Osteo-Arthritis Diet Update.

It has been over 10 weeks on this Gluten Free- Wheat Corn Oat Free - Dairy Free - Sugar Free - Night Shade Free diet and I am no longer taking any pain-killers or muscle relaxers.  I feel great, a bit of achy at times but I feel like myself again.  My back pain is gone, my hip pain is here and there.  I think the diet is working.  No tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, no night-shade vegetables, no pork.  It is tough and sometimes I feel deprived and whiny about my life....poor me!!!!  But poor me will not be disabled in 10 years like the statistics.  I do eat dark chocolate and so not completely sugar-free.  No other desserts like I used to eat everyday(ask Amanda and Paige about after Christmas saltine toffee)....I do miss chocolate chip cookie dough.  I love sweet potatoes now....yummy.  Sweet Potatoes come in chips, fries, mashed and roasted....yum~

Tennis and close couples

David and I are looking for couple activities to do together as are kids get more independent.

So today we bought two tennis rackets and 6 balls.

After 20 mins I had hit three balls over the fence and we called it a day.

Of course we had just walked 5 miles that morning and running around in 80+ degrees was getting to us.

Wimps?  Well yes sometimes we are.

So now we just need to grab the rackets  and the balls and walk to the courts.

I am awful I hit the ball everywhere and anywhere.  David has a bit better aim then I do.

Oh well we will see how it goes...neither of us know how to play so we are just hitting the ball back and forth between the two of us.

Qatar knows how to play maybe we need help from him.

The next adventure will be with canoes.

Swimwear

I got my new swimsuit, for this summer, in the mail today.  I will post photos once I get a bit of color.

I think the boy shorts are super cute and cover my dimply butt really well and my stretch marks on my hips and belly-  a bit bright maybe but fun.  I have mine from last year also and bought another pair of boy shorts for that top.  I have to swim with the kids at least twice a week for ten weeks this summer.

The good part of a gluten-dairy-sugar-free diet is the weight loss right before summer bikini weather.

Gluten Free Rosemary/Olive Bread

http://simplysugarandglutenfree.com/olive-rosemary-bread/

Gluten Free Rosemary/Olive Quick Bread - It is good...I haven't had the real thing in over two months so I may be wrong....But I thought it was really good.


3/4 cup creamy roasted almond butter, at room temperature
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon agave nectar
1/4 cup blanched almond flour
1/4 cup arrowroot powder
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup kalamata olives, pitted and finely chopped
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary


Preheat the oven to 350°F.  Grease a 7 by 3-inch loaf pan with grapeseed oil and dust with almond flour.
In a large bowl, mix the almond butter and olive oil with a handheld mixer until smooth, then blend in the eggs and agave nectar.  In a medium blow, combine the almond flour, arrowrrot powder, salt, and baking soda.  Blend the almond flour mixture into the wet ingredients until thoroughly combined, then fold in the olives and rosemary.  Pour the batter into the loaf pan.


Bake for 45 – 55 minutes on the bottom rack of the oven, until a knife inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.  Let the bread cool in the pan for 1 hour, then serve.


Amy’s note about pan size: I made this in an 8 by 4-inch loaf pan because I don’t own a 7 by 3-inch pan knowing it would affect the final result.  At first, it might seem like a small change but think about the following:
•              a 8 by 4-inch loaf pan as a surface area of 32 square inches  (8 x 4 = 32)
•              a 7 by 3-inch loaf pan has a surface area of 21 square inches (7 x 3 = 21)


I used a gluten free flour mix instead of almond flour and arrowroot powder.  So 1/2 cup of the flour mixture and then 1 teaspoon of Xantham Gum to thicken the bread.  Everything else was the same. I make my own roasted almond butter, but they have it a Traders Joe for about  6 bucks a bottle.  Mine was a bit darker and I used the larger loaf pan.

Savers

Gotta love that store when you've got picky kids who want name brands.  I also love it for things I need.  Last night we went to Rochester to pick up the parents at the airport and so we went into Rochester and went to Savers.  I found 10 pairs of capris to try on and 7 fit perfectly.  I came home with 6 pairs and now with the 5 dollar t-shirts from Target and Old Navy I now have enough clothes for the summer at a cost of about 60 dollars.  The kids have some much needed shorts and Gunnar now has three pairs that will cover his garments after next Saturday.  If you donate you get 20% off.

Lots of Field Trips.

I made it on 3 field trips in a week.  I had the time and decided "Why NOT".  The last Friday in May I went with Zeke to the U of M, and Augsburg college for a music seminar and then off to the Mall of America.  The next Wednesday I went with Cenny to the U of M and the Capital(I had never been then before...very interesting.)  Two days later I went with Cenny to Valley Fair.  All and all the trips were enjoyable even the bus trip and I met some new folks and talked with some older friends.  I try to hit the ones I can and I miss the ones I can't.

Giveaway on Book Him Danno

http://bookhimdanno.blogspot.com/2012/06/giveaway-book-review-last-refuge-dewey.html  Enter no entries so far.