Hi, my name is Jo Barnett and welcome to my web site. I have been sugar free since 1978 when I found out that I was hypoglycemic, which means I get migraine-like headaches if I eat food made with sugar. Around 2002 I got hit with terrible stomach issues, and my nutritionist suggested that I give up gluten. Let me just say that not having a bagel for many years was not fun for a Jewish girl. Now I cannot process even the smallest amount of gluten. Thankfully there have been terrific advancements with gluten-free products, but according to all my friends, the cookies never stopped tasting like sawdust. I was never much of a baker, but I knew I had to give it whirl. However, I was always a talented at-home chef, but my restricted diet caused me to refine my cooking to become healthier, while still remaining quite tasteful.
One of my biggest joys comes from sharing my cooking and baking with friends and co-workers. I work as a production accountant and people on my shows have come to expect baked goods each Monday morning.
I prepare my all food on weekends. This way I don’t use the “I don’t have time” excuse, and I stay away from the “I will order French fries today and be good the rest of the week” mentality. I even make my oatmeal on the weekend, so I can just nuke it daily and have a healthy breakfast. Shockingly, no more gluten-free bagels daily for this girl…my trainer made me give them up.
I do have to give credit my current trainer, Nick Stellate, who helped me clean up my diet by highly suggesting that I keep a food journal in addition to my 3 times a week workouts. I thought I was eating healthy until I saw it down on paper! Despite the fact I’ve had personal trainers for over twenty years, I was able to drop 25 pounds (even with cutting back on cardio) since March of 2013. I highly recommend keeping a food diary as it really keeps you honest! Instead of eating 6 cookies I will only eat 2 or 3 because I don’t want to have to say I ate too many. But I can hear you whining “well you have a trainer!!” I never had issues pushing myself when it came to cardio workout, but I find it difficult to weight train on my own. So I pay someone to kick my ass in the weight room, while wishing I had the self motivation to do it on my own.
I have always said that I wanted to be a “B.O.B” aka “Buff Old Broad” and while I am working my way to that goal I have created “H.O.B” aka “Healthy Old Broad” to share with you. Friends and co-workers are always asking for my recipes. I continue to shock new people that my recipes and baked goods are gluten and sugar free…and I only tell them that after they have tasted a cookie so there are no preconceived perceptions. Meanwhile other gluten free people are thrilled that there is food they can eat too!
I’ll share recipes I found from various sources with the modifications I have made. Or I will dish out recipes I have created. I find that measuring is quite a chore, but I recommend that you salt, pepper, and spice to suit your tastes.
As far as the Hot Old Broad’s age goes….a lady never tells, but I am old enough to collect social security 😉