Knit & Nosh

a knitting post

Can you believe it, an actual knitting post? So, I began the Elimination Diet solely to deal with the headache, but there have been some bonus results as well. One of them is that my hands/wrists are feeling great. Not "good as new" but still pretty darn good. This has prompted me to pick up my knitting.

I began this sock at least six months ago with no hope of actually finishing this sock, let alone a pair. Over the past few days I have not only finished the sock,

but begun a second. I am a little giddy. Gone are the days when I cranked out two pair of very large socks per month. But regaining a few pair a year would be something worth celebrating.

Can you believe that all of this improvement can be traced to diet? Four weeks ago I would have said, "Not possible." Now I am truly amazed.

What other good things will the next couple of months bring?

 

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elimination diet update

The first poppy of the season has opened! We have many different colors scattered around the deck and I just love them. The air is seldom still around here, so they spend their days swaying in the breeze and catching your eye.

An Elimination Diet update is in order. I posted about the reason for the drastic measure here, and at that time I was kinda mad that I had to give up all my favorite foods. By the morning of Day 4 I had had quite enough. I was bored with the food I had been eating, still felt awful, and doubted that I was doing the right thing. I turned to the Internet for more food suggestions and found some ideas that got me through the weekend. Day 7 I felt like telling everyone I knew how much better I was feeling. I knew I was on the right path and began to think about the future.

Here we are on Day 10 and I feel great, no headache at all and no pain pills for over 24 hours! I am looking forward to Monday and my first food challenge, eggs. Oh how I am looking forward to eating eggs. Thursday will be my second food challenge, potatoes. Thursday is also July 4th, my favorite holiday of the year. I chose potatoes for that day so that I can have potato salad. Baked beans and corn on the cob are out of the question, but I did find a cupcake recipe to try. But no frosting, I will not have cleared dairy at that point.

In looking for the cupcake recipe I stumbled on the Paleo Diet. I have not looked twice at the whole Paleo thing before now, because I used to be a vegetarian. That is no longer true and I am loving the ideas I am getting from the Paleo sites. They do not eat any grains at all, amazing. The recipes I am finding attached to this way of eating are going to make the next part of the Elimination Diet easy peasy. My favorite site so far? Nom Nom Paleo. I plan to use their week of packed lunches when I have jury duty next month.

 

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cbrm-cooking with flowers

Like most of you, I am aware that violas and dandelion greens can be added to salads, and that fried squash blossoms are really tasty. Last year I made a fine rose petal jam, but that is about the extent of my knowledge when it comes to edible flowers. Boy do I have a lot to learn.

Cooking With Flowers: Sweet and Savory Recipes with Rose Petals, Lilacs, Lavender, and Other Edible Flowers by Miche Bacher offers up more ideas than I thought possible. Miche Bacher is an herbalist, chef, and the founder of Mali B Sweets. She takes that knowledge and pours it into a cookbook unlike any I have seen before.

Pistachio Rose Shortbread

Nasturtium Pizza

 

White Pepper Thumbprint Cookies With Lilac Jam

Hibiscus Popsicles

Elderflower Lemon Cakelets

Fig and Rose Cream Trifle

The chapters are broken up by type of flower. Calendulas, Dandelions, Day Lilies, Dianthus, Elderflowers, Geraniums, Herb Flowers, Hibiscus and Hollyhocks, Lilacs, Nasturtiums, Orchids, Pansies and Violas, Roses, Squash Blossoms, Sunflowers, Tulips, and Violets. Who knew?!?

Many of these flowers are growing in my own yard or in pots on the deck. I am an organic gardener so have no qualms about picking flowers to eat. If you are an apartment dweller, your local farmers market would be a great place to start a search for these edible beauties. Also, when at the nursery last weekend i noticed they had an entire section of edible flowers! Clearly this is an up and coming cooking trend.

The final chapter in the book includes many "basic" recipes for candied flowers, flower syrups, flower hard candies, flower butter and cheeses, flower glazes, flower jams, flower vodkas (!), flower wines, flower teas, flower vinegars, flower whipped creams, flower frostings, flower sorbets, flower lemonades, and more. If there is something that can be made using flowers, you will find it here.

ThIs book will make a great gift for the cook or gardener in your life as it is unlikely they have anything similar on their shelves. The pages of Cooking With Flowers are thick and luxurious, and the photography is sure to inspire. And flower vodkas!

 

 

 

 

 

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cashew ranch dressing

I have been reading about cashew ranch dressing for years but never had the courage to make a batch. Day 3 of the Elimination Diet seemed like a good time. I used this recipe, which is very similar to all the other recipes out there. At first taste it was not good. Being the optimist that I am, I decided to stick it in the fridge and let the flavors meld overnight.

I pulled out the jar when making lunch, gave it a taste, and pronounced it inedible. One of the worst things that I have ever tasted. I can not believe people think soaked cashews are a fine dairy substitute. Ew. I will be sticking to my oil dressings for the foreseeable future.

 

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it lives!

After a very busy end of week and weekend, imagine my surprise when I walked out to the vegetable garden and found this.

No longer a sad little rhubarb, it is now happy as can be and the new leaf is beautiful. Yeah!

 

 

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elimination diet eve

To make a long story short, on March 6 I had a headache and it has never stopped.

For the past three months I have been poked, prodded, tested, scanned, journaled, and MRIed. All normal. This should be good news, except I kept hoping they would find something wrong, something that could be fixed so my head would stop hurting. The last doc I saw, a neurologist, was the last straw. She diagnosed me with chronic migraines and prescribed pain meds that I need to take everyday, forever. Not my idea of the good life.

Given my recently developed food and medication intolerances, I think it is fair to suspect that one or more of the foods I eat everyday are making me sick. After much research about testing for such things I decided that a Ouiji Board would be just as helpful as any of the current testing methods. The answer is one I tried to avoid, thinking there must be an easier way. Turns out there is not. It is going to be difficult, but will provide the best results. An Elimination Diet.

I start Monday, so here we are on the eve of my turning my entire life upside down. I know it is going to be difficult, but if it offers relief it will be worth a few months of deprivation. The literature says that your intolerance is often something you love and eat almost everyday. That means that potatoes, corn, and eggs are the prime suspects. Of those three, I would miss eggs the most, and corn would be the most difficult to avoid, so potatoes would be the best option.

If you have advice to give, I would love to hear it.

 

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sad rhubarb plant

Last fall, one of my BFFs gave me a rhubarb plant. I popped it in the garden and sure enough, it came up in the spring. The leaves were green and perky and I loved looking at it as I walked past.

When we added compost to the raised beds, I lifted the plant and set it in the shade. It was not out of the ground for more than a couple of hours. Since replanting, all the leaves have slowly turned red and then fallen off. It is so sad.

Do you think it's anger is temporary? Will it come back again next spring?

 

 

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perfect protein and clam's with spicy sausage recipe

Today, June 8th, is World Oceans Day, and there is a new book aimed at "how we should and can quickly increase the amount of wild seafood in our oceans; as well as how as consumers we can shop and eat more of the right seafood to help feed the world, address hunger and improve the world’s health." The book is The Perfect Protein: The Fish Lover's Guide to Saving The Oceans and Feeding The World. In addition to tons of great information about the oceans and an introduction written by Bill Clinton, it also contains recipes by top chefs.

I am really lucky to live down the street from a natural grocery that only carries fish from the Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch Program. This means when I am shopping for fish I do not have to do any homework, I know whatever they have is a good choice.

In addition to fresh fish, I like to keep frozen fish in the freezer for days when it is raining and I do not feel like walking to the store. I have learned that the fish I have been keeping, Maui Maui, is a very bad choice. So before I head to Costco next time I will print out the Seafood Watch list and cross my fingers there is something I can use as a replacement.

The following recipe is from Perfect Protein and is a simple dish perfect for a summer evening.

Eric Ripert’s Clams with Spicy Sausage

PREP TIME: 10 MINUTES | COOKING TIME: 20 MINUTES | SERVES 4

If Le Bernardin is New York’s temple to seafood, then chef and co-owner Eric Ripert is one of the ocean’s culinary deities. Chef Ripert learned to cook as a young boy in France, has since earned nearly every cooking accolade there is, and still has spare time for conservation - he recently joined Oceana in calling for increased seafood traceability in the United States. But don’t let the chef’s pedigree intimidate you; this recipe is a breeze.

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

1 onion, thinly sliced

1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder

1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

1/4 pound andouille sausage, thinly sliced

1 cup chicken stock

4 dozen littleneck clams, well scrubbed

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Lemon wedges for serving

 

Warm the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic, onion, curry powder, and lemon zest. Cook for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the onion has softened and turned translucent. Add the sausage and cook for about 2 minutes, or until lightly browned. Add the stock and bring to a boil. Add the clams, cover, and cook for about 5 minutes, shaking the pan a few times, until the clams open.

Using a slotted spoon, place the clams in shallow serving bowls, discarding any clams that don’t open. Stir the cilantro into the broth and pour it over the clams. Serve with lemon wedges.

 

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better late than never

This year's garden is in and growing.

We have had a beautiful spring and there are already little tomatoes!

I planted three types of squash this year

 

Zucchini, patty pan, and yellow. Right now they all look the same. Last year I had trouble with pollination, so this time I planted the two starts together. Fingers crossed I have a boy and girl for each variety.

I can not wait to have home grown Hummus Pizza.

This is the most beautiful lettuce variety, it is called Freckles and I hope it tastes half as good as it looks.

You may remember that at the end of last year's growing season I said, "No more corn." It took up so much space and the results were lackluster. But Husband is not quite ready to give up. So this year instead of seeds, I used starts, and I put in fewer plants. I am not going to hold my breath, but if we already have tomatoes, I think the corn has a sporting chance.

How is your garden coming along?

 

 

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bob's red mill contest and giveaway

Bob's Red Mill is my go to when it comes to gluten free grains. Before Celiac, I loved Bob's Red Mill for their quality and variety, and now I trust them when they say Gluten Free.

This brings us to the Spar For The Spurtle contest. Before I get into all the details, I want to let you know that Bob's Red Mill has offered a bonus prize pack to my readers. The first five people to post a video at www.sparforthespurtle.com and then come back and tell me you did it, will get a big box of goodness that includes

Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Pancake Mix, Brownie Mix, Muesli, and of course, Steel Cut Oats. I should point out the the box I received contained four, count 'em, four bags of each of these products, so do not be surprised if a BIG box arrives on your doorstep.

Below are all the details. Yes, I plan to enter, I have never been to Scotland and imagine it would be great fun to do so as part of a cooking contest. Let me know as soon as you post a video, and Bob's Red Mill Natural Foods will send you your own box of gluten free goodies.

 

"Bob’s Red Mill Launches Search for Best Porridge Maker in the United States

Portland, Ore. – May 1, 2013 – Fresh off winning its second title in four years at the Golden Spurtle World Porridge Making Championship in Scotland, Bob’s Red Mill Natural Foods is once again looking to crown a United States Porridge Making Champion to represent the company at the international competition. The leading provider of whole grain foods and the official purveyor of the “World’s Best Oatmeal™” is calling on foodies and oatmeal lovers across the country to enter their best recipes in the company’s third annual Spar for the Spurtle United States Porridge Making Championship.

The competition invites oatmeal enthusiasts to submit videos demonstrating an original recipe that makes use of Bob’s Red Mill Steel Cut Oats® – the official “World’s Best Oatmeal.” From the entries, the company will select three finalists and fly them to Portland, Ore., to compete in a live cook-off. The winner of that cook-off will travel with the Bob’s Red Mill team to compete in the 20th annual Golden Spurtle World Porridge Making Championship in Scotland this October.

“We have had so much fun over the past few years, not only in Scotland but also at our own Spar for the Spurtle cook-off right here at our world headquarters,” said Bob Moore, founder, president and CEO of employee-owned Bob’s Red Mill. “We just can’t wait to see what people come up with this year.”

The 2012 Spar for the Spurtle winner, Laurie Figone of Petaluma, Calif., competed spurtle-to-spurtle with the Scots and an international field at the World Championship with her Italian Pinhead Torta and won the prestigious Speciality Trophy, awarded to the competitor who prepares a creative “blending and harmony of porridge with other ingredients.” World title winners are also selected in categories for Traditional Porridge (allowing for the use of only oats, water and salt) and People’s Choice.

This year, the Golden Spurtle is celebrating its 20th year of competition in the Scottish Highland village of Carrbridge. Bob’s Red Mill first competed in the World Championship in 2009, becoming the first American contenders to do so. In that first year competing, Bob’s Red Mill won the World Championship and the highly coveted Golden Spurtle trophy, awarded in the Traditional Porridge category (a spurtle is a Scottish kitchen tool dating back to the 15th century that is traditionally used to stir porridge and prevent it from becoming lumpy). Since 2011, the company has turned to its fans for representation at the competition, and its 2012 Spar for the Spurtle contest drew nearly 100 entries.

“We have just been blown away by the Spar for the Spurtle recipes we’ve received over the past two years,” said Matthew Cox, the 2009 World Porridge Making Champion and marketing director at Bob’s Red Mill. “For our 2012 Spar for the Spurtle winner to travel to Scotland and beat the Scots at their own game shows just how creative our fans are, and we have very high hopes for this year’s entries.”

Anyone interested in entering the third annual Spar for the Spurtle should visit www.sparforthespurtle.com to submit a video demonstration of an original recipe that makes use of Bob’s Red Mill Steel Cut Oats (Bob’s Red Mill’s Gluten Free Steel Cut Oats may also be used in place of regular Steel Cut Oats). Videos can be no longer than three minutes and should demonstrate a creative use of the oats. Dishes can be sweet or savory – they just need to be cooked on the stovetop and able to be created from start to finish within 30 minutes.

All eligible videos will be posted on www.sparforthespurtle.com. The top three contestants selected by Bob’s Red Mill as the finalists will be flown to Portland for the live cook-off. During the live 30-minute cook-off, the three finalists will prepare their oatmeal recipes from scratch for a panel of celebrity judges in conditions that mirror those at the Golden Spurtle competition.

New this year, anyone entering the contest will receive a coupon that can be redeemed at his or her favorite retailer for a free bag of Bob’s Red Mill Steel Cut Oats (standard or gluten free). In addition, anyone not selected as a finalist will be entered into a random drawing to win a year’s supply of Steel Cut Oats.

Spar for the Spurtle Official Prize Packages

Based on the video submissions, three finalists will be chosen to receive the ultimate trip for Bob’s Red Mill fans. The Finalist Prize Package includes:

Round-trip airfare to Portland, Oregon

Three-nights’ accommodations at a downtown Portland hotel

A tour of Bob’s Red Mill led by company founder Bob Moore

A gift basket filled with Bob’s Red Mill products and merchandise

$100 Bob’s Red Mill Gift Card

A spot in the live cook-off for a chance at the Grand Prize

$100 for cook-off supplies

The winner of the live cook-off will receive the Grand Prize Package, which includes the following:

Round-trip airfare for two to Scotland to represent the Bob’s Red Mill team at the 20th annual Golden Spurtle World Porridge Making Championship in October 2013

Two nights’ accommodations in Edinburg, three nights’ accommodations in Carrbridge (for two)

Rail transportation between Edinburgh and Carrbridge (for two)

$2500 cash

To submit a recipe, watch the videos, read the contest’s official rules and learn more about the World’s Best Oatmeal™, please visit www.sparforthespurtle.com. The deadline for recipe submissions is July 22, 2013. For more information on all of Bob’s Red Mill’s products, please visit www.bobsredmill.com."

 

 

 

 

 

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