Under a Red Roof

Shake It Up

October 29, 2008 in Eating, Learning by Colleen | 2 comments

I went to my naturopath yesterday and got some rather exciting and disconcerting news. For those who know me, you probably are well acquainted with my tender tummy woes. I get sick pretty easily. The problem was trying to figure out exactly what was making it happen. It was like my body was always changing its mind. One day I’d get sick from wheat, but the next time I had it, I’d be fine. So I tended just to get sick a lot and suffer through the frustration of wondering why. Was it the wheat, oil, corn, oatmeal, potatoes, dairy?

Finally, I got a really good doctor (Petra Caruso), after trying out what seemed like a million. She prescribed the anti-inflammation diet for eight weeks without adequate results, so our next step was to have blood tests done for some definitive answers. As it turns out, surprise, surprise, I have food sensitivities, A LOT of them, and not to anything that my doctor previously expected, well, except dairy. So, for at least the next three months to a year, I will be eliminating anything that came up high on the test:

Dairy, except for goat milk. Um, no thanks.

Eggs

Peanuts, cashews, pistachios, hazelnuts, almonds

Lima beans

Flax seeds

Green Peppers (apparently my body only likes ripe ones)

Garlic (I know, weird and hard to get around)

The rest I have to rotate, because almost everything I eat gets my antibodies atwitter, and I do mean everything. The only foods that registered a zero were cocoa beans(!), raspberries, strawberries, apples, and apricots. Basically, with the rotation, if I eat it today, I cannot eat it again for another three days. The idea being that my body, with the help of some supplements, will heal itself, and one fine day I will be a normal person who doesn’t vomit all the time or have to think about every bite of food that enters her mouth.

I am also hoping that a side effect to all of this will be some weight loss. Though Amber and Becky will probably protest at this, I would like to look like Kelly Ripa (with my head) in the current issue of Shape magazine. She is my height and body type, so I think it is do-able. The scale at the community center currently has me at 122 pounds. That means I’ve got about ten pounds before I hit Ripaville. Why is it always ten?

As I went to sleep last night, I got to wondering, is this good luck, bad lucK? Because looking at all those results sure got my heart beating quickety-quick, and this rotation will be a pain in the arse – am I on day one or two? However, in the long run, I think it is good. I finally have solid answers and a greater understanding of this marvelous machine I call home. In time, and with proper care, she’ll be running like the oh-so-gorgeous 1969 Super Sport Camaro pictured above. Hear me roar!

You Say Tomato…

October 7, 2008 in Cooking + Baking, Eating by Colleen | 5 comments

I say Spicy Tomato Chutney!

Well, I’ve still got the canning bug. Over the past two weeks, I’ve made pickles, pickle relish, grape jam, plum jam, and this yummy spicy tomato chutney. Aside from the pickles, the chutney has got to be my favorite. I am a sucker for a good one. With just the right balance of heat and sweetness, this tastes great on a rye crisp with brie or cream cheese, used in lieu of mayonnaise on a sandwich, over steak, pork, or chicken. It really is an all purpose condiment!

If you’d like to make some for yourself, here is the recipe. My neighbor Katie gave me one that was meant to be kept top secret, but I misplaced it, and adapted another from Preserves, by Catherine Atkinson and Maggie Mayhew, remembering what I could from the flavor of Katie’s. I think it is just right.

Spicy Tomato Chutney

3 1/2 pounds tomatoes, peeled and cored

1 pound raisins, chopped in the food processor

1 cup apple cider vinegar

1 cup malt vinegar

2 1/2 cups sugar

1/4 cup salt

1 tablespoon cayenne pepper

6 cloves garlic, peeled and finely diced

1 2″ piece of ginger, peeled and finely diced

Place all ingredients in a heavy, non-reactive pan, over medium heat. Bring to a simmer, uncovered, and cook for 2-3 hours, stirring about every 15 minutes or so, to keep from burning, until it is very thick and about half of its original volume.

Put into warm, sterilized jars, seal, and finish in a boiling water canner for 10 minutes. It should keep for about a year.

Welcome to my stove top. Mary, Michael, are you out there? I’ve got the horse shoe you gave us there in the corner. For anyone who’s interested, Chat Bizarre means weird cat in French. Anyway, getting back to it, here’s the chutney at the beginning. The tomatoes are still bright red and in rather large pieces.

It’s been about an hour here. You can see that the tomatoes are no longer in chunks and that it’s cooked down quite a bit. I’ll let it go a another hour and a half before putting it in jars.

Jar time. Ladle it in, leaving about a half inch of head space. This blue funnel is a life saver. We use it all the time, and not just for canning. Also, if you don’t want to use a canner – you could give them as gifts right away and skip that step. It makes anywhere from 6-8 pint size jars. Enjoy!

Tags: Recipes

Sharing

September 3, 2008 in Eating, Giving by Colleen | 2 comments

Perhaps it is the fact that I had three siblings growing up. Perhaps it is just my nature, but I love to share. I love baking up a big batch of cookies or a Bundt cake and delivering plates of their yummy goodness to the neighbors. It’s fun, and it feels good. I like giving of myself in that way. If I’ve got extra of anything, I really want someone else to have it.

So, not surprisingly, these tomatoes and cucumbers are for sharing. Later this morning, they will be heading to our favorite local bakery and cafe, Sweetness. Since I’ve been doing my cleanse, I can’t actually eat anything there (or the tomatoes, sigh), but I can share the bounty in our garden.

Since I am sharing, let me share with you the deliciousness that is Sweetness. First, the name. It’s not just for the baked goods. It’s a tribute to Walter Peyton of “da Bears.” The equally sweet mother and daughter team, Gretchen and Kay, are big Chicago fans (check the bathroom out if you don’t believe me). They’ve also got some very lovely ladies working for them, as well: Alana, Kathleen, and Jenny.

It is a rather homey place – bright and cheery, with a good music selection, and goodies galore. Gretchen arrives early every morning to bake everything. There are many, many delectable sweets, of course, savories, sandwiches, omelets, and different brunch menu every weekend. The coffee drinks are nothing to sneeze at either.

My favorites, however, are the FoPo Sandwich (salami, capers, roasted red peppers, artichoke hearts, cheese, all on a challah roll that was made by Gretchen), and the All Day Breakfast Sandwich (a yummy mixture of cream cheese and eggs, cheddar, topped with bacon on that yummy roll again). I top mine with a little hot sauce and am in heaven.

Now for the sweets. Every cookie they make is delicious – big, the perfect balance of chewy and crisp, great flavors: snickerdoodle, ginger, chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin, and the cowboy (nuts, chocolate chips, and oatmeal). The coffee cakes are divine, the muffins, always dense and delicious, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

They’ve got a lot to choose from, and it is all so good! If you’re in the neighborhood – give them a try, you won’t leave disappointed! At least we never do.

Triple Threat Peanut Butter Cookies

August 18, 2008 in Cooking + Baking, Eating by Colleen | 2 comments

African Kelli asked what my favorite cookie is, and though I certainly do appreciate a gingersnap (her #1), particularly a spicy one, my current love has got to be my Triple Threat Peanut Butter cookies. Man are they yummy! My husband would prefer me replacing the peanut butter chips with chocolate ones, but then they wouldn’t be a triple threat, and a double threat cookie with chocolate doesn’t have that ring, you know?

I am posting this silly picture of me playing Guitar Hero (I am TERRIBLE!), along with my friends Jeff and Rena, rather than one of a mouth watering plate of cookies because I am on a cleanse/anti-inflammation diet, and, sadly, there are no cookies allowed and no peanuts either. So, just know that this is the kind of smile produced while eating this yummy bit of goodness.

Enjoy!

3/4 butter, softened

1/2 cup natural peanut butter (unsweetened) – my all time favorite is Maranatha

1 cup sugar

1/2 t molasses

1 t baking powder

1/2 t baking soda

2 eggs

2 t vanilla

1 c flour

1/4 c whole wheat flour

2 c rolled oats

1/2 c chopped cocktail peanuts

1/2 c peanut butter chips (or chocolate if you don’t want a triple threat)

Mix butter and peanut butter on medium speed until combined. Add sugar, molasses, baking powder, and baking soda. Beat until combined. Beat in eggs and vanilla until combined. Mix in flour by hand. Stir in oats, peanuts, and the chip of your choice.

Drop dough onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 for 8-12 minutes, until edges are lightly browned. Carefully transfer to a wire rack (they fall apart easily when warm).

Eat up!

Greens, if you please…

August 4, 2008 in Cooking + Baking, Eating by Colleen | 1 comment

I never thought I was a greens person. They’ve just never seemed terribly appealing, but then I decided I would try. It wouldn’t hurt to have a little more variety in my diet, would it? No, and certainly not when prepared in this fashion along with some tasty roasted chicken. Yum!

This serves two.

Chicken:

2 chicken breasts or thighs, patted dry

1 t dried herbs – I used a combination of rosemary, thyme, sage, basil, and oregano

1/4 t ground garlic

1/4 t salt

Greens:

1 large bunch of collard greens – about 1 pound

1 large clove garlic, minced

1/4 cup diced onion

1 T butter

1 t olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Start heating the water for the greens – 3 quarts worth in a large pot. Combine herbs and salt in a mortar and pestle, grind until very fine (optional). Rub chicken with herb-garlic-salt mixture and bake at 375 until juices run clear, about 15-20 minutes. Prepare the greens while the chicken bakes.

Make a chiffonade of the greens and rinse thoroughly to remove any dirt. Add greens to the boiling water, and boil on low with the lid on for fifteen minutes. Drain the greens thoroughly in a colander, set aside. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat, add butter, olive oil, garlic, and onion. Saute just until the onion softens before adding the greens. Stir until garlic and onion are evenly distributed and the greens are heated through. Add salt and pepper to taste. For extra flavor, pour the pan juices from the chicken over the greens before adding the chicken.

Sit out on the lawn and enjoy!