Challenge Accepted

I have a few replies to my challenge request.  I am therefor, making healthy nachos, healthy spaghetti and meatballs and healthy creamy chicken enchiladas.  But not tonight.  Tonight I made a slow cooker meal.  I bought chicken in bulk from Zaycon foods.  I love their chicken. Nope, I am not a paid spokesperson.  I just happen to like the product.  It comes in bulk, 40 lbs to a box. (No hormones, not prefrozen, boneless, skinless - you know, chicken, the easy way.) Anyway, the last time I bought it, I got 80 lbs and repackaged some of it into quart bags and some into gallon bags, and some of it, I used to create meals.  I got my pinterest on and made 20 some odd meals.  One of them was a sweet and sour chicken.  I threw them in the freezer and I take them out when I need a day without cooking.  It's been cooking all day.  I cooked some brown rice in the oven and just a few minutes ago, I threw in some extra broccoli, because I don't think you can have too many veggies in a meal. Adding the extra veggies and using brown rice instead of white helps me stay on track.  It isn't even hard to do.

+Zaycon Foods

I'm accepting a challenge. I might be crazy!

This is not actually the lasagna I made last night.  I was too hungry and didn't take a photo.  This is the lasagna that I made in an earlier post and you can find the recipe here

Alright all you followers in blogger land, what are you eating that is healthy?  Last night I made lasagna.  I added wheat berries and carrots to the lean ground beef.  I used cottage cheese instead of ricotta.  I added about 1/3 the parmesan and mozzarella.  I did incorporate 8 oz of cream cheese to up the flavor and the bulk. I cooked it in the slow cooker and added an extra can of tomatoes.  I did not cook the noodles ahead of time.  It was fabulous.  Am I allowed to say that? It really was good.

 No one in the family noticed all of the extra healthy stuff.   I expected push back, but everyone just scarfed it down. It's like my own version of  skinny lasagna.  I am working on changing how we eat, by keeping what we eat and making it better.

Tonight, I am taking the left over chili, adding some refried beans, and some yams.  Yup, yams.  And I am going to roll it in tortillas and some enchilada sauce.  I'm hoping it's yummy.  It's definitely healthier. 

Back to my question; what are you eating that is healthy?  I need ideas?  I think I also must need a challenge, because if you leave me a comment with a meal that you would like to have made healthier, I will work on that. 

So, if you love pizza or fried chicken or shepherd's pie, but feel guilty eating that item, leave me a comment.  I will work on making a healthier version.  I'll post recipes that I have "healthified."  For anyone who is newly diagnosed with diabetes, and is worried that you might have to give up your favorite foods, this is a great deal!  I'll do all the work for you. 

This is a limited time offer.  And it should be reasonable.  Please don't ask me to make healthy Texas Sheet Cake.  It can be done, but I am eating like a diabetic, so sugar is NOT my friend.  :)  But if this goes well, maybe I'll take on a dessert challenge in September.

I forgot how hard this was/is.

  
It's day two and I have already fallen off the wagon.  No, I didn't make cookies.  No, I didn't eat candy.  I did, however, make cornbread.  And not just any cornbread, my super-sweet-it-might-as-well-be-cake, cornbread.  And I made honey butter.  Seriously, I had 4 pieces.  FOUR!!!!!  I couldn't stop eating the stuff.  I prefer cornbread and honey butter to cake.  And now, I'm going to have to exercise to make up for the calories and carbs.  Oh the carbs.  I LOVE carbs. 

I wish I liked protein and fruits and veggies more than carbs, but I don't.  Darn it! And while I did eat an orange, I mostly snacked on Club Crackers today.  They were the whole grain crackers, but come on, more carbs.  You would think I could make it more than two days.  So guess what?  Tomorrow, I start again. 

On a good note, I did not have cookies, candy, cake, or ice cream.  Yea me! (Little golf clap here, if you feel so inclined.)

The Obligatory New Year Post

Seriously- do you need another post where some blogger tells you how you can make this year so much better?  Well, maybe.  But this isn't it.  I'm just not feeling it.  I am going to try an experiment though.  Because if I am honest, I haven't stayed on my eating plan at all this year.  But for the next few weeks, I am going to eat like a diabetic and log it!  I'm going to see how I feel, how I look, and if it is worth it.  I'm not diabetic anymore.  But I'm going to test the diet and see how I do.  If you want to follow along, I'd love it.  :) 

So I have this blog . . .

I have recently been reminded, by more than one party, that I do indeed, have a blog.  I humbly apologize to my followers.  All 3 of you.  Just kidding.  I know that there are at least 5 or 6.

Actually, I have been tracking my re-pins on Pinterest, and have found that I have a few recipes that are pinned quite a bit.  They are not the recipes that I would have expected.  I thought it would be fun to list my top 5 pins for you.  :)

 5) The first meal log.  apparently, that first log is popular. I thought it would be the post about the day I found out I did have diabetes.  That post has the most comments.  But this one is pinned.


4) Egg cups are next on the list.  I'm so embarrassed at the photography.  It is truly horrid.  But people seem to care more about the recipe than the photo so --- whew!

3) Next up are my favorite little indulgence.  Peanut butter balls!  Mnnnn.  Again the photography is just awful.  But the peanut butter balls are fabulous.  You should try them, even if you aren't diabetic.  They are awesome, easy, and fairly healthy! 

2) This is a funny story.  My kids were complaining about how much salad I was making them eat.  To "cure" this, I declared 'Salad Week.'  Meaning, every meal was a salad.  This was such a hit, that my kids still beg for it!  This is Cheeseburger Salad.  Once you make it, life as a diabetic, or low-carb dieter, will never be the same.  You will discover that you can eat real food, and feel satisfied!  It really is so good!


1) This one shocked me!  My Peanut Butter and Chocolate malt smoothies are pinned lots and lots and lots.  They are good, to be sure.  But the picture is not! But please, make the smoothies, then judge the picture.  You will be too enraptured with the creamy goodness to worry about my silly photography.  :)  Enjoy!

Top Ten Things You shouldn't say to a Diabetic

Let me start by saying that I have made all of the comments below.  I can remember really getting after my dad for not taking care of his diabetes that way I thought he should.  I remember telling him that I wanted my kids to have a grandpa and he needed to do better at controlling the disease.  I don't think I said it that nice.  Hello!!!!  Guilt trip city.  I got after my older brother for not taking care of himself.  I did it out of love, because I love them.  Because I don't want this disease to take them from me.  I thought I was right. Then I got gestational diabetes.

For only 5 months I needed to follow a diabetic regimen.  It was hard.  I was lousy at it.  I hated it.  I felt deprived.  And it dawned on me, I was wrong!  My dad and my brother were doing the very best they could.  It is hard. And while my diagnosis would reverse as soon as I gave birth, they have no end in sight.  They live with the disease everyday. 

I have changed my responses.  My diabetic friend was eating a piece of cake and a friend walked up and said, "don't eat that, it's not good for you."  My friend said, "don't tell me what to do."  Can you blame her?  

We all want to help our friends who are diabetic.  We find ourselves thinking, "they shouldn't eat that."  But should we really say it?  Well, probably not.  Here are the most common comments that I have heard, or made and a better way to say it.  :)



1) Should you be eating that?  ---  My response, in my head, is usually, "what's it to ya?"  This is one that you shouldn't say period.  There is no sweet way to say it.  Leave it alone and trust that a diabetic knows what they can or can't have.

2) I made everyone this for dessert, but I made you this. ---  Really?  I'm not a child who is unable to abstain if needed.  But you were trying to do something nice.  How about this instead: (announce to everyone) "for those who would rather not have so much sugar, I have made this.  For those who would like to splurge, I have made this.  Please enjoy."  Now, don't get upset if the diabetic splurges.  They spend most of their life going without, once in a while it's okay to have that beautiful dessert you made.

3) You aren't taking care of yourself. ---  If you are a spouse, a parent, or a doctor you can say this.  If you are a buddy that meets for lunch once in a while, uh uh.  Don't say it.  Better is this:  "I don't know much about diabetes.  Please tell me what you have to do to manage the disease."  Mostly this is reserved for close friends.

4) Don't eat that. ---  this is usually followed by a grab for the offending food item.  Again, unless you think the item has been poisoned, don't say this.

5) Oh, you can't eat there can you.  We'll pick a different restaurant. --- Diabetics live in the real world and learn how to navigate menus.  If you want to be sensitive to where a diabetic will enjoy a meal, a better way to ask is: "Do you have a preference for where we eat?" 

6) Wow, I've heard of all the problems diabetes causes, like blindness.  Does that freak you out?---  YES!!!!!!!  Yes they are very freaked out.  They never get to stop worrying about it.  If you are close friends, you can ask this.  But time it well and start with, "I know there are some complications with diabetes, if you ever want to talk about that, I'm here for you."  Or even " Are you worried about your eyesight and all the complications that go along with diabetes?" Most of the time, they don't want to think about the disease, but trust me, 4 times a day, when they are pricking themselves with a needle to test their sugars, they are very well aware of what the disease is doing to their bodies.

7) I know you're diabetic, but I just had to share this plate of cookies with you.  ---   Better: "Hey, I really wanted to share some cookies I made, so I brought you 2, just so you would know I was thinking of you."  Or even better:  "I made you some bath salts, or I made you a card, or a phone call ahead with a "I just made some cupcakes that I would like to share with you, can I bring you one or a dozen?" and let them say- "oh just one." or "oh I'm so glad you thought of me.  I don't need treats, but I'd love a visit.  or even "heck yeah!  I've been so good this week.  I want the whole dozen." (As an aside, the diabetics I know, don't love sugary treats dropped off to temp them, but they love loaves of wheat bread with low sugar jam, or a quart of strawberries with a bit of whipped cream.)

8) You are so amazing, I could NEVER go without sugar. (sometimes followed by stuffing the face with a giant cupcake.) ---  Um, they didn't get diabetes on purpose.  No hero worship necessary.  Try: "I admire how you have handled this."  Enough said. 

9) If you lose weight will the diabetes go away? ---  Let me answer the question first.  Maybe, maybe not.  There are a lot of things that contribute to diabetes.  Weight is only one of those things.  However, for a diabetic, losing weight is soooo hard.  They have to eat on a schedule.  They have to eat!  And they have to eat enough.  Their bodies hold on to the weight.  Don't remind them of their shortcomings.

10) Is it contagious? --- No no no no no!  It is not contagious.  However, for many in America, it is preventable.  You can't catch it, but you can develop it, so keep working on becoming the healthiest you possible.

Funeral Potatoes - Healthified ... Mostly

Funeral Potatoes - Healthified

  If you are not from the Northwest, then you have probably never heard of Funeral Potatoes.  If that is the case, I am truly sorry. You have been denied the ultimate comfort food for far too long.  Funeral potatoes, or at least the name, probably originated in Utah. An organization called the Relief Society made it famous.  This organization, which just happens to be the largest service based womens organization in the world, is often called upon to bring meals to a funeral for the family of the deceased.  One of the standard dishes is a cheesey potato casserole that is like heaven in your mouth.

Funeral Potatoes - Healthified

Funeral potatoes are made of bakers (Idaho talk for really large russets), which are shredded.  The potatoes are mixed with a little meat, usually ham, and lots of butter, sour cream, cheese and more butter.  Have I mentioned that they are like heaven in your mouth? MMMMnnnnnnnn.  Anyway, they are served at Northwest funerals so much that they earned the name Funeral Potatoes.  You learn something new every day.

The thing about Funeral Potatoes is that diabetics and anyone watching their weight or fat intake is also denied this little bit of heaven in the mouth.  (I just noticed the irony of Funeral Potatoes tasting like Heaven in your mouth. . . never mind.) Anyway, a sane person does not eat Funeral Potatoes on a regular basis, and a diabetic, just doesn't eat them.  However, I LOVE them and I WANT to eat them.  I really really want to eat them.  So I thought about how I could do this without feeling guilty.

Now I'm not saying that these potatoes should be part of your weekly meal rotation.  These are still fairly decadent.  However, for a special occasion, at least you could enjoy a serving. And I mean really enjoy it, because after all, it is potatoes, yams and carrots.  And it is lower in cheese, sour cream, butter and condensed soup than the original.  It's still creamy and satisfying.  It is still comforting.  It should not shoot your blood sugar levels to the moon, faster than a moon pie, and I promise, the original will.

If you are not diabetic, I highly recommend that you try real Funeral Potatoes at least once in your life.  But if you do, you will want them again.  But if you want them more than once a year, you might try this version and grab a bit more vitamin A for your trouble.  :)


Funeral Potatoes - Healthified

2 large bakers - Idaho Russets
1 large Yam
2 medium carrots
1/2 red onion diced
1/2 C. diced ham OR 2-3 strips bacon, crumbled OR 2-3 strips turkey bacon, crumbled
1 can cream of whatever soup (I used chicken)
2/3 C. Sour Cream OR Greek Yogurt
1/2 C. Low Fat (or not) Cottage Cheese
2/3 C. Swiss Cheese
1/2-2/3 C. Cheddar Cheese
1/4 C. Butter
Salt
White Pepper
Your favorite spices - I used garlic salt, and Old Bay


Peel and grate the russets.  Take a clean kitchen cloth and spread on counter.  Put the grated potatoes on the cloth and wrap it up.  *Over the sink, wring the cloth out and squeeze out all the excess water.  Repeat with the Yam.  Place in a bowl. Grate carrot and place in the same bowl. Add the onion.  Mix.

Take about 1/3 of this mixture and set aside.  I made some yummy hash browns.  You could probably use 1 large and 1 small russet and then you wouldn't have any excess, but I liked the hash browns and I liked the orange to white ratio for appearance and taste.

Add the rest of the ingredients to the mixture still in the bowl.  Stir well and place in a greased 9X13 pan.  Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 35 minutes. Remove foil (add a little cheese on top if desired) and continue to bake for 15-20 minutes.


*If you choose not to squeeze the juice out of your veggies, you will get a creamier sauce.  However, the few that you remove for other uses need to be squeezed if you are going to make them into hash browns like I did.  Removing the moisture is what allows them to crisp up.

Potato, yam and carrot hash-browns.

**In case you were wondering.  I added salt, pepper and Old Bay, along with onion to the yam and potato mixture and I threw them on a waffle iron that had been sprayed with cooking spray.  I cooked for about 10 minutes and they were golden.  Tasted great.  The hardest part was getting them off the iron.  But a little patience and grabbing from the center with a fork and it all worked out.  :)