For those of you who didn’t read the post “Caymans and Kidney Stones” I will quickly fill you in on what you missed…I have kidney stones…9 to be exact, one of which is on the move. The reason I am bringing this up again is that these stupid stones are affecting what I can and can not eat and therefore they will have a huge impact on the recipes I share with you. I’m sorry. It sucks. Because I don’t know what has caused the stones I am on a super strict low oxalate diet. Don’t know what oxalates are? Neither did I. It’s a hard one to cut out and I am finding a lot of the info online regarding high/low oxalates to be contradictory. I want solid answers but can’t seem to find any. This list is the best I have found so it is what I am basing my diet on for now. Below is a list of high oxalate foods, spices, etc. that I can not have…..

Never - almonds, amaranth, black beans, brazil nuts, beets (root and greens), buckwheat, cashew nuts, cannellini beans, chocolate, corn meal, cooked tomatoes, great northern beans, marshmallow root, milk thistle, navy beans, oil of oregano, peanuts, pecans, pine nuts, pink beans, pinto beans, potato chips, potato flour, rice bran, rhubarb, sesame seeds and tahini, slippery elm bark, all soy, spinach, star fruit, sweet potatoes, teff (flour and whole grain), quinoa (whole grain), white bean flour, and yucca powder.

Vegetables – Anaheim peppers, green bell pepper, brocollini (steamed), carrots (raw or steamed), celery, chard, chicory, hearts of palm, parsnip, potatoes (red without skins and boiled are lowest), tomatillo (one is medium), many green beans (pole, French fillet), leeks, nopali cactus, okra, parsley, sugar snap peas, purslane, radicchio, sorrel, sweet potato, green tomatoes, canned tomatoes, yams (in US yams are sweet potatoes)

Fruit - Anjou pears, dried apricots, blackberries, clementines, elderberries, grapefruit (pink), Hachiya persimmons, pomegranate, raspberries, gooseberries, goji berries, kiwi, citrus zest, currants, concord grapes, dried figs, guava

Seeds, nuts, beans and grains - Arrowhead Mills brown basmati rice, adzuki beans, black beluga lentils, fava beans, hazelnuts, hemp milk, navy beans, poppy seeds, quinoa, red beans, rice milk, white beans, GF oats

flours and baking - arrowroot, brown rice flour, chestnut flour, Chatfield’s carob powder, carob chips, fava bean flour, millet flour, sorghum flour, stevia powder, white rice flour (especially Bob’s Red Mill stone ground)

flavours, spices and other - allspice, anise, black pepper, celery seed, clove (ground), coriander seed, cumin, curry powder, fennel seed, turmeric

Also I shouldn’t have coffee, green tea, black tea or carbonated beverages. So, as I was saying, this is gonna be a little tough. If I eat these things I am not going to die or anything but it can make the stones that are still in my kidneys larger and will promote more stones to form sooooo… I am going to do my best, until I find out what kind of stones they are, to stay away from all of the above. On a positive note when they analyze my stone that I am  having blasted to smithereens on Thursday they will be able to drastically narrow down the list of restrictions in my diet and I can start having fun with food again!

O.k. now that I have filled you all in on how crappy this diet is let me share something with you that is the farthest thing from crappy – in fact it may be one of the best sandwiches I have made in years! I tested it out on Dan and she agreed. Kegan however took a pass when I offered him lunch so like the super duper wife I am I gave him my last bite…he loved it and was immediately sorry he turned his nose up at my lunch offer. Never again.

• - green lentils
• - 1 ripe mango, sliced
• - 1 egg, fried
• - old white cheddar cheese, sliced
• - tabasco sauce
• - whole grain pita

Make lentils according to package. Cut pita in half. Toast pita. fry the egg. Once the pita is toasted add in layers cheese, good serving of lentils, mango, egg. If you like you can add a few more lentils and a bit more cheese to finish it off drizzle with tabasco. So simple so good. Enjoy!