Gluten-Free Black Bean Brownies

I have made the most amazing Gluten-Free Chocolate with the help of Whole Foods 365 brownie mix. What you do is take a can of black beans, drain the liquid, then fill the can with water. Puree the black beans and water. Place the brownie mix in a mixing bowl, then pour the pureed black beans and stir the mix together. Spray a baking pan with non stick, and pour in the brownie mix. Follow the baking directions on the box. I always cook them 5 minutes past being done, I prefer well done brownies. I think that the brownies taste better cold. So once cooled, place in the refrigerated for about an hour. You will not be able to taste the black beans at all and they are very healthy for you. I had one for breakfast this morning. Yum!

Gluten-Free Flu

Well... I have had the flu for the past 4 days. Who gets the flu in June! I have been struggling with what to eat. I have searched the celiac forums and found nothing. So, the past few days I have had Pacific's Gluten-Free chicken broth, and rice crackers, and sprite. Today though! I found Amy's organic soups, Chunky Vegetable. It was flavorful and healthy.

Mint Chocolate Chip Paradise

It took me forever, but I took pictures. I still need to do some touch up, hopefully I will get to that this weekend. If you look closely you can see orbs, a ton of them! One picture had 11. I know there is a high energy in my house, around me, I always blow light bulbs.

I used Behr paint from Home Depot. The green is Ryegrass, the brown is Woodencabin. I researched and researched painting with dark colors and no one! Not a one said that it would be difficult or that you should use a primer or a 2 in one. If I paint with this dark a color again, I will use the 2 in 1. It took about 4 hours and 3 coats of paint. I only painted 2 of the walls Woodencabin. I used the Ryegrass for the other 2 walls, the ceiling and the bathroom. I love, love, love the green! I like the brown, its different, and everyday get more and more use to it. I wish my room was large enough to paint all of the walls dark. I really wanted to do chocolate brown with white and orange accents. Maybe my next house will have a large enough room for that.

I definitly recommend using the blue tape to tape off. And a lamb paint roller. Also use a drop cloth. Although I now know how to get paint out of the carpet. If you use a water base paint like Beher, you can dump a bucket of water on the spill and get a steam vac to suck it up. Or you can get brush cleaner, use a white cloth, I never knew why they said use white, until I realized that colored will rub off on to the carpet. Make sure that the area is well ventalated and use a little bit at a time. Take turns with the brush remover, and soapy water and rub until it comes out. I even got paint from 2 years ago off.

My next re-model will be painting my cabinets very dark. I can't wait!

Re-Decorating

It has been 2 years since I decorated my house. And I have an urge to redecorate again. I really want to paint my bedroom a deep rich chocolate brown. I would like to do all four walls this color and do the ceiling an off white, with orange and white accents (lamps, curtains, vases) but I am very scared to do that because I don't want the room to look too small and I have dark furniture. So... I think I will do the wall to the north brown, then the wall to the west brown, and do the east wall, the south wall, and the ceiling a sage green or a gray, silvery blue. Then do white accents. I also want to paint the cabinets in my bathroom a deep rich brown, and do the bathroom the same color as the colorful wall with brown accents. Might be a little too matchy matchy? I am off to Ikea tonight to see what I can find in the way off accents, then I will pick paint colors. Very excited!

Eating out... Gluten-Free

I have turned down a lot of dining out invites the past couple of weeks, when I get asked I get high anxiety thinking about how I am going to order if they do not have a gluten-free menu. Well... I have been adventurous this week. I tried Boston Market, Outback, Pan Asia, and Olive Garden. Boston Market went fine and was really good. At Outback I had a gluten-free New York strip with green beans and a caesar salad. The steak was horrible. They did not even pepper it. It tasted like unseasoned ground beef. I was disappointed with it. I am not sure if this is how it is all the time, but not sure I would go back. Pan Asia is a sushi place by work. I had edemame, when the waiter said that is all, I decided to ask for a gluten-free menu, but the waiter said "What, no we do not have anything like that." It did not make me feel very comfortable. I had no idea that Olive Garden would even have a gluten-free menu because the first thing that comes to mind is pasta. I ordered the mixed grill. The waiter seemed very familiar and was very accommodating. It was much better because he did not make a deal about it and it did not cause a huge discussion and was able to enjoy dinner conversation and did not have to explain myself. I will definitely go back to Olive Garden.

Gluten-Free

As of May 2009, I have been Gluten Free. I have gone to the doctor many times over the past 4 years to find out what is wrong with me. None of my "symptoms" seemed to jive. They ranged from headaches, to fatigue, thyroid, and many other non-related symptoms. After "giving up" and just dealing with it, I met a nutritionist who is also a chef. I mentioned to her some of my symptoms and she asked if I had tried to cut anything out of my diet, I had not.

So that next day, I went g-free shopping and was very over whelmed. I did lots of web research, read a few books and feel more comfortable now. I feel so much better, I have more energy, my stomach does not hurt, I know what it is like to actually feel full, not just bloated after eating next to nothing. I am so happy. I have not had a craving for anything that contains gluten. I already ate about 6 servings of veggies and fruits a day. Now I eat at least 10. I have opted for not getting the tests. I don't want to eat gluten ever again and not too keen on the sampling of my small intestine. I feel better, so I will stick with it.

I haven't gone out eat at very much to any places without a g-free menu. I am just so nervous. In the morning the girls from work will say let's go here for lunch, and immediately I start running through my mind, do they have a g-free menu, do they g-free options, would I be able to create my g-free options with giving the proper direction? So I end up saying, no thanks, I brought today. I did try to meet some friends at Paradise Bakery. Although they were very helpful when I asked if they had a gluten-free menu, they did not but offered to explain the different options, I just ordered fruit. I did not mention my allergy, and when I got home I felt immediately sick. That was the only thing I had eaten all day. I wish that there was something you could do for yourself when you get glutened.

I like my new way of life. My family does not quite understand it. But in time they will.

I am RED... What color are you?

Go to www.colorcode.com to find out what color you are...

Reds (Motive: Power)

Reds are motivated by Power. They seek productivity and need to look good to others. Simply stated, reds want their own way. They like to be in the driver's seat and willingly pay the price to be in a leadership role. Reds value whatever gets them ahead in life, whether it be in their careers, school endeavors, or personal life. What reds value, they get done. They are often workaholics. They will, however, resist doing anything that doesn't interest them.

Reds like to be right. They value approval from others for their intelligence and practical approach to life, and want to be respected for it. Reds are confident, proactive, and visionary; and but can also be arrogant, selfish, and insensitive. When you deal with a RED, be precise, factual, direct, AND show no fear!

I took this personality test... I suppose you can call it and those were the results. You are supposed to answer the questions as you were when you were a child. Some I agree with, but I feel like I have grown and changed as an adult. Are not we allowed to grow and change as we go through life?

Career Vs. Family

What choice do you make if you can see yourself in the corporate world for life, yet you can also see yourself as a parent? And long for both? Sure I could do both, but what if I do not want to?

I know that I do not want to be a working mom, I do not want someone else raising my kids. I was a nanny for over 10 years, I know what it is like when someone else' kid calls you mom. Its uncomfortable and sad. I just hope that I can have that luxury, not to work.

Maybe I can wait to have a family and work in the corporate world for a couple of good years. The longer you work though, the tougher it is to get out.

I guess I shall cross that path when it comes and hopefully I will know in my heart what is best for me.

False Reality... The house is always clean, I am always perfect?

I get the call "want to go out tonight?" Of course I do! So I hurry home from work, vacuum, put the dirty dishes in the dishwasher, make the bed, pick up the clean clothes, hide the dirty ones, sometimes make dinner, jump in the shower... get all ready again, hair, make-up... just in time to answer the door looking like my perfect self at 7pm.

Am I creating a false reality? Is this what is going to be expected of me if/ when we move in together? Is this why when he spends the night I get so anxious in the morning? Thoughts start running threw my mind... what do I look like, do I have morning breath, should I put something else on, should I throw on some makeup, is the house a mess? What will I cook for breakfast? Do I even have food?

I don't want to let myself go or have a dirty house or no food when we take that next step, but what if I am setting his expectations for me too high? Maybe it will be easier because the responsibilities will be shared? I can only hope.

In the mean time do I ease up a little, not try to be so perfect or just wait for that next step?

I don't think he would break up with me if my hair was thrown in a pony tail, or the house was not perfect, so maybe I am just not ready to let my guard down? To show him I am only human that sometimes wakes up really messy hair and bad breath and lets the laundry pile up for weeks.

He has kids... so where does that leave me?

I am embarking on a new adventure in life... dating a guy with kids... yeps that plural. This is very different than dating a single guy with no kids. BTW he is single... just with kids.

I find myself asking questions I thought I never would... I no longer come first? I am jealous of a couple of kids?

I have been dating this guy for about 6 months. This is the slowest moving relationship I have ever been in and when threatened to quit... guess what he says, I won't fight for you. I decided to give it another chance maybe I am too needy or maybe I am I just a relationship of convenience? When its convenient for him and his kids?

It's different when you have kids with someone, you put the kids first and everything including your house, your spouse, and yourself come 2nd, maybe even last. But when your the single one with out kids your not making the choice... he has made it for you.

I have heard the way he deals with his ex... a little too nice if you ask me, so I thought. Everyday I feel like I learn something new though, like he is nice to her because she lets him tell the kids goodnight, every night. I just have to remind myself that she is an ex for a reason and if he is going to go back to her, there is nothing I can do to stop it and if they get along, then it would be best for the kids.

So, I have decided to choose my battles with him. This is a learning process. Nothing means more to him than his kids and I would not want it any different. That is one of the qualities that attracts me to him.

I hope that we can find a healthy balance.