The Journey to Wellness...

Three years ago went to visit my family in Texas, I did not have any idea how drastically my life would change.  There is no way to express how thankful I am for the help that my friends and family have provided me since the MD said "In order to find out what is wrong with you, you will need to start on an elimination diet immediately!"  Thankfully the elimination diet was only for 6 months and after that I was able to go to a strictly Gluten Free (GF) diet with some other minor modification.  It truly is Mind over Matter!  Looking back on the past three years I have accomplished so many things:

• Started Working Out:  This is part of my new life!  When I don't work out, I don't feel good, so I work out 4-5 times per week.  Whether I am in the gym, walking the neighborhood, going for a hike, or running, I try to find  away to be active! 
• Running:  This is an accomplishment in itself :)  For the girl who even in high school was held back by fear of everything, I never thought I could do this!  I may not do it as fast, or in the time that others do it, but I do it!  That is what matters!! I even run 5K's and a 4 miler for time on July 4th! 
• Made New Friends:  I have made friends in the most random places... restaurants when I have to ask for a GF menu, places that I shop because people have noticed the changes in me and more!
• Learned to Speak Up:  Someone said to me the other day, when he says he has Celiac people look at him like he has the plague.  Celiac is NOT contagious!  But, there are so many people who are curious.  Learn to educate them.  I learned to share my story and the resources that I have found along the way.  If I can help one person to feel better I have made a difference. 
• Just because it is Expensive DOES NOT make it taste better: Early in a diagnosis, most people (myself included) think everything GF has to be expensive.  This is not the case.  Fruits, veggies and lean means (nothing added) do not have to be expensive.  Buy what is on sale and shop smart.  When it comes to purchasing pastas and other products such as cereals and bagels, etc., shop around.  Buy a variety of items and try them.  Find which ones are your favorites.  If it happens to be an expensive one, then buy it, but that is not always the case. 
• Adapting:  I have learned to adapt in more ways than one.  I feel so good when I learn to adapt old recipes into something that I can eat and they actually taste good :) 
• Health:  Healthwise, I feel wonderful!  I have so much energy.  I do things three years ago I would have never even thought about doing!  I am so thankful that food is my biggest battle! 
• Best Accomplishment to Date: With all the changes that I have made, I have lost 90 pounds!  I never thought that this would happen.  Taking each day one day at a time and realizing that some days are good days and some are not as good in this battle to be healthy and maintain the weight loss are the most important parts of this... don't give up and keep going.  One.  Day.  At.  A.  Time!!

I want to say THANK YOU to everyone who has supported me the last three years!  Your kind words, prayers, encouraging thoughts, emails, messages, letters, and phone calls have been so much a part of helping me make it this far!  I am thankful to have each and everyone of you in my life! 

Crockpot Oatmeal with Apples

A fall day that includes sunshine, a light breeze and apple picking with friends is pretty close to as perfect as you can get!  The challenge begins when you arrive home and realize that you now have way more apples than one person can eat and now comes the time to decide what to do with all of these apples.  I have searched high and low for ideas.  So far, I have eaten quite a few, shared with friends and I am perfecting the art of a Cran-Apple Crisp.  That is for another day though.  I found a recipe on Pinterest that was for a Crockpot Oatmeal with Apples.  Of course, true to my style, I could not leave well enough alone and follow the recipe exactly so I made it my own :) 

3 apples - peeled, cored, and chopped
1 tbsp. butter
2 cups GF Oats
1 1/2 tsp Vanilla
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/4 c sugar
2 cups Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk
2 cups water

Add everything to the crockpot and stir together.  Cook on low** for 8 hours.  Makes about 6-8 servings. 

** If you crockpot cooks at a fairly high temperature on low and has a warm setting cook on warm.  My "low" temperature will make liquid bubble, so I started it on low for about an hour or so before I went to bed and then turned to the "warm" setting for the rest of the night.  It was perfect in the morning.  **

Share & Enjoy!! 

Crockpot Chicken Spaghetti (NO SOUPS!)

I am sure that if you look back through my posts, there is probably at least one other one for Chicken Spaghetti in the list!  This is because I love it!  When I was in high school I started making it and everyone would ask for it... Now, this recipe has evolved because the thought of eating all the soups with the sodium and gluten, the processed cheese and who knows what else just doesn't appeal to me anymore!  It doesn't mean it's bad, it just means it is bad for me!  So after a variety of tries, I think I have found one I really like.  It uses fresh veggies and has a bit of a bite :)  If you don't like it super spicy, it is super simple to tone down!  I hope you enjoy! 

4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 - 8 oz container baby bella sliced mushrooms
1 medium white onion, small dice
1 large poblano pepper, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 can Rotel with Lime (or Low Sodium Diced Tomatoes)
1 small jalapeno, sliced (you can take the seeds/membrane out and slice)
1 tbsp. dried parsley
1 tsp dried cilantro
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
black pepper
4 oz cream cheese **

Add everything to the crock pot in the order listed, starting with chicken and ending with pepper.  Cook on high for 3.5 hours.  At the end of the 3.5 hours, add the cream cheese, in pieces and stir to incorporate.  Cook for 30 more minutes. 

Cook one pound of pasta separate and serve the Chicken Spaghetti mixture over the pasta. 

Since going GF in 2010, I have learned that adding the pasta to the crockpot usually turns into a huge mess!  So, I choose to serve this over the pasta and it is a simple dish with very limited prep time!

If you are not a fan of spice, exchange the Rotel for Low Sodium Diced Tomatoes and make sure to seed and remove the membrane from the jalapeno (or leave it out all together).  This has very good flavor and I will be making this all winter!  Share and Enjoy!!

Apples, Apples & More APPLES!!!

It is officially apple season here in Upstate NY!  I am so thankful for a wonderful season this year, as I am sure the farmers are too!  So far, I have visited Bowman Orchards (www.bowmanorchards.com) and Indian Ladder Farms (www.indianladderfarms.com).  This is my first year visiting Indian Ladder and I will add it to my list for future visits.  There are rows and rows of trees to pick from and the mountains in the background.  Amazing photo ops abound.  Although it is still pretty early they only had two options for us to pick today, Empire (good for baking/cooking) and Kendall (good for eating - similar to a Macintosh).  We picked and picked and picked... The trees were so pretty and inviting!

So now, I have a bushel of apples... A mixed variety of Kendall's and Empire's. Now, what can I do with all these apples?

• I can try to bake... Pies, Crisps, Muffins, and plain baked apples are yummy!
• Make Applesauce (oh yes, my crockpot will get quite a bit of use)
• Eat them plain - Don't they say an apple a day keeps the doctor away? :)
• Juice them - Fresh Juice is the best!  Add some carrots and kale and you have a great fresh green drink!!
• Dehydrate them... Yes, I am pretty sure this will be my next kitchen gadget! 

What are some of your favorites to make when apple season comes around?  Does anyone have any recommendations for dehydrators? 

Share & Enjoy!!

Taco Soup

I have to say, that after searching through what I am quite surprised to be almost 4 years of blog posts, there is no post for Taco Soup!  This is something that I make often, and is quick and easy!  It is a crock pot dish that smells up the house and is warm and yummy!  If you love Mexican food it has all the components! 

1 tbsp. olive oil
1 lb ground turkey
1 small white onion, diced
1 tsp garlic
2 tbsp. taco seasoning (I make my own)
1 tbsp. dry ranch seasoning (homemade)
1 can Rotel
1 small bag frozen corn
1 can, drained and rinsed Black beans
1 can, drained and rinsed Great Northern beans
1 box, 32 oz of low sodium GF chicken stock
S&P

Add oil, turkey, onion, and garlic to a sauté pan and brown meat.  Add the taco seasoning and ranch.  If you need add a bit of water to incorporate the seasonings.  Add the meat mixture and the rest of the ingredients to the crock pot.  Cook on low for 4-6 hours.  Serve with chips, cheese, sour cream and guacamole!   Share & Enjoy! 

Buffalo Cauliflower

In the last week, August has changed into September and the nights have cooled off and the trees are starting to change.  Football is upon us and so is my drive for fun foods when everyone gets together to watch the "big" game!  Go TEXANS!!!  The week was crazy busy and in my infinite wisdom I forgot to take out chicken to cook... but, I did have cauliflower I needed to use.  I also recalled that there was a photo titled "Buffalo Cauliflower" on Pinterest.  If you know me, you also know that I was not going to go back and follow the recipe exactly anyways so here is what I came up with.  It came out very well and I think that I will do it again, soon! 

1 head cauliflower, cleaned and cut the florets off
1 tbsp olive oil
S&P
1 tbsp butter
1/4 - 1/2 c Franks Red Hot

Preheat oven to 400.  Place cauliflower tossed in olive oil on baking sheet with salt and pepper.  Roast for 15 minutes on one side.  Stir and then roast 10 more minutes. Remove from oven and add to a large bowl.   Add the butter and Franks Red Hot to a microwave container and heat.  Then pour over cauliflower and serve as Buffalo Cauliflower!  A great vegetarian option with full flavor!!!

Share & Enjoy!!!

Just a few of my Favorite FALL Things...

I realized I was starting this post that the next two things I was going to blog were going to be Buffalo this & that!  It appears as though Fall is here.  If you follow me on Nanny Heather Cooks on Facebook or my personal page you will notice that even though it was only August until this week it did not stop me from posting photos of the leaves changing and going apple picking before September.

FALL!  FALL!  FALL!  Fall in Upstate NY means:

• Apples!
• Pumpkins... painted, carved, glittered and more! (even in Coffee - thank you Dunkin Donuts & Starbucks)
• Perfect clear, crisp, days!
• Leaves changing and falling 
• Buffalo anything... chicken. Cauliflower.  Taquitos.  Wraps.  Salad. 
• Fashion: Sweaters.  Boots.  Scarves.  Leggings. (Yes, I know this is fashion and not food, but it is still part of what I love!)
• Bonfires and Smores!
• Soups!  I can't wait to try some new ones.
• Crock-Pot anything and everything!!
• FOOTBALL!!!  This is not to be forgotten...

What else reminds you of FALL?  Do you have any fall favorites?  Please Share & Enjoy! 

Crock Pot Applesauce

Here comes Fall and with fall comes Apple Season! :)  Since moving here in 2008, I have come to learn that I LOVE APPLES!  This is something very new for me since as a child I did not really like them.  When picking them off the tree, there is something to be said for eating a fresh, juicy apple!  Once you have picked your fill and now have bags, yes, bags, full, what do you do with all of these apples once you get home?  This girl eats at least one apple a day and starts looking for recipes, talking to friends and family and comes up with things to make!  In the past, I have made Applesauce in the oven.  It is a bit more labor intensive and you have to "watch" it so now it is time for a crock pot recipe. 


8-10 Sweet Apples, peeled and cored
3/4 cup of water *
2 tsp cinnamon
1 cinnamon stick
1 tsp vanilla

* Depending on the juiciness of the apples you might want to start with 1/2 cup of water

Peel and core the apples and small dice them into a crock pot.  In a small bowl mix 1/2 cup of water and the cinnamon and vanilla.  Pour over the apples and mix until coated.  Then add the other 1/4 cup of water to the bowl to remove the rest of the cinnamon stuck to the sides (yes, this really happens).  Pour over the apples, add the cinnamon stick and cook on low for 4 hours or until the apples are very soft.  Use a potato masher to make "chunky" sauce or a hand mixer for "smoother" sauce.  My sauce was a bit runny when I started mashing and was very hot.  But once it cooled off (in the fridge) it tightened up to a perfect consistency. 

Please Share & Enjoy! 

** This recipe was adapted from a recipe found from The Frugal Girls online **

Mushroom Risotto

In February I attempted for the second time to make Risotto.  It is not often, that I don't find a bit of success in the dishes that I make but I have been defeated by Risotto in the past... this time not only did I find success but I found a fabulous dish!  Thankfully my friends loved it just as much!  This recipe was adapted from a Risotto recipe that I found in Food Network magazine (March 2013).  I can promise you though, it is nothing like the original!

3 cups low sodium chicken broth
2 1/2 cups water
2 tbsp. unsalted butter/olive oil
1/2 cup finely chopped cippolini onions
1 1/2 cups chopped baby bella mushrooms
1 cup Arborio rice
1/3 cup dry white wine
3 tbsp. minced fresh parsley
3 tbsp. minced fresh chives
1 1/2 tsp minced fresh thyme
1 cup grated gruyere cheese
1/3 cup mascarpone cheese

Bring chicken broth and water to a simmer in saucepan over medium heat and cover to keep warm.  In a separate pan add the butter/oil sauté onions until starting to get soft and add mushrooms.  Saute about 5 minutes.  Add the rice and cook 2 more minutes.  Add the wine and cook 2 more minutes or until evaporated.  Add 1/2 cup of broth/water mixture  and stirring constantly until absorbed.  Repeat, adding the broth in 1/2 cup increments and stirring constantly and the rice is creamy and tender, about 20-25 minutes.  Remove from heat. 

Add the cheese and 1/2 of the herbs.  Stir until incorporated and creamy.  Top with the remaining herbs to serve.

As a side note, I did not use all of the broth/water.  There was about a cup left in the bottom of the pot. 

This is an amazingly rich and yummy dish!  I served it with roasted chicken and asparagus!  Rave reviews from all!  Share & Enjoy! 

Basil Oil

1 bunch of fresh basil
1 clove garlic
1/4 c light olive oil
1 tbsp. lemon olive oil
1 tbsp. champagne balsamic vinegar
1 pinch S&P
1/8 tsp crushed red pepper

Add everything to a food processor and blend until basil is puréed until smooth. 

Serve over grilled chicken or fish.  Share & Enjoy!