A Bit of Gluten-Free Love

I've been absent from the blog because I've been quite busy of late.  I've been rearranging the house to move little-bit's play room downstairs to the finished basement (pictures to come), I've been gluten-free for the past 9 weeks and lost 15 lbs because of it, AND have felt much better as well.

The hardest part for me to go gluten-free has been to find a healthy alternative flour blend that works well with breads, cookies, pies, and other baked goods.  I don't miss "bread" as much as I thought I would but I do miss the ability to have sandwiches and for some odd reason I miss PopTarts more than I realized.

I've worked with a lot of blanched almond flour and coconut flour mixes, blending them at different levels until I think I have reached some form of perfection only to be completely disappointed again when my beautiful bread completely collapses when I pull it from the oven.

Let me tell you, they are NOT lying when they say that coconut flour absorbs like a ShamWow.  It's the most amazing thing I've ever seen... but the problem it causes is it also doubles the cooking time and causes grand disappointment when you think it's time to take out the bread from the oven and the middle is still as soggy as a tres leches cake.

I'm going to do a bit more experimenting over the next week or so, I'm trying desperately to keep away from the potato starch/tapioca starch/rice flour mixes because of the high glycemic load that they carry & the effect they have on my blood sugar levels.  It's the one thing that people seem to miss when they're moving to the gluten-free lifestyle, they believe that they can just go buy all the fancy, "processed" gluten-free products available on the store shelves these days and they're living healthier, but they're not.  Because of the glycemic load of most of these flours and the processed foods and preservatives used in some of these products they're really no healthier than eating straight sugar for diabetics.

I will tell you that so far I've worked with soy flour in a whacked out blend that made my bread sticks taste and smell like horse feed mixed with industrial paste.  I've used ground golden flax seed and I love the taste so long as it's not overwhelming in the blend so much that it makes my bread taste like a freshly mowed hay field smells.  It's not that I can't deal with differently textured "breads" or other baked goods, it's just that I expect them to hold up to a certain level of edibility or I won't bother sticking with my plan.  Plus, I'd prefer my whole family jump on the bandwagon with me instead of me having to make a meal for me and a meal for anyone else that happens to be around.  Edible for all would be preferable.

If anyone has a blend ratio that is closest to a cup-for-cup gluten-free blend, that would be great.  I could use a little help.  I'm open to all flours that aren't high on the glycemic index (rice, potato, tapioca starches, etc) and while I realize that I will need some to fall into that category I'd prefer to keep them on the low end of the blend ratio.  For instance, if I had a 3:3:2:1:.5 ratio... I'd like the starches that make things brown and crispy-ish to be the 1 or .5 part of the ratio... and I'm all for buying and storing in bulk.  I bake a lot and will make things in large quantities just to store in the freezer for future use.

I'll keep everyone posted on my progress in both the gluten-free blends, my baking wins & fails, and in our re-decorating fun.

Until next time, much love!

Weight Loss Challenge

At my new office we started a fitness challenge, there's all sorts of fun prizes available for people that get the most points for logging in & keeping up with their fitness goals.

I've decided to keep myself accountable to you guys too because what helps you lose weight and get in shape more than total transparency & public humiliation?  I know I can count on y'all to keep me honest.

That's my tracker, I'm going to put it on top of my blog too but here's the thing... I weight 240 lbs and I'm 5' 8".  I basically put on 20lbs as soon as I started working again.

My office's challenge is located here : 9 Week KEAS Challenge  I'm not sure if y'all can sign up there but if you can, DO IT!  Follow me there and then harass me when I don't do what I'm supposed to.

I'm also joining this challenge:  Spark People 28 Day Bootcamp Challenge I know y'all can join me there.  I'm doing this right if it kills me!!

Here are a few of my goals:

• Walk at least 15 minutes per day, 7 days 
• Eat only healthy snacks, 7 days
• Don't snack 3 hours before bed, 7 days

My little bit of motivation for y'all if you're interested is as follows:

What can you do today to make sure your health and fitness goals are met tomorrow? Maybe you need to pack a lunch to avoid that daily fast food fix, stock your pantry with healthy snacks so you have something to munch on, make a new bedtime routine so you get all the shut-eye you need, or sleep in your workout clothes so you’ll have no excuse to miss a morning workout.

Thinking "two steps ahead" means utilizing the present to make it easier to achieve your goals in the future. What are you waiting for? Here’s how to do it now, before you waste a few more minutes or lose your motivation altogether. 

• Think about Your Actions 
• Head Off Potential Hurdles: Prepare Your Plan B  
• Commit...and Don’t Quit 
• Make Friends with Failure  

Even after you’ve set benchmarks for success, put a halt on potential hurdles, and prepared a plan B, you can still be sure that the road to health and fitness won’t always be smooth and straight. A storm will sweep in overnight and ruin your morning run. That family road trip will be wrought with tempting treats at truck stops. Though these problems may seem counterproductive, getting familiar with failure can be helpful in its own way. When you experience a succession of small setbacks or changes in course, it helps you hone your skills at dealing with issues that are outside of your control.


Even the greatest athletes and strategic planners in the world fail—sometimes badly and sometimes publicly. But those who are great don't let failure define them or stop them. They set goals, plan ahead to avoid or minimize mishaps, and get back up and keep going when things don't go according to plan. They roll with the punches—and you can, too!

New Beginnings

So….here’s my story…I am a work outside the home mom with a 7 year old daughter named Fiona who used to call parmesan cheese "Shake Cheese" (hence the name of my blog)…the sandpaper part comes from what I will usually have in my hand if given half the chance.  Pretty simple, Sandpaper & Shake Cheese.


For the past seven and a half years that’s what it’s felt like. My life, redefined.  The first year I cried a lot and felt utterly alone and clueless. Year two was much better but I still felt a little lost. Year three I realized that I had been looking at the map upside down. I was still holding onto a life that was long gone and refusing to embrace the “new” me. Cheesy..but true.

Around that time I started becoming supremely interested in reconnecting to my roots (I'm adopted and while I have a wonderful family, I've always looked for more).  Things at home sort of fell apart, my daughter's father and I divorced... two years later I remarried.  Things around here changed dramatically after that.

I'm looking into changing the way we eat, the way we interact as a family & the way we take care of ourselves - all in an attempt to bring us together as best we can & to learn from the mistakes and successes as we go along.

My plans for this blog include:

• Highlighting different adventures my family & I take on,
• Current design trends in advertising and marketing in all arenas (print, Web, video, etc.), and
• Random tidbits about what catches my attention.

I'm sure this blog will expand with time (and possibly evolve into something entirely different), but for now, we're all here on the same page.

I come from a long line of makers. My mother taught me early on that it was far more satisfying to make something yourself than to go out and purchase it. DIY was her middle name! She stripped and stained the furniture in my room. Then my mother gave me the best gift of all; she put a sewing needle in my hand, she kept an easel with my paints ready at all times, and my dad even gave me a little workbench room in the shed. Ahh, the good ol' 80's!
 
I've aways managed to weave in a project related to my family and friends, whether it was knitting a pair of mittens to whipping up birthday aprons. There always seem to be so many more ideas than hours in the day. I used to scribble them endlessly into my idea books; sharing them with anyone who would listen, and hoping that one day there would be time and space to execute them. Little did I know, that day was just around the corner. This blog will be my vehicle to share and hopefully inspire others through my journey.