My children have lovely names, but around here, they are often referred to as the Bickersons. Why? Because they bicker constantly.
After a conversation with some friends yesterday, I realized that there must be something about the ages of 8-11 that brings out the sibling rivalry in spades. We’re all dealing with it.
And we’re fed up with it. This constant arguing, tattling, and down-right meanness is making us…well, to put it gently….not enjoy our kids. We know, we know, they are only young for a little while. They will be gone before we know it. These innocent years will fly away like so much chaff. We want to enjoy our kids through these years.
BUT we have better things to do with our time than arbitrate battles. Constantly. Amen?
My church small group is currently reading a book by Max Lucado titled “In the Grip of Grace.” This morning, as I began to read the chapter we’ll be discussing later this week, I realized God was giving me some tools for these challenging times.
The chapter I read today is about the church and how we are to get along with one another, be unified in Christ, or else we are not going to win anyone over. But the principles in this book which are being applied to the church at large, spoke to me today about what is going on in our home.
On the last night of his life Jesus prayed a prayer that stands as a citadel for all Christians:
“I pray for these followers, but I am also praying for all those who will believe in me because of their teaching. Father, I pray that they can be one. As you are in me and I am in you, I pray that they can also be one in us. Then the world will believe that you sent me.” John 17:20-21
The last thing Jesus prayed before His crucifixion was about his believers living in unity – so that others will believe. Yes, this applies to our witness in general, but it also applies in our homes. What happens in our homes is sure to spill out into our “outside” lives. We have to practice, practice, practice. We have to remind, remind, remind. We have to drill these truths into our children. Into our own minds as well.
Lucado goes on to quote other scripture that applies here:
“all people will know you are my followers if you love each other” John 13:35
“Where jealousy and selfishness are, there will be confusion and every kind of evil.” James 3:16
“Do you know where your fights and arguments come from? They come from the selfish desires that war within you.” James 4:1
We don’t do this all the time, because honestly, in the heat of the moment I can’t always recall the appropriate scripture, but when I can get my act together and push aside my irritation at yet another battle, I give my kids a verse to memorize. I write it on a piece of paper and put it before them constantly. We review it many, many times a day. It helps them remember where God stands on the issue. And it helps me keep the focus on Him and not just how this behavior is impacting my life, my plans, my peace and quiet.
If Jesus considered unity among the believers to be of such importance that He would pray about it right before His crucifixion, isn’t it also important enough for us to make this a focus in our own homes? If we don’t correct these behaviors and attitudes of discord in our own homes, how can we expect our kids to go out in the world and be a light that is drawing others to God? We can’t.
So this week, we will start easy: with the John 13 verse. As parents, grandparents, and teachers, we can also benefit from remembering that we need to love each other and that our mission here is to bring others to a life with Christ.
I realize this post has nothing to do with diet, health, or paleo living. It has to do with spiritual food, which in the end, is far more important.
“Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.” Mark 13:31
Wow, almost the end of April already. Can you believe it? We continue to wind down the school year, plant our garden with high hopes for lots of veggies this season, and do our darnedest to keep the birds and squirrels from digging up all my seeds. I think they are sitting in the trees watching me plant because how else could they know exactly where to come dig?? Every time!
And of course, I’m also plugging away at new recipes for you.
If you read my Whole 30 Journal last week, you know I got food poisoning or some other such annoyance and therefore didn’t get any recipes posted or even a weekly update out. Don’t worry, you didn’t miss too much. Lots of lying around and eating rice and toast.
I posted my favorite fried plantain chip recipe a couple months ago, and honestly, those are still my favorite, but when you want a more hands-off recipe, the baked version I posted this week is still tasty and less maintenance. You can see from the picture that they do not bake exactly evenly in the oven. I even sliced these with the food processor so the slices are consistent. And my oven is pretty even, this is just the nature of baking so many little things. They will not all come out the same. And these went from perfect to burnt in one minute so keep an eye on them if you go this route.
For years now, this has been my guacamole recipe: avocado, lime, cilantro, salt and pepper. I’ve tried adding onion, tomatoes, scallions, salsa, and any number of other ingredients, but plain and simple always comes out on top. My super talented husband decided this recipe called for video instruction, so be sure to check it out. If you’d like to see me sometime soon, you better get on it because Food Network is sure to come calling soon and I’ll be way too busy. 😉
My Whole 30 journey just keeps going on and on. If you want to read more about that, see this post. I’ve gotten into a groove (some might say a rut) with my breakfasts and lunches and that helps. I’m not sure why, but coming up with those two meals is harder for me than dinner. My favorite this week is a sort of turkey Waldorf Salad. Here’s what goes in it:
half green apple, a few walnuts, one date, some coconut flakes, smoked turkey, Primal Kitchen Mayo, sprinkle of salt
Blend this up in your food processor, serve over salad greens, and you have a quick and delicious lunch. This would pack well too if you need to take it to work.
We continue to work through all the red tape as we get set to sell THE BEST paleo cookies on the planet. Apparently, as far as marketing laws go, I am allowed to say they’re the best as long as I think so. 🙂
Something else in the works over here is a gluten free resource. I’ve created a gluten free flour blend that works really well in a lots of applications. Which would you rather have available: a cookbook with the flour recipe and lots of dishes you can make with it or the ability to buy the flour blend and then a cookbook of just recipes to make with the flour? Let me know in the comments. I aim to please.
Yes, there are gluten free flours on the market. Lots of them, in fact. But they all contain ingredients I don’t want to consume and that I don’t want to feed my family. You can make gluten free recipes work without the additives so I’m not sure why there aren’t any like this on the market already.
And yes, we do eat paleo, not just gluten free, but sometimes gluten free is good enough (like if I have to send a pan of brownies to a kids’ event) and I’m tired of buying those mixes full of sugar and unnecessary additives.
I have a pumpkin pie in the oven with a gluten free crust right now. I’ve been so frustrated with paleo pie crusts and I finally gave up and made one with my gluten free flour. It’s not strictly paleo because the flour blend contains potato flour, but there is nothing artificial in it at all. I can feel good feeding this to my family. My logic is this: there is no point in making something paleo just for the sake of being paleo. If I can’t create or find a paleo pie crust recipe that is easy to make and tastes good, then I’m going to try something else.
Stepping down off my soap box, that’s really about all that’s going on around here. I have some recipes coming up for you this week that will be great for the grilling season that is finally upon us here in North Carolina:
Hawaiian Burgers
Simple Grilled Fish
Marinated, Grilled Shrimp
quick and easy cole slaw
These are all super fast and simple, perfect for busy nights.
I hope you are all well!
“God is magnificent; He can never be praised enough. There are no boundaries to His greatness.” Psalm 145: 3 (MSG)
Monday, Day 8, finally feeling back to normal today. That stomach illness really wiped me out!
Breakfast 1: one egg fried in a little ghee, black coffee
workout: My Y has this class called Cycle Beat Tone where you cycle to the beat of the music. The instructor throws in upper body moves and this results in major calorie burn. I know on Whole 30 we’re not counting calories and measuring portions, but I still like seeing that high calorie number on my heart rate monitor! Felt great through the workout with that little bit of protein on my stomach.
Breakfast 2:pizza quiche and a few grapes – I found this recipe on a Whole 30 Pinterest Board, made a batch Sunday night with plans to eat it for a quick breakfast for a few days. I’m worried about a histamine reaction, but I took a Histamine Block and seem fine so far.
Lunch: I had planned kale salad and canned salmon, but the pork I thought I took out of the freezer, turned out to be two bone-in chicken thighs. They needed to be cooked or they would go bad, so that’s what I had for lunch. Just the chicken. Not very balanced, I know.
afternoon snack: not granola – 1/2 green apple, 1 T coconut flakes, a few almonds, a few walnuts, 1 date, dash of cinnamon and dash of salt all chopped up in my mini food processor. Drizzled with a little almond butter. Yum!
Dinner: Asian Beef and Vegetable Stir Frywith chicken thighs instead of beef. Modification for Whole 30: omit honey and maple syrup and add juice and zest of one orange instead.
Day 8 Review: I did want some sort of sweets today, but managed to resist – at least I have as of this writing. What’s going on over here is temptation central. We’re doing a little experiment with my cookie recipes. I’ve baked some of the cookies, sealed them and left them at room temperature. Every couple of days my husband or kids open one and eats it to test for freshness. I would like to be the one tasting for freshness. Wah.
Tuesday, Day 9 Breakfast: Awoke feeling stomach pain again. Stuck with black coffee, piece of toast and an egg.
Lunch: Trader Joe’s Turkey Burger fried up on my good ‘ole George Foreman Grill. Anybody else still have one of those? They’re great for cooking something quick even if it’s just out of the freezer. Used two leftover sweet potato “buns” to make a sandwich. Just a little spinach and tomato on top.
Dinner: Not feeling great. Dinner is rice and broth again.
Day 9 Assessment: I baked more cookies today testing some tweaks to the recipe and seeing how long they stay fresh once they’re sealed. It’s hard to trust other people’s opinions and not actually sample them myself!
Day 10 Breakfast: Thankfully, I woke up without stomach pain. Finished up the pizza quiche plus a little piece of turkey kielbasa and black coffee, of course.
Mid-day intense workout! I did not feel super energetic in class today. Maybe I’m still a little depleted after being sick, maybe it was just time to eat again. Regardless, I made it through, but I was ready for lunch by the end!
Lunch: I used the snack from Monday (not granola) as a base for a sort of chicken salad.
to my mini food processor, I added: 1/2 green apple (with skin), half dozen walnut halves, couple tablespoons unsweetened coconut flakes, two dates, pinch of salt, a couple ounces of smoked turkey breast and a spoon of avocado mayo. Very much like a classic waldorf salad.
I ate this salad over a bed of spinach and it was deee-lish! I’ll probably have this again. Probably tomorrow. Thankful to still be feeling well.
Needed a little more to eat so I had a banana, drizzled with almond butter and sprinkled with cinnamon. Felt very dessert-like.
Dinner: I am not in the mood to cook! I love cooking. I do it all the time. But occasionally, I’ll get burnt out and totally lack for inspiration. I have my meal plan for the week ready. I can see what I wrote down for tonight. But I don’t want to cook it. I don’t want to cook anything.
Alas, the need to feed my family and my practical side took over and we had, as planned, grilled fish, leftover sweet potatoes and spinach salad with hot bacon dressing. I don’t believe I’ve posted that spinach salad recipe yet. I’ll get on that this week.
Day 10 Review: I’m kind of over it, but trying my best to hang in there. Feeling ok. Waiting for that burst of energy to kick in.
Thursday, Day 11 Breakfast 1: one scrambled egg and black coffee
early morning high intensity workout
Breakfast 2: two slices g-free toast with almond butter and sprinkle of cinnamon. Confession: peanut butter is one of my favorite foods, but it is off limits on the paleo diet. My functional medicine doctor thinks it’s horrible for me so I obey and steer clear. But I really, really miss peanut butter toast. Almond butter is NOT, I repeat, is NOT a good substitute. Sometimes the craving for peanut butter takes over and I eat almond butter anyway. Sigh.
And I know, I know, you are not supposed to eat anything resembling bread on the Whole 30. All that bread while I was sick got me used to having it again. I will quit, I promise.
Lunch: I told you I would be eating this again! Same as yesterday – sort of like chicken salad/Waldorf salad, but with turkey, over a bed of greens. Inka plantain chips – so usually I make my own, but when I saw these on Thrive’s website, I decided to give them a try. It’s certainly more convenient to rip open a bag, than make a batch of my own. And they have three ingredients: plantains, palm oil and salt. Score!
Dinner: Nut crusted chicken and sautéed vegetables. Y’all, this chicken was so, so good! We devoured it. My kids said repeatedly how much they loved it. Such accolades. I can hardly stand it. Props to America’s Test Kitchen for the inspiration.
Day 11 Review: Nothing too exciting here. Still not feeling super energetic, but I’m not overly tired either. Just normal, I guess. I’m scrutinizing my body – looks and feelings – searching for some change. I should notice something since I’ve been doing this Whole 30 thing about 95% for three months now! Maybe there’s something I’m not noticing. It doesn’t feel good to be so self-focused though. Moving on.
Day 12 Breakfast: I so enjoyed that gluten free toast when my stomach was upset that I can’t seem to get off it! Had two slices with ghee and two scrambled eggs this morning. With a side of black coffee and some raw carrots. Must stop with the toast.
mid-day workout
Lunch: You guessed it! More turkey Waldorf Salad. It’s just so yummy! Feels special and fancy, but is super duper quick to throw together.
Day 12 Confession: I ate a cookie today. I’m testing my paleo cookies with regards to how well they freeze both in dough form and baked. I baked a batch today from dough I froze two weeks ago. These were for a customer (my first customer!!!) so I felt that I absolutely had to taste to make sure they tasted fresh.
Day 13 Breakfast: bacon, eggs with tomato, kale and avocado
Lunch: Trader Joe’s turkey burger in lettuce wrap with a little Primal Kitchen Mayo
Dinner: teriyaki wings, cole slaw, green beans, sweet potato fries, carrots with ranch dressing/dip
Day 13 Review: It’s really hard to be a food blogger and follow the Whole 30 to the letter. I’m not one of those cooks who never tastes my food. You really have to taste so you can know you are serving something that tastes good and is not rotten or something horrible like that. However, tonight, my parents came for dinner and I made a pumpkin pie for dessert. This recipe will be in the ebook and I would normally NEVER publish a recipe that I have not personally tasted and approved of. BUT, my parents will give me honest feedback. My dad is an excellent pie baker and has no problem handing out criticism or praise where it is due. So tonight, not even a little taste passed my lips, but the whole gang around the table gave the recipe a thumbs up!
Sunday, Day 14 Breakfast: two eggs, some ground pork, black coffee
Lunch: turkey Waldorf salad again, over greens, plantain chips
Dinner: restaurant meal – burger over sautéed mushrooms and onions, side of potato salad, two of my daughter’s french fries. I couldn’t resist.
Wow, almost halfway through. Last night I had a breakthrough of sorts. As my family sat eating the pumpkin pie I had made, I just realized that I really didn’t want any. I feel better when I do not eat sugar. I enjoy eating sugar, but are the ramifications worth it? Most of the time, the answer is a definite no. Hopefully, this will carry me through week three.
Next week: week three – this is the week everyone says is the easiest and where you start to really feel the great side effects. Well, Whole 30, I’m waiting.
(I’m going to separate this out from my regular weekly post so those who are not interested in Whole 30 don’t have to be bothered with it. Hope this is helpful. You can find other updates and recipes in a later post.)
Dear Whole 30,
I have such mixed feelings about you. I’m full of hope that you are going to deliver lots of energy, less joint pain, fewer sugar cravings. But oh, you are so hard to live with! I’m hoping we can continue our thirty day relationship without fighting, which will surely lead to an early break-up. Here’s how I feel about you this week…
I’ve decided I will start this week with Day 1. Again. Sigh. I’m torn between giving myself grace for these little “off plan” bites and not sticking 100% to the Whole 30 plan. But, my worry is that by not adhering to the plan strictly, I am going to miss out on all the benefits.
Also, all this thought and focus on food has made some symptoms really stand out to me, which is kind of the whole point:
foot pain – it is shocking to me how quickly my arthritis flares up when I eat any sugar at all
anxiety – I never thought of myself as suffering from anxiety until I began to research natural cures for claustrophobia, which I do have and which is getting worse as I get older. Turns out, claustrophobia is considered part of generalized anxiety disorder and is treated as such. Also turns out that sugar (and other inflammatory foods) can be triggers for anxiety. Maybe it’s coincidence, but I am noticing a correlation between my sugar consumption and claustrophobia. I’ll be keeping an eye on this.
Self analysis over, onto what I ate this week:
Monday, Day 1 Breakfast: black coffee, two eggs fried in about a half teaspoon of bacon fat
Morning bike ride, 1 hour
Brunch: Bilinski chicken apple sausage, one slice of bacon, green apple and a few pecans
Late Lunch (around 4:00 – much later than I had planned): So I would normally not eat “lunch” at 4:00 considering dinner is usually around 6:00, but I needed to eat something and I didn’t want it to be snack-y. I will likely not be too hungry come dinner time, but that’s ok. This is what I needed to do to keep myself from eating junk before dinner.
My “lunch”: salmon fillet and leftover kale salad. Can I just tell you – this was an awesome combination. I pan sautéed the salmon to about medium with just olive oil, salt and pepper. Dinner:Crock Pot Carnitas, basic cole slaw, easiest, tastiest guacamole, baked plantain chips (recipes for these sides are coming).
Final Thoughts on whatever number day this is: I tried eating more protein today, beginning with the eggs before my workout. I’m always worried that if I eat too much before a workout, my stomach will be unsettled. This has happened before so it’s not an unfounded concern. Plus, I typically can handle an early morning workout without eating anything. The problem with that is I end up so hungry afterward, I eat a humongous meal mid-morning and I’m not ready to eat again until around 4 or 5:00 and dinner is at 6. It just throws me off. So I’m hoping that a little protein evenly spaced throughout the day will work better. Of course, lunch at 4:00 today didn’t help with this exercise too much!
I’ve been eating the protein bars to get a little something in before my morning workouts, but another thing I’ve learned through this process is that the sweet taste of those bars has been a trigger for me. I think for this Whole 30 to be successful, I can’t handle sweet tasting foods at all. I’m even backing away from my regular Gala or Fuji apples and sticking with Granny Smiths exclusively.
Tuesday, Day 2 Breakfast: two eggs, chicken apple sausage, carrots, black coffee
mid-morning workout: about an hour of cardio and weight training combined
Post-workout snack: leftover guacamole and plantain chips
Lunch (at a normal-ish time for once): I loved the salmon and kale salad so much yesterday that I decided to have that again. I made a whole batch of my wilted kale salad (modification for Whole30-left out the honey and added a splash of orange juice and a few raisins). I quickly pan sautéed a piece of cod and ate that with a pile of kale salad. So delicious and I’m stuffed.
afternoon snack: a few almonds and dried cherries
Dinner: roasted broccoli, potatoes and onions, crispy chicken thighs (minus the gravy)
Hungry around 9:00 so I ate about a third of a banana. Off to bed.
What I learned on Day 2: I usually snack when I’m not hungry. I don’t usually snack when I am hungry – like right before bed. If I go to bed hungry, I don’t sleep well. I used to hear that little voice of diet experts saying, “never eat after 7 PM” and I would listen to that voice. Now, I am listening to my own voice. If I’m hungry, I’ll eat a little something. My meals are so full of vegetables, typically, that I get very full at meal time, but then am not sustained long term. You will see a lot of Whole 30 tips and recipes that involve avocados. Many Whole 30ers eat an entire avocado every day because those healthy fats are so sustaining. I can’t. They’re a moderate immune trigger for me. I choose to get my extra fat from nuts and bacon. That’s not so bad!
Wednesday, Day 3 Breakfast: black coffee, leftover roasted veggies from last night, one egg, three small slices of bacon.
Lunch: kale salad and applegate chicken apple sausage
Dinner: Pot-luck dinner at church. Such a dinner is a scary proposition when you’re on a restricted diet. I made something I knew my family and I could eat: beef and vegetable taco filling (recipe coming), baked plantain chips and guacamole (too much avocado this week!). There were two pork dishes that looked plain enough – some pulled pork with onions and a pork tenderloin. I ate a little of both and took some gluten flam when I got home.
Final thoughts for the day: I really would like some sweets, especially with all those yummy looking home-baked desserts at church. I settled for some cinnamon apple tea at home.
Thursday, Day 4 Breakfast: chicken apple sausage and an egg, black coffee
Busy day with lots of errands. Lunch in the car:Epic bacon bar and an apple, a few leftover plantain chips. Lots of water.
Afternoon snack: Trader Joe’s dried apples
Dinner: Special night out with my son. Our daughter is on a trip with her grandparents so he gets some one-on-two time with mom and dad. He chose Tiajana Flats. Now here’s the deal with Tiajana Flats: they are super nice and accommodating in there. Their website finally lists allergen info. I feel like I can order something safely, but I always feel sick afterward. Usually, it’s just heartburn that takes a few hours to go away. This particular dinner (lettuce, carnitas, salsa, a little of their vinaigrette salad dressing) and I am doubled over in pain. They messed up our entire order. Everything came out wrong, including my salad in the flour tortilla shell which I stressed that I did not want. They promised me they would remake the meal from scratch, not just dump the contents out, but now I wonder. There is no conceivable reason that meal should make me feel like this.
Final Thoughts on Day 4: Not feeling well makes it easy to stick to Whole 30. There’s always a silver lining. 🙂
Friday, Day 5: Felt sick all night. For me, stomach upset is usually heartburn, in varying degrees of severity. When something really makes me feel ill, I get pain, severe, rolling pains across the top of my abdomen, around the bottom of my rib cage. This is where my surgery was and where I must have some scar tissue. Not sure if that’s relevant or not, but in my mind it is. This is how I felt all night and woke up feeling as well.
I laid on the sofa sipping my coffee, surfing the internet for new and fascinating information I could not live with out, and for a once yearly treat, I watched the first 20 minutes of the Today Show. Why are politics so….well…not nice? Seems so counterproductive.
A couple hours later, I felt like eating, though still having the same pain. I toasted a piece of Canyon Bakehouse White bread, spread it with a little ghee and started to cook some rice in homemade chicken broth. I realize the toast and rice are off-limits on Whole 30, but when you’re sick to your stomach, kale is not a good idea. I could be eating cookies. They would go down pretty well right now, I would think. 😉 But I’m not.
My garden is ready to plant and that was my big goal for today. It’s chilly now, but will be beautiful out soon and I want to get out there. Must get my strength up. Grrrrr….Tiajuana Flats.
Day 5 Review: Usually this sort of upset stomach deal subsides in less than 24 hours. Today, it actually worsened through the day. I sipped on ginger tea, some Sprite, nibbled on a little rice cooked in broth, and generally felt like crying most of the day. Need a good night’s sleep.
Day 6: Woke up a little better. Very hopeful for recovery today. Breakfast of black coffee and more broth/rice.
Lunch: Two slices of Canyon Bakehouse white bread, toasted, with ghee and two scrambled eggs.
Dinner: more scrambled eggs, bacon and two homemade gluten free pancakes
Day 6 Review: I felt better throughout the day, but a day of being sick to your stomach is exhausting. I was dehydrated and lightheaded and somewhat queasy most of the day. You can tell such by the foods I ate – all things that were easy on my system. The bacon was a stretch, but I was feeling hungry enough by dinner time that I wanted the extra sustenance. And I’d like some dessert, so I must be feeling better.
Sunday, Day 7 Breakfast: one piece of toast, one egg, one piece of bacon, black coffee
Lunch: salad with veggies, rotisserie chicken from Whole Foods, mashed potatoes from Whole Foods hot bar. I have felt mostly well today, with just a few pains. I’m going to continue to be easy on my stomach today.
Dinner: grilled burgers with sweet potato buns, sautéed squash
Whew! One week over. Actually, it’s about 300 weeks by now, but who’s counting?
I’m sorry I didn’t get any recipes up this week, but this sickness threw me off big time. I’ll get those up for you this week so you’ll be all set for a Paleo Cinco de Mayo celebration.
So my dear Whole 30,
I suppose overall you treated me fairly well this week. My sickness mid-week certainly made it easier to stick with your rules. I know, I know, rice is against the rules, but what you eat when you’re sick doesn’t count. As soon as I can stomach vegetables and meat again, I’ll be eating my fill, don’t worry. Please continue to treat me well next week. As we’re going now, I’ll finish up your 30 day torture plan the day before my anniversary, which is really perfect timing. Plus, we’ve been going round and round with each other since mid-January and frankly, I’m ready to have you out of my life for a while.
When I started writing this blog back in the fall of 2015, I was not feeling well. Digestively, I was mostly ok, but I had lots of aches and pains, especially in my feet, hips and back. I decided I needed to go all in with the AIP diet for a while and see if that reduced my inflammation. The fact is that if I am feeling inflamed in certain areas, there are likely other areas in which my body is inflamed and I can’t feel it, such as my brain and my gut. I was scared my Crohn’s would flare up.
I did follow AIP strictly for a few months and then in December, at the recommendation of my chiropractor (who is also an integrative medicine practitioner) and the support of my functional medicine doctor, I had some extensive (and expensive) testing done with Cyrex Labs. This is what Cyrex says about themselves:
Cyrex™ is a Clinical Immunology Laboratory Specializing in Functional Immunology and Autoimmunity. Cyrex™ offers multi-tissue antibody testing for the early detection and monitoring of today’s complex autoimmune conditions. Cyrex™ develops innovative arrays through continuous collaboration with leading experts in medical research and clinical practice.
Cyrex is the gold standard when it comes to advanced allergy and gluten sensitivity testing. That is, they are the gold standard in the functional medicine world, but not in the mainstream medicine world, which means most insurance plans won’t cover the cost, which is why I waited so long to have these tests completed. By December, I had met my deductible and out of pocket expenses and there was a chance my insurance company would cover part of the cost, so I decided to go for it.
The reason I chose to have these tests done is simple – I wanted to know if I really needed to be following the AIP diet or not. It is restrictive, hard, expensive, not fun. Why do it if it’s not necessary?
My functional medicine doc ordered two tests: Array 2, essentially the “leaky gut” test and Array 10, the multi-food test that shows how your immune system reacts to certain foods (gluten not included).
What these tests showed was eye-opening to say the least.
I do NOT have leaky gut. I did have leaky gut. My surgeon told me that I was essentially in remission from Crohn’s way back in 2010 after my emergency surgery to remove my perforated small intestine, but if I had three feet of intestines that were perforated to the naked eye, most certainly, I had microscopic holes elsewhere, ie. leaky gut.
After four years of medicines and following the standard American diet, it is likely that I still had leaky gut even though I was relatively symptom free.
After two years of following the paleo diet, sometimes AIP, but not always, this test showed that my gut was healthy and in tact, no “leaky gut” anymore. Mainstream medicine says this is not possible.
The Array 10 was another shocker to me. All the foods I had been avoiding on AIP were not immune triggers for me: coffee, tomatoes, eggs, eggplant, nuts, potatoes, even dairy. My world just opened up immensely.
Some foods that had been mainstays of my diet turns out are immune triggers: zucchini, avocados, dark chocolate, bananas, pears, lemon, lime. And some food additives such as xanthan gum, beta glucan, mastic gum, gum arabic are also no-nos. There are foods I know always make me feel sick and turns out they were on my off limits list too: wine, beans, figs.
The Array 10 test classifies foods as green, yellow or red. You can probably guess that green foods get the “green light” – you can eat them as much as you like. Yellow foods could possibly pose a problem. My doctor says to eat them in moderation and rotate. So I can eat avocado one day, but not the next. Eat a banana one day, but don’t have a pear the same day. You get the idea. Red foods are immune triggers and are to be avoided if at all possible.
Some of this seems really random. I can’t eat figs? Really? Zucchini? I ate it all the time and thought I felt fine.
But the big, gigantic, humongous good news from all of this is that there are few “red” foods and beverages for me. There is quite a long list of “yellows,” but even that is manageable. Knowledge is power and I feel so much more empowered in my food choices with this information in hand.
I still eat AIP a good bit because frankly, it’s just habit now. BUT I DON”T HAVE TO and that is worth every single penny these tests cost me. I used to almost break down and cry when it was time to go out to eat. Eating in a restaurant is supposed to be a treat or at the very least a break from the everyday chore of cooking. But when you are so extremely limited in what you can eat, there is no joy in eating out. Sticking to a paleo diet while eating out is still a challenge, but it is doable.
I don’t write this to encourage all of you who are following the AIP diet to just give it up. There is great benefit in following this diet and you may need to do it for a longer period of time than I did.
Why I am writing this is to encourage you to see a functional medicine doctor if you’re not already. My doc is Michael Citron at FoundationMed. He’s located in Raleigh, NC, but he’s a pretty high tech guy and I suspect he could meet with you virtually, thought I don’t know that for certain.
And I encourage you to have whatever testing is recommended – and that you can afford. It is so much better to work from a place of knowledge rather than a place of guessing.
I never want to go back to those days of lying on the sofa in agony each night after dinner. I am always aware of what I’m eating and how it makes me feel. I get regular check-ups from my primary doc and my functional medicine doc. I have lots of tests. We study the results together. I take a good number of supplements. I am healthy! I feel good. I have Crohn’s disease and I don’t even think about it. This is not the norm, but I am proof that it is possible!
Continuing on with my daily struggle, I mean journal through yet another attempt at a Whole 30. Just for a recap, Whole 30 is a program where you eat only whole foods for 30 days. This is essentially a paleo diet, but it removes all the fun paleo foods like almond flour pancakes and dark chocolate. Just meats, lots of vegetables, some fruit and healthy fats. For 30 days. Sounds simple right?
Whole 30 Update
Sunday, Day 4: Breakfast: two scrambled eggs, black coffee
Lunch at Chipotle: carnitas, white rice, guacamole, pico de gallo, lettuce
Dinner: beef roast, mashed root vegetables, broccoli and green beans (this is actually our “Christmas dinner” and will be featured in my ebook)
Day 4 Assessment: feeling ok, really would enjoy some chocolate about now, like three or four of these!
Monday, Day 5: Breakfast: protein bar and black coffee prior to morning workout
Day 5 Assessment: really tired, can’t keep my eyes open at 9 PM, resisted the candy, hooray!
Tuesday, Day 6: I’ve been doing a Bible study called Living a Praying Life and the last lesson my group discussed included a section on fasting. I’ve read and heard about fasting many times, but this time it affected me differently. It’s something I want to do, something I feel I should do, but looking at my calendar, I don’t know when I’ll get a day set apart. A member of the group suggested fasting just from one meal. What a great idea! So that’s what I did today.
I had black coffee, because surely Jesus would not expect me to not have coffee. I was hungry all morning and it did make me turn to Him to sustain me. Nothing earth shattering happened, but it was a positive experience. I would do it again.
Non-intense workout just before lunch. Did feel a little light-headed so I took it easy.
Lunch: Very, very hungry! Two eggs, about 3 ounces of sage breakfast sausage, one Applegate Chicken Apple Sausage, big bunch of kale and one tomato – all scrambled up together, topped with half an avocado. Told you I was hungry.
Dinner:Crispy Baked Cod, roasted broccoli and asparagus, a few bites of baked sweet potato. I was really sort of still full from lunch.
Evening Snack: Turns out I got hungry later so I had some “dessert”: one apple sautéed in a little ghee, sprinkled with cinnamon, a dash of sea salt and some roasted almonds. Yum!
Day 6 Assessment: I was super, duper tired all day. I could barely function. Lots of couch sitting and reading to the kids today. And then sending them out to play while I continued to sit. Got a good night’s sleep so Day 7 should be better!
This is what I wanted to do all day.
Wednesday, Day 7 (Day 7 already! Whoo hoo!)
Breakfast: Black coffee with collagen powder (find my favorite brand here), Bilinski’s chicken apple sausage and carrots. This sausage is a new brand to me, but I’m thankful to find one besides Applegate that doesn’t contain sugar. Lots of black pepper in this one so AIP-ers beware.
Pre-lunch bike ride – actually felt fine. My energy may be coming back, thankfully!
Lunch: Salad, turkey, pecans, a few dried cherries, balsamic and olive oil.
Mid-afternoon snack: a few almonds and a mini Hershey’s chocolate egg. Ok, two. I know.
Dinner: bacon, eggs, sautéed kale, grapefruit
Day 7 Assessment: It’s hard, I won’t lie. We are so conditioned to want something sweet after every meal. It’s a hard habit to break. I did have more energy today so that was a plus. I realized I was using my protein bars as a dessert or sweet treat so vowed not to have any today.
Thursday, Day 8: Rainy, gloomy day. If ever there was a day to lounge on the sofa and eat bon bons, today’s the day! But alas, my kids are in a class all morning so I will be productive with my free time. Really, I will.
Breakfast: black coffee and protein bar, prior to intense morning workout.
Brunch: baked salmon, mushrooms and onions, pile ‘o greens
Dinner: We were supposed to have small group tonight, which means a quick dinner/mini date. Small group was canceled so we had a little more time to enjoy a more relaxed dinner. But when you’re following a Whole30 you still don’t have a lot of choices when it comes to eating out. Here’s what I chose: grilled chicken over sautéed mushrooms and onions (lots of onions!), side of mashed potatoes and side salad. The dinner actually came with green beans, but I knew the beans would be covered in vegetable oil, which is a huge immune trigger for me, so I chose the salad instead. There was shredded cheese on the salad (I didn’t ask about it when I ordered – should have) and I ate it anyway. Mashed potatoes certainly had dairy as well. I ate them anyway.
Technically, all these “rule breakers” would disqualify my Whole30 and I should start over. But I’m an adult and I choose to go on. It’s not like I did a face plant into a pan of brownies.
Day 8 Assessment: It’s still hard to not eat sweets after meals or for a little afternoon pick-me-up. I’m needing to be very conscious of true hunger vs. desire for a snack. Dealing with a little guilt about the dairy in my dinner. The rule follower in me says, “You better start over.” The practical, grace-receiving me says, “It’s ok. Let it go. Move on to day 9.” I think I’ll follow the practical me this time.
Friday, Day 9 Breakfast: one Belinsky’s chicken apple sausage, two scrambled eggs, roma tomato on the side, black coffee
Workout right at noon. Felt fine. Not hungry at all prior to class.
Dinner: a new recipe this week – Chili! I have a favorite chili recipe which was given to me as a wedding present by a good, family friend. I’ve even won the church chili cookoff with this recipe. But it is not Whole30 compliant. There’s a good bit of brown sugar in it (there’s the secret for all my competition 🙂 ). Thankfully, my tastebuds don’t want as much sweetness anymore, but chili (in my opinion) still needs a hint of sweet. Check out the recipe to see how I achieve that, in a totally paleo and Whole30 acceptable way.
Day 9 Thoughts: A part of me still feels like I need to start over. I ate some dairy. I had rice at Chipotle. Those two chocolate eggs. One day early on I put coconut creamer in my coffee, which contains less than a gram of sugar, but sugar nonetheless. I wonder if these little “cheats” have spoiled the reset.
Saturday, Day 10 (or should it be Day 1?): I had a super busy day planned including a morning high intensity workout so I started the day with black coffee and a protein bar.
Post-workout meal: two eggs, one chicken apple sausage, green apple
Late lunch: Chick-fil-A grilled nuggets inhaled in the car before grocery shopping.
Dinner: Out with the girls!! We have a relatively new restaurant here in Raleigh that is 100% gluten free, soy free and non-GMO. When we eat out, I hope to legitimately get a gluten free meal. If I can tick one or two of the other paleo boxes, then I feel I’ve totally scored, but I never expect that. Going into this dinner, I was hopeful to get a bonafide paleo dinner, start to finish. I have to say that I was totally impressed. If you’re near Raleigh, NC, give Fresh Levant a try.
My dinner: steak medallions on top of a small bed of baba ganoush (an eggplant spread), roasted potatoes, asparagus and brussels spouts. It was delicious. The only cooking oil they use is olive oil, not mixed with any other oils. Score!
Sunday, Day 11 Breakfast: bacon and black coffee and more bacon
Halfway through Sunday school, my stomach started growling. I knew I hadn’t eaten enough breakfast, but when it comes to Sunday mornings, I usually have to choose between doing my hair or eating a good breakfast. Today I chose hair. Priorities, people.
Lunch: Lunch was at a local Peruvian rotisserie chicken restaurant, Mami Nora’s. Their chicken is free of hormones, antibiotics, gluten free, dairy free, not sure about soy. We’ve eaten there a lot and it never makes me sick. We get a whole chicken, salad and plantains. Delicious! And super affordable.
Afternoon snack: a few almonds and dried cherries
On the menu for dinner: Grilled shrimp, kale salad and sweet potatoes leftover from earlier in the week.
Ready for another week and hopeful that it will get easier to resist all the sweets. The kids’ Easter baskets are over-flowing and in plain sight.
I hope you noticed our new logo at the top of the page. Isn’t that a cute family? We always look just like that.
Things are busy around here as we begin to wrap up extra curricular activities and run through the homestretch of the school year, including end of year testing. The beginning of each school year is always so full of excitement and promise and we always hope to finish strong. We still have about six weeks to go and the beautiful weather is making it hard to stay on task some days. We continue to be so thankful for this homeschooling journey God has provided. It is a blessing to be with my kids each day and learn alongside them.
I’ve been busily working on my first ebook, which I’ve mentioned before. It will be a compilation of recipes for the holidays from Fall through New Years. I had planned to include recipes for the entire year, but there are just too many for one book, so I’m going to have to split it up into two. There will probably be fewer new recipes on the site for a while as I have to save some goodies for the book!
We’re also working on all the details related to selling our awesome paleo cookies. When I want to buy a treat for my kids (or me) because I don’t have time or just don’t feel like cooking, there is nothing in the stores that meets my standards. Oh sure, we still buy cookies and other snacks, but I’m always compromising in some way: always more sugar than I want, almost always some grain flour involved, usually soy, dairy, and lots of gums and preservatives. My cookies have none of that. They’re really just too good to keep to ourselves. I know that sounds arrogant. God has given me this gift of enjoying cooking and creating recipes. I feel like I’m supposed to share it.
So be on the lookout for when and where you can purchase Our Paleo Family cookies in the near future. We will initially offer four varieties: molasses gingerbread, old fashioned chocolate chip, iced sugar cookies and baklava. Yum!!
That’s it for this week. I hope you are well! Thanks for reading.
“God, teach me lessons for living so I can stay the course. Give me insight so I can do what you tell me- my whole life one long, obedient response.” Psalm 119: 33-34 (The MSG.)
I hope Easter was a joyful time for all of you. The rain in these parts put a damper on some of our plans, but we had a relaxing, family day nonetheless. My children are especially looking forward to putting their Easter best back on so we can take pictures, which we couldn’t do last week. Can you hear the sarcasm? And we are busy eating lots of hard-boiled eggs.
You and your family will absolutely love these. They taste great and are full of good quality protein with nuts and collagen powder.
And in other big news this week, drum roll please…..I have finally finished the resources page I’ve been telling you about forever!
In this document, you will find the ingredients I find essential for a paleo kitchen (I’m sure I’ve forgotten something) and kitchen tools I use most often.
For quick and easy access, you will find the link to this document in the header, if using a desktop computer or tablet, or in the drop down box if using a smart phone.
Other happenings this week revolve mostly around Whole 30. Yes, I have started my Whole 30 again. With all the Easter candy in the house, I just gave in to my sugar tooth and ate away. As a result, my feet were much more achy and I just didn’t feel great. It doesn’t feel good to crave so much sugar.
Perhaps I’m the only one who does this, but when I start something new: a diet, a craft project, cleaning out my closet, etc., I often turn to other bloggers and their experiences. I want to know what other people went through. I want to know how they survived. I want to know that I’m not alone in my struggles.
That is why I’m throwing my own experience into the ring here. If you’re not interested in completing a Whole 30 and don’t even really care what it is, then delete away.
Again, I’m trying to give you what I was looking for myself when embarking on this journey. I’m journaling a short thought and/or progress update for each of the 30 days. And I’ll share just what I ate and how I was feeling.
Why am I even doing this Whole30 thing, you may ask? Back in January when I tried this before, I noticed a dramatic reduction in the pain in my feet, even after just two weeks of following the program pretty much to the letter. No diet or drug is going to change the physical problem with my feet, but diet can reduce the inflammation in my entire body, including my feet, and I noticed a profound difference when I was not eating sugar.
My Crohn’s disease is in remission, but my arthritis is not, which is why I talk more about the foot pain than I do digestive symptoms. But I know that if I veer too far off the paleo bandwagon, my gut will once again be leaky and my Crohn’s symptoms will return. So of course, getting my body off sugar, will be beneficial for my gut as well.
To be clear, I follow a strict paleo diet almost all of the time. Yet, there is sugar in my diet. It it not refined (that’s not allowed on the paleo diet – except during candy season), but there is honey, maple syrup, stevia, some dried fruit almost daily. Whole 30 is a tough love program. Absolutely no sugar is allowed. I like sausage for breakfast, but almost all commercially prepared products contain sugar. It doesn’t matter if sugar is ingredient number 10 out of 10. If it’s on the ingredient list, you can’t have it on Whole 30.
If you’re interested in doing your own Whole 30, I recommend you visit their website and read all the details. The website is very thorough and you can find all the information you need there to be successful.
The Whole 30 is in essence a paleo diet — and then some. So yes, that makes it easier for me to follow than someone who is currently eating the Standard American Diet. But that doesn’t mean it’s easy. When you strive to remove a food group completely (yes, I think sugar is a food group until itself 🙂 ) then you quickly notice all the many ways you are eating that food.
Want to join me? I’d love some company.
Here’s my daily journal, read and feel encouraged and inspired, or skip over. Whatever floats your boat.
If you choose to follow along through my Whole30 journey, I want you to know that you are going to get complete honesty. Case in point: I made it through days one and two really well. Then day three hit, afternoon came, and the jelly beans were still on the dining room table. I know, I should have gotten rid of the leftovers, but I didn’t. So I caved. So I started over. Here’s what’s happened since then:
Day 1 Breakfast: one hard-boiled egg in the car (I was in a hurry to an appointment) and black coffee
Lunch: one Applegate Chicken Apple Sausage, big pile of kale, one gala apple
Mid-Afternoon Snack: almonds
Dinner: spanakopita stuffed chicken – this recipe will be in the ebook and this recipe alone will be worth the price! Yes, it is ridiculously good. Also, grilled asparagus, Tazo baked apple and cinnamon tea for “dessert”
Final Day 1 Assessment: I wanted some of that candy, but I made it through. This is harder than I thought it would be.
Day 2Breakfast: one Applegate Chicken Apple Sausage, black coffee (this is a smaller breakfast than normal, but I was working out shortly afterward and didn’t want a huge meal on my stomach)
Lunch: one scrambled egg, sage breakfast sausage, apple
Final Day 2 Assessment: I want some M&Ms. I’m not hungry, but I want them anyway. I know that I stress eat and I boredom eat. Whole 30 makes these habits glaringly obvious. Also, I visited my orthopedist for my feet this week and the only solution to my foot pain is fusing the joints, which I do not want to do at this point in my life. It would take away the side to side motion, making walking on any uneven ground very difficult. I am praying that getting myself off sugar for good will make a tremendous difference in the inflammation in my feet and help me put off this fusion surgery for at least five years. I am going to finish this Whole30!
Day 3 Breakfast: bacon and a protein bar (I had to test them some more 🙂 )
Lunch: big salad, roasted turkey, half an avocado, carrots, balsamic and olive oil
Date night! Bike ride followed by fancy Dinner at Five Guys Burgers: double burger with bacon, mushrooms, onions, lettuce, tomato, and mayo.
Day 3 Assessment: Hmmm…how do I feel? Well, sort of blah. In just three days my feet feel a lot better so I should feel super energized and motivated. I guess I’m just hitting that day three energy slump where my body is learning to use more protein and fat for fuel and less sugar. It’s a good thing, but a bit of a challenge right now.
That’s it from around these parts. I wish you a happy weekend out in God’s glorious world. Everything is so green and colorful right now. Enjoy it.
Ecclesiastes 3:1 “There is a time for everything, and a season for every purpose under heaven.”
Compiled for you here are the ingredients and tools I couldn’t live without. It took a little while, but I now have a completely paleo kitchen. Having what you need on hand is essential to putting together good quality, healthy meals.
If you haven’t already, I strongly suggest you give Thrive Market a try. They are continually adding new products to their inventory and their prices can’t be beat. Most of the links below are Amazon links, but if you’d like to purchase one of the food items below, check with Thrive first to see if they carry the same item for less. If you’d like to sign up with Thrive, please use my referral link here. Remember, they will give you a free month’s trial.
Disclaimer: This page contains affiliate links. If you click on one of the Amazon links and purchase that product, Amazon will pay me a small commission, which helps to keep the lights on over here.
This is the whole cassava (yuca) root dried and ground into a flour.
This autoimmune protocol-friendly flour can be used as a thickener for sauces or as a substitute for traditional flours in baked goods. My opinion is that it works best in combination with other paleo flours.
The starch that has been extracted from the arrowroot plant. It has its origins in the native South American culture in helping to draw poisons out from wounds inflicted by arrows.
Autoimmune Protocol-friendly starch used to thicken sauces and gravies and used in combination with other flours for baked goods. Very similar to tapioca starch, but is better tolerated by many people.
Dehydrated coconut meat that has been ground into a flour. Relatively high in fiber and therefore carbohydrate content.
Coconut flour is usually used in combination with other paleo flours in baked goods. It is far more absorptive and drying than other flours so you cannot substitute 1:1. Often gives baked goods a grainy texture and definite coconut taste. I recommend it in small quantities and always in combination with another flour or two.
Also from the cassava root (yuca), but differs from cassava flour in that it is just a starch which has been extracted from the root, dried and ground to a fine powder.
Tapioca starch/flour does not have the same properties of cassava flour and the two cannot be used interchangeably. Use tapioca as a thickener for sauces or an addition to other paleo flours in baked goods. Some people have an allergic reaction to tapioca.
Dried almonds ground to a fine flour. Different brands offer different textures. Some are more coarse than others, some include the skin. In general, for baking purposes, you want the finest ground almond flour you can find. If your product is called Almond Meal, it is usually a coarser grind. Wellbee’s seems to have the finest grind available mail order (in my experience). If you live near a Kroger Grocery store, their Simple Truth house brand is every bit as good and much less expensive. Lots of brands are available. Try a few and see which you like the best.
Use almond flour for baking, coating meat and veggies for frying or baking, blend it into smoothies. Infinite possibilities. Not autoimmune protocol approved.
Just coconut milk, not the sweetened beverage. Usually contains guar gum to prevent clumping. Guar gum is a real food derived from the guar bean. Not shown to have adverse effects other than possible gas and other associated digestive upset in some people.
Use as a full fat dairy substitute in baking, cream sauces, coffee, frittatas. Basically, anywhere you would use heavy cream, you can substitute coconut milk. The solidified coconut cream can be whipped for whipped topping and frostings.
High in medium chain fatty acids which are quickly metabolized and turned into energy. No trans fats, not hydrogenated. This brand is mechanically, not chemically extracted.
Use for baking, frying, moisturizing your skin, washing your face.
Palm shortening is palm oil that has some of its unsaturated fats removed, giving it a very firm texture, and high melting point. It is very shelf stable. It is not hydrogenated, and contains no trans fats.
Great for deep-fat frying and baking, and is not prone to rancidity. Since it has been separated from some of the unsaturated portion of the oil, it is colorless and odorless, and will not affect the taste of foods like Virgin Palm Oil does.
Bacon
Pederson’s is my favorite brand. Sourced from healthy pigs and not prepared with nitrates or nitrites. Sugar free options available.
I think we all know what bacon is. This one is prepared without nitrates or nitrites and is from totally healthy pigs. Pete’s Paleo is an online business and ships to your home.
Eat it! On anything. With anything. Anytime of day.
Sustainably sourced tuna with no additives. Most canned fish contains soy. This brand does not.
Tuna salad, tuna casserole, tuna patties. A quick and healthy protein source. If you have histamine intolerance, limit your intake.
Almond Milk
A good dairy substitute, almond milk is simply soaked and blended almonds. If you buy your almond milk, look for one with only almonds in the ingredient list. I don’t know of any. Best to make your own.
Milk substitute for baking, adding to tea or coffee.
The brand linked here contains pits. I couldn’t find a good online brand without pits. Look for these in bulk bins at Whole Foods or in the produce section of most grocery store.
A fantastic addition to baked goods for natural sweetness. You can soak them and blend them with coconut milk to make your own coffee creamer. Or eat as a snack!
This stuff is expensive and delicious so use whenever you really want to enjoy maple flavor. It’s great sprinkled on top of muffins for a little extra special flavor and crunch.
You want raw honey because it is unpasteurized and unprocessed. Basically, it’s the purest form of honey.
The one I show here is from Thrive Market, but ideally, you want to buy fresh, local honey. Check your farmer’s market. If you can’t find it there and don’t want to order online, you will find honey at the grocery store and sometimes you can find one raw brand. Just read the labels.
A product of black anchovies harvested in Vietnam. Contains no MSG or additives.
Adds that “something extra” you need to jazz up any savory dish or sauce. Add a few drops at a time. And keep away from your kids because if they smell it, they will think you’re trying to kill them.
This green can will not gel and is therefore great for adding to beverages and smoothies. It is flavorless and entirely undetectable if dissolved in hot tea or coffee, yet provides gelatin that helps with skin firmness, joint paint and healing of leaky gut.
In case of emergencies, open an Epic Bar. These guys are not cheap, but are a handy source of protein and a little carbs when you have to eat, but a suitable restaurant is not close by.
Activated charcoal made from the shell of coconuts. 100% food grade.
Keep on hand for emergencies. Activated charcoal is an absorptive material that can be taken to prevent adverse effects of consuming foods that may have been contaminated. For example, a couple times I’ve taken a bite of an egg that tasted funny. I immediately took a couple capsules of charcoal. If I feel I’ve been exposed to gluten, I’ll take charcoal. Use when detoxing to minimize unpleasant side effects (bad breath!).
Do not take within a few hours of other medicines or vitamins.
A natural source of magnesium, an essential element in which many of us are deficient.
You can buy this in liquid form or powder form.
Helps to combat constipation and insomnia.
Dissolves in hot or cold liquids. Can make you very sleepy, so keep that in mind.
I mix this in with my evening cup of herbal tea. Adjust dosage based on needs.
If you are detoxing or feel you may have eaten gluten by mistake, you can take activated charcoal to help remove those toxins from your body. The charcoal works very well, but will cause constipation. Combat that with a dose of Natural Calm.
Just good, old popcorn, but non-GMO. Most corn grown in this country is genetically modified. Feel good about feeding this high fiber snack to your family.
Let me just say that you HAVE to have some of these on hand. They are the perfect blend of sweet, but not too sweet, chocolate with just a touch of salt and caramel yumminess. Made with coconut oil and no soy or artificial anything.
What you should do with these: Hide them so no one else in your house gets any. I’m kidding. A little.
Slicing, shredding or mixing. This powerhouse does it all super duper fast. I first used it to shred carrots for carrot cake. Once I saw how easy that was compared to manual grating, I never looked back. Use it all the time.
Can slice, shred, mix, puree. Makes quick work of any of those jobs. My tip: keep it someplace where it will be easy to get in and out or you won’t use it.
This blender comes with a large container and a small one perfect for making a smoothie for one. I don’t have a Vitamix and I’m sure this is not as powerful, but I find it does a great job of blending. Works for ice cubes, tough veggies like celery and apples. Really stellar job for the price.
I mostly use this for making smoothies, but sometimes blend pancake batter as well.
Plastic body with metal blades used to make noodles out of veggies. This version comes with three blades: flat, large noodle and narrow noodle.
Honestly, takes a little practice, but once you get the hang of it, it makes great veggie noodles. The noodles are fun and everyone feels like they’re eating “real” spaghetti.
Zesting citrus, grating ginger, horseradish, garlic, parmesan cheese. Works wonderfully for anything hard that you want shredded very finely. I’ve used mine for over five years and it’s still perfectly sharp. Cleans easily.
Small kitchen scale that fits easily in your cupboard.
Ever wonder what a 4 oz. serving of meat looks like? Find out! Baking is more precise when you weigh ingredients. I’m sure you’ve seen fancy recipes written this way.
Quick and easy way to pop corn over an open flame or electric burner. You control what goes in your popcorn.
Try popping corn in your reserved bacon fat. So good. I don’t have this specific model because I have my great, great aunt’s, which is at least 100 years old, but it’s the same idea. Faster than microwave popcorn. I promise!
Dinner: 
