Halloween happiness

The sun is shining, I am just about to go out and ride my bike...it is not exactly hot out, but I am bundled appropriately. I feel kidlike and that is an especially fun way to feel on Halloween.

I was desperate for a piece of toast so I bought a loaf of GLUTINO cornbread, and even though it has yeast in it, like I said I was desperate. I toasted it and spread a thin layer of peanut butter on it and holy hallowed hot bread it satisfied my craving. So far no problem...

I also bought a pouch of salmon (only salt and water in it) and mixed it with light olive oil and chopped celery and onions and pepper and oh my GOD is it good...

So, don't know about you but I am trickin' no one...I am lovin' my treats with foods that ARE my friends...BOO-tiful!

More calcium and great taste in a soup...not good taste in new RICE DREAM

I do worry about calcium since I don't eat dairy and since I had a kidney stone lithotripsied I don't like to take calcium pills. I really try to get my calcium naturally.
So, I do eat white beans a lot since I learned they are high in calcium. I love any kind of beans so it is not a problem for me.
Today I dumped a can of Great Northern beans into a pot, added a can of water, a ham slice cut up, one cut up carrot, one cut up stalk of celery, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder and let it simmer for about a half hour. That was all I did and I enjoyed a delicious bowl of soup. So easy...yum!

On another note, I don't like the new ORGANIC Rice Dream. I noticed they added agave syrup and don't boast of no added sweeteners on the label anymore. I don't like the taste and complained to them on their website contact section. I am disappointed because I loved the original vanilla Rice Dream and it seems I can't find that anymore, only the ORGANIC version. Oh well...anyone else notice a difference?

A little snow on the ground and a lot of fallish/wintry views from my window...'tis the season.

Since bike riding is not happening with the weather not cooperating, I am jumping, jogging, bouncing on my mini exercising trampoline while I watch TV...it is fun and it keeps me more active. But I DO miss the side of the road and my bike beneath my big old butt...

Have a nice day!

Dr seems surprised with food intolerance feeling good connection

The Dr we were going to left the area so we went to a new doctor yesterday to get established as new patients...it was fascinating to me to listen to the problems I had just a few years back...she asked me about migraines, depression, and gastro type issues and I was able to say that those conditions for me are a thing of the past due to eliminating the foods that don't make me feel good...she also noted how healthy I have been because I have not been to see a Dr much lately.

This smacked me in the head like the "could have had a V-8" ads...the doctor seemed surprised when I told her I think it has to do with my food eliminations...she wrote it all down and smiled and seemed pleased but it had me wondering if more people fiddled with this kind of thing they might enjoy a better quality of life like I do now too.

The Dr is going to examine blood tests though for thyroid function and hormone levels and cholesterol and that's okay, but I do believe that those who suffer with respiratory ailments often and stomach issues should wonder if what they are eating is causing these problems...I am not suggesting that all people have food intolerances but I do think that all people can't and shouldn't eat all things and they will do their bodies a service by taking time to experiment with what might be really making them sick.

Speaking of that mindset, I am back to avoiding sugars...I had a week of snack cake and pancakes and cappacinos from machines and I was starting to not feel that great again SO I am off to a great start this morning with my grits and tea and I FEEL GOOD........hope you do too!

White chili

Hubby made chili at the diner...it made me crave chili...well, I don't do tomato anymore so I made white chili. I had leftover cooked chicken so I dumped a can of undrained White Northern beans in a pot, added a cup of water, chopped onion and cumin and oregano and pepper and a squirt of hot sauce and the chicken. I simmered the soup for about a half hour. It certainly satisfied my craving.

I want to thank all who gave such thoughtful suggestions to me in the last blog entry for short term memory loss...HUGS

I don't know what I am going to do after November 4th...I am addicted to news stations reporting on the election. I have it as bad as I did with the first OJ trial...lol

Have a good weekend!

I feel better but can't remember stuff...

Hubby made me laugh yesterday when he told me to "eat some wheat"...At age 55 I seem to have poor short term memory and say some real dumb things ... I am getting used to it, but it can be embarrassing...so when I said something wacky (I can't remember what it was because like I said my short term memory is not working at times) hubby laughed and told me to "eat some wheat"...we laughed because he was joking about the reality that although I feel better without gluten, maybe it helped my memory when I did eat it. He followed with something like you "were smarter when you were eating wheat"...well, we know there is no correlation, but it made me laugh like when I tell him, a type II diabetic, to "eat a donut"...we have a weird sense of humor as a couple. but it lightens our load and we can never have too much of that...don't be uptight, keep it light!

I made more gf cf ef pancakes but this time I dropped in some chopped walnuts...ooh so good! Yes, it says to add an egg but I didn't and they were fine.

I jumped on my mini exercising trampoline yesterday since the weather is not cooperating for bike riding and hubby breezed in while I was jumping...oh what a fun time we have as a couple...36 years and it gets better all the time...glad we hung in there when it wasn't as light and fun...some things are worth the wait! HUGS

snack cake

Ever since I had cake that made me sick I have craved having cake that won't make me sick. I truly try to avoid sugar and chocolate but I really wanted chocolate cake yesterday and I had me some chocolate cake.

Thanks to a recipe on allrecipes.com submitted by Bridget Brookemeer I made the following...I adapted the flour and did not use chocolate chips, otherwise it is the same.

Egg-free Dairy-free Nut-free Cake

Mix the following:
1 1/2 cups rice flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup cocoa
1 tsp. baking soda

Make a well in the center of the dry mix and add:
5 tab. oil
1 tab. white vinegar (I used rice vinnegar)
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup cold water

Stir until smooth and bake in a greased 8X8 inch pan in a preheated 350 deg. oven for 30- 35 min. Cool on a rack.

I craved some frosting too so I made some using Spectrum shortening, powdered sugar, cocoa, vanilla, pinch of salt, and water...I measured nothing, sorry...I also added some chopped pecans that I had warmed in the microwave for a minute...

TO DIE FOR......................yum yum. Who needs gluten and dairy and eggs? Not ME!

On the Erie Canal...

"The Erie Canal

Words and Music By: William S. Allen
Copyright Unknown

I've got a mule,
Her name is Sal,
Fifteen years on the Erie Canal.
She's a good old worker
And a good old pal,
Fifteen years on the Erie Canal.
We've hauled some barges in our day
Filled with lumber, coal and hay
And ev'ry inch of the way I know
From Albany to Buffalo.

Low Bridge, ev'rybody down,
For it's Low Bridge,
We're coming to a town!
You can always tell your neighbor,
You can always tell your pal,
If you've ever navigated
On the Erie Canal.
Low Bridge, ev'rybody down,
For it's Low Bridge,
We're coming to a town!
You can always tell your neighbor,
You can always tell your pal,
If you've ever navigated
On the Erie Canal.

We better get along
On our way, old gal,
Fifteen miles on the Erie Canal.
Cause you bet your life
I'd never part with Sal,
Fifteen miles on the Erie Canal.
Git up there, mule, here comes a lock,
We'll make Rome 'bout six o'clock.
One more trip and back we'll go
Right back home to Buffalo.

Low Bridge, ev'rybody down,
For it's Low Bridge,
We're coming to a town!
You can always tell your neighbor,
You can always tell your pal,
If you've ever navigated
On the Erie Canal.
Low Bridge, ev'rybody down,
For it's Low Bridge,
We're coming to a town!
You can always tell your neighbor,
You can always tell your pal,
If you've ever navigated
On the Erie Canal."

My sister invited me to ride bikes along the Erie Canal yesterday and that is what we did. The colors were gorgeous and the weather perfect. I am not used to riding with someone so it was fun to ride and talk...we laughed thinking about those mules pulling the barges years ago comparing ourselves to them as we rode along...fun times.

Back on track...

My youngest celebrated his 17th birthday on Tuesday and I baked him a cake. I have not had cake with wheat flour in forever...I just go without and it doesn't bother me...BUT since I had the mindset that this is the last birthday he will celebrate living at home I said what the heck I am going to have some...well, you can have your cake and eat it too but when you don't tolerate wheat well and dairy...yes, I had icecream too...kaboom! I had to get to the bathroom and I had some eruptions on my face and haven't had that happen in a long time...SO...I'm done...it always shows me I am doing the right things for my body by steering clear of certain foods...HAPPY BIRTHDAY SON!!! and Sayonara to cake and icecream unless they are gluten and casein free...cha cha cha!

Pancakes with pecans and apple slices

I bought a package of Arrowhead Mills organic gluten free pancake mix and made some pancakes today. I was very pleased with the results. I used water for my liquid and added some chopped pecans and apple slices to the batter. The cakes puffed up and were delightful on their own but I did pour a little syrup on one of them and it was yummy that way too.

No bike riding today, it is raining, but I did get a ten mile ride in yesterday and I enjoyed the fall colors via pedaling...ahhh...it was wonderful.

I admit that my latest addiction is POPCORN...I can't get enough...love the SIMPLY SALTED the best.

Look at that sky look at those trees

I love AUTUMN! Okay I said it...the visuals make my toes crack...it is the BEST time...I walked out back and scared up two deer...they snorted before tearing up the hill. It was thrilling to walk around and look at the colors of the falling leaves.

I continue to do well with my eating the right things. I could benefit from eating less but at least I am eating well and avoiding sugary things...patting self on back...pat pat...

Enjoy the fall...I sure am.

Cleavage crawler

Back on the bike finally but had an interesting time...something really bugged me...a bug dropped into my shirt and was crawling in my cleavage...hehe. I stopped after five miles and had an iced tea and attempted to get the bugger out...hazards of biking...I was successful. It brought a smile to my lips and I hope yours too.

Life sure is getting serious, with the economy the way it is...our family got a diner operations dumped into our laps again. We own a diner and it has been rented out for the past two years and it is back to us again. Nice time to be running a small business...NOT! SO the little buggie down my shirt gave me some comedy relief from the daily stresses.

My eating has been disciplined...I am proud of myself. I have been having grits and green tea for breakfast, some kind of meat or poulty or fish and veggies and a tortilla like wrapping for lunch, potatoes mashed with salt and pepper and a little olive oil and some kind of protein and veggies for dinner and my every day treat...ORVILLE REDENBACKER'S SIMPLY SALTED popcorn...love it!

I gave up gum chewing...it became as obsessive as my old candy and crap eating addictions...so bye bye gum.

oh happy day...HUGS

No bike riding in a week

Well, between raining and not feeling okay one day I have not been on my bike in a week. DARN...and today is chilly and I don't feel like riding. I am dreading the worsening weather because I know it will be the end to my bike riding for the year. Oh well...that's life as everyone loves to say when they don't know what else to say...or that's the way it goes.

So on to the VP debate...I shared before I am a registered Democrat and I will be voting my party line...I felt like I was watching American Idol and wincing whenever Gov. Palin started to speak because I was unsure as to whether she would be able to handle herself or stutter and stumble and that is not a good feeling, I don't think, when it comes to voting for a potential leader.

Enough of the serious stuff...have a lovely weekend and remember...this too shall pass.

My son Patrick in a Gavin DeGraw video

http://www.youtube.com/user/gavindegrawmusic

Some of you know that my sons are musicians and recently Patrick (one singing in the pic) had the oportunity to be seen in a Gavin DeGraw music video. If you check it out he is the long haired, bearded, very tall plaid shirted guy about 1:31 into the video...yeah, that's my Patrick!

On another note...I had a rough day yesterday and proved once again, painfully, that some foods are not my friends. My hubby, bless his heart, had a craving for New England clam chowder and made some. I ate two bowls of it even though I knew the can of clams had sulfites and the soup base is milk and butter. On top of that I melted some ENJOY LIFE chocolate chips and poured them over popcorn...well the combo of all those nonos woke me up yesterday morning with a massive migraine and I was nauseos and in pain all day...I learned...I did...lost a day, but that's over with.

Enjoy the video!