Breakfast Thoughts

One of my friends, Kristy, lives in a subdivision called Seven Hills. Seven Hills puts on a 5k every fall to raise money for the local schools. Last year I made their 5k my first ever. It was so cold that morning that I could see my breath. I know many many people in northern places run in colder weather than Georgia has all year long, but I am neither a natural-born runner nor a lover of the cold. Even so, I ran, I saw, I conquered.

This year I agreed to cheer on the runners and make breakfast. There is always a small group of us 5k-ers and their spouses eating a smorgasbord of things, like casseroles, eggs, biscuits, pancakes, mimosas. Usually I just eat whatever and omit the biscuits, but this time I was thinking of making some biscuits to go along with breakfast. I used to love the way glutenous canned biscuits flake into layers. I'm thinking GF biscuits won't quite do the peelable layers. I have a bag of Bob's mix, and some Bisquick. The Bob's has been lingering in my pantry, so I think I'll conquer it first.

Outside of 5k breakfast, I keep coming to the same things for pre-work breakfast and "second breakfast." Pre-work breakfast usually occurs at about 5:30am, and is something like 1/2 and english muffin with a topping or a bowl of cereal. Second breakfast occurs at work around 9:30-10:00am and usually consists of a little yogurt and cereal. I think it's time to change it up. Maybe I'll bring back the pumpkin parfait in lieu of fall. Otherwise, I need to find something low in fat and super easy. Any ideas? Let me know.

What I've Been Eating Lately

I finally got my hands on a box of GF Bisquick and made some waffles. These were really the best GF waffles I've had yet, and the cheapest. Now I just have to convince my local Publix to start carry this and the cinnamon Chex cereal and all my breakfast dreams will come true. (Oh, and I hear General Mills is rocking out some GF Hamburger Helper, too.)

I fixed one of Glutino's personal pizzas in a box a few nights ago. When I was a kid my Mom loved fixing frozen pizzas. I used to hate them. They tasted like watery cardboard. This time, I chose the spinach and feta GF version. Wow, was it ever great. It made up for all of the gross frozen pizzas I've eaten in my lifetime.

Pirate Booty. Aged cheddar. Not so fattening. Delicious and crunchy, like popcorn. (Could type better if I wasn't eating some right. now.) Arrrrrrrr!

Water. I have blisters across the top of my back from sun poisoning and I don't know what to do about them. Let me know if you've got any ideas, besides walking around naked inside.

While sitting by the pool (the day I acquired Sun poisoning), us girls sipped margaritas. I promise the tequila did not keep me from putting on sunscreen. I did reapply my spf 30, multiple times. Apparently I am white enough that spf 45 and I will be tighter friends this summer. Anyway, the margaritas were a delightful way to beat the heat. We made them with Stirrings Margarita Mix. I've heard their mojito mix is also quite tasty.

For breakfast at work, I've taken to eating a Chobani yogurt with a lactaid. They are sooooooo good. I throw a little flax seed in for fiber. If you've never tried Greek style yogurt, your life is incomplete. A few of my coworkers have gotten hooked. The texture is just perfect, and they come in fun flavors like pineapple and pomegranate.

Once I've eaten something, I recycle. I revamped my pantry floor with labeled bags, so it takes less time when I go to the recycling place. Usually I have to sort the types of plastics and glasses, but this way it should be much easier.

56 Hours and Counting

Where have I been?

I started my 120 clinical hours for my post-baccalaureate certification in wound, ostomy, and continence care nursing (CWOCN). Although some people think my job as the "poop, pee, and pus" nurse is revolting, I quite like it. It will have taken me a year from start to finish to complete the program at Emory. Right now I am in the last "semester" (this program is self-study). I have a few projects to complete along with my clinical hours. This translates into my life as a 56-hour nursing work week. Mondays and Thursdays I do 8 hour shifts for clinical, and Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Friday I do 12 hour shifts for work.

Some of you reading this might scoff at a 56 hour work week. Nursing work is a bit different from other jobs. Imagine doing your office job while walking non-stop around the office. Do that for 56 hours. Don't forget that you'll also have to slide and roll your physically impacitated co-workers aross flat surfaces, keep a caring attitude, continually problem-solve, and remain focused while doing multiple tastks at once.

All the work I've been doing has left me quite exhausted. I sympathize with all the other over-worked people of the world. The "summer cold" has been circulating around a few of the docs and PA's I work with. Lack of sleep and stress impairs any immune system, so I've been trying my best to stay healthy. For breakfast I've been getting my fruit/vitamin C intake by drinking a fruit smoothie. I've made sure my protein intake is adequate, and I have been including garlic in my meals to promote my overall well-being.
Morning Smoothies
Add into the blender:
* One banana
* 1 small handful, or about 1/2 cup forzen fruit- pick your inidivual favorites in bags at the grocery store, a bag of mixed frozen fruit, or make your own mix of fresh fruits thrown into a freezer bag
* Protein powder (I chose rice bran powder)
* Fruit juice- enough to cover about 1/4 of the blender mix or about 1/2 cup

Dill & Garlic Tilapia Sandwich
* 1-2 pieces toasted GF bread
* GF mayonaise
* Dill
* 1 tilapia filet (I bought a bag at the grocery store and I've been defrosting 1 filet at a time.)
* 1-2 cloves of garlic, to taste minced or squished through a press
* EVOO

1. Season tilapia with salt and pepper.

2. Warm EVOO in a pan on medium-high heat. Meanwhile, start toasting the bread.

3. Start sauteeing the tilapia. When the bottom appears opaque, flip the fish (about 3 minutes). Add springs of dill to lightly cover the fish. Cook for a few more minutes, until the fish easily flakes with a fork.

4. While the fish is cooking, spread mayo on the bread. Add the garlic, evenly coating the bread.

5. Add the fish to the slice of bread and enjoy! Serve with a salad, possibly fresh out of the bag.

Ceriously? Ceriously. Cereal.

I remember combing the cereal aisle when I first got diagnosed with Celiac Disease to try and find something that was GF. Each time I saw a new GF cereal on the shelf, I'd give it a try. There were definitely a few boxes I regretted trying. Tastes like sweetened baking powder? Thrown out. Doesn't taste like anything? I might finish it just because it was expensive. Now that there are plenty of GF cereals on the market, I aim for GF and tasty. I could pull a line about being careful on what you spend your mone on in "this ecomony," but I'll spare you. Here are a few cereals I think are top notch.



O's: Whole O's by Nature's Path are not sweet but not dry. These are my favorite GF cereal. I think they taste closer to the "real thing" (Cheerios) than other brand's attempts at O's.



Corn Flakes, Non-Frosted: I really enjoy the Nature's path flakes, especially the lightly fruit juice sweetened ones. They aren't too kid-cereal surgary, and taste great with dried cranberries sprinkled on top.



Corn Flakes, Frosted: If you (or your kids) have a preference for frosted flakes, Amazon Frosted Flakes by Enviro-Kids are my favorites. They are nice and sweet, and don't taste particularly "organic."



Rice: If you are a rice krispy fan, Rice Twice is for you. They are light, fluffy, but don't taste like you are eating moistened carboard bits.



"Kid's" Cereal: If you are looking for the GF version of Kix, try EnviroKids Gorilla Munch. If you are looking for Cocoa Pebbles, try the EnviroKids Koala Crisp.

PB&J French Toast

Friday was my boyfriend's birthday. Unfortunately, it's been raining here in the ATL since Wednesday, and today the storms are going to be particularly bad. Even though we were "tranquillo" last night, we had a great time with friends over dinner and staying in. This morning, the gloom let us sleep in a little. Now that we're up, there is only one thing to do- green tea and PB&J French Toast.

This recipe was adapted from a recipe out of the book Simple Meals: Bring Your Family Back to the Table.


PB&J French Toast

Ingredients
(to serve 2- this can be doubled)
4 slices Glutino Corn Bread
2 eggs
1 teaspoon butter
GF peanut butter
4 tablespoons GF jelly of your choosing
cinnamon, to taste
maple syrup

Instructions
1. Toast the bread in a toaster. While the toast is toasting, whisk eggs in a bowl.

2. Once toasted, cut them in half, diagonally. Spread peanut butter on 2 of the triangles, and jelly on the other two. Make mini sandwiches.

3. Heat a frying pan over medium-low heat. Add butter to the pan.

4. Dip the mini sandwiches in the egg, making sure they are evenly coated. Place in the pan, and allow them to cook for 1-2 minutes, or until they are slightly browned. Remove to a plate for serving.

5. Sprinkle with cinnamon* and drizzle with maple syrup. Enjoy!

*the alternative is to put the cinnamon in the eggs. I did not, so we could scramble the excess eggs.

Sausage with Vegetable Saute with Egg

I had to figure out what to do with that package of sausages that didn't make it onto the grill, so I halved this recipe and enjoyed it! Four forks!

Bon Appétit | May 1995

Alain Cohen and Selma Brown Morrow

Called chakchouka, this specialty is perfect for brunch, lunch or even a quick supper.Traditionally, it is prepared with a slender, spicy beef or lamb merguez sausage, and a soft bread is used in place of a fork to "grab and eat".

Servings: Serves 6.

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Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound hot Italian sausages, cut into 1-inch lengths
2 medium-size red-skinned potatoes, unpeeled, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 medium onions, chopped
2 green bell peppers, chopped
1 jalapeño chili, chopped
4 medium tomatoes, seeded, chopped
1/2 cup water
6 eggs

Preparation

Heat oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add sausages, potatoes, onions, bell peppers and chili and sauté until vegetables begin to soften, about 10 minutes. Add tomatoes and 1/2 cup water and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium, cover skillet and simmer until vegetables are tender and sausage is cooked through, about 15 minutes. Uncover skillet; simmer until sauce is thick, about 8 minutes. One at a time, crack eggshells and drop eggs onto sausage mixture, spacing evenly. Cover and cook until egg whites are set and yolks still feel soft to touch, about 4 minutes. Serve immediately.