My Vegan journey #2

It has been 1 week and 3 days since I went dairy and meat free. I am surviving!! Actually, I'm doing better than that. I feel great! An unexpected side effect is the energy I have.
For example- this Sat. I was up with the baby at night, nursing her a few times. Then I got up early with the kids, around 6:30 or so. Bre had her princess party that day, so I had 5 young girls here with much activity for several hours. (My friend Lauren who is one of the moms stayed to help- I must confess.) After the party I finally sat down around 3 to eat lunch! Noticed I still had energy, and I was surprised. Did my weekly grocery shopping that afternoon and rushed to get home. The boys were in their Christmas play that night too! I seriously felt like the Energizer bunny! You may be thinking sure... She must have downing the Red Bull! All I had to drink was a cup or two of tea and lemonade.
I have cheated a time or two- I must admit... sneaking a nibble of meat here or there... naughty.
(but I really mean nibble!)
You may be asking- what are you eating? cardboard?
Today I made collard greens with quinoa (which is a whole grain that is a complete protein).
That was a new recipe for me and was real good! I also made gluten free, vegan cornbread to go with it. Delicious! I substituted a banana for the eggs. Like a banana cornbread, it was good. Easy too!
Another nice meal was the gf pizza I made with rice cheese. Erik tasted it and said you couldn't even tell it was gluten and dairy free! You can tell, but I was happy with it, and he was just being nice.
I used alot of corn tortillas this week, as they are very versatile. Rolled up with Pb and J, re fried beans, or quinoa and salsa. (fyi- corn tortillas work better when slightly warmed.)
I also use quinoa frequently. Piling veggies on it for a meal.
On Sunday we like to get Chinese on the way home from church (when our budget allows) and that meal worked out nice too. Broccoli with garlic sauce, white rice, and sweet and sour soup (picked out the 'pork'). It lasted 3 meals for me!
For snacks I've had tortilla chips, black bean dip (which can also be used in a meal), popcorn, and rice cakes(which my 3 youngest have eating more than I!)
I am finding I eat less and get full with smaller portions. Its hard to tell, but I feel slightly thinner, in my 'core'. And the scale tells me I lost 1-2 lbs.
I am hoping that at 'my time of the month', I will have less pain. But If I dont, I still think this may be a lifestyle change for me...
Not bad for my first week- I am pleased with myself.

the Beginnings of My Vegan Journey

Due to my suspected Endometriosis (which is soon to be confirmed by my OBGYN) I am on a journey to become dairy, meat and gluten free! I have done some research on Endo sites and it seems there are 3 options... Hormone therapy- No Thanks! A partial or full hysterectomy- No Way! OR the healthy option of eating well, having positive thoughts about my situation, and exercise/ yoga. Oh- did I mention that the hormones in pregnancy help as well? They mask the symptoms. Which Is one reason why I haven't discovered this till now! I'm either pregnant or nursing exclusively long enough that I don't have a menses till the baby is about 11 mo!! The pain in my menses on day 2 or even 1 week prior has gotten so bad, that I am literally lying on my side, fetal position, and breathing to alleviate the sharp-stabbing pain. I wont go into the details of where the pain exactly is because the main purpose of this post is to share my vegan status. So I will get on with it!
I think I might be able to do this change. I love green leafy veggies and I already was gluten free and mostly dairy free anyway.
Tonight for dinner while everyone else was eating tacos with organic beefalo- I was cooking up red quinoa to serve on soft corn tortillas I got on sale this week! I used salsa and a little Italian dressing in place of sour cream or cheese. They actually were quite good! And I almost had a third! For my lunch today I whipped up some potato kale soup. It was simmering while I made sandwiches for my crew. They were asking what is cooking that smells so good? But decided not to try it once they saw the green leafy kale in it. Oh well, Rome wasn't built in a day! I froze some of this healthy soup and kept some for leftovers. (kale was on sale this week as well...)
Last night the family had pork tenderloin with rice and salad. So what did I eat? You guessed it- rice and field greens! I was perfectly happy too! Pain is a powerful motivator! Yesterday for lunch I had leftover roasted squash soup that I had in the freezer and thawed out. fyi- it freezes well! That soup was made with vanilla Almond milk, squash, nutmeg, and cinnamon. It warms you all the way to your toes! Such a comfort food and easy to make. At least I think it is.
For breakfast Ive been eating rice or corn chex with the vanilla almond milk or Van's gluten free waffles. Snacks are easy too- I love popcorn! Then there's my usual gf items...tortilla chips, dairy free rice milk, kettle chips, etc...
I'm hoping Ill lose weight- so we'll see! Thanks for listening to my ramblings about being vegan!

Bakery on Main

I have been using this brand of Granola -"Bakery on Main" and I wanted to share with you how good it is!!! Ive tried "Bear Naked" and other brands, but this brand is by far the best! It is loaded with fruit, large nuts, and tasty flavors! My favorite is the Maple Nut w/ fruit.
I subscribe to their newsletter and encourage you to join the Bakery club. You will receive a coupon in the newsletter for $1 off. I was able to print mine several times.

'Decisions, Decisions'...My Eclipse Review

This post is dedicated to my sister Betsy, who is in missions in France, and wants desperately to see Eclipse. My Friend Kristi, another Twimom, who has helped fuel my obsession and makes me feel OK about it! And last, my friend Heidi, who nagged me all last summer to read Twilight and went with me on 'Girls night out' to see Eclipse!

First of all-

Wow! David Slade did an awesome job! I didn't think I would care for his style of directing, but he managed to capture the essence of Eclipse.

What I noticed the most was how Jackson Rathbone's performance was much improved! He actually had lines and nailed his role as Jasper. His relationship with Alice is adorable in this one! I loved their playfulness as he was 'teaching' her how to fight. I was not interested in seeing 'The last Air bender' until now!

Kristen Stewart has really grown as an actress. All three of the 'trifecta' were good, but she had an air of maturity about her this time. Maybe it was intentional as Bella is graduating and a whole year older than Twilight. She's not the only one who has grown into her role... How about that Taylor Lautner?? What a transformation he has made from Twilight!! Looking forward to seeing more of him as his movie career continues. He is a sweet, unassuming young man. A rare find in Hollywood today.

I would have liked to have seen more of the motorcycle 'abduction' of Bella from school. I cant place my finger on it, but I felt something was missing. Edward didn't seem 'mad' enough maybe...And the fact that whole girls sleepover scene was missing entirely is a bummer.

I am glad that parts from the sleepover were weaved in however. So at the time it doesn't feel like you missed too much, but now that I've had time to reflect, I notice it.

The bedroom scene was appropriate. PG 13 appropriate. The intimacy was definitely there throughout the whole movie despite its rating. They kept the line "Keep your clothes on Bella" as well as "I'm old fashioned and want to be married to you first". I think statements like those are what make Twilight special from other books and an important message for teens. And we Twimoms find it endearing. The engagement scene was right on, and I wish they had lingered a little while longer on that.

At times I felt they were rushing it, and missed the time of reflection that Twilight and NM had. It was only 2 hours and 4 min, but wished it was 3 hours and 4 min!!

Speaking of intimacy, how about THE kiss with Jacob and Bella! WOW! I enjoyed watching that more than the kisses with her and Edward! I had heard her in interviews say that was the part that made her the most nervous. She really wanted to get it right- that was important to her. They succeeded!! His hand looked HUGE on her waist(- just something I noticed.)

Taylor did a great job at portraying his anger throughout as well. Particularly in his garage when she tells him about the 'change' after graduation.

How funny was the scene of the sex talk in the kitchen? The look on Kristen's face is priceless, and I really felt the awkwardness of the situation. The other priceless moment was Charlie's expression when Jacob tells him he kissed her and she broke her hand. The trailers didn't show you the whole scene there, and I'm glad they didn't! Another scene that you didn't see all of was outside the school when she rides off with Jacob. It was nice to see a little of those scenes, as a teaser and to hold me off till the movie came out, but glad I was surprised to see more there!

I like Bryce Dallas Howard, but still think Rachel Lafever would have played a better Victoria. Summit should have paid her more or whatever it was...

She wasn't as conniving or vicious enough. She is pretty an delicate, not how I picture Victoria and not how she was in Twilight. A little more hardcore and dangerous. The one time she did well was when Edward coaxed her to attack and she bears her teeth as she pounces. But that was about it.

How cute was Seth?? He is adorable and casted well. I look forward to seeing more of him Breaking Dawn. Leah is gorgeous and perfect for her role as well. Her interactions with Jacob look promising for BD.

Nikki Reed did a great job at making us feel bad about her situation in life and did her best at trying to convince Bella not to choose immortality. I totally 'got' it, but Bella does not. That was the best I've seen her act as well. They finally did a great job at portraying her beauty. In Twilight they did a good job, more of a siren-type of girl. In NM she looked like she was dead! But in E, she looks beautiful, and I enjoyed watching her play her part.

My heart broke for Jacob as he was lying on his bed with half of his body broken and Bella comes to him...He says to her "Don't leave, I want to get all the breaking over with at once..." As he is sweaty and shivering from the pain. I was totally not prepared to see him in such a sad state! I didn't have a picture of that in my head from reading the book. More of a stoic Jacob, than one that cries out. But I was OK with it. Him lying on the ground, naked and curled up in a fetal position, crying out in agonizing pain, is a picture I won't soon forget!

Lastly is the Meadow scenes...What can I say? Perfect. Intimate. Sweet. Comfortable. Interesting...Either they've done that sort of thing before with each other...or they are really good at what they do!! What do you think??

Reflections on 'Water for Elephants'

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

First of all I have to say that this novel is NOT for teens (due to some sexual content and language). Second of all, I am surprised I stuck it out and Thankful to Kristi and Rhoda who encouraged me to finish.

The setting is during the Depression- early 1930's in a circus traveling by train. It starts a little slow. I felt it picked up speed about half way thru ( no pun intended). Use a filter due to language. I personally am not used to that, but can see how it was common at the time and gives depth to the characters. I would have liked a little more 'emotion' from the main character. WHY he did, not just WHAT he did.

I actually expected more 'feeling' because the author is female- a bias - I realize...

The title doesn't give justice to the book. I can see how someone might pass it up based on its title alone.

I came away from this novel with a greater sense of appreciation and respect for the elderly! It's written in first person as a ninety something old man revisits his past. I related to the nurses caring for him in the nursing home. I tried to put myself in 'Rosemary's' shoes. The other aspect I could relate to was age, even though I'm fifty- five years younger than he. 'Jacob' mentions how he feels betrayed by his body, and more recently his mind. Well, I plucked my first grey hair this month!! Not just one, but two!! ( Yes- I know some of you don't have any sympathy for me!) I also see my body betraying my mind in the mirror- fine lines around my eyes and age spots appearing on my hands and cheeks...not to mention the uneven weight distribution from having six children.

OK - I'll move on...

The story is endearing and one of love, not just of man but animal as well. You come to love the animals as she brings alot of detail to their mannerisms. I was a little surprised by the ending, but not so much...you can almost guess what is going to happen. I found myself thinking ' Yes! Do it!!' When you read the book- you'll know what I mean...

I also came away with more knowledge of the Depression, the Circus, and Prohibition. For those of you who are homeschooling and use CM theory- this was a 'living' book. A 'real' book written by an author who is passionate and knowledgeable on the subject. However, as I mentioned before, not for children or teens. Speaking of children, I pictured three people in my head for the main character- Jacob. My nephew, because his name is Jacob. William, my son, for his hair is red, as is the character. And Rob Pattinson, for as some of you already know, he is playing Jacob and filming WFE as I write this blog. Which is the main reason why I wanted to read it in the first place. So when the movie came out I'd have something to compare it to. (Yes I'm Team Edward- Now you all know!)

I got alot more out of it than I bargained for and am glad I read something that is out of my comfort zone! I would give it 4 stars!

My 'Red Tent' Review

I don't want to give too much away here- so much that you don't feel the need to read it yourself. However I wish I had some background knowledge of the book before I read it. My hope is that you will be inspired to read it yourself- It would make a good summer read.
The author is Anita Diamant. Who I believe is Jewish and has written several books on 'being a good Jew' and other such topics related to Judaism. So she appears to have some knowledge of the Old Testament and those ancient cultures. The book however is a work of fiction with some historical 'truths' mixed in. These stories and truths that are in the OT make up the first parts of the novel. The second half is that of Dinah's life away from her family- the part we never hear about in the Bible. So she is able to speculate and weave a story.
I thought the book was about sexuality and intimate relationships in the Bible. And it is, but more specifically about the story of Jacob, Leah, Rachel, and Dinah. I had no idea what the 'red tent' was. I thought maybe it was where the husband and wife laid together. But alas, it is not! The red tent is where the women would go when they have their menses and give birth. Interesting, huh? According to this author the ladies would eat sweet cakes and sit over straw. For about 3 days they would do nothing but pamper each other in that red tent. Only nursing children were allowed in. Not all women would do this supposedly, but these Canaanite women that are in Leah and Rachel's lineage did. I think they had the right idea on that one, albeit not very practical.
I also found it interesting to hear how Jacob obtained his wives and more about who they were. All thru Dinah's point of view and her remembrances of the stories her 'mothers' told her.
Rachel was young, about 14 I think when Jacob came along and Leah a couple years older. In this novel Rachel is actually 'tricked' into essentially giving her bridal night and husband to Leah, out of fear of intimacy. Rachel realizes later that she was ignorant to the ways of man and wife and thus becomes his second and beloved wife. As was custom, each wife came with a dowry and those were Leah and Rachel's half sisters. Their handmaidens so to speak. Zilpah and Bilhah become his third and fourth wives. It's easy to see how Jacob could have 12 sons!!
I like how the author brought life to each of these wives and showed each of their personalities.
Midwifery has always been an interest of mine, I could see myself becoming a doula one day, when my womb is closed. Rachel and Dinah become great midwives in this novel and I enjoyed hearing birth stories in detail. I didn't however enjoy hearing about babies born with cleft palates or other defects, being left out in the wilderness to die.
I was surprised at the extensive mention of false Gods and idols. Jacob and Isaac are the only ones who seem to worship El (short for Elohim). All the women worship idols and every chapter is loaded with them. I could have done without all the repetitious mention of them. But I see she was just trying to show the religious reality of the times- as she thinks it could have been.
The other thing I could have done without was the implication that Joseph was a bisexual. Married to a woman, at least one, but traveled with an entourage of handsome young men that he had eyes for.
I learned that Dinah was in fact not raped as the way we know 'rape' to be today. She was actually in love with the Egyptian prince that made her his bride. I turned my Bible open to Genesis ch 34 "The defiling of Dinah" and reread her brief story there. The prince loved her too and sent Jacob a handsome bride price, which he sent back. Her two brothers Simeon and Levi were consumed with greed. That was their motive behind the murders. A tragic love story...
Reminding me of Romeo and Juliet.
I'm going to stop here as to not give away the ending.
But not without first saying, Dinah does eventually find happiness!
Which 'made' the book for me. I love a happy ending...

#4 Favorite food- Quinoa

I recently discovered this wholesome grain and wished I had years ago!! Similar to buckwheat, but you cook it like rice. The seeds and leaves on this plant are edible, but mostly what you see in he stores are the seeds. Spinach and beets are also in this plant family.
Quinoa has a nutty, earthy flavor to it. A richer flavor that you just can't get from brown rice. To cook it you first rinse the saponins off which give a bitter flavor (however I usually skip this step and don't notice the bitterness). Then cook like rice- 1c quinoa to 2c water. Boil, cover and simmer till done. Unlike rice, it is a complete protein. Truely a superfood!
I was buying it in the box, but went thru it too fast (as you can imagine with 7 people eating in this house). Then I found it at my natural foods store in bulk! LOVE IT!!
Click here for some great recipes! And here to learn how to cook quinoa (keen-wa).

#3 Favorite foods

Before I go on- you need to know that buckwheat is GF. It is actually a fruit and is in the rhubarb and sorrel family. There are alot of misconceptions about Buckwheat in the GF community, so I have provided a link to an information site. click here

I have this as a hot cereal in the morning and I was surprised at how well it held my appetite till lunch. Buckwheat has alot of protein which helps to decrease fluctuations in blood sugar. A very hardy and tasty breakfast. You make it like you would cream of wheat or oatmeal. Reasonably priced as well, under $ 3 a box, with 9 servings per box. I need to make a bread with this and quinoa...I'll let you know how that comes out.

#2 Favorite things

These TERRA 'exotic vegetable chips' are DELICIOUS!!
There are 3 flavors- Mediterranean, Original, and Zesty Tomato.
I found them in the health foods section at Wegmans on sale and I had a coupon! So that brought them down to $2 a bag instead of $4 a bag. Much more palatable. I cant believe something so healthy tastes so good! They are made from root vegetables- which I love! (I make a roasted root vegetable medley in the fall and cooler months)
Some of these roots are: Yuca, Cassava, Sweet potato, Parsnips and Taro. The red chip is a root infused with beet juice extract which gives it that purplish color. My kids beg me to have some! I usually don't share more than 1 chip per kid though- as they are mommy's special treat. Some things need to remain sacred around here!

Clouds

This is what the view off our back porch looked like today. Our Nature Study lesson today was about Spring weather and more specifically Clouds. I follow this home school blog. Each study involves an Outdoor Hour Challenge. You can tailor the lesson to all age groups. Which is nice because we have multi-age classroom here! On the side bar she has notebook pages you can use. The pages to read before you start your hour outdoor are also posted. I had briefly mentioned before that we use The Handbook of Nature Study by Anna Comstock. I don't always read it out loud to the kids, but to myself, to gain knowledge on the subject at hand. The book also has questions for you to guide your student in learning. After our time outside, each 'student' had an activity based on their grade level.

Breanna drew a picture of an earthquake and clouds. Griffin drew our Willow tree swaying in the breeze with clouds. They also participated in the discussion. Will drew those pictures as well, but in better detail and he had this notebook page to complete. He and I went online and found a great chart that has the rising and setting times of the sun in Rochester, NY. He also had to figure out which type of cloud we were seeing today and found a nice website for kids weather.

He decided they were Cirrus clouds and that the wind direction was S. However we discovered we were wrong...The wind is moving NW. I guess we get a B instead of an A today.

My Favorite Things...

This is the first in a series of posts about my favorite things.
The latest- greatest thing at our house are these Freeze and Eat Fruit Chillers, that come in tubes. I found them in the grocery isle with the canned fruit, raisins, etc... I have been trying to phase out foods that have High Fructose Corn Syrup in them. Some of you are already aware of the dangers and are doing the same. I follow Dr Mercola's newsletters and he discusses the hidden dangers in foods.
I don't claim to be 'healthy' and 'organic' all the time. I don't want to give you that impression. We do enjoy a hot dog or bratwurst once in a while!
Getting back to the topic at hand...
I was looking for a healthy alternative to popsicles, one without HFCS. We have made our own popsicles out of 100% juice before in Tupperware frozen pop containers. Those are nice too, but tend to crystallize and 'cut' the kids tongues when they lick them. Fruit Chillers are a Frozen Fruit Sorbet. Ingredients are pear puree, pear juice, sugar, strawberry puree, natural flavor, ascorbic acid (vit C), dextrose (sugar), pectin, guar gum (thickener) and Red 40. Now I'm not quite sure about the Red #40 yet, need to research that a little more, but for now these chillers suit our purpose. They aren't exactly cheap, so I found coupons online. That makes them a little more reasonable for my budget. Try them! My kids can't get enough of them and are bummed that we are out! Time to get more...

Pajama Pants Conversion

What do you do when your favorite pajama pants rip???

Well you wear them for a few days with just the 'cuff' hanging down.

Then you wear them for a few weeks with the 'cuff' dragging on the floor, creating a loop that you constantly trip on.

After a few more weeks of that it rips up the side almost to your knee and you look really special now!!

When you can't take it anymore you cut them off at the rip, get your sewing machine out, and make capris!!!

Now that is being frugal.

Gluten free journey cont...

Ener-G.
My new favorite pizza dough! I found it at Lori's natural Foods.

A bag of 3 for $9.

It is dairy free as well. Made with rice flour. I have had frozen rice dough before, but it tasted like syrofoam!!

Before baking I spread oil on it and then topped it with large mushrooms and 3 cheese blend.

I was talking to Gary at church on Sunday about the pizza I make for the family, and It put me in the mood to post again on my gf journey.

Baby Leggs

This was my first attempt at sewing my own baby leg warmers. I'm addicted now. I can't wait for some close friend to have a baby so I can make these again. They are so simple and yet, satisfying.
I was first introduced to them a year or so ago by my friend Lauren. Her daughter was wearing some at church.

These are great for babies that wear cloth diapers- or nappies, as some call them. Cloth can be bulky and you change cloth more often than a disposable, so you need easy access. Also good for crawling little ones, as it protects their knees and keeps them cleaner.
How did you make them, you ask?

• They are made from ladies knee high socks or little girl knee high socks- depending on the length you want.
• Cut off the heel and toes- making the cuts straight across. Saving the 'foot' part to use as the 'cuff' for the leg warmer.
• Then you fold the 'foot' part in half, so that the nice fabric side is facing out.
• Pull the leg section thru the folded section so there are 3 edges at one end of the sock.
• Line up your edges and pin. That is where you will sew your 5/8 seam.
• Stich the edges together and turn the folded part back over - It is now the 'cuff'!

This website has a good tutorial with pictures. Why reinvent the wheel?

http://everythingyourmamamade.com/2008/01/21/make-your-own-baby-leg-warmers/

Normally baby leg warmers sell for $12 online. Even at Target they are $10-$12. I made all three for $5!!!

Sunny Spring Homeschool Day

I realize that not everyone knows what happens in a homeschool day, so I thought I'd share ours. I don't follow a curriculum- per say- rather a "method". The Charlotte Mason method. It incorporates dictation, narration, nature study, copywork, and "living" books. (Living books are those that are written by an author that are passionate about the subject.) That is just an overview, I will post about homeschool in bits and pieces. It's enough to get you started though...

We are doing a "signs of Spring "nature study this week. I use Anna Comstock's Handbook of Nature Study. Today we collected flower clusters that had fallen from the Maple tree. We discussed their various parts in detail and Will did a write up as well as a drawing. Earlier in the week we did a backyard nature walk, looking for "signs of Spring". We found half of a broken Robin's egg under a pine tree. Lots of pitch in that pine tree, too! Daffodils and another purple flower in bloom. Birds chirping and the trees have buds. I used that time to discuss all the five senses we were using.

Will took this picture with the feathers. He has been collecting feathers for a couple years now and wants to blog about it- so I won't steal his thunder.

It was a sunny warm day and the kids have taken to relaxing on the porch on these days. Soaking up all that vitamin D!! They actually have fallen asleep out there! So I took a picture of my sunbathers.

We did some math and grammar as well. I am using Singapore math this year. Emma Serl's Primary Language Lessons is our main grammar guide.

Later in the afternoon I had them read my sister Betsy's recent blog post. It was about a medieval castle with a tower and large walls. She had visited it near Montpelier, France- as she and her husband are in mission work there.

William and Griffin thought it was so neat that you could write a journal online with pictures and share it with people across the world! So I helped them start their own blogs. Will has been taking pictures of his collections, his creations, his nature study...and wanting to keep them in a "folder" in the computer. I am excited about their willingness to blog. I think it will help them with creative writing, spelling, grammar, punctuation, communication, and computer skills. If you have a moment to comment on their posts, It would be appreciated. Thanks for sharing our day with me.

Gluten-free journey cont...

These items are the Staples of my diet. I eat much more, these are just a few of my "must-haves".

Breakfast

• Rice and beans- I make a large batch of beans and brown rice, enough for the week. I cook the beans on the stove after they have soaked overnight and my favorite spice I add to the bean broth is cumin. This dish is easy to heat up in the morning and great with cheese!


• Corn tortillas with scrambled eggs- this is also good with cheese.
  Yogurt and gf granola- I make my own yogurt now with Lactaid milk (VERY EASY!!!) . It has no sugar. I add honey and vanilla.


• Toast- using gf bread- Homemade. Either a mix (Gluten free Pantry) or by scratch.


• Gf cereal or granola with Lactaid milk and either honey or fruit on top.

Lunch

• Tuna with mayo and Kettle chips.


• Grilled sandwich using gf bread, lunchmeat, and cheese.


• Baked potato with field greens on the side.

Dinner

• Gf pasta and sauce. A small pot boiling for me and a large pot for the non-gf family!


• potatoes or rice with the main dish- usually chicken or meat. ( We bought a quarter of free-range organic Beefalo cow- for the second year in a row)

Snacks (My personal favorite!!!)

• Popcorn!!! Popped on the stove in canola oil with dry ranch dressing mix sprinkled on top.


• Tortilla chips with melted cheese


• Tapioca pudding- another BIG fave! Homemade on the stove.


• Ice Cream- light- with peanut butter

Seasonal

• Tomato sliced with fresh mozzarella and gf toast
• Yellow or green squash coins sauteed with dill seasoning
• Roasted root vegetables

I cant complete this post without mentioning my Ultimate Favorite of All time Dessert!!!

Pam's gf Dark Chocolate Passover Cake!!! Like fudge on a fork. To die for- AND Gluten Free.

My Gluten-Free Journey

It started this journey in fall '08, when I needed relief from the pain of suspected Endometriosis. I could have taken the medical route (birth control pills, surgery, etc...) but choose to treat it nutritionally. Health and wellness websites were advising to go gluten-free to control the pain. I was willing to try but disbelieving It would work. I barely even knew what gluten was! I found out gluten is a substance found mainly in wheat products but there are other sources as well, like barley and rye. Gluten slows down your cardiovascular system and basically makes your blood like sludge. It can cause migraines, aches in joints, intestinal problems, lethargy (sleepiness), pain in the pelvis, as well as myriad of other female issues. As soon as I cut out gluten, I was pain free. I was shocked! I had been doubled over in pain every month- so much so that I couldn't stand. It was debilitating. I also no longer needed to take glucosamine for my joints, and I had alot more energy! On the rare occasion that I do cheat, I pay for It. My joints get achy and I get really sleepy (It's like walking thru a fog ). These symptoms last a couple days too.

I have enlightened my sister Betsy and she too is gf and feels great! ( When she doesn't cheat...) Betsy symptoms were migraines and intestinal issues.My good friend Pam couldn't make sense of her many physical ailments and finally put the whole picture together when she went gf. She since has been diagnosed with Celiac dz.

So as you can see people go gf for a variety of reasons, not just Celiac dz.

Now I know you are thinking- "There is no way I could cut out bread and rolls!!! What a pain in the neck" Honestly It isn't that hard and It's sooo worth It.

Here is a website that is one of my favorites

http://gluten-intolerance-symptoms.com/

I still have alot to learn about being gluten intolerant. It is a journey...

In my next post I will list my staple foods and ways I substitute.

I hope this helps someone. If It does please let me know!

Our life with Olliver Twist

Finally blogging about our new 6 mo old Schnoodle puppy! For those of you who don't know - a Schnoodle is a cross breed between a Schnauser and a Poodle. That means he has hair not fur, so he isn't bothering our allergies. We adopted him from a friend of ours who does animal rescue. He's not a mini, but a small breed dog.
Erik named him Oliver Twist- aka "Ollie". It fits him nicely too!

Plus- He's a vaccumm cleaner after every meal! (He especially hangs out under Matthew's seat...wonder why?...)

Minus- No shoe is safe! (course that could be a plus...I do like to buy new shoes...)

Plus- Mike is doing more walking after work...

Minus- Webkinz beware! (course that too could be a plus...)

Plus- Children learning to think of something else besides themselves.

Minus- Wet dog smell! yuck!

Plus- Keeps the cat from being queen of the house! (wait! or is she still???)

Minus- Can't walk away from food...Ever! At All!

Plus- I can see the Living room floor-children keep their toys picked up at all times now! (Now that I see it I'm not sure I want to... note to self- check on prices for new flooring.)

Minus- Couch cushions getting used to hide raw-hide bones. (Watch out when you sit down!)

Plus- He rarely barks and when he does it is a nice deep bark, not like a "yippee" bark.

Always good to end on a positive note, so I'll stop here.

My Fridge is so bright...I need to wear shades...

This is going to seem like the weirdest blog post ever! But I feel like it HAS to come out, so it is.
We had a leak in our freezer/ fridge that Mike had to fix. I told him- the heck with it, just buy us a new fridge! But no - you know Mike...So last Sat. he took everything out of the freezer and got down to business. Come to find out it was clogged with too much ice build up- from not being defrosted in ...oh about 11 years!!! Because we werent sure how much damage there was, we had to defrost the whole fridge at that point. So he took everything out and put it in boxes in our garage. Meanwhile I am at the grocery store ready to bring home food...that we put in the garage. Now when you defrost a fridge you dont just stare at it till it's done, you have to clean it too! And It was NASTY!!! I put alot of elbow grease into it but It sparkles like a diamond now! I seriously can't beleive how awesome It looks. I keep opening It up to see Its beauty. It's a whole new appliance, really. It was very satisfying to get it done. Like washing dishes by hand- another thing I've discovered I like to do. It too is very satisfying- to see it come clean and sparkle before your eyes...I will end on this: It's so bright that when I open the door, I literally hear the 'Whaaaaaa" sound of angels singing!

Pizza

Today I made what I thought was the impossible!
Pizza Dough. I was amazed at how easy it was and I don't know why I had a mental block before. Well maybe I do- a little.. Mike has always made the pizzas around here. He has used the recipe from his Dad. Everyone rants and raves about how great his dough is! So I guess I figured why try to compete with greatness... Somehow I just got it in my head today that I was going to make the dough. I threw all the ingredients in the bread maker and went to town! Most of the kneading and rising was in the "cheat devise". I took it out , split the dough and let rise some more. I used half white whole wheat and half white flour. The hardest part was rolling it out! It keeps rolling back to you! Mike kept trying to give me suggestions...but i wanted nothing of the sort. This was MY project, done MY way. Oh yeah- the taste...It was awesome! Siince I was on a roll...I made chicken wings too! Half- butter and parmesan, Half BBQ. I was real proud of myself.

Grown up

What my children want to be when they grow up...

ERIK- " I don't know... I took a test on fb and it said I'm going to be a Musician, an Artist,but I'm not that good...I love animals but I don't think I could be a Veterinarian cuz you have to hurt them...so I don't know."
I told him about Animal Rescue workers but he said he can't stand to see them that way.
So moving on to next child...
WILLIAM- up until last week...Rock Star! Now...Snowboarder:)
Wonder why???
GRIFFIN- "World Famous Scientist!" If you know him, you know he's my one that could do it too.
BREANNA- "I want to ride a horse and be a Mom!"
MATTHEW- We think he said "Rock Star"...well, he does play the drums on Rock Band...

Unexpected

I started taking an American Sign Language (ASL) class at church a few weeks ago for a couple reasons...
My son Erik has been learning ASL for 3 years now, and needs to raise his grade at school. So I thought he could take the Advanced class for practice and I'll take the Beginner class. I always have had an interest in learning the language. The classes are offered at the same time once a week. If I'm driving him there I might as well stay and learn right? But of course, It's really just for him....
The unexpected happened when my 2 yr old, who can't speak well, is now able to be understood, by all. hmmm, coincidence? I don't think so.
I have been using signs throughout my day and mostly practicing with him because he likes to copy me. Some words we sign are : cereal, eggs, milk, juice, no, potty, and help. I know that those of you who know ASL won't be suprised at all by what I discovered!;)

Ready, Set, Go

Because I was at a loss for words...a rarity, I researched and found there are 4 things you must have in your first blog post.
First, introduce yourself...Most of you who will be reading this blog already know me.
I am the "crazy" woman who has 6 children and If the Lord wills it, hope to have more. My husband and I will be married 10 years this June. We have a 15 yr old (from my previous marriage) an 8,6,4,2 and 6 mo old. I enjoy reading , cooking, and sewing - when I have the chance. Really I am so much more than that and hope to show my many sides through my blogging journey. Which brings me to my next "must have"...My reason for blogging.
I am hoping it will be therapeutic for me to blog, like a journal. I have conversations in my head throughout my stay at home day that need to come out. Ideas about homemade foods, sewing projects, and health and wellness. Not to mention the ever popular discussions with the children that deserve to be shared. Perhaps I will remember them better If I write them down.
The third "must have" is topics to be discussed. I have so much to say but I'm not sure people will want to hear it... Seriously though I have a plethera of things to write about, from homemade yogurt to homebirth to baby wearing to being gluten- free and much more!
My sister Betsy has been my biggest inspiration and I couldn't have started this without her. My childhood and recently reaquainted friend Kristi is by far my biggest fan!
My church friends will surely get a laugh or two and maybe find something new.
My husband probably thinks I'm nuts...ok, he's not the only one!
The last "must have" involves you, the reader. Please feel welcome here and free to comment.
I will listen to anything you have to say, even If we don't agree!
Here's to my journey!