Foodie Friday: Farmer's Market Edition

I talk a lot about diabetes on this blog, hence the name, but today I am going to talk about another part of my life: cooking. Cooking is a passion of mine. Nothing comforts and excites me more than being in the kitchen letting my creative juices flow into a magnificent meal. The thing about my cooking is that I don't measure, at least most of the time.  I want to start a new series on my blog: Foodie Friday.  It is a way for me to share my passion with you all!

Cooking is a big part of my family. Both of my grandmothers were amazing cooks as is my mom. In fact my mom started a cooking blog Cocina Eclectica where she shares her love of cooking and some family favorite recipes. Please give her some blog love!


I've talked before about how much Steve and I love going to the Farmer's Market. It provides such a great inspiration for my cooking! On Thursday there is a Farmer's Market right outside of Steve's office so he stops by on his way home to pick up some fresh veggies. One of the stands at the market sells these amazing crab cakes that are made fresh. When Steve comes home I never know what exactly he has bought. It always makes for a fun surprise! I love putting everything together into a delish salad.

This salad included the following:

• Fresh Rasberries
• Lettuce
• Green Beans
• Tomato
• Goat Cheese
• Cucumbers
• Crab Cake

All of the ingredients, except for the Goat Cheese, is from the farmers market.

To make the salad dressing I never measure. I know but I've made it so many times that it is second nature to me. One of my favorite ways to do it is by using an almost empty jar of Dijon Mustard.  Make sure there is at least a good spoonful in the jar. I put in some olive oil. Try filling the jar up about half an inch to an inch. Next I add some vinegar.  I use Rice Vinegar or white balsamic. It should be half of the amount of oil. Then I add a pinch of salt and pepper and a splash of water. Close the jar and sh-sh-shake it! Taste it and add any ingredients you think it needs.

For the salad I wash everything really well. Then I chop up the lettuce until it is all bite sized. Next I chop the tomato, cucumbers and green beans into little bite size pieces as well. I throw it all into a bowl and pour some salad dressing (amount at your discretion) in the bowl. Mix the salad really well. Plate the salad and top with goat cheese and raspberries.

To make the crab cakes I first preheat the over to 350 degrees and put the two crab cakes (one for each of us) in to cook for about 20 minutes. After 20 minutes I flip the cakes and let them cook for another 10 minutes. Then I place them on top of the salad and sit down and chow down!

This is my favorite summer salad! What is your favorite salad?

Have a good weekend!

To Carb Or Not To Carb

 I hope you all are enjoying Diabetes Blog Week as much as I am! The topics have really gotten me thinking, which is a good thing.  Here's today's topic: To carb or not to carb.



Thursday 5/13 - To carb or not to carb. Today let’s blog about what we eat. And perhaps what we don’t eat. Some believe a low carb diet is important in diabetes management, while others believe carbs are fine as long as they are counted and bolused for. Which side of the fence do you fall on? What kind of things do you eat for meals and snacks? What foods do you deem bolus-worthy? What other foodie wisdom would you like to share?

I've talked a little bit here about my "food philosophy" but today's topic is a chance to expand on that.

I'm a carb lover. There are not a lot of carby foods that I don't love.

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The thing about my love of carbs is that it makes maintaining my blood sugar levels difficult. I've never been a believer in a "diabetes diet"  but I do believe in moderation. I can eat anything I want as long as I bolus but not at every single meal. Lucky for my diabetes is that Steve isn't a fan of bread or pastas. I know, who doesn't like pasta?! On occasion I eat a carb-heavy meal but I always pay for it with blood sugars that are harder to control. That and it goes straight to my hips and but.

While I am trying to cut down on my carbs there is no way I would go no-carb. Our bodies need carbs and if you already have kidney damage too much protein is not healthy for you. Luckily, *knock on wood* I don't have kidney damage. Of course this is my opinion and there are people out there who completely disagree with me. That's ok. So I guess I should rephrase my previous statement and say that no-carb isn't for everyone. (Please don't leave mean comments!)

Fruits and veggies are probably my favorite food groups. I could probably be a vegetarian if there weren't so many meat dishes I liked.  

To carb or not to carb? Well, is say carb but in moderation. I try to choose whole grain carbs but on occasion a grilled cheese on white bread tastes so damn good. If I want a treat like a cupcake I have it but I make sure to not eat it every day. Moderation, people, moderation.
 

Thoughts on Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution

The latest obsession in our household is Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution. In reality, it shouldn't be much of a surprise to us that we like the concept of this show so much. You see, while Steve and I worked for a Member of Congress (yes, we worked together but that is another story)  he was in charge of food safety for the Member.  I actually worked with him a lot on the issue.

We learned a lot of stuff about our food safety, things part of me wishes I never learned. All the information I learned piqued my interest as well as Steve's. I've tried to everything I can to make sure we eat as healthy as possible. We still have not-so-good-for-you meals, but overall we eat a lot of organic healthy food. I try to keep a ton of fruits and veggies in the house. During the summer we go the the Farmer's Market so we end up eating a lot of local produce and meat.

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Watching Jamie's Food Revolution has reconfirmed our commitment to try to eat non-processed foods as much as possible. We don't always, but overall we do a pretty good job.

It just boggles my mind how the USDA counts french fries as a veggie for school lunches. Or how all those kids in the elementary school barely knew what each vegetable was when Jamie was asking them.

I guess I was lucky growing up in Southern California and having a big garden where my mom grew most of our veggies and a lot of our fruits. We had amazing fruits and vegetables growing up. My favorite snack was fruit salad (just chopped up pieces of fruit thrown together with a splash of fresh oj) and I rarely ever complained about eating my veggies. I don't think I had a diet full of frozen and canned veggies until I moved to the Midwest for college. Frozen and canned veggies were very very rare in my parents house.

The thing about Jamie's Food Revolution that I think is so important is that it is showing America exactly what is causing the rise in Type 2 Diabetes. The show doesn't distinguish between type 1 or type 2 and  wish they would but that is not the center of the show. This show is all about food.

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I don't believe in a diet for diabetes. I do believe in eating whole foods. I do believe in intuitive eating and moderation (if you are craving a pizza have a slice and a big salad.)

Have you been watching Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution? What are your thoughts on the show? What is your diet philosophy?

Please sign Jamie Oliver's Petition which is to the left of this.