Gazelle Mama

5 miles - okay

2011-09-22T14:23:00.002-05:00

I completed just over a 5 mile walk yesterday and I did pretty well. I had a hot spot on my right foot, but I think that's because I put the original inserts in my shoes and my foot was forming them. I also got a small blister on my second toe on the right side, not sure why but it's not bothersome so we'll see how it heals.

I met with my trainer this morning and boy did it feel good to get back into the groove of things. She didn't try to kill me which was nice. We just had a friendly workout, but that's what I needed. I hope to be able to start training with her regularly again. I don't have another follow up appointment with the doctor until November so I might call to get an earlier appointment and get the go ahead.

Dinner is in the crock pot. The boy will be happy because it's meat and potatoes. Can't get any better in his book. I'm excited about tomorrow. I love my GF pizza. I'm thinking of trying to make breadsticks tomorrow. We'll see what the family says about that.

I'll try to be creative this weekend as it is suppose to be gorgeous, and take some pictures for the blog. Have a lovely Thursday.

Wednesday? - Where are my weeks going?

2011-09-21T15:39:00.002-05:00

Sorry I've been off line lately. I had a vendor fair, school's in full swing, and life is a bit crazy. Excuses, Excuses. I'll be better. I did get my official socks from my mom and tonight I will be going for a 5+ mile walk. I'm ready. I'm also going to have a training session tomorrow morning and see how my body holds up to that. I'm feeling really good and ready to get back into the full swing of things.

I started a new challenge with the Wellness Center. My goals are to lose another 10 pounds in 12 weeks and at least 5 inches, preferably closer to 10 with all the walking and working out that I'm doing. I'm attempting to stick to two shakes a day with a snack and a balanced meal. The shakes are so much out of diet necessity as convenience. I have a fabulous Vitamix machine that whips those babies up in less that an minute. Super easy, fast, and tasty. Can't beat that.

I have my menu for the week. Tonight is spaghetti. Tomorrow is roast. Friday is good ol' Gluten Free pizza, Saturday is marinated chicken breast, Sunday is sandwiches and chicken salad, Monday is goulash for FPU, Tuesday will be leftover night. Gotta give myself a break some time. I suppose sandwich day counts, but hey - football season is on. :)

Spanish lessons are continuing slowly but surely. I keep hoping it will click. I wish I didn't have such a bad taste in my mouth for foreign languages from high school, but I still think I'm seriously doomed to fail when it comes to another language. I'm giving it my best and I'm still highly motivated. I guess we all need challenges.

Speaking of challenges. The upkeep of the clutter free house has caught up with me. Putting in 12 hour days for 4 consecutive days can do that to the best of us (or at least I choose to believe that). I'm working on taming the clutter once again and getting back into the routine. PTL I have an understanding husband. Thank you, My Love!

On Wednesday mornings I stay at the Academy for a prayer hour with some lovely women. They are very versed in their Bible and I'm learning a lot about prayer and its power. I am blessed to be a part of the group and look forward to our meeting time each week.

I'll be sure to log on tomorrow and let you know how my walk went.

Wednesday Walking

2011-09-07T13:50:00.002-05:00

I took advantage of the gorgeous weather this morning and wore my boots for a 1.5 mile walk to start the breaking in process. I say "start" because I won't start the official breaking in until I receive my official hiking socks, curtesy of my mom. Apparently there are special liner socks and then thick wool socks to be worn when one walks the Camino. The proper boots and socks are super serious business in the hiking world. One must have everything just so. I found this to be true as I tried to simulate the thickness of the wool sock by wearing three pairs of sports socks but just ended up compressing my foot and almost got a blister this morning. No bueno.

I will be starting my Spanish class tomorrow after I get done hosting the last Financial Peace University class at my house tonight. I'm taking a quick break right now, but the house still needs some work before it's company ready. Hey, wait, the kids will be home soon. I can put them to work and get my Spanish in. Alright. Muy Beuno! (Isn't the internet awesome giving me free translations :))

I'm off to get the girl from the Academy. Tomorrow is our regularly scheduled appointment with the abdominal pain clinic. Things have been going well since the round of endocort, removing dairy, and introducing accupuncture. This week hasn't been great but the weather has changed drastically, the windows are open, and she's been outside more. Let's pray she stays well and it's just an adjustment period.

Phenomenal Weekend

2011-09-06T16:54:00.002-05:00

I had the most wonderful labor day in Iowa with my Mom. I know it's a wee bit early but we went shopping for thing we would need on the Camino and boy did we have fun! I got my back and my shoes so I could break them in and start training. Can we say EXCITED!!

Tonight I'm making pizza. I know it's not Friday, but the weather is fabulous and I'm in the mood for it. Tomorrow the sales come out so I'll build my menu then but I know we'll be having BBQ pulled pork with potatoes for our last FPU class of the summer that I will be hosting at my house. Thanks to My Love's hard work I have a head start on the cleaning needing to be done for hosting the event.

I'll post some pics some with some of my gear. Yay.

Friday

2011-09-02T09:16:00.003-05:00

You may have gathered from my previous posts that it has been a very fast week. It's also been a very productive week. School has gone well. The menu plan has been followed. I made it to the gym everyday but Wednesday so I accomplished my goal of 4 times. It was more hit and miss with reading my Bible but I managed 3 days. And I started each day out with fruit. I also discovered I can make a mean protein shake in my Vitamix blender saving me a bunch of money instead of David ordering one at the gym. I make a double batch so we both enjoy.

Today I should be receiving the first level of Rosetta Stone's Spain edition of their Spanish language course. I'm really excited. I struggled something fierce in high school with French but then I didn't see a purpose in taking it other than to get me into a state college. Now I need to know the language to save my life, literally. That puts a strong motivation on learning it. I know being Celiac doesn't mean I need to know the language of each country I visit, but we're talking a 5 week pilgrimage to little villages. It's been strongly recommended on several sites that if you plan to walk the Camino and you have Celiac, you know the language.

Here's to a great and safe Labor Day weekend.

Wednesday? - Where is my week going?

2011-08-31T08:43:00.002-05:00

It's amazing how fast the week passes with school is full force. I did manage a menu for the week. Yesterday was brats, today is Cheeseburger soup, tomorrow is the marinated chicken we love that I saved from the freezer, and Friday is always pizza night. Saturday the family is on their own as I'm headed to Iowa to spend quality time with my mom.

I will be starting a new class at church on apologetics. I'm really excited and it's being taught by our pastor who is a graduate of Ozark Christian College in Joplin. Since we lived in the Joplin area for 6 years I know quite a few OCC grads and have a great respect for all of them. I think this is going to be a great class.

Well, off to school.

I'm Going to SPAIN!!!

2011-08-30T08:07:00.002-05:00

Next year. My mom has invited me to walk the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage with her next year. It goes from the south end of Spain to the north and takes about 5 weeks, roughly 450 miles is covered. So now I have a new topic to blog about and that's my preparation for this epic hike in Spain. What fun! This weekend I will be taking advantage of the holiday sales and possibly getting my backpack. I know it's super early in the game but I'm excited and I can't pass up a really good sale on something I'm going to need.

Really? It's Monday? Really?

2011-08-29T08:51:00.003-05:00

I can't believe it's time to make a new week's menu already. I spent my entire weekend working and Monday just sneaked up on me. Our garage fridge/freezer is not working. We discovered it in time to save what was in the freezer, but not the fridge so I guess that's where I'll start my meal planning. First I'll have to take stock and then I'll see where I'm at.

Rowan starts her second week of Brighton today. It's been a really good fit so far. I know I've said it before but I think this year is going to go really well.

My goals for the week:

1) Make and stick to a menu plan.

2) Exercise 4 times (once more than last week and I started out right by waking up a 5 this morning and getting myself to the gym. Thanks honey.)

3) Read a chapter everyday in the New Testament. (I started this on last week and have enjoyed going through Matthew. I'm looking forward to possibly making it through the New Testament before the end of the year. I know I'll have to step up my game, but it making the habit right now that I'm concerned with.)

4) Keep up with my "Totally Together" journal for keeping the house organized.

5) Eat fruit each morning for breakfast.

There you have it. A doable list of things for the week. Thanks for being my virtual accountability buddies.

Accountability Friday

2011-08-26T07:16:00.002-05:00

Friday's are the day's I will let you know how the week has gone with my goals. Sunday I will post my goals. I know I missed the first step this week, but I had them in mind.

First of all my menu since I did post it. I stuck to it each night and it was a blessing to have dinner together each evening.

Totally Together: Keeping an Organized House - Check. My son asked if we are selling the house because I'm keeping it so clean so I think I'm doing a pretty good job.

Exercise - I made it to the gym with my love 3 days this weeks.

Those were my three goals this week and will continue to be on the list with a few added here and there depending on the week. So a big pat on my back for a stellar week. We also had a great school week, even though we still have today to accomplish some things. Thanks for letting me share.

Successful First Day

2011-08-22T16:40:00.002-05:00

The weather was scary this morning and I didn't get a picture taken, but things had cleared up beautifully this afternoon. And, as promised, red velvet cupcakes were supplied for a successful completion to the first day of school. (She missed out on dessert night this weekend.) It's going to be a great year.

A new week, a new menu

2011-08-22T07:23:00.002-05:00

In honor of Rowan's first day of school, I let her decide what our dinner would be tonight. She picked Chicken Stir Fry.

Tuesday - Hamburgers

Wednesday - Goulash in the crockpot for FPU class

Thursday - Potatoes with Sausage and veggies

Friday - Pizza

Saturday - Chicken

Now my son cannot accuse me of serving chicken every night. I have proof! :)

Pizza Night

2011-08-19T18:40:00.002-05:00

Here's the wonderful pizza crust mix I keep talking about it. My family simply gobbles it up and is happy. My daughter is dairy free so we use vegan mozzarella cheese and still no one complains. My husband doesn't get heartburn and my teenage son get full. Win, win, win. Gotta love it.

Here's the finished product. Well one of them. The mix actually makes two pizzas. Tonight I used gluten free Italian sausage from a local supplier to our neighborhood Price Chopper. I'm very thankful they make such options available.

Off he goes!

2011-08-19T07:38:00.004-05:00

He wouldn't let me take a picture of him standing by his car on the first day he drove to school so I sneaked out and snagged a pic of him pulling out of the drive. He left at 7:15 for good measure to avoid the craziness of the students who get to school last minute and will be hanging around after school for a bit to avoid the mad dash out of the place.

Today I will be placing my first order from Amazon's gluten free store and it will be for my favorite pizza dough mix - Namaste brand. I'm a little excited about the ease and if all goes well, may be going this route much more often for my favorites.

I hope everyone has a great weekend.

Orientation

2011-08-18T14:20:00.002-05:00

Rowan had orientation today for her new academy. There's about 300 students, 38 teachers, and numerous other staff. I think it's going to be a great year for her and I'm excited. She saw a couple of familiar faces which helped with the jitters.

The school is not a co-op but an academy and with that I can drop Rowan off like a regular school and go about my business. I haven't decided whether I'm going to take advantage of that option of bring stuff to read/work on and hang out at the school. I know there are other parents who quietly work on things. We'll see. Maybe it will just depend on what needs to be done on a given day.

My clutter journal is keeping me on task and I'm now on my second week of making my bed everyday. It gives me a great sense of accomplishment every time I walk in my room and see that made bed. I guess it really is the simple things. My sink has stayed clean. The kids have worked on their rooms and taken out the trash each night. In general they've done each task I've asked them to complete without complaint (maybe with a bit of delay, but no grumbling).

All in all, I'm happy to be in the routine of things and will be happy to "complete" the routine with the addition of Rowan's school next week. I have a great family and I'm so blessed.

Jr. Year has begun

2011-08-16T07:48:00.002-05:00

It's official, my boy is a Junior in high school. On the way to school we phoned both grandmas and his dad who's at work to say good morning and good luck. In a couple of week's he will have a parking spot and will be driving himself to and from school, Whoo-hoo. Today truly was crazy so I was a little thankful that I got to drive.

Monday my daughter will start the eighth grade. I'm excited for the year. I think it's going to be great. My favorite part will be teaching Math. Because I'm relearning as I go. It's fun and Ro is a great student.

Weekly Menu

2011-08-15T13:17:00.002-05:00

I managed to eek out a menu for the first week of school. We will be having chicken tacos tonight. I thought I'd start out with a tried and true favorite after the kids have been with their grandmother who doesn't cook for a month. To celebrate the first day of school for Rand tomorrow we shall have pot roast. The boy loves pot roast. Wednesday will be Taco Soup for FPU and the family. Thursday we'll have marinated chicken leg quarters and Friday we'll have gluten free pizza with vegan mozzarella as Rowan is allergic to dairy. Saturday will be a day for sandwiches, but Wednesday I'll plan next week's menu when the sale ads come out.

The family really likes the pizza as long as I use Namaste brand pizza crust mix. It's getting harder and harder to find. Amazon has a new gluten free store so I checked their site and low and behold they have Namaste crust by the 6 pack for $30. That's even a little cheaper than you can buy it at the local grocery store, if you can find it. Plus it's eligible for Prime Membership shipping so I won't have to pay shipping. Win-win.

Playing Catch Up

2011-08-14T20:42:00.002-05:00

You might imagine that a lot has happened since March. I wasn't quite able to pull myself out of my funk so I visited with my doctor and got a little extra help besides the vitamin D. I guess it runs in the family and sometimes we just need that help. My daughter's health declined greatly in the spring and we ended up back in the hospital with her with more diagnostic procedures and the end result was admission to the abdominal pain clinic at Children's Mercy as well as the addition of some holistic supplements. The combination has been working well over the summer.

I kept up with my meal planning until the summer when I had to have surgery and then I was pretty much out of commission from the first part of July until now and I still haven't been cleared for active duty. I have to wait a couple more weeks, but school starts tomorrow so I'll be back to at least meal planning.

My favorite cookbook author, Stephanie O'Dea, came out with a new book at the beginning of August titled "Totally Together: Shortcuts to an Organized Life." Now I love Stephanie and her cookbooks have been a God sent and I've probably purchased 20+ copies and given them as gifts, let alone referred people to them, but this book is a rip. It took me less than 30 minutes to read the meat of it (on pain meds) and the bulk of the book is a checklist/journal for the 7 simple steps she recommends for organizing your life. SPOILER ALERT: One of the secrets - Pick up after yourself! Man is she brilliant. I had definitely never thought of that one. Thank you for the enlightenment. Now to be fair it's not that different from a diet book/food journal. You want to lose weight, Eat Less! You know how you can do that? Follow the rule: "You bite it, you write it.? So I'm trying to stay positive and use this tool I ordered and check my boxes each day, writing notes to myself, and just staying on track. Personally, I think you'll get a lot more out of flylady.com.

I followed up the church's weight loss challenge with a city sponsored challenge which was followed by another and I've lost a total of 30 pounds. I haven't reached my goal weight but it definitely feels attainable and I can't wait to be cleared by the doc and get back to the gym. I'll probably have to start in the pool as I've basically been useless for 4 weeks.

We will be back to homeschooling with my daughter this year. Actually more like a hybrid program where she'll attend an accredited school twice a week and the other three days we'll school at home. I pray that her health will continue to stabilize and we may talk to the staff at Children's Mercy about a 504 plan for a slow reintegration into school. Then we'll work on an IEP for the dyslexia and hopefully she'll have a much more positive experience.

I hope my readers out there can forgive my absence. I should be back on track and look for plenty of new posts from me. :)

Vitamin D

2011-03-09T14:26:00.002-06:00

Who knew Vitamin D could be so important. Since January I've been dealing with decreasing energy. In February I was concerned enough to make an appointment with my doc. She ran a bunch of tests and found out my Vitamin D level was in the basement. The prescription: 10,000 iu. of Vitamin D for a few days then 5,000 daily along with my multi-vitamin that has 880 iu. In addition, I'm to get 15 minutes of sun a day. This has been far more challenging with the weather not cooperating the last few days.

I'm really looking forward to spring break. I'm hoping the loading dose of D will get me up and running at normal speed by that time so I can fully enjoy my break. I'm also hoping the sun will show its face so I can get the 15 minutes I need. I used the tanning bed for the first time since high school yesterday to lift my mood. I don't know that it's a ligitimate source of D, but I felt better after 10 minutes of relaxing in the warmth.

I will be spending time with my parents during our break and can't wait to cook for them. I may try a few recipes my family would never go for which will make it even more fun. If you have something for me to try that you know is a winner, let me know.

March Menu

2011-02-23T21:27:00.002-06:00

I finally got this accomplished this evening.

Tuesday, March 1st - Sweet Garlic BBQ Chicken
Wednesday, March 2nd - Spaghetti
Thursday, March 3rd - Taco Lasagna
Friday, March 4th - Pizza
Saturday, March 5th - Rand's Cheeseburgers
Sunday, March 6th - 3 packet Pot Roast
Monday, March 7th - Rice & Beans with Sausage
Tuesday, March 8th - Chicken and Rice Soup
Wednesday, March 9th - Chicken Tacos
Thursday, March 10th - Pulled Pork & Potatoes
Friday, March 11th - Puffy Pizza Casserole
Saturday, March 12th - Lasagna
Sunday, March 13-March 18th - Spring Break
Saturday, March 19th - Fajitas
Sunday, March 20th - Lazy Chicken
Monday, March 21st- Cheeseburger Soup
Tuesday, March 22nd - Beef Tacos
Wednesday, March 23rd - Simple Pepper Steak
Thursday, March 24th - Am. Chop Suey
Friday, March 25th - Pizza
Saturday, March 26th - Baked Chicken
Sunday, March 27th - Sweet & Savory Pot Roast
Monday, March 28th - Baked Potato Bar
Tuesday, March 29th - Pizza Chicken
Wednesday, March 30th - Carnitas
Thursday, March 31 - Chicken Pasta

March Madness

2011-02-23T12:25:00.002-06:00

I know we're not quite there yet but as I'm looking at my menu, I hate the fact that I'm not able to look ahead to what's coming. So, today I'm going to work on my March menu. Tomorrow I will go grocery shopping with the goal in mind for two weeks worth of food.

The clouds seems to be getting me down and I'm lonely in general. It's one of those days that I really miss homeschooling and having the house busy. My cold moved from my head to my chest and back up to my head. Now it feels like I have a raging sinus infection with the accompanying headache to make things challenging. Okay, enough of the pity pot.

Time to get myself "dressing my truth", take some medicine, and get out there. I'll treat myself to lunch and run a couple of errands. Pep talk accomplished.

Weighing In

2011-02-19T12:10:00.002-06:00

One of the suggestions I got from the book "Cutting Your Grocery Bill in Half" was to weigh the produce that in packaged. If it's a pound of carrots it is required to be at least a pound, but is often over for good measure. I got a half pound more of peppers by weighing the packages. Yay!

My month's worth of menu planning is going well. I've been sick all week but thanks to planning ahead and a full fridge, it hasn't been too tough to load up the crock pot and feed my family well. The chicken soup came just at the right time. I had cooked up the chicken earlier in the week. I still have some left over to make chicken salad.

My other type of weighing in hasn't gone so well, but that's what happens when you're too sick to workout and lie in bed most of the day. I do feel like I'm over the worst of the sickness so I should be back at it next week. Whoo-hoo.

Deals of the Week

2011-02-16T12:12:00.003-06:00

Price Chopper is our big winner this week with several great deals. I'm guessing Hy-Vee will catch up with an awesome Presidents' One Day Sale. I'm just about finished reading "How to Cut Your Grocery Bill in Half" by Steve and Annette Economides. It's a good read and has confirmed that I'm doing a lot of things right. They cook mostly Greek and Italian foods which don't tend to be the most Celiac friendly, but there's lots of great info and I encourage anyone to read it. One thing I learned is their "buy price" for meat is no more than $1.50 a pound. They said in their area that prohibits buying boneless/skinless chicken breasts. I'm thankful that does not hold true for our area. Check out Price Chopper this week:

Boneless/Skinless Chicken Breasts - $1.29 lb
Cantaloupe - $1.49 each
General Mills Cereal - $1.79 17 oz box (use coupon along with sale - bonus)
Stouffer's Family Size Entrees - $5.99
Thurs - Sat. Only
Dozen Grade A Large Eggs - 99 cents
Strawberries - $1.88 lb pkg.

Hy-Vee does have Natural Fresh Chicken Leg Quearters for 49 cents a pound. Have fun!

Frustration

2011-02-15T12:13:00.002-06:00

So, I'm part of a "biggest loser" competition with some people at church and others. Last week I was the winner with the biggest percentage lost. I was so excited and broke my rule of stepping on the scale in the middle of the week, but what a great feeling when the scale informed me I was in "One"derland. I was pumped and encouraged for the rest of the week. I exercised daily and watched what I ate. I was really looking forward to winning two weeks in a row. Imagine my surprise when I stepped on the scale yesterday and instead of being in "One"derland, I had actually gained a pound from the previous week. It is soooo frustrating. I'm attributing it to stress.

One week ago I sent my son on a missions trip to Mexico. If you keep up with the world news, you might say, "You did WHAT?" To make the matter worse, Rand wasn't 100% healthy. He had some marathon practice and performace sessions for the school's production of "Footloose" just a few days before. I took him to the urgent clinic on Sunday and insisted they do a rapid strep test even though the doctor said he didn't see any indications of strep. The test was negative and Rand's fever went down each day, reaching normal level before he left on the trip. Then I got a call from My Love while at MOPS, while Rand was on a plane to Arizona. Turns out the culture the doc sent to the lab tested positive for strep. So I had a panic moment trying to figure out what the next step should be. I ended up calling the pastor's wife to see when the missions team was to arrive in Arizona and she had the great idea of finding a 24 hour pharmacy to fill the script they had given us "just in case." I had to do a major search to figure out which 24 hour pharmacy would be best and a little sweet talking to the pharmicist, but it all got worked out. Praise the Lord!

The trip was a great success and everyone returned healthy and safe. The team built a house for a deserving family and had a great time. I am truly thankful for the wonderful leadership at our church and for those willing to take on this mission.

As life is settling back into the normal routine, I got a call from my daughter who is now sick. It's getting hard to take care of myself, but I know that's exactly what I need to do. I am struggling with a case of the sleepies and I'm not sure what is the root cause. I'm still working out regularly, I'm eating healthier than I have in a long time by cutting out most all sweets, I'm sticking to my menu plan, and lots of other positives. Like I said, I'm frustrated right now. My mom takes a vitamin D supplement which she swears helps her avoid naps each day. I added a liquid multivitamin to my day two weeks ago to try to help but it hasn't had any immediate positive benefits like I had hoped. I haven't given up. If you have any ideas, I'm open.

Deals of the Week

2011-02-10T08:42:00.002-06:00

Hy-Vee
Fri. & Sat. only
10lb bag russet potatoes - $1.98
Blue Bunny Ice Cream - $2.48

Every day
Organice Pink Ldy Apples - 77 cents a pound
Velveets Shells & Cheese - $1.79
Nut-Thins -2/$5 (go great with chicken salad)
Folgers Coffee 34.5oz - $6.99
3 lb bag yellow onions - $1.77

Price Chopper
Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast - $1.99lb
Home Pride Wheat Bread 2/$3 (for the family's sandwiches, not mine)
Roberts OJ - $3.69 gallon (not a great price but we go through it like most families do milk)
Ragu Pasta Sauce - $1.79

Thurs (today) and Friday only
Family Pack Chicken Legs or Thighs - 78 cents a pound
Broccoli or Cauliflower - 98 cents ea.

February Menu

2011-02-10T08:37:00.003-06:00

That's right. You thought I slacked off from my menu planning but I've been going strong and even managed to make a full month's worth. I'll start will today until the end of the month.

2/10 Beef Tacos
2/11 Pizza Friday
2/12 Garlic Chicken (fits nicely with this week's sales)
2/13 Cheeseburgers with corn
2/14 Shredded Pork with bake potatoes
2/15 Green Pepper Chicken
2/16 Layered Beef Casserole
2/17 Chicken & Rice Soup
2/18 Pizza Friday
2/19 Fried Rice w/ Chicken (or pork depending what's on sale that week)
2/20 Beef Bourguingnon
2/21 Chicken Tacos
2/22 Cowboy Stew
2/23 American Chop Suey
2/24 Lasagna
2/25 Pizza Friday
2/26 Beef Tostadas
2/27 Chili
2/28 Cheeseburger Soup

The snow came, oh my.

2011-02-04T11:31:00.002-06:00

It was called the storm of the century which it can claim being that we're so new to this century. We got over 14" where we live and the heavy winds whipped up drifts upwards of 3', but I know we didn't get the worse of it. We were stuck inside for a couple of days with our cul-de-sac being a low priority on the snow removal list. I heard rumors at the school play last night that they may be making each school day longer to help make up the days instead of adding full days at the end of the year.

The most detrimental thing about the blizzard was the lack of gym time. I suppose there's the arguement that shoveling snow replaced it, but there's something about the gym that feeds my spirit. I'm eager to get back into the routine with My Love.

The snow is coming, the snow is coming....

2011-01-31T12:15:00.002-06:00

The weather forecasters are all predicting about 12 inches of snow for our area. The roads are wet now and slick where not treated. Somehow with my busy weekend I failed to realize a blizzard was on its way and was one of the "crazies" out this morning at the grocery store buying food and Home Depot to get salt. I normally shop on Fridays but I had a jewelry party that night to prepare for, guests from out of town visiting on Saturday, and we visited a friend who had surgery recently on Sunday. So with all that I found out on Sunday night that the snow was coming.

Our son's school play, in which he has a part, is suppose to be Thursday, Friday, & Saturday. I'm praying the snow does not effect the performances because he is going to Mexico for a missions trip the following weekend.

I'm getting caught up with laundry as I let it slide a bit with the weekend activities. The roast is in the crock. I will exercise on the Wii today rather than make it out in the weather and the last thing to do is Bible study. I think it will be an okay day even if the snow is coming.

Week #5 Menu

2011-01-27T11:08:00.002-06:00

This past week I did not adhere to the menu plan very closely. It's always a rough week for me with birthday celebrations and things. I've been keeping up with exercising each day and lost another 3 pounds this week. I'll do better this week following the meal plan (my family's sick of sandwiches.)

Saturday 1/29
Girls day lunch out
Dinner - Chicken Tacos because there's really nothing easier. :)

Sunday 1/30
Lunch - Egg Bake in the Crock Pot
Dinner - Lasagna (Stouffer's edition)

Monday 1/31 - Happy Birthday DAD!!!
Classic Roast and veggies in the crock

Tuesday 2/1 - Is it really February? Oh, my!
Brown Sugar Chicken

Wednesday 2/2 - Youth group so everyone will be eating at a different time
Cheeseburger Soup

Thursday 2/3
Sweet Garlic BBQ Chicken

Friday 3/3
Pizza

Tuesday Deal of the Day

2011-01-25T12:19:00.002-06:00

Tuesday is "double punch" day at the Hy-Vee deli counter with DeLussio meats. Today you can buy a pound on sale for $5.99 a pound, get two punches, AND a half pound of cheese FREE! That's cashing in. Delussio meats are gluten free to boot. YAY!

Happy Birthday, Baby Boy!

2011-01-25T12:11:00.004-06:00

My "baby" boy is actually 15 today. Pretty amazing if you ask me. I was watching both my kids walk into the house on Sunday after church and was struck by a multitude of memories of them as little people. I can't quite imagine being the mom of a toddler again and I'm not ready to let them go. I guess we're where we need to be.

The boy is already talking about getting a job this summer in town that's substantial. First we need to find out about a driver's ed class. I'm thinking it's just a summer thing, but to get his restricted license and be able to drive to work and school, he will need to take the class.

Before and After Pictures

2011-01-20T20:07:00.002-06:00

Before pictures:

After Dressing Your Truth Makeover:

The jewelry isn't totally a Type 3, but it's richer than silver and things are still in progress. I will be having a jewelry party next week and adding more appropriate pieces to my collection.

Week #4 Menu

2011-01-20T19:58:00.002-06:00

Saturday 1/22

Lunch with G & G for boy's b-day

Dinner - Green Pepper Chicken in the crock

Sunday 1/23

Lunch - Chicken Salad

Dinner - American Chop Suey in the crock

Monday 1/24

Fried Rice with Chicken

Tuesday 1/25

Boy's B-day so Boy's Choice

Wednesday 1/26

Beef Bourguignon - in the crock

Thursday 1/27

Garlic Chicken - in the crock

Friday 1/28

Pizza

Snow Day #3

2011-01-20T10:51:00.003-06:00

We got over 7 inches of snow yesterday. The Iowa child in me couldn't stay inside and despite the workout of shoveling snow, the gym beckoned me. The side streets haven't been touched, but the main streets are in great shape. I don't know what that means for snow day #4. My guess, the girl will be going to school since they don't run buses and the boy will be back at it. I'm sure that will thrill the drama teacher since their performance is just around the corner.

I'm letting the girl make chocolate chip cookies. A good portion of them will be headed to the neighbor who lent us his snowblower to clear the majority of our driveway.

So I was wrong

2011-01-19T08:25:00.003-06:00

Turns out Price Chopper does have some good deals this week. Their 4 day sale starts tomorrow and includes:

Edy's Ice Cream 1.5 qt. $1.99 ea.
24 pack Coke $5.99 (that's for you Diane :))
Best Choice Tomatoes 39 cent (that will come in handy after making two giant crocks of chili for the fundraiser. I had just about depleted my supply)
Ragu Pasta Sauce $1.49 ea.
Ore-Ida Potatoes $1.69 ea.

Have fun shopping before the storm.

Deals of the Week Jump Start

2011-01-18T18:48:00.002-06:00

So, Hy-Vee sends their weekly ad in the Tuesday mail which allows me to get a jump start on my sales list for the week. They're predicting 8-9 inches of snow for us tomorrow so it could be an interesting day.

We have at Hy-Vee thanks to a new store opening in the area:
Kraft Philadelphia Cream Cheese at 98 cents a box
Cheerios 8.9 oz box for $1.68
Tide 2x Ultra liquid laundry detergent, 150 oz. at $9.98
Fritos or Cheetos 9.5 oz bag $1.48
Little Debbie Snack Cakes 10 for $10

The last two items are great to stock up on because I never know when the kids are going to volunteer themselves to bring snacks to youth group or school.

Hy-vee is also having a special 12 hour sale on Friday with
Premium Saltine Crackers at 99 cents
Chicken Leg Quarters for 39 cents a pound
Crest Toothpaste 6.4 oz size for 99 cents

I'm guessing the local Price Chopper won't have anything too thrilling in their ad after the MLK day sale. We shall see.

Cloudy Day, Cloudy Mood

2011-01-18T08:34:00.002-06:00

I seem to acquired a cloud above my head like in the cartoons that is affecting my mood. It was a struggle to get to the gym this morning and I didn't feel like doing anything. It really started yesterday, but thankfully I had a get together with a friend to do some menu planning and made it through the day.

Right now I'm looking forward to yoga a little later this morning which is a marked improvement. I want to thank my husband for going to the gym this morning with me. Without him there, I wouldn't have gone in the first place, I wouldn't have made it past 10 minutes, and I would probably still be in bed. Thank you, My Love.

It's suppose to be cloudy in our area all week, with snow tomorrow and Thursday. I think it may be time to pay for a tanning session and give myself some light therapy. I'm sure I'll be able to deduct it on my taxes. :)

Deals are going fast

2011-01-17T07:26:00.003-06:00

I went to the gym this morning at 5:30 and after my workout decided to hit the 2 Price Choppers on my way home to make sure I got the deals for the day. The stores open at 6, I was there at 6:30 and one of them was already out of the veggies for 49 cents. I hope they correct that problem soon. Another thing, the Price Chopper on 151st had way friendlier staff that 159th. Guess which one was out of veggies? At 151st I had multiple people tell me that the "Limit 3" just meant you had to make your purchase, take it out to the car and come back in or stop this afternoon or evening. Guess what, I'm doing all of that. :)

Deals of the Week

2011-01-16T18:27:00.002-06:00

It turns out there weren't good deals on Wednesday because they were saving them for tomorrow's holiday. At Price Chopper tomorrow you can get:

Frozen Boneless Skinless chicken Breast for 99 cents a pound. Wow.
Green Giant Valley Fresh Steamers for 49 cents!
Dannon Yogurt 19 cents each
Best Choice Russet Potatoes 10lb bag for $1.99.

Those are some great deals. Time to stock up.

Yoga

2011-01-16T16:01:00.002-06:00

I LOVE YOGA! I found an excellent teacher at our gym and I can't wait to go again. I made her Wednesday night class then found out she was teaching on Saturday so I made a point to make that class as well. The first session I wasn't able to go the full time due to a wardrobe malfunction. Did you know that tight clothes really are necessary for yoga and not just for the ladies? I found some suitable attire on Friday and made the full class on Saturday.

I took Friday off which was my first day off in two weeks. It was actually hard not to go to the gym which I took as a good sign. My body is wanting the exercise. It's getting the idea that this is good for it.

Our church fundraiser for the February mission trip was a hit. The youth earned just over $2,300. I'm so pleased. I "started" two pots of chili before I went to bed and then woke up at 4am to check on them. Good thing, turns out that I forgot to plug in my non-programmable crock. Thank you, Jesus. Then I forgot to start the potatoes and woke up again at 5am to do that. God sure does take care of me.

I'm keeping up with the laundry by doing a load a day, despite its size. I'm a week ahead on the menu planning as I've already completed next week's that I will post on Thursday. It was nice to hear from several people today that they could tell I have been working out. The scale hasn't budged yet this week so I needed the encouragement.

That's my update. I hope everyone has had a wonderful weekend.

Week #3 Menu

2011-01-13T10:44:00.002-06:00

Saturday, January 15th
Pulled Pork with Potatoes, both from the crock pot

Sunday, January 16th
Chili & Potato fundraiser at church for lunch
Chicken & Rice Soup for dinner in the crock pot

Monday, January 17th
Spaghetti, with a side of green beans, & GF garlic bread

Tuesday, January 18th
BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches, with side of corn, & salad

Wednesday, January 19th
Chicken Tacos in the crock.

Thursday, January 20th
Cowboy Stew in the crock.

Friday, January 21st
Pizza with carmel brownies in the crock pot.

Weekly Deals

2011-01-12T20:52:00.003-06:00

The weekly deals are so pathetic this week that it's not worth posting the few things I consider a deal because I know they can be better. I've taken that into consideration and tweaked my menu plan for next week. I'm not quite finished, but I will have it posted tomorrow.

I made it to the gym this am & pm. My body seems to have hit a wall of some sort where it really doesn't want me to put it through a workout. My Love says I may not be eating enough of the right stuff and he's probably right. I'm staying away from junk food but I think I need more protein to be building muscle. I'm going to work on that and have some type of protein before I head to the gym tomorrow. I haven't given up and I won't so let's hear it for the girl. :)

Snow Day #2

2011-01-11T18:15:00.002-06:00

The numbers are all in and I did not win the first week of Biggest Loser. I lost 1.46% and the winner came in with a whopping 2.98%. That simply means I will have to step things up a bit. I think I'll be switching to two workouts a day. I'm happy with my weight loss, like I said the scale hasn't moved that way in awhile, but my workouts make me happy. I feel accomplished when I can post that I "got 'er done."

There was the customary sleepover with two consecutive snow days along with playing outside. We also made a trip to Target where I hung out in the food court so the girls could window shop. The boy spent his day gaming and I'm sure is perfectly happy about that.

My take-out, fake-out Chicken Lettuce Wraps were disasterous this evening. I miss read the amount for the "allspice" and that's all I have to say about that. I'm already working on next week's menu due to a few requests. I should have known that working with all new recipes for an entire week might rock the boat a bit much. Next week we'll be having some family favorites. We'll see what sales are to be had tomorrow.

Dressing my truth has generated many compliments and being the results driven Type 3 that I am, I couldn't be more thrilled. I love looking my best. I love that it's simple and I feel confident with each piece that's in my closet. You really should check it out at www.annanderson.dressingyourtruth.com.

Snow Day

2011-01-10T16:09:00.002-06:00

We have the most wonderful neighbors. Today the snow just kept coming down. David and I cleared the driveway at 6am, but it had even more snow on at noon. I sent our son out to shovel and the neighbor lent him his snowblower. Yay. We're suppose to get more snow tonight so I will probably get another low back workout.

I did make it to the gym this morning. Traffic was a bit nuts and the roads were a bit slick but I just kept my pace slow and steady and it wasn't much trouble at all. I'm enjoying my workouts more and more. Maybe because today was our first weigh-in since starting our biggest loser competition and I lost 3 pounds this week. That got me excited. I haven't seen the scale move in that direction in a while.

Dinner is in the crock-pot and I am staying faithful to my meal plan. I don't think my son is too happy about the deal as he seems to have gotten really picky lately, but I don't care. Tonight is the pioneer dinner. It's protein in Italian Sausage links with potatoes, onion, and carrots. Pretty simple, right. I love crock-pot cooking.

Girls Day Out & stuff

2011-01-09T12:50:00.003-06:00

With all the fun I had with my daughter yesterday, I totally forgot to post to the blog. Ooops. We had fun exploring the consignment shops together. Rowan got a fabulous Michi purse with two shells and three different handles for $40. It was the classic size. We stopped at the mall afterwards and just a shell for a classic purse runs around $35. I love getting great buys.

We also checked out Plato's closet. It's another great store and we found several great deals there to expand Rowan's closet. I can't wait for my friend, Sara, and her girls to come for a visit to explore the stores some more.

I've tried several new recipes in the crock pot. One that was not on my menu was a Triple Chocolate Cake on Friday. It was a big hit. I had a little scoop with a smaller scoop of ice cream and enjoyed it greatly.

I've kept up with my workout routine. Tomorrow is our first weigh in since starting our biggest loser competition. I'd love to win the first week (and all other weeks :)). I more competitive than some may think and I'm loving the motivation of the competition.

Go Chiefs!

Grrrr.....

2011-01-07T17:24:00.003-06:00

In November my mom came for a visit and we ordered a desk from Bassett Furniture that I would use in my work from home for her. They said it would be no problem to deliver it before the new year. I haven't heard anything from them regarding delivery so I stopped in today to check on the status of my order.

The person who handles shipments status and deliveries informed me that he doesn't know when my desk will be on a truck and until it is, he won't know when it can be delivered. When I told him my card had been charged for the item, he informed me that Bassett was in a bit of a financial bind so that made sense and they "just released" the orders to go out. Grrrrrr.

I can say this; Bassett has a lovely store, but I will never do business with them again. I cannot cancel my order and to "restock" the item I would have to pay half the cost. Grrrrrr.

Progress

2011-01-07T07:11:00.002-06:00

I feel like I'm making progress with my workouts. I met with a trainer this week that helped me add some strength training to my routine and it's kicking my butt. It's a good thing though as it is helping with the progress.

I started the women's Bible study of Daniel on Wednesday. I will admit that I have abandoned the ownit365 plan to read the Bible, but I joined a friends challenge to read the New Testament in 90 days. That along with the study of Daniel, I feel like I'm honoring the intent of my resolution which was to become more familar with the Word.

Meal planning and my morning routine are coming along nicely. I got all my grocery shopping done yesterday which felt great. I'm happy to have a break this evening with our Friday night tradition of pizza. I will be eating leftovers as pizza isn't gluten free, but that's okay because I've made some terrific food this week. There are far worse things than leftovers.

I still need to post an after picture, but that may have to wait as my daughter left the charger to her camera at her grandparents' over Christmas. I may be able to figure out how to take a pic on my phone, email it to myself, and convert it to a pic for a post. We shall see. I have been dressing my truth each day a feeling better and better. I'm getting a lot of compliments and more heads are turning. It's kinda fun.

Tomorrow will be my day off at the gym. I may try a yoga class or maybe I'll just use the hot tub at the subdivision's clubhouse. I'm thankful I have choices.

May you have a wonderful weekend!

Selling to the Resale shop

2011-01-06T08:05:00.003-06:00

I made it back to "Clothes Mentors" yesterday with a basket of clothes, several pairs of shoes, and numerous jewelry pieces. I was dissappointed they didn't take my nice busines clothes, but stuck to the more business casual stuff. They did like the jewelry and two pairs of shoes. For all of that I got $55, not too shabby but I was hoping for a bit more (don't we all).

In my haste to get my things back to the car, I totally forgot to stop next door at Plato's Planet. It's another resale shop that caters to the younger crowd. Oh, well, something fun to do this afternoon.

Week #2 Menu

2011-01-05T17:29:00.002-06:00

Sat. 1/8
Lunch - Deli Sandwiches
Dinner - Potato Soup (I will be taking advantage of the HV sale and it should come out better than last time when I tried to use Yukon Gold potatoes)

Sun. 1/9
Lunch - Layered Ground Beef Casserole
Dinner - Take-Out Fake-Out Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Monday 1/10
Pioneer Dinner

Tuesday 1/11
Green Pepper Chicken

Wednesday 1/12
Southwester Hash Brown Bake

Thursday 1/13
General Tso's Chicken

Friday 1/14
Pizza

I got all this week's recipes save the Chicken Lettuce wraps and pizza from my FABULOUS new cookbook from Stephanie O'Dea, "More Make it Fast, Cook it Slow." All my meals will be prepared in my beloved crock pot (except pizza and sandwiches). Now all I have to do is make my shopping list up.

I think my regular exercise is finely giving me the energy boost it's suppose to. I feel great today and have accomplished a lot. Wait, the day isn't over. Whoo-hoooo!

Deals of the week

2011-01-05T05:08:00.003-06:00

I'm a fan of shopping the sales and stocking up. When I make my menu plan it encorporates thes deals I have gotten. Knowing my cooking style and "go to" recipes makes it easy to know which products I will use most. I plan to give you a run down of the deals I will be stocking up on each week. There may be some fabulous deals out there like this week at Hy-Vee they have Banquet Meals for $.59 and Campbells Soup for $.39, but those things aren't gluten free so I won't include them on my list.

This week at Hy-Vee:
HV Russet Potatoes - 5 lb., $.88 (Price good Thurs -Sun)
HV OJ - 1/2 gallon, $1.19
Mrs. Grimes Beans - 15 oz. can, $.58
Golden Ripe Cantaloupe - 2/$4
Stemlit Organic Gala Apples - $1.38 per lb.
Fresh Grade "A" Whole Chicken - $.79 per lb.

At Price Chopper:
BC Chicken Breast - Frozen, 3 lb. bag, $3.99
Fresh Blueberries - $1.99 pint
Roberts Cottage Cheese - 24 oz., $1.49

I'm excited about the whole chicken because I'm going to try my hand at making my own chicken stock. Just today I'm making a chicken and rice soup that everyone loves and I needed 8 cups of chicken stock. To buy the prepared, gluten-free variety that's about $6. I can do much better than that making it myself. I'll let you know how it goes.

Consignment shops

2011-01-04T16:18:00.003-06:00

Today I scoped out several consignment shops. I started with a store called "Act II". They are a high end resale store but I was greatly disappointed when I got there. I hit the store on the tail end of the 50th anniversary sale and what was left was not what I wanted. Total bummer. They also aren't accepting appointments for new clothing for another 2 weeks. Not sure what they're going to do with the inventory situation now, but I'm guessing they won't be moving much.

I had much better luck at "Clothes Mentors". So good in fact that I'm returning tomorrow when I have more time. They accept clothes all the time so I took a flyer on the rules of selling to them and will be bring clothes, shoes, and jewelry with me tomorrow. I'll be happiest with cash, but I'm sure I can use store credit. It looked like there was another consignment shop next door, so I'm going to check it out tomorrow as well.

The third store I was able to visit was "Trading Closets". I had to wonder if the store was going out of business with their extremely limited inventory or if they had more success with their end of season sale. They too weren't accepting any new clothing. Oh, well. Their loss.

Bible Reading

2011-01-04T06:23:00.002-06:00

I have been following the plan set up by www.ownit365.com to read the Bible in a year. One thing I'm not liking very much is being in two books at the same time. Part of my reading is from Genesis and the other part from Job.

Job is a facinating story to me. It is one of the examples where we see depression in the Bible. What's particularly interesting to me was how Job's friends handled his depression. They went to his house, spent 7 days and nights with him, and didn't say a word. They were simply there to be with him. I think I could remember this lesson much more in my life as one who tends to be a fixer. Sometimes I just need to be with my friend and that is enough.

New Beginnings

2011-01-03T07:11:00.002-06:00

Today I had the opportunity to workout at the gym with My Love. It was a great way to start the day. I hope we have the opportunity more often. I'll be meeting with a trainer later this morning to start a weight routine to my workouts.

I'm also getting my hair cut and colored today. With the advice of the "Dressing Your Truth" program, I am going for a razor cut and warm, dynamic highlights. I will definitely have a new picture to post this afternoon. This evening the boys will start guitar lessons. I already contend with the drums and bass guitar so this should add too much noise. :)

The new semester of school with start for Rowan tomorrow and for Rand the next day. I'm looking forward to getting back into the school routine.

Another beginning today is for the Biggest Loser competition with several of my church friends and others we know. My mom will be joining the challenge and the makes me excited. We're very competitive and love to trash talk one another. I know it's silly but I find it highly motivating.

Lots of stuff happening. I'll be sure to keep you posted.

Word for the Year

2011-01-02T12:09:00.003-06:00

On K-Love, my favorite radio station, they were talking about having a word for the year. It should be in reference to your spiritual life. I started my yearly adventure of reading the Bible. My first assignment was to read Gen. 1&2 along with Job 1&2. After reading Job and listening to today's sermon, I was given my word - Blessing. Everything is a blessing from God. He giveth and taketh. I will regularly remind myself of the blessings in life.

One of the DJs also recommended keeping a journal of how God is working in your life. That way when your struggling, feeling distant, or questioning things you can look back and see God at work in your life and get back to a closer place, a thankful place. This may be a great place to journal some of those observations. I can't wait to share.

GF Cornbread Mix

2011-01-02T12:06:00.002-06:00

My general impression of anything from Bob's Red Mill is they were great when there weren't a lot of options in the GF world, but they really need to step up their game. The same is true for the cornbread mix. I found it dry and mostly lifeless. I think it would have been helped greatly with a bit of honey added or something to give a hint of sweetness.

This mix was given to me and I'm not sure if there are other options out there. I will lot for a different option in the future, but this will do in a pinch.

Before Pictures

2011-01-01T14:10:00.002-06:00

This is my best before picture. It shows what I thought was my best outfit with my hair in it's daily do. I even threw on jewelry which isn't normal. Let's see where Dressing My Truth takes me from here. :)

Week 1 Menu

2011-01-01T13:54:00.002-06:00

Saturday, January 1st -
Lunch - Chicken Salad (prepared enough chicken for meal on the 5th)
Dinner - Chili with GF (Gluten-Free) cornbread made from a mix I will review (prepared enough meat for dinner on the 4th)

Sunday, January 2nd -
Lunch - Deli Sandwiches
Dinner - Potato Soup made in the crock pot with GF bread made in the bread machine (Yum!)

Monday, January 3rd -
Rice & Beans with sausage

Tuesday, January 4th -
Cheeseburger soup in the CP (Crock Pot)

Wednesday, January 5th -
Chicken & Rice Soup in the CP with GF bread

Thursday, January 6th -
Leftovers

Friday, January 7th -
Traditional Friday night pizza

Happy New Year!!

2011-01-01T13:23:00.002-06:00

Welcome to 2011. I have decided to work on 6 aspects of things and blog about them this year. My first resolution is to read the Bible in its entirety this year. I will be using the plan at www.ownit365.com.

My second resolution is to make a meal plan for every week this year. To stay accountable, I will blog my weekly plans.

My third resolution is to dress my truth. It may seem like a funny saying but you can check out the concept at: http://annanderson.dressingyourtruth.com. I have found I am a dominant Type 3 energy and I will be blogging my transformation each month.

My fourth resolution is to improve my health. I know this is a common one. I've got a jump start with 3 weeks of exercising already under my belt. I work out 6 days a week, with Saturdays off. This Monday I am meeting with a trainer to add a weight resistance part to my workout routine. I am keeping accountable with various people: my mom, Maureen, Gabrielle, and others.

My fifth resolution is to start a morning routine a kin to that which I learned from Flylady. (www.flylady.com) It will include starting a load of laundry each morning which will help with my next resolution along with the third of dressing my truth.

My sixth resolution is to keep up with the laundry. It's not as hard of a task as it could be since the kids are responsible for their own laundry. I have significantly reduced my wardrobe by ridding it of all things not true to my Type 3 nature. With such a limited amount of options, staying on top of the laundry will be essential.

I'll be posting my before picture soon. Before Dressing My Truth & before weight loss.

I wish you all the best with your New Year's resolutions this year. If you're looking for an accountability partner, feel free to use the comment section to keep me up to date.

Daily Shoot

2010-04-12T09:15:00.004-05:00

My Love pointed me to the website and project Daily Shoot. They give you a photography assignment each day. I enjoyed Project 365 but I didn't necessarily develop my photography skills. I think this project will help. Today's assignment:

Look for colors that complement each other and make a photo using complementary colors to full effect today.

My Pics:

I really liked this photo once I got inside and could see it. The blue sky background is stunning and the house adds interest, I think.

I like this picture but I don't think it captures today's challenge of complimentary colors.

Parties

2010-03-27T10:32:00.002-05:00

Last night I took advantage of an invitation from a new church friend for a at-home jewelry party. I walked in to the heavenly scent of brownies baking. The host had prepared one of my favorite appetizers of the tortilla roll-up with cream cheese and chilies. There were also freshly baked cookies. I haven't had to deal with this type of torment since Christmas.

I made it through by avoiding the kitchen. That's not my style. I love the kitchen, hanging out there, talking about food and such, but it was too difficult. I will have to develop a plan to deal with such invitations in the future. I don't want to opt out of social affairs. Easter is just a week away and I need a plan of attack for that as well.

Mini Carrot Cakes

2010-03-24T11:16:00.001-05:00

This is my family's favorite new dessert. For the recipe I use Betty Crocker's Gluten-Free Yellow Cake mix and then double the rest of the ingredients because it's a 15oz. mix. The result is delightful.

The Pampered Chef ^®
Mini Carrot Cake Cups
Recipe

Cups
1 pkg (9 oz/250 g) yellow cake mix
1 1/2 tsp (7 mL) allspice
1 egg
2 tbsp (30 mL) vegetable oil
2 medium carrots, peeled, divided
Filling & Garnish
6 oz (175 g) cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup (175 mL) powdered sugar
1/2 cup (125 mL) thawed frozen whipped topping
Chopped walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Spray each well of Deluxe Mini-Muffin Pan with nonstick cooking spray. For cups, combine cake mix, allspice, egg and oil in Classic Batter Bowl; stir with Small Mix ‘N Scraper® until ingredients are moistened. (Mixture will be very thick.) Grate carrots using Ultimate Mandoline fitted with grating blade. Stir 3/4 cup (175 mL) of the carrots into batter; set aside remaining carrots for garnish. Using Adjustable Measuring Spoon, divide batter evenly among wells, filling wells about two-thirds full; bake 11-13 minutes or until cups feel firm to the touch.

Meanwhile, in clean Classic Batter Bowl whisk together cream cheese and sugar until smooth; fold in whipped topping. Spoon cream cheese mixture into resealable plastic bag; secure bag and set aside.

Remove pan from oven to Stackable Cooling Rack. Press tops of cups with lightly floured Mini-Tart Shaper to make slight indentations. Cool in pan 3 minutes. Carefully remove cups from pan; cool 5 minutes. Trim corner of cream cheese-filled bag with Utility Knife; pipe filling evenly into cups. Garnish cups with chopped walnuts and reserved grated carrots, if desired.

Yield: 24 tartlets

Nutrients per serving: (1 tartlet): Calories 100, Total Fat 5 g, Saturated Fat 2.5 g, Cholesterol 15 mg, Carbohydrate 13 g, Protein 1 g, Sodium 100 mg, Fiber 0 g

Cook's Tip: If desired, Cinnamon Plus® Spice Blend can be substituted for the allspice.

OreIda Fries

2010-03-24T11:06:00.003-05:00

Sorry it's been so long since I posted. Would you believe me if I told you there have been numerous health issues? :)

Last night I made hamburgers which I haven't done in awhile because I have discovered the ultimate joy of cooking with my crock-pot. I had some OreIda fries in the freezer and decided they would compliment the burgers well.

I just finished reading Jonni McCoy's book, "Miserly Moms". She said she never pre-heats her oven unless baking. So, I put the fries into the oven as soon as I turned it on. I set the timer once the oven indicated it was pre-heated because I just wasn't sure. The result was nice, crispy fries without the grease. If I were a true miserly mom I would have then taken the heated oven and thrown a batch of gluten free brownies in it, but I'm trying to watch what I eat and brownies would be too tempting.

While I'm on the subject of books, I also read "Frozen Assests" by Deborah Taylor-Hough. It's is a terrific read to tackle the feat of once a month cooking. She gives lots of tips that one can use for the recipes she provides or to adapt to your own. I really appreciated how easily her ideas translated to my gluten-free life style.

Pasta

2010-02-15T19:38:00.003-06:00

It's a funny name, but the best gluten free pasta I've tried, Tinkyada Pasta Joy. My family loves the Brown Rice Pasta Vegetable Spirals with chicken and alfredo sauce.

For Asian fare we enjoy the Thai Kitchen Thin Rice Noodles but don't follow the directions to let it stand in hot water for 8-10 minutes. I brought the water to a boil, removed the pan from the burner, added the noodles, and let them set for 3 minutes. They were perfectly done.

DeBoles Gluten Free Corn Spaghetti Style Pasta is much better with tomato based sauces than the rice counter part. Both styles are finicky with the cooking. They tend to stick together if not constantly stirred and there is extremely fine line between done and mush.

My next adventure will be with Quinoa pasta. There's lots of people raving about this stuff so it's time I give it a try. I'll let you know how it goes.

Namaste Foods

2010-02-13T13:28:00.002-06:00

I tried Namaste's Pizza Crust Mix and must say it was fabulous. It was very uncertain at first because it has the consistency of cake mix (which it recognizes in the directions). The package makes two 14" crusts but the mixing directions are for one which can be confusing. The mix is infused with seasoning and it just made the pizza taste better. The whole family loved it.

I also used the brownie mix. It was good but not remarkable. I tried making bite size brownies and they were gritty. The larger version turned out much better.

Verdict: I will definitely use the pizza crust mix again, but will probably go with the less expensive Betty Crocker brownie mix.

Sorghum Flour

2010-02-03T13:53:00.002-06:00

At our Celiac support group we had a lovely couple visit last month that introduced me to sorghum flour. They offer a "Master Blend All-Purpose Baking Mix" that substitutes for normal flour on a 1-1 ration. I used it last night to make the classic Nestle recipe for chocolate chip cookies.

They were fabulous!

If you want to try some of this fabulous flour here's the website. They are truly a family run business that knows their stuff when it comes to clean fields and the allergy communities needs. Give them a try, you'll be glad you did.

DayQuil

2010-02-02T17:11:00.003-06:00

I apologize for my absence. It was a long mourning period for the Girl Scout cookies, throw in a 14th birthday, house guests, sick daughter, sick mama, and you get busy. In dealing with the sickness I had an opportunity to contact Vicks and inquire about the gluten free status of their popular DayQuil. Good news, the only Vicks product that is not gluten free is their Sore Throat Lozenges.

Girl Scout cookie time

2010-01-20T19:45:00.001-06:00

The DJs on KLove were discussing the fact that it's Girl Scout Cookie time....let's give a moment of silence for the delicious treats I will never have again.

Acceptance

2010-01-19T12:38:00.002-06:00

Some days I'm there and some days I'm not. Today I'm mostly angry. I'm tired of being the one who has so much will power. I really don't, it's just that eating gluten is painful and I don't like pain. Saying no is painful, so I say yes to what I can as often as I can and wonder why I'm gaining weight. It's time to stop denying that I'm angry. I'm very angry and it's an emotion that's okay to have given the circumstances. I do not need to feel grateful that I know what the problem is. I do not need to be happy that I was diagnosed now instead of 5, 10, 15 years ago when it was really hard to be a Celiac. I am all of those things but I have to acknowledge the anger so I can get past it and reside more comfortably with the grateful side of things.

Chili's

2010-01-17T07:49:00.002-06:00

Yesterday My Love and I went shopping for a birthday present for a certain young man in the household. My Love was hungry and wanted to try someplace we haven't been or someplace we haven't been to in a while. There's a Chili's near the mall so we went there.

Before being seated, I asked the hostess if they had a gluten-free menu. She said, "Yes" enthusiastically which was encouraging. She rummaged in her podium, but couldn't produce a menu, she used her nifty headphone thing and asked someone to bring "the gluten-free" menu. I laughed to myself thinking they only had one gluten free menu, but knew that couldn't possibly be the case. I was wrong.

They had a three ring binder with an email listing the different menu options for special diets like an allergy to shellfish, diary, tree nuts, and such. It was not a gluten-free menu that made special accommodations for the gluten challenged, just pointed you in the right directions for menu items already offered.

This option was better than me scanning the menu myself and asking a million questions on how a particular item is prepared, but it left me weary that they probably don't understand anything about cross contamination. I ended up with the baby back ribs and veggies. It was really good but I missed the BBQ sauce on the ribs. The sauce was not listed on the safe menu so I didn't chance it.

I'm thankful more places are making an effort to meet the needs of the Celiac community. I know it will only continue to get better.

Joints

2010-01-14T17:01:00.002-06:00

Today has been a tough day, my joints are not liking me. I've heard from several sources that it takes about a year to really feel good again. I don't much enjoy a roller coaster ride of health but if I have more good days than bad that's better than before.

We took another trip to our Whole Foods market. I'm making their 365 brand of gluten free sandwich bread for tonight's dinner, spaghetti. I hope it goes well. So far it looks good in the bread machine. We shall see how it tastes.

If anyone knows a quick and easy remedy for angry joints (knees in particular) please let me know. They feel like balloons that are filled to the max and ready to pop any second. If that's TMI, be thankful I leave the bathroom talk out of my blog. :)

Hillshire Farms Smoked Sausage

2010-01-13T17:44:00.002-06:00

One of my favorite dishes to make is a simple potato & sausage skillet with various veggies. The favorite sausage is a smoked roped variety from Hillshire Farms which is owned by Sara Lee. I took time today to phone their customer service number and verify their product's gluten-free status. I was happy to hear the company has a truth in labeling policy and should any of the products have a gluten containing ingredient, it will be clearly marked. It will not be hidden under "flavoring" or "spice".

I'm over the moon that my favorite dish is gluten-free. To know that there is a company with its own truth in labeling policy, not government mandated, is also a thrill. Thank you Sara Lee & Hillshire Farms. I look forward to using more of your products.

Dietitian

2010-01-11T19:46:00.003-06:00

Our monthly Celiac Support Group was terrific. The food theme was pasta and there are some accomplished chefs in our group. My daughter went with me and thoroughly enjoyed the buffet without the stress. We were connected with a local dietitian that has two sons with Celiac. She had to leave early but another mom with a 12 year old girl took time after the meeting to talk with us and she has personal experience with the dietitian. It was nice to get such a glowing personal reference. I will be making an appointment tomorrow and look forward to having help with navigating the gluten-free waters. I'm particularly interested in foods that can help heal my gut and all those tricky places gluten hides.

I know there's a lot of information online for information regarding gluten-free living, Celiac disease, etc, but I must say that going to a support group is really terrific. To sit and talk with people with the same struggles, to graze at a totally safe buffet of food, to hear new information presented on a topic of interest, and to network with others just can't be done online. If you have a chance, go to a support group meeting. It's worth it.

Campbells Without Gluten

2010-01-08T17:09:00.002-06:00

I was shopping today and looking for quick lunch options. Campbell's Select Harvest Soup was on sale and I had a coupon, every gazellemama's dream. I chose the Mexican Tortilla Chicken Soup having read the label carefully for any gluten. Going a step farther per numerous sources suggestion, I called Campbell Soup Company's 800 number to verify the soup's gluten free status. I was told that none of Campbell's soup is gluten free because they cannot guarantee there has not been cross contamination. The person was nice enough to let me know of special website:
www.campbellswithoutgluten.com that has a list of all their gluten free products.

I was disappointed that none of the soups are a viable lunch option but was very thankful the representative was nice enough to direct me to a resource that was helpful. I hope it's helpful to you too.

Rice Crispie Treats

2010-01-07T11:45:00.002-06:00

I finally made a true rice crispy treat with gluten free cereal. The family considered them a big success. I'm really happy with it as well.

I received the Make It Fast, Cook It Slow: The Big Book of Everyday Slow Cooking by Stephanie O'Dea cookbook. I really like the fact that it's not just dinners. It has drinks, breakfast, side dishes, and main courses. I think it will be terrific for our guests this month (we have people visiting the last three weeks of Jan) to use the overnight breakfast casserole. I like the idea that the guests can serve themselves whenever they wake up.

I enjoyed my day in the kitchen and it got me thinking of doing even more all day cooking events. A friend gave me a link to a cooking website where you make a base that fits in with many different recipes so it may be my project next month. Right now I'm working through the crock pot meals in the freezer.

Reducing the stress of daily meal preparation is a big step towards my goal of being gluten-free. When I get overwhelmed by the daily grind I tend to want to go out and throw caution to the wind. Somewhere along the line this week I have made a mistake. I believe the culprit to be an orange juice purchased at Aldi's. It could have been compounded by a "crispy" fry I ate at Culver's. It wasn't what I have come to expect from their "safe" fries. I knew the fries were suspect just from their look, but I was starved and I went for it anyway. Yet another lesson learned.

Pleasant Surprise

2010-01-06T08:23:00.002-06:00

The GF Soy Sauce I thought I would have to get at the big Whole Foods store which is a ways from my house can also be found at my local Price Chopper just down the road. I was so happy to see it with the regular soy sauces. They stock both the normal and low sodium version. This is great news because I have found you need about double the amount of the GF version for a similar taste. Now it's super handy to restock. Thank you Price Chopper, now let's talk about your bakery selections. :)

I will be a busy bee today making chicken salad, chocolate cake, brownies, rice crispy treats, and bread. We're expecting 5 or more inches of snow today and My Love was worried about our food stores. We're totally set for dinners (assuming I can use my crock pot), but we were lacking on grab and go foods so I stocked up and will be making sure there is plenty of snacks in the house that do not need electricity to be enjoyed. The good news is it's plenty cold and I'm sure our garage will keep everything cold should we loose power.

A day in the kitchen, what fun!

Pulled Pork

2010-01-04T10:00:00.002-06:00

I've never make a pork butt roast. Something it the name made me think I shouldn't. However, it was on sale for 99 cents a pound so I decided to try it. I'm so thankful I did. I slow roasted my first pork roast this Saturday and it turned out just like the pork I order at Chipotle. The family loved it and I will be stocking up the next time it's on sale. If you've never tried it, put the roast in the slow cooker, mine was 6 lbs., add 3/4 - 1 cup water, salt and pepper. I cooked mine all day, drained the water & juices then used two forks to pull it apart. It really didn't need the forks, it was so moist it was falling apart on its own. Simply delicious.

My wonderful sister-in-law pointed me in the direction of a crock pot cookbook that is gluten-free. I'm eagerly waiting its arrival and will let you know what I think of it.

Blue Bird Siting

2010-01-03T16:41:00.003-06:00

Just before we moved to our new home, I looked out the window at our old home and saw 4 bluebirds in my front yard. This afternoon I let the dogs out to the back yard and there were 3 bluebirds. They did not spook with the dogs presence, in fact their number multiplied after the first one was sighted.

My mom has always considered bluebirds and good omen. I believe the transition is complete now and our old house is sure to sell soon. I will keep praying for such an event.

Saving Dinner

2010-01-03T07:19:00.003-06:00

We're in our new house and I've been looking forward to fully utilizing the kitchen. I've also been stressing about the gluten-free status of our food as I learn more reading The Gluten Free Bible by Jax Lowell. There are so many hidden places for gluten. Last night I read that the pets in the home need to be gluten free. My dogs already have a strict diet of venison and potato because of our German Shepherd's allergies, but I never thought about the cat food. I have a routine of feeding them followed by scooping the litter and then washing my hands so I think I'm okay.

To help with the demands of providing three meals a day I turned to SavingDinner.com. I've used their 20 crock pot meals for the freezer before my diagnosis, but not after. Yesterday I again downloaded the resource and ventured to the grocery store to buy the ingredients and make sure everything was gluten free. The meals are already low-carb so it wasn't hard to convert to gluten-free. I had to read the ingredients of the chili beans and such but I was pleasantly surprised by the relative ease I was able to complete the job.

I did much better putting together the recipes going one at a time instead of having a massive prep period followed by an assembly line of all the recipes. My goal is to do this the first weekend of every month. I know it will relieve a lot of stress. It doesn't get much easier than throwing a dish into the crock pot and setting it on low for the day.

Gluten-Free Social

2010-01-02T10:50:00.002-06:00

I love being a morning person in the city because everybody sleeps in. There's no traffic and you can get really terrific service at stores you visit. Today I was taking advantage of some sales at Hy-Vee and their wonderful health section where there was an employee stocking some shelves. She noticed my gluten-free selections and brought my attention to a Gluten-Free Social flyer posted. There will be a taste testing and time to talk with a dietitian. I'm so excited.

The monthly support group meeting is next Sunday. This time I plan to bring my daughter. I'm happy she'll be able to connect with other kids who face the same struggles. I hope it encourages her. Of course, I think she has a terrific attitude about her diet and am so thankful she is not resentful towards me. She's such a happy child.

My goal this month is to research options for a doctor in the area as well as a nutritionist. I'm sure the support group and social will provide decent leads.

Happy New Year!

2010-01-01T07:59:00.002-06:00

I hope everyone had a great evening with festivities. We had fun trying out a couple of new games, Picturieka & Scrabble Slam. I would highly recommend both. I also tried a new brownie mix. It comes from the Whole Foods' brand, "365 Everyday Value." It's a simple Chocolate Brownie Mix and it was delicious! All the family gave it two thumbs up. Another bonus is it is manufactured in a dedicated facility that is 100% wheat/gluten free. Way to go Whole Foods.

My New Year's Resolutions are pretty simple:

Become well acquainted with my Wii Fit trainer.
Walk the dogs every day.
Be gluten free.

P.F. Changs

2009-12-30T11:20:00.002-06:00

Over the holidays I had the opportunity to dine at P.F. Changs. They offer a nice gluten-free menu. A word of caution, most of the items are of a sea food nature. My daughter tried the rice noodles with chicken & shrimp. I got the fried rice with chicken. I loved the noodles and my daughter loved the rice. They both were truly delicious. We had garlic snap peas as a side and we were too stuffed to try the gluten free chocolate dome. Next time.

Two thumbs up for P.F. Changs.

Dang-Nab-It

2009-12-17T15:35:00.002-06:00

Well, I'm working on my vigilance with gluten-free items. One of our favorite things to make at home is fried rice. Now all the name brand soy-sauces list wheat as their first ingredient so I was "wise" and stayed away from those. I was pleasantly surprised when I came across the Best Choice brand and its first ingredient was, surprise, Soy. I now know that "caramel color" sometimes comes from barley which contains gluten. Best Choice's last ingredient is caramel color. I visited their website and was very happy to find a complete list of their gluten free foods with the Best Choice label. I was saddened by the absence of their soy sauce on the list. It turns out their caramel color is one of the few that comes from barley. Dang-Nab-It!

I must make a trip to the local Whole Foods store and see if I can find a gluten-free version. The websites I researched agree that it's a difficult item to find but that it can be done at health food stores. Here's praying that will be the case.

Celiac Sprue Support Group

2009-12-15T16:19:00.002-06:00

On Sunday I attended my first support group meeting. It was very nice, and a bit scary, to talk with other Celiacs. Nice because they were full of information, tips, suggestions and understanding. Scary because they drove home the point several times that gluten to Celiacs is like rat poison to the rest. Just one molecule of the stuff will do damage to my intestines. It is clear that I need to be more vigilant. I'm not going to be hard on myself for my behavior up to this point, I really have been trying to be good, but my standard for foods while eating out during the moving process has been, if I feel okay - it's safe. The members of the support group were clear that my test was not adequate. Got it. I'm glad I have the group to help me.

My Realtor sent me a link to the local culinary center and they're hosting a gluten-free dessert class in February. I promptly signed up and look forward to attending. I also unpacked my last kitchen box today. I'm now ready to tackle cooking & baking in my new home. So much fun.

I was really proud of myself today. I took both my dogs; a German Shepherd & a Golden Retriever, on a walk today. They behaved very well. I was proud of them. Mostly I was excited because I had the energy for the task. I plan on making it a daily occurrence. I got some of the energy out by walking them on the treadmill first. They aren't thrilled when I put them on it, but it works.

I'm told there's a cadillac Whole Foods store about 20 minutes from my house. I think I'll give it a try next week or early Saturday. I've learned quickly that going out first thing in the morning when in the city is the best time to beat the crowds. After 10am, you're toast. There will be lines, long lines. I'll let you know how it goes.

Live, Love, Laugh.

The Outback Steakhouse

2009-12-08T21:15:00.002-06:00

Turns out there's an Outback Steakhouse near our new home. Our family tried it out and they had a whole menu of gluten-free options, more than a dozen. And the best part....Chocolate Thunder Down Under....GLUTEN-FREE! They were so understanding and accommodating. I had the Alice Spring Chicken/Baby Back Rib combo...Yummmy.

Another big plus, Borders Bookstore. I asked where they kept their gluten-free cookbooks and I was ushered to 3 shelves of options. It was hard to select just one, but I didn't want to bite off more than I could chew (pun intended). I'm so excited to get into my new kitchen with the new cookbook and give some reviews of the recipes I try. I'm sure once the move is over I will be blogging much more.

"Living Without" review

2009-12-02T10:22:00.002-06:00

"Living Without" is a magazine devoted to people with Celiac and other allergies. I read the Nov/Dec issue cover to cover this morning and I have to say that I am very impressed. There was even an article for dogs with allergies. We have a German Shepherd who's allergic to just about everything so it was really nice.

This particular issue gave a run down of all the flour alternatives out there and numerous holiday baking recipes. It also had a terrific article on managing holiday gatherings with an allergy. I was very encouraged. I'm been managing my Celiac disease with success, but I have not been very adventurous. I think I'm ready. We're set to close on our new house this Friday. I can't wait to get into my new kitchen, establish it as totally gluten free, and have some fun creating.

Thank you, "Living Without", for giving me courage and tools to explore more with food.

Gluten-Free Thanksgiving

2009-11-29T17:26:00.002-06:00

I survived my first holiday hurtle. I managed to celebrate Thanksgiving gluten-free and still enjoyed the traditional food. I made my own bread for the stuffing, used corn starch for the gravy, and delivered a tasty-but-not-pretty tea ring (a Swedish pastry our family enjoys).

I served my potato & sausage dish to the grandparents on the night of their arrival and it was well received. It also made very handy leftovers. I think all the food was enjoyed by everyone & we had so great fun playing Phase 10, ImaginIff, & Cranium.

My challenge this week is to use up everything I can from the cupboard, fridge, & freezer. We're set to close on our new house on Thursday. It could be Friday, but I'm heading up there Thursday to be on the safe side. I've planned out our menu until then and I shouldn't have much to pack. Whatever is left in the freezer I will give to some family friends.

I'm eager to be in a metropolitan area and explore all the gluten-free options available. I'm excited to join a support group. It'll be nice to be closer to family too. They're a huge support. I may also be able to score bigger deals when it comes to my couponing with a more competitive market. Fun, fun!

I hope you all enjoyed a wonderful holiday. Only 25 days until Christmas!

Open House

2009-11-15T08:21:00.002-06:00

Today is our first (hopefully last) open house. I know the likelihood of us having the buyer come today are slim, but there is a chance or we wouldn't be having the open house. Time to get the house into a state of perfection. It's pretty darn close already so it shouldn't take too terribly long, I just stress anyway.

My Love and I looked at carpet samples yesterday and I found a terrific inspiration rug that will tie the whole house together. I will have to post picture later. Right now I need to work on the house and get myself to church.

Have a terrific Sunday.

Roasted

2009-11-11T20:04:00.002-06:00

I have finally figured out a consistent way to make a terrific roast. I'm sooooo thrilled. I'm working my way through the 1/2 a cow we purchased over the summer in hopes of emptying the freezer before we move to KC. I love the fact that I have a super easy supper once a week that my family loves.

I have transitioned from salty & crunchy to chocolaty. I've already talked about Betty Crocker's new Gluten-Free Chocolate cake, but I'm sure I'll be making some new discoveries with my most recent craving.

Sorry my blog's all about food. To veer off the topic I will add that being pain free for the better part of a month now (no recent hard lessons have been learned), I am starting to feel pretty darn good. I am once again a morning person because I don't spend my evenings writhing in pain. I'm a more pleasant mom and a better wife. I don't stress my friends with weird pain faces that they can do nothing about and I'm handling the stress of moving like a "normal" person. At least, how I perceive a normal person might deal with the stress; everybody loves food.

Stay tuned for a list of my favorite gluten-free chocolate fixes.

Crunchy, Salty, Stress Relieving

2009-11-11T06:08:00.002-06:00

We are in the process of moving back to the KC area. My Love has already started working up there and is staying with relatives. Last week we found a house and yesterday we accepted the counter offer the seller made so it looks like December 3rd is the closing date.

We've also put our house on the market and keeping it "show ready" is a bit stressful for me. I've been managing the stress with anything crunchy and salty that is also gluten free. Here's a list of my favorite:

Glutino Pretzels - you absolutely do not know these gems are gluten free. I feel spoiled eating them.

Lundbert Bean & Rice Chips, Pico de Gallo flavor - What a nice departure from plain corn chips. They are flavorful, super crunchy, and need no dip.

Peanut M&Ms - yes all the M&M varieties are gluten free but these have the most crunch and for that they are a favorite.

Always Save Microwave Buttered Popcorn - this is my cheap snack and it's a hot one so that's a bonus with the weather getting cooler.

I also get a certain satisfaction from peanut butter filled celery. It reminds me of my early childhood for some reason.

There you have it, my top picks for crunchy and salty gluten free snacks.

Coffee Cake

2009-11-01T07:58:00.002-06:00

Last night I made a mix I had for coffee cake. It called for an 8" spring form pan, but mine is packed away. I did some quick thinking and decided to use my 10" stainless steel skillet that's oven safe up to 500 degrees. It worked like a charm and everyone loves the coffee cake as well. You can't tell it's gluten-free at all.

I'm making a roast for dinner and brownie truffles for dessert. Yum. I'll let you know how the brownies turn out.

Cookies

2009-10-24T20:52:00.002-05:00

I finally made the cookies and the dough was great. I used a recipe that had oatmeal in it and I think I should have used a bit more because the cookies flatten out quite a bit in the baking process, but all the family agreed they were much better than the mix we used earlier. We also had guests over this evening and they enjoyed their gluten free meal and dessert.

I'm happy to have the "nearly normal" flour substitute. I look forward to trying more new things. As we start the process of selling our home, there should be plenty of opportunity to offer the warm baking smell to potential buyers.

I'm talking part in a challenge with my aunts and uncle to be healthy and lose weight. I honestly haven't focused on the weight loss. My main goal has been to stay gluten free, but with the stress I've been overdoing the food. Tomorrow I am starting back up with my Wii Fit and I'm am going to beat my uncle. The ladies are too nice, but my uncle talked smack and I'm thankful because it's just what I needed for some motivation to not only eat gluten free but to make those choices healthy ones AND exercise. Love, you Joe!

Rice Crispie Treats

2009-10-20T16:54:00.002-05:00

I discovered three week into my gluten-free lifestyle that rice crispies are crisped using malt and the delightful safe food that was a rice crispie treat was not safe at all. My wonderful mom found some puffed organic rice at the health food store and sent it to me. Today I attempted to make rice crispie treats out of them and it did not go well. The rice was definitely puffed, but not crisp. I now have a soggy mess of puffed rice and marshmallows. It's a bummer, BUT the positive thing is they do sell rice crispie treats that are premade at the health food store and they are delightful. Expensive, but delightful. I guess I'll have to stick to those for the time being.

It may be the nurturer in me (my daughter had surgery this morning), but I am really in the mood to bake. I have all the ingredients and I think it's time that I try to make a good old fashioned chocolate chip cookie. I know I had plans to do this earlier and I'm sorry I've waited, but I'm going to give those Neiman Marcus cookies a try. I'm seriously needing some comfort food, and so is my daughter.

Wish me luck.

Stress & Food

2009-10-14T16:40:00.002-05:00

Life is never without challenge. In our house we are celebrating the fact that My Love accepted a position with his former employer. That means that we will be moving back to the city. This is great news because it offers a tremendous amount of activities to enrich our homeschooling. It's also a big enough area that I could likely consult with a dietitian that specializes in celiac disease.

It is stressful because we will be putting our house on the market. Moving typically means meals out and that's a challenge in itself with the food restrictions in mind. Of course, it's much easier to find gluten-free dining places in the city, so bonus there. :) I like to eat when I'm stressed even though I'm not hungry. I find crunchy food the most satisfying. I will have to stock up on gum.

I am meeting with a realtor tomorrow afternoon and the next day. I am meeting a Feng Shui specialist the following week. I hope to create positive energy in the home and make those who view the home feel comfortable while they're here. The goal is to list the house the first week of November. If the Lord is willing, we will sell it quickly and be able to be together sooner than later in a new home.

I will remember my favorite verse: "I can do all things through Christ who strenghtens me." Phillipeans 4:13. I will also be utilizing the FlyLady's system of 15 minutes a day. It has been a struggle this year, not feeling well the vast majority of the time. I'm happy to be feeling better with the new challenge at hand and know things will keep getting better.

Tapioca Starch

2009-10-08T17:16:00.002-05:00

It has arrived. I now have all the ingredients for the all purpose flour substitute. It came at a great time. I will spend tomorrow baking before we leave for Little Sweden where there will be many forbidden foods. I'm going to try my hand at the famous Neiman Marcus cookies with oatmeal because I have gluten free oats, Yay! It should be a fun day. I'm also going to use my bread machine for a less hearty bread mix.

The world is starting to open up again.

Pasta Night

2009-10-07T15:00:00.002-05:00

Our local grocer, Price Cutter, has added an organic/health food section. They have a selection of gluten-free items that are reasonable price and one of those options is pasta. I am going to make my chicken pasta tonight and hope it goes over well.

My daughter survived her sleepovers well and took responsibility for her food. I'm very proud of her.

I'm looking forward to receiving tapioca starch in the mail to create the all purpose flour substitute listed in the book I've been reading. I'm ready to bake with the cool weather.

This weekend we will be traveling and it will be another opportunity to challenge the new diet. I'll be planning and plotting. I'm sure we'll do just fine.

Thank you!

2009-10-05T08:00:00.002-05:00

My mom sent me a care package this past week. It had rice crispy treats that were gluten-free and they were delicious! It was so nice to have them this weekend and she found a puffed rice that was gluten free so I can attempt to make my own treats. It's she sweet? Thank you, Mom.

I was really good this past week adhering to a gluten-free diet, no big surprises. The challenge was to provide for my daughter as she had two different sleep overs and will be staying with friends tonight as well. She's becoming more confident and has learned the hard way what cheating will do to her. I'm thankful we figured out what has been causing her trouble, yet I know it's hard for a kid to be different.

I'm also happy to report that grocery shopping was easier this week. I found some brown rice pasta that I hope will go over well with the family. I'm going to make my famous chicken pasta on Wednesday. I haven't had time to research soup recipes, but it's on my to do list.

Here's to another great week.

Exciting

2009-10-02T10:17:00.002-05:00

I was struggling with the dilemma of making goods for the bake sale and keeping my kitchen gluten free. I did some research and found recipes for "puppy chow" and no-bake cookies that should work well. We've decided to sell items as individual servings so as people are shopping at the city wide garage sale they can get a snack. I think it's terrific.

Good News

2009-10-01T09:50:00.002-05:00

Yesterday I had my follow-up over the repeat CT scan. The doc said everything looked good. I also researched my toothpaste and found that Crest is gluten-free. Yay!

I'm also really excited because my mom has recharged the challenge. Basically it's a group made up of my mom, her sisters, myself, and a couple of friends where we challenge each other to be healthy, exercise, and eat right. I just started a work out routine on Monday and love the fact that I now have a half dozen accountability partners. I'm using the "Slim in 6" workout videos. It's a six week program and the workouts are almost an hour long. I really enjoy them even though my body was screaming at me yesterday, I'll keep pushing play.

This weekend we're having a bake sale to benefit my son's football team. It's their first season and we're establishing the program. It presents a unique problem with my gluten-free status. I have not yet thrown out our regular flour. I'm thinking I'll make as many cookies as possible using parchment paper so they don't touch my bakeware and when I run out of flour, I'm done. I will sterilize the bowls and utensils I use in the dishwasher. After this I will only have the gluten-free all purpose flour mix I found in my book. I'm soooo thankful to have a mom who is super supportive and is helping me find the stuff I need. She's so wonderful.

I also learned that we have a bakery not too far away that makes gluten free bread, cinnamon rolls, and dinner rolls on Tuesdays. She asks that you order ahead and, by golly, that's just what I'm going to do this week. On of the moms at co-op has tried some of the goods and says they are fabulous. Her 10 year old son was just diagnosed with celiac and we have been trading tips each week.

Off I go to bake.

Pizza Review

2009-09-28T14:19:00.002-05:00

I did end up making the pizza last night. I used Bob's Mill Pizza Crust mix. It turned out to be pretty tasty, not too heavy. The dough takes some getting use to, but I think I managed and all but one piece was eaten. Now to find a soup recipe.

Bummer

2009-09-27T11:06:00.002-05:00

Everyday seems to be a learning day. I was reading a website today that had an extensive list of gluten foods to aid in label reading. One of the forbidden foods was "crisped rice" because it has malt in it which is apparently bad. I was bummed because here I was making a pan of rice crispie treats each week and I now know that's not a good thing. It's not the safe food I thought it was.

I also realized that our communion bread is not doable either. Thankfully I do not need a particular blessing to take part in the Lord's supper, but it does require some forethought to participate while at service.

As for the pizza, I am not able to give a review just yet. I looked at the directions and it's a bit more of a process than I expected so I hope today will be the day. I will be spending a good deal of time in the kitchen again to prepare for our hectic schedule on Monday and Tuesday. As it's getting to be cooler, I am hoping to add a gluten free soup to my repertoire soon.

Yum!

2009-09-25T09:26:00.002-05:00

We made the Betty Crocker gluten-free (gf) devil's food cake yesterday and it is absolutely delicious. I'm soooo happy!

I've also come to grips with the fact that gf foods cost more and despite my Dave Ramsey training, I will have to pay for convenience. I have found myself in the various stores with gf foods and keep waiting to find a deal that sits well with me. It's not going to happen and for me health I just need to increase the food budget and deal with it.

Tonight is pizza night and I have found a mix for the crust. I'm not ready to go to a corn base just yet. Here's hoping the family will like it.