Wheat Free--Never Felt so great!

My wheat free experiment is still on going and I am feeling very good about it all.  I have a hit a bit of a plateau.  I am sure this has to do with a few things going on at this time of the year.  The first would be a switch from x-c skiing every day to walking now that the snow is gone.  Also having to many carbs, and this is the next focus for me is reducing the sugars.  I find the sugar part more difficult as I really can not stand the sweeteners out there that are "natural" and I really can not even deal with the fake sweeteners.  I have yet to wrap my mind around this part of not eating wheat and the high carbs of sugars.

I feel great, lots of energy, a clear mind and aches and pains although they were dull are gone from my life.  I really can not thank Dr. William Davis enough for his work.  I find the whole not eating wheat to be easy once you get over the initial 5-10 days.  I am still going strong and have been so happy with my efforts and the results.

I know when June 21st arrives I will not be going back to wheat nor will I even give it a slight try!  I am wheat free, pain free, energy enriched---who could ask for more!  Although, this is not a weight loss program but a health enriching way of life, I am -30 pounds and holding!  I do need to drop more weight as I am not at my BMI goal range yet.

If you are interested in this approach you can view the books my Dr. William Daves at his blog.  I would start with Wheat Belly first.  On a side note the cook books are great and I would say a must! 

Spring Tundra and a Bit of Knitting

Spring is here and we have made it through the worst of the muddy season and now dust seems to have arrived.  It is a bit dryer than normal here which I do have concerns about.  Alaska's fire season has started already.  We have a fire season in spring into early summer up north.  It is really amazing how fast the tundra can and does dry out.

School is almost over just 5 more days after today and I am soooooo looking forward to my break!  I love my job but as a long time teaching friend told me years ago, "Teaching a years worth of worked packed into 9mos. you deserve a free summer to rest and to get ready to jump right back into the classroom again."  I could not agree more!

I have turned in my skis for my hiking boots.  I am out on the tundra almost every day walking with "The Girls" as I call the dogs.  Soon that tundra will be bursting with green plant life.  The temperatures have hit the hi-40s and have broken into the low 50s.  The tundra is not freezing at night and with the long hours of sunshine it will change dramatically now from winter brown to lush summer green.

Spring time tundra ready to explode into various shades of green!

PDS Yarn one of my favorite yarns hand dyed in Whitefish , Montana at my favorite yarn shoppe! Another pair of highly functional socks.

I am totally smitten by lichen . . .

My Blaíthín, Kate Davies design, sweater which is now off the needles and waiting for buttons.

My disappearing ski trail in the distance but have not fear it will return about next October if the Snow Gods and Mother Nature play nice!

4-Wheelers, Snow-machines, Boats on Sea Ice: It must be Spring!

I love the long hours of sunlight in the spring.  It is nice to see more people out and about as they get ready to hunt for seals and the returning migrating birds.  This time of the year the locals haul their boats out across the sea ice by 4-wheelers or snow-machines.  I always find this a bit crazy but it is what has been since the beginning of time.  Last night on the evening the dog walk, we could see about 5 4-wheelers way out on the edge of the sea ice, several boats out in the water, and a few snow-machines out there on the edge as well. 

This morning on the dog walk here is a boat that will be going back out to the sea by 4-wheeler or snow-machine later today.

Boat on the beach ice waiting to head back out for some seal hunting later today.

Tomten #2: Oh knitting how you continue to humble me! & Ski Update

Tomten #2

Last night, I thought I should count the sts on the sleeve just make sure I have the same amount on the front  and back of the sleeve. Of course I don’t, why would I, and how the heck did I screw that up, and better yet where?  Oh and I am off a sizable amount of sts as well!  UGH!  Thoughts of frogging came running into my mind and then the epiphany of WHO WILL KNOW, WHO WILL KNOW, NO ONE WILL KNOW, UNLESS I TELL SOME ONE!  (Meanwhile you are all saying you just told the WORLD!) Now I am decreasing under the arm at random places on the back side of the sleeve to get down to 25 sts to match the front of the sleeve!  What is a bit funny is I am actually even marking the decrease sts on the top of the sleeve on either side of the knit sts that will fun down the sleeve something I never do and what happens I still screw up my sts count!  Knitting how you continue to humble me!

A little ski update:

Yesterday, I finally got to day 100 of skiing (April 19, 2015) and it was another nice jaunt up the sea ice in the late afternoon.  Up north you could tell they were getting snow but we seemed to be right on the front line, under northern blue sky.  We had a north wind so skiing back was nice and fast.

"The Girls" and I out for an afternoon sea ice ski.

Spring Sea Ice Ski

One of the many things I enjoy about living way out here on "The Edge" as I often call it is my spring sea ice skis.  Norton Sound freezes over in the winter to varying degrees.  The sea ice moves about all winter long.  Sometimes we get a west wind which floods the sea ice and pushes it under water.  Sometimes an east wind blows it out to sea.  Recently, we had a north wind which pushes the sea ice right back into us here in Unalakleet.

Yesterday's after work ski was wonderful.  Nice sea ice to ski on and we just cruised north along the beach it was perfect!  +16ºF, hardly an wind and sunshine!  The dogs ran around finding caribou bones to chew on and the token left over silver salmon parts to try their best to eat before we caught them.

4/16/15 sea ice ski on Norton Sound

We just love winter and sliding around on snow!

Wheat Free-Wheat Belly

For some time, I have secretly laughed at the Wheat Belly book that I would see in airports when traveling.  I thought  to myself give up bagels . . . what the heck now we will attack wheat too!  UGH!

Last summer my husband's doctor suggest he read the book Grain Brain.  Of course he didn't read it and of course I did read it.  I found it interesting, a bit to much science for me at times, but I thought oh my no way could/would I give up all this stuff! (Wheat, grain, sugar, carbs  . . . )

Fall of 2014 came along and I needed something to read.  This Wheat Belly kept showing up on my Kindle as a suggested read.  Wheat Belly was on the NY Times list and I am sure many other reading lists. I would read a few reviews and skip right over it.  I must of have been desperate for something to read that wasn't violent and full of weirdo characters.  I figured a safe topic would be Wheat Belly.  A non-fiction read would be great and I could find out what this was all about finally.

December 21, 2014: I decided to go wheat free for 6 mos.  I figured if I could go wheat free and do this little experiment on myself then I would make a decision about this whole Wheat Free movement.

I have tried Weight Watchers for years and then a APP for counting points.  This APP was like Weight Watchers only free.  I had some success with this approach, but not the level of fitness I was after.  I cross-country ski well over 100 days a year.  I bike, hike, and paddle board during the summer. I get out every day but still it never looked like I was as active as I am.  I recycled the same 15 pounds every year between winter my lowest weight and summer time my highest weight for about a decade.  This is when and why I decided to try something completely different!

Living in rural Alaska has its food disadvantages.  We fly in most of our food in Aug.  We order a lot of food items through Amazon and have a box of organic produce flown in once a week.  Our (2) stores have food which is a bit expensive and honestly a lot of it we never ever buy or eat--think highly processed microwave food!  Enough said!  Going wheat free isn't a huge deal but we do have some limiting factors and planning ahead is key!  I guess my point is if I can do this out here anyone can do this any place where you can easily drive or walk to a store/health food store.

Ok----have I lost any weight?  I have lost 28 pounds since I have started.  I am on no medications and never was on any medication.  This would baffle the nurse at the doctors office at every yearly check up!  I am not sure on the inches but let it be said a pair of pants I could not zip now have extra room in them!  All my clothes fit better with extra room.  I feel great!  I sleep well but generally always have been a good sleeper.  I am not hungry all the time.  I eat a meal and for the most part am done eating.  Sometimes, I find myself thinking I need to eat more but I feel full sooner than I have been used to and realize I am done---just stop eating! I have more energy which I was never to low on but now I have even more!

Will I go back to wheat NO!  I won't at all!  I have not cut out all the grains or sugars as Wheat Belly suggests.  Why . . . I love popcorn once in awhile and I am sure will keep eating this once in awhile.  However, I will be switching to an organic popcorn once the other has run out.  Sugar---this is an issue. I tried stevia and the one I have right now I don't care for the after taste at all.  There is a stevia that comes in an orange box and I think that one tasted better.  I just wish I could go to a health food store and taste test the sweeteners.  Right now if I bake something I cut back on the sugar a lot! I use an organic white sugar. 

Freedom! Good Bye: FaceBook

I must admit I feel a bit smug here saying I deactivated the ol'facebook account. I was spending to much time on you and I needed a break!  I don't have the facebook app on my phone or any of that stuff and yes I will go days with out looking at you or photos of ME!  Enough is enough . . . a vacation.

Now all of you will laugh and say but you are on Twitter! Yes, I am on Twitter.  I used it before and stopped and I am back on it again.  I like Twitter a bit more and  here is my goal/experiment: to figure out Twitter and to see how I like it compared to FB. 

April: What the HECK!

I hate to say this but yes once again time is flying by and I can hardly hold the reins!  Since I teach school, it seems like certain parts of the year rip by, others drag, and yet before you know it the end of the school year is closing in on me! 

I have been having several discussions with myself about social media lately.  Why do we need to tell the world all out thoughts and every movement?  Why do we even think this important?  Who the heck cares anyway?  How much information do we need to have out there in the cyber world about us?  I don't even know all the ways one can share their world with others.  I know there are all these sites, and formats, and options . . . I use facebook which I admit I use to often and waste far too much time on!  I am about to deactivate it for months here once this week-end's ski race is over!  I love to blog and find this far more relaxing.  I would rather blog than use FB but I get caught up in FB to much to often as I just look at what others are doing and posting.  I like to connect up with friends and have a lot of friends around the world.  It is time to say enough FB for at least 4 mos or more----or forever possibly???  

I am back on Twitter and I like Twitter far more than FB. Yes, it is still social media but I like the format and the brevity of tweets.  I like who/what I can follow and not follow. I was on twitter and then freaked out about social media and deleted my account.  Now I am back on and I do like the news feeds more on twitter.

The blog is just a fun way to force me to write more and to share my world with who ever is interested.  Yes, it would be great if I got more comments.  I do know people are checking in and reading the blog. You are at least looking at the photos.  This is all fine and dandy with me. 

I love the early mornings and writing during this relaxing time of the day.  It is always nice to have a easy start of the day with my coffee.  I get up M-F at 5:00 a.m. This time is pretty special to me.  I walk the dogs, feed them and get on this machine.  I have a dear friend that we each write to each other every morning.  It is part of the routine and we love it!  The early morning short dog walk is often full of northern lights, stars, sometimes howling winds, cold, snow, rain, or just a glorious sun rise depending on the time of the year. 

We are now at 14 hours and 27 minutes of daylight as of today.  Our shortest amount of daylight is 4 hours and 17 minutes.  The yearly shift in daylight I really enjoy.

Winter a Few Highlights from 14_15 Season

I really like this photo. I found it on a google search. I found the site but can not the find the artist to give him/her credit.  If anyone knows who the artist is please let me know. 

I love both the winter and summer solstice.  Here in Alaska, where we live, the shortest amount of daylight is 4 hours and 17 minutes.  I enjoy the yearly journey to darkness and the climb out of darkness to the light filled day of the June solstice.  There is something magical about this epic natural journey that I adore and embrace yearly.

Winter Solstice Ski 12/21/14

My girl Sadie and I on the wind blown tundra.

Sometimes skiers fall!  I took a wicked crash skiing on 1/31/15.  It was one of those horrible standing on your skis and your feet go out from under you falls.  I slammed onto hard packed snow/ice.  The brunt of the fall was on my butt and right wrist.  The wrist got the worse of it!  Sprained badly but grateful that was it!  

2/25/15 one of our more desperate attempts to find skiable snow.  Really hard packed drifts on the beach.  You have to admit it is stunning!

Sadie letting it rip!  All 4 paws airborne!

Christian skiing away on the stone grinding surface.  People pay good money for this in ski shops!

We love our Ruffwear dog harnesses!

I love the sea ice . . .

Squash Soup: Zingy Chipotle Roasted Squash Soup

Zingy Chipotle Roasted Squash Soup

Modified from http://www.chow.com/recipes/30466-roasted-butternut-squash-soup to have a bit more zing & spiced flavor!

Prepare Squash

2 squash: we used a butternut and an acorn squash yielding approximately 4.5 cups, halved lengthwise and seeds removed.

(Save seeds: Wash, crack sea salt, and roast to use as a garnish or to snack on!)

1 teaspoon butter for each half and rub on each half, cut-side up, and place any remaining butter in the cup area of squash. On each half: season with cracks of sea salt, green pepper, and dashes of true lime or a bit of lime juice.

Bake in oven at 400ºF until very tender. Check after 30-40 min. with fork. Time will vary depending on squash being used.

Prepare Ingredients & Spice

1 large onion diced and sauté to caramelize with spicy red pepper olive oil in the same pan to cook with later. Add apples and pear below when onions are almost done.

2 apples (Fuji or Granny Smith), peeled and cored, tangy is better. Add to onions to soften, stirring often.

1 pear, pealed and cored, dice. Add to onions to soften, stirring often

Add vegetable stock, 2.5 cups with 2.5 cups of water

Once squash is cooked, let cool and scoop out squash.  Add squash to the onions and other ingredients.

1/3 cup heavy cream: Add to the soup mixture in large pot. Mix with immersion blender or blender until the desired smoothness.

Additional spices added (check flavor)

1 t ground thyme

1 t ground coriander

1 t smoked ground paprika

1 pinch of ground sage

2-4 dashes of cayenne

2 dashes chipotle flakes

Generous cracks of green pepper and dashes of True Lime as you like. May add crack of sea salt if needed.

Prepare Garnish

1/2 cup toasted pumpkin seeds, for garnish (optional)

or

1/2 cup pecans, broken by hand, and toasted in oven at 300ºF for about 5 min. Turn and check often until roasted evenly.

Serve soup with roasted nut garnish and bread or crackers of choice.

Knitting . . . oh yes I am a knitter!

No matter what once winter arrives my life gets rather busy.  Working, coaching skiing, taking time for my dogs and husband (not necessarily in that order-oops!)---life just takes up a lot of time!  Then there is reading, knitting, yoga, working out, skiing, cooking . . . . the list goes on just like it does for every one.

I do want to get my knitting updated and posted.

Here is Tomten #1 which I  loved knitting.  This is good as I have yes 3 more to knit.  This design comes from Schoolhouse Press, one of my very favorite yarn and knitting suppliers/designers.

This Tomten wasn't knitted for this cutie but she is trying it on for size as she will be Tomten #3.

Here is the proud owner of Tomten #1!  Fits perfect and the smile says it all to her Great-Auntie!

These two photos are Tomten #2.

I am working on adding little color into the garter stitch.  This yarn is a wonderful rich green color way named mountain green.  I must knit something out of it for myself when time allows.

How can an Great-Auntie not love an aspiring knitter!  I order her one of my favorite knitting books for kids.  I even used this book a lot when I was learning how to knit as well.  Kids Knitting is a great book and full of very kid-doable projects!

The next project, I worked on this winter is an all time favorite of mine.  Felted Baby Booties that are wonderful to knit and every new mom I know requests a pair.  A long time friend of mine designed this pattern. The pattern can be purchased  at my very favorite local knitting shoppe in Montana.  If they don't have it please bug them about getting it republished!

I knitted this pair for a friend here who recently adopted a little boy.  The color combo is a mixing of the 2 Scottish flags as dad has a strong Scottish background.

I started this project in August when we were driving back up to Alaska for work.  I am not done but I am certainly closing in on finishing the "Long John" project.  I decided to name this pair of long underwear after a horse I used to ride long ago.  Long John was a 17 hand thoroughbred horse off the track.  He was blind in one eye but a love.  I am sure this is why I love big chestnut horses to this day.

The first leg is done.  I am using a yarn from Polk a Dot Sheep.  If you love color have a look at PDS yarns.   These yarns are so rich in color it is almost impossible to walk away from buying yarn in every colorway!

The legs are now joined and I am working on the BUTT!  I am doing some increasing in that area and German Short Rows  as well. 

Storm, We finally have a winter March 7th!

As the saying goes, "Better late than never!"

I went over this morning to check the slough, which is a branch off of the Unalakleet River, to see if we could have ski practice.  You may be asking what does a river have to do with ski practice??  Good question!  We have to cross the slough which is brackish water salt/fresh to get to where we hold ski practices.  Depending on the winds the slough will have overflow.  This means that the winds from the south and west causes water to overflow on top of the frozen river ice.  The ocean water comes up the river and surges out of cracks and along the edges.

This would be overflow and that snow fence is where we ski most of the time.  These photos are from 2/22/15.

That tree stuck in the ice is the check point area for the Iditarod Dog Sled Race.  Everything there was all frozen again until today!

Today, I headed out for cross-country ski practice and the winds were blowing about 20 mph which is normal for us here.  It was warm so I figured we can ski no biggie.  WELL . . . in about 20 minutes we went from 20 mph winds to howling gusts of over 50 mph.  I had 16 kids with me from grades 1--5.  We had a blast! The wind was pushing us and making us fly across Johnson's Lake.  When those gusts of 50+mph hit we huddle down.  I had a nice talk with my skiers  about what to do when winds hit and we are not close to the village.

Yeap ski practice out here!  When I say a stormed kicked up I mean it!

The fact is I love weather and winter especially! I have been waiting a long time for winter to arrive this year!

One very happy ski coach!