Crones...Colitis...A New Diet...A New Way to Cook..A New Way to Live (SCD)

Sometimes life throws you for a loop, giving you something you hadn't planned on.  The dawn of new experiences and the the setting of old ways. These times can either bring with them stress and anxiety or excitement and wonder; often a little of both of these things.  I try to always find the thing within a problem that can be a cause for a new adventure or a new way of thinking.

Recently my fiancée found himself in a great deal of pain and discomfort, after many doctors visits and much testing it was discovered that IBS may be the culprit.  This means a change in diet is in order...  After extensive online research we discovered this Specific Carbohydrate Diet.   This means refined sugar; grains, including wheat; milk products; and various other foods would not be allowed.  This was a journey we would take together.

In the beginning it was very frustrating and difficult trying to feed my family delicious and exciting food, which is my passion, it became a very disappointing time.  After a moment of disappointment and a sense of loss I began to find new and exciting ways to prepare the foods we have loved in the past as well as find some new meals that wold become family favorites.  And the idea of creating homemade everything became both exciting and a little overwhelming.  Homemade ketchup, mayo, crackers, chicken nuggets...well you get the idea EVERYTHING!  One thing was for sure we were about to embark on the most nutritious times of our lives.

HOMEMADE KETCHUP 

To start I made my ketchup the quick way, skipping the step of cooking and mashing fresh tomatoes.  

Ingredients:                                              1 can of hienz tomato juice (less sodium)                     1 cup of vinegar                                         1/4 cup of Honey                                       2 cloves of Garlic                                          1 small Onion                                              spices to taste                                       may be added....
I like...                                                      1/2 tsp. Cinnamon                                    salt & pepper      


Bring to a simmer all ingredients but honey, as the honey will cause the sauce to stick or burn.  Stir occasionally to avoid burning...this will ruin the flavor.  It is best to leave pot uncovered as this will allow for evaporation.  Once the ketchup is close to desired thickness (this will take a while), the honey is added.  Continue to simmer until just right. 
Makes approximately 1 jar                                      

                                                                  

                                                               

                                                               "Follow where life leads"

A Flashback to My Nan and Pop......Pea Soup and Dumplings

THE DAY Of PEA SOUP

(or was it ham sandwiches)

Out the window in the morning

It is a beautiful sunny day, I am thinking of times spent visiting Nan and Pop...it was often days like this.  Both Nan and Pop loved to cook and both did it as a profession.  Nan a cook on a fishing boat; Pop in a logging camp.  Each of them had their dishes that they made, if we had Turkey Soup Nan was the cook, if it was Corned Beef Patties Pop was the cook of the day.  Each visit brought with it the wonder of what delicious meal would be prepared and who would we find standing in the kitchen.  My thoughts bring me to memories of warm creamy bowls of Pea Soup with Dumplings..or Doughboys as my Pop called them, Pop would also love to crush up Purity Hard bread to sprinkle on top (this was my favorite).

Nan &Pop

So now to make this warm, yummy, creaming memory to share with my family.

Ingredients:

The cookbook "The Treasury of Newfoundland Dishes" was passed down to me from my Nan, its all taped up and old, scribbled in, and cut out recipes taped inside and I love it!

Soup:
A piece of salt beef or ham bone
1 package dried split peas
2-3 Carrots
1 small turnip
1 onion
2-3 medium potato


Soak a piece of salt beef or a ham bone overnight.  Soak dried peas overnight as well. In the morning cook both together in fresh water.  Add chopped carrots, turnips and onions.  Boil together. 20 min before serving add potatoes.  Serve with dumplings/ hard bread.

Dumplings:


1 1/2 c. Flour
1/4 c. Butter
3 tsp. Baking Powder1 tsp salt1/2-3/4 c. water or 1/2-3/4 c. milk


Mix together and drop small balls into simmering soup. Wait for dumplings to float.

It was at this point that I didn't pay close attention....and well as pea soup tends to do if not watched attentively it burned on the bottom.  So even though the pictures show a yummy soup...it was actually rather gross..burnt peas... YUM...so we all sat down to a meal of ham sandwiches and juice. Dad, child and one very disappointed mom!

Explaining the Idea

Life often inspires the foods we eat and love...if you take a walk through the forest and you see a bush laden with juicy berries you may start to think about blueberry pancakes, muffins, and much, much more.  A trip to the beach and the salty air and you may suddenly find yourself thinking of fried fish, or scallops & shrimp.  A cold winter's day...a hot pot of soup.  A hot summer's day...a crisp cool salad.

When life gets hectic and we forget to take the time to connect with the earth and the environment around us we find ourselves consuming the the processed, prepackaged foods our hectic, disconnected society provides. 

In the same way has life inspires food, so does food inspire life.  A BBQ brings family and friends together for a time of fun and sharing.  A picnic basket adds romance to your relationship or closeness to you children.  A new food from a foreign place inspires thoughts of travel or just a childish wondering of what might be.  In a way just changing what we eat can inspire a whole new life of... thoughts and wonder, of love and sharing, and of energy and health.

Often I find myself inspired by the strange and unusual that life has to offer...these times are my favorite.  These are the times I create unique and unusual foods.  Sometimes my family shares in these moments of Delicious creativity.....sometimes I am on my own.

In this blog I want to share with you the foods I've loved to create and the thoughts that inspire them.

Welcome to my blog!

Be back soon..........