Post Christmas Musings

During the two weeks preceding Christ,mas the following disappeared from my kitchen:

2 bags of Pepperidge Farm Chessman butter cookies
1 whole tray of  Pizzelle Di Nonna Italian Waffle Cookes
One homemade cinnamon sugar and pecan coffee cake
6 rounds of Lefse with butter and sugar
A pint of peppermint ice cream
2 Nestle Aero chocolate bars from the U.K.
A round of cheddar and one big A** Wasa Crispbread
3 bottles of Chardonnary.

I will be eating a Green Superfood smoothie for breakfast and/or lunch the next week.  The scale has been removed to the closet.

My Mom's Swedish Pancakes (Gluten free/Low Carb)

There was a morning this week, where after a bachelor dinner while my husband was traveling for wotk (I ate most of the box of KD), I wanted a light breakfast.

Since it's the Christmas season in my home, I wanted Swedish pancakes, using the recipe my half Swedish/half Norwegian Mom made (her parents were both immigrants at the turn of last century)

But my Mom's were a little different than most you see on a restaurant menu, as, although thin, they were made with extra eggs and much less flour, making them almost like a cross between a crepe and thin omelet.  Served with just lingonberry jam, they are truly delicious, light and delicate with a rich taste that pairs perfectly with fruit or jams. These were made with King Author's gluten free flour, so the whole dish was gluten free and low carb.

Mom's Swedish Pancake

Serves 1 as a main course or 2 if you are nice and share with your spouse or partner.  My husband is of Swedish descent so I had no choice :-)  The recipe easily doubles, but don't cook all in one pan or they will be too thick and difficult to handle. Cook in two batches, placing a towel over the first batch to keep warm or cook concurrently in two 9-10 inch cast iron skillets.  I've not done it but I imagine you could also cook as thin little rounds similar to regular pancakes, I just prefer the nice crispy edge you get from the cast iron skillet).

2 eggs
1 cup low fat milk
2 Tablespoons King Author's gluten free flour (or all purpose)
pinch xanthan gum (omit if using regular flour)
3/4  teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt (approx, like Mom I don't measure except by eyeballing what's in my hand)
1 Tablespoon melted butter 

Whisk eggs until very fluffy with a hand whisk,  Whisk in rest of ingredients.  Pour into a lightly oiled and pre-heated cast-iron skillet in a thin layer, over medium heat.  Cook until the edges are set and the top looks dry to the touch (several minutes, don't get anxious and raise the heat or they will burn), covering the pan the last 30 seconds for better browning.

It's ready to flip when you can cut into quarters and no batter runs out.  Flip each quarter and cook for two-three more minutes, covering the pan again for the last minute.  They are done when the inside is set and bottom is lightly browned. 

Serve with preserves.

Even if you eat the entire pancake yourself, it's less than 400 calories (plus jam) and very filling with the protein from the two eggs.  For my friend Carol, two quarters (pictured above) would be 5 Weight Watchers Points (plus jam).

My Rap Name is Smooth-E

Smoothie time - After trying one of the home delivery smoothie services for a month, I decided to go back and make my own. They were  super easy and very good but some of the combinations I didn't care for, and some of the containers must have melted slightly in shipment because even though I put them immediately in the chest freezer when I got them (they come with dry ice) some came out of the container as a solid chunk of "fruit ice" which was almost impossible to blend.  Since I  can make my own for a 1/2 the price I canceled my subscription, giving them feedback as to why. But for someone seriously short on time with cash on hand, you might look into it and I imagine since they are new, the shipping issues may resolve themselves.

But I DID learn some GREAT flavor combos and found that if I prep my ingredients the night before and put in the freezer, in the morning (or do a few days worth and freeze in small Tupperware's) all I have to do is put the frozen bits in the blender, add liquid and protein powder, and it's Smoothie time, a no brainer when it's not even light out yet.

Vega brand is one of my favorite brands of vegetarian/vegan smoothie protein powder, I tried using hemp protein powder for a while as it's much more easily digestible than the tradition whey or pea protein powder, but found it a little bit gritty for smoothies so I'm trying to find a good middle ground between creamy but hard to digest (for me) whey and gritty but easy-to-digest hemp.

So when I spotted this new Vega Clean Protein powder (at my local CVS) I had to try it.  It comes in Vanilla and Chocolate.  At the CVS price it's about $2 a serving.  Looking online I saw you can order it from Vitacost for $5 less, and at Amazon for $7 less than what I paid.

From their website:

Because doing epic, crazy stuff can be better with clean fuel, now you can enjoy protein without compromise. Each serving of Vega Clean* Protein has 25 grams protein, and 4 grams BCAAs in a complete, plant-based protein blend made from pea, hemp, alfalfa, and pumpkin seed proteins.

Help build and repair muscle

Complete multisource blend of premium plant-based protein

130 calories

No sugar added (it's sweetened with Stevia)

It also has 4 grams of BCCA's.  Branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) help to build and repair muscles post-workout.

It has a comparable amino acid profile to whey, without the harder to digest ingredients I don't want. . Non-GMO Project verified, gluten-free, and made without dairy or soy ingredients, artificial flavors, colors, or sweeteners, Vega Clean Protein is plant-based, which means that (unlike some whey protein from US cows), there are no growth hormones or antibiotics to worry about, either.  

Not only are all the proteins used minimally processed and clean, but pea, hemp, alfalfa, and pumpkin seed protein together provide complementary amino acid profiles.  It has a slightly different texture than regular Vega protein powder but was great mixed with fruits and veggies in a blender.

This one was made with equal amounts frozen apple bits, cucumber, spinach, and kale with a little bit of peeled lemon and a dash of turmeri and a scoop of the Clean Vanilla flavor.  It had a nice creamy texture and refreshing creamy-yet-clean taste with a great balance between veggies and fruit. I will definitely make this combo again and after a 90 minute workout, I was recharged.

Gluten-Free Swedish Waffles

One of the gadgets I'm really glad I added to my tiny kitchen was my

• Swedish Waffle Iron

Yes, it was a bit pricey but I use it multiple times a month to make the waffles my husband and I have become addicted to. Swedish waffles are very, very thin, soft in the middle and delicately crispy around the edges. Almost crepe like in structure they are typically eaten in my grandmother's native land as a dessert with whipped cream and fruit,  but they also make a great light breakfast with some carbs to fuel an active day without "I ate too much too much to move" feeling of the traditional Belgium waffle.

But I'm cutting back on gluten. I'm only sensitive to it according to blood tests not allergic, but it has helped my IBS to cut back. So how to make a gluten-free Swedish waffle that's doesn't taste like packing material? It's all in the flours. With a little experimenting, this recipe made waffles my "don't tell me it's gluten-free again?" (and add "gluten-free face)  husband gave an enthusiast 2 thumbs up and it doesn't require the usual addition of xanthan gum.

The Recipe makes 5-6 waffles (2 servings) and would easily double or triple if feeding a crowd (they only take a couple minutes to cook so it's easy to make a bigger batch if you're feeding a family.

One bit of advice, do not add more than 1/3 cup batter at a time to the waffle iron and you won't have any spillage that means extra clean up. Trust me on this. 1/3 doesn't look like enough when you add it but if you add more you'll have a mess.  Made correctly this waffle iron is a breeze to clean.

Gluten Free Swedish Waffles

With a combination of 2 gluten-free flours and flax meal, you'll have a whole grain, light, fiber filled waffle that's light as a feather and no one would guess it as "gluten-free".

In one bowl mix:

1/4 cup plus 2 Tablespoons goat milk kefir (or coconut yogurt if you are dairy free)
1/2 cup milk or nut milk
1 egg
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
2 Tablespoons melted butter (or coconut oil) streamed in slowly while whisking

In another bowl mix:

1/2 cup oat flour (I used Bob's Red Mill)
2 Tablespoons coconut flour (I used NOW brand)
1 Tablespoon flaxseed meal (NOT whole flaxseeds, meal has the consistency of flour)
1 Tablespoon sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt

Mix wet and dry ingredients and let sit 15 minutes.   Add to a pre-heated Swedish waffle iron (sprayed with non-stick spray) 1/3 cup at a time and cook per waffle iron directions (mine beeps when they are done).  Serve with fruit and whipped cream or butter and maple syrup.

Some Things Don't Improve with Age - A Beauty Product Review

There are a couple of advantages of menopause early (no more PMS and no pregnancy worries when one isn't trying to get pregnant).

But hair loss and hair thinning is one of the disadvantages many women encounter.  I had seriously thick hair on my head, so even with thinning, it's still pretty decent.

My eyebrows were another issue.  In just a few years I went from Cindy Crawford eyebrows to Granny on Beverly Hillbillies.

I don't like using chemical or hormone laden products on my skin so I found this natural oil at Vermont Country Store that claimed to naturally condition the skin and hair follicles so you could get thicker brows.  I was skeptical but for less than $30 it was worth a try.

Renew Eyebrow  Revitalizer.

You apply a tiny bit morning and night.  It absorbs in a few minutes and didn't make my eye makeup smear.  Based on the amount I used, I'd guess the little bottle would last 2-3 months so you're looking at about $3 a week, the cost of a cup of coffee.

I'll let you be the judge - after six weeks (and there were nights I totally forgot to apply). It says it takes 8 + weeks to see results but I do think it's working.

BEFORE

AFTER