Updates

Well, the garlic test was inconclusive. I didn’t have any bloating after eating the rosemary lemon chicken and  was feeling good the next morning too. But then I made a mistake. A and I went to the grocery store and I picked up some gluten-free pretzels AND I DIDN’T READ THE LABEL. Dumb me. So I’m really excited to eat pretzels, I love pretzels, and since starting the low FODMAP diet obviously haven’t been able to have any. I get home, start eating them with some Brie, and realize that maybe I should check the label. …Yep. Right there at the end of the list- Onion Powder. Garlic Powder.
I hadn’t even had more than 20 pretzels and my big ol’ bloated belly was back. I don’t know if it was the onion powder, garlic powder, combination of having garlic the day before, or something else entirely.

Later in the week I finally get a call from Dr. Y’s office about the ultrasound results. It wasn’t the normal nurse who called me- and all I got was “Dr. Y wants you to go off the pills for a week and then go back on them.” No other indication on if the endometrium measurements were to be expected, or concerning, or anything.
So now I’ve been of the letrozole and norethindrone for three days- and my uterus is back for vengeance. Cramps, back ache, stabbing vaginal and rectal pain that catch my breath, joint pain…oh and of course, bloating! So far just a bit of bleeding, so I know the real fun is still waiting to begin. Plus, three days of my pills and everything is back to BABIES! which always causes some emotional turmoil for me.

On top of that I’m having another breakdown about this diet. All I want is normal, easy, comfort food. But of course none of that is low FODMAP friendly.

It’s going to be a long week. At least the semester is over, now all I have to worry about (academically) is my prelims.

Garlic Test – low FODMAP add back – Rosemary Lemon Chicken

I couldn’t wait for the full month to start adding things back, especially not garlic- I miss the flavor so much! So I decided that today would be my garlic test day. For tonight’s dinner I picked a favorite dish in my household, one that is otherwise completely low FODMAP friendly. It is one of my favorite low spoon dishes: it’s quick, easy, and only dirties up one dish.

Without further ado,
Rosemary Lemon Chicken, inspired by Vikalinka

Ingredients

• 1 lb baby yukon gold potatoes
• 1 lb chicken thighs
• 2 Lemons
• 3 Garlic cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• salt and pepper

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 450 F
• Add chicken to the baking dish, skin side up. (I prefer a glass casserole dish, you want something with sides to hold liquid).
• Cut the potatoes into halves, then add to the baking dish, surrounding the chicken thighs.
• In a mortar, combine the rosemary, garlic cloves, a pinch of coarse salt, and 1 tablespoon of oil. Bash it together with a pestle until you have a paste. Add the rest of the olive oil (2 tablespoons) and the juice from the two lemons. Pour over the chicken and potatoes, making everything is covered.
• If you want extra lemony flavor, add the lemon halves to wherever you have space in the baking dish.
• Roast for 35-45 minutes until the chicken skin is golden brown. Halfway through the cooking time baste your chicken and potatoes with the liquid at the bottom of the pan.

Enjoy! A and I usually add a little salt before eating, but we’re salt fiends… either way, it’s delicious- and for minimal work!

Low FODMAP – Meatballs with tomato sauce, over fries

I’ve felt better this last week. I’m guessing it’s from the low FODMAP diet, or at least the eating small snacks or meals constantly… but I can’t rule out that week of bleeding either. Confounding is a bitch when you’re trying to find any cause-effect relationship.

I’ve been trying my best to keep up with new low FODMAP recipes, but haven’t had anything worth sharing in a while. Tonight’s dinner, however, certainly needs to be shared. It was delicious. And, my day was topped off by remembering Pepsi makes a couple of their sodas with real sugar. Today, for the first time in a month I had a soda- a mountain dew. It was glorious. I’m still going to try to not drink them often, especially since I’ve also been off caffeine for two weeks or so, but nothing beats a soda every once in a while.

Without further adieu, meatballs with tomato sauce, over fries

Ingredients

• low FODMAP friendly fries (we use Kroger brand crinkle fries)
• shredded mozzarella cheese

For the sauce

• garlic-infused olive oil
• 14.5 oz can petite diced tomatoes
• red 1 cup red wine (I prefer Rex Goliath pinot noir)
• dried oregano
• ground black pepper
• ground white pepper
• fresh basil paste
• ground sage
• ground thyme
• dried rosemary
• 3 teaspoons raw turbinado sugar
• red pepper flakes

For the meatballs (adapted from Low FODMAP Ninja)

• 2 slices of Udi’s white bread (I used the heels)
• 1/3 cup coconut milk
• 1 lb ground beef
• 1/2 cup finely chopped green spring onions
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 F.
• Soak the slices of bread in the coconut milk until soggy.
• While the bread is soaking, cut green onions and parsley.
• In a pot, or saute pan, add some garlic-infused olive oil, about a table spoon. Heat over medium heat.
• Add the can of diced tomatoes, with liquid, into the pot. Add wine and sugar and let begin to cook down. Add spices to taste. Keep cooking until the sauce has reduced.
• Once bread is soggy, remove from the coconut milk and add to a medium sized bowl. Add the green onion, parsley, parmesan, ground beef, salt and pepper. Mix well.
• Shape the meatball mixture into 1-inch balls, and place on a baking sheet. Bake ~10 minutes, until no longer pink inside.
• Once the meatballs have finished cooking, add to the tomato sauce; keep over low heat to stay warm. Cook fries according to package directions.
• Top fries with meatballs, sauce, and shredded mozzarella. 🙂

In other news: I still haven’t heard back from any doctor regarding my ultrasound results. I got the report back on my patient portal on Saturday, but really want to hear back from my specialist’s office about it, because I the results have left me with a lot of questions…