLYCEMIC

Chickpeas do not cause your blood glucose level to rise abnormally after eating them. This improves the efficiency of energy metabolism. Each calorie consumed is utilized. Whereas, high-glycemic foods increase the blood glucose level abnormally, which causes the body to store carbohydrates as fat and makes you feel hungry again. This cycle leads to weight gain. Including low-glycemic foods in a weight-loss dietary plan is essential for losing weight.

Living with less Gluten in your diet:


Wheat intolerance is one of three conditions that afflict those who have adverse reactions to wheat and wheat products. Gluten intolerance, also known as celiac disease, causes inflammation of the digestive tract. Gluten, a protein in wheat, rye, barley and oats, damages the inner lining of the small intestine, reducing the ability of the gut to absorb nutrients from food. Wheat allergies are allergic reactions that occur when the immune system misidentifies wheat and wheat products as toxic invaders. The immune system unleashes a counter attack, but this immune system counter offensive causes more problems that the wheat products do, per se. Wheat intolerance, unlike wheat allergies, does not involve the immune system. The precise causes are not known, but it is believed that those with wheat intolerance lack a certain enzyme necessary to digest wheat, which causes fermentation of bacteria in undigested food in the colon, according to Merk.
Symptoms
Wheat intolerance can be difficult to identify because symptoms might appear within a couple of hours or may take as long as a couple of days before they appear, according to DailyMail.com. Common symptoms of wheat intolerance include bloating, gastrointestinal distress, headaches, muscle and joint pains and headaches. A slew of additional symptoms and conditions associated with wheat intolerance include arthritis, depression, mood swings, diarrhea, eczema, skin rashes, psoriasis, swollen throat, coughing, breathing difficulties, palpitations, tiredness and watery or itchy eyes, according to   Wheat-free.org.

Impact on Weight

In gluten-intolerant people, eliminating gluten may help reduce bloating and water retention, which may be reflected as a drop in weight on the scale. Cutting out gluten may result in weight loss for those on a detox-style diet because it eliminates calorie-dense foods such as pizza, beer, cookies, cakes and wheat bread. Consequently, the diet focuses on more healthy options such as fruits, vegetables, lean proteins and gluten-free whole grains such as quinoa and amaranth. Because gluten is often present in high-calorie processed foods such as salad dressings, meal kits and sauces, these foods are also off-limits on a gluten-free diet --- further reducing calorie intake.

So now that I have bored you with a bunch a facts and you are probably ready to pull you hair out, I'll say goodbye and I talk to you soon.  Have a great day or evening, whichever it may be.  Enjoy the small things in life; the taste of a sweet frozen grape, the way a leaf floats down the drive in rivulets of water as it heads for the street, the sun peeking through the clouds at the end of a day, the smell of vanilla being mixed into cookie dough, whatever it is, enjoy and be glad for the little things in life that make it complete. 

Bye for now

Weather Changes, Menu Changes, Routine Changes

Written by Linda Gauthier



























The rain has arrived with a  vengeance and all I want to do is curl up inside the house and sit by the fire, but I can't allow that to happen, things to do and places to be.  I still have canning to get done, gardens to prep for the winter, rooms to rearrange and walls to paint. Sort of feel like a mouse on a tread mill this week, but that comes from my own expectations and no one else, however speaking of winter preparations and frustrations. 

I'm not the only one frustrated by the rain.  I watched a very  funny interaction the other day outside my kitchen window.  We have 2 squirrels in the neighborhood, who have been running back and forth getting ready for the winter, burying their cache of goodies in everyone's gardens.  We also have some young crows who call our street home.  Well the other day, when the rain was pouring down, I see one of the squirrels under the neighbors hedge, she is completely soaked and looking as harried as I feel today.  I then notice a short distance away two of the young crows, pretending they are just hanging-out minding their own business, when in actual fact they are waiting for the squirrel to go away so they can steal her stash of goodies. I'm assuming the squirrel is a female, having never had any training in squirrel anatomy or behavior, but the reaction seemed very female to me.  Anyway, she moves off over behind the oil tank beside the neighbors house, which happens to be surrounded with long grass which is now soaked.   Mr. Cocky Crow, goes strutting over to the squirrels original hiding place under the hedge, and is looking for the squirrels goodies. Typical  teenage thing, what's to eat uh? What ya got?, sort of attitude.  Next thing I see is a very wet, angry squirrel flying out from the tall grass chirping and jumping up and down, tail raised and defiantly telling the crows to get away from her shopping.  This went on for a few minutes, then she just charged the crows jumping up and down and threatening them with bodily harm, to which they just casually looked at her as if to say What?? I'm not doing anything, they then leisurely flew off leaving her there all soaking wet and angry,which to me seemed like a very male thing to do. Don't you agree ladies?  She decided to hang around for a few more minutes to see if the interlopers would be back, then turned and scurried across the top of the fence and over into the nearby trees. Once again off to do more shopping. 

Now for the segue, wait for it,...... wait for it,...... here it comes,   shopping, menu, supplies etc, etc. Smooth uh? Get it? Well I tried!

So here is the new Menu for this week. Sorry it is late, you'll note I've also changed the style of the menu, hence the theme of changes, how's that for a subtle transition?

Please let me know if this style is easier to read.  Leave me a comment in the comment box, I'd love to hear from you, that is assuming there is someone out there.

So having said that, I believe I will sign this entry off and get back on my treadmill of self- imposed chores, and get a few things done. Before I get sidetracked with more recipes, Pintrest, and so many more things I seem to be using as diversions today.  I'll be back later though with my recipes and pearls of wisdom ;)  You see if you'd comment or give me some hints on what you'd like to hear about, I wouldn't have to inflict my homespun wisdom on you.

Wishing you a great day and peaceful thoughts. Talk to you soon.

This is the way I felt on my way to the scale the other day...

written by Linda Gauthier

The fear on this little guy's face is exactly how I felt, but the determination to succeed is also equal!

                                                                                               

I didn't realize before I started this adventure how much it meant to me to lose this weight.  I knew I wanted to be slimmer, but I didn't realize how much I truly wanted it.  I have lived with it and convinced myself to accept it as being who I am, and adjusted my expectations for myself accordingly, for too long.  Allowing the little internal voice to convince me that: I can't lose this weight, you are too old, this is the way it is, avoiding pictures, avoiding doing things, avoiding doing anything for fear of failing again.  Accepting that it was better not to try, rather than try and fail.  The reality of how much I wanted this came crashing in on me this week when I was afraid to get on the scale, for fear my little voice was right!  I was truly afraid to get on the scale, I have been doing so well and I didn't want to lose my hope and dream of being thinner, healthier, and more active.  It isn't an obsession for me, I'm not going to say I'm developing some eating disorder.  Rather, I believe I am beginning to recognize that I have been dealing with an eating disorder for my entire life.  One of overeating to fill those voids in my life, the real or imagined. 

So, this is my mantra I will be chanting to myself, until it takes root and my little voice can no longer be heard whispering all those negative thoughts.     

                                                                          

        

So here we go, the moment of truth..............

        

I swear I heard the angels sing, and a holy light shine down on my bathroom scale as I slowly opened my eyes to take a look.
"I LOST, I LOST", erupted from my throat.  Got off, got on again. Yup, I lost, holy sh--- I lost, thank you, thank you!! I sang as I danced around the bathroom, wiggling my 1 lb lighter butt. 

I lost 1 lb, only 1, but to me it felt like 10, ecstatic!!!  
Giving me a total loss of, drum roll please---17.2 lbs since September 1st or 2.44 lbs per day, over the last 42 days.
Half-way to my goal. Wiggle Wiggle. If I had a tail, it would be waggin.

Now, to set the menu for next week, hopefully more pounds lost, and a stronger ego that will be more accepting of temporary disappointment, because this is a battle I'm going to win.

Not sure what it says underneath the picture, but I am sure that is how I felt.

Have a great day.  Wishing you success in whatever you choose to do and happiness in doing so.