Pancakes.

I haven't been able to eat pancakes for years. Waffles or French toast either. Before I could finish a breakfast of either, the heartburn would set in to torture me. Breakfast cereals did the same thing. I discovered that the sugar was the problem. I switched to eggs for breakfast and my chronic heartburn stopped. Well, eating naked and organic has provided me a way to have it all.

I just finished a yummy, naked breakfast comparable to pancakes and no heartburn.

I made a batch of my foccacia with organic whole wheat flour and substituted coconut oil for the olive oil. It gives the bread an light nutty taste. I cut two two inch squares of the hot-out-of-the-oven bread and added butter and pure maple syrup! Wow. It's somewhere between French toast and pancakes. Because the maple syrup has no sugar or fillers, it's not causing heartburn either.

Before I made my breakfast, I popped across the street to have my annual blood work done. Wish me luck. As soon as I have the results, I let you know.

As New Year's Eve approaches, I'm excited about my future. 2012 is going to be a good year!

VACATION!!

I'm so lucky! My company closes down for the last couple of weeks in December and I get paid. And it's not even my vacation hours which get used! How cool is that? 

I've spent the time recovering from a cold and taking it easy. I got to dog sit for the adorable girls I had to give up for adoption when I became a widow and that was good for the soul. Snuggling up with Binx and Callie at night was so comforting even though they pinned me under the blankets and I couldn't even turn over.

This first week I was off was very good diet wise. I've been eating naked and recovered from my holiday cheer. Today, though, was not my best. I drove out to Stockton to clear things in my basement and change the air filter. Just crappy landlady jobs. I stopped at my old corner cafe and had (OH NO!) a hot dog for lunch. It was loaded with lettuce, tomatoes and pickles though, so it could have been worse. Then I stopped to visit my former neighbors across the street. Teri and I shared a bottle of champagne (OH NO!) and I took them back to the cafe for a dinner of our favorite pizza. While I enjoyed the pizza, it was not as good as I remember it. I used to LOVE this pizza with its nice crispy crust and high fat toppings. the flavor just wasn't there this time. Another addiction overcome! Tomorrow I go back to eating naked and enjoying it. it was a good day.

On being "regular"

Today might gross you out, but if Jamie Leigh Curtis can do commercials about it, so can I.

I have never been "regular" in my life. Ever. Never. Period. Once or twice a week if I was going good. I scoff no more at "regular". The change in diet had made so many improvements in my life and becoming "regular" is one of them. Once a day between 10 and 11 am. Every day. Sometimes even twice. Except weekends when I am lolling about the house with my coffee, then it's by 8 am. You can almost set a clock my my intestines. It's completely freaky and out of character. All the fiber in my whole grains and produce are doing their job.

That's all I need to say.

Quinoa

Well, another trip to the Alameda Natural Grocery proviced a bag of quinoa. Until a few weeks ago, I had never heard of the stuff. It's a gluten free alternative to rice. I whipped some up for dinner and it was really tasty. Of course, it wasn't plain!

Quinoa Pilaf

Rinse one cup of quinoa
2 cups water
8 oz crimini mushrooms
2 shallots
2 T. butter
1/8 t salt
pepper to taste

Slice mushrooms and shallots. Saute in butter until tender. Bring 2 cups of water to boil. Add quinoa and salt and pepper. Return to boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer 15 to 18 minutes until water is absorbed. Add mushrooms and shallots. Fluff with fork, cover and let sit a couple of minutes before serving.

Switching things up.

Okay, I had three beets and a yam and sweet potato in the fridge. I diced them up, melted a couple of tablespoons of coconut oil, added a heaping teaspoon of crushed garlic, some kosher salt and fresh ground pepper. Stirred them all together and then roasted it all at 425 for 45 minutes with a stir at 20 minutes. The beets are nice and firm with crisp edges. The sweet potato and yam have the same crusty edges, but are creamy on the inside. Amazing texture. I like them in coconut oil better than in olive oil!

I also mixed up a fresh batch of my facial cleanser. I tripled the batch this time. I'm considering using it instead of my shower gel. That with my loofah and I wouldn't need my moisturizers either.

I made my foray to Alameda Natural Grocery today. I just love that store! They were out of raw milk so I tried Strauss Organic milk. It may not be raw, but it is un-homogenized. I love shaking the bottle to mix in the cream. I also got some quinoa. I've been reading how tasty it is and gluten free. I'm looking forward to trying it.

Something I've noticed about the grocery store: organic food shoppers are more polite and generally happier in the store than at a regular grocery. I have yet to run into a rude person at ANG. Everyone in the check out line is polite and they talk to me. It's almost creepy. So very 1955. And the drivers in the parking lot are patient. Maybe it's just that I am happier shopping there. Hm. I'll keep you posted on this.