Aubergine Parmigiana
***
Melon and Parma Ham
***
Rocket Salad with Parmesan & Balsamic
***
Garlic Mushroom Bruschetta
***
Roasted Peppers with Basil
***
Tuna, Bean and Onion Salad
***
Smoked Salmon
***
Artichoke Hearts
***
Salumi e Fromaggio
***
Olives and Pickles
***
Rustic Bread
***
Doesn't really relate to anything at all, except that I had a day to myself, felt like cooking and feel a bit smug.
(Not to mention the fact that I'm currently able to eat, which is glorious)
Glad your able to eat, sounds like a lot of food! My mum cooked for the 5,000! lol ended up eating a lot of BBQ food and cake. I'm glad you and your family had a good Easter.
ReplyDeleteWe're all in this together, which means the rich get a reduction in petrol tax, while you have your benefits reduced.
ReplyDeleteSue, I'd happily have shared every item on that menu - delish!!! And I'm so happy for you that you can eat and even cook, too :-D
ReplyDeletexJ
You cad. I neeeeeeeeeed some of that! It'll have to be a trip to Tesco for microwaveable canneloni instead, boo hiss. I love Mediterranean food. I hope you've had a lovely Easter, Sue. And everyone else of course :).
ReplyDeleteWell, there are some items there which I don't eat, but I'm pretty sure there is enough there to make me very happy if I invite myself round ... darn it, you are making me feel hungry!
ReplyDeleteMinor point of curiosity (which you're welcome to ignore if you think it's too personal for this column) - do you find that the Crohn's constricts your diet? I'm always interested in the experiences of fellow-suffers in this respect; after years of trial and error, not to mention trips to hospital, there's a lot I just avoid eating these days because i know that doing so would be an easy way to hospitalise myself for a fortnight once again. Red meat especially, and chili.
ReplyDeleteHi David - It's nice to get a chance to talk about crohn's a bit. that was the reason I set up the blog, it just hasn't worked out that way.
ReplyDeleteMy years of treatment with crohn's have been ALL about diet.Years ago, I wrote to Addenbrookes as they put diet at the very heart of their treatment. I followed a very very tough elimination diet and although (obviously, lol) it didn't "cure" me it's definitely been the thing that has given me some control over symptoms.
My TOTAL no-nos are eggs and coffee. Ambulance time if an egg sneaks into something.
Then I have a whole raft of things that I treat with caution : starchy foods mainly, but especially pasta. Also tomatoes, onions, bread, cooked cheese (?) fried food....
If you look above, you'll see that despite the feastiness, there is very little starch and everything is very natural. Over the years I've found it is the best way for me, but everyone with crohn's has a different "trigger"
A simple, Mediterranean diet, cooked from scratch with no additives.
There are also "safe" foods for crohn's that very few people react to. A lot are above and now, I find I choose them automatically. The melon, the fish and for me, artichoke, peppers, rocket, aubergine, mushrooms....
Lamb, pears, banana, rice, carrots, beans, peaches, chicken, squash are all very unlikely to make crohn's flare and are well worth considering if you have a flare.
Hi Sue, thanks for replying.
ReplyDeleteI agree that everyone's different.
I had a major bowel resection, leading to a permanent ileostomy, and I've a couple of strictures; the latter were not considered serious enough to warrant more surgery last time I had a full check up, though I admit I do my best to play them down for fear of hospitalisation. Hence for me anything that's traditionally tough to digest is out of the question.
Any kind of red meat (beef, lamb, venison, roast pork) has been completely off the menu for a few years (dear God, I miss burgers!). Figuring out that particular element of The Rules involved three major trips to hospital somes years ago, each about a fortnight where my only intake was anti-sickness meds and water. Anything with a very fibrous skin on it is a problem too, which means I end up treating a lot of veg with caution (sweetcorn, olives, oranges, the list goes on...). Spicy foods are irritants, along with nuts, pulses and seeds, which means that things like chili and wholemeal bread are off the agenda.
Over the years, I've developed, a 'black list' a 'gray list' and a 'white list'. The white list is pretty short, unfortunately, but I can eat things like pasta and rice without any problems; bread needs to be fresh, but it's normally fine. The gray list is the longest; if I mix up my diet and take things in moderation, the worst I can expect is discomfort or minor pain. Poultry is my staple for meat, though I can occasionally stretch to bacon or not-too-meaty sausages, and fish is generally fine. Diary causes discomfort, but not severe enough to be a problem in moderation. Alcohol raises issues too, especially beer and red wine. Veg like bananas can cause a problem as well; I just don't have the bowel to deal with them anymore!
Overall, I've ended up favouring lighter kinds of Italian and Chinese-style food. Mexican had to be kicked to the kerb, as has a lot of traditional 'stodge'. Though I can cook a bit, I'm not good enough alone to stretch to some of the kind of tasty treats you mention above!
Ultimately, I figure that I can accept some discomfort to keep things interesting as long I stay away from blacklisted foods; if I didn't, my diet would end being up very bland! I've never had a consultation with a good dietician, though (my definition of 'good' in this respect clearly differing from that of the John Radcliffe!), so I'd definitely appreciate it if you could hook me up with a point of contact at Addenbrooks.