So, I have been off air for a while. Just realised the last time I posted was last May...how very slack of me! I was really busy for the second half of last year with a promotion at work, then I suffered a wrist injury which has taken more than six months to get close to healing, so in my defense, for the last four or so months, blogging has been difficult. I have been trying out more recipes in my thermomix and have managed to do so much more that is gluten free and fructose free. Made a most delicious coconut cake for my birthday in january this year, so will blog about that sometime soon.
Kind of off the topic of Fructose for this blog, but the thermie has been fabulous for the Sunday roast! Have taken to buying a chicken each week and making a lemon and herb salt to coat the chook, then steaming it in the Varoma. Comes out so beautifully tender and my kitchen doesn't get hot from the oven.
Here's my recipe:
Lemon rind, rock salt, parsley, paprika (or other herbs) in the bowl and chop together for a few seconds on about 7. Coat the chicken with this and place in the varoma. I usually use the whole lemon and 2 or 3 cloves of garlic inside the cavity of the chook while it cooks. Don't wash the bowl, just add about 1.8 litres of water to it and place varoma on top. Cook for 60 minutes Varoma temp speed 2. After this turn the chicken over and add potatoes or pumpkin to the varoma with the chicken. Cook for another 30 minutes, varoma temp speed 2. I usually take the veges out then and put then in the oven for 15 or 20 minutes as I like them a bit crispy. First time i just left them in the varoma and they were fine. Cook the chicken for another 15 min varoma temp speed 2 (depends on the size of your chicken). We usually get a 1.7kg chook as that is what is available.
When chicken is done, you will have about a litre or so of water and chicken fat in the bowl. Add about 50 g plain flour (gf) and a dash of soy sauce and some balsamic vinegar. Whiz it for a few seconds to mix on about speed 4 then cook for 8 min 90 degrees speed 3. You have a lovely gravy to go with your chicken dinner. And the best thing is, you have not used any preservatives or other nasties!
Hope yours works for you if you give this one a go.
Tuesday, 5 February 2013
Sunday, 27 May 2012
Birthday Party
I haven't blogged since Easter, so probably time to do a bit of a catch up. Easter turned out okay, the boys had a medium sized egg and a bilby each. Next year they will just get a medium sized egg i think. The bilby was a bit of overkill for them and the youngest didn't come down off his sugar high until Monday night, then was tired for the remainder of the week. They got far more enjoyment from the toys they received for Easter anyway, which bodes well for the future!
Mr 3 recently turned 4, so we had the obligatory birthday party. Pics of some of the food is below, and as far as I could tell, all in attendance were pretty satisfied! I made a cake, which garnered a variety of comments from various family members about its appearance (many thought it looked less like a 4 than like other things... have to say I tend to agree). Nonetheless, it tasted sensational!
So, the party fare was this: homemade mini pizzas, made on a gluten free pizza base and cut out with a scone cutter. Toppings were passata (pureed and strained tomatoes), shredded salami and cheese. Also had some gluten free cheese rings and twists out (taste like cheesels and twisties did before they added MSG to them). On the sugar front, these chips are not bad (let's not get into the oils discussion yet....). Plain rice crackers and my own homemade capsicum, sundried tomato, cashew and olive oil dip (thank you thermomix).
BBQ dinner was gf sausages and BBQ steaks, served with salad, bread for those who wanted it and home made butter (courtesy of the thermomix). Dessert was the cake - flour free choc cake. This did have dark chocolate in it but I found the lowest sugar choc i could find (Lindt 70% cocoa cooking choc - 31% sugar). In total when I cut the cake into about 35 pieces it worked out to be around 1 g of fructose per piece. Icing was dextrose, butter, cocoa and a dash of vanilla. No complaints, and many came back for seconds. Cake was made in thermomix, by milling almonds to almond meal, milling chocolate, then mixing butter, dextrose, cocoa and eggs, adding in the almond meal and chocolate. Awesome!
Have also been having a play with some other recipes. Made some rice bubble bars for the boys, but i think they found them too sweet - used dextrose and rice malt syrup, shredded coconut and rice bubbles. Scott was looking longingly at them so went out and bought some gluten free rice bubbles and made the recipe again just for him. They were good... and the fellas at his work thought so too. He has taken a few of the dips I have made to work and shared them around, receiving much approval from the boys in the workshop.
To finish the party story, party "bags" were not done, but the kids got a couple of fancy balloons each to take home which seemed to keep everyone happy. No one had lollies, no one asked for lollies and everyone was happy and had fun.
Mr 3 recently turned 4, so we had the obligatory birthday party. Pics of some of the food is below, and as far as I could tell, all in attendance were pretty satisfied! I made a cake, which garnered a variety of comments from various family members about its appearance (many thought it looked less like a 4 than like other things... have to say I tend to agree). Nonetheless, it tasted sensational!
So, the party fare was this: homemade mini pizzas, made on a gluten free pizza base and cut out with a scone cutter. Toppings were passata (pureed and strained tomatoes), shredded salami and cheese. Also had some gluten free cheese rings and twists out (taste like cheesels and twisties did before they added MSG to them). On the sugar front, these chips are not bad (let's not get into the oils discussion yet....). Plain rice crackers and my own homemade capsicum, sundried tomato, cashew and olive oil dip (thank you thermomix).
To finish the party story, party "bags" were not done, but the kids got a couple of fancy balloons each to take home which seemed to keep everyone happy. No one had lollies, no one asked for lollies and everyone was happy and had fun.
Tuesday, 10 April 2012
Easter is over... and i finally got the hot cross buns right!
So, here is the recipe. It took me 3 goes to find a good recipe and get it right. These are gluten free and fructose free (apart from the small amount of sultanas that have to be there, or it is just not quite right...).
I adapted the recipe from the everyday cookbook for the Thermomix, but i am pretty sure you would follow the same process in a mixer. The ones I made today don't have the cross on them because I couldn't be bothered, I just wanted to prove that I could get the mix right! So excuse the fact that they are missing the cross in the photo!
Ingredients:
250 mL warm milk
250 g rice flour (milled rice in the thermomix - if you are not using a TM then just substitute gluten free plain flour)
350 g SR gluten free flour (total of 600 g of flour)
2 tsp Xanthan Gum
2 tsp salt
70g butter
45g dextrose (recipe calls for sugar - I just substitute gram for gram)
1 egg
15 g dry yeast or 20g fresh yeast
spices - I used about a teaspoon of All Spice. Last time i used some cinnamon, nutmeg and clove, but found the combination a bit overpowering. The allspice worked much more subtly this time.
50 - 100 g sultanas or currants (I didn't use much)
Method:
Warm the milk. Add the flours, salt, butter, dextrose, egg, xanthan gum, yeast and spices (everything except the fruit). Mix. chuck in the fruit toward the end of mixing. Allow it to prove for an hour and a half somewhere warm. Cut and shape into dinner roll sized buns - my recipe makes 16. Place on tray close together and allow to prove for a further 10-15 min. Bake in 220 degrees Celcius for 15 min.
If you are putting the cross on them, make it up with 80 g plain flour, 100g water and 1 tsp olive oil. Mix and use to pipe onto buns just before they go in the oven.
Lots of people put a sugar syrup on top as they come out of the oven (why not have some more sugar?). If you insist on doing this, use 2 tbs boiling water and 2 tbs dextrose. mix and brush on top.
For anyone who wants the Thermomix instructions:
milk 50 seconds 90 degrees speed 1.
add all other ingredients except fruit. Mix for 6 seconds on speed 7. Then closed lid, 3 minutes interval setting.
add fruit - 10 seconds speed 5.
All other instructions as above.
The end result is a yummy little bun that "doesn't crumble!" The Xanthan Gum is an important addition in gluten free baking because it helps stuff bind (which is the job of gluten in regular people's food!).
You can obviously vary the recipe by adding fruit rind (lemon is suggested, but i went for plain old normal for my kids).
I also spent the morning making pikelets with my five year old. He was very excited to have them for morning tea.
I adapted the recipe from the everyday cookbook for the Thermomix, but i am pretty sure you would follow the same process in a mixer. The ones I made today don't have the cross on them because I couldn't be bothered, I just wanted to prove that I could get the mix right! So excuse the fact that they are missing the cross in the photo!
250 mL warm milk
250 g rice flour (milled rice in the thermomix - if you are not using a TM then just substitute gluten free plain flour)
350 g SR gluten free flour (total of 600 g of flour)
2 tsp Xanthan Gum
2 tsp salt
70g butter
45g dextrose (recipe calls for sugar - I just substitute gram for gram)
1 egg
15 g dry yeast or 20g fresh yeast
spices - I used about a teaspoon of All Spice. Last time i used some cinnamon, nutmeg and clove, but found the combination a bit overpowering. The allspice worked much more subtly this time.
50 - 100 g sultanas or currants (I didn't use much)
Method:
Warm the milk. Add the flours, salt, butter, dextrose, egg, xanthan gum, yeast and spices (everything except the fruit). Mix. chuck in the fruit toward the end of mixing. Allow it to prove for an hour and a half somewhere warm. Cut and shape into dinner roll sized buns - my recipe makes 16. Place on tray close together and allow to prove for a further 10-15 min. Bake in 220 degrees Celcius for 15 min.
If you are putting the cross on them, make it up with 80 g plain flour, 100g water and 1 tsp olive oil. Mix and use to pipe onto buns just before they go in the oven.
Lots of people put a sugar syrup on top as they come out of the oven (why not have some more sugar?). If you insist on doing this, use 2 tbs boiling water and 2 tbs dextrose. mix and brush on top.
For anyone who wants the Thermomix instructions:
milk 50 seconds 90 degrees speed 1.
add all other ingredients except fruit. Mix for 6 seconds on speed 7. Then closed lid, 3 minutes interval setting.
add fruit - 10 seconds speed 5.
All other instructions as above.
The end result is a yummy little bun that "doesn't crumble!" The Xanthan Gum is an important addition in gluten free baking because it helps stuff bind (which is the job of gluten in regular people's food!).
You can obviously vary the recipe by adding fruit rind (lemon is suggested, but i went for plain old normal for my kids).
I also spent the morning making pikelets with my five year old. He was very excited to have them for morning tea.
Friday, 6 April 2012
Really? You think my fructose free choices are an abuse of my rights as parent? Really?
Wow... so i have a bit to say. Firstly, on the baking trail I am still going strong simply adapting most recipes with a straight swap of dextrose in place of sugar. No dramas to this point so will keep going until something doesn't work well. I made a really yummy batch of gluten free hot cross buns today, but forgot to put the Xanthan Gum in, so they crumbled as soon as we tried to butter them. Will try one more time, with the Xanthan Gum and then I will post the recipe and some pics here. I also have continued experimenting with some dextrose based chocolate. It is taking a while to get it right, and even longer to eat it because I am seriously not craving sweet food, so will be taking them to the in-laws on Sunday in the hope they don't find them too grainy (i think they are a bit grainy, but we will see...)
From the title you can see there is a story. I had someone say something that I find really ignorant. I was a bit stunned at first that they would even think it, let alone say it.... but that is the way life goes sometimes. I was talking with a group of people about what we were all doing for Easter in terms of egg hunts etc and someone commented that they supposed I wouldn't be doing anything with chocolate this year. I explained that "No, our decision was that the boys would get one or two eggs - enough to keep them happy but not so much that they are overindulging for the next six months to finish it all." I also explained that our plan is to get them some toys or something a little different so that the focus of Easter is not just about chocolate. Being a Catholic, I also have been talking to them about the true meaning around the weekend and they have a decent understanding (we go to mass most weekends). One of the group asked how I could justify this given that I was on a "No sugar diet". I explained that it is not a "no sugar diet" rather a lifestyle where I choose to limit the amount of fructose in the form of sucrose that I and my family eat. I see no reason why the kids can't have a lolly or two at a birthday party (party food is for parties) because they don't get them any other time (rarely ever anyway) and therefore they can have a couple of eggs at Easter. This satisfied that person. Didn't satisfy someone else. They decided to let me know that just because I choose to eat this way doesn't give me the right to impose my choice on other people. I asked this person to clarify - which people? - to the best of my knowledge I have not taken my opinions and shoved them down anyone's throat with a healthy dose of dextrose to wash it down! She (yes, a female.... AND a mother) said that it is not right (or fair to my kids) that I should choose to stop my children eating the "yummy good food that they love" just because I am going through "a phase".... If only she had eaten mum's carrot pie when my parents were following the Pritikin Diet in the 80s.....:
I asked her what rights I might have as a parent, if not to choose what food my 5 year old and 4 year old do or do not stick in their mouths? Seems to me that it is actually an abuse of my position as parent if I do not make this choice for them now. I also choose what religion they are, for the most part what clothes they wear, what tv shows they watch and how much, what time they go to bed. Why can't I choose what they eat? As a parent I was horrified that this person would say such a thing, given that I have a decent knowledge of some of the choices they as a parent make. I do not think anyone could honestly think I am abusing my children by limiting their sugar intake. Surely it is more abusive to feed them something you know is going to harm them?
So, that's my little story. Unfortunately, there are people out there who do not see the sense in what I am doing. That is ok. But don't tell me I am abusing my children when they are healthy, well-adjusted kids who know it is ok at a party to have a bit of party food, but also know that they won't be getting that food at home (even when we do have a party...).
Incidentally, we went to a birthday party on Thursday. There were a few bowls of lollies, a couple of bowls with strawberries, some little cakes and some packets of chips. Both boys went straight for the lollies, had about 3 or 4 and didn't want anymore. Mr 5 had 1 little cupcake and a couple of strawberries. Mr 4 had half a cupcake and a heap of strawberries and grapes. They both had a little packet of chips. They both drank water out of their water bottles. I don't think they even knew there was soft drink there. They played, and had fun and were on a slight sugar high last night, but it didn't last long. And they were back to normal today.
So, I will continue to make choices for my children, until they are old enough to cook for themselves and buy their own groceries.... or until they are rich enough to pay someone to cook for them and buy their groceries for them (and that won't be me!). And one of those choices will be that, wherever possible, there is a limited amount of fructose (in the form of sucrose and its variants) that will pass their lips.
From the title you can see there is a story. I had someone say something that I find really ignorant. I was a bit stunned at first that they would even think it, let alone say it.... but that is the way life goes sometimes. I was talking with a group of people about what we were all doing for Easter in terms of egg hunts etc and someone commented that they supposed I wouldn't be doing anything with chocolate this year. I explained that "No, our decision was that the boys would get one or two eggs - enough to keep them happy but not so much that they are overindulging for the next six months to finish it all." I also explained that our plan is to get them some toys or something a little different so that the focus of Easter is not just about chocolate. Being a Catholic, I also have been talking to them about the true meaning around the weekend and they have a decent understanding (we go to mass most weekends). One of the group asked how I could justify this given that I was on a "No sugar diet". I explained that it is not a "no sugar diet" rather a lifestyle where I choose to limit the amount of fructose in the form of sucrose that I and my family eat. I see no reason why the kids can't have a lolly or two at a birthday party (party food is for parties) because they don't get them any other time (rarely ever anyway) and therefore they can have a couple of eggs at Easter. This satisfied that person. Didn't satisfy someone else. They decided to let me know that just because I choose to eat this way doesn't give me the right to impose my choice on other people. I asked this person to clarify - which people? - to the best of my knowledge I have not taken my opinions and shoved them down anyone's throat with a healthy dose of dextrose to wash it down! She (yes, a female.... AND a mother) said that it is not right (or fair to my kids) that I should choose to stop my children eating the "yummy good food that they love" just because I am going through "a phase".... If only she had eaten mum's carrot pie when my parents were following the Pritikin Diet in the 80s.....:
I asked her what rights I might have as a parent, if not to choose what food my 5 year old and 4 year old do or do not stick in their mouths? Seems to me that it is actually an abuse of my position as parent if I do not make this choice for them now. I also choose what religion they are, for the most part what clothes they wear, what tv shows they watch and how much, what time they go to bed. Why can't I choose what they eat? As a parent I was horrified that this person would say such a thing, given that I have a decent knowledge of some of the choices they as a parent make. I do not think anyone could honestly think I am abusing my children by limiting their sugar intake. Surely it is more abusive to feed them something you know is going to harm them?
So, that's my little story. Unfortunately, there are people out there who do not see the sense in what I am doing. That is ok. But don't tell me I am abusing my children when they are healthy, well-adjusted kids who know it is ok at a party to have a bit of party food, but also know that they won't be getting that food at home (even when we do have a party...).
Incidentally, we went to a birthday party on Thursday. There were a few bowls of lollies, a couple of bowls with strawberries, some little cakes and some packets of chips. Both boys went straight for the lollies, had about 3 or 4 and didn't want anymore. Mr 5 had 1 little cupcake and a couple of strawberries. Mr 4 had half a cupcake and a heap of strawberries and grapes. They both had a little packet of chips. They both drank water out of their water bottles. I don't think they even knew there was soft drink there. They played, and had fun and were on a slight sugar high last night, but it didn't last long. And they were back to normal today.
So, I will continue to make choices for my children, until they are old enough to cook for themselves and buy their own groceries.... or until they are rich enough to pay someone to cook for them and buy their groceries for them (and that won't be me!). And one of those choices will be that, wherever possible, there is a limited amount of fructose (in the form of sucrose and its variants) that will pass their lips.
Sunday, 1 April 2012
More baking
Since the arrival of my Thermomix just over a week ago, I have been testing it out on a few recipes. I made a really yummy gluten free pizza base for Friday night's dinner. I was stoked with this one because I have spent countless hours in the past trying to make gluten free pizza bases - some from packet mixes, some from scratch, and never really had a great deal of success. I don't think I ever put enough effort into the kneading of the dough. Pleased to report that the Thermomix took most of that effort out for me, so in 2 minutes I had a well kneaded dough that made two large pizza bases - one we used on Friday and the other half of the dough is in the freezer for when we decide to next have pizza for dinner. On the back of the success with pizza dough, I thought I would try my hand at some gluten free, fructose free hot cross buns. I don't think I had the perfect recipe, because I was adapting someone else's recipe which was also dairy free. There was just not enough liquid in it to mix the dough properly and by the time i worked that out I was well into the kneading stage already. So there will be a re-run of that particular effort later this week. It all turned out quite well in the end - I simply added a bit of milk until it looked about right, and 16 lovely little soft hot cross buns were produced! The boys and Scott loved them (there are currently only 3 left and I made them yesterday). They were not 100% fructose free because I did put sultanas in them. I am going to try some fruitless ones, or at the very least, significantly less sultanas in the next batch. Being gluten free, they dry out pretty quickly, and my personal belief has always been that hot cross buns should be eaten fresh anyway! Wanting a hat-trick of successful dough making, I decided to give a go to a gluten free loaf of bread. We are on a winner here! It wasn't much to look at - have yet to work on my presentation skills, but that will come - but it was soft and moist and so very nice. Scott immediately got out his gf vege spread and had himself a lovely "vegemite" sandwich on warm bread.
I have not yet tried to make ANZAC bikkies in my thermomix but I have been promising for some time to put up my recipe as they are well and truly tried and tested and are a winner in our house. In fact, you cannot imagine the disappointment when the boys asked for an ANZAC bikkie this morning only to discover we have run out! Thank goodness for the hot cross bun which served as a perfectly good substitute (this time).
So, here goes:
Ingredients:
1 1/3 cup of plain flour (i use gf flour)
1 1/3 cup rolled oats (if making gf, i use rolled rice flakes instead - bikkies have crunchy texture)
3/4 cup of coconut
1 1/4 cups dextrose
150 g butter
3 tbs boiling water
3 or 4 tbs rice malt syrup (Pure Harvest - health food section of Coles - I have never seen it at Woolies)
1 tsp baking powder
Method:
Sift flour. Add all the dry ingredients to the flour (coconut, rolled oats, dextrose).
Melt butter in saucepan. Add rice malt syrup and water. Let it boil briefly then remove from heat. Add baking powder and let it foam. Pour immediately onto dry ingredients and mix well.
Form little balls on baking tray and press down slightly. Bake for 25-30 min. Allow to cool - will harden as they cool.
As with all ANZAC bikkies people have their personal preferences for crunchy vs chewy. Changing how much syrup you use will change the end result in this sense. The first time i used this recipe it actually said just 1 cup of flour and rolled oats. I found this mixture to be too wet for my liking so added 1/3 cup more of each of these. You won't get the really golden colour that you get from using golden syrup, but you also won't have any fructose in your food! I have tried this with glucose syrup too, definitely no golden colour there. I like the taste of rice malt syrup better and it gives more colour to the final product than glucose syrup does.
In general terms, I am finding that you can do pretty much straight replacements with dextrose instead of sugar (cup for cup or gram for gram). So far I have not had any dramas with changing it out in a recipe. I have made a couple of batches of custard this week and they are lovely - not too sweet as far as we are concerned.
One really exciting thing about the thermomix is that I was able to make my own rice flour! Just put in 250g of brown rice and milled it for about a minute and out comes 250g of rice flour! Sensational!
Well, I hope someone finds a use for the recipe posted here. I did have a friend mention they were looking for recipes that are not too fatty and not high in sugar to use as treats, so I hope she in particular has a go at these at some stage. I am positive they will be a hit in her house as they are in mine.
Til next time!
I have not yet tried to make ANZAC bikkies in my thermomix but I have been promising for some time to put up my recipe as they are well and truly tried and tested and are a winner in our house. In fact, you cannot imagine the disappointment when the boys asked for an ANZAC bikkie this morning only to discover we have run out! Thank goodness for the hot cross bun which served as a perfectly good substitute (this time).
So, here goes:
Ingredients:
1 1/3 cup of plain flour (i use gf flour)
1 1/3 cup rolled oats (if making gf, i use rolled rice flakes instead - bikkies have crunchy texture)
3/4 cup of coconut
1 1/4 cups dextrose
150 g butter
3 tbs boiling water
3 or 4 tbs rice malt syrup (Pure Harvest - health food section of Coles - I have never seen it at Woolies)
1 tsp baking powder
Method:
Sift flour. Add all the dry ingredients to the flour (coconut, rolled oats, dextrose).
Melt butter in saucepan. Add rice malt syrup and water. Let it boil briefly then remove from heat. Add baking powder and let it foam. Pour immediately onto dry ingredients and mix well.
Form little balls on baking tray and press down slightly. Bake for 25-30 min. Allow to cool - will harden as they cool.
As with all ANZAC bikkies people have their personal preferences for crunchy vs chewy. Changing how much syrup you use will change the end result in this sense. The first time i used this recipe it actually said just 1 cup of flour and rolled oats. I found this mixture to be too wet for my liking so added 1/3 cup more of each of these. You won't get the really golden colour that you get from using golden syrup, but you also won't have any fructose in your food! I have tried this with glucose syrup too, definitely no golden colour there. I like the taste of rice malt syrup better and it gives more colour to the final product than glucose syrup does.
In general terms, I am finding that you can do pretty much straight replacements with dextrose instead of sugar (cup for cup or gram for gram). So far I have not had any dramas with changing it out in a recipe. I have made a couple of batches of custard this week and they are lovely - not too sweet as far as we are concerned.
One really exciting thing about the thermomix is that I was able to make my own rice flour! Just put in 250g of brown rice and milled it for about a minute and out comes 250g of rice flour! Sensational!
Well, I hope someone finds a use for the recipe posted here. I did have a friend mention they were looking for recipes that are not too fatty and not high in sugar to use as treats, so I hope she in particular has a go at these at some stage. I am positive they will be a hit in her house as they are in mine.
Til next time!
Sunday, 25 March 2012
Time saving device.... (s)
I have gone a little retail crazy in the last couple of weeks and bought myself two appliances that are going to save my sanity a little. The first is a Roomba... I am not the most diligent of housewives... so anything that is going to vacuum for me whilst i am somewhere else (eg at work) is a friend of mine. The second is a Thermomix. For those who don't know what a thermomix is, go to www.thermomix.com.au and be prepared to be impressed! I wonder how it took so long for me to find out about this sensational appliance. Anyone who knows me also knows that I love a good party plan gathering... my massive tupperware cupboard, enjo gear (yes i do still have a clean bathroom) and room full of Le Reve perfumes, skincare and aromatherapy are testament to my faith in good quality products bought through party plan. So I got invited to a Thermomix demo. I had never heard of it before. I went, fully intending to not buy, just look. Yeah, right.... $2000 later I head home, wondering how I sell this idea to my husband and make it sound like a really good purchase. Turns out I really didn't need to work too hard to convince him - he knows that I don't actually spend money just for the sake of it, so if I had decided it was a good purchase, that was good enough for him. Trusting man... very trusting man...
Anyway, I also booked my own demo and we had that yesterday. I am sooooo excited to have my thermomix in the kitchen. Mushroom risotto for dinner last night, courtesy of the leftovers from the demo... The great thing about the Thermomix is that you know exactly what is going into your food. I can even make my own gluten free flour by milling rice (and tapioca and other gf grains if i really feel so inclined...)
So, how does this all tie in with Fructose Free living? Quite simply really. We tried the custard recipe and instead of pulverising raw sugar, then using the powdered form of that, i just put in the same weight of dextrose. OMG.... i am sooo never standing over a saucepan stirring and stirring and stirring and praying that the eggs don't curdle! That was seriously the best custard I have EVER made, and I have made quite a lot of custard in my life. Then, Scott said, do you think you could try some creamed rice? He was pleading just a little.... I have banned tinned creamed rice even though the boys LOVE it, because it is just too high in sugar. Well, we did it. And apparently it is just the way the little Greek shop in Casuarina Shopping Centre used to make it, so that is obviously a good thing! Again, no sugar - used dextrose instead and according to the official taster - perfect!
What is next? Well, gluten free hot cross buns are going to have to be attempted. I whipped up an ice cream batch (dextrose) last night to compare it to my tried and tested method. It is churning in Snowy at the moment, so we will see how that turns out. Again, the less standing over a stove stirring for me, the better.
Dips! Last weekend i tried a capsicum, cashew and sundried tomato dip, this weekend garlic, parsley and cream cheese. Can't wait to have another birthday party or something to try a few more of these recipes out!
So I have a couple of weeks holidays coming up - guess what Mr 5 and I will be doing? Cooking and playing! (and watching the floors get vacuumed) Can anyone tell I am a little bit excited? I firmly believe this whole fructose free lifestyle is going to get even easier when i make more of my own sauces - mayonnaise for example - so i have even fewer labels to read.
Of course it might make us incredibly boring people as we will be less likely to want to go out, but I live by the theory that if you are doing the right thing most of the time, then the occasional meal out is not going to do damage. Damage happens when the occasional turns into the regular. Kind of like drinking....
Anyway, I also booked my own demo and we had that yesterday. I am sooooo excited to have my thermomix in the kitchen. Mushroom risotto for dinner last night, courtesy of the leftovers from the demo... The great thing about the Thermomix is that you know exactly what is going into your food. I can even make my own gluten free flour by milling rice (and tapioca and other gf grains if i really feel so inclined...)
So, how does this all tie in with Fructose Free living? Quite simply really. We tried the custard recipe and instead of pulverising raw sugar, then using the powdered form of that, i just put in the same weight of dextrose. OMG.... i am sooo never standing over a saucepan stirring and stirring and stirring and praying that the eggs don't curdle! That was seriously the best custard I have EVER made, and I have made quite a lot of custard in my life. Then, Scott said, do you think you could try some creamed rice? He was pleading just a little.... I have banned tinned creamed rice even though the boys LOVE it, because it is just too high in sugar. Well, we did it. And apparently it is just the way the little Greek shop in Casuarina Shopping Centre used to make it, so that is obviously a good thing! Again, no sugar - used dextrose instead and according to the official taster - perfect!
What is next? Well, gluten free hot cross buns are going to have to be attempted. I whipped up an ice cream batch (dextrose) last night to compare it to my tried and tested method. It is churning in Snowy at the moment, so we will see how that turns out. Again, the less standing over a stove stirring for me, the better.
Dips! Last weekend i tried a capsicum, cashew and sundried tomato dip, this weekend garlic, parsley and cream cheese. Can't wait to have another birthday party or something to try a few more of these recipes out!
So I have a couple of weeks holidays coming up - guess what Mr 5 and I will be doing? Cooking and playing! (and watching the floors get vacuumed) Can anyone tell I am a little bit excited? I firmly believe this whole fructose free lifestyle is going to get even easier when i make more of my own sauces - mayonnaise for example - so i have even fewer labels to read.
Of course it might make us incredibly boring people as we will be less likely to want to go out, but I live by the theory that if you are doing the right thing most of the time, then the occasional meal out is not going to do damage. Damage happens when the occasional turns into the regular. Kind of like drinking....
Sunday, 11 March 2012
Sweet Poison on Sunday Night (Channel 7)
http://au.news.yahoo.com/sunday-night/features/article/-/13058226/sweet-poison/3/
How good was that? I often worry when stuff like this is going to be shown on a current affairs program, because more than likely in a week or two Channel 7 will be airing a program on how wonderful the carrot stick diet or the banana diet is (fictional at this point in time as far as I know...) However, having Peter Fitzsimons reporting from the perspective of actually living a sugar-free lifestyle made it more real for me. And I have had numerous messages from friends asking how to get hold of the book now. I am so excited that the message is getting out there.
You just can't argue with the logic. Even "Dr" Alan Barclay said it - eat all foods in moderation, go back to whole foods, nutritional foods. (Sugar has zero nutritional value people). So glad they didn't show too much more of him talking as I may have punched my TV. As a diabetic's wife, I get so annoyed that he is still pushing the idea that sugar is ok, even though the response of so many diabetics (type 1 and type 2) is that their sugar levels are far easier to control when they cut out the processed sugar. I read through the comments on Sunday Night's website and there was one mother's comment saying "Well my son is a type 1 diabetic and if he doesn't eat sugar he will die" ummm... well hello, have a look at what is in his hypo kit - it is pure glucose, so don't you think if you replace his sugar with glucose he will still be ok. Speaking from experience, you will be doing your diabetic family member a massive favour by switching to glucose. The insulin will start to work better (in our case, long acting insulin has been reduced significantly) and their sugar levels will be far more steady from day to day.
Admittedly, not once during the program was the word fructose mentioned. I wonder if this was on purpose. I find that at first people find it very hard to comprehend what fructose is. Unfortunately, if you just say "cut out all sugar" people get very jumpy, because sugar includes all your ranges of carbohydrates. Be assured, nowhere in his book does David suggest we stop eating potatoes, pumpkin or peas (all the good veges begin with p - except parsnip, it is NOT a good vege according to my tastebuds!). David makes a very clear distinction on the difference between glucose (a good sugar) and sucrose (a half-bad sugar, the bad half being fructose).
Okay Nestle, this is a quote from your statement to Channel 7 regarding their program from tonight. "And finally, and probably most importantly, using the 100gms stat is completely misleading – it’s absurd to suggest that anyone would eat 15 heaped teaspoons of Milo in one sitting." I am guessing whoever wrote that never met me at various stages in my life - eg. pre-menstrual, stressed, tired, hungover, bored, happy, sad. I have memories of sitting with a can of milo and a dessertspoon (not a teaspoon). And in all honesty, who cannot admit to just putting enough milk into half a cup of milo to just make it wet enough to eat without choking on the dry product! Go on... you can admit it here, you are among friends!
Toady I ran a little experiment. I took my 5 year old son to his first big school birthday party today. Sugar sugar everywhere. The lolly bag was a "lolly shop" situation. I agreed with my husband that we would allow the boys a limited amount of sugar from the party, so my son and I went down the line and he pointed out all the lollies he would like - i got 4 of each - 2 for him and 2 for his brother. They shared when they got home. They threw out about half of the lollies because they just didn't like them. They only got about 10 little jelly type lollies and a few jaffas. They ate maybe half, threw out a few, and the rest are in a sealed container that will go in the bin tomorrow night. The experiment concludes then when I determine if they remember they are there and ask for them. It sounds a bit horrible running experiments on your kids, but I want to know what the effect of me choosing to cut sugar out of their diet has been. I am pretty positive so far. Today's attitude to the lollies is enough for me to know they don't really want it and are not missing out. They still get dessert most nights a week - usually it is the dextrose-based icecream that I make. Sometimes it is yoghurt (natural with Stevia as a sweetener). Sometimes it is a rice cake! The lolly situation is a far cry from 2 Christmases ago, when we went to the carols and Santa brought a massive bag of lollies for each kid. Santa dressed up was my boys' Great Grandfather, so he made sure those darling little boys of his got extra lollies. My little man was about 2 and a half at the time and sat and ate his entire bag of lollies (except those blocks someone put in his bag of lollies - licorice allsorts). Now he struggles to get through 10 little lollies.
And the best thing that I noticed was in my own response. I have ALWAYS loved lollies. I could eat a big bag in the space of time it would take you to read this blog. That would certainly go a long way to explaining why i wear clothes of the size I do.... but today, I was not interested. I ate two little party pies and a quarter of a ham sandwich that Mr 5 had taken a bite out of. I think I may still have been full from a yummy bacon and eggs breaky, but there was not a chance a lolly was going in my mouth. That was probably my first big temptation since focussing on this issue. One step at a time, but I avoided that one so I know I am getting stronger.
On my weight, I am not going to be reporting on a weekly basis. Given the natural fluctuations in our bodies, I think it is better that I look on a monthly basis. I also am trying to beat some mental demons, one of which is a fixation with the numbers. I need to remember that it is about feeling better, not just what number comes up on the scales.
So, ciao for now!
How good was that? I often worry when stuff like this is going to be shown on a current affairs program, because more than likely in a week or two Channel 7 will be airing a program on how wonderful the carrot stick diet or the banana diet is (fictional at this point in time as far as I know...) However, having Peter Fitzsimons reporting from the perspective of actually living a sugar-free lifestyle made it more real for me. And I have had numerous messages from friends asking how to get hold of the book now. I am so excited that the message is getting out there.
You just can't argue with the logic. Even "Dr" Alan Barclay said it - eat all foods in moderation, go back to whole foods, nutritional foods. (Sugar has zero nutritional value people). So glad they didn't show too much more of him talking as I may have punched my TV. As a diabetic's wife, I get so annoyed that he is still pushing the idea that sugar is ok, even though the response of so many diabetics (type 1 and type 2) is that their sugar levels are far easier to control when they cut out the processed sugar. I read through the comments on Sunday Night's website and there was one mother's comment saying "Well my son is a type 1 diabetic and if he doesn't eat sugar he will die" ummm... well hello, have a look at what is in his hypo kit - it is pure glucose, so don't you think if you replace his sugar with glucose he will still be ok. Speaking from experience, you will be doing your diabetic family member a massive favour by switching to glucose. The insulin will start to work better (in our case, long acting insulin has been reduced significantly) and their sugar levels will be far more steady from day to day.
Admittedly, not once during the program was the word fructose mentioned. I wonder if this was on purpose. I find that at first people find it very hard to comprehend what fructose is. Unfortunately, if you just say "cut out all sugar" people get very jumpy, because sugar includes all your ranges of carbohydrates. Be assured, nowhere in his book does David suggest we stop eating potatoes, pumpkin or peas (all the good veges begin with p - except parsnip, it is NOT a good vege according to my tastebuds!). David makes a very clear distinction on the difference between glucose (a good sugar) and sucrose (a half-bad sugar, the bad half being fructose).
Okay Nestle, this is a quote from your statement to Channel 7 regarding their program from tonight. "And finally, and probably most importantly, using the 100gms stat is completely misleading – it’s absurd to suggest that anyone would eat 15 heaped teaspoons of Milo in one sitting." I am guessing whoever wrote that never met me at various stages in my life - eg. pre-menstrual, stressed, tired, hungover, bored, happy, sad. I have memories of sitting with a can of milo and a dessertspoon (not a teaspoon). And in all honesty, who cannot admit to just putting enough milk into half a cup of milo to just make it wet enough to eat without choking on the dry product! Go on... you can admit it here, you are among friends!
Toady I ran a little experiment. I took my 5 year old son to his first big school birthday party today. Sugar sugar everywhere. The lolly bag was a "lolly shop" situation. I agreed with my husband that we would allow the boys a limited amount of sugar from the party, so my son and I went down the line and he pointed out all the lollies he would like - i got 4 of each - 2 for him and 2 for his brother. They shared when they got home. They threw out about half of the lollies because they just didn't like them. They only got about 10 little jelly type lollies and a few jaffas. They ate maybe half, threw out a few, and the rest are in a sealed container that will go in the bin tomorrow night. The experiment concludes then when I determine if they remember they are there and ask for them. It sounds a bit horrible running experiments on your kids, but I want to know what the effect of me choosing to cut sugar out of their diet has been. I am pretty positive so far. Today's attitude to the lollies is enough for me to know they don't really want it and are not missing out. They still get dessert most nights a week - usually it is the dextrose-based icecream that I make. Sometimes it is yoghurt (natural with Stevia as a sweetener). Sometimes it is a rice cake! The lolly situation is a far cry from 2 Christmases ago, when we went to the carols and Santa brought a massive bag of lollies for each kid. Santa dressed up was my boys' Great Grandfather, so he made sure those darling little boys of his got extra lollies. My little man was about 2 and a half at the time and sat and ate his entire bag of lollies (except those blocks someone put in his bag of lollies - licorice allsorts). Now he struggles to get through 10 little lollies.
And the best thing that I noticed was in my own response. I have ALWAYS loved lollies. I could eat a big bag in the space of time it would take you to read this blog. That would certainly go a long way to explaining why i wear clothes of the size I do.... but today, I was not interested. I ate two little party pies and a quarter of a ham sandwich that Mr 5 had taken a bite out of. I think I may still have been full from a yummy bacon and eggs breaky, but there was not a chance a lolly was going in my mouth. That was probably my first big temptation since focussing on this issue. One step at a time, but I avoided that one so I know I am getting stronger.
On my weight, I am not going to be reporting on a weekly basis. Given the natural fluctuations in our bodies, I think it is better that I look on a monthly basis. I also am trying to beat some mental demons, one of which is a fixation with the numbers. I need to remember that it is about feeling better, not just what number comes up on the scales.
So, ciao for now!
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