Ten on Tuesday!!!! 7-26-2011

I AM HOT!!!  If you have not gotten that with the last post, I guess you have now, and I will say it again, I AM HOT!!!!.  The major issue is, most of the medicine I am on, has a small print disclaimer, avoid sun exposure or extended heat.  So my best friend is my air conditioner.  However, there are times when even that is not enough. What else is there to help you cool down, well of course, today is Ten on Tuesday and here are my top ten ways to help cool down on an extra hot day.

1.  Cool Shower--- remember, cool, not cold.   Shocking your body is going to do nothing for you other than make it work to get it back up to it's "normal" temperature, so it will end up making you hotter.
2.  Ice/cold compresses--- On the back of your neck or your forehead, especially if you tend to get headaches, it will help tremendously.
3.  Dip in the pool---  I used to be a fish to water.  I love to swim.  I would be in the water constantly if I could, however it incredibly wears me out, but man just sitting in the pool, in the shade or under and umbrella is awesome.
4.  A hammock under a tree---  Take a nap, read a book, or simply relax.  It is awesome.
5.  A snow cone--- brings back memories of going to a local open air market with my grandfather as a kid.  I always got blue raspberry, always made a mess, but it always helped me cool off.  I love it
6.  Ice cream---  who does not love ice cream, have it for dinner on a hot day.  The kids will think you lost your mind, but once in a while, it is ok, and you know what it is going to help cool everyone off and have fun!!!
7.  Run through a hose---  ok, you can walk, or crawl or what ever you need to get through it.  But remember as a kid how great it was to run through a hose shower, or get sprayed while mom or dad were washing the car. take a few minutes and throw yourself back in time, recruit your kids or friends and have a blast. Maybe even get your car washed in the process.
8.  Drink Cold Water--- I drink all the time, side effect of the diabetes.  However, when you are hot, drinking cold water will help cool you down.  Make sure you are drinking more than you normally do.  When it is hot, keeping yourself hydration is very important, might not keep you cool, but will keep you out of the hospital.
9.  Have a cold dinner---  When it is hot, I hate to eat hot food.  Here is a couple of ideas I use for dinner.  One, a salad, summer is awesome for this.  All the fresh veggies at less expensive prices a salad is quick, filling and good for you.  Another option, a salad plate.  Pick up a couple different salads at your local deli such as macaroni salad, potato salad, ham salad, egg salad, tuna salad, or you can make them yourself.  Place 3 lettuce leafs on a plate, use a ice cream scoop and place a scoop of 3 different salads on each lettuce leaf and slice some tomatoes and serve on the plate with crackers.
10.  Soak your feet in peppermint water.  Mint is cooling and soothing.  Your feet can really help regulate your body temperature.  Place cool water in a old dish pan or container big enough for your feet, add a few drops of peppermint oil and relax.

There are many people that would say there are other ways to cool down.  I can also think of many others, but since I am limited in my ability to do a lot of things that are taxing on the body, I have to do the easy stuff. Now if I was not dealing with the fibro and hemicrania continua I would definitely do some of the following:
1.  Waterpark
2.  Water Skiing
3   Swim in the Ocean
4.  Tubing
5.  Kayaking
I am sure I am missing some stuff, but you get the idea.
What do you do to stay cool?
What summer food brings back childhood memories?
Well, I hope you can find something to help cool you off.  Take it easy and take care of yourself.  Until the next time, Gentle hugs.

Ten on Tuesday!!!! 6-21-2011

.Today is the First day of Summer!!!!!!


So today is the first day of Summer, and what reminds us of summer more than the heat, the sun, and the idea of having to cook in the heat, let alone eat something hot.  Here are 10 of the Coolest Summer Foods and a recipe for each of them.


1. Snow Cones or Hawaiian Ice ----shaved ice with a syrup on it.  Fun to eat, satisfying crunch and great for any age.  You can make them at home by picking up a snow cone maker or take out your frustrations and put the ice in a bag and smash it with a hammer.   
                           Snow Cone Syrup Recipe
                          2 cups sugar

                   1 cup water

                   1 .22 ounce unsweetened powder drink mix

                    Mix all ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and then immediately remove from heat. 

                    Allow to cool. Used a funnel to put syrup into a recycled bottle, refrigerate until use.

2. Gazpacho--- a chilled summer soup, a great pairing for a sandwich.  

                   Homemade Cucumber Gazpacho   recipe found on Bay Area Bites Blog

                   2-3 English Cucumbers or 10 small Persian cucumbers (about 3 cups)

                   1/4 cup Olive oil
                   1/4 cup Ice cold water
                   1/2 small clove Garlic
                   1 Tbsp White wine vinegar
                   2 tsp Fresh lemon juice
                   dash of Salt
                   dash of Black pepper

                   a minute sprinkle of Cayenne  

                    Instructions

                     1. Peel cucumbers and rough chop. Place all the ingredients in a large bow.

                     2. In small batches puree mixture in a blender.
                     3. Garnish with cucumber and a smattering of Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

                     4. Serve with a fresh baguette.      

3. Ice Cream---- to be honest you can do just about anything to ice cream and it would be awesome, or nothing and it would still be fine.  My favorite summer treat with ice cream is as follows.         

                       1 Cantaloupe 
                       1 Carton Vanilla Ice Cream
                        ---cut the cantaloupe in half and scoop out the seeds.  If the lope is really large you can cut it into                                                  4 but I try and purchase smaller ones for this purpose.  Place each peace of cantaloupe in a bowl.  Place a scoop or two of vanilla ice cream in the hollowed out area of the fruit and eat.  


4. Grilled Burgers, Brats or Ribs---- nothing is better than something cooked on the grill and it won't heat up the kitchen, which is a huge plus.  
                         Chicken Burgers                
                      1 pound ground chicken breast
                      1/4 cup finely grated sharp cheddar cheese
                      1 teaspoon smoked paprika
                      1/2 teaspoon onion powder
                      1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
                      1/4 teaspoon black pepper
                      1/4 teaspoon salt  
                      1/4 cup your favorite BBQ sauce
                       
                      1.In a large bowl, combine chicken, BBQ sauce, paprika, onion and garlic powder, salt, pepper and   
                        cheddar cheese.
                      2.Mix until just combined, then form 4 patties.
                      3. Place on grill and cook until cooked through, approx 8 mins on each side.  (can be cooked in a   
                         skillet too.)
                      4.Top burgers with grilled onions, cheese of your choice and additional BBQ sauce.  
                      5. Serve.   For added treat, brush roll with a light coating of olive oil or butter and toast.


5.  Green Salad---  you simply can not go wrong with a regular green salad.  Fresh vegetables are great for those suffering from chronic pain.  It is said that a natural diet with raw foods, or unprocessed items are good for us.  So add this to any meal, as a side dish, or make it your main course.
                        Market Salad  by the Editors of Publications International, Ltd.
                       3 hard boiled eggs roughly chopped
                       4 thick slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled
                       2 cups green beans, cut into 1 1/2 in pieces, cooked and drained
                       1 Tablespoon fresh basil, italian parsley or chives 
                       4 cups baby mixed salad greens, washed
                       3 Tablespoons olive oil
                       1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar
                       1 teaspoon dijon mustard
                       1/4 teaspoon salt
                       1/4 teaspoon pepper
                       
                       1. Combine bacon, green beans, basil and salad greens in large salad bowl.
                               2. Stir chopped egg into salad carefully not break up the yolk.
                               3. Combine oil, vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper in small bowl; drizzle over salad.
                               4. Stir gently again to coat salad and serve immediately.


6. Chicken---- this meat is great because cooked any way, it tastes great cold.  


                                  BLT Chicken Salad with Ranch recipe found at Food.com

                                  2 boneless skinless chicken breasts (grilled or baked and chopped)

                                  8 ounces tri-color spiral pasta, cooked and drained

                                  6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

                                  1 medium tomato, chopped

                                  2 scallions, sliced

                                 1/4 cup shredded carrot

                                 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

                                 1 cup ranch dressing

                                 2 tablespoons ranch dressing mix

                                 1 romaine lettuce hearts, chopped

      

                                1. Mix all the ingredients together.

                                2 Refrigerate until ready to serve.

7. Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato Sandwiches,  BLT!---  seriously what can be better.  Farm fresh tomatos and crisp bacon and lettuce make this amazing sandwich a staple over the summer.  If you are not a bread eater, try the following recipe!

                                  BLT Cukes from TLC recipes

                                  3 slice bacon, chopped and cooked crisped/drained

                                  1/2 cup finely chopped iceburg lettuce

                                  1/2 cup finely chopped spinach or romaine lettuce

                                  1/4 cup diced tomato

                                  1 1/2 Tablespoons low fat or regular mayonnaise

                                  pinch of salt

                                  1/4 teaspoon pepper

                                  1 large cucumber

                                  minced parsley or green onion (optional)

                                             1. Combine bacon, lettuce, spinach, tomato and mayonnaise. Season with salt and pepper; set 

                                   aside.

                                  2.Peel cucumber. Trim off ends and slice in half lengthwise. Use spoon to scoop out seeds; .

                                    discard seeds.

                                  3.Divide BLT mixture between cucumber halves, mounding in hollowed areas. Garnish with            

                                   parsley. Cut into 2-inch pieces
                                              4. Can be made up to 12 hours in advance and refrigerated until ready to serve


8. Fresh Fruit--- This one is simple and no recipe needed.  Eat it up, fresh fruit is abundant in the summer.  Amazing fruit that we don't  always have access to, at least fresh from the tree or the vine.   Melons, peaches, plums nectarines, berries of all kinds.   Eat them plain, on ice cream, on cereal, add them to pancakes, you name it there is a fruit that will fit the bill.

9. Fair Food, or Beach Food.----yes, I am aware that fried food and greasy food is not the best for any of us.  Especially those of us that have chronic pain and IBS or bowel issues, but you have to admit, a funnel cake or french fries from the fair or board walk are worth almost everything.  So remember when you are going out that we all deserve a treat once in a while.  Cotton Candy, a candy apple, Chocolate covered strawberries, just don't over do it and be careful.  Oh did I mention the carmel corn.  LOL!


10.  LASTLY.....------CORN ON THE COB--- you have to love it.  It says summer right there with  you.  If you are one of the lucky ones that don't get added pain from tomatoes (night shade plants), let  me tell you, sliced tomatoes and corn on the cob are dinners that take me back to my childhood.  


We used to go to a local road side stand called the Corn Wagon, along with almost the rest of Lancaster County where I grew up.  You always got a baker's dozen for their price, and when I was a kid it was about $0.75.  Last year I remember getting it for about $2.00 for 13 ears of corn, brought right to the location in huge wagons straight from the fields.  We would buy 10 or more dozen, go home and with my grandma and mom, husk all the corn, and cook it up.  What we did not eat, we would cut off the cob and freeze.  This happened at least once a week the whole time corn was available.  The corn wagon also sold tomatoes, melons and all sorts of other vegetables.  We would have a ball, get all our good for you stuff, make dinner out of the straight from the farm stuff.  Those were the great days.


Well, a little late in finishing up my Ten on Tuesday, that held over into Wednesday, but it is here in all of it's glory.  10 Coolest Summer foods.    What are your favorites?  Please share them here.  Recipes for quick easy summer meals would be great.  In the mean time, try and stay cool, remember what is best for us, unprocessed food.  So bring it, straight from the farm to your table.  Of course clean it up, but the purer the better.  Summer is the best time for it.  Have fun, stay cool, and do what you can.  Me, I think I am going to grab some blueberry cake I made from fresh blueberries.   


YES I DO LOVE SUMMER FOODS




Thanks to TLC Cooking.com for the top ten ideas, I just added my own recipess and anecdotes, plus It was an awesome idea for the first day of summer.  Besides, I have to agree completely with the list.  All my favorite stuff.  

Ten on Tuesday!!!!

I am so not quietly going to steal this idea from a co-blogger friend of mine.  She did her top ten lists on Tuesdays for quite some time.  It has been a while since she has been blogging due to the crazy business of life, but since I tend to find my self with a bit more time on my hands due to my fibromyalgia, I figured I would try this.  Please add your favorites to the list or throw ideas for future "Ten on Tuesday" lists.


Today I am going to try and start with a rather easy one.

Top 10 Favorite Snacks

1. Ice Cream: yes, I am an addict and I will admit it. Just be careful and listen to your body.  Some degree of lactose intolerance is suffered by 70% of all adults world wide so there is it is not surprising that many fibro patients have trouble digesting dairy. Also, according to a study in 1998, blood samples were taken from 40 fibro patients and tested against substances found in various foods.  The blood of 25% of these patients demonstrated an immune response to cow dairy products. (www.4fibromyalgia.com/news12.html)
2. Pretzels: I love pretzels, they are a great quick snack when I really need them. It is even better now that there is so many whole grain options out there.  
3. Granola Bars: Do you need something sweet, craving chocolate?  These little dandy's can do the trick.  Whole grain, low sugar, low fat and can help with the cravings.  It is awesome the options they have now and are making more with fruit and dark chocolate. Give them a try.  
4. Peaches: I don't care how I get them, I just want them.  Fresh are of course my absolute favorite but I also always have canned ones in my pantry and also now have found that frozen ones are awesome too.  PS, mix some with your ice cream in a blender and have an awesome milkshake!  Just be careful when purchasing canned peaches, the best would most likely be canned in their own or natural pear juice with no added sugar.
5. Tuna Fish:  I love to have this when I can.  I honestly would like to have it more, but with making it with mayonnaise it is not the healthiest so I don't eat it to often.  However, tuna is a good source of omega 3 fatty acid which we all need more of.  One thing I do do when I eat this, I put it in a lettuce leaf instead of on bread, sorta make it into a lettuce cup or wrap and it is a bit healthier.  I also chop up celery, carrot, and green or red peppers and add them to the tuna.  It adds some flavor and gives you and added boost of vegetables.  
6. Watermelon: Thank goodness it is summer and of course, I can only have this on my list over the summer, but what can be better for you, than some red, ripe, sweet watermelon on a hot summer night.  Well, pretty much nothing.  Something else you can do is blend the fruit in a blender and put it through a strainer.  You now have an amazingly refreshing drink. 
7. Pickles: I love pickles, all kinds of pickles.  My all time favorite is Claussen pickles.  They just hit the spot, especially when you are craving salt and the best thing is, they are good for you, or at least are a whole lot better than grabbing a bag of potato chips.
8. String Cheese: a fun little treat I always have in my house.  Again, it is important to watch how much you eat of dairy products, like noted in my first snack choice, but cheese also has some protein in it and does help fill you up.
9. Wheat Thins: whole grain, a bit salty and nutty flavor make these and awesome snack.  Eat them along with string cheese from #8 or even the tuna fish from #5 and you can actually have a decent light meal.
   
10. Peanut Butter Cups: this snack is a have one in a while treat.  I would love to say, like I am sure many of you, that I can eat these all the time, but the truth is, I can not.  Many fibro patients suffer from migraines and chocolate is a major trigger for headaches.  It is important to be very moderate about this.  One good thing is that they do now make these with dark chocolate which is to be more heart healthy.  So give you heart a treat once in a blue moon.

Remember, this whole chronic illness thing really sucks and is hard to deal with.  Finding snacks that help you stay charged and keep you moving is important.  Even more so, learn to listen to your body.  Take cues from how you feel after you eat.  If is seems you start to not feel good, or pain increases, isolate each item you ate and remove it from your diet for a couple of weeks and see if makes a change in how you feel.   I really hope to hear what your favorite snacks are, and any ideas you have for upcoming Ten on Tuesday ideas.  Thanks for reading and adding to this.  The more we share, the more we learn : )