Bit of a downer lately. Nothing really wrong, just life has been super busy. As I said in previous posts, life has thrown us positive curve balls in the last few months and it's been taking a while to adjust. Some new health concerns have been taking precedence too.
So a few things from in the fold in the map (because folded up is also a bit like how I feel)
My friend Miss South - over at www.northsouthfood.com has 1) a book out, which is totally glorious. Lots of the recipes are wonderful and adaptable. Remember this book is written by a friend of fodmap, someone who GETS it. She also has 2) a new blog post up which lots of you fodmapper might find insightful and heartening.
I am still personally struggling with reintroduction. Partly because some of the test food are unpalatable in large forms (whether or not they react) and because finding three days without symptoms is difficult enough at any time, but given that stress is the fodmap I can't seem to avoid, getting to it has been hard. I am tired, I work wonky hours, so does my husband. Sometimes just getting a meal of any description on the table is the most I can do. I made a beef brisket on Tuesday though, which had onions in the gravy/sauce/wet stuff...I didn't eat the actual onion and I think I was fine. So I got the flavour, but not the potential danger. As we plan December's meals, I am considering going to Iceland for a bag of chopped onions and making some twice cooked onions to put in my dishes, and see if that works. Because that would be an easy thing to do.
I am hoping to find out how to de-gluten my Christmas puddings this weekend.
Be patient with me.
Friday 28 November 2014
Saturday 25 October 2014
Fodmap Luxury
Earlier in the year, my dear friend won a Spa break in a product related promotion. I was delighted when she invited me to join her. But this was all BF (before Fodmap) so about a week before we were due to leave I sent my list of OK foods to the team at the Spa. When we checked in I made sure that this list had got to the kitchen and it had......but I still had no idea what to expect as with the amount of exclusions, people often think you are joking ("what do you mean, no onion?!")
We stayed at Champneys, Henlow. Described by one of our fellow guests as "Shangri-La", it was indeed luxurious and lovely. I've never been to anywhere quite like it, and I found the experience very curious on many levels. But this blog is my FODMAP journey, so I shall talk about the food.
The Champneys dietary philosophy is generally low fat and high fibre...now, high fibre isn't such a good thing for me, but there was a lot of choice of all kinds of foods. Breakfast and Lunch are buffet style, gluten-free items are clearly marked and gf toast was brought to me separately from the kitchen (clearly coeliac aware) I was able to pick between things to find stuff I couldn't eat and when I couldn't, the staff were helpful and polite. I have never been in a place so solicitous of my welfare, especially relating to food. They were clearly very used to dealing with people who have a variety of intolerances and special diets, and did it in a very dignified manner. On a lunchtime where there was a FODMAP in almost everything, the chef cooked me a separate piece of tuna with no dressing. I was able to try a whole bunch of things I haven't ventured into (coconut rice pudding with fruit on...yummo) and there was simply no problem. I think it's the most peaceful I've felt relating to food since this whole thing started. The epitome of the stay was this: On the Friday evening my friend and I had had our beauty treatments and were feeling fresh, so we dressed (the only time you are required to wear clothes rather than a robe, might I add!!) for dinner. I ordered pan fried haddock with it's accompaniments. When it was brought to me, the server said "I noticed you can't have onions. The tartare sauce has onions in it, so I made sure your plate didn't have that"..... Because this diet is pretty complex, it's sometimes hard to understand for others. To have someone think about it for me felt like a massive privilege after nearly 6 months of feeling like it's ALL I ever think about. The friend I was with is using the Slimming World weightloss programme and found a great deal there to suit her too and was really happy with the food for a whole bunch of different reasons.
So to the kitchen staff and Chef at Champneys Henlow, I give a big, fat, Fodmap Friendly 5 stars. For excellent, high quality food served beautifully whatever your exclusions are, friendly staff for whom nothing was ever too much trouble, and generally making us feel like royalty. I didn't feel weird, I felt pampered and well fed and healthy. Thankyou.
We stayed at Champneys, Henlow. Described by one of our fellow guests as "Shangri-La", it was indeed luxurious and lovely. I've never been to anywhere quite like it, and I found the experience very curious on many levels. But this blog is my FODMAP journey, so I shall talk about the food.
The Champneys dietary philosophy is generally low fat and high fibre...now, high fibre isn't such a good thing for me, but there was a lot of choice of all kinds of foods. Breakfast and Lunch are buffet style, gluten-free items are clearly marked and gf toast was brought to me separately from the kitchen (clearly coeliac aware) I was able to pick between things to find stuff I couldn't eat and when I couldn't, the staff were helpful and polite. I have never been in a place so solicitous of my welfare, especially relating to food. They were clearly very used to dealing with people who have a variety of intolerances and special diets, and did it in a very dignified manner. On a lunchtime where there was a FODMAP in almost everything, the chef cooked me a separate piece of tuna with no dressing. I was able to try a whole bunch of things I haven't ventured into (coconut rice pudding with fruit on...yummo) and there was simply no problem. I think it's the most peaceful I've felt relating to food since this whole thing started. The epitome of the stay was this: On the Friday evening my friend and I had had our beauty treatments and were feeling fresh, so we dressed (the only time you are required to wear clothes rather than a robe, might I add!!) for dinner. I ordered pan fried haddock with it's accompaniments. When it was brought to me, the server said "I noticed you can't have onions. The tartare sauce has onions in it, so I made sure your plate didn't have that"..... Because this diet is pretty complex, it's sometimes hard to understand for others. To have someone think about it for me felt like a massive privilege after nearly 6 months of feeling like it's ALL I ever think about. The friend I was with is using the Slimming World weightloss programme and found a great deal there to suit her too and was really happy with the food for a whole bunch of different reasons.
So to the kitchen staff and Chef at Champneys Henlow, I give a big, fat, Fodmap Friendly 5 stars. For excellent, high quality food served beautifully whatever your exclusions are, friendly staff for whom nothing was ever too much trouble, and generally making us feel like royalty. I didn't feel weird, I felt pampered and well fed and healthy. Thankyou.
Monday 22 September 2014
Post Dietician
I have seen a dietician, at last.
I am allowed to do reintroduction.
It was better in person than on the phone, and yes, I told the lady that to her face. We had a good and frank conversation about why I have gone it alone, just exactly HOW much research I had done to do that, and how my list was only about 2% different to the one she would have given me. I feel like I won something, though I'm not sure exactly what it was. A small amount of (welcome) recognition that sometimes, somewhere along the line, I get things right. Thankyou Miss A.D, I truly appreciate it, and I (honestly do) wish you well in your new endeavours. I hope you're reading this.
Today I am going to cross link to this post:
http://www.northsouthfood.com/pork-plums-and-fodmaps/
Because I think I owe this lady at least a coffee and something fodmap friendly the next time I am in London. When I started this journey, and cried out on Twitter, she was one of the few people who knew immediately what I had been put onto. Add to this the fact that she is a slow cooker queen, and you're about there!!
I haven't reintroduced much yet, it takes a good while, to start with, but also had been having some upset from an unknown source as I went to the appointment so wanted to see that calm down before I did anything. To be honest, it's felt pretty scary and though I could have started a few days before, I found I was scared of what might happen. But on Friday I came home and just thought.... "hang it" (or words to that effect) and measured 125g of natural yogurt onto some Doves Farm Cereal Flakes. I did the same on Saturday and Sunday and can't say I've had any symptoms at all to be honest. And it tasted WONDERFUL!!
I did find out some things though, that you do need a dietician for. That is, seeing the fodmaps in their different categories....this also brought about something of a lightbulb moment. Though treated as a fructan, wheat is also a galactan, which includes beans and pulses. This could explain A LOT.
This week I think I am going to experiment with onions or garlic, as that is a huge problem in packed foods, and it would be good to have a definitive answer on that as soon as possible.
I am allowed to do reintroduction.
It was better in person than on the phone, and yes, I told the lady that to her face. We had a good and frank conversation about why I have gone it alone, just exactly HOW much research I had done to do that, and how my list was only about 2% different to the one she would have given me. I feel like I won something, though I'm not sure exactly what it was. A small amount of (welcome) recognition that sometimes, somewhere along the line, I get things right. Thankyou Miss A.D, I truly appreciate it, and I (honestly do) wish you well in your new endeavours. I hope you're reading this.
Today I am going to cross link to this post:
http://www.northsouthfood.com/pork-plums-and-fodmaps/
Because I think I owe this lady at least a coffee and something fodmap friendly the next time I am in London. When I started this journey, and cried out on Twitter, she was one of the few people who knew immediately what I had been put onto. Add to this the fact that she is a slow cooker queen, and you're about there!!
I haven't reintroduced much yet, it takes a good while, to start with, but also had been having some upset from an unknown source as I went to the appointment so wanted to see that calm down before I did anything. To be honest, it's felt pretty scary and though I could have started a few days before, I found I was scared of what might happen. But on Friday I came home and just thought.... "hang it" (or words to that effect) and measured 125g of natural yogurt onto some Doves Farm Cereal Flakes. I did the same on Saturday and Sunday and can't say I've had any symptoms at all to be honest. And it tasted WONDERFUL!!
I did find out some things though, that you do need a dietician for. That is, seeing the fodmaps in their different categories....this also brought about something of a lightbulb moment. Though treated as a fructan, wheat is also a galactan, which includes beans and pulses. This could explain A LOT.
This week I think I am going to experiment with onions or garlic, as that is a huge problem in packed foods, and it would be good to have a definitive answer on that as soon as possible.
Monday 1 September 2014
Slow Cooker Sausages
Hello Fodmappers...
Status: Dietician -8 days and counting.
Am currently in the tail end of the worst IBS attack I've had since I started FODMAP. There's a washing machine in there and it's not pleasant. Yellable pain. It's been pretty stressful the last few days, but I can only think I must have slipped somewhere to give me this painful a reaction.
A recipe that worked well:
In our house, we like sausages. A lot. Possibly too much *L* My dd is the queen of meat and sausages are her favourite. This year we grew potatoes, and I had a number that were damaged when we cleared the bed last weekend. I also had a few other bits and pieces, so....
Ingredients
Sausages to suit (I used Sainsburys free from sausages, which I like)
suitable potatoes, cleaned and chopped into chunky bits.
fodmap friendly bottom of the fridge veg (I had a couple of slightly bendy carrots, half a pepper)
suitable stock cube (I just used an ordinary one, to be honest...I was fine, but as usual, YMMV)
Tin of tomatoes
Tin of water (helps to get all the tomatoeyness out of the tin, if you use hot water you can also dissolve the stock cube in this to save on washing up)
Italian Seasoning (Sainsburys own brand does not have garlic in), ground Cumin and a grind or two of black pepper
Set your slow cooker to preheat
place your potatoes into the bottom of it when warmed up (or just dump them in there, that's fine too!)
Brown off your sausages by preferred method. Put on top of the potatoes
prepare your other veg and stick that in as well
Add the tinned tomatoes and the stock/water
Add your seasonings - I have no precise quantities...probably a generous teaspoon of italian seasoning and ....3/4 of a tsp of cumin? You may need to experiment depending on your tolerance.
Mix it together.
Leave to cook on high and smell delicious for a minimum of 3-4 hours, mine was there more like ...5-6.
Eat and enjoy. We definitely did :)
Status: Dietician -8 days and counting.
Am currently in the tail end of the worst IBS attack I've had since I started FODMAP. There's a washing machine in there and it's not pleasant. Yellable pain. It's been pretty stressful the last few days, but I can only think I must have slipped somewhere to give me this painful a reaction.
A recipe that worked well:
In our house, we like sausages. A lot. Possibly too much *L* My dd is the queen of meat and sausages are her favourite. This year we grew potatoes, and I had a number that were damaged when we cleared the bed last weekend. I also had a few other bits and pieces, so....
Ingredients
Sausages to suit (I used Sainsburys free from sausages, which I like)
suitable potatoes, cleaned and chopped into chunky bits.
fodmap friendly bottom of the fridge veg (I had a couple of slightly bendy carrots, half a pepper)
suitable stock cube (I just used an ordinary one, to be honest...I was fine, but as usual, YMMV)
Tin of tomatoes
Tin of water (helps to get all the tomatoeyness out of the tin, if you use hot water you can also dissolve the stock cube in this to save on washing up)
Italian Seasoning (Sainsburys own brand does not have garlic in), ground Cumin and a grind or two of black pepper
Set your slow cooker to preheat
place your potatoes into the bottom of it when warmed up (or just dump them in there, that's fine too!)
Brown off your sausages by preferred method. Put on top of the potatoes
prepare your other veg and stick that in as well
Add the tinned tomatoes and the stock/water
Add your seasonings - I have no precise quantities...probably a generous teaspoon of italian seasoning and ....3/4 of a tsp of cumin? You may need to experiment depending on your tolerance.
Mix it together.
Leave to cook on high and smell delicious for a minimum of 3-4 hours, mine was there more like ...5-6.
Eat and enjoy. We definitely did :)
Wednesday 6 August 2014
Techno
I'm still waiting to see my dietician.
I am going to vent in a sec, because I am just feeling so frustrated. The reason I've not been posting for a while is simply because real life has been quite crazy since early July. I have started a new job which is currently leaving me very tired, my husband has got a job after three years of unemployment and starts a week on Monday. Sorting out all of this has left me with very little time for anything at all. It's a brilliant reason for chaos, it's just taking me a while sort everything out!!
Vent:
I've been reading a lot of posts on the UK Fodmap group on Facebook (hello lovelies!) where people are asking about the "right" way to FODMAP and what foods are acceptable. It's a reasonable question given that a lot of doctors are telling people to research this diet and not really backing people up - or not knowing how - or thinking it can be worked out by the patient. I know that Monash is the only definitive source, but my iPod won't take the app without a lot of work (it is old and it's memory is knackered) and since they don't make it for Windows Phone (which does have the memory) I am going to have to make some hard choices very soon. I can't afford to replace my iPod but I have this sneaking feeling that the dietician is going to tell me to get the app because it's the only "right" way of doing things.
What do I do?! Since it's only available for i-device, I either have to delete a LOT of stuff I actually use from my iPod (which is on it's later if not last legs anyway) or do I go without? I don't know what to do! This is such a stupid decision. I am sure it should be simpler than this. I am now so freaked out by a discouraging dietician that I'm worried deeply about getting it wrong. It's going to take me a while earn enough money for an iPad!!
At this point I am only continuing because the fact that I am not writing this on the laptop in the bathroom means I am seeing results from this diet. This is the first summer in YEARS that I have not been freakishly ill from my IBS. I simply MUST have taken something out that has been causing me a problem. I love the NHS dearly, but 4 months waiting to see someone is too long and reflects the continued joke-like quality that IBS is treated with. While obviously not life threatening in the worst sense, it can be very debilatating and also, proves that if "peripheral" services were funded properly, primary care likely wouldn't have to deal with so many difficulties.
I am going to vent in a sec, because I am just feeling so frustrated. The reason I've not been posting for a while is simply because real life has been quite crazy since early July. I have started a new job which is currently leaving me very tired, my husband has got a job after three years of unemployment and starts a week on Monday. Sorting out all of this has left me with very little time for anything at all. It's a brilliant reason for chaos, it's just taking me a while sort everything out!!
Vent:
I've been reading a lot of posts on the UK Fodmap group on Facebook (hello lovelies!) where people are asking about the "right" way to FODMAP and what foods are acceptable. It's a reasonable question given that a lot of doctors are telling people to research this diet and not really backing people up - or not knowing how - or thinking it can be worked out by the patient. I know that Monash is the only definitive source, but my iPod won't take the app without a lot of work (it is old and it's memory is knackered) and since they don't make it for Windows Phone (which does have the memory) I am going to have to make some hard choices very soon. I can't afford to replace my iPod but I have this sneaking feeling that the dietician is going to tell me to get the app because it's the only "right" way of doing things.
What do I do?! Since it's only available for i-device, I either have to delete a LOT of stuff I actually use from my iPod (which is on it's later if not last legs anyway) or do I go without? I don't know what to do! This is such a stupid decision. I am sure it should be simpler than this. I am now so freaked out by a discouraging dietician that I'm worried deeply about getting it wrong. It's going to take me a while earn enough money for an iPad!!
At this point I am only continuing because the fact that I am not writing this on the laptop in the bathroom means I am seeing results from this diet. This is the first summer in YEARS that I have not been freakishly ill from my IBS. I simply MUST have taken something out that has been causing me a problem. I love the NHS dearly, but 4 months waiting to see someone is too long and reflects the continued joke-like quality that IBS is treated with. While obviously not life threatening in the worst sense, it can be very debilatating and also, proves that if "peripheral" services were funded properly, primary care likely wouldn't have to deal with so many difficulties.
Saturday 21 June 2014
Flavour and Favourites...
Flavour:
When I started this blog I asked on twitter for some ideas of what I should cover in this blog. Since I am currently (still...more on that in a minute) in the elimination phase of this diet, I am avoiding onions and garlic altogether which makes getting flavour into dishes a lot more complex than you'd imagine, especially if you generally avoid chili and "hot" spices as I do anyway.
A massive regular dish in our household is sausage casserole. We make it a lot, with all kinds of things and all kinds of sausages because it's relatively cheap, filling and my daughter likes sausages! We also mainly do it in the slow cooker, because it's a good standby for nights where things are a bit pear shaped. Ten days ago my daughter asked for sausage casserole for ballet night. Ballet night is always a bit hectic, though thankfully not as far away now as it used to be. But by the time we get back at 5, she is charging hungry and dinner needs to be ready RIGHT NOW! So I asked my DH to put dinner on, since I was out most of the day.
I don't have a recipe (again, I am working on doing this) but it was a fairly average casserole, but obviously no onion, no garlic and no stock cubes. Tomato based (passata type) and contained sweetcorn, finely chopped green beans, possibly red pepper and carrots.
Cinnamon, and caraway seeds.
Yep, you read right. It gave an almost smoky quality to the dish, which was very enjoyable. There were leftovers which we froze, and I ate on Friday night for tea. The caraway (as it often does) had continued to infuse the dish. Delicious.
Favourites
I first came across northsouthfood from this article
http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2013/jan/19/eat-well-tight-budget-benefits
and it's no secret anywhere that Miss South's chicken cobbler became a staple in our diet. It's a wonderful dish for leftovers, we often make our own stocks anyway. However it's not easy to doctor for fodmap since I am avoiding leeks, onions and mushrooms!
Substituting other veg wasn't that difficult, neither was subbing lactofree milk in the gravy.
Plain yogurt for the cobbles was unobtainable since I do not use soy yogurts for other reasons. So I chose a low fat greek yogurt - as have been told that this is low lactose - and we used GF flour. GF flour is notoriously difficult to use for anything that needs moulding or rolling.
It did not work well. The cobbles had lost their acidic creaminess, they tasted of cardboard.
The underneath was ok, but sadly the dish had lost some of its combination charm. I do not want to live without this dish on my regular menu so I am determined to find a way to make it.
It's just going to have to go in the "not at the moment" pile.
Other stuff
I made bread with the recipe on the Doves farm bread flour. I think I may have used the wrong dried yeast. It is ok, but still not right.
Udi's bagels were back in the supermarket this week! Huzzah! They are the GF thing that's most like it's "normal" equivalent.
I have painfully resisted my daughters birthday cake.
I miss fruit. Much of the fruit that is FODMAP friendly is large and cumbersome - like pineapples or melons and we're allegedly only supposed to have one portion of fruit a day. I am the only one in my house who likes/eats melons, so something like that can take me the best part of a week, by which time it's going funny even in the fridge. The other stuff is tastier (strawberries etc) but much more expensive. Expensive is a major issue.
My friend is going to lend me her icecream maker so I can have a go at making a lactofree icecream. Yum! (hopefully)
When I started this blog I asked on twitter for some ideas of what I should cover in this blog. Since I am currently (still...more on that in a minute) in the elimination phase of this diet, I am avoiding onions and garlic altogether which makes getting flavour into dishes a lot more complex than you'd imagine, especially if you generally avoid chili and "hot" spices as I do anyway.
A massive regular dish in our household is sausage casserole. We make it a lot, with all kinds of things and all kinds of sausages because it's relatively cheap, filling and my daughter likes sausages! We also mainly do it in the slow cooker, because it's a good standby for nights where things are a bit pear shaped. Ten days ago my daughter asked for sausage casserole for ballet night. Ballet night is always a bit hectic, though thankfully not as far away now as it used to be. But by the time we get back at 5, she is charging hungry and dinner needs to be ready RIGHT NOW! So I asked my DH to put dinner on, since I was out most of the day.
I don't have a recipe (again, I am working on doing this) but it was a fairly average casserole, but obviously no onion, no garlic and no stock cubes. Tomato based (passata type) and contained sweetcorn, finely chopped green beans, possibly red pepper and carrots.
Cinnamon, and caraway seeds.
Yep, you read right. It gave an almost smoky quality to the dish, which was very enjoyable. There were leftovers which we froze, and I ate on Friday night for tea. The caraway (as it often does) had continued to infuse the dish. Delicious.
Favourites
I first came across northsouthfood from this article
http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2013/jan/19/eat-well-tight-budget-benefits
and it's no secret anywhere that Miss South's chicken cobbler became a staple in our diet. It's a wonderful dish for leftovers, we often make our own stocks anyway. However it's not easy to doctor for fodmap since I am avoiding leeks, onions and mushrooms!
Substituting other veg wasn't that difficult, neither was subbing lactofree milk in the gravy.
Plain yogurt for the cobbles was unobtainable since I do not use soy yogurts for other reasons. So I chose a low fat greek yogurt - as have been told that this is low lactose - and we used GF flour. GF flour is notoriously difficult to use for anything that needs moulding or rolling.
It did not work well. The cobbles had lost their acidic creaminess, they tasted of cardboard.
The underneath was ok, but sadly the dish had lost some of its combination charm. I do not want to live without this dish on my regular menu so I am determined to find a way to make it.
It's just going to have to go in the "not at the moment" pile.
Other stuff
I made bread with the recipe on the Doves farm bread flour. I think I may have used the wrong dried yeast. It is ok, but still not right.
Udi's bagels were back in the supermarket this week! Huzzah! They are the GF thing that's most like it's "normal" equivalent.
I have painfully resisted my daughters birthday cake.
I miss fruit. Much of the fruit that is FODMAP friendly is large and cumbersome - like pineapples or melons and we're allegedly only supposed to have one portion of fruit a day. I am the only one in my house who likes/eats melons, so something like that can take me the best part of a week, by which time it's going funny even in the fridge. The other stuff is tastier (strawberries etc) but much more expensive. Expensive is a major issue.
My friend is going to lend me her icecream maker so I can have a go at making a lactofree icecream. Yum! (hopefully)
Tuesday 10 June 2014
Sometimes it's just editing.
It's been another busy weekend in this household. At the weekend we acquired two new godsons: smaller C (we have a larger C as well) and Q, affectionately known as squishy boy (because he is very squishy and funny) and there was a crazy mad barbecue. Except that I kinda forgot that and took a fodmap friendly pasta box to eat instead. My friend asked me if I was going to sit in a corner on my own being sad. I said no, I aimed to make something that looked fabulous so everyone else would want to know what I had!!
No burgers this week (though I could have)
BUT I did make rice pudding.
I love rice pudding.
My DH does not like rice pudding.
A while back my Dad bought me a slow cooker book which had some nice looking desserts in. I have never really made desserts in my slow cooker, but I made a ginger cake for my Mum which she said was delicious. I took heart. The recipe for rice pudding was really simple, basically just rice, milk, and sugar. I switched for lacto free milk and this time, I added ground mixed spice, raisins (I am aware we are not supposed to have too many, but in a portion you would be fine) and mixed peel. I was worried that the peel might make it taste sour, but it had a lovely, hot cross bun type flavour which I was very pleased with. It was consumer tested (and by this I mean, eaten by a non fodmap person) by above friends partner this morning and he pronounced it good. Rice is definitely a compensation in this business, I am discovering. It was lush.
I'm happy when I find a recipe that only needs minimal editing and still works. I have been making a lot of things up as I go along, but sometimes I don't have that kind of energy. (Did I mention I have PCOS as well? this seems to make me tired). Plus it is stoopid hot where I live, and I melt in the heat.
What's on your fodmap this week?
No burgers this week (though I could have)
BUT I did make rice pudding.
I love rice pudding.
My DH does not like rice pudding.
A while back my Dad bought me a slow cooker book which had some nice looking desserts in. I have never really made desserts in my slow cooker, but I made a ginger cake for my Mum which she said was delicious. I took heart. The recipe for rice pudding was really simple, basically just rice, milk, and sugar. I switched for lacto free milk and this time, I added ground mixed spice, raisins (I am aware we are not supposed to have too many, but in a portion you would be fine) and mixed peel. I was worried that the peel might make it taste sour, but it had a lovely, hot cross bun type flavour which I was very pleased with. It was consumer tested (and by this I mean, eaten by a non fodmap person) by above friends partner this morning and he pronounced it good. Rice is definitely a compensation in this business, I am discovering. It was lush.
I'm happy when I find a recipe that only needs minimal editing and still works. I have been making a lot of things up as I go along, but sometimes I don't have that kind of energy. (Did I mention I have PCOS as well? this seems to make me tired). Plus it is stoopid hot where I live, and I melt in the heat.
What's on your fodmap this week?
Thursday 5 June 2014
Wednesday 4 June 2014
There's not really a map, you know that, right?!
I had a little thing on twitter so I could figure out a name for this blog. Approval eventually came from the lovely Miss South, who backed me up in the first place.
My GP suggested I try this, cheerfully informing me that she was not at all an expert, she just wanted to help me. It's been so long since anyone wanted to help this problem. IBS is a bit of a comic disease it would seem, and since doctors can't really solve it, you are often left on your own to deal with it.
I am not a nutritionist (though thankfully I have remembered I know a couple) so though I understand what my doctor gave me to read, I'm not sure whether I can really explain what I'm not/eating. Thankfully lots of people have done the research, so here are some links for you to have a look at.
Good answer here from WebMD
http://www.webmd.boots.com/healthy-eating/guide/fodmaps-diet
A lil' bit of Wiki:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FODMAP
The food list I am using until I can speak to a dietician:
http://www.ibsdiets.org/fodmap-diet/fodmap-food-list/
I really hope this takes off:
http://fodmap.com/
and of course the people who actually did the research
http://www.med.monash.edu/cecs/gastro/fodmap/
Last night we had success with fodmap friendly fishcakes. They were even good cold. We made them with some frozen Basa fillet that was in the freezer. I asked my dear husband how he made them, and he answered "I looked in that Good Housekeeping book. I just switched stuff for gluten free flour and stuff".
Nom.
As I said, I knowingly ate wheat over the weekend and the ensuing discomfort is leading me to believe that wheat/gluten might be part of the problem. In the immortal words of Tori Amos, "there's a bowling ball in my stomach...and a desert in my mouth"...... I find this pretty scary to be honest, since I love bread with a passion. However I have honestly long suspected that I might need to eat less bread........................... Lets see....
My GP suggested I try this, cheerfully informing me that she was not at all an expert, she just wanted to help me. It's been so long since anyone wanted to help this problem. IBS is a bit of a comic disease it would seem, and since doctors can't really solve it, you are often left on your own to deal with it.
I am not a nutritionist (though thankfully I have remembered I know a couple) so though I understand what my doctor gave me to read, I'm not sure whether I can really explain what I'm not/eating. Thankfully lots of people have done the research, so here are some links for you to have a look at.
Good answer here from WebMD
http://www.webmd.boots.com/healthy-eating/guide/fodmaps-diet
A lil' bit of Wiki:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FODMAP
The food list I am using until I can speak to a dietician:
http://www.ibsdiets.org/fodmap-diet/fodmap-food-list/
I really hope this takes off:
http://fodmap.com/
and of course the people who actually did the research
http://www.med.monash.edu/cecs/gastro/fodmap/
Last night we had success with fodmap friendly fishcakes. They were even good cold. We made them with some frozen Basa fillet that was in the freezer. I asked my dear husband how he made them, and he answered "I looked in that Good Housekeeping book. I just switched stuff for gluten free flour and stuff".
Nom.
As I said, I knowingly ate wheat over the weekend and the ensuing discomfort is leading me to believe that wheat/gluten might be part of the problem. In the immortal words of Tori Amos, "there's a bowling ball in my stomach...and a desert in my mouth"...... I find this pretty scary to be honest, since I love bread with a passion. However I have honestly long suspected that I might need to eat less bread........................... Lets see....
Saturday 31 May 2014
Burgerama
Oooshk.
It's birthday weekend, so things are a little crazy round here. I knowingly ate wheat yesterday, but when a 6 year old boy makes you birthday brownies virtually single handed, what can you do?
I made fodmap-friendly burgers though.
Ingredients:
500g pack of minced beef (any mince would do, pork, turkey, whatever works for you)
about 1/4 box of hale and hearty GF breadcrumbs
finely diced red pepper
generous squirt of tomato puree
finely chopped green olives (I used some pre-sliced green olives that I found at Aldi, and chopped them more)
fresh basil, snipped finely.
I don't think I added anything else this time, but you can of course, add stuff to taste.
Mix well, and mould into burgers. After advice from a friend, I used my Kenwood Chef (retro sty-le) to mix the ingredients and I have a burger press (you can get one similar here http://www.lakeland.co.uk/p10481/Burger-Press-and-Accessories - I actually have the one my parents had when I was growing up) which makes things easier. The waxed discs really help.
I made these on a day when I batch made a LOT of stuff, so the mixer and the burger press were really handy because I mixed and pressed something in the order of 30 odd burgers of various kinds and also a batch of meatballs by similar method all on that one day. My friend is GF (and in this instance, that means grain free) and she makes meatballs by the dozen, and she recommended using the Kenwood for the mixing as she said it was much more even than doing it by hand. I would agree, plus it breaks down any lumpy bits of mince. I had equipment lined up down the worktop for that day!
I also made vegetable burgers because I had an excess of potato and carrot. I didn't really measure quantities (I often don't....but promise to try harder when creating recipes for this blog!!)
Vegetable patties:
Quantities of washed, peeled and grated carrot and potato (I used a food processor for this, because anything else would have been insane. What I mixed up made 16 or so burgers, so based on the density and what I made from the meat ones,I reckon I had about a kilo of ingredients by the end).
finely chopped green beans,
sweetcorn
finely chopped red pepper
2 eggs
GF plain flour mix (I was out of breadcrumbs by this stage in the day!!)
IMPORTANT: You need to squeeze liquid out of the potatoes and carrots when you have grated them. As much as you are able. I did this with an old tea towel or two. Messy, but a fun job!! :D
When this is done, put all the ingredients into a large bowl (or your mixer, whatever) and mix well. I am not sure how much flour I used, I just added until it looked like it would hang together.
I then pressed it into patties with my burger press and froze them raw.
Don't do this. I don't think it's ok though I couldn't say exactly why. I think it's something about raw potato. Cook them first and THEN freeze them or just use them fresh. They were weird to defrost too. I think they were ok once cooked but won't be repeating this part. Also, add seasoning!! I didn't, but it needs it. They didn't taste bad without (just a bit bland really) but I'm thinking it would be better with. These also did not barbecue. Too wet. I shallow fried them in olive oil instead. My tester one was delicious, so I WILL be making them again, just not freezing them raw. I will report back on the freezing of them cooked.
Today is my hubsters birthday, and on my way back from church I will be breaking my sabbath to get extra potatoes and a couple of extra bits. Jacket potatoes have become a great standby on this journey.
It's birthday weekend, so things are a little crazy round here. I knowingly ate wheat yesterday, but when a 6 year old boy makes you birthday brownies virtually single handed, what can you do?
I made fodmap-friendly burgers though.
Ingredients:
500g pack of minced beef (any mince would do, pork, turkey, whatever works for you)
about 1/4 box of hale and hearty GF breadcrumbs
finely diced red pepper
generous squirt of tomato puree
finely chopped green olives (I used some pre-sliced green olives that I found at Aldi, and chopped them more)
fresh basil, snipped finely.
I don't think I added anything else this time, but you can of course, add stuff to taste.
Mix well, and mould into burgers. After advice from a friend, I used my Kenwood Chef (retro sty-le) to mix the ingredients and I have a burger press (you can get one similar here http://www.lakeland.co.uk/p10481/Burger-Press-and-Accessories - I actually have the one my parents had when I was growing up) which makes things easier. The waxed discs really help.
I made these on a day when I batch made a LOT of stuff, so the mixer and the burger press were really handy because I mixed and pressed something in the order of 30 odd burgers of various kinds and also a batch of meatballs by similar method all on that one day. My friend is GF (and in this instance, that means grain free) and she makes meatballs by the dozen, and she recommended using the Kenwood for the mixing as she said it was much more even than doing it by hand. I would agree, plus it breaks down any lumpy bits of mince. I had equipment lined up down the worktop for that day!
I also made vegetable burgers because I had an excess of potato and carrot. I didn't really measure quantities (I often don't....but promise to try harder when creating recipes for this blog!!)
Vegetable patties:
Quantities of washed, peeled and grated carrot and potato (I used a food processor for this, because anything else would have been insane. What I mixed up made 16 or so burgers, so based on the density and what I made from the meat ones,I reckon I had about a kilo of ingredients by the end).
finely chopped green beans,
sweetcorn
finely chopped red pepper
2 eggs
GF plain flour mix (I was out of breadcrumbs by this stage in the day!!)
IMPORTANT: You need to squeeze liquid out of the potatoes and carrots when you have grated them. As much as you are able. I did this with an old tea towel or two. Messy, but a fun job!! :D
When this is done, put all the ingredients into a large bowl (or your mixer, whatever) and mix well. I am not sure how much flour I used, I just added until it looked like it would hang together.
I then pressed it into patties with my burger press and froze them raw.
Don't do this. I don't think it's ok though I couldn't say exactly why. I think it's something about raw potato. Cook them first and THEN freeze them or just use them fresh. They were weird to defrost too. I think they were ok once cooked but won't be repeating this part. Also, add seasoning!! I didn't, but it needs it. They didn't taste bad without (just a bit bland really) but I'm thinking it would be better with. These also did not barbecue. Too wet. I shallow fried them in olive oil instead. My tester one was delicious, so I WILL be making them again, just not freezing them raw. I will report back on the freezing of them cooked.
Today is my hubsters birthday, and on my way back from church I will be breaking my sabbath to get extra potatoes and a couple of extra bits. Jacket potatoes have become a great standby on this journey.
Friday 30 May 2014
A word of welcome.
It's a grey morning here in Cambridgeshire this morning but I really need to get this started. The food pictures are backing up and if I don't do it, someone else will steal my idea.
You can call me Bees. I am a Mama, a Wife, an uncomfortable preacher and I believe in homemade, handmade, home and justice. I've also had IBS for a long time, diagnosed in my early 20's and sent away with antispasmodic tablets. They didn't work for me. My journey has been long and (at times) painful. It's not as bad as some, but it could be a lot better.
Earlier on in the year I had some tests at the hospital for a different problem. The doctor kept telling me that my bowel was in spasm. The senior nurse practitioner kept telling her that I had IBS. She sent me back to my GP because she wanted me to be seen by a different clinic but that my GP should discuss with me first. I went to see my GP who replied that she didn't want me to do that. She wanted me to try something else. She printed some information for me and sent me away to do some research about the FODMAP diet.
I climbed a sheer face of learning that will continue for a while yet, I called every friend I know who is gluten free and lives near me for cooking advice. I help a friend with cleaning each week and she is an amazing cook and we spend time trading information.
I've been working on cooking like this for about 6-8 weeks now and with encouragement from friends I am starting this.
Before I continue you should know:
I am using the FODMAP list from ibsdiets.org because I have not yet seen a dietician. The NHS takes time on that one. I might not be doing this "right" (yet) but at least I'm doing it.
I like slow cookers. A lot. There will be as many slow cooker recipes as I can doctor/invent.
I am not a cook. I am a mom. I fought with food for a LONG time as a child and teenager. I am not perfect. I am just trying to make myself feel better and not spend my summers in the bathroom.
My husband cooks better than me. His recipes will be on here too.
I have a very tight budget. I have to buy lots of stuff piecemeal.
Welcome.
There is fodmap-friendly cake over there, and comfy chairs in the other room. Pull up a seat and rest a wee while.
You can call me Bees. I am a Mama, a Wife, an uncomfortable preacher and I believe in homemade, handmade, home and justice. I've also had IBS for a long time, diagnosed in my early 20's and sent away with antispasmodic tablets. They didn't work for me. My journey has been long and (at times) painful. It's not as bad as some, but it could be a lot better.
Earlier on in the year I had some tests at the hospital for a different problem. The doctor kept telling me that my bowel was in spasm. The senior nurse practitioner kept telling her that I had IBS. She sent me back to my GP because she wanted me to be seen by a different clinic but that my GP should discuss with me first. I went to see my GP who replied that she didn't want me to do that. She wanted me to try something else. She printed some information for me and sent me away to do some research about the FODMAP diet.
I climbed a sheer face of learning that will continue for a while yet, I called every friend I know who is gluten free and lives near me for cooking advice. I help a friend with cleaning each week and she is an amazing cook and we spend time trading information.
I've been working on cooking like this for about 6-8 weeks now and with encouragement from friends I am starting this.
Before I continue you should know:
I am using the FODMAP list from ibsdiets.org because I have not yet seen a dietician. The NHS takes time on that one. I might not be doing this "right" (yet) but at least I'm doing it.
I like slow cookers. A lot. There will be as many slow cooker recipes as I can doctor/invent.
I am not a cook. I am a mom. I fought with food for a LONG time as a child and teenager. I am not perfect. I am just trying to make myself feel better and not spend my summers in the bathroom.
My husband cooks better than me. His recipes will be on here too.
I have a very tight budget. I have to buy lots of stuff piecemeal.
Welcome.
There is fodmap-friendly cake over there, and comfy chairs in the other room. Pull up a seat and rest a wee while.
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