Tomato Paste vs. Sun Damage: And the Winner Is...

Tomato Paste!

Yes ladies and ...well maybe just ladies. The study of 20 women, who by the way subjected themselves to having small chunks of their skin removed for analysis, showed that when they ingested tomato paste containing the phytochemical lycopene, they suffered much less skin damage compared to those getting just olive oil. Show some respect for their contribution to science and eat your tomatoes.

Tomatoes have long been a fav of mine, and you can bet after this news I'll be loading my little blondies up with the stuff. Especially the one with hair so light you can see through it.

Here is a quick recipe to protect all you farmers while you are growing your red ripe sun damage fighting fruit:

Aunt Christine's Easy Gluten Free Pizza Sauce

• Spaghetti Sauce - about a 1/2 jar
• Tomato Paste - 1 of those little cute jars :)
• Olive Oil - enough to get your buds in gear, about a tablespoon or more
• Basil - I put in lots ... about a tablespoon or more
• GARLIC - I put it in caps so you'd know to put a lot in. You can press fresh, use powder or granulated, just don't use garlic salt. You'll make the sauce toooooooo salty especially if you put in as much garlic as I do.
• Salt - just a smidge
• Oregano - yeah... You can also add other spices like thyme, hot pepper flakes, or Cayenne pepper.
• Paprika - The WHOLE jar! Well, actually just enough to make it nice and thick. Go to your local club store and get the big container so you can make it more than once.
• A Medium Sized Bowl,
• Some sort of stirring implement - Please don't use your hair dryer, or anything else that plugs in for that matter. 
• and Freezer Bags or Containers - this is to store the extra, there WILL be extra. :)

Place the paste, sauce, oil and all spices, except the paprika, into the bowl. Stir till they are well blended and all the little spices are happy and mingling. Taste it. does it need some more garlic? You know it does. adjust the spices so they are just right.

Next dump some paprika in, be bold! Stir...Do you like the consistency? Stop. Is it too thick? add some of the leftover spaghetti sauce. Is it too thin? Check your fears at the door and dump in a few tablespoons. Go ahead, step out in faith. It'll be OK I promise. :)

Now, when the consistency is perfect, get some containers or those "oh so bad for the environment" zipper bags. Put about 1/2 cup of the sauce in each bag. If you like a lot of sauce on your pizza or you have a family of 17 children (18, 19? how many do the Duggers have now?) you can put more into each container.

And contact the NIH and tell them how very much you appreciate them taking a chunk out of skin cancer by studying lycopene. Those 20 women will thank you.

Is Wheat Free Easy?

 I read a recent post on the wildly popular naturalparentingtips.com newsletter saying that there are many options, so going wheat free isn't hard.

To him or her I say "YEAH RIGHT!!"

For someone who cut their teeth on takeout and fast food (and is currently reaping the health benefits thereof) going wheat free is not easy. I long to buy the chewy bread and bagels, enjoy the hot mac and cheese, and relish the ability to order the fudge brownie delight at my local eatery.

But I don't. Why? Because I like not having seizures. Plain and simple. Oh, I also like being able to drive. :)
While processed food makers are falling all over themselves to fill the huge chasm between whole foods and franken foods, I've learned to cope. I get most of my daily intake from single and two ingredient foods such as peanut butter, puffed corn, fruits, rice cakes and veggies. This assures me I don't violate my food rules.

But I do indulge in multi-nationally derived pseudo food on occasion, like cookies made from rice flour, and bread made with some kinda modified food starch and mold inhibiting cultured corn syrup. This keeps my dopamine pathways, the ones that were carved in childhood, happy. Well, happy enough. :)

Yes, I Expereinced Nerological Improvement from a Vibration Machine

OK, it is no secret that I've had some seizures believed to be a result of my gluten intolerance. The grand mal, or tonic clonic seizures as they call them now, were by far the scariest for the onlookers. For me, I just got a real good nap and a little bit of tongue soreness from biting it during the process. The partial seizures were much scarier to me. I knew I was losing control, I could see and feel it. This included, yes I'm going to say it, my bladder. Aside from the "aura" that happened before I lost consciousness, the grand mal seizures were just exhausting. That is except the time I must have bounced my head off the filing cabinet. :)

Years before I had my first tonic clonic seizure, I'd get "dizzy" spells. Sometimes this included flashing lights before my eyes, sometimes it was just an odd feeling. Imagine my surprise when I started to get some of these "aura" symptoms after a bought of a horrendous flu this past winter. After 3 days of suffering with a 103 fever, I experienced flashing lights so strong it looked like someone was turning on and off the lights rapidly. I also had a slight “dizzy” feeling that had shadows of the past. These symptoms also were joined with two nasty cold sores. I think there might be an opertunistic virus that is dormant in my nervous system.

This got me thinking about some way to improve my nervous system function. I happened by Dr. Mercola’s website and saw a vibrating machine that said it improved circulation, endocrine function and (drum roll please) neurological function. Before I even looked at the price tag, I decided to give it a try.

“Whoa… wait a minute…it’s how much?!?”

This thing was 5 grand. No matter the wonderful promise of great health, I needed to find a more budget conscious alternative. After looking for local gym memberships that included this machine as part of their workout equipment and learning they were over $350 a month, I went to the net for an inexpensive “trial” product. I looked on three different websites for four hours...
 

I finally found this one, which had excellent reviews from people at my fitness level, and the price tag was a mere 200 bucks. Nice.

When it arrived I was getting over yet another cold and feeling particularly run down. I got on for the recommended 10 minutes and I was surprised at the result. Before I got on I was ready to take a nap, after I was ready to take on housework. It was a big difference. I’ve used this little gem every day for 2 weeks and while the energy difference is less noticeable, it is still evident. It improves my mood, my outlook and my energy. If I use it right before bed, it even improves my sleep.

I do isometric exercises on this to protect my back, of which I recently had surgery on, but I have not gone any further than this. I have not consulted my doctor, which I know I should do, but the last time I called him he immediately suggested anti-seizure meds. I doubt something like this would be acceptable to him.

There is no doubt in my mind that this machine is doing something good for me on a neurological level. What that exactly is, I cannot be sure, but I do know I got the best night sleep I’ve had in a long time by jumping on this right before jumping in bed. :)

Christine's End Zone Guacamole

What it's All About:


Oh my gosh do I loooove guacamole. Before I was daring enough to buy an avocado from the produce department, I'd get my fix from the "fresh" made stuff at WholeFoods. Their stuff is good, but honestly guacamole needs to be made then eaten right away for best taste. The only way to do this is to wield your paring knife and attack the little prune-looking fruit (vegetable?). Don't be afraid, the mushy green stuff inside is not as scary as the green slime you had to clean out from behind Jr.'s bed. (Oh,that's where he hid those peas.)

With the game coming up on only...um...24 hours or so, I think this would be great for cheering on your team. The pepper and pear combo give a fresh sweet taste that is sure to have it gone ASAP and it's colored especially for this years Super Bowl. You'll see what I'm talking about later. :)

A note about my recipes: You may notice my recipes don’t include a ¼ teaspoon of anything. This method of recipe writing frees the reader to use their instincts, follow their gut, and find their inner chef. I mean, would anyone really notice a dash more salt in a vat of soup? Alright, go ahead and put it in, just taste it as you go OK?

Stuff to grab

• Onion - about 1/2 medium to 1/4 large onion minced.
• Green Pepper - 1/4 each minced. You can slice up the rest for a veggie tray.
• Pear - One ripe Bartlett should do it. Cut it in 1/4 inch cubes.Yes, I did say a pear, don't worry. You'll understand later.
• Ripe Avocados - You'll need 3 if you are only using one pear, get 5 or 6 if you are using two. What is ripe you say? Look for black skins that yield to gentle pressure. If there is any green or wrinkled skins, let the produce department handle those later.
• Vinegar or Fresh Lemon Juice - About 2 T of white or apple cider vinegar, or the juice from 1/2 of a lemon. This keeps the avocado from browning too fast.
• Salt - Just a pinch to bring out the sweetness of the pear
• Red Hot - as much or as little as you like. I put only a dash in so my kiddos didn't notice. :)
• Black Bean and Corn Salsa - About 1/2 cup should do it. See I told you there would be team colors in there! If the store doesn't have black bean and corn, you can always open up a can of corn and black beans and add it to regular salsa. Be sure to drain them and only add as much black and gold as you want in the Packer's end zone.
• Garlic Powder - about 1 teaspoon, more if you love garlic.
• A medium sized bowl and a fork for "smashing"
• Heavy Knife - It's for muscling out the avocado pit. :)

Before you touch the avocados or pear, be sure you have all your onion and pepper minced into your bowl, the finer the better. Now cut the pear in 1/4 inch cubes and toss it in.

Take your avocado, don't be afraid, I'm here to walk you through this. Slice the avocados in half, one at a time, checking for dark brown spots to cut out. There is a big round pit in there, so don't be alarmed if you hit something. Follow around the pit to continue the cut and twist apart. The pit should now be in one half of the avocado. Now get your big chef's knife and give the pit a whack. In a ripe avocado it should stick in the knife and come free from the fruit (vegetable? nut?).

Put down your weapon of defense and get the paring knife. hold the half in your hand and, being careful not to cut through the leathery skin, make crosswise cuts in the fruit (veg? aw never mind!), then scoop out the good green stuff with a spoon into the bowl. Remove any dark spots you missed before and lightly "mash" with a fork.

Ingredients layered ready to make each other really happy!

Now add your vinegar or lemon juice, spices, salsa and hot sauce and give it a stir, tasting as you go. Don't act like a food processor while you do this or you'll miss out on the chunks of avocado.

Serve with black and gold chips from Gianegle (that is "Giant Eagle" for those not in Pittsburgh). Act like the chips are the Steelers devouring the defense of the Packers.

Oops, I think I just gave myself away. :)
 
 
Be sure to post pics of your creation on Facebook! Now Let's go kick some butt on the field!
 
 
If you like this recipe, please leave a comment, subscribe, or "like" me on facebook. You'll get all the latest news from GFF if you subscribe, including gluten free recipes, restaurant and product reviews, and other fun stuff. Thank you for your support!

Mom's Sushi Rolls

What it's All About:

No, I am no kinds of oriental, but my Dad's trips out of the country, and my Mom's friendships with interesting people yielded an interesting childhood. I was encouraged to try things like grilled octopus and rotting Chinese cabbage.

 

This brings me to sushi. Way before Cali hooked onto the craze, my mom was rolling up sushi in our kitchen. And those that attended my high school World Cultures class circa 1988 may remember her sushi fondly.

 

By the time sushi it the grocery stores, it was old news to me. My mom had made it for at least a decade. Here is her recipe for this yummy gluten free food.

 

A note about my recipes: You may notice my recipes don’t include a ¼ teaspoon of anything. This method of recipe writing frees the reader to use their instincts, follow their gut, and find their inner chef. I mean, would anyone really notice a dash more salt in a vat of soup? Alright, go ahead and put it in, just taste it as you go OK?

Stuff to grab

 

• Seaweed paper -   Here is the same stuff my mom used in 1982. Well, not the same exact stuff, that would be gross.
• Sushi Rice - You'll need about a cup per roll. Sushi rice is much stickier than Jasmin or other types of white rice, which helps your roll to hold together. This is the same type of rice my mother used.
• Bamboo Mat - This flexible, yet sturdy mat keeps the rice tightly packed into the roll. You can pick one up cheaply and it is worth it to get a sushi roll that won't fall apart. You can find this essential for less than 5 bucks. 
• Sharp Knife - Non-serrated please
• Tamanoi - Otherwise known as sushi rice mix powder, this goes a long way. One package flavors up to 16 cups of rice. Make sure you seal the leftovers as the powder is damaged by moisture.
• Fillings -

Mild Version:

• Sea Stick - 2 should do it. They are pre-cooked and you can find this in the deli or seafood section of your local grocery store. Because this is a processed food, be sure to ask them for an ingredient list.
• Avocado - 1/2 should do

Hot Version:

• Chinese Giant Pickled Radish - You can get these at an Asian market and Mom says there is no substitute for this spicy root veggie. It's flavored with ginger, garlic and other spices, as well as fish, fruit and sugar.
• Wasabi Powder - Mix this with water to make a thick paste, about the thickness of icing. You can get this at many grocery stores in the specialty food section.

Cook the rice according to the package directions. Sprinkle the Tamanoi on top of the rice and stir in. Use this sparingly unless you really like vinegar.

 

Grab your bamboo mat and pull out a sheet of the seaweed paper and place it on the bamboo mat. Spread the rice on the paper about 1/2 inch thick leaving about a 1 inch space on one edge for sealing. cut your fillings in 1/2 inch thick sticks. Making sure that you place the fillings in the same direction as the bamboo sticks in the mat, place sticks of radish, sea stick and/or avocado about 1/3 of the way from the rolling end. Spread Wasabi sauce over the filling.

 

Roll the mat and paper around the filling, making sure to apply even pressure as you go. As the edge of the mat reaches the rice, roll back the mat and roll the paper into the rice. When you get to the edge, dampen slightly and seal. You should trim off any excess, but we just wrapped the extra around the roll. it was better than trying to figure out how to trim seaweed paper on the mat without cutting the mat. Now remove the mat and place your roll on a cutting board and carefully slice the roll with a sharp non-serrated knife. Have a serving plate ready to set them on.

 

 Notice there is no raw fish in this recipe. The Chinese dish Sashimi is raw and while you can put sashimi into a sushi roll, it is not necessary to enjoy this gluten free specialty food.

 

Now Let's go have some fun!

I Did ... IT!!!

After being almost entirely gluten free for the last 3 years, I broke down yesterday. I ate a wheat based cookie. It was a healthy one, no trans fats, organic flour (it was a Newman's product), but let me tell you the experience was not healthy.

Despite the sugar and cinnamon I love, the cookie did NOT taste good! After the hard swallow it took to get it down, I notices a slimy feeling in my mouth and throat. While I did not get a stomach ache per se, I definitely did not feel right afterward. I began to get tired and lethargic, and this was just one small cookie!

Whether it was the emotion from the symptoms, or the symptom from the emotions, I felt irritable as well. Some would say I'm normally like that, but this was worse than normal.

I hope this encourages you celiacs to avoid gluten based stuff no matter what. Some of you don't "feel" symptoms, but still experience damage to your intestines. The fact is I wanted to enjoy this cookie, and I did not. From the first bite, to the last swallow, to the minor gastric symptoms (like I said it was a small cookie) it was not a pleasant experience. Don't do it!

I'm going to the store and getting me some K-toos.  :)

Can you Digg this?

Google now has email alerts. I'm back linking to my alerts page to test this so I can hopefully post a widget to help you all get email alerts when I post. Try this out and let me know if it works. :)

Click here to get email alerts when I post a delicious recipe, great review or gluten free insight!

Apple Harvest Salad

A note about my recipes: You may notice my recipes don’t include a ¼ teaspoon of anything. This method of recipe writing frees the reader to use their instincts, follow their gut, and find their inner chef. I mean, would anyone really notice a dash more salt in a vat of soup? Alright, go ahead and put it in, just taste it as you go OK?

What It's All About:

Apple Harvest Salad is one of those "rave" gluten free recipes. This makes an excellent side dish or a healthy dessert and every time I make it people give me complements. So if you are having a down day, make this for your family. I guarantee you'll get so many kind words you'll beam with self confidence. This is the kind of recipe that makes kids do the dishes without being told and husbands notice that new hair do. I know that's a hefty claim, but this is really good stuff!

Stuff to Grab:

• Large Serving Dish
• Sharp Paring Knife
• Slotted Spoon
• Olive oil - Extra virgin gives it a richer taste, but you could certainly use the mild. You'll need about a cup.
• Apples - 4 green, 4 red. I use Granny Smith and Gala, this gives the salad a tangy sweet taste. I've also used Red Delicious and Golden Delicious.
• Dates - I've used both fresh and dried
• Cashews - I use Planters. Be sure that if you buy fresh, you roast them and salt them first. You'll need about a cup.
• Ground Cinnamon - Grab the big jar.
• Ground Cloves - You'll need just a smidge
• Ground Ginger - Same here, just a sprinkle will do.

Get your paring knife, peel and core your apples. I have young children, so I can accomplish this in about 5.3 seconds. If you are not that practiced, an apple corer makes quicker work of the job. Cut the apples in bite sized pieces, no smaller than a 1/2 inch. Toss the apples in your serving dish and drizzle with 1/2 of the olive oil. Coat the apples by turning them in the oil with the slotted spoon.

Cut the dates into 1/2 inch pieces and toss them in with the apples. Throw in the cashews and turn to coat them with oil. Next put in enough cinnamon to lightly color the apples, tossing as you go. I love cinnamon, so I put in too much, about 2 tablespoons. I know, I know, but at least it's good for ya!

Sprinkle on some cloves and ginger, but more cloves than ginger. A two to one ratio is about right. If you like spicy stuff, add more, if you like mellow stuff add less. Toss to combine.

Let sit for an hour or so to let the oil soak in a bit, then serve and get ready for the raves. Now, let's go have some fun! :)


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Thanksgiving Dinner!

I can't wait till the family shows up. this one's going to be great. Here is the menu:

Turkey

Mashed Potatoes with rice milk and Earth Balance soy free (YUM!)

Puffed Corn Stuffing

Cranberry Candy Carrots

Homemade cranberry sauce

Adeenas Gluten Free Rosemary Teff Dinner Rolls I modify this recipe to exclude dairy. These are simply exquisite, if eaten on the day they were baked. They are tasty eaten the next day. They will not make it to the third, unless you have hijacked a bakery oven and are churning out thousands an hour.

Harvest Apple Salad - This was raved about at our church harvest party.

Apple Crumble

Gluten Free, Dairy Free Pumpkin Pie

The Pies came out of the oven just a few hours ago and they look perfect! I wanted so badly to slice off some to "test," but I abstained. I did however lick the cake tester!
I will post recipes for the Harvest Apple Salad next!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Pumpkin Dairy-Free Dream

This is a recipe I modified to suit our dairy allergy needs. Enjoy!

Stuff to grab:

• Rice Dream Frozen Dessert, Vanilla - If you want it to last the afternoon, you'll need at least a quart-sized container. This is wheat free and soy free, as well as being dairy free.
• Canned Pumpkin - I like using the organic brand I get from Whole Foods, but Libby's works too. Use about 2 cups or so, more if you really like pumpkin. Use the whole can if you bought the smaller size.
• Spices - Cinnamon, nutmeg and clove, all ground. I love Cinnamon and put a ton in,
• Salt - Just a dash to bring out the sweetness. I use iodized sea salt for the mineral content.
• Big metal spoon
• Large Seal-able plastic container

Now take your Rice Dream and pumpkin and place it in the fridge for about an hour or so.  This time will depend on how warm you keep your fridge. Refrigerating the pumpkin before you stir it in will help keep the Dream from becoming too runny. When the Dream is soft and stir-able, about the consistency of frosting, put it in your container. Stir in your pumpkin, spices and salt with your spoon.

If you are not dairy free, you may substitute regular ice cream. Now, let's go have some fun!

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Genetic Disease? Really?

I was reading about hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a disease that is supposed to be genetic, and I had a few thoughts:

 

1. The viral component to our systems makes the genome dynamic rather than static.
2. Exposure to certain viruses are known causes of some diseases, like celiac, and a suggested relation to others, such as autoimmune diseases like lupus and CFS.
3. Some diseases that have a “known” genetic link do not always produce the same results in the same people.
4. Genetic engineering of the food supply is increasing, along with certain diseases. While you may not make a direct correlation between the two, it can be assumed that the last 100 years of chemicals, irradiation and genetic modification of the food supply may have a possible effect on the dynamic genome.

 Where does that leave Celiac disease? What does it mean for those not "officially" diagnosed? Could these viruses, chemicals and genetic modification change certain proteins that your body uses as building blocks for tissue, like muscle for instance, into stuff that your immune system recognizes as an invader?
 
Maybe the genetic modification makes your blood cells recognize a genetically modified protein as a great building block for say your heart muscle, Then your immune system recognizes this protein as an invader and proceeds to attack your heart. This gives a whole new spin on diseases like RA and other auto-immune diseases. The body's immune system is working correctly, it's our retched food supply it's attacking!
 
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