learning new ways

for the past 4 months, i’ve been working out with a trainer at the gym.  I send him a food log of everything i’ve eaten that day, we track body fat, weight loss and overall food intake.  The diet is not much more restrictive than what I was eating before as a result of my Celiac’s disease and other food allergies and because we monitor the times and quantities eaten, I actually find that I eat more now than I did before and am rarely (if ever) hungry.  In the past 14 months, I’ve lost 45 lbs.  My goal would be to lose another 20 -25 and maybe another 2 clothing sizes (am already down 4!)

At the first of the year, Ted and I started working out together with the trainer.  This has been a change from what I was used to, but has been a lot of fun to share this area of my life with him.  I’ve been cooking now for both of us, to help him get used to the diet, and he’s been very helpful in planning meals, cleaning up, organizing and encouraging me through the learning process.

I love to cook.  But its been a challenge to cook not only gluten and dairy free (which has now become the norm), but now also sugar and sodium free… and to prepare everything in measured and weighed quantities, pack it in individual containers for our respective 4 meals a day and do it so that neither of us get bored with eating the same foods over and over again.  The first week I did it, I can’t tell you how many times I just broke down and cried from feeling completely overwhelmed.  :(   this week has been much better.  Ted’s been helping me plan the week in advance and then we go shopping together to buy what we need.  Then its just a matter of figuring out when to cook.  cooking is beginning to be fun again… :)

For Christmas, Ted bought me a Breadman bread machine.  I’m enjoying playing around with different recipes and mixes.  The first loaf I made was Pamela’s wheat free bread mix.  It was absolutely delicious… the best gluten free bread I’ve ever tried.  Nice and fluffy… held together well… tasted great as bread or toast… and had just a bit of sweetness to it, kind of like a sourdough bread.  The only problem is that at 280 mg of sodium per slice, its way too high for our diet.  So, off I went on the adventure to find another gluten free bread mix that could compare.  The next attempt was Gluten-Free Pantry’s French bread mix.  It has a recipe for a loaf of bread in a breadmaker, so I gave it a try.  Due to the fact that its primarily rice flour (aka no flavor or taste), it is not nearly as good as the other mix.  But it has much less sodium and by not adding extra salt as directed to the recipe, it is even lower than the 120 mg listed.  So, a better option, but sadly you compromise taste.  :(

This weekend, I’m going to try several other recipes…  once i see how they turn out, i’ll post an update. :)  happy weekend everyone!

mexican fajitas

i made dinner the other night for the naisangs.  i’m glad it turned out because most of what i did was just playing and experimenting.  :)  yay!  i love cooking.  as i learned from my shimp scampi a few weeks ago, it can turn out great once but if you forget what you put in it, the same meal doesn’t seem to turn out as nicely the second go around.  so, for my own sanity’s sake, here’s what i put in it.

 

1.  black bean and tomato

black beans (2 cans)

diced tomato (2 cans) – I used the italian spiced one - you can use the one with the mexican spices or the regular one too though.

1 onion (diced)

as much garlic as you want

chili powder

cayenne pepper

cumin

nutmeg

cinammon

                   

mix it all together, and let it simmer.  if you want, you can sautee the onions and garlic first in some olive oil.  since i knew it would simmer for a while, i just threw them in raw and let them cook down.  (i used this as a side dish, but you can also add some chicken stock and more veggies and its a great start to a wintery soup)

 

2.  chicken fajitas

sautee onion and garlic in a pan with olive oil (i put enough oil to cover the bottom of the pan)

add cubed chicken

add spices

    lots of cumin

    some chili powder

    garlic powder

    basil

    anything other spices you think it needs

cover the pan and let that simmer (on low) till the chicken is mostly done

then add veggies.  i put in yellow and red pepper, onion, and mushroom.  you can also do zucchini, squash, tomato, etc.  basically throw in anything you have!  :)  i like the veggies still a little crunchy so i didn’t throw this in till maybe 10 mintues before we sat down to eat.

 

3.  mango salsa

chop up 2 jalepeno pepper, 1/2 – 1 onion (depending on how much you want), 3 tomatoes, a handful of cilantro, juice from several limes (i think we used 3).  mix that all together and let it sit so the lime juice and cilantro flavor absorbs into everything.  chop 2 mangos and add to the salsa.  (you can also use peaches)

 

for a variation, instead of onion and tomato, use watermelon and mango with the peppers, cilantro and lime. 

 

4.  guacamole.

2 avacados smashed with 1/2 tomato mixed in. add a little lime juice to keep it from turning brown.

 

serve with corn chips as a nachos, or with tortillas.  for those who are not gluten and dairy free, you can also add sour cream or cheese.  :)  other than that, everything else is gluten free, dairy free, soy free, etc.  yum! :)