Reflection

I went back to some dairy and regret it.  I have had allergy problems since.  A scratchy throat, headaches, and sinus problems It has not even been that much.  It was just laziness on my part.  Today I start fresh again and will not cheat again.  Sometimes cheating helps you to realize what happens if you don't stick to something.  So I am  back to dairy free and will stay that way.  Even through Christmas.  I will as much as I can Christmas Day.  I am not going to be such a stickler that I have to ask what everything is made of but I can pretty much tell.  This will probably require making my own eggs Christmas Day for the traditional family breakfast at the in laws.  It is what it is.  I like  the way I feel dairy free and that is what is most important.   There are no challenges this month.  December is crazy and I just can't commit to anything new for 30 days at this time.  It will stress me out if I try.  I will be back to this blog come Jan 1 with a new challenge.  I am undecided at the moment what that is.

day 25 of 30 days

Back on track.  well mostly.  yesterday I ate leftover green bean casserole.  I swear that is my guilty pleasure.  It is so much better days after.  I make it totally different.  there is sour cream, garlic and cheddar cheese added.  oh yumminess.  I digress.  The rest of the day was dairy free.  for dinner we had turkey enchiladas.  this is the recipe: enchiladas.  i used mayo instead of sour cream.  regular mayo.  they were still delish.  i also blended the tomatoes to make them more saucy.  the two I ate did not have cheese on top.  the rest of them enjoyed their cheesy metltiness.  Today is Sunday.  chicken wings!!!  I am making coleslaw.  In my coffee today I am enjoying this

enjoy the happiness!!!!

day 24 of 30 day

So there was cheating during Thanksgiving not only with myself but the girls.  After last night though, I said no more.  there was not even that much of cheating.  Even a little bit sent the girls and I into emotional craziness.  Even the baby.  She normally sleeps with no problems.  Last night she was just a cranky, crying mess.  The husband had to take her for a walk at 9:30 at night. We are a bunch of cranky, short tempered, emotional messes.  It is behavior I have not seen in months. my poor husband.  Anyway, I said no more.  We will not cheat.  not even at Christmas.  We will deal with gluten free deserts that I make.  We will bring our own food when we go on vacation.  When we eat at people's houses when we get invited over I will tell them is you want us, this is what we can't have.  really it is five ingredients. (wheat,malt,barley, modified food starch, and regular pasta)  IF that is getting used in anything , then we will decline and visit before or after or just bring our own dinner.  This has been enough that I never want to have it happen again.  Even my husband noticed.  I said "I cant even let them cheat for two days."  He said "yup"   So it will be not so fun in this house for a few days,  There will be crankiness.  However, there are goodies we will enjoy to help.  I will make gluten free cookies later.  pumpkin chocolate chip.  I will make gluten free spritz cookies that they can make.  They will play outside to run off the energy and wear them out.  We have learned our lesson.  Next year for Thanksgiving the girls and I will eat completely gluten free.  I will make gluten free stuffing,  I will make deserts we can enjoy.  I will make regular stuffing for the hubby.  We know what happens when we don't stick with it and have proved once again we need to be gluten free.  Hopefully, it only takes a couple days to fix it.  I won't be surprised if it takes a week or so though.  Gluten is slow acting with its bad effects at times.  We will muster through.  Pomegranates and coffee will help tremendously

day 21 of 30 days

There is nothing new and exciting.  still trucking along.  still feeling really good.  I found a recipe for dairy free ranch which makes me oh so happy.  We have wings every Sunday and I have to have ransh or bleu cheese with them.  so I have been cheating.  well no longer need to.  here is the recipe: dairy free ranch.  I get so excited when I get to have things that I want and not have to cheat.  Ultimately I would love bleu cheese but that is just not possible.  I also would love sour cream on my tacos but again, impossible.  I have gotten used to it.  I don't miss any of it.  except the ranch dressing for my wings.  Soon that wont be an issue either as I will be going mostly vegetarian.  but I am not ready yet for that.  I LOVE CHICKEN WINGS.  I will do some other challenges first.  Tomorrow is Thanksgiving.  Tomorrow I will cheat on some things.  I will still be gluten free.  I can live without stuffing but some things I am eating will have dairy.   Actually it is only two things, I think.  so it won't be so bad.  :)  It is one reason I am glad we are doing Thanksgiving here.  I have control over what ingredients go in what.  No worries to my husband.  I am not making anything gluten free except the pumpkin pie.  Everything else is normal. (Ye,s you get your normal stuffing)I will just choose not to eat and purposely make somethings that are already gluten free without having to change anything.  Cranberry sauce and turkey are gluten free.  This year I also will not be stuffed on bread items so I wont be so full that I want to explode.  :)

Day 18 of 30 days

so still going.  a hiccup here and there. for instance, I got gluten free mac and cheese for the kids.  I figured I would make it with goat's milk and eat it myself.  I forget cheese has dairy.  Eh, no biggie.  move on.  I went to the store yesterday and could not find one single thing of goat's milk anywhere.   seriously.  Is everybody reading my blogs and taking all the goat's milk?  I mean I know I am all that but realize it is all about me.  (OK it isn't and I am not but if you are new to reading me, I usually have tones of sarcasm.) I went to every grocery store in town. ( and where I live there are four options.  I went to three.   I am pretty Save a Lot does not carry goat's milk)  I will only buy the refrigerated kind.  I have my own mental issues with milk in a box on the shelf.  It makes me wonder what they do to milk to make it be able to sit on a shelf for months and not go bad.  It is not something I want to put in my body.  I compare it to the baby food meat.  meat should go bad after a few days.  It should not be able to sit in a jar for months.  Needless to say none of my children have ever eaten it.  I did do the happy dance when I went to the organic section at Kroger.  I saw this :

something chocolate that is dairy free!!!! oh my the happiness!!!!  I may, just may, see if I can freeze it and hoard it like the apocalypse. there is this too:

Yup, I am in my happy place.  :)

day 14 of 30 days

Been a few days but there has not been much exciting or new things to post.  Last night we had roast, broccoli and baked potatoes and of course on Sunday we had wings.  earth balance butter substitutes nicely for any butter.    The roast is always yummy and so easy to make.  I have noticed something with popcorn.  You have to read the labels.  Even when you think there is no dairy , there is.  Butter flavor does mean it has dairy in it.  So I found this:

very good stuff.  

day 10 of 30 days of dairy free living

I have an new obsession....goat cheese.  Oh my yumminess.  It needs to be used very sparingly because it is pricey.  but it seriously is so good.  Seriously.  I also am blessed that nobody else will eat it so I don't have to worry about it disappearing  without my knowledge.  today for lunch I had a grilled chicken, avocado, cheese sandwich.  i used my gluten free bread.  It is OK.  It serves its purpose when I am in the mood for a sandwich.  Last night the chicken and dumplings were DELICIOUS!!!  I will be making them again.  I will double the recipe and make the dumplings smaller.   tonight we had one of our favorites...white chicken chili.  With the cooler weather I am making warm yummy comfort foods.

recipe since people always want it:
white chicken chili-I suggest cutting the spices down or your mouth will be on fire.  I use 1/2 the cumin and only 1/2 tsp of cayenne pepper.  I threw a little goat cheese in because I cant have the sour cream or jack cheese.

day 8/9 of dairy free

So I totally changed what I was making for dinner the other night because somebody posted a picture on Facebook of their avocado Swiss cheeseburger.  So I made avocado feta cheeseburgers.  Well I found out the hard way that the Feta cheese I got was not dairy free.  It was still delicious but I paid for it with bloated gassiness the next day.  SO yes, lesson learned.  study cheese before shopping.  Some Feta is made from goat's milk.  I even saw goat cheese made with some cow's milk.  That annoys me as much as when I see labels saying "made with whole grain" yet when you look at the ingredients it says "enriched flour"  So we move on and buy just goat cheese next time, which I did today.  This will be used for me and me only.  I will be stingy with my cheese.  I also attempted to make chicken and dumplings last night.  Big FAIL.  some recipes you just can't make substitutions with so I trying again tonight but making it this way:
chicken and dumplings recipe- this Bisquick will be treated like it is gold.  Half the size. more expensive.  Any recipe calling for milk uses goat's milk instead for substitution.  soy, almond, or coconut just don't make good substitutions usually. But tonight it will be enjoyed and snuggles with the hubby and crochet needles after.  oh happiness.

The kids have been begging for pumpkin chocolate cookies for weeks.  So they were made.  they were delicious!!!!

pumpkin chocolate chip cookies-  goat's milk was used instead and I made some just for me without the chocolate chips.  I can die happy now.

Day 7 of 30 days

So my dear friend. Dana put a recipe for dessert in my comments yesterday and oh I will be trying it.   I also will delight in giving it to the baby who loves ice cream but really don't want her to have it so she will delight in eating it as well.   It has been a week.  It has been life changing.  It is something I am so thankful I have decided to do.   When I was fifteen after getting my tonsils taken out I was diagnosed with asthma.  It was the year of missing lots of school and losing weight.  (Mind you I did not need to  I went from 135 to 110 in about a month)  I had the pleasant experience of a long needle inserted into my tonsils to drain them only to be told after they need to be taken out.  To which I thought, since I could not speak "DUH, I knew this and have for awhile since ending up in the hospital for not eating because I could not swallow and on antibiotics."  SO they came out and do to all the drainage into my lungs I became asthmatic and would usually need the inhaler seasonally after that.  Usually winter time.  However, a few years ago I gave up drinking milk and for the past three years have not needed it once. Every year I get a prescription and every year it sits on my shelf and gets expired.  I think my asthma is only associated with dairy intake.  I will no longer get an inhaler.  I believe I no longer have asthma.  I will get one if I decide to consume milk again because I become homeless and move to a field of cows.    Here is the inhaler I got last year when I was pregnant with Charlotte.

still in the box.  needs to be thrown out because it is expired and never used once.

SO here is information that links asthma to dairy:

asthma and dairy  very interesting.  This also could be why my eldest has the sinus problem she does so I have removed milk from her diet completely and see how that goes.  I will go more extreme with her if it does not improve.  that poor child.  She seems to be the guinea pig for diet changes with the children.  

day 6 of 30 days

I don't miss cheese.  Weird because I thought I would.  I also don't miss ice cream.  If I crave ice cream, I will get this, not necessarily this type because of the chocolate:

OR I can just make my own  coconut milk ice cream  YUMMY YUMMY!!!!!  I can also make my own cottage cheese dairy free cottage cheese.  that may seem unappetizing but it is about a change of mindset.  I will let you know how it is after I make it.  I made chicken marsala for dinner.  I was told it was delicious and to make it again.  So I will.  Tonight I am making the chicken and dumplings.    Coconut Milk and Almond Milk are wonderful. Here are the benefits:

Coconut milk benefits

almond milk benefits

day 5 of 30 days

I made the dairy free creamer.  It serves its purpose but not the same.  I think next time I will put less pumpkin in it.   I also think it will be better with almond milk instead of soy.  It will give it a nice sweet and nutty taste.  Tonight I am making chicken and dumplings that are gluten and dairy free....provided I have chicken broth.  I have not even looked.  I feel good.  I am less bloated.  the scale is going down.  Now there are studies on soy.  SOme good, some bad.  Some studies say it leads to breast cancer.

http://www.naturalnews.com/022224.html
http://breastcancer.about.com/od/riskfactorsindetail/a/soy_bc_diet.htm
http://www.vegan-nutritionista.com/soy-controversy.html

So yeah.  I can't make a good conclusion from what I have tried to find on the internet.  If any of you have good studies that prove either way than please feel free to share.  In my opinion. there is controversy for a reason and with that I will not consume soy in great amounts.    I am ok with some here and there.  I will use tofu and soy milk but almond milk and coconut milk are great alternatives and there are not controversies with those two products.

day 4 of 30 days

This dairy free challenge is way easier than the gluten free one.  I even made a stop at Dairy Queen yesterday for my daughter after her gymnastics meet and resisted getting a yummy blizzard.  Then I totally thought how cool would it be to be able to go to a dairy free ice cream chain and get dairy free desserts.  I probably would make millions.  Lactose intolerant people I am sure would love blizzards and sundaes without having to deal with the consequences or taking medication before eating it.  I am sure the vegans would love a sweet treat like that every now and again.  But my life is insane enough at the moment.  So here is something that our family is currently enjoying for desserts.  It is my favorite and cures any sweet craving I am having.

                                                                      pumpkin smoothie 

Oh yes it is yummy.  I don't do the whip cream and instead of milk I use coconut or almond milk.  It is heavenly!!!  and it is cheap to make.   I usually need to add more milk and more ice because i like like a milk shake.  you can add a little more sugar to make it sweeter.

I also found this recipe for creamers pumpkin spice creamer-scan down to the bottom

peppermint mocha creamer

So yes I still get to relish in the holiday creamers that I look forward to every year and not get to miss out and pass by the creamer aisle and sigh.  I also get to save money because I am making my own.  There are controversies on soy.  That will be a blog for tomorrow.

day 3 of 30 days of dairy free living

It is day 3 and the scale is already back to being my friend again.  It is because I am not eating cheese and chocolate on a daily basis.  We had tacos for dinner last night.  Do you know how hard it is to have tacos with no sour cream?  It was almost torture.  But I consoled myself with my homemade salsa and guacamole.  All was well.  Probably wondering how I had them without cheese either.  Well I use this as an  alternative:

Is it the same? no, of course not but it does help with needing something if it needs cheese.  I have to have cheese on my tacos and sometimes I want a tuna melt.  of course this has casein which has a milk protein and soon I will not be using this at all.  So I was not totally dairy free.  It is a learning process.  This is what happens when you assume something is dairy free and you don't read the labels to find out for sure.  To be truly dairy free the ingredients casein and whey also need to be stayed away from.   What threw me off on this was the label on the front saying lactose free.  lactose free does not mean dairy free.  So once I get to the grocery store again I will be buying goat cheese or even possibly making my own.  

dairy free cheese recipe

So we move on.  we continue on the course.

Day 2 of 30 days Dairy Free

Made it the first day.  First day is always easy.  It is after a few days that cravings kick in. I will conquer though. So I am posting links today as to where I get my information:

resaons not to drink milk 

6 reasons
That is just a couple.  Let me preface to say I am staying away from cow's milk.  Goats milk is another story.  That has been proven to be a safe alternative.  I plan to never allow Charlotte to even have cow's milk but will start her on goat's milk once she is done nursing.  She is allowed to nurse until she is two or she decides she wants to stop before then.  So since she gets milk from me then there is no need for me to introduce any other milk to her.   She has had some things with dairy in it that i have cooked but I will soon be cooking with goat's milk so it wont be an issue.

Goats milk benefits


Pretty soon, next shopping trip, I will be buying goat's milk.  I may be sneaky and put it in an milk gallon and see if they notice and then tell them.  (except my husband.  I won't do that to him.)

I can also testify that early puberty does happen and is not the norm in our family in any generations.  My ten year old started puberty when she was 9.  Not fully done, that one big thing still needs to happen but seriously  physically developing but not emotionally ready for it.  Nine year olds should not be getting breasts, curves, have to use deoderant, and have to shave their underarms.  not to mention the hormonal emotional changes.  that is the one I could really do without.  At none they are not ready and I believe a lot of this has happened because of dairy intake.  Does it happen to all? no.  but it does happen more often these days then it used to.

New 30 day Journey DAY 1

SO Today I have decided to start dairy free living.  Challenging myself to do this for 30 days.  I do better when I set goals like this instead of saying  "I am now dairy Free."  My type A personality will not allow me to want to fail once I start a challenge.  SO I have noticed there is dairy in  practically everything.  If it is not milk it is whey. SO this will prove challenging but only for a few days to a week as I read labels.  I will miss cheese the most but I found alternatives that will do for now.  I also am happy to day I found butter not made from dairy.  I was thinking "How on earth am I going to eat a baked potato with no butter?"   Well I get to have this :

One thing I will not miss is milk.  I have done extensive research on milk and frankly it is gross what they do to the cows to produce it.  I will just start with we are the only animal on the planet that drinks milk from another animal.  All animals drink milk until  they are ready for regular food and then they stop.  Milk from cows is also in its natural state designed to grow a 2000 pound cow.  I am not trying to become a 2000 pound cow yet for years we have been ingrained that milk is good for us and we need the calcium.  Yes, we need calcium but there are other places to get it.    Please do not take this that I am judging you if you drink milk.  My kids and husband do.  My kids, however, are only allowed to use it in their cereal.  This will be changing but lets face it, milk is cheap and alternatives are more expensive.   There are also many health benefits when getting off dairy that I can personally testify to.   This will be a blog for tomorrow.  I will also be listing dairy free recipes that I will be making and dairy free alternatives that I will be using.  Here is one I will be making this week for when I crave something sweet, which is usually chocolate and every stinking chocolate bar that I have seen contains dairy of some sort.   raw chocolate chip cookies recipe.  these are good.  not exactly the same but good.

the end and yet the journey continues

The blog is late due to busyness and unwell people in this house due to colds and teething.  So we made it 30 days.  Not a whole lot of glitches.  It was a great learning process and to the point of habit now that we don't even think twice about what we can and can not eat.  There is still some label reading but for the most part we know what we can and can not eat.  One glitch was this past Sunday.  It was wing day.  The hubby made them and without thinking used a little regular flour to thicken up the sauce.  The kids had already started eating them so I said it probably was not enough to even matter,  Well, for me and Abby it was.  Both our stomachs just did not feel right come later that evening and Monday morning.  I not so bad but Abby was in misery,  SO lesson learned.  NO CHEATING.  Janessa and Hannah were fine but they have other issues with it so we are not going back.   The next 30 day journey will begin soon.  I just need to go grocery shopping to make it happen.

day 26 of 30

ok so we have skipped a few days blogging.  still gluten free.  I have been a busy busy bee with crocheting and schoolwork lately and just have not had the time to blog.  There will be a post later in my other one about all that.  Spaghetti and meatballs were yummy from my last blog post.    WE are in the last four days until blogs about dairy free will be coming. Wonderful lifestyle changes

day 23 of 30 days

We are skipping Mexican Monday.  We are having spaghetti and meatballs.  Two reasons.  I went grocery shopping and am missing a couple ingredients for enchiladas.  I am being lazy and don't feel like taking four children to the grocery store. I want to be nice mom today, not  "stop touching that, come over here, no we can't get that, stop swinging and dancing" mom. (I want my children to be able to swing and dance.  I want to be like them and not feel embarrassed and feel free to spin and dance.  But I am an adult and that will just make me look like I am crazy instead of being told I am for having four girls and wanting one more, but I digress.  I, of course, found a great recipe for meatballs here.  I am changing a few things.  We are not going all crazy and getting "grass fed beef."  I have only one reason.  That stuff is ultra expensive.   Feeding a family of six would bankrupt us doing that.  I eventually will be vegetarian but I am taking small steps for now.  This blog title may change to "30 day challenges".  That is what it is turning into.  Next is dairy free.  after that we will see about giving up meat.  Watch some of the documentaries out there-seriously.  They will make you want to.   I also will not be making pesto but will be making a red sauce and as I have already stated, rice pasta is dreadful, so we will be using the corn.rice blend. I, of course need to remember where I found the recipe.  This is why I should have bookmarked it.

day 21/22 of 30 days

short blog today as I am not feeling well.  Just very sinusy and fatigued.  Girls went camping and got to enjoy typical camp out food because the hot dogs and marshmallows were gluten free.  Joy JOY!!  there is nothing better than campfire hot dogs and marshmallows.   Today is wing Sunday and will be adding an extra bonus of the homemade mac and cheese.  I will be spending most of my day in bed.  I need the rest.

day 20 of 30 days

I was doing research for a friend and I ran across this article.   Interesting points in it.  I did not start exhibiting symptoms until after pregnancy.  I gained the weight I was supposed to but never lost it.  My hair thinned and that was not noticeably until much later.  My moods were sporadic and I had mood swings.  That is not me.  Anybody that knew me growing up knew I was a calm and laid back person.  Type A, but laid back.  I did not anger easily.  I also had a high metabolism.  I never had issues with weight, until after kids.  Yes, I understand weight gain is normal and that things change after babies but there is no reason I should be over weight or why I should have so much trouble losing it especially when I run and eat pretty healthy.  That is starting to change.  I will probably look into going to dairy free as`well.   The problem is I love cheese and cottage cheese.  However, I can do it.  It will be tough but there are options out there that i can live with.  I do notice when I eat dairy that my sinuses act up.  I used to have problems with asthma but after I stopped drinking milk, that stopped.  I have an inhaler i get every year and the past two years  I have not used it.  The one I got over a year ago is still sitting in the box never opened.  I believe I don't have asthma but the doctors say you can't be cured from it.  I say pooey on them, yes I am.  Why I don't drink milk is a blog for maybe tomorrow, but simply, it grosses me out at the thought of it.  That will be next month.  Next month I think I will do a 30 day journey into dairy free and see how I do.  that will be just me though.  the girls seem fine with dairy.  I don't let them have a lot.  I eventually want them off milk completely,except for what I use to cook with it.   I am thankful for coconut and almond milk.  I am thankful for coconut ice cream.   I am thankful for coconut milk creamer.  I love all of those things so it will be easy to adjust.  :)

day 18/19 of 30 days

Missed yesterday.  The Internet was down-some technical issue.  There was not much exciting to blog about.   I am grateful for the support we have received throughout our journey.  One instance in particular last night.  My daughters attend Awana.  Hannah's teacher, Tara and Jim allow her to get a different snack than what the class has.  So last night instead of pretzels she got Reese's peanut butter cups.  (yeah, she was real upset she could not eat pretzels.HAHAHAHA)  So if you are reading this I thank you.  It truly means so much to me you are looking out for my child.  I have people telling me my children are different.  MY neighbor, Ally, says janessa seems more mature- which she is. Others ask "what is wrong with them?"  (Because they are not acting like out of control, too much energy, bouncing off the wall, constantly having to be told to stop doing something, typical behavior)  I say nothing.  This is how they are supposed to be.  I look back to when my children were babies.  They were the most laid back children on the planet.  Great babies.  rarely cried unless hungry or tired.  Slept well.  2-3 hour naps and all night long from two months on.  Things became different when we introduced the normal American diet.  cereals, sandwiches, etc. after being done with baby food.   Some of the behavior was typical toddler.  Seriously what two or three year old is not spastic and crazy?  But when that behavior continues and the children are labeled with "typical Kennedy behavior"   Seriously.  every time they do something the remarks, even by myself, are made " well they are Kennedy children."  Well, no more.   It is ending.  The only times I am noticing it now is when the children are overtired.  This is from not going to bed on time.  SO that is the other thing we are working on as well is getting them to bed -on time. Hannah goes to bed at 8:30, Abby 9:00 and Janessa 9:30.  they get to sleep until 8:00 the next morning.   On the weekend,Fri and Sat, they get to stay up a half hour later.  If they don't they are people I don't want to be around.  Bunch of cranky whiny children-So I prevent that with making sure they get plenty of sleep. This in particular affects Janessa.  Her attention span is directly correlated to not only what she eats but what time she goes to bed.  She can't concentrate worth a lick the next day if she is up later than 10:00.   Melatonin is working wonders with her falling asleep on time.

Tonight's menu is beef stew.  Yummy yummy comfort food.  :)  here is the recipe:

recipe for beef stew I add a couple potatoes.  Sometimes I add peas.  Best ever.  The husband and kids  love it.  The kids always ask me to make it.  I will also be venturing into making my own flours.  It will be cheaper.  I just need to suck it up and take the time to do it.

day 17 of 30 days

I stumbled upon this really cool blog.  I was looking to see if taco seasoning was gluten free., which it is.  this pretty much sums it up.  We have not cheated yet.   Well I have not cheated.  Hannah did with a piece of donut.  You would not think a small piece of donut, like a little bite,  would not affect her but my oh my her attitude was horrid and tummy problems. I asked her as soon as the crankiness started if she ate anything she should not have.  The truth came out.  We have the holidays coming.  Thanksgiving will not be a problem.  We are having Thanksgiving here and I can make the entire meal gluten free.  I am making a regular apple pie because my parents will be here and my husband will want to eat something "normal".  To us, gluten fee is normal.   I think my husband has even accepted that dinners will be gluten free.   Christmas, however, will be a completely different story.   Then again maybe not.  Christmas dinner has never been a big tradition for quite a few years.  It is breakfast with the in laws.  then usually just visiting the different families.  We visit because we live in a different state.  IF I could do it, I would do a traditional Christmas Day Dinner just like I do a Thanksgiving Day dinner.  Last year was the start of that tradition.  OF course it was done backwards.  I gave birth on Thanksgiving and we celebrated Thanksgiving on the day Charlotte was actually due.  My kids have even started asking can we go out to a restaurant.  I will be honest and say I have contemplated it .  After all, what is the occasional cheating going to do?  but I know what will happen .  We will be cranky.  I will be yelling at my kids, especially Janessa, for a week about not staying focused.  I will hear complaints about stomach pains.  I will be bloated and miserable.  I don't want that.  The bright side?  we save loads of money on going out to eat.  I am sure there are gluten free options at the restaurants but when ones favorite restaurant is chinese buffet or Golden Corral, that is impossible.   Here is the link to the blog:

cheating on gluten free is the name of this particular blog but she has a blog chock full of info and such.  It is a wonderful resource.

so my dear friends and family reading this don't be surprised if when we visit we don't eat dinner with you.  If we do come to eat, we will pack on our own foods.  I will be that mom carrying the extra diaper bag filled with snacks and foods.  I will leave foods appropriate for them to eat when they stay the night.  We will come by after or before meals.    I know you all don't care and are completely supportive.  Just wanted to let you know.

day 16 of 30 days

I super duper excited about today's blog.  I have physical evidence that what we are doing is working

janessa's arm last night

Janessa's arm two weeks ago

How awesome is that?  I am a visual person so it was not enough for me to see the attitude differences.  i can justify it to different things.  But this makes it so obvious.  I want to dance around my house but then I would get the eye rolls and "Mom, stop."  eh, I may do it anyway.    

Tonight is mexican night.  I think we are having tacos.   I need to do the shopping and I need to find gluten free taco seasoning.  If the seasoning has "modified food starch" we can't have it.  modified "corn starch is fine"    I may be making up my own.

day 15 of 30 days

Today is wing day.  Sundays are wings and football in this house.   My husband makes the wings.  they are always delicious.  BBQ and mildly hot.  We also had salad.  I really enjoy finding gluten free ranch dressing.  It makes my tummy happy.  Ken's salad dressing are pretty much all gluten free.  For dinner it is leftovers.  wings or baked ziti.  the baked ziti is just like normal baked ziti except you use the gluten free pasta.  so whatever recipe you have will work.

day 14 of 30 days

We have made it two weeks.  I am so glad we did this.  I am ecstatic.  I am nicer.  My children are nicer.  They are calmer.  Especially noticeable in Janessa.  It truly is amazing.  The meatloaf last night was wonderful.  My husband made the mashed potatoes.  Anything he makes is awesome and he is now in charge of making them forever.  the asparagus was as yummy as always.  Asparagus is our favorite vegetable.  tonight We will have baked ziti.  here is the pasta we use :

the recipe for meatloaf: gluten free goddess I did not make the glaze and I just used the cheap syrup we had in the house.  it worked fine.  I definitely want to get the real maple syrup.  I have issues with high fructose corn syrup for health reasons.  I don't want to use it at all but we had to use what was on hand this time around.  

mashed potatoes:  cant tell you.  because I honestly don't know what he did to make them yummy.  here is the answer I got "milk, butter and seasonings."

asparagus : break ends off.  they will break where they are supposed to.  mic with olive oil to coat, salt and pepper to taste.  put in oven on 375 until cooked to desired consistency.  I love it crispy. You can sprinkle Parmesan for an added taste.

I also am getting lots of questions on where I get my information.  From the Internet.  lots of research.  Friends sent me websites for the recipes.  here are a couple of the links :

symptoms

webmd

there are many more but that is a start.  Let me preface we are not Celiacs.  It is just that a lot of people are with a gluten intolerance.  the rest of just have a slight sensitivity.

day 13 of 30 days

Today is grocery shopping day.  The meals for the week are planned.  Tonight is meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and asparagus.   there is not much else exciting to blog about.  I am just enjoying this new life and how we are all feeling.

day 12 of 30 days

You know how I know I am loved?  I have friends that send me links like this one : pumpkin donuts  Oh my word.  I may die from happiness.  This website is chock full of good recipes for people like me and my family.  We get to eat like normal people.  I also found out their are candies my girls can have.  So there has been ultra celebration.  Trick or treating can be back on.  They will and will get to eat butterfingers, baby Ruth's , tootsie rolls, and york peppermint patties to name a few.  Oh yay for them.  Not so yay for me.  chocolate is my nemesis and weakness.  i think I will just pretend they have gluten and resist eating them.  although now that they are older it is harder to for me to eat their candy and get away with it.  They know exactly what they got and when it is missing.  I consider this a blessing since it helps me to resist eating it.  They will dress up in  whatever they can find around the house or can borrow from friends because I refuse to spend 20.00 a piece on costumes.  good gravy!!  Now that I think about it it is what my mom did as  well.  People are asking if I am noticing a difference.  Yes i am.  here is a list

Janessa: her arm is way better.  I will post a picture when she is not being so preteen emo girl and will let me.  She is also very, very, very calm.  So laid back.  She is back to how she was when she was a baby before introducing big people food.  ( I am resisting kicking myself for wasting 12 years of undo stress and time wasted on frustrations for both of us)  She is mostly getting her school work done in a timely manner and there is less reminding me on her part to stay focused.

Abby: not one instance of throwing up or spasm of her esophagus.  Her stomach is not as distended and she has lost weight.  DISCLAIMER:  we are not trying to have her lose weight, however, her losing is not a bad thing.  She was in 95% range on the percentile scale, wears the same size as her oldest sister two years older than her, and the doctor said just be aware and make precautions.

Hannah: Her hair is not so crazy.  Still crazy but not as much.

Charlotte:  well we may never know how it affects her if it even does.  She only eats fruits and vegetables.  she does have snacks that she can pick up but they are gluten free.  She is too young for me to notice if gluten was a problem since she did not really eat it.  but she is gluten free as well and will stay that way as long as I can make her.

Me:  my hair is starting to get fuller.  in the back and it is taking me longer to dry it.  My skin has improved-not one breakout.  I feel better and have more energy.  I feel more focused and more laid back.  Not as prone to emotional roller coaster when things are off whack.  (that is a blog for another time on what i have dealt with in depression, anxiety, and dealing with conflict.  let me also say it is very mild.  I am  not bi polar or schizophrenic.)

day 11 of 30 days

Dinner was a huge success-AGAIN.  I totally changed things on the recipes.  GO ME!!!   For the tilapia.  I chopped the tomatoes and mixed the ingredients all together and put it on top of the fish before putting it in the oven.  Total deliciousness.  For the cauliflower, instead of panko, I used the gluten free all purpose flour.  I rationalized. this flour is like very fine bread crumbs so lets try it.  Worked perfectly.  The kids had no idea they were eating cauliflower until after the gobbled it down.  Even Charlotte loved it.  Well, that is not surprising she loves all foods pretty much.  She also loves rice.  You would have thought the cauliflower-aka as I call it," like potato pancakes" were going to be the last ones on the planet because she scarfed it down.  Tonight is leftover night.

I also had a minor depression fest when I went to get mt holiday teas out and almost cried when I realized they are not gluten free  (OK so I exaggerate a little)  but happiness came again when i found I can still have this one:

yes, let the happiness of the fall season continue.  This weekend will be the shopping trip.  There is menu planning to do and pumpkins to buy.  I LOVE THIS TIME OF YEAR.  If only we had the seasonal changes of the trees here.

day 10 of 30 days

still trucking along.  I have also added B12 and biotin to my vitamins.  This can also help with the hair thinning.  I have been taking  B12 for about two weeks and biotin for about a month.  I could also be B12 deficient so hopefully this will help after a few months as well.  Tonight on the menu is the tilapia I posted about before with rice and cauliflower.  the cauliflower will be mashed like potatoes.  possibly this :)

day 9 of 30 days

The Spaghetti Pie was a huge hit.  I did not have any mushrooms on hand so it was made without.  We don't like green peppers so I would leave those out regardless.  Super duper yummy.  Heartland pasta is very very good.  Tastes more like the regular pasta.  Tonight we will have chicken enchiladas.  I think we may do that as a weekly thing as well.  So Sundays in our house will be Wing Day.  Monday's will be Mexican night.  It makes it easier to plan and it can be something fun to be expected each week.  We may even venture into meatless one day a week.  

recipe for chicken enchiladas: click here

and this will get made for dessert this weekend : praline pumpkin pie-  this looks absolutely yummy.

day 8 of 30 days

We totally changed dinner completely.  We had breakfast for dinner.  We had eggs, bacon, and pancakes.  Gluten free pancakes!!!  They were A MA ZING.  There is not anything you have to do to the flour when you buy it commercially.  It already has whatever it needs in it to be the consistency it needs.  It didn't look the same but it made the best pancakes I have ever made.  I still plan to make some flour.  It will be cheaper in the long run.  Things are improving nicely.   Janessa is calm and quiet.  Yes, it is possible.  She does not have the loud outbursts of excitement.  She is focused on what she is doing and not thinking about what she needs to do next, as much.  I have not heard Hannah complain about a stomach ache.  I ask her and she says it does a little but she is not coming to me and saying "my stomach hurts"   Abby has not had a esophageal muscle spasm for a week or thrown up at all.  Read about her condition here :achalasia   As for me,  I seem to be calmer and not so much emotionally all over the place.  I am back to being the laid back person I was years ago.  The hair thing will take weeks.  I don't expect that to happen within a week.  It is Sunday. So, it is wing day in our house.   Wings and football.    My husband can have his hot wings and the girls and I will have BBQ.   Here is a picture of Janessa's arm  when we first started.

and I am being very brave and posting the picture of the top of my head from a week ago:

I will post a picture of each as I see improvement.  Then that way we know this is the solution.  IF this does not improve things with my hair then I will be getting the hormones checked but first I want to make sure that a "natural solution" will fix it.  I may even go dairy free to see if that helps.  I will miss cheese if I do.

Day 7 of 30 days

The shepherd's pie was a huge success!!!   Dare I say it -the kids ate broccoli, carrots and artichoke hearts and did not even know they loved it.  Even the hubby ate it and loved it.   When the hubby says he loves it or this is really good, I know it is really, really good. I will never make the claim of being a great cook.  I mean I am not bad, I just don't have the talents that my husband does or the Italian natural tendency his mom does.  I can't make most things unless I know the exact measurements. (unless I make my salsa and guacamole.)  I have gotten lots of compliments on my salsa and guacamole.  the hubby does not like it but more for me.  I ask myself sometimes how does he not like it.  Then I always ask-how does he love that stuff in the jar?  The answer:different styles.  I hate jarred salsa.  It is not good at all to me.  My salsa with all its fresh ingredients is absolutely heavenly.  I need a cookbook.  Baking, however is my specialty.  Let's just say this will be an interesting cooking making season.  There is a debate in my head if I will actually do the Christmas cooking making for presents this year.  The problem is that it is too tempting to tasty the yummy goodies I make and they are so not on the gluten free plan.  By November I may be so used to eating this way that it will not be an issue but I want to make sure. there will be gluten free cookies for sure in this house for us to enjoy.  The scale is my friend today.  It is going in the direction I want.  Tonight for dinner was supposed to be leftover Shepherd's pie but we ate it all.  my kids and husband had more than one serving.  So I think I am making tilapia with rice or spaghetti pie.

A couple recipes for you:

black beans and rice-this is so simple yet so yummy
black beans, drain, add BBQ sauce as desired, heat until warm
add tomatoes and avocado dices.
serve over Rice
I prefer Mahatma rice because it is not enriched
(I guess there are times I don't need a cookbook and can throw things together.)

Spaghetti pie

Tilapia-this is I probably melt some shredded Parmesan over it as well.  I will also serve cauliflower and rice.

Day 6 of 30 days

I am finally starting to feel better.  I had chocolate pudding for breakfast.  Yes, I did.  I don't have to feel bad either because it has nothing  in it that is not considered real food.  White chicken chili was as delicious as always.   Tonight we are having shepherds pie.  The link is for a great website.  She has wonderful recipes, especially for this time of year.  The first thing you see is for a pumpkin praline pie-YUM YUM.  The girls are doing well with this and getting used to it.  I am even starting to notice a difference in Janessa with staying on task and actually remembering to do things she is told instead of getting sidetracked-like the dog from "UP"  I am looking forward to a relaxing weekend of doing nothing but blogging, reading, crocheting, and catching up on schoolwork.

day 5 of 30 days

Feeling better today.  I still feel "off"   I just feel weird.  I am extremely happy that avocados are gluten free.  I would die if they were not.  Literally. I think if avocados became extinct I would weep profusely.  I am also very happy that my flavored creamers are gluten free as well.    As you can see from my profile description, my three favorite things are coffee, avocados, and tomatoes.  Salsa and guacamole will be made today and enjoyed immensely.  I also found a way to substitute things to give my flour the consistency it needs.  I will post the links at the end.  tonight we will enjoy white chicken chili for dinner.  I will at the end of this month make pumpkin chocolate chip cookies.  that right there is ultimate happiness.  It is that time of year for my pumpkin favorites.  I love Fall  :)


how to substitute-this makes me oh so happy.  I want to literally dance.


pumpkin chocolate chip cookies-there is some controversy over the use of oats when going gluten free.  Using oats is more of a concern when one has celiac disease.  I am pretty sure we do not have that so I am not too worried.  I will use the substitution directions for my flour when making these.


white chicken chili-Kroger makes a great gluten free chicken broth.  one of the things you have to look for is  modified food starch (of the wheat variety) or MSG.  if it contains that then don't get it.  I also change how much cumin and cayenne pepper I use.  I use half the amount they say.  otherwise it is like eating fire.  so if you like eating fire then don't change it.


SO see....not all that bad.  I still get lots of great yummy foods.  

Day 4 of 30 days

This is now starting to become hard.  I feel like crud.  I was warned I could go through withdrawals like a crack addict.  Ok maybe not that extreme but still.  I feel like my brain is cloudy.  My stomach hurts and I am gassy. I feel very tired and have headaches.  Yesterday my hay fever went crazy   It is what it is and we will muster through.  The kids thankfully are not going through this.  I will make myself feel better later hopefully with some chocolate pudding.  Here is the recipe :chocolate avocado pudding.  I love avocados so therefore this will be heavenly.  I am thankful my friend Jill  posted it from her Facebook.  Who knew avocados could be used for something so delicious?  The pork chops last night were yummy and there are left overs for dinner tonight.  which is good because I don't feel like cooking or doing anything today.  Today will be a laid back easy day for me.   This will probably be how I feel for a few days, maybe even a couple weeks.  I am willing to put up with it if our health improves greatly.  I did take a picture of the top of my head last night and did not realize how bad the thinning if my hair was.  I am not ready to post that yet.  I will but I am going to use it as one of those before and after comparisons.  We carry on for today.

day three of 30 days

Yay to corn tortillas!!   Because with 4 children who like bread this is a cheap solution.  You can make anything on them.  this morning they are having "cheese crisps" cheese melted on tortillas with fruit later.   You can make peanut butter and jelly on them.  you can make turkey sandwiches on them.  Is it exactly the same?  No.   But they have resided to the fact that we are not eating the same.  Tonight I am making pork chops in the crock pot for dinner.  Here is the recipe:  to give credit, it comes from -The Crock Pot Girls


4 boneless pork chops
1 can cream of mushroom
1 pkg limpton onion soup mix
1 onion
Salt and pepper to taste
2 soup cans of water

Put soup and water in pot,add onion and chops then add soup mix over top. Cook on high 4 hours.


obviously I need to substitute.  I am using gluten free cream of mushroom soup.  I am not using the Lipton onion soup mix because it probably has modified food starch which is one of the hidden ingredients containing gluten.  so I will be adding a couple cloves of garlic instead, a few potatoes, and some carrots.  and I will set it for low instead of high so I can start it in the morning.   I probably will not put as much water in it.  I love my crock pot.  I love making dinner at 10 and not having to worry about it.  So I am feeling good.  there is running to be done later.  Pictures will be posted as well as to progress in weight loss., hair and skin conditions  :)

day one/two of 30 days

I am commiting to thirty days of gluten free eating to see if a lot of what I and my daughters have been dealing with will be healed.

Day one started for me yesterday.  Day one started today for the girls.  This journey started due to many, many factors.  Here is something interesting I thought of gluten and glutton are almost the same word.  I am  addicted to processed foods, which all contain gluten have made me addicted to food.  I am overweight.  I am working on remedying that through running and changing the way I eat.

One:come to find out gluten intolerance probably runs on my side of the family.  I have an uncle who is allergic to everything.  I don't believe we are allergic to gluten.  I believe myself and daughters have an intolerance for it.  In other words if we eat it we are not going to die we just don't process it well and do so in many different ways.

Lets start with me:  I am a sinus mess.  I am constantly battling seasonal allergies.  I have dark circles under my eyes.  I can not lose weight easily.  My hair is not the luscious head of hair it once was and is a thin and fine disaster.  All symptoms of a gluten intolerance.  I also from time to time get a mild case of DH -lovely huh?  Not to this extreme but still annoying.

Janessa_same skin condition on her arms.  again not as bad as the pictures but it is bad enough . she looks like acne has attacked her arm.  She is constantly battling extreme sinus issues.  She is my what doctors would label as ADHD.  She is the reason we started home schooling.  Gluten free can eliminate ADHD symptoms if one has a sensitivity to it

Abby-my spunky girl.  she is also at times very cranky and has mood swings.  she also has bouts of throwing up and a distended abdomen which is very noticeable.  granted some of this is from her achalasia but I am wondering if that will disappear completely with going gluten free.  These are symptoms of gluten intolerance in some people.

Hannah-blessed with the same hair I have now.  she constantly looks like she stuck her finger in a light socket.  Her hair breaks very, very,easily.  she has for years on a daily basis said my stomach hurts.  The hurt stomach has not been something to make me say we need to go to the doctor because she is not throwing up or anything else.  she just says it and then goes about her day.  I think she has lived with it so long that it just is a part of her.   another big sign of gluten intolerance is thinning hair and cramping.

My grandmother had to wear a wig so before I even start to think I have inherited balding I am going to look into gluten free and see if that improves.  I want the hair I had before I gave birth to children.  We have survived day one.  None of us want to kill each other yet but I am sure as the days go on the cravings will come and we may be like crack addicts but instead of crack pipes we may be eating loaves of wheat bread yelling back off it's mine drooling in a corner.   Here is a blog I am getting my recipes and info from for a start. glutenfree goddess.

I already notice being day two that I don't feel as bloated and have more energy.   I will post recipes as well and deals I find because gluten free shopping can get expensive if you allow it.  But for now we end the day, settle in and gear up for tomorrow.  I hope with this we can inspire and maybe help people come up with a solution to health issues that go undiagnosed or misdiagnosed.  I also want people to see that giving up gluten does not mean food will taste horrid.  Different, yes?  horrid , no.  maybe even make some recipes that will be come favorites.