And the testing goes on...

Yep that's right, more tests for me. In the middle of March I'm having a Manometry study and a 24 hour Ph Impedance Monitoring study. I get to test out the latest in tube-down-nose fashion wear. So glamorous! And what is the reason for my VIP treatment? My Gerd-iness is potentially in question and my acid reflux is certainly in question. I am on a fairly high does of acid reducers right now and they, along with lifestyle changes, aren't enough to control my rampant symptoms. Hopefully this will give us a clearer answer.

Chocolate Chip Biscotti

As Gerdies biscotti is our best friend in the cookie world. Why? It's naturally vary low in fat which means it tastes the same as it did before we had GERD and we don't need to adapt the recipe, and best of all, it's easy! If hard crunchy biscotti isn't your thing you can always make once-baked biscotti, one of my personal favorites.

Chocolate Chip Biscotti With Less Fat from Chewy Gooey Crispy Crunch Melt-in-Your-Mouth Cookies

1 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt (optional)
2 large eggs
1/4 cup plus 2 tbs granulated sugar
1/4 cup plus 2 tbs packed brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup coarsely chipped walnuts
2/3 cup bittersweet or semisweet chocolate chips or chunks

Preheat oven to 300°F.

Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl and whisk together thoroughly.

In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs with the sugar and vanilla until well combined. Mix in the flour. Stir in nuts and chocolate chips. The mixture will be think and gooey.

Scrape the batter onto the lined or greased pan in 2 skinny strips 16 to17 inches long and at least 3 inches apart (feel free to play with shapes, it's more fun that way). Use a spatula to even up the strips.

Back for 35 minutes until firm but springy when pressed with your fingers. Set pan on a rack to cool for at least 15 minutes.

Transfer the loaves to a cutting board. Use a sharp serrated knife to slice the loaves in a diagonal into 1/2-inch slices. If your making once-baked biscotti stop here.
 Stand the cookies up on the unlined baking sheet at least 1/2 in apart. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until golden brown. Cook biscotti completely before staking and storing. The  flavor develops and cookies become more tender after 2 or 3 days, and biscotti will remain dry and very crunchy after that. May keep in an airtight container for several weeks.

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

I'll start with a little update on my condition. I had a gastric emptying study done on Monday, because I've been feeling bloated, but it came back normal. I'm going back to my GI doctor in February to see what else we can do. I may have found one piece of the puzzle already, I found out I'm lactose intolerant. I don't think is very bad because I can eat cultured dairy without noticing side effects, although I'll be looking closer now, and it may get better when I get a normal level of probiotics in my intestines. Two doses of antibiotics (one for pneumonia and one for bronchitis) in the past six months have killed off most of the probiotic population.

And now on to the main event! We all love cookies, right? Now, we can love cookies worry-free. These are a bit denser than ordinary cookies, but I think it works with a stick-to-your-ribs kind of cookie like oatmeal raisin cookies. Also, I would recommend making these cookies only when you have some time on your hands because they have to sit for an hour, or two, or overnight.

I found out my blender works better than I thought so be expecting smoothie recipes very soon!

Oatmeal Cookies adapted from Chewy Gooey Crispy Crunchy Melt-in-Your-Mouth Cookies

2 cups rolled oats

1/4 cup water

3/4 cup white flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

1/4 cup applesauce

1 stick of unsalted butter

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 granulated sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp salt (optional. I usually leave out salt)

1 large egg

1 cup walnuts, chopped

1 cup raisins

Place the oats in a small bowl and sprinkle with water. Combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a medium bowl and mix together throughly with a whisk or fork.

Melt butter and stir in the sugar, vanilla, and salt (if using). Add egg and stir briskly. Stir in applesauce. Stir in the flour mixture just until all of the dry ingredients are moistened. Stir in walnuts, raisins, and oats. Let dough stand for at least 1 but preferably 2 hours or (better still) overnight.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven.

For large cookies, scoop about 2 level tablespoons of dough and place the cookies about 3 inches apart on the ungreased or lined pans, For small cookies, scoop 1 level tablespoon of dough. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes for large cookies, 10 to 12 minutes for small cookies, or until the cookies are golden brown on top. For unlined pans, use a metal spatula to transfer the cookies to a cooling rack; for lined pans, set the pans or just the liners on the rack. cool cookies completely before storing or stacking. May be kept in an airtight container for several days.