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Adventures, Advice and Questions from a group of Mormon women who met in Queens, NY and have now scattered all over the place.
 

Thursday, March 20, 2008

Easter Dinner

I was sitting there in church on Sunday after a few weeks of tremendous adversity, and after about 15 minutes of struggling to stay awake, I went into the foyer and rested my head on the side of the couch and cried.

I was crying because I was so frustrated that after a full night's sleep I couldn't even keep my eyes open for 15 minutes. I wasn't asleep. I could still hear the speakers. One of the Elders gave a talk and as he was talking, I couldn't help but think of my little brother on a mission. And then I remembered it was Easter next Sunday and I decided to invite them over, in honor of my brother. I thought, I am inviting them over for their sisters crying on couches in foyers in their home wards.

I also invited over our Senior Couple of missionaries. They have only been in the area for a few months, and hardly seem "senior", they remind us more of our parents than our grandparents I guess. Anyway, I thought, of all the people I could invite over, missionaries would be the most forgiving and the most appreciative.

The weekend is working out to be much more positive than I anticipated it would be last Sunday. I am having a medicine-free weekend, so I am hoping to have my wits about me and my energy level more like normal. My DH also has a few days off in a row, so he will be able to help me do the grocery shopping and maybe even cook a thing or too.

Which brings me to the point of the post. One missionary at my meal is diabetic and controls insulin levels through diet. Though this missionary has assured me they will be responsible for their own food at the meal, I would like to challenge myself to serve some diabetic-friendly dishes.

There are 2 questions:

1. What are you serving for Easter Dinner? Or alternately, what dishes do you associate with Easter dinner (in the event you are not cooking)?

2. What dishes should I serve at Easter that are also diabetic-friendly?




posted by Kage @ 3/20/2008 02:10:00 PM   add to kirtsy


15 Comments:

  • Unfortunately I don't have any recipe help for you. I feel your pain though; you've had a lot to deal with lately. My prayers go out for you!
    posted by Anonymous Anonymous at 3/20/2008 03:12:00 PM  



  • We usually have ham, deviled eggs, mashed potatoes, asparagus, and salad. And maybe a jello dish too-- we do live in Utah! As for diabetic stuff, I'm just not sure. Good luck!
    posted by Anonymous Anonymous at 3/20/2008 04:55:00 PM  



  • I am no expert, but my experience with diabetics is that they focus on vegetables and protein, avoid carbs. I don't know if you are ham people, but that seems like Easter to me. I think you can't go wrong with some salads. Recently, I am a big fan of that lettuce (or spinach), strawberry, and almonds one with poppyseed dressing. Very easy (my favorite).
    posted by Anonymous Anonymous at 3/20/2008 05:03:00 PM  



  • yes I heard no carbs....but is asparagus a carb? And is Ham ok? Should I avoid putting glaze on it?

    And as for salad, what is the best salad, spinach sounds good maybe some hard boiled egg on it?
    posted by Blogger Kage at 3/20/2008 05:31:00 PM  



  • Sorry to hear about your moment at church but I'm glad things are looking up for you.

    We're having lots of easy make-ahead stuff: ham (Costco), funeral potatoes, a vegetable (haven't decided yet), salad, and rolls. And fruit. And something for dessert.

    We are also going to have a (type 1) diabetic guest with us, coincidentally. He is a good friend and we eat with him often; generally he can eat pretty much anything within reason, but it seems to me that he mostly eats meat and very few processed carbs. The big difference between him and your elder, though, is that our friend gives himself injections throughout the day and night.

    Actually for Easter dinner he requested lamb. Lamb is also a popular Easter dish although I think ham is easier and is more of a crowd-pleaser.

    I would think asparagus is OK.
    posted by Blogger Eliza at 3/20/2008 06:03:00 PM  



  • My dad is a pre-diabetic (controlled with diet). For Easter, we are having ham, green salad, rolls (of which he will maybe eat one), fruit salad, and brown rice. I would try to just have some low carb/no carb choices. My parents eat a lot of lean meats and veggies on a daily basis but my dad is allowed to have carbs, just not a lot and should be on the whole grain side (ie brown rice instead of white). As for dessert, my dad's doctor said that Dreyer's/Eddy's No Sugar Added ice cream is okay on occasion because of the less sugar. My mom cooks desserts with Splenda a lot to allow my dad to partake. Hope this helps. And glad to hear you get a medicine-free weekend. Happy Easter!!
    posted by Blogger Elise at 3/20/2008 06:14:00 PM  



  • I'm responsible for bringing a spinach quiche potato-crust pie and some kind of salad. I haven't committed to what kind of salad I'm gonna bring yet.

    I think some kind of spinach quiche would be pretty good for diabetics, although I'm not really sure.

    Here's the recipe I use for the spinach part at Martha Stewart I only used 2 frozen spinach boxes instead of one.

    And then I put it in this potato crust from this Moosewood recipe
    posted by Blogger tamrobot at 3/20/2008 06:56:00 PM  



  • I have a GREAT spinach salad recipe. I can email it to you if you want.

    One of my best friends is type 1 diabetic. Maybe I can get her to log on here and comment. I'll see.....

    I hope you have a great med-free weekend!
    posted by Blogger Beth at 3/20/2008 09:38:00 PM  



  • Yay for a drug free, husband available Easter weekend! Please try to take it easy though.

    Haven't even thought about food. Thank goodness my sister called last night and invited us over for dinner. Now i only have to think about one thing to bring instead of a whole meal.
    posted by Blogger This is Carrie at 3/20/2008 09:43:00 PM  



  • Crap...this reminds me that I need to plan Easter dinner...

    Kage, take it easy though. I worry :)
    posted by Blogger Sara at 3/20/2008 10:52:00 PM  



  • I always make lamb at easter. This year we are grilling lambchops and Im making a red wine and shallot reduction for those, and having roasted asparagus, mashed new potatoes with chevre, garlic and herbs, and a lemon ricotta cheese cake with raspberry puree. Easter is my favorite holiday meal because I love spring foods :)

    Lamb chops are great because it is soo easy - they only have to cook for a few minutes on the grill and they are good to go.
    posted by Blogger Julie at 3/20/2008 11:00:00 PM  



  • i echo the comments of others about the diabetic meal. i am not a diabetic, but i am a dietitian, so i've had lots of experience counseling people in this situation. the best way for a diabetic to eat at each meal in order to get good glucose control is this: pretend you are splitting your plate up into fourths and then fill 1/4 with protein, 1/4 with carbs, and the last 1/2 with vegetables. whole grain carbs are the best, because your body doesn't process them as quickly, which helps your blood sugar not to spike. so like the elders said, they will be responsible for their own food/portions, so as long as you provide protein, a whole grain carb, and some veggies, he can control his portions to keep his blood sugar in check. good luck! (the glaze on the ham definitely adds sugar, but he could probably cut that part off if he wanted to.)
    posted by Blogger merathon at 3/21/2008 05:57:00 AM  



  • p.s. i love making this fabulous coconut cake for dessert on easter. for some reason, coconut says easter to me! (it's definitely not diabetic-friendly, but the no-sugar added ice cream is a good option for that!)
    posted by Blogger merathon at 3/21/2008 05:59:00 AM  



  • Here's what my friend said in her email to me. She's type 1:

    Basically a diabetic can eat in moderation anything that the rest of table eats. It is nice to have green beans, or a green veg. Turkey or some kind of lean meat. Whole-grain rice maybe? It really depends on the person and insulin schedule--- shots or pump...Type I or Type II diabetes. Fruit with Splenda or Stevia is always nice. Just ask the diabetic. This person might really refrain from eating carbs. I am a bad example because
    I LOVE eating things I shouldn't. I just pump more
    insulin in through my insulin pump.
    -Maureen
    posted by Blogger Beth at 3/21/2008 02:04:00 PM  



  • My son is a type 1 diabetic, he is 5, so we have some of the same dilemmas. We are having some of the same foods that everyone has already said, ham, asparagus, funeral potatoes, and salad. I really agree with merathon's comment, whole grains, lean proteins and veggies. Type 2 is managed through diet and medication. Type 1 is managed with insulin, injections or pump. However, both types can benefit from healthy diets. Moderation in all things. Quick easy dessert we like in our home, great for spring---strawberry shortcake. Just sweeten the strawberries with splenda and add little whip cream. Strawberries and cream are also wonderful. Also, if you make a cake, you can substitute any can of diet soda for the eggs, oil and water. This does not add any more calories or fat. Use whip cream or lite cool whip, for the frosting, not too bad! Good luck!
    posted by Anonymous Anonymous at 3/21/2008 07:39:00 PM  



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