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Sue Cauhape's avatar

Rainbows are awesome. Sometimes we get double rainbows here. Must be because it's cowland and God loves cows. Meanwhile, congratulations on finding merit with the keto diet. We've been doing it to some degree, and it helps me lose weight when I don't succumn bo carbs and candy. Sourdough, chocolate, and ice cream are my weaknesses. Even if I curtail them to occasional binging, it appear there are a lot of reasons to indulge. Always an excuse. Harrumph!

Fran Gardner's avatar

I was an enthusiastic baker of sourdough bread using a wide variety of flours, plus oats and pumpernickel. Had to let the starter go when I moved into assisted living. And now neither me nor my husband can have it. Keto is hard to stay on strictly. I find avoiding sweetness, ever artificial, helps.

Sue Cauhape's avatar

I've made a hearty attempt to keep the pastries, cookies, candy, etcetcetc to a minimum. When you live in a town with an excellent Dutch bakery and a chocolateer, it's special occasions ONLY!!!! I've honed down the cookies that Jeff likes in his lunchbag to fig newtons. Talk about fudging the rules. Fig newtons????

Jonathan Giles's avatar

Thanks, Fran, for sharing your insights and perspectives. Will enjoy reading your earlier pieces!

Nancy Jainchill's avatar

Curious why some diets work for folks and some don't. I've been vegan for maybe 10 years, and before that was vegetarian. So far I'm ok.

Fran Gardner's avatar

Vegan is great! I should have been more careful, but I didn’t know. Lost the gallbladder, wish I’d kept it. My husband was always skeptical of the vegan schtick, altho he puts up with keto. Like I put up with his sudden late-life diagnosis of celiac.

Nancy Jainchill's avatar

Celiac? No bread? That would be so difficult for me.

Fran Gardner's avatar

It’s hard for Robert, too. He loves bread and pasta. I don’t miss them, because eating them has never felt very good.

Keto baked goods are naturally GF, but it’s hard to find anything that tastes really good. I make scones with fresh cranberries, adding cornmeal for crunch to offset the bland almond flour. Not quite as keto, but we cheat when we can.

Nancy Jainchill's avatar

The other day I tried substituting a ripe banana for an egg to make a cornbread topping. It tasted like banana. Won't do that again.

Push Pull Carry's avatar

About the Toothpaste Apartment building: Is that its real name, or your endearment? Either way, it's an intriguing name and/or description. Please fill us in!

Fran Gardner's avatar

I’ve always called it the toothpaste building because it was the color of Crest toothpaste. The building was semi-derelict for a long time till it got a new roof and a paint job last summer. Now it’s more of a minty green. That’s my own name for it, nobody else’s.

Kimberly Warner's avatar

We’ve been having the most luscious winter compared to the east! I can’t complain, all rainbows and songbirds and green grass.

You’re the second person to mention Keto this week, the first is an author who just published a memoir about her 18 year struggle with dizziness, only to find out it was a metabolic disorder, and is largely in remission now after a three month keto reset. Hmmm… I may just have to try!

Fran Gardner's avatar

This could be a game changer. Hard to give up pastry, though.