Category: Food allergies

Does one (or all!) of your children have food allergies? Sadly this is no longer a rare thing. More and more kids struggle with food allergies now than ever before.

I’ve been there too. Skin testing, blood work, epi-pens…the works. It can be challenging or down right scary.

But you don’t have to live in fear. And you don’t have to just accept food allergies as a life sentence. There is help!

My son went from over twenty food allergies and an epi-pen to being able to eat just about anything. Even nuts!

There are ways to heal the gut and nourish the body so your child can get back to a normal life. Food allergies have so many underlying causes. Once you figure out the root problem and treat it the body will begin to heal.

Don’t let food allergies define your life. I’m here to help you and your child heal.

February 15, 2015

Allergen Friendly Meal Plans Week of 2-15-15

Happy Valentine’s Day (yesterday)! I hope you got to spend time with loved ones and feel loved. Our weekend was filled with visits from family and friends. Today we get to meet our new nephew!

Although fun, the weekend was busy and a bit stressful. So I’m feeling unorganized and anxious going into this week. And starting the day with a baby wide awake at 4:30 am is already causing me to shift my plans since I couldn’t get anything done this morning. I hope we can still get out the door on time.

We have plenty going on the rest of the week. One big thing is that my daughter is starting her ortho work! We are all pretty excited.

I have a long list of things I’d like to do in the kitchen this week. We’ll see if I get to half of them. I need to make more milks, granola, sourdough bagels, gluten free bread, water kefir, yogurt and possibly amaranth tapioca bars. I also need to grind some amaranth since I just got my bulk grain order.

My other project for this week is making a dessert for the auction at my daughter’s school. I think I’m doing cheesecake. I hope it turns out really well.

This week I’m continuing my basic grains series. Last week I started with the hows and whys of preparing grains and how to make quinoa. Have you started soaking your grains? I’ve got more for you to try.

Here is what’s on our menu this week – lots of easy, prepare in advance meals. What’s on your menu?

Sunday
B – sd english muffins with pb and honey, clementines
L (pack) – ham and cheese sandwiches, cucumbers, olives, apples
D (prep ahead) – cp pork chops, roasted potatoes, broccoli
*dry oats for granola, make quinoa for milk, make yogurt, grind flour, make kefir

Monday
B – yogurt, granola
D – sloppy joes, squash, french fries
*make coconut milk, soak flour for bread, make granola

Tuesday
B – baked eggs, toast
D (prep ahead) – cp meatloaf, baked potatoes, carrots
*make gf bread, feed sourdough, make cream cheese

Wednesday
B – yogurt parfaits
D (prep ahead) – pumpkin soup, sd bagels w/ cream cheese
*make sourdough bagels, make kefir

Thursday
B – sd bagels w/ pb or cream cheese, fruit
D – pork burgers, sweet potato chips, beans
*make cheesecake, make fudge sauce, soak flour for pancakes, soak flour for bars

Friday
B – yogurt, granola, fruit
D – pancakes, scrambled eggs, roasted vegetables, fruit salad
*clean, make bars

Saturday
B – pancakes, crispy nuts, fruit
D – at birthday party
*soak flour for graham crackers

February 9, 2015

The Hows and Whys of Preparing Grains

One of my goals this year is to get back on track with properly preparing my grains. I’ve been doing it for years now, but got off track with pregnancy and a new baby.

Some may say to just avoid grains. But I tried that and learned that my body needs them! The most unhealthy I’ve ever been was when I went grain free. Grains can be a very healthy part of a real food, traditional diet. Even Nourishing Traditions and GAPS mention the benefit of properly prepared grains.

So to help us all get to where we need to be I’m sharing some information about why you need to treat your grains in a special way if you are going to consume them and how it’s done. I actually wrote most of this a couple years ago! But never shared it here. It’s a good reminder for myself. Hopefully it’s a great starting point or reminder for you as well.

In the weeks following this introduction I’ve got some basics and some fun recipes coming that all involve properly prepared grains. I hope you enjoy!

One of the oddest and most confusing aspects of real food is the idea of soaking grains. Switching to butter instead of margarine? No problem. Drinking raw milk instead of pasteurized? You bet. Using honey instead of corn syrup? Done. Get your flour wet before using it? Say that again? Wet flour? How could that work? And why would you want to? But if you understand why you might find yourself turning your favorite baked goods into healthier soaked versions.

It turns out there is actually a good reason to soak grains. Little things called phytates. Grains contain anti-nutrients as a protective mechanism. This protects them from weather and animals. But it also makes them difficult to digest. Your digestive juices are enemies of the grains just like any external enemy. Grains also have compounds that prevent active enzyme activity in your digestive system. This puts stress on your pancreas.

In the unsoaked state grains contain phytates, which makes the minerals in the grains unavailable to you. This can lead to mineral deficiencies and poor bone density (one more thing I learned the hard way when I found out I have seven cavities!). Both enzyme inhibitors and phytic acid can be mostly neutralized by soaking the grains. This makes them easier to digest and makes the nutrients available to your body. This process also begins to pre-digest the grains, breaking down complex starches and tannins that can irritate your stomach, as well as beginning to break down proteins like gluten.

So without soaking the grains they are very difficult to digest and are actually harmful to your body. This holds true for gluten-containing grains like wheat and rye but also for alternative grains like oats, amaranth and teff. In fact oats, such a dietary staple for so many, has the highest phytate content of any grains!

Grains that are not properly prepared are harmful. So how do you make them healthy? It’s not as hard as you might think. And, honestly, soaking often makes baking easier! It breaks up the process into very short steps that only take a few minutes here and there. The main thing you have to be willing to do is plan ahead. Soaking does take time. So if you want soaked pancakes in the morning, you have to plan and get them started the day before.

The basic idea is that you use cultured dairy or another acid medium like lemon juice to soak the grains for at least 7 hours (ideally 24 hours) before using them. The length of time required will depend on the grain.

The easiest way to start is by using recipes that give exact instructions on what ingredients to use, how much and how long. Once you get the hang of it you can start experimenting. Simply replace the liquid in the recipe with a cultured/acidic medium (kefir, buttermilk, yogurt or warm water mixed with lemon juice), mix it with the grains, cover the bowl and let it sit. Then proceed with the recipe after the grains have soaked. You can also add the fat/oil during the soaking step.

Soaking can be used on all kinds of grains…wheat, oats, rice, etc. It is also used for lentils, beans and nuts. There are a few exceptions to the rule. Coconut flour, white rice, millet and flax seed are relatively low in phytic acid. Although soaking them will still be beneficial it is not as critical.

Although millet is low in phytic acid, it is goitrogenic. So limit your millet intake if you have thyroid problems.

So what do you do if you don’t have time to soak your flour before baking, or what if you forgot to plan ahead? An alternative is to sprout the grains. This is helpful for those times you have to do some last minute baking. Simply sprout the grains, dry them and grind them into flour. Then the phytates are already neutralized and you don’t have to soak it. You can buy sprouted grains if you do not want to make your own.

A third option for dealing with phytates is sourdough. Sourdough also breaks down the phytates and makes the grains easier to digest. Sourdough can be used for all kinds of baked goods. If you want bread, sourdough is the way to go.

Soaking grains is a critical step in the baking process if you are not using sprouted grains or a sourdough starter. It is important for aiding digestion for everyone. It is especially crucial for anyone with a leaky gut, food allergies or food intolerances. Even if you avoid some of the common grains like wheat and corn, you still have to properly prepare your food. If you have cut gluten out of your diet but have not noticed any improvement, try soaking the gluten free grains you eat.

Some alternative grains and flours are teff, amaranth, tapicoa, millet, rice (white and brown), quinoa, coconut, hemp and garbanzo bean. These can be prepared in the same manner as their traditional counterparts.

The next time you start baking ask yourself one question: “Is my flour wet?” If it is you’re on your way to a tasty treat that will be easier on your gut and provide your body with important vitamins and minerals.

Do you consume grains? What is your favorite way to prepare them?

February 8, 2015

Allergen Friendly Meal Plans Week of 2-8-15

Wow, I think I blinked and the first week of February was over. Now it’s time to start a new week…and it will be just as busy as the last.

This week we have a speech therapy appointment, music, dance, chiropractor and swimming lessons. My bulk order of grains has come in so I need to get to the health food store. We have our mom’s group. It’s a speaker day, which means I’ve got work to do. We are also going to a basketball game and having my whole family over for dinner.

Of course with a busy week I like to plan way too much to do at home. For now my kitchen plans include soaked gf noodles, soaked gf graham crackers, soaked gf crackers, oat milk, sourdugh english muffins, soaked gf bread, soaked gf sweet bread, water kefir and some kind of dessert for our family gathering. Plus cleaning the house.

Last week my little one had two shots. Thankfully she was only fussy for one day. Now she’s back to her happy self. So far I’m still doing daily broth plus probiotics. It won’t be long before we start some solids.

My son seems to be getting mostly back to normal. It’s been wonderful to have him sleeping well and being able to do his school work again. Though his skin is still a bit splotchy. I haven’t decided yet what I want to introduce next. Maybe nuts. But I’ll wait another week.

We had a consult for my oldest last week with a new dentist. We are going to start some orthodontic work with her so that she starts breathing better and getting quality sleep. It’s disheartening to see her grinding her teeth, snoring and flopping all over her bed in the night. So we are all very excited about this!

If you are still looking for a special Valentine’s Day treat be sure to check out last week’s posts for lemon cupcakes with strawberry buttercream, maple candy and neapolitan ice cream cake.

Tomorrow I’m talking grains – the hows and whys. Then I’ll be sharing some basic recipes on properly prepared grains. You don’t want to miss it! This is such an important factor in your health…one that I let slide and now I’m paying for with major nutrient deficiencies and cavities.

Here is our menu for the week. I let each child choose one meal this week. Oddly enough they each chose a soup! What’s on your menu this week?

Sunday
B – yogurt, granola bar, banana
L – steak, baked potatoes, broccoli
D – hot dogs, chips and crackers w/ salsa, veggies w/ dip
*make oat milk, soak flour for graham crackers, make gf crackers

Monday
B – english muffin w/ pb, clementine
D – tacos, fruit
*make graham crackers, boil eggs

Tuesday
B – hard boiled egg, toast, fruit
D (prep ahead) – ham, roasted potatoes, maple glazed carrots
*soak flour for gf bread

Wednesday
B – yogurt and fruit parfaits
D (prep ahead) – split pea soup w/ ham, soaked gf bread
*soak flour for sweet bread, soak flour for noodles, make gf bread

Thursday
B – scones, fruit
D – chicken noodle soup, sweet bread
*feed sourdough starter, make sweet bread, make noodles

Friday
B – yogurt, granola bar, fruit
D – sourdough english muffins, ham and broccoli quiche, fruit salad
*clean, prep food

Saturday
B – sd english muffins w/ pb and jam, fruit
D (family party) – roasted veggies, meatballs, dessert (family bringing the rest)
*clean, make dessert, prep dinner, soak oats for granola

February 3, 2015

Maple Candy {grain free, dairy free, nut free, corn free, egg free}

My kids getting candy is a very rare occasion. We are 100% artificial flavor and dye free. That excludes almost every kind of candy.

My oldest does get an organic sucker once in a while. It’s a good substitute if she’s in a situation where other kids are getting treats. Though I still try to limit them. I’m not a fan of the unknown “natural flavor.”

With my son’s allergies to corn and rice he has not had candy in over a year. And before that I think he had maybe tried a sucker a few times. Even the organic suckers have rice. I feel bad for him sometimes. He feels left out. Plus he sees his big sister having suckers. He should get a treat too.

So I’ve been wanting to try making homemade candy for some time. I finally did it! This Valentine’s Day you can surprise your kids with homemade candy!! Even if they have allergies.

Let me tell you…my son was so excited about this! He loves this maple candy.

I love that it is made with all real ingredients. So there is no junk hiding in there.

Keep in mind that it is still a sweet and should be limited to special occasions.

This candy can be sucked or chewed. You can make it as a plain candy or on a sucker stick. It would be perfect for cake decorations. Just find a candy mold with the shape you like.

Maple candy has a mild maple flavor and just enough sweetness. It’s what I imagine the maple candy tasted like in the Little House books.

This Valentine’s Day surprise your kids or any loved ones with homemade candy. It’s a very loving thing to provide a special treat that is hand made and keeps them away from the artificial stuff.

If you want something chocolate to go along with the suckers these chocolate covered toffee candies are perfect.

Do you like the flavor of maple syrup? You’ll love maple candy. If you don’t care for maple you can replace the maple syrup with extra cane or coconut sugar.

Maple Candy {artificial flavor and dye free}

2015-01-11 05:38:22

Serves 5

Homemade candy with the flavor of maple syrup.

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Ingredients

1/2 cup organic cane sugar
1/4 cup water
2 Tbsp. maple syrup

Instructions

Mix the ingredients in a saucepan.
Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring.
Simmer until the temperature reaches 300*F (this will take about ten minutes, the mixture will start to get thick/syrupy)
Remove from heat.
Stir for one minute.
Pour into candy molds and let set until firm.

Notes

You can add a few drops of essential oils for flavoring after removing the syrup from the heat.
To make "plain" suckers simply use 1/2 cup sugar and 3 Tbsp. water.
You can easily double or triple this recipe to make a larger batch. Be sure to pour the hot mixture into molds quickly as it hardens very quickly.

By Mary - homemadedutchapplepie.com

Just Take A Bite https://justtakeabite.com/

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February 1, 2015

Allergen Friendly Meal Plans Week of 2-1-15

Welcome to February and Super Bowl Sunday! It hardly feels like we’re already through January since we haven’t had too much bad weather. Though we are supposed to get a bunch of snow today.

January was pretty laid back (I loved it!). But February seems to be filling up quickly! This week we have a pediatrician appointment, Kindermusik, dance, grocery shopping, parent teacher conferences and the big kids start swimming lessons. We are also getting a new dishwasher (I may be just slightly excited about this).

For some reason I thought it would be a good idea to plan a lot of kitchen projects this week too. I’ve already got a bunch started this morning! This week I’m making sourdough soft pretzels (already rising), soaked graham crackers (already in the dehydrator), refried beans (already cooking), soaked gluten free bread, coconut milk ice cream, oatmeal, oat milk (already fermenting), crackers, muffins, pancakes and quinoa milk.

I’m still doing daily broth for my little one. And I finally started putting some fermented cod liver oil on her before bed. That should help boost her vitamin D levels. She now has the nasty cold we’ve all been working through. So she hasn’t been sleeping well. Add teething to that and you’ve got one tired mommy.

We’re kind of at a stand still with my son. He’s had some major flairs lately and we’re not sure why. I just noticed last night that his eczema is back in addition to a bunch of other symptoms. I’m not sure if we’ll have to take all dairy back out or not.

Last week I finished my simple smoothie series with true blue-berry, the health nut and a review of Stonyfield’s new OP Smoothie.

This week is all about Valentine’s Day treats!!! You won’t want to miss it. There is something for everyone.

Now let’s get to the menu. I’ve got lots of easy and prep ahead meals for our busy week. What’s on your menu?

Sunday
B – OP smoothie, granola bar
L – spaghetti, corn, garlic toast
D (Super Bowl Sunday) – 7 layer dip w/ chips, bacon wrapped dates, sourdough soft pretzels w/ cheese, fruit salad
*cook beans/make refried beans, make graham crackers, make sourdough soft pretzels

Monday
B – yogurt, sweet bread (from freezer)
D – cp sweet mustard roast, mashed potatoes, broccoli
*soak oats, soak flour for gf bread

Tuesday
B – oatmeal w/ nuts and fruit
D (prep ahead) – beef vegetable soup, bread
*make oatmeal, make gf bread, boil eggs, finish oat milk

Wednesday
B – hard boiled egg, toast
D (prep ahead) – cp pork chops, potatoes and carrots
*soak flour for crackers, soak flour for muffins

Thursday
B – yogurt, granola, fruit
D (easy clean up) – squash and sausage soup, scones
*make crackers, make scones

Friday
B – yogurt, scones
D – bacon sourdough pancakes, roasted cauliflower and Brussels sprouts, berries with Russian custard
*clean, make cm ice cream, make chocolate sauce, make carob sauce, feed sourdough starter

Saturday
B – pancakes, fruit
D – chicken nuggets w/ honey mustard, french fries, peas
*make quinoa milk, make coconut milk

January 25, 2015

Allergen Friendly Meal Plans Week of 1-25-15

January is coming to a close. That means some of our regular activities start back up. It was nice to have a little break from the busyness.

This week we’ll jumping in head first with speech therapy, Kindermusik, dance and a playdate. I don’t like that I’m starting out feeling run down after being out late last night. A nap may be in order today!

A couple weeks ago I started adding raw egg yolks to my diet. They seemed to go well for my little one. So last week I tried eating whole cooked eggs. She had some reactions last week, so I’m wondering if it’s the whites. I’ll take them back out for a week or two and try again.

I think I’m going to start my little one on broth this week. I’m excited to see her reaction.

I finally have all of my supplements! I started taking my vitamin K2 last week. Yesterday I started liquid cod liver oil (so I can get the correct/higher dose) and skate liver oil. The skate has vitamin K as well. I’m really hoping that I will see improvements now.

The food addition for my son has been at a stand still. He’s still been acting a bit off. Today is supposed to be our day to try sourdough. But I’m not sure if he’s ready. We’ll see how he’s doing today. I hope we can. Both of the big kids are so excited!

I was reading the beverage section of Nourishing Traditions last week and read that adding gelatin to raw milk makes it easier to digest – that is part of the homemade formula recipe. So when we are ready to try milk with my son again I will definitely try that! I also found recipes for oat and quinoa milk. Those are on my to-do list now.

Today I am going to try grinding amaranth. It’s been a while since I’ve ground any grains. Once I see how that goes I can order my bulk grains.

We have a playdate at our house later this week so I’ll be doing some extra cleaning and preparing a few snacks.

Last week was the week of broth challenge. I hope you joined in! I loved making sure my family got broth every day. I’ll do my best to keep that up.

I also posted some recipes in my simple smoothie series – kiwi strawberry and sunrise. I’ve got more coming this week. Be sure to check back.

It’s time to get this week started. Are you ready with a meal plan so you keep your family well fed? Here is what we’re having.

Sunday
B – yogurt, granola, fruit
L – hamburgers, hummus and gaucamole w/ veggies and chips
D – ham and bean soup, sourdough bread
*make sourdough bread, make fruit snacks, soak quinoa for bars, boil eggs

Monday
B – hard boiled egg, toast
D – cp roast chicken, roasted potatoes, broccoli
*cook quinoa, make bars, grind amaranth, make broth, prep smoothies

Tuesday
B – smoothie, fruit
D (prep ahead) – cp sweet and sour meatballs, TBD cold salad
*soak flour for cereal, strain broth

Wednesday
B – yogurt, granola bar, fruit
D (prep ahead) – baked potato soup, crackers w/ cheese
*make “Golden Grahams”

Thursday
B – english muffin w/ peanut butter, fruit
D – beef stroganoff, mashed potatoes, carrots
*clean, bake TBD, soak flour for waffles

Friday
B – yogurt parfait
D – waffles, sausage, peas, fruit salad
*clean, soak rice

Saturday
B – waffles, sausage
D – salmon cakes, seasoned rice, beans
*feed sourdough, make oat milk, soak flour for graham crackers, soak beans

January 18, 2015

Allergen Friendly Meal Plans Week of 1-18-15

Good morning! January sure is going by quickly, don’t you think?

We’re enjoying our three day weekend. We’ve already gotten hair cuts, gone ice skating and had family game night. Still on the agenda…Packers football. My son is becoming quite the sports fan, so he and my husband will be glued to the TV.

My little one will be five months old this week! How is that possible?? I’m still debating about when to start solids. I may still push it out until six months like I did with my other two. When I do I’ll start with broth and maybe egg yolks and liver. That should give her a nutritional boost.

To boost my own nutrition I finally ordered some vitamin K2. I can’t wait for it to arrive. Hopefully it’s the last thing I need to help my body utilize calcium and get my teeth back on track.

My son did not do well with avocados. So we gave him all last week off from anything new. But we still had a few rough days. We noticed it was linked to either chocolate or sugar. So we’re still keeping an eye on that. Next on the list will be nuts. But I might wait another week yet to let his body settle.

I’ve been experimenting with my oldest by taking oats out of her diet. She has had a couple pretty good days. But it could be unrelated. I’m observing for now.

I’m calling this the week of broth, bread and smoothies. I have broth incorporated into our meals every day this week. Check out the links if you need some dinner inspiration.

I am finally starting my sourdough starter (did it this morning). I’m so nervous about this. It’s easy to take things out of your diet. You just watch for improvement. But when you add things in you have to watch for bad reactions. I really don’t know if anyone besides my husband will tolerate the sourdough. So it’s a big experiment. But I really hope it goes well. I’ll be feeding my starter every day so that by the end of the week I can make bread.

I’m also kicking off my simple smoothie series this week! Grab your blender. I’ve got some delicious and nutrient dense smoothies coming your way.

I am back to working on a gluten free bread recipe. But now I’m trying to make it a soaked version. We’ll see how it goes. I’m working on a soaked noodle recipe too so that my son has noodles he can eat. So much experimenting this week!

I need to figure out what appetizer and dessert to make for a party this weekend. Plus it’s time to start planning Super Bowl food (i.e. try to read my husband’s mind about what he’ll actually want).

Here is our menu for the week. I’m hoping all this broth will help us kick our colds! We’re all sick of being sick. What’s on your menu this week? Are you joining the broth for a week challenge?

Sunday
B – granola bars, yogurt, fruit
L – salsa chicken fajitas w/ beans and cheese
D – sloppy joes, chips, squash
*soak flour for bread, start sourdough starter, soak rice

Monday
B – hard boiled eggs, toast, smoothies
L – sloppy joes, veggies w/ dip
D – sweet and sour stir fry over rice
*feed sourdough starter, make gf bread

Tuesday
B – yogurt, granola, fruit
D – cp beef roast, scalloped potatoes, mixed vegetables w/ gravy
*feed sourdough starter, soak flour for muffins

Wednesday
B – toast w/ pb, fruit
D (prep ahead) – beef vegetable soup, bread
*feed sourdough starter, soak quinoa, soak oats, make muffins

Thursday
B – oatmeal w/ fruit and nuts
D – macaroni and cheese, beans, applesauce
*make oatmeal, feed sourdough starter, cook quinoa, make granola bars

Friday
B – oatmeal w/ yogurt
D – quinoa granola bars, scrambled broth eggs, roasted vegetables
*feed sourdough starter

Saturday
B – quinoa granola bars
L – leftover soup, bread
D – at party
*feed sourdough starter, make sourdough bread, make hummus, make guacamole, chop fruits and veggies, make cookies

Need some other broth meal ideas? Try these:

Pumpkin Pasta

Sweet and Sour Meatballs

Creamy Broccoli Noodle Soup

January 11, 2015

Meal Plans Week of 1-11-15

Nothing says good morning like a bar of soap in the eye. I think I can finally see again! Are you ready to start a new week? I know I am!

Last week was full of highs and lows – a birth, a death, decisions…I’m ready for some calm this week. It will be a busy week with both speech and occupational therapy, dentist visit, a steering team meeting and our usual activities. We are probably also getting our half pig!

After a week off from new foods we let my son try avocado yesterday. We’ll see in a few days how it’s going. I tried some too after not eating any for almost two years. I’ve also started eating raw egg yolks a few times a week to try to bump up my nutrients. So far little one seems fine with them.

I’ve got a busy week in the kitchen. I still have some Valentine’s Day baking and photographing to finish. I got a batch of sauerkraut started yesterday. I’m anxious to try some in a few days. I’ll keep up with making water kefir about every other day. I’m also making muffins, mayo and graham crackers.

Last week I posted my 2015 goals. I have a lot to do! I already got some rye and spelt flour from the health food store. So soon it will be time to try sourdough. I also posted a recipe for granola pancakes. This week I’ve got some really delicious recipes to share.

I’m trying to get back into the habit of planning breakfasts to make life a little easier for myself. So the menu has a little more to it this week. Next week I’m thinking about doing a week of broth challenge and see if I can plan seven dinners that all contain broth. Want to join me? Here’s what’s on the menu this week. Start brainstorming your broth-filled meals.

Sunday
B – muffins, fruit
L – favorite casserole, rolls, peaches
D – leftover pizza, fruit w/ russian custard
*soak flour for graham crackers

Monday
B – yogurt, granola, banana
D – hamburgers, fries, beans
*make graham crackers

Tuesday
B – hard boiled egg, toast
D (prep ahead) – cp pork chops w/ apples, baked potatoes, sauteed broccoli
*soak flour for muffins

Wednesday
B – baked oatmeal, fruit, nuts
D (prep ahead) – sausage and pumpkin soup, zucchini muffins
*bake muffins

Thursday
B – yogurt, granola bar
D (prep ahead) – cp roast chicken legs, potatoes, onions, carrots, celery, parsnips
*soak flour for pancakes, soak flour for bread

Friday
B – english muffin w/ pb and honey, fruit
D – pancakes, sausage, roasted cauliflower
*bake zucchini pumpkin berad, soak flour for cupcakes

Saturday
B – pancakes
D – salmon salad sandwiches, veggies w/ dip
*bake cupcakes, make candy

January 5, 2015

My 2015 Goals

It’s that time again. Time to start a new year and set some goals!

I’m not a fan of vague resolutions like losing weight or getting in shape. I like to come up with a list of some specific goals that are attainable and help me stay focused through the year.

Last year I didn’t even post my goals until March because the first two months of the year I was so sick with morning sickness I could hardly function.

This year I’m a mother of three little ones and working on improving my health. I’m not searching for a new diet or the latest fad. I know all the basics and what works for my body. This year it’s about digging deeper into many aspects of health (for myself and my family), relationships and my writing.

So here we go. I’ve got a lot I want to do and learn in 2015. This is a longer list of goals than last year. But many of them are related, and there is so much to learn!! After my recent dentist visit and discovering I have seven cavities I started to research solutions and have already learned a lot. But there is more to go. Most importantly I want to see what God has planned for me and how He wants to use the gifts and talents He has given me.

FOOD/HEALTH

This year I want to really dig deep with my knowledge of nutrition and health. Plus I want to put what I learn into practice and continue to teach my children about true health.

1. Learn more about natural remedies – essential oils, herbs, homeopathy

2. Focus on properly preparing foods (soak, sourdough) and incorporating ferments. I will be trying some recipes from Nourishing Traditions and making some new ones. This also involves understanding different varieties of grains and how each one should be prepared as it relates to phytic acid content. I will be looking into possibly using rye, spelt and kamut and making a sourdough starter again. This will be a big step to decide if we stay 100% gluten free or not. None of us is allergic to wheat/gluten or has celiac disease. And after a long stretch of being 100% gluten free for healing we might be ready to add some in to add nutrients to our diet.

I have actually been in prayer about this for a while (about what direction to head with my kids) and God has brought all this to my attention. It may be time for some changes and getting back to a full traditional diet. This does not mean I won’t make plenty of gluten free things. But it would mean adding more variety to our diet.

Nourishing Traditions does not promote a gluten free diet for good health for everyone. It tells of numerous cultures that thrive on a variety of grains. Even the GAPS diet book says this in regards to pregnant and breastfeeding women: “If your digestion is normal you can have potatoes, sourdough bread and whole grains cooked at home in moderate amounts. Remember that all these carbohydrates must be consumed with good amounts of natural fats to slow down their digestion and improve their nutritional value.”

I went down the gluten free path to deal with infertility and hypothyroidism for myself and to deal with behavioral issues and allergies for my kids. But it might be time to expand our diets now and see how it improves or impairs our health. More experimenting.

I am a bit nervous about this one, but I feel like it’s the direction God is leading me. So I’m moving forward trusting that He is in control and knows what we need.

3. Perfect my gluten free bread recipe and create gluten free sourdough – this will depend on how my decision about gluten ends up. But I will probably still do it so we can have variety.

4. Understand vitamin and mineral deficiencies. Restore levels for myself and my kids. This will include taking digestive enzymes and/or stomach acid, fermented cod liver oil and fish oil. It will also include making sure my kids get probiotics, ferments and nutrient dense foods (like butter, coconut oil, egg yolks and liver) most days. It is also related to properly prepared grains. When I was sick I got out of the habit of preparing grains the right way, and now I’m paying the price. I am rereading Nourishing Traditions and GAPS to better understand this. I will also do other research. I would love to read Cure Tooth Decay and Nourishing Broth. I think they will be on the top of my birthday list! This NT book for children would be wonderful for my big girl! Part of my research on grains is related to making sure my kids are not deficient. Sometimes I wonder if gluten free is limiting their intake of certain nutrients like vitamin B. Also, the lack of proper preparation of even gluten free grains has not been good for them.

5. Study environmental allergies and find solutions for my daughter to breathe and sleep better so she can focus better. This will include looking into things like chemicals, chlorine, dust and mold. It will also be related to my study of vitamin and mineral deficiency.

6. Continue to work on healing for my son’s allergies and continue introducing foods.

7. Work on healing my cavities. Again, this is related to vitamin/mineral deficiency, properly preparing grains and boosting my nutrient supplies while breastfeeding.

8. Start solids for my little one. I’ve got a couple months yet, but I’m already thinking about first foods. I will stick to grain and sugar free for the first year and focus on very nutrient dense foods. I will also be watching for signs of allergies and see if she tolerates dairy.

9. As my little one gets older I need to focus on getting more sleep again. My metabolism has been suffering lately. My temps have dropped and are usually in the 97’s. I need to get back to 98.

10. Cut back on sugar, especially for my children. I think it will help their overall health immensely.

FAMILY/FRIENDS

1. Continue homeschool preschool with my three year old and get him ready for Spanish immersion preschool in the fall. He has already been making such great progress in his learning over the last few months. I know he’ll be ready in September.

2. Read more. I have already started this in the last couple months, but I want to do it even more. Most days I read while I walk or bike if my little one is taking a good nap. This will also include spending more time reading the Bible and having more quite time with God.

3. Continue to focus on creating deeper relationships. This pertains to my husband and my kids. They are my priority. But this is also about making friends and showing my children how to interact with friends. I can’t expect them to understand how to behave in social situations if they never see their parents interact with friends. This will include playdates and having friends over.

4. Simplify. This was a big one last year, and I need to keep it going this year. After another generous Christmas I want to clean and donate. Part of this is related to my daughter’s allergies. The less stuff sitting around means less dust collecting and the easier it is for me to keep the house clean. Plus with a little one that will be on the move very soon I am going to need to keep the floors cleaner.

WORK

I already have a lot of ideas for my blog in the coming year. Here are some possibilities:

more series, a newsletter, more infertility and allergy related resources, more research posts (grains, dust/mold allergies, vitamins and minerals), product reviews and giveaways, introducing first foods posts, postpartum nutrition, improving my photos and using my new dishes, working with Stonyfield Yogurt, continuing to write for Real Food and Health magazine, possible other contributor opportunities, update the look of my blog and update old photos/posts.

Of course there will be plenty of delicious new recipes as always! I’d love to hear what you want to see as well!

And every time I read through my list of goals I think of something new. So I’m sure I won’t run out of ideas as the year goes on.

WORD OF THE YEAR

The word that keeps coming to mind lately is GRATITUDE. It’s something I need to work on and something I need to teach my children. It relates to my goal of simplifying. My kids just got a ton of stuff for Christmas…and the next day my daughter said she was bored. That is a big red flag for me. We have too much and my kids don’t really understand gratitude.

Gratitude is also the antidote for anxiety. And that is something both my daughter and I struggle with. This really stood out to me when I read the book 1,000 Gifts.

So as individuals and as a family I would like to focus on gratitude this year.

This is my starting point for 2015. I have a lot to research and experiment with. I have kids that are growing and need different things at the stages they are in. I pray that God will give me the guidance to meet their needs, the patience to allow them to learn and make mistakes and the focus to give them the attention they need. I want to be grateful each day for each person in my life and for the simple things.

I don’t know all that God has in store. But I do know his plans are perfect and beyond anything I could imagine. So here I go. I’m ready to keep making progress in 2015.

How about you? What are your goals for this year?

January 4, 2015

Meal Plans Week of 1-4-15

Welcome to the New Year! It doesn’t feel like it’s 2015 yet. Maybe that’s because I went to bed around 9:30 on NYE and have yet to watch my recording of the ball dropping!

I also feel like I hardly know what day it is since we’ve been home all day for several days now trying to get over some sickness. So every day feels like Saturday. It’s kind of like Ground Hog’s Day…the same day over and over again.

But now it’s time to get back to our normal routines. We’re all ready for a schedule again, but it will still be tough to get my big girl out the door on time tomorrow.

I can’t say I’m looking forward to the busyness of the week ahead with grocery shopping, dance, speech therapy and our mom’s group meeting.

I’ll be busy in the kitchen as usual. I’m trying to work ahead on my writing, so I’m working on some special Valentine’s Day treats right now! It’s not the best timing since I really want to cut back on sweets, especially for the kids. Once I’m done with these few projects I can really cut back. I also have to bring some baked goods for our meeting on Friday.

I have finally started eating liver daily in an attempt to get my nutrient stores up. I hope I can notice a difference fairly quickly. I also got my thyroid and vitamin D checked last week. My thyroid levels are perfect (always good to hear). Vitamin D has dropped quite a bit. I ran out of my supplement a while ago, so I need to get more.

We’re still working on food introduction for my son. Things were going very well. Last week we introduced rice. We might have to cut that back out for a bit. The last couple nights he’s had a hard time going to sleep again and he has eczema all over his bottom. I had hoped to try avocado this week, but I might just take out rice and give his body a week to get back on track before trying anything new. And I may have to change some of my meal plans.

Last week I shared some delicious recipes for dairy free pumpkin pie ice cream and sweet and sour stir fry soup. Check them out!

Be sure to check back tomorrow. I’m sharing my goals for the year. I’ve got a lot to share!

Also, the Unconventional Weight Loss Convention starts today! If one of your goals is to improve your health and in turn improve the shape of your body this is for you. It’s free, so sign up today!

Here is our menu for the week. It’s back to packing lunches and planning for leftovers. What’s on your menu this week?

Sunday
L – cp meatloaf, baked potatoes, carrots
D – hot dogs/brats, french fries, broccoli
*make cm ice cream, soak oats for oatmeal, soak flour for cupcakes, sprout beans

Monday
D (prep ahead) – cp chili, garlic bread
*make oatmeal, make cupcakes, make cm ice cream, soak oats

Tuesday
D – hot taco rice, beans
*soak flour for muffins, dry oats, soak beans

Wednesday
D (prep ahead) – black eyed pea soup, savory muffins
*make granola bars, make muffins, sprout beans

Thursday
D – chicken and rice casserole???, peas
*bake bread/muffins for MB

Friday
D – bacon and spinach egg muffins, toast, squash, fruit
*clean, prep fruit

Saturday
D – bacon and ground beef pizza
*make pizza crust, make pizza sauce

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