Gwennaford's Journal

[niki]

judie...i just went to look for your motzoh ball soup recipe and i don't know why i can't find it.....i put it in the search engine, too, and didn't get anything... 
   when gwen mentioned motzoh balls, i wondered what would happen if you dropped  this batter into  boiling water......OR if you mixed her batter with ground popcorn or wasa crisps...maybe a little less baking powder...i'm not sure about that...making it with JUST wasa crisps would be too many wasa crisps...just imagine how many crackers would be in a few motzoh balls....
   everyone, just like with everything else, the first sign that something is making your blood sugars fluctuate is that you want to eat it more than once in a day and you want it even after eating a full meal........so with this, just like ANYTHING else, be careful....................

[snowbirdie]

Hi Niki,
    Found it, Mock Matzoh ball soup under main dishes. april5 2007. It is so good.
                                    judie

[niki]

now i found it.....so, you use popcorn flour and a small amount of baking powder....so now, you have to try using the ground chickpeas and mixing some popcorn flour or wasa crisps in with it to see if you like the consistency.......
  i used to LOVE making a big pot of motzoh ball soup in the wintertime...AND i used to love eating it........to tell you the truth, i don't miss it.....i'd just as soon make some homemade chicken soup and add some brown rice to it(and SO much easier)...........

[patsyfay]

   everyone, just like with everything else, the first sign that something is making your blood sugars fluctuate is that you want to eat it more than once in a day and you want it even after eating a full meal........so with this, just like ANYTHING else, be careful....................

Niki,
I just love it when you put this kind of encouragement/information in your posts.  Is there any way to compile them so we can print them out for our own personal home encouragement?  You always seem to know which foods stableize BP, how foods affect us not just physically, but emotionally, etc.  You've had so many wonderful posts that it would probably be a chore to put them together.  Maybe I'll just begin to do that as I come across them and then add them to the site....unless, of course, you can remember all of them>

Pat

[Gwennaford]

Maybe it was the spelling, Niki.  My box mix spells it 'matzo'.  Judie puts an 'h' at the end.  I'm going to look it up, out of curiosity, but I probably won't make them.  I know I would love them, but as it is, I don't miss what I've never had.   :tongue: 

I'm pretty satisfied not adding any starches to chicken soup - only veggies.  But I AM a "dunker" and I have missed having cornbread with my beans.  And I love having cookies and muffins with my coffee, but not necessarily for breakfast.  A savory breakfast with protein last me longer.

I did put the first not-so matzo into simmering water and it instantly vaporized!  It was hilarious.  I put a couple into the microwave to see if I could get the outside to set so they could finish cooking in the broth, but they cooked through SO FAST and spread out like little plops.  In just a few seconds.  And they were too ugly for matzo balls. I would have been ashamed to share them with you.  But as biscuits, however, they are my new fave.

[Gwennaford]

Judie, after reading your recipe for mock matzoh ball soup, I've changed my mind about not making them.  They sound SO GOOD.  I may just make a half batch, since it's only me eating them.  I cannot imagine how much popped corn it would take to make 4 cups of flour!  I only have a tiny food processor - no VitaMix or blender, so I'll probably be at it all day. 

That reminds me, I was going to check out Craig's list for a used VitaMix. 

I've got to get off this computer.  I've been at it all day, playing & trying to type up those two brining recipes.  The good news is, it's past dinnertime, I haven't eaten today, and I haven't thought about being hungry all day.  Now my body is too tired to go have that food binge that was looming yesterday, so I think I'm safe.  Darn!  I was going to make some ground beefturkbanzo patties today but now it's too late for the heavy protein.  Again, good thing I'm so tired, or I'd probably make them anyway. 

Hmmm ... I just remembered there's half a loaf of Beanana Bread in there with my name on it.  I'll have it with some fruit and some hot green tea with fresh ginger slices & I'll be good until the morning.

Now I lay me down to sleep...
Good Night! 

[snowbirdie]

hi gwen
    You might like the matzoh balls I make. They are made with popcorn flour. I have the recipe under main meals. Oh the balls are made with chicken not matzoh'.
                  judie

[Gwennaford]

I'm seriously looking for a Vita Mix so I can grind my own chicken & turkey breast to make recipes like this.  I've done it before in my little food processor, but it takes a long time to process those tiny batches, they don't come out evenly ground, and I don't like to handle the chicken that much 'cause I know I'm introducing bacteria. 

It doesn't make sense to buy lean ground beef at $4.99/lb. when you can get boneless skinless chicken breasts, even the tenders, for $1.79 on sale.  I'm also getting tired of buying beef that is loaded up with so much WATER that you practically have to wring it out.  I get mad when they do that. I don't like to buy water for $5 a pound.  That's $40 a gallon!

[Gwennaford]

I had an interesting food day today.  After not eating yesterday I thought I would be starved today, but I wasn't.  So I didn't even eat the little Garlic Roger Burgers until about 3 pm.  When I got home at 5:30 the 4 spicy chicken leg quarters I had brined HAD to be cooked, so I broiled them.  They smelled so wonderful, I ate two of them .  THEN I had another small Roger Burger with popcorn and some yummy tangerine diet soda.  I guess I made up for not usually having heavy protein!  I not only ate meat for dinner, I ate an ALL MEAT dinner!  Hope I don't pay for it through slower digestion for the next two weeks. 

Don't yell at me - it doesn't happen very often -- none of this actually happens very often:  missing several meals in a row; eating DARK meat (boo,hiss); eating meat at dinner; OR the diet soda.  I just can't choke down a meal on the run when I'm stressed.  The cooked food at this particular hospital is totally NOT LDL friendly, and I'm tired of their salad bar.  The good news is, I've been sleeping more and getting more housework done instead of eating.  Since sleep happens a LOT less frequently than a full meal, I thought I could risk it.  Finally, the chicken legs were without skin, wiped off, & drained on paper towels to make sure they had as little fat as possible.  So, as long as I don't make a regular (bad) habit of eating this way, I hope I'll be okay.

By the way, will someone please remind me why we should stay away from diet soda?  Wasn't it because too much nutrasweet and other artificial sweeteners can cause sugar cravings and spike blood sugars in some people?  I don't have soda very often, because I really do try to stay as close to the program as possible. 

Anyway this is what I found that I like very much:  Diet Rite Pure Zero tangerine soda.  It has 0 calories, 0 carbs, 0 caffeine, 0 sodium.  It contains carbonated water, citric acid, potassium benzoate (preservative) gum acacia, sucralose (Splenda Brand), Acesulfame Potassium, natural and artificial flavors, ester gum, yellow 6.

I try to stay far away from preservatives as a rule, but I thought this would be okay for an occasional treat.  What about it Food Police?

Hopefully....
Gwen

[Gwennaford]

Yes, I do have a Kitchen Aid mixer that is just gathering dust since I don't bake anymore!  I will look for the meat grinder.  Maybe Santa will bring one to me!  Along with a Blue Tooth so I can talk to my daughter in OKRAHOMA and drive my wheelchair at the same time while I cook, walk the dog, grocery shop and craft.

I wanted the Vita Mix for other things as well:  grinding popcorn and dried chickpeas for flour, crushing ice, making Margo's fruit "ice cream", liquifying soups, fruit slushies, sorbet, smoothies, etc.  I have a hand immersion blender, but it takes a long time to puree anything and it never gets very smooth.  Plus it's a little difficult to manage unless I hold it in my lap, 'cause the countertops are about chest high for me. 

I've been thinking about getting a blender for a long time.  I don't have the patience, or the memory to keep scraping frozen liquids to make "granita".  I have a freezer full of bananas to add to smoothies, but they seem to bind up in the stick blender.  Neil still won't, or can't eat any of my foods, so he's going to need his own pureed food if he can't keep down solids.  The chemo makes sores inside his mouth.


Is there some other blender you like better than a Vita Mix for these things?  I don't know how much to expect to pay for a used one.  The website is offering discounts on the new 5200 that cooks inside the container ( ! ?) I like the idea of saving a step and, probably several pots.  It sounded ideal for me, cooking for one person at a time.

[Gwennaford]

To quote Otis in “The Last Starfighter”, today was a “…sparklin’ day!  … Sparklin’ day!”  It has felt so cool and fresh the past 3 days, this morning I just had to get outside.  I grabbed a travel mug of coffee with milk and the dog’s leash (with the dog in it) and we took off for the park.  We spent the morning wandering from shade to shade.  The breeze is lovely but the sun is still intense enough to cook you if you aren’t careful.

I came home & set out the ingredients for this stew recipe I took from my doctor’s office yesterday.  Then DD#1 (Kayce—pic posting pending) called wanting instructions on how to operate my mom’s old Kenmore sewing machine.  She was working on piecing a pillow from ultrasuede scraps and didn’t know how to thread the bobbin.  The girls are both so smart and capable, how can I refuse when they come to me for advice?  (Smile)  So I put the stew aside & chatted with her for 3 ½ hours while she worked and I surfed the Internet one-handed.  I can’t hold the cell on my shoulder like the kids can.  I really need that Blue Tooth.  I finally had to ring off at about 4:30, to our mutual disappointment.  Days like this come along so rarely, you just don’t want them to end!

So I made the Moroccan Chicken Stew (recipe follows) and had two bowls of it this afternoon (recipe follows).  I didn’t want anything else for the rest of the day except 3 of my giant mugs (48 oz.) of lime seltzer water (ingredients: carbonated water, natural flavor).  No sodium, no artificial additives, no caffeine.  I like my water bubbly!  It doesn’t really have a taste, but a subtle aroma like you zested a lime near your glass. 

Moroccan Chicken Stew
Credit Joy Howard in “Family Fun” magazine, Feb. 2007 (familyfun.com)

1 Tbsp. oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced
½ tsp. turmeric*
¼ tsp. cinnamon*
3 whole cloves
2 bay leaves
2 cups chicken broth*
4 skinless, boneless chicken thighs (about ¾ to 1 pound)
1 (14.5 oz.) can whole tomatoes w/juice
1 large carrot, sliced
1 ½ cups green beans, snapped into smaller pieces (or 1 can, drained)
1 small summer squash, quartered & cut into large chunks
1 (15.5 oz.) can chickpeas, rinsed & drained*
½ tsp. salt
1/3 cup golden raisins

In a Dutch oven or large (8-quart) pot,** heat the oil over medium heat for 1 or 2 minutes.  Add the onion and garlic and sauté them until the onion is translucent, about 2 minutes. 

Add the chicken broth, chicken thighs, and tomatoes and bring the stew to a boil.  Then reduce the heat and simmer the stew with the pot covered for 25 minutes.

Stir in the carrots, green beans, (if using fresh) and salt.  Cover and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally and using the edge of the spoon to break the chicken and tomato chunks into smaller pieces.

Add the raisins, green beans (if using canned) squash, and chickpeas.***  Turn the heat back up to medium and continue simmering the covered stew until the vegetables are tender (10 or so minutes more).  Add more salt, if desired.  Ladle the stew into shallow bowls.****  Serves 4 to 6.

Gwen’s Notes:  I had leftover chicken and chickpeas, so I made some changes to suite my taste and convenience:  *I doubled the turmeric, cinnamon, chicken stock and chickpeas.  **Unless I missed something, this recipe only halfway filled my 5-quart pot.  ***It was my idea to use canned green beans, and I moved them, the chickpeas and the squash to the final addition.  The author adds them after the first 25 minute simmer.  I think 20 minutes of cooking & stirring is way too much for already tender ingredients.  ****She serves the stew around a mound of couscous, which we should omit for Let’s Do Lunch.  Those who use dark brown rice (I don’t) would probably want to use it here.  Finally (!) I didn’t have a yellow squash, so I substituted a can of corn for the color.  (I thought I had a chayote, but it was a green pepper!)

Enjoy,
In HIS love, Gwen

[Gwennaford]

I haven't posted here in a while.  I need to start getting my foods listed.  I don't think I'm losing, with all the stress and rushed eating I've been doing, even though they are LDL foods.

Pat & Margo - I made dal from Margo's recipe a couple days ago when the weather got nice & [glow=red,2,300]cold[/glow]  here in Florida.  It had been in the 40's overnight & was in the mid-60's when I cooked it.

Boy was it YUMMY!  I didn't want to use up all my red lentils because shopping trips to the health food store are rare and I LOVE LOVE LOVE THEM cooked in chicken broth, al dente, for breakfast, so I used the regular brownish-green lentils.  WOW -- 2 pounds of lentils totally filled up my 5-quart pot once they were done.  So I had to put in 4 heads of garlic and 2 or 3 onions.  I confess, I got tired of peeling garlic, so I microwaved the heads in evoo according to DEBBIEWEBE's directions, then I could just pop out the soft cloves, mash a little & right into the lentil pot.  Using the brown lentils, it tastes a lot like the brown (pinto) beans my family has always made to go with corn bread.  I'm going to make some Banzo Biscuits tomorrow to have with the dal. When they are day-old they taste a lot like cornbread. 

Has anyone tried the Banzo Biscuits or Beanana Muffins yet?  You really should.  they are unbelievable.  I made the muffins last week with pumpkin instead of bananas.  Lots of cinnamon & a little Stevia - YUM=O  I should probably get them on the recipe board soon, if I could get the official OKEY-DOKEY from our beloved Food Police.  What about it, gang?

[niki]

It had been in the 40's overnight & was in the mid-60's when I cooked it.

Boy was it YUMMY!  I didn't want to use up all my red lentils because shopping trips to the health food store are rare and I LOVE LOVE LOVE THEM cooked in chicken broth, al dente, for breakfast, so I used the regular brownish-green lentils. 

  wow...you had new york weather in florida.....i didn't think it got that cold down there at this time of year....although, maybe you're not in south florida...my aunts used to live in palm city/stewart on the east coast and they used to say that SOMETIMES around christmas time it would get a little cold and they'd put on the heat.......

  is it lentils i have to buy to make dal?......i was going to go to waldbaums which has a lot of indian beans and look for "dal".......i'm going to look for margo's post about this...............and i have to find out from margo where she goes in queens to buy it..................

[Gwennaford]

Niki - I found Margo's dal recipe in Pat's food journal.

I has never been this cold here this early since I've lived here -- about 27 years (wow -- how did I get that OLD? was I really only 25 when I moved down here? ? ? Shocking to realize I've lived here MORE than half my life -- whew)  Clearwater is in the Tampa Bay area, home of the famous Tampa Bay Rays, American League Champions and first runner-up in the 2008 World Series ! ! !  Too bad they had to play all those games in the Philly frozen slush when had a nice dry 72 degree dome to play in.

It still irks me that they named the baseball team after Tampa when it is actually located in St. Petersburg.  By working 100-hour weeks, Neil was the St. Petersburg Building Official that was finally able to work out all the problems and get the struggling "dome" finished and open for business.  So we kinda have a proprietary interest in the team.  So after he cut through all the bureaucratic red tape and bad contractors and corrected faulty construction and fire violations, you know how the City of St. Petersburg thanked him?  THEY FIRED HIM FOR NOT BEING A TEAM PLAYER. 

To borrow Tom's words ... "nuff said."

INGWT -- Love, Gwen

[Gwennaford]

It's another crisp Autumn day and I'm feeling refreshed & energized.  It's a perfect time to begin my food posting.  So here goes...

Breakfast
6:30 am -- Hot jasmine tea and a scrambled egg with Neil
7:00 am --
• 1/2 cup Plain organic fat-free Greek yogurt
  
  
• frozen fruit chunks (mango, honeydew, strawberries, pineapple & peaches)
• green grapes
• rolled oats toasted in a dry skillet with a little evoo spray, pinch of salt, cinnamon & stevia - a couple spoons sprinkled on yogurt

Lunch 1:30 p.m.
• Lean Pork Sirloin Chops with Sauerbraten Sauce, Braised Pickled Cabbage (the Braised Red Cabbage recipe made with green cabbage, leftovers chilled w/cider vinegar, pickling spices & Stevia added), White Bean Hot German "Potato" Salad.
• Cold sliced pears, Hot Jasmine Tea
  Can you hear the OOM-PAH-PAH band in the distance?  Pardon me, I have to go polka now

Dinner   6:30 p.m.
• 2 bowls plain lima beans, grapes and a LOT of ice water.  Was really thirsty after that big lunch and, surprisingly, hungry for dinner.
• popcorn & iced tea at 7:30

Snack  8 p.m.

• I WANTED more popcorn and grapes, but I've been trying not to eat popcorn so many times a day because I've been using too much salt.  As a result, I found myself picking at Neil's leftover pork loin chop and eating 3 bites of it when I didn't even want it.
• Ended up eating more popcorn and grapes!   When will I learn to follow my instincts, especially when they are telling me the right thing?
  

[patsyfay]

You're so cute, Gwen.  I do hear something, but I can't quite make it out....ooooooommmmppppphhhhh  pppppaaaaappppppaaaa.  Oh, yeah!!  Okay.  How do you make your German Beatato Salad?

[EnJae]

Gwennie wrote: "Hot jasmine tea and a scrambled egg with Neil"

Hey Gwen, do you have a recipe for "Scrambled Eggs With Neil"?

[Saved4Life]

Gwennie wrote: "Hot jasmine tea and a scrambled egg with Neil"

Hey Gwen, do you have a recipe for "Scrambled Eggs With Neil"?