Sesame chicken tenders

My husband has been "forcing" himself to eat pie leftovers since Thanksgiving. I made pumpkin pie and company brought apple pie. What torture for my spouse to eat all that pie since I cannot eat any of it. I think he will soon go through pie withdrawal after the supply ends.

Most traditional Thanksgiving foods are not candida-diet friendly for those of us eating low-glycemic diets. I love turkey but what happens when the supply dwindles. I turn to low-carb sesame chicken tenders. We gobbled them up greedily. Fortunately, I snatched a couple aside to snap a photo.

Low-Carb Sesame Chicken Tenders

Ingredients

1. 1 1/2 pounds chicken tenders
2. 4 T. sesame seeds
3. 1 -2 tsp. Chinese Five-Spice
4. 1 T. olive oil
5. Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray and oil baking sheet or pan and preheat in oven to distribute the oil.
2. In a shallow bowl or dish, combine sesame seeds and five spice.
3. Rinse chicken tenders in water.
4. Roll chicken tenders in seed/spice blend to coat.
5. Make additional seed/spice coating if needed.
6. Place coated tenders in preheated, oiled cooking pan.
7. Bake in oven for approximately 15 minutes. Then turn tenders and bake another 15 minutes until crispy.

Serve with a hot, spicy dipping sauce. Saute 2 T. chopped onion in 1 tsp. oil in a small skillet. Add can of tomato sauce (purchase the kind with no additives); 1 tsp. each Bragg's Amino Acids and hot sauce of your choice. Continue cooking until heated through.

Spaghetti squash stew

I keep looking for ways to use up my store of spaghetti squash from last summer's garden. Spaghetti squash chicken stew tops my list as my favorite spaghetti squash recipe. My son, who is not a squash lover, even enjoys it.

Spaghetti Squash Chicken Stew
(serves 6)

Ingredients:

1. 1 T. grapeseed oil or other oil of your choice
2. 6 boned, skinless chicken thighs
3. 1 medium onion, chopped
4. 1 red pepper, cut into one-inch pieces
5. 2 garlic cloves, minced
6. 8 ounces chicken broth, gluten-free, sugar-free
7. 6 chopped roma tomatoes or 14 1/2-ounce can of diced tomatoes
8. 1 T. paprika
9. 1/2 tsp. sea salt
10. 1 baked spaghetti squash
11. 8-12 ounces of frozen or fresh green beans
12. 1/4 cup unsweetened sunbutter

Directions:

1. Bake the spaghetti squash until fork tender; allow to cool and scoop out the squash and cut into bite-sized pieces; set aside
2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and saute until browned; remove to a plate.
3. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the garlic, onions, pepper and saute until softened.
4. Add the chicken broth, tomatoes, paprika and salt. Bring to a boil and add the chicken and green beans. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer until the chicken and veggies are tender.
5. Add the sunbutter and stir until well-blended.
6. Add the squash and cook until mixture is hot and thickened.
7. Serve in bowls or as an option, ladle over additional spaghetti squash as pictured above.
   

Cocoa Spice Tea

I've been enjoying looking out my window from my kitchen because I have a view of this precious baby llama and her mama. These two reside in my neighbors' pasture, and I've been able to watch the twosome since the baby was born in September.

It's cheap entertainment watching the two from my window and enjoying a cup of cocoa spice tea. One of my favorite teas has always been Yogi Cocoa Spice but I go through it so fast I decided to try to duplicate the tea with my own recipe.

Sheree's Cocoa Spice Tea Recipe
(makes three big cups)


Ingredients:

1. 6 cups of water
2. 3 bags Yogi Chai Rooibos tea or red tea
3. 3 cinnamon sticks
4. 6 whole cloves
5. 6 whole cardamon seeds
6. 1 T. cocoa powder
7. liquid stevia

Directions:

1. Place the water and spices in a large saucepan.
2. Once the water boils, add the tea bags and cocoa powder.
3. Turn off, cover the pan and allow to set on the burner for five minutes or longer.
4. Serve with Tempt hemp milk or other alternative beverages. Add stevia to taste.
5. For a real chocolate spice treat, add unsweetened chocolate almond milk.
   

Low-carb chocolate pudding

Fall hasn't really been fall where I live until the last few days. Snuggling under a blanket is what my pal, Pumpkin, (pictured above) likes to do on a cold, rainy day, like we're having today. His idea could be catching but then I wouldn't get anything done.

Instead, how about mixing up a batch of low-carb chocolate or carob pudding? It's unbelievably simple and quick, and gives you a dessert fix with minimal carbs and calories (less than 60 depending on what you add).

Low-Carb Chocolate (Carob) Pudding (1 serving)

Ingredients:

1. 3/4 cup chocolate, unsweetened almond milk
2. 1 T. cocoa or carob powder
3. 1/2 tsp. guar gum
4. Alcohol-free stevia for sweetener
5. Optional: 1 tsp. espresso powder

Directions:

1. Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor and pulse until thickened.
2. Note: the mixture will continue to thicken if allowed to set for a few minutes.

Sweet and spicy pumpkin seeds

It's difficult to enjoy Halloween with traditional treats when you have candida issues. I try to find low-carb, healthy alternatives to snack on like these sweet and spicy pumpkin seeds. They are toasted and sprinkled with salt, pumpkin pie spice and stevia powder. I also like to mix half pumpkin seeds with half sunflower seeds as shown in the illustration.

Sweet and Spicy Pumpkin Seeds
Ingredients:

1. 2 cups pumpkins seeds or half and half
2. sea salt to taste
3. pumpkin pie spice
4. pan spray
5. SweetLeaf Clear liquid or powder

Directions:

1. Toast the pumpkin seeds in a heated skilled sprayed with pan spray. Alternative method: spread the seeds on a baking sheet sprayed with pan spray and toast for 5 minutes at 350 degrees. I prefer the skillet method because I always over toast the seeds in the oven.
2. When lightly toasted, spray and toss the seeds with additional pan spray. Then sprinkle on salt, pumpkin pie spice and stevia. Toss to coat and continue to toast being sure to monitor to avoid over cooking.

Spaghetti squash "pumpkin" shake

Well, I've finally given up trying to beat this neck, trapezius injury thing on my own. I'm seeing the physical therapist tomorrow. I'm dying to get back to writing children's books which I do for enjoyment.



I did publish my first book today on Amazon about my pet friends who I write about on this site. "Best Friends" features my dog Kona (AKA Sandy in the book), Shadow (a feral cat from awhile back), Pumpkin and Oreo. If you have a Kindle, take a look at http://www.amazon.com/Best-Friends-Sandy-her-ebook/dp/B0048ELBSO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=books&qid=1287938114&sr=1-1
I'm continuing my love affair with spaghetti squash. I thought why not turn spaghetti squash into a pumpkin shake, smoothie. It actually tasted just like a pumpkin smoothie.

Spaghetti squash "pumpkin" shake

Ingredients:

1. One 1/2 small spaghetti squash, baked until tender and chilled.
2. 1/2 cup liquid, either Sleepytime Vanilla tea (strong brewed) or alternative milk beverage such as Tempt hemp milk (unsweetened) or a combo of both.
3. Liquid stevia to taste (use the alcohol-free kind). I use SweetLeaf Clear.
4. Pumpkin pie spice
5. 1 tsp. guar -gum for thickening
6. 2 cups crushed ice

Directions:

1. Scoop out spaghetti squash.
2. Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor.
3. Blend at high speed until smooth and thick.
4. Add a bit more liquid if needed. Consider adding some Tempt milk or other milk for added creaminess.
5. Serve sprinkled with more pumpkin pie spice and a bit of SweetLeaf Stevia powder.

Spaghetti squash with fresh marinara

Here I am sitting at the computer again trying to stretch out my stiff neck muscles. I can't believe how long it takes to recover from a neck injury. But it is getting better but with teeny tiny baby steps.

I am continuing to look for ways to enjoy my crop of spaghetti squash, basil, stevia, tomatoes and bell peppers from my garden. We are still experiencing an extended growing season, thanks to warmer than normal October weather.

I made fresh marinara sauce with my garden veggies. This sauce is so good it can be eaten raw, if desired. I have eaten it both ways. I serve it over spaghetti squash scooped out and fluffed up like noodles. It also can be ladled over zucchini ribbons which offers another chance to use up big zucchinis. You use a sharp vegetable peeler, pare the squash on all sides, to create thin ribbons that similate noodles. I will try this version next.

Spaghetti Squash with Fresh Marinara

Ingredients:

1. 2 pounds roma tomatoes or other type, washed and halved or quartered, depending on size
2. 1 cup fresh basil leaves
3. 1/2 cup dry-packed sun-dried tomatoes, softed in warm water
4. 1/2 cup olive oil
5. Handful of fresh stevia leaves or 1 tsp. of liquid stevia
6. sea salt
7. black pepper
8. 2 bell peppers, seeded and roughly chopped
9. Optional: 1-2 cans of tomato sauce

Directions:

1. Place all ingredients in a food processor and process until the mixture resembles a fine salsa.
2. Serve as is or place in a pan with tomato sauce to warm.
3. Scoop out spaghetti squash from baked squash. Season with salt and pepper and ladle sauce on top.

Spaghetti squash with sofrito

Sorry for the absence of new posts on my blog in awhile. I have a neck and shoulder injury. Until the past few days, time on the computer was a painful experience and had to be limited to 10 minutes or less.

My injury has kept me from experimenting with new recipes in the kitchen but I did try sofrito, a blend of tomatoes, sweet peppers, onions and garlic. It is similar to salsa but less heavy on tomatoes. It's considered a staple of Latin Caribbean food. Sofrito uses up a lot of garden produce and makes a tasty topping for meats and veggies. I used it to top off a spaghetti squash, picked from my garden. Yum!

Sofrito

(Makes one quart)

Ingredients:

1. 2 medium green peppers, seeds removed



2. 1 red sweet pepper, seeds removed



3. 2 large tomatoes



4. 2 medium onions, peeled and chopped



5. 1 head of garlic, peeled



6. 1 bunch of cilantro



7. 1/2 bunch of parsley

Directions:

Put everything in your food processor and blend until it reaches a puree consistency. Stores well in the fridge for at least a week.

Sofrito on Spaghetti Squash

Bake spaghetti squash in the oven at 350 degrees for approximately 30 minutes. Slice the squash in half lengthwise, seed, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and place in a baking pan with 1/2 inch of water. Remove from the oven when fork tender.

Spread a layer of sofrito on top of the squash and enjoy!

Sleepytime vanilla tea smoothie (ACD friendly)

Staying with a low-carb, low-glycemic diet for life is an ongong battle I face as someone who is extremely sensitive to carbohydrates and prone to candida reoccurrence. I'm constantly monitoring how many carbs I eat and what kind of carbs. There's a fine line for me between too much and too little. Too many carbs and my symptoms return; too little carbs and my brain and body don't function properly.

I also long for an occasional treat. My newest reward is Celestial Seasonings Sleepytime Vanilla Tea. It's a new offering in the tea aisle. I love this herbal tea hot, iced and made into a tea-protein smoothie.

I like to combine a Sleepytime Vanilla Tea smoothie with my breakfast which is the most important meal of the day for me. I need to replenish my glycogen. If I skimp on breakfast, I won't have the energy I need for the day so I add a bowl of hot quinoa to my morning meal.

I take 2/3 cup cooked, whole-grain quinoa and mix it with 1/2 cup unsweetened hemp milk, 1 tsp. ground cinnamon and some stevia for sweetener. I microwave this mixture for about 1 1/2 minutes. I top my cereal off with 1 T. of toasted pumpkin seeds. Pairing this cereal with a tea smoothie is the perfect mixture of carbs, protein and deliciousness.

Sleepytime Vanilla Tea Smoothie

Ingredients:

1. 1 cup extra-strength, brewed Sleepytime Vanilla Tea
2. 1-2 scoops vanilla rice protein
3. 1 tsp. guar gum powder
4. alcohol-free stevia to taste
5. 1 T. alcohol-free vanilla extract optional
6. 2 cups crushed ice
7. smidge of hemp milk for additional creaminess (optional)

Directions:

1. Brew Sleepytime Vanilla Tea. Use 2-3 bags per one cup of hot water.
2. Chill the tea in the fridge.
3. Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend on high until the mixture reaches a soft-serve ice cream-like texture.

Note: Makes a generous amount. You can store extra in the freezer for a treat later but it will need to be thawed out slightly before eating.

Zucchini hashbrowns

One of my favorite side dishes, pre-candida days, was hashbrowns. Until recently, I just had to salivate watching other people eat hashbrowns.

But now, I can make ACD-friendly hashbrowns out of zucchinis, which I happen to have an enormous supply of in my garden. It was by accident that I discovered that zucchinis make a good substitute for potatoes in hashbrowns.

I was drying some shredded zucchini in the oven as an ingredient for a veggie pizza crust. I looked at those shredded zucchinis crisping in the oven and suddenly, they looked like hashbrowns.

These days, whenever I pick a good-sized zucchini from the garden, I shred it up in the food processor and make it into Zucchini Hashbrowns.

Ingredients (for 1 serving):

1. Shredded zucchini from 2 medium-sized (or larger) unpeeled zucchinis
2. 1/2 cup chopped onion, red and green peppers
3. salt and pepper to taste
4. Fresh basil or parsley for garnish
5. olive oil pan spray

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Spread the shredded zucchini on a large baking sheet, sprayed with pan spray
3. Sprinkle with salt and pepper
4. Spray the zucchini with olive oil. Use an olive oil mister or purchased pan spray.
5. Bake the zucchini until browned and crispy.
6. In the meantime, saute the onion and pepper in a skillet.
7. Add the crisp zucchini shreds to the skillet and mix.
8. Garnish with fresh herbs for serving.

Black bean fudge

Black beans are loaded with antioxidants, protein, and fiber which allows the carbohydrates to be absorbed more slowly. What could be better than turning this wonder food into a ACD-friendly treat?

Carob or Chocolate Black Bean Fudge
Ingredients:

1. 1 can black beans with no added sugar
2. 1/4 cup carob or cocoa powder
3. 1 T. no-alcohol vanilla
4. 1/8 cup sunbutter and 1/8 cup coconut oil (or 1/4 cup coconut oil)
5. 10 or more drops of alcohol-free stevia

Directions:

1. Drain and rinse the black beans
2. Put beans plus all other ingredients in a food processor and pulse until smooth (add more sunbutter or coconout oil if needed)
3. Spread mixture in an 8-by-8-inch square pan, lined with parchment paper or plastic wrap.
4. Refrigerate until firm. Cut into 24 pieces.
5. Optional: Melt 1 T. each additional sunbutter and coconut oil and mix. Spread on top of the firm black bean fudge as a topping.
6. Other options: Add seeds, nuts or peppermint extract to the mixture.
7. Note: I chose a blend of sunbutter and coconut butter for the fudge because it had less saturated fat. Too much saturated fat causes me difficulty because my gallbladder was removed. The fudge will not stay as firm as when you use only coconut oil. I just keep it frozen to deal with that problem.

Black beans can be added to many treats that contain chocolate and carob, and no one will be the wiser. I recently made black bean, chocolate brownies for my husband, and he had no clue until I told him what the secret ingredient was. The addition of the black beans turned the brownies into a much healthier treat.

Cauliflower rice and nori rolls

Thanks to Brandon who left a comment recently, I decided to make cauliflower rice and use it in truly low-carb/vegan nori rolls. They were delicious with this addition.

Cauliflower rice is super easy to make. All you need is a head of cauliflower, a food processor, microwave and microwave-safe bowl. Wash, trim and cut the cauliflower into pieces. Toss the pieces of cauliflower into a food processor. Process until the cauliflower is turned into rice-sized pieces.

Place the cauliflower rice into a microwave-safe dish with a cover and microwave for a few minutes. Do not add water to your cauliflower as it already has enough moisture of its own.

To make nori rolls, spread sunflower seed pate as the base layer on a nori sheet. Add cauliflower rice and matchstick-sized pieces of cucumber or other veggies on top. Roll up tightly. Cut into threes and serve. Or wrap and store for later.

Sunflower Seed Pate

Ingredients:

1. 2 cups sunflower seeds, soaked for 6-8 hours (can be sprouted if desired)
2. 1/2 cup chopped celery
3. 1/2 cup shredded zucchini
4. 1/4 cup diced red onion
5. 2-4 cloves garlic
6. 1/4 cup tahini or sunbutter
7. 2 T. Bragg's amino acids
8. 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
9. 2-3 T. lemon juice
10. 1 tsp. cumin
11. dash of cayenne
12. 1 tsp. sea salt

Place all the pate ingredients in your food processor. Process until desired consistency is reached. Note: you can be creative with this recipe. Each time I make it, I vary it slightly. Add other veggies if desired. It stores well in fridge.

Avocado Carobsicles

I just made my first frozen treats with my new popsicle molds. They're not beautiful but they are tasty and full of nutrition. The ingredients include avocado, which is low glycemic and loaded with antioxidants, and silken tofu, a good protein source.

I omitted the sweeteners I saw in similar recipes and replaced them with stevia. They still taste good to me but if you are not used to eating a no-sugar diet you could try some agave nectar. I used carob powder but cacao or cocoa powder could be used instead.

Avocado "Carobsicles"

1 pkg. silken tofu, drained
1 medium avocado, pitted
1/2 cup unsweetened hemp milk
1 tsp. guar gum
6 T. raw carob powder
1 T. alcohol-free vanilla
liquid stevia to taste
pinch sea salt

Put all the ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth and creamy. Add additional hemp milk if needed.

Pour mixture into individual popsicle molds. This can be tricky especially if your mixture is too thick. Freeze the "carobsicles" until solid, about 4-6 hours, depending on your freezer. Run under hot water to release your popsicle.

Gluten-free energy bars

Finding an ACD-friendly energy bar is like trying to find a needle in a haystack. Of course, the packaged ones are loaded with sugar and carbs. What would you expect? That's the stuff that provides energy when you exercise.

I do a lot of cycling, including some long-distance rides but those pre-packaged energy bars won't work for me because of my candida issues. It took some searching on the internet and experimenting but I finally came up with my own ACD-friendly energy bar. It's got lots of good stuff in it and gives me some "go power." I tweaked a recipe from Thrive Fitness.

Carob Strawberry Chia Energy Bars

Ingredients:

1. 1/4 cup carob powder
2. 1/4 cup vanilla rice protein powder
3. 1/4 cup white chia seeds
4. 1 cup fresh or frozen strawberries
5. 1/4 cup ground flaxseed
6. 1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds
7. 1 tsp. lemon juice
8. Sea salt to taste
9. 1/2 cup sprouted quinoa
10. Liquid or powdered stevia to taste

Directions:

1. One day ahead of time, prepare the quinoa seeds. Soak in water for six hours. Drain and place in a seed sprouter. Once the seeds have formed tails from sprouting, place them in a food dehydrator and dry to the touch.
2. Mix all the ingredients in a food processor.
3. Spread the mixture (1/4 inch thick) on a sheet in your dehydrator. Dry for about one hour. Then flip and continue drying. Total drying time: about two hours.
4. Cut into pieces of desired size. Freeze until ready to use.

Minty avocado shake

I started the ACD diet planning to one day be able to return to eating what most people think of as normal which would be a healthy balance of carbohydrates, protein and fats. That was before I discovered that my previous antibiotic overuse and heredity made me extremely sensitive to carbohydrates. What this means is I will be a prime candidate for reoccurring candida, if I don't follow a low-glycemic diet for the rest of my life.

I have people tell me all the time, "Well, you can't eat any of the 'good' stuff." Oh well, I guess I'm "sentenced" to a life of healthy eating.

Mint, avocado and spinach combined into a shake may sound like punishment to some but I definitely found it very easy to polish off most of an "minty avocado shake" before I realized I should take a picture. After snapping a picture of the now "mini" shake pictured above, I finished off the rest.

Minty Avocado Shake
(serves 1-2)

1. 1/2 small avocado
2. 1 cup packed spinach
3. 1 cup unsweetened hemp milk
4. 2 T. vegan rice protein
5. 1/2 tsp. guar gum powder
6. 2 T. fresh mint leaves
7. 1 1/2 cups crushed ice
8. 1/2-3/4 tsp. peppermint extract (Use an alcohol-free variety.)
9. 20 or more drops of alcohol-free stevia (Use agave nectar if not on ACD.)

Blend all the ingredients until smooth in a blender or food processor. Adding the guar gum gives the shake a creamier texture. Enjoy with a sprig of mint on top.

Kona and Pumpkin sack out on a hot summer afternoon.

Nori rolls with sunflower seed spread

I've never eaten Nori rolls until recently. I didn't realize I was missing a great low-carb option as long as I omitted the sushi rice. I was amazed to discover the nutritional powerhouse that a simple Nori rolls is. Nori rolls are a source of Vitamins A, B and C, as well as iodine, protein, carotene and dietary fiber.

I still need a lot of practice filling and rolling a Nori roll but it might help if I invested in a sushi mat. Even though they don't look perfect, they still are quite tasty. Use your imagination for fillings. Here's the one I tried.

Veggie Nori Rolls with Sunflower Seed Spread

Ingredients for Spread:

1. 1 cup sunflower seeds (You also can sprout them ahead of time but I skipped this.)
2. 1/4 cup lemon juice
3. 2 cloves of garlic
4. 2 T. tahini
5. 1 T. Bragg's Amino Acids
6. 2 T. chopped fresh parsley
7. 1/8 chopped red onion
8. 1 small piece of ginger
9. 1 tsp. flax oil
10. 1/2 tsp. cumin
11. dash of Chipotle powder

In a food processor or blender, combine all the ingredients. Blend to a fairly smooth, paste-like consistency.

Directions for Veggie Nori Rolls

1. Lightly toast a Nori sheet in a large skillet.
2. Lay one toasted Nori sheet on a flat surface or bamboo sushi mat, shiny side down.
3. Cover with a thin layer of sunflower seed spread.
4. On top of sunflower seed spread, lay out thinly sliced veggies, such as red pepper, Napa cabbage, red cabbage, avocado, daikon radish and sprouts.
5. Roll up the rolls and cut each into two or three sections.

Carob energy shake

I have been an avid cyclist for years but I've never been able to find a "safe" recovery drink for replenishing muscles after hard exercise. I need something low glycemic, high in protein, and allergen-free for me. Okay, I guess the words low glycemic and recovery drink are an oxymoron. That's probably why I never been able to find a pre-made, post-exercise beverage.

I decided to create my own post-workout beverage. It tasted more like a dessert to me but it met all my requirements: high protein, low to moderate carbs and tasty. I drank it so fast I didn't have time to snap a photo the first time but I got one the second time around.

Carob Energy Shake

Ingredients

1. 1 cup alternative dairy beverage (I like unsweetened Tempt hemp milk.)


2. 1 tsp. raw carob powder


3. 1-2 T. vegan rice protein powder


4. 1/2 tsp. guar gum


5. 1/4 package Silken tofu


6. 1 tsp. unsweetened sunbutter


7. 1 cup crushed ice


8. 10 drops liquid stevia (alcohol-free)

Directions:

1. Mix all ingredients in a blender or food processor.


2. Pour in a glass and get refreshed and replenished!

Rhubarb-strawberry smoothie

My sprouter is my newest kitchen gardening gadget. It came with some sprouting seeds I've never tried. The ones in the middle tray are garbanzo bean and pea seeds. The bottom tray has lentil seeds sprouting. All of them turned out to be delicious but I pecially enjoyed the garbanzo bean sprouts. I've been tossing the sprouts on salads but am looking for other ways to enjoy them now that I have a fresh and bountiful supply.

Rhubarb is something else I am continuing to enjoy. I can't believe I went so many years without realizing how versatile and delicious it is. Now, I can't enjoy a smoothie with strawberries without blending in an equal amount of rhubarb. Here's my recipe for a Rhubarb-Strawberry Smoothie.

Ingredients:

1. 1/2 cup unsweetened hemp milk
2. 1/2 cup chia seed-hemp milk slurry (Mix chia seed in 1/2 cup hemp milk the day before and allow chia seed to expand and absorb the milk. Store in the fridge.)
3. 1/2 cup slightly thawed frozen strawberries
4. 1/2 cup cooked rhubard chilled (Steam two or three chopped stalks of rhubarb until tender in 3/4 cup water + 6 drops liquid stevia.)
5. 2 T. rice protein powder
6. 1/2 tsp. guar gum powder
7. 1 tsp. flax oil (optional)
8. 1 cup crushed ice
9. Liquid stevia to taste

Directions:

1. Put all ingredients in a food processor or blender and pulse until smooth.

Strawberry-rhubarb sorbet

My orange kitchen pal, Pumpkin, has can-opener radar. Apparently, this heightened sense of hearing is common to all felines when it comes to tuna cans being opened.

Here he is demanding his share of the tuna in the can I've just opened. What you can't see in this picture is his partner in crime, my golden retriever, Kona. She's on the floor waiting for her share of the bounty. Kona gets the tuna-flavored water from the can, and Pumpkin licks the flakes of tuna left in the can. Open a can of anything and they both appear like clockwork waiting for what they hope is tuna. In this case, their vigilence paid off.



My vigilence in trying to find the cause of my recurring candida infections may be paying off too. Chronic candida infections are linked to low stomach acid which I have had for years. Put that together with multiple rounds of antibiotics given to me over the course of years and no wonder I have stomach problems.

My low stomach acid is probably the result of taking tons of antacids and other over-the-counter stomach remedies back when I didn't know what was wrong with my stomach. I got little help from doctors who also gave me acid inhibitors. This is quite common as the symptoms of low stomach acid are pretty much the same as those of too much stomach acid.

An estimated 80 percent of individuals with food allergies/sensitivities probably have low stomach acid. Low stomach acid becomes more prevalent as we age. The probability of having this digestive issue is 40 percent by age 40 and 50 percent by age 60. Individuals with low stomach acid are the target for many health problems because they are not absorbing the necessary vitamins and minerals.

I'm hoping I'm on the right track for curing my candida problems now that I've added HCL-pepsin supplements as well as the L-glutamine for repairing my digestive tract. Maybe some day I'll actually be able to eat a real dessert. Did somebody say dessert?

Strawberry-rhubarb sorbet is my latest effort to appease my sweet tooth. It was so good I decided to add a rhubarb plant to my garden. You also can make this sorbet with straight rhubard for a lower carb version and it still takes good!

Strawberry-rhubarb sorbet

Ingredients:
Makes 4 servings

1. 5 stalks of rhubarb diced and steamed until tender
2. 1 cup of frozen unsweetened strawberries
3. 1/4 cup lemon juice
4. liquid stevia to taste

Directions:

1. Put all the ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth.
2. Place in the freezer until somewhat firm.
3. Note: Omit the strawberries for a lower carb version.

Best "safe" chocolate pudding

Battling a recurrence of candida has more than tested my mettle. I long for an explanation of why I got so well only to come crashing back almost to where I started.

My health-care provider suggested that my parents and ancestors may be partially to blame. I am one-eighth native American which means I may have inherited a tendency towards diabetes and sensitivity to carbohydrates. Another factor could be that my father was a recovering alcoholic which again means inheriting a tendency towards carbohydrate issues.

All of this family-tree stuff suggests I will most likely be restricting carbs the rest of my life.
I keep telling myself that one day I will be able to eat my favorite delicious, but yet low-carb, chocolate pudding. It's the best chocolate pudding I've ever stirred up that is free of dairy, sugar, eggs, gluten and soy.

Best "safe chocolate pudding
Ingredients:

1. 2 cups unsweetened hemp milk
2. 1/4 cup arrowroot powder
3. 1/4 cup Sweetleaf stevia powder
4. 2 T. alcohol-free vanilla extract
5. 1/2 cup dark cocoa powder

Directions:

1. Heat hemp milk, arrowroot powder, stevia and cocoa powder in a medium saucepan.
2. Whisk constantly as the mixture thickens.
3. When thickened, remove from the heat and add the vanilla extract.
4. Cool in the refrigerator or make "ice cream" with the pudding by placing the mixture in your ice cream freezer.
5. Enjoy topped with cacao bits.