Finding my medium...

I have always felt like an artist. I've always felt inspired to create. Despite this I have struggled to find my medium. I can look at a drawing, a painting, or a photograph and feel inspired but I have struggled to use any of these mediums to translate my own inspiration into works.
Artistic medium according to Wikipedia: "In the arts, a media or medium is a material used by an artist or designer to create a work."

I was cleaning up today and I realized that the kitchen has become my art studio. Instead of paintbrushes I have spoons and spatulas. Instead of paint I have various ingredients that I blend together to form muffins, and cakes, and breads.
When I am in the kitchen I feel inspired and I am able to translate that inspiration into works that are pleasing to others.

And with that I find peace and satisfaction.

The Artist.

My not so traditional grain free Thanksgiving...

So I know turkey is the traditional thanksgiving meat but I don't really want to cook a whole turkey just for the 3 of us, and I've had a hard time finding turkey that all 3 of us tolerate. If we had a wholefoods close by I probably could find some but all the turkey around here has stuff added to it. So, chicken it is! I'm just going to roast a whole chicken with thyme and rosemary, seems appropriate for thanksgiving :)

Next on the list is cranberry jello. I bought some 100% cranberry juice and plan to make jello using the juice, knox gelatin, and honey. Just follow the recipe on the back of the knox box.

Our side is going to be broccoli and cauliflower casserole using the recipe from this blog.

I wanted to make this carrot souffle but we don't have chicken stock and have already exhausted our food budget for the week so it will have to wait.

We are missing stuffing here but making a grain free version would be very labor intensive and the girls are so young I don't think they'll miss it...maybe next year! Instead we're going to have coconut flour biscuits.

For dessert I'm making these cheesecake swirl brownies using this dairy free cream cheese recipe for the swirl.

So, that's how I plan to keep my family happy and healthy this Thanksgiving!









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My little secret ;-)

Right now, outside my house, it is 66 degrees and cloudy. Inside my house it is 74 degrees and very comfortable, and we have yet to turn our heat on. So here's my little secret...

A while ago I read an article that talked about different ways to save money and energy around your house. I wish I could reference the article but can't seem to find it, all I can say is this was not my original idea :p One of the things they mentioned was heating your house with your dryer while it is drying clothes. At the time I thought this was a great idea but kind of pushed it to the back of my mind. Well, there are two reasons I decided to finally give this a try.
#1, last year our heating bill was out of this world! We couldn't afford it last year and we most certainly can't this year.
#2, our dryer vent goes up through the attic and out the side of the house. Not only is this highly inefficient (it's been taking WAY too long to dry our clothes) but it also can be a fire hazard.

So, you ask, how can I heat my house with my dryer!? It's so simple!
Take your dryer hose where it connects to the wall and unhook it. Take a pantyhose sock (or a pair of pantyhose and cut the foot out of it) and slip it over the end of the dryer hose where it would normally connect to the wall. It should fit snugly over it but if not just use a rubber band to secure it. Place it so that the air points out the door of your laundry room. When you use your dryer the heat will blow into your house and the pantyhose will filter the lint out! Just make sure to clean it out regularly so this won't create a fire hazard as well.
Not only is this efficient and cost saving but you are also heating your house with a more humid heat as opposed to the very dry heat that your heater produces.

One thing I would caution, if you are going to use this method to heat your house I would suggest making sure your laundry supplies (detergent, softener, dryer sheets, etc.) are non toxic. We don't typically think about how toxic these things can be. If you use this method and continue to use these toxic laundry products than those toxins are being heated up and blown into your home. Just something to think about before you try this experiment for yourself :)

My Journey...5 months, 30lbs lighter.

So, In the last 5 months I have lost 30lbs. Since my youngest daughter was born I have lost 81lbs. I still have a little weight I would like to lose but overall I feel amazing!
Pregnancy was hard on my body and by the time I was ready to give birth to our youngest daughter I was about 90lbs heavier than when I got married. When Ava was about 2 months she started reacting to foods that I was eating. In order to figure out what foods she was reacting to I went on a strict elimination diet. By the time Ava was 6 months old I had already lost about 70lbs. Not only was I losing weight but I felt wonderful, I had more energy than I ever remembered having. I realized that the foods I had taken out of my diet for Ava were most likely foods that I had problems with as well.
When Chloe was about 2 1/2 we realized that she was sensitive to gluten. In order to have her tested for Celiac disease we put her through a 3 month gluten challenge which involved adding gluten containing products back into her diet. Ava ended up on a gluten challenge as well since it was so hard to keep her away from the foods that Chloe was eating. Since they were both eating gluten containing products I started to introduce them back into my diet as well.  I immediatly began feeling bad. I littlerally felt nauseous when I first started eating gluten foods again. I started to feel bloated and gassy, and my digestive system was just not functioning like it should. My mental clarity was gone and I was tired all the time. I ate like this for 3 months and within that 3 months I gained 20lbs.
After the 3 months was over and all the testing was done we were immediately back on our gluten free diet. The difference was immediate but it has taken a while to get back to what we were before. It has been a journey.
We started by removing gluten from our diet and eventually we removed all grains from our diet. It has been an ongoing progression. Every day I learn something new. Every day I am amazed at how good I feel.
What has started out of necessity has become a way of life that I would chose again in a heartbeat even if the circumstances were different. Healthy eating has become a way of life for me and I am so thankful for that. It is not just about losing weight but about being healthy and having the energy to enjoying life!

June 13, 2011

                   

 

November 11, 2011

Josiah and Christy are off!

Some might ask, "why would you want to live in a bus??".
Well, that is certainly not what Josiah and Christy are doing. Rather, they have taken a bus and transformed it into a home. A very nice home at that...with custom cabinets, custom hand tiled counters, and beautiful hardwood floors. It's still a work in progress but they are finally able to stay in it. I'm so excited for them, for this is their first home together as a family.
We've had the joy of spending time with them over the past few months as they transformed their bus right outside in our yard. They are a beautiful and creative family, and I'm so excited that they are settling for a bit in Dahlonega, GA.
It is a bit sad to see them go, it has been fun to have them around. But they will not be far and we will have many opportunities to spend time with them at their home as well!

The happy couple in front of their home :)

On their way!

Protein Bars

These snack bars are perfect for on the go and super easy to make!

Nourishing Protein Bars
(Recipe from Passionate Homemaking)

2 cups almonds
1/4 cup flax seeds, chia seeds or pumpkin seeds (ground in a coffee grinder or blender)  *I used flax seeds, if you're doing SCD you would want to do pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup dried prunes, dates or raisins *I used dates but may try raisins next time
½ cup shredded coconut (unsweetened)
½ cup unsalted peanut butter *I used almond butter
½ teaspoon sea salt
½ cup coconut oil (melted)
1 Tbsp maple syrup or honey  *I used honey to make them SCD/GAPS legal
2-3 teaspoons vanilla extract 
a few squares dark chocolate, less than half a bar needed for thin layer (optional)  *We are not doing dairy or refined sugars so I used this recipe for chocolate and poured on top of bars

Place almonds, ground seeds, dried fruit, shredded coconut, almond butter, and sea salt in a food processor, or high speed blender, and pulse for about 10 seconds. Melt coconut oil in a small saucepan then add honey and vanilla and mix well. Add oil mixture to food processor and pulse until it forms a course paste. Using wax paper press mixture into an 8x8 glass pan and place in refrigerator for about an hour or so. After it's cooled melt or make your chocolate and spread over top. Refrigerate or freeze and enjoy! (These are great for on the go if you individually wrap in plastic wrap!)

Mmmm...breakfast cookies!

Who doesn't love a good cookie? Now you can enjoy them for breakfast too! But forget the guilt, these cookies are both delicious and nutritious. I made these this morning for breakfast and they were so good I wanted to jump on here and share the recipe right away. Hope you enjoy them just as much as I did!

Breakfast Cookies
(Recipe from Comfy Belly)

2 1/2 cups almond flour, almond meal, or any nut flour *I used almond flour
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
8 tablespoons of unsalted butter, melted (or 1/2 cup coconut oil or vegetable shortening, melted) *I used 1/2 cup spectrum vegetable shortening, melted
1/2 cup honey (or other sweetener) *I used honey
1 egg
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
about 2 cups nuts, dried fruit, seeds (or whatever you desire) *I used 1 cup chopped pecans and 1 cup raisins, I think they would also be good with some cinnamon


Preheat oven to 350. Combine all the dry ingredients in a bowl and blend with spoon. Add the wet ingredients and blend well with spoon. Drop about 1 tablespoon at a time onto cookie sheet, spacing about an inch apart. Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until they're starting to brown around the edges. Let cool and enjoy!

Ranch Style Dressing/Dip

The addition of eggs to our diet has opened up a whole new world! We are able to enjoy mayonnaise again, something I came close to duplicating but nothing quite compares to the real thing. We have been using Spectrum Canola Mayonnaise since it's soy free, gluten free, and is sweetened with honey. I now use this as the base to make ranch dressing/dip and the girls love it! Sorry there are no pictures, my camera battery is dead and I keep forgetting to charge it. I will update with a pic when I get a chance!

Ranch Style Dressing/Dip

1 cup mayo
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
2  cloves of garlic, minced
1-2 tablespoons dried parsley
1 teaspoon dried dill
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2-3 tablespoons lemon juice


Mash the sea salt and garlic together to form a sort of "paste". Add the rest of the ingredients together and stir well. Place in glass jar (I like to save reuse my mayo, almond butter, honey, etc. jars) and keep in refrigerator. You can enjoy right away or let sit in refrigerator for a while to let the flavors blend together. Also, you could experiment with adding different spices. I've seen chives and paprika added as well but have not tried it myself. Enjoy!

"No poo" Update...

It's been exactly seven weeks since I headed down this path of not using conventional shampoo. I have to say, my hair feels great! It's taken some time to figure out what works for my hair and I definitely went through an adjustment period. There was a point when I really wasn't sure if this was going to work but what can I say, I'm stubborn! Or maybe determined is a more positive word, either way I pushed forward.
        It all started one day when I decided to look into homemade shampoo recipes and instead stumbled upon the concept of going "no poo". The idea of no longer using chemicals to clean and condition my hair was a welcoming thought. And, the thought that my scalp would start producing less oil since it would no longer be stripped of it's natural oils which causes the scalp to overcompensate, sounded like a no brainer to me! So here I am, poo free and lovin' it!

My current regimen: 1 teaspoon of baking soda mixed with 2 cups of warm water, scrub scalp well and rinse. Follow with half a squeezed lemon in 2 cups warm water and rinse. **If my scalp is getting a little flaky I do white vinegar mixed with equal parts water, scrub scalp well and rinse well. I do this before the baking soda wash.

Shampoo free at 7 weeks! I was a little hesitant to post this pic since I am in dire need of a trim but, here's to a good cause! 

Fall is Definitely Nearing!

I absolutely love the feeling I get when the seasons begin to change. It's a feeling I can't quite put into words. The air feels different, the sun feels different, and best of all my mood is different. I feel happy and inspired. Yesterday was so beautiful, the sun was still hot but there was a breeze that made it ever so bearable. Time to head to the mountains! We packed up the girls, and a little food, and headed out to one of our frequented spots to enjoy the fresh air. There's no better way to celebrate the coming of a new season then to spend time with family. Summer has it's benefits but I will not be sad to bid it farewell and welcome the oh so pleasant Fall!

My Girls :)

          

Almond Butter Brownies

This recipe comes from the book Breaking the Vicious Cycle by Elaine Gottschall. The actual recipe is for peanut butter brownies but peanut butter just doesn't agree with our tummies so I decided to use almond butter instead. Plus, almonds are really good for you. They're a good source of protein and calcium, and they're high in monounsaturated fat (the "good" fat). And, for someone doing a grain free diet they're a good source of fiber. You can't lose! But enough about that, lets get to the good stuff. These are extremely easy to make, only requires 4 ingredients, and they're SUPER yummy!

 

Almond Butter Brownies
(Adapted from Breaking the Vicious Cycle's "Peanut Butter Brownies")

1 cup almond butter, no additives
1/2 cup honey
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 egg

Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Pour into an 8x8 inch square baking dish lined with parchment paper, if you don't have parchment paper make sure to butter the dish well. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes. Cool completely and enjoy! Be prepared, these will go fast!

"Granola" Breakfast Cereal

One of the things I have missed most since going grain free is cereal in the morning. It's so quick, so easy, and so satisfying. I have to admit there are not many things I miss on the grain free diet, but cereal is definitely one of those things. My two daughters have also adapted pretty well to our new way of eating but when my youngest came up to me the other day asking for cereal I knew I had to find a replacement pronto! Thanks to Google I found this recipe for "Great Grain-Free Granola" over at Little House in the Suburbs. I just knew it would fit the bill...and it did, by far!

 There were only two changes I made to the original recipe, I used pecans instead of walnuts and omitted the frozen blueberries.

Grain Free Breakfast Granola
(Adapted from Little House in the Suburbs)

1 cup salted sunflower seed kernels
1 cup raisins
1 cup unsweetened coconut
1 cup chopped raw pecans
1 cup chopped raw almonds

Just mix and store in refrigerator, or freezer, until ready to enjoy!