Category: Low pro food / cooking

Low pro food / cooking, Managing the diet

I’ve found a love, of CookForLove!

Posted on by Amanda Horner

I tend to be a creature of habbits. Sticking to the same patterns, the same foods, the same way of cooking. I am reluctant to try new things. I always have been. With having to spend my whole life up untill last year paying for my own low protein foods , it was not worth the risk. I am a picky eater and If I dont like something I will not eat it. It is such a shame to waste food, specially my low protein foods.

That being said, you will see i have been long over do for jumping on the cook for love fan wagon. Now that I have , I can rant and rave about how awesome it is with everyone else!

I have always been a supporter , due to the reputation in the community, how well everyone loves it, what it has done for the community and expanding  variety in diets. I am always quick to point others to their site along with the cambrooke foods recipe section.

When it came to my own culinary needs, I found the recipes to be long and intimidating and did not think I had the time to try them out. With a lot more free time on my hands now that I am working casually and trying to focus on more healthy foods, not just low protein products, I have dived right in.

I can see what all the fuss is about!!

My first experiment was the cook for love buffalo wings. I had them at a BC PKU day event and fell in love but felt I would never be able to pull them off!!

WELL! I sure did. Not only that but I took the whole batch to work and shared them with all my co workers. They all left with the cook for love link and the recipe.

While at work the other day  I heard staff members not even in my department talking about them! They have made the rounds! One care aid told another, soon the kitchen staff and the housing  departments where talking about them!

2015-01-04 12.12.40 2015-01-04 18.02.28

next up I want to try the other “wings” the bread, scones, english muffins and cinnamon buns! oh heck! i want to try it all!!

If you would like the recipe or to see what all the fuss is about check it out!!

http://www.cookforlove.org

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Low pro food / cooking

How do I make my Eggz?

Posted on by Amanda Horner

2014-12-07 10.37.20

I get asked so often how I mix my Cambrooke eggz, I do not follow the recipe on the bag.  So I am finally writing it down!  I make it my own way and what I do is:
mix 1/2 Cup Cambrooke Eggz
with 10 tablespoons coconut milk,
wisk with fork
pour into heated non stick skillet, ( i usually go between 4 and 5)
cook till peels away from skillet without sticking or crumbling
Add Daiya Cheese shreds  and vegetables of your choice,
fold over half and then flip. cook each side till light golden or to desired texture.
Makes a fabulous omelet.
Add thai sweet chili sauce or fresh maple syrup ,
salt and butter to taste!
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BC Residents and news, Low pro food / cooking, Managing the diet

Wish list

Posted on by Amanda Horner

I get asked alot about what products I like and am currently filling out the survey for BC residents on what items we would like to see with our subsidy and I thought I would share my ” wish list” with you. I have tried all these products before. They make my diet way easier and give me more variety and easy options for work and school. You will notice there are no pre made breads or pastas on my list. Aproten is my most favorite pasta and I have that already. With breads, I have better success making my own then any pre made. I find them tough and don’t always come in good condition. I consider them a waste of money. I prefer to make my own with wheatstarch, or the cook for love recipes, and of course the taste connections. SO instead my wish list is items I cannot make myself.

Here is my wish list , if I could choose what foods I would like to see included that are currently not included under our subsidy.

These do not include the products I love and have access to already. Special products now referred to as the BC Medical food nutrition program, does a fabulous job and has a lot of selection already!

Taste Connections :

Low protein bread mix,

multi baking mix,

versa mix,

wheatstarch ,

sugar cookie mix,

cake mixes ( strawberry and lemon)

I have been asked why I prefer taste connections of cambrooke, its not that they are better, I love cambrooke am a proud supporter . They also have great customer service too. However Taste Connections products as I have said before are made with more whole nutrition, no chemicals or GMOs and are made by Malany. They also imate “regular” food textures so closely anyone can eat them and you cant tell the difference. They don’t taste like medical or imitation and the mixes are so easy to work with. If you have never had “regular ” breads or bakery products you would not know the difference and thats fine. however I use to cheat a lot and miss those textures, and the taste. Taste connections is the closet I have ever found!

Cambrooke Foods:

GO pockets ,

Bigger bagels,

ravioli,

mini pizza pockets,

pita pockets,

tweez ,

cozy morning cereal.

Cambrooke foods is my go to store for those pre made foods I cannot make myself, or do not have the time to make. They are so convenient its like going to a grocery store. They are supper easy to take to work or school and traveling. with way less time and energy! These are my go to products that I miss from them.

PKU perspectives:

La Tiara Taco Shells,

Country Sunrise BACON MIX 

Country Sunrise SAUSAGE Mix 

Wai Lana Chips

What I love the most about PKU Perspectives is their country sunrise products and the “meat alternatives” that have given me the opportunity to try new things , things I would never have dreamed I could have before with a normal looking meal when I sit down. Like camping making low protein smokies or burgers. I am not a big fan of the cambrooke pre made meat alternatives but love the textures of the pku perspectives ones and the ease of making them on my own!

Toronto Specialty food shop:

Frostline Non-Dairy Ice Cream Mix – Vanilla

I have actually never had this, and usually opt for a lower in protein ice cream option, or i splurge and have regular ice cream as i have never found a suitable replacement to the texture and taste, so wouldn’t it be nice if this was my answer for those summer time ice cream cones!!

So there it is, my wish list of products I would like to see covered in BC along with our products already covered. Do you agree disagree? what are your go to foods? Would you like to share a review or experience on a food I have listed on my wish list? Would love to hear feed back on how you like an item and maybe see your review on my blog? email me with your submission.

Please also dont forget to fill out the survey for the BCMNP through CanPKU. The link is in my previous blog post and on fb! It is 2 questions and very quick and easy. You input is very valuable and needed! Nicole Pallone is meeting with the team on thursday so the sooner the better!!

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Low pro food / cooking

Blue Berry Muffins

Posted on by Amanda Horner

Experimenting with a cooks.com blueberry muffin recipe substituing the flour for taste connections versa bakig mix.

This is the recipe resulting from my subsisting and modifying to low protein.  Again these are a guideline and to be used to give you an idea. I do not have the PHE protein or calorie count.

2 cups Taste connections flour

1 cup sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 tsp salt

3 tablespoons pku perspectives egg mix

combine dry ingredients in one bowl

in another bowl combine wet ingredients:

1/4 cup oil

1/4 cup melted margarine

2 tablespoons oil 4 tablespoons water ( for the low protein egg mix)

3/4 cup coconut milk

combined wet ingredients into dry

fold in 1 cup frozen blueberries

bake on 350 for 25 mins

mine have been in now for 17 and they smell like the are burning :( I just checked them with a tooth pick and the center is still googy. it looks like the muffins are collapsing into themselves instead of given the tradtional muffin top we see on regular muffins.

2015-01-01 12.45.24

will let you know how they taste on my pku fan page on facebook! they are cooling now!

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Low pro food / cooking

Potatoe & Apple Curry sauce over low protein rice

Posted on by Amanda Horner

I put a post out on a few pku facebook group looking for some meal ideas that I can take to work. That are warm and filling. I had so many responses!! Thank you so much!! I decided on a potatoe and apple curry sauce over low protein rice.

I found the recipe again online on my go to site cooks.com and modified it to be low protein friendly. I am sharing the recipe with you as a guideline to give you some meal ideas. I do not have the PHE protein or calorie content. Feel free to change the recipe to meet your dietary needs!

6 small red potatoes with skin

1 tablespoon green peppers, 1 tablespoon red peppers

Roasted in the oven for 30 mins on 375

in a skillet I sautueed:

1 medium apple

1 small red onion ( they have the most flavour in my opnion)

3 garlic cloves

once cooked, I added the roasted potaotes and peppers, added 2 cups of water, and thicked with corn starch.

In another pot I boiled one cup low protein dietary specalities rice.

When the rice was cooked I placed it in my tupperware for work and covered with 1 cup on the curry.

Makes 2 servings!

Here are a couple photos to show you! I hope you enjoy this as much as I do! 2015-01-01 11.44.10 2015-01-01 11.47.03

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Low pro food / cooking

Pizza night

Posted on by Amanda Horner

Spur of the moment tonight I decided to make pizza for dinner. At 4 in the afternoon I found myself scrambling around looking for recipes for both a low protein pizza and a regular one for cole. I found that all the low protein recipes where to be prepared a head of time or took hours!!!

Luckily I had some taste connections bread baking flour. So i went to my trusty sight cooks.com and searched for a quick and easy recipe that I could use for both of us and just use my taste connections flour for mine as a subsitute.

So this is what I did:

2 tbsp. rapid rise yeast
2/3 c. warm water
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
4 c. flour  ( for mine  I use my low protein flour here ) 
1 tbsp. sugar
3 tbsp. olive oil
2/3 c. warm water
Preheat oven to 350°F.In a small bowl, mix first 3 ingredients. Let stand for 5 minutes until foamy.

In a large bowl, combine salt, flour (no need to use the full quantity – use enough flour to make a stiff dough), sugar oil, and the second 2/3 cup of warm water.

Mix together yeast and flour mixture and knead on a lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic.

Place dough into an oiled bowl and turn once to coat with oil. Cover and let rise until doubled in size (about 45 minutes to 1 hour).

Press dough out with your fingertips (or roll out) into a circle (or use a square cookie sheet for Sicilian style pizza).

Brush with olive oil and spread with your favorite toppings . I used tomato sauce, Mushrooms, onions, garlic, marinara spices, garlic plus spice, and on mine I used dayia cheese shreds and for cole I used his own cheese.

Bake at 350°F-400°F for 15-20 minutes or until edges are golden and lightly browned in spots and cheese is melted and bubbly.

Makes 1 large pizza. (  I did this recipe twice, one for cole and one for me so it made 2 large pizzas)

So I literally had 4 bowls on the counter mixing the dough when cole walked in and ruined the surprise!

They are now in the oven and its been over 20 mins but they are not quit ready.

Can you tell which is which? I normally use wheatstarch dough but it makes the crust so thick, and white so you can easily tell which one was mine,. Tonight I had trouble not mixing them up lol

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Cant wait to try them! Hopefully they taste good and I dont screw them up!

They are done now! Here is how they look:

2014-12-30 17.38.01 Both

2014-12-30 17.39.54Mine!!!

2014-12-30 17.40.38Coles!!!!

Yummy!!!

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Low pro food / cooking

Best Perogi Recipe ever!

Posted on by Amanda Horner

First off; Thank you taste connections!!

I finally found a recipe for Perogies that I love! it is so quick and easy , does not include a lot of ingredients or steps and tastes great!

I am so excited.

I am working an evening shift tonight at work so have to pack a dinner. I didn’t want minute rice or mashed potatoes and have been dying for perogies.

So I started at 1230 by boiling 2 cups water ( i doubled the recipe. ) 2 tablespoons vegetable oil and then briskly stirred in 2 cups of the TC all purpose baking mix. It is such a different texture!! I almost thought I did it wrong. Soon as it cooled enough I needed the dough. At the same time I boiled some potatoes, mashed them up, added onion garlic and daiya cheese shreds.

Pulled the dough into golf ball sizes, flattened them out, added my toppings, folded it over . Then steamed for 5-10  minutes ( 3 at a time) then fried in margarine till light brown and added a bit of salt! And they are all done! just like that in under an hour!

They look and taste great and I cannot wait to dig into them at dinner tonight!!

I am so impressed with taste connections. How easy the recipes are to make and how healthy the products are. I totally recommend this to anyone!

I am going to take some ranch dressing to work with me to serve them with!

Let me know if you give them a try!

Here is the link to the recipe

Enjoy!

http://tasteconnections.com/index.php/recipes/80-multibaking-mix-recipes

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Low pro food / cooking

A Baker’s Paradise

Posted on by Amanda Horner

I have a bakers love affair with products from Taste Connections.

I first tried the products at a BC PKU day in Vancouver . I attended a cooking session with Malathy herself!

I was instantly impressed by the products as they are the first products I have used that have ingredients I can pronounce. They are easy to work with, they don’t take a lot of time or adding extra ingredients The dough is so soft. IT is very easy to work with and reminds me of ” real dough” meaning that it does not harden and become stiff while working with it, or like the sugary cambrooke mixes, to soft and burn.

The products I got to sample where tortillas, English buns, and bread.  All where so soft they melted in your mouth. What is better , they where “airy” they raised and had air pockets ( bubbles) they also tasted like the real thing. Even though I should not know what the real thing tastes like, I did use to cheat as a teenager and though I bake alot . nothing I have ever made has compared to the real thing!

After the conference I began to hound special products to bring in the baking mixes for BC residents! and guess what ? they did! but only the all purpose mix currently.

My disappointment came after what I could not access the website. While looking for recipes to trial with my new baking mixes I kept being blocked from viewing the website. My anti virus kept blocking the site with a big flashing warning.  Luckily I have been able to email back and forth with Malathy. Who was very generous to email me some recipes that I was looking for!

However today I am excited to announce that Taste connections has a new look and a new website!! That I can access! I am so impressed with the simple recipes that I cannot wait to get started!

I am thinking of trying the perogi and some cookies tonight!!!

I will be sure to be share photos after,

However in the mean time, please show your support and check out Malathys new taste connection website at the following lunch and happy baking!!

http://tasteconnections.com/

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BC Residents and news, Low pro food / cooking

Special Products Distribution centre update.

Posted on by Amanda Horner

just had mini heart attack from a misunderstanding. I had hear the BC Children’s hospital Special products distribution center was closing down, then I read on the website that the retail side of SPDC is closing and panicked. So to clarify after speaking with the staff at SPDC, they are not closing down! They are shifting focus to the metabolic foods . They will not be selling retail items like breast pumps, feeding bags, syringes and what not, they are continuing with the BC metabolic food fund. Currently they have a lot of back order specially from cambrooke that has not come in yet. They have no estimation of time on when they will be in and the current October order form is not available online as the whole website and systems are being updated right now. The website will be a metabolic food website. Please check back in a few days if you are wishing to place your October orders!

ahh panic over and hopefully crisis prevented for anyone else whom may of been confused!

Now once again having just looked at the current page that is up through the BC childrens website, SPDC list 2 list for low protein food, one stating covered foods such as low protein staples (baking mixes, bread/cereal products, sauces, protein food replacements ) and then a list for

Non-staple Low Protein Foods may be purchased. This greatly concerns me as I am worried all the “GOOD” food will fall under this category, like the cambrooke foods, such as the eggz, tortillas, or the maddys muffins and cakes. or any of the pre made cambrooke foods we have been asking for them to bring in . Looks like I have some more investigating to do , to bring you all the answers. Hopefully the new website that will be up in a few days will provide some clarity as all links are currently broken and I cannot investigate further that way.

I know cambrooke has been trying to work with the BC government to have their foods subsidized and delivered to our doors, but I have heard no update on their progress , I choose to remain hopeful.

You will know, as soon as I know.

Amanda

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Low pro food / cooking

Cambrooke foods changes to PKU Perspectives

Posted on by Amanda Horner

Hi Amanda,

 

My name is Ryan Bennett and I am the Director of Operations for PKU Perspectives Canada, formerly known as Cambrooke Foods Canada.

 

We are pleased to announce our new B2B web-based ordering system that will contain your current pricing. This system is a very intuitive shopping cart technology with a third party approval capability built in. We look forward to demonstrating how to use the new ordering system.  This system is very user friendly – it’s just like an online shopping cart. We are fully secure and compliant with Thawte and SSL certification so all data is encrypted and secured and only accessed by log in username and passwords.

 

PKU Perspective product line will be available for delivery as of July 20th.  PKU Perspectives products are all available to you – they will be uploaded into our online store by end of day Wednesday July 9th so you will be able to place orders for product. Please let us know if you are interested in other products from PKU Perspectives, you can visit all of the products on the US version of our website: www.pkuperspectives.com/food.

 

Please take note that there will be no change to your current product pricing for Cambrooke Foods.  You will pay exactly according to your current pricing. All the great Cambrooke Foods products you could order from us before can still be ordered from us. We are moving from Nexternal to this new system, and during the first few months we will still be checking for orders on Nexternal should they be placed there.

 

We are launching our site (www.pkuperspectives.ca) today, and you will be able to place orders effective today

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