Was it because our ancestors for many previous generations gathered round fires to share companionship and food? Or maybe because collecting ingredients and making food used to occupy so much of our lives.
Whatever it is, I think many of us like baking, or at least consuming freshly baked food.
Or maybe it's just me. Because of nasal problems I really have no sense of smell, but I still love to bake. And this evening I used a really old recipe from my teenager days to make rough puff pastry as an essential part of sausage rolls.
The sausage meat is from some imported Irish sausages, so these are almost like the sausage rolls that I grew up with.
Mix the ingredients together. A quick knead. Five rollings to get the flakiness up, with some resting of the pastry in the fridge, 20 minutes in the oven and yum.
Unfortunately they're for a Thanksgiving party tomorrow. But that's OK. I get to relax while I'm focused almost solely on these. And then I don't have to worry about how much insulin I need to take if I want to eat one.
It's kind of the best of both worlds.
Almost.
It would be better if I didn't have diabetes and I could eat them without thinking.
Looking on the bright side, that wouldn't be all that good for me. So here's where having diabetes saves me from myself! That's something to be thankful about.
World Diabetes Day only a few days away. And I think this is the high point of National Diabetes Month for me.
You've possibly seen these links on other blogs, but just in case.
Allison of Lemonade Life has opened the voting for 3rd Annual Diabetes O.C. Awards. So get over there and vote for your favorite diabetes blogs and resources. Read's Allison's blog post for more details.
Manny of TuDiabetes fame has posted the video that was created from the submissions for the word in your hand project. It's a thoughtful video that helps people understand what it's like to live with diabetes, and it's worth watching.
It's produced so that it contains less digestible carbohydrates, so you don't need as much insulin when eating it. Here's what they say on their website.
Dreamfields Pasta has largely the same level of durum semolina as traditional pastas, with a low level of our unique blend of fibers and proteins and no soy fillers. The Dreamfields approach means fewer carbohydrates get digested that will increase blood glucose response. So you get the authentic taste and texture you expect from pasta, but with only 5 grams of digestible carbs. Dreamfields also contains twice the fiber of regular pasta, including a special fiber called Inulin that has been shown scientifically to promote digestive health and support a healthy immune system, while enhancing calcium absorption for strong bones and teeth.
I spotted a box in my local supermarket. First thought, it's expensive - about 4 times as much as box of similar regular pasta. So when we next had pasta at home, I just cooked myself one portion of Dreamfields. It tasted pretty good and definitely gave me a smaller spike. So I'll be using it sparingly in the future in place of regular pasta.
At the moment we have a number of photographers who are all adding daily photographs to the Diabetes365 project.
And if you read the commentary with each photo you'll notice some common themes. One is how frequently people without diabetes keep correcting us about what we can and cannot eat.
For some time now, people with diabetes have been free to eat pretty much any type of food that they want. Better equipment and ways to treat diabetes have freed us from rigid regimes.
So for breakfast this morning I had an English muffin (UK readers, I don't know where the name comes from) with some spicy jam on it. And yes the jam contains sugar, as well as a lot of jalapeno peppers. As long as I take enough insulin to cover the carbs in both the muffin and the jam, then my blood sugar should stay in a good range.
And that's what's most important. Keeping our blood sugars as close to normal as possible.
So if you don't have diabetes then:
Consider yourself lucky, and
Don't give food advice to those of us with diabetes
We generally know what we're doing because we live with this disease. 24 hours a day and 365 days a year.
No, it's not a new Sam Beckett play. But today's the day my new Cozmo pump should arrive.
I'm so excited, it feels a little like my birthday with a really cool, geeky, present.
Once it's up and running I'll put up some video showing it in action. From trying one out in September I know that this pump can be customized a great deal. And I'm hoping to really take advantage of that.
I was baking some over the weekend and had lovely Irish brown soda bread as a result. Here's a picture of the results.
I can't easily get the right flour here to make this from scratch. So this is from an Odlum's mix that easy to put together. And in the US, there are several online sites that sell it.
Diabetes365 day 10 Wednesday, October 17, 2007 - Difficult Food
On Fridays we get free bagels and muffins for breakfast at work. It gives us an opportunity to spend time with colleagues and chat. A really nice idea.
Though I have diabetes I can eat pretty much anything I want. But I find both bagels and muffins are difficult food.
When I eat something that contains carbohydrates I need to take insulin. And bagels, especially yummy ones like this, have a lot of carbs. According to CalorieKing, about 56 grams of carbohydrate for one medium-sized plain bagel. That's like two of my normal breakfasts.
So if I eat one of the bagels I'll spend most of the morning trying to get my blood sugar levels back under control. And I just hate doing that, it's not worth the effort.
There is no cure for diabetes. Yet.
You can learn more about life with diabetes at the diabetes365 project site.
The Diabetes365 project is really growing fast. We now have over 100 photos and more are being added every day.
One of the photographers is Dae and thanks to her blog I came across what may be the best blog for those of us who still like to eat pastry. (Because unfortunately my love of good food didn't disappear when I got diabetes.)
I've taken several baking classes over the years and I really love to make pies, cookies and bread. Generally I let the children eat most of it because there's too many carbs there.
But maybe, thanks to the Diabetic Pastry Chef, I can finally bake some things that are okay for me to eat.
The Diabetes Technology Blog is focused on using technology to life better with diabetes. I review: blood glucose monitors; continuous glucose monitor; blood sugar meters; diabetes software and living with diabetes.
About Me
Name: Bernard Farrell
Location: Massachusetts, United States
I was born in Ireland and now live in the US.
I have had Type 1 diabetes for over 35 years. I struggle with my blood sugar, the same as most people with diabetes.
I wear a Cozmo 1800 insulin pump and a Dexcom SEVEN CGM to track my blood glucose levels. I also take Symlin to help control my post-meal blood sugars.
I'm blessed by God, and every day brings the possibility of a cure.
