Some 'Sweet' Recipes

I promised some recipes for some of our GAPS treats around here (and with bloggy-block, why not now - lol!).  These are considered super special since I don't often have time to make them.  They are oh-so-yummy and not that hard to make.

Almond Brittle (Can be peanut brittle if you aren't allergic)
From Grain-Free Gourmet by Jodi Badger & Jenny Lass

1 C honey
1/4 C unsalted, nothing added almond butter
2 Tbsp coconut oil (or butter)
2 C almonds (we soak & dry them first - they are crispier this way) chopped to your liking
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 tsp baking soda (we don't use this on GAPS)

1) Boil honey on low to medium heat in a medium-sized pot for 16-18 minutes, or until it reaches 315 degrees F on a candy thermometer [Having messed this up the first time, I highly recommend using the thermometer].  The honey should boil as vigoraously as it can without boiling over.  Stir the honey as it boils.

2) Turn off the stove, but keep the pot on the burner.  Add the almond butter, coconut oil, almonds, and vanilla, and mix well.

3) Add the baking soda - the candy will bubble and froth.

4) While the candy if bubbling, spread it evenly onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.

5) Refridgerate for 1 hour.

6) Once the candy has hardened, break it into large pieces and store in the refridgerator to keep it crisp.

Coconut Macaroons
From Cara @ Health, Home and Happiness (http://www.healthhomehappy.com/2009/12/tropical-traditions-shredded-coconut.html

6 egg whites
Pinch of sea salt
2/3 C liquid honey
2 1/2 C unsweetened, unsulphered shredded coconut

1) Preheat oven to 250 degrees F

2) Grease a large cookie sheet with coconut oil (parchment paper didn't work for me)

3) Beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form.

4) Add the pinch of seas salt while the mixer is on.

5) Slowly pour in honey as the mixer is still on.
6) Fold in the shredded coconut with a spatula until it's thoroughly mixed. Be gentle, you don't want to deflate the eggs!

7) Use a cookie scoop or spoon to scoop about a 1 Tbsp mound at about 1 inch between cookies on the sheet.

8) Bake for about 50 minutes (not too brown) and allow to cool briefly on the cookie sheet.

9) Remove with a thin spatula - they will continue to harde and dry as they cool.

These are the next best thing to heaven so be sure to make them when the kids and hubby and pets are ALL away so that you can eat them ALL!!  Thx so much to Cara for this simple and GAPS friendly recipe! She has some lovely photos since my didn't turn out as 'pretty' as they tasted.

Sage Sausage Patties (or Meatballs)
From my very own brain!  :-)

1 lb grass-fed ground beef
1 lb free-range ground turkey (or pork)
4 tsp sea salt
2 tsp dried ground sage
4 tsp dried ground coriander
pepper to taste

1) Mix all ingredients together (I use my KitchenAid blender)

2) Form into 3-nch patties and freeze for use anytime (they seem to cook flatter if frozen first)

3) Fry with a bit of coconut oil.

For meatballs:
1) Finely chop 2 carrots and 1/2 onion (or any other veggie you like such as spinach or zuchinni) in a food processor and add to meat before forming meatballs.

2) Freeze meatballs for later adding to stock for soup or cooking in a bit of tomato sauce for eating with noodles.

I also use this combo for stuffed peppers (shown below, ready to go into the oven) and just use a thermometer to tell me when they're cooked in the middle. I add plain broth around the peppers for a steaming affect but you could add rice or quinoa to the broth too.  Truthfully, you could add any combo of spices that your family loves for this meat mixture!  Freezing them makes them quick and easy for when you're short on time.

Apple Crisp
From Grain-Free Gourmet by Jodi Bage and Jenny Lass

10 large sweet apples, such as Gala, Fuji, or Ida Red
1/2 C water
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground nutmeg
pinch sea salt
1/2 C nothing-added raisins
1 C almond flour
1 1/2 C almonds, chopped (we soak & dry these first)
2 Tbsp coconut oil (or butter), melted
1 Tbsp liquid honey (we used around 5 Tbsp cuz the kids wanted it sweet!)
1/2 tsp ground cinnimon
pinch sea salt

1) Preheat oven to 310 degrees F.

2) Peel the apples and chop into chunks or slices.

3) Place apples in a large po with water, cinnimon, nutmeg, and salt.  Cook until they are soft but not mushy.

4) Remove apples from heat and drain, reserving 1/4 C of the apple liquid for the topping.

5) Add the raisins and toss unil evenly distributed.  Pour into a 9x13 dish.

6) Prepare the topping by combing the remaining ingredients using your hands to create a crumbly mixture, not a paste. Add more honey if you like it sweeter as this recipe is 'low' sweetness.

7)Crumble the topping evenly over the apple mixture.

8) Bake for 40 minutes, until the top is lightly browned.

9) Serve warm.  The crisp can also be baked ahead of time and reheated in a 200 degree F oven for 30 minutes.

In our house this seems like a very sweet recipe, but we realize that our tastebuds are used to less sweet than most.  Just up the honey to taste for your family. The kids fight over this one but usually their daddy wins out - lol!

Pumpkin Pie Squash
From Me (an everyday favorite around here)!

2-3 butternut squash (acorn squash works too, just not as 'pumpkiny' flavored)
2-5 Tbsp honey (to taste)
2-5 Tbsp coconut oil (or none if you like)
1-2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 - 1 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground ginger
smidge of ground cloves if you like

1) Cute squash in halves, scoop out seeds, and lay face down in baking dishes. Fill dishes with 1 inch of water.

2) Bake at 350 degrees F for about 45 minutes or until a knife easily pierces the skin.

3) Let cool (face up) a bit before scooping into a large bowl.

4) Add remaining ingredients.

5) Blend VERY well.  I use a KitchenAide stick blender - it turns the squash into a heavenly pudding-like texture.

6) Add to a pie crust if you wish to enjoy it that way, but we just stuff our faces as soons as the blender comes out of the bowl!

This one is all about approximating the amounts that you like most.  I've easily put too much clove and nutmeg in before so I add just enough to taste it.  And again, we don't like it as sweet as some people do so we keep the honey low but you should add as much as you like!  As soon as the kids are eating eggs again, we will add 1 or 2 to this to bake it as a crisp or pie (with almond flour crust - haven't tried that yet but sure gonna!).  When I have time I can add an egg and some almond flour and fry this stuff up in coconut oil for what the kids call "pancakes" (this photo was from our last attempt to re-introduce eggs).  They love these but they irritate the daylights outta me since I can't seem to get the ratio right so that they are indeed flippable pancakes and not just a crumbly mess of fried and smooshed squash! 

GAPS can seem quite 'restrictive' but certainly not tasteless for us.  We are finding all kinds of delicious options as we go!  So for anyone willing to try, go ahead and enjoy! We sure do!

Hazards of Good Food!

I'm typing at a snail's pace (ugh) with just my left hand.  Why??  Because of how hazardous the food prep in this new food plan has become!  What with all the veggies to chop every.single.day a momma can get quite lax about the extreme sharpness of the blade with which she is working and take off a thumbtip in the process.

:-(

The worst part is that this is the SECOND time I've done this in the last 8 weeks - same chopper!  My tears (and holy cow did I cry this time - last time not so much even though it was deeper the first time) this time came not for the pain, but for the stupidity of not throwing out that doggone slicer the last time this happened.  That and the realiazation of just how much this injury slows down my work and adds to my sense of overwhelm. It took 4 weeks to heal almost fully from last time and was still pink when I dug into it today.

I DON'T have time for this! 

I have veggies to chop and kids to feed and laundry to fold and numerous others bits of life which require the use of one's right thumb.  Not to mention the additional work that DH has to do to keep us going until I can use the right hand again (took 2 full days last time before I could chop, cut, wash, cook, fold, dress kiddos without opening the wound up).  Poor, dear hubby! (Such a good, good man!)

At least this time the Spirit had the sense to remind me to call my in-laws who live down the road, one of whom is a doctor.  Not that I revelled in the idea of him poking and prodding my fresh wound and torturing me with alcohol (DH says thats what he always used on them growing up!).

You see.....I am a wimp.  Not just a wimp but the kind of wimp that cries at a paper cut and has to look away from needles.  And by the time dear father in-law got here, the thumb was clotted well into the gauze and I was practically biting my lip not to bawl as I peeled it off for him to examine.   And then I got woozy and he had to have me lay on the kitchen floor to clean and bandage it while I shook like a leaf.

Such.a.BABY! Could you have witnessed you would have been ROFL, I'm telling ya!!  :-o

Maybe if I would just listen to God telling me to slow down, I wouldn't have to be stopped in my tracts like this, huh? Like anything else that seems no good at all, there is always something good to come out of it.  I 'll let ya know when I figure it out for this situation - lol!!  Until then, I'll just type with my left hand, very, very slowly.....

How Does THAT Taste??

Wanted to post an update on our progress with the new food plan for this year based upon 'The Gut and Pyschology Syndrome' book (aka GAPS) and similar also to the Specific Carbohydrate Diet.  I've already posted our reasons for this venture here and here and our basic plan, here.  Many of you have seen frequent (and sometimes strange) posts on Face*Book (green burgers, duck, bone pate, etc.).  Stephanie at Keeper of the Home has also just started this and has done a better job of explaining it all here and here than I.

So far we have been in the Introduction to GAPS, which is a very restricted version on the full GAPS diet aimed at jumpstarting the gut-healing process with extremely digestible and well cooked foods, along with the addition of huge amounts of fats and bone broths.  In this period our diet consists mostly of water/broth cooked meats and veggies with lots of fats in soup form.  Each week we add a new food - slowly.

(Veggie soup w/ leftover roast duck)

We started by adding:

• lactofermented veggies (real saurkraut, beet kvass, pickles, salsa)
• avacado (not the best results - we'll try again later)
• raw egg yolks in soups
• eggs scrambled in large amounts of fat (we think all the eggs were producing dry skin and itching in Rae & Adam so we'll try adding them again later; I am desparate to be using eggs as they are so nutrtious, cheaper than meat, and great for baking)
• nuts (soaked first and dried in the oven) - we are definitely overdoing these as they seem to be our only allowable snack right now.  I think they may reacting to these but plan on keeping them in.
• raw veggies (lettuce, cucumber, carrot, salad so far)

And soon to be added:

• cooked fruits
• raw fruits
• try the eggs again
• try avocado again
• ghee (clarified butter)
• goat yogurt (can't wait!!!!)
• goat and/or coconut milk kefir (very high in probiotics)

(Stuffed peppers ready for the oven - kids love these!)

So what does our daily menu look like around here, right now? Well, it may seem rather strange or bland to others but we are loving it and eating quite a few new (to us) things!

Breakfast:

• Pork sausages (from the farm) or homemade turkey sausage patties
• Bone broth leftover from dinner with whatever veggies are left in it (sometimes we add more)
• Jefferson and I and dh have 3 eggs fried in lard or coconut oil since we seem to handle them well enough
• Probiotics

Morning snack (1 of these):

• bone pate sometimes with carrot sticks for dipping
• almond butter with carrot sticks
• handful of soaked and dehydrated nuts or seeds
• soft boiled egg (for myself)
• cup/bowl of leftover broth
• leftover sausages (although it is very, very rare that any are leftover as the kids eat like horses right now)
• no fruit yet - not enough gut healing has ocurred yet to try these
• beef jerky (no sugar or additives - got mine from the Leola Amish Market and proceeded to try to burn an eyeball out when I somehow got some of the black pepper in it!)

Lunch:

• either chicken or beef bone broth in large pot (haven't braved the fishy broth yet)
• tons of whatever veggies I have (turnips, cauliflower, brocolli, onion, carrot, spinach, squash, green beans, etc.) chopped into the pot
• some type of meat (sausages, meatballs, beef roast cubed, chicken, duck, ground meat) cooked in pot before veggies go in
• sometimes butternut or acorn squash mashed with coconut oil, smidge of honey, spices
• dose of lactofermented veggie juice

Dinner:

• salad with carrots, cucumber, soaked sunflower seeds, EV olive oil, raw apple cidar vinegar, Herbamare
• roast chicken/duck/beef roast (onion, celery, sea salt, spices)
• veggies (turnips, onions, shrooms are my fave) roasted in seasalt and lard
• squash (if we didn't have it for lunch)
• dose of lactofermented veggie juice
• dose of cod liver oil
• probiotics

(Duck bone broth - beautifully gelatinous!)

We are just now starting to step away from the soup, soup, soup stage to roasting and pancooking meats and sauteeing veggies.  But every meal still must have a cup of bone broth and lactofermented veggies as well as a ton of fat.  I spoon globs of it (tallow, lard, coconut oil but no butter yet) into every bowl/cup of broth for the kids and am trying out things like "fudge" made from coconut oil, honey, vanilla, and almond butter.  The kids love the 'zingy' salad and the 'zingy' fermented veggies and only struggle with disliking zucchini and mushrooms so far.  And although our guts aren't ready for such things every day, we can still have a GAPS friendly treat for special occasions, such as Reagan's birthday (almond brittle, date rolls, coconut macaroons, coconut cupcakes).

(Roast duck, roasted veggies in lard, butternut squash 'pancakes' - my favorite meal so far!)

After about 8 weeks, the results are not so easy to quantify.  The obvious is that the kids' (R, A, and L)eczema cleared up right away and all the poo (sorry but that's what we watch these days!) in the house except for Lincoln's is normal (this is the first time for this for Adam - ever!).  But another observation is that Adam has not caught a single virus since we started!  This is the child who has caught every bug that's come around since he was 11 months old!  He hasn't missed any school (nor complained about his sausage snacks in the face of Gold*fish) due to illness either.  His speech therapist has noticed a major jump in his speech progress as well as his social progress improvement at preschool.  Lincoln also seemed to burst forth with speech growth although he is still struggling with constipation (possibly due to leftover issue from his bouts with antibiotics).  I felt great for the first 3 weeks but now find myself to be tired and am wondering what's causing that.  I lost my last bit of baby weight (9lbs) and leveled out.  All the kids are full and satisfied with each meal and I often get a "thumbs up" from Adam (so stinkin' cute when he does that - usually comes with the words "totally awesome!").  Allergy season is starting up and in all of the nice days we've spent outside, we've only had to give Adam allergy eyedrops once.  Last year he was living on steroids just to keep his eyes from puffing closed! Of course, I'm hoping that this improvement will continue and get him through the worst of the pollen season yet to come.

(Happy kiddos reading, reading, reading!)

We still have a way to go, especially with Adam.  I am hoping to see their behaviors even out a little more as they adjust to the higher doses of probiotics ("die-off" of 'bad' bacteria can cause quite some yucky bouts of tantrums!).  I am more than ready to start adding some more foods in - especially those eggs!  The meat budget is killing me and I can't really use dairy, or eggs, or beans even to set it off.  I don't have enough room in both fridges for veggies to stretch 2 weeks and my farm runs have to be frequent also so my errands are increased around here.  Add that to the running and financial burden we are feeling from having Jefferson in away school and it's not so easy to make work. Can you say, "Holy pricey grass-fed beef, Batman!"  Where's my 99cent box O' macNcheese when I need it - lol!

I am glad however, that the kids and dh love the foods, that we live in Lancaster - a wonderful farmland full of good foods (and whole food eatin' peeps), that we are all feeling better from eating better, and that we aren't spending so much on eating out or snacks.  I feel great, even if tired, when I place a good hearty meal in front of the fam that I know is working to heal them instead of harming them.  I am thankful that we all enjoy the taste and are full with each meal.  There is no more stress from hearing a child tell me their tummy hurts after I feed them something processed!

I'll tell ya - it tastes great around here!!  God's leading has been fruitful (as usual)! Recipes and more photos to follow soon....

Wordless (Brainless) Wednesday

Will someone please tell me what made me think that THIS huge bowl of chopped veggies would fit into THAT small pot which is already filled with soup and meatballs???  Uhhh. No.  Go find me the huge stockpot please....

Wordless Wednesday - Allergy Symptoms & Results

These photos show why we are trying so hard to find a something to help Adam's food and seasonal allergies.

1st seasonal allergy attack at age 17 months (miserable!!)

3rd reaction to peanuts at 3 years (12/07) - we now have an Epipen

Last April (3 years old) was his first reaction to seasonal pollens since he was 18 months old.  We weren't expecting it since we hadn't seen it the season before.  Poor miserable little boy!!  We now have eyedrops and a steroid nasal spray as well as a new diet...

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Skin Prick Test Results for both Adam & Reagan

ADAM
 very strong response to peanut and cat
slightly less but still strong response to ragweed, tree pollen, and grass (uh, really??  Couldn't tell from those pics - lol!)

REAGAN
NO positive response (except the control prick)!!  This is also about what we had guessed but are happy to have comfirmed.

The Food We Eat - Allergy Testing

I have discovered, much to my dismay, that allergy testing does not always provide clear-cut answers.  I'm sure those of you who have dealt with allergies, whether seasonal, food related, drug related, latex, insect, r other have found the same frustrations in the process of trying to diagnose and cure (I use this word rather than treat because I feel that many allergies are curable).  Add that to the fact that not everyone agrees about the approach to take in dealing with allergies, and a parent can become pretty confused.  In our case, I am thankful to be able to ask and trust God for His wisdom and His direction in the way that we should choose to deal with allergies and food sensitivities that we've seen in Reagan, Adam, and sometimes even Lincoln.

Our family physician was the first (2 1/2 years ago) to suggest that we try to find the source of Adam & Reagan's eczema rather than continue to use topical steroids to treat.

"Accepted" Allergy diagnostic tools (medically "accepted" - we've 'used' the ones in orange):

• medical history (family, observed responses, general state of health)
• blood tests (RAST is medically mainstream, identifies IgE response)
• prick skin test (identifies IgE)
• food challenges (physician observed response to eaten foods)
• elimination diets (take out foods groups for weeks & reintroduce in order to observe a reaction)

 "Other" Allergy diagnostic tools (not "accepted" by mainstream medicine - we've 'used' the ones in orange):

• Applied Kinesiology Testing (usually done by naturopaths)
• Body Chemical Analysis (aka - saliva testing also done by naturopaths)
• Pulse Testing (increased heartrate after exposure to allergenic foods)
• ELISA Blood test (measures IgG - our allergist ignored this info as useless although our family dr is who prescribed it)

Whoa!  The amount of options just leaves one's head spinning!  We have used many naturopathic tests, which told us that they were 'sick' as well as the ELISA blood test for Adam and Reagan and got some results which seemed normal (having observed the kids react to certain foods) and some which seemed odd (or just plain wrong - like the fact that an observed allergy to peanut did not show up or the positive response to mung bean, which none of us had ever eaten...do you even know what they look like?).  We've since learned just how complicated the immune system is and how much test results can vary!  Although I read much about IgE, IgA, IgG antibodies produced by the body for whatever reason (external contaminants such as pollen or bee stings, or particles of food that are to large to be used in the blood and have 'leaked' through the gut wall), I still struggle to keep it straight.

 From the Food Allergy Initiative website (mainstream):

"A Note about False Positives

About 50-60% of all skin and blood tests are false positives. These results occur for two reasons:

•When you eat a food, your digestive system gradually breaks down the food proteins, chopping them into small pieces. But diagnostic tests can’t mimic this allergen-reducing process. Since food proteins are bigger when they interact directly with your skin or blood, it is easier for the IgE antibodies to “see” and attack them. As a result, your tests may show that you are more sensitive to a suspect food than you really are. Thanks to the digestive process, the allergenic proteins are small enough to fly under the IgE radar—and the food is safe for you to eat.

•Members of a food “family” often share similar proteins. For example, if you are allergic to peanuts, your tests may show a positive response to other members of the legume family, such as green beans, even if eating green beans has never been a problem for you. This is known as cross-reactivity. The test is positive because it recognizes a similar protein in peanuts and green beans. But the test is not detecting the real culprit—an entirely different protein found only in peanuts." [emphasis mine]

Well at least that let's us know some reasons why we get such inaccurate results from allergy testing.  It's really quite dissapointing for us because it means that we have to be even more diligent in observing our kids and their responses to the foods they eat. And it doesn't help us to understand what is and what isn't a false positive. So even with a blood test, we are stuck with our best 'guess' based on observation and medical history. 

And an excerp from a different perspective (yes - we are those kinds of nutty people) on diagnosing and treating allergies than the mainstream medical community generally accepts - working to heal the gut to get rid of food allergies...

From Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride at the GAPS diet website (not mainstream):

"Many people try to identify which foods they react to. However, with damaged gut wall they are likely to absorb most of their foods partially digested, which may cause an immediate reaction or a delayed reaction (a day, a few days or even a couple of weeks later). As these reactions overlap with each other, you can never be sure what exactly you are reacting to on any given day. Testing for food allergies in notoriously unreliable: if one had enough resources to test twice a day for two weeks, they would find that they are "allergic" to everything they eat. As long as the gut wall is damaged and stays damaged, you can be juggling your diet forever removing different foods and never get anywhere. From my clinical experience it is best to concentrate on healing the gut wall with the Introduction Diet [this is the first stage of her recommended dietary approach to healing allergies through the gut]. Once the gut wall is healed, the foods will be digested properly before being absorbed, which will remove most food intolerances and allergies." [emphasis mine]

So we have a history, a blood test (albeit not current - at this point I don't want to spend the money for something so unpredictable anyway), a skin prick test (just last week - I'll post the results later), and now a plan of attack (Gut And Psychology Syndrome Diet).  I know that some find it strange that we aren't just dosing the kids on Zyrtec and cortisone and leaving it at that, but I don't really care what others think.  We are more than willing to use these remedies if we are led that direction.  But until then, we will attempt to make them healthier from the inside out and hope and pray that their symptoms decrease or dissappear altogether.

The Gut and Psychology Syndrom diet is usually used for cases far more serious than ours - autism, depression, ADD, dyslexia, dyspraxia, and schizophrenia - but is recommends for people with continual eczema, asthma, and known food allergies.  It is very, very strict and depending on the individual, may take many months to help the gut get back into a better state of bacterial balance health which is what we feel will actually help our children.  We are thankful that we are already in a place that makes it easier for us to implement it than we ever were before we started eating and cooking whole, healthy foods.  I know I could never have gone from using Campb.ells and CoolW.hip right into this diet (goodness knows it's taken me all 12 years of my marriage and I'm still figuring out this cooking thing)! Still, it will be nearly impossible and full of stress quite difficult for us to eat out of the home in situations with family or at 'away' school or any other fieldtrip that takes us from our kitchen (can you tell I'm nervous about this part?). 

However, I am so optimistic about this new diet!  I hope that our efforts will be God led and blessed with fewer allergies in the future so that years from now the kids won't have to worry about their hurting tummies and itchy skin, nor be diagnosed with worse conditions, like asthma.  For now, I can handle the complaining children, the extra time in the kitchen, and the eyerolling friends.  Even if it doesn't do what we expect it too, is it wrong to be eating more healthily...learning to be better stewards of our bodies?

After all, my children are a heritage from the Lord - they are worth it! 

The Food We Eat - Attempting to Alleviate Allergies

My head is whirling with information about and planning for alleviating the food allergies that we have in this house!  I don't know why I get so easily overwhelmed but I need to just get with it and get to it in planning our next step in our life with food allergies. 

We learned a lot since our last rotation diet (started back in Feb of 2008, I think).   It was a very stressful diet since it was very complicated. I ended up cooking different foods for practically each person in the house and our food choices were quite limited.  My stress ended up pushing me to junkfood & an outbreak of guttate psoriasis and instead of properly (one at a time and in small amounts) reintroducing foods, I just kind of gave up after 5 months.

However, we did experience many benefits from our first attempt to deal with food sensitivities.  We saw eczema clear up in Adam & Reagan, sleep improve, and dramatic improvement in behavior.  It was enough to prove to me that what I feed my kids is very important!  And although I haven't stayed away from ALL the items which they tested senstive to in the ELISA blood test (quite a list!), we've tried since then to be careful about wheat, cow dairy, eggs, soy, and peanuts.  After so many weeks strictly following that diet, we hoped that what was a 'light' sensitivity' to certain foods would just be ok to relax on, such as rice, coconut (a MAJOR fat staple around here), almond, oat, and yeast.  I didn't, after all, really even know how accurate the blood test is or if it just shows foods that you tend to eat all the time.  And we never had a skin scratch test done or did an elimination diet to investigate further after this rotation diet.

So this last year and a half we have lived with good whole foods and loosely avoided wheat, dairy, eggs, and soy.  I let church snacks & preschool snacks slip and we went to out to eat or to gramndma's on occasion.  I've used yogurt and cheese as snacks when I'm desperate for something high in fat and use butter all the time in order to get the veggies into them.  We let them eat a bunch of no-no's over Thanksgiving and then through to Christmas, from which we are clearly seeing consequences in the form of new ezcema and crankiness.  And Adam also seems to still continually get every virus that comes around - when I thought for sure that he would have a stronger immune system by now.

Which is where we are now as I plan to head us into a new diet in hopes of truly healing everyone's gut (I forgot to mention that I got myself blood tested and showed up allergic to DAIRY and eggs - NOT wheat as I had so thought for sure was my problem!).  'Loosely' avoiding certain foods is not yet enough for Reagan and Adam since I don't think that we've ever truly managed to heal their digestive system.

Our diet will follow "The Gut & Pscyhology Syndrome" book by Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride.  It is very similar to the Specific Carbohydrate Diet except that all dairy is excluded until the person can handle yoghurt & creme-fraise (a home made soured cream).

The basic start (ghee & homemade yoghurt are first dairy to be brought back while other foods are brought back in one at a time and in small amounts with observation for allergic responses) of this diet is as follows:
*no grains
*no starches (potatoes, corn, beans except lima & navy)
*no dairy 
*no sugar (honey is the only sweetener allowed)
*no soy
*no processed foods (hydrogenated oils, MSG, preservatives, food coloring, etc.)
*peanuts (this goes without saying as we have definitely observed a first immune response to these in Adam!)

Recommended foods:
*all meats (& organ meats) and fish
*eggs (we may be able to have the yoke - don't know yet)
*all non-starch fresh veggies (cooked at first is gentler)
*all fruit, including berries & avocado
*nuts & seeds (soaked first for 12-24 hours)
*navy, lima, string beans, lentils, split peas (no bean flours since they haven't been soaked)
*raw, unheated honey
*water w/lemon & fresh pressed juices; homemade nut milk or coconut milk; homemade meat stocks
*natural saturated meat fats; virgin cold-pressed olive oil or other cold-pressed oils; coconut oil
*homemade fermented dairy allowed later as the gut allows (yoghurt, creme-fraise)

Yes, it is quite restrictive. 
Yes, I am quite nervous about implementing it with young kids who will whine and complain and about having to deal with the difficulties of eating away from home and financing this food. 

But the point is not that this is permantly how we will eat, but that it will provide a resting, healing period for our digestive tracts in order that we may enjoy a wider range of harder to digest or previously allergic foods again in the near future!

In the meantime, as I prepare recipes and plan grocery trips and visit the allergist, I covet your prayers that this may be less stressful and even more beneficial for our family and that I would perservere in peace (not stress) to our goal.... allergy-free eating for us and our kiddos and better health all around!

Painting my thumb green

So anyone who knows me know that I have a LOT of learning to do to be considered a 'green thumb' - lol! But really I'm just glad to be learning anything at all!

Wednesday I had the opportunity to attend a meeting at an Amish farm about gardening. The scheduled speaker did not show up to answer my millions of questions (didn't he know that I was going to be there??). So the group moved into more of a question/answer discussion mode. This worked out so well for me! I soaked in the info and varied processes of these experienced women and tried to write it all down so that I wouldn't forget it all the instant I stepped foot back into the chaos that I call 'home with four kids.'

One of things I figured out is that the white 'lime' type powder my farmer friend, Mrs. W., had me use was Aregonite and is used to add calcium to the soil and lower the acidity of the soil. I sewed this in with the seeds and not into the entire beds.

I will admit that one of the things which overwhelms me is the topic of soil composition or acidity. So far, I have no idea how to tell whether my soil is balanced with the minerals and nutrients that our veggies need or not. But from listening to these women, I am feeling better about looking at this as a learning process. Something is bound to grow, huh? I just hope that I can start to get a better feel for what it is that I need to add to the soil over time to improve it for improved food results (or lower bug results).

While all the women use some type of fertilizer (I will be using fish fertilizer - peeeeeuuuwww), some use compost and some do not. Some use the dead and dying leftovers from the garden and till them back into the bed to decompose while others use composted grass or leaves. All of them recommended that manure be let sit for at least a year before use (don't think I did this!) so that it will compost also. Epsom salts and kelp were also recommended to nourish the soil but I will stick to the guidance of Mrs. W for this season or until I know better what I need.

We discussed organic bug repellers (I've made a note to look up something called Bullseye) and beneficial attractors - a.k.a. "good smelly plants." I heard the word "Tansy" enough to know that I will be planting a ton of it to attract lady bugs (aphid eaters) and that I should plant a diverse selection of herbs for other good bugs. Marigolds will keep slugs away (although I don't know why they'd invite themselves to my garden in the first place?) and are edible as well.

I will be attempting to grow two heirloom (50 years or older) varieties this year - tomatoes and green beans. I know that they have better nutritional value and draw all their nutrients from the soil (rather that relying on plant food) but heard many times in the discussion that the soil must be very good for them to produce well. They will not look nice and pretty (like grocery store produce) but should taste wonderful, even if I don't get many this year. This weekend is when I'll get a moment to start the tomato seeds (inside) and sunflower seeds (another request from Jefferson).

I would like to say the Jefferson sat on the edge of his seat with excitement upon learning so much from this discussion. But at only 7 years old, and with the beautiful spring weather calling him, he only made it to lunchtime before running out to muck around with the baby pigs and the chickens and the Amish children, whom he couldn't understand. All in all, he would say he had a great time, but at the end of the day couldn't tell me why it's important that we feed our soil good things. *SIGH* Hopefully, he'll pick up the bug for gardening with me and will soon be painting his thumb as well? He's sure to learn something from his gardening unit eventually!

In the meantime, he and Reagan continued their science lesson this week by working on copywork for their gardening notebooks and making these cute garden dioramas. They always love the hands-on projects! Jefferson had wanted to use the veggies on stick as puppets but was pleased with his finished box instead. We still need to hang our butterflies from the top and glue soil on the bottom (it's been too wet to gather dirt). They did a good job reminding and helping me with watering the garden and helping me weed around the house as well.

We are on our way....getting greener every day! I've never been so anxious for the warmer weather to arrive!

Excited about Gardening!

I love to work out in the dirt and sunshine. Pulling weeds makes me feel like I'm accomplishing something. I love plants and nature.

But I don't have a green thumb nor do I know much about gardening or planting flowers. So when dh built me a little (and I do mean 'little') box garden in which I can grow vegetables for us this year, I was both excited and nervous.

Every year I feel like I have time to get my planting/seeds figured out and then - BOOM! - it's May and I've got nothing planted once again. So this year I prayed specifically that God would give me the guidance and time that I needed to fill our new vegetable boxes since March is halfway over and I hadn't even planned anything.

And I'm excited to say that He very specifically answered me! Last week my good friend, Joyful Mama, gave me a call and told me to get in touch with our farming friend who would be willing to help us both with our gardens this year. And when I called her, she was gracious enough to talk me through planning and timing for my boxes. But the most wonderful part is that she went with me to the nursery to get the seeds and supplies I would need AS WELL AS coming over to my house to plant it ALL with me (in the cold drizzly rain while her husband watched her 6 kids)!! I don't know if she realized what kind of gift this was to me. I never learned anything about gardening growing up and tend to be slow at learning from books. So to have her SHOW me was worth far much more than anything else she could have done!

What a blessing and answer to prayer! I couldn't believe how much I learned and got done in just one day!

(Don't know the name of this, just that it is the same as lime for the soil)

The other exciting part about our garden is turning it into a fun unit for the kids. Jefferson and Reagan went to the store with us and helps with the soil prep. Jefferson has requested strawberries and got to plant his own planter box with them. He helped me sow the peas, lettuce, carrots, and spinach while Rae helped with the onions and carrots and watering.

(Jefferson with his two strawberry plants)

(Jefferson's garden diagram with labels)

It was exciting for them to be doing something different than their lessons and reminded me that I need to throw interesting unit studies into our curriculum more often than I do. Jefferson soaked up all the info on the back of the seed packets and is now continually reminding me of when each item should be appearing while Reagan is already thinking about the food our efforts will produce (hopefully - lol!). This was all accomplished on Thurs instead of heading to our homeschool co-op (after all, she knew the right timing for the season and weather and I would give up anything in our schedule for her help!).

(Reagan's coloring sheet)

On Friday, instead of our history, Spanish, or astronomy lessons, we spent the afternoon starting a gardening notebook for each of us (myself included so that I can keep track of what works for us, what materials I need to have on hand, which veggies I like, etc., etc.). They both drew out a plan of the boxes with the veggies we planted labeled and worked on a cover sheet for their books. Through this I have discovered that Reagan is ready for short copywork and was excited to put her own title on. Jefferson kept reminding me of how much fun they were having (thus also reminding me again that we need a break from our regular studies).

(2 boxes of sweet peas, 1 box of lettuce, onion, and carrots)

(Edging my tiger lily bed so the grass doesn't grow into it)

And looking at the forecast for the week, I'm glad we skipped our planned break (2 weeks ago) so we can use this week for some great outdoors time and garden note booking! We are all just so glad for the arrival of spring!

The Food We Eat - Peanut Butter is no good!

Now don't go getting up in arms thinking I'm telling ya'll how to eat! By 'peanut butter is no good' I mean, for OUR family. Many of you know that Adam and Reagan have food sensitivities which have affected their skin, behavior, tummies, and health in general. And although we have worked hard to avoid certain items, we have been blessed that MOST of these sensitivities are not a true food 'allergy' or "first response" allergy in which, the body reacts negatively, strongly and directly to a certain food.

However, it seems that Adam does have a direct allergy to PEANUTS. We discovered this 2 years ago when we gave him his first pb&j. He ate 1/2 of a quarter before we noticed him start to look like he had an instant cold. Since he was already (18m) sick much of the time, I wouldn't have thought it was the food except that this is the same time period that we were getting him tested for food allergies. When his tests came back negative for an immune response to PB we were very surprised and decided to completely avoid it anyway.

And he hasn't had a lick in the 18 months since then.

Until this past week, when I stupidly took this allergy lightly and figured that maybe his gut had healed enough or that he may have grown out of it. I had him help make my favorite Christmas cookies (almond bark candies) involving melted white chocolate, peanut butter, rice crispies, M&M's, and marshmallows. He loved helping and of course, I thought I must reward my cute and happy little helper (see the lovely 'before' photo) with a tiny (and I doooo mean tiny) half of a finished cookie.

No more that 5 minutes later I noticed red on his chin as I wiped his nose ("Hmmmm", I thought "Why is his nose running?") and thought at first it was just chapped from playing the snow that morning. But as I looked closer, I noticed that they were red WELTS all around the area that his saliva had been!

All I could think was "Bad Mommy! What were you thinking??" and "Crud! Where'd I put the Benedryl?"

Thankfully, he didn't seem too disturbed by the itchiness (as seen by the smile in the lovely 'after' photo) and was all too happy to take the nice, sweet medicine (which, b.t.w was red - why does medicine have to have red dye in it??? Grrrr.....). Thankfully, it was soon time for his nap. But after his nap he was terribly, terribly fussy all evening long. I was reminded that this is how he used to behave an entire year ago, BEFORE we took out from his diet the foods to which he is sensitive. It reminded me to be grateful of how far God has brought us with his nutrition, speech, and behavior! Now, whether his behavior in this case had to do with the small amount of PB that he ingested or the Benedryl itself, I do not know.

But what I DO know is that in this house - peanut butter is NO good!

The Food We Eat!

Note to self - sourcream doughnuts are NOT health food!! They have NO nutritional value and shall not pass my lips again, if it means burning down the local D&D..... *sigh*

It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to the yoke of slavery.

Galations 5:1

Mother's Day Recipe

Here's my mom's tasty recipe for the infamous chocolate dessert that I'll never forget!

Hot Fudge Pudding Cake

• 1C flour
• 3/4C granulated sugar
• 2T cocoa
• 1/4C cocoa
• 1C brown sugar
• 2tsp baking powder
• 1/4tsp salt

• 1/2C milk
• 2T oil
• 1tsp vanilla

• 1 3/4 hot tap water

1. Mix flour, white sugar, 2T cocoa, baking powder, and salt in 9x9 pan.
2. Mix milk, oil, and vanilla in a separate bowl.
3. Add liquid to dry ingredients in the pan.
4. STIR well.
5. Sprinkle brown sugar and 1/4C cocoa over stirred ingredients in the pan.
6. Sprinkle 1 3/4C hottest tap water over ingredients.
7. Bake ast 350 for 40 minutes. Let stand 15 minutes.
8. Serve over vanilla icecream!

The Food We Eat!

Phase II Results:

Oh, would it be nice if I had some good news and encouragement for this food/diet update! I have been putting this post off since I didn't really want to display my failures. But I know that one of my purposes in blogging this is to have a little accountability for myself and because this food issue is having a profound affect on our homeschooling life.

It's been 16 weeks since dh and I started our "no white flour/no white sugar" type weight loss program. Again, we aren't on any real program but are just using what we've already learned from Prism Weightloss program (2 years ago), The Maker's Diet, Nourishing Traditions (see this awesome blog for great posts along these lines -> Keeper of the Home is able to give great ideas and info), and my nutritionist friend (thanks soooo much Dorcas!). We have learned over these 2 years how to think differently about food and now are just in the depths of talking the talk and working towards what we know should be our goal (not just a number on a scale -but a lifestyle change).

As you may recall from my last progress post on our weightloss, the first 6 weeks of this plan went very well. We both lost 15 pounds, were eating well and holding each other accountable. Reagan (5) and Adam (2) were both doing well with their new allergen-free, rotation diet as well. However, this time the numerical results didn't turn out as well:

DH ->5 lbs

Me -> 2 lbs

(and a massive outbreak of guttate psoriasis)

So what happened this time, you might ask? Well, phase II (the 2nd six weeks) is always harder. Whole wheat bread and white potatoes are allowed again in small amounts. And momentum from phase I doesn't last as long. So I wasn't surprised at Dh results - 5 pounds is just great! But the last time I went through this process, I lost 13 pounds in phase II and know very well that this time I just plain FELL OFF THE WAGON!

I hate saying those words.... *sigh*

I've seen a certain family member struggle with weight their entire life and end up with diabetes. I know that heart disease hits women hard. I don't want to teach my kids poor eating habits. And yet, I struggle each and every day with food!

Not just food but anything with wheat in it seems to be my desire. I found out a couple years ago that I have a sensitivity to wheat. This was something I didn't want to hear and so I ignored for a while. Until I realized that I really did feel better and less tired - when I didn't eat it. And the small bit of plaque psoriasis that I had on my elbows and scalp almost cleared completely up for the first time in my life (I've had it since I was 6!). So I stopped eating most wheat products for awhile.

I failed at this at Christmas which lead to dh and I starting this diet in January.

So when I could have stuck with our plan for better health, I again lost control this March. I could have lost the last 10 pounds of baby weight and fit into my wardrobe by now. I could feel more energetic, be less crabby, and be a better example for the kids.

But instead I ate birthday cake, Chips Ahoy (one roll in a sitting - yes, really), Girl Scout cookies, and then moved to bread and on to the D&D doughnuts. I started hiding foods from dh (my accountability partner!) and started eating in the car. These are patterns that I thought I had dealt with 2 years ago (when I lost Adam's baby fat) with the help of Prism.

The poor weightloss results I could live with - after all, my BMI is fine and I'm a healthy weight/size. But one of the consequences of this "wheat binge" that I was on for 4 weeks is that I've broken out with a nasty case of guttate psoriasis. For those with a weak stomach, read no farther! LOL! In short, it's like the chicken pox rash - redish spots all over that itch and scab if scratched. It really is quite torturous - I can't wear shorts as the weather warms up, I dread the shower since it stings all over, and I had to get acrylic nails (so annoying and expensive) to keep my skin from getting scabby.

All this from eating (again, the better word would be 'binging on') junkfood containing wheat! And I know better! But really I know that it's even more than that - this time through I have been trying to do it on my own. No daily devotional time allotted to this journey (battle) with food and not even any prayer! Now since when can we do anything of our own strength in this life??

I thank God that my dh is determined to help me out here. As I write this post, it's been 2 weeks since I've buckled down to get back to better health.

I will admit that I think almost constantly about cookies and cake, etc. I can't be the only one who experiences this with food! It may be a non-matter for some of you, but for me this is one of my biggest life struggles! It isn't even really about food, but rather about control and dependence. I want control - but God should have it. I eat when I'm not feeling in control (and how often is that with 4 kids? Ha!). I eat to sooth my stress or anxiety - I should be depending on the Lord instead for His comfort. I eat for instant gratification - instead I should wait upon the Lord and enjoy the bountiful blessings that He provides in his good, whole foods!

I know that God has provided good food for us to eat. I enjoy healthy whole foods. So once again, I need to fall to my knees and allow God to help me with this daily struggle. I pray that he will bring health to my body (and to my family as a result) and will take this struggle on His shoulders. An update will be posted in a few weeks!

The Food We Eat!

Phase 1 Results:
Some great news for DH and I - this past week was our 6-week weigh-in for our 'diet.' We have been holding each other accountable and trying to use the Prism program (roughly) that I used to lose baby weight from Adam. It requires that we take out all white sugar/white flour. The 1st phase also excludes bread, white potatoes, snack foods (ie torilla chips, popcorn). We journaled our every bite for three weeks (or should I say "I" journaled since I do the food prep) b4 getting too overwhelmed with the kids' allergen-free food journaling to keep up with ours. But holding each other accountable has really helped me to make better choices and keep from cheating! We are not counting calories (since I'm nursing and dh finds it to be too tedious) and didn't feel like we were losing any weight! I was nervous that if dh didn't see results, he wouldn't want to continue and I can't tell you how many times I've prayed that he would take steps toward better nutrition!


So here are our awesome results! Remember this is only through taking out ALL white sugar and white flour, bread, and potatoes, not calorie counting or starving:

DH --> 15 lbs

ME --> 14lbs

Wow - were we thrilled! I couldn't believe that he even beat me when I've got nursing to help. I was so thankful for a bit of good news in this emotional week! I know that even through all the temptation and true physical cravings/addiction, God wants us to succeed in becoming better stewards of these bodies and has been by our side these 6 weeks!


So now we have to dig in and keep on keeping on through the 2nd phase! The first weeks always produce the biggest loss, so I plan on staying away from the bread even longer than the program requires (since I know that it's a huge weakness for me). And I need to find ways to encourage dh to start excercising so that he can continue steadily toward his goal (40 to 50 more lbs). I also need to start using pilates at least 3 days a week to deal with what I call the 'baby jiggles' left from Lincoln's pregnancy and continue toward my goal of 15 more lbs (I could be happy with 10 but refuse to buy new clothes!)


We are so excited! If any of you are struggling in this area, drop me a comment! You too can make a change toward better stewardship of the only body the Lord has given you!

The Food We Eat!

With all the busyness we find ourselves bogged down in as homeschooling moms, it's so easy to just go with the flow of the world around us and eat anything that we can get from the fridge to the mouth in 10 minutes or less. But is this really the way God wants us to treat our body? With little or no thought of how the food we eat affects our body and therefore our spirits as well?

I don't know where you fall on this topic, but about 2 years ago the Lord started me on a journey to healthier treatment of my body. He led me through a weightloss program (Prism Weightloss Program - so awesome with an accountability group) in which I lost 25 lbs (ok, ok it was 24 lbs - but doesn't 25 make a nicer number?) and learned how to eat a balanced diet of whole foods (no sugar, no white flour, very few processed foods and hydrogenated oils). After that I found a nutritionist to help me use a few supplements (cod liver oil, probiotics, etc.) as I prepared my body vitamin/mineral stores for a 4th pregnancy.

I hadn't felt so great in a long time! The 1st trimester of the 4th pregnancy was the best of the 4, with no morning sickness. I had felt terrible with the others. By this point I knew for sure that good nutrition really does make a difference!

So this is when I realized that my 2 kids' ezcema was probably due to food allergies (or sensitivities really - these are different than immediate response food allergies like you see with peanuts). Adam's legs were scratched raw and Reagan also scratched scabs all over. It just broke my heart to see them so uncomfortable! Not to mention the irritability that seems to prevail in each of them. From the time he was 11 months old, Adam started getting every virus that came around and was seemingly unable to fight them off in a normal amount of time. With my awesome family doc's advise, I just recently had their blood tested for IgG and IgA antibodies (ELISA test through Immuno Labs, FL) so that we could eliminate the underlying cause of the skin problems rather than destroying the skin's defense ability by over-using hyrdocortisones and other steroids. I had seen through years of steroid use on my own psoriasis, no healing from it. Yet after 4 weeks on a wheat-free diet, I observed marked improvement. I highly recommend this lab since they offer online support (questions, meal planning, recipes) and a guarantee that you will see improved health if you follow their plan (3 parts as I talk about below). I have read that ELISA testing is more accurate than other types of allergy testing also. Does anyone have more info on this?

So here we are at the beginning of this attempt to heal my kids' skin (and possibly other issues)by changing their diet. Am I totally sure that it will work? No. But will it hurt them to take away foods that their bodies consider toxic? I don't think so.

What a task this process has been! Just ask anyone I know and they will tell you that they have heard enough from me already about this issue!

First we have to eliminate ALL foods which elicited an antibody response in the kids' blood.
For Adam, we are eliminating:

• cow dairy & cheese
• goat milk
• egg
• coconut
• wheat
• almond
• oat
• rice
• soybean
• safflower

For Reagan, we are eliminating:

• cow dairy & cheese
• egg
• coconut
• wheat
• oat
• kidney bean
• cantaloupe
• pea
• peanut
• snapper
• walnut
• brewer's yeast
• baker's yeast

Secondly, we have to rotate the foods (only foods for which they tested no antibody response!) that they are allowed to eat every four days. This is where Excel became my best buddy! I mean, my brain was swimming when I realized how much planning this process to healing the g.i. would be! So here is what we've come up with!


Reagan cannot have the foods in purple while Adam cannot have the foods in yellow!
Do you see how insane this is? Most gluten-free baking uses a combo of various flours in order to get a nice texture. I only have the option of one, possibly two flours to use as well as having to skip the eggs. Oy! So far, I just have play with the recipes to figure out how to get the best flavor and texture. And if you know me, you know that's just plain silly! I'm the type a baker (not 'cook' - that I can almost do) who needs the recipe to tell me exactly when to stir and for how long! Add to this the fact that I can't afford to feed everyone in the family this way and so I am cooking, baking, vacuum sealing and freezing indiviual servings. ("How do you have time to blog?" you ask. Well, there's always time for that! I just have to break my 4th new year's resolution to do it! Lol!)

So far the foods that are allowed are quite limited and neither child likes them very much (a lot of fish). Adam is also not responding very well to any fruits - very loose daipers the next day if he eats more than 1/4 C. So we're really down to meats and veggies with a few grains for him. Reagan has a few more options but is more finicky than he. Again I say, oy!

Thankfully, the final part of this process is reintroducing some of the less reactive foods (after 90 days) at a very slow rate. So by adding options later, we will be able to make daily food prep at least a little easier. I've also heard that they might grow out of many of these sensitivities, so we intend to re-test them in a year or two.

I know that this seems difficult to me now, but I can see from the where I've come, that God has put me on this path with His provision. He has guided me each step of the way so that when it came time to get so detailed in the kids' diets, He knew I could handle it. I am also thankful for all the encouragement and information that I can find in the bloggy world of SAH and homeschooling moms! For anyone that drops by and is struggling with similar issues, please feel free to leave a comment - your support, ideas, recipes are welcome!

Stay tuned for more on this topic. I have met enough bloggers with allergy or health issues that I would like to post info and gather comments. See you there!