Biking and bouncing...

I rode for about 7-8 miles on my bike yesterday and it felt good. I have had a lot of company, which is a GOOD thing, this summer, but didn't bike as much as I said I would. I will get back at it. I also was given a trampoline and was amazed at what I learned about the benefits of jumping on a trampoline. WOW! Rebounding...that is what I am learning about. I hear it is wonderful for your insides...so I will be bouncing as well as biking...hopefully I will not bounce off the darn thing and crack my head open...I know, that's disgusting...but I recall Poor Dr. Atkins giving his life to his life's work of low to no carb eating and then he fell to his death after slipping on ice...hey, we are going to go one way or another so if it is by bouncing on a trampoline...SO BE IT!

*ELizabeth, Jess, and Casey showing me how it's done...bouncing and having fun!

Have fun...that's all we have sometimes...can't eat this can't eat that, but we can ALWAYS have fun. HUGS

GF EF CF Corncakes

I googled corn pancakes and came across a recipe on dlife.com...diabetic recipes. It just so happens hubby is diabetic so I thought BINGO...this could be good...I adapted it, of course, and the results were wonderful; a kind of corncake that I can eat at all times whether for breakfast or used to make a sandwich or with dinner. It reminds me of cornbread which makes sense since it is made out of cornmeal...duh! I amaze myself with my brilliance at times...LOL...corncakes corncakes YEAH YEAH YEAH!

adapted from Diabetic Recipes/Cornmeal Pancakes

Mix well
2 cups cornmeal
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. sugar

Add
2 TBs. oil
1 3/4 cups boiling water
Mix well

Add
1 cup almond milk (you can use whatever milk you are in to)
Mix well

Drop by 1/4 cupfuls onto preheated oiled griddle. Flip when bubbles form and bottom is brown... I eat them plain since I don't do sugary things anymore or fruity things or...well, you get it...and they are delish just the way they are...hubby puts butter on his and loves them too. He had a brainstorm and put a fried egg on one and looked like he'd died and gone to heaven...cute, very cute.

Jenny O!

I had a Jenny O natural turkey burger for lunch and it was delish! The ingredients state "turkey and flavorings" so I am psyched! Until I learn those flavorings are not for me I will be having a lot more of these burgers. I just grilled it on my on the top of the stove cast iron griddle for four minutes on a side, right from the freezer. How easy is that? I out it in a corn tortilla wrap with a little mustard and lettuce and oh baby...it was yummy!

High humidity today so I imagine I will be having some RICE DREAM with pecans later...yes, I still LOVE IT! I already brewed some decaf green tea so I should be all set...off to watch THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS...my one and only soap...LOVE IT!


PS this just in...I got an e-mail from Jenny O and the flavoring is ROSEMARY...yeah!

Italian sausage and shrimp pasta

I grilled some Italian sausage (then cut into small pieces) and cooked a spaghetti squash, thawed some cooked shrimp, boiled some corn pasta and put it all together in a bowl. Then I sauteed zuccini, broccoli, celery, onion and garlic in a pan in oil. I did add a pat of butter but it was probably not needed. I added cracked pepper. I mixed everything together, covered it and baked for about 30-40 min. in a 350 deg. oven. The flavors were delish.

BTW I think all the almond milk is making my nails grow faster and stronger...yowza! I actually HAVE to file them down...nice!

Read THE ALMOST MOON by Alice Sebold...I had already read LUCKY and THE LOVELY BONES by her and this one has a dark theme as well...with her brilliant ability to find humor in the dark.

Kenny's Castaways at 8 tonite

My son Patrick is playing an acoustic show at 8 at Kenny's Castaways in Greenwich Village tonite...my son Ben will be there too...if you are in the city and looking for a good time stop in at Kenny's Castaways. Thanks!

It is surviving...

I have never been much of an outdoor person, but with seven acres of land hubby thought it might be nice to try a garden...so we did/are...and wow...it is fun to see how the seeds he planted in little boxes in the house are now in the outback and green and growing...squash and tomatoes. I won't be eating the tomatoes but will eat a lot of squash. Our plan was to sell the produce and it looks like we might be able to do that this summer. Organically grown...I know that because we have done nothing to them...and they are alive and thriving...yahoo!

New book started...

I started writing my seventh novel. YEAH for ME! Sometimes all you have to do is look out your window for inspiration and that is what jumpstarted this one...I looked out the window and saw something that bothered me and wouldn't let go of it so I am spinning what bothers me into a fictional tale. That's the long and short of it for any of you who thought it was more complicated than that, it isn't.

Now, I am breaking my neck to look out the window and may have to shut the window and draw the curtains closed so I can concentrate...I hate when I am not working on a book, so you might say I am feeling good...

Nothing new to report on the food front today...just a sittin' by my window tapping away at the keyboard...

Kung Pao Shrimp...pow!

I could eat Oriental-style dishes every day. Today I made Kung Pao shrimp and it was delish.

Thaw cooked shrimp, make sure it is sulfite free, and then sautee chopped celery, chopped carrots, and a little chopped cabbage in oil...then add the shrimp and cashews and garlic powder, about a tab. garlic chili sauce, and ginger and pepper. Cover and simmer for about 5 minutes. Serve over rice.

I started doing some exercises and wow I learned that standing is better than sitting...I never thought about it one way or another...but I am going to stand up more and sit down less...supposedly burns more calories...hugs!

Bean dip and a corn chip...

I had a craving for dip and I don't do dairy or soy or tomatoes so I thought about making bean dip and that is what I did. I drained three cans of beans; black, kidney, and pinto, and then I processed them in the food processor with some powdered garlic, ground cumin, and hot sauce. I dipped corn chips in the bean dip and it made for a tasty satisfying lunch. Okay, so I had dip and chips for lunch...sue me. Better yet, try it. Mighty good!

Risotto salad

I watch Hell's Kitchen with Gordon Ramsey and this season I was rooting for Corey to win because she is the granddaughter of one of the author's in the publishing company I have two books with; she made it to the final three, but aside from all that whenever I watch the show it seems they are making and talking about risotto risotto risotto so I bought some Arborio rice and made some the other day. It was a lot of stirring stirring stirring but tasty once the stirring was done...the last five minutes I threw in some chopped celery. The best find was the next day when I took it out of the fridge and tasted a spoonful of it cold...voila! When everyone else is eating their mayonnaisey salads I can have my creamy risotto cold salad...Arborio rice is Italian rice so perhaps I should write Bravo! instead of Voila! Next time I will toss in some other veggies and maybe a few spices...FUN FUN!

corndog sort of...

I rolled a Sabrette's hotdog in a GF corn tortilla, then rolled it in a papertowel and put it in the microwave...it was a tasty version of a corndog...with a side dish of leftover baked potatoes cut up with the skins still on drizzled with oil and vinegar and salt and pepper it made for a delish summer lunch.

Last night we made a campfire and roasted hotdogs on sticks and then toasted marshmallows. And that is another summer time fun meal out. I don't need the marshmallows with all the sugar but I did cheat and have a few...yum yum...fun.

Butter pecan without the butter...yum!

I love eating RICE DREAM, a substitute for dairy icecream, and love that it has no sugar, how do they do that...and recently I started putting whole pecans in my bowl of RICE DREAM...makes it taste like butter pecan icecream, without the butter/dairy factor...I hear myself moaning with glee as I eat this. I just keep the bag of pecans in the freezer and when I get the urge I pull out the bag and the container of RICE DREAM and seconds later I am moaning away...

Visits with the granddaughters have been heavenly...the whole gang = two sons, hubby, all the granddaughters, and me had a blast at Fantasy Island Amusement park the other day... and the fun keeps a'rollin'...I will enjoy them as much as I can before they head south again...summer fun! YEAH!