Sorry I didn't post yesterday. I sat down to post then I had to go do something or other and did not get back to it. I woke with a 175 reading! Not good but going in the right direction! I just ate lunch which consisted of ww Fusilli with red pepper, green pepper, sweet onion, celery, and Miracle Whip light to make it stick together. I had a 85 reading before I ate so now I am thinking I still need to take some insulin cuz we all know that eating WILL CAUSE YOUR SUGAR TO GO UP!!!

I will be making Party Barley Pilaf (Vegan) and here is that recipe:

1/2 cup barley, cooked in approx. a cup of veggie stock, about 50 minutes
1/2 rib celery, cut very very fin1/2 small carrot, grated, OR a good chunk of red capsicum (something for colour, ya know?)
2 green onions, finely chopped
2 or 3 ounces mushroom (your choice), finely chopped~~(I will be leaving these OUT!) lol
1/2 tsp grated ginger
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped (yuk) but I will add
pinch of cayenne
Garnish: cilantro or Italian parsley, chopped

While the barley finishes cooking, put a non-stick pan on med=high heat and add maybe a twp oil if you like- add the vegetables and cayenne and cook until the vegetables are lightly cooked but still crispier than not (this won't take long). When done, set aside if the barley is not yet finished.
When barley is cooked, it should have absorbed all the liquid.
Finally, add the veggies to the barley, stir to mix thoroughly, taste for seasoning, garnish and serve.

Have I mentioned that I hate most beans? I will have a hard time turning vegetarian! I am looking forward to the Mexican food I plan on making Sat night! It will have been a week since I ate meat and I LOVE Mexican food!!!

I have a couple of things to let you know, our insurance changed at the beginning of the year and now it covers St Joseph hospitals and clinics!!! Why would I be excited by that? Because now I can see the doctors there that work with Byetta. Here in Jackson, we call it dragon spit. It is from the Gela monster and it is a new medication to treat diabetes. In 2005 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the drug exenatide (marketed as Byetta) for the management of type 2 diabetes. It is a synthetic version of a protein, exendin-4, derived from the Gila monster's saliva.[21] In a three-year study with people with type 2 diabetes, exenatide led to healthy sustained glucose levels and progressive weight loss. The effectiveness is due to the fact that the lizard protein is about 50 percent identical to glucagon-like peptide-1 analog (GLP-1), a hormone released from the human digestive tract, that helps to regulate insulin and glucagon. The lizard protein remains effective much longer than the human hormone, helping diabetics keep their blood sugar levels under control. Exenatide slows the emptying of the stomach and causes a decrease in appetite, contributing to weight loss.
I have made an appt and I am so so so hoping that I can be put on this medication and that it will help lower by blood sugars!!!
The last thing is I saw on the news where an artificial pancreas is going to be here in about 4 YEARS!!!!! That is going to turn the diabetes world so upside down!!!! Just think of all those kids who will not have to have a shot when they want something to eat!!! I am really excited about that!!!
Remember to ENJOY your day!!!

Yeah, still struggling....

This morning I woke with a 185 reading. I think it would have been better if not for the low sugar I had before bed. So, at 1:30 AM I was shoving cake in my pie hole to help bring it back and I overshot a little. Just a little though! LOL I have got to pick up some glucose tablets.

I forgot to report that Max, our pitt, is ok for now. The vet said that sometimes after the heart worm treatment their lungs and heart are damaged somewhat and that could cause the cough. He sent me home with inflammatory and antibiotic meds. Hope that works.

Yesterday's menu was changed a bit....I had salad for lunch and the spring rolls for dinner with grilled pineapple for dessert. I had to change the recipe somewhat for what I actually had on hand. I didn't have the rounds so I used the squares that are normally used in spring rolls which are cooked. I didn't have the cellophane noodles so I made it without. They are raw which was fine except they almost tasted doughy but not doughy cuz they're not made with dough! Does that make sense? Anyway the sauce was ok, a little thick. I think I used to much peanut butter. But I will finish eating that for lunch today and I did have my magic shake this morning.

Did I mention I am trying to lose a little weight while I get my sugar under control? I hope that's the outcome. It is harder to do when your over 50 and have PAD. That is that nasty vascular disease. It affects your legs and makes it difficult to walk any distance.

This is my newest sweetie pie. He is 6 weeks old today!! Gosh they grow sooo fast. Christian is already a handful. Poor thing has had tummy trouble since he emerged in the world. Mommy is doing a great job with him!

This baby bouquet is what I made to give to the Mom, my daughter, after the birth of Christian.
It was so so easy to make! I found this in Woman's World Magazine. It is made of onesies, socks, hats, and hand socks.
We wrapped it a blanket for his daddy cuz he was feeling left out! I had a great time thinking of the little one while I picked stuff out to make it!!!













Here are some pictures of the cards I make. These are not the ones I made yesterday cuz I don't want the recipients to see them before they get 'em in the mail!!!

The menu is set for today and I can go make some more cards!! Everyone please enjoy your day! : )

Still Struggling

I am up a little early for me today because I went to bed as soon as I got back from picking up hubby (he doesn't drive). Blood sugar this morning is 149. Much better than it has been BUT of course not good enough! I "struggled" with it all day yesterday. Had a 249 reading after eating carrots! Is that not frustrating? It can get you down sometimes when you know your doing the right thing and the sugar is not doing what you thought it would!!! I just take the insulin and stay on the path : ) What's the alternative? Dialysis? Oh I hope not. I remember my Mom scared to death that would happen to her. God rest her soul.
Sooo..the Spring Rolls never happened. : ( I could not print out the recipe and my desktop computer does not move that easily! lol I am going to have them for lunch today and salad for dinner. Since my hubby fell asleep on the couch which is open to the kitchen, I think I will have a egg whites sandwich on double fiber bread with 2% cheese slice for breakfast, instead of the magic shake (cuz the blender is loud). Aren't I thoughtful? Now the whole eating thing is taken care of for today. Might have some ww pita appetizers for a snack, maybe.
Today I have to get some cards made! My iPod is charged and ready to go. It is so peaceful and zenlike to create them. I look forward to making cards. Soo....everyone have a great day!

Have I mentioned that we, my hubby and I, are on the afternoon shift. So my mornings are a little different than most. I woke up and took a nice long shower then made the magic shake. I drank half and remembered I forgot to check my sugar. Sooo....I checked and it was 205! I was kind of a bad girl yesterday in that I had a HUGE piece of cake! I knew I was starting a new way of eating today so I just had to have it! It really wasn't all that good. Someone once told me if I was going to be "bad", only eat 2 or 3 bites and wait 10 minutes. It seems if you wait, you really won't want the rest.

We went grocery shopping yesterday evening and I bought 90% of the groceries from the perimeter of the store. I think 80% was spent in the produce dept.! I had a list of ingredients from some recipes I found on vegetarian websites. I will cook (make) them this week and let you know how they go. I am a picky eater and thank goodness I love veggies. I don't like beans, cabbage, cauliflower, or most greens (collard, spinach). I do like turnip greens seasoned and in a can! I don't know why I just do!

One of my issues is that I'm so insulin resistant that it takes a lot of insulin to bring my sugar down. I took 20 units with a 205 reading. It will probably go down to much. It is such a balancing act trying to get it to stay between 80 and 110! Dr. Oz makes me laugh every time he says that it needs to stay there in between those numbers. I actually laugh out loud! But I do believe that eating nearly the same things and at the same times of the day can put you on the right path.

I have to take our Max to the vet today. A couple of months ago he contracted heart worms and he came through the treatment well. He had to stay on leash for 6 weeks and he was pouting a little cuz there were animals to chase and people to bark at! Poor thing just didn't know why Mom was not letting him go potty by himself. Well now he has developed a cough. It sounds like the one they wanted me to watch out for. He didn't get it then, he has it now! Hopefully it is not serious.


I will be making a big salad to eat over the next few days for lunch with lite raspberry walnut vinaigrette dressing. That's a no brainer. Just cut veggies and meditate while doing so. Dinner is going to be Fresh Spring Rolls and here is that recipe:

Ingredients
2 cups water
8 large shrimp (prawns), peeled and deveined
1 ounce cellophane noodles
1 cup boiling water
1/2 cup shredded carrot
1/4 cup peeled, seeded and julienne cucumber
1/2 cup thinly sliced Napa cabbage
1/2 cup bean sprouts
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro or fresh coriander
4 rice-paper rounds,
8 inches in diameter
4 large fresh basil leaves, halved lengthwise

For the sauce:
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
1 green (spring) onion, including tender green top, thinly sliced
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 1/2 teaspoons fish sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons unsalted natural peanut butter
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Pinch of brown sugar

Directions
In a saucepan, bring the 2 cups water to a boil. Add the shrimp and immediately remove the saucepan from the heat. Cover and poach until pink and opaque throughout, about 3 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer the shrimp to a bowl of ice water and let cool for 3 minutes. Drain and cut each shrimp in half lengthwise. Refrigerate until ready to use.
In a heatproof bowl, combine the noodles and boiling water and soak for 10 minutes. Drain and return the noodles to the bowl. Add the carrot, cucumber, cabbage, bean spouts and cilantro. Toss gently to mix.
Place a double thickness of paper towels on a work surface. Fill a large, shallow baking dish with water. Place 1 rice-paper round in the water and soak until pliable, about 30 seconds. Carefully transfer the wrapper to the paper towels and turn once to blot dry. Arrange 1/2 cup of the noodle mixture on the bottom half of the wrapper.
Fold the bottom edge toward the center and roll up the wrapper halfway, making sure to wrap tightly around the filling. Tuck 2 basil leaf halves along the inside crease of the half-rolled wrapper. Arrange 4 pieces of the shrimp, cut sides up, along the crease. Fold the right and left edges of the wrapper over the filling and finish rolling up. Repeat with the remaining wrappers, filling, basil and shrimp. Transfer the rolls to a plate and cover with dampened paper towels.
To make the sauce, combine the hoisin sauce, green onion, lime juice, fish sauce, peanut butter, red pepper flakes and brown sugar in a small bowl. Stir until well blended.
To serve, cut the rolls in half on the diagonal and place on small individual plates. Pool the sauce alongside each roll.

I am omitting the shrimp cuz that's something else that I don't like.

Nutritional Analysis: (per serving) Serving size: 2 spring rolls

Calories 198, Monounsaturated fat 2 g, Protein 10 g, Cholesterol 44 mg, Carbohydrate 34 g,
Sodium 512 mg, Total fat 4 g, Fiber 4 g, and Saturated fat 0 g.


Dietitian's tip: Instead of being fried, like Chinese egg rolls, these appetizers are served fresh, letting the textures and flavors of the vegetable and shrimp filling shine through. Serve with the easy dipping sauce. By Mayo Clinic staff

Enjoy your day!