Low Iodine Diet Diaries-Day 13--It's been a long day.

We went on a birding field trip today.  The weather was "absolutely gorgeous".  Very low 80's, a nice steady breeze, that kept the vicious, blood sucking green head flies away and really good birds.  There was about 30 people on this N.J. Audubon field trip and 5 guides.  The birds were very co-operative.  The best bird for the day was the American Bittern.

 

I know it's not the greatest picture in the world, but I like this shot. 

Here is the an American Bittern out in the open, usually they are hidden in the phragmites and 

very difficult to find. 

I packed my cooler cooler this morning with the food, I prepared last night. 

Breakfast-1c. Simply Fiber Cereal, 1/4c Hemp Milk and a banana

Snack-grapes

When we got to the parking lot this morning, you can sense a common sentiment among birders.

Life is simple.
Eat. Sleep. Bird.

Lunch-Salad, Jer-Zi pickles (see previous posts for explanation), chick peas.  LID Blueberry muffin with Peanut Butter and Sugar Free Apricot Jam. 

Snack-fruit salad and Coffee with Vanilla Non-Dairy Creamer (had Carrageenan in it, but it was the last ingredient). Rice cake with the same jelly. 

Dinner-Beef Stew and potatoes. 

Low Iodine Diet Beef Stew.

Carrots, Onions, Celery, chopped in food processor. 

Stew Meat

More Carrots, Green Beans, Peas.

2 16 oz Cans of Salt Free Diced Tomatoes

16 oz. Salt Free tomato sauce 

Liquid, can be stock, beer, wine water (your choice)

salt, pepper, your choice herbs

a bit of Sherry

I seasoned the meat with salt and pepper and brown in a bit of Canola oil, then removed from pot. 

I dabbed the bottom of the pot with a paper towel to get rid of the fat, added Sherry to de-glaze the pan. 

I added the chopped vegetables, with salt and pepper, to the pot and let them soften and brown a tiny bit. 

(This is called sweating the aromatics)

I added the diced tomatoes and some seasoning, mixed them together and added the tomato sauce and about 2 cups of chicken stock. Let that boil and simmer a few minutes.  

I added the meat and carrots, I used both baby carrots and sliced carrots.

Let that cook for about an hour. 

The great thing is that you can add almost any hardy vegetable to stew, you don't want something that will get mushy.  I had a really tough green bean.  I cut them up and added them to the stew. I let that cook. 

The last ingredients I added were peas, I always use frozen petit pois and potatoes. 

I now cook until the potatoes are done. 

I have enough stew to last a long time. 

I was so tired I forgot to take a picture, but this isn't the last of the stew.  I will take a serving to the hotel when I have the Radioactive Iodine Ablation.  I have to bring most the food I am going to eat with me, that is going to be such a hassel.  I do get to go to Trader Joe's when I am on Staten Island, I can pick up my favorite salad dressing! 

Another Bird Picture...

A very early White Throated Sparrow had arrived.
Yesterday there were 2 of them here, today I only saw one.
On the left is a Chipping Sparrow and on the right, the White Throated.