SCD Hodgepodge

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?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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...

"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

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

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