Recipes that really did not come from a "recipe"

Because my family has so many food allergies, I have to modify so many recipes to feed my family in a healthy way.

Me:  Gluten/Dairy/Soy/Egg

Clayton (my son): Nuts/Tree Nuts/Soy/Corn

It makes for a whole lotta home cookin...and a whole lotta trying to SIMPLIFY MY LIFE!!!

I wanted to have a place where I could share a lot of the foods we have tried, modified, and "tested" for full flavor and healthy clean eating...for the most part!!  It is hard to navigate the food allergies road...I am not gonna try to sugar coat it!!  I have been "allergy-free" now for 4 years and my son for almost 2 years.  It's great how God orchestrated my journey way before He orchestrated my sons...praise God for that daily!! "He will not give us more than we can handle" 

So here are a few "recipes" I have made that turned out to be AMAZING, and we will keep in our rotations :)  I say "recipes" lightly because I do not follow recipes...unless they are from "The Pioneer Woman" because I love her...but even then, I have to modify!!  You will see as you read why I say that word so lightly...lol  I play with flavor combinations and make my own recipes...they 99.9% of the time work out great!!

Last night, I made...

Tortellini Kale Soup

2 cans dark red kidney beans (drained and rinsed)

1 can of sliced carrots

1 carton of low-sodium organic chicken stock

1 tube of gluten free Italian breakfast sausage

2 huge scoops of Contespasta chicken tortellini (found at HEB Plus) or order online www.contespasta.com

2 huge handfuls of fresh Kale

2 cups of hot water

1 large can of crushed tomatoes w Roasted Garlic

Dried sweet Basil

Sea salt and Pepper to taste

This is how SIMPLE it was!

In one pot, cook the breakfast sausage til done.  Pour in the chicken stock and simmer for 10 mins.  Dump in the rest of the ingredients and cook for 30 mins...DONE!! I told you it was SIMPLE!!

It was sooooo good...we are having leftovers tonight!!  I bet it is even better the 2nd day :)

Another "recipe" I wanted to share because it is so hard to find a good Allergy-free flour that holds up in cookies, muffins, etc. is my 

Pumpkin Muffins

2 cups Namaste Perfect Flour Blend www.namastefoods.com (Sprouts has it too)

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 can of organic pumpkin (not pie filling)

Nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves to preference

Mix all these ingredients together and put into greased muffin cups...Bake at 350 degrees til golden brown and toothpick tested clean...DONE and YUMMO!!!!

These are just two of the super simple "recipes" we have tasted and approved of 100%....ENJOY!!

Keep checking back for more yummy recipes and leave a comment if you feel led.

Many blessings,

New Year's has it's UPS and DOWNS...

As the New Year's resolutions start piling up, and we start to think about what we want 2015 to look like or feel like...here at our home...we have begun what I am praying will be a lifestyle change!!

So, yes, this has begun today in our home.  To some of us with food allergies who eat clean and healthy 99.5% of the time...it's no big deal.  But the other 1/2 of the house begged to differ!!  

We each embraced this challenge with cleaning out "our shelves" in the pantry.  Here is the tally:

Mine: Zero

Claire: 3

Clayton:1

Tom (the hubby): 30+ items and I am being NICE 

We did not want to trash it if it hadn't been opened so I came up with a solution...hubby, take it to your work's break room!! It will be gone in less than a day, and the break room is very far from his office :) I try to be a thoughtful wife...really!!

Breakfast was eggs, sausage, and honey crisp apples sliced...YUMMO

Lunch was Panko crusted fish sticks and some applesauce

Dinner will be Marinated Lemon Vinaigrette Chicken Breast on top of Spinach Salad...but this challenge is MORE than just a challenge!!  I need those that I love MOST to learn something....as a teacher and life-learner, I cannot help it!

So......I made them a Black Bean Chocolate Cake!!  It has no flour, no sugar, and uses only UNsweetened cocoa for the chocolate flavor...they won't know what hit them!! I know the "rules" say no cake or chocolate, but I am trying to make a point here with healthy cake made with unsweetened cocoa.

The lesson is:

God gave us a body to treat as "his temple".  We are sinners and imperfect, of course, but as we know better, we need to do better.  I want my family who hasn't been on a clean eating food allergy lifestyle change like the other 1/2 of us for years now to learn that healthy = yummy...SIMPLE right!!!???

Here is the link to the recipe...I did NOT make the frosting by the way.  I have always been a cake with no frosting kinda gal anyway...birthday parties were interesting as a kid. "How come your cake has frosting only on half of it?"  Yep, that's me!!

Make this for your family...and hear the "what's" and "wow's" and "mom you're the bestest cooker ever's"  My sweet 13 yr old. boy still says that at almost every meal...and I cherish it!!!

http://www.cookingchanneltv.com/recipes/haylie-duff/black-bean-chocolate-cake-with-buttercream-frosting.html

Happy New Year ya'll,

God definitely made us... (Part 2)

Hello to all!  Ok, so where we left off was I was going to share with you ALL that was on my "lists" when I received my ALCAT test results.  Brace yourselves!!  I had to lol

The lists are color-coded with a green one being "Foods to eat", the orange one being "Foods to consume every 3-6 months", and the RED being "Foods to NEVER EVER EVER EVER put in your body again"!!

Here were my RED FOODS:
Tuna
Soy
Bell Peppers*
Brussel Sprouts*
Black Pepper
Eggs
Egg Whites
Corn
Oat
Rice
Bran
Wheat
Beef
Lamb*
Brewer's Yeast
Coconut
Codfish
Lobster
Scallops
Asparagus*
Cabbage*
Cauliflower*
Mushrooms
Soybeans
Cow's Milk
Apples
Bananas

Blue Star (*) next to them are foods I have detested all my life, so I was pretty happy to see those!!  It is funny how your body repels foods you are not supposed to have, but their are foods on this list that I love...and that, my friends, threw me into a 2-week panic mode!!

Looking at this list, I thought "What can I eat!!???"  Even today, years later, people ask me that same question.  But God is good all the time, and He is faithful to bring us through it if He brought us to it...AMEN!!??  So after crying for 2 weeks and not knowing what to cook or eat, I empowered myself and made the necessary changes.  My doctor suggested (because even he was like "holy moly!' when he saw my list, that I start slowly and remove things slowly.  Did I do that?  NO!!  I went cold turkey and took it ALL out of my diet.  Guess what?

Four weeks into this, I had energy, no pain, no lethargy, no stomach issues...NO SYMPTOMS of anything I had been diagnosed with!!  I had so much energy, I started teaching Zumba for adults and kids three times a week!!

If there is anyone out there diagnosed with IBS, fibromyalgia, lupus, eczema, asthma, adult acne, adrenal fatigue, basically anything that your body is saying "HELLO!! WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO ME?"  I want to urge you to get this test done!!

Two years into my food allergy journey, I had my son, who was twelve at the time, tested too.  He was having asthma, upper respiratory issues, stomach issues, and bleeding when he had bowel movements DAILY!!  It was a scary thing.

On my next post, I will share his journey...you won't believe what we found out he was allergic to!!

Many Blessings to ya,

God definitely made us...

Luke 12:7 says "And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows."

This verse spoke volumes to me when I read it for probably the 400th time one day a few years back.  We know that God made us so very UNIQUE!!  So unique, in fact, that learning about my food allergies from a simple blood test would change the course of my life FOREVER!!

I was reminded today listening to the radio on a XM station from Ryan Seacrest of all people, that our blood is like no others, and we can diet and exercise til the cows come home...but God made us unique, and finding out what is good just for YOU to eat and NOT eat for that matter...is crucial!!

Three years ago, you would not have recognized me...if you knew me then like you know me now.  I was diagnosed with adrenal fatigue, fibromyalgia, insomnia, and basically every gland issue you can have.  Not to mention all the trips to the bathroom after eating certain foods.  I knew where EVERY bathroom was in every restaurant and store because if any of you have food allergies or intolerances, you know they hit you hard and fast!!  I would sleep (with the help of pills of course) 9-10 hours and wake up exhausted!!  My whole body hurt just to move not to mention if anyone wanted to hug me or touch me, I cried it hurt so much!!  I would come home from teaching and fall on the couch in pain and from complete major fatigue.  It was a nightmare on me, my family and my marriage.

I had an episode due to an event of high stress that sent my body into crash and burn overdrive!  I went to the hospital, and they thought I was having a major anxiety attack after a minor stroke.  My world and my body had gotten to the point of no return.  SOMETHING HAD TO CHANGE!!

Luckily, I have a wonderful doctor who is not only great with western medicine but also holistic medicine as well.  He gave me all my diagnoses and the list of meds that I would have to take for the rest of my life, and I took a stand and said "Heck No!!"  I wanted a solution...not a band aid!  He agreed, and we decided to figure out how my diet was causing all of these symptoms so....

Three days later (one day after my 37th birthday) I got my ALCAT TEST done and patiently waited for the results.  They came two weeks later in a nice, organized folder with "sections" colored in green, orange, and red.

I heard Ryan Seacrest talking about his testing he just got his results back for today on air, and he too has been changed for the better....for good!

I will be back later this week to share with you what all was on my "lists" and how I took charge of who God made me to be!!  Also, how my journey with food allergies and intolerances helped my son two years into my journey of change.

Helping one another make real changes for the purpose of a great life!!

Many Blessings,