The Dietary Adventures of Jilluck

Hello out there!

2011-03-12T09:17:00.001-08:00

Over the course of the past two years, as the mother of twins, I have neglected countless responsibilities including social outings, a reasonable attempt at fashion, basic yard work, window treatments, staying up to date on current events, thoughtful gifts, and even in some dire cases, hygiene, but nothing comes close to the delinquency I've shown for the care and upkeep of this poor blog.

The shame of slowly watching the blog sink to the bottom of blogrolls, until it finally falls off all together, is just too much. I hate it when my favorite blogs are left alone, helpless, leashes tied to fire hydrants for months on end while I wonder what happened to their owners. A rare case of the measles? A miraculous cure? A sabbatical in Antarctica? A vow of poverty and silence?

But in all likelihood, if those folks are anything like myself, the most accurate excuse is that life happened to them.

Well, I can't promise more frequent posts but I can bring you up to speed on where we are today.

Still following the SCD close to 100%. Still in total drug free remission. Still feeling great! As it will be 5 successful years on the SCD this August, I do reward myself with 85% dark chocolate now and then. No, I don't eat a whole bar at a time or anything like that but I do incorporate little bits into my diet here and there. It is my only full-on cheat and I have not had the desire, or the bravery, to venture further off the SCD path than that. I would also not recommend anyone try this at home unless you too have years of remission behind your belt.

The twins are almost 2 and we are actually expecting a third child in about a month. GULP. Still working full time as well though not nearly as much travel. As you can imagine, I have little patience for people who tell me they don't have time to follow the SCD. Really?

I usually eat some type of SCD baked good for breakfast (though on the weekends we try and go out once in a while for eggs and bacon) I eat SCD yogurt almost daily. For lunch I either bring leftovers from dinner or grab a salad with some type of protein. I eat a lot of fruit. A LOT. For dinner we throw together stirfrys, basic protein and veggie, and my husband makes me the occasional pizza. Love peanut butter with apples, cheese, hard boiled eggs and veggies and dip for snacks. Today we are celebrating my sister's birthday and my mom made deviled eggs, broccoli salad, and steak tips - all SCD of course.

We don't have the time or energy to cook like we used to but in a few years I know I'll be back to experimenting and with the explosion of SCDish related websites that have cropped up over the last year or so, I'll have a lot to catch up on!

Oh, by the way, I was at a prenatal birthing class last week and the instructor asked whether anyone was experiencing heart burn. Every expecting mother raised her hand - except for me. My husband leaned over and said "I know it is due to your diet." No sooner had he said this than the instructor mentioned that a known remedy is eating almonds. WOW. I eat almonds almost every day in the SCD baked goods. Can't be coincidence.

Well folks, I hope you are having as much fun and success with the SCD as I am. I cannot believe what an easy remedy it is for Crohn's disease and I am even more fascinated with the fact that many folks with Crohn's don't give it a try. For me it is a no-brainer and I remain forever grateful to Elaine and all of the folks that paved the way for us to have it so easy in 2011.

Now if only there was an equally efficient and effective remedy for the terrible twos.

Hmmmmm

Successful SCD and STILL an Ileostomy?

2010-03-09T12:21:00.000-08:00

Yes folks, you read correctly. I am approaching my 4th year on the Specific Carbohydrate Diet which has allowed me to live med-free and in 100% remission from Crohn's Disease.

Regardless of my digestive successes, the universe decided to make things interesting by lining up two major resection surgeries including a temporary ileostomy.

What?!? Resections and an ileostomy while claiming success with the SCD? That's right. I am still in shock myself. You see, these unfortunate events had nothing to do with Crohn's disease and everything to do with past abdominal surgeries - the primary culprit being last year's Cesarean.

It all started last fall when I was on my phone at work one minute and on my office floor the next. I was rushed to the ER and when the doctors learned of my past history with CD they assumed that this was another lapse. However, after extensive tests it was determined that I showed no signs of CD whatsoever (the silver lining in case you missed it).

After 5 LONG days in the hospital I underwent exploratory surgery (4 hours) during which time they identified a "very serious and strategically placed adhesion" which impacted several feet of my small intestines. I was also informed that I was now the owner of a temporary ileostomy.

After 2 weeks in the hospital with an NG tube and three months sporting a PICC line and an ileostomy and then a second "reversal" operation in February, I am now slowly making my way back to "normal."

Let me tell you all that these operations, PICC lines, and ileostomies are no joke but sadly they are all too common occurrences for folks with Crohn's. If you follow the SCD and it is working for you. Don't stop. If you are thinking of trying the diet but are on the fence sign up NOW!

There are so many beautiful and creative SCD sites cropping up these days, not to mention the great email groups. You will have more support than you can imagine.

The bright side of the last few months:

Doctors couldn't believe that the CD was undetectable
Doctors who were once skeptical now encourage me to stay on the diet
The C Section may be to blame but I have happy healthy babies to show for it!
I have a new found faith in the SCD
I don't have to worry about fitting into my bathing suit this summer

Lunch with Mom

2009-07-14T09:22:00.000-07:00

I spend most weekends at my mom's house these days. She is an SCD expert and always makes great lunches! Here is a picture of her roast chicken salad and ice tea with lemon.

Yummm

Fast Fish Feast

2009-07-12T11:17:00.000-07:00

The chicken dish I referenced a few weeks ago turned out to be only OK but we enjoyed a super fast and yummy fish dish last night.

-3-4 servings of fresh Cod

- Legal prosciutto (pork and salt only)

- olive oil

- pepper

Cut the fish into appropriate portions and sprinkle with pepper. Wrap the fish in prosciutto. Heat olive oil in a pan and cook the fish for about 4 minutes on each side (medium high) or until cooked well.

No need to add salt as the prosciutto is salty enough. As a side dish my husband had tomato, basil, and mozzarella and I enjoyed tomato, basil and avocado.

I think we had about 10 minutes to eat before needing to tend to the babies.

Cat Nap Blogging

2009-06-28T13:27:00.001-07:00

Just a quick check-in while the babies are taking a cat nap. So having premie infant twins must be the ultimate SCD challenge but I am still going strong. Sometimes lunch is a piece of cheese and some almonds but I am sure that is no different than other non-SCD new moms!

Today I am trying Slow Cooker African Peanut Chicken. It smells WONDERFUL and if it tastes just as good then I will post the recipe!

The "convenience" foods that I reach for these days includes:

- dried organic mango (my FAVORITE)

- Peanut butter and apples

- Apples and cheese

- SCD cheddar crackers with guacamole or salsa

- Cheddar cheese sticks

- Pineapple, bananas, etc

- Peanut butter Larabars (there is some dispute over whether these are legal but they work for me)

Opps- one of the twins is up... I will get back to you on that slow cooker recipe!

Until then...

Happy SCDing

The Twins Arrive!!

2009-04-07T09:12:00.000-07:00

The twins showed up a little earlier than expected (at 33 weeks). Considering how early they arrived, their weight was quite impressive (about 5lb and 4lb). However, because they are such premies, they will need to spend some time in the NICU.

As such, I have been putting in 10 hour days at the hospital myself. While I was pregnant my plan was to cook up a storm and freeze meals for after the babies were born. That plan went out the window when they showed up last week! Thankfully, my mom has been a huge help with meal preparations.

I spent 5 days in the hospital recovering from a C-section. During that time she brought me chicken soup with butternut squash and kale, hard boiled eggs, cinnamon cookies, fruit, and more. Of course I ate SCD yogurt for breakfast and had plenty of snacks too.

Now that I am basically living at the NICU during the days I bring my own lunch and snacks. For example, today I brought meatballs (made by mom), hard boiled eggs, a salad, cookies, cheese sticks, yogurt with blueberries and SCD granola, and an apple with peanut butter. Sound like a lot of food? You need many calories to nurse a set of twins!

At night when we come home hungry and exhausted, my husband and I make a simple dinner of grilled meat with veggies or a stir fry, taco salad, etc. I am making SCD yogurt from organic half and half to help increase my caloric intake.

The twins are doing really well and gaining weight at a great pace. We hope they can come home soon. My husband swears that their stellar progress is due to the SCD and I tend to agree. : )

SCD Twins!

2009-02-16T06:38:00.000-08:00

I am such a blog-slacker but I have a great excuse - I promise. Since November 08 I have been ultra busy preparing for the two twin boys that I am expecting this spring. That's right, SCD twins!! I am taking the Perry prenatal vitamins, fish oil, vitamin D and LOTS of SCD yogurt.

So far so good on the intestinal front. I have also gained about 26 pounds at last check (I hear you are supposed to gain about 35-40 with twins). I credit the weight gain with lots of SCD baked goods (thank goodness for the SCD Bakery), organic SCD yogurt made from Half and Half, lots of fruits and 100% juices.

I have been on the diet for about 2 and 1/2 years and, thankfully, I can eat just about any legal food that I want. The only thing that doesn't agree with me completely is cauliflower.

So, as you can imagine, my posts will probably remain pretty sparse for the near future as I venture into my 3rd trimester and then embark on the journey of twinfants.

In the meantime, please be sure to check out all of the great SCD blogs (listed on the left hand side of this page) and Bon Appetite!

Jill

Thanksgiving Sandwiches

2008-11-29T16:45:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving was great. We enjoyed the usual turkey along with a roast beef and SCD legal gravy. I also made homemade cranberry sauce with apples and honey and some cheddar biscuits from Grainfree Gourmet Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.

The biscuits were terrific for turkey sandwiches. I carefully cut the biscuits in half horizontally, toasted them and then added SCD mayo, cranberry sauce, gravy and turkey.

YUMMM

Too bad I forgot all of the leftovers at my mom's house.

Hot & Sour Soup

2008-11-02T13:53:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I had a craving for Oodles of Noodles and in reviewing my recipe books I came across Hot & Sour Soup in Eat Well Feel Well.

I had to go grocery shopping anyhow so I picked up the ingredients and it was no trouble at all to whip up a batch.

This soup really hit the spot and satisfied that craving for a noodle-like soup. It is loaded with shitake mushrooms, boy choy, ginger, garlic, eggs, and thinly sliced pork. For those of you who like Hot & Sour soup, or just miss the taste of Chinese cuisine...it is a winner.

SCD Surf & Turf

2008-10-25T06:08:00.001-07:00

Last night at my in-law's we enjoyed a delicious tomato and avocado salad followed by steamed lobster and steak with green beans.

Scrumptious

Monkeying Around

2008-10-08T17:17:00.000-07:00

So tonight I was craving something with peanut butter and bananas. The result was a creamy smoothie dessert.

Monkeying Around

1 cup SCD Yogurt
1 big tablespoon of SCD legal peanut butter
1/2 of a frozen banana
Honey to taste

Blend and enjoy. Mine lasted about 4 minutes.

SCD Sweet French Waffles

2008-09-14T05:44:00.000-07:00

Well folks we have a winner. I saw this recipe from Debbie on the BTVC-SCD listserv a year ago and filed it away. Then yesterday morning on a whim I decided to whip up a batch. All I can say is that these babies are delicious. I froze the remaining waffles and heated one up this morning with a little butter and honey.

From Debbie....

"These waffles filled the house with the most WONDERFUL smell! And they taste GREAT too.

They have a light, crepe-like texture, which makes removing them from the waffle iron a little tricky. Since they have a higher egg to flour ratio than other waffle recipes you have to be quick and have your cooling rack real handy. The extra effort is well worth it, believe me. I cover my racks with paper towels to absorb moisture.

To freeze, I cut waffle size squares of wax paper and layer the paper between individual waffles and freeze in gallon size zip-lock freezer bags." - Debbie

SWEET FRENCH WAFFLES:
-3 Large eggs
-1/4 c. SCD dripped yogurt
-1/4 c. Farmers cheese or DCCC (Debbie uses Farmers)
-2 Tbls. Melted butter
-1 Tbls. Honey
-1 teas. Vanilla extract
-1/4 c. Almond flour
-1/4 teas. Salt
-1/2 teas. Baking soda
-1/4-1/2 teas. Cinnamon
-2 Tbls. chopped pecans

In large bowl, mix first 6 ingredients until creamy. Add dry ingredients and mix until well blended and creamy. Prepare as usual for your waffle maker.

Here's the ingredients for a TRIPLE BATCH:
-9 Large eggs
-3/4 c. Dripped SCD yogurt
-3/4 c. Farmers cheese or DCCC
-6 Tbls. Melted butter
-Scant 1/4c. Honey
-3 teas. Vanilla
-3/4 c. Almond flour
-Scant 1/2 teas. salt
-1 1/2 teas. Baking soda
-1 teas. Cinnamon
-1/4 c. Chopped Pecans

First Days of Football

2008-09-07T12:10:00.000-07:00

As a celebration of the first official football game we noshed on the following:

Hot Crispy Buffalo Wings - sprinkle wings with paprika, salt and pepper then bake at 425 for an hour - flip half way through- finally, mix with your favorite SCD legal hot sauce and butter. Sinful
Carrot and celery dippers with creamy blue cheese - process together crumbled blue cheese, SCD dripped yogurt and SCD legal mayo. Dip the veggies.

Clearly this recipe is NOT for beginners, or anyone who is symptomatic, but thankfully after 2 years on the diet it IS for me!

Go Pats! Go SCD!

SCD Movie Stars on You Tube

2008-09-03T18:15:00.000-07:00

Check out the cool new SCD videos posted on You Tube. Thanks to you SCD movie stars for sharing them with all of us...

Bottoms Up!

2008-08-14T16:24:00.000-07:00

Thank you Kathy from the BTVC-SCD Listserve for these awesome SCD Mojito, Margarita, Strawberry Daiquiri, and Lemon Drop Recipes.

Make sure that your first toast is to Kathy for her creativity and generousity.

Cheers!

SCD Mojitos
- Place several (apx. 1T or more) mint leaves in a glass
- Squeeze in the juice from 1/2 Persian lime (regular lime, not an itty bitty key lime)
- Add honey to taste (I use about 1T, maybe a little less)
- Using a wooden spoon or muddler, smoosh the above ingredients together until the honey dissolves
- Add ice to fill the glass
- Add 1-2 oz. white rum
- Top off with soda water and stir
-Enjoy

SCD Margaritas (Mock Cadillac Margarita on the Rocks Serves 2)
Squeeze juice from the following into a container:
- 2 Persian (regular, not key) limes
- 1 lemon (Kathy likes Meyers if you can find them)
- 1/4 orange
- In a separate container mix 1/4 c. honey and 1/4 c. water to make a simple syrup
- Stir until the honey completely dissolves
- Add the honey syrup to the citrus juices
- Salt the rim of the glass (if you want salt)
- Add ice and 2-3 oz. tequila to your SCD-legal sweet and sour mix and stir
- Squeeze a slice of lime into the drink
- Enjoy!

SCD Strawberry Daiquiris (Serves 3-4)
In a blender combine the following:
- 1 c. fresh or frozen strawberries
- 4-8 oz. of white rum (depending on how strong you want them)
- Apx. 1/4c. honey to taste, and ice
- Blend and enjoy!
(Note that strawberries are generally considered an advanced food due to the seeds.)

SCD Lemon Drop (Serves 2)
- Squeeze the juice from 1/2 lemon into a cup
- Add apx. 1T honey and 1T water and mix thoroughly to ensure the honey dissolves
- Pour into a martini shaker filled with ice along with 3 oz. vodka
- Shake and pour into chilled martini glass
- Garnish with lemon slices
-Enjoy!

SCD Blog Sabatical

2008-07-27T08:22:00.000-07:00

WOW. I cannot believe it has been over a month since I last posted. Let's just call it an unintended SCD Blog sabbatical. That said, I was certainly loyal to the diet throughout that time. Lots has happened since June. Here are some SCD highlights:

July 4th Party-

Several family and friends arrived for the 4th of July weekend to enjoy a parade and firework celebration. Here is the menu of SCD adapted recipes. If you are interested in any particular one please email me at jilluck@hotmail.com and I will let you know which SCD cookbook contains that recipe.

Appetizers:

Artichoke Dip
SCD Crackers, Brie, Cheddar cheese and Grapes
Garlicky Humus
Gazpacho
Mexican Black Bean Soup (with melted cheese and "sour cream" aka SCD yogurt)

Meals:

Cheese Burgers
Spinach, Apple, Raisin Salad with Gorganzola
Basil Pesto with Zucchini Spaghetti
Pork Ribs with BBQ sauce
Wings
Mexican Meatballs

Cocktails & Dessert:

Sangria
Lemoncello
Lemon Freeze Dessert

Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park-

The week after 4th of July my hubby and I headed to Bar Harbor, Maine where we spent a week strolling around the town and exploring Acadia National Park.

Lots of biking (14.5 miles), hiking (4 hours up and around a mountain), and kayaking (4 hours up the sound) called for refueling SCD style. Here are some meals that we enjoyed:

Breakfasts:

Lots of SCD yogurt with fruit and honey
Caramelized onion, mushroom and cheese omelet
Poached eggs with sauteed mushrooms and tomatoes
Cod wrapped in prosciutto with eggs over easy and spinach

Lunches:

Cheese Burgers with avocado
Salads
Snacks packed for hiking/kayaking adventures e.g. nuts, cheese, dried fruit, SCD crackers

Dinners:

Salad with grilled chicken (marinated in olive oil, thyme, salt and pepper) and dry white wine
Filet Mignon and grilled shrimp with a garden salad
Garlicky shrimp and NY Sirloin topped with caramelized onions
Black Bean Soup with all the fixings e.g., salsa, melted cheese, SCD sour cream
Maine Lobster with drawn butter
Mussels
Baked Brie with SCD crackers and apples

Thanks to the SCD I am having a happy and healthy summer and I hope you are too!

PS. I have lots of pictures but am having difficulty downloading them. Will work on that.

Menu for June 13, 14, 15 2008

2008-06-15T17:45:00.000-07:00

Friday night- Dinner on the porch with the family. Chicken salad with SCD mayo, grapes, and apples over Bibb lettuce. Summer squash, zucchini, and green beans simmered with tomatoes and garlic.
Saturday - Cheese burger lunch and Cape Cod Lobster with butter and a side of green beans for dinner.
Sunday - Bowling with the parents and then out with friends for a dinner of wild salmon with a lemon, thyme, butter sauce and a cucumber, olive, tomato salad.

Lemon Freezerific!

2008-06-10T18:48:00.000-07:00

Holy Cow! You have to go out and buy the new Grainfree Gourmet Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner cookbook and make the Lemon Freeze. If you like dessert, Key Lime Pie, ice cream cake, and delicious food in general you will NOT be disappointed.

Your challenge will be keeping all of your non-SCD friends and family away from it! I would have taken a picture but we ate it too fast.

One of the best parts about it is that you can make it anytime, put it in your freezer and have it for whenever you want a little slice of deliciousness!

Strawberry Salad & A Dear Friend

2008-06-06T19:06:00.000-07:00

Tonight I went to dinner with my oldest and dearest friend Amy. We met in elementary school and I have been fascinated by her ever since. She lives far away so we don't see each other very often but when we do it always seems like we are right back in Mrs. Ferrari's 4th grade class again. Amy is one of the smartest, friendliest, fashionable, creative, forgiving, independent, funniest people I have ever known. And best of all she has been anti bread and sugar forever! It is so great to go out with someone who is not SCD who says to the waiter "We don't do bread or potatoes at this table."

Dinner - Lovely strawberry salad with pine nuts, mescaline greens, blue cheese, red onion, and grilled shrimp.

We also enjoyed a nice after dinner glass of wine at a beautiful outside bar situated next to the Atlantic Ocean.

Love You Amy!

Dreaming of Paninis

2008-06-03T17:28:00.000-07:00

Tonight's dinner was a summery chicken salad with chopped grapes and SCD mayo served over a bed of baby spinach with Gorgonzola cheese and pecans. Though the best part was the Olive Sandwich Bread from Raman's Recipes for the Specific Carbohydrate Diet (page 41).

I made it on Sunday night and then put it in the fridge to cool off and firm up. I then sliced the loaf in the same shape as slices in a loaf of bread, toasted up a few pieces and then dipped them in an olive oil, garlic paste, rosemary concoction.

Scrumptious!

This bread may inspire me to break out my old Panini maker. Here are some Panini combinations that have me dreaming of making more Olive Bread:

- Prosciutto, Arugula, Havarti
- Tuscan Tuna and Navy Bean (SCD prepped of course)
- Artichoke and Tuna
- Chicken Salad
- Rosemary Roasted Chicken and Fontina
- Turkey and Brea
- Gruyere, Prosciutto and Dijon
- Tomato, Provolone and Prosciutto
- Turkey, Muenster and Cranberry Puree
- Roast Beef, Blue Cheese and Onion
- Baked Butternut Squash, Gruyere, Caramelized Onions, Sage
- Prosciutto, Vegetable Tapenade and Provolone
- Mushrooms, Caramelized Onions and SCD Herbed Goat Cheese

* Many of these foods are for more advanced SCDers. Always do your research to ensure you are introducing foods at the correct stages. Also, it is important to find LEGAL Prosciutto (no sugar added). Finally, there are lots of recipes on the Internet for caramelizing onions without the use of sugar. Onions contain their own natural sugars.

A Very Napa Night

2008-06-01T09:30:00.000-07:00

Last night we celebrated Uncle Bob's birthday (I won't say which one for fear of stiff penalties). Keith and Bruce hosted the event at their lovely home. Appetizers included chilled jumbo shrimp cocktail, fresh vegetables, my favorite roasted garlic with SCD crackers, and a very expensive goose pate that I was not sure I could eat (but Uncle Bob tells me it was superb). The main course was just as impressive with perfectly grilled vegetables marinated in red wine vinegar and olive oil, tender cuts of filet mignon, pork, and caramelized asparagus.

We also enjoyed several bottles of great wine which Bruce brought back from his trips to California. The Wisteria and grape leaves were in full bloom and I felt like I was sitting in a back yard in Napa Valley.

Thank you Keith and Bruce and Happy Birthday Uncle Bob.

It's Hot as Heaven in Here!

2008-06-01T08:03:00.000-07:00

Why is it that I have fallen head over heals in love with roasting vegetables when the weather is finally starting to get warm? Caramelized garlic and asparagus are heaven but it is hot as ... (well, you know).... in here when I crank the oven up to 450 or 500 degrees.

Just Another Day in the Kitchen

2008-05-10T12:19:00.000-07:00

I woke up the other morning and emptied the dishwasher, washed my kitchen floor, and whipped up some homemade yogurt, almond milk, and Green Juice all before leaving for work at 7:15am. The almond milk was divine and flavored with organic vanilla extract and Medjool dates. I enjoyed the milk all week over Nuts & Raisins granola from JK Gourmet. I saved the almond pulp, dried it in the oven, blended it in the food processor and voila! I had almond meal which I made into SCD Cheddar Crackers (from the Healing Foods Cookbook).

The Green Juice was... interesting but I think I will invest in a juicer so that I don't get so much pulp. I am juicing these days to try and alkalize my body a bit more. The Green Juice recipe is courtesy of Dr. Oz and is on Oprah's website.

When my husband came home that evening he was amazed at how much I had accomplished so early in the morning. In truth it seemed like little effort to me. These days I think nothing of throwing together a quick SCD hummus made with tahini, lemon juice, navy beans and roasted garlic (the recipe is in Eat Well Feel Well).

As a matter of fact I am meeting up with some girlfriends tonight and plan to bring along some SCD versions of my favorite classic snacks like Cheddar Crackers with Thyme, Parmesan Artichoke dip, Roasted Garlic hummus and a nice dry white wine to accompany these delicious morsels.

I'm getting hungry just thinking about it!

Grillicious!

2008-05-04T07:10:00.001-07:00

One of the signs of spring is that we spend a lot of quality time with our grill. We visited my sister-in-law a few weeks ago at her home in Florida where we BBQed as well. Our favorite grilled foods are shish kabobs of all varieties. In Florida we had chicken with peppers and sweet onions. We also experiment with zucchini, summer squash, mushrooms, tomatoes, pork, beef, and shrimp. Shish kabobs become one of our everyday work night meals similar to stir-fries in the winter.

Other fun dishes and drinks that are nice accompaniments include a fruity wine Sangria, tomato, avocado, cucumber salad, and lots of fresh fruit for dessert.

Grilling is wonderful because it is a sign of warmer weather and more visits from friends and family. It also means less dishes and pans to wash!

Happy Grilling

Uncle Bob

2008-04-20T16:23:00.000-07:00

Everyone should have an Uncle Bob. I visited my in-laws this weekend and my uncle Bob made an SCD binder for each house in the family so that when I visit people will know what I can and cannot eat. He inserted tabs and included the Legal/Illegal list from the Breaking the Vicious Cycle website as well as our favorite SCD recipes. What a guy!

For dinner we celebrated the spring weather with shish kabobs made of chicken and beef (marinated in oil, red wine vinegar, garlic, salt, pepper, and spices), red and orange peppers, sweet Vadalia onions, and cremini mushrooms.

Appetizers were thick tomatoes layered with fresh basil, avocado, and drizzled with oil and vinegar (the non-scders had mozzarella instead of avocado).

Dessert was a fresh fruit platter with organic red grapes, fat strawberries, and juicy pineapple. We topped that off with a game of Trivial Pursuit and called it a night.

Traveling and Technical Difficulties

2008-04-17T03:16:00.001-07:00

I spent the last few weeks traveling around for business visiting both Kentucky and California. In California I was lucky enough to meet up with another SCDer and have some tea. We both agreed that it is amazing that when I work in California I am in the building across the street from her. We speculated on how many other people are right outside our doors who are also on the SCD and/or living with Crohn's.

While traveling I stuck to my usual routine of bringing my own staples (yogurt, stew, cookies, crackers) and then buying salads with grilled chicken/shrimp, hamburgers, grilled fish, steamed veggies, etc. I feel like I have this "domestic traveling with the SCD" thing down. Now my next challenges will be to travel internationally (I would love to go to Italy) or even to take another cruise. I have heard that other SCDers have enjoyed cruises with no problem so maybe that will be my next adventure.

Upon my return home I found that our computer was on the fritz. We had to completely re-image it and upload everything again. This, of course, was not fun but the good news is it seems to be back in business.

As of late we have been very busy at work so dinner has been a quick stir fry or something on the grill. As the weather continues to improve the grill becomes our best friend on weeknights. We are mindful of grilling on low to medium heat however, as I have read about some concerns with high heat and carcinogens. I suppose to be 100% healthy we should just be eating organic raw vegetables for the most part. Hmmm- I will leave that to the rabbits for now.

Today's Breakfast- Cinnamon Raisin Scone from the SCD Bakery
Lunch- Yogurt with fruit and honey
Dinner- Not sure - something with ground turkey probably

Hi Ho, Hi Ho, it's Off to Kentucky I Go

2008-04-01T05:28:00.000-07:00

I am flying out to Kentucky for a quick three day trip. I made my new favorite beef stew to bring along. It is from Cooking Light magazine and is called Beef Daube Provencal. This stew is really amazing. It calls for beef broth but I just substitute my home made chicken broth (which I make, pour into ice cube trays, freeze, and then store in plastic bags). It also calls for serving the stew over egg noodles which, of course, I omit. It also calls for canned tomatoes but I am sure you can jut cut up your own.

At the very end of the cooking process I add sliced mushrooms and frozen peas as well. This stew is the best you will ever have.

SCD Artichoke Dip - Seriously!

2008-03-26T18:18:00.000-07:00

My sister-in-law made this dip for a family party. I adapted it to be SCD Legal and added a few other ingredients. I brought the dip to a relative's house on Easter and everyone wanted the recipe.

I enjoy this dip with the Cheddar Crackers from the Healing Foods cookbook. If you have not tried these yet then you are really missing out. They are my new FAVORITE SCD snack. I eat them with guacamole, salsa, cheese, and now this new dip. They are super easy to make once you get the hang of it. Also, I noticed that Raman Prasad has some Chile-Lime crackers in his new fabulous SCD cookbook. I am going to try those next.

SCD Artichoke Dip

- 3/4 cup SCD mayo
- 1 cup Parmesian Cheese
- 14oz Can Artichokes (drained and chopped)
- Dash SCD Garlic Powder
- 2 tbs Parmesian Cheese
- Diced Tomato
- Diced Avocado (do not dice until you are ready to add to the dip or they will brown)

Mix first 4 ingredients together and spread in a baking dish. Sprinkle Parmesian cheese on top. Bake at 350 for about 20-25 minutes. Check to see if it is lightly browned.

Remove and let cool a bit. Add chopped tomatoes and avocado to the top and serve with the SCD crackers.

HEAVEN

Thank You Easter Honey!

2008-03-23T07:39:00.000-07:00

The Easter Honey, aka my husband, spent all day yesterday making me Easter Candy. God bless that guy! I may have got the shaft in the digestive department but let me tell ya folks, the universe made up for it in the spousal section of my life.

Here's what he left in my basket:

- Peanut Butter Ice Box Truffles from Grainfree Gourmet Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner

- Peanut Butter Caramel Crisps from Grainfree Gourmet Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

- Lemon Coconut Macaroons from Eat Well Feel Well

Thank you Easter Honey!

PICTURE- Rolling Peanut Butter Ice Box Truffles in shredded coconut.

Chicken Soup Snore to Chicken Soup Star!

2008-03-20T03:37:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I came down with a cold. My husband had it the week before so it was no surprise when I woke up Saturday night with a depressingly sore throat. I remembered all of those studies that say chicken soup helps you get over the common cold faster. I will admit that I am not a huge chicken soup fan. When I think about it all I get are images of sick kids and bland crackers.

That being said, I was determined to get over this thing asap because of a busy work week ahead. So I purchased a chicken and made up some basic broth simmering it for about 3 hours. Once that was complete I started on the soup by adding back the chicken, some carrots, celery, onion, a bay leaf, oregano, and parsley. Starring at the pot I knew that it was your every day chicken soup...Yawn.

So in a moment of inspiration (and desperation for a more exciting dinner) I added lots of chopped tomatoes, spinach, and a rind of Parmesan cheese.

Well folks, let me just say that THESE little additions did the trick. The rind of cheese (which you should remove before using or you run the risk of your husband biting into it and looking horrified) added a perfect background of Parmesan flavor. The spinach and the tomatoes brightened things up a bit and added more antioxidant power.

At the very end as I was serving this chicken soup extraordinaire, I added a biscuit from the new Grainfree Gourmet Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner cook book.

We had chicken and biscuit soup. It was great stuff and the perfect medicine for my cold.

Ooh La La Focaccia!!

2008-03-13T06:18:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday I had a bad gut day so I implemented contingency plan A (the intro diet of yogurt and chicken broth) and B (an immediate acupuncture appointment). Plan A & B came through again and I have been feeling like my old (hungry, happy) self ever since.

We SCDers are lucky to be on the diet in a time of such creativity. As you probably know, there have been a slew of SCD cookbooks published lately. I am attempting to try out various recipes in each over the next few months.

I have started out with Raman Prasad's Recipes for the Specific Carbohydrate Diet. This book if choke full of exciting international recipes and ideas for great substitutues e.g., SOY SAUCE!

One of my favorite aspects of this book, in addition to the superb recipes and fabulous pictures, is the great writing and humor. Raman's stories have always cracked me up. Even in the hospital they had me laughing out loud. If you have not read the archives of his SCDrecipe.com blog you really should. He introduces each chapter with a short narrative and his pickling experience had me laughing so hard I had tears in my eyes.

So I started out with the Focaccia recipe because umm rosemary, bread, hey that sounds like a good place to start to me! We enjoyed it with "spaghetti" bolognese and it was wonderful but I think it was even better the next day after it had time to firm up a bit.

After reading Amy's post about the Beef Vindaloo I decided to try that. I love Indian food and have missed it greatly on the SCD. Well those days are long gone. This dish is truly remarkable. The spices were so fun to mix and looked really beautiful. I wanted to take a picture but I have misplaced my camera. It was super easy to throw together and made the whole house smell delicious. I enjoyed it over a bed of spinach and am taking leftovers to work today.

If you have not seen this gem of a cook book you really should check it out.

Good Gravy!

2008-03-11T06:27:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago we made this recipe from Giada De Laurentiis on the Food Network. It was wonderful and had actual real gravy! The recipe calls for canned beef broth (which is NOT SCD legal) so I substituted homemade chicken broth instead. It was delicious.

If you are OK with red meat then you definitely want to try out this gem ...a "must add" to your menu.

Meanwhile, Back on the East Coast

2008-03-06T17:58:00.000-08:00

I am back on the East Coast where things are.... dark, cold, and non-California-ish. Even though I was traveling for work (which means I sat in a small office for most of the time I was there), California still persissted on being its pleasant self. I stayed in a cozy hotel in Santa Monica about two streets from the Pacific Ocean. My little hotel room had a small but very useful kitchenette where I prepared almost all of my meals. I was also in walking distance of Whole Foods which I frequented almost daily.

The best part of the trip though was going out to dinner with The Communicatrix who is one of my favorite bloggers and who is also on the SCD. It was oh so cool to get to meet her in real life (where she is just as funny) and to have someone to talk SCD shop with (and she is way more knowledgeable). Also, it was really the only time on SCD that I have ever been able to go out to dinner, let someone else order and then say "I'll have what she's having." All you SCDers know that is wicked cool (opps, there is the east coast slipping back in).

Last weekend I celebrated my mother-in-law's 70th birthday. My father-in-law made a big non-SCD lasagna along with some SCD vegetable soup (well, he tried to at least) and I made two SCD lasagnas. One which was an adaptation of the GrainFree Gourmet recipe and another that was all vegetarian for our friend...the vegetarian.

So far this week we've enjoyed "spaghetti" bolognese (made from zucchini noodles of course), and two delicious stir-fries that my husband whipped up with onions, peppers, broccoli, mushrooms, Bok Choy, chicken, etc.

Unfortunately today has been a little shaky so I have been sticking to SCD yogurt, tuna fish, and now some peppermint tea. Hopefully better days (and cuisine) ahead.

PICTURE- Hubby Stir Fry #2

SCD Travel To Do List

2008-02-24T07:06:00.000-08:00

It has been nice to be home for a while but now it's off to Santa Monica California for a week of work. This time I feel ultra-prepared. Here is my to-do list:

- Charge Blackberry
- Leave hubby flight and hotel information
- Bring book on tape (I am listening to Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follet and LOVING it). I will be sitting in a lot of LA traffic so this will help pass the time.
- Bring real book (I am reading A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle. It is a great book and this is my second time through)
- Freeze lunchboxes (my lunchboxes are used to carry my yogurt and beef stew in my checked luggage. They have built-in blue ice and I also throw in an extra blue ice just in case)
- Pack vitamins (multi-vitamin, probiotics - in case I miss my yogurt, vitamin D, and fish oil)
- Pack tea (green and peppermint but sometimes raspberry leaf which I am not sure is SCD legal)
- Crackers (from Healing Foods cookbook)
- Cookies (from Lucy's Kitchen cookbook)
- Yogurt
- Stew
- Mug (to heat-up my stew as I am trying to get away from heating plastic in the microwave)

The best news is that I am only half a mile from Whole Foods and I can usually find something legal there. I also have a fridge and microwave in my hotel room. Now if I could only find a solution to the LA traffic....

Last Week:
- Meaty Turkey Bolognese over zucchini pasta. This recipe is from Giada on the FoodNetwork but I make it with cooked ground turkey instead. I also make Giada's marinara sauce. It is hands down my favorite sauce. I enjoy it over the zucchini pasta which I make with my mandolin. I cover it in freshly grated Parmesan cheese. I could eat this every day and cooked tomatoes are ultra good for you. I heard you should try for 10 tablespoons a week or so. When making sauce I do use italian tomatoes because I have heard that they MUST disclose all ingredients (unlike the United States). However, if you want to be 100% sure that you are SCD legal then you can always make your own marinara from real, fresh, summer tomatoes and freeze it.
- Provencal beef stew with carrots, peas, fresh thyme and rosemary.
- Chicken stir fry with tons of veggies
- This morning my husband made me a delicious omelet from the stir-fry leftovers. He is a crafty guy.
- Tonight's farewell dinner will be SCD lasagna from Grainfree Gourmet. Their new cookbook is out and I cannot WAIT to get it.

PICTURE- Yummy Crusty Onion Rolls from Healing Foods. Great on a burger or split in half and then made into garlic bread for the turkey Bolognese. Also would be good for a meatball panini!

Green Tea, SCD, & Me

2008-02-19T18:28:00.000-08:00

Just back from skiing and will post on that later but in the meantime I thought I would include a short blurb on green tea so here it goes....

I love green tea.

In my past life I drank coffee and black tea.

I no longer tolerate these lovely beverages.

A girl needs a little caffeine in her life.

In my case it really is only a little that is needed.

1-2 cups of green tea is permitted on the SCD (if symptom free).

Thankfully I am symptom free and enjoy my green tea daily.

EGCG, a component of green tea, may help inhibit TNF alpha.

Remicade also inhibits TNF alpha.

I will stick with Green Tea for now but am thankful that Remicade exists in the event I ever need it.

Go green Tea.

Go SCD.

Breakfast- SCD yogurt with Banana and honey

Lunch- Roast chicken with veggies and pureed butternut squash

Dinner- Hearty meat sauce with SCD crackers - though I usually like this with Raman's Foccacia!

Picture- Green Tea

Amy's Pumpkin Muffins

2008-02-10T09:03:00.001-08:00

YUMMMMMMY

Who needs candles and air fresheners when you bake these babies? My whole house smelled delicious. One is missing already! That's strange.... : )

The Next Spice Girl

2008-02-09T14:18:00.000-08:00

I started the SCD about a year and 1/2 ago (I count the 30 days that I was fed intravenously as the LONGEST intro diet ever). Ever since I have truly become a spice girl. I cannot believe how many different spices I use. Here is a list of some of the more popular spices in my house along with a little factoid about their health benefits.*

Cloves - Contain the anti-inflammatory component eugenol as well as magnesium, calcium, and even omega-3 fatty acids.

Ginger - Considered a carminative, or a substance that promotes the elimination of gas and soothes the intestines.

Cinnamon - Anti-clotting, anti-microbial, blood sugar controling, brain boosting powerhouse.

Rosemary - Contains substances that stimulate the immune system and the stems are great to use as shrimp skewers.

Thyme - Anti-oxident, anti-microbial, and yummy in a chicken stew.

Basil - DNA protection, anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory. No marinara sauce can be without it.

Cayenne - Potent inhibitor of inflammation.

Cumin - Iron for enery and immune function, digestive benefits, cancer prevention and my favorite spice. Great with SCD chicken fajitas wrapped in bib lettuce and topped with sauteed peppers and onions and a big dollop of SCD yogurt.

* All health information is from The World's Healthiest Foods website http://www.whfoods.org/. I love this website.

Compliments from my GI

2008-02-05T18:33:00.000-08:00

This week I had a routine appointment with my Gastroenterologist. During the appointment she invited one of her residents to sit in with us. They sat down across from me and tentatively asked me how I was feeling.

I think they brace themselves for the answers from their Crohn's patients. Really, who can blame them? In any case I answered "Great! Fantastic." They look noticeably relieved and then a little stunned and then curious. I explain that I am still following the Specific Carbohydrate Diet and that I feel better than ever. I go on to say that I also practice acupuncture, take fish oil, probiotics and vitamins. That's it.

My doctor looks at her resident and then back at me and says, "You are a poster child for success through alternative therapy."

I look at my doctor and then to the resident and hope that maybe the medical world is starting to catch on.

Breakfast- SCD Biscotti and tea
Lunch- SCD yogurt with bananas and honey
Dinner- Chicken stir fry with Shitake mushrooms, peppers, onions, and zucchini
Dessert- The last of the SCD banana ice cream

Other toolbox goodies employed this week:
- Daily multivitamins, vitamin D, fish oil, and probiotics
- 1 hour of acupuncture
- Deep breathing exercises

Meals from last week included:
- SCD lasagna
- Filet mignon with asparagus and roasted tomatoes
- Burger with a garden salad
- Tilapia baked with tomatoes and spinach with a side of sauteed mushrooms

Luck Find- Raman Prasda's new SCD Cookbook called Recipies for the Specific Carbohydrate Diet. It is full of mouth watering recipes and hysterically funny personal stories

PICTURE- A WONDERFUL SCD Pizza that my husband made me for my birthday

SCD Hodgepodge

2008-01-29T16:56:00.000-08:00

Man do I need a new camera. I made the best pot roast Sunday night with red wine, chicken broth, porcini mushrooms, onions and garlic. I served it with roasted carrots, brussel sprouts, and garlic with olive oil and oregano. It looked wonderful and tasted even better. I ran to get the camera but once again it was on the fritz. I am going to be on the lookout for a new one and if anyone has suggestions please let me know!

Last week we also made a great stir fry with chicken, broccolini, peppers, and onions. Ok, my husband made that one. He is the Stir Fry Guy. We also experimented with "Shake & Bake" style SCD pork chops and they came out great! We made them with almond flour, salt, pepper, oregano, parsley, basil, onion, garlic salt, garlic and a little celery salt. We coated the pork chops in egg batter (you could use oil if you don't eat eggs) and mixed all other ingredients in a plastic bag. Then we put each pork chop in the bag one at a time and shook it up. We baked the pork chops on a foil-lined baking sheet at about 375 I think. They were fantastic. My only issue was that they stuck to the bottom a little but I think if I had let them cool more we could have taken them off a little easier. Any mixture that stuck on the bottom was just scooped up and placed on top. It was too good to waste.

I also bought a plain roasted chicken at wholefoods. I checked with the staff and they assured me that it was a plain, natural chicken with no additives. This really makes life so much easier but I think most places probably add ingredients. I know my local grocery store does. If you do buy a roasted chicken you should read the ingredients on the package carefully and ask the management. If you are not 100% sure then don't risk it. My local Wholefoods (and I think they are all a little different) roasts the chickens right on the premises. So I bought the chicken and I used the meat to make a spinach salad with strawberries, Gorgonzola (you need to be symptom free for this and use in moderation), sweet onion, olive oil and vinegar. You can add a little honey to the dressing to sweeten it up if you'd like. Then I boiled the chicken bones with onion, carrots, and celery for a few hours for my homemade chicken broth. I cooled the broth, skimmed the fat and poured it into ice cube trays. Once the broth cubes harden you can pop them into freezer bags and you will have as much or as little broth on hand as you need.

When we went skiing my husband and nieces enjoyed dessert out at the restaurants and I was feeling a little deprived. As such I came home and made SCD peanut butter toffee as well as SCD banana and vanilla ice cream. Hello! So after dinner tonight I had a nice bowl of ice cream and 3 large candies. I really have to remind myself that I am DONE trying to put on weight.

One of the many great things about this diet is that you can put on weight or take it off no problem. Though it is WAY more fun to put it on (as long as that is what you are trying to do).

Breakfast- Cinnamon Muffin from Lucy's Cookbook and a cup of green tea
Lunch- SCD yogurt with bananas and honey
Dinner- Leftover Pot Roast with carrots, brussel sprouts and garlic
Dessert- Gluttonous raid on SCD banana/vanilla ice cream and peanut butter toffees

PICTURE - My favorite new salad dressing made with garlic, dill and SCD mayo

Did Someone Bring a Microwave?

2008-01-22T18:48:00.000-08:00

The best laid plans of mice and men (and SCD skiers) often go awry.....

So I made all of my delicious lunches for the ski trip and my plan was to heat them up on the mountain. Wellthat only works if (you guessed it) the ski lodge has a microwave and since, as it turns out, they did not... I ended up eating SCD cheddar crackers and cheese along with veggie crudit and dill dressing for lunch. Actually it wasn't so bad with a nice cup of hot tea. I also found some spotted bananas that non-SCDers wouldn't touch with a 10 foot pole. I, of course, trampled several people to get to them.

Other than the lunch time fiasco the rest of the trip went very smoothly. The first morning we had yogurt and SCD granola and then on Sunday my husband made us delicious SCD blueberry pancakes with honey/butter syrup and bacon. For dinner we had an Italian pot roast with asparagus on one night and dinner on the mountain the other. I used my Can Eat/Can't Eat card and had no problem with my order of steak and grilled shrimp.

I've got the SCD down now if only I could nail those moguls.

Breakfast- SCD blueberry muffin & tea
Lunch- Leftover Mexican Meatballs
Dinner- Tuna fish with crackers

PICTURE- Pizza Casserole from Lucy's Kitchen

Ski SCD

2008-01-15T17:27:00.001-08:00

I spent last weekend nursing a cold (bummer) but this weekend is all about hitting the slopes. My husband and I are taking our two 4th grade nieces to Maine for some much needed skiing, sledding, and lazing about. Last night we had our boots and bindings fitted and we spent tonight planning the menu.

It will take us about 5 hours to get to the mountain and we leave at 3:00PM so dinner will be on the move. The non-SCDers will probably grab "something" on the way up. I will try and steer them towards the more healthy food choices but I can't make any promises! For myself I will bring some sliced all natural (no additive) roast beef and cheddar cheese roll-ups along with veggie crudite for Friday night dinner. For lunches on the slope I will dine on cheese and Cheddar Crackers from the Healing Foods cookbook (I am addicted to these) along with some hearty chicken, tomato, and spinach soup which I will store in my icy cold lunch bag and warm up in the ski lodge cafeteria. For dessert I'll bring along some Almond Raisin Biscotti (purchased from JK Gourmet) and green tea.

On Saturday and Monday breakfast will be yogurt and granola (SCD yogurt and granola from JK Gourmet for me) but on Sunday my husband is going to make bacon and SCD legal Jim's Fluffy Pancakes from Nomorecrohn's.com.

Saturday night dinner will be out on the town. We went to a neat little place last year that was very accommodating. I gave them my SCD Can Eat/Can't Eat card and they served me a scrumptious steak dinner. On Sunday night my husband insists that we are back to the condo for the big Patriots game. As such I have decided that Sunday morning I will slow cook an Italian Pot Roast made with a medley of spices (cinnamon stick, cloves, allspice, peppercorn), onions, garlic, celery, carrots, wine and tomatoes.

For the kids and my husband it is all about the snow but for me it is all about SCD to-go.

Breakfast- SCD yogurt with blueberries and honey
Snack- Biscotti from JK Gourmet with Green Tea
Lunch- Burger with spinach (leftover from last night)
Dinner- Roasted chicken with rosemary, spinach, and roasted carrots

PICTURE- Sauteing Chicken Fajitas with onions, peppers, lime juice, cumin, garlic, and oregano

New York Style SCD Pizza

2008-01-08T17:47:00.000-08:00

New York City is known for its world famous pizza and since I am going on a business trip to NY tomorrow (and will certainly not be sampling the mozzarella-gluten-sugar concoction) it seems only fitting that my send-off dinner tonight was a lovely SCD legal pizza with prosciutto and pineapple.

See you upon my return from the BIG Apple.

Breakfast- SCD smoothie with blueberries, yogurt, honey, banana, and vanilla extract
Lunch- Spaghetti Bolognese
Dinner- SCD Pizza & Salad!

Settling into the New Year

2008-01-07T18:29:00.000-08:00

Since my 2008 resolution was to refrain from making any resolutions I already feel like less of a failure than I usually do around this time when I still have not managed to 1. Make it to the gym 2. Start reading Crime and Punishment 3. Stop cursing like a truck driver.

As I am still doing all of these things without the slightest attempt to cease and desist, I must say I am very proud of myself.

Breakfast- Blueberry muffin from Eat Well Feel Well and some Green Tea
Lunch- "Spaghetti" bolognese SCD style (spaghetti squash with a sauce made with carrots, onions, celery, garlic, ground turkey, basil and crushed tomatoes.
Dinner- More of the same along with a green salad and a glass of dry white wine.
Dessert- Peppermint tea

PICTURE- Dinner!

Happy New Year 2008

2008-01-06T12:57:00.000-08:00

It's a whole new year and my goal is to branch out in the SCD world and try some new dishes. It is so easy to just keep going back to those tried and true favorites but it's also imprtant to keep things new and exciting.

It seems like this is a perfect year to start exploring as the authors of Grainfree Gourmet have a new cookbook coming out in the spring and Raman Prasda just announced his new book.

Also, I have only just begun cooking up delicious treats from the new Healing Foods cookbook which has over 200 recipes. So far I have made the cheddar crackers (I cannot get enough of these things) and the crusty onion rolls that I enjoyed with a nice meaty bolognese sauce (WOW)!

There are so many other tempting recipes in this book that I am excited to try like Beef Stroganoff, Pecan Caramel Toffees, and the Pumpernickle Bread. I have lots of ideas and plenty of motivation. Now all I need is some time....

Breakast- Scrambled eggs with bacon
Lunch- SCD fruit smoothie with blueberries, banana, honey and vanilla extract
Dinner- We'll be cooking up some Cajun style Cod with carmelized onions and spinach

PICTURE- Our table on New Years Eve

SCD Adventures of 2007

2007-12-30T11:35:00.000-08:00

Looking back over the past year I am astonished at how far I have come. In September 2006 I was "released" from the prison that was my hospital bed and went home determined to manage Crohn's disease by trying every available option before medicine and more surgery. I weighed 88 pounds, desperately needed to gain weight, worked full time, traveled for work, and basically had no idea where to begin other than my well read book Breaking the Vicious Cycle by Elaine Gottschall.

So it was there that I started, with the help of my husband, mother, and father-in-law who all spent lots of time cooking for me in those early days when I still had visiting nurses. We made loads of mistakes (mostly with the yogurt). I had to throw out some disastrous dishes. But we had fun. Called it our "test kitchen" and kept on going because there was never a choice in our minds. We were going to do this.

When I first arrived home I was still on leave from work so I spent many hours reading and re-reading the SCD blogs including scdrecipes.com, scdiet.org, the BTVC site, and Mike Simmons SCD Flog. These bloggers and websites were my inspiration through the rocky early stages of healing and learning a whole new way to eat. I also met Jill from the SCD bakery who helped me to put on much needed weight the fun and yummy way!

In late 2006 and early 2007 I spent lots of time on every SCD listserve that I could find. It was so unbelievably priceless to have the free and 24 hour advice of those SCD experts known as the Moderators of these listserves. Now that I have observed them for over a year I marvel at their patience, wisdom, and volunteerism. Thank you to each and every one of you.

Though I am by no means an SCD expert, I do feel like I know what works for me (SCD YOGURT!!!) and sadly what does not (anything too spicy). I know how to travel like a pro with packed yogurt, beef stew, muffins, cookies, crackers, cheese. Oftentimes the person sitting next to me on the plane looks quite jealous indeed! I know how to eat at a restaurant, make my way through a business luncheon, enjoy the holidays, and satisfy any type of craving I have e.g., Mexican, Italian, Indian, and even chocolate (the Easter Candy is as good as chocolate to me. In fact I think it tastes like a peanut butter cup).

In the past year I have traveled (from Massachusetts) to Arizona, California, Michigan, Kentucky, and Chicago for work. I enjoyed time basking in the sunshine of the Florida Keys, shopping in New York City, and skiing in Maine. I have educated countless others about the diet. Some have even decided to give it a try. I have gained about 25 pounds. It was fun to gain much needed weight but now I have to limit my cinnamon cookies and get myself to the gym! I have enjoyed cooking lots of recipes from the wonderful SCD cookbooks and adapting others from cooking shows and magazines. I have devoured new SCD related blogs and websites like Beth's Blog and nomorecrohns.com as well as new SCD cookbooks like Eat Well Feel Well and Healing Foods.

I have made new SCD friends who I cherish including Beth from Beth's Blog, her daughter Amy, Raman Prasad from scdrecipes.com, Jill from the SCD Bakery, and many more who I met on the listserves. I even started my own blog as a way to record my experiences and share with others.

Wow, what a year. Did I make mistakes? OK, a few. Do I ever have a set back? Oh yes, from time to time. Do I panic? Nope. Can you say intro diet! Do I ever get frustrated? You know it. Do I ever want to give up?

No way.

Happy 2007 and Best Wishes for a Happy and Healthy New Year

Jill

Merry Christmas 2007

2007-12-23T12:38:00.001-08:00

I am back from California after a long, long trip with lots of driving and very little dining. The excuses are boring as can be so I won't subject you to them but let's just say I lost a few pounds living on salads and fruit. However, I made up for all of that last night at my mom's annual Yankee Swap. It was a great time, as always, with lots of friends, family, and food including SCD legal options.

Today it is off to the in-laws for another great two days full of friends and family.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you and yours

Jill

Brunch- Wonderful frittata with eggs, onion, pepper, and cheddar cheese
Dinner- I hear we are having a yummy Yankee pot roast

PICTURE- An excuse for a kiss

Oh The Weather Outside is [still] Frightful...

2007-12-16T08:38:00.000-08:00

"Oh the weather outside is frightful, but the fire is so delightful, and since we've no place to go, let it snow, let it snow, let it snow."

The weather outside is frightful. I woke up this morning determined to go grocery shopping, go to the gym, and finish my Christmas shopping before I have to leave for California this week (four days on business).

When I walked out into the living room and took a look out the window all of my plans came crashing down. We had a full snow storm last night again and the roads seem impassable right now.

The good news is:
1. I am going to go shopping after all via the wonderful world wide web
2. We do have wood for a nice deligtful fire
3. I can get in one last blog before my trip to Southern California.

The not so good news is that I will have to do all of my standard food preparation for the trip e.g., yogurt, beef stew, etc. tomorrow.

Oh well. I look at it as forced relaxation time.

Yesterday's Fare

Breakfast- SCD yogurt with honey and a blueberry muffin with butter
Lunch- Picked off of a buffet at a holiday party e.g., brie, gouda, cheddar, grapes, broccoli, carrot sticks, sliced cucumbers, yum
Dinner- Artic Char with lemon, thyme and butter. Out to eat with friends before going to see A Christmas Carol at our local play house.

PICTURE- More Snow!

White Thursday

2007-12-13T20:11:00.000-08:00

Well it isn't Christmas yet but it sure is white. The snow is coming down full blast and has blanketed the neighborhood in a thick layer of beautiful white snow. It is beautiful because:
1. I am inside of my house toasty warm
2. I don't have to go anywhere tonight
3. I have no plans to shovel

Talk to me tomorrow though. In the meantime, have a white Christmas and enjoy this fabulous little ditty that one of my friends sent me today.

Breakfast- SCD yogurt with banana and honey
Lunch- Leftover gourmet salad from last night and an apple with SCD legal peanut butter
Dinner-We are planning some roasted pork chops with butternut squash, green beans, and apple sauce.

PICTURE- White Thursday

SCD Explanations

2007-12-12T18:00:00.000-08:00

Ahh the business lunch. One thing that I thought I had basically mastered. Usually the lunch is with an associate or two and located at a restaurant. If you are in charge you can steer it towards an establishment that you are family with or one that you are pretty sure will have a legal selection e.g. a nice steak or seafood place.

If this does not happen, you have to study the menu as if you were taking the bar exam while acting very nonchalant about it and being an active and engaged participant in whatever conversation is occurring. Your goal is to quickly identify a lunch entree that is actually made out of real, honest to goodness food and not otherwise smothered in some type of totally illegal gravy/sauce/marinade concoction.

On most of these occasions I find something that is both legal (win) and satisfying (jackpot!). At the worst of times I have to settle for an iceberg lettuce excuse of a garden salad with some less than stellar olive oil and explain that I am trying to keep it light. This line REALLY drew peculiar stares when I still weighed about 90 pounds. Now, thanks to a totally gluttonous year in 2007 having fun going from 88 pounds to about 115, people actually buy this.

Well sometimes it is a bit different. I have been at a buffet style lunch where absolutely nothing was legal. Usually I can get away with that old garden salad trick but the salad this time had some sticky raspberry dressing poured all over it. Now I was not panicked because I knew I would be able to eat after the meeting. All would have been good in the world except that as soon as I sat down without a plate the comments started fast and furious.

comment #1- Where is your food?
comment #2- Aren't you going to eat anything?
comment #3- Our food is not good enough for her (yes, I am serious here)

Sooner or later the comments stopped and I made it through without answering one of them.

I wonder what would have happened if I just said "Oh, yes well you see last year I got really sick and had to have several operations including some drains put into my abdomen. I think there were three in total and also a fistula. What is that you ask? Oh, let me explain during dessert. Well then I had to have part of my small bowel removed from my body, resectioned and then put back in. What an inconvenience. In order to avoid these types of minor unpleasantries in the future I am opting to follow a diet that consists of actual food unlike that sandwich of processed meat and processed cheese on that nutrient-free excuse for bread.

Maybe in my next life.

Breakfast- SCD yogurt with a banana and honey
Lunch- Sauteed Broccolini with chicken in a white wine, tomato, mushroom sauce
Dinner- Spinach salad with roasted chicken, pears, blue cheese, red onion, mushrooms, hard boiled egg, olive oil and vinegar

PICTURE- DINNER

The Buffet Challenge

2007-12-09T08:10:00.000-08:00

With the holidays approaching my hubby and I are seeing more and more of our family and friends and the non-SCD food that accompanies them. Now this does not bother me as much as it does said family and friends. I can see the look of anguish when they find out that I cannot eat the cherry squares, or the chocolate chip cookies, or the taco salad with Doritos, and no, not the Bailey's Irish Cream or the light beer either. The tension slowly begins to spread across their foreheads as they scan the buffet table calculating how many legal calories I will be able to consume. For people who are not on the SCD, and maybe those who are new to it, the focus is most always on what cannot be eaten. For those of us who follow the SCD we are much more prone to target what can be enjoyed. It goes something like this:

Friend/Family (scanning the spread at last night's party)- On no, she cannot have the chips and salsa, the fried rice, the Chinese food appetizers or the apple crisp. She will starve to death at this Christmas party!

Me (scanning the spread at last night's party)- Yum, look at that vegetable platter full of carrots, tomatoes, cucumbers and red peppers. And let me make sure I take some of this Brie, and Gouda, and Cheddar and put it on an apple. Yippee! My mom made the broccoli salad that is both SCD legal and delicious. I'll also eat a healthy portion of the Mexican Meatballs that I made in the slow cooker. Finally for dessert I can dig into that fresh fruit platter of pineapple, blueberries, grapes and strawberries. Should I try this lovely Chianti or this nice dry Chardonnay? I had better get myself to the gym tomorrow.

See the difference here?

After about 15 months on the SCD I am really beginning to be convinced that it is more difficult for friends and family to accept than for the actual SCDer. I have to admit that before I knew what Crohn's and SCD were my heart would have gone out to any poor soul who couldn't enjoy a chocolate chip cookie now and then. But after understanding the alternatives to this diet for someone with gastrointestial issues, it really is a no-brainer.

Brunch- Organic SCD yogurt with blueberries and honey, almonds, an apple with peanut butter, and a banana
Dinner- All of the great SCD legal foods from last night

PICTURE- Roasted salmon with garlic and lemon and a side of fresh steamed string beans

Ode to The Sandpiper

2007-12-05T17:06:00.000-08:00

Growing up I was surrounded by lots of fresh seafood. My grandfather had a fishing boat named The Sandpiper and he would spend much of the summer catching flounder and pulling up treasure in lobster pots. I even remember waking up in the darkness to go crabbing before the break of dawn. Other times we went digging for clams at our local beach. I have fond memories of the adults looking silly wearing plastic lobster bibs. Little white tubs of butter, shell crackers, and tea lights were scattered all over the picnic table. Oh, and probably a few beers!

In the winter my grandfather would load us grand kids into his van and drive us all to the Florida Keys from Massachusetts (boat in tow). There my family would set out on the seas once again catching Dolphin (but not the Flipper kind). Throughout all of those years the only piece of seafood that ever touched my lips was a good old tuna fish sandwich.

Shocking, I know.

I look back on those days at that little girl eating her canned tuna amid all of the fresh seafood and shake my head. What's wrong with that girl? Nowadays I love, love, love seafood. Salmon and lobster, mussels and scallops, tilapia, calamari, give me shrimp galore! I may have missed out as a stubborn and finicky child but I assure you, I am making up for lost time.

Breakfast- Organic SCD yogurt with bananas and honey
Lunch- Almonds (I know, I know)
Dinner- Cod poached in a reduction of tomato and chicken broth with a dash of red pepper, chopped garlic, and caramelized onions. (I would do my grandfather proud)

PICTURE- Dinner

Oh Christmas Tree

2007-12-02T13:24:00.000-08:00

We spent all day today wrapping gifts, purchasing, setting up, and decorating our tree, and otherwise organizing the house. It was a lot of work but oh so worth it now that we are done. I finally get to listen to all of my favorite Christmas music like A Charlie Brown Christmas and my new favorite CD from Starbucks called Stockings by the Fire. I miss Christmas music all year long so when the season finally comes along there is no holding back. I'm not sure when or how I first developed my adoration of all things Christmas but it seems like this obsession is here to stay.

Once in third grade I even put on a candy cane ballet costume and danced to "Oh Christmas Tree" for the elementary school talent show. It was in June.

Breakfast- SCD yogurt with bananas and honey, banana bread from the SCD Bakery
Lunch- Pear, red onion, blue cheese, and roasted chicken salad with olive oil and vinegar
Dinner- That's a good question

PICTURE- My SCD Christmas tree. Why SCD? Because I say so.

SCD Entertaining

2007-12-01T08:57:00.000-08:00

I am a proud member of a small but very fun book club and this month it was my turn to pick the book. I chose In The Woods by Tana French. We met at my house last Thursday after work for some dinner and discussion. It was a crazy week at work but I still had time to prepare a nice simple menu. We started out with an appetizer tray of olives, Gouda cheese, and Kalamata crackers for them (SCD garlic and Parmesan crackers for me). For dinner I served one of my favorite dishes which is a pounded out chicken cutlet stuffed with Gruyere cheese, prosciutto (with only salt added), and sage leaves. The chicken is rolled and secured with toothpicks and then simmered in a tomato wine sauce. Along with that I served steamed asparagus. I had meant to pick up some spaghetti for my non SCD friends and I completely forgot. That said, they didn't seem to miss their starchy companion too much and I had some nice little desserts that I bought at Whole Foods (non SCD) for later. While they were enjoying these treats I had some of my cinnamon, pecan cookies from Lucy's Cookbook.

Yesterday's Menu

Breakfast- SCD yogurt with banana and honey
Lunch- leftover cheese and SCD crackers, pineapple slices and a pear
Dinner- Delicious salad made of spinach, red onions (cut very thin), blue cheese (just a little), and pears all tossed with olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper along with some roasted chicken and avocado slices.

PICTURE- Pear Salad

More SCD Inspiration!

2007-11-27T17:36:00.000-08:00

Have you all seen this SCD website? It is absolutely fabulous! Full of useful information, tips and FAQs on the SCD and great for newbies in particular. It also contains lots of recipes for delicious SCD meals with pictures to go along with them. In addition there are even comprehensive weekly meal plans.

Erin, the author, shares her own story about using SCD to manage Crohn's disease. She has been on the diet for about six years and is still doing well. She is truly an SCD inspiration and I hope you all find this site as informative and fun as I do. Thanks Erin!

Breakfast- SCD organic yogurt with strawberries and honey
Lunch- Mexican Meatballs
Dinner- Creamy pumpkin and squash soup
Snack- Cinnamon cookies with raisins and pecans from Lucy's Kitchen cookbook

PICTURE- Creamy Pumpkin and Squash soup

It's So Relaxing to be Back at Work

2007-11-26T17:49:00.001-08:00

I cannot believe I am saying this but after all of the craziness of the past few days it was so relaxing to be back at work today. Now talk to me in a few days and I am sure I will be crying a different tune but for now I am enjoying my new found gratitude.

Breakfast- SCD yogurt with strawberries and honey
Lunch- More Mexican Meatballs
Dinner- Beth & Amy's Taco Salad Extravaganza (when is that cookbook coming guys!)

PICTURE- Dinner!

Thanksgiving Hangover

2007-11-25T10:03:00.000-08:00

Oven roasted turkey, sweet and sour cranberry sauce, delicious pan gravy, butternut squash puree, mashed cauliflower, deviled eggs, pickles, wine, cheese and SCD crackers, pistachios, and pies.

It is official. I have a Thanksgiving hangover.

Also, last night was my High School reunion. It was great to see people who I have not seen in over 15 years. Lots of them have kids of their own now. I was grateful that I was healthy enough to go and that I am finally back to my normal weight.

It was a busy weekend and today we are going to settle in, cook up some Mexican Meatballs, watch a little football and turn in very early.

Breakfast- Smoothie with SCD organic yogurt, blueberries, bananas, honey and vanilla
Lunch- Mexican Meatballs with asparagus
Dinner-Roasted pumpkin and butternut squash soup with cinnamon and cumin

PICTURE- Yummy pumpkin pie (Beth's recipe)

Thanksgiving

2007-11-21T15:17:00.000-08:00

I am thankful for:

My husband (he's a saint)
My family
My friends (old and new)
My health and that of my friends and family
My home
My job
My safety and security
The Specific Carbohydrate Diet
The Internet
My town
My neighbors
My car (even if it does have manual doors and windows)
My books
My clothes
My education
My doctors
My life

Happy Thanksgiving

Breakfast- Smoothie with organic SCD yogurt, banana, blueberries, vanilla and honey
Lunch- Tuna fish with SCD tortilla chips from Eat Well Feel Well
Dinner- Off to my mom's for a pre-feast feast

PICTURE- Baking the Apple Galette from Grainfree Gourmet

Good Grief

2007-11-19T18:54:00.000-08:00

Today I spent time talking to my friend at work who was recently diagnosed with an intestinal disorder and who will require surgery in a few weeks. I explained to him that I control Crohn's disease with a special diet and that I have not had any pasta, potatoes, bread, or rice (amongst other things) in over a year.

I went on to explain that I am happy as can be and feel healthier than I ever have. He remarked that this was strange as those are the exact types of foods his doctors told him he should be eating.

As Charlie Brown says, "Good Grief."

Breakfast- Yummy SCD yogurt with strawberries and honey
Lunch- Pizza Casserole
Dinner- Pizza Casserole II !

PICTURE- Roasted chicken, steamed carrots and cauliflower Parmesan mashed

There's No Place Like Home (except maybe with an SCD friend)

2007-11-18T14:45:00.000-08:00

Ahhh Sunday. I thought you would never come. I arrived back from Chicago late on Friday night and experienced a mixture of emotions. Believe me by my second flight (and after logging over four hours of airport delays) I was clicking my smart black pumps and chanting "there's no place like home."

But unlike most business trips where I practically jump off the plane and kiss the ground upon arriving home, this time I was also a bit melancholy. You see, in between meetings, flights, and conferences I was lucky enough to be able to meet my pal Amy, a fellow SCDer, and her beautiful family. After several months of reading each other's blogs and corresponding via email it was surreal to actually be standing in their living room (cool artwork Stephen!). They were even so kind as to cook up a wonderful SCD meal of Mexican Meatballs and Apple Galette dessert from the Grainfree Gourmet. Of course being the daughter of Beth, one of my all time SCD culinary heroes, Amy is naturally a great cook as well! So thank you Amy, Sophia and Stephen! I hope we can get together again really soon!

This weekend entailed a lot of unpacking, laundry, chores, and all of that fun stuff. But I also squeezed in a trip to see a showing of A Midsummer Night's Dream, put on by my husband's High School Drama Club as well as a movie. In addition, I am proud to say that I even made it to the gym on Saturday for a round of Pilates and on Sunday for a dose of yoga.

But after all of the chores, entertainment, and exercise it was lots of time in the kitchen listening to Christmas Carols (yes, I realize that it isn't even Thanksgiving yet) while cooking up some of my SCD favorites like the Pizza Casserole from Lucy's Cookbook, the Apple Galette (Amy's was so good that I had to make one of my own), and homemade marinara sauce for a recipe that I am going to try and make later on in the week. After a week of literally eating out of my suitcase and navigating the challenging terrain of restaurant fare, it is good to be hanging out in my own kitchen.

Breakfast- Red Delicious Apple (I ran out of yogurt but I have two batches going now- one made from Whole Milk and the other from Half and Half)

Lunch- Roasted chicken with green beans

Dinner- Pizza Casserole and the New England Patriots (if I can stay awake)

PICTURE- Tonight's Pizza Casserole

Up, Up, and Away!

2007-11-12T20:13:00.000-08:00

This week I am off to lovely Ann Arbor Michigan and then to Chicago. I will, of course, be taking my faithful SCD yogurt with me on this trip as well. The difference is that I will be on two different planes and in various hotel rooms. Dare I say though that I think I have it covered. When I get to my first hotel in Ann Arbor, there will be a refrigerator and freezer so I will be able to keep my yogurt cold and my blue ice inserts frozen. Then when I go to work the next day there will also be a fridge and freezer so I can do the same thing there. I will leave right from work to catch my flight to Chicago and then my next hotel is equip as well. If all goes as planned I should be able to enjoy my yogurt all week and I will also bring along some SCD beef stew as a fall back if I cannot find anything legal for lunch or dinner.

Holy Cow, you exclaim! What a PAIN in the behind you say? Huh! This is a walk in the park compared with the drug and surgery laden alternative. A little cooking here and airport security delays there? Bring it on.

Also, the best news about this particular trip is that I am scheduled to meet my SCD friend Amy who I have only corresponded with via these blogs. It is so exciting to meet people on the SCD since virtually nobody that most of us know in "real life" has even heard of the diet before. Plus Amy and her mother are great cooks and I am sure I will pick up some additional tips and tid bits on SCD cooking and meal planning while I am there. So I am certainly more excited than usual about this business trip!

See you in about a week...

Breakfast- SCD blueberry muffins and SCD organic yogurt with bananas and honey

Lunch- Taco Salad

Dinner- More leftovers!

PICTURE- Lucy's Cinnamon Coffee Cake Muffins

R & R Weekend Gone Wild

2007-11-11T15:04:00.000-08:00

Well so much for my R & R weekend. I woke up this morning with my type A overachiever side in full force and BOOM, BANG, BAM she declared R & R weekend over just like that. I have been living with this hyper anal persona since I can remember. Yes she is annoying as anything some times but man is she productive.

After fluttering around my house completing chore after chore I was wisked away to yoga and a few downward dog and warrior posses later, I hit the grocery store like a tornado. Upon my arrival home I went into full throttle cooking mode and spent the rest of the afternoon in the kitchen whipping up the following tasty dishes:

SCD Parmesan Stuffed Mushrooms from Grainfree Gourmet

SCD Chili (actually a recipe from a non-SCD cookbook that I tweaked to make SCD compliant. This is for my husband to feast on all week while I am away.)

Beth's Taco Salad(YUMMMM)

Basil, Tomato, and Mozzarella (This was for my non-SCD husband. Mozzarella is NOT legal on the SCD. Sometimes I make this dish and substitute the Mozzarella with Havarti)

Buffalo Wings (also for my husband but easy to make SCD compliant for those of you who can handle them. I am not there yet)

Sage and Carrot Beef Stew (also from the Grainfree Gourmet. I am going to take this one on my trip with me along with my SCD yogurt and some other snacks)

So as you can see, not so much R & R but plenty of fun in the kitchen and loads of good leftovers. My type A side has finally settled down and "permitted" my husband to tackle clean up duty. Hey, she's a go getter for sure but she's not a fool.

Breakfast- SCD Blueberry muffin (OK, two) with butter and Welsh's grape juice along with a pear.

Lunch- Ummm, now that I think of it, didn't get around to that

Dinner- SCD Parmesan stuffed mushroom caps and Beth's Taco Salad

PICTURE- Stuffed Mushroom Caps

R & R Weekend

2007-11-10T15:38:00.000-08:00

As I am off on another business trip next week and have been working like a maniac for the past several, I decided this weekend is all about guilt free rest and relaxation. To that end we decided not to cook last night and instead cruised on down to one of our favorite haunts for a steak and shrimp dinner. The vegetable of the day was butternut squash (YEAH) but it was off limits (BOO) as they added sugar. Why, I ask you, must anyone add sugar to something as wonderfully delicious as butternut squash? I know, I know, we were guilty of such transgressions too pre-SCD but now I truly shake my head in wonder.

I spent this morning hanging out with my 21 month old niece while her mother (my sister) was at work teaching horseback riding lessons. My niece and I had fun dancing around the living room (they don't call her "happy feet" for nothing), baking SCD blueberry muffins (which were a big hit with everyone), and playing "lion and mouse" (a successful spin off of our original imaginary animal game "cats and dogs").

After her departure my husband and I headed to the gym for some much needed physical fitness. Though my husband's routine would probably impress Lance Armstrong, I implemented a more tolerable program and then enjoyed some time in the steam room.

Once at home we decided to cook up a bistro type meal of roasted chicken with rosemary, lavender, and thyme along with buttered carrots and steamed green beans. Then maybe off to the movies. But definitely sleeping in tomorrow!

Brunch- Spinach and Havarti cheese omelet complements of my fab husband
Dinner- Roasted chicken with buttered carrots and steamed green beans

PICTURE-Dinner!

SCD Poetry

2007-11-07T17:26:00.000-08:00

Original SCD poetry from the Fabulous Carol F. Moderator of the SCD listserv BTVC-SCD@yahoogroups.com.

"Little Miss Muffet
Sat on a tuffet
Eating her curds and whey
Along came an eagle
And said, "those ain't legal"
Eat yoghurt and throw them away. "

A lesson for all of those little Miss and Mr Muffets out there!

Breakfast- Organic SCD yogurt with strawberries and honey
Lunch- Cheddar cheese burger with a garden salad
Dinner- Beef and vegetable stir fry with peanut oil, garlic, and ginger along with a side of asparagus

PICTURE- Steaming butternut squash. One of my all time favorite SCD fall dishes

Yummy Yummy Yogurt

2007-11-06T03:33:00.000-08:00

In case you have not noticed my very repetitive breakfasts, my favorite thing about the SCD is most certainly the yogurt. I love, love, love, to eat yogurt morning, noon, and night. Most of the time I make my "everyday" yogurt from organic whole milk. I enjoy it almost every morning with some type of fruit and honey. Usually I eat it at my desk at work along with some green tea. When I start to feel a bit guilty about all of the fat I will switch to organic 2% for a while but that comes out less solid and more tart. Most of the time I get over my guilt and go right back to whole milk. But when I am really mischievous and feeling very entitled, I make up a big batch of yogurt made from organic Half & Half or even (gasp) heavy cream, blend it with some fruit, honey, and vanilla, and churn it in my ice cream maker. Voila! Heaven on earth.

If you cannot tolerate yogurt made from cow's milk you can make goat milk yogurt or even nut yogurt from almond milk. There are lots of recipes out there on the SCD links. Pick your favorite recipe and enjoy.

Yesterday's Cuisine-

Breakfast- Organic SCD yogurt with bananas and honey

Lunch- Cranberry pork roast with butternut squash

Dinner- Havarti Cheese burgers with steamed broccoli and butternut squash

PICTURE- Strawberry SCD ice Cream

Trick or Treat, Don't Wanna Cheat, Gimme Somethin' Legal to Eat

2007-10-31T17:08:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween! Trick or Treat, Don't Wanna Cheat, Gimme Somethin' Legal to Eat. This is the SCDers mantra at any restaurant and especially around Halloween. Well my darling of a hubby made me some sweet SCD treats including the Easter Candy from Jenny Lass. I will see if I can get permission to post this recipe posted.

I believe GrainFree Gourmet & Healing Foods also has SCD Legal candy recipes. They are so yummy you will barely miss chocolate.

Breakfast- Organic SCD yogurt with bananas and honey
Lunch- Chicken soup with kale & carrots
Dinner- Beth's Yummy Creamy Tomato Soup with grilled cheddar cheese sandwiches made from panini bread from the SCD Bakery

PICTURE- Making Jenny Lass' Easter Candy - The Cooling Process (before you cut it up and freeze)

Kicking a Cold

2007-10-30T16:58:00.000-07:00

Well I started to feel a little off this weekend and by Sunday I had a full force head cold. I searched high and low for SCD legal cold remedies and did not find much. Finally I bought a vaporizer and made the Flu Fighter from the new SCD cookbook called Healing Foods and I am happy to report that they seem to have done the trick! The concoction was by no means tasty but the warm liquid along with the spices really seemed to clear things out and must have boosted my immune system.

The vaporizer was great as well. It was by Vicks and had a little container where you put a special liquid called Kaz Inhalant which is basically lots of soothing oils. Between the warm steam and the menthol-like vapors I had a surprisingly peaceful two nights sleeping as a mouth-breather.

I didn't miss any days of work (though I left an hour early on Monday) and lots of other people in my office took full sick days. I credit my quick recovery to the SCD as well. Sunday morning I made a big batch of chicken soup and added scallions, kale, carrots, and parsley. Chicken soup is a well known and effective weapon against the common cold.

Also, on Sunday I ate lots of blueberries and salmon which I think gave me an edge.

One thing that I noticed is that I didn't have a lot of SCD legal solutions to turn to. If any of you know of other possible remedies please email me offline and I will collect your feedback and share with the group.

Happy Healing

Breakfast- Organic SCD yogurt with strawberries and honey
Lunch- Leftovers from last night (yummy chicken stuffed with sage, Fontina, and prosciutto along with steamed asparagus)
Dinner- Roasted chicken with salt, pepper, lavender, and rosemary along with butternut squash
Snacked on pistachios throughout the day

PICTURE- The Flu Fighter from Healing Foods

Apple Sauce Controversy

2007-10-28T06:30:00.000-07:00

So for those of you who check out the SCD listservs you may have noticed some debate this weekend about my use of the Santa Cruz organic apple sauce. I originally bought the individual packets for my nieces who visit me quite often. However, after reading the ingredients (apples and vitamin C) I decided to enjoy one with my pork chops. I want to be honest about what I eat even when that means 1. I don't eat 2. I eat things that are not technically SCD legal, or 3. I am a glutton! I feel that it is important to post these things so that you can see that I am not perfect. However, you will notice that sometimes I pay dearly like a few weeks ago when I went away to California and came back sick for about a week. My advice for everyone is certainly to stay 100% SCD legal and make your own apple sauce. In my experience it just tastes better than the pre-made stuff too. However, at times when I decide to take a risk on things that are not technically 100% SCD legal I will let you know and for you newbies, do as I say and not as I do. This BLOG is not meant to be an official newbie support group or advice column. It is just a way to share one gal's experiences while trying to stick as closely to the SCD as possible while working about 50 hours a week and commuting 10.

So what else did I do this weekend besides sort through this applesauce issue? Let's see. On Saturday morning I spent time with my two nieces ages 9 and 20 months. We played games and went to borders and bought some books. Last night my husband and I went to see two plays that were back to back. The first one was Sorry, Wrong Number, and the second was Clue. They were put on by our local theatre company who did a wonderful job. Both were very Halloween appropriate.

Before the show we ate at a local restaurant. I had the surf and turf (steak with shrimp and broccoli). I asked the waiter to hold all seasoning on the steak (sometimes they add sugar) and to only put butter, lemon juice, thyme, salt and pepper on the shrimp. The meal was delicious.

The bad news is that sometime between my nieces leaving and going out to dinner, I have come down with a cold. As such I am going to take it easy for the rest of the day. Make some chicken soup, and drink lots of dilutes juices like apple cider and grape juice.

Hopefully the SCD will be able to kick my cold too!

PICTURE- Amy's Pumpkin Muffins

Update- On November 10th I received a hard copy letter, on company letterhead, signed by a Customer Response Rep that verified these ingredients and stated that if anything were added, even under 2%, it would be included on the label. Good news but I still think that homemade is better.

Red Sox & Red Wine

2007-10-25T16:57:00.000-07:00

Tonight was a quick dinner of stir fry and some dry red wine. We are gearing up to watch the Red Soxs on TV and will be watching for my sister and her husband who are at the game with a catchy Cat in The Hat sign they made for the occasion.

Go Soxs!

Breakfast- SCD smoothie with organic yogurt, raspberries, honey, vanilla and banana
Lunch- Leftovers from last night including delicious butterflied pork chops, acorn squash with butter, honey, and nutmeg, and applesauce with cinnamon on top.
Dinner- Stir fry with grass fed beef, snow peas, peppers, onions and an array of wild mushrooms with a bit of garlic, ginger, toasted sesame seeds and peanut oil

PICTURE- Last night's dinner of roasted pork chops, acorn squash and apple sauce with cinnamon. Technically to be SCD legal you must make your own apple sauce however, I used organic Santa Cruise which is apples and vitamin C.

What's So Funny?

2007-10-23T17:51:00.000-07:00

One thing that is great about laughing is that it doesn't take a whole lot of time, money, exercise, will power, discipline, commitment, education, work ethic, or elbow grease. So why not? After all, laughter therapy is all the rage these days and I say hey, it can't hurt. Don't forget to floss, pay your taxes, or take out the trash but most importantly, don't forget to laugh people.

Breakfast- Organic SCD yogurt with bananas and honey
Lunch- Stuffed red peppers with chicken
Dinner- Why mess with a good thing? Stuffed peppers it is!

PICTURE- Sunday night's roasted chicken with butternut squash, asparagus and avocado

Scrumptious Stuffed Peppers

2007-10-22T17:27:00.000-07:00

Today was all about work, work, work and I needed comfort food. I couldn't wait to get home and make scrumptious peppers stuffed with ground chicken and Parmesan cheese. Basically I adapted a recipe and used almond flour instead of bread crumbs, SCD ketchup, and homemade marinara sauce along with some other goodies like garlic, onions, etc. Next time I might try them with some spinach or mushrooms. They were like a little meatloaf in a pepper and definitely hit the spot. Even got a thumbs up from my husband. But best of all, we have lots of leftovers for dinner tomorrow night and lunches this week.

Breakfast- SCD yogurt with bananas and honey
Mid-morning snack- Amy's pumpkin muffins
Lunch- Leftover roasted chicken with butternut squash and asparagus
Dinner- Scrumptious stuffed peppers

PICTURE- Dinner!

Waking Up In The City That Never Sleeps

2007-10-21T10:57:00.001-07:00

I am back from New York where I spent lots of time 1. walking 2. eating 3. being entertained and very little time 4. sleeping.

The trip was a great success. We hit an absurd amount of traffic on the way down Friday night but after that initial hiccup it was all smooth sailing. I drove down with my husband and my father-in-law. When we arrived (I think it was about 8:30pm or so) we met up with the other half of the group including my mother-in-law, uncle Bob and our friend Chris. It was already really late so we just had dinner and a few drinks at the hotel bar. I enjoyed a juicy burger with cheddar cheese, lettuce, onion and tomato (no bun of course) along with a house salad with blue cheese, oil, and red wine vinegar.

Saturday morning we all met for breakfast at this fabulous restaurant called Roy's (I think it is a chain). If any of you SCDers go to Manhattan I suggest you eat here for breakfast. They had fresh squeezed orange juice, omelets made to order (I had spinach and mushroom with cheddar), fresh cheese including Havarti, cheddar and Swiss, hard boiled eggs, and an amazing amount of fresh fruit including blueberries, strawberries, pineapple, and melons. I was stuffed by 9:00am and we all agreed that we would probably skip lunch and have an early dinner.

After breakfast we went shopping on Canal St. which is definitely an interesting experience. Then we went to the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) where I saw Van Gogh's starry night, paintings by Monet, and many others. After a little more shopping and walking we went back to the hotel room and snacked on my Parmesan garlic crackers with cheddar cheese, pistachios, and almonds (OK, we had a little red wine too).

Then it was off to dinner at Brazil, Brazil, Restaurant where I had a delicious meal of Talapia grilled with olive oil, salt and pepper along with oven roasted garlic and fresh vegetables. YUMMM. We finished the night on Broadway with 10th row seats at Mamma Mia which has now inspired me to start listening to ABBA. This was a birthday present from Bob and Chris (thanks guys!)

This morning we woke up at the crack of dawn and set off for home. I ate my SCD yogurt with honey in the car (I brought it down and kept it in a small fridge in the hotel). Now I am settled in back at home, making a batch of yogurt for the week and getting ready to roast a chicken with olive oil, garlic and rosemary. Along with that we will have butternut squash and grilled asparagus. I will also make up some of Amy's delicious pumpkin muffins (Note: I make them with puree from pumpkins that I bake. This ensures they are SCD legal).

Though NY was fantastic, it is always good to be home.

Breakfast- SCD yogurt with honey while on the road
Lunch- Tuna fish with garlic and Parmesan crackers and strawberries with dipping "cream" (SCD yogurt, vanilla extract and honey)
Dinner- Looking forward to roasted rosemary chicken

PICTURE- Yesterday's Fruit Buffet at Roy's

The BIG Apple!

2007-10-18T18:09:00.000-07:00

Well I feel like a big apple after how many I have eaten this week. They are in season after all and what a tasty, healthy, portable, snack. I just love them. No wonder Eve couldn't resist. What? You're eating apples you say? That's right. Last week was all about diluted apple juice and apple sauce but this week I am back to the real thing people!

It is a great thing. I have a whole new appreciation for SCD. Deprived on SCD? That is absurd. I am deprived when flaring and not eating anything at all or "feasting" on chicken broth and DCCC. I am most certainly not deprived when enjoying the wide variety of foods that I have had this week including scrumptious cranberry pork tenderloin from scdrecipe.com, chicken and beef stir fries with loads of fresh veggies, strawberries, bananas, apples, eggs, cheeses, olives, and Parmesan garlic crackers. THAT is not deprivation. It is extravagance.

Well, tomorrow I am off to the real big apple. That's right. My husband and I are heading down to Manhattan with my mother and father in-law, my favorite uncle Bob, and our good friend Chris. We are going to see the Broadway show Mama Mia on Saturday night and explore the city the rest of the time. I already did a a search of area restaurants so I know basically where we will be eating dinner but I am bringing lots of goodies for snacks and lunch including:

Peanut butter and (you guessed it) apples
Crackers and cheese (SCD crackers of course)
Hard boiled eggs
Bananas
Almonds
Sunflower seeds
Strawberries
Raspberries
Yogurt
Apple sauce
SCD ketchup
SCD cocktail sauce
Homemade salad dressing

So with that I think I will be all set and ready to adventure to the big apple. See you in a few days.

Breakfast- Yogurt with bananas and honey

Lunch- Two apples with peanut butter (work has been CRAZY)

Dinner- Stir fry with grass fed beef, carrots, peas, zucchini, summer squash, peppers, peanut oil, sesame seeds and garlic

PICTURE- Dinner!

Cookbook Cravings

2007-10-15T18:29:00.000-07:00

Have I mentioned that I absolutely adore reading about cooking? It's true. I have this insatiable craving for cookbooks, cooking shows, food magazines, culinary blogs, and best of all, SCD recipes. I am not kidding when I say that there have been many nights that I go to bed excited to curl up with a good book.... a cookbook that is. As you all know, my meals are fairly simple. I just don't have the time to cook as much as I would like. But even if I did, I seriously believe that my appetite for reading about cooking is in fact more intense than my desire to actually cook. It just seems strange to me. A little over the top.

Perhaps you might believe this is a psychological side effect for having gone for 30 days being fed only intravenously. I began my college career minoring in psychology so this would make sense to me as well however, the fact is that this behavior has been going on for quite some time now. It commenced way before I was even diagnosed with Crohn's disease, back when I thought a "pic line" was slang for those who picket.

Well, you might say, maybe she didn't have enough food growing up. After all, we already know that her grandparents fed her spaghetti with ketchup. True, true. I did enjoy my sugary tomato pasta but we had lots of food growing up and I don't remember any of my family having this obsession (although my grandmother was compulsive about having a freezer full of food, even if the meat was several years old. Maybe this is a hybrid of that original ancestral obsession that has now morphed into the desire to have a brain full of recipes).

I knew I went over the edge when I started a book club with one of my friends (it is just her, her husband, and myself by the way) and I was late, late, late, I mean REALLY late finishing the book partly due to the fact that it arrived at the same time as the new Healing Foods SCD cook book which I had to read 100 times. I know, I know. There are much worse things that I could be addicted to. Right now the worst consequences of my obsession are the reams of paper I go through printing off recipes from foodnetwork.com and also the fact that I hog up all of the DVR space with my taped cooking shows (about 5 a day). Other than that I think it is fairly harmless. Now I have to go so that I can read Lucy's Cookbook in case I missed anything during the first 500 reads.

Breakfast- SCD Smoothie with blueberries, banana, honey and vanilla
Lunch- Leftover pot roast with veggies (even better the next day)
Dinner- More pot roast with veggies
Snack- Pumpkin Pie

Picture- My Stash

Everybody, FREEZE!

2007-10-14T18:33:00.000-07:00

Things seemed to have turned a corner this weekend and the Plumbing Department is showing much improvement. All and all I would give it about a B+.

Saturday night my husband, sister, and I went to a comedy show which focused on women in comedy. I have heard of people laughing themselves to recovery and I am hoping this was the case for me. All and all things are still not as, let's say, "solid" as I would like to see them but the situation is "firming up a bit." - OK, that was bad. I know. That's why I was in the audience this weekend and not on the stage.

Not 100% sure if I have completely recovered or even what, exactly, is going on. Could be lots of things:

Jet lag? Check. My friend Beth emailed me an interesting article on jet lag which can cause D.
Missing Ileocecal valve? Check. I also remembered a conversation with my GI about a year ago when she warned me that Small Bowel Bacteria Overgrowth is one side effect of having your ileocecal valve removed (which I had the pleasure of experiencing in August 2006. Gives new meaning to the old essay topic "What I did Last Summer"). Symptoms? You guess it.
Possibility of ingesting illegals? Check. In San Diego I definitely ate a few things that were questionable. For instance, I asked whether the steak I had for dinner had any seasoning on it and I am not sure I got a straight answer but hunger (there was nothing legal at lunch so I skipped it all together) and arrogance (Hey! I was doing fabulous for over a year) lead me to take a risk
Stress? Check. Quarter end and beginning are always crazy for me.

So whatever the original culprit I was feeling pretty darn healthy this weekend. I even took my 9 year old niece, 20 month old niece, and the 11 and 8 year old neighbors all out to the playground and to pick out pumpkins. I think this week if all continues to go well I will experiment with a little pumpkin soup.

Speaking of pumpkins, one thing I did this weekend was to reorganize my freezer (what an exciting life). In case any of you SCDers are just sitting around wondering what's in my freezer here is the big reveal:

Pureed pumpkin (tis the season)
Homemade chicken broth (freeze some in ice cube trays and then pop into a plastic freezer bag)
Chicken bones (for more soup some day)
Macadamia nuts
Pork roast
Bananas for smoothies
Sharon J's homemade ketchup
Green beans
Peas and carrots (usually for Shepherd's Pie)
Peas (for stews)
Cranberries (for the cranberry pork roast from scdrecipes.com)
Blueberries
Cherries
Strawberries
SCD Cinnamon Bread (for cinnamon toast)
SCD Garlic Parmesan Bread (for crackers)
Flat bread from the SCD Bakery (for paninis)
Parmesan rolls (for tuna melts and bread crumbs)
Basil
Ginger
The insert for my ice cream maker : )

Breakfast- Pumpkin Pie

Lunch- Roasted chicken, butternut squash, green beans (all leftover from last night)

Dinner- Vegetable Pot Roast with mushrooms, carrots, tomatoes, garlic rosemary, & thyme.

Throughout the day I have been drinking lots of apple cider diluted with water and eating yogurt with bananas. Trying to gain back some of the weight I lost this week

PICTURE- My SCD Freezer

The Prospect of Pumpkin Pie

2007-10-12T16:00:00.000-07:00

After a few days of meals that are way too depressing to post, I have decided that I am going to make an SCD pumpkin pie tomorrow. I have lots of pureed pumpkin in the freezer and I imagine that pumpkin pie filling may be a "reasonable" next step.

I try not to get too graphic on this site as it does focus on food and all but this IS an SCD related blog and I AM on the diet for Crohn's so I figure anyone reading this can handle the details (stop reading here if you can't).

So as I mentioned earlier, starting a week ago yesterday when I arrived home from San Diego, I have been having questionable experiences in the plumbing department. At first it was like, "Hmmm that doesn't seem so cool" and slowly over this week it turned into..."Uh oh."

Now the "Uh oh's" have only been occurring once a day (on average) so that is good. No other symptoms either. I have energy, feel fine at work, no cramping, fever, nada. It is just that, like I said, the plumbing department seems to be slacking off BIG time in terms of finishing the job right aka digesting food and absorbing fluids (there is the detail that I was talking about).

So I have been taking it easy since Tuesday afternoon. I called my Dr today just so that I have an appointment booked in case it comes to that. I had a burger last night which was fine and a banana today which gave me slight indigestion but that was about it.

Tonight my husband is making me another burger and I am going to try some cooked carrots. If all goes well then maybe some homemade apple sauce.

I'll tell you, being on this intro diet and starting all over REALLY makes me grateful for all of the foods I have enjoyed on the SCD. After several days of chicken soup, ground beef and DCCC I am in awe of all of the wonderful meals I have prepared over the past year.

The good thing about this little set-back is that once I go back on the "big kid's" version of the SCD it will be like entering the land of plenty.

Breakfast-
Lunch-
Dinner-

Like I said, too depressing to report. Focusing on the prospect of pumpkin pie

PICTURE- Tomorrow's brunch!

A Tomato Too Many

2007-10-10T16:47:00.000-07:00

I thought I had an apple problem but now I am overrun with tomatoes. My mom brought over some short squat ones from her garden and I had also purchased some plumb tomatoes to make into a BBQ sauce from the Healing foods cookbook.

But all dreams of tomatoes went out the window when I decided to go back on the intro diet. There are definitely no tomatoes to be had now. Just like my apples they sat neglected in my kitchen. So I decided to make a nice thick tomato sauce and simmer it down for a few hours. When it is done I will freeze it to enjoy once I am back in the saddle.

Breakfast- SCD Cheesecake
Lunch- Chicken broth
dinner- Roasted chicken

Lots of diluted grape juice in between.

PICTURE- All of The Lovely Tomatoes

A Different Dessert

2007-10-09T16:47:00.001-07:00

Well, I came home from work tonight and made dessert all right but it wasn't the nice cinnamon Apple Galette that I was hoping for. Instead I found myself baking the SCD cheesecake from the intro diet which means sans the lemon, pineapple, and crust.

Why the change in plans you ask? Especially with so many shiny apples lying around? Well I am disappointed to report that the old plumbing department has not been functioning on a satisfactory level. As a matter of fact, it is in need of an immediate action plan and to that end I am back on the intro diet.

Why this sudden set-back you might ask? I know I did. Was it the trip to San Diego and the hamburger consumed during the layover at the airport restaurant (though I did grill the waitress- pun intended)? Was it the beginning of a new quarter stress at work? The lack of sleep over the past few days due to a severe case of jet lag? Who really knows and that's not the important question right now. The question at hand is what to do about it.

So I spent the evening drinking lots of chicken broth, purchasing ground meat for broiled patties, hard boiling some eggs, and yes... baking the closest thing to a dessert that is allowed, the cheesecake.

That is basically the extent of the menu while on the intro diet. No fruit, vegetables, nuts, spices, etc. You follow the intro for three to five days and pray, hope, wish, dream, covet, and positive think your way back into health or else you call your doctor and negotiate the dreaded "plan B."

The good news is that even if plan B does go into effect, the general consensus from the SCD crowd is that staying on strict SCD makes it more likely that any set-backs will be for a shorter duration and less...unpleasant.

But enough of that for now. This week it is time to batton down the hatches.

Breakfast - (pre-intro) Organic smoothie with SCD yogurt, blueberries, honey, and vanilla

Lunch- Uhhh not much to report here

Dinner- A delicious, nutritious, mouth watering, delectable feast of......Chicken broth

PICTURE- Dessert

An Apple a Day Keeps the "Mondays" Away

2007-10-08T17:12:00.000-07:00

Did you know that apples provide natural sun protection and are a member of the rose family?

If an apple a day kept the "Mondays" away I would be all set for some time. As you can see, I have amassed quite a few apples lately. My mom went apple picking with her friend, my husband loves Granny Smith apples, and I cannot resist a Red Delicious. Apples in the raw and apples with peanut butter are both trusty snacks but I want to do something different with all of these nutritious treats.

I think I will make my husband the Apple Galette from Grain-free Gourmet. It seems simple enough to do on a work night and will surely satisfy my current craving for a warm sweet dessert. Plus I owe him for drawing me a bubble bath after my super long day at work today. This is the goal for tomorrow night.

Wish me luck.

Breakfast - Organic smoothie with SCD yogurt, raspberries, honey, and vanilla

Lunch- Feeling a little "off" today so stuck with more yogurt for lunch along with a banana

Dinner- Grilled swordfish and sauteed spinach with garlic and olive oil

PICTURE- My Bounty

Church, Chores, and Chicken Croquettes

2007-10-07T16:44:00.000-07:00

This afternoon my mom, husband, and I traveled north of Boston to my sister's brother-in-law's son's Christening. Believe me, it sounds more complicated than it is. The few sound bites of the sermon that I was able to catch were very interesting though I must admit I spent much of the time chasing my toddler of a niece around the church. She clapped and yelled a loud "YEAH" after every prayer and hymn. It sort of livened up the place. When she was on the verge of a melt down (the ceremony was an hour and a half) we walked to the back of the church and played "cats & dogs." A tip for those of you who find yourself in a similar circumstance, this seemed to be a very popular toddler game.

Afterwards we went back to their house to visit family and have lunch. The majority of the cuisine was made up of delicious smelling catered Italian dishes like eggplant and chicken Parmesan, sausages, peppers and onions, and other tasty treats which were all about looking but not touching for me.

However, all of the sights and smells were inspiring and upon our return home I decided to attempt one of the recipes from the newest SCD cookbook entitled Healing Foods, Cooking for Celiacs, Colitis, Crohn's, and IBS.

Tonight my challenges was the Chicken and Cauliflower Croquettes. These savory little morsels are much like chicken nuggets but without all of the additives, starch, fat, etc. The recipe is somewhat involved i.e. it calls for the use of multiple pans and a food processor, but I was able to prep the ingredients fairly easily and cleaned as I went.

All and all it was a smooth ride until the actual frying of the first batch. I committed the cardinal culinary sin of trying to move the croquettes before they had formed a golden crust. As such they soon began falling apart all over the place.

I decided that for batch two I would call on my secret weapon... my patient and talented husband. Now it's not so easy pulling him away from Sunday night football but I think he heard all of the clinks and clanks in the kitchen and knew something was up.

I am glad to report that the second batch came out much better. We refrigerated the croquettes until the pan was ready. Once we added them we did not touch them for about 3 minutes. Then we delicately flipped them and browned the other side for about three more minutes. At the end I enjoyed some of them with Sharon J's ketchup. The rest are coming to work with me tomorrow along with some fresh spinach.

Breakfast- Organic smoothie with SCD yogurt, frozen raspberries, banana, honey, and vanilla
Lunch- Some SCD crackers and a banana that I brought to the christening along with provolone cheese, roast beef, and salad that I enjoyed at the after party
Dinner- Chicken croquettes with Sharon J's ketchup

PICTURE- Chicken croquettes

Survey Said!

2007-10-06T19:12:00.000-07:00

I'm back from sunny San Diego but I must say that I think it has been warmer and sunnier in Massachusetts over the past few days than in southern California.

Upon my return I noticed that the first survey posted on this site has closed. It was the one that asked whether readers follow the SCD. We received 32 votes as follows:
27 (84%) are on the SCD
1 (3%) has follwed the diet in the past
3 (9%) plan to start soon
1 (3%) does not follow it (that was my 9 year old niece!)

The second survey, which I closed early, was about the types of supplements people take. Twelve people responded and the results are as follows:
5 (41%) take a multi vitamin
6 (50%) take vitamin B
9 (75%) take fish oil/omega 3
3 (25%) take probiotics (a lot of us also get this through our yogurt I bet)
4 (33%) take vitamin D

My next survey will be on why people follow the SCD. In my case it is for Crohn's disease but in being on the SCD Listservs I noticed that people follow the diet for a host of other reasons. My friend who has MS also follows a diet very similar to SCD though a bit more restrictive.

I have had some problems responding to your comments in the applicable comments section so I am going to respond in the posts until I get that sorted out.

Nutty meatfruit- I am so glad you like the site. I have been following yours as well and really enjoy all of the recipes!

Denise- The diet can be overwhelming at first but rest assured that I have been on it for a little over a year now and it becomes second nature. Really. As you can see, I even fly all over the place on business while following the diet. I had a lot of help and great advice from the people on the listserves so if you are not already on them you should look into that. I truly love all of the SCD cookbooks but I just received the one by Sandra Ramacher called Healing Foods Cooking for Celiacs, Colitis, Crohn's and IBS. It is WONDERFUL and I cannot stop reading it and looking at the great pictures.

Amy- Hi There! Can I tell you again how delicious your pumpkin muffins are? I just bought a few more pumpkins and am going to make these babies tomorrow. They are my favorite muffin so far. My husband is the one who cooked that pork tenderloin and it WAS great. He seasoned it with salt and pepper, seared it on the stove, and then grilled it until it was done (maybe about 25 minutes but use a meat thermometer)

Thanks to all of you for your support!

Breakfast- Organic smoothie with frozen bananas, frozen blueberries, SCD yogurt, honey, and vanilla
Lunch- Instead of tomato, basil, mozzarella (which is NOT SCD legal) I had tomato, basil, avocado. Wow was it good. I seasoned them with salt and poured a little olive oil and vinegar over them. I enjoyed them along with some roasted chicken.
Dinner- A quick spinach and cheese omelet. We are heading out to a wedding where I doubt I will find legal food!

PICTURE- Lunch!

Gratitude Dance

2007-09-30T05:18:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow morning I leave on business to California until Thursday night. There is just so much involved with traveling including getting the house ready, squaring away finances, packing clothes, food (when on SCD), and in my case, trying to figure out how to get to Boston Logan airport during Monday morning rush hour. Needless to say this little trip was starting to get me down. Then I received Dr Mercola's health newsletter with this video of the Gratitude Dance.

This is more than a little dance. It is a reminder to be grateful for all of those things that you DO have. In the case of my travel this week, here are the things that I thought of while gratitude dancing around the house packing my suitcase:

1. I have a job
2. I have clothes to pack
3. I feel great
4. I have a wonderful husband and family to come home to
5. I have a special diet to keep me healthy while I am away
6. I have a friend who lives in Cambridge and is going to let me camp out at his house tonight so I am closer to the airport tomorrow morning.

See you all in a week and don't forget to do your own little gratitude Dance.

Brunch- Nibbling on things all day while packing including bites of Lucy's Parmesian Garlic crackers, Amy's Pumpkin muffins (These muffins are truly out of this world. I roasted a whole pumpkin and then puree it in the food processor so it was a little more of a "project" for me but oh so worth it), Mom's Banana muffins (Thanks Mom!), hard boiled eggs, yogurt with fruit, etc.

PICTURE- Getting Lucy's Parmesian Garlic crackers ready for baking. I will enjoy them on the plane with Havarti cheese

Fickle, Fickle Fall

2007-09-28T16:51:00.001-07:00

It is fall in New England. It was over 80 degrees today. I wore a tank top. It was pitch black out by 6:30pm. It feels like 90 degrees right now. I have pumpkins and gourdes decorating my table. My fireplace is eager to contribute. But we still haven't removed our air conditioners. We sleep with the windows opened. Do we burn the lilac candles or the spiced cider? Do we eat apple pie or the last of the berries?

My mother closed her pool yesterday. Now it looks like a big blue trampoline. There are leaves and acorns on the ground in her yard. I saw a bunch of birds flying south in a V. Nobody has spotted a humming bird in weeks. School is in session and football games have begun.

I want to start cooking autumn meals but the grill is still my best friend.

It is fall in New England.

Breakfast- Organic SCD banana smoothie with vanilla and honey
Lunch- Burger with spinach salad and tomato
Dinner- Burgers (yes twice) with avocado and tomato and a side of zucchini

Won't You Be My Neighbor

2007-09-27T16:36:00.000-07:00

When I was a kid I wasn't a big fan of Mr. Rogers. HE seemed nice enough but Lady Elaine scared the crap out of me. I was heavy into Sesame Street though and as they were on back to back, I often found myself resigned to an episode or two. The one thing about Mr. Rogers that always fascinated me was that he knew all of his neighbors. Now that I am an adult this makes perfect sense seeing how it was called Mr. Roger's Neighborhood but back then when I thought that the Neighborhood of Make-Believe was real, I somehow couldn't wrap my little brain around the fact that one can actually be friends with their neighbors. Perhaps this is because I lived sandwiched between a pizza place and a rental property.

Flash forward 27 years or so and I still spend lots of time reading fiction, watching movies, and going to theatre and lots less time getting to know my neighbors. As a matter of fact, I connect with cyberspace almost every night via this blog, my trips to other websites, and SCD related listserves. I certainly feel like I know these "characters" a lot better than the people around my block.

Well a few months ago my husband bumped into one of our neighbors who was having some people over. My husband overheard them talking about their lack of chairs and being the thoughtful guy he is, he brought over some of ours for them to borrow.

This gesture seemed very appreciated by said neighbors and sparked a letter of thanks from them soon after. The letter also came with an invitation to call them so that we can get to know each other better. Well, I am sorry to say that months went by before this happened. As a matter of fact, we never actually called them. I ran into "the husband" on my way to work and we made casual plans to get together that night for a drink.

So that night we all went out to at a nice establishment within walking distance of our homes. We hit it off right away. I could not believe how much we had in common. We were finishing each other's sentences by the end of the night. I thought this is great! We have new friends who are so hip and they live a broom's length away from our house! We couldn't believe that we had only just met. After all, my husband and I had been at this house for over three years and they had been there for five. Why on earth did it take me so long to meet my neighbors?

"So what?" you might say. "Now you've met and you'll be great friends."

Hopefully that is true but we met them two weeks ago and they are moving tomorrow. Well, closing on a new house tomorrow and moving on Saturday. Not too, too, far away but three towns over which seems like the other side of the world.

Go meet your neighbors people.

Breakfast- Organic SCD yogurt with strawberries and honey
Lunch- meatballs in basil tomato marinara
Dinner- Cod in a sweet and sour medley of red and orange peppers, sweet onions, and pineapple along with an avocado and tomato salad with oil, vinegar, and lemon juice

Scd Legal or SCD Illegal? That is the Question.

2007-09-26T17:31:00.000-07:00

Shakespeare may have pondered over things like life and death but for us SCDers the whole Legal and Illegal foods question is just as complicated... especially when dining out. I received a request to share my Can Eat/Can't Eat restaurant card as a result of one of my earlier posts. The card is actually from http://www.scdiet.org/ under the SCD Quick Reference Food List. I almost ALWAYS hand it over to the waiter/waitress whenever I first sit down at a table. I give them a chance to digest the information (pun intended) and then we have our little side bar.

One of the most unpleasant aspects for me on the SCD is this conversation with the wait staff. You see, I waited tables for many years and so I am extremely aware of how busy these people are. I also know that when a waitress approaches a chef with a request to accommodate certain restrictions e.g. vegetarian, vegan, SCDian, etc., the wait staff almost always bears the brunt of the chef's frustration.

Because of such institutional knowledge I usually just request plain meat/chicken/seafood/vegetables, etc. However, if I am in a mood where I feel entitled, and when I see something on a menu that I think looks great and will be SCD Legal with just a few minor tweaks, I sometimes go all out and break it down with the poor server.

This doesn't aways work out smoothly...remember my issue last weekend when I initially received pasta with my seafood. But sometimes it does and most mistakes can eventually be rectified.

Breakfast- Organic SCD yogurt with strawberries and honey
Lunch- Turkey meatballs slow cooked in tomato sauce with fresh basil
Dinner- Natural pork tenderloin with spinach and green beans with almonds and white wine reduction
Snack- Banana bread and Peanut Granola Bar from SCD Bakery

Flaunting my Cookies

2007-09-24T17:03:00.000-07:00

Today I brought my homemade Cinnamon Pecan cookies to work for my co-workers. The cookies are from a recipe in Lucy's SCD Cookbook and I think they are absolutely fabulous. However, since I have not had any sugar in over a year I wasn't sure if they were as good as I thought they were.

Well, turns out others agree. Several people stopped by my desk to comment on the delicious cookies. I was proud to tell them that there was no white sugar or wheat flour in them. My co-workers seemed very happy with this bit of news as well.

Since the cookies were a hit I now feel that I must bring in my true favorite from Lucy's Cookbook... the Cinnamon Coffee muffins.

Breakfast- Organic SCD yogurt with raspberries, strawberries, and honey and a coffee roll from SCD Bakery
Lunch- Sage and carrot stew
Dinner- Slow simmered pork chops smothered with fennel, shallots, parsley, capers, and lemon zest in a tomato and white wine reduction
Snacks Throughout The Day- Banana bread from SCD Bakery, Cinnamon pecan cookies

PICTURE- Slow simmered pork chops (aka tonight's dinner)

A Wicked Good Weekend

2007-09-23T07:15:00.000-07:00

The word wicked is defined in the Urban Dictionary as a New England slang that adds emphasis. I am a true New Englander in that I do use wicked quite a bit and I find it a very appropriate word to describe my cool weekend.

On Friday night I met one of my old friends and her husband at the Providence Oyster Bar in Providence, RI. My friend was actually the first person I met when I moved to a new high school my freshman year. She took me under her wing for a while and even got me my first job but sooner or later we drifted apart. In our mid twenties we roomed together in a great apartment on Beacon Hill in Boston. She was one of the best roommates I ever had but then, well, when I moved out we drifted apart.

Until Friday I had not seen her in about six years. Funny how time flies. It was great to meet her husband and catch-up. We are both married now and she has a toddler. The food at the Oyster Bar was top notch. I had scallops wrapped in bacon as an appetizer and grilled swordfish with asparagus. My husband and I reserved a hotel in the city using my points and all and all it was a great night.

On Saturday we met some family members in Boston to see the musical Wicked. It was certainly a great production and I hope to see it again some day. Before the theatre we went to Vinalia. I had a little problem with my dinner at first in that it came with pasta (even after I gave the waitress my "can eat" "can't eat" SCD food card). I was going to eat around the pasta but my husband clarified my diet and the waitress took it back. I ultimately enjoyed a delicious meal of shrimp, mussels, and white fish with tomato, garlic, and wine.

Today was pretty much a perfect day. I woke up without an alarm clock, watched my recorded cooking shows while catching up on laundry, did my grocery shopping (and a little more fall clothes shopping), came home and made a carrot/sage beef stew (from Grainfree Gourmet), cinnamon pecan cookies (from Lucy's SCD Cookbook), and yogurt for this week.

Then I took a walk with my 94 year old next door neighbor while she told me stories of growing up in the 1920's and 30's.

Wicked cool.

Breakfast- Cinnamon muffin and banana bread (from SCD Bakery)
Lunch- Organic SCD yogurt with blueberries and honey
Dinner- Carrot & sage beef stew (from Grainfree Gourmet)
Snacks Throughout the Day- Peanut granola chews (from SCD Bakery), Gruyere cheese, coconut macaroons

PICTURE- Cinnamon pecan cookies (better than any candle or air freshener around)

Yes! We Have No Bananas

2007-09-20T18:11:00.000-07:00

Growing up I didn't really care for bananas but I remember that my little sister did. When my mom asked me what I wanted for a snack I seem to remember choosing a pickle most of the time. Now, in my adult life, pickles are just OK. Something that I enjoy with a burger, in tuna or on a taco. Maybe I burnt out on them early in life. But BANANAS, well they are a whole different story. I love bananas.

Bananas in the raw, bananas with peanut butter smeared on them, banana ice cream, banana smoothies, bananas in yogurt, banana cake, muffins, and bread. These are all in my SCD favorites collection. But the thing about bananas the SCD way is that even when you have bananas, you might really not have them at all.

What's that you say? Well, when following the SCD bananas must be overly ripe in order to be Legal. That means they must be sporting brown spots. Some people may refer to them as "rotten'." It is not uncommon for my mom to say "Hi honey, I saved you some nice rotten bananas." But luckily for me the aged banana (I prefer this term) is even more palatable than its green or even bright yellow buddies.

I have two bananas sitting on my counter right now just begging to be made into a nice banana cake.

Breakfast - Cinnamon muffin and tea

Lunch- Leftover grilled pork chop with broccoli

Dinner- Spinach and tomato omelet

Snacks (throughout the day)- SCD yogurt with bananas, beet chips, Jennies Coconut Macaroons*

* These are not officially SCD legal. They claim they are approved by the Makers Diet and contain only coconut (unsweetened), honey, and egg whites. I am in the process of requesting a letter from them to verify this.

PICTURE- Non-SCD Legal bananas (but they are working on it)

Wednesday, Thursday, HAPPY DAYS

2007-09-18T17:08:00.000-07:00

Today was just my typical Tuesday which looks something like this...

6:10AM Rise & shine (hit the snooze button a few times and then lie in bed wondering what day it is)
7:15AM Set-out on my 50+ mile commute (I spend a lot of time listening to books on CD. Let me know if you have any suggestions!)
8:30AM Arrive at work
9:00AM My typical breakfast of SCD yogurt with some type of fruit (and tea)
work
work
work
work
5:30PM Set-out on the ride home (more books on CD)
6:30Pm Arrive home & start dinner
7:15PM Enjoy a nice SCD dinner

But TODAY was different! Or at least the last part.... My husband and I decided to divvy up the responsibility of cooking. I will cook on Mondays and Tuesdays and he will take Wednesdays and Thursdays. We'll leave Friday, Saturday, and Sunday open since we are oftentimes traveling around the state visiting friends and family. Now we always do about 50/50 in this area but it has never been "official" in terms of who is cooking on what day.

We had to switch nights this week (he traded me Tuesday for Thursday) as he has a work meeting that will run late. It was so nice to come home tonight to the mouth watering aroma of grilled pork chops.

Oh, and more good news. I received my letter from Papa Lena's Gourmet Food company stating that their Beet Chips are just beets, salt, and olive oil. Yeah!

Breakfast- SCD organic yogurt with strawberries, blueberries, and honey
Lunch- Pot roast
Dinner- Grilled pork chops with salt, pepper and Cayenne pepper along with broccoli and peppers grilled with olive oil - All courtesy of my lovely husband

PICTURE- Lime & Sea Salt Tortilla Chips from Eat Well Feel Well

Switching Perspective

2007-09-17T18:03:00.000-07:00

I woke up at 5:30AM today just so I could be out of the house extra early and wouldn't you know I ended up in a huge traffic jam due to an accident.

I started to get really frustrated as it took me an hour and a half to get to work but them I changed my perspective and was grateful that I made it there safely and was not part of the accident.

As the old saying goes, sometimes you just need to look on the bright side.

Breakfast- SCD organic yogurt with banana and honey
Snack- Cinnamon muffin
Lunch- Hearty pot roast with vegetables
Dinner- Chicken fajitas with onions and peppers marinated in cumin, corriander, garlic, red wine vinegar, olive oil, and lemon juice sauteed and served with SCD sour cream (yogurt made from Half and Half), SCD salsa, and grated cheddar cheese all rolled up in a Boston Bibb/Butter lettuce tortilla (My non-SCD husband prefers his tortillas with the lettuce wraps as well). Also, we decided to save the rest of the pot roast for lunches.

Picture- Fajita Feast

Cinnamon Muffin of a Day

2007-09-16T16:58:00.000-07:00

Today I woke up early and made the yogurt cinnamon muffins from Lucy's SCD Cookbook. If you follow the SCD then these phenomenal muffins are a must have. Each muffin has some sweet gooey frosting on top. While they are baking they make the whole house smell delicious.

Next I decided to slow cook a hearty pot roast. I started it at 10:30AM and cooked it for 9 hours on low. The slow simmering roast made the house smell like a rustic kitchen. The pot roast included carrots, sweet onions, crimini mushrooms, rosemary, white wine, crushed tomatos, and some other spices. We are going to have the pot roast for dinner tomorrow and for lunch during the week.

Later in the afternoon my husband and I met some friends of ours in Falmouth, Mass (on Cape Cod) to bike Woods Hole and the Shining Sea Bike trail. We think we did about 12 miles all together. It was a beautiful, clear, and crisp day for a bike ride and I felt very lucky to live in New England (but check back with me in February on that one).

At the end of the ride we biked to a local seafood restaurant where I enjoyed freshly caught shrimp, scallops, and swordfish sauteed with garlic and a little butter. Oh, and a nice dry Chardonnay.

When we arrived home tonight I took a long bath with lavender salts and drank some peppermint tea while reading my recipe books and thinking about all of the great recipes that I will make this fall.

Breakfast- Organic smoothie with SCD yogurt, bananas, blueberries, vanilla and honey
Snack- Two cinnamon muffins from the kitchen of Jilluck
Lunch- Salmon left-over from last night
Dinner- On the patio of the lovely restaurant in Woods Hole

PICTURE- Cinnamon Muffins

Science Experiment

2007-09-15T16:21:00.000-07:00

I found out this week that I will be traveling to San Diego on business the first week in October for about 4 days. San Diego on vacation sounds terrific but San Diego days filled with 14 hours of meetings... not so much. My first thought was " I had damn well better get a direct flight" and my second thought was "how long is my damn yogurt going to stay cold?" Yes, I was swearing a lot but in my head.

As it turns out, there were no direct flights left out of Providence, RI or Boston, MA ( it takes me about an hour to get to either airport). The shortest flight I could find has a lay-over in Phoenix, AZ which will take a total of 8 hours from Boston to San Diego. That realization threw me into a small panic as my little Fridge-To-Go promises only 8 hours of refrigeration power. So....

Today I went into 6th grade science experiment mode. Actually it was probably more like 2nd grade mode but it was a mode nonetheless. Ron from the LongIsland Listserv emailed me a month ago when I was getting ready to go to Kentucky (thanks Ron) and told me that he has traveled with yogurt for about 24 hours and it was fine with some blue ice in an insulated picnic cooler. So I thought I would try to extend the life of my own little lunch bag.

Science Experiment Report
By Jillluck
SCD 101
9/15/07

At approximately 8:20AM on 9/15/07 I placed some cool water (that is not a very scientific measurement but I am not expecting an A+) into my Snapware container
I then placed the container into the Fridge-To-Go lunch bag along with a small container of blue ice
I zipped up the bag and let it sit in my living room for 10 hours which is the total time it will take me to get to the airport, check-in one hour ahead of my scheduled departure time like a good do bee, read some smutty magazines, fly to Phoenix, read some more smutty magazines, fly to San Diego, find my luggage (if I am lucky) and get to my hotel room which will be stocked with a small refrigerator "if one is available."
At approximately 6:33PM on 9/15/07 I unzipped said lunch bag, unlocked said container, and submerged my trusty yogurt thermometer into said water.
The result?
A passable 40 degrees Fahrenheit

After all, passable is all I am really looking for folks. Now grant it 40 degrees is the highest the temperature should rise to ensure the safety of the food but I am feeling pretty comfortable that I will be able to get there within 10 hours. After all, how often do planes get delayed in this day and age (gulp).

Breakfast- Organic SCD yogurt with strawberries, raspberries, and honey
Lunch- Chicken "noodle" soup (from the ice box) with added spinach and Parmesan cheese
Snack- Fuji apple (I got hooked on these after reading Mike Simmon's FLOG
Dinner- Wild king salmon with dill, organic spinach cooked in chicken broth (homemade) and crushed garlic

PICTURE- Tonight's Dinner of salmon & spinach

Thumbs Up for Family Time, Thumbs Down for Food

2007-09-14T19:18:00.000-07:00

Well..... the birthday party was fun for sure but the Japanese steak house "adventure" was a bust. I think there were a few reasons for this:

1. The place was busy
2. There was a little language barrier
3. I really was not as specific or demanding as I should/could have been
4. My heart wasn't into drilling the chef/waitress
5. I just wasn't that hungry anyhow

Therefore, of my steak, scallop, shrimp, and veggie dinner I ate about 3 small bites of steak (which I deemed to be the most safe). The dinner was cooked on the same grill as everyone's fried rice and I was concerned about cross-contamination. I also asked them to use nothing but a small amount of oil on my food and I saw them put some "butter" on as well. Now maybe it was butter but maybe not. It could have been anything.

As such I wrapped the whole thing up to go for my husband, had a nice time with my family, enjoyed a glass of dry wine, and ate 2 delicious peanut butter and jelly cookies from the SCD Bakery when I got home.

Breakfast - Organic yogurt smoothie with bananas, raspberries, vanilla, and honey
Lunch- Leftover beef, mushrooms, and asparagus from last night
Dinner- Fun with family

Picture- Flowers at my mom's pool

My Sister's Birthday

2007-09-13T17:23:00.000-07:00

Today is my sister's 19th birthday. It is a family tradition that we go to a Japanese steak house a few towns over. It is fun to watch them cook the food in front of us and it is most certainly her favorite place. Today she called me concerned that I would not be able to find anything that is SCD legal. She wanted to see if we should go to another restaurant. I thought it was very sweet. However, I think I will be fine. I am going to ask that they cook my meal in the kitchen on a clean pan with some olive oil, garlic, and veggies. No seasonings. No additives.

It is not always easy dining out but it is usually doable as long as you are not shy and insist on certain things. I feel so grateful that I have this diet, a wonderful family, and a sweet sister who is turning 19.

Breakfast- Organic yogurt with bananas and honey
Lunch- Roasted chicken with carrots and zucchini
Dinner- Stir fry of beef, asparagus, portabella & shitake mushrooms with garlic

PICTURE- The Girls...me (middle) my sisters and my niece

KETCHUP!

2007-09-13T04:08:00.000-07:00

Pre-SCD I was a ketchup junkie. Ketchup on the usual burgers and dogs, ketchup on eggs, Shepherd's pie and even (gulp- I cannot believe I am admitting this) on spaghetti. Yes, it is true. My grandmother's family did not have a lot of money growing up and so they could not afford marinara sauce. Instead they put butter and ketchup on their spaghetti. This became one of her favorite treats and it was mine as well. With SCD those days are long gone for me but for the past year I have been craving good ketchup on my legal food. I have tried several recipes and none have cut it. Not even close. Until.... Saron J, one of my favorite contributors to the SCD_creators listserv posted this amazing ketchup recipe. I simmered it on my stove (on very low heat) for about 2 and 1/2 hours and whala...poof....amazing ketchup that tastes much better than store bought. I made a big batch and froze half of it.

So with the permission of Sharon J (thank you!), here is her recipe:

2 Cans of Tomato Juice (46 oz each)
2 Cups Vinegar
2 tsp. onion powder (homemade)
8 tsp. salt
1 tsp. all spice
1 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. garlic powder
5 Tlb. honey

Method: Pour Tomato juice in large pot and add the rest. Simmer for several hours, stirring occasionally (a splatter screen is useful here, because it will splatter quite a bit towards the end). It is done when it has the ketchup consistency you desire.

Yesterday:

Breakfast - Organic yogurt with bananas and honey (what can I say? I bought a lot of bananas)
Lunch- Leftover pork ribs and roasted butternut squash
Dinner- Organic grass-fed beef with spinach
Dessert- Banana muffin from the SCD Bakery

Food Wafers

2007-09-11T16:59:00.000-07:00

Today I wanted to share this great narrative from Sharon J of the SCDrecipe_creators listserv. After being on SCD for one year it really rings true to me....

"So, I've been having this surreal experience while grocery shopping lately. It's as if I've been transported to the future where everyone around me has been sadly deceived by the food industry. Quite happily, they eat their little food wafers.

I try to explain to them what real food tastes like, but no one seems interested. As I try to explain, they ask, 'Why would anyone want to go through all that work?" and "Who has the time?"

They all seem quite happy eating their processed food wafers. With the wide variety of tastes and textures available, no one gets tired of them. One lady even commented, "Why go through all the work to eat a potato which will spoil, when you can just have an potato wafer, which doesn't?"

They are so blind to the great food scam that has been so carefully constructed. Everyone I see has some sort of health problem. I try to convince them that maybe it's something lacking in their diet, but they assure me that the wafers have all the nutrients they need . Once in a blue moon, I find someone else who thinks as I do, but finding real food to eat is a challenge. Even at those specialty shops, a lot of the food is not as it seems. The produce and meat often have substances sprayed on them or injected into them to make them look better and last longer. The water they drink isn't just water anymore, either. It's improved (or so they claim).

Tired of struggling so hard just to survive, I began wishing for home but then I realize that I am home. Although we have more available than just wafers, I still see people buying potato chips, pizza flavored chips, Chik'n... and the like. I still can't trust my water or my food. People still don't want to discuss their heath in relationship to food. I guess the future isn't too far off." - Sharon J

Breakfast - Organic SCD yogurt with bananas

Lunch- Leftovers from last night's dinner along with a banana muffin

Dinner- Natural pork ribs with spices, roasted butternut squash with butter and sage, apple sauce

Ice Box Special

2007-09-10T18:03:00.000-07:00

It is always nice to have a tasty meal that is also quick and easy like the spinach omelet that I had for dinner last night. The only down side when you are a working gal on the SCD is lunch the next day. That’s why the good old Ice Box is my new best friend. The freezer, frigidarium, frozen-food locker, cold store, or whatever you want to call it, has been around for a long time now but it was not until I started the SCD that I really began to appreciate mine.

Pick a Sunday, any Sunday, where you just don’t have a lot going on (I know these are few and far between). Gather together your favorite freezable recipes and make a day of it. Some of my favorites are Beef Stew, Chunky Meat Sauce, Chicken “Noodle” Soup, Meatballs in Marinara, Vegetable Soup, Italian Pot Roast, and Provencal Chicken Stew. These home-cooked meals are much more satisfying than any TV dinner style lunch. I just select one of the entrees from my freezer, pop it in the fridge overnight, and then bring it to work in my lunch bag. If it is still a bit frozen the next day I defrost it in the microwave for a few minutes and then I have a steamy, home-cooked meal for lunch while my co-workers scrounge around the conference rooms for leftovers or, even worse, eat out of the vending machines.

Breakfast- Organic SCD yogurt with bananas & honey
Lunch- Chicken “noodle” soup, banana muffin from SCD Bakery
Dinner- Grilled chicken with paprika, roasted carrots & brussel sprouts with olive oil, avocado/tomato salad with oil & vinegar
Dessert- The last of my banana and date ice cream

Star Struck

2007-09-09T14:43:00.000-07:00

Wow what a weekend! It all started Friday night when I attended the Gottschall Autism Center's Fundraising Gala. It was quite an extraordinary event. The entertainment was top notch and there was even an SCD buffet! The buffet included all SCD safe foods like salad, fruit, schrod, a carving station with turkey and cranberry sauce and LOTS of SCD desserts by the SCD Bakery.

But best of all I was star struck by all of the SCD celebrities like Jill Rainville from the SCD Bakery (who I sat with), Pam Ferro of the Gottschall Autism Center, Elaine’s daughter Judy and even Raman Prasad of the scdrecipe.com website and Adventures in the Family Kitchen cookbook (one of my personal SCD heros).

Between the yummy SCD food, the fabulous entertainment, and meeting all of the SCD celebrities, I was walking on air all weekend!

On Saturday I spent the day with my whole family at my mother’s pool. We had really good weather and it was a chance to enjoy the last days of summer. Saturday night we enjoyed another New England feast of steak tips on the grill, lobster, and basil/cucumber/tomato salad with oil and vinegar.

Today my two nieces (ages 9 and 19 months) accompanied me to a friend’s son’s second birthday party. We all had a wonderful time but as soon as I arrived home I knew that I had better write this post early because I wouldn't be awake for much longer. It was a great weekend but now I am ready for a great night’s sleep.

Breakfast- SCD Yogurt with honey

Lunch- Leftovers from the BBQ and some nice strawberries and pineapple at the Birthday

Dinner- An omelet with Havarti and spinach and some green apples for dessert (oh yeah- and some more of my banana & date ice cream)

Morning Bird

2007-09-06T18:13:00.000-07:00

It certainly felt more like autumn today. My husband bought me these lovely roses for my birthday but it is almost time for the Mums.

Well today I was back on the road. I woke up early in the morning and made my lunch for the next few days which was DELICIOUS. It was a nice chicken cutlet with sage, prosciutto & Gruyere simmered in a tomato and chicken broth reduction.

When I eat out at night it is always a treat but I am hard pressed for lunch the next day. It felt strange cooking this meal so early in the morning but it really wasn't that much work and now I am quite happy that I have lunches through the end of the week.

Here is the basic recipe (I made it up as I went)

3 Chicken cutlets (it is important that they are pounded out. I bought mine like that)
9 Sage leaves
Gruyere cheese
3 Slices of prosciutto
2 Cups of crushed tomatoes
1/2 Cup of chicken broth
Salt/Pepper

Method:

-Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper (on both sides)
-Place one slice of prosciutto on each piece of chicken
-Layer Gruyere cheese on top of proscuitto
-Finish with three sage leaves on top of the Gruyere
-Roll the chicken breast and secure with tooth picks (I used about 4 per chicken breast)
Next
-Heat olive oil in a pan (on medium/high heat)
-Once the pan is hot add the chicken

-Cook the chicken about 5-6 minutes on each side
-DO NOT move the chicken until the 5-6 minutes is up. This will help it to brown
Next
-Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside
-Add the chicken broth and simmer for about 2 minutes while scrapping up the brown bits on the bottom of the pan
-Add the crushed tomatoes and continue to simmer for two minutes
-Add the chicken back to the pan and simmer until cooked through

Breakfast - Organic strawberries with yogurt and honey

Lunch- Chicken with prosciutto, gruyere and sage (side of spinach)

Dinner - Grilled Swordfish with veggies in olive oil and garlic with spinach (out to eat for dinner meeting)

On The Road Again

2007-09-05T15:04:00.000-07:00

Well today I drove all over the place for work. I think I logged about 170 miles all together.

All day I dreamt about this great ice cream that I made this weekend with organic Half and Half yogurt, bananas, coconut, coconut oil, chopped dates, vanilla and honey.

Let me tell you, if was worth all of the driving! Tonight it is off to acupuncture.

Breakfast- SCD Smoothie "to go" with blueberries, honey, and vanilla

Lunch- Cheese Burger with Havarti and tomatoes and a salad with cheese and olive oil

Dinner- Leftover Chilean Sea Bass

Oh My My Shephard's Pie

2007-09-04T18:10:00.000-07:00

So last night's Shepherd's Pie was good but it was even better today for lunch. For whatever reason certain foods are just better the next day. I know this is true for many Indian foods. In fact one of my friends at work is from India and the name of her village means next-day food which is a great compliment. So here is the basic recipe that I used for Shepherd's Pie (which I ate with the BEST SCD ketchup):

Ingredients:
Olive oil
½ a large Vidalia onion, finely chopped
1 large clove of garlic, pressed
1 large handful or so of Cremini mushrooms, chopped
1 large handful or so of Shitake mushrooms, chopped
1 & 3/4 LB ground turkey
1-2 tablespoons of dried sage (depending on your taste)
1/4 cup chicken broth (to moisten the ground turkey)
2 8oz bags of frozen carrots and peas (defrosted)
1- 1 & 1/2 heads of cauliflower (depending on how thick you want this layer)
1-2 cups of cheddar cheese
Parmesan cheese
Butter
Paprika
Salt and Pepper to taste

Method:

Steam the cauliflower until tender
In the meantime, heat olive oil on medium-high heat
Saute onion and garlic until onion is translucent
Add mushrooms and sautee until tender
season with salt and pepper
Set aside in a bowl

Heat olive oil on medium-high heat
Add ground turkey and saute
Add chicken broth, sage, and salt/pepper
Continue to saute until turkey is cooked through
In the meantime, place the cooked cauliflower, cheese, and a few tablespoons of butter in a food processor and puree

To Assemble the Pie

Spread meat mixture in the bottom of a 13 X 9 baking dish
Spread the carrots & peas over the meat mixture and sprinkle with salt and pepper
Spread the cauliflower mixture on top and sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese
Add a few small pats of butter & sprinkle lightly with Paprika
Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes or until warm

Breakfast- Organic yogurt with strawberries and honey

Lunch- Leftover Shepherd's Pie (YUMMY)

Dinner- Chilean Sea Bass with capers, Kalamata olives, spinach, crushed tomatoes, and white wine reduction