Overzealous

Okay, I'll admit it. I got overzealous.

I saw local apples on sale at the supermarket and, against my better judgement, bought some.

Now, I am not one of those people who easily gives up summer. In fact, I am one of those people you hear cursing in the middle of CVS, exclaiming, "It's only August. Why the fuck is there stuff out for Thanksgiving?" Really. Who needs to be reminded that the chilly, dark days of winter will be upon us in just a few short months?! Not me!

I find myself clutching to every single last ray of sunshine before finally committing myself to the fall season. I'll wear flipflops and sundresses far past their appropriateness. I love summer! I love beach days! I love being tan! I am sad every time I see it go.

Which is why I had initially resisted the buying of these apples. Apples signifies autumn to me. It means leaves are changing and sweater season is upon us. While I have grown to really love fall too, I am not ready for it.

Despite my resistance, apples I did buy. Mealy apples at that. Ugh. Is there anything worse then a mealy apple? Apples should be crisp and juicy and sweet. What does one do with mealy apples? Some of you out there my choke these disgrace to fruit down. Or, like my family, carry it back and forth to work for several days before it's just too bruised and beat up that you need to throw it away. We refer to this phenomenon as "The Comfort Fruit."

OR you can do something really wonderful and ingenious with it and make a Cinnamon Apple Breakfast Bake! My, my, my, what smart girl would think to do something like that?!

Ahem...No need for thanks.

Cinnamon Apple Breakfast Bake

by Bonnie Graham

Cook Time: 25 - 30 minutes

Keywords: bake breakfast snack vegetarian apples cinnamon oats nuts fall

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Ingredients

• 3/4 c rolled oats
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 2 tbsp sucanat or other sweetener (add more to your taste)
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 2 - 3 tbsp golden flax seeds
• 3 - 4 tbsp silvered or sliced almonds
• 3 tbsp sunflower seeds
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 c apple sauce
• 1/2 c milk
• 1 1/2 tbsp coconut oil or other neutral oil (optional)
• 1 apple, diced into smaller pieces
• Optional add-ins: shredded coconut, chia seeds, walnuts or other nuts of your choosing, chocolate chips (who says you can't have chocolate in the morning?)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2. Add all the dry ingredients together in a bowl. Mix well.

3. Add vanilla, applesauce, milk, and coconut oil. Stir to combine.

4. Add in apples. Mix well.

5. Pour mixture into prepared baking dish.

6. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. You can also broil for a few minutes at the end of the baking time to get a brown crust on top.

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Running Through It

I'm referring to my insulin.

While I mentioned in my post about travelling that one needs to accept that they may use more insulin when on vacation, I wasn't exactly mentally prepared for it. Sure, sure, I sounded all calm and zen about it. I know I'm going to have more high blood sugars. I know I'm going to use more insulin. I know I'm going to possibly have a low in the middle of a massive tomato fight filled with a bunch of Europeans. Yes, yes, I know, I know. It's all fine.

Until it happens.

I heard the familiar beep of my insulin pump, alerting me to a low reservoir (aka running out of insulin). The pump usually gives me a 20 unit warning, meaning that I'm not going to die in the next few minutes. It usually takes me about a day to run through a full 20 units. Apparently, that's not true when I'm travelling in Spain.

You want to hear another funny insulin thing about travelling in Spain? Okay!

I fill my reservoirs up to about the same amount of insulin each time, roughly 80 to 90 units. That usually lasts me three to four days. I've even stretched it to five (unintentionally). In Spain, I barely made it to three days. While supplies are definitely not an issue, it just isn't something I'm use to.

Overall, diabetes had not been a downer on this trip. There were moments where I was annoyed with diabetes or disappointed with numbers, but they were also just that. Moments. Fleeting thoughts that were only dwelled upon until the next glass of Sangria. Which came often.

I was on vacation. In beautiful places. Eating amazing food. I gave myself this vacation.

Something I Did Miss

I'm not sure if I mention this, but I am in love with Spain. Did you notice?

Many of my friends and families were convinced that I wasn't ever coming home. Trust me, it was definitely a consideration. 

Despite all the wonderful and glorious food of Spain, one thing we did really miss was vegetables! As you might have seen from my pictures, there was a lot of seafood eating going on. And figs. Did I mention the figs? How amazing they were? How I will never be able to eat another fig ever again unless I'm in Barcelona? And the peppers. Oh my god, the peppers! Let's not get me started on that. 

However, Spain isn't exactly a vegetarian-friendly culture. The one time we tried to order a vegetable sandwich, it came with ham on it! 

While we were prepared to eat meat this trip, Jerry and I are practically vegetarian eaters with a variety of vegetables usually being the main focus of our meals. When we got home, Jerry announced that he only wanted to eat vegetables. Nothing else. No grains. No protein. Just straight up veggies. He didn't even want seasoning. Jerry? Not want seasoning? This is the guy who would sprinkle curry powder into our oatmeal if I let him.

Our first night home, we roasted up about 5 pounds (not even being sarcastic) of vegetables, including broccoli, carrots, parsnips, butternut squash, mushrooms, and onions. With spices. By our second night home, I wanted something a little bit more developed that just a massive bowl of roasted veggies, no matter how delicious.

So, what did I do? I created a massive bowl of sauteed veggies! Soooooo different, right?

But this time....I topped it with an egg! Booyah!

Dish inspired by my friend, Carrie

Warm Summer Vegetable Slaw

by Bonnie Graham

Cook Time: 20 to 25 minutes

Keywords: saute entree side vegetarian low-carb eggs carrots zucchini

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Ingredients (2 - 3 large servings)

• 1 - 2 cloves garlic, chopped fine
• 1/2 large red onion, sliced
• 1 medium to large zucchini, shredded
• 2 large carrots, shredded
• 1 ear of corn, kernels removed
• 1 tsp fennel seeds
• 2 tsp oregano
• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
• 1 tsp dried basil
• salt and pepper
• olive oil
• 1 egg for each serving
• Optional: grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

1. Saute garlic and onions in olive oil while you use your food processor or mandolin to shred the zucchini and carrots.

2. Add shredded veggies as you go until all are added in.

3. Add in all your spice and saute until veggies start to soften. Let cook, tossing every few minutes or so.

4. Meanwhile, take the kernels off your corn cob and reserve to the side.

5. Heat a pan and prepare your fried eggs.

6. Once veggies are sufficiently soften (carrots are tender), plate up, adding the raw corn kernels in at the end. Top with an egg.

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Things I Already Miss

It's been less then 24 hours since arriving home from Spain and I'm already in deep longing for the shores of Cadaques and tapas of Barcelona.

Here are a few of the things I already miss.

Peaceful, Easy Feeling

Sitting in an outdoor cafe, sipping on a Cafe Americano, staring out into these beautiful views....

I felt a calm that I haven't felt in a very long time. No rush. No worries. No tasks I need to cross off my To-Do list. Nothing else to do but to sit here and enjoy my drink. 

It feels amazing. 

The Meal that Saved France

As part of our trip, considering how close to the border we would be, we decided to spend a few days in the South of France. Having just fallen in love with Barcelona, Perpignan was going to have some stiff competition as Barcelona had just become my most favorite place ever...in the world!

When we first arrived in Perpignan, it was cold and windy and raining. Not a good start. On top of that, the streets are insane, which is particularly difficult when you don't speak, understand, or know a glimmer of the language. Riddled with anxiety about not knowing the language, assuming that all French people would hate us, nerves a little frazzled from being completely lost, our first few hours in Perpignan weren't good ones.

After a few hours of isolation in our room due to embarrassment at our complete lack of understanding and knowledge of the French language besides "soup du juor" and "Voulez-vous coucher avec moi?" (gotta love Lady Marmalade), we finally ventured out in Perpignan. Where it was dead. The place was a ghost town. It was like they announced tasteless Americans had arrived and everyone boarded up their windows to await our celebrated departure. Which I guess is what happens when the only question you know is "Would you like to sleep with me?" It would certainly make us popular in New York!

However, the more we wandered, the more Perpignan grew on us. Maybe this place was cute, despite the wind....and rain....and French people?

Pictures taken our first night

 

Then dinner happened. Ah, food cures all, doesn't it? 

After wandering around a bit, there was a row of restaurants right outside our hotel that seemed to be the only ones opened. Luckily, our waiter spoke English, so we didn't have to resort to grunting and pointing as our primary way of communicating. He was also very pleasant and friendly as were most people we met.

We ordered a bottle of wine, started with a cheese plate, and welcomed France with open arms.

You had me fromage!

Which means "cheese". See how much French I picked up! :)

One of the best cheese plates I ever had.

Duck

Shrimp

Tomato: To Eat or to Throw?

One of the experiences we were most looking forward to on our trip to Spain was La Tomatina Festival. It is an annual tomato fight in the town of Bunol, where locals and visitors alike prepare themselves to be pelted with tomatoes.

The experience was definitely intense, to say the least. It's basically a mosh pit with tomato juice.
Everyone pushes into a small square in the center of Bunol and wait for large trucks filled with tomatoes to plow through, leaving buckets of sauce in its wake. As the trucks come in, insanity ensues! The crowd pushes together to make room for the trucks, to get leverage, to cop a feel (which I was on the receiving end of, the downside of the festival), to catch a breath, grab a tomato, whatever else you can do in a crushing crowd of hundreds of people.

At one point, I had to yell for Jerry's help as I wasn't able to breath in the body crush of the crowd. Finally making it over to a wall that provided a little bit more stability, there was a lull in the onslaught of trucks, allowing me a quick moment to hold out my hands.

Shaking hands. Not a good sign.

Jerry looked at my hands and immediately asked, "You're low?!"

Tears began forming in my eyes. The festival had just started. There was no easy way out of this crowd and I had stupidly not brought in anything to treat a low. I checked for the other usual signs. Was I getting hot? Was my mind slowing down? Did I feel shaking anywhere else in my body? Was this just the result of an adrenaline boost to the system from being squeezed by tomato-soaked Spaniards? Should I just start eating tomatoes in the hopes that it rises my blood sugar?

I took a deep breath. Calmed down a bit and said no. I don't think I was having a low. Just a slight panic attack. I promised Jerry if I started to feel weak, we'd push through the crowd and get something to treat it immediately. We stayed in the center of the madness for another 20 minutes before we both agreed to call it quits. Once out of the pit, all feelings of hypoglycemia faded away.

We warned to not carry anything as things got a little crazy and would pretty much be destroyed. I took that suggestion too far, forgetting that, as a diabetic, the concept of "not carrying anything with me" just does not apply.