Week Four of the Diet: Thanks Mother

It is week four of eight of my candida diet, and on this Mother's Day, I thank God for my mother who convinced me to stick with it. She was blessed with great curves, but not the best metabolism, and she knows any secret you can imagine about healthy cooking. Did you know seaweed is good for thickening soup? Learned that from mother. Anywho, I'm the sixth and last child born to my parents, and unlike my sisters, I wasn't a debutante and didn't take Home Economics in middle school. I can still whip up a mean southern dish of fried chicken or a pretty good french sauce. This gluten free-sugar free-candida diet has me trying new recipes and digging out and enjoying culinary toys that have sat in my kitchen cabinets for years. On Cinco de Mayo, I made homemade guacamole for the first time.

The food processor, FoodNetwork.com, and crock pot are fab for a working lady. I can't have any grain-based flour or vinegar, which means I make my own salad dressing, and treats. I stopped eating most processed meats years ago, but I miss cooking with smoked turkey meat. I mean what's a good pot of collard greens without meat? FYI, organic collard greens don't need the meat. They can be sauteed.

Who would've thunk purple onions, vegetable broth, and fresh sage could work wonders for the boring green bean. Oh, potatoes are out too. A great substitute is rutabagas. I threw a few in the pot with green beans, and cooked a turkey meatloaf with fresh tomato sauce with just a little Stevia. I don't think I've ever cooked meatloaf; so, this turned out to be a nice surprise. My grandmother introduced me to rutabagas, and I think about her every time I cook them. Miss you grandma! This plate's for you, and all the women, (including my big sister Pammy) who taught me to burn. Next, coconut and almond balls courtesy of www.thecandidadiet.com.