Day Three - Millet

Isn't millet birdseed?  I mean, isn't it?  Birdfeed it may be but It also makes a mean polenta, which I discovered purely by accident as it cooled in the frying pan.  Then I googled it.  It's true and the dish is called "Millet Polenta." Whodah thunk it?  I think I'll call it Molenta and fry it up tomorrow for breakfast.

Tonight, however, we'll be chowing on more cabbage soup.  I admit I haven't gotten it together for this diet to be sufficiently varied.   Currently, it's reminiscent of The Cabbage Soup Diet, which I received as a White Elephant gift at a Christmas party a couple of weeks ago.  Along with the book, I also got an ancient Jazzercize album and a packet of Nicorette gum.  Detect a theme here? As I exercise regularly and don't smoke, those items have been archived.  I did read the book, though.  This is not why I made the soup.  Don loves cabbage, which is the reason I made the soup we'll be enjoying for the foreseeable future.  

Day Two

Today, which really began last night, was interesting. Whenever I've made kasha in the past I usually toast it in a skillet, add an egg, swirl that around until it's dry, toss in some boiling water, oil or butter and salt and cover and cook for about 20 minutes. As I have been instructed to soak all of my grains for 8-24 hours before consumption I dutifully doused mine in water last night before cooking them up for breakfast this morning. Folks who are close to me understand that I am a questioned-filled gal, which is why I near tormented myself over the kasha cooking details. Should I have toasted the groats before soaking them? Should I not have toasted them before soaking them? (FYI - I toasted them) Does using filtered water really make a difference? Is buckwheat even considered a grain? If not, will soaking them result in slimy mush after a few minutes? If buckwheat is a grass like wild rice, why can't I eat wild rice, too? And, whatever happened to...Naomi? That was a reference to The Electric Company (old school 'natch), a show I've been watching a lot of lately.

I put the soaking grains in the fridge and went to bed. This morning, I rinsed them. They were a bit slimy. So I rinsed them again. And again. Then I threw them in the pan and re-roasted them and that was the beginning of a very tasty but ultimately unsatisfying breakfast. A lot of buildup and very little follow-through, I know, but what can you do? I'm a crusty bread and butter lover and kasha that ain't.

Day One

Today is the day I am supposed to stop eating and drinking many things for two months. Wheat, dairy and sugar top the list but items like brown rice and honey are also included, which makes it really difficult. Sugar includes all fruits except for lemons, limes and cranberries, and also limits molasses, agave nectar, etc. Basically, if it's sweet, it's taboo. I'll post more on the diet's details later and the reason I am subjecting myself to 60 days of this because even writing about it gives me some anxiety.

So, what have I eaten so far in 2009? Oh, some cheese, cornbread and many tastes of the coffee cake I baked for a party. I also have an intense craving for fast food, which is really very odd as fast food restaurants are on the bottom of my culinary adventures list. Don says it has to do with the aforementioned "diet anxiety," and he might be right!