Dairy Free Tzatziki

Now I feel slightly silly posting this recipe.... because well, I dunno if I can call it a recipe....

It's more a list of ingredients. And then you will just have to do what I did, adjust it to your own taste buds. I did read a recipe I randomly found online, and then I did absolutely nothing of what it said ;-)! So I'm giving you the opportunity to do the same.

This is what worked brilliantly for me :-)!

Dairy Free Tzatziki

-3 dl Natural Soyghurt
-1 clove Garlic
-1 Grated Cucumber (drained in a sieve)
-Salt
-Pepper
-A splash of lemon juice or some grated lemon rind

I used only 1 clove of garlic to it as I felt I wanted to taste the other tastes too. Raw garlic can be so overpowering. stir it all together and let it infuse for at least an hour before you serve it. before you serve it add salt or anything else extra if you feel it needed more. 

 

Good Luck!
-Josefine

Gluten Free Tortillas

Here is a "must try" for ya!

 

Right after my diagnosis I was quite sad about all the food I no longer could eat (understandably)... at the beginning I was a lot stricter, no gluten, dairy, meat, legumes,yeast, egg yolks, sugar.... yeah what's left right? Looking through pinterest and finding the OMS support forum was my life saver. I realized that as long as I was strict on the truly important parts (saturated fat, dairy, meats, my vit d and flaxseed oil) I could add what I felt my body responded well too after. Gluten was one of those. I could really feel how much better my stomach felt. I have known for some time that gluten is not really good for anyone, whether you have a gluten intolerance or not, but have never had the reason to take the plunge since I have thought it doesn't affect me.

And like I said, now that I did.. My body is thanking me :-)!

While "pinteresting" I found this recipe for Tortillas, and after trying it I can honestly say that in my opinion, they taste better than the store bought normal ones! So these are a definite thumbs up! I would however recommend to double the amount of brown sugar. But that is just my opinion. Give it a whirl and let me know what you think!

 

Good Luck!
-Josefine

A Different Kind of Meditation

As part of the OMS lifestyle (not just diet) we are supposed to meditate for 30 min daily... This is something I've been having trouble with. 

I have two kids, a house and a job to take care of.. I barely have time to breathe let alone meditate for 30 min a day!! 

I was reading some posts on the oms support group on Facebook and there was someone with the same issues as me. But they came to the conclusion that things like taking a walk or gardening could be meditation as well. Emptying your mind somehow. Putting your focus on just one thing. 

One thing that I find very soothing is crafting. I sow, make cakes (for other people) and anything where my hands are used creatively. So I sat down and started painting some stones for my newly planted garden! It was a quick little project, but it was wonderful to just create and not think about anything else but what my fingers were doing. You shall be seeing a lot more meditation projects from me n here, that's for sure! 

Now go meditate ;-)! 

-Josefine

Weightloss

So one side effect from eating for my MS is that you loose weight.

I thought it would stabilize once i started getting used to what I can and can't eat, but I'm still plummeting. I'm not complaining though ;-)!

Ha.. so I'm opening up to you guys now!

I am ca 181 cm tall (yes I am a Swedish giant) and about a year ago I weighed approximately 75 kg. Which isn't loads, and I had just had a baby 6 months prior. But I was on a trip with my sisters and thanks to their own weight goals(or should I say HEALTH goals) I started joining them in their quest. I started taking long walks (like 10 km) daily, and started watching what I ate. And I lost about 6 kg over the course of 6 months. So I was down to 69 kg which I was super chuffed with. I was also happy with how long it took, I was changing food habits and it showed on the scales and in my clothes.

But then I couldn't get any further. And I felt like I had another 3 kg to loose to get back to my former jeans. But I wasn't complaining. I was quite happy with the weight i had lost and how much more healthy I felt. 


SO
If I felt healthy then, GUESS what I feel now?!?!? A health FREAK is what!!! ;-D

I'm now down to 66 kg and the thought that I will never again yoyo in levels of healthiness is a great feeling. AND THATS THANKS TO EATING FOR MY HEALTH AND NOT TO LOOSE WEIGHT.... sorry for shouting ;-)... But it's quite an important difference. I'm no longer body conscious out of a weight perspective because it's not important the way my health is. I'm eating to make sure I'm getting all the nutrients my body needs. And that is huge. 

So here is my before and after pictures. The before is from maybe 4 months after my second baby. and the after was from about 2 weeks ago. and yes, a lot of weight was probably in the hair :-D!!!

So excuse the rant, but I felt like documenting that "side effect" as well as the negative ones ;-)! 

Here's to positive thinking ;-)!
-Josefine

Watermelon and Strawberry Lemonade

I now feel like I have the tools i need in my kitchen to make things. I got a mini food processor for all my tabletop needs. No need to use my very dull knives to cut up onions any more! And I have my lovely Mother-in-law to thank for that one!!! THANK YOU!

I also got an amazing Ceramic pan that beats all other pans! I can now make things on the stovetop barely using ANY fat at all! Doesn't stick at all! That was a part of my belated 30th birthday prezzie from my mom. She got some for herself and didn't need them all so I got one of them!

The other part was a Magic Bullet!! And I LOVE it!!! I use it at least 3-5 times a day! It's great! So today I had some watermelon at home and thought of something i haven't made in a loooong time. And now that I have the magic bullet it duesn't feel like a huge project to make. Being a medicine day today, things can't be to complicated to make or they wont get made at all!

Watermelon and Strawberry Lemonade.
All the ingredients are literally in that title! 

-Watermelon
-Strawberry
-Lemon juice

Now if you have a sweet tooth then I would add a bit of honey, but it is super refreshing and great-tasting exactly how it is in my eyes! Pop a few strawberries in there fill the rest with watermelon chunks and squeeze half a lemon in there. You could even have the whole lemon if you want, but then you would definitely need a bit of sweet in there ;-)!

Hope you try this one this summer! It is amazing! Such a treat!

Good Luck!
-Josefine

OMS Friendly "Chocolate Chips"

While watching shows like "the Great British Bakeoff" I always wondered how it was possible for them to forget an ingredient or use salt instead or sugar and things like that... well I now know. AND i didn't even have the stress of a competition infront of millions!!! 

So I was looking to make some gluten free chocolate chip cookies and thought that I need to find a way to make OMS friendly chocolate chips. so I mashed a banana and added a LOT of cocoa. I then spread it out on a baking sheet and popped it in the freezer. Ready to chop up and use as "chocolate chips" in my cookies. 

Well the cookies FLOPPED.

But it wasn't because of the chips. SO i went for another go. This time I grabbed a recipe from pinterest for banana nut muffins with chocolate chips. I adapted it a little bit and in the process I managed to forget some of the ingredients... so well,  they looooooked good... but let's just say they didn't taste so good ;-).

But once again, it wasn't because of the chocolate chips. SO for today I'm calling it quits on the muffin/cookie making and instead just sharing my idea for OMS friendly chocolate chips.

OMS Friendly Chocolate Chips

- 1 Mashed banana

- 3-4 Tbsp  raw cocoa powder

- a dash of vanilla essence (optional)

Mix all the ingredients properly and spread out on a baking sheet and freeze over night. Chop up and use in any cookie or muffin recipe. Perfect low fat and dairy free chocolate chips for us OMSers!

 

Good Luck!

-Josefine

Honeynut/seed & Blueberry Granola

I have been desperately searching for some form of granola to have with my "soygurt" as I actually don't mind the taste of it, and with some yummy granola I should be able to eat like normal! SO I read loooads of different granola recipes that all had great ideas but also something that I could not eat or something that I didn't like (raisins blah). So with loads of wonderful ideas fresh in mind I placed myself in the kitchen and I brought out everything I could find in my cupboards that could possibly help make a yummy and OMS healthy granola.  I have tweaked it slightly since the first try and i think I have come to a very nice result that tastes good, but is also healthy.

Up until this point I have basically just been drinking a smoothie for breakfast and it hasn't kept me for very long. I would be hungry by 10. So hopefully now I will be full for longer and be able to feel like I have everything I want at home to eat. Yay!




Honeynut/seed & Blueberry Granola

-5 dl oats
-1 dl flaxseeds
-3 dl quinoa
-2-3 dl pumpkin seeds
-3 dl chopped almonds

-4 Tbsp Honey
-2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
-2 Tbsp hot water
-3/4 tsp salt
-2 tsp cinnamon
-1/4 tsp nutmeg

-(Optional) dried fruit like blueberries, mango, figs, apricots etc.


Set the oven to 130 Celcius. Mix all the "dry" ingredients in a big bowl. In a seperate small bowl mix the wet ingredients and the salt, cinnamon and nutmeg to make a paste. Then combine the two and use your hands to make sure it is evenly combined. In a deep baking dish distribute it all evenly and bake for one hour stirring a few times.

Remove from the oven and let cool. Then add the dried fruit. I usually add Dried bluberries. but right now i have fresh ones in our freezer, so I didn't and instead Ill add as I go along. 

 

 

 

 

Good luck!

-Josefine