Celebrating Change with Chocolate Bread Pudding!

Okay so it's been awhile. To my 142 followers, thank you so much for not "unfollowing" me despite the fact that I haven't posted since March.

All I can say is, it's been a heck of a year! So many changes I have barely had time to think, let alone write.

The biggest changes are as follows, and these are in no particular order . . .

I met and fell in love with the man of my dreams.
I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.
I took a part time job as the principal cookie baker for a gluten-free bakery.
My new love and I bought a house together and combined households after knowing each other about 10 months!

How crazy is that?! 

I have so much to share about my journey over the last few months but since getting diagnosed with diabetes is one of the biggest changes I've been coping with, I thought my first post should be my latest recipe adaptation.

So, if you are type 2 diabetes, and you've been looking for a holiday--or any day really--dessert to serve, try my . . .

Chocolate Bread Pudding
adapted from Alton Brown's Chocolate Bread Pudding Recipe 

2 large eggs
2 egg yolks
1/3 cup Splenda
1/4 cup cocoa powder
2 tablespoons Stevia Blend
1 1/2 cups half-n-half
1 to 1 1/2 cups whole milk
1 ounce strong coffee or espresso
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
10 ounces stale high fiber bread, or about 8 or 9 slices
3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, preferably 72-85% cacao, broken into 1/2 inch pieces

Alton Brown makes all this in a blender and I thought that worked really well. First the eggs, then the sweeteners and cocoa, then the milk, coffee and vanilla. Blend each ingredient for a short time as you go. It only takes a few seconds for each ingredient so it's really a low-fuss dish. I used leftover coffee and I thought it turned out really good. The darker the chocolate, the less sugar in it, so stick with a 72% to 85% cacao and you should be able to keep the overall sugar content low in this dish.

My recipe is for a medium size bread pudding in a deep glass 9 inch casserole. I buttered the dish, threw the bread in it, tossed the chocolate pieces on the top and then poured the egg mixture over the whole thing. Then I refrigerated it for 8 hours. The bread really was stale so refrigerating allows the bread to soak up the egg mixture.

Then it goes in the oven for about 45 minutes at 325 degrees F.

Alton Brown instructs that you spritz the thing with melted butter and then stick it under the broiler for a couple seconds. I found this step totally unnecessary and burdensome. I ain't got all day to stand around watching things in the broiler. I served this with a brunch and I had a frittata to worry about. So at the last minute, we whipped up some fresh whipped cream with a little bit of Stevia Blend to serve with the bread pudding.

And let me just say . . . OMG this was so stinkin' good! I've been experimenting with a variety of desserts that are low in glycemic load, but this one turned out FAN-FRIGGIN-TASTIC!!

So here are my DIABETES DISCLAIMERS:

1. I am not a doctor, nurse, or nutritionist. I manage my type 2 diabetes (which, btw, was really bad because I had an A1C test that put me at 12.2!!) completely by diet.

2. The high fiber bread in this bread pudding recipe is no sugar added 100% whole wheat high-fiber store-bought bread that anyone can find in the grocery store. These are breads I've been eating for awhile so I know they do not make my glucose spike significantly.

3. There is lots of info about artificial sweeteners, but from what I have read, Splenda and Stevia do not increase glucose levels. The Stevia Blend, however, has sugar in it, so I use it sparingly as a flavor enhancer, not as the primary sweetener. Since it has sugar in it, it could affect glucose levels if you used a lot of it.

4. I check my glucose level 2 and 3 hours after eating one of my recipe adaptations, just as I did with this one. Two hours after I ate the bread pudding, my glucose level was at 127, which means there wasn't a significant spike and I was back down within a reasonable amount of time after eating.

I hope to write more about my journey over the last year, sharing low glycemic load recipes I've either found or created, maybe sharing some pics of our new home and getting back to some crafting and jewelry-making. 

I'm celebrating change with the following leading ladies:

Our Delightful Home Show Me What You Got Linky
Skip to My Lou Made by You Monday
Boogieboard Cottage Masterpiece Monday

Happy Spring Equinox!

The sun is struggling to peak through the clouds here in central Ohio, and it's only 31 degrees outside.

But I'm not letting that get me down! I'm celebrating Spring with some great finds at my local thrift store.

First off, you should know that part of my jovial mood is a direct result of a new man in my life. Yes, this crazy thrifty crafter is falling hard. This is how bad it is . . . I often picture this scene from Elf in my mind . . .

.

I love Will Ferrell.
So anyway, with that in mind, what better way to celebrate Spring than with a new outfit, or two, or three!

Banana Republic wrap-around dress

Forever 21 lightweight cotton print skirt

These leather wedges go perfect with the dress!

black and tan leather wedges just for fun

A cream-colored poncho will be perfect with almost everything.

Lime green and sporting some shorts underneath, this skirt looks fabulous with black tights and boots!

BIG FIND OF THE DAY, BORN LEATHER SANDALS FOR FRIGGIN' $8!!!! The soles look like they've barely been worn. The most comfortable sandal I've ever owned by far. Woohoo!!! As my friend Kay says, I do like me some fugly shoes. I'll be wearing these babies all summer long!

I'm hitchin' my wagon to these bright shining stars!

From My Front Porch to Yours Treasure Hunt Thursday

Not Just a Housewife Show Me What You Got
Beyond the Picket Fence Under $100 Linky Party

New Work and New and Old Friends

I had a couple of bad days this week. Not that anything bad happened. It's just that I was down in the dumps, feelin' the weight of the world, all of that. I think my mother would characterize it as feeling sorry for myself.

A cheerful 70s brooch complemented with
ceramic and glass beads and vintage faux pearls.

A day like that messes with my motivation. It derails all my plans to get things accomplished. Suddenly I feel like all I can do is the bare minimum, go through the motions.

So I taught my students, I went to my metal fabrication class, and I practiced guitar once or twice. At night I read a little and watched Downton Abbey on Netflix (I've just started watching the first season). I didn't make any jewelry at all, so the pieces I'm posting today were made in the last few weeks because I just didn't have it in me this week.

And Tuesday and Wednesday were kinda just dragging along. I just felt lonely and useless and stuck in this house, and . . . well . . . you know the feeling, right?

But in the course of those two days, here's what else happened.

Tuesday, my buddy from Rhode Island calls. He and I have been friends for 30 years and we spend way too much time on the phone talking about politics, relationships, music, you name it. He can converse on almost any subject fairly well and we, usually, enjoy one another's company immensely.

Rustic and romantic with rose quarts and glass beads on a leather cord.

Wednesday, one of my dearest and oldest friends calls from further north of here. She's another one I talk with regularly. I confess to her about how the last couple days is going for me. She doesn't berate me, she doesn't try to motivate me, she just listens to me and then tells me that some days are like that and she understands how I feel.

Wednesday night rolls around and the phone rings again, and it's my new friend who lives in southern Ohio. Since he's kind of a new friend, I don't burden him with my troubles, but we're talking about this and that and he suddenly says the sweetest thing in the world and I could feel the tears well up in my eyes. After a couple seconds of silence, he sensed something and commented that I must be in deep thought. I managed to laugh and told him that I was just struck by how sweet he is.

An amber earring anchors this charm necklace
filled with vintage baubles.

So Thursday rolls around and I wake up to the sun shining in central Ohio. If you live anywhere near here, you know how long it's been since the sun shone for any length of time. And I'm still kinda feelin' sorry for myself, but I manage to get up and get moving, get some work done and head out the door to buy new glazes for my ceramic pendants.

And as I'm getting through the checkout line with six new pots of glaze--all cheery Spring colors, I promise--my phone rings again. This time, it's a new friend I met on Block Island last summer. And his voice is joyful and soothing, encouraging, affirming, and grateful. He makes me smile and I am forced to realize that I have such wonderful friends who care about me and want me to succeed and be well and be happy and I have no good friggin' reason to be feeling sorry for myself.

So enough of that! Let's make some more jewelry!

An old key, tigers' eye and czech glass hanging randomly on a ribbon.

I'm calling these my buttony-button wrist wraps. 

These will be my summer staple.

I'm off to glaze ceramic pendants with cheery Spring colors!

A vintage brooch combined with contemporary glass beads.

I'm springing over to these fine ladies' parties:

The Dedicated House Make It Pretty Monday

Winter Bounty

There are those who feel that being deprived of sunlight during the winter months makes them depressed and generally unable to get motivated.

As you might have guessed, I am not one of those people. Instead . . .

I find the cold winter months to be exhilarating!

I get to use my 4-wheel drive in the Jeep, I am forced to bundle up in order to walk the dog or shovel snow, and I get to relish indoor work like making soups and hearty one-pot dishes that warm the body and comfort the soul.

Another reason I am energized by winter is the fact that I love snow. Yes you heard me right . . .

 

I LOVE SNOW! 

There is something incredibly energizing about waking up to a blanket of snow on the ground. The light it reflects, even when the sun is not out, renews my spirit and motivates me in a different way than the sunny summer days do.

Today in central Ohio, I awoke to another new dusting of snow on top of a couple inches we got yesterday,

so I'm a happy girl!

This past month I've kept myself busy indoors cooking, baking, and creating new jewelry pieces for my upcoming show. But I remind myself to take time to go outside and enjoy the snow. Having a dog that loves snow and doesn't mind cold is a gift and it helps me remember how much I have always loved this time of year.

Whether you are one of those people who enjoys winter or not, I highly recommend taking time to enjoy the quiet wonder of the winter season.

Daisy's little paws get packed with snow after a winter walk.

Daisy and I on a winter hike at our favorite Metro Park.

Avant Garde Art and Craft Show

I've hooked up with this fabulous new series of art and craft shows happening all over Ohio. This will be my first show with them but I attended their last one and this is a creative bunch of contemporary crafters. You'll get lots of inspiration and gift ideas at this show. This is where Pinterest, Etsy, and the crafting blogosphere all come together under one roof!

 

 

 

Saturday, February 16, 2013

11:00am-5:00pm

St. Agatha Church (Parish Hall)
1860 Northam Road

Columbus, OH 43221

Come see all my latest buttony-button jewelry, ceramic pendants and upcycled vintage costume refinery!

 

You can check out my info on their blog here.

Hope to see some friends there!

 
 

Comfort me with mac 'n cheese

I woke up with a sore throat in the middle of the night about a week ago. It was bad. I felt like crap the next day and ended up cancelling my lessons (I teach piano and voice in evenings) so as not to get any of my students sick.

DAY 2, still sick in bed, no fever, but throat is getting really bad and it's difficult to swallow.

DAY 3, very painful to swallow so it's off to the doc-in-a-box to get diagnosed.

Long story short, it's not until DAY 5 that I finally get the strep throat diagnosis and some penicillin, only to discover on DAY 6 that I'm allergic to penicillin!

Anyway, having eaten mostly applesauce and soda cracker for 4 days, I woke up on DAY 5 starving and decided to make myself some comfort food. Taste buds were still pretty dormant and the throat was still a little sore so I needed to make something that wouldn't have too much spice in it and would be easy to swallow.

So for my first post in many weeks, it's recipe time!

Peg's homemade mac 'n cheese and turkey meatloaf

 

This is mac 'n cheese the old-fashioned way, making a bechamel and the whole nine yards. I know, I said "bechamel" but just cuz it's french doesn't mean it's difficult. This is the easiest thing in the world so don't cheat yourself and make a wanna-be mac 'n cheese. 

 

Peg's Homemade Mac 'n Cheese

 

2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni

1/4 cup butter (it's gotta be the real deal, folks)

3 tablespoons flour

2 cups whole milk (you could use 2% but this dish is supposed to comfort you so why would you)

1 cup plain yogurt

2 cups shredded cheese, give or take (I probably used more like 2 1/2 cups, a combo of cheddar and monterey jack)

1/4 teaspoon salt

extra cheese for on top

 

Preheat oven to 400 F.

 

Cook the macaroni in salted water according to the directions on the box. When it's done, immediately strain it and rinse with cold water. You don't want your macaroni over-cooked on the stove because it's gonna cook some more in the oven.

 

Melt the butter in a large non-stick pan. Stir in the flour. Cook flour and butter, stirring, for 3 minutes or so on medium-low heat. Add milk slowly, stirring it pretty much constantly. When the milk gets plenty hot and is starting to thicken, add the cheese, stirring gently over medium-low heat the whole time until the cheese melts.

 

Now it should be getting a little bit thick. Add the yogurt. Stir it in til its blended well and then dump all the macaroni into the pan.

 

As soon as the macaroni is mixed in, dump the whole thing into a greased or buttered casserole dish.

 

It will look SOUPY. Don't worry. Don't add more macaroni.

 

Now, some people like a bread crumb topping on top of their mac 'n cheese. I do not. I think breadcrumbs encourage the top to get crusty and I want my entire mac 'n cheese experience to be moist and creamy and cheesy. So I put more cheese on the top.

 

Bake til it's bubbly on the sides and a little brown on top. It takes about 30-40 minutes depending on how deep your casserole dish.

 

Easy Turkey Meatloaf

 

I've been making turkey meatloaf for years. It's a little healthier than the beef version and, once chilled, slices really good for sandwiches.

 

1 pound ground turkey

1/2 medium onion, diced

1 egg

1/4 cup breadcrumbs

1/4 cup wheat germ or bran flakes

a few dashes of Worcestershire sauce or soy sauce

a good size dollop of ketchup

a squeeze or two of mustard

a pinch of thyme

salt and pepper

 

Preheat oven to 350 F.

 

Not much instruction on this one. It all goes in one big bowl and, with your clean hands, you're gonna mix it all up real good. I like to use half breadcrumbs and half wheat germ just to give it a little whole grain goodness. Sometimes I use nothing but wheat germ and bran flakes, but the bran flakes are not cereal bran flakes, they are raw uncooked bran flakes you get in the health food section.

 

No precise measurements on the condiments because I never use measurements for this recipe. I just use whatever I have in the frig to flavor it. It might be yellow mustard, it might be Dijon. It might be Worcestershire, it might be teriyaki sauce. It's just that the turkey needs a little bump of flavor that perhaps a beef meatloaf wouldn't require. Usually I make a simple sauce out of ketchup and barbecue sauce for the top and put it on before I bake it. This time, I made it plain and it turned out just as tasty.

 

I bake mine in a loaf pan to encourage the turkey to retain its moisture, particularly since it's a pretty lean meat anyway. It bakes for a good 45 to 50 minutes til the juices run clear. I'm a meat thermometer kinda gal, so poultry needs to get pretty well cooked. Consult your meat thermometer if you're unsure.

 

Bon appetit!


I'm partying with these fine ladies:
Made In a Day Made U Look Linky
 Full Circle Creations All Star Block Party
 Our Delightful Home Show Me What You Got Tuesday
Savvy Southern Style Wow Us Wednesday


 



Button, button, who's got the button?!

Thanks to Mod Podge Rocks, I was made aware this morning that it is . . . wait for it . . .

 

National Button Day!!

 

 

And this is how I'm celebrating . . .

 

 

 

This just arrived in the mail yesterday, a cookie tin full of old buttons I bought off e-Bay.

 

If you've been paying attention, you know that I've been making jewelry out of old buttons. Like this pendant necklace made from vintage mother-of-pearl buttons, vintage crystals and faux pearls, hanging from organza ribbon.

 

Or this bracelet made with super cool vintage brass buttons. (Not sure I can give this one up!)

  

And I'm probably getting a little carried away. I'm even making Christmas button necklaces and earrings.

As I started running out of buttons, I turned to my dear friend, Mr. e-Bay. Comfort me Mr. e-Bay. Let me know there is more junk out there for me. 

 

And as usual, Mr. e-Bay was happy to satisfy my needs. Ahhh, if only the rest of my life were this simple. 

 

 

First I have to sort my buttons by color.

 

 



Beautiful shades of blue. Something really beachy is gonna come out of this pile, huh!

 

Holy mother-of-pearl! These could adorn a bride's wrist as she walks down the aisle.

 

Pretty in pink!

 

Happy National Button Day, friends! Time to get my craft on!

 

 

I'm sharing my button obsession with these beautiful blogs!

 

C.R.A.F.T. Making Monday Marvelous

Skip to My Lou Made by You Monday 

 Kathe with an E You're Gonna Love It

Our Delightful Home Show Me What You Got