Sleep study rescheduled

I had to reschedule my sleep study due to weather. Mom was going to be driving me, but a storm hit and I just didn't want her driving in it. So it's been rescheduled for the 12th. Luckily I've already paid for this months rental on the bi-pap so I'm good until the end of next month.
I weighed yesterday and I had actually gained a few pounds!!!! What's with that? I'm hopping it just the erratic sleep patterns I've had the last week or so. I'm puffed up like an over filled water balloon and I feel like I'm about to burst.

French Eggs

I recently posted about eggs on my other website http://www.vikkiskitchn.spaces.live.com/ one of the ways I like to have eggs is what I call "French Eggs". What it actually is, is french toast without the toast, but it's darn good and I totally enjoy it when I get a hankering for something different. In fact it was dinner tonight. You can't go wrong with eggs and syrup now can you?
Vikki's French Eggs

Ingredients:

• 2 lg. eggs


• 2 tbsp. heavy cream


• dash or two of cinnamon


• drop or two of sweetzfree


• 1 oz cream cheese, softened and cubed into small pieces


• Dash of salt


• Butter to cook in


• S/F pancake syrup

Method:

1. Whisk together eggs and cream until very frothy and foamy.


2. Add cinnamon, salt and sweetener and whisk again until everything is blended and frothy.


3. Melt a generous pat of butter in a small skillet.


4. When the butter begins to bubble add the eggs. Let heat until just set on the bottom, draw a spatula across the bottom to allow the wet egg to leak to the bottom and add the cream cheese.


5. Let set another minute and scramble gently. Cook until just set and at your desired stage of doneness. I like mine just done where there is no "wetness" but they are not dry either.


6. Spoon on our plate, drizzle a little syrup over them add a slice or two of bacon and rejoice in the fact you were smart enough take up a low carb life style.... wonder what all your low-fat friends are eating right now?

What's going on with me.

I stayed the course yesterday with only one little infraction, ok maybe not so little, but it didn't seem to set anything bad into motion so I'd say it wasn't disastrous. Got up early after only a few hours sleep, mom needed to go buy groceries. Since she can't bring them in that means I need to be up. Ok so I went back to sleep until she called to say she was heading home. I still had time for a 10 min. sunbath before she got home. Anyway, she brought home a fried pie, see that's what happens when you leave the house to buy groceries with no breakfast in your belly.
Anyway the first thing I ate yesterday was a What-a-burger fried apple pie. But it was my only slip. And I didn't get a bunch of cravings after eating it. I just didn't eat again until after 1pm. I ate a salad full of broccoli, cauliflower, mushrooms and other good stuff along with hamburger and cheese. yummy it's my favorite salad ever! I ended up falling asleep around 3pm and didn't wake up until 11pm. I had a little piece of roast and some broccoli and a bowl of home made ice cream for dessert. I know not just everyone can eat dinner first thing upon getting up, but I've never had a problem with it.
As you can see I'm not quite use to the new meds. I seem to be sleepy too much. So I'm going to have to adjust either the trazadone or the celexa I take for depression. But all in all I think I did pretty darn good. No over night binging either. I fixed a nice mexican noodle bowl which I will be posting on my recipe site, and had a couple of cheese sticks. Nothing else until around 8:30 this morning when I had a bologna sammy on Joseph's lavish bread. Looking good for today!
Need to get my wheelchair in the car today so I will have it when I go to the hospital tomorrow night for my sleep study. I'm getting a little nerves, but this isn't the first one and I'm sure it's not the last.

Awww sweet sweet sleep

I took my first Trazadone last night before bed. What a sweet sweet night of sleep. I didn't even wake up once. I'm a happy happy camper.

I've been doing pretty good about getting back on track too. I've eaten more eggs in the last week than I care to think about, but I'm nearly to the point where I'm losing my appetite again. So that's a great thing.
I've been making up tea getting off the Diet Cokes so that's a good thing too
So all and all it's been good.
Now if I can just get on a decent schedule so I can play in the kitchen and get some cooking done I'll be a happy girl.

Finally moving in

Well I guess at this point, I've finally decided to move in. I've had this blog account for several months now, but haven't done too much with it. I guess I've finally found it's purpose. So I've been doing a little nesting today and I think I'm finally all moved in.

I just hope I can keep learn all there is to know to make it the home I want it to be.

Fear of Food

Now I have to admit right off, that I am more than a little intimidated by food science. What is safe to eat and what will do you as much harm as highly processed foods? What is too processed? After all all food undergoes some processing unless you pull it out of your own garden. The veggies you buy at the grocery store have been radiated to extend their "shelf Life". Lord only know what all has been done to that ground meat you pick up yesterday.
So even if it doesn't come in a box, bag or can more than like your food has been processed somewhat.
There are reports on all the nasty antibiotics and growth hormones in our meat, not to mention they are feed grain, keep on grain lots and not allowed to roam the fields and nosh on grass, dandelions and other such bovine delicacies. Poultry may even have it worse. They are tricked into thinking it's day light so they will lay more eggs. Never allowed out of their nesting boxes, feed hopped up grains and allowed to eat their own fecal matter.
Do I really want to think about all this while I'm trying to buy healthy foods to prepare for my family? I know I should of course, but what is a very un-wealthy person to do? I simply CAN NOT afford to buy organic fruits and vegetables or grass feed beef. If I'm totally honest with you, I'm having a hard time affording the grocery store "crap". No way I can pay $5.oo lb for a chicken. $6.oo lb for tomatoes. I simply do not have the money.
Does this make me a bad person that doesn't care about my family. I often leave health forums and groups feeling like I've been poisoning my family and that if I cared I would weigh the risks and do the right thing. I have weighed the risks. It's grocery store are starve.
Then of course, once you make some peace with the decisions you've had to make, the information all changes. For example take a look at this http://junkfoodscience.blogspot.com/2008/07/does-banning-hotdogs-and-bacon-make.html Is this for real? Have I been ragging on my poor hot dog addicted mom for no reason? Have the nitrates in the hot dogs actually been contributing to lowering her blood pressure not raising it. Is there really no evidence to support the link between nitrates and cancer?
So I ask you, how is your normal, everyday person suppose to know what the truth is? How are we suppose to navigate the troubled seas of food science, when the experts can't even agree?
Well as for me, my goal is to eat as close to nature as we can possible afford, knowing I am doing the best I can. Hoping and praying that it's the right thing to do.
Who knows, next month they may report that cigarettes protect you from the suns ultra violet rays and we should all take up smoking immediately!

Stuffed Meatloaf

I made these into mini loaves and cooked enough for everyone to have 1 for dinner and wrapped the rest in plastic wrap and froze them for another night. Could top with sauce if you like, but we like them without and it saves on carbs.

Meat loaf
2 lb. ground meat
¼ grated onion
½ cup Bread crumb mix (1 slice l.c bread, 1 cup parmesan cheese, 1cup ground pork skins)
1 egg
Salt
Pepper
Garlic powder

Mix all together until well combined. Flatten on a sheet of wax paper to form a square or rectangle. Add any of the listed stuffing ingredients making sure you don’t over fill. Using the wax paper to help you, roll the meatloaf into a log(like a jellyroll). Seal ends and shape to secure the whole thing. Place on a cookie sheet and bake at 475* for 30-40 mins.

Stuffings
Cheese, shredded
Chopped mushrooms
Chopped bacon
Spinach, fresh, torn into bite sized pieces
Ham
Tomato sauce
Rotel tomatoes
Olives
broccoli
any veggie you like really

rental machine

Well I slept and I slept hard. This rental I have isn't set nearly at high enough pressure but it's so much better than my sisters that I slept very hard. I woke up fairly often but was able to go right back asleep. I finally slept enough that when I woke up, I had ankles gain, my hands were not so swollen that they just ache and after an hour or so the head ache was gone too. Over all I felt better than I have in a good week or more. I simply can't wait to get my own machine set at my own pressure levels.

Besides that good news my aunt is up for a visit. We haven't seen her in a while and it's good to have her here for a few days. She's such a hoot, and we all really enjoy when she comes for a visit.

Of course being her first night here mom took her out for fish. Not sure what they ate, but dang it they better not do it again. Mom's bgl was 301 and my aunts was 42o. So no more of that. Tomorrow night I cook. Think I better get up in the morning and put on some bread too. They could both use the flax at this point.

I didn't do to well either. I was asleep when she called to ask what I wanted. Not sure what exactly I told her, but I ended up with french fries, and darn it I ate about half of them. But lordy that fish was good. I love love love catfish and this was cooked perfectly. I just have to find a good deal on it so I can use my friend Patty's http://lowcarbpatty.blogspot.com/ catfish recipe. That way I can still have the fish I love and keep it nice and low carb at the same time. Besides no risk of eating all the other high carb foods from the salad bar.

I just got home from my Dr. appointment. It went very well. He gave me a prescription for Trazodone (?) I think is what it's called. Dropped it off, will pick it up tomorrow. He said I needed get a little sun light, drink less caffine in the afternoon and never let myself sleep more than 8-9 hours no matter how many hours I've been awake. He says sleeping more than that will add the insomnia. So I'm supposed to take the new script everynight, no caffine after 2pm and set my alarm so I don't sleep more than 8 hours.
As far as my apnea, I have a sleep study set for next Friday night. But I was able to rent a machine until I can get my new one. Yeah!!!!! I'm so sleepy now I can hardly keep my eyes open. I'm just afraid by bed time I will have pushed past the sleepiness and be up all night. Guess we will see.

Well just thought I would update you, so far so good.

Sleep study

Finally my appointment with the sleep specialist is tomorrow afternoon. I can not wait to get in see the dr. and get my sleep study set up. I'm hoping and praying for this Friday night, but I don't know if I can get it that quickly. I didn't sleep well today and only managed about 5 hours at that. Maybe if I fall asleep in the waiting room he will schedule it quicker...giggle

Not sleeping doesn't do well for low carbing or any other kind of weightloss plan. I don't have the energy to do any of the things I need to be doing, such as cooking, laundry, are any prep work. Grrrr I hate this.

Borrowing sisters C-pap

With my bi-pap completely out of commission, I ended up trying out my sisters c-pap. I'm used to a bi-level breathing machine that maintains pressure on both the inhale and exhale. Mine is set at 27 meaning it blows very very hard! Cindy's is set at 9 is just a slight whisper in comparison. But I was thankful to have it. At least I was able to cover my head, the only way I can sleep.
The lack of sleep is already taking it toll. I'm so incredibly tired, bloated and swollen. My hands stiff and swollen, the swelling in my feet is so bad they look like stuffed sausage and hurt just to stand on them.
The funny thing is I lived this way for so many years. This was my life before I got my machine about 10 years ago. I lost 30lbs of fluid after just 2 weeks of using the machine. It was amazing.
But I'm looking forward to finding out if there is anything they can find or do to help me with the insomnia. I'm so so hopeful that after this round of testing and doctors visits I will be able to sleep! Sleep on a regular schedule too. How cool would that be.

Sleeplessness update

I'm so tired of fighting this insomnia. It's been going on for a over a year. But I refused to see a specialist about it. Well now my bi-pap machine has stopped working, I can't get it fixed and the only way to get a new one is to have another sleep study done. My doctor retired so I'm having to see a new one. Wish me luck, I've not been this long without my machine since I got it. What little sleep I do get, can barely be called that. I hope they will do the sleep study quickly. Very quickly.

Another sleepless night

I don't know what's got into me. I thought I had finally gotten my sleep patterns all under control at last. But then suddenly I began having the long stretches with out sleep again. I'm sleeping during the day and up all night again. I hate this. And I keep having 30-36 hour days. None of this is low carb friendly. I tend to snack when I'm up alone and the house is quite. I haven't felt much like doing to much experimenting lately either. I just want my life back.
How long does menopause last anyway? It's had my life screwed up for what seems like years now. Depression, itching, hot flashes, cold sweats, night sweats, lethargy, fuzzy thinking that even low carb can't seem to fix completely, not to mention I'm now in glasses, which I think already need adjusting and it's just been a year.
Oh youth where have you gone, and in leaving who have you turned me into? Not my mother that's for sure, she never went through all this. Not my Nanny, that woman was on top of it until the day she died. Both had much more energy and were grandmothers at my age.
I'm sitting here wanting to go play in the kitchen and I just don't have the energy. I hate this feeling.
Should I up some of my supplements? If so which ones? Should I stop taking some of them? Am I eating too much of something? I'm stuck within these same 5-10 lbs and can't seem to budge. Oh life is an adventure isn't it.
Well good night and hopefully sleep will come to me soon.

Garlic Parmesan Flaxies

Vikki Ann's Garlic Parmesan Flaxies

One of my good friends from low carb diet forum about.com came up with this recipe, Flax Flat bread nicknamed Flaxies. Such a yummy recipe. Here is one of my variations on that recipe to make a nice garlic parmesan wrap. I smeared it with butter, rolled it up and enjoyed. But it would be fantastic with a little chopped grilled chicken and your favorite sautéed veggies.

I just thought her recipe was way way too good not share with as many people as possible. It's quick, easy doesn't heat up the house and on top of all that. It's delicious. Can't beat that

Ingredients:

• 1 egg
  
• ¼ c ground flaxseed meal
  
• 1 tsp. baking powder
  
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
  
• 1-1 ½ tbsp. grated parmesan cheese
  
• Dash of salt
  
• Water as needed to thin batter
  

Method:

1. Mix the dry ingredients
   
2. Add egg and enough water till you have a thin pancake batter consistency
   
3. Melt butter in small skillet.
   
4. Pour all the batter in for a wrap or half for a 2 flat breads
   
5. Brown then turn over and brown the other side
   

You can do so much with this one simple recipe. Add sweetener and spices then wrap around softened peanut butter and jelly or cream cheese and fruit for a crepe type dessert. Add cumin and chili powder for added flavor for a Mexican burger. The sky is the limit. I hope you like this as much as I do. Thank you so much Vikki Ann for sharing this recipe with us all!!

Coconut Flour Waffles

I love the flavor of Coconut Flour Waffles but I’m not nuts about the texture. If you eat them right away straight from the waffle iron their aren’t bad, but try to freeze them and you end up with waffle crumbs. Even straight from the waffle iron your more than likely going to have torn waffles. So I set my thinking cap on brilliance and I came up with so/so But hey we can’t always come up with gems, right?

Anyway there is a marked improvement in these from the original and I can testify from this morning breakfast that the freeze and reheat wonderfully. I think they would even hold up to cutting into waffle sticks… yum who doesn’t love warm wonderful syrup with waffle sticks to dip?
Here you go hope you try these and let me know what you think of them. And yes the egg count is right, it takes a lot of liquid in fat when working with coconut flour.
Ingredients:
© 4 lg. eggs, slightly beaten
© 5 tbsp. melted coconut oil or butter (I like the coconut oil)
© 5 tbsp. Hood calorie count down milk or equivalent in cream and water
© ¼ tsp. salt
© 4 tbsp. coconut flour, gently whisked
© ½ tsp. baking powder
© 2 tbsp. Hi-Maize 260 corn starch
Method:
1) Beat eggs, oil and milk until well blended
2) Whisk together flour, salt, baking powder and Hi-Maize
3) Slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.
4) Let stand a couple minutes. If too dry add water a tsp. at the time
5) Heat waffle iron and brush with coconut oil
6) Pour batter evenly over the grids and close
7) If yours is an old one like mine, you might want to flip the whole waffle iron to ensure even cooking.
8) When steam stops and waffle is brown, remove to plate or cooling rake.
Make 4 large Belgian waffles. Serve with butter and s/f syrup.

I made my own syrup by whisking ¼ - ½ tsp. glucomannan powder into my DaVinci’s pancake syrup. It was just as thick as normal syrup, sweetened with Splenda and no carbs. But then I don’t use much syrup I prefer lots of butter with a touch of syrup… yummy good!

Broccoli Salad

1-2 lg. bunch of fresh or 1 bag frozen chopped broccoli
½ cup chopped onions
3-4 slices of bacon, chopped
½ cup shredded cheese of choice
2 boiled eggs, chopped
½ cup toasted pumpkin or sunflower seeds (could use whatever nuts you prefer too. Very good with cashews but they are fairly high in carbs)
* ½ cup cherry tomatoes cut in half* optional
Mayo, vinegar and mustard to taste

If using fresh broccoli blanch in boiling water for about 2-3 minutes. If using frozen, microwave 2-3 minutes. The goal is to make the broccoli a little bit tender but not to actually cook it.
Place the chopped bacon in a skillet and brown. Place on paper toweling to drain.
Chop broccoli into bite-sized pieces, stir in, onions, bacon, cheese, tomatoes (if using) and eggs.
Mix mayo, mustard and vinegar to make a dressing. I start with a couple tablespoons of mayo and add the other ingredients to taste. I usually add a dash of red pepper or so and maybe some dill or thyme.
Pour the dressing over the salad and pop in the fridge for a few hours to let the flavors marry. Sprinkle on the seed just before serving.
I have saved the bacon till the end too, but I like the flavor it gives the salad when it's mixed in from the beginning, but it doesn't retain it's crispiness. So, that's a matter of taste as well.

Chicken Fajitas

I spent a couple of days this week doing mass cooking and prep work. We found ground chucks on sale for less than $2.00 lb and bought a couple of the roasts and had about 8-10 lbs ground. If you’re a regular reader you know I did a massive ground meat work up before the hot weather set in.
Well I inventoried and rearranged my freezer earlier this week and I was good on meatloaves (18 mini loaves) but was completely out of bacon burgers, hamburger steaks and taco meat.
I’m happy to say we now have 6 dinners worth of bacon burgers, 3 dinners of taco meat and hamburger steaks now snuggly packed in my freezer. I have a roast (cooked) and taco meat in my fridge to dinners this weekend. I also have chicken fajita meat marinating in the fridge right now for tonight’s dinner.
It’s not really a recipe per se more a technique but I thought I would share how I make chicken fajitas with you.

Chicken Fajitas
Ingredients:
© Boneless skinless chicken breast – I find one per person is usually more than enough
© White onion, sliced into strips
© Green peppers, sliced into strips
© Taco or fajita seasoning of your choice (I use cumin, chili powder, Mexican oregano and garlic for mine)
© 1 well seasoned cast iron skillet
© Small amount of coconut oil
© Olive oil
© Optional toppings* shredded cheese, sour cream, lettuce, tomatoes, black olives, guacamole, avocado slices, salsa or low carb tortillas.
Method:
1. Cut chicken into strips, season liberally and pop in the fridge to marinade
2. Slice peppers and onions, drizzle with a little oil, I like olive oil for this, season with salt and pepper and pop in the fridge.
3. When ready to cook melt just a little coconut oil in your cast iron pan, let it heat over med high until it’s smoking hot. Add meat and stir. When the meat is cooked through, (only a couple of minutes), remove and add peppers and onions. Remember to scrap up any little brown bits from the bottom of the pan as you stir fry the veggies.
4. Return meat back to pan and serve immediately.
I prefer mine with sour cream, guacamole and salsa. All mixed up and spooned over a nice fresh bed of lettuce then sprinkled with the shredded cheese. It’s looks less than appetizing that way, but it tastes delish!!!
Fajitas are basically stir-fried. While you don’t have to have cast iron to make them, I think it gives the fajitas a good flavor. If you don’t have one, you might consider it. They are inexpensive and if well taken care of they will last forever. I have my grandmother’s chicken fryer, my mom’s 14’ and 12’ skillets and then I have a double burner grill/griddle, a grill pan and a huge Dutch oven. I adore them all. Cast iron does take a little care, but in return, you get a pan that gives you excellent heat dispersal, will last for generations to come, sears meat better than anything you have ever seen before and holds heat for a long time.

I sure wish I knew how to post pics here like I can on live spaces. I would love to have my pics and recipes in both places. Maybe one day I will figure it out.