Experiments gone wrong!

   I was planning to blog about our new project today, and post pictures. But alas, I could not get in to the storage area to take pictures today, so I will talk about that tomorrow.
   So, I will now be discussing my challenges with trying to eat healthy in a household where I have to prepare meals for people who eat mostly meat and potatoes. For instance, my father-in-law went to the grocery store yesterday and when he returned, proudly announced to me that he got me some vegetables! I looked in the shopping bag and pulled out 2 cans of lima beans, 1 can of green beans, 2 cans of creamed corn....REALLY!  They are in their 90's and will not be changing their eating habits, so I will be making 2 menus from now on. I must not succumb to the white stuff of their diet! Today was waffles and bacon for them and Almond Milk Strawberry Smoothie for me, Pastrami on rye for them, spinach salad for me. Tonight, BBQ pork steak, potato salad and baked beans for them, 4 oz pork steak and salad for me!  I CAN do this!  I am also cutting out artificial sweeteners: (http://www.globalhealingcenter.com/nutrition/artificial-sweeteners).  I have been using raw sugar in small amounts and agave nectar so far. Sweet potatoes and brown rice instead of white.
  Last week while dogsitting for my S-I-L in Ft. Lauderdale, I started experimenting with recipes that would normally call for the white stuff. I made sweet potato Gnocchi with mixed success. Used whole wheat flour first, and added some low fat ricotta. Too bitter. Next tried almond flour, tasted great but did not hold together well. I read that guar gum or xanthium gum could be added to replace the gluten that would have been in the white flour. Went to whole foods and only saw guar gum, $12.99 for a tiny bag! Will wait til next payday to try that...Also tried a recipe in Rocco Dispirito cookbook for Chocolate Chip cookies using cannelini beans and splenda instead of flour and sugar, supposed to cut the calories from 210 to 45! Tasted like shit! Maybe will try again using raw or brown rice sugar instead of splenda, as I don't want to use artificial sweeteners anymore. That would up the calories to about 75...but still not too bad.  On second thought, if I must have a chocolate chip cookie, it should be a rare treat, BUT REAL!