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Gluten Free Pear Crisp

Although fall technically doesn’t start for a few more days, fall weather is sure here. That means it’s time for fall fruits, including pears.

They are delicious plain or pureed as pearsauce. But another great way to use them is in a crisp.

This pear crisp is gluten free and oat free. It is very easy to make (I made 2 over the weekend). And it’s a unique treat. I can’t say I’ve had many pear desserts in my life.

The pears get soft and release a lot of juice as they are baked. The crisp has a hint of cinnamon and the perfect amount of sweetness.


I hope you enjoy this crisp as much as we did. Top it with vanilla ice cream and you’ll have real treat! This makes a wonderful dessert. But it’s so good you could even serve it for breakfast or brunch.

No pears in the house? No problem. Try using peaches, plums or even apples. It’ll still be a delicious dessert. Just beware…you might have to make two of them as well. This crisp won’t last long.

Gluten Free Pear Crisp

15 – 20 pears
1/3 cup organic cane sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 Tbsp. coconut flour

1/2 cup butter, coconut oil* or organic palm shortening
1 cup organic brown cane sugar, sucanat or coconut sugar*
3/4 cup tapioca flour*
1/4 cup coconut flour*

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 7×11 pan.

Peel, core and slice pears. Place in the greased pan. Sprinkle sugar, cinnamon and coconut flour on top. Gently mix.

Combine the butter, sugar and flour until crumbly. Sprinkle over top of the pears.

Bake for 35 minutes, until golden brown.

*These are affiliate links. It will not change the cost for you if you buy through the link, but I will get a small commission. It helps me earn a small amount to keep putting in the time and effort to do what I do 🙂

 

Gluten Free Vanilla Wafers

 

 

Last week I needed to make a snack for my daughter that was comparable to “vanilla cookies.” So I came up with a gluten free vanilla wafer.

Both kids LOVE these. My husband and I do too!

These wafers are very easy to make. And one batch makes about 60 cookies. You can eat them plain. Or even put peanut butter or homemade frosting between two cookies for a real treat.


We tried chocolate frosting. My daughter said they were her “Oreos.”

If you need an easy treat that isn’t full of preservatives give these a try. Gluten free vanilla wafers are a great snack for any age at any time of day.

Gluten Free Vanilla Wafers
makes about 60 cookies

6 Tbsp. butter or palm shortening
1/3 cup organic cane sugar
1/3 cup organic brown cane sugar, sucanat or coconut sugar*
3/4 cups tapioca flour*
1/2 cup white rice flour* (or amaranth or sorghum flour)
1/4 tsp. sea salt*
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla

Heat oven to 325 degrees F.

Cream the butter and sugar. Add the egg and vanilla. Mix well. Add the flour, salt and baking powder. Stir with a spoon until combined.

Drop quarter-sized mounds onto parchment lined baking sheets. Bake 13-15 minutes. Turn off oven. Leave cookies in the oven to crisp for 10 – 20 minutes.

*These are affiliate links. It will not change the cost for you if you buy through the link, but I will get a small commission. It helps me earn a small amount to keep putting in the time and effort to do what I do 🙂

 

Meal Plans Week of 9-15-13

Wow, life sure is getting busy! I’m sure it will only get crazier as my kids get older. But for now this is about as much as I care to do – church, school, Kindermusik, dance, soccer,…it’s already getting hard to keep up. I’m thankful I had a couple of days last week that I was able to put my feet up and squeeze in some naps.

In the last 24 hours I’ve gone through about a 1/2 bushel of pears. There are a few left in the fridge for eating. I’m hoping to get another 1/2 bushel (or more) soon. I canned one round of pearsauce. And I’d like to do more. I also did a lot of holiday baking last week while working on a magazine article.

We have our usual activities this week. Plus I have a psychologist appointment. We have to go grocery shopping. And we have our first MomBreak meeting. It would be nice to get to the orchard again. We’ll see if we can squeeze it in. At some point it would be nice to go apple picking too.


I still have a 1/2 bushel of peaches to work through. My canner is on the stove, and my simple syrup is made. So hopefully I can get at least one round of canning in today. If I get more pears I’d like to do pearsauce and canned pears. I also need to do a round of salsa at some point. And I’d like to make more spaghetti sauce.

I’m still taking things one day at a time. Some days I feel so hopeful. And some days I feel discouraged. But I just try to keep going. I know God is doing great things.

I promise, I have a couple new recipes to share. Be on the lookout!!

I’m going for a simple menu this week. We have a potluck at church today. I have a pear crisp in the oven right now for that. I have to do several prep ahead meals this week. What are you eating? Eet smakelijk!

****MENU****

S (make pear crisp, make syrup, church, potluck, can peaches, prep smoothies)
  B – egg puff, toast
  L – at church – bring pear crisp
  D – (separate) – chili, gf corn muffins

M (make peach pie, soak flour, Dr. V.)
  B – granola bar, smoothie
  D – (prep ahead) – meatloaf, baked potatoes, squash

T (bake muffins, chop veggies, FM, A-KM, R-KM)
  B – yogurt, peach muffins
  D – (quick prep) – grilled cheese, tomato soup

W (Meijer (refrigerator broke), soak beans, refrigerator shopping)
  B – smoothie, peach muffins
  D – TBD chicken breasts, TBD sweet potatoes, broccoli

Th (boil eggs clean/restock new fridge, Meijer, dance)
  B – hard boiled egg, toast baked oatmeal w/ milk
  D – (prep ahead/early) – cp rice and beans pasta chicken salad, corn muffins, broccoli

F (make egg dish, boil egg, MB)
  B – hb egg, toast
  D – gf pancakes, bacon, peas, fruit

S (soccer)
  B – pancakes
  D – homemade pizza

Meal Plans Week of 9-8-13

September is in full swing now. Last week was our kick off week of activities and school. And it was quite a whirlwind week in my kitchen too! Lots of canning, freezing, baking and cleaning. I’m not sure I can maintain that pace each week. But I’ll try to keep up.

First day of kindergarten.

This week we add two activities to our list. Both kids have Kindermusik on Tuesdays (not really looking forward to the chaos of that day…KM, school, KM back-to-back-to-back). Both kids are so excited to see Miss Lynette and all of their friends again. Rebecca and Abram will both be starting soccer on Saturday as well. Aside from that we have milk pick up and we’ll be having dinner with one of my husband’s co-workers. I also might make a trip to the orchard to stock up on pears and peaches.

Needless to say I’ll be spending a lot of time in the kitchen this week. It’s prime canning season. I want to do one more 1/2 bushel of peaches (about another 20 qts.). I also want to start on pears and pearsauce. I need to do more spaghetti sauce and some salsa. But those will have to wait.


I need to do some breakfast food baking – breakfast cookies and maybe banana muffins. I have to make sure I have enough snacks for Rebecca to have at school. And I have an article due by the end of the week that I might have to do some experimental baking and photography for.

This does sound a little daunting. But I’ll just take it one day at a time.

First dance class.

My health update is overall very good! My body temperature is the highest I’ve ever seen it. I’ve had lots of energy. My OCD has gone way down. My anxiety has been way down. I’ve been calmer and more patient. What a wonderful change. God is doing amazing things in me and through me. I still have some swelling, and my body is definitely still healing. But I can see progress. And that keeps me going. I can’t wait to do a big update someday when I’m farther along in this process.

I tried to go for simple and practical with the menu this week. We’ll see how much energy I have by dinner time each night if I need to go even simpler 😛  What’s on your menu this week? Have a wonderful week. Eet Smakelijk!

****MENU****

S (prep lunch, church, prep smoothies, soak flour, bake/decorate cupcakes)
  B – yogurt, granola, fruit
  L – cp rustic chicken stew
  D – avocado chicken salad sandwiches with bacon, peas, fruit

M (bake breakfast cookies, orchard?, can peaches?, bake gf vanilla wafers, bake with cookie press)
  B – gf breakfast cookies, smoothies
  D – sweet and sour meatballs, beans

T (bake banana bread, FM, AKM, can peaches, RKM)
  B – yogurt, banana bread
  D – pumpkin pasta, corn, garlic toast

W (can peaches, roast beets, clean kitchen, milk)
  B – gf breakfast cookies, smoothies
  D – salmon fish sticks, baked sweet potatoes, broccoli

Th (bake bread, orchard, dance)
  B – hard boiled egg, toast
  D – (early/separate) – squash soup, bread

F (steering team mtg, make gummies)
  B – banana bread, fruit, nuts
  D – baked egg puffs, smoothies, peas

S (make/can pearsauce, soccer, dinner out)
  B – egg puffs, toast
  D – at friends house

Goals of the Month – September 2013

Summer is coming to an end. Labor Day is over. And the day has finally come. My baby girl is off to her first day of kindergarten! I’m probably more anxious than she is. That is our first big change. I’m anticipating (and hoping for) a lot more change this month.

I will now have a long afternoon to myself every day. I hope my healing process starts to show some big signs of improvement. The weather has already started to change. Lots of things. And I’m sure God has more planned that I would never even dream of.

Here is what I have planned for the month. We’ll see how it goes!

1. Healing

   *Continue to push my OCD – sleep in more, eliminate compulsions, give up control. I will also be using my afternoon free time to do my baking and experimenting. It will be a good distraction for me.
   *Experiment with my Betaine dosage.
   *Possibly start seeing a chiropractor to help with healing and overall body function and to address my scoliosis.
   *Light exercise, possibly start taking yoga classes again.

   *I hope my swelling/fluid retention starts to go down at some point this month if I continue to eat well and get rest.
   *Research leptin – a critical thing for hormone function.
   *Research and maybe purchase a water filter to remove fluoride (and other heavy metals) from our water.

2. Food Preservation – September is when my canning really gets going!

   *Spaghetti sauce
   *Salsa
   *Peaches
   *Pears?
   *Applesauce?

3. Mommy-Daughter Date

This is still TBD. It could be a trip to the Children’s Museum. Our September is already quite full. So we’ll have to see what activity we can squeeze in.

4. Simply settle into routines.

We will have school, dance and kindermusik (for both kids). We might put Abram in soccer as well. And I’ll be starting MomBreak steering team meetings this month. It will take some adjusting to be this busy all of a sudden.

5. Acceptance

This seems to get harder by the day. I don’t like being at the middle of this process. I know somewhere down the road my body will be done with the intense healing. I know my weight will stabilize. I know the swelling will go down. I know I will be able to exercise a little more and get my body back in shape/get stronger. But I’m not there yet. And I have to accept it. This is so hard for me. I’m not one to just sit back and wait. I like to be proactive and productive! But I can’t really speed this up. I just have to let my body do what it needs to do. And accept that I’m uncomfortable in my own skin. Accept that I have to go up 3 or 4 sizes for a while. Accept that sometimes I need to put my feet up when I’d rather be getting things done. Accept that a lot of this is the result of poor choices I made almost 20 years ago. Accept that this is not an overnight fix. Accept that I am not in control. And trust that God has good things planned. He is good. He can do amazing things. And He will use this for his glory.

Meal Plans Week of 9-1-13

September 1 and I’m already running behind. Getting a late start on my post after spending lots of time in the kitchen dealing with chicken broth and de-boning. I still can’t believe it’s September!!

Visiting Great Grandma and Great Grandpa’s farm.

This week the chaos of fall begins. Tomorrow should be relaxing with the whole family home for Labor Day. But Tuesday reality hits as school starts. Rebecca also starts dance class this week. We might go to a soccer open house for a potential class for Abram. And I have to go to the farmer’s market and grocery shopping.

I’m hoping to make some phone calls and do some research to make progress on hopefully being able to see a chiropractor and get a water filter for our house.

Dinner with my sister and her family.

I did manage to can my first batch of spaghetti sauce last week. I’m not sure what I’ll be doing this week. Maybe more sauce, maybe salsa and maybe peaches. Aside from that I need to soak and dry some nuts. I also got an amazing cookie press from my grandparents. I’d like to experiment with it. And I need to make my usual weekly baked goods for breakfasts and snacks.

Lots of fresh chickens…now cut up and frozen.

I also need to figure out school snacks for Rebecca. Last year we had a snack schedule so I knew exactly what they were eating and if I needed to send an alternative. This year no such luck 🙁  So I have to be sure she has an acceptable snack in her bag every day just in case.

No big update on me. I’m just taking things one day at a time. My body is still undergoing a lot of healing. I’m still in a phase where I have a lot of swelling/fluid retention. And it’s not pleasant. But I know my body is doing lots of repair work. I’m thankful for the progress I’ve made already. My morning temperature has been GREAT all week (upper 97’s, lower 98’s). I’m able to sleep well. I can focus quite well most of the time. But I know there is still some physical repair to be done.

Here is what’s on  our menu this week. What are you eating? Eet Smakelijk!

****MENU****

S (strain broth, de-bone chicken, prep lunch, church, nursery, prep smoothies, prep breakfast)
  B – yogurt, granola, fruit
  L – cp chicken noodle soup
  D – leftover zucchini pork and bean quesadillas

M (bake breakfast, make hot fudge)
  B – over night french toast bake (gluten free version), smoothies
  D – grilled hot dogs, grilled zucchini, chips and dip

T (FM, 1st day of school, soak pecans and almonds)
  B – yogurt, granola, fruit
  D – chicken, peas and rice casserole, peaches

W (can peaches, Meijer, dry pecans and almonds, can peaches, bake cookies)
  B – french toast bake, smoothies
  D – cheesy rice balls, beans, fruit salad

Th (bake peach crumble, skim cream, prep dinner, make/can spaghetti sauce, make peach ice cream, dance, soak flour)
  B – breakfast peach crumble, yogurt
  D – early – cp hobo dinners

F (freeze corn, bake gf bars, make gf goldfish)
  B – leftover peach crumble, bananas
  D – gf pancake muffins (modified to make it gluten free) w/ syrup, fresh fruit, peas, bacon

S (sleep, soccer open house)
  B – pancake muffins
  D – spaghetti

End of Month Recap and Links – August 2013

The end of August is always bittersweet. It’s sad to see summer go. But it’s exciting to start school and activities and see friends. On the whole the month ended better than it started. My body has gone through a lot of healing in the past few weeks.

There have been really good days. And really bad days. I guess a general theme for the month is bittersweet. And how fitting that I FINALLY finished reading the book Bittersweet that I got for Christmas. Here is a quick recap of how the month went and links from some fellow bloggers. 


1. Writing – Brainstorm ideas for the Real Food and Health Nov/Dec issue (check!) and write for Grand Rapids Natural Living (check!).


2. Healing – I need to finally start taking an HCI supplement to help with digestion so I’m getting the most out of my food. – I have been doing this for a couple weeks now. I might start increasing my dose soon to see if I notice more improvements.

I am going to take a bold leap for me and try to start sleeping later some days. This will challenge my OCD big time! And could cause some pretty severe anxiety. But I won’t know unless I try. Until now I’ve been too scared to try. But I want to take that step. As much as I hate it it’s time for exposure therapy. It’s the only way I’m going to make the progress I need. – I started this process sleeping until 5/5:15. Now I’ve pushed myself to 6:45!! Truly amazing for me.


I want to start exercising regularly again. Which means I have to be sure I’m eating enough. So I will be checking calories once in a while to be sure I’m on track. Nothing obsessive. Just a check here and there. And listen to my body. – I’m still working on this. I’m still doing research to figure out if I should be exercising right now or wait until I have experienced more healing.


3. Food preservation – I need to keep working on beans and zucchini. I would also like to can peaches. And of course I’ll be baking up a storm as usual. – I froze lots of beans, zucchini and corn. I canned my first batch of spaghetti sauce.

4. Mommy-Daughter date – Rebecca and I will be getting our yearly before school hair cuts. – today!

5. Husband-Wife date – Justin and I will be going out to celebrate our anniversary (finally) and go to an event with other couples from church. – fun, fun!!


6. Acceptance – This is a big one for me right now. I guess it has been the whole year…which is why God laid it on my heart to focus on this. I’m learning to accept loss. I’m learning to accept change. I’m learning to accept a time of waiting. I’m learning to accept where I’m at each day. I’m learning to accept my physical body. I’m learning to accept who God made me to be. I’m learning to accept that I’m not in control. – This is a work in progress. But I’ve definitely done a lot of accepting this month.

****LINKS****
Make your kids’ breakfasts or lunches a bit more fun by making their hard boiled eggs into shapes!

Ever made your own vanilla extract? It’s actually quite simple!

I’ve heard great things about the book Seven. Here is a look back at one woman’s journey through the book. Not sure I could do it! But it would be a great experiment with minimalism.

This is an interesting read on the dangers of peanut butter. Really makes you think twice about giving it to your family.

Mmmm. This overnight blueberry french toast sure sounds good!

Yes, chocolate can be healthy!! (and it’s why I drink my hot cocoa pretty much every day 🙂

Ever wonder what causes hypothyroidism? Here is some great information.

****AUGUST HDAP LINKS****
Easy Pink Lemonade

Soaked Gluten Free Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes

Soaked Gluten Free Blueberry Pie

Soaked Gluten Free Blueberry Pie Bars

Soaked Gluten Free Blueberry Buckle

Easy Pink Lemonade | Just Take A Bite

Easy Pink Lemonade

Refreshing and hydrating, this easy pink lemonade is made with only real ingredients. No artificial flavors or colors. It’s the perfect summer drink!

Easy Pink Lemonade | Just Take A Bite

Whether it’s the middle of summer or you’re just looking forward to the start of spring, pink lemonade is the perfect drink.

Dye-free Pink Lemonade

This easy pink lemonade only takes minutes to make. It is free of anything artificial (i.e. no food coloring!). And a simple addition of sea salt turns it into a hydrating homemade sports drink.
 
Sometimes I even go a step further and add grass-fed collagen and powdered probiotic to really bump up the nutrition factor.
 
You can make a single cup or a big pitcher. I usually make a half gallon at a time. It doesn’t last long in my house.

Allergen-Free Drinks

Having kids with all sorts of allergies means they don’t get much to drink besides water (they don’t even have any milk alternatives they tolerate). So I like to treat them to hydrating pink lemonade once in a while, especially when they are playing hard or after illness.

This is also a fun surprise in my daughter’s lunch once in a while. She tends to forget to drink while she’s at school. But if I give her pink lemonade she comes home with an empty cup.

Keep everyone hydrated and satisfied with pink lemonade. All the great flavor. Nothing artificial.

Easy Pink Lemonade | Just Take A Bite

Easy Pink Lemonade

makes 1/2 gallon

6 1/2 cups water
1/3 – 1/2 cup lemon juice
1/4 – 1/3 cup pure grape juice or pure blueberry juice
1/2 cup organic cane sugar (you can also use honey or maple syrup, but it will change the flavor a bit)
1 tsp. unrefined sea salt (optional…makes it very hydrating)
2 Tbsp. grass-fed collagen (optional)
1 capsule powdered probiotic (optional)
ice

Combine all of the ingredients in a 1/2 gallon container. Mix well, allowing the sugar to dissolve. Adjust the lemon juice and grape juice to taste if needed. Refrigerate.

Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes | Homemade Dutch Apple Pie

Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes…Or Muffins (Whichever Makes You Feel Better)

Use up your abundance of zucchini with chocolate zucchini cupcakes. Enjoy them for breakfast, with a bowl of soup or as a dessert. No matter when you eat them chocolate zucchini cupcakes are delicious!
Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes | Homemade Dutch Apple Pie
Anyone who’s ever grown zucchini knows that it just keeps coming! To me that means one thing – time to bake!
 
Chocolate and zucchini pair beautifully.
 
I added cocoa powder to a zucchini muffin batter. What I had intended to be muffins turned out a bit more like cupcakes.
 
To give you an idea of how they went over with the family…we ate twelve in the first day. Yes, twelve!
 
Since they taste like cupcakes my daughter asked for frosting on hers. So far we’ve tried vanilla and strawberry frosting. Chocolate would be great too!
Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes | Homemade Dutch Apple Pie
Not just a dessert.
 
Personally I like to eat chocolate zucchini cupcakes like muffins. They taste amazing when they are warm and topped with butter.
 
I have even cut one up and put in my yogurt for cookies ‘n’ cream yogurt. Basically they are all around delicious.
 
Some now. Some later.
 
I’ve made two batches now. And they don’t last long. If you can keep yourself from eating them all in one day they freeze well for a special treat or a fun breakfast when you don’t have time to bake.
Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes | Homemade Dutch Apple Pie
 
Chocolate zucchini cupcakes can be made with or without eggs. They are soaked for better nutrient absorption. And they would be perfect for an allergen-friendly birthday treat. Nobody will even know there is zucchini in them!
 
The next time you are looking for a sweet treat that is also healthy try chocolate zucchini cupcakes. Everyone will love them.
Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes | Homemade Dutch Apple Pie
 
Gluten Free Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes {dairy free, nut free, corn free, coconut free, soy free, egg free}
Yields 20
A simple chocolate cupcake that uses fresh summer produce to add moisture and nutrition. Chocolate zucchini cupcakes are also free of most allergens.
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Ingredients
  1. 1/2 cup tapioca flour (or potato starch or arrowroot)
  2. 1/2 cup amaranth flour (or brown rice)
  3. 1/2 cup white rice flour (or sorghum)
  4. 1/3 cup cocoa powder
  5. 6 Tbsp. butter, coconut oil, lard, tallow or olive oil
  6. 1/3 cup soaking liquid (kefir, buttermilk, milk + vinegar or water + lemon juice)
  7. 1/2 tsp. cream of tartar (if using eggs) OR 1 1/2 tsp. cream of tartar (if egg free)
  8. 2 egg whites
  9. 2 egg yolks
  10. 2 Tbsp. honey (omit if using eggs)
  11. 3/4 cup organic cane sugar, sucanat or coconut sugar
  12. 1 tsp. baking soda
  13. 1/2 tsp. sea salt
  14. 1/2 tsp. organic vanilla extract
  15. 1 cup shredded zucchini
  16. 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips, nuts, dried fruit (optional)
Instructions
  1. Mix the flours, cocoa powder, fat and soaking liquid. Cover and let sit 7-24 hours.
  2. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease muffin tins or fill tin with paper liners.
  3. Beat egg whites and cream of tartar until stiff peaks form. Set aside.
  4. Add the remaining ingredients (except nuts/chips/fruit) to the soaked flour.
  5. Beat until well combined and lumps are removed (about 2 minutes).
  6. Fold in egg whites.
  7. Stir in nuts/chips/fruit.
  8. Pour the batter into the muffin cups, about 3/4 full.
  9. Bake until golden and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Allow to cool. Top with frosting if desired.
  10. To make the muffins egg free follow the same soaking directions. Then add the cream of tartar, honey and remaining ingredients. Mix well until lumps are removed. Stir in nuts/chips/fruit. Bake as directed above. They may take a few extra minutes to bake.
Notes
  1. Any 1 1/2 cup combination of gluten free flour will work. All purpose, whole wheat or spelt flour will also work.
Just Take A Bite https://justtakeabite.com/
 

 
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Meal Plans Week of 8-25-13

It’s our final week before school and schedules begin. I’m hoping it will be somewhat relaxing.

We’ve got church. Justin and Rebecca are going to a baseball game. I need to go to Harvest Health and the farmer’s market. I’m hoping we can go to the park and maybe finally stop by my grandma’s house. We have Rebecca’s school open house and a psychologist appointment. Rebecca and I are also getting our before school hair cuts.

Tooth #4 is out!

One big thing going on this week is that we are having our house painted. We are also getting a bunch of chickens on Friday, so I’ll have to refresh my memory on how to cut up a chicken.

It’s getting to crunch time for food preservation. This is the time of year when you have so many things to do at once. I’ve started on corn, but I’d like to do a little more. Our tomatoes are getting ripe…which means time for canning spaghetti sauce!! Free stone peaches are available, so I want to can those soon. And we still have beans to freeze. Maybe I can get caught up on those today while Justin and Rebecca are at the game and Abram is napping.

Aside from the preservation I need to do some breakfast food baking. And I’d like to make a peach cobbler or crisp if I have time. Plus some kind of gluten free baked good for myself to be sure I have snacks on hand.

There is not a whole lot to say about myself. I’m still taking each day one step at a time. I’m doing my best to eat well and sleep enough. I took a nap every day last week. And I continued to push my OCD. I slept another 10 minutes later yesterday. And I’ve been dropping some of my compulsions during the day. Some days I have a lot of energy. Others I feel like I could sleep the entire day. Some days I feel ok physically. Some days my whole body hurts from the swelling. Some days I’m so hungry I feel like I could empty the cupboards. And some days I have no appetite at all. I’m doing my best to listen to my body and give it what it asks for. Despite the hard days I feel like I’m making good progress and am healing. I’ve been able to eat small amounts of some of my sensitive foods without any noticeable reactions.

I look forward to the day I can do a big update when I have experienced a lot of healing. In the mean time I really hope I have the focus and energy to get some recipes posted this week!!

I went with another simple menu this week. Hopefully I can keep up with the food preservation. What’s going on in your kitchen this week? Eet smakelijk!!

***MENU***

S (prep smoothies, church, baseball game, freeze beans)
  B – leftover eggs, toast, fruit salad (J), yogurt, fruit, zucchini muffin (M), granola /w milk, fruit (R/A)
  L – baseball game (J/R), misc. (M/A)
  D – grilled pork burgers, grilled zucchini, fruit

M (bake breakfast item, HH)
  B – smoothies, baked good
  D – tacos, peas, fruit

T (FM, park)
  B – yogurt, granola, fruit
  D – pan seared salmon, baked potatoes, broccoli w/ cheese

W (soak beans, visit grandma?, open house, WT)
  B – smoothies, baked good
  D – (early) – cp ribs, cheesy mashed potatoes, beans

Th (boil eggs, cook beans, prep sauce, soak flour, Dr. M.)
  B – hard boiled egg, toast
  D – zucchini enchiladas (modified to make them healthier and so I can eat them), fruit

F (bake gf baked good, chickens)
  B – granola w/ milk, fruit
  D – soaked gf pancakes w/ sliced peaches and whipped cream, squash or peas

S (hair cut, cut up chicken)
  B – pancakes
  D – homemade gf pizza, beans