unsuspecting foodie

 Dear Readers, I hope a few of you are still connected. It would be nice to hear from you.  Today, I finished an easy homemade hummus recipe. Hummus--anything made from beans or peas--is by nature not low carb. However, in moderation it is a wonderful addition to the diet.  https://www.inspiredtaste.net/15938/easy-and-smooth-hummus-recipe / My version looks similar to the one with the recipe's post. It is mild for February in Champaign.  Hope you are able to enjoy the day. Happy eating! Faye

My nephew, Brian, recently mentioned the value of smoothies.  I tried one the other day (see photo) and it was great!  I kept this one low carb and didn't add fruit but could easily add blueberries (and even some greens) in the future.  In this one I used Jay Robb egg white protein powder, Fage yogurt, Almond milk (good source of calcium), and water.  Simple, delicious, satisfying! 

  Dear Readers, Thank you for your patience as I have been on a blogging hiatus.  My diet has been rather routine of late.  Today is the birthday of the person who inspired me start up this version of blog after I'd abandoned the original attempt--my cousin Bobbi.  For her and for of all of you patient, kind, and loyal readers, here is today's post. This morning I made a dish I hope you will enjoy. It combined two sunny side up eggs (make sure the whites are well cooked and remember you can eat around the yolk) with gluten free oatmeal (about 1/4 cup to watch those carbs) and Ceylon cinnamon, apple slices with almond butter, and salsa (had a taste for it.) I also drank approximately one cup of almond/coconut milk for the calcium. I appreciate you all!!

 Hello, My birthday was this past Sunday. Joyce had a cake delivered. It was the perfect cake! This is especially the right cake for those of us on special diets of one sort or another. It is a non-edible, multi-layered, flower cake. Check out the photo.  Hope you are well and enjoying fall.  Hugs, Faye

 Inspired by my friend Lisa M, who recently posted a "modified" version of S alade Niçoise, I tried my hand at preparing the dish (see photo). The different colors and design of this dish caught my attention. I used green olives and a mix of potatoes that I had on hand in addition to other veggies and hard boiled eggs. It was tasty and nutritious. The design didn't work out quite as planned but the colors remain vibrant, in my opinion. Not certain but I might get to see my cousin Bobbi next weekend at a family lunch in the Chicago area. She was my biggest cheerleader for initiating this blog. If I am lucky and see her, perhaps she can teach me the proper pronunciation of this dish as she is fluent in French and taught it for years. Enjoy!

Hello! First, thank you for continuing to read my blog. Posts have been sparse of late and yet, I see there remain readers. Much appreciated. Second, cucumbers this season are not coming along as well as last year's crop. However, we still have time to see if anything materializes.  Last, but not least, below is today's featured photo. I will see my personal trainer, Matt Rossbach of mLAB Fitness , later this morning and I chose eggs for protein with onions and red pepper for flavor to tide me over before the workout. I drank a cup of Almond Breeze blend almond/coconut milk, 450 mg calcium in 1 cup. At some point this morning, probably after training, I'll eat fruit with yogurt. I like making the eggs over easy because I can monitor how much of the yolk I eat at one time.  Turns out, I needed something more than the featured eggs and added a rice cake with a spoonful of almond butter. That should suffice until after this morning's training session.  Enjoy!

 Hello, I hope you are staying cool during what, at least in Champaign, is hot weather.  Today, I prepared a cold dish made with silken soft tofu, 3 scallions finely sliced, 1/2 teaspoon (or so) of toasted sesame oil, and a tablespoon of soy sauce (can use coconut amino if you don't use soy.)  I added toasted sesame seeds, listed as optional. You may add other ingredients but the basic recipe was delicious. Refrigerate or eat right away. One thing to keep in mind is that, apparently, silken tofu crumbles easily. I look forward to eating this dish as part of tomorrow's Shabbos lunch. Take care and stay well. Faye

 This fruit pie was given to us by our friend, Jim. It's made with gluten free flour for the crust. It's delicious!

 Early this spring, I spread a packet of lettuce greens in our south garden area. It didn't appear that they had taken hold and then after rain, cooler weather, and sun, they emerged. I enjoyed a few homegrown  greens with lunch. The wonder, and joy, of spring.  Take care!

Thank you for your patience. Food choices of late have not inspired me to post. Tonight begins Shavuot . It is customary to eat dairy foods on this holiday. Thus post's photo features gluten free pizza and a slice of cheesecake. Salad was also part of the meal.  The pizza basically covered my carb portion of the evening. I only had a nimble of cheesecake as I don't think it is gluten free or low carb. However, for tradition, why not?  Happy Shavuot! I hope you are well. Please continue to be careful out there even though some of the COVID-19 restrictions are being lifted. To your good health!

 Happy Passover to those reading this blog who celebrate it.  Happy Easter to those who will celebrate that holiday this Sunday.  Happy Spring to all! Our Passover menu this week is, in a word, bland. As perhaps is appropriate given the nature of the holiday. I mean after some deprivation, the experience of freedom seems to me to be enhanced. Thoughts? So, instead of posting a food item today I am going to post a photo of a bird Buddy (our dog) and I saw this afternoon while on a walk in Crystal Lake Park in Urbana, IL.  It is a bluebird. There were a pair of them (male and female) near where we were standing at one point. It was magnificent to observe the pair. I don't know about you, I find being around birds in nature soothing.  No, this isn't a photo I took--it is from the Internet. The birds were close enough for me to see them but not close enough for my iPhone camera to get a decent picture.

Hello, I made pesto using basil from my relatively new Aero Garden.  The pesto isn't that photogenic but the Aero Garden is neat to see.   Stay warm and well! Faye

Hello, Here's a simply nutritious meal of steamed salmon topped with minced garlic; also on the plate is spinach with feta cheese; rice with guacamole and veggies.  One of my loved ones doesn't like salmon so I have been slow to post about it.  You can, of course, substitute another fish for salmon. This was easy to prepare and tasty. Hope you are well.  Enjoy!

 Hope 2021 is off to a pleasant start for you! I've been curious about cabbage and its uses.  Today's featured photo is of stuff cabbage hot out of the oven--the cabbage is stuffed with vegetables and rice.  I enjoyed preparing the cabbage by removing outer leaves and then submerging the remaining cabbage into boiling water for a few minutes.  I sautéed sweet pepper and then used other veggies, that I had cooked earlier in the week that needed to be used, for the filling.  I added some parmesan cheese and salsa for flavor and baked it in the oven until thoroughly heated and the cheese had melted.  It was fun to experiment and roll the veggies within the very cooperating cabbage leaves.  Enjoy!

 May 2021 be filled with joy, good health, and laughter for each of you and your families. Yesterday, I baked the oatmeal version of "Everyone's Muffins" from Laurel's Kitchen.  The book was given to me years ago by Diana Harrison.  It has weathered moves and lots of smudges reading a recipe while preparing one.  However, it remains a very useful resource.  I added walnuts which I think enhanced the flavor.  Gaining some experience with active dry yeast.  A pleasant surprise--the gluten free dough rose well with the active dry yeast ingredients.  Today's photo features one batch of the yeast raised muffins--I think this is an example of looks can be deceiving--they look just "okay" to me but they taste good.  May your year, too, be filled with welcome surprises. All the best, Faye

Hello, I hope you are doing well.  My diet has become rather routine; however, the other night for Joyce's birthday I prepared mushroom barley soup.  I used most of the recipe from Moosewood Cookbook except no sherry and not as much butter as described in the  recipe .  For those on low-carb &/or gluten-free diets, I am careful to ladle into my bowl more broth/mushrooms than barley but I find a bit barley is nice on occasion.    Enjoy!

Wanted to share that I recently purchased a bamboo steamer--haven't owned one for many years.   It is two-tiered so one can steam protein on one lower tier (closest to the steam) and veggies on the other, higher, tier.   Today's post features a photo of the steamer as well as a photo of steamed veggies I prepared yesterday.  I am thankful to you for reading my words on this blog.  I hope you have a very Happy Thanksgiving. Faye

Hello, Kale and Chard have done well in the garden this fall.  At last, it is harvest time for what remains in the garden.  Today's photo features kale/chard from this fall's crop as well as some protein (chicken) and sides.  I hope you are well and taking care. Faye

 Hello to all readers of this blog.  I wonder if you are finding, as am I, that the diet when going out to eat (due to the pandemic) has become rather routine.  Nothing wrong with that per se, I just haven't found that many dishes to post. However, today's featured item--Portobello mushroom sandwich--was homemade and tasty.  Of the two mushrooms, one has cheese on  top and the other is topped with homemade guacamole (although there is cheese underneath it).  There is also spinach, onion, and sweet pepper as part of the filling.  I baked it in the oven at 350 degrees until it was soft.   I very much hope you are doing well.  Enjoy the weekend! All the best, Faye

Hope you are doing well! Periodically, we've been getting food from local restaurants in support of them during the pandemic.  Today's featured photo is of a black bean burger from Farren's Pub and Eatery.  They have a very easy contactless pick-up process.  With black beans someone watching their carbs has to be careful, the bun is not gluten-free but as the sandwich is open-face I was able to work around it.  It was nice for a change. Note:  The chips were unexpectedly spicy, if you like spicy food you may not find them that spicy.  I tend toward mild foods that verge on the bland-side so probably won't select the chips if and when we order again from them.  Still, it was so nice not to cook, to support a local establishment, and to enjoy the tasty food. Take care.