Flax, Fruit, Pineapples and Patience!

I finally received my Excalibur dehydrator!!! I am so excited. W and I had to completely rearrange the kitchen in order to make room for it. One of us (ahem) still uses the microwave on occasion, and we both agreed it would be better if we moved it off of the counter. Luckily, we were able to fit it on this handy-dandy shelf unit he picked up yesterday. I am so glad we did that because I have limited counter space and need some room to lay out the large ParaFlexx non-stick sheets and arrange food.This looks like it will work well.

I prepared a few test pieces. If they are successful, I will post the recipes. Right now I am uncooking Sun Dried Tomato and Basil Flax Crackers, Tropical Fruit and Yogurt Roll-Up, and some sliced pineapple. I can't wait to try them, but they may not be done until morning...I am having a tough time waiting...so I whipped up another Chocolate Fruit and Nut Bar. That is setting now....hmm..probably time to go check it out....have a great night!

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Raw - Soba and Kelp Noodles With Roasted Eggplant

W and I visited with my daughter "L" and her boyfriend today. They recently moved into their new condo, and we had not seen the little love nest yet. L wanted to make us dinner, but due to my dietary restrictions, I suggested that I bring the ingredients and she and I prepare the meal together. We agreed upon Soba Noodles with Roasted Eggplant.  (Note: I have not tried it, but this dish could be converted to raw if you eliminate the soba noodles, use only kelp and/or spiralized zucchini, and dehydrate the eggplant for an hour or more instead of roasting). 

We had such an enjoyable afternoon cooking together. They both loved the meal, but especially loved the Chocolate Lucanilla Ice Cream from the "Just Desserts" e-book for dessert. Without a high speed blender or ice cream maker, it was a tad challenging, but L grabbed her hand mixer, and after freezing the mixture in ice cube trays, we managed to whip it into a delicious, rich chocolate mousse. We topped the dessert with sliced bananas and some crumbled Chocolate Fruit and Nut Bar from yesterday . L and P devoured the Chocolate Fruit and Nut Bar, so I now know what I have to make more of when we visit the next time!

The Soba Noodles with Roasted Eggplant was refreshing! Here is my variation:

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First Resolution for the New Year

It has been a rough ride this past  year. I was laid off over a year ago. I was Director of Customer Support. It was very stressful and I believe the stress and constant commuting contributed to the return of my IC, which slowly but surely has crept back into my life. It had been noticeable for over a year, but over the past 6 mos it has gotten progressively worse. At this point, I don't even venture out of the house too much. It hurts to walk and I am simply uncomfortable going places. Try to imagine the sensation of a football in your abdomen, well, not just any football, a football that looks and feels more like a porcupine! Seriously. Interstitial Cystitis is an awful disease and I will do whatever I need to do in order to eliminate it from my life.

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Introduction - About Me

This was taken Christmas Day 2009

 I am down 10 lbs. here.

I am 53 years old, mother of two daughters, grandmother to one granddaughter. I was married for over 20 years, divorced, single for 8 years, and currently living with W. He and I have been together for close to 4 years.

Ten  years ago, I was diagnosed with Interstitial Cystitis. I won't get into the nitty gritty details of this awful disease here, other than to say it sucks. I may refer on occasion to having a "bad IC day," and all that means is, I am in pain - more pain than usual! 
 
Several  years ago, I worked with a nutritional biochemist, used Sunrider products, and ate a strictly vegetarian diet. I also eliminated sugar, dairy and grains from my diet. During that period, my IC went into remission and while I was only vegetarian for 2 yrs, my IC remained in remission for at least double that. 

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