People who know me well know that I love quotes & draw strength from them. I believe words have meaning, and even the simplest of words can be very meaningful. This is one of my favorite quotes to live by, especially when things get tough.
"How people treat you is their karma; how you react is yours."
~ Dr Wayne Dyer
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Does a Gluten-Free Diet Help?
Ab-so-freakin-lutely!!!
After being on a gluten-free diet for a little more than 5 weeks, I went off it for an entire week while some of my family was in town visiting. Needless to say, I'm now in a lot of pain, the lesions have grown and are more inflamed than ever. I've definitely learned a lesson & won't be going down this road again!
Le chaim!
Monday, July 19, 2010
Magnesium Chloride - Day 2
As I'm writing this, I'm lying in bed with the MgCl on the larger lesions. All I can say is...
IT HURTS LIKE HELL!!!
If you don't deal well with pain, DO NOT try this! It hurts worse than when I had to have silver nitrate (I think that's what it's called) put on surgery #4, because it wouldn't heal. That pain lasted longer, but I think this one was worse. It may be because it's much larger area. I'm not sure, but whatever the case, the point is, it hurts... A LOT!!!
I decided to go ahead & try the rest of the area, because I really feel like it helped the smaller area I tested last night. I still can't say for sure whether it works, or not, but I'll definitely keep you posted.
Mazel tov!!!
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Magnesium Chloride
About a month ago I found a website that suggested using a 70/30% magnesium chloride & water solution on HS lesions that won't heal in order to "dry them up", and speed up the heeling process. Since the last doctor I went to, an ObGyn, through the county's medical system whom I'd never seen before & I will probably never see again basically said, "Too bad, so sad. You're just going to have to live with them," I decided I better try it. Unfortunately, it isn't easy to find MgCl in the liquid form at a store, at least not in the city where I live, even though it is one of the 10 largest in the US. But, since Amazon.com sells just about everything anyone would ever want, I ordered some from them, and got it today. I'm about to apply it to one of the smaller, but deeper lesions that I've had since March & see how it goes. Irregardless of how it turns out, I'll definitely post an update so everyone knows if it works.
So, wish me luck. Here goes...
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Gluten-Free Mac & Cheese
Yesterday I made the most amazing gluten-free mac & cheese, and I thought I'd share the recipe. I really cannot stress how good it tastes, and if it weren't for the milk I used, it would have been vegan, as well, which is something I also need to be careful of since my gallbladder removal, because I have issues with digesting foods high in fat & meats. I LOVE cheese, and it absolutely sends me over the edge with pain, but by using vegan cheese, it makes a huge difference.
Macaroni and Cheese
Makes 4 servings (if you're a BIG eater. I've had 4 servings AS MEALS, and only half of it is gone, so I don't know who they're talking about)
Ingredients
•3 cups milk (cow’s, rice, soy, potato, or nut)
•3 tablespoons sweet rice flour (4 tablespoons if using rice or potato milk)**
•2 tablespoons unsalted butter or buttery spread, such as Earth Balance
•2 cups (12 ounces) grated sharp cheddar cheese or cheese alternative, such as Vegan Gourmet
•1 cup (6 ounces) grated Monterey Jack or mild white cheese or cheese alternative, such as Vegan Gourmet
•2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese or soy alternative, such as Soyco
•1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce, such as Frank’s (I used a favorite GF chipotle)
•1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
•1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg (I didn't use fresh. I am on a budget. :))
•2 cups (about 8 ounces) gluten-free elbow macaroni, such as Pastariso, cooked al dente in salted water according to package directions (I used Ancient Harvest Quinoa Organic Pasta, Elbows)
•1 cup store-bought gluten-free bread crumbs, such as Ener-G, or homemade Plain Bread Crumbs (see below)***
Paprika, for garnish
Directions
1. Place a rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Generously grease a 2-quart ovenproof baking dish.
2. Place all but 1/4 cup of the milk in a heavy medium saucepan. In a small bowl, stir the sweet rice flour with the remaining 1/4 cup of milk until it is smooth and then whisk it into the milk. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens. Add the butter and stir until it is melted.
3. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the cheeses, hot pepper sauce, mustard, and nutmeg until the cheeses are completely melted. While the pasta is still hot, add it to the sauce and toss to coat the pasta thoroughly with the cheese sauce. Transfer the mixture to the baking dish.
4. Bake 15 minutes. Sprinkle with bread crumbs and a dusting of paprika. Bake 15 minutes more or until the cheese is bubbly and the bread crumbs are browned. For speedier results, place a broiler rack about 6 inches away from the heat source. Preheat the broiler and broil the dish until the bread crumbs are browned and crunchy. Let stand 5 minutes. Serve immediately.
** I had a difficult time finding Sweet Rice Flour in a store, so I looked up what I could use as a substitute, and I found cornstarch is also used for thickening sauces, but for every 1 Tablespoon of "regular" flour or sweet rice flour, you are to use 1 1/4 Tablespoon of cornstarch. At first I forgot to add the extra 3/4 T, and the milk, starch & butter would NOT thicken. I thought my arm was going to fall off. Once I added it, it came together quickly.
*** I didn't have the energy to pull out the food processor, so I just toasted some of the more dense bread I have (the kind I use as back up when I run out of Udi's) and toasted it. Then I just chopped it up on the cutting board. I probably didn't need to toast it first, but it's kept it from becoming moist in the fridge over night & the bread crumbs really add to it!!!
Homemade plain bread crumbs
Ingredients
•4 cups gluten-free bread of choice, torn in small pieces
Directions
Place the bread in a food processor and pulse on/off until the crumbs reach desired consistency. Store tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks and in the freezer up to 3 months.
This recipe if from 1,000 Gluten-Free Recipes by Carol Fenster, a GREAT book and well worth the money.
Here are a few extra tips I learned while making this:
1. Don't make your noodles too far in advance, or at least don't drain them too soon.
2. When thickening the milk, use a 3 or 4 qt saucepan, because if the milk rises too quickly, it can easily boil over a 2 qt pan.
3. If you are using vegan cheese, make sure all of it is melted before you put it in to cook. It doesn't melt like real cheese in the oven. Once you serve it and mix it up, it will melt, but it isn't very pleasing to the eye.
4. Read the directions carefully!!! I put the breadcrumbs on before I ever stuck the dish in the oven, so mine wasn't cooked in the oven the entire time, although I think it didn't make a huge difference since I toasted my bread crumbs & everything else was already cooked.
If you follow this recipe, I promise you, you will have an amazing dish that EVERYONE in your household can enjoy!!!
Mazel Tov!!!
***UPDATE***
Some people have requested the calorie count, and after adding everything together, the total comes to 2700!!! I know it sounds like A LOT, but if you break it down into 4 servings that's 675 calories, and there is 4g of protein in every 2oz of the corn pasta. Plus, as I stated before, I can't imagine anyone eating 1/4 of this in one sitting, not even my ex-husband, and he eats more than any person I've ever seen. There are also ways to cut down on the calories, such as low fat cheese, non dairy milks & imitation butter. I hope this information helps.
Macaroni and Cheese
Makes 4 servings (if you're a BIG eater. I've had 4 servings AS MEALS, and only half of it is gone, so I don't know who they're talking about)
Ingredients
•3 cups milk (cow’s, rice, soy, potato, or nut)
•3 tablespoons sweet rice flour (4 tablespoons if using rice or potato milk)**
•2 tablespoons unsalted butter or buttery spread, such as Earth Balance
•2 cups (12 ounces) grated sharp cheddar cheese or cheese alternative, such as Vegan Gourmet
•1 cup (6 ounces) grated Monterey Jack or mild white cheese or cheese alternative, such as Vegan Gourmet
•2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese or soy alternative, such as Soyco
•1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce, such as Frank’s (I used a favorite GF chipotle)
•1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
•1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg (I didn't use fresh. I am on a budget. :))
•2 cups (about 8 ounces) gluten-free elbow macaroni, such as Pastariso, cooked al dente in salted water according to package directions (I used Ancient Harvest Quinoa Organic Pasta, Elbows)
•1 cup store-bought gluten-free bread crumbs, such as Ener-G, or homemade Plain Bread Crumbs (see below)***
Paprika, for garnish
Directions
1. Place a rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Generously grease a 2-quart ovenproof baking dish.
2. Place all but 1/4 cup of the milk in a heavy medium saucepan. In a small bowl, stir the sweet rice flour with the remaining 1/4 cup of milk until it is smooth and then whisk it into the milk. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens. Add the butter and stir until it is melted.
3. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the cheeses, hot pepper sauce, mustard, and nutmeg until the cheeses are completely melted. While the pasta is still hot, add it to the sauce and toss to coat the pasta thoroughly with the cheese sauce. Transfer the mixture to the baking dish.
4. Bake 15 minutes. Sprinkle with bread crumbs and a dusting of paprika. Bake 15 minutes more or until the cheese is bubbly and the bread crumbs are browned. For speedier results, place a broiler rack about 6 inches away from the heat source. Preheat the broiler and broil the dish until the bread crumbs are browned and crunchy. Let stand 5 minutes. Serve immediately.
** I had a difficult time finding Sweet Rice Flour in a store, so I looked up what I could use as a substitute, and I found cornstarch is also used for thickening sauces, but for every 1 Tablespoon of "regular" flour or sweet rice flour, you are to use 1 1/4 Tablespoon of cornstarch. At first I forgot to add the extra 3/4 T, and the milk, starch & butter would NOT thicken. I thought my arm was going to fall off. Once I added it, it came together quickly.
*** I didn't have the energy to pull out the food processor, so I just toasted some of the more dense bread I have (the kind I use as back up when I run out of Udi's) and toasted it. Then I just chopped it up on the cutting board. I probably didn't need to toast it first, but it's kept it from becoming moist in the fridge over night & the bread crumbs really add to it!!!
Homemade plain bread crumbs
Ingredients
•4 cups gluten-free bread of choice, torn in small pieces
Directions
Place the bread in a food processor and pulse on/off until the crumbs reach desired consistency. Store tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks and in the freezer up to 3 months.
This recipe if from 1,000 Gluten-Free Recipes by Carol Fenster, a GREAT book and well worth the money.
Here are a few extra tips I learned while making this:
1. Don't make your noodles too far in advance, or at least don't drain them too soon.
2. When thickening the milk, use a 3 or 4 qt saucepan, because if the milk rises too quickly, it can easily boil over a 2 qt pan.
3. If you are using vegan cheese, make sure all of it is melted before you put it in to cook. It doesn't melt like real cheese in the oven. Once you serve it and mix it up, it will melt, but it isn't very pleasing to the eye.
4. Read the directions carefully!!! I put the breadcrumbs on before I ever stuck the dish in the oven, so mine wasn't cooked in the oven the entire time, although I think it didn't make a huge difference since I toasted my bread crumbs & everything else was already cooked.
If you follow this recipe, I promise you, you will have an amazing dish that EVERYONE in your household can enjoy!!!
Mazel Tov!!!
***UPDATE***
Some people have requested the calorie count, and after adding everything together, the total comes to 2700!!! I know it sounds like A LOT, but if you break it down into 4 servings that's 675 calories, and there is 4g of protein in every 2oz of the corn pasta. Plus, as I stated before, I can't imagine anyone eating 1/4 of this in one sitting, not even my ex-husband, and he eats more than any person I've ever seen. There are also ways to cut down on the calories, such as low fat cheese, non dairy milks & imitation butter. I hope this information helps.
Friday, July 9, 2010
Here's a great video of a woman who has done so much for everyone with HS!!!
Anyone who has experienced HS knows exactly what Patricia has gone through and continue's to go through. Every day is a struggly, and you don't know from day to day what tomorrow will bring. One day you will be completely cyst-free, and the next day you can wake up with a huge break out unable to walk, move your arms, or get out of bed. If someone you know doesn't understand HS, I highly suggest having them watch this.
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
Anyone who has experienced HS knows exactly what Patricia has gone through and continue's to go through. Every day is a struggly, and you don't know from day to day what tomorrow will bring. One day you will be completely cyst-free, and the next day you can wake up with a huge break out unable to walk, move your arms, or get out of bed. If someone you know doesn't understand HS, I highly suggest having them watch this.
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