...AND THREE WEEKS LATER

Let me just start by saying "I apologize for not being a very consistent blogger". Now that that's out of the way, where were we? Anyone remember?

On June the 30th I announced that we were going to go 3 weeks egg free in an effort to clear up my psoriasis. The first 2 weeks went very well and then...I left home for 4 days.
1 or 2 days would have been fine, but 4 days...not so much! Being surrounded for 4 days by chicken salad, yeast rolls and spinach dip was just more than I could hold up to!
This is one of my dearest friends Ann! I love her dearly! Yes, enough to leave home for 4 days, 3 of which she worked my butt off from early morning until early morning!

Ah, but after all of the wedding work was done, we took a day for fun!

Not a good picture below, but I just wanted to show that we did let our husbands and her little girl + friend come along for the fun too! Even though they didn't work as hard as we did! HaHa They worked! (Their boat, not our's)

OK, back to the 3 weeks egg free. The way our body works, it takes 3 full weeks to get something out of your system. If you have any of whatever you're cleaning out, you have to start all over again! So 2 weeks down the drain... but I'm not complaining, I had a great time and the wedding was absolutely beautiful!
As of Saturday we've made another 2 weeks! WhooHoo! My psoriasis has quit itching but isn't healed. I'm thinking that it will take longer than 3 weeks for my skin to actually heal. Time will tell! It won't be pretty, but at the end of 3 weeks I'll post a before and after picture.

I am very excited to share a granola cereal recipe that I've recently made. It was awesome and I will be making it again! My husband loved it!

This is a precooked picture. I don't know why I didn't get an after shot. Here is the link so that you can made the recipe yourself.  http://againstallgrain.com/2011/09/20/gluten-free-vanilla-almond-granola/



Above is the picture from Danielle Walker's blog. She is one of my favorite Paleo chefs and has several cookbooks for sale. You should check them out, if you haven't already!

I'll share a few pictures from the wedding for you to enjoy!

Romans 12:10

Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.

The beautiful bride and mother of the bride

My youngest 2 grand-babies dancing at the reception

We tried to get them to look at the camera but Brailon just had to give grand-mommy kisses!

 

Ann and I at the rehearsal dinner

BUSY...BUSY...BUSY

I love to watch the bees hard at work! Most Mondays I feel like a busy bee, catching up on the laundry and housework that was neglected over the weekend. I am very blessed to have my Monday at home to accomplish all of this! Even with my initial reason for only working one day a week being health issues, I do not take for granted the ability to do so! 

 This week will be especially busy because I'll be going out of town for a few days and leaving my husband to fend for himself. Well almost! I'm very excited about my trip! A very dear friend of mine has a daughter getting married and I'm getting to go and help them with some of the preparations, but mostly I think I'm going to help her stay sane! I was unable to attend her son's wedding, so I'm very glad to be able to make this trip! 

Lunch out is really not a good healthy option for my husband while I'm gone, or any time, so I'll be preparing a couple of "salad in a jar" options for him.  http://thepaleomama.com/2013/03/guest-post-mason-jar-salads/ This link shows the dressing going into the jar 1st. I never put my dressing in.  I'll put the dressing in a small container and place it in a ziplock bag along with any nuts or seeds that may go along with the salad. I usually go ahead and throw a fork and napkin in also, just to make his morning easier. A little love note is a very good idea too! The possibilities are endless when you are preparing a salad! I love a good salad! This is  also an excellent option for anyone trying to eat healthy on the job!

This will be his breakfast. Mine doesn't look anything like the picture on the recipe but it is very tasty! We are still avoiding eggs so I substituted 1/3 cup of unsweetened apple sauce. Mine didn't rise as well. but it's delicious and the texture is still very desirable.  If you bake it more as a scone by the original recipe or the egg free version that's more like a cobbler, it's a wonderful breakfast treat! It would be awesome with mixed berries too! Here's the link: http://fedandfit.com/2013/07/28/paleo-blueberry-scones-2/



I absolutely love sharing the information and the recipes that I've found and tested to be true and wonderful! Some day I'll be skilled enough in baking with alternative flours to recreate some of our favorites, but in the mean time I continue to benefit from the knowledge of others!

I also love to share God's glory in nature, so here are a few pictures that I took around the yard and the edge of the woods!

Psalm 145:3 (NIV)

3 Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise;
    his greatness no one can fathom.

 My husband was eager to point out that these are weeds, not flowers but, none the less, they are beautiful!

SWEET THINGS

I should start out with an apology for the time between posts! Our three oldest grandchildren came for a visit. They live two states away and when they are here I do very little except spend time with them! One of our favorite things to do is cook in the Easy Bake Oven and play restaurant. I've found free online and developed several really good (not clean/paleo, but considering trying to develop those}recipes that I would be happy to share if you comment below that you're interested. I've considered making an ebook to sell for Kindle but I'm still undecided or maybe lazy!

Just a sampling of our treats

 The chocolate frosting is usually much creamier but we made it too soon then tried to thin it out. As you can see, we over thinned. The cake is not strawberry, just made with red sugar. The one below is chocolate with butter cream icing

And no I didn't eat any of them BUT the night that we ordered pizza "for them" I just couldn't resist! Even though I had cooked chicken for us. I'm weak!

We are still getting back on track and craving things that we know are unhealthy for us, so yesterday I made us a sweet treat. It's sweeter than we usually enjoy but very tasty and with the sweetness we were satisfied after only eating two. The recipe is in three different steps but was really easy to make. it's a clean version of a Twix bar. Looks yummy right!

Here is the link to this recipe: http://eatwelltravelfar.weebly.com/sweets--treats-blog/twix-bites

We found a nest of baby birds a while back and have watched them grow and fly away. Here's a few pictures just for your enjoyment!

Matthew 6:25-27 (NIV)

Do Not Worry

25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?

 Mama bird watching over her babies as they venture out

THE DIRT WE IGNORE

Psalm 5:2 (NIV)

Hear my cry for help, my King and my 

God, for to you I pray.

Say hello to Tip. He's a 2 year old lab and loves to get wet and dirty! He also loves attention and doesn't like to be alone.

Meet Koon (She says "Stop taking my picture" ) She is almost 5 years old and has very little patience with Tip or anyone really, unless it suits her. She's kinda cat like!

This is their chair! We don't like to use their furniture and they are not allowed to use our's!

I tried to get a picture of them together, but you see that "look" she's giving him! My sit command is overruled by her look every time!

I have house dogs, so my floors always need sweeping. While "hate" is a strong and very negative word that I just don't like to use, it comes closest to describing how I feel about sweeping. Clutter really bothers me, so I try (key word here is try) to stay organized. I can't stand clean laundry left unattended (well the towels can go overnight but absolutely no longer) or dirty laundry not in the hamper. Dirty dishes must be in the sink or on the counter just above the dishwasher and they can't be left for long. BUT I possess the ability to walk over dirt and dog hair for much much longer than my Mama would tolerate! As long as my flip flops are near by and I don't walk barefoot, I can go days without sweeping. Then after a few days the dog hair starts to drive me crazy and I have to sweep. Truth is I'd much rather scrub the toilet than sweep the floor!

That ugly hair/dirt pile is from 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom, 1 small living room, dining room., kitchen and the dog's bedroom/laundry room! Embarrassing right! Well it should be!

I think this is how we handled our eating for years. Just swallowing the dirt and pretending that it wasn't doing damage. Heart disease runs rampant in my husbands family, a fact that I've always known. From the day that I started feeding him, some 30 years ago, I said that I was going to give him a heart healthy diet. BIG FAIL! That is until last year. I'm still learning and still making bad choices, but those bad choices are  fewer and farther between.

You already know that we've given up gluten and eggs, well we also avoid dairy. People sensitive to dairy are likely to have acne, rosacea, mucus problems, gas and bloating or sinusitis. We've both noticed a huge and very positive difference. Even if you tolerate dairy well, there are still long term health issues to consider. Since I'm no doctor and have only read about it, I'm only going to encourage you to do some research. We gave it up for the obvious intolerance issues that we personally have, not really for the added bonus of the long term benefits. But WhooHoo, we get that too!

I know you're thinking "It's summer, what about ice cream?" We love to put a frozen banana in the blender with a little unsweetened cocoa powder and some almond milk. It's so much like chocolate ice cream only with a hint of banana. Try it it's great!

In the freezer right now is my version of these blueberry ice cream bars

Blueberry Ice Cream Bars

serves 8

Crust:
1 cup dates
1/2 cup almonds

Blend together ingredients in food processor or blender. Press down into bottom of parchment paper lined pan. I used two mini pans; 6″x3.5″ each. Set aside.

Ice Cream:
2 frozen bananas
1/2 cup almond milk

1 cup blueberries

Blend together bananas and almond milk. Once consistency is smooth; stir in blueberries. Pour ice cream into pans. Place in freezer for at least 4 hours.

Remove from freezer 10 minutes before serving to soften. Cut into slices. Serve, enjoy!

Store in freezer.

http://createnplate.com/2014/03/17/gluten-free-vegan-blueberry-ice-cream-bars/

We don't really like our "sweets" sweet. I only used 4 dates in the crust and added less than a tablespoon of coconut oil to help it stick together. 

BEGIN AGAIN

I know that I am behind on the times but I have somehow been able to avoid Pinterest until today. I was looking for a recipe link and finally found it on Pinterest only to realize that I couldn't open it without an account. So I signed up, then couldn't find the recipe again Go Figure! Oh but the good news is, I already have followers. The bad news is, there's nothing to follow because I'm clueless! I'll have to take a Pinterest tutorial.

Sunday is the day that we start fresh! We weigh then assess the previous weeks triumphs or short comings. We ( mostly I ) then  make a plan for the upcoming week. This week my husband lost just over a pound and I gained just under a pound. No cookies next week! 

I have Psoriasis and it has been really flared up along my hair line. I've read that intolerance to eggs can cause and/or aggravate psoriasis and eczema and they tend to create inflammation. The plan is to test this theory and find out if eggs are my problem. I have mixed feelings about this because it's harder to bake without eggs and they are very nutritious. But, if excluding them from my diet will clear up the psoriasis, exclude them I will. It takes 3 weeks to clean something out of your system so I will give you reports over the next 3 weeks. If an egg intolerance is my problem then inflammation could very well be the culprit in my weight gain. Time will tell! 

We started yesterday on our egg free journey and I found a recipe for vegan pancakes. During the week we mostly have protein shakes for breakfast, so I like to make something special on the weekend. We really like the flavor of these pancakes but I cooked them on a griddle when the directions said to use a skillet and this is what happened

I hope it was my cooking method and not the recipe because they really had good flavor! I will try again!

I tried again. even made them smaller this time. There was coconut oil in the pan pictured above. So this recipe is officially a flop. It's just as well that I couldn't find the link! Today"s lesson: just because a recipe is posted on line and has a pretty picture, it isn't always a good recipe!

It only gets better from here! I'm frying deer steak in coconut oil and gluten free breading tonight. This I know will be good! I'll bake sweet potatoes and serve something green with it. It's fool proof. I don't think my ego can handle another failure today! My lunch was a flop too! Homemade cream of tomato soup. (not good with vanilla flavored coconut milk. I have the regular, just wasn't thinking)

DISCLAIMER: Although I love JJ Virgin's book "The Virgin Diet", I have never purchased or used any of the products sold by her and/or at www.TheVirginDiet.com

Now deep breath! Think happy thoughts! My happy place!

2 Corinthians 10:5 (NIV)   We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

The little things!

OUT WITH THE OLD

This morning as I was FINALLY folding yesterday's load of towels and thinking ( I have such an awesome husband! After being out doing his "Super Hero" duty and saving the greater areas of Clarke and Washington Counties from rodent and insect infestation and I was NOT folding and putting away the towels, he never said a word. Just sat beside them on the couch. I love this man! )

Anyway, I noticed what lousy condition my dish towels are in.

So what did I do? I just hauled myself to Walmart and picked up a few new ones.

It's the little things right?

If only it were so easy with our diet!

So what is food intolerance really? Unlike food allergies, it's not quick and obvious. The last time that I ate peanut butter my lips and face began to swell, my hands itched and I began throwing up. It was VERY SCARY AND VERY OBVIOUS that peanut butter is not my friend! "Obvious Allergy"

Food intolerance is sneaky and builds up over years of eating foods that our bodies just weren't created to handle. We attribute it to getting older. I used to say all too often "Getting old sucks"! The body aches and joint pain, the slower metabolism and tiredness, extra gas and tummy issues, and the so called "middle aged bulge" are all blamed on getting older. I had to start taking off my rings before I went to bed because I'd wake up with swollen hands. When I stay away from the foods that my body can't handle, I don't have these symptoms.

What my body can't tolerate may be different than what your body can't tolerate. The 7 foods most likely to cause food intolerance are gluten, soy, dairy, eggs, corn, peanuts, sugar and artificial sweeteners. For information from an expert visit www.TheVirginDiet.com

One of our favorite treats is a banana sandwiched around almond butter, frozen then dipped in chocolate. I either buy my almond butter at Fresh Market or make it myself. It's time consuming and loud but makes great in my food processor. The almond butter that you buy off of the shelf has undesirable ingredients added. Invest in the pure stuff, you won't regret it.
Here is the link to the recipe http://www.primallyinspired.com/cinnamon-vanilla-almond-butter-banana-pops/
I like to make my own chocolate to dip them in. We really like extreme dark chocolate. The chocolate that I use:

Homemade Dark Chocolate (Paleo)

1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 cup of melted coconut oil

1/3 cup of raw honey

a few dashes of salt

Mix all of the ingredients together in a bowl. Pour the chocolate batter onto a parchment lined baking sheet and spread it around evenly. Place the baking sheet with chocolate into the freezer and freeze for about 30 minutes or until it is set. Keep refrigerated or in the freezer. To dip the bananas pour the batter into a cup instead of spreading it onto the parchment paper lined baking sheet  ( I use my 2 cup glass measuring cup ) 

I wasn't thinking about sharing when I found this chocolate recipe so I do not know who to credit for it but it is not my creation! Sorry!

Speaking of creation, enjoy a few pictures of the bounty God has blessed my little container garden with! It's not much but it excites me! The little things remember!

Psalm 143:8  (NIV) 

Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life.