Monday, January 28, 2013

Some Observations

I made the pumpkin bars with the quinoa and used whey low for my topping base instead of the xylitol that I had planned to use.  I couldn't find the xylitol in my pantry but, I had bought the whey low a few months ago.  The whey low is super sweet and had I realized this, I wouldn't have used it. 

The quinoa flour just doesn't do it for me.  I am a spelt flour girl.  I love the texture of the spelt flour  and the taste is way better.  The hubby did say that he liked the quinoa flour pumpkin bars.  I just know that my sugar went off of the charts after having one of the things.  I can't eat them.  Realize that I am not on my metformin right now so, it won't help me any to have one of these things.  So, I have to stay away from them. 

I am also being good and staying away from white rice...crack to diabetics and I am staying away from pasta and breads.  I am on a low carb diet and it is helping me keep my sugar in check.  I also exercise which helps out so much with keeping the sugar low.  I drink de-caf coffee with some half and half with a tsp of Xyla. 

I have added oolong tea into the mix and it helps to get the sugar to normalize.  It is good when I need a nice pick me up. 

I have a book that helps me stay on my diet when I am out with my sister, shopping and I can't get to any veggies, it has a list of calories, fat and carbs.  If you read it, you will never eat at Mickey D's again.  Just the amount of carbs and fat!  One thing that has happened since I started on my diet, I used to watch Food Network and just drool over the fatty hamburgers and crud foods.  Now I am not even interested in Food Network and the crud foods, fatty hamburgers make me nauseous.  I drool in the produce department at the grocery store.  I noticed it one day when I went grocery shopping.  I was in the lettuce section and I noticed my mouth just watering.  I realized then that my diet is working.  I learned to eat right and as long as I stay away from sugar, white flour, and carbs, I can do anything. 

This coming weekend, I will be out in my garden planting vegetables.  I have 10 furrows this year for my crop.  I have plans to put in  kale, radishes, lettuce, carrots, and broccoli.  I am excited since my dill came up and my cilantro came back.  I love fresh veggies out of the garden.  My garden isn't big, it is little but, it does produce enough food for just the two of us.  Hubby is taking the back flower bed behind the pool and turning it into a sunny spot garden bed for tomatoes and okra.  I love grilled okra, it is so good! 

Gardening does count as exercise for those of you who don't want to walk or ride your bicycle or head to the gym.  Manual labor will work off the pounds.  It also will give you a nice sense of accomplishment and if you can grow your own veggies, something nice to put in the fridge and on the table.  Plus, you will know what was used on it since you grew it.  Nothing funky or genetically modified. 

I have to look on my chart to see when green beans can be planted since I am fond of them.  I have to head to the home improvement store for onion sets.  Those are going to be planted, too.  :) 

Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Building a Better Pumpkin Bar

I grabbed a cookie book and found a recipe.  I looked at the ingredients and decided to do some substituting, it does make life interesting to try new things. 

First time I made this recipe, I used spelt flour.  It gave it a nice nutty flavor, which works well with the pumpkin.  It has 22 grams of carbs per 1/4 cup.  It also has 4 gram of dietary fiber.  Think of fiber as being your friend, it is wonderful in keeping everything in balance. 

Today I am trying quinoa flour, it has 18 grams of carbs and only 2 grams of fiber, not good but, it is a test batch. 

What you will need for this recipe...

2 cups spelt flour, this can be found at most grocery stores, I tested with Bob's Red Mill brand. 

1 cup Xylitol, I use Emerald Forest Xyla, which can be found at Amazon
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
4 eggs, beaten
1 fifteen ounce can of pumpkin
1 cup olive oil

Get a big bowl and mix all the ingredients together.  If you own a Kitchen Aid stand mixer, put it in there and turn it on to medium. 

Preheat your oven to 350F.  Pour your batter into a large baking pan, I used a 4 quart pan.  The recipe suggests a 13 x 9 x1 inch pan.  Bake your bars for 25 to 30 minutes until a toothpick poked into the center of the bars comes out clean or if you touch it and it bounces back in the center.  Let stand for 2 hours on a metal rack or until completely cool. 

This recipe comes with frosting and yes, it too can be made without sugar and taste fabulous. 

Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe

In a medium mixing bowl, take 4 ounces of cream cheese at room temperature, add to that 1/4 cup softened butter, don't use margarine, it won't turn out, 1 teaspoonful of vanilla extract.  Mix together with your electric mixer at medium speed until the mixture is light and fluffy.  Add powdered xylitol to the mix, gradually.  You are going to need 2 and 1/2 cups.  When it is frosting consistency, then it will be ready for spreading on your cooled pumpkin bars. 

Where do I find the powdered xylitol?  I found mine at Nettrition. 

I love xylitol since it doesn't spike blood sugar.  It does have a laxative effect at first but as I have been using it for a while, no problems.  The best part of this recipe, it doesn't taste sugar free.  It is yummy! 

I have served this recipe to friends who aren't diabetic and they couldn't taste the difference.  My best friend loved it so much she refused to share them with her boyfriend. 

To be fair, the recipe I used came from Better Homes and Gardens:  The Ultimate Cookie Book.  I just made it sugar free and with quinoa flour, gluten free. 

Since Xylitol tastes sweeter than sugar, I cut down on the recipe, which is how it is written here.  The xylitol is measured like sugar, 1:1 ratio.

How It All Started

I decided that people other than myself need help, especially if you are suffering from type 2 Diabetes.  I was diagnosed on December 27, 2011.  I wasn't happy about it but I knew it was coming.  I had a grandparent with the disease and knew it was coming sooner or later, I hoped later.  So, with the help of one husband who is wonderful and one dietitian, I was on my way to the fight of my life.  Several family members have had the disease for years and the effects on a body are seriously damaging.  My goal, to keep my feet, legs, eye sight, teeth, and heart intact.  I had a long hard battle with MRSA, should have known this would have been the start of the whole diabetes saga. 

So, after many months working with my dietitian and doctor, taking my meds, exercising, and just trying to stay positive, I went in for blood work and after my follow up, I found out that I had kicked it.  How did I do this?  I learned how to eat all over again and I also learned the sugar is awful stuff.  Yes, it is very tasty but, is it worth it?  No! 

It took me two long weeks to kick sugar.  I shook, I was constantly hungry, I craved it, it was like someone trying to kick alcohol.  It was sugar.  That lovely grainy white stuff that I had been eating since I was a child.  Then when it is combined with all purpose flour...holy smoke, that is a major ticking time bomb.  It can really do devestating things to our bodies. 

Then there are carbs...I admit it, I was a serious carb junkie.  Those chips that call your name in the middle of the night...yep, that was me.  I was a serious wreck. 

Here is how to stop yourself from turning into a serious wreck.  If you are diagnosed, please tell your doctor that you really want to see a dietitian, it will save your life. 

I decided to share my recipes for everyone who needs to lose a few pounds without losing taste.  I researched like crazy to find what I could about several different sugar substitutes and their effects on the body. 

Don't take the disease lying down, do what you can to research and find out what information you can to help save your life.  It is your fight and yours alone. 

So here goes....