Archive for the ‘Health’ Category

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Recipe: Minimalist Blueberry Crumble

Monday, February 28th, 2011

I can’t give up dessert entirely, but I’m working on making it higher in fruit and lower in carbs & fats. Here’s my minimalist blueberry crumble, designed to be lean(er) but have the texture and taste of the good stuff. You can’t do away with things like flour and butter entirely, but you can certainly minimize them.

Minimalist Blueberry Crumble

  • 4 cups blueberries
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • 3 tablespoons agave nectar (or honey, maple syrup, or sugar—agave has a lower glycemic index); you might have to adjust this depending on how sweet your berries are
  • 1/4 cup whole wheat or white whole wheat flour
  • 1/4 cup powdered honey or granulated maple syrup, or 1/3 cup brown sugar
  • a pinch of salt
  • 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 cup rolled oats
  • 1/3 cup chopped pecans
  • 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, melted*

Preheat oven to 375 F.

Stir the blueberries, lemon juice, and agave nectar together. Pour into a greased 8 x 8 inch pan.

In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, salt, cinnamon, oats, and pecans. Add the melted butter and mix with a fork until thoroughly combined. Scatter across the top of the blueberries.

Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown and the blueberries are bubbly. Cool for at least 5 minutes and enjoy!

If you feel the need to add ice cream when this is hot out of the oven, I recommend Breyers French Vanilla. It has about half the sugar of other good-quality ice creams I’ve tried, and it’s really good.

*This amount of butter is the bare minimum I could use and get the whole topping moistened. If your amounts are slightly off and your mix seems dry, add another tablespoon of melted butter.

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Cheese, glorious cheese!

Monday, June 21st, 2010

You’ll just have to imagine the post title sung dramatically, because I wouldn’t do you the disservice of trying to sing it myself.

We have the most awesome local Whole Foods Market. I won’t go into the breakfast bar with everything from French Toast (with real maple syrup!) to egg sandwiches. I won’t tell you about the wonderful coffee bar. I won’t discuss the looooooong butcher’s counter with everything from bison to filet mignon to the in-house sausage.

No, today it’s all about cheese. And oh, what cheese. There’s both a refrigerated display of the more common items, and a long case of the more unusual things. They make their own in-house fresh mozzarella, and it’s some of the best mozzarella I’ve ever had. The chevre they carry is the best cheese I’ve ever had in scrambled eggs. But today, I have to rave about the way they form some of their mozzarella into miniature cheese balls and marinate them in olive oil and herbs. Of course you can eat them on crackers, toss them on top of pizza or pasta, and so on, but here is:

The Easiest Salad Ever

  • Grape or cherry tomatoes
  • Marinated mozzarella balls

Rinse the tomatoes well. Drain the tomatoes, and the cheese. Halve everything and toss it together in whatever proportion you like (I try to go heavy on the tomato). Season to taste with a little extra salt.

Travels and stores well, and people will think you put lots of effort into it.

 

Once you’ve used up the mozzarella balls, save the herbed olive oil in a small container in the fridge. Since it has dairy in it and fresh herbs you won’t want to store it for a long duration, but you can get a little time out of it. Toss potato slices or whole fingerling potatoes in it before roasting (then try other veggies… I might try some other root vegetables such as carrots and parsnips). Drizzle it into a pan before you saute just about any sort of savory dish that requires a little oil. Use it to oil the pan before making scrambled or fried eggs. Whatever you do, don’t waste it—it’s an ingredient unto itself!

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Best. Granola Bars. Ever.

Wednesday, June 16th, 2010

I’d been looking for something quick, easy, and not too unhealthy that my husband could have for breakfast before work in the morning. Preferably something he could just grab & go. Granola bars are great in theory, but most of them have waay too much sugar. And there are few enough that are really good that they can get tiring after a while. I kept telling myself I’d get around to making granola bars so I could adapt them as desired, but, well, lameness, tiredness from medication side effects, etc.

I also discovered the recipe site (and iPad app) Big Oven this Spring. Good stuff—tons of recipes, and plenty of feedback on them, so you have some idea which ones actually worked out well for users. And there tend to be lots of different recipes for the same items, so you can pick the one that suits your tastes best.

Which brings us to the Anytime Granola Bars. Go ahead—click through and drool. The recipe has directions for making these as either soft or crunchy granola bars; they make AMAZING crunchy ones, as well as granola cereal. You can see that the ingredients are more on the healthy side than many granola bars, but they don’t taste it at all. The bars are a bit sweet, but not nearly as candy-like as storebought. I made a few minor changes to the ingredients from the original recipe, and some ideas for variations follow.

  • 2 cups Rolled Oats
  • 1/4 cup Brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup Wheat germ
  • 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
  • 1 cup Whole-wheat flour
  • 1/2 t salt
  • 3/4 cup Raisins (preferably golden raisins or currants)
  • 1/2 cup Vegetable oil
  • 1/2 cup Honey
  • 1 Egg, beaten
  • 1 T Vanilla

Mix dry ingredients together. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix. Press into parchment-lined jelly roll pan or sheet pan with sides. Cut, bake until edges start turning golden (and the bars smell awesome!), cut again. When cool, store in airtight container.

Tip: measure the oil and honey in the same measuring cup, and measure the oil first. That way, the honey slides right out with no mess, no fuss.

I misread the recipe when I first made this and baked these at 375 F, which is high. They only took about 15 minutes and were dead-on perfect. I’m still going to try doing them at the suggested temp from the recipe next time, and of course time will depend somewhat on how thin you press them. The suggestion to cut the bars before baking was absolutely fantastic and really helped.

If the mix seems too dry, try adding a very small amount of extra oil at a time (my first batch was a bit crumbly, although thanks to the egg the bars stuck together much better than I expected).

I’m looking forward to substituting shelled sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds for part of the raisins, or just adding them in. Also I plan to try finely chopped nuts of various types. Dried, sweetened cranberries should make an awesome alternative to raisins. Same with dried blueberries, and maybe even dried pineapple, although I might want to cut the sugar a little when using that, and I’d probably do half dried pineapple and half finely chopped macadamia nuts. Also I think it would be interesting to substitute ground, toasted flaxseed for some of the wheatgerm. I want to discover the differences that melted coconut oil or butter would make in place of the oil, just as an experiment. I also want to see what maple syrup or agave nectar would do instead of honey—which will definitely require some experimentation, since the consistencies are different.

By the way, the almond honey from The Bee Folks is PERFECT for this application. I found it a bit overwhelming in flavor for tea or similar tasks, but it adds just the right note to granola bars!

 

Anytime Granola Bars

 

Variation One: Double-Ginger Hazelnut Bars

  • 2 cups Rolled Oats
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup Wheat germ
  • 1/4 cup flax meal (ground flax seed, toasted or untoasted)
  • 1 teaspoon ground Cinnamon
  • 1/2 t ground Ginger
  • 1 cup Whole-wheat flour
  • 1/2 t salt
  • 1/2 cup crystallized ginger, finely chopped
  • 1/3 cup blanched hazelnuts, finely chopped
  • 1/2 cup Vegetable oil
  • 1/2 cup Agave nectar
  • 1 Egg, beaten
  • 1 T Vanilla

Variation Two: Cranberry Sunflower Bars

At first bite you’ll think you left part of the sugar out of the recipe. Then the various flavors will magically blend together, and the taste becomes PERFECT.

  • 2 cups Rolled Oats
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 3/8 cup (6 T) Wheat germ
  • 2 T flax meal (ground flax seed, toasted or untoasted)
  • 1 teaspoon ground allspice
  • 1 cup Whole-wheat flour
  • 1/2 t salt
  • 1 cup sweetened dried cranberries
  • 1/2 cup roasted, salted (shelled) sunflower seeds
  • 1/2 cup Vegetable oil
  • 1/2 cup honey
  • 1 Egg, beaten
  • 1 T Vanilla

 

 

In site news, Rene and I have been crankin’ out the reviews now that we’re starting to feel better. Her latest fantasy review is of S. Andrew Swann’s Dragons and Dwarves, her most recent paranormal romance review is of So Still the Night by Kim Lenox, her latest review of a contemporary romance explores Love is a Four-Legged Word, and her most recent historical romance review is of Lauren Willig’s The Seduction of the Crimson Rose.

For my own reviews, I’ve covered books as diverse as Walter Greatshell’s Xombies: Apocalypse Blues, J.R. Ward’s An Unforgettable Lady, Leslie Parrish’s latest rom suspense Cold Sight, Nora Roberts’s upcoming The Search, and Shiloh Walker’s Broken, as well as cookbooks such as Chocolate Cakes and Whoopie Pies.

Enjoy!

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YAY!

Thursday, April 2nd, 2009

*does a happy dance*

Looks like we’re back to my husband having a sinus infection, NOT cluster headaches, which is awesome. A really bad sinus headache requiring a second course of antibiotics, and a somewhat deviated septum, but that’s a hell of a lot better than cluster headaches. I’m so glad the ER doc was wrong, and just amazed that a sinus infection could cause that much pain!

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Nothing’s Ever Simple

Tuesday, March 31st, 2009

Lined up all the doctors’ appointments for one day so my husband would have to take the least amount of time possible off of work. First, the dentists’ appointments had to be rescheduled due to the hygienist being out sick (hope she feels better soon). Then, the doc wasn’t sure if my husband has sinus or cluster headaches or what, so he had to schedule a CT scan for tomorrow. And I still have an ultrasound this afternoon. One day of appointments turned into three so far.

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Cluster headaches and book reviews

Monday, March 30th, 2009

For many years my husband has suffered from really bad headaches. When we lived in New Hampshire they were diagnosed as sinus headaches even though decongestants didn’t really help, and certainly they seemed like particularly bad sinus headaches from many of the symptoms. When we moved to Maryland they went away for a few years; about a week or so ago they came back in full force.

Friday night one of them hit while we were out to dinner, and it was so bad we ended up taking him to the ER. His right eye was bloodshot and looked swollen, his hands were shaking, and he could barely stand upright. I’m still amazed he could drive, and speak coherently. Two hours later, while we were still in the waiting room, the symptoms disappeared just as quickly as they had come on.

As it turns out, that quick and sudden disappearance was the key that clued the ER doc in to what was probably going on. If he’d still been in as much pain when she saw him as when he’d arrived, he would have ended up getting a CAT scan looking for an abscess, or she might have thought he had meningitis. But the pain wouldn’t have just vanished. Instead, she read off the list of symptoms for cluster headaches, and they all fit perfectly. Every last one.

The huge relief is that this isn’t something critical that could result in disability or death, and frankly with the amount of pain he was in, that was a scary possibility. But the still-frightening part is that this is an incurable neurological disorder that is believed to cause “the most severe pain known to medical science.” Women have been known to say it’s worse than childbirth. It’s been compared to having a hot poker shoved in one’s eye, or having a limb amputated without anaesthetic. Cluster headaches have also been called “suicide headaches.”

Did I mention how amazed I am that he managed to drive, remain upright, and speak coherently while in that much pain?

We’ll be taking him to our regular doc tomorrow, who can hopefully give him an official diagnosis and some meds. This weekend he unfortunately had to miss some fun events since he had to stick close to the hospital—he’d been advised that if he had a repeat experience that was longer or more severe(!) he should go back and get that CAT scan.

Anyway. That was our Friday night. We were at the ER until about midnight. Thankfully I’d brought what turned out to be a really good book, Leslie Parrish’s Fade to Black. Speaking of which, here are the other books I’ve reviewed recently:

Paul Levine, Illegal
Fiona Patton, The Silver Lake
Keri Smith, Wreck This Journal
Christine Feehan, Dark Curse
Dakota Cassidy, Kiss & Hell
Anton Strout, Deader Still
Rob Thurman, Deathwish
Elizabeth Vaughan, White Star

Vaughan’s book is the tenth in that “recommended reading” series, and Thurman’s book ended up being an unexpected book 11. I also adore Patton’s series, and Parrish’s book was fantastic!

Posted in Books & Writing, Health | Permalink | 3 Comments »

Cats rock when you’re sick

Tuesday, November 11th, 2008

I spent most of last night vomiting violently and repeatedly, possibly as a reaction to an antibiotic. I was so sore by the time there was nothing left in my stomach, from all the spasming, but Cahlash pressed himself against my back in bed, stretched out against it like a perfectly-warmed and furry heating pad. It was awesome, and definitely helped me to get a couple precious hours of sleep. The cats didn’t even fight for once. And when we got up, Cahlash kept trying to lead my husband out to the living room where I was while he was getting dressed. Selene also spent much of the night cuddled against my shin. They get so concerned when their people are sick. It’s precious. :)

Anyway, I’d just like to say…WE WERE RIGHT.

*ahem* Now that I have that out of my system…

Several people kept saying that Selene’s new-found viciousness was most likely a behavioral problem. We kept insisting there was more to it than that and that something seemed wrong. Turns out both cats have an infection of some kind. As soon as we know what kind, we can treat it and hopefully the violence will end and they’ll feel better!

In the meantime, we’re trying a product our vet recommended called “feliway”. It’s a feline facial pheremone, the same one cats use to mark you as theirs when they rub their faces on you. It’s supposed to calm them, and you can get it as a spray or as a room diffuser (called “comfort zone”). We’re using the latter. I don’t notice any odor, and it doesn’t bother my many sensitivities & allergies. We’re also cautiously optimistic that it might be starting to have some effect. We trust our vet’s recommendations, and even the lady at the checkout at the pet store enthused over the stuff.

Now I just have to keep the broth down that I had for breakfast, and go see the doctor again in an hour.

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Catching up! Voting, Sexism, Jewelry, Skinned Knees, & Book Reviews

Thursday, October 30th, 2008

Harder to get things done these days. As someone with mental disorders, I find my motivation dramatically reduces during the winter months. I love winter, but the lack of light isn’t good for me. I’m sleeping much better now thanks to Seroquel, but it’s adding to the appetite-increasing effect of the Effexor, which also isn’t good. Particularly when you like to cook things like homemade honey-gingerbread marshmallows:


GOOD morning by *ErrantDreams on deviantART

I plan to take most of the batch to a friend’s this weekend!

 

Two brief thoughts on politics. As usual, I prefer to stick to process here when I touch on politics at all, not partisanship. So take partisan arguments to other blogs.

First, I read an article this morning that said that young people really aren’t turning out much so far in Florida’s early voting. Guys—VOTE! We all like to complain that past generations have left us with a mess of a world, politically, environmentally, etc. But one of the major ways we have of trying to make a difference is by voting for the candidate we think will best clean things up. So I don’t care who you vote for—just do it! It doesn’t take that much effort!

Second, after Obama put out his ad quoting John McCain as saying he’d need a VP who could advise him on economic matters, and then showing Palin winking, there appeared a fresh wave of complaints of sexism. As a woman I’m calling bullshit. The question of whether Palin is qualified to lead the country in economic matters is a perfectly legitimate question. If she is, she’ll withstand the questioning by proving she has the credentials. If she isn’t, well, it’s important to find that out. We ask these questions of male candidates all the time. Refusing to push a female candidate for her credentials just because she’s female, THAT would be just as sexist as saying that she couldn’t understand economic matters because she’s a woman.

 

I’ve been making more jewelry, and I’m very pleased with some of the new pieces. Here are two that I particularly like, Ice Queen Jewels:


Ice Queen Jewels by *ErrantDreams on deviantART

and Desert Mesa Necklace:


Desert Mesa Necklace by *ErrantDreams on deviantART

You can click on the images above to look at larger versions at deviantArt. Or, you can click on the text links above them to see 5 different photos of each at Etsy, and to buy them if you wish!

My last customer commented that she was extremely impressed with our packaging. You see, I try to package each piece separately within a little jewelry gift box inside of a padded mailer. I do this for entirely practical reasons. Our mailman has driven me insane with his treatment of packages. He’s shoved things into the mailbox so hard they split open and tore the contents open. He throws things at the house—and I don’t just mean a tiny little lob. So when I package something, I ask myself, “How can I package this so it would survive treatment by someone like him?” If this has a side effect of giving the customer a really nice little box for the jewelry, that’s great!

 

It’s been two weeks since I skinned my knee and it’s finally scabbing over. I’ve had notoriously weak ankles all my life—I do exercises specifically to strengthen them, but nothing ever seems to work. I was on the last step of the stairs to the sidewalk out front when my ankle gave way. My foot stayed on the step, and my knee hit the concrete below it. I’m really very lucky that all I did was skin my knee. But it took enough layers off that the center refused to scab over for two weeks. Once or twice a day I had to clean out my knee and make sure it wasn’t getting infected. It’s great to finally be able to wear long pants without having to tape gauze over my knee!

Anyway, between the fact that I was in constant knee-pain until a day or two ago, and the days getting darker, and my husband having been out of town on a trip, I’ve been incredibly unproductive. But I’ve made some jewelry, and I’m looking forward anxiously to this election being over. I hope you all have a great weekend!

Oh yeah, Here’s that review I had to re-write, of Michele Bardsley’s Wait till Your Vampire Gets Home, as well as a non-review of Allyson James’s The Dragon Master.

 

Edited to add: Check out the funniest campaign sign ever! Well okay, the funniest one I’ve ever seen, which is good enough for me. :)

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Posted in Books & Writing, Cooking, Etsy, Health, Personal Thoughts, Sewing & Crafts | Permalink | 10 Comments »

Can’t stop cooking!

Wednesday, May 7th, 2008

The agave nectar baking book is coming along well. I look forward to telling tales of cupcakes when I write my review. Meanwhile, since I received a gorgeous pie plate to review, clearly I’ll have to make a pie from the book!

Feeling somewhat inspired by the superfood cookbook, I tried adding several spoonfuls of pureed cooked pumpkin to my morning meusli, along with a quarter teaspoon of cinnamon and some agave nectar. Nothing like feeling almost as though you’ve had pumpkin pie for breakfast, knowing that you’ve just tricked yourself into adding a healthy vegetable to another meal. All healthy things should be so easy.

Speaking of healthy, this is so cool: Wellternatives is a frobby you can access to help you get nutrition info about dishes at restaurants, and healthier menu suggestions as alternatives. I played with it a bit and it seems genuinely useful.

And finally, not at all apropos of healthy things, here are some new reviews for you: while I wasn’t at all fond of Savannah Russe’s Under Darkness, I had a lot of fun with Jasmine Haynes’s Show and Tell!

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Umm, what was I saying?

Thursday, May 1st, 2008

I know there was something I wanted to post about, but my brain seems to be in a fog and I have no idea what it was. Oh well. I can at least link to the new site stuff.

First, the reviews. There’s yummy stuff in The Superfood Cookbook—how can you resist a combination of delicious, easy, quick, and nutritious??

I’ve also posted reviews of Mathias Freese’s enchanting Down to a Sunless Sea and Robert Cutler’s The Secret Scroll. In case you ever wondered whether all those high-scoring reviews indicated that I was too easy on review copies, worry no more—I don’t pan books very often, but that latter one made me want to tear my hair out.

Next, two more T-shirt designs. There’s a bit of relationship humor called going unsteady and a shirt for the Gnomish Air Force:

 

If I remember what I was going to say, I’ll just post again later!

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