Homemade Vegetable Stock

First up on back to blogging is getting back to cooking. I love to cook. With cooler weather I love to make soups. I have found that in some recipes, not limited to soups, I prefer to use vegetable stock rather than chicken stock or water. I became disgruntled with vegetable stock once I went gluten free and corn free. That combo is hard to find in a vegetable stock! Not to mention, have you opened a can or box of vegetable stock or broth lately? Boring!!! No flavor and no appeal.

It got me thinking...... why can't I make my own vegetable stock? It can't be that hard! I started saving my scraps from cutting up vegetables and fruits. That means onion peels and ends, carrot tops, pepper tops and seeds, apple cores, celery pieces, kale stalks, winter squash rinds....... anything that I would usually feed to my chickens or that you might put on your compost pile(minus the coffee grounds, of course!). I find that a few of the green elements are essential. The kale or collard stalks or leaves add a very rich flavor. I keep a gallon ziplock bag in the fridge and add to it over a week or so.

Put all of this into a large pot, fill it almost to the brim with water, throw in a bay leaf or two and cook it for a long time. Your kitchen will smell like Mama just came over with the best vegetable soup that ever touched your tongue. The aroma will make you salivate. Perfect to put on the stove on a chilly fall afternoon.

You want to cook it until it looks like mush. Then let it cool. Slowly dip off the beautiful liquid into containers to freeze. When you get to just vegetables, pour them into a colander over a pan. Let the stock settle out and then dip out the rest. I usually leave a little bit of liquid in the bottom of the bowl, because no matter how hard I wash my veggies there is always some silt or sediment in the bottom that I don't want in my soups!

Here is a look at the mushy cooked vegetables. They can now be thrown on the compost heap or fed to your chickens.

And the stock ready to go into the freezer. I find that from a 1 gallon ziplock of vegetable scraps and a decent size stock pot I usually get about 4 quarts of stock. I seal it in quart freezer bags after cooling and lay them flat in the freezer. That way I can stack them later.  

Yummy!! Look at the color of that stock! I love doing this. I have control over the ingredients. I have the ingredients anyway. I know exactly what is in my stock. I do not add salt. I add that when I cook the main dish later. There are no additives or preservatives. Try it. I think you will never buy vegetable stock again!

Healthy Eating Update

You may be wondering how my healthy eating is going. Just for a reminder I am gluten free, sugar free, dairy free, yeast free, and corn free. It was difficult at first figuring out how to eat, but I am pretty used to it now. I really don't get tempted often and even then, saying no is easy when you know that thing will make you feel yucky later.

Meals really aren't that hard or different. We just stick to meat and vegetables with an occasional side of rice. I can still have Dave's amazing grilled steak which gets better every time he makes it. So far I am not missing too many foods either. I will admit, Thanksgiving might be tough. I love cornbread dressing. sigh. That will be missed.

As a result of all of this healthy eating, I have become the incredible shrinking woman. Do you remember that movie? I need to look it up. Anyway, without trying to, nor did I expect it, I have dropped almost thirty pounds. This side affect of losing weight wasn't on my horizon. I was quite happy with my weight and size. I didn't look in the mirror and wish that I was smaller. Now I am faced with getting a whole new wardrobe. Almost nothing fits that did before. I think that most women would love this- losing weight and having to buy new clothes. Have I mentioned that I hate shopping? Especially when I can no longer judge what will fit me just by looking at it on the rack. To set out an outfit only to have it hang off of you when you put it on is no fun. And when you decide that you will try to wear it anyway and your friend tells you that it looks like you have a load in your pants, you decide to go shopping.

I bought my first pair of skinny jeans. What!!! Dave is thrilled of course. One bonus of all of this, I actually have normal sized calves!! My fluid retention has gone way down. I am so thrilled about that. I have shopped here and there for bits and pieces, but I need to get some more work clothes soon.

My energy levels are up and down. I had been doing pretty well, but a month of stress at work knocked me down. I am trying to get back to where I was. Oh, my creative juices are flowing again though!! I have been hand stitching up a storm and loving it!! I haven't really sewn in two years. I am so glad to have that creative energy back. Be in the look out for pictures of my creations.

Ok, now that I have written a short book, I am going to enjoy my day.... I hope that you are enjoying yours too!

Dairy Free, Sugar Free, Gluten Free Baking

I tried baking for the fist time on my new healthy eating plan a couple of weeks ago. I found some recipes on a fantastic website called Elana's Pantry. She actually has a coconut milk ice cream recipe on the home page right now. I might have to try that one!!

Anyway, she does her baking with coconut flour or almond flour and calls for very few ingredients compared to most gluten free baking recipes. So, I gave the blueberry muffins and lemon poppy seed muffins a whirl.

I forgot to take a picture of the blueberry ones. But these look pretty good, huh? I think they tasted pretty good too. I will definitely make them again.

What I learned? I don't miss baked good as much as I expected. I ate a couple of muffins and didn't want any more. Weird. Coconut flour makes a different texture of baked goods. It is noticeable but not bad. It is high in fiber and protein. I think that makes you eat less. Maybe not.

I can't wait to get some almond flour to make some more recipes!! Thanks Elana!

Dairy Free, Sugar Free, Gluten Free Ice Cream?

Is there such a thing that tastes good? Yes!! There is. I have had the pleasure to try two different brands of coconut milk ice cream. They are both very good. The first one is by Purely Decadent.

It is creamy and delicious. Some of their flavors do contain sugar, so be on the look out. My main draw to this product- it is available at Kroger! That means I can feed a craving in the middle of the night! 

The second brand is Coconut Bliss.

When I have time to plan for ice cream this is my choice. I found it at Whole Foods and Life Grocery near me. I find Coconut Bliss to be creamier than the Purely Decadent brand. I like that!!

Both of these brands are sweetened with agave nectar. Both of these brands have been eaten by dairy lover friends of mine and they liked them!

What I love about these- I can have ice cream that is tasty and delicious!! Shoot. My Dr. even asked me if I had tried Coconut Bliss. YES! was my emphatic reply. Thank you Purely Decadent and Coconut Bliss for making such wonderful products for those of us who have limited diets or food allergies. Keep them coming!!

Wheat Where?

On this whole gluten free journey I have been surprised where wheat or gluten products might turn up. You might be surprised too.

Soy sauce- it's not all soy. Go to the pantry and pick up your bottle. See- wheat. Bummer. There is wheat free soy sauce. However, I am only allowed to have sea salt, so soy sauce is staying away from my pantry. Actually many sauces contain wheat products- teriyaki sauce, Worchestershire, and most steak sauces.

Spice blends- this can be a sad one for me. Many of the steak seasonings or seasonings with "smoke flavor" have some form of gluten. And of course the ever present MSG- the G stands for glutemate = gluten. So I make most of my own spice blends. There plenty out there that are gluten free, but I am wary of "natural flavor". Shiver down my spine!

Salad dressing and marinades- I stay away from these especially when eating out. Gluten products are often used as thickeners. Again it can be as small as that "natural flavor" or it can be all out labeled. Some products are labeled gluten free. I can breathe a sigh of relief when I see that! I also stay away from anything marinated at restaurants because of this.

Communion wafers or crackers- I had forgotten about this until I went to church on Sunday. Some churches are starting to have a gluten free tray or allow people to bring in their own. I will say that I broke mine into a tiny piece but it had me concerned all day! Next time I will plan ahead. This does however make visiting churches a bit interesting.

Shampoo and soap- Wheat derivatives are often used in hair care. On my very nice Jason's shampoo bottle it was listed clearly- hydrolyzed wheat protein. And I have been wondering why my scalp issues haven't cleared up!! I have switched brands now. Sorry Jason's. I also changed my facial cleanser, and it has made a difference. It is amazing how it is the small things that have a big impact.

Lotion, sunscreen and beauty products- Yep. Lotion. Often same as the shampoo.  Or have you ever seen tocopherol listed on an ingredients list? It is vitamin E, but is often derived from wheat. And there are lots of other words like that to look for. Gotta check your source and that can be time consuming. My eyes have been much less irritated since I stopped wearing makeup. There is gluten free makeup out there, but again, you have to do a lot of research.

Ok, my brain is tired. I am sure that there is something else out there that I will remember later. We'll just add to the list then. Until then I encourage you to do some label reading and start noticing where wheat turns up or gluten. Once you learn to recognize it you won't wonder why people are starting to get sensitive to it. It is everywhere!!!

Well.....

It is official. I had my one month check up. My healthy eating plan isn't a temporary thing. My Doc says I should continue on this path for the rest of my life. I kind of knew that in my gut. It makes me feel like I wasn't silly for completely cleaning out the pantry, going gangbusters looking for cookbooks, and sticking to it.

My body is changing. A few people have commented lately, "Have you lost weight?". My reply, "Uhm,  maybe. I have no idea, but my clothes are baggier." I have told you all that the swelling in my legs has gone down and it has continued to do so. My ankles are probably the smallest that I have seen them since I was 16 or so. So crazy!!! I don't recognize my own legs. And..... I have lost ten pounds. I had no idea that I lost that much. Most of it was probably inflammation. My healthy eating plan and homeopathic meds have helped flush out the bad stuff and reduce the inflammation. My energy levels are still low, but I do have a good amount of energy in the morning. I am trying to plan things around that, but it is difficult.

I found out that I can have all fruits and vegetables. Yay!! That is so exciting. Funny how joyous eating a watermelon or cantaloupe sounds. No dairy. Ever. I will try to stay away from sugar and yeast. And gluten is not my friend. I will probably be spending a lot of time talking about gluten from here on out. Eating gluten-free, dairy-free, brown rice-free and sugar free is a challenge. I really want to share any information that I can. Especially good eats and treats.

The challenge will be to eat like a hippy but not be one. I mean I might start sprouting, fermenting and eating raw. Ok, only fermenting a couple of things. I hate the smell. Sprouting is easy and delicious. But we will get into that another time.

So, my friends ask, "What does that mean when we eat together?".  Most likely if we are eating in a home I will bring along a big salad or some hummus and veggies to share. I am not going to die if I eat off my my plan. I just might not feel good. I will be cautious. I will be careful. But treating me to a teaspoon of sugar here and there might make me smile! I am learning how to be prepared for eating out, weddings and get togethers. There are some good restaurants that have a gluten free menu. And many others have a list of gluten free items. Don't worry, I will be writing some about that too.

Actually I am excited. This is a challenge that I am fully capable of accepting. I will feel better, Dave and I are eating healthier and maybe you will be too if I find some stellar recipes. Alright, gotta go search out some more good eats!

Gluten Free Bread?

On my gluten free adventure, I haven't had very many options for bread. I picked up a couple of mixes from Chebe. They are gluten free, dairy free, soy free, rice free, pretty much everything free!! I was skeptical.

I made my first mix this weekend. It was for a flat bread. Oh yum!!

I topped it with sauteed onions, garlic and chard. It was so delicious!! I will definitely be making this again. It does require 2 eggs, but I have those!

Even Dave approved. His comment was, "How is this not bread?". Ha! I had to tell him that it is bread, just no gluten.

Bonus: I even messed up on the directions and it worked out! I think that the key to this bread is to knead the dough really well.

I can't wait to try my next mix from Chebe!

Changes

I am making some changes in my life. They are life altering and kind of scary. Don't worry, it only deals with food!

Some of you know but some of you don't know the story of why I am making these changes. My whole life I have had one illness, affliction or something stressing my physical health. I was a miracle baby that the Doctor said shouldn't be here. I am so glad that Mom and Dad took the risk to have me! Anyway, that being said, I have had a long road with many doctors. The last decade or so has been pretty uneventful health wise. I has been a nice break, but I have never taken my health for granted.

The past few months have been rough. It started out with nausea. No, I am not, nor was I pregnant. I could manage through the day and could eat fine. But it was annoying. A month or two into it, fatigue set in and refused to leave. My doctors ran a jillion tests. Everything came back saying that all was in good working order.

Well, after a couple of days of debilitating fatigue I found another doctor. Within five minutes of looking at me he told me that my adrenal glands are shot. I had suspected this, but no other doctor was willing to go there. I asked him if we should run any tests. He said that would cost a lot of money and would only tell him what he already knows. Did I mention that he is an M.D. that also studied Chinese medicine? I am so glad to have someone on this road with me! He said I have probably had adrenal issues my whole life. Wow! And I have other issues going on, but we start with the adrenals.

So, what do we do about it? He gave me some homeopathic remedies, a list of stretches/movements to do, an order to do NO exercise and a strict diet. And I mean strict! No gluten, corn, sugar, yeast, table salt, soda, brown rice, no tap water, tea, coffee, alcohol and limited other things. So, I started this diet last week and am seeing results already. Swelling, which I have always had in my extremities, is going down. I ate some foods on my "naughty" list the other day to say my goodbyes. My histamines were of control! You would have thought that I walked through a pollen storm. Not to mention that my favorite "do not eat" foods don't taste like favorites should anymore. It is so strange, but it will help me stay my course.

Here is a list of what I am eating a lot of right now. You could call it an elimination diet:
Basmati or Jasmine rice
broccoli
kale
romaine
sugar snap peas
carrots
potatoes
raw walnuts
raw sunflower seeds
raw almonds
raw pumpkin seeds
cauliflower
grapes
pears
grapefruit
kiwi
spinach
poached eggs

Like I said, limited. It does have plenty of variety. Thank God that I have free range chickens so that I have free range eggs. I can not eat store bought eggs poached. No way! Free range are a totally different experience. Thank you chickens.

Ok, I am sure that I have bored you enough. I just wanted to let you know what is going around here. I will probably be posting a bit more frequently about food. I will have to be doing all of my cooking. Eating out really isn't an option. I might find some pretty cool products and recipes along the way or places where I can eat, other than my kitchen! Oh, and I will try to post on why some of these foods have been eliminated or are allowed or encouraged.

Thanks for taking this journey with me!! I am hoping for great results. Like a Kara full of energy in a year or so. I can't even imagine it!! And so the great experiment begins...