Pizza Night

On Monday, we had a lovely pizza night.  It's been a while since we had pizza but I love it when we do.  First of all, we get all creative (check out my Greek style feta, tuna and olives on the right and Nico's burn your mouth off peperoni and cheese on the left.)  Also, we got together at a pizza night so it brings back lovely memories.  Finally, it's really filling so I was ready for the rest of the week then!  Don't worry, I've also found ways to burn those calories off...but more on that later.

Brownie Cake

It seems so long ago already but there was so much happening last weekend that I only just got around to posting this.  As well as the macaroons, I baked this chocolate brownie cake last weekend.  It sank a little and doesn't look especially appetizing but it was delicious.  Another gluten free success!

I'm really looking forward to trying some of these out to take with us to parties and family occasions.

Macaroons!

It's been a while since I did much in the kitchen.  It's more Nico's realm in there and he keeps me fed with delicious dishes all the time so I get a little lazy.  However, lately we have been watching the Little Paris Kitchen as well as some other cooking programmes, and with everything else going on around here, I began to feel inspired again. 

I browsed through my gluten free cookbook and found some new recipes to try.  Normally when a recipe requires just egg whites or egg yolks rather than whole eggs, I skip over it as I don't like waste and I can't separate eggs anyway but lately Nico has been making Hollandaise sauces and had some egg whites left over so this recipe for coconut macaroons caught my eye.

It was very simple and quick, and needed relatively few ingredients so I made these on Saturday night while we were watching our new favourite series.  Needless to say, they didn't last long.

Delicious!

Since we came back from our travels, Nico has been spending a lot of time in the kitchen.  First of all he has recreated both of the delicious dishes we had in our favourtie restaurant of the holiday: Van Kerkwijk.

The delicious chicken wings in coconut sauce

The amazing steak on blue cheese with strawberry sauce

Apart from these two dishes, he also made gluten free bread this week.  That makes it official now, there's nothing that I can't eat anymore on a gluten free diet.  We've had homemade gluten free pasta, pizza, cake, crackers and bread!  

Even though it looks like normal German dark bread, it is much more delicious, it's extremely filling and although I thought it would also pile on the pounds, I lost a pound the week we had this, even though I ate most of it.

Pizza Night

Tomato Mozzarella

Tuesday was pizza night for us.  This time we used these pre-made gluten free pizza bases and it was much less stressful all round!

The Gluten Free bases

We decided to go with one tomato mozzarella and one broccoli, rocket and feta.  They were both delicious.

Feta, Broccoli and Rocket

I'm thinking of a little project like this one over at Enjoy It with Elise Blaha...She's one of my new favourite bloggers and I'm looking at starting another new project inspired by her soon.  More on that later.

The Saturday Update

This week I've been getting used to a gluten free life, marking my final year pupils' exams, exercising my green fingers on the balcony and flat viewing.  

As expected as a result of not point counting while in the process of mourning my carb filled ways, I have put on 2.5lb this week.  I'm a little upset as I had been feeling much better, not snacking and cycling lots but that's what happens when you take your eye off the ball.

This week we are expecting another parental visit so I am not expecting good news next week either but I'm feeling so much better and fitting into my clothes a little better at least!

Gluten Free so far.

Well, after just three full days on the gluten free diet, I have to say, I feel great.  I thought it was going to be tricky to find things to eat but to be honest, I'd already cut down a lot on bread because of the Weightwatchers and knowing that it affected me in a negative way and cutting out past hasn't been too bad.

I have been eating rice crispies for breakfast which I used to eat anyway.  I wasn't convinced they'd keep me full for long but actually I have been able to get to lunch without having a morning snack, which I always needed after weetabix.  For lunches we have been having rice cakes with different spreads and on an evening we have been having some of our favourite Weightwatchers recipes that don't involve wheat products and have found more than I expected.  Apart from this we have been researching wheat substitutes online and in the bio-shop in Bremen and there are plenty.

Ok so Weightwatchers has gone out of the window this week as I've been concentrating on finding something wheat free rather than the points, but as I say, the snacking has reduced and I've been eating more fruit or rice cakes with jam as desserts.  I'll be building the gluten free theme into my Weigtwatchers planning next week to get back on track.

I have to say, although I knew bread and a lot of pasta affected my badly, I didn't realise just how many things they did cause.  Since cutting it out I have not only seen an improvement in my tummy (less bloating, stomach pains and indigestion), but also more energy, less fatigue, fewer mood swings and my skin is better.  I haven't felt stuffed after meals like I used to and am already more comfortable in my clothes.  Long may it continue!

Gluten Free Living

Apart from the new political insight, yesterday also brought another new suspicion.  For years now I have suffered with my stomach and after various tests at the hospital was told it was just IBS and there was nothing to be done except to avoid the foods that brought it on.  The worst culprit is bread and on the whole I do manage to avoid it and when I don't I just have to put up with the consequences. 

However yesterday, Nico was on the internet research again and came up with another idea.  Now I have to say that I am not a fan of self diagnosis, my Grandmother for one, drives me mad with her medical encyclopedia, but the way that all of the symptoms seem to fit is just incredible.  So we think I am allergic to gluton.  It can bring on all kinds of symptoms apart from the pain, such as skin rashes and moodiness.  (You can see why Nico was on the point of suggesting it).  

So now we are researching recipes and ways to control it.  It's not just bread as I though, but any wheat related product which cuts out things like cereal and pasta so it's going to take some time to find substitutes but cutting back immediately is already making me feel better.  Hopefully it will also help me with the diet since bread and pasta are two of the areas where a lot of my points go.

What is really annoying though is that we can pick up on something like this online, when numerous English doctors failed to suggest or even mention the possibility.  Left ignored, the allergy can cause more extreme problems, even cancer so it's worth checking out.  I won't be trusting doctors with a 'put up and shut up' diagnosis again.