Yogurt: Specific Carbohydrate Diet

One of the staples on the Specific Carbohydrate Diet is home-made yogurt. Happily, this is a very satisfying thing to make. . . . and eat.

The process involves heating whole milk to just over 180 degrees, to simmer, for 2 minutes, and then cooling it down to below 110 degrees. It takes a good long time for it to cool down. But in the meantime, I sterilze the little jars that I'm going to pour the yogurt in. I boil water, with the jars in it, for 10 minutes, and then just let it sit in the water until the milk is ready.



Next, I take about a cup of the cooled milk, and stir in yogourmet (freeze-dried yogurt start that I buy at a health foods store. If you can't find it, whole milk, plain, Dannon yogurt will work). For each bath, I have to use a packet of the yogourmet or Dannon starter, NOT a portion of my previous home-made yogourt.

SCD is very specific about the bacteria that must be generated in the yogurt, so not just any yogurt will do. And for this to be effective, the yogurt has to be cultured for 24 hours in order to eliminate the lactose from the milk. I have a yogurt maker by Cuisine, so it's very easy to just drop the little jars into the yogurt maker, and leave it on for 24 hours. There are other ways to make this, to provide the heat to a batch of yogurt, but this is the most convenient way.

The theory is that the colon becomes populated with more of the good bacteria, and the bad bacteria is starved out, by restricting carbohydrates. "The allowed carbohydrates are monosaccharides and have a single molecule structure that allow them to be easily absorbed by the intestine wall. Complex carbohydrates which are disaccharides (double molecules) and polysaccharides (chain molecules) are not allowed. Complex carbohydrates that are not easily digested feed harmful bacteria in our intestines causing them to overgrow producing by products and inflaming the intestine wall. The diet works by starving out these bacteria and restoring the balance of bacteria in our gut.

The Specific Carbohydrate Diet™ is biologically correct because it is species appropriate. The allowed foods are mainly those that early man ate before agriculture began," (from Breaking the Vicious Cycle website ) As you can see, there are some similarities to the Paleo diet, although there are a few additional restrictions on the SCD diet.

But I'm relieved to know that 4 weeks into this diet, my symptoms of colitis are improving, and while I can't be certain whether it's the medication, or diet, or just the passage of time, I'm just glad I'm seeing improvement!

And besides, I get to eat some delicious yogurt! Honey is the only sweetener allowed on SCD, so of course, I add to the yogurt.. . .along with some fruit, or maybe coconut . . . or maybe I'll even throw in a little peanut butter (as long as it's "no sugar added".)

Beets with Oranges and Pecans: Specific Carbohydrate Diet

Here's another little recipe that is Specific Carbohydrate Diet safe.  I modified this recipe from the Cook's Illustrated magazine.  I was looking for a way to cook beets, one of the vegetables that I've long insisted I "hate."  It was just a bias thing.  And never did I dream I'd be searching for ways to make this unfairly maligned vegetable tasty.

It turns out, it wasn't so hard after all, when my latest copy of Cook's Illustrated showed up in the mail.

The original recipe calls for brown sugar. . . . definitely not allowed for SCD.  But honey is wonderfully welcome, which makes the whole diet much, much more palatable.

Walnuts give me problems, but I can substitute pecans very happily. The recipe also did not originally call for the actual orange pieces, but I liked the slightly surprising change in texture and taste showing up throughout this salad-like treat.



INGREDIENTS
3 beets, trimmed and cut in half
1 1/4 c water
salt and pepper
3 T white vinegar
1 T honey
1/2 red or yellow onion
1 t orange peel or zest
1/2 c pecans, toasted and chopped
1 t parsley
1 t thyme
1 orange, peeled, and in pieces

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Place beets in single layer in Dutch oven. Add water and 1/4 t salt;;
bring to simmer. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for about
45 to 50 minutes, until beets tender
2. Remove beets. Increase temperature of pan and reduce cooking
liquid, stirring, until pan is almost dry, 5 to 6 min. Add vinegar and
honey; return to boil; and cook, stirring constantly with heat-resistant
spatula, until spatula leaves a wide trail when dragged through,
about 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
3. When beets are cool enough to handle, rub skin off with a paper
towel and cut into 1/2 inch wedges. Add beets, onion, orange peel,
1/2 salt and 1/4 t pepper to glaze and toss to coat. Transfer beets to
serving dish; sprinkle with pecans, parsley, oranges and thyme; serve.


I also liked it served cold more than warm, so it was an excellent addition to my lunch over the next several days after I made it.

Give it a try! Beets are actually quite nutritious and have great digestive properties.

Almond Cookies with Cinnamon Glaze--SCD safe

Ahhh, cookies! Often, the perfect little snack to eat while settling in to a good book.

About a year ago, I was diagnosed with colitis, and dang if that nasty issue didn't resurface a few weeks ago. Strangely, it's turned out to be the explanation for life-long problems with MY FEET! Who would have thought? Apparently, colitis itself can cause inflammation in other parts of the body, creating arthritis in peripheral areas, like feet. And a seemingly innocuous brief bout with this winter's gastrointestinal bug triggered the colitis which makes my feet angry!

So, I decided to follow the lead of a number of other colitis sufferers and start to follow the strict guidelines of the Specific Carbohydrate Diet. And this recipe, avoiding all grain products and sugar, other than honey, is one outcome.

It's not the most wonderful recipe in the world, but it will do when there just has to be some kind of sweet treat (like for Valentine's Day!) *(edited to add: Actually, by the next day, I decided that these really were quite tasting after all! Especially with chai tea, and I really like the "nutty" texture because of the almond flour, and the tinge of coconut because of the coconut flour and sprinkling on top. I'll make these again, but increase the honey just slightly.)

Ingredients
Dough:
2 ½ cups almond flour (250 grams)
¼ cup coconut flour (35 grams)
2 teaspoons baking powder (8 grams)
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ cup macadamia nut oil (2 oz) or coconut oil
1 tablespoon honey, melted
1 teaspoon almond extract or vanilla
2 eggs

Glaze:
2 tablespoons honey, melted
1 tablespoon grass-fed butter melted, or ghee
1 tablespoon cinnamon

Instructions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
Combine your almond flour, coconut four, baking powder, and cinnamon in a mixing bowl and stir well
Add your oil, honey, almond extract (or vanilla) and eggs and mix into a soft dough
Roll your dough out, pressing to just shy of ½ inch thick all around
Cut with heart-shaped cookie cutters and lay on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet.
Place in the oven and bake for 9 minutes

While the cookies are baking, combine honey, butter, and cinnamon for the glaze in a bowl and mix well
At the 9 minute mark, pull your cookies out of the oven, and using a basting brush, brush your glaze on all of your cookies
Place your cookies back in the oven and bake for 9-11 minutes or until done

Remove from the oven, sprinkle with some almond flour or shredded coconut and drizzle any remaining glaze over your cookies. I like the contrast between the coconut and the cinnamon glaze.
Grab your camera and take some photos.
Serve immediately or place in an airtight container which will last 3-4 days

My wonderful sister-in-law, Maria, asked about the Roasted Butternut & Sweet Potato Salad I made for Easter.

So here's the recipe:

Roasted Sweet Potato & Butternut Squash Salad
Delicious Blend of winter veggies, nuts & dried fruit

YIELD 8 to 10 servings
INGREDIENTS

2 lbs sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 " cubes
2 lbs butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1/2 " cubes
2 T olive oil
2 bunches green onions, sliced
1 c snipped fresh parsley
1 cup pecan halves, toasted
1/4 c golden raisins
1/4 c dried cranberries (I used cherries)
1/4 c olive oil
3 T orange juice
2 T maple syrup
2 T balsamic vinegar
1 t ground ginger
1/2 t salt
1/4 t ground cinnamon
1/8 t ground nutmet

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spread sweet potatoes and buternut squash in a single layer in two 15 x 10 x 1" baking pans. Drizzle with the 2 T olive oil; toss to coat. Roast, uncovered, about 30 minutes or just until vegetables are tender. Let cool.
In large serving bowl combine sweet potatoes, butternut squash, green onions, parsley, pecans, raisins and cranberries. Cover and chill for at least 4 hrs or up to 24 hrs.
For dressing, in a screw-top jar combine the 1/4 c olive oil, the oj, maple syrup, blasamic vinegar, ginger, salt, cinnamon, and nutmet. Cover and shake well. Pour dressing over salad and toss to coat. Cover and chill for at least 2 hours before serving. Let stand at room temp for 30 min before serving.

One word: Delicious!

Mmmmmmmm Cake!

Do you ever find yourself reading a great book, and then suddenly the author talks just a little too fondly, a little too vividly, about food? I'm reading "South of Broad," by Pat Conroy, a fantastic book!

And in the first pages, he talks about making a recipe from a Junior League Cookbook for the neighbors. Well, I have a couple of Junior League cookbooks (which I don't understand; I mean, who exactly IS the Junior League?) and the mentioned recipe was not in either book.

But I perused the recipes anyway, and oh, my! This one called my name:





It doesn't look like much, and is deceptively easy to make. It's the Chocolate Cake with Rum Butter Sauce from the Junior League Centennial Book. Except instead of using rum, I used amaretto, and reduced the brown sugar. And tonight, when we have more, I'm adding some delicious dried cherries that I happen to have.





2 oz unsweetened chocolate
1 stick butter
2 eggs
1 c granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 c flour

Rum Butter Sauce
1 c heavy cream
3/4 c packed light brown sugar (I reduced the amount to about 1/2 c)
1 stick butter
3 T dark rum (I used amaretto)
1/2 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 325. Butter 9" springform pain.

For cake: Melt chocolate and butter in double boiler. Cool to room temperature. Beat eggs 3 to 4 min. Gradually beat in sugar about 5 minutes. Beat in vnailla, salt and cooled chocolate mixture. On low speed, blend in flour. Pour into pan. Bake 30 to 35 min. Cool on wire rack in pan.

Sauce: combine cream, sugar and butter in saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring frequently until it boils. Boil 5 min, stirring occasionally. Remove form heat. Stir in rum and vanilla.

To serve: spoon a moderate (lots) amount of warm sauce on a rimmed dessert plate. Top with wedge of cake. Consider cherries, whipped cream, or spoonful of vanilla ice cream. Eat and lick dish.

I printed up this photo of Sweet and Salty Almond Bark, and recipe, for the December 15th day of my Journaling Christmas album. I thought I'd share it here for anyone who wants the recipe. This is an extremely easy recipe! As in, easier than macaroni and cheese! But use the best chocolate that you can, and use whatever nuts you want. These days, I'm rather fond of pistachios and cranberry, and am thinking about trying a version with these ingredients. Then again, pecans would be good also. Or maybe even crystallized ginger and pecans. . . . .



Click on the photo to see this larger. . . .

The Blog Christmas Cookie Train

The Blog Christmas Cookie Train has arrived at Candy Cane Lane. . . or at this recipe for White Chocolate-Glazed Chocolate Candy Cane Cookies!

This recipe is a blending of a recipe that appeared in Bon Appetit in 2005, with a glazing inspired by a Martha Stewart recipe.

This recipe is NOT for the dietary conscious (but are any Christmas cookies?)



Time: 11 minutes of baking; but lots of time with the little details
Yield: 36 very large sandwich cookies. Just skip dinner and eat these.

Ingredients:

Cookie:

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups unsalted butter (3 sticks), at room temperature
2 large eggs

Whisk flour, cocoa & salt in a bowl to blend. In another bowl, beat sugar and butter until well blended; beat in eggs. Add the dry ingredients to sugar mixture and beat until blended. Refrigerate dough for 45 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Roll 1 level tablespoon of dough into a ball and then squish flat into a 2" round on the baking sheet. This works best if you actually measure out the 1 tablespoon rather than guess. Place about 2" apart on baking sheet.

Bake 11 minutes, and do not over-bake! Cool on pan for 5 minutes, move to cooling racks.

Filling:

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
3/4 cups butter (1 1/2 sticks, at room temperature (did I mention that there
are massive amounts of calories in this? but let's not go there.)

3/4 tsp peppermint extract

2 drops, approx, red food coloring. aim for pink; red would look really ugly; this is one spot where substituting would be just weird; orange would NOT look Christmasy, would it?)

1/4 cup crushed red-and-white striped candy canes (about 4 ounces) (time to vent anger with hammers!) Put the crushed candy on a plate.

With an electric mixer, beat powered sugar and butter until well blended. Add peppermint extract, and now add coloring. (let's all hope bleach will work well on those formerly white cabinets!)

Spread about 1 tsp of filling evenly over flat side of one cookie; top with another cookie, flat sides facing each other; roll cookie sides into crushed peppermint.

Glazing:

1/4 cup white chocolate morsels

Melt white chocolate in a heat-resistant bowl placed over a small pan of boiling water. Stir the chocolate, and once the morsels lose their shape, remove from heat and stir until completely melted. Transfer chocolate into a zip lock bag.

Snip a tiny hole in one corner of the bag, and squish the chocolate out of this hole onto the cookies in pretty squiggles. Before chocolate hardens, sprinkle some of the crushed candy canes on top of the cookies. Cool in refrigerator for about 20 minutes.

Ward off hungry hordes demanding cookies until they promise to be at your beck and call, performing tricks or tasks. I vote for tasks.

Store in single layer in airtight container at room temperature up to 5 days, or freeze.

Now, you lucky bunnies! You get to head over to the next stop on the fabulous, unbelievable, totally fattening Cookie Blog Train to another marvelous recipe! Have fun!

And just in case you get lost somewhere along the way, this is a list of all the stops on the Cookie Blog Train:

http://loishouston.typepad.com/thoughts-along-lifes-highway/
http://www.scatteredpoppies.com/
http://www.littlelifeofscrap.blogspot.com/
http://web.me.com/xnomads
http://www.evalyn.typepad.com
http://mypixelatedoasis.blogspot.com/
http://livelifeandscrapit.wordpress.com/
http://www.beglorious.blogspot.com/
http://www.deanabirks.com/
http://amberls365.blogspot.com/
http://mylifesingredients.blogspot.com/
http://purplecrazymum.blogspot.com/
http://www.cupcakequeenworld.blogspot.com/

Thanksgiving and Pumpkin Bread

More Thanksgiving treats! How could it be Thanksgiving without pumpkin bread? Even though I have other pumpkin bread recipes, I checked out this one from Organized Christmas , and really liked that the batch is large enough to make 8 small mini-loaves.

I picked up the little Christmas ceramic bread pans at Michaels for a dollar each. Looks like I'll be making more of these in the little pans for some of those small Christmas presents that are nice to give at Christmas time.

Tomorrow, you're invited to travel the world with me! At 3 pm, North Dakota time, I'll be posting a view outside my window. I'll be linking to the next blog on our "Blogging Around the World Train", and you can visit exotic places like New Zealand by following along to each link as directed.

Thanksgiving Here We Come!

I made up a batch of these little treats for friends and neighbors, and family. They're "Thanksgiving Blessings Mix" from the Organized Christmas website. . . .
. . . because, oh yes! The holidays are just around the corner!

And I think it's exciting!

Day 14: News Flash: Frozen Weather Pixie Revived by Steel Cut Oatmeal

Poor Frozen Weather Pixie . . .

When I got up this morning, it was -36 degrees (before windchill!) Weather Pixie just does not dress right for this. I had to feed her some of this delicious steel cut oatmeal, which I had cooked overnight in my crock-pot, and the aroma of vanilla and cinnamon was wafting through the house, reaching her sitting on my house roof. (I'm assuming she sits on the roof.) It's the only thing that revived her. . .

Steel Cut Oatmeal

2 cups steel cut oatmeal (best purchased in bulk, in a natural foods store or section of
grocery store)
4 c skim milk or water
1/2 t salt
2 T butter (optional, but it'll help you avoid craving chocolate in about an hour, otherwise)
flavoring options: vanilla, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice
additions:milk or yogurt, or apple pieces, bananas, walnuts, blueberries (a superfood), almonds if walnuts give you cancre sores which I get and makes me really whiney and inclined to snarl at the innocent.

Before you go to bed at night, put all except the "additions" in a crockpot, preferably lined with one of those baggy/liner type things for crockpots so you don't have to do much cleaning up in the morning. You won't have time to clean up; you have to chisel your way to your car under a glacier in the morning.

Cook on low for 6-8 hours to a tremendous breakfast! DO NOT try to substitute quaker type oatmeal. It'll be a mushy yuk-ness. This is a little more chewy than that. This makes about 6 good sized servings, and here's the best part! You can put the leftovers in little containers and heat up again for about 30 seconds in the microwave another day. . . or for lunch! You can't do that with ordinary old oatmeal.





I'm so glad my Weather Pixie revived, or I'd have had to bury her dead little pixels here. And the ground is way too frozen for burials right now.

Day 44: The winner is declared!

"At last the Dodo said, 'everybody has won, and all must have prizes.'" from Alice in Wonderland.
And the prizes were. . . . comfits! (Comfits are sweetened nuts!)

Well, dear friends, you are right! I was in San Francisco, a very beautiful city, and a photographer's dream city. Unfortunately, I had to spend much of the time at my hotel, but still, I did manage to get to Fisherman's Wharf one evening. So here is the obligatory photo of a trolley car! (which looks suspiciously like a bus to me!) But it really was Kari who was the first to suggest San Francisco, but everyone gets the prize: a truly great recipe for sweetened nuts:

Candied Nuts

1 lb walnuts, almonds or pecans
1 t vanilla
6 T milk
1 cup sugar
2 t cinnamon
1/4 t salt

Toast nuts for 8 minutes at 350 F.
In a small pot, stir sugar, milk & cinnamon until mixture reaches "soft ball" stage, 236 F. WATCH THIS CAREFULLY! Remove from heat, add vanilla, pour over nuts. Spread on wax paper and cool.


Straight out of the camera. Shot in Night mode; ISO 1600; exp: 1/15; f/4.0; 18-135 mm at 28 mm; wb: shade.


Levels adjusted; exposure increased.

Antique wash


Acid wash action.

For awhile, I won't be on theme, and my photos might not be taken on the day of my post (I'm back in Grand Forks now), but I LOVED being in San Francisco, and I'll want to post more of these photos. It was quite a challenge, the 2 1/2 hours I got to roam around and see touristy things; I took a shuttle, a bus, and then the trolley to get to this area, but I was determined to see more than my hotel, to feel AIR (outside air) that was super-heated to 50ish degrees, and to photograph more than just my little corner of the world. And strangely, very strangely, I missed being home in my frozen world. Very strange.