SICILIAN MAMA'S JOURNAL

[witheraway1]

Sweetrose 
It is very good in the oven and easy. Anytime the oven can do it that's for me. We work too hard at other things much less make the fixing hard. Try it and enjoy!

[JerrieH]

Sweet Rose - When  I oven roast, all I do is mix the veggies with some olive oil and sea salt and pepper (sometimes Paula Deens house seasoning - whice is 1/4 c. garlic powder, 1/4 c. pepper, 1 c. salt -- I use sea salt).  That makes a bunch and lasts a long.  Paula Deen has the recipe on her website/Food Network.  Of course, you shouldn't go overboard with the oil since it does have a lot of fat and calories.  I think Silician Mama has quite a few photos posted of things she has oven roasted, i.e., cauliflower, eggplant, etc.; I just roast them at about 400 or 450 degrees until they brown.  That seems to bring out a natural sweetness.  I hope the olive oil is LDL approved.  That's just the way I have been doing it.  Others may do it differently.  But sauteeing is very good too.  Oh, sometimes I also just spray the cookie sheet with Olive Oil Pam Spray and then spray the tops of the veggies and season them, which is lower in calories, but the Pam spray I'm sure wouldn't be as healthy as the olive oil.  Maybe some others on the board have other ideas about how to oven roast.  I hope I'm doing it the LDL approved way.  Jerrie 

[Sicilian Mama]

I roast EVERYTHING!!! Even Celery!!! It's soooooo good!

Olive oil is definitely LDL approved...

My fave is...

Eggplant cubes, baby carrots, TONS of onions, sweet potatoes (for the rest of my family) butternut squash (for me) broccoli, and asparagus... all piled into a large bowl, and seasoned with whatever seasoning speaks to me that day... onion powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, Zatar seasoning, salt, pepper, maybe a little soy sauce or balsamic vinegar... then place them on baking sheets in a shallow layer and roast at 425 for about 20 minutes...

if you have lots of leftovers... grab or make some stock, and dump the veggies into a food processor (I just bought a Vita Mix, and use it ALL THE TIME) AND MAKE  a delectable roasted veggie soup...

heaven!!!!!

[SweetRose]

Thanks Wither, Sandra and JerrieH- I'm roasting some veggies in the oven tomorrow!

SweetRose

[JerrieH]

Sandra: thanks for more info on oven roasting.  I didn't think to cube the eggplant before roasting, I did it in slices.  I haven't seen the Zatar seasoning.  I also had never thought about using balsamic vinegar while roasting.  I will have to try that.  By the way, how do you like your Vitamix?  My hubby bought me one several years ago and I love it.  I use it all the time, usually at least once a day.  It just does so much that other blenders can't do.  I also have a smaller cannister that we had to pay extra for.  It is nice because the larger cannisters were too tall to sit on the stand under my cabinets, whereas the smaller one fits perfectly.  You may already have a smaller cannister.  If not, you might want to check into that if you want it to fit under you cabinet and it doesnt.  Thanks for the roasting tips.  Jerrie

[Sicilian Mama]

It's raining again in So Cal...

So today I roasted up some chicken... and some red peppers... and some corn... and made a lovely lunch for my family... OH... and I got a new pressure cooker and made 4 cups of black beans in 4 MINUTES FLAT!!!!!

Sooo much better than the 2 hours on the stove... can't believe I waited so long to get a pressure cooker... Presto stovetop 8 quart Pressure Cooker... you're my hero!!!!

[LINDA RN]

That is exactly what we got last year.
I love it and the beans have such a nice texture.
Did you presoak your beans?

[cameron]

Sicilian Mama- Now that you are able to cook dinner in a couple of minutes, I hope that you will have more time to post!! I miss your posts.


ck

[crickadoodle]

I have grown to love my pressure cooker.  I was once very afraid of it, but then I started using it and have fallen in love!!  I cooked a chicken today -- once the thingy was jiggling, it was done in 12 minutes -- a whole chicken!!  Amazing!

[Sicilian Mama]

Soaked... Yes Linda... overnight... and rinsed twice

Cameron... LOL.. I'm a working girl now... teaching high school students how to eat and cook healthy...

LOVE my cooker... it stays out on my stove all the time now..

[cameron]

Ok SM, I will just have to accept the fact that you are a very busy girl! A big thumbs up to you for doing such good work!




ck

[LINDA RN]

Thanks, SM
Was wondering how you could get the beans done that fast!
I will try that next time.

[Sicilian Mama]

Yay!

Schools out! I have some time to be on here again!!!

Watermelon season is in full swing and yesterday we piled 13 watermelons in our SUV, 5 cantaloupes, 4 huge boxes of grapes, peaches, nectarines, 4 fresh pineapples and 6 gargantuan bags of frozen fruit... I LOVE SUMMER!

I am still 100 lbs lighter... still need to drop the other 100... but haven't gained anything either!!!

Have recently been diagnosed with Arthritis in my right hip, and am going in for a cortizone injection soon.  Should see some relief from that, I hope... this pain debilitating...

I can't figure out why the pain started AFTER I lost the 100 lbs, and not 100 lbs ago... maybe my body is so used to being out of whack that getting IN whack is hurting it. No matter... I'd rather be 100lbs lighter and deal with some pain... the next 100 should right everything else... I pray.

I've got beans soaking, eggplant on the way from the store, and today's meals will be sweet with all the fruit... YAY!!!!

[niki]

I can't figure out why the pain started AFTER I lost the 100 lbs, and not 100 lbs ago... maybe my body is so used to being out of whack that getting IN whack is hurting it.

that's very interesting...it's possible that it hurts more because you're more active now that you're 100 pounds lighter.....have you tried any of the supplements for arthritis?....msm/condriotin....you can take turmeric also for arthritis....yeah.......i don't know why that should be...it's ALSO possible that it's just a coincidence since it took quite a while to lose 100 pounds.....is it definitely arthritis?.......is it possible it's fibromyalgia?...did i ever read that you have an underactive thyroid?...maybe not....there is a definite link betw the two... 

[LINDA RN]

Do ya think it could be the job? You were probaby doing more standing etc. And even though grains are healthy I believe a gluten sensitivity can aggrevate inflammation. The horrible pain in my shoulders and wrists left completely once I fullly committed to LDL. Twinges of pain come back when I cheat on even a little bit of cornbread or breaded meat.
The cortisone shots offer wonderful relief but long term effects are not good. My mothers side of the family lived on steroids just to breathe. In the long term it degenerates the bones, raises blood sugar, increases weight, compromises the immune system, and the list goes on. The relief from pain or the ability to breathe easy from allergies makes it easy to keep going back for more. Talk with the Lord about wht you need to be free from all pain and arthritis.

[Joyful Friend]

Sorry about your arthritis, SM.  I know the feeling of being free from school for the summer.  I went to Aldi today and loaded up on fruits and veggies.  The gal at the checkout asked me if I ever ate meat, because I never buy it. We have our own beef, and I usually buy Tyson chicken and 97%ff white  turkey, and they don't carry them.  I told her about LDL, and she is certainly interested.  I also love my pressure cooker.  I have used one since I was married, well way before.  My mom loved to use one. I've been through several.  For quick cooking, they are great.  I hope you post more, and  that you have success in getting the other 100 lbs;  You will.      JF

[Megara7]

Linda, you said you had bad shoulder pain?  I have a lot of upper back/shoulder pain, that I can't get rid of, sometimes worse than others.  Chiropractor and massage therapist said my back muscles are like rock, they are so tight.  Can that be from food??

[LINDA RN]

Megara,
I don't have blood tests or fancy X-Rays, but all I know is the pain in my wrists and shoulders had me in tears and I was begining to wonder if I had inherited my mothers bursitis. The pain completely disappeared after being on LDL. Actually it was nearly a year before I realized I had not had to take any Motrin or aspirin. I have never had any symptoms of any kind of a food allergy. I tell people I did not get to be this big because I was picky or allergic to food. After reading some of the literature, I have concluded that it was the grains giving me trouble. It may  not be for others but it is certainly worth a try to get off it for a while to see if you notice any improvement.

[crickadoodle]

Sandra, it's so good to "see" you again.  Yes, I remember how good it feels to enter summer after the school year is complete.  Like Joyful Friend, I hope you have great success in losing your last 100 lbs.  You've been such an inspiration to us all. 

I surely hope you can find something that helps you with your pain.  My mom put the fear of cortizone in me years ago.  She had it for something and then avoided it like the plague because of the side effects.  I hope that maybe you can find a more natural solution.  Just recently I've been reading a lot about astaxanthin being really good.  There are many natural anti inflammatory supplements you could try, possibly.  I hope you find something that works for you and does no damage to your body.  God bless!

[Sicilian Mama]

To all...

From the time I was 4 until I was 22, I was a tap/jazz/contemporary dancer, dancing all over the country... like you see on So You Think You Can Dance... but not NEARLY as talented as the kids today are... but nonetheless... that's what I did for extracurricular activity... it was a LOT work on my body, and I developed many, many, many joint ticks here and there throughout my youth...

After having my children... and putting on the extra weight... it all caught up to me... and yes Linda, my new job is much more active than I was used to for the past 16 years...  so it has a lot to do with it...

I feel so blessed to have the first 100lbs off... this pain is manageable, with meds and hopefully with the cortisone... so I can be more active to get the nexct 100 off...

Thank you all for your concern... I can feel your prayers...

I ate very well last week... engorging myself of the sweetest watermelon ever!!!  I live in the bathroom, and I am so happy about it!!! Hahhahahaha!
I need to go eat now... I'm starving... my zucchini/meat/bean burger are calling me!!!