Diabetics Eat Well Tonight!

Good morning!

I apologize for the long delay in posting anything new the last few days. It's been a pretty crazy week! Mike had been sick most of those days, so I was busy playing nurse! Now that everything, and everyone is in better health and things are in order, I actually have time to sit down and write in the blog!

Last Tuesday, I picked up my photo from the Gallery at the school, because it didn't sell, but that's okay. Mike is going to take it to work and hang it in the ICU satellite. That's pretty exciting for me, because there are so many people who go into that area and will see it!

Finals have been over for a week, and the grades were supposed to be posted at the beginning of this last week, but nothing was showing, so I had to email the professor. He kindly emailed my grade for the final test and the overall grade of the class to me. My final test score was an A, and the overall in the class was also an A. I enjoyed having him teach the class, as I learned a lot, and it made me realize that I already have another outsider supporting me in this field. It gives me that much more confidence that I can do this, and now, I have a goal to pursue. I just need to see it through!

Dinners have been hit and miss this week, because of us not feeling great. It's been a pretty bad eating week, but when I did cook, we had some good, healthy meals!

At the beginning of the week, I had picked up a pound of fresh shrimp from Whole Foods, and had them skin and devein them. We had some bacon that needed to be used up as soon as possible to avoid spoiling, so I made this:

This recipe is a good appetizer as well as a main dish, it's gluten free and low carb!

Chipotle Lime Bacon Wrapped Grilled Shrimp:

12 large, raw, peeled and deveined shrimp

2 Tbsp olive oil

Zest from 1 lime

Juice from one lime (about 2 Tbsp)

1/4 teaspoon chipotle powder (or more to taste){If you do not have this, chili powder works too}

6 strips thin bacon, cut in half (12 pieces)

Skewers (for grilling) or toothpicks (for oven)

1 Mix together in a small bowl the lime zest, lime juice, olive oil, and chipotle powder. Put the shrimp in the lime chipotle mixture; make sure each piece is well coated.
2 Spread the bacon pieces out over several layers of paper towels on a microwave-safe plate. Cover with another layer of paper towel. Microwave on high until the bacon fat begins to melt but the bacon is still pliable, about 1 1/2 minutes.
3 Prepare grill on high, direct heat (if grilling) or preheat the oven to 450°F.
4 Working one at a time, wrap a half piece of microwaved bacon around each piece of shrimp. If you are grilling, thread the shrimp onto long, flat skewers (flat skewers make turning the shrimp on the grill easier). If you don't have flat skewers, I've used two thin bamboo skewers (soaked in water for 30 minutes beforehand) to the same effect. If you are using the oven, secure each the bacon onto the shrimp with toothpicks. Place the bacon-wrapped shrimp on a slotted baking pan (lined with foil inside for easy cleaning). Brush remaining lime chipotle mixture on the outside of the bacon-wrapped shrimp.
5 Grill uncovered for 5 to 7 minutes on each side, or bake in the oven for 10-14 minutes, until shrimp is pink and the bacon is crisp.

{The shrimp was a little on the dry side, so we made a garlic butter sauce to dip them into and it helped a ton!}

I found a cookbook three years ago, when Mike was borderline diabetic, and as soon as I bought it, he bounced out of it! Typical, right? In my desperation for new recipes, I dusted this cookbook off, and found several meals that I wanted to try. So far this week, I have tried two things from this book! I think we have a keeper...good thing too, since I already bought it!

The first meal that we had from this book, was good, but I need to alter some things, to spice it up a little more. It was good as is, but for Mike and me, we need just a little more flavoring!

This recipe is safe for diabetics, 231 calories, and if you don't have time to make the sauce (which doesn't take any time at all) you can use pre-made sauce!

Spinach and Cheese Roll-Ups:

1 teaspoon olive oil or cooking oil
1/3 cup chopped onion (I used a whole onion) 
1 clove garlic, minced
14.5 oz can tomatoes cut up (I used crushed tomatoes)
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1.5 teaspoons snipped fresh basil or 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon sugar
Dash of salt and pepper
8 dried lasagna noodles
1 ten ounce package of frozen spinach, chopped and thawed
3/4 cup fat free or low fat ricotta cheese
1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
2 tablespoons finely shredded Parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons snipped fresh basil or 1/2 teaspoon dried basil or Italian seasoning, crushed
1 slightly beaten egg white
Fresh parsley springs (optional)

1. For sauce, in a medium saucepan heat oil. Cook onion and garlic in hot oil until onion is tender, stirring occasionally. Carefully stir in undrained tomatoes, tomato paste, basil, sugar, salt and pepper. Bring to boil; reduce heat. Simmer uncovered, about 5 minutes or until sauce is desired consistency, stirring occasionally.
2. Meanwhile, cook pasta according to the package directions. Drain. Rinse with cold water, drain well.
3 For filling, drain thawed spinach well, pressing out excess liquid. In a medium bowl stir together ricotta cheese, mozzarella, Parmesan and basil. Add spinach and egg white, stirring to combine.
4. To assemble, evenly spread about 1/4 cup of filling on each noodle. Roll up from one end. Place seam side down into a casserole dish. Top with sauce.
5. Cover and bake in a 350* oven about 25 minutes or until heated through. If desired, garnish with parsley sprigs.


Yesterday, I decided to do some baking. I have had the same can of pumpkin in my pantry since Thanksgiving last year, so I thought that it was time to do something with that. In the same cookbook, I found a great muffin recipe that was in need of pumpkin. Problem solved...deliciously, I might add! The secret for the moist muffins, is the buckwheat flour! This is a great snack for diabetics!

Pumpkin Muffins:

Non-stick cooking spray or muffin liners
1 1/3 cup all purpose flour
3/4 cup buckwheat flour
1/4 cup sugar plus 2 packages heat stable sugar substitute or 1/3 cup reg. sugar.
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 slightly beaten eggs
1 can pumpkin
1/2 cup fat free milk
2 tablespoons cooking oil
1/2 teaspoon finely shredded orange peel
1/4 cup orange juice

1. Coat or line muffin pan cups, and set aside. In a medium bowl, combine the all purpose flour, buckwheat flour, sugar plus sugar substitute or additional sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture. Set aside.
2. In another bowl, combine the eggs, pumpkin, milk, oil, orange peel and orange juice. Add the egg mixture all at once to the flour mixture. Stir just until moistened. Batter should be lumpy!
3. Spoon batter evenly into the prepared cups. Bake in a 400* oven for 15-20 minutes or until the muffins are light brown.  Cool in muffin cups on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Remove from muffin pan and serve warm.

I still have another new dessert recipe up my sleeve, but I figured that I would wait until all of the other goodies have been nearly depleted. I am still on a quest to find new meals to prepare, just to shake things up a bit, and I'm enjoying it! I haven't found a recipe that I haven't like thus far! (Knock on wood)!

Bootcamp has been tougher, but I also changed the time in which I have been going. I used to go to the 6am class, but I have been going to the 515am class instead, mostly because the workout is harder than the other, which I need, and it's more enjoyable, if working out was ever enjoyable. Time goes by much faster too. So my days start earlier, and the days of my sleeping in until the late morning, has long been gone. Who thought that would have happened?!

Today, I will be picking up some fabric at the local fabric store to make a blanket for Mike, though he doesn't know it yet! I think he does know, but he's not the kind of person to pry or snoop, which I love! Wednesday, my friend Brandi and her sister Sam are getting together to have a sewing day, so I will be doing the blanket then! I'll post pictures as soon as it's done! I'm pretty excited to see how my vision turns out!

Well, I better get moving if I am to accomplish all that I want to do today before Mike comes home! Until next time!