Changing Focus for the Holidays

Growing up, my mother provided my five siblings and me with magical holiday memories that have stayed with me throughout my life. Holiday decorations, cooking big holiday meals, waking up early to see what Santa Claus had left, and spending time with family — all moments I cherish.

Those years also taught me lessons of what I didn’t want to do as a mother myself. Although our meals were elaborate and fun to make together, I often felt sad for my mom. She stayed up late into the night and was too tired to really enjoy our enthusiasm at 5 in the morning to see what Santa had brought. While we were enjoying our new gifts, she was working away in the kitchen to prepare more food than we would ever consume. It was her gift to us, but what we really wanted was her to come sit beside us and just be present.

When I became a mother, I decided right away to keep things simple. I would prepare a few favorites for the holidays and then call it quits. Plus, I would only prepare food we enjoyed. This simple decision is one of the best that I made for my family and later for my rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

To read more on how my family has learend to simplify our holidays, check out Changing Focus for the Holidays at HealthCentral. 

A Few Cool Blogs and More to Gluten Free Diet Than Just Eliminating Gluten

This week I found a couple of cool new sites that motivated me mentally, nutritionally, and physically:

I learned about Mission Possible with Jenna Phillips on a podcast with Jimmy Moore of Livin' La Vida Low Carb.  Jenna has a wonderfully optimistic view of being lucky.  As a high school student she suffered a major accident that left her in a coma with head injuries and was also diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes.  Read her biography here.  I think that reading stories of success, whether with RA or not, is exactly what I need to hear.

Also on a podcast of Livin' La Vida Low Carb, I learned about the blog of Cate's Nutrition Kitchen.  This gal is full of energy and fun.  Check out her blog for tons of nutrition advice.

What I liked most about each of these blogs is that these young women listened to and respected their bodies enough to make changes that helped them to not only survive, but to nourish their entire beings.  This is what probably most draws me to the paleo lifestyle in general.  Whole Foods are considered one of the most important aspects of a healthy lifestyle but so are being environmentally conscious, getting plenty of sleep, exercising, allowing time in your life to play, spending time with family, relaxing, and finding your passions.  It is everything wrapped up into one beautiful complete package.

Now for a rant on gluten free diets. Early last week I woke up with a text message that said, "Nightline on TV now talking about safety of gluten free diets.  Long term loss of Vitamin B and calcium."  Immediately I was frustrated, not with the text sender, but with what I expected to find on the show's segment.  It was pretty much as I expected.

The show portrayed switching to a gluten free diet as a fad that is not necessarily helpful and might even be harmful.  They mentioned losing out on certain vitamins and minerals by switching to a gluten free diet because one was no longer receiving the benefits of fortified foods.  Hmmm.....why do I need fortified foods when there are tons of whole real foods that provide those for me?

What you will find in following a paleo lifesytle and the blogs of the above mentioned women is that to be truly healthy and environmentally conscious, we can't switch from a standard American diet of sugar and processed foods and assume a "gluten free" diet of sugar and processed foods is going to magically make us healthier.  In fact, this assumption makes me very frustrated as does all the easily accessible "gluten free" processed foods that are now available and thought of as "healthy".  When I eat an occasionally gluten free pizza from our local pizza place, I have no delusions that I am choosing to eat junk food that night. "Gluten free" doesn't make it healthy although hoosing a gluten free pizza over a regular gluten pizza does for me make the consequences of eating junk food less severe, but it is still junk food.

For many of us who have chosen to eliminate gluten from our diets, we have done so very consciously.  Removing gluten has only been a small part of the changes we have made.  We have removed gluten as well as all the processed foods that it is in and instead replaced it with real whole foods like tons of organic veggies,good fats, grassfed meat, and free range eggs.  We make almost all of our own meals so that we can ensure that our food is nourishing us rather than robbing us of energy and nutrients. There a quite a few of us out here who are not going to our local Whole Foods, as shown in the Nightline segments, and filling our basket with processed gluten free cookies, pasta, cereals, breads, and cakes.  Instead we are filling our grocery carts full of a variety of veggies (if they haven't been purchased from a CSA or a farmer's market), coconut oil, avocados, meats, teas, and other foods that nourish us and will make fantastic tasting meals.

There are of course many "gluten free" folks who have moved from one terrible diet to another terrible diet only "gluten free" style. That doesn't represent all of us who have gone "gluten free" and I felt frustrated that a gluten free diet was only presented as a junk food diet when a lot of us are spending quality and quantity time in our kitchens making meals and out meeting our local farmers to ensure that all of our nutritional needs are met through real foods rather than through fortification, vitamins or other processed means.  Seeing a "gluten free" diet portrayed as another fad diet that is basically a diet full of processed food is an insult to many of us who have overhauled our entire way of thinking about food.   



     

Paleo Car Trip

We just got back from a car trip to Kansas.  We were in the car for about eleven hours each way.  When we travel to Kansas to visit my family, we pack the car ready to eat yummy foods that will fill us up and keep us away from temptations such as fast food, candy filled with corn syrup, and grains.

The last two car trips we took, Alexander and I made Everyday Paleo's Meatball Soup for our *thermos'.  It is not only filling, but full of good ingredients.  We generally also make deviled eggs.  This is my favorite car trip meal.  This time however, my schedule was super busy the day before with grocery shopping, meat coop pick-up, library, and work.  So, I decided to do super simple.

For breakfast:
We started the morning early.  I woke up, put four sweet potatoes in the toaster oven and walked Izzy while they baked.  In the meantime, the kids started the sausage patties and helped Steve load the car.  Together, the three of us prepared a filling breakfast of sweet potato, coconut oil and cinnamon with a side of sausage from our farmer.  Working together, it didn't take much time to prepare or clean-up. Plus, we knew we were starting our day off with full tummies.

For lunch:
Applegate turkey & roast beef rolls - Smear the meat with avocado, add some broccoli/carrot slaw mix from Trader Joe's, and a piece of lettuce.  Roll and put in baggies.  We use a reusable sandwich bag.
For snacks:
Applegate pepperoni wrapped around carrot sticks.
Jicama dipped in salsa (leftover from dinner the night before). Our dog ate the avocado.  :(
Trader Joe's corn chips and sweet potato chips for the kids. (Not exactly Paleo, but not the worse thing we could have on a car trip.)
Olives
Coconut flakes.
Lara Bars
Apples, oranges and bananas for the kids.
Chocolate covered almonds from Trader Joe's.  (Hey, it is a car trip right?) 
Bottles of water from home.
A few bottles of Trader Joe's sparkling water.

Sometimes we also bring beef jerky, but not this time.

For Izzy: 
She started her morning off with raw meat and veggies before leaving the house.  In the car she enjoyed apple cores and the tiny ends of bananas, plus anything she found laying on the floor of the car or on the ground when we stopped for gas.  :) 

During the trip:
I brought a supply of food plus we are fortunate to have family that is supportive of a gluten free diet and prepared yummy meals for us during the visit.  We did however find ourselves at a restaurant one evening with only one gluten free option on the entire menu.  After going into a slight panic, I accepted the food choice (chicken, spinach, apples and red potatoes) and enjoyed it.  Sophia, however, decided to live dangerously and order a pasta dish.  She has been about 85% grain free for many months now and 100% gluten free.  The morning after her meal, her eyes were super puffy, her bones hurt, and within 48 hours her legs were itching and her eczema had returned.  It was a good reminder of how strongly our bodies fight back after it has been treated with respect.

Traveling is difficult, but with some careful planning and good decision making, you can make choices that keep you feeling happy and full while traveling.  

*Thermos:  Christmas 2009, Steve bought me a thermos for Christmas.  It is by far one of my favorite gifts ever.  I use it at least three times a week.  If I am in a hurry on Tuesday/Thursday mornings, I throw my hot breakfast in the thermos and eat it during break.  When I need to attend a work related lunch meeting, I always bring my own food as I know the food provided will make me sick.  The thermos has been extremely beneficial in me eating well.   At the beginning of this winter we invested in two more thermos' for the kids.  They are about $20-$25 each for a good thermos, but when I thought through how many times we would avoid running by someplace to pick up food when out, it made sense.  They love having hot foods to take with them and of course it makes a momma's heart happy to know they have nutritious food to eat . 

The Foods We Eat DO Make a Difference

"Gorillas Going Green" -  In an effort to help captive gorillas suffering from heart disease, researchers took the gorillas off a processed diet and instead gave them natural foods like romaine lettuce, dandelion greens, endives, alfalfa, green beans, flax seeds, and even tree branches which they strip of bark and leaves.  Not only did the gorillas lose 65 pounds each, it also changed their behaviors.  Hmmm...I wonder what a diet free of processed foods would do for humans? 

My favorite quote from the article is "And, we're just recognizing that surviving on a diet and being healthy on a diet are different. We've raised our standards and are asking, are they in the best condition to not only survive but to thrive?"

I think we can learn much from this video and article.

Speaking of good foods, check out my friend Kate's new blog KateAlice Cookbook.   Kate shares some similiarities with me:  1) We both have autoimmune diseases.  2)  We both believe that diet has a lot to do with the inflammation in our bodies.   3) Although our overall diets are different, we both follow a "grain free" diet and have found wonderful benefits by eliminating this food group.  No matter what your diet choices, I think you will love the photos, writing, and recipe ideas she has to offer.  Since she is new to the blogging community, you might also want to leave a comment and welcome her!

The foods we eat DO make a difference.

Changing, Growing and Always Learning

"We're always perfect, always beautiful, and ever-changing. We're doing the best we can with the understanding, knowledge, and awareness we have. As we grow and change more and more, our 'best' will only get better and better." —Louise L. Hay, from Experience Your Good Now!

I love how life and its lessons keep building on each other allowing us to learn just what we need at the time, and then learning a bit more, until we finally find a place that feels right with who we are.

For the last eight years I have been adapting my diet, trying to get it closer to what works best for my individual body and closer to a philosophy of eating that feels right to me.  Each step along the way has prepared me for the next step of where I need to be.   

Weston A. Price:  I learned about WAP about eight years ago from a friend who purchased the book Nourishing Traditions.  This was my first big change in diet and also the first time I began thinking about my beliefs about food.  I began making my own kefir, soaking grains, and drinking whole raw milk.  A year later I would be diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis and stop all use of gluten and dairy.  However, I took some wonderful beliefs with me from WAP like buying grass fed meat and free range eggs from farmers I trust and know. Also, I learned about eating good fats like coconut oil, coconut milk, real butter and fish oil.  It was at this time that I learned about Vitamin D and began questioning the politics and motives of drug companies. 

Elimination Diet:  My diet was completely changed again in November 2004 when I saw my naturopath for the first time and she put me on an elimination diet to see if we could calm the inflammation with changes to my diet.  I cut coffee (the most difficult for me to give up), gluten, dairy, citrus, nightshades, peanuts and sugar.  Within two months of going on the diet my inflammation rates were back within normal and within a year I was in remission.

Gluten/Dairy Free Diet:  Once I was in remission, I stayed on a gluten/dairy free diet but unfortunately added many other things back to my diet. Sugar was the biggest mistake. I began baking a lot of gluten free muffins and cakes.  Although I reduced the sugar content for these baked goods, they were back in my diet along with many new grains.  I know for certain that sugar affects my body and I am pretty sure that even gluten free grains affect my body.

Body Ecology Diet:  In September of 2009 I went on the Body Ecology Diet.  This diet took many of the things I learned about nutrition from WAP and my naturopath, but refined it even more.  My intake of foods prepared outside my home became less and less.  I eliminated many gluten free grains and consumed a lot more veggies than ever in my past.  Although my rheumatoid arthritis inflammation continued to grow, the diet helped other health issues I was experiencing.

Paleo Diet:  About two months ago I started the Paleo Diet.  I have been encouraged by many friends and readers that perhaps my next step in health was to reduce/eliminate my intake of all grains.  I have recently been thinking that the increase in "gluten free" grains and sugar during remission may have been what helped me move out of remission.  Maybe I am just not one that can handle grains. 

This diet philisophy makes sense to me and feels like the next step on my path to health.  I was already eating good fats (coconut oil, coconut milk, nuts, avacodos, etc), I had eliminated "gluten" grains, I had stopped all dairy and even at times eliminated nightshades and sugar. With the Paleo diet I continue to eat the good fats that have become a part of my daily routine as well as lots and lots of organic veggies.  I also continue to eat grassfed meat from farmers I trust.  What I have added to the mix is a total elimination of legumes and grains, gluten or not.  I like this diet.  I find that I am not bloated, and I am rarely hungry because the foods I prepare are filling.

The diet changes I have made in the last eight or so years have been about more than just looking great naked or clothed (although that is definitely a plus, right?), and more about creating healthier foods for my  family and myself.  Of course rheumatoid arthritis has played a HUGE part in my diet decisions.  But, over the years my reasons to choose healthier diets and continue to keep learning has evolved past just having a healthy family.  It feels right to support farmers who are creating a good environment for the food we eat, to support farmers who like me believe that we should eat fruits and veggies that come without pesticides, to teach my children that food can be their friend or enemy, to prevent additional disease for myself and family, to preserve the environment, and much more.  I have also learned that food is very political and what you eat has to match your individual beliefs. 

I have been spending a lot of time listening to podcasts by Robb Wolf of Paleo Solutions.  He talks a lot about autoimmune diseases and the effect food plays on our inflammation.  I don't know if the diet is helping my inflammation since I am now on medications for the inflammation, but if eating a clean diet helps my medications to work better in a clean body, than that is a bonus.  Plus, I just love the food I have been preparing AND eating this way makes maintaining my weight a cinch.  I recently discovered a great blog with recipes that work for real families.  As I play around with new recipes that supply my family with nutrious foods, it feels good. It feels like it matches both my body type and my philosophy of food.  

Gluten Free Pumpkin Muffins with Chocolate Chips

The other day on Facebook I entered into a conversation my sister Sherry posted on pumpkin muffins. I mentioned I have a really good recipe for gluten free muffins that are loved by everyone - gluten free or not! It was asked that I share the recipe here. Enjoy!

Gluten Free Pumpkin Muffins
¾ cup canned pumpkin
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
½ cup maple syrup or honey
½ teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons molasses
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/3 cup cooking oil
1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon cider vinegar
½ teaspoon allspice
¾ cup brown rice flour
½ cup chopped nuts (optional)
½ cup potato starch (I use quinoa flour)
½ cup raisins (I use chocolate chips)
1/3 cup tapioca flour Cooking spray or paper liners

Preheat oven to 350. Spray standard 12-muffin pan with cooking spray/oil or paper liners. Combine pumpkin, maple syrup, molasses, oil, egg and vinegar in large mixing bowl. Beat on low until very, very smooth – about 1 minute.

Combine remaining ingredients (except nuts and raisins or chocolate chips) and add to pumpkin mixture. Blend at low speed until moistened. Stir in nuts and raisins/chocolate chips. Transfer batter to prepared muffin pan and bake for 25-30 minutes or until firm. Cool in pan on wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan and cool on wire rack. Serves 12

The Gluten Free 'Dish'

My good friend Debbie at The Gluten Free Dish has been nominated by Dr. Geoffrey W. Rutledge MD, PhD to be a part of Wellshere Health Bloggers Network. Check out her site which is full of great gluten free recipes as well as heart felt information about healthy living. Then, if you like what you see, vote for her at Wellspere Health Bloggers Network.

Also, be sure to check out her Kid Friendly Gluten and Dairy Free Breakfast Casserole. It is made with sweet potatoes and is absolutely delicious. I think this might have been the recipe that created the friendship I have with Debbie who has been a wonderful friend along my rheumatoid arthritis journey this last year. Thanks Debbie. You are a very special person.

Note to Self

Note to self (again). YOU CANNOT EAT PIZZA.

I have a real weakness when it comes to pizza. My diet can be super clean and I am feeling well and know better, but then I have a long day and all I can think of is pizza and a glass of wine. So, guess what we had last night? Yes. Pizza. Not even gluten free pizza.

So, this morning I woke up with stiff fingers and an upset stomach. It won't last longer than today. I know because I have put myself through this before. Unfortunately the lesson never seems to stick as long as it should. So, today will be a day of fruits and veggies as I try to clean out my system and remind it (again) that it feels better when I stay loyal to my diet.

*Dr. Mercola has an article out today about the rising number of people with celiac disease.

Good-bye Gluten Free Muffin

I have been gluten free/coffee free for almost five years now. However, I still hang out often at Starbucks with my husband or with homeschooling friends. I always get tea and if I am hungry, bring my own snack. So, when Starbucks started offering the gluten free Orange Valencia Cake Muffin, I was thrilled. It was a little pricey to buy every time, but such a treat to have when out. I guess the sales were low and it was decided it was too much of a sweet treat and is being replaced by a nut bar. My husband said the bars are good, but honestly, when I go out and spend money on something I haven't made myself, I want it to be sweet. When our electricity went out a week or so ago, the kids and I headed to Starbucks for a drink and muffin. It was a treat we don't usually give ourselves and it felt nice to know we could go somewhere other than a health food store to buy a treat. So, for me, I am disappointed that Starbucks will be eliminating the gluten free muffin. I am sure the bar is good, but I put enough of the nuts and berries together at home and will most likely just throw my own homemade snack in my purse before heading out.
To read more, click here.

Spunky Coconut Cook Book

When I was first instructed to follow a gluten/dairy free lifestyle with limited sugar four years ago, I went home and didn't really know what to eat except meat, veggies and rice. Granted, I did lose ten pounds easily, but I wanted something more. Slowly over the years, Whole Foods and other nutrition stores and even mainstream stores now carry a selection of gluten free foods. Sometimes they are also dairy free and sometimes not. The one thing they are generally full of is sugar. So, we are still making most our own food at home, reducing the sugar or substituting it for maple syrup....always substituting or reducing. In the last few years, we have found our favorite recipes to come from family and friends that are also searching for recipes or other bloggers.

I am not sure how I found Kelly at the Spunky Coconut ,but I have always enjoyed her blog. For one thing, she is a fellow homeschooler which is always a plus for me, but she also shares wonderful stories of her family and recipes that look so delicious. Kelly has just recently published a book of her recipes with pictures! And, she is giving away a copy on her blog now! So, take a look, leave a comment and see if you win! (I am really hoping I win, but I will be happy for you if you win instead!)

Starbucks Has Gluten Free Muffins

As hard as I try to make all of our meals and snacks, it is nice to sometimes stop somewhere and pick up a little something. Today we stopped by Starbucks to try their gluten free muffins. They are pretty good! We were able to sample it before buying which made it even better! Since we are frequent visitors to Starbucks, we are glad to see there is finally something we can eat there and I won't always have to pack my own gluten free muffins in my purse!

We enjoyed the Valencia Orange Cupcake that is prepacked. Ingredients: Whole eggs, Valencia Orange Pulp, almonds, sugar, orange peel, gluten free baking powder and orange oil.

Pizza Fusion Is Open

Pizza Fusion is open!!! I have been waiting for some time for this restaurant to open not only because they offer pizzas with organic sauce and veggies and hormone free meats and cheeses, but because they also offer a gluten free pizza crust!!!!

The kids and I were on our way to our homeschool group yesterday when we realized they had opened. We ran in quickly to grab a menu and then called in our order before leaving group. When we arrived to pick up our order, the owner/manager gave us a quick tour of this eco-friendly restaurant. The counter is made from recycled glass, I believe he said the wood floors are bamboo, the brick is recycled from a tear down, the toilets use less water, the light bulbs reflect the natural light and the insulation is made from blue jeans. Pretty cool, huh?. Just sitting in the restaurant makes you feel you did something good for the day.

Now, about the pizza. The gluten free pizza only comes in large. So, we ordered a large gluten free pizza (feeds 2-3) for Alexander, Sophia and myself and a personal pizza for Steve. It was awesome! It was like eating a thin crust wheat pizza. Wonderful!

The only problem was the price. A large pizza is $13 but an extra $7 is tacked on to make it gluten free. We were fine with a large for the three of us yesterday because they kids had lots of St. Patrick's Day snacks at our homeschool group, but generally, we would need more food. So, that would mean buying two large pizzas for $40 and then another $10 for Steve's pizza. On occasion, that will be fine, but not something we can indulge in often. However, I am just happy to have another gluten free option. Thank you Pizza Fusion for thinking of your gluten free friends when creating a menu.

Resist the Starbucks Mocha!

Before eliminating dairy and coffee from my diet four years ago, I used to love drinking a Starbucks mocha. Steve even made them for me at home using our Starbucks espresso machine. After eliminating both coffee and dairy for a while, my body had the strength to tell me that it prefers not to consume either of these by giving me an upset stomach when I am a bad girl and consume either. Knowing it will only give me an upset stomach and I will regret it afterwards, I am still craving a Starbucks mocha. The other day when I took Alexander in to buy a gift card for his dad's birthday, I was almost tempted to buy a mocha, but resisted and came home and made a cup of tea. Yesterday the craving was still there but again I resisted and had a hot cup of chocolate almond milk instead. This morning, Alexander and Steve came home from Starbucks with a cup of coffee for Steve and a hot chocolate for Alexander. The smells are killing me.

People are often surprised to learn that coffee was the most difficult for me to eliminate from my diet. Gluten, dairy, tomatoes, etc were all easier. Coffee draws me in with it's aroma and tricks me into believing it will give me a feeling of warmth and togetherness as it has been something I have shared with my family since I was a little girl. The reality is I will end up with a nauseated stomach. So, I will keep on drinking my tea this morning and hope this craving passes soon.

A Toaster Oven is Found

Not only did we find a Delonghi Convection Oven, but we were able to get a floor model at half the price.

When we brought it home, it reminded me of when I was a little girl and my parents bought their first microwave. We couldn't wait to heat up our first bowl of canned raviolis in the microwave. :)

Yesterday, we stopped by Trader Joe's for gluten free waffles to toast and Whole Foods for gluten free bagels. The kids said they were "GREAT" in the new toaster oven. Steve broiled grassfed hamburger patties for us and they were juicy and delicious.

By the way, I am looking for a gluten free sandwich bread recipe. My daughter loves the "tomato and ?? bread" from WF but the price just went up to $8.50 a loaf. Even though it was something we bought on rare occassions, I can't justify buying it at all now that the price has gone up even more. So, please share any great recipes you have for sandwiches. Thanks.

Gluten Free and Very Yummy Sweet Potato and Cranberry Loaf

Sweet Potato and Cranberry Loaf
Recipe comes from The Gluten Free Gourmet Cooks Comfort Foods by Bette Hagman

I have been experimenting with teff flour and really like it. It gives baked goods a wheat like texture. This bread is super moist and yummy. I did make some substitutions which I added beside each ingredient listed by Bette Hagman. Enjoy!

Dry Ingredients:
1 cup Featherlight Mix*
1 cup teff flour (dark is excellent)
2 scant teaspoons xanthan gum
¾ cup sugar
1 rounded teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
½ teaspoon salt ½ cup chopped pecans (optional)

Wet Ingredients
1 cup sweet potatoes, mashed (I used canned pumpkin)
1 cup whole cranberry sauce
3 slightly beaten eggs
1/3 cup cooking oil (I used coconut oil)
1/2 cup buttermilk (I used coconut milk)

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9” X 5” loaf pan and dust with rice flour.

In a large mixing bowl, whish together the dry ingredients. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine the sweet potatoes and cranberry sauce. Add the beaten eggs and oil. Blend well, beating with the buttermilk. Stir this mixture into the dry ingredients, beating just until blended. Fold in the pecans (if used)

Spoon the dough into the prepared pan and bake for 1 hour, then test for doneness. If the tester does not come out clean, bake for an additional 8 minutes or so. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes before turning out onto a rack to cool completely. Cool before slicing. The flavor is best if the loaf is allowed to cool for several hours or overnight. Makes 18 servings. (We must eat huge pieces because it didn't make 18 servings for us!)

Nutrients per slice: Calories 190, Fat 5g, Cholesterol 35 mg, Sodium200mg, Carbs 33g, Protein 3g, Fiber 2 g.

*Featherlight Recipe – Rice flour (1 part) Tapioca flour (1 part) Cornstarch (1 part) Potato Flour (1 teaspoon per cup)
I replace the tapioca flour with quinoa flour in this recipe. In fact, I use quinoa in almost all of our baking. I feel it is more nutritious than some of the other gf flours and we love the taste. If you are new to quinoa flour, add it slowly as it does have a distinct taste that some people don't enjoy.

Monday - A Perfect Christmas Preparation Day

This year Steve took off the Friday, Monday and Tuesday after Thanksgiving. We have decided this is how we want to do it every year. With Thanksgiving over, everything just feels calm.

On Monday morning we woke up to snow which required snuggling in a blanket next to the warm body of Izzy!

I tried a new gluten free recipe - sweet potato cranberry bread. I used canned pumpkin instead of sweet potatoes and leftover cranberry sauce I bought from Whole Foods. It was out of this world. Very moist and delicious. It is a perfect holiday bread.


The kids went sledding at a hill about 2 minutes walking distance from our house.





One of the many things I love about Steve is how he includes the kids in projects around the house. Alexander has been helping Steve put the tree up since he was about three years old.


This is our first year of putting lights on the house. The kids are so excited.


Sophia bought candy canes to put around the tree. She was in charge of this project.


Ta-Da!


Several years ago Alexander started putting lights around the tree in our front yard. I have always loved this because it is so simple.


Alexander did a lighting presentation in the evening.


Monday night we also decorated the tree. Sophia was able to put the star on the tree since Steve can still lift her - barely.


We can always count on Steve to make us laugh. Here he is pretending to drink out of his Starbucks ornament.


My little angels.



Our Christmas tree is very similiar to the tree I grew up with. It is artificial and cluttered with ornaments that are not at all evenly balanced on the tree. I love it! The kids always enjoy finding the perfect spot for each ornament and each ornament has a story behind it that brings such wonderful memories of friends and family.

How To Be Successful On a Restrictive Diet

November marks four years since I first visited my naturopath and she started me on a restrictive diet that I believe put me on the path towards healing my body from rheumatoid arthritis. Since that time, I have been able to add back foods from the nightshade family, citrus, peanuts, chocolate, wine and some sugar although I do try to limit each of these foods as rotational rather than daily foods. The two groups of food that have remained eliminated from my diet are gluten and dairy. Those two I expect to never be a part of my every day life again.

Living in our society is difficult when you are on a restrictive diet. So, how can you be successful?
1. Make a commitment to yourself. My body was deteriorating while on three heavy duty medications. For me, diet was not something I "hoped" would work but something I put 100% faith into. I really believe this faith helped me through the challenging times.

2. Cook and bring good foods into your home. When you are on a restrictive diet you have to learn to cook so you know what is going into your food. Also, bring the best ingredients you can into your home. The more nutritious foods you can put into your body, the better.

3. Be prepared. Keep acceptable foods that you enjoy on hand at all times. (I originally had chicken and rice soup in the refrigerator or freezer at all times). Always bring food with you, even if going out for a short time. I try to keep a Larabar with me at all times.

4. Restaurants. Find restaurants that provide foods that meet your diet restrictions. More and more restaurants are providing gluten free options. In January Pizza Fusion is opening in my town and will be offering a gluten free pizza crust with organic ingredients. I can't wait!

5. Support. Find family, friends, bloggers, etc that support your diet and use them as a resource when you feel weak moments or when you need a good recipe. I know early on in my diet, one of my best friends would send recipes whenever they popped up in other research she was doing. This was so helpful because it made me realize how much she cared and provided some great food for the whole family! When she went gluten free it was even better! Also, although my sister Stacey has always been supportive of my diet, I felt a tremendous connection to her when she went gluten free. I am so happy she has found benefits from it.

6. Family and friends. I can't even begin to express my gratitude towards my family and friends that have not only encouraged me in my diet but gone out of their way to learn about my diet restrictions and provide special foods when I visit their home or dine out with them. When I visit my dad, he always lays out all the ingredients before he begins cooking to make sure they are safe. Thanks Dad!

7. Realize Your Diet Changes Affect Others. The diet changes I have made for myself have not only been good for me, but my entire family. I feel good knowing that I am providing good quality meals for my children that are free of harmful things that could later put them in the same position I found myself.

8. Reward Yourself. Find something on your list that you enjoy and make sure you treat yourself to it often. Funny thing is, the food you start to crave may totally surprise you. When I started on my diet four years ago, I would look forward to my snack of celery and almond butter. Who would have thought that would be my treat! I think it is just reconditioning our mind with something new. Once I started eating it everyday, it became what chocolate used to be to me.

I know many of my readers are also on restrictive diets. Do you have other suggestions?

Gluten Free Banana Pancakes

The first year I was on a gluten/dairy free diet, I was also eliminating other foods to see how they affected my rheumatoid arthritis. I was very cautious not to let anything into my diet that was off limits, so I made almost everything I ate. The first year of being on an elimination diet was difficult because I was learning what I could and couldn't eat. I remember when a good friend sent me this recipe. I made them whenever I needed something sweet. At that time, I was totally avoiding sugar with the exception of small amounts of honey or maple sugar so these worked out perfectly.

It has been a while since I made them, but I am glad I did. They were perfect for this cool fall morning. Alexander and I worked on them together which made them even better!

Banana (Nut) Pancakes
1 1/2 cups rice flour (I used 1/4 tapioca starch, 1/2 cups rice flour and 3/4 cup quinoa flour)
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. xanthan gum
1 1/4 cups water
3 Tbsp. oil (I used coconut oil)
2 Tbsp. honey (I used 1 Tbsp of maple syrup)
2 egg yolks
2 bananas, mashed
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (I didn't add these)
2 egg whites, beaten 'til stiff peaks
Combine dry ingredients in one bowl, wet ingredients in another (except egg whites). Combine wet and dry ingredients and gently fold in egg whites.

Also, last weekend I searched for a cinnamon roll recipe and found this blog. I made a few adjustments to the recipe, but they were awesome! If you are gluten free and crave cinnamon rolls, you have got to try these!

A Day In Chicago

Yesterday morning I had an appointment with my naturopath, Judy. Her office is smack downtown Chicago so Sophia and I woke up early, took the Metra in, rode the water taxi to Michigan Ave. and then walked the rest of the route to Judy's office - all by 9:30am.

My original excitement about the day was in seeing Judy. She motivates me and gives me the strength to continue on this gluten & dairy free path to health. Also, the little girl inside me wanted Judy to say, "I am so proud of you." She didn't disappoint me.

However, my true excitement ended up being the time I spent with Sophia. I know all mothers love their children, but I honestly just really like Sophia and enjoy spending time with her over just about anyone else.

Sophia has something very special about her. She loves life and makes it addictive. She loves to smile at strangers because they will smile back and feel happy, she notices people's facial expressions and voices, she is thrilled by the wind blowing in her face and her smile makes me want to endlessly watch her.

After my appointment we checked out the new location of The American Girl Place and have decided in the near future we are going to make another trip downtown and bring her American Girl doll Kirsten, so we can eat at the AG restaurant, which we have never done. I am looking forward to that day as much as I do everyday with my pretty little girl.

Blogiversary Update - Small Talk

Sherry has asked that all of the guests to her blogiversary party answer the following questions as "small talk" to get to know each other at the beginning of the party.

Questions:
What type of job do you have? My number #1 job is being a homeschooling mom to Alexander, Sophia and our border collie Izzy, although I don't know that I would call it a job - I love it. I am fortunate to have a husband that supports me being home and enjoys all the benefits of a stay at home wife (home cooked meals, clean house, errands run, and best of all, a knowledge of his children that he wouldn't have if we both worked all day.)

I also teach ESL (English as a Second Language) two evenings a week to adult learners from various parts of the world. If you could ever have a job that makes you feel good each and every time you go to work, it is my job. My students are always very appreciative of everything I do.

Where do you live? I am originally from Wichita, Kansas but moved to Chicago suburbs 10 years ago.

Where do you do your crafts/art work? I am not really a crafter but when I do it is in the dining room. To the west I can look out our big window in the living room that faces the front yard and to the east I can see out the backyard where squirrels and birds are constantly moving about in our trees.

What is your favorite daytime beverage? I love Zen (Tazo's green tea) and drink several cups throughout the day. Actually, I made a cup to drink while doing this post. I also drink sparkling mineral water, regular tap water from our reverse osmosis and on occasion I will drink a glass of wine during the day or chocolate almond milk.

What is your favorite dessert? My newest dessert is coconut milk ice cream by So Delicious. It is totally dairy/soy free and super delicious. Also, I can gobble down a few(or more) homemade gluten free chocolate cupcakes. Trader Joe's carried a gluten free black forest cake that was another one of my favorites but I just found out last week they discontinued it. I am still in sorrow over that.

Do you watch soap opera's and if you do what's your favorite? I don't watch soap operas. Actually, I rarely watch TV during day. As a family we watch Eureka on the Sci-Fi channel, Family Guy, Chuck, Dick Van Dyke and Bewitched. If we are up late enough, I also enjoy Late Night with Conan O'Brien.

What's the last movie you saw in a movie theatre? American Girl with my daughter Sophia and my sister in law Hilary. This has sparked Sophia and I into a unit on the Depression.