I have a bit of a cold, the kind that's just a little miserable for a few days, so I was craving spicy gingerale today. I'd heard of people making it themselves easily enough, and I actually had some ginger in the veggie drawer, so I gave it a try. After peeling the ginger with a veggie peeler, I figured I'd just use the same tool to make some thin slices of it. Probably the equivalent of one centimeter of ginger root. Then I tossed in 3 clove buds and some water and brought it to a simmer for 10-30 minutes, tasting it for spicy warmth as it went. Then I added some agave nectar. Glycerine should work fine too, or any sweetener you choose. If you like your gingerale really spicy, then add less sweetener, because you'll use more of the ginger water/syrup in your water, but I added about as much agave nectar as the liquid after it had reduced down a bit. You can see how it went in the video, just hit play. You could add any other flavoring, fruit concentrate, or spices of choice. It turned out great, as well as any gingerale I've bought, just a bit less bubbly, and without the corn syrup or other avoids. Very satisfying, anti-inflammatory, anti- h. pylori, and good for the digestion. A Secretors could use flat water with fine results as well.



I did this with just two takes, because I ran out of the ginger, but you get the idea.

Just testing out my setup here...if all goes well I can start posting video cooking tips in the future. I would have demonstrated how I cut an avocado, except that I don't have a tripod for my camera yet, and that would have taken two hands.

Wow, it's been more than a month now that I've been cooking dinner every night. The leftovers have also fed me during the days, though I'm often the only one who gets into leftovers. We've only eaten out on our weekly date night, and I often had something in the crockpot even then - just in case the restaurant didn't work out for me.

My number one reason for this change has been for my family. I wanted everyone to feel like the dinner was made especially for them and their tastes (and as much as possible, their blood types, without them being aware of it). There are a couple dinners that aren't very compliant for some of us, but since they are a favorite, I still fall back on them. The family time and attention are definitely super beneficials! My son is eating more, growing faster, and sleeping better. We're all happier in general.

I found a source of fresh trout, which is the only flesh/protein my husband likes, and it's beneficial for all of us. I can tell you, if my husband loved fishing, I wouldn't complain, as long as he brought some trout home! I grew up eating fresh trout we caught and my mom would fry it after dredging in cornmeal. I made it this way the first time, then tweaked it the second time. I like to perfect a recipe once, then tweak it a little bit at a time until I get compliant perfection...which I attained with millet meal and a bit of amaranth flour for the breading. I loved this version, millet meal has great flavor and Bob's Red Mill makes if rather coarse, so it became nice and crispy, fried in ghee. (I combined it with Amaranth flour, because that seems to brown for me better than any type of rice flour.)

It's a good week in my house. My 3 year old has been falling asleep in his own room almost every night, and sometimes on his own. It's been work, effort, and a few well-chosen battles, but I'm glad we're finally getting there. I think I'll start much earlier with the baby! I agree with attachment parenting philosophies on bedtime, that it should be a safe and peaceful time, but I think for our sanity we need to increase the routine and discipline a bit, and it hasn't sacrificed any safety or peace for the most part, maybe it's even increased it. (I actually don't think I was following any specific parenting advice, for that matter, as I haven't read many parenting books; I was just lucky to do anything similar to what my parents did, which was on the less-disciplined end of things when it comes to bedtime) I have to say though, it would have been much easier to do this before the second baby came along. The nights that didn't work, it was primarily because the baby woke up at the wrong time.

Today was my first fun adventure with just me and both boys since the baby was born. We went to a farm where my 3 yo loves to visit and ride a pony, look at chickens and ducks, etc. The baby liked it a lot more than I expected him to, and didn't complain once even though it got a bit cold at times. He looked so cute in a little blue outfit and fuzzy hat with his blue eyes, just gazing at the geese. My toddler loved every moment of it, except for a bit of complaining when it was time to leave.

My diet hasn't been great since September to be honest, and it's been starting to catch up to me. As a nonsecretor I really should be 80-90% or more compliant. I've dipped down well below that, and finally got fed up and really have decided for a fresh and disciplined start. I am so terribly addicted to milk that it isn't even funny. It literally does give me a 'fix' and one little taste of it sets off cravings for weeks. Between that, a little corn, a lotta sugar, and a little soy, I was starting to pay the price. My digestion has been very tricky, my joints were all starting to hurt - in particular my hands and wrists and a stiff back in the morning, my hair was falling out, and my skin is still recovering. Sigh. Time to climb out of this slump. It's been a couple days now with no more milk/dairy, or corn, I need to eliminate sugar and soy next, but I've managed to cut them back. My joints feel much better now, and my energy is improving.

Ahh, I haven't felt this good since I was super strict on the nonnie diet when I started blogging. Processed foods really do a number on my skin. I can't believe it's been almost a week now that I've cooked all our meals (other than date-night...I cooked that night, but we had a bite out on the town too). My son is eating more, and we're all eating better. My husband hasn't had to go out for lunch, as we've had plenty of good leftovers each day. I had lovely salmon leftovers for breakfast today.

I think last night was the most elegant meal. I made Emeril's Andouille Smothered Beans (subbing Great Northern Beans for Navy Beans, and using nitrate free turkey/chicken andouille sausage), steamed some rice, and pan fried some lemon/olive oil/garlic/dill marinated salmon, followed by deglazing the pan with the marinade and then cooking spinach in the pan and sauce. It was a lovely meal. My husband doesn't really like meat of any kind, so the beans and rice were what he ate the most of while I filled up on salmon. Everyone liked the spinach, especially me, about the best I've made. My son got to help me peel lots of garlic cloves, so he had fun contributing to the meal, then eating it.

Phew, I'm tired...goodnight! I'll hit you with some recipes soon.