Snowy

Taken with my cell phone camera this morning...

Mark dug out the driveway and I dug out the Envoy so I could make it to work this morning. 12.4 inches and piling...

Thankful

 I have been in prayer for a friend from high school, whose husband was diagnosed with Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM IV) in 2006. I have been praying for them since I learned of his condition two years ago. In 2008, his brain tumor returned and continued growing after another surgery. He was put in a trial study and this past Monday his latest MRI showed growth of his brain tumor plus a new one. His doctors, at Northwestern, have given them 4-8 weeks. They have 3 young boys.

I have followed her blog for awhile and am just amazed by her faith. Her site is filled with scripture:

• Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God. 2 Corinthians 1:9
  
• Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. James 1:2-3
  
• I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:14
  
• I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.  Romans 8:18
• Hear my prayer, O God; listen to the words of my mouth. Psalm 54:2
  
• I urge you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me. Romans 15:30
  
• Give thanks in everything, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:18
  

and many others. She has an "endless gift list" where each day she lists small (or big) things she is thankful for. The list currently has over 2500 items. Examples range from being thankful for their small group to being thankful for a wheelchair that was delivered to being thankful for kleenex. 

I hope to never have to experience anything like this, but if I have to I hope that I can have just a bit of the grace and strength she has shown. For now, I am feeling overwhelmingly thankful for Mark and our good health. Situations like this make me feel like my complaints in life are pretty insignificant. Please join me in prayer for the Eloe family. 

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In happy news, a certain ray of sunshine turned ONE last week.

SCD Recipe: Chili

This is one of Mark's favorites. This has been adapted from the book, Recipes for the Specific Carbohydrate Diet by Raman Prasad.

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup dried red kidney beans
• 1 T olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
  
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 T chili powder
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1 lb ground beef
• 5 plum tomatoes, chopped

Soak the kidney beans in water for 10 to 14 hours -- the water level should be above the beans. During this time, rinse the beans and add fresh water if the water becomes too bubbly from the "gas" released from the beans.

After soaking, cook the beans by putting them in a pot of fresh water, bringing the water to a boil, and then simmering until they are soft and cooked through, 1 to 2 hours.

In a separate pot, heat the olive oil, and brown the garlic and onion for 2 to 4 minutes. Add the chili and cumin powders, and stir for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the beef and tomatoes and cook until done, approximately 20 minutes. Add the pre-cooked, drained kidney beans and mix until well blended.

NOTES: I cook a whole bag of dried red kidney beans and store the extra beans in the fridge so I can quickly make another pot of chili. Also, after the meat is browned and spices added I go ahead and add the tomatoes, beans, and some water and let it cook for about 20 minutes or until it's done. Remember, to be SCD-friendly don't use canned beans. :)

Freeeeeeeeeeeeeezing

Why is it necessary to leave the house on days like this? 

You see that negative sign, right?

Specific Carbohydrate Diet

Several people have asked lately what diet we are following to help with Mark's diagnosis of Crohn's Disease and what he can and cannot eat.

Here is the basic rule: "No food should be ingested that contains carbohydrates other than those found in fruits, honey, properly-prepared yogurt, and those vegetables and nuts listed." (Breaking the Vicious Cycle, Ch 9 p61) The rationale is that the intestine is injured and we need to heal it. SCD attempts to heal the intestine by first removing foods that feed harmful bacteria and can't be digested by the injured intestine. (An injured intestine can't break down specific types of carbs.) And then restores the balance of beneficial bacteria through homemade yogurt.

So, that's the very basic rule and it's probably already more than you wanted to know. ;) Here's the link that I seem to use on a daily basis. It's the Legal/Illegal food list.

We no longer have any food that comes in a box, bag, can, jar, or envelope. It's all about fresh, baby. Fresh veggies & fruits. Nothing processed! We buy bricks of hard cheeses and slice it or shred it ourselves. No bread, pasta, rice, potatoes, or sugar. I thought it was going to be much more difficult than it really is. My recipes have become less complicated. I'm learning a new way to cook and we are both more healthy for it.

One more thing about the Specific Carbohydrate Diet. It's not just for Crohn's Disease. It also helps with IBD, Celiac Disease, Autism, Cystic Fibrosis and more. Questions? Feel free to ask and I'll try to answer the best I can.

Be on the lookout for SCD friendly recipes. They're surprisingly delicious! There will be a new label on the right side of the blog to easily link to SCD recipes & other info.

SCD Recipe: Shepherd's Pie

We tried this new recipe tonight and it was a BIG hit. To quote Mark, "It was the best shepherd's pie I've ever had." I'd say that is a good review! This is from the book, Recipes for the Specific Carbohydrate Diet by Raman Prasad.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 T olive oil, divided
• 1 lb ground beef
• 1/2 tsp cumin powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 10 green onions chopped (I used 4)
• 2 T lime juice (I used juice of 1 small lime -- didn't measure)
• 1 medium head of cauliflower, cut into florets
• 2 T butter (the real stuff, never margarine)
• 3/4 c grated cheddar cheese (brick, not processed)
• Parsley for garnish

Preheat oven to 325F. Spread 1/2 T of olive oil in pie dish.
In saute pan, heat remaining olive oil and saute ground beef. Add cumin, salt, and pepper and cook until beef is cooked through.
Add the green onions to beef mixture and stir. Remove the pan from heat and mix in the lime juice. Pour beef mixture into prepared pie dish.
While beef is cooking, steam the cauliflower florets until tender. Puree or blend the cauliflower with the butter until smooth. (I highly recommend using a food processor. I used a combination of blender & hand mixer = messy!)
Spread smooth cauliflower over beef mixture. Add the grated cheese on top and sprinkle on parsley.
Bake for 15-20 minutes, until cheese is melted.

This would be a great recipe for anyone trying the South Beach Diet too. :)

SCD Recipe: Mom's Tomato Sauce

I made this sauce over the weekend so that Mark could enjoy it with my brother's stuffed cabbage on New Year's Day. (Thanks to Jason for making Mark's without the rice!) Then we used it again as the sauce for our Parmesan Chicken. It's tasty as is, but I'm sure could be adapted as long as NO SUGAR IS ADDED. :)

This is from the book, Recipes for the Specific Carbohydrate Diet by Raman Prasad.

Ingredients:

• 12 plum (roma) tomatoes
• 2 T olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 small onion, minced
• 1/2 c water
• 1 c fresh basil leaves, chopped
• 2 T fresh parsley (I used the flat leaf Italian variety)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper

Peel, core, and dice the tomatoes. (To peel, immerse them in boiling water and then dip them in cool water.)
In large saucepan, heat the olive oil and saute the garlic & onion until tenter. Add the tomatoes, water, basil, parsley, salt, and pepper.
Bring to a boil and then reduce heat, simmering uncovered for 45 minutes and stirring occasionally.
If you prefer the sauce smooth, allow to cool and then blend in food processor. Refrigerate leftover sauce or freeze until needed.

I will admit that the tomato process is a little work intensive. This is when I wish we could use canned. But...the sauce was worth the work! Next summer I would like to grow a TON of tomatoes and have a party to peel, core, dice, and can them. Or for someone to make me a huge batch of sauce and bring it over in freezer bags. ;)

Hello 2009

On New Year's Day, we realized that we had eaten 3 "traditional" meals in less than 24 hours! We began a NYE tradition when we lived in Freeport to eat a fancy crab leg dinner at home. Mark cooks the crab legs and then we devour them!


On New Year's morning, we eat a healthy (ahem) breakfast of bacon, eggs, and fried cabbage. I believe that I've been eating cabbage every new year since I started eating solid foods.

The third traditional meal was lunch. Since we've been back in Indy, we go over to Jason & Jenny's home on New Year's day and enjoy a big bowl of Jason's bean soup and a plate of stuffed cabbage. Both were quite tasty! No photos, sorry.

There's no better way to start the new year off than with a full belly! :)