crabby Kat's Journal, 22 June 2013

Wow, I just had to compliment you on your success! I hope I will be able to follow in your footsteps one day, you seem so determined... Well, I couldn't help but look at the food you're eating and saw a whole bunch of stuff I'd love to know how to make like the whole wheat flax bread and especially the banana balls (they sound really yummy). So, if you don't mind, can you share some of your wonderful recipes with me or let me know where I can find them? Thank you ;-) 

I hope you listen to that doctor. It is wonderful that your MS is in check and the fact that you have lost weight and now eat such healthy food but you have changed addictions and become addicted to exercise :) I wish I could understand that lol. I hope you can rest your sore bits and give them time to heal. I had to smile (with you) and picturing you sitting with ice packs on your sore bits. It must be hard for you to sit still long enough to ice those bits. Hopefully you will listen to the doc and exercise less nor at least not so hard. The nut butters sound yummy. I presume you put them on the home made bread you make - oh sounds soooo good. 

Oh, balls! Banana balls, that is, lol. Easy recipe! 1/2 medium banana 1 Tbsp. nut butter, natural (peanut, almond, sunflower, pistachio; your choice) Dash of cinnamon 1 Tbsp. chopped apricots (or raisins) 3/4 cup old fashioned oats 1/2 Tbsp. honey or agave ~1 1/2 Tbsp. unsweetened coconut Mash banana and nut butter, cinnamon. Mix in apricots, oats, and honey. Shape into 8 balls, roll in coconut (or cocoa powder). Refrigerate 30 minutes. You can input the recipe into your cookbook and be able to record accurately the nutritional info in your food diary. I found out that if you flatten them a bit, but in a plastic freezer bag & freeze, they make a nice cool treat You can also double the recipe and use the food processor, mixing up the gooey ingredients first, then pulsing in the oats & apricots. Variations: I've used curry powder & spicy peanut butter & made some savory banana balls. Chocolate, add 1 Tbsp. cocoa powder, replace the apricots with 1 Tbsp. mini chocolate chips. This increases the calories a little, but when you need a chocolate fix.... Best of luck, SoLosingIt. I'll figure out how to send you the recipe for my whole wheat flax bread. I use a bread machine, so I try lots of different whole grain breads, but the whole wheat flax is my favorite. Isabel, I mix a tablespoon of a nut butter with 2 Tablespoons (or 1/4 cup if I want more) nonfat greek yogurt & make a luscious creamy spread for my home made bread, toasted. I had two slices with a cup of coffee for breakfast (I wanted an indulgent weekend breakfast) and it kept me going for a long time. I made Turkey Enchilada Casserole for dinner with steamed broccoli. I cut jicama into sticks & made a dip out of 1/4 cup nonfat greek yogurt & 1/2 Tbsp. of some local pinapple jalapeno jam; heavenly! I guess I inherited the addiction thing; a brother died from complications of alcoholism, my mom's was eating. I drank & ate too much when I was young, quit in 1986. Replaced it with mountain climbing, aerobics, walking, etc. Tore up my knee skiing, replaced the active stuff with food. Lots of it. I love to cook and bake; now I can be addicted to finding healthy recipes, making good food with great ingredients I enjoy shopping for. My exercise classes are also a great social thing for me, so that's one more thing that hurts when I'm injured & can't go. So, here I am with my buddies that I should visit more often. I can also do my stretches, massage the parts of my foot that need it, roll my foot over a frozen bottle of water. I love to read, so I can spend hours doing that. I'm trying not to get addicted to Facebook, lol. Breakfast tomorrow; toast with pecan butter mixed in greek yogurt with coffee to fuel me for a Zumba class. I'll take it easy, wear my more supportive dance tennis shoes, & do all my stretches & ice my foot after. I'll be a good girl, :o)  

Sounds like you have an awesome doc. What a pain to have to slow down, yet I can so relate! You have a great spirit and you have come so far! That freeze-dried edamame sounds delish! Take it ez, hope that foot starts treating you better asap! 

Thank you, Crabby Kat! I'll have to try a whole bunch of the recipes you posted - they all sound so delicious ;-) 

Hi, Just keeping a check on you - hope you are doing well :)