Test Results and Baking Obsession

I finally received the results of my 24 hour urine collection test for adrenal steroids and enyme activity. My doc had suspected that I had 'adrenal fatigue', which made me more vulnerable to respiratory infections. I also seem to need more and more thyroid supplement (mostly T3, because my body doesn't easily convert T4 to T3) to eliminate my hypothyroid symptoms. My test results showed I was low in DHEA, androsterone and etiocholanolone. I tried to research the relationship between low DHEA and hypothyroidism, but I couldn't really find much. So I definitely need to book an appointment to talk to my doctor next week. I hope she understands what those results mean and whether that explains my challenged immunity and thryoid problems.

Meanwhile I've been enjoying 2 new allergy free baking books I discovered at my local library. Both books include recipes that are free of 4 and sometimes 5 of my diagnosed allergens (gluten, dairy, soy, eggs and cane sugar). However, I can easily subsitute beet sugar for granulated white sugar and coconut palm sugar for brown sugar in recipes. I can also substitute allspice for nutmeg in other recipes. I liked those books so well that I ordered them on Amazon.com. I've received one, but I'm still using the library copy of the other book. My purchased copy of that book must have been slowed by holiday orders.

However, reading those cookbooks reminded me that my portable mixer is 30? years old and very weak. The lower speeds don't work at all and the beaters make noise at the higher speeds. Also my blender was almost worthless. I can only use one low speed, without getting power deficits. (The blender doesn't run smoothly.) It also 'walks' across the counter. LOL

So we found a great deal on a 'Ninja' blender which is powerful enough to easily crush ice and make peanut butter. I need to cruch cashews for my homemade (allergy free) mayonnaise and ice creams). My husband will take my old blender to work, where his fellow employees only make fruit smoothees. I hope they only need the 'stir' speed on my old blender. LOL

However, finding a great stand mixer took much longer. I didn't want the 'all-purpose' Kitchen Aid with the possibility of all those attachments. I already have a a food processer, a blender, and an ice cream maker (which are all Kitchen Aid attachments). I don't want to make pasta or grind meat (other attachments). So why pay more for possibilties that I don't need? I found online a great mixer with glass bowls (a little heavier, but you can see whether stuff is stuck to the bottom or sides of a glass bowl, unlike a stainless steel bowl) and 3 different mixer blades. It also has some features which the Kitchen Aid lacks. Unfortunately I had to order it online to get exactly what I want. So my great stand mixer won't arrive for another week even though I ordered it a week ago. SIGH

Nevertheless, I've been using my old mixer (before it completely dies?) to make date nut bread and my husband's birthday cake (a lemon poppy seed bundt cake). That was my FIRST bundt cake and a gluten, dairy, egg, soy, cane sugar, vanilla and nutmeg free cake at that! LOL My husband loved it and I'm so proud of my creation. I also liked the taste and texture. However, I'm looking forward to tasting my 'impossible' pumpkin pie. After making a birthday cake the day before, I didn't want to make a pie crust AND filling for a pumptin pie yesterday. So I found a great allergy pumpkin pie recipe that makes it own crust. I hope to eat some for dessert after our Thanksgiving dinner in about 2 hours.

I kinda gave up on baking before I found those 2 allergy free cookbooks. I previously bought cookbooks which were free of gluten, but still used dairy, eggs, cane sugar, vanilla, soy and nutmeg. So I had to make all those allergy free substitutions all the time. I never did find a decent substitution for brown sugar (derived from cane sugar) UNTIL I met that baker in Maui who custom made some peanut butter cookies for me using coconut palm sugar. I loved those cookies so much I'm STILL eating them. I have 6 left, luckly because my husband didn't like them so well. Since we got home from Maui he already made 3 dozen chcolate chip cookies, which he consumed in less than a week. Ive had my peanut butter cookies for over a month now. I eat about a half cooky a day on days that I want a cooky. I have so many other desserts (that date nut bread, ice cream, candied ginger (which I eat daily), maple sugar candy, etc. So I don't need to eat everything everyday.

Before my new mixer arrives, I'll probably begin making Christmas cookies. I'll need to hide some (from my husband) in the downstairs freezer, if I hope to have any of those near Christmas time. He's a big fan of my baking. Fortunately we now have his birthday cake, another loaf of pumpkin date bread (which I hid in the freezer) and Thanksgiving pumpkin pie. So maybe I can distract him from the Christmas cookies, while he still has cake and pie in the kitchen.