WHEATLESS in Seattle

Further Possibilities?

2010-04-22T21:24:00.000-07:00

I was searching around on line and found an interesting site:

http://paleodiet.com/

It covers a diet based on...well, let me use the wording on the site:

"Paleo is a simple dietary lifestyle that is based on foods being either in or out. In are the Paleolithic Era foods that we ate prior to agriculture and animal husbandry (meat, fish, shellfish, eggs, tree nuts, vegetables, roots, fruit, berries, mushrooms, etc.). Out are Neolithic Era foods that result from agriculture or animal husbandry (grains, dairy, beans/legumes, potatoes, sugar and fake foods)"

I also happen to be allergic to milk, so this type of diet has some appeal to me. I'm not sure I'm ready to be a purist with this type of diet, though.

Still, I'm glad that someone has gone to the trouble of figuring this stuff out. Eliminating both wheat and milk from an American diet continues to be challenging. I appreciate all the help I can get.

Cake in a Mug!

2010-03-28T18:04:00.000-07:00

I am the only person in my family that is allergic to wheat.

Wheat-free (gluten-free) cake mixes are a bit on the expensive side, so I haven't tried any out yet.

Today, a friend of mine mentioned the idea of making a cake in a coffee mug in the microwave. It sounded appealing, so I went on the internet to see what I could find. Sure enough, I found something on YouTube that showed how to make my own little gluten-free cake in my own little coffee cup in my own microwave! Here is the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=liPlUl5tymo&NR=1

I haven't tried it myself yet. At this point, it's enough for me to know that I can make my own little wheatless cake if I ever get tired of just avoiding cake altogether.

An Easy, Tasty Stew with Natural Gravy--No Wheat

2010-03-25T16:48:00.000-07:00

I love stews, and this was one thing I was missing on my wheatless diet.

Then I looked on the back of a packet of Lipton Recipe Secrets Onion Soup Mix.

This is the recipe on the back of the box. It is so simple, yet so delicious. You can make it in as fast as 4-6 hours, or as slow as 8-10 hours (I usually go for 12 hours)

It's easy to play around with and "make it your own." But here's the basics (what's on the back of the box):

     •1 Tbsp oil
     •3-3 1/2 lb. boneless beef pot roast
     •4 carrots, sliced
     •4 medium all-purpose potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces
     •2 envelopes Lipton® Recipe Secrets® Onion Soup Mix
     •3/4 cup water

1 - In large skillet, heat oil and brown roast.

2 - In slow cooker, arrange vegetables; top with roast.

3 - Combine Soup Mix with water and add to slow cooker. Cook covered on LOW 8-10 hours or HIGH 4-6 hours. Remove roast and vegetables.

4 - [for others you're eating with, perhaps] To thicken gravy, stir in 1/4 cup water blended with 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour. Cook on HIGH until thickened.

...and their notes at the bottom say "8 servings; Prep Time: 10 minutes; Cook Time: 8 hours"

The leftovers stay nicely in a plastic container in the refrigerator, to be microwaved and enjoyed again!

A Hot Cereal Besides Oatmeal

2010-03-20T15:49:00.000-07:00

Oatmeal is OK, but I like to change it up a little sometimes.

Corn meal does the trick! I can cook it up fast just for one, and I can eat it with milk and syrup, or with salt, pepper, and butter.

Here's how I do it:
     •I mix up 1/3 cup water, 1/3 cup corn meal, and about 1/3 tsp of salt (to taste).
     •Then, I bring 1 cup of water to boiling in a small pot, and slowly pour in cornmeal, water and salt mixture, stirring constantly.
     •Once everything's poured in, I just stir every few seconds, while things thicken a bit. I don't like lumps, so I press down on any I see at this point.
     •Next, I turn the heat down to low, put a lid over it, and wait 5 minutes.
     •When I take the lid off, I push down any more lumps there might be, pour everything into a cereal bowl, add my milk and sugar (or whatever) and enjoy!

"Emergency Stash"

2010-03-19T12:33:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I find myself needing to eat something, with no way of getting something quickly, because something ELSE has unexpectedly come up. As they say, "life happens!"

For such occasions, I carry what I call my "emergency stash." This is a few snack-bags that I keep in my purse with a little something to tide me over for a little bit longer.

For me, I carry a bag of almonds, and a separate bag of a dried fruit-and-nut mixture that I like. It's come in handy several times when what I've planned for the day takes an unexpected turn, for whatever reason.

Having a little something with me for such times keeps me from being HUNGRY on top of WHATEVER ELSE is going on.

Events With Unexpected Cake

2010-03-15T22:56:00.000-07:00

Today I went to a regular weekly meeting with some friends of mine.

One of them had a birthday today, and one of the others brought a cake.

Fortunately, I found out about it 30 minutes ahead of time. I found a little snack in my house that I ate before hand, so I wouldn't feel like snacking while I was there.

Everyone else was so interested in eating their own piece of cake, that no one noticed that I did not eat my piece at all (or at least they didn't say anything about it). I was able to participate in the event at hand and enjoy all of the other conversation.

When the meeting was over, I went ahead and took the piece of cake home, as I have family members that I thought would enjoy it.

As I have the chance to attend more birthday parties, I'd like to get more creative with how I can participate in what's going on in ways that don't involve eating items that contain lots of wheat.

Rice Noodles--Cooked Like Spaghetti Noodles!

2010-03-13T20:40:00.000-08:00

I am a big fan of spaghetti! It is one of the things I was truly sad to have to give up after I found out I was allergic to wheat.

Thankfully, what the Occident has done with wheat over the centuries, the Orient has done with rice. I found some rice noodles in a store I regularly frequent, so I decided to try them out. They are about the thickness of Angel Hair Noodles.

I ignored the directions on the package, and cooked the rice noodles as I would normally cook spaghetti. Specifically, I boiled the noodles for about four minutes, and then drained them. In the mean time, I heated up some of my favorite spaghetti sauce.

When the noodles were cooked and drained, I tried them out with the spaghetti sauce. They weren't exactly the same, but they were a good substitute.

Now, when everyone else is having spaghetti, I can at least cook something that comes in a close second, and share the spaghetti sauce.

Sometimes...Eat Ahead Of Time

2010-03-11T19:03:00.000-08:00

Today I had the chance to meet with several others at a restaurant they all liked going to.

I had been to this restaurant before, and I knew that almost all of what they served there was not going to work for me. But, I really wanted to get together with everyone.

So, I ate a nice lunch at home ahead of time, and just ordered a hot drink while I was there. The waitress treated me like any other guest, and I had something to occupy my hands while everyone else was eating.

In the end, I had a great time, and got to be a part of the gathering. And to top it all off, the 50% tip I left the waitress didn't break the bank (I left $1).

Dining Out With Friends

2010-03-10T23:35:00.000-08:00

I've discovered that dining out with friends is a very interesting process now!

Large buffets are a good option, as I've discovered.

Everything is right there for me to look at, and I can try just a little bit of something if I'm unsure.

The salad bar is always a bonanza for me, as well as all the meat dishes. And, while everyone else is filling themselves with fattening dessert items, I go back for more of everything else.

I leave quite full, yet I'm not "waddling" out the door, like almost everyone else. And best of all, as things digest, I feel energetic & ready for more fun the rest of the day or evening, instead of lethargic because of all of the dessert I've eaten.

Oh, and by the way, I've lost 5 lbs in the past 4 weeks without even trying or feeling like I'm starving to death. Another added benefit of going "wheatless" in Seattle!

No Wheat Means More of Everything Else!

2010-03-09T20:20:00.000-08:00

For medical reasons, I no longer eat wheat.

And I've discovered I can eat more of everything else!

Admittedly, it is an extreme challenge, to say the least.

Excitingly, I'm actually eating more food more often, I've lost inches around my waist, and have received wonderful comments on how much more toned my face seems lately!

One of the challenges I've had fun in rising up to is what to eat for breakfast every day.

any kind of fruit I want (oranges and bananas are my fav's)
any kind of vegetable I want (OK, it's vegetable juice, but I've discovered I really like it)
eggs (scrambled are my favorite, 'cuz I can add or take away spices, veggies, meat...)