Pumpkin White Hot Chocolate

As the years pass, the pumpkin spice latte seems to only gain popularity.  This year, they've added a hashtag, and everyone is all like "Yeah! #PSL!" and I'm all like "Humph." until a few days ago.

The weather is getting a little cooler here- at least in the mornings and evenings, and all it does is make me want to follow the trend and drink a pumpkin spice latte.  Before IC, I was a HUGE coffee drinker, especially in the winter.  When it is cold outside, all I want to do is curl up under a blanket and drink a nice hot cup of coffee.  These days a large mug of herbal mint tea works most days.  However, what I've learned is that some days just demand a warm pumpkiny fall drink.  On one of those days is when this Pumpkin White Hot Chocolate was created.

Pumpkin White Hot Chocolate

(makes 2 large mugs)
4 Tbl Pumpkin
2 C. Milk
1/2 C. white chocolate (chips, chunks, whatever)
A sprinkle of pumpkin pie spice**
milk frother

In a saucepan over medium heat, combine milk, white chocolate, and pumpkin.  Wisk periodically allowing chocolate to melt and ingredients meld together.  Once ingredients are mixed and very warm, pour into 2 mugs.  Using your milk frother, froth the milk until you have several inches of delicious foam.  Sprinkle with pumpkin pie spice at your own risk... Enjoy!!

(Warning- my little milk frother had a little bit of pumpkin in it after frothing this mixture- I soaked it in hot water and soap and was able to pull the little bits of pumpkin out.  As an alternative, you can just froth the milk and pour it on top- however, just know this pumpkin foam is to die for, trust me.)

**So, pumpkin pie spice has cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves listed as ingredients.  Cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger are all on the "foods worth trying" list.  Cloves, however, are a caution ingredient..  Sprinkle at your own risk- if I would have looked up cloves before topping my drink with this spice concoction, I would have just left this out or topped it with a bit of cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. However, I didn't.  So. top at your own risk! (all that being said, that tiny bit of sprinkling caused no pain.)

Avocado Egg Salad

I am a sucker for any type of cold salad in the summer.  However, most of these salads in their classic form are a complete no-go because of the mayo.  I found inspiration of this recipe on Pinterest, but the recipe contained mayo and many problematic spices. However, since the main ingredients (eggs and avocado) are completely safe, I figured I would play around with it and see what I could do.  I'm happy to report that the results are fantastic- love this served with some crackers, in a pita, or on some homemade bread.  Happy eating!

Avocado Egg Salad

4 hard-boiled eggs

1 avocado

1/3 cup cottage cheese

*1/4 cup plain greek yogurt

*1/4 tsp garlic

*1/4 tsp salt

*1/8 tsp pepper

Remove shells from the eggs and discard.  Mash eggs with a fork until whites and yolks are in pieces and mixed together.  Remove avocado from skin, discard skin and pit.  Mix the avocado into the eggs using a fork.  Add cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, and spices. Mix with the fork until all ingredients are combined. 

Store in fridge for 1 day.. know that on the second day it might appear slightly brown because of the avocados, but it is still fine to eat.  If that weirds you out, make a sandwich for a friend to enjoy with you day of, or just make half or a forth of the recipe.

Notes: Greek yogurt, and yogurt in general is an ingredient that many with IC can tolerate.  It has been fermented (like buttermilk and sour cream) and so some do report that it causes flares.  I know that Fage and Chobanni plain Greek yogurts are fine for me.  The only ingredients they have listed are: grade A pasturized skim milk, live active yogurt cultures L. Bulgaricus and S. Thermophilus.  I recently tried a store brand Greek yogurt that had other ingredients listed, and it caused a flare... So, all things considered, try a small amount, and see if you tolerate this.  If this is a problem food for you, I would just replace the yogurt with more cottage cheese- I bet it would still taste great!

As always, spices (salt, pepper, and garlic) are triggers for some.  Salt and garlic are among the friendlier, and pepper is a "try it" ingredient.  Know your body and your limits; adjust accordingly!

Recipe inspired by Ashley from neverhomemaker.com

Roasted Red Pepper "Pimento" Cheese

Summer says vacation, summer says beach, summer says pimento cheese.

  

On my yearly vacation to the beach (before IC) there was always a large container of pimento cheese in the fridge.  You would come in from the beach, take out some bread, snag the pimento cheese, make a sandwich, grab some chips, and head back out to the beach.  Its just what you did, no questions asked.  

Last year's beach trip was right after being diagnosed.  I missed my pimento cheese, but I was in SO much pain that I went without anything that was a risk just to feel better.  This year, I feel like I am journeying through happily living with IC, learning day by day how to make great IC-safe food.  So, here I was at the beach, dying for some pimento cheese.  (Well, not really.  If I would have eaten some of that peppery, seasoned, sharp cheddar, and mayo, I would have been dying.  Thank you, IC. But I digress.)  So, here I was on a beach break at the heat of the day just wanting some of that creamy, cheesy, summery perfection.  And I had it!  The day before I had played in the kitchen for a while and came up with this recipe.  I'm happy to report that it had my screaming, jumping up and down, smiling in excitement and wonder.  It was like seeing a long-lost friend!  (clearly, I am a foodie. Geeze.) Anyways.  I also need to say that my family also loved it.  A winner all around!  

Nothing says southern summer like Pimento Cheese.  Enjoy it on a sandwich, atop a burger, on a cracker, whatever your preference, this version of IC-safe pimento cheese will quench your craving, and, if you are anything like me, it'll make your day.  

4 cups fresh grated mild cheddar cheese

6 oz. cream cheese, softened (make sure to get the blocks, the containers sometimes contain unsafe preservatives)

1/2 cup cottage cheese

*1 roasted red pepper and juice, peeled, seeds removed, chopped 

1/4 tsp garlic powder

**1/4 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp salt

**1/8 tsp pepper

Combine all ingredients and squish/mix together with your (clean)hands. Refrigerate and enjoy!

* onion powder and pepper are "foods worth trying" on the IC Diet list- they should be fine in this small amount, but know your limits and try a small amount first if you are unsure! 

** Red Peppers are a completely safe food, don't worry the stars are for another reason! This is my method for roasting and preparing them.  I roast my peppers in the oven at 450 for 30 minutes turning them once in the middle of cooking.  Cool them in a paper bag after removing them from the oven- this allows them to steam and the skins to peel off super easily.  Before peeling, poke a little hole in the bottom of the pepper and squeeze it over the bowl to save the juice from the pepper, this keeps the seeds from getting mixed in the juice.  Then peel, remove the seeds, and chop.  This can be a time consuming process but its completely worth it.

Last note, I promise. Pimentos are not listed on the IC-diet list, but being that they are a mild, sweet pepper, they are likely safe.  If you can find fresh pimentos, try them and see how things turn out, I know I will. Unfortunately, my spastic "I want to make pimento cheese" self could not find them at the farmers market at the beach.  However, you might have luck at your local farmers market.  The jarred pimentos that I found all contained citric acid, which my IC cannot handle.  The roasted red peppers make quite an amazing substitute in my opinion, though! 

Hummus: The Greatest Staple Ever

Before getting IC, I would buy hummus at the store occasionally, and I enjoyed it. After getting IC, I realized how awesome this stuff really is!  There are tons of recipes on the internet with different hummus recipes.  I recommend you go check them out... with a few changes, the different varieties of hummus can keep our taste buds entertained and satiated.

This post contains my favorite basic hummus recipe.  While I like to change things up and add different things now and again, this is my favorite go to.. its quick to make and stores in the fridge just fine for a few weeks. I also love it because I can serve it as an appetizer at a family get-to-gather or a party with friends and everyone enjoys it!

Classic Hummus

2 cups chickpeas/garbanzos (preferably fresh, but canned is okay too)
1-2 Tbl tahini (not pictured!)
1 1/2 Tbl olive oil
1 Tsp garlic
1 tsp parsley flakes
1/4-1/2 tsp salt
3-5 Tbp water (start with 3 and add more water if hummus is too thick)

Put all ingredients into a food processor and mix until creamy!

FYI- tahini is ground sesame seeds. It adds a bitter flavor to hummus. I sometimes include it, and sometimes leave it out all together just depending on how I am feeling. Try including it and leaving it out and decide your preference!

Cooking the Perfect Chickpeas/Garbanzos

So I've got to be honest here... I am by no means an expert at cooking chickpeas/garbanzo beans.  There are tons of awesome blogs out there with perfect pictures and tons of details.  If you want to want to know the science, look at gorgeous pictures of a bean, or read a comparison of different cooking methods, then go to Google and find just that.  No hard feelings; no bitterness.  This blog is simply my awful pictures and my preferred method of cooking garbanzos.  (I know my enthusiasm for my own blog just compels you to read on!)

Before having IC, I never would have thought about or taken the time to cook chickpeas.  The only way I consumed chickpeas was in store-bought hummus.  IC put a stop to the store bought hummus (yay, citric acid!), and I started to experiment with making my own.  My first batch of hummus used canned chickpeas.  They work just fine, but trust me, they are nothing compared to fresh cooked.  So, one day when I had some time, I tried cooking dried garbanzos.  I will never go back.

I want to share this method of cooking chickpeas/garbanzos, because I use them in tons of my recipes.  They are the backbone of amazing hummus; they are delicious to snack on, and they are an awesome way to add protein to a salad.  All that being said, enjoy my photos, glance through the directions, and finally, give it a try.  Honestly, I think its really difficult to mess up a batch of these babies.

Ingredients:
Chickpeas/Garbanzo Beans (for the record, they are the same thing)
Water

Method:
Rinse chickpeas in cold water.  Place all chickpeas in a container or large bowl, with plenty of water covering.  You want the bowl/container to be large, and there to be about 3 inches of water above the beans.  Cover and stick in the fridge overnight to soak.
Take beans out of the fridge and dump into a strainer.  Once all of the excess water is drained, place beans in a large pot taking time to check that there are no green/discolored beans.  Cover the chickpeas with at least 3 inches of water and bring to a boil over medium heat.  As the beans heat up, you will likely hear popping coming from the beans- this is okay, don't freak. Bring the water to a boil.  At this point, there will likely be lots of foam in the pot- scoop this out with a large spoon.  Reduce the heat to medium-low.  You want there to be a bit of a simmer, but not boiling.
Cook the beans for an additional 2-3 hours.  Taste test after 2 hours to see how they taste.  Are they too crunchy for your liking?  Let them cook a little longer.  If a good amount of the water evaporates during cooking, then add more water- just make sure it is hot! (Experts probably recommend against this, but I've done it more than once, and the beans still wind up delicious.) Once the beans are cooked to your liking, remove from heat, drain and enjoy! I've found that the chickpeas will keep in the refrigerator for 2+ weeks without a problem.

Notes:
I often cook a ton of chickpeas at once- I just never seem to be home long enough to remember to soak them all night and then have time the next day to cook them.  So, when I do remember to make time to cook these, I cook a ton just to make my life easy.  I then freeze 3 cup batches in freezer baggies.  Each batch allows me to make hummus and have some leftover to throw on salads and pop in my mouth as a quick snack!

Granola Bars

One of my most favorite snacks are granola bars.  Before IC, I would often eat popular brands like Special K, Natures Own, or Kashi.  Since getting IC, I have tried several different store bought granola bars with not so great results. Brands like Kashi and Luna which boast of all natural/organic ingredients still bothered my IC- even if the ingredients didn't list anything that seemed problematic.  I tried Larabars, but couldn't get past the taste, so I don't really know if they triggered a flare... But whatever the case, after trying different granola bars, I decided that maybe store bought was not the way to go.  That's when I started searching online for different granola bar recipes.   I stumbled upon this recipe for Playgroup Granola Bars, and figured I would give it a try.  These granola bars are amazing.  I almost always have some stored away in my pantry to enjoy throughout the week.  Another great thing about this recipe is the quantity.  I get about 16 generously sized granola bars from each batch.  They also freeze perfectly.  Click on the link for the original recipe.  Below is my preferred way to enjoy them.

2 C. oats (I use instant because that is what I always have on hand)
1/2 C. brown sugar
1/2 C. wheat germ
3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 C. wheat flour
1/2 C. all-purpose flour
3/4 cup raisins or white chocolate chips
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 C. canola oil
1/2 C. honey
1 egg, beaten
2 tsp vanilla extract


1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Generously grease a 9x13 inch baking pan.

2. In a large bowl, mix together the oats, brown sugar, wheat germ, cinnamon, flour, raisins and salt. Make a well in the center, and pour in the oil, honey, egg, and vanilla. Mix well using your hands. Pat the mixture evenly into the prepared pan.

3. Bake for 25-30 minutes in the preheated oven, until the bars begin to turn golden at the edges. Cool for 5 minutes, then cut into bars while still warm. Do not allow the bars to cool completely before cutting, or they will be too hard to cut.