Low FODMAP Pasta with Tomato Sauce

3 celery sticks, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 pounds fresh tomatoes, roughly chopped
1 cup water
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons white vinegar
Small bunch of basil leaves
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
16 ounces rice or quinoa pasta, cooked

Combine the celery and carrots in a pan with the olive oil. Cook over medium heat about 10 minutes, until the veggies are soft. Add the tomatoes, and turn up the heat. Add a pinch of salt and pepper, water, and vinegar. Give it a good stir, cover, and bring to a boil. Uncover and simmer for up to 30 minutes, stirring now and then. Once the tomatoes have broken down and the liquid has reduced, add the basil, take the pan off the stove and puree the sauce in a blender. Serve over cooked pasta.

Adapted from "The Extra Energy Diet" (Glamour Magazine, September 2012)

Low FODMAP Faux Fried Chicken

Makes: 6 servings
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 35 minutes

1/2 cup or more of lactose free, plain yogurt
2 cups crushed cornflakes
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs (about 2 pounds)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly coat a 13-by-9-inch baking dish with olive oil. Mix together cornflakes, salt, thyme, and black pepper on a piece of waxed paper. Dip chicken in yogurt and coat in cornflake mixture. Arrange chicken in a single layer in prepared baking dish. Bake chicken 35 minutes or until internal temperature registers 170 degrees on an instant-read thermometer.


Adapted from Fitness Magazine

Low FODMAP Better than Pollo Loco Chicken Thighs

6 ounces pineapple juice

2 tablespoons lime juice

1 tablespoon white vinegar

1 tablespoon oil

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1 teaspoon finely minced jalapeno, seeds included

1 teaspoon turmeric

2 1/2 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs

Mix all marinade ingredients in a 2-cup measuring cup. Place chicken in zipper-top bag, pour marinade in and squeeze out air from bag before sealing. Massage chicken in bag to make sure all pieces of chicken are bathing in marinade. Marinate in refrigerator for half a day, or overnight; turn bag occasionally to ensure chicken is entirely covered. When ready to grill, remove chicken from marinade (discard marinade) and grill chicken over medium heat until done, about 20-25 minutes, turning once for nice grill marks.

Adapted from Shockingly Delicious

Low FODMAP Oven Baked Wahoo (Ono)

I bought some frozen Ono fillets at Costco because I wanted to try something new. I looked online for a low FODMAP recipe and, after perusing several, found a simple way to prepare these fillets.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place fillets in oiled pan and drizzle with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Bake in oven for 25 - 30 minutes, turning once during cooking.

Low FODMAP Chicken Pot Pie

3 carrots, cubed

3 medium-size red potatoes, cubed

2 tablespoons chives, chopped

1/3 cup Tom Sawyer gluten free flour

2 sprigs fresh thyme

1 bay leaf

1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs

kosher salt and black pepper

2 rice wraps

1/3 lactose free yogurt

1/4 cup grated cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a 4- to 6-quart stoneware casserole, mix together the potatoes, carrots, chives, flour, thyme, bay leaf, and ½ cup water. Place the chicken on top; season with 1 teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Cover and cook until the chicken and vegetables are tender, about 1 hour. Add the yogurt and stir to combine. Place one rice wrap in bottom of pie plate (snip about ½ into edge around circumference so it will lay flat). Pour chicken and vegetable mixture over wrap. Sprinkle shredded cheese over mixture. Place remaining rice wrap over cheese and press down firmly. Return to oven to melt cheese (about 6-8 minutes). 

Adapted from Real Simple

Rice wraps (or tortillas) come in handy for sandwiches, but I recently started experimenting with them as an easy, gluten free crust. Trader Joe's rice tortillas are reasonably priced, and can perform remarkably well as a crust. However, they tend to crumble as a sandwich wrap.

Low FODMAP Potato Wedges

2 pounds of potatoes (small red-skin are the best)

1/4 cup olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

snipped chives (optional)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Wash and cut potatoes into wedges. Soak in cold water for 10 - 20 minutes. Drain and blot dry with paper towel. Add oil, salt, and pepper. Mix together. Spread potatoes out on oiled baking sheet and bake in oven for 20 minutes. Turn potatoes and cook 10 minutes longer. Turn again and cook until potatoes just begin to get crispy, about 10 more minutes.

Low FODMAP Cheesy Dinner Biscuits

Combine in large mixing bowl:

1½ cup TOM SAWYER Gluten Free Flour

½ t Salt

2¼ t Gluten free baking powder

Blend dry ingredients well

Combine in smaller mixing bowl;

1 egg (well beaten)

2 T olive oil

3/4 cup lactose free milk

¼ - ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese

½ t each parsley, basil, and oregano

Mix wet ingredients well. Pour wet ingredients into the bowl containing the dry ingredients and mix well. Drop large spoonful sizes of dough on baking sheet or place in containers of your choice. Bake in hot oven 450 degrees F for about 12 minutes.

Adapted from Glutenfreeflour.com

Low FODMAP Roasted Shrimp

1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined

¼ cup olive oil

1 tablespoon minced ginger

¼ teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Place the shrimp in a baking dish just big enough to hold them in a single layer. Toss with olive oil, ginger, and salt. Roast the shrimp for about 25 minutes, until pink and firm to the touch, turning them twice during cooking.

Roasted Red Peppers

Appropriate for a low FODMAP diet (see Chicken and Roasted Red Pepper Pasta Recipe)

6 – 8 large red peppers, cored and seeded, and chopped into 1-inch chunks

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1/2 cup tightly packed fresh basil leaves

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Heat oil and garlic cloves in pan on low to medium-low until bubbles start to form. Remove garlic from pan and discard. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Place peppers and basil in a roasting pan.  Drizzle olive oil on top, and toss to coat.  Slide pan into the oven and roast for at least one hour, stirring every 20 minutes.   (Stand back when opening the oven, there will be a lot of steam!)  When peppers are meltingly soft and beginning to blacken on the corners, remove from heat and allow to mellow at room temperature for another hour.  Toss with your favorite rice pasta or spoon over chicken. To freeze, simply spoon into pint-size freezer bags.  Thaw in refrigerator overnight and reheat in microwave for a quick and fabulous meal.

Adapted from Top8free.com

High Protein Low FODMAP Salad

I confess I am a bit of an improvisor when it comes to cooking. I'm an "on-hand" cook. Leftovers are my canvas; I like to think I am the artist! Sometimes the food is a flop, but I sometimes stumble upon a really delicious dish. This is one of them.

My husband honestly told me he didn't like the Greek Lemon Sauce. I thought it was pretty good, but I didn't want to cook more fish for dinner today. I stared into my refrigerator and wondered what I could possibly do with the 1/2 cup leftover sauce? First stop - the herb garden. I figured a few tablespoons of chopped chives would give it a little more flavor. Next stop - the leftover quinoa. I like to mix white and red to get a nuttier flavor so I usually cook it up in a 50-50 proportion. Throw in a few more leftovers and a can of tuna (you have to try mediterranean tuna) - and here we have a very filling midday pick-me-up!

4 tablespoons Greek lemon sauce with 1 tablespoon snipped chives

1/3 cup quinoa (red and white), cooked

1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese

2 cup fresh baby spinach, washed and chopped

1 5-ounce can Genova Tonno with olive oil

Toss ingredients together in bowl and serve!

Low FODMAP Chive Dip

5 tablespoons yogurt*

4 tablespoons fresh chives, chopped

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1 pinch salt

Mix and serve.

*Strain lactose free yogurt by lining a colander with cheese cloth, placing over a bowl, and straining for at least 5 hours.

Adapted from Food.com

Low FODMAP Greek Lemon Sauce

¾ cup boiling water

1 ½ teaspoons cornstarch dissolved in 1 ½ teaspoons water

1 egg (whole)

1 egg yolk

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Stir cornstarch paste into boiling water. Boil for 1 minute. Beat egg plus yolk until light and fluffy. Add lemon juice, beating. Gradually pour hot liquid into egg-lemon mixture, constantly beating (use a whisk). Return to pan. Heat gently, whisking, until slightly thickened. DON’T BOIL! Serve immediately.

Adapted from Moosewood Cookbook by Mollie Katzen. 

Low FODMAP Baked Cod

1 1/2  pounds cod, about 1/2 inch thick

3/4 cup cornmeal

1/4 cup Tom Sawyer Gluten Free Flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves

1/2 teaspoon pepper

2 eggs (or 1 egg and 1 egg white)

3 tablespoons olive oil

Heat oven to 500ºF. Cut fish fillet into 4x2-inch pieces. Mix remaining ingredients except eggs and butter. Dip fish into eggs, then coat with cornmeal mixture. Place fish on ungreased cookie sheet. Drizzle butter over fish. Bake 10 to 12 minutes, turning fish once, until golden brown.

Makes 6 servings

Adapted from Bettycrocker.com

Low FODMAP Maple Granola

1 32 ounce bag Trader Joe's Gluten Free Rolled Oats

1/2 cup extra virgin coconut oil

1/4 cup pure maple syrup

1/2 to 1 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 325 degrees (convect). Combine oil, maple syrup, and salt in a small  bowl. Microwave on high about 15 seconds. Place oats in a medium size bowl; pour oil and syrup mixture over top and mix together with a large spatula until the oats are coated. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Spread oat mixture over paper (it will probably take 2 to 3 batches). Place in oven and bake, stirring every 5 minutes until lightly browned (about 17 minutes). Do not overbake. Cool and serve with lactose free milk!

(1 serving)

3/4 cup Trader Joe's Gluten Free Rolled Oats

2 teaspoons extra virgin coconut oil

1 teaspoon pure maple syrup

dash salt

Low FODMAP Spinach Quiche

1/2 cup lactose free yogurt

1/2 cup lactose free milk

4 eggs, lightly beaten

8 ounces shredded cheddar cheese

5 ounces fresh chopped baby spinach

1 rice wrap (1/4 inch cuts made every ½ inch around the circumference)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line 9 inch pie plate with rice wrap. Line a cookie sheet with foil. In a large bowl, whisk together yogurt and milk until smooth. Whisk in eggs. Layer spinach and cheese in pie plate over rice wrap, making several layers of each. Pour in egg mixture. Place quiche on prepared cookie sheet. Cover quiche with foil. Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes. Remove cover, and bake 10 to 15 minutes, or until top is golden brown and filling is set.

Adapted from Allrecipes.com

Low FODMAP Chicken and Roasted Red Pepper Pasta

8 ounces rice pasta (elbows or rotini), cooked according to package directions
1 1/2 cups diced cooked chicken
1 small zucchini, peeled, seeded, and cubed
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 red peppers, roasted
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano.
1/2 cup lactose free plain yogurt
3/4 cup shredded cheese (mozzarella or cheddar)

Sautee zucchini in olive oil for about 3 minutes, stirring frequently. In a food processor, combine the red peppers, basil, oregano, and yogurt. Pulse until well blended. Combine with zucchini and chicken in a pot and reheat over medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Drain pasta after cooking and mix in with sauce. Sprinkle cheese over top and serve.

Low FODMAP Tabouli

1/2 cup quinoa
1/2 cup red quinoa
2 cups water
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup chopped green onions (green part only)
1 large or 2 medium tomatoes, diced
1 cup cucumber, peeled and chopped
2 tablespoons dried parsley
1/2 cup fresh mint leaves, chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
pepper to taste

Combine quinoa and water in pan. Bring to a boil, then turn to low, cover and cook for 15 minutes. Let cool. Combine remaining ingredients. Mix in quinoa. Refrigerate 2-3 hours before serving.

Low FODMAP Salmon Burgers

2 tablespoons olive oil

½ cup chopped green onions (tops only)

½ cup lemon juice

1 pound wild salmon, cut into 1 inch pieces

1 large egg, slightly beaten

2 tablespoons fresh dill

¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in skillet over medium heat. Add the scallions and cook 2 minutes, or until translucent. Increase heat to medium high and add the lemon juice and cook for 4 minutes, or until almost all the liquid evaporates. Transfer to a bowl to cool. Place the raw salmon in a food processor and pulse until coarsely ground. Add to the scallions. Mix in the egg, dill and pepper. Form into 4 equal patties. Heat the remaining oil in a large skillet. Sear the patties for about 2 minutes per side, or until golden brown and cooked through. Serve.

Low FODMAP Taco Salad

1 pound ground beef, browned
1 head romaine lettuce, broken into small pieces
1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
1/2 bunch green onions, chopped, tops only
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 tomato, chopped,
1/2 lime, cut into wedges and squeezed
1/2 cup lactose free yogurt
1 rice wrap

Microwave the rice wrap on a plate on high for 1 minute. Turn over and microwave 30 seconds longer. Let cool. Break into small pieces and toss with remaining ingredients.

Low FODMAP recipes from Taste.com

Vietnamese Noodle Soup

Oat and Lemon Crumbed Fish

Parsley and Quinoa Salad

Greek Style Roast Lamb

Chicken, Bacon, and Rice Bake

Butternut Squash and Spinach Salad

Thai Beef Salad Wrap

Simple Salmon Slice

Low FODMAP Diet

I spent the first four months of 2012 convinced that vitamin e was my rosacea trigger. The theory held pretty solid for three months, but by April, my symptoms had reappeared with a vengeance. I had reintroduced several low vitamin e foods slowly, but the cumulative affect of whatever the trigger(s) was too much for my system to bear. Ever vigilant at pinpointing my triggers, I began to research other possible culprits. I couldn't help but feel that the return of some gastrointestinal distress might be related. I happened upon a potential link between SIBO (small intestine bacterial overgrowth) and rosacea. While investigating SIBO, I happened upon IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) and a prescribed treatment of following a low FODMAP diet. What's this? Of course, I began looking over this theory by Sue Shepherd and figured I should give it a try. Several of the foods low in FODMAPs are also low in vitamin e - but not all of them. Sue also pointed out that the symptoms occur due to a cumulative effect of FODMAPs in our diet. Hmmmm. The research has already been conducted on irritable bowel syndrome; I am following the diet to see if it will also control my rosacea symptoms. So here we go (again)!

Shepherdworks website and explanation of FODMAPs

Homemade Lactose Free Yogurt

I wanted to try lactose-free yogurt and priced it at Sprout's this week - a whopping $1.35 for a 6 ounce container! Yikes! So instead of buying the yogurt, I bought the book IBS - Free at Last! Second Edition by Patsy Catsos for the Kindle ($9.95) and got a recipe for lactose-free yogurt. I had made yogurt in the past and wasn't sure if there was a trick to making it lactose-free. Ends up you just need to use lactose-free milk! I bought the Lactaid brand 1/2 gallon from Fry's for $4.19 but found out that Target sells their store brand (exact same ingredients) for $3.39. Either way, it will make 64 ounces of lactose-free yogurt which would have cost me $14.83 if I bought the 6 ounce containers from Sprouts. I guess the book has already paid for itself!

1 qt lactose-free milk (the fewer ingredients the better - mine had only milk, vitamin d3, and lactase)

2 T plain yogurt

Heat the milk in the microwave on high for 7 minutes. Do not boil. Let the milk cool to 115 degrees; it will take approximately 1 hour. When it reaches 115 degrees, mix the 2 tablespoons of yogurt with 1/2 cup milk in a small bowl. Pour into large bowl of warm milk. Incubate at 115 degrees for 4 - 8 hours.

I found a great idea online to incubate the yogurt with a heating pad. I placed my covered bowl of milk and yogurt in the bottom of the styrofoam cooler. I put the heating pad over the lid of the container and turned it on low. I replaced the cooler lid and let the mixture incubate for 8 hours. Perfect lactose-free yogurt!

Zucchini Slaw

Robert's garden is growing zucchini in abundance at the moment. I'm not sure how they will respond to the 110 degrees coming tomorrow, but I did invent a little salad for lunch today:

1 large zucchini, seeded and shredded
1 pink grapefruit, peeled, segmented, and chopped
1 tablespoon ginger, minced or pressed

Mix together in large bowl.

Minty Ginger Lemonade

I threw together a quick lemonade for my friends baby shower. I used about 3/4 gallon water, 1 19-oz container Country Time Lemonade, 1 liter sparkling mineral water, about 1 dozen mint leaves, and 1/4 cup peeled and sliced ginger. Refreshingly delicious!

Low FODMAP Yogurt Marinated Chicken

1/2 cup plain fat-free yogurt

2 tablespoons chopped chives
2 tablespoons lemon juice

3/4 teaspoon ground ginger or 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 -6 boneless chicken breasts

Combine first five ingredients and pour into a large ziploc bag. Add the chicken to the bag, seal, and turn bag to coat chicken with mixture. Refrigerate 8 hours or overnight.

Grill over indirect medium heat until done or bake in an oven.

Recipe from Food.com

Pork and Cashew Stir Fry

1 tablespoon olive oil, infused with clove of garlic (remove garlic)
1 tablespoon ginger, minced

1 ½ to 2 pounds pork loin, sliced thin

1 bunch green onions, green parts only, cut into 1 inch pieces

Juice from 1 orange

½ cup cashews

Heat oil in skillet or wok. Add garlic and stir fry until lightly brown. Add pork and stir fry for 3-5 minutes until no longer pink. Add minced ginger and large onion. Continue to stir fry over medium high heat until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add green onions and orange juice. Continue stirring, cooking off the liquid until thick. Remove from heat; add cashews and mix. Serve with rice.

Chicken and Rice Soup

16 cups chicken broth from poached chicken

2 cups raw vegetables (zucchini, carrots, celery)

1 cup diced chicken

1/3 cup mahogany rice

Cook vegetables in chicken broth until tender. Blend in blender. Return to pot and add chicken and rice. Cook about 40 minutes longer over low heat. Salt and pepper to taste.

Gluten Free Lemon Muffins

1 cups Tom Sawyer Gluten Free flour

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 large egg

1/3 cup rice milk

1/4 cup white sugar

1/4 cup low fat plain yogurt

1/2 tbsp grated lemon peel

1/2 tbsp lemon juice

Position a rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Grease a standard 6-muffin pan or line with paper or silicone liners. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, salt, lemon peel, and sugar. In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, sugar, lemon juice, and yogurt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix together with a few light strokes, just until the dry ingredients are moistened. Do not overmix; the batter should not be smooth. Divide the batter among the muffin cups. Sprinkle a little cane sugar on muffin tops before placing in oven. Bake until a toothpick inserted in 1 or 2 of the muffins comes out clean, about 12 to 18 minutes depending on how big the muffins are. Let cool for 2 to 3 minutes before removing from the pan. If not serving hot, let cool on a rack.

Vasodilators in Food

In keeping with the intent of this blog, I am recording my latest insight into my rosacea triggers. I have been following the low vitamin e diet closely for the past 2 1/2 months with great success. This past week, I decided to treat myself to some watermelon. Now in my mind, watermelon's primary ingredient is water, so it will keep me well hydrated in this vast desert, so the more I eat the better! Right? Wrong! I tackled that full-sized melon in 24 hours flat! However, the consequences were immediately apparent. I suffered from an outbreak of papules and pustules (only 3 or 4, but after 2 1/2 months of none, it was a disappointment). I began to research what could have gone wrong and discovered that an entire watermelon does have over 4 mg of vitamin e (gasp!) and that watermelon also contains high levels of citrulline which convert to nitric oxide which is a vasodilator - so keep away!

Citrulline in Watermelon

Barbecued Beef Steak with Orange Marinade

2 pounds top sirloin, 2 inches thick

1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger root

2 oranges, juiced

Directions

Make crisscross cuts on surface of meat on both sides, and place in a shallow dish. Reserve 1/2 cup orange juice. Mix remaining orange juice with ginger. Pour over meat, and marinate in refrigerator for at least 6 hours.

Preheat grill for medium heat.

Brush grate with oil, and place steak on grill. Cook for 10 to 12 minutes per side, or until done. Remove from grill, and rest for several minutes.

Meanwhile, heat reserved orange juice. Slice meat, and transfer to a serving platter. Pour heated orange juice over the meat.

Barbecued Beef Steak with Orange Marinade

Low FODMAP Gingered Sticky Rice

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

1/2 cup short-grain rice

5 quarter-sized slices fresh ginger

Pinch of kosher salt

Directions:

Combine all of the ingredients with 1 1/4 cups of water in a saucepan and cook over moderately low heat, covered, for 20 minutes, until the rice is tender. Remove the ginger slices and serve.

Gingered Sticky Rice at Wholeliving.com

Low FODMAP Cheddar Cheese Sauce

Ingredients:

1/4 cup Tom Sawyer Gluten Free Flour

2 cups lactose free milk
1 1/4 cups (5 ounces) shredded sharp cheddar cheese 

Directions:

Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Place flour in a medium, heavy saucepan; gradually add milk, stirring with a whisk until blended. Place over medium heat; cook until thick (about 8 minutes), stirring constantly. Remove from heat; add cheese, stirring until melted.

Swiss Cheese Sauce: Substitute 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Swiss cheese for the shredded cheddar cheese. Then proceed with the recipe.

Adapted from Cheddar Cheese Sauce on Myrecipes.com

Quick and Easy Broiled Turkey Burgers

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

1 lb ground turkey
3 tablespoons finely chopped green onions, green part only

3 tablespoons water

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon ground pepper

Directions:
Mix ingredients thoroughly with hands. Shape into 4-5 patties, approximately 3/4" thick. Broil with burgers 3 inches from heat. Cook 5-7 minutes on each side (burgers should brown slightly).

Turkey Burgers on Food.com

Poached Chicken

Yield Makes 6 cups
Serves 8

Ingredients

1 whole chicken (about 4 pounds)

Chopped carrots, celery, and zucchini
2 teaspoons coarse salt

Directions

Place chicken, breast side down, vegetables, and salt in a large pot. Cover with water. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 40 minutes. Remove chicken from pot, reserving 1/2 cup cooking liquid. Let chicken stand until cool enough to handle. Shred meat, and mix with reserved cooking liquid.

Cook's Note

Reserve the cooking liquid and simmer it with the chicken carcass for an hour to make a simple homemade chicken stock.

Poached Chicken on Marthastewart.com

Low FODMAP Thai Chicken Rice Stick Soup

10 – 12 cups chicken broth

¼ cup grated (or pressed) ginger

Juice from one lemon or two limes

8 oz package rice sticks

1 – 2 bunches green onions, green parts only, chopped

Mint leaves for garnish

Mix together in large pot first three ingredients. Bring to a boil, then turn heat low to simmer. Add rice sticks and green onions, stirring occasionally. Serve when rice sticks are tender.

Nutrition Information

Cashew Cookie "Larabar" Recipe

8 oz seedless, pitted whole dates
1/2 cup whole raw unsalted cashews

Instructions:

Chop nuts in food processor blender until in small pieces. Pulse dates until there are no chunks left. Empty dates into the same bowl with the cashews. With clean hands or a big spoon mix the two together until all the nuts have been incorporated. The ball will be stiff. Place ball in gallon-size ziploc bag. Flatten to about 1-1/2 inch thickness with a rolling pin or your hands and even out sides (to be cut into bars). Refrigerator for at least 20 minutes before cutting.

I store the block in the ziploc bag and cut off the bars as I want them. My first batch was sticky, so I may increase the amount of cashews next time.

Recipe from "The Inner Gourmet"

Nutrition Information

Gluten Free Blueberry Muffins

Gluten Free Blueberry Muffins

1 1/2 cups Tom Sawyer Gluten Free flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 large egg

1/2 cup rice milk
1/4 cup coconut oil

1/4 cup white sugar

1/2 cup frozen blueberries, thawed

Thaw blueberries. Position a rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Grease a standard 6-muffin pan or line with paper or silicone liners. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, sugar, and oil. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix together with a few light strokes, just until the dry ingredients are moistened. Do not overmix; the batter should not be smooth. Fold in the thawed blueberries. Divide the batter among the muffin cups. Sprinkle a little sugar on muffin tops before placing in oven. Bake until a toothpick inserted in 1 or 2 of the muffins comes out clean, about 12 to 18 minutes depending on how big the muffins are. Let cool for 2 to 3 minutes before removing from the pan. If not serving hot, let cool on a rack.

Nutrition Information

Rosacea Triggered by Vitamin E?

I have searched the internet for any connection between rosacea and vitamin e. The only connection I have found is product advertisement toting vitamin e's skin benefits. Based on my experience, I am ready to conclude that vitamin e is actually the trigger for rosacea. Think about it - rosacea appears to be a vascular disorder (http://www.rosacea.org/patients/faq.php). Vitamin E is a vasodilator (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16046707). Research shows that people with high levels of cathelcidin and stratum corneum tryptic enzymes have a response such as flushing, pustules, and/or papules and theoretically the vascular structure of the face has changed and dilation of the blood vessels are tied to the reaction. Finally, when you consider the most common food triggers of rosacea (http://www.rosacea.org/rr/1999/winter/article_3.php), most of these foods are high in vitamin e. I will continue monitoring my vitamin e consumption, but for the past 2 weeks I have not had another outbreak of pustules since I have limited my vitamin e consumption.

Fish Oil Spoil

As always, rosacea is an adventure. The ride has its ups and downs, and I've been going downhill for the past two weeks. . . I thought I'd find some success applying my theory that an anti-inflammatory diet and topical treatment would be the ticket. However, the "trigger" factor of some seemingly benign substances continue to confound me. This time the culprit appears to be glycerin or d tocopherol (Vit E). Who knew that fish oil supplements, boasting their 1300mg of anti-inflammatory Omega-3s contain such vexing vehicles of menace? Since discontinuing use of the fish oil supplements, the inflammation has subsided and the skin is beginning to heal. I have included salmon in my diet daily and hypothesize that the Vitamin B-12 must be the key component that has been keeping the inflammation down. We shall see . . .

Sebamed Cleanser

I purchased Sebamed Cleanser online through Costco. It was a substantial investment as the warehouse sells it packaged as two 32-ounce pumps for around $40. Surprisingly, a little goes a long way! The idea behind Sebamed is the natural pH of skin is 5.5 and all the products we use on our skin throws the pH off balance. I have been using the cleanser for about 3 days now and like the feel of it. I haven't had any negative reactions thus far and no new rosacea symptoms. The p&ps (2) are healing. So right now I will continue the cleanser, the morning application of sea buckthorn seed oil, fish oil, curcumin, and probiotic supplements and the anti-inflammatory diet.

Sea Buckthorn Seed Oil

Today I bought a 10 ml bottle of sea buckthorn seed oil. I read that it can effectively treat inflammatory skin conditions and that it is also a natural sunblock. I purchased it because of course I want to treat my inflammatory skin (rosacea) but also because I have not yet found a sunscreen that doesn't irritate my skin. I have finally resigned that the sunlight probably does irritate the rosacea and that I should wear sunscreen and a hat when I go out. So what did I do with my sea buckthorn seed oil? I applied 4 drops to my freshly washed face, working it in gently. I felt immediate relief but time will tell if there will be visible changes to the p & ps.

Is Rosacea an Inflammatory Disease? AID (Anti-Inflammatory Diet) - Let's Try It!

If you've done any extensive research on the rosacea question, I'm sure you've come across the demodex mites, the trigger foods, the sun exposure, hormones, temperature changes, vascular, genetic, and inflammation theories. My question is always "Why can't anybody figure this thing out!!!!" Yeah, the frustration level is pretty high. I've thought to myself and have heard others say, "Count your blessings. It could be worse. All you're dealing with is red skin." And I truly believe that. But when your skin is inflamed, you do experience chronic pain due to the inflammation. You become self-conscious because if you can feel it, surely everyone around you can SEE it. I totally get the psychological implications of what to us seems to be a very visible disease. I even find myself searching for other rosaceans in public. Does she have rosacea? Look at his skin, hmmm. I wonder if they can eat chocolate and drink coffee without worrying about how it will make them look or feel?

So I decided several months ago to follow the inflammatory condition angle of the disease and began an inflammation free diet (see The Inflammation Free Diet Plan by Monica Reinagel and visit http://inflammationfactor.com/). I have modified my diet extensively to remove "trigger foods." The whole idea of trigger foods is an anomaly to me so I'll get to that later. So what am I doing to try to control the inflammation of rosacea by diet? I'll start with the supplements: acidophilus, curcumin, and fish oil daily. As far as food goes, Monica Reinagel recommends a combined IF rating of 200 or above for the therapeutic inflammation free diet. If you want to check the IF (Inflammation Factor) of the foods you are eating, you can refer to Monica's book, or check out Self's Nutrition Database at http://nutritiondata.self.com/.

When I first began eating a low inflammatory diet, I thought I would die from malnutrition. No joke! I scheduled an appointment with a dietician because I was already borderline underweight and sure that I would be missing key nutrients and calories by limiting my food choices. As I cut out processed foods however, I realized that cooking from scratch was a lot easier than I ever thought it would be and the food actually tasted pretty good. Also, when I cut sugar out of my diet, I suddenly didn't crave sweets anymore. Has the low inflammatory diet cured my rosacea? No. But I have noticed that when I reach a higher IF rating on a regular basis my rosacea is less inflamed.

Erythromycin

I visited my dermatologist two weeks ago - annual trip due to family history of melanoma. Of course, we talked briefly about the rosacea. He suggested I try erythromycin and I finally caved in to the ANTIBIOTIC route. I had previously tried Oracea for about a week and my rosacea was worse for the wear, so trying another antibiotic was a BIG DEAL for me. I was somewhat surprised that it worked at clearing up a couple papules/pustules right away. (For anyone who doesn't have rosacea, I apologize for the graphic content. For us rosaceans, papules and pustules are just our way of life!) However, after two weeks - voila! - p & ps are back again. So if rosacea is an inflammatory condition, the erythromycin is a short-lived solution . . .

New Year's Rosacealution

In order to try to maintain my sanity, I've decided to go public with my rosacea cure quest. It really can easily consume me given my obsessive-compulsive tendencies, so the blog is really my self-prescribed therapy this year. I've tried several different strategies and researched many theories of what causes rosacea, so I'm really just going to debrief here and self-reflect. If anyone else reads it - great! Maybe you have some suggestions you can add. If no one reads it - great! I just need to do this for myself. So here goes . . .