Making a House a Home

We found out about a month ago that Mr. U has type 2 diabetes.  Not really a shock since his mother and his grandfather have both dealt with it.  Still, however, the "it will never happen to me" syndrome did come into play a bit.  :)

So armed with that news, we have set out to do research on the best way for our family to eat.  We have decided that we need to cut out as many "bad" carbs as possible in hopes of bringing his blood glucose numbers down (and especially the A1C for those of y'all that know what I'm talking about).  So far, so good!!!  Numbers are coming down!!  We just need to keep up the good work!!!

With this will come lots of new recipes to try, I am sure.  I made one tonight that the girls and I LOOOOVED!  Mr. U, who abhors cauliflower, said, "Well, if I HAVE to eat cauliflower, this is probably the best way".  Not a glowing testimony, I know, but coming from him about cauliflower, this is HUGE!!!! 

George Stella's "Mac" and Cheese

• Kosher salt, as needed, plus 1/2 teaspoon
• Vegetable oil spray
• 1 large head cauliflower, cut into small florets
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 2 ounces cream cheese, cut into small pieces
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1 1/2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese, plus 1/2 cup for topping the casserole
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese*
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder**

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, seasoning the water with salt. Spray an 8×8 baking dish with vegetable oil spray.
2. Cook the cut cauliflower in the boiling water until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes.
3. Drain well and pat between several layers of paper towels to dry. Transfer the cauliflower to the baking dish and set aside.
4. Bring the cream to a simmer in a small saucepan and then whisk in the cream cheese and mustard, continuously whisking until smooth.
5. Stir in the 1 1/2 cups of cheese, salt, pepper, and garlic powder, and whisk just until the cheese melts, about 2 minutes. Remove the sauce from the heat, pour over the cauliflower, and stir all to combine.
6. Top with the remaining 1/2 cup cheese and bake until browned and bubbly hot, about 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes before serving.

Let me say, our girls are not cutting out as many carbs as we are.  They ARE eating less of the"bad" carbs, however, and more of the good!!!!

 Any of y'all living with diabetes in your home?  If so, PLEASE share recipes!!!



 *My addition.  Not in original recipe.
** I doubled the garlic powder. Original recipe calls for only 1/8 tsp.

Cornbread salad? Sounds a little strange, right? Think what you like, but WOW is this delicious!!

I discovered this yummy recipe from Harrington House who directed me to Cherry Hill Cottage. A huge THANK YOU to both of these ladies for the recipe!!!

Cornbread Salad

2 pans cooked cornbread, crumbled
1 pound bacon cooked crisp, broken up
1 purple onion, chopped
1 cup green onion, chopped
2 fresh tomatoes, diced
2 cups mayonnaise
Pecans

Mix this all together and enjoy!! But, if you mix it all together, cover, and wait about 24 hours, the taste gets even BETTER!!!!

My family adores all the flavors involved in Asian foods- soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, cilantro, garlic, ginger. Boy boy, my mouth is watering now just typing this out!!!! This recipe involves all those flavors and is really VERY delicious!!

The original recipe is from Ina Garten but, as usual, I had to change things up a bit. Feel free to play with it, too, to create something your family will love as well.


Crunchy Noodle Salad

Kosher salt
1/2 pound thin spaghetti
1 pound sugar snap peas
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1/2 cup soy sauce
3 tablespoons dark sesame oil
1 tablespoon honey
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
1 red bell pepper, cored and seeded, and thinly sliced
4 scallions (with and green parts), sliced diagonally
handful of chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 cup chopped peanuts

Directions
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the spaghetti and cook according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, bring another large pot of salted water to a boil, add the sugar snap peas, return to a boil, and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until crisp tender. Lift the sugar snap peas from the water with a slotted spoon and immerse them in a bowl of ice water. Drain.

For the dressing, whisk together the vegetable oil, rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, honey, garlic, ginger and peanut butter in a medium bowl.

Combine the spaghetti, sugar snap peas, peppers and scallions in a large bowl. Pour the dressing over the spaghetti mixture. Add the chopped peanuts and cilantro. Delicious warm or cold.