Exciting Announcement

If you were on my Gluten Free Holiday Survival free teleseminar last night than you first got some great tips and the tools that will help you immediately.

You also were introduced to my 7 day Whole Foods, Whole You detox, the Next Level Cleanse that will take your health to the next level!

This will change they way you look and feel in a week.  I say this from personal experience and that of clients who have tried it.   It totally changed my energy by giving it a boost, changed my skin  and complexion so it was clear and glowed, it kickstarted my weight loss, and I felt amazing.

One of the cool things about this cleanse is it’s like getting 3 cleanses in 1.  There are 3 levels so you can pick where you want to start.  If you’ve never been on a cleanse than you may want to start at level one.  Let’s say you do that level and you love it, of course.  Then a couple of months goes by and you want to detox in the spring.  You already have everything you need.  You can repeat level 1 or try level 2 or 3.

What you receive in this cleanse is such a long list that you’ll want to read it for yourself.   Follow this to the Next Level Cleanse and learn more about this opportunity to change your life.

Now just to let you know there is an Early Bird Special going on until midnight ET on Saturday December 22nd that also includes Early Bird Bonuses.  The value of these specials and bonuses is way more than the price of the cleanse.  But you have to register before the 22nd.  So go check it out now.

Read all of the great gifts you’ll be receiving and learn more about the cleanse.  But more importunely than all of the guides, recipes, menu plans and so on, you get to feel and look amazing, get a boost in energy, kickstart weight loss, lose the bloat, feel amazing.  Oh and since it’s a guided cleanse you get me for every day of the cleanse making sure you doing great!  Follow this to the Next Level Cleanse and sign up because spaces are going fast and the class size is limited!

If you have questions please don’t hesitate to contact me.

This article ran in my newsletter, The WHOLE-istic Life last month.  I don’t usually share the information given in my newsletters on my blog, I keep it exclusive.   But I felt this information was so important that I’ve decided to repost it here in order to help save you from my pain.  If you read this in the newsletter forgive this repeat.  Please leave me a comment if you have ever had any experiences like mine.  Also I’d love to know if you have tried either of the juice recipes shared and what variations you made.

Juicing is a part of my daily easy healthy gluten free living diet.  Read and you will see why.

Juice Detoxing From House Rennovation Chemicals

There are times during the year that are natural landmarks for a detox.  Spring and Fall are the two that most folks use.  Four times a year would be even better would be four times a year.  The more you do the better and deeper they work.

This past couple of weeks, I found another reason to detox – exposure to excessive chemicals that my body couldn’t process.

We are having remodeling work done in our house to bring it up to date.  We’ve put a new granite countertop in the kitchen and are also remodeling our bathrooms with granite tops for the vanities.

I’ve never had a granite countertop and had no idea about the installation process.  It turns out that  the installers use an epoxy glue for the seams, a chemical to seal the top and another chemical to clean off the top to remove excess epoxy and anything else.

I was actually away when the kitchen countertop was installed and arrived home on the evening of May 10^th with my son.  I got ten steps into the house and, even though the smell was overwhelming, I didn’t realize the physical and neurological effects the epoxy fumes were having on me.  Thankfully, my son was with me and as I started to bob and weave he got me upstairs and opened the windows so I could get some fresh air.

I kept the windows open all night.  The next morning when I awoke the effects on me were apparent.  I felt nauseous, tired, and my brain felt detached from my head.  I was at a loss for words, couldn’t string thoughts together, my short term memory was not working and I mostly sat in a dazed state.  I also had sharp headache pains around my temple that migrated to different spots on my head. I also had aches and pains all over my body in random places.

My kitchen was still torn apart so I couldn’t cook myself some good cleansing food.  I spent as much time as I could outside in the fresh air.  Thankfully, the weather was amazing.  We spent most of our meals eating out however whenever I came in the vicinity of any type of cleaning chemicals I immediately become ill.  The nausea, dizziness and disorientation returned in full force within seconds.

My reaction was more severe than anyone else in my family.  They call me the canary in the coal mine because I detect odorless gas before most other humans.  I’m not very happy to have this job but I don’t really have a choice.

Thankfully, I’ve taught my family so much about nutrition and detoxing that they stepped in and helped me when I couldn’t help myself.  Off we went to the grocery store and filled the cart with lots of kale, parsley, cucumbers, beets, ginger, apples, pears, pineapple, blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, cauliflower and baby broccoli.  As soon as we got home I started juicing and drinking.

Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve been drinking lots of water and fresh juice to help my body detox.  Regular walks outside for some exercise and fresh air has also helped.

It’s been almost three weeks and I’m finally able to get back to writing and taking care of my family.  I’m not at 100% yet but I know I will be as long as I keep drinking my juice and taking care of myself.

I also know that if you are dealing with anything that could be throwing you off balance that juicing and smoothies full of great vegetables and fruit will do your body good.  Drink these to detox your liver, get your kidneys and adrenal glands in better shape to work as the filters they are meant to be.

Now I’d like to share the detoxing and restorative juices I’m using.  If you don’t have a juicer you can make smoothies in a blender.

If you are looking for a juicer I have to say I am in love with mine.  I have a Hurom Slow Juicer.  http://www.slowjuicer.com/

When I watched the video on the Sur la Table website I was convinced this was the one for me.  It is very easy to use and very easy to clean up quickly.  I’m one of those people if it’s too hard to use or especially clean, I’ll use it once and then it will just sit there.

So, with no further ado, here are two of my favorite fresh juice recipes.  First, you’ll find the Green Elixir of Life which is a great way to mix fresh green vegetables with tasty fruit.

The Golden Joy is a great way to sneak in beets.  The combination is sweet and even wins the approval of my most extremely picky son.   The Green Elixir of Life taste is dominated by the fruit used.  The key is to have some type of citric fruit in the mix and your favorite fruits helps too.  The only way to know what will work best for you is to play in your kitchen.

Just a warning about ginger.  It is extremely potent so use only a small amount.  By small amount I mean a slice the size of a dime both in roundness and thickness.  Taste and you can always add more.  Trust me you won’t have enough fruit and vegetables in the house to reverse too much ginger.

Green Elixir of Life

Ingredients:

1 bunch organic kale

1 organic cucumber

large handful organic parsley leaves

1 organic lemon

1 organic green apple

1Ž2 cup pineapple

1 thin slice of ginger root size of dime

Instructions:

Put it all through the juicer.  I like to run the juice through one more time to get it as clear as possible.  I find when I make a pitcher full for the day that it stays together and more fresh for the entire day and even into the next if there’s anything left.

Golden Joy

Ingredients:

2 organic Golden Beet

1 Organic green or red Apple

1 Orange

10 Organic Carrots

Instructions:

Put it all through the juicer.  I like to run the juice through one more time to get it as clear as possible.  I find when I make a pitcher full for the day that it stays together and more fresh for the entire day and even into the next if there’s anything left.

OK I know this is going to sound totally crazy to some and I can’t believe it myself, but this “go insane every spring from seasonal allergies gal” has left this body.  Yep it is now April and where I live all of the trees have bloomed, shed and now have leaves on them.  People are out cutting their grass and flowers are popping up everywhere.  Even the cherry blossoms came early.  What am I doing?  I’m out walking in the beautiful spring sunshine taking deep clear breaths and super excited.

Every year I have spent miserable in the Spring.  I don’t bother to wear eye makeup because I’ll rub it off as I just about rub my eyes out of their sockets.  My ears will itch.  My throat will itch.  My tongue will itch.  My skin will itch.  My nose would run in both directions.  I couldn’t walk around the block without making sure I had something to drink for when I start gagging on the pollen.  Once they changed the laws around my OTC allergy medicines like Claritin, I would be frantic that when I could go get my next box, only one per week,  they would be out.  Sometimes they were and I’d have to drive around to 5 different places looking for them.

So what is this magic cure?

I gave up sugar and started drinking different green smoothies.  Yeah I know that sounds too easy or too impossible.  So by now some of you are rolling your eyes and thinking, yeah like that is going to work.  Well I say what do you have to lose except maybe saving your eyeballs from being rubbed out of your head and your poor nose from too many tissues.

This all started with my detox that I actually started 2 weeks before the one on my blog, and kept refining it as I went.  Actually I feel so much better I’m really not ready to let in too many of the other foods again.  You know that saying, nothing tastes as feeling good feels.

Remove this!

Here is what I removed:

The only sugars I ate were from fruit for the first 3 weeks.  The last week I added a tsp of Raw Manuka Honey to my hot tea.

Taking the sugar out of my body helped keep the inflammation down and not trigger that antihistamine reaction.  Not eating the simple carbs and wine kept the body from converting that to the sugars that cause inflammation and weight gain.

Add this!

Then I did the second part of this equation, I added in antioxidant and anti-imflammatory foods.  This helped the body fight off those horrible allergic reactions to the pollen.  Adding in green vegetables and whole foods makes this even more appealing.  I like adding more than removing but both are key.

Here is what I added to my days:

Now obviously these were not all tossed into a smoothie.  So I’ll share with you the recipe for two of my favorite smoothies.

Like how I snuck in exercise to the list.

Oh and before you get all mesmerized by the green smoothies, let me address your doubts.  First feel free to google avoiding sugar to allevate seasonal allergies.  I did this post experiment and found tons of articles.  Wish I would have read some first.

Next there is one thing you need to know about me, I hate whining.  If something is bothering me or you, then I say let’s do something about it.  If your allergies are any way as close to annoying as mine where they interfere with your life, than what do you have to lose.  Give this a try.   Add in the good food and by all means get rid of that sugar.  Try it just for 30 days.  Give your body time to process all of the gunk out.  I’ll warn you however, once your body realizes you are going to give it amazing foods it will start doing amazing things for you.   Oh and it will ask you keep these on the menu.

Green Ginger Goodness Smoothie

Ingredients:

4 kale leaves ripped into pieces, I love the dino kale

1 organic green apple, cored and cut into chunks

1 organic rib of celery cut into chunks

3-4 inch piece of organic cucumber cut into chunks

1-2 inch piece of ginger peeled and cut into chunks

1 organic lemon, cut the rind off and if you can find the seeds grab them but not necessary

1-2 TB organic chia seeds

4 ice cubes

1/2-1 cup filtered water

Instructions:

toss all of the ingredients into you Vita Mix.  If you don’t have a strong blender you can still make the smoothie you will just need to blend it longer to get that smooth texture.  You may want to add the water slowly until you get the consistency you like.

Pour into a tall glass and grab a straw!

Green Good Morning Smoothie

Ingredients:

4 kale leaves ripped into pieces, I love the dino kale

1 organic kiwi, peeled and cut into chunks

3-4 inch piece of organic cucumber cut into chunks

1 organic green apple, cored and cut into chunks

1 organic lemon, cut the rind off and if you can find the seeds grab them but not necessary

1 grab of organic parsley

1/4- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon, just shake it 4-6 times

1-2 TB organic chia seeds

4 ice cubes

1/2-1 cup filtered water

Instructions:

toss all of the ingredients into you Vita Mix.  If you don’t have a strong blender you can still make the smoothie you will just need to blend it longer to get that smooth texture.  You may want to add the water slowly until you get the consistency you like.

Pour into a tall glass and grab a straw!

Now I want to hear from you!

Has anyone else had the same experience?  Do you think I’m totally off my rocker?  Are you willing to give it a try?  What’s your favorite green smoothie?

Soup is great to eat while on a detox.  You can get so much goodness into a bowl, keep it gluten and dairy free and vegetarian and vegan.

I was about to share my tasty Mushroom Vegetable Soup with you which I made using Melissa’s recipe as a starter from Gluten-Free For Good and realized I had not shared my recipe for easy Vegetable Stock.  It’s so easy I don’t really think of it as a recipe but it’s a great time and money saver.

This soup is great for detoxing and fighting those flu and cold cooties Melissa talks about.  Grab her recipe and make it fit your needs.  I wanted to keep mine vegetarian and I also added in more than just shiitake mushrooms.  I added portobello too as they have a hearty flavor.  I also switched out the canned tomato sauce for a box of Pomi Chopped Tomatoes (affiliate link).   I made a nice big pot and then froze it in portions with my soup mugs that have lids.  Great to pull out when I want soup that I know is all good inside.

I love using vegetable stock to add extra flavor when cooking and it’s a must when making a vegetarian soup.  My favorite way to make stocks is in the crockpot and overnight.  So how darn efficient is that.   If you really want to save even more time and money save those scraps as you are cooking and toss them into the freezer to pull out and put into your crockpot or stockpot.  Things like the onions skins, carrot tops and peels both add great flavor.  I wish I could say I remember to do this more than I do.

This recipe will make a light vegetable stock.  If you would like a deeper richer color and flavor, roast your vegetables first and then make the stock.

Now I’d like to hear from you.

How is Diane’s Detox going?  Have you been trying anything new?  How do you feel?  Have you had some soup too?

Ok it’s the weekend and you’ve had all week to talk yourself in and out of joining me for a Spring detox.  So what’s it to be?  It’s only two weeks or 14 days or however you want to look at it.  In the greater scheme of the timeline of your life it’s a blip.

However it could be a very important blip.  It could go from being a blip to being a life changing experience.  You might find a few more fruits and vegetables you like to eat.  Maybe you find that eating no grains at all really makes your body happy.  You could make new friends while talking about the detox on The WHOLE Gang Facebook page or reinforce a current relationship by pairing up to do it together.  The possibilities are endless.

So let’s make the commitment together.  Print this detox pledge out and sign it, post it on your frig, bulletin board, Pinterest Board or your dog.  Somewhere you’ll see it everyday.  Please read the disclaimer at bottom.

Now if you’re a sharing person, grab this badge below and post it on your Facebook or website.  Let people know you are working on your health and encourage others to do the same.  One little change is what leads to the next little change and before you know it you turn around and see how many great things you are doing for your health.  Make sure you visit The WHOLE Gang Facebook page for additional tips and encouragement along the way.  We’re in this together!  Click here to grab the badge!

Let’s get to your Weekend Prep for Diane’s Detox.

There are two main things I would recommend you do in preparation for the next two weeks.

1.  Plan out what you want to eat and then make sure you have it in stock.

2.  Clear out, hide, give away what you are going to avoid for the next two weeks.

OK so let’s start with step number 1.  Grab your calendar and see what you have planned for these next two weeks.  Are there events that include food outside your home like business meetings, parent teacher gathering, birthday party at the office or anything that might come up on the spur of the moment like your office mates invite you out to lunch.  If you plan for how you will handle these events, then you will be prepared with your response to their questions or you’ll know what you’re going to eat.

Grab my menu planner and let’s get started creating a delicious menu that will have you eating like royalty.  The WHOLE Gang Weekly Menu 2012

Note anytime you won’t be making your own foods or know exactly what you are eating.  Look at the list for Diane’s Detox and see what you will be working towards.  Are you going for the whole list or maybe this is your very first detox so you’re going to pick a few.  It’s totally up to you.  For instance if you already live gluten free you may want to try eating no grains at all.  Whatever you are going to include in your detox keep that front and center.

Now I like to make a list of all the foods and drinks I will be eating for the next two weeks.  I always like to focus on the postive and what I can control.  A good list already available is the Primal Blueprint Shopping List.  On that page you can find a listing and a link to a pdf of that list.  If you are not familiar with Mark Sission he is the creator of the Primal Blueprint which is his version of a Paleo Diet.  I’m not here today to talk about this diet, but I do like his pdf list of foods.  Something I need to make for myself with foods I like to eat.  I took this list and crossed off anything with dairy as the list is already gluten free.  I underlined any foods I either don’t like yet or have not tried yet.  The rest of the foods left were fair game for my quick menu.  As this goes on I may try some of the new foods or the ones I don’t like yet.

I find it’s so much easier to look at a list of what I can eat and go from them when planning a menu.  I took this list and checked out what was in my refrigerator and freezer.  Was there anything from the list that I could use as a starter for my menu.  Yep, lots of frozen organic meats and wild caught seafood in my freezer so I was set.  I however was low on fruits and vegetables so I need to stock up on those after I create the menu.

So what’s a gal to actually eat on this detox?  Lots of fresh veggies, fruits, some nuts and seeds along with lean proteins.  It’s really easy to keep myself satisfied while doing this as long as I pay attention to what my body is telling me.  Make sure you take the time to listen to your body.  If you feel hungry, wait a little and see if it stays or did it pass.  If it passed you may have been bored, tired or maybe distracted.  If it stays than your body is really hungry and you should feed it.

During the next couple of weeks I’ll share recipes and menu plans that we will be eating around my house.  One thing you can count on is big plates of amazing salads.  Here’s my tip to make this super easy.

Go shopping and grab a bunch of veggies you’ll want in your salads and then do a little prep.  I bought one of the plastic rectangular containers of Organic Power Greens.  It had baby spinach, baby kale and baby chard and is a great salad base.  I’m totally recycling that container and making it into my salad bar.  I’ll prep my ingredients and put them into zip plastic bags and put them all into that container.  Then all I need to do is grab my new container of greens and then my new salad bar with all the fixings.

Here are my leafy greens which I only buy organic:

Here is what is in my salad bar:

I keep the tomatoes on the countertop as you shouldn’t refrigerate those.

Also on hand will be my jars of:

I won’t use many of these in my salads but with a large variety no two salads will be exactly alike.

I also like to have a can of Pole Caught American Tuna on hand to toss some of that in my salad one day.

So what’s in your salad bar?  I’ll warn you once you give this a try you’ll make a new salad bar every week and you’ll never look back.  You’ll never head to one of those weigh your salad, salad bars and spend a fortune on something that you can make at home.

Oh and for my salads I usually make my mason jar dressing.  Here’s the recipe:

Almost forget the clear out which was number 2!  This is the easiest part unless your house is your food trap.  Grab those chocolate bars, bags of sugar and anything on that list of what you don’t want to eat for these two weeks and bag it up.  Put it in another room, give it to a family member to hide or whatever works for you.  For me out of sight out of mind.  I put it down in the basement in a bag because that’s too much effort to go grab it for a quick thoughtless pop into my mouth without thinking before I realize I ate way too many.  I would have to make an extra effort to go and get it which gives my brain time to make another choice.

So are you ready!  Make a menu, go shopping so you have those ingredients on hand and prep your salad bar.  You’re setting yourself up for success!

Disclaimer

The assistance provided by The W.H.O.L.E. Gang is for informational purposes only. Neither The W.H.O.L.E. Gang nor Diane Eblin is a licensed registered nurse. Any information shared by us is not intended to substitute medical advice from a licensed health care professional. The W.H.O.L.E. Gang makes every attempt to provide accurate information on gluten free foods and lifestyle. However, neither The W.H.O.L.E. Gang, nor Diane Eblin assume any legal liability for the accuracy, completeness or usefulness of the information provided or make any warranty that the advice or information offered will result in improvement of your health or well-being.

You agree that you will not under any circumstances disregard any professional medical advice or delay in seeking such advice in reliance on any Content provided on or through the The W.H.O.L.E. Gang and Diane Eblin. Reliance on any such Content is solely at your own risk.  

We highly recommend that you always carefully read labels before using or consuming any food product, supplement or medicine and consult with your own physician or medical advisor on any matter relating to your health and well-being or any medical condition you may have.

The W.H.O.L.E. Gang and Diane Eblin expressly disclaim all liability arising out of the use by you of any information provided. 

How’s you’re eating plan coming along?  Are you eating what your body loves?

Sometimes by this time of year some of my New Year’s Eve resolutions have worn off and what I said I was no longer going to eat has crept back into my diet. Has that happened to anyone else? OR, maybe you’ve done great with those resolutions and you’re ready to take the next step, a detox!

It’s time to start planning that spring time detox.  It will have to be this month for 2 weeks.  I’m thinking the last two weeks of this month starting on March 19th.  That will give us a little time to get prepared get and maybe clear out a few things from the refrigerator and freezer (anyone want a few bags of chocolate chips). Maybe I’ll throw in a little spring cleaning for my house during those two weeks too.  Yeah, that’s what I’m doing for sure.  Spring Detox for the body and spring clear out for my house.  Getting rid of all the junk that accumulates in both places.

OK, so will you be joining me for the spring detox?  Maybe the spring clear out of the house too?  Don’t be scared to detox but also don’t jump into one without knowing your body.  You might want to talk with your doctor to make sure your body can handle it.  I don’t do radical detox process.  I start with really just getting rid of the things we know can adversely affect our bodies.  If you know your body, design your own detox.  Think about the things that you know if you didn’t put into your body would make your body very happy.  That’s a great start.

My wonderful nutritionist friend Melissa McLean Jory works on this with her clients.  She has shared some in her post Spring Renewal and Detox.  I’ve taken that and made it work for me.

Diane’s Spring Detox:

No chemicals- this means eating organics and what people refer to as clean foods

No sugar unless in fruit and not much of that either

No processed foods from a box, bag, wrapper, can or anything manufactured

No alcohol

Not very much meats, condiment size portions and only organic poultry or wild caught seafood

Lots of organic green vegetables – love that fiber!

Lots of organic colors like beets, red cabbage, blueberries, pomegranates, radish and radiccho to name a few

Green smoothies daily- green juices if I had a juicer

Only green tea and no black tea with caffeine

Of course no gluten or dairy (easiest part for me) but I’m extending this to no grains or starches like potatoes, peas and beans

Daily movement to include dancing, yoga, walking

Daily meditation- I use a 5-10 minute meditation to reduce stress, longer some days

Drink lots of filtered water

Sleep 7-9 hours – this let’s the cleaning crew come in at night and clean up my body  (wish they would do my windows)

This list may be too much or not enough depending on your current habits.  Don’t be overwhelmed but pick which ones you can try and if you have more to add let me know!

I know at first I may be a little tired as my body is processing out the yuck but that’s what I want out and that is why I do a detox.

Be kind to yourself during this detox.  Grab a friend and encourage each other.  Make sure you get your rest.  Take that nice long hot bath you keep threatening to take.  Wrap yourself in those comfortable huggable clothes.  And speaking of hugs make sure you’re giving and getting those daily too.

OK ready, set, go!  Monday March 19th and we’re off and running!  During these two weeks I’ll be sharing recipes of what I’m eating and resources for other recipe ideas.  If you make a great smoothie or meal, please share it!  I’ll also share a few extras in my newsletter this month, The WHOLE-istic Life so make sure you’re on the list.

Now I’d like to hear from you!

Have you tried any type of detox before?

What was it and how did you feel?

Which items on my list are you willing to give a try for just the two weeks?

Update with related posts for Diane’s Detox

Weekend Prep

Vegetable Stock Recipe

What do you get when you put 5000 health coaches in a room, some amazing speakers, cool prizes, major announcements and 10,000 dancing feet?  You get the most amazing weekend I just had at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition® Mega Conference in Long Beach, CA and a lot of noise!

I’m back in my favorite place to be, California.  I love being here.  Even when it’s cold (for here) it’s still amazing.  I get to be outside in the warm sunny fresh air and walk looking at the ocean.  Sometimes I even get lucky and see some hot actors filming Private Practice.  Just saying, Tim Daly and Benjamin Bratt are even better looking in person.  I wanted to run up and tell them not to eat all the junk food I just saw them rolling around on the food trolley but I didn’t want to get arrested.

The MEGA conference was presented for free for me as a graduate or student of the school.  Well I did pay to fly here and stay here but the two day conference was free.  There were many great speakers.  Mark Sission who wrote Primal Blueprint gave us the details on how to follow his program.  If it means looking like him I’m all in.  He’s in amazing shape.  This is a diet that we actually just started following at my house to see how we felt.  It’s already gluten free so it’s easy to slide into it.  You eat vegetables and protein, organic and clean, making sure you get in your fat but not too much. You eat fruit but not too much as the sugars in fruit can play with your balance.  No grains of any sort and no beans and stay away from that sugar.  I thought beans would be hard to give

Mark Sission and fellow student Emily Barker

up but having already given up gluten years ago it’s really not hard to make adjustments like this.  His directions on how much to eat, eat when you’re hungry and stop when you’re not.  So far I’m really liking it but stay tuned for more.  If you’re following this diet I’d love to hear from you.

We also heard from Julia Ross who shared her wealth of knowledge and experience.  What stood out for me the most was this:  it’s been proven that sugar is 4 times as addictive as cocaine.  Yeah, 4 times.  It’s an addictive drug that you may have been working to kick the habit like me.  In case you’re questioning addictive behavior here are the markers:  loss of control, continued use despite adverse effects, withdrawl symptoms, relapse 97% and progressive and terminal.  Yep it’s got it all.   Here’s a list of addictive foods:  sugars, starches, chocolate, gluten and casein.  How much sugar is in the food you’re eating and can you give it up?

Then we heard from the most alive and entertaining person who is beyond passionate about what he does, David Wolfe.  If you have checked out my favorites page you’ll see an affiliate link to his raw chocolate, Sacred Chocolate.  It’s really good.  He shared so much information about foods and what each one does for our bodies that it was amazing.  I’ll be trying more beet juice to detox the liver and eating more berries to help with my eye site and looking into more of those amazing Asian mushrooms.

John Robbins shared his wonderful story about him and his father, the founder of Baskin Robbins.  John has written many books on healthy eating and living.  I was so mesmerized by what he was sharing that I didn’t take any notes.

One of my favorite speakers was Seane Corn.  She spoke about serving and supporting our clients as health coaches.   Working with others and ourselves not just with what is easy, but that the transformation within the shadow.  That area we may not look into very often.  Seane is an internationally celebrated yoga teacher known for her activism and inspirationally form of teaching.  She is the National Yoga Ambassador for YouthAids, co-creator of Off The Mat, Into the World programs and co-founder of “Bare Witness” Humanitarian Tours.

During the weekend IIN, the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, made some really cool announcements.

Recently, the Integrative Nutrition® curriculum was thoroughly evaluated by the National College Credit Recommendation Service. The end result? The National College Credit Recommendation Service has established a recommendation for 29 college credits for Integrative Nutrition’s Health Coach Training Program, and 11 college credits for the Immersion Program!

That’s 40 college credits for both programs! This means that an IIN education can now be an integral component of an undergraduate degree. Amazing!    Very exciting for me who graduated in February and is now in their Immersion Program (free to graduates).

They also announced that all of the program materials for school will be available through an app coming soon.  What a great way to access all of my materials.

Also on the web will be a Coach Directory site where anyone can come and interact with health coaches and find the right one for them.

Plus they announced some new really cool programs I can share with you.  I can’t wait until those are available.  I’ll be sharing those via my newsletter so make sure you are subscribed.

Oh, did I mention too they are giving away tuition too for graduates who go out and make a difference.  I hope to be on their short list.  Soon you may notice a few changes around here so I can provide you with more information.  I’m here to help more people who live a gluten-free life know what to eat, what to do in social situations, how to please their family’s food preferences and how to love food they put into their bodies and have the food love them back.

It was an amazing weekend and I’m so fortunate to have experienced it.  Oh and I’ve left off one of the best part.  I got to meet many of my classmates in person.  We sat together, ate together, danced together, learned together and had a blast together.  I hope to see them again, real soon.

If you want to read more about my school hop over to my Health Coach page or feel free to email me.

thank you to my fellow classmates for these great photos.  

Summer time has come and gone so fast.  It was so nice to take a break.  As you may have noticed I have not been posting on the blog as much while I was taking my summer break.  I missed sharing things here and chatting with many on Facebook and twitter.  But breaks are important and I hope you took one too and now you’re ready to get back to sharing.

What did you do on your summer break?  Was there one moment where you just took a deep breath and thought, wow I could do this every day the rest of my life?  Did you totally miss getting a break this summer?

Well school is back in session for a new year which means it’s a new year around my house.  It’s a feeling similar to New Year’s Day.  You know when we all make resolutions or restart things we had began in the previous year but let trail off for one reason or another.  It’s time to re-evaluate and think about what we want to be doing and what direction we want to be headed in.

What about you?  Do you look at this time of the year in the same way?  If not is it something that you already do on a regular basis throughout the year anyway? Or maybe it’s something that sounds good and you’ll give it a try.

So what areas do you review, re-evaluate and set goals around?  I think there are important areas in life that should be looked at.   Here are some of the guiding questions I ask.

How am I spending my time?

What am I doing to improve my health?

What am I doing for fun?

How am I nurturing my relationships?

What new things do I want to learn?

What am I doing with my spiritual life?

What advances do I want to make with my career path?

How can I improve my physical environment?

I then look at these questions through the lens with this main question:

“How am I when I’m at my best.”

When I answer those guiding questions with that lens, I come up with much different answers.  I try to stay away from answers around what I “SHOULD” do and that can be really hard to do.  I think we all have those  little voices in our heads trying to come up with all the right answers.

I’d love to hear from you.   What new resolutions, changes or goals have you set with this fall season?  Do you have the intention to do things a little differently?  Have you not thought about doing this until now but think you will give it a try?

Now with all of these questions I have one last one for you.  Where do you, that is taking care of you and doing things just for you, fall into your answers to those guiding questions.  Where do you fall into your goals, changes and resolutions?  Make sure “YOU” don’t get lost in the plan and the taking care of you is a real part of the plan.

I have met the most amazing people all because I started writing a food blog to remember the recipes and resource I found to live gluten free.  I’ve met people in the comment section on this blog, on Facebook, on twitter, at Food Blogging Conferences, in the grocery store, at my school IIN, and through other food bloggers.  I find there are many people out there as passionate about food as I am and we have formed a strong bond.  It’s so strong that when one of us hurts, we all hurt.  We are all hurting very deeply.

For the past few weeks I’ve been reading all the wonderful posts about Jennie and the love of her life Mikey.  Mikey died suddenly of a heart attack at age 51 on August 7th.  My heart just breaks for Jennie and her two little girls ages 3 and 8.  For those who have not met Jennie Perillo, she writes a food blog, In Jennie’s Kitchen.  I’ve met Jennie at a few food blogging conferences and she was always so nice.  She sat in on many panels I attended and always had great advice and information to share.

She like so many in the food world, give.  They give a part of their soul to you when they share the food they create and the stories they share.

As you can imagine, Jennie is overwhelmed not only by her grief, and the sudden responsibility of raising two children by herself, but she is also struggling with this financially. She just learned that she cannot collect widow’s benefits from Social Security because she earns too much money each year. The health insurance for her and her kids runs out in December and she just learned that the total she will have to pay will be more than her mortgage. It’s possible she’ll have to pay off the entire mortgage in one lump sum because the apartment was in his name alone. And more than anything, Mikey wanted Jennie to continue living her dream of being a food writer. And he wanted to make sure his kids were taken care of well. That’s why he worked as hard as he did. So I want to help. And I hope you want to help too.

Please do whatever you feel works for you.  This is about giving love and help and I would not want you to think this should be given out of guilt or for any other reason.  If you can donate $5, $50, $500, $5,000 or any amount is helpful.

I’m sharing just a few ways you can help.

1. Donate through this link

2. Bid on this auction

3. Create your own auction, contact Shauna Ahern at Gluten Free Girl and the Chef

If you would like to donate to A Fund for Jennie, please click on this Bloggers Without Borders button. It will take you straight to the PayPal account.  All the money donated for Jennie will go through Blogger Without Borders, a non-profit organization created by Maggy and Erika to be a conduit for the good efforts and well wishes of this food blogging community to do something.  

How about an Auction!

I have gone shopping and bought all of my kitchen favorites.  I’ve put them together in this amazing set and I’m auctioning it off here.  To keep it simple you can bid on this by leaving your bid in the comment section.  This auction will close on Friday September 9th at 11:00pm EST.  I will ship all of this to the winner and if you want to split the shipping costs with me that would be great.  The bidding will open at $300.

This Dream Kitchen Kit could be purchased for you, to split up with a group of friends, to be given out as holiday gifts to your friends and family, maybe a wedding gift or whatever fun things you come up with.  With this kit all you need is a cutting board and a sharp knife and you’re good to go!

All you have to do is BID NOW!

This Dream Kitchen Kit is valued at $879.45.

All-Clad Tri-Ply Stainless-Steel Saute` Simmer, 4 qt  with lid- you can cook just about anything in this pan and then toss it into the oven to boot.  value $245

All-Clad Tri-Ply Stainless-Steel Steamer Set, 3 Qt. – Love that this is a 3qt saucepan all on it’s own and you get the steamer basket too.  Great to steam vegetables, fish, dumplings or whatever.  I know for me I never have enough sauce pans, especially when the holidays arrive.  value $300

Rosti White Melamine Mixing Bowl Set – I use this set for just about everything from soaking grains, mixing up batter and filling up the large bowl with popcorn.  value $49.95

Nordic Ware Rolled Omelette Pan- this is a fun pan that will make anyone an expert omelette maker.  It’s the first time I’ve had my Daiya cheese totally melt.  Now I can have others in the house making omelettes too.  value $39.95

Le Crueset Oval Cocotte 12 ounce capacity- how cute is this.  It’s very handy if you are making a dish just for one or a side dish.  value $35

Collapsible Salad Spinner, 5 qt – this is the coolest thing I’ve ever seen and I don’t have one yet.  I love salad spinners but they take up so much room.  This one doesn’t and I love the rip chord you pull to spin the lettuce.  Also use the inside unit as a stand alone colander.  value $29

Silicone Locking Tongs- I rarely use anything else in my saute` pan when cooking.  You have so much more control over what is going on in that pan when you use tongs.  value $28

Swissmar Multi Slicer- sometimes you don’t want to get out your large mandoline and you don’t want to spend the time cutting up your veggies julianne.  This is a quick solution.  value $25

Lemon or Lime Press- this makes adding lemon or lime juice to a recipe while cooking a breeze.  value  $20

Tripple Timer – I don’t know about you but I often have more than one thing cooking in the kitchen at the same time.  Instead of 3 separate timers, use just this one and set 3 different times.  value $20

Euro Oven Mit- this is the only mit I’ve ever had that I have not gotten burnt using.  value  $23

Traditional Fish Spatula- this is one of my favorites.  Sometimes you just need a delicate turner when flipping fish or something else that could fall apart.  value $15

Fine Microplane- this is wonderful for zesting citrus or maybe topping off your cupcake or coffee with a little chocolate.  value $15

Fine Mesh Stainless Steal Strainer- I don’t know what I would do without one of these.  When you’re straining your stock, making a sauce where you don’t want the seeds and countless other uses.  value  $15

The WHOLE Gang Apron – my own creation that I wanted you to have so you can keep your clothes clean while cooking.  value $19.95

Thank you for participating in this auction.  This auction is now CLOSED.

Remember to leave your bid in the comment section.  Opening bid is $300.  Auction closes Friday September 9th at 11:00pm EST.  Good luck!

In case you missed the memo May is National Celiac Awareness Month.  You might know this with our 30 Days to Easy-Gluten Free Living event or all of the bloggers being featured on Celiac Central: Bits and Bites.  I’m honored that today they are featuring me on their blog.

The NFCA or National Foundation for Celiac Awareness has been part of my life soon after my diagnosis.  I went to their website Celiac Central for information and I attended their annual Washington DC Gluten Free Cooking Spree events where I learned from the experts.  It was very educational and there was a lot of foods I could eat all in one place.  I was like a little kid when I attended my first event.

The NFCA offers many events all over the country where they share the gluten free life.  The NFCA also offers educational events, training for food service and health care providers and a ton or resources including videos.  Their website is so packed with information that every time you visit you’ll find something new that can help you.  Even if you are not sure you need to live gluten free. They have a Celiac Disease Symptoms Checklist that you can fill out and even take with you to the doctor.

Here is a little info from their site on Celiac Disease.

Celiac and Gluten-Free Fast Facts:

• Celiac disease is an autoimmune digestive disease that damages the villi of the small intestine and interferes with absorption of nutrients from food.
• One in 133 Americans have celiac disease.
• An estimated 3 million Americans across all races, ages and genders suffer from celiac.
• 95% of celiacs are undiagnosed or misdiagnosed with other conditions. (Source: Fasano A, et al. Arch Intern Med. 2003;163:286-292.)
• 6-10 years is the average time a person waits to be correctly diagnosed. (Source: Daniel Leffler, MD, MS, The Celiac Center at Beth Israel Deaconness Medical Center)
• 5-22% of celiac patients have an immediate family member (1st degree relative) who also has celiac.
• Celiac disease can lead to a number of other disorders including infertility, reduced bone density, neurological disorders, some cancers, and other autoimmune diseases.
  Learn more about Related Diseases »
  
• $5,000-$12,000 is the average cost of misdiagnosis per person/per year of celiac, not including lost work time.
• There are NO pharmaceutical cures for celiac disease.
• A 100% gluten-free diet is the only existing treatment for celiac today. Get gluten-free recipes and tips on where to shop »
• A positive attitude, 100% of the time, helps celiacs create a gluten-free lifestyle for themselves and their affected family members.
• The celiac disease diagnosis rate may reach 50-60% by 2019, thanks to efforts to raise public awareness of celiac disease. (Source: Datamonitor Group, 2009)
• The gluten-free sales are expected to reach $2.8 billion by the end of 2010 thanks to new vendors manufacturing better tasting and more affordable products. (Source: SPINSscan, 2010)

So by now you’re thinking this is great I need to go check out the NFCA website, but really who are these people.  I can tell you from meeting many of them they are wonderful caring people who have a passion to educate.  But just in case you want more here is their official description:

The National Foundation for Celiac Awareness (NFCA) was formed as a national 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization to raise awareness of celiac disease among the general public and the healthcare community, and to facilitate research to better understand the causes, mechanisms, and treatment of celiac disease.

Awareness brings treatment that, in turn, brings improvement of the quality of life for those with celiac disease and gluten intolerance. Our goal is to reduce the time to diagnosis and, in the process, reduce the devastating impact of undiagnosed celiac disease, including the contraction of others diseases such as cancer, diabetes, osteoporosis, and an “autoimmune cascade.”

NFCA is affiliated with the leading researchers internationally and supports collaboration and partnership among scientists and institutions to optimize research potential with the goal of improving the quality of life for those who have celiac disease.

 

Today we kick off the first day of 30 Days to Easy Gluten-Free Living.  You are in for a treat this month as 30 different bloggers will share tips and treats all to make sure you know that it really can be easy living gluten free.  To check out the complete schedule visit HERE.  Tomorrow jump over to The Daily Dietribe where Iris will give you tips on Your First Day Living Gluten Free.  Remember this event lasts all month but it travels from blog to blog.

Grocery shopping is something I find people either like or they don’t.  For me it’s a lot of fun.  When I see so many fresh fruits, vegetables, meats  and seafood my head starts to spin with meal ideas.  But let’s back up to the first day I went grocery shopping when I found out that I was divorcing gluten and it was out of my life for good.  I say divorce because we all have a relationship with food.  For me this was a bad one.

My brain was still very foggy and I had a hard time sequencing tasks.  I even would get done shopping and not remember how to get home.  Gluten had really done a bad number on my body.  So when I went shopping I just went with no plan in mind and no idea what I was going to buy.  All I could remember was being told that gluten was in everything.  Quite frankly I was scared to death.  I think that first trip I was there for 3.5 to 4 hours.  Wandering around and reading every label on every product I could find was exhausting.  The ones that said gluten free on the label I tossed into the cart to try.

This was how I started my path to living gluten free.  I would make meals from the boxes of gluten free foods and frozen items.  I’d spend hours at the grocery store looking for what would be safe to eat with no thought of what would be good for me to eat.  I don’t think I’m alone with this type of start to living gluten free.

So here I was trying to heal my body from the effects of gluten and I was not giving it very much help.  See most of the products in boxes don’t have a lot of nutritional value.  They do have a lot of calories which really didn’t help the situation.  But what my body needed was good solid nutrients from real food.  I needed to be eating foods that would calm the inflammation, heal the damage and strengthen my body so it was healthy.

It never occurred to me that I could buy fresh fruits, vegetables, meats and seafood and they were naturally gluten free.  I was wrongly told that gluten was in everything.  What they meant to say was that gluten is most often found in processed foods, not everything.  Wheat, barley, rye and oats from cross contamination are the foods that contain gluten.  That is not what I would call everything.  But foods with ingredient labels must be read carefully to make sure they have not added it in.

My nutritionist then told me to eat single ingredient foods.  Well my foggy brain took that to mean eat only one food at a time.  For instance eat only asparagus or only onion or only potato.  Those items don’t have ingredients labels because they are ingredients.

I think we need to be really careful in what we tell people and how we explain things, especially to those who have been sick for so long and finally find out the cause is gluten.  We need a little extra TLC and a confirmation that we understand what is being shared.

So today I’d like to share with you some tips with explanations on how to make your grocery shopping trips fast, easy and fun.

Make a menu for the week. Once you get used to doing this it will take you as long as 10 minutes to make it.  Try to make a menu with recipes that use whole foods.  Those single ingredient foods, real foods, or whatever you like to call them.  Organic fruits, vegetables, meats, eggs, wild caught seafood, nuts, beans, coconut oil, Sea salt and items like that.

Make a list for the grocery store by using that menu. See what ingredients you need to make those meals that you don’t hava on hand and add them to your list.

Organize your shopping list.  Some like alphabetical, by category, or by the way the store is arranged.  You can even create a template with those headings and use it each time you make your shopping list.

Keep your list handy. Keep this template or whatever you write your grocery list on in the kitchen.  This way when you use the last of something that is a staple write it on the list so you can restock your pantry on your next trip.

Keep it fresh to keep it fast.  The more foods you have on your list that are fresh, which are on the outside isles of a grocery store, the faster you time will go at the store.

Beat the crowds. Try to pick a day or couple of different days and times to go shopping that is not as crowded.  This will help get you through the check out faster and it’s easier to get personalized service.

I hope you try out one or more of these suggestions and enjoy your easy shopping time at the grocery store.  Just remember the best tip to make shopping easy is to stick to the outer sides of the grocery store where the naturally gluten-free food can be found.   If you have any great tips to add to these lease share.

Have fun this month with the 30 Days to Easy Gluten-Free Living.

Monday May 2nd    me ,  The WHOLE Gang sharing Grocery Shopping Tips

Tuesday May 3rd  Iris from The Daily Dietribe sharing on Your First Day Living Gluten Free

Wednesday May 4th  Heather from Gluten-Free Cat sharing Smoothing the GF Transition with Smoothies

Thursday May 5th  Alta from Tasty Eats at Home sharing Convenience Foods

Friday May 6th  Elana from Elana’s Pantry sharing Quick and Easy Gluten Free Power Bars

Saturday May 7th  Cheryl from Gluten Free Goodness sharing Easy Meals

Sunday May 8th  Megan from Food Sensitivity Journal sharing Gluten Free Baking Undone:  Easy Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie

Monday May 9th  Amy from Simply Sugar and Gluten Free sharing Quick & Simply Cooking

Tuesday May 10th  Ricki from Diet, Dessert and Dogs sharing Gluten Free Baking Tips

Wednesday May 11th      Ellen from Gluten-Free Diva sharing Travel Tips

Thursaday May 12th     Kim from Cook It Allergy Free sharing

Friday May 13th     Melissa from Gluten Free For Good sharing Gluten-Free Food Rules

Saturday May 14th  Brittany from Real Sustenance sharing Healthy Allergy-Free Quick Bread with easy flavor variations.

Sunday May 15th  Nicola from g-free Mom sharing Kids Lunch Boxes

Monday May 16th     Wendy from Celiacs in the House sharing Fast Food for Teens

Tuesday May 17th     Shirley from gluten free easily sharing Your Pantry is the Key to Being GFE

Wednesday May 18th     Nancy from  The Sensitive Pantry sharing BBQ and Picnic tips and Recipe

Thursday May 19th    Heidi from Adventures of a Gluten-Free Mom sharing tips for getting kids to eat healthy, real-food snacks!

Friday May 20th  Silvana from Silvana’s Kitchen sharing

Saturday May 21st  Maggie from She Let Them Eat Cake sharing

Sunday May 22nd  Sea from Book of Yum sharing Gluten Free Vegetarian Burritos

Monday May 23rd     Tia from Glugle Gluten-Free sharing

Tuesday May 24th    Alisa from Alisa Cooks and Go Dairy Free sharing Wrap it Up-Thinking Outside the Bun

Wednesday May 25th  Hallie from Daily Bites sharing Keys to Colorful Cooking

Thursday May 26th     Carol from Simply…Gluten-Free sharing

Friday May 27th   AndreaAnna from Life as a Plate sharing Tips on Traveling on Day Trips with Kids

Saturday May 28th  Zoe from Z’s Cup of Tea sharing

Sunday May 29th  Kelly from The Spunky Coconut sharing

Monday May 30th  Jess from ATX Gluten-Free sharing 1 Meal 3 Ways, Jazzing up Leftovers

Tuesday May 31st  Naomi from Straight into Bed, Cakefree and Dried sharing

You may have noticed the pretty green and pink widget on the side of this blog that says Smokin’ Hot Mom.  Who wouldn’t want to be called that, well except maybe a dad.   I just love the title of this program that my health coach is offering.  Nina Manolson from Body Alive Body Aware is kicking off the program with a Free Teleclass on the 27th at noon.  If you sign up for the call and can’t attend it will be recorded but you have to sign up to get the recording sent to you.

Click here to visit Body Alive Body Aware.

When I read the following information from Nina, I answered yes too many times.  Keep track for yourself.

• Do you tend to put everyone else’s needs before your own?
• Is it difficult for you to find time for self-care?
• Do you wish you felt better about your body?

Being a mom has special challenges:
When the magazines and self-care gurus tell you to “take more time for yourself”, it can feel a little unreal! How on earth are you supposed to take more time for yourself when you’re running around all day, taking care of kids, spouse, cooking, cleaning, working, volunteering, maintaining friendships and family – there just isn’t one more minute in the day left for you!

The 7 Steps to Being A Smokin’ Hot Mom – FREE Teleclass - is the system that you can put in your life and be guaranteed a shift in your energy, in your mood and in your body!

In the The 7 Steps to Being A Smokin’ Hot Mom Free Class you’ll learn the system that will:

• Boost your energy.
• Make your skin glow.
• Uncover what’s holding you back from stepping into a vibrant you.
• Teach you how you can actually take care of yourself amidst the busy life of a mom.
• Help you develop healthy (but truly easy) habits that can stick with you for a lifetime and support your ideal weight.
• Teach you about an ancient, but scientifically proven strategy that’s more effective for making shifts than will-power, dieting or white knuckling.
• This is a system of permanent self-care that you can come back to again and again.
• Learn how to get back to your sassy, selfish, and sexy self without any drastic diets or bootcamps!

Nina Manolson MA, LMT, CHC helps busy moms, who are great at taking care of everyone else but have neglected themselves. She teaches giving moms to prioritize themselves in a way that balances their whole life, makes them happier, healthier and turns them into a smokin’ hot moms who loves her life. She is passionate about helping my clients find wellness from within, through nourishment on all levels – body, mind, and spirit.

Nina is a Certified Health Coach, M.A. CHHC, LMT,  and the Founder of Body Alive, Body Aware: Wellness From Within. She has been in the health and wellness field for over 20 years and specializes in helping women live a life they love in a body they love!

Join us on April 27th at 12 pm for the FREE 7 Steps To Being A Smokin’ Hot Mom. But no worries if you can’t make the call. Sign up here and the recording will be sent to you.

During this 7 Steps to being a Smokin’ Hot Mom Free call, you’ll walk away with effective strategies that will reconnect you to your sexy, sassy, selfish self.

I’m signed up already.  Let me know if you sign up too.  We can start a new facebook group for Smokin’ Hot Moms.

I like this recipe because it’s a healthy twist on typical buffalo chicken wings, which I obsess over, and it’s so much easier and less messy to eat.  It’s of course gluten and dairy free and delicious.  So as you settle in to watch the Final Four, which only 2 people in 6 million predicted on ESPN brackets, try this recipe so when the games are over you can still get off the couch.

This is fast easy meal that can have your tongue tingling.  It uses cooked chicken, home fries and kale.  It only took a little longer to make this than it took for the potatoes to cook.  You can even shorten that time too.

Now the most important part of this recipe is the wing sauce.  Find one you like the best.  I used Wing Time and loved how it was thicker and clings to the meat.  Amazon has The Ultimate Wing Sauce Collection – Wing-Time Buffalo Wing Sauce – Three Pack or you can get them separately, Wing Time Medium Buffalo Wing Sauce, Wing Time Hot Buffalo Wing Sauce, Wing-Time, Super Hot Wing Sauce.  I’ll warn you the super hot will have smoke coming out your ears but the medium passed the “I hate hot foods test” by someone in our house.

Some people think it’s really hard to get real food into their day.  Are you one of them?  Are you chained to that diet drink and frozen diet meal for lunch?  Well set yourself free.  It’s really not all that hard once you make a few changes, slowly and over time.

Mark Bittman asks the question Is ‘Eat Real Food’ Unthinkable? I say it is thinkable so let’s think how!

Here are 5 easy ways to add more real food into your day.

1.  Make a smoothie for breakfast. It’s faster and cheaper than the drive through window and so much better for you.  Toss into a blender some fruit, vegetables and a little water.  You can also add ground flax seeds or ground chia seeds for added Omegas. If you want to feel more full add in a little coconut oil to your smoothie.  To make it thick use some of the fruit or vegetables frozen.  I like frozen organic spinach and organic wild blueberries.

For smoothie ideas check out g-free mom who had 30 different food bloggers share their smoothie recipes during the month of January.

2.  Take a snack with you for that 3pm snack attack, long ride home, running kids around or a day full of errands.  Some ideas are bananas, apples, oranges, clementines, and even Kiwi.  Just cut the kiwi in half and wrap it before you head out and take a spoon with you.  For the apples I like to take out the core and stuff it with my 4 nut butter.  Just make sure you’re not driving while eating your snack.

3.  Dinner in crock pot. It’s so easy to do and is wonderful if you want to come home to a meal that is ready!  If you go to my Recipe tab and on that pull down menu is Crockpot, or click here.  There are some recipes to get you started.  Also Stephanie O’Dea has written two cookbooks on the subject, Make It Fast, Cook It Slow: The Big Book of Everyday Slow Cooking and More Make It Fast, Cook It Slow: 200 Brand-New, Budget-Friendly, Slow-Cooker Recipes.

4. Lunch time head to a salad bar and stick to the non-processed foods.  To do this choose wisely which salad bar you visit.  If you live in the DC/VA area check out Sweet Green.  I love them!  If you’re not a fan of what you find on salad bars and you still want to eat out, go to a restaurant that makes your order in a kitchen, not a microwave or a fast food flat top.  With the help of the wonderful internet you can check out almost any restaurant before you even get there.

5. Grab some great food magazines or cookbooks, check out food blogs (don’t look now but you’re on one) or download a food app and make something that appeals to you.  If you don’t want to purchase the cookbook until you’ve had a chance to try it out borrow it from the library.  But do a little meal shopping with your eyes first. Then check out the recipe and see if the ingredients will work for you.  Make a shopping list and pick up those ingredients.  If you’re afraid to try it on your own enlist the help of a friend.  If you think  you have no skills take a cooking class.

There are great food apps out there and one of my favorites is Cook It Allergy Free from Kim Maes.  You can customize the recipes according to your dietary needs and even create a shopping list from the recipe.  Brilliant!  Check out the video and info she shared with us a few months back.

Learning how to cook and feed yourself a nourishing meal is the best gift you can give yourself!

So there you have it.  5 tips.  I’m sure there are more great ideas out there.  If you have some please share!

As many of you know I am passionate about food and using the food we eat to improve our health.  I have a great desire to learn more so I’m taking things to the next level.  I am now studying at the Institute for Integrated Nutrition to become a Health Coach.  Health Coaches are knowledgeable advisors who provide ongoing support and guidance as you set goals and make sustainable changes that improve your health and happiness.

The Institute for Integrative Nutrition is based in New York City and is the largest nutrition school in the world. The school offers the world’s leading Health Coach Training Program and teaches over 100 dietary theories, practical lifestyle management techniques, and cutting-edge coaching methods. Health Coaches from Integrative Nutrition’s world-class training program learn from top experts in the field of health and wellness including Dr. Andrew Weil, Geneen Roth, Dr. David Katz, Dr. John Douillard, Dr. Mark Hyman, and David Wolfe among many others.  I’m so excited to be learning from these experts.

My education will equip me with a deep knowledge in holistic nutrition, health coaching, and the importance of preventive care. Drawing on my education and experience, I will work with clients to help them make the dietary and lifestyle changes that produce real and lasting results.

I’m excited to be learning along with Kelly Courson who writes Celiac Chicks.   She started this program last month and shared her thoughts on why in a post Is Gluten-Free The Only Goal? I also hope to follow in the footsteps of well known graduate Alex Jaimeson.  She has written the books The Great American Detox Diet, Living Vegan For Dummies and Vegan Cooking For Dummies.  I was so lucky to meet Alex and her husband Morgan Spurlock at the IFBC (International Food Blogging Conference) last year.  They both inspired me to go beyond just writing for this blog but as Morgan put it, “take it to the streets”.  That’s when I started trying to figure out how I could do just that.

So from time to time you’ll see some new things start to pop up on this blog.  I will be sharing new information, asking different questions and even revealing a new website dedicated to my new Health Coaching practice.  If you have questions along the way please let me know.  I’m very excited to be on this journey and I hope to be able to bring you along.

What is one of the best things you can do for the people you love?  Feed them good food that is good for them.  If you have loved ones in your family that are picky eaters and it’s really hard to get them to eat good foods you’re going to love these meatballs.

I add lots of different ingredients in many different combinations.  I’ll share one combination for you to try but don’t be afraid to come up with your own combination.  Now once you have cooked these meatballs you’re probably wondering how to serve them.  You can do just about anything with them.  Serve them as is with a side of your favorite vegetables.  You can use them on top of a pizza, in a soup, on top of pasta, in a stir fry or on a sandwich.  I’m sure you’ll share other ways with me.

You can also change the overall flavor of the meatballs by choosing which spice combinations you use or what sauce you serve them with.  The basic idea is to get some nutrient dense foods mixed into the meat so they are eaten.

Make sure you read all the way down to the notes section for lots of options.  These were shared on Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays, Gluten Free Wednesdays and Book of Yum Kale Roundup.

I’m not sure how I got so lucky but I’m about to give you a peek behind the curtain.  If you don’t want to see, don’t read.  People often ask me or my husband how we do it.  How did we get the marriage we have?  We have an amazing marriage and we are blessed with two great boys.  This does not mean everything is perfect in life, it never is.  But all I can say is I am one lucky gal.

Shauna, the gluten-free girl has asked for us to share our love stories.  I couldn’t think of a better thing to write about.

I met Scott when I was an intern at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in Washington, DC.  I worked in the marketing department and Scott’s office was just down the hall.  He was recently back from Jamaica where he spent time as a Watson Fellow.  I was one semester away from graduating and trying my hand at marketing research.  In 1985 that was a lot harder than it is now and not interesting to me at all.  I hated the work but I was in DC just having turned 21 and ready to explore the world.

I had run into Scott at the common WANG Daisy printer that always gave us problems.  We’d chat a little but that was it.  After all he was a worldly guy and I was in college and at that time had a boyfriend.  One day Scott was coming back from lunch with his boss and he mentioned to Scott he should ask me out.  Scott said no he didn’t want to date.  He had just come off a long relationship and then a string of interesting dates.   He was going to give dating a break.  Of course his boss had to egg him on and tell him he was chicken.  He claimed he was not chicken (he and Marty McFly have something in common) and asked me out to lunch.  You know that lunch date that is safer than a real date.

Well we went down the street to the Connecticut Connection for lunch.  He offered to pay since I was just an intern.  I tried to decide if that was nice or an insult.  I needed more information.  But lunch was much more enjoyable than either of us thought it would be.  He was really good looking but I wasn’t sure we had anything in common and remember I was dating someone else.  But what was the harm in going to lunch.

Well lunch turned into another date out to a movie and then a little ice cream.  I think we were both relaxed because I had a boyfriend so this wasn’t really dating and he didn’t want a girlfriend so we were just hanging out.

We quickly found out we really enjoyed each other’s company.  Even though we were different in so many ways there was this spark that could not be ignored.  I of course had to end it with the guy I had been dating because I really needed to see what this was all about.

We began to see a lot of each other both at work and after hours.  The time came when I had to go back to school to finish up and he was leaving to attend the Kennedy School at Harvard.  We continued to date even though the distance was great.  I graduated and wanted to move to Boston to see if this was really going to work.  It seemed so real but with so many miles and seeing each other after long periods away just wasn’t enough information for me.  My parents said I had to have a job to move so I became a Mary Kay consultant.   This way I could move right away and then look for other work.  A girl has to do what a girl has to do.

He went to school and I worked many jobs.  First at a health club as an aerobic instructor which helped me land my next job running kitchens at corporate and goverment cafeterias.  As for me and Scott, well we grew closer and more in love.  He proposed and I said yes and we planned a wedding to take place right after he graduated.  I had to quit my full time job and work at the restaurant down the street so I could have time to plan the wedding back home (PA) and design and make my wedding gown.

Let me quick tell you about the proposal.  When I graduated from college in December I didn’t walk.  You know the ceremony with the cap and gown.  Well Scott decided he would take his kazoo and play Pomp and Circumstance and then give me a gift.  It was a beautiful Cross pen.  A great gift for a graduate.  But he knew me all too well.  I of course dove into the box to look at the wood stand for the pen and pulled out everything.  At the bottom was a beautiful engagement ring.  A tear drop shaped blue sapphire surrounded by diamonds.  It was perfect.

We were married on June 20, 1987.  In some ways it seems like yesterday and others it seems like we’ve been together all my life.

Scott is an amazing partner in life.  We work together, go to yoga together and enjoy life together.  He’s my best friend and the person I trust the most.  He allows me to continue to learn and grow in the areas the interest me.  He loves and supports me and is always cheering me on.  We can always talk about anything and often do.

So with people always asking what our secret is to our amazing marriage, well here’s what I think:

1. we pledged til death due us part and when things are rough we stick around to fix it

2. we love each other unconditionally

3. we communicate

4. we don’t take things personally which I think is key

So there you have it.  I just gave away the secret sauce and I’m not even earning a penny off of that.  Maybe someday we’ll write a book about it and then I’ll be blogging from some warm Pacific beach.

I consider myself very lucky to have found such a wonderful guy who loves me and takes care of me and our family.  I just couldn’t ask for anything more.

What about your love story?  Do you have one to share?  How you met, where your first date was, how they or you proposed?  I’d love to hear so feel free to share your story here.

I hope you take this time to tell someone important in your life that you love them.

Happy Valentines Day!

I finally did it.  I figured out my new computer program MacGourmet.  I have wanted to be able to share with you the nutritional information on the recipes I create.  I think knowing what you are eating is so important and having an idea of that nutritional content is just more information to sink your teeth into.

I’m using the program MacGourmet Deluxe.  The Nutritional Database in the program pulls from the USDA.  Sometimes they will not have specific items I use like the Honeyville Blanched Almond Meal Flour, 5 lb. but I can enter that data from the package.  Since I cook with mostly whole real foods they are usually easily found.

Please remember as you are looking at my recipes and the nutritional data that it is for what I’ve added and calculated.  This may not be the case for what you make.  Even if you are using exactly what I’ve entered please just use this as a guide and not as written in stone.

I do not have plans to go back and enter all of my past recipes to calculate the data but I may do a few.  If I do I will repost them for you so you can see the numbers.

I’m still learning the program and all the cool things it can do.  If you have a Mac and you love food you should grab this program.  It can help you create menus, shopping lists and even a cookbook.  Hmmm.  Well there is still a lot for me to learn.  For instance you can import recipes.  Now if I can figure that out I’ll really be cooking.  Just remember if you have the program you are welcome to use my recipe, just not republish it without my permission or any photos of my food.

I’m working on writing up a great recipe that I’ve been teasing you about for too long for Monday’s post.  It’s my amazing meatballs that are so full of goodness that you will want to make them for anyone you love.  Have a great weekend.

Everyone is always talking about fiber.  Do you get enough fiber in your diet?  What foods have fiber in them?  How much does a person need a day?  It can all be so confusing and of course those marketing gurus love to take advantage of that.  They tout their product as being whole grain and full of fiber.  Get your fiber from their processed products and you’ll be “healthy”.  For some  weird food facts about what most people are really eating, visit Gluten Free For Good.  You’ll also want to read her post on Gluten Free Fiber.

If your thought is the only way to get your fiber is from whole wheat, and then you gave it up to live gluten free, well then you’re up a creek.  But if you think outside that whole wheat fiber box, than you should be able to find lots of great sources of fiber.

So how much fiber should you eat each day?  According to recommendations from The Institute of Medicine, children and adults should consume 14 grams of fiber for every 1,000 calories of food they eat each day.  Generally that means:

Women
25 grams per day, for women younger than 50
21 grams per day, for women older than 50

Men
38 grams per day, for men younger than 50
30 grams per day, for men older than 50

So there are you totals, now where are you getting your daily fiber?  Click here if you would like to see a chart of how much fiber are in real foods, the ones that don’t have labels.

I want to hear from you.  Where do you get your daily fiber requirements?  What foods are you eating?  Please leave your answers in the comments.

I’m excited to announce I’ve started a new blog that is all about making small changes in life.  Don’t worry you’ll still find me here dishing up Real Food, Real Fun, and Real Choices!

Change My Life Journal

Change My Life Journal

My hope is to share the changes I’m trying to make in my life and hopefully you’ll join in and share yours.  We can cheer each other on and share ideas on how to either keep things on track or get back on track.

Read more on the About page.

I’ve also added a page just for you, Your Turn.  This is where you can share your goals or changes you’re working on.

You can also join in the conversation on the Facebook Group.

Every day there will be a post.  Sometimes short, sometimes just a little longer.  There will be ideas, calls to action, videos, and resources.

You can even sign up HERE to receive the posts in your email inbox.

I hope you will stop by and say hi.  You’ll find content posted for every day so far this year.  Quick reads for you to leave quick comments.

Chocolate Frogs in Hogsmead (Wizarding World of Harry Potter)

A new year and a new menu with a new way of eating.  For the past week I’ve been doing a gentle detox that my body has fallen in love with.  It’s really gentle on the body compared to some things I’ve read.  I basiclly eat fresh fruits and vegetables, beans, nuts and seeds.  No grains, dairy, processed foods or processed sugars, and no alcohol.  Oh and no Chocolate Frogs.  I do eat wild caught fish and organic chicken but condiment size portions.  I’m drinking lots of water, green smoothies, and 1 cup of tea a day.   This is what my nutritionist, Melissa McLean Jory who writes Gluten Free for Good, suggested for me at this time.  If you are looking for a good detox check out her post on Detox.  You’ll be to see all the information and the few modifications I made.

This detox was not harsh for me because I had already moved to more fresh fruits and vegetables making up most of what I ate each day.  If you live on gluten free food from boxes then it will be a little more of a shift for you.  But, this is an important shift to make.

If one of your New Year’s Resolutions was to start eating healthier then please take the time to make that more specific.  Make statements like I will eat more fresh fruits and vegetables and less processed foods, sugars and alcohol.  Both say the same thing, it’s just the later statement is more actionable.

I will warn you however, your body will LOVE it.  If you’ve been living gluten free for some time now think back to when you first gave it up.  Your body started to feel better and rejoice.  Now think about when you accidentally ingest gluten and how your body is totally pissed off and lets you know.   Same thing.

I also went back to  yoga.  I kept waiting for when I felt better and then remembered that going to  yoga helps you feel better.  Gheeze why do I forget these things.  So I went to the noon hour long classes.  One of the great things about yoga is you can really see the incremental improvements you make better than anything else I’ve ever done.  It’s wonderful.  On Monday I took a nice long nap in the afternoon.  As the week went on I didn’t need a nap and my body was really starting to get happy inside.  In just 3 classes.  Now in my book that’s pretty cool.

Melissa always tells me, “it’s all about food and movement…”.  This week I finally totally got what she meant.  My wish for you in 2011 is that you also have the opportunity to really “get” what that means.  It’s life changing.

So, here is my menu for this week.

Monday- Turkish Seasoned Black Bean Patties, hummus with Zaatar, Salad with Avocado and Pumelo

Tuesday- Sloppy Lentil Joes from Stephanie O’Dea’s new cookbook- More Make It Fast, Cook It Slow: 200 Brand-New, Budget-Friendly, Slow-Cooker Recipes

Wednesday- Vegetable Frittata, fruit salad

Thursday- Maple & Red Pepper Flake Roasted Pumpkin Salad with Arugula from Power Foods Cookbook, with Grilled Trout

Friday- Kiwi Lime Relish Shrimp with black lentils from Power Foods: 150 Delicious Recipes with the 38 Healthiest Ingredients

Saturday- Grilled Portobello Stack with grilled onions, roasted red peppers, hummus and rocket

Sunday- Braised leeks with prosciutto and a porcini mushroom topping, papaya kiwi and cashew salad

Power Foods: 150 Delicious Recipes with the 38 Healthiest Ingredients

This menu was shared on OrgJunkie.

January is Detox month over at G-Free Mom.  Every day this month a different blogger is sharing a recipe with you to help you eat fresh fruits and vegetables.  All the recipes will be gluten free juices, smoothies or soups.  I’m happy to be contributing to this event.  January is a great month to get ourselves back onto this path and using a detox is a great way to to jump start that.

You know there have been two words that have put fear into me, detox and green smoothie.  Detox sounded hard to do, restrictive and painful and green smoothies well those are just two words that didn’t go with each other in my mind.  Well that is until I’ve started on both.

I started making green smoothies after Ali at The Whole Life Nutrition Kitchen shared one that didn’t seem too far out there so I gave it a try.  I actually liked it because it tasted more like the fruit than the vegetables.  I didn’t have a very good blender so I had to let it run a long time to get a smooth drink.  Now that I have my VitaMix I can make amazing smoothies in no time at all.  A fast and easy way to get really good nutrients into my body.

I’ve realized you can just about put any fruit or vegetable combination and come up with something that tastes good.  If you have an over powering taste, adding some cinnamon is a great trick to tame that taste and move it to something you’ll enjoy.  Oh and cinnamon is really good for you too!  I have gotten my husband hooked on these smoothies and now I’m working on my youngest son.

This kid does not like vegetables.  I have to get very creative to make something he’ll eat with vegetables and I have lots of secrets on that topic (promise to share soon).  We have over the past year increased his list of vegetables he’ll eat, but it’s not going to include a green smoothie in a glass right now.  So this smoothie has more fruit than vegetables but it’s a start.  I have gradually added in more darker green vegetables to this recipe and it has still maintained the good taste he’ll eat.  I add kale and spinach and serve it in a tall thermal cup from Starbucks and a dark colored straw.  He knows not to open the lid.  My hope is that he never reads this post or the gig is up on how many vegetables he’s really eating.

When you make a smoothie I think it’s more of an art than a science.  What I mean by that is you don’t have to put in exactly what you read in a recipe.  You add what you like or what you have on hand.  Just make sure you give it a taste before serving, especially if you are trying to hide something.

So this smoothie I’m sharing was first created by Melissa on Gluten Free For Good as Cherry Cabbage Chia Recovery Smoothie.  I’ve made it so much it felt like mine but it’s really her creation.  She adds yogurt and uses napa cabbage in hers.  I changed those items up according to our needs.  If you are looking for more smoothie ideas, food that’s not only good but good for your body and want to know why, go to her blog.   Everything she creates has been great.  Our family particularly loves her Healthy Power Bars.  Melissa is amazing and creates recipes that are packed with ingredients that are good for you on so many levels.

Today is the first of 6 weekly installments on A Gluten-Free Holiday.  Today over at Diet, Dessert, & Dogs the focus is Healthier Through The Holidays. When you’re done reading my recipe and tips, take Ricki your favorite healthier dish that won’t pack on the pounds.  Or, maybe you can share your top tips for staying safe when there’s tempting food everywhere.  Either way head over to Diet, Desserts & Dogs to link up or leave a comment to have your chance to win some amazing cookbooks.  To see which ones you could WIN this week, look at the end of this recipe.

So from now until the end of the year there will an abundance of food.  Everywhere you go people will be trying to give you food, try a sample, buy this buy that.  It’s like it’s just floating in the air all around us.  I like to think that not being able to eat gluten, dairy or rice is a huge advantage.  I can say no to almost everything because I don’t want to get sick from whatever is in that sample they want me to try.  Why on earth would I want to take a chance in getting sick and being exhausted at this time of the year.  NO THANK YOU!

This time of the year is extra busy for us and we are often out and about.  Is that true for you too?  This can be a recipe for spending extra money on fast food if I don’t plan.  That means I’m also getting extra calories.  I don’t know about you but if I’m having extra calories I want it in the form of a piece of chocolate, not some fast food condiment or side dish.  Also, if I plan it right, that piece of chocolate won’t even be in the extra calories category.

If you read up on my November Menu Plan you know that I am armed and ready for this month with a plan.  Knowing what the obstacles are makes it easier to plan around them.  If you want to win one of my prizes from Monday, check out how.  The deadline is this Saturday.

One of the many crazy challenges can sometimes be I don’t have time to stand at the stove but I can get something into the oven.  This is where the Wild Rice and Mushroom Bake comes in handy.  It dosen’t take long to pull together and it can be left to bake in the oven for 2 hours.  It can also be cooked in the oven at a higher temp in an hour, if that is all the time you have.  This recipe has ground beef in it but you can use another ground meat or keep it vegetarian or vegan.  Either way, it’s flexible and delicious.  Oh and did I mention it doesn’t cost a lot, it’s packed with good nutrition and low in calories.

Now some of you are thinking, didn’t she just say she can’t eat rice and this is a wild rice recipe?  Well rice does bother me but wild rice not a true rice.  Wild rice is a grass and is more closely related to bamboo.

Almost always sold as a dried whole grain, wild rice is high in protein, amino acid lysine and dietary fiber, and low in fat. Like true rice, it does not contain gluten. It is also a good source of the minerals potassium and phosphorus, and the vitamins thiamine, riboflavin and niacin.

Ingredients:

1-2 tsp organic coconut oil

1 medium yellow onion, diced

1 stalk of celery, preferably with leaves, diced

1 pound white button mushrooms, sliced- with or without stems

1 pound cremini mushrooms, sliced- with or without stems

1/2 – 1 pound organic ground beef

8 oz wild rice

2+ cups organic chicken stock

2+ cups organic beef stock

1/4 – 1/2 cup sour cream

Sea Salt and Pepper to taste

sliced or slivered almonds

Directions:

In an oven-proof pot, sautee the onions and celery in a little oil on medium high until they start to soften.  Now add in the mushrooms and cook until they start to brown and soften.  Now remove all of this.

If you are using meat, brown the meat in the pot.  If it gives off a lot of oil, drain that extra oil.

Add the vegetables back into the pot, add the wild rice and stock and bring to a boil.  Put into a 325 degree pre-heated oven, uncovered, for 2 hours.

About 1/2 to 3/4 of the way into the cooking time you can check to make sure there is still a little stock in the pot.  If not you will want to add more.

When the rice is no longer crunchy the dish is done.  Remove it from the oven.  If you are going to use sour cream, this is when you want to mix it into the dish.  Serve immediately and sprinkle with almonds.

Yield:  6-8 servings

NOTES:

I use my round french oven enameled pot from Le Creuset to cook this dish.  It’s great on the stove and in the oven and they come is many different sizes and colors.

I use a dairy free sour cream that is soy based.  You can use whatever sour cream you prefer.  I will say this dish tastes great with or without the sour cream so if you can’t eat dairy or soy, don’t worry.  I’ve not made a sour cream with cashews but if you have, that might be a good option.  If you try that please let me know how it turns out.

If you are keeping this vegetarian or vegan use vegetable stock instead and omit the ground meat.  You can even add in a third type of mushrooms like portobello.

If you want it more like a soup make sure to add extra stock.

I only used half a pound of ground meat and it tasted great, but with less calories.  You could also use ground turkey, chicken, veal, pork or meat substitute.

If you don’t have a yellow onion you can use whatever color you have.

If you don’t have coconut oil, why not!  Go get some now!  You can also use olive oil or a canola oil but the coconut oil has a lot of great health benefits.

If you don’t have homemade stocks be careful when you buy pre-made.  Read the labels as many have wheat.  I use Kitchen Basics but every time I buy it I always check.  You never know when they are going to change their formula.

If you want this to cook in 1 hour, turn the oven up to 375 degrees.

This was shared on Gluten Free Wednesdays on Linda’s Gluten Free Homemaker blog.

Don’t forget to visit Diet, Desserts and Dogs to check out and share more great ideas and recipes.  Leave a comment too to be entered to win a cookbook!  Here are the two being given away this week.

A Gluten-Free Holiday Schedule & Themes:

November 4^th – Healthier Through The Holidays at Diet, Dessert, & Dogs

Let’s all get off to a healthy start this holiday season.  Bring Ricki your favorite healthier dish that won’t pack on the pounds.  Of, maybe you can share your top tips for staying slim when there’s tempting food everywhere.

November 11^th – Thanksgiving Favorites at gluten-free easily

Share your favorite gluten-free Thanksgiving dish from appetizers to desserts at Shirley’s place. We want to see your stuffing, turkey dishes, pumpkin pie, mashed potatoes, cranberry jelly…anything Thanksgiving goes. (To our Canadian friends – please share your Thanksgiving dishes, too!  We know you celebrated earlier than the US!)

November 18^th – Gifts of Good Taste at Tasty Eats at Home

Who doesn’t love a gift made with love? Share your favorite foodie gift that’s gluten-free. Have a fabulous way to pack a yummy treat? We want to see that, too.

December 2^nd –Holiday Entrees & Sides  Dishes at The W.H.O.L.E. Gang (That’s right here!)

Bring your families favorite entrees and sides.  We’ll will be ready for them all.  We know that Haunnkah starts on December 2^nd this year but still hope to see some of your favorite dishes.

December 9^th – Holiday Breakfast & Brunch at Ginger Lemon Girl

A warm, cozy breakfast or brunch is a wonderful way to start off the holiday.  This is a great time to help someone else whipping up your fabulous gluten-free cinnamon rolls or a crumb-topped coffee cake by sharing your favorite recipes.

December 16^th – Holiday Desserts at Simply Sugar & Gluten-Free

Just like it sounds – bring your favorite gluten-free Christmas desserts for all to share.  Cookies, pies, truffles, cakes, and candies….we want to try them all.

So, get your recipe box out and start browsing…then get in the kitchen and start cooking for the best ever gluten-free holiday!

PRIZES

Here’s a list of what we have for you:

• Allergen-Free Baker’s Handbook
  by Cybele Pascal – This Thursday’s give-away at DDD!

• The Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook: Whole Foods Recipes for Personal and Planetary Health, Second Edition
  by Ali Segersten  & Tom Malterre This Thursday’s give-away at DDD!

• The Spunky Coconut Cookbook: Gluten Free, Casein Free, Sugar Free (Volume 0)
  by Kelly Brozyna

• Free for All Cooking: 150 Easy Gluten-Free, Allergy-Friendly Recipes the Whole Family Can Enjoy
  by Jules Shepard

• Artisanal Gluten-Free Cooking: More than 250 Great-tasting, From-scratch Recipes from Around the World, Perfect for Every Meal and for Anyone on a Gluten-free Diet–and Even Those Who Aren’t
  by Kelly & Peter Bronski

• Gluten-Free Girl: How I Found the Food That Loves Me Back…And How You Can Too
  by Shauna James Ahern

• Gluten-Free Girl and the Chef
  by Shauna James Ahern & Daniel Ahern

• The Gluten-Free Almond Flour Cookbook
  by Elana Amsterdam AND 4 Elana’s Pantry Totes

• Sweet Freedom: Desserts You’ll Love without Wheat, Eggs, Dairy or Refined Sugar
  by Ricki Heller

• The Gluten-Free Diner by Diane Eblin (yep that’s me)

• Make It Fast, Cook It Slow: The Big Book of Everyday Slow Cooking
  by Stephanie O’Dea

• More Make It Fast, Cook It Slow: 200 Brand-New, Budget-Friendly, Slow-Cooker Recipes
  by Stephanie O’Dea (will be released Dec. 28th!)

• Simply Sugar- and Gluten-Free Meals in 20 Minutes: 120 Easy and Delicious Recipes
  by Amy Green (will be released January 2011!)

This month Andrew Wilder of Eating Rules has challenged us all to take a month and eat only unprocessed foods.

Brilliant!

He even has a pledge you can sign.  At the time I am writing this 402 people have taken the challenge and signed the pledge.  That is awesome!

How about you?  Are you willing to join in?  How about starting your 30 days now?

Today I shared some of my ideas for eating unprocessed no matter if you live gluten free, dairy free, soy free, sugar free, meat free or whatever free.  It can apply to anyone and everyone.

I hope you will visit Eating Rules to read Let’s Get Creative and say hello.  While you are there, how about signing that pledge.

Don’t forget to come back tomorrow for my version of Go Ahead Honey, It’s Gluten Free with the theme, Scared Silly.

After much anticipation I finally went to my first heated vinyasa flow yoga class.  I’ve been to a few different yoga classes at the gym I belong to and really didn’t like them very much.  My sinuses always seemed to give me troubles and the hour long class was way too long for me to keep up with what they were doing.   The classes at the gym were always crowded, people coming in late and the regulars had their “spot” that they didn’t appreciate if you took.

I knew yoga was great for our bodies and something I really needed to work into my life, but I needed to find the right fit for me.  Melissa (Gluten Free for Good) told me, “The yoga piece aids everything else (digestion, thyroid, sleep, de-stressing, immune function, hormones, etc.).  It just doesn’t happen overnight.”  When she shared that with me it was like I was hearing it for the first time but at the same time hearing something I’ve known all my life.  Love that gal!

So I stalked this local studio that opened about a year ago, Down Dog Yoga.  Of course I didn’t stalk them in person, just online. They have a really good website with lots of information on their classes, mission and founder Patty Ivey.  One of their studios is really close to my house and in a shopping center where I frequent. 

Finally I decided that I was going to not just show up to get my free week of classes but purchase a specific class online.  I knew if I waited for the perfect time to try a class I would never find it.  I had to have a paid reservation and their online system makes that very easy.  One thing that was a big concern for me was all of the classes, except the power hour, were 90 minutes long.  In the past I couldn’t keep up with the hour class and the Rodney Yee video tapes that are 30 minutes were too challenging.  I thought there would be no way I could do a 90 minute class.  But with the encouragement of my awesome nutritionist Melissa and my wonderful husband Scott, and my workout partner JoAnne, I signed up. They reminded me if I could only do 15 minutes than do the 15 and not worry about it. Everyone has to start somewhere.  I would never get to 90 minutes if I didn’t get moving.

Child Pose from Down Dog Yoga website

My first class was last Friday.  I arrived early to the class so I could talk to the instructor.  I have frozen shoulder and I’m in physiotherapy for that.  It’s getting better and I was told I could do anything that didn’t hurt me.  (there went that excuse)  Jeanne the instructor made me feel very comfortable going at my own pace.  Both she and Melissa reminded me that yoga is a practice, not a performance.  Listen to my body.  It’s perfectly acceptable to take a break and rest in Child Pose.

As soon as you open the door to the studio the 90 degrees rushes over you.  It’s not enough to make you start to sweat immediately but it does make me relax.

So I set up my mat right in front of this wide pillar in the room.  I thought when I could no longer participate in the class I would have a wall to lean back on.  It was also in the center of the room in the second row.  This way I had a clear shot to the instructor and I had others in front of me if I needed an example of something I didn’t understand.

Jeanne the instructor talked us through the opening stretches, breathing and poses.  It didn’t take long for me to start to sweat but it was a slow moderate sweat that just continued throughout the class.  Jeanne was great at offering me alternatives for my shoulder.  Instead of the down dog pose I would often be on hands and knees. This worked great.  I could keep going and not hurt my shoulder.  I did take some time in childs pose and towards the end I just sat for one pose.  But other than that I was shocked when class was over.  I had been there for 90 minutes and participated in most of that class.  I had sweat, twisted, opened, lunged, reached, balanced, stretched, and gasped and I felt amazing.

Down Dog Pose

But of course that *IBSC in my head said yeah, but what about when you wake up tomorrow.  You’re not going to be able to move for a week.  But that *IBSC was wrong.  I did have some soreness but not very much.  I knew I had worked muscles that I had not moved in some time, but they were only a little sore, no big deal.  I’ve slept in the wrong position and felt worse.

So I headed back to class on Monday for my free week.  Jeanne was the instructor again.  She’s really good at quietly coming by and helping you get into the right position so you are safe and you are getting the most you can out of that pose or stretch.  This time I could do even more during the class.  She was great to notice and compliment me.  The students that were there on Friday and Monday welcomed me back.  They are all so nice.
So I am totally hooked.  Melissa has suggested going three times a week.  That will be an amazing experience for my body.  I can feel the toxins leaving my body.  I feel the energy and at the same time the calmness entering.  I can feel my body healing.  Even my shoulder is getting better at a faster rate.  I am so glad I didn’t give up looking for the right yoga class for me. It would have been so easy to just  write it off and say, yeah I’ve tried that before and I didn’t like it.

Do you know how many different types of yoga there are?  Well I don’t know exactly but I do know there are many to choose from.  I trusted Melissa and I’ve seen what yoga has done in her life.  I really wanted a piece of that.  My desire to become healthy and calm exceeded my fear.   Sometimes you have to just trust it will all work out.

If yoga is new to you too and you are looking for a class, ask around.  See who you know that might already go to a studio and hear what they have to say.  I’ve only gone to two classes and already I feel and see the difference.  For the first time in a long time I awoke this morning feeling rested and ready for the day.  I wasn’t dragging my butt out of bed.  I even woke up before my alarm.  Now that might not seem like earth shattering news to you but I have to say I was getting really tired of waking up and wishing I had more time to sleep.  Tired of being tired.  I know that is the yoga.  I also am really loving this feeling that I can’t totally describe.  It’s calm but excited.  It’s really different for me and I can see and feel the benefits.  I can only imagine what this will be like over time.

Do you currently practice yoga?  If so what type and how often?  What benefits have you noticed?  If you have not tried yoga, are you willing to give it a try?  Don’t listen to your *IBSC, listen to others who can share the benefits they’ve experienced.  I can’t wait to hear your experience.

Oh and in case you don’t remember what the *IBSC is:

*itty bitty shitty committee- that voice in your head that cuts you down and tells you that ugly word, can’t.

As I’m working on rearranging things on my blog and planning menus, I began to really think about the people that read food blogs, and this blog.  I was wondering, what would you like to see here?  What types of recipes  would really help you in your day to day life?  Would you like to see more budget conscious recipes?  Ones that are quick?  How about cooking with a certain ingredient?

I want to know.  So you tell me what you are interested in that would make this a really good resource for you and I’ll do my best to deliver.

Please feel free to use this poll by selecting all that apply and even leaving your own suggestion.  You can also leave suggestions in the comments.  Thank you for your feedback.

Today, August 9th, is my two year anniversary for writing this blog.  I can’t believe it’s only been two years.  Sometimes it feels like I’ve been doing this for many more years.  I have shared so many stories and recipes over these two years.

From one of my first posts-bad birthday cake

I started writing this blog so I could keep track of the resources I found on living gluten free and then dairy free too.  I also got tired of my family and friends saying that my meal was great, could I make it again.  Well I never wrote down my recipes, I just cooked.  I’m very lucky to have grown up with a mom who was a great cook who let me help in the kitchen.  I learned at an early age that you could make a lot of people really happy with food.  It was a common language, a reason to stop all of the hard work and sit to rest and enjoy the food and the company.  So now I write down my recipes and share them here, good ones and bad ones like Brad’s first gluten free birthday cake I made.

This past year I have accomplished many of the goals I set out for myself including starting a newsletter (one coming soon I promise), an event that would involve the food community at large- 30 Days to a Food Revolution, connecting with Jamie Oliver in some way- the 30 day event and he’s following me on Twitter, getting to know more food bloggers- too many to list and hope to see you at the IFBC conference, having more conversations with readers on my blog- thank you for the comments, getting people thinking about where their food comes from- a box or single ingredients,  and my first e-cookbook.  Also on my list was to meet Karina- Gluten Free Goddess .  I thought that might happen this summer while I was in Santa Monica but it didn’t.  However the year is not over and who knows.  Two other goals are to return to the BlogHer Food in San Francisco in October and attend the IFBC this month in Seattle.  Well I have my tickets for each so I think those two will happen.

As I start my third year of blogging my goals are now shifting again.  Now I want to move more towards my health and the health of others through the food we eat, the activities we do and don’t do, and the gaining of knowledge on how all of that works.  I’ve been so impressed with Wendy of Celiacs in the House and her quest to lose weight while sharing it on her blog.  She’s really working to make changes to her life and sharing what she learns.

I am starting on a similar path.  Over the past year my life has had way too many sources of stress including lots of family medical problems, the issues one runs into while running their own business like suddenly taking on 3 other jobs than the one I already had, and the day to day logistics most of us face trying to do too much in a 24 hour period.  It has really taken a toll on me.  The photo you see of me on my blog is not what I currently look like, but hope to again.  I’m over worked, over stressed, over weight, and way low on the doing the right things for my body scale.   I do eat real food, but way too much and not just the food that is good for me.  There is a lot of real food available that is full of sugar, fat and calories and I’ve been using that as my relaxation from the stress.

So now that I’ve outed myself I begin a new journey of reclaiming me and my life.  This would be a whole lot easier if all of the problems just went away and I could focus on just me.  But that is not my life and I’m sure not many of you can do that unless you are one of those famous people that has a staff to handle the details of every day living.

Diane & Scott on Pier 39- San Francisco

The first thing I did was take a 2 week vacation.  Something I was lucky enough to pull off.  Part of it was work the first week but in California which made finishing up a meeting and heading to the beach or pool worth it.  The second part was with my family.  We explored as much of the San Francisco area, on foot, as possible.  We literally walked from breakfast to bed.  We had a great time, relaxed, had someone else cook for me and tried some new foods.  It was a great way to break away from the treadmill life set on 10 that I had found myself on.  The continuous cycle of work, eat too much, sit at a desk for way too many hours and get up and do it again was killing me in more ways than one.

Now that I’ve been home for a week I’ve started to implement some new ways of doing things and gathering support.  I call it Team Diane- gathering support, knowledge, peace and love.   Someone I’m excited to have on my team is Melissa McLean Jory who writes the blog Gluten Free For Good.  I’m retaining her services as a holistic nutritionist who walks her talk.  In fact she just won the Outdoor Diva photo contest with a photo of her wearing skis standing on her head in the snow.  She’s amazing.  I first met Melissa via email and blogs when I first started mine.  I wanted to share low cost gluten free gifts to give and she shared her recipe for Mile High Gluten Free Granola.  I’m looking forward to learning so much.  I’m very excited.

I’ve also started tracking everything I eat, my workouts and daily weight on Spark People.  It’s always good to know exactly what you ate in a given day.   This is especially true if you are working to figure out what foods might be giving you trouble.  The workouts have to happen in order for me to log them in and my weight is just a number I use as feedback if I’m on the right track.

Also on my team is a good friend JoAnne.  She’s my accountability and walking partner.  She may even come back to Jazzercise with me when I get back to that point.  Each day we check in with each other to make sure we’re on track.

Scott, my husband, is also on my team.  He’s key.  His support in what I do and what I cook for meals is so important.  Without him this would be so much harder.  I could do it, but there would certainly be more obstacles.

Liz, my really cool Physiotherapist, is working to get my Frozen Shoulder healed so I can be more active.  After having done physical therapy on my other shoulder last year and physiotherapy this year, I’ll never go back.  Physiotherapy works so much better with a persons body.

I hope to be adding a yoga teacher to my team soon.  Yoga is so good for our bodies on so many levels.  There are even poses that can be done to help different areas and systems of the body function better.  How cool is that!  Can’t wait to learn more.

I’m not sure who else will end up on my team but I’m looking forward to this journey.

Before I started last week, I did sit and contemplate what I wanted to be different and the steps it would take.  They will need to be gradual and fit into the life I have while taking steps to change the parts of my life that create more barriers than assistance.  If I try to do things that are too much or too fast right away I’m setting myself up for failure.  So it will be little steps but they will be steps in the right direction.

So enough about me, what about you.  Where are you on your journey?  Are you moving along where you want to be?  If so I would love to hear some of the cool things you do.  What if this was your anniversary and you were looking back over the past year and looking ahead to the next one?  What would you see?

Are you stalled, off track or headed in the wrong direction?  Would you like to join me and we can support each other on our journeys?  Feel free to share your stories with me and with this community.  As part of my new journey, I will say that I am not spending as much time online as I used to, so if you email me I will be sure to read your notes (thank you for those) but I will not be emailing back.  I wish I could but for right now I will be utilizing my Facebook page for The W.H.O.L.E. Gang for ongoing conversations.

I do hope you will share your ideas for healthy living and even your challenges.  This is a great community and there may be someone with the same challenge or someone who needs to hear how you’ve found a way to meet that challenge.  We can be a part of each others Team!

Thank you all so much for taking the time to check out my blog, try the recipes, and share with us your recipes, ideas and stories.  I do love the food community and especially the gluten free one.

Back from vacation and still trying to unpack my bags and my stories.  They will be coming soon.  Coming back from the west coast to the east coast can really make me tired but I woke up bright and early on Saturday morning to head to the farmers market.  I picked up these tomatoes and peppers.  You can guess what I’ll be cooking with this week.

I love these orange tomatoes because they are so sweet.  So the first thing I made was a BLT.  Oh and to brag on luck, the cherry tomatoes are from my own garden.

These peppers will go into my pasta for dinner along with the Roma tomatoes, some capers, red wine, yellow squash and mushrooms.  Add in a little garlic, fresh basil, sea salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste.

I also picked up some corn on the cob, zucchini, cucumbers, tomatillos and beets.  I’ll be using the beets in my smoothie tomorrow morning.  I need to go back and search on the ideas for the beet greens.  I don’t want to waste anything.

I also received a wonderful gift of POM juice from POM.  I can’t wait to start playing with it.  I love it in my smoothies but I want to bake with it, make sauces, and I will have to give Shirley’s gluten free easily’s Pomerdoodle Ice Cream a try.

I picked up some arugula this weekend too so I’m going to try some of the recipes shared last week on Friday Foodie Fix.

I’m also going to sort through my menus and pictures of food from my trip and try to recreate some of those great meals.

Now if you want a list of ideas for each day of the week, check out this week’s menu from last year- July 27th.

Have a great week!  I hope you will join in on for this week’s Secret Ingredient for Friday Foodie Fix- Whipped Cream!

More menus available on Orgjunkie.

Wow, it seems so strange to be back to a “normal” blogging routine.  In case you totally missed it, from April 26th through June 4th there was a really special event going on.  30 Days to a Food Revolution.  There was so much amazing information shared.  I’m still sifting through it all and making sure you have all of the links on our dedicated page up at the top here, 30 Days.

It’s taking me days to sift through all of the tweets, comments and newsletter sign ups to draw winners for the cookbooks being given away.  I’ll be announcing those winners later so keep watch on Twitter, Facebook and here!

Tomorrow I have a treat for you.  Just in case you are already missing the 30 Days to a Food Revolution, not to worry.  Every Tuesday, for as long as I can, will be a guest blogger sharing their recipe and tip as we continue our 30 Days to a Food Revolution!

Make sure you check in on Friday to learn what the Secret Ingredient will be for Jun 18th when we start back with that weekly event.  If you have never participated in that event, well now is the time.  Check out our dedicated page to Friday Foodie Fix at the top of this blog for all of the details and past Secret Ingredients.

mushroom, spring onion, spinach, yellow squash, red onion, tomato, Old Bay seasoning, Daiya Cheese-mozzarella & cheddar (gf,df,sf)

Monday- Garlic Scapes Stir-fry with Salmon and Quinoa

Tuesday- Pork Tacos with stewed pickled  jalapenos, tomatillos, onions, and mushrooms, side of beans

Wednesday- Homemade Hamburger Helper

Thursday- Chicken Chow Mein

Friday- Farmer’s Market Veggie Pizza

Saturday- Leftovers

Sunday- Individual Lasagnas with homemade pasta

For more menus visit OrgJunkie.

Welcome to day 21 of 30 Days to a Food Revolution.  Today’s guest blogger is Karen.  Karen Schuppert is a Certified Nutrition Educator and Natural Chef in the fertile land of the Napa Valley. Karen blends her lifelong focus on sustainable food with inspiration she gained while managing the St. Helena Farmers’ Market and applies these principles in her teaching and culinary practice.

While the core of her work centers on whole foods wellness, Karen brings to the table her skill as an accomplished chef with sensitivity to factors that often derail our health. She has taught many cooking classes at Whole Foods Napa and in private kitchens on the benefits of SOUL Food: Seasonal, Organic, Unrefined and Local. To support her commitment of promoting seasonal eating, she created the website “Cook 4 Seasons,” offering healthy recipes and techniques for the busy person, fresh from the farm to your table.

Karen’s recipe-  Curried Cauliflower

Karen’s tip- How to bring more locally grown food into your lives

In case you haven’t heard…there’s a revolution going on!  It starts in the ground, is grown to feed the earth and to nourish its inhabitants. Food.  A precious yet vital source and the key to sustainable health.  For some, access to food is more difficult than others.  Here in the Napa Valley, we live in a climate that is temperate and suitable for planting a variety of crops.  Sure, we’re known for our grapes, but there are so many possibilities for additional food production that we are just beginning to uncover…

This week I am honored to be part of The W.H.O.L.E. Gang’s Food Revolution where 30 fellow bloggers have come together to continue the momentum Jamie Oliver has created, ‘saving our health by changing the way we eat.’  And as a matter of fact, the Napa community has answered that call by launching its first annual “Napa Local Food Forum,” which was held April 28th at the Expo Fairgrounds.

This event was the brainchild of a diverse group of people led by our Agricultural Commissioner with a common vision: to ensure our local food system is socially equitable, environmentally sensitive and economically stable, by producing more food locally and providing access to all.  That means from individuals like you and me, to institutions like our hospitals and schools.

Getting there is no small task and now is when the real work begins.  Through a rich network of panelists, the discussions were loaded and lively.  The range of topics included:

*Enhancing Agricultural Opportunities in Napa County
*Small Scale Food Production
*Sourcing Local and Sustainable Food
*Distributing Food Locally
*Matching Local Foods to Institutions

There was an informative presentation by our County Public Health Officer who laid the groundwork on our current ‘un’healthy state of the union ; a local, seasonal lunch provided by many generous donors throughout the Bay Area, followed by a public town-hall platform where many could express their interests on how to move this agenda forward.

You might be asking how this applies to you…or better yet, how can you get involved?  The challenge is open to anyone who wants to see healthier food in your home, your community.  It can be as easy as planting an herb garden, to an entire acre of tomatoes and beans.  For example, I have just begun the process of replacing our lawn with planter boxes of leafy greens and root vegetables to accompany my oregano and parsley.

Here are additional ways :

Plant an herb garden. This doesn’t require much time or space. You can use a box or several pots. And you can buy the starts at nurseries or farmers’ markets.

Buy produce in season – you’ll get maximum flavor, nutrients, and bang for your buck.

Support your local farmers – right now is the beginning of peak season at the farmers’ markets.  If you don’t have the space or the time to grow your own produce, at least you’re supporting agricultural diversity and keeping transport to a minimum.

For those with land who want someone else to manage it, there a wonderful resource called Farmlink that will connect landowners with aspiring farmers.

Become part of a community garden, or start one of your own.  There are many tips on how to go about it.

If you do have the inkling to reconfigure your personal landscape - check out this video by a family in Pasadena who has turned cement into a green cornucopia.  They now produce much of their own food on less than 1/10th of an acre!

Let your voices be heard in schools.  I think we all know how processed foods have infiltrated kids’ lunches…but it takes a village to demand fresh choices and affect change.  Just look at all the comments that Jamie Oliver receives, in addition to offering recipes and other resources for healthy lunches.

If you would like more information on the Napa Local Food movement, please visit us here.  We are working on a permanent site, complete with additional resources and networking opportunities.

Recipe – Curried Cauliflower – Serves 4

Tip – Support SOUL Food = Seasonal, Unrefined, Organic and Local

Cauliflower is in ‘bloom’ at the farmers markets and now it comes in glorious colors.  They all have the same flavor and will take on whatever spices you add in cooking.  I love curry for its exotic taste and its anti-inflammatory properties.

2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup diced onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh ginger
2 tablespoons curry powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
4 cups cauliflower florets, washed and dried
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/2 cup organic coconut milk
1/4 cup vegetable broth or water
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper

1. In a large skillet over medium heat, add olive oil and sauté onion, garlic, and ginger for about 3 minutes. Add curry powder, cumin and sauté for an additional 3 minutes, until fragrant.
2. Add cauliflower and lime juice and stir-fry on medium-high heat for about 5 minutes. Reduce heat, add coconut milk and broth or water, cover partially, and simmer on low heat for about 5 more minutes, until cauliflower is crisp-tender. Add salt and pepper to taste, if desired.

This recipe was inspired by nutritionist James Rouse.

Read more about a Local Food Revolution.

Don’t forget:

In order to be entered to win one of 7 cookbooks, here’s what you need to do to gather entries into the drawing.  The more you do, the more chances you have to win!

1. Leave a comment on this blog on as many of the 30 guest food bloggers as you like.  Each comment is an entry.
2. Sign up for The W.H.O.L.E. Gang newsletter.
3. Visit that guest blogger’s site and leave a comment there too.
4. Tweet about this project using both of these in your tweet so I’ll find you  #30days2 #foodrevolution

When the initial 30 days of guest posts are over on June 4th, we’ll pick the winners.

I hope you will go read it on gluten free easily and leave me a comment, either here or there or both!

I also wanted to thank everyone for doing such a great job so far with the 30 Days to a Food Revolution.  I don’t know about you but I’m learning so much!  It’s great to have so many different ideas and perspectives all in one place.  There are 5 new bloggers ready to go this week.  I hope you’ll stop back and see what they have to share.

Roasted Tomato Basil Soup

Tomatoes seem to be an easy thing to grow.  I’m getting tons from my CSA and even a few from my father-in-law’s garden.  His actually tasted better.  I think next year I’ll give it a try and grow some.  I love the orange ones and I only received a few in my CSA.  But for now, I have lots of red gems waiting to be eaten.  Well I hate to see good food go to waste and I can only eat so many BLGT sandwiches.

I decided to make tomato soup.  Jessie at Glutenfree4goofs Blog recently posted on her One Ton Tomato Soup. (I helped name it)   That got me thinking a soup would be a great way to use them all at once.  I did consider Sun Dried Tomatoes from Linda at Gluten Free Homemaker.   That however meant I’d have to pay attention to the oven over a long period of time.  I tend to forget that I’m cooking if I leave the kitchen and get busy with my other work.  Oh look at that bunny rabbit.   So I thought I’d combine roasted tomatoes and soup.  I love to use roasted tomatoes for chili but didn’t want to can them, so soup it is.

I roasted the tomatoes and then pureed them to make soup.  It was really easy and the soup tastes amazing.  It was so good that even Scott loved it.  The same guy that I have to hide vegetables for him to enjoy them.  His tastes are however growing and we ate this soup with a slice of gluten free bread and a glass of iced tea.  That’s it!

I kept the soup vegetarian and vegan but if you want you can use chicken broth instead of water.  Water however has less calories and costs less so if those things are a consideration for you, it really tastes great with just water.  Use this recipe as a guide and adjust the ingredient amounts according to what you have on hand.

If you are the cheese eating type, fresh grated Parmesan cheese would be a great topping.  If you’re the meat eating type some cooked pancetta crumbled on top would be divine.

Ingredients:

12 organic tomatoes or however many you have on hand

1 large organic onion diced

4 large cloves of garlic chopped

5 ounces of fresh basil leaves

Sea Salt and Pepper to taste

2 cups of filtered water

Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Directions:

Wash and cut your tomatoes into quarters.  The only thing I removed was the stem.  Toss them with olive oil, salt and pepper.  Place on cookie sheet in single layer.  Roast in a pre-heated oven at 450 degrees for 45 minutes.  You’ll want them to burn a little on the edges but not too much.  Black spots are good.  When they are done let them cool a little while you saute the onions and garlic in olive oil.  I work on the onions first until they are starting to brown a little and then add in the garlic.

Now add in your tray of tomatoes, liquid and all.  Gage by how that looks as to how much water you want to add.  I used 2 full cups of filtered water.  I only cook or drink filtered water.  I don’t want all of those other chemicals messing with the taste of my food.  Now toss in your basil leaves and stir.  I weighed it to see how much I was using.  To eye ball it I would say it was 2-3 large handfuls of basil leaves.  If you don’t have fresh you can use dried basil.  Keep in mind the flavor intensifies when dried so start off with 2 tsp of basil and add from there.

At this point I took the soup off the stove and used my Immersion Blender to puree.  If you don’t have one you can use a blender.  Do it in small batches and make sure you vent the top but cover with a dish cloth.  If you’re using the immersion blender, don’t lift it up when it’s on.  The soup will go everywhere.  No I didn’t do this but if I was baking something, well that’s another story.

If you puree your soup there is no reason to peel and seed the tomatoes.  If you want pure liquid and no texture pour the soup through a strainer.  I like the extra fiber in my meal so I don’t strain mine.

Basil in soup waiting to be pureed

This soup cost me next to nothing to make since I harvested the basil from my garden and were given some of the tomatoes used.   Basil is such an easy plant to grow and it produces more basil than I can use.  I’ll show you over the weekend what to do with your extra basil.

We each had a large bowl of soup and I froze enough for 6 more bowls.  This will be a great meal to pull out this fall after a chilly soccer game.  My only question is what to serve with it that doesn’t include cheese.  What do you serve with your tomato soup that doesn’t include cheese?

CSA Week 7

When I picked up my bag today at the Wine Seller, the owner had crates of ears of corn from her neighbor too and said I could take some if I like.  I love fresh corn and grabbed 4.

I also made a quick stop on the way home to the local Hispanic grocery store.  I really want to make some new dishes with different chili peppers and I knew they would have a great selection.  That was a great side trip and I’ll tell you about all the cool things I found another day.  But I did grab some Poblano Peppers and decided to use one in this dish.

The ingredients in this dish can be adjusted to whatever your harvest is either at the farmer’s market, your CSA, your own garden or the grocery store.  Another great thing about this dish is how little it costs to make.  If you are looking for more ideas, check out  Pennywise Platter over at the Nourishing Gourmet.

Ingredients:

4 ears of corn

1 onion sliced

1 poblano pepper sliced

1 orange tomato diced

2 large Swiss chard leaves diced

1 large roasted red pepper diced

1-2 cloves of garlic, sliced

2 links of chorizo -gluten free

1 tsp mexican oregano

1 tsp thyme

1 tsp cilantro

Celtic Sea Salt to taste

Ground Black and White Pepper to taste

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Directions:

Begin by gathering your ingredients and prepping them.  I like to do this on one large cutting board with everything except the corn.  To get the kernels off the cob without making a huge mess, take a large bowl and place a smaller bowl inverted at the bottom.  This will give you a flat surface to stand the cob on.  Using your sharp chef knife, run it down the ear-of corn, not yours- keeping it close to the cob.  All of the kernels will fall into the big bowl.

I used a roasted red pepper in a jar so pull that out and dice it along with your tomato.  Slice up your onion and poblano pepper.  Wash the swiss chard and chop up the leaves.   You can use the stems but I didn’t want to in case they were spotted in the dish.  I wanted the taste to win out before the question of what is that?  I sliced my chorizo on the diagonal just to give it a more interesting shape than round and it makes the pieces bigger.

Now you are ready to get cooking.  Heat up your pan with oil and brown the corn first.  Take the corn out and back into the bowl and give it a little salt and pepper and mix in the red peppers while it hangs out and waits for the rest of the veggies to join it.  Next toss in your onions into the pan and when they just start to brown add in the garlic and poblano pepper.  Once that has cooked a little add in the swiss chard and your seasonings.   At this point add it all into the big bowl and mix in the tomatoes.

The dish is a great vegetarian/vegan meal on it’s own.  I added a can of red beans for my son and he really enjoyed the meal.   You can also purchase vegan chorizo and use that in the dish too.

If you are having the chorizo cook it up now.  It only takes a few minutes to brown.  Once it’s brown add the veggies from the bowl back into the pan with the chorizo.  This will help spread the flavor of the spices in the chorizo throughout.  Spoon it onto your plate and all you need is a nice glass of Riojo wine to accompany it.

CSA Week 6

Week 6 of my CSA (community supported agriculture) and I’m having fun.  Can’t wait to eat the corn and tomatoes.  I think I could make one meal with everything in the bag.  Well, minus the flowers. This week I received: new potatoes, garlic, tomatoes, basil, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, pole beans, peppers, sweet corn, eggs and flowers.  Now the only thing I’m really not to sure about are the pole beans.

I searched the Internet for recipes with photos of pole beans.  Not much out there.  Found 2 non-photo recipes on RecipeZaar but nothing on the food blogs I follow.  I even searched the  Food Network and nothing.  The beans  are big and gnarly looking.  We’ll have to see what we do with those.  If anyone has any good recipes other than throw them in a pot with bacon please let me know.  I have a feeling that is what I’ll be doing.

I love the orange tomatoes that came this week.  Even the cherry tomatoes are orange.  They taste like candy!  Did anyone watch the Next Food Network Star finale?  Each contestant had to make a pilot episode.  Jeffrey Saad made a great looking steak sandwich with arugula and used yellow tomatoes.  It looked delicious.  He however didn’t win, Melissa d’Arabian won.  She’s a home cook with her own show now.  How cool is that!  I think they need a gluten free dairy free cook on there too.  Hmmmm

CSA Week 3

I am having a lot of fun with my weekly CSA (community shared agriculture) regular share from Potomac Vegetable Farms.  Each week I can’t wait to open my bag to see what new foods I’m going to find.  This week here is what I received: sweet onions, fresh garlic, thai basil, asian eggplant, shallots, swiss chard, chocolate mint, squash, and blueberries.  I don’t think I’ve ever eaten asian eggplant and I’m really looking forward to that.  I’m not a fan of mint so I never knew there was even such a thing as chocolate mint.  I’m going to have to give that one a try.

More swiss chard to eat and I’m looking forward to you sharing your recipes with me tomorrow on Friday Foodie Fix.  I’m adding mine to a soup today.

I’ll also be using some of my favorite spice blends from Penzeys Spices.  For those who keep asking about Shallot Pepper, Bouquet Garni, Parisien Bonnes Herbs, Fox Point, Sunny Paris and all of the other individual spices and herbs I use, here is the catalog where you can order some for yourself.  They also have many store locations around the country.  Find a location near you or order online or by calling.  Just an FYI, they don’t pay me to share this information of give me free products.  Any opinion I share on this blog is my opinon and I have lots of those.

Happy Summer!

©Diane Eblin

I love when the farmers markets open and the local fresh vegetables start showing up.  Fresh lettuces and tasty little cucumbers.   Of course the herbs and vegetables you grow yourself are organic and as local as it gets.  They’re also priced right.  This salad was created by what was available at the farmers market, my tiny garden and leftovers in my freezer.  This was a fast and easy meal, low cost and so fresh.  The trick to this salad is to load up on the veggies and then shred the meat to make it look like there is more than what is really there.  This way you can cut down on the meat, calories and cost.

Have you made a trip to your local farmers market?  Do you know where they are located?  Well if you’re not sure check out the sidebar of my blog.  Just below the listing of Categories you’ll find a Farmers Market Finder created by Culinate.  Just type in your zip code and you will be taken to a map showing you just where you can buy local.

If you start or continue to buy local you can join the ranks of the Locavores.  What is a locavore?  A locavore is someone who pays attention to where their food is grown and buys their food from local farmers as much as possible.  This doesn’t mean you have to buy all of your food this way to be a locavore.   If you would like to read up more on eating local check out the sites  Eat Local Challenge and Enjoymentland.  If you happen to have an iphone, check out this cool iphone app that will let you know what’s in season where you live,  so you’ll know what to expect when shopping.  Doesn’t it feel good to support the local farmers in  your community and eat fresh foods!  That’s what I call a win win.

Ingredients:

©Diane Eblin

mixed lettuce

arugula

parsley

red onion diced

carrots shredded

cucumbers diced

tomatoes diced

organic bacon

organic turkey shredded

raw sunflower seeds

Champagne Dijon Vinaigrette :

1-2 tsp dijon mustard (I like Annie’s Naturals  gluten free)

1-2 tsp champagne vinegar

1 TB extra virgin olive oil

1-2 tsp water

Celtic Sea Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:

Mix the mustard and vinegar together.  Whisk in the oil until it emulsifies.  Add in the water, salt and pepper.  Taste and adjust.

For more gluten free recipes today, check out What’s For Dinner Wednesday.

Buffalo Sausage with Mushrooms ©Diane Eblin

Whenever I cook vegetables for my husband I have to do a good job of either hiding them or making sure they are part of the dish.  They do not over power the dish with their taste and texture.  I guess that’s the same thing as hiding them.  I’m really working on getting more vegetables, fruits and safe grains into our diet and cut down on the meats.  One meat I’ve been noticing gaining more interest is Bison or Buffalo. I thought this would be a great addition to this evenings meal.

Recently at one of my local farmers markets I came across Cibola Farms selling Buffalo meat and free-range pork.   Hmm, that got my attention real quick.  Time to investigate.  I grabbed a handful of their brochures and asked the first question I always ask, are your products gluten free.  The reply was yes.  Everything is labeled.  If there is anything with any gluten it will say it on the label.  Cool, they knew what I was talking about.  Then I asked what else was or was not in the meat.  This is taken right from the brochure, “Cibola Farms Meats are free of growth stimulants, steroids, growth hormones and antibiotics.  No chemical or animal bi-product is fed to produce these 100% natural meats. ” Now they really had my attention.   I read more of their information, asked more questions and looked through their scrapbook to see what their pastures and livestock looked like.  Impressive.  But, what would it taste like?  So I bought a few different types of sausages, hot dogs and some ground buffalo.  I also bought some of their pork products.

National Bison Association Nutritional Chart

I wanted to know more about the nutritional values of this lean meat and found information and a table comparing the fat, calories, protein, B-12 and iron content to other proteins.  The National Bison Association website also provides cooking tips and more information on health benefits.

I also ran across the KC Buffalo website that shared this information on buffalo.  “Buffalo meat has as much calcium as a 6 oz. glass of milk, as much potassium as a medium banana, and contains vitamins B6 and B12.” This is sounding like a better choice for me than beef.

Tonight I pulled out the Italian sausage thinking it was buffalo and realized it was pork.  Threw that back and grabbed the next package becuase I really wanted buffalo.  This just sounded great and let me tell you, tasted great.  Buffalo, Cranberry & Wine Sausage with Pork.  The flavor was complex with layers of wonderful tastes.  The aroma was amazing.

So I cooked dinner and we served this dish with a nice glass of red wine.  However, Brad took one look at it and said, “What am I having for dinner?”  My reply was That Fish.  We’re still working on his taste for vegetables.  The real test was going to be my husband.  This dish does have a lot of vegetables and pasta and only a little bit of meat.  He loved it and said it was company worthy.  That is high praise around here.  Anything good enough to serve to company means, please make this again.  So Buffalo was a hit and it will be on our table again!

Ingredients:

4 links  Buffalo Cranberry & Wine Sausage with pork -Cibola Farms

1 organic yellow onion sliced

1 organic yellow squash sliced

1 organic zucchini sliced

12 cremini mushrooms, stems removed and sliced

12 shitake mushrooms, stems removed and sliced

2 cloves garlic chopped

5 fresh sage leaves chopped

8 sprigs of lemon thyme or plain just taken of stem

handful fresh basil leaves, chiffonade (roll up the leaves and slice to give you chiffonades)

1/2 tsp caraway seeds

1 cup mushroom stock (can sub other)

1 tsp arrowroot to make slurry

Celtic Sea Salt and Pepper to taste

Virgin organic coconut oil

Extra virgin olive oil

2 large handfuls of cooked spaghetti (mine is quinoa)

Directions:

Prep all of your vegetables.  Next heat up your wok or large frying pan with sides.  Add in the oils and toss in your onions.  When they turn translucent add in the squash and zucchini.  After they cook down add in the mushrooms.  Now everything should start to brown a little.  Add in the garlic, thyme, sage and caraway seeds.  Combine well.  Now with my wok I pushed the vegetable mix to the sides and placed the buffalo sausage that was cut into chunks into the bottom of the wok.  I let that cook up and brown.  Keep it moving so it doesn’t burn.  Now I added in the cooked spaghetti and get everything combined.  Again, make a space in the bottom or middle of your pan to add in the mushroom stock.  Once that starts to boil, add in your arrowroot slurry.  This is made by mixing the arrowroot with cold water and stir well.  Once you add this to the liquid in the pan keep stirring or clumps can form.  It will thicken fast.  Now toss in your basil and combine.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  That means add it and then taste it before serving.

Empty your pan onto a nice large serving platter and serve.  If you eat dairy a little shaved parmesean would be a nice topping.

Gluten Free Twinkies

As soon as I saw Elana’s post on Gluten Free Twinkies I knew my son and I would be making these.  This month I’ve adopted Elana’s from Elana’s Pantry for Book of Yum’s monthy event, Adopt a Gluten Free Blogger.  This is a fun event where you can get a lot of great gluten free ideas.  I was honored to be adopted this month by Sea.  I suggest you see how she created one of my recipes with a vegetarian twist.

Elana of Elana’s Pantry,  offers great recipes using whole food ingredients that are gluten free.  She also has a big heart for the environment and saving money at the same time.   Love that!

Brad's Gluten Free Twinkies

So I emailed the Gluten Free Twinkie post to Brad and he immediately ordered the Twinkie pan.  As soon as it arrived we got busy making sure we had all of the ingredients on hand.  Brad is the baker in the house so he took the lead.  While I was out,  he and a friend got busy making the first batch of Gluten Free Twinkies which made 4.  By the time I got home there was one left that I got to sample.  Verdict- delicious!

Last night it was my turn to bake both the Gluten Free Twinkies and the Homemade Starbucks Orange Cake.  As I whined that I don’t like to measure, Brad took care of that.  He had everything ready for the Gluten Free Twinkies as I boiled the oranges for the cake.  Then he left me alone to mix and bake.  Well that’s where things took a turn.  I didn’t realize I started on the second page of the directions so I missed the first step of whipping the egg whites so they were ready when I finished the rest of the batter.  Oh, and the rest of the batter got the real egg treatment instead of egg replacer like Brad used because he’s not supposed to eat egg yolks.  Can you see where this is going.  The batter had to sit a few minutes while I whipped the eggs and it got a little thick.  I mixed everything together and filled the Twinkie pan half way.  I got 7 Gluten Free Twinkies so real eggs must make a difference in volume compared to egg replacer.  Into the oven they went with my fingers crossed.

Homemade Starbucks Orange Cake

Now time to work on the cake.  This one was so easy with only a few ingredients, that I didn’t need any help, so I thought.  I processed all of the ingredients and started pouring the batter into the 9 inch cake pan.  Of course I had to get a little help from Andy, my son who happened to be home from college.  He wanted an orange Twinkie with Mango Cream.  So I saved a little cake batter and baked him an orange Twinkie.  Both went into the oven.

Back to the Gluten Free Twinkies.  Again, not reading the directions but just looking at the ingredients I did it backwards.  I beat the egg whites and agave together instead of starting with the egg whites.  I kept beating it and wondering why my cream didnt’ look as good as Brad’s had from the day before.  Hmm, better read those directions.  So now I had an extra bowl of sweetness which  I gave to Andy for his Mango Cream.  He put a mango and the cream into the blender.  It tasted great but it would not thicken like he wanted.

So after I made the gluten free, dairy free Twinkie filling the right way, we started playing with filling them.  The filling really does not fill very much so I took a cue from Elana and added it after cutting and took a picture.

Orange Twinkie & Mango Sauce

The really do taste great!  I can’t remember what a chemical Twinkie tastes like but I’m guessing not as good as this.  I handed the plate to the boys and asked them to take a bite for the camera.  I really only wanted one photo but what I got was a funny stream of silliness.  We had a great time making Gluten Free Twinkies.  Even the orange Twinkie was great.  We ate it with the Mango Sauce that Andy made.

The Homemade Starbucks Orange Cake was in my over achieving oven, which cooked it faster than the directions noted.  Yes, I checked the directions many times.  My cake was a little darker than Elana’s,  but it tasted great.  The only hard part was waiting 2 hours for the cake to cool in the pan before I could taste it.  By the time all this was done and I had used every bowl, measuring device, mixer and every inch of the counter top and sink, the boys disappeared.  I only wish I had taken a photo of my kitchen.  It would be good for a laugh.

These were great recipes to make and I had a lot of fun baking with my boys.   They are both at home in the kitchen.  Andy can cook anything and Brad can bake anything.  Life is good!

Boys more interested in Mac

Make it look like you're interested in tasting them

Please look at the camera

Please, just smile for the camera

I give up, enjoy the Gluten Free Twinkies!

Attitude of Gratitude Award

So now that this honor has been bestowed upon me I’ve started
thinking about how grateful I really feel and what am I grateful for. I have to admit, I can fall into the hole of
I’m tired of having to always know what I’m eating and I’m tired of cooking. Sometimes I just want to “check out”. But that usually only lasts about 5 minutes
and I get over it. It does me no good to
stay there, so I just visit every now and then.

I’m grateful that I can no longer eat rice because it has
forced me to stop eating so many processed foods. That is a good thing for us all to give
up. I’m happy to give up all of the gastrointestinal
wonders my body use to go through when I ate gluten. I’m grateful I got to give up that foggy
brain and memory loss. I’m grateful for
the abundance of local farms, farmers markets and great grocery stores that I
live near so I can purchase foods that are really good for me and my family.

Family, wow am I grateful for them. My husband is and has always been so
supportive of me as I struggled for years to find out what was making me so
sick and then make the changes needed to get healthy. It was not as easy as “stop eating gluten” for
me. As many of you know that have gone
through similar scenarios, being sick for a long time can really change who
you are. Being healthy, I feel like “me”
again. He’s been supportive of whoever
is here, “me” or the other me. I’m
grateful I know the difference.

My two sons jumped right in to make sure that what I ate was
safe. They always wash their hands when
they come home.  If they bring anything into the house that has gluten they sequester it and clean up
afterwards. They even put up with me
getting them tested to see what foods their bodies don’t tolerate. They have given up different foods including
wheat, soy, dairy and others. I’m very proud of them for learning about food
and their health at such young ages.
They are currently 19 & 15.
It took me into my 40’s to get on board with that. The years of damage that they’ll now miss out
on I hope will keep them healthy.

I’m grateful for my friends that understand when I come for
dinner at their home and bring my own dinner or have them over more often. They are supportive and will pass on
information they find that I might be interested in. It’s great.

I’m grateful for the people that find and read my blog and
then join in with comments and sharing links on Friday Foodie Fix days. I love hearing from people with their
questions and comments. I want to help
people with making the transition to living gluten free and getting off
processed foods. We all deserve to put
the best foods into our bodies.

I’m grateful for the many blogs I read and learn from. When I was told to no longer eat gluten I was
given a couple of links to online resources and a short list of some foods that
I could eat. Well that just was not
enough to figure out how to live gluten free.
I searched the internet and the first three blogs I found were Karnia’s
Kitchen – The Gluten Free Goddess, Shauna Ahern -Gluten Free Girl and Celiac
Chicks. Now we can find many blogs and websites to
read about living gluten free, dairy free, organic and whole food healthy. I hope they are all headed to the BlogHer Food Conference so I can thank them in person.

In the meantime here are the blogs I would like to nominate
for the Attitude of Gratitude Award:

Karina’s Kitchen- Gluten Free Goddess – is a wealth of information on so much more than gluten free food.  She shares info on Celiac Disease and important facts on issues that support daily tasks, vegetarian and vegan recipes and amazing photos.

Gluten Free Girl -Shauna James Ahern -wrote a great book on what life is and can be living gluten free.  Gluten Free Girl is the title.  She shares stories and information that can have you eating healthy and gluten free.

Celiac Chicks -a guide to hip & healthy gluten free lifestyle.  It’s a fun place to find out about new gluten free foods and places to eat in New York City.

Whole Food Nutrition -Ali and Tom are one very smart couple.  They wrote Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook which I believe should be on everyone’s shelf, no matter if you eat gluten free or not.  They share wonderful stories and recipes that will fill your soul and your body with healthy whole foods.

Elana’s Pantry -beautiful, delicious, approachable.  That’s what comes to mind when I visit her blog.  I’m not a baker but I believe I can bake her recipes.  They generally don’t have a long list of ingredients and usually are things I can eat.  Always a bonus.  Working on her Twinkies this week.  Waiting on her cookbook The Gluten-Free Almond Flour Cookbook to arrive.

I am Gluten Free -
very creative recipes and information to share.  I’ve been reading her blog for a couple of years now and I always find something new and useful.  Love that.

Gluten Free Easily by Shirley.  She shares how it can be easy to live gluten free and she means it.  Lots of great stories, products, recipes and great lists.  She often gives talks on just how to tackle this life and is very giving with her time and information.

Sure Foods Living -this is another blog I’ve been reading for some time now.  Lots of info on Celiac Disease, gluten free and info on food allergies.  You can find recipes, food reviews and useful information like what to cook for the holidays.

Sensitive Pantry -here you can find gluten free, egg free, dairy free, and vegan recipes.  This is a new blog by Nancy but she has a wealth of information.  She’s a foodie like me, so not being able to eat certain foods is not going to slow her down.  She’s also very patient.

Blog Schmog – Gluten Free 4 Goofs- shares the funniest stories (because it’s not happening to me) and great recipes that you can make with one arm! (has little ones)

One Frugal Foodie -Alisa has written a great book on living dairy free titled, Go Dairy Free.  You can always find something tasty on her blogs.  She also has really fun giveaways.

Book of Yum -can this gal cook.  You can search on recipes by looking at pictures of them.  Love that!  Great info and resources.  She also hosts a monthly Adopt a Gluten Free Blogger which is a blast.

There are no rules, but if you’ve
been mentioned and have the time please pay the tribute forward. If you choose
to then here are some guidelines.

• put the
  logo on your blog or post

• nominate at
  least 10 bloggers that show an attitude of gratitude

• link to
  your nominees within your post

• comment on
  their blogs to let them know they’ve received this award

• share the
  love and link to this post and the person who nominated you for the award
  

• tell us how you’ve come to have an attitude of gratitude
  

NFCA Gluten Free Cooking Spree

The National Foundation for Celiac Awareness
and the title sponsor
Hyatt Regency Bethesda
Invite you to the:
2009 Washington, DC Gluten Free Cooking Spree

NFCA’s Gluten-Free Cooking Spree unites the medical and lifestyle aspects of celiac disease to raise awareness and education about celiac disease and the gluten-free diet!

How it works:

Top chefs, health care professionals, and media
representatives make up teams of three. Together, they
work to create the best gluten-free recipe.

A distinguished three member panel will judge each
team’s gluten-free dish and declare the evenings
outstanding entry.

Prominent speakers will present the latest
developments in the field of celiac disease.

NFCA staff will be on hand. Materials and resources
will be available.

NFCA is pleased to honor Dr. Bob Anderson,
internationally recognized leader in celiac disease research.

Ticket prices include gluten-free hor d’oeuvres, dinner, desserts, and beer. All attendees can take home a fabulous goodie bag filled with treats from a variety of gluten-free vendors!

RSVP Online:
www.CeliacCentral.org
(215) 325-1306 ext. 101

©Diane Eblin

Today’s Food section from The Washington Post is the one I wait for all winter long.  In today’s section is a Guide to Washington Area Farmers Markets.  This list covers The District, Maryland and Virginia.  I highly suggest you take it from the paper and post it on your refrigerator.   Nothing beats locally grown produce that is picked fresh for you.  Most open in May while some are open year round.  Check out the listing to find one near you.

The Washington Post also has an interactive map online.  It is a great way to see where the markets are located and get driving directions.  When you click on the marker, it gives you all of the information on name, location and hours.

If you don’t happen to live in my area but want to know where you can find your local farmers market, check out Local Harvest.  Either way start planning when and where you’ll be heading to get that fresh produce!

My friend the Robin ©Diane Eblin

My friendly Robin that visits me each day.

There are now so many great resources for eco-friendly living.  Here are a few I’ve compiled.  There are associations, resources to help you live eco-friendly and products and services to use.  If you have a good resource to add to our list please leave the information in the comments.  Thank you!

Begley’s Best

Living With Ed

Bottled Up Designs

Do Something

Earth 911

Eco Labeling

EcoExpress: Uncommon gifts for the common good

Environmental Working Group

Gaiam

Global Footprint Network

GoGreenGift: Your Eco Start Kit!

Green & Clean Mom

Green Living Consulting

GREEN NEST

Grist

IDEAL BITE

NRDC’s Great Green Gift-Giving Guide

Planet Green

Recycle Me Organic Tees

Reusablebags

Sierra Club

Terra Furnishings

TerraCycle

TerraPass

The Green Parent

TreeHugger

Real Goods website

©Diane Eblin

Now that we have a nice day it was time to clean out the herb garden and see if anything made it through the winter.  Of course more might have if I’d actually done anything to help them along.  But I go by the survival of the fittest rule.  You have to be a strong herb to survive my garden.  I once read that herbs don’t like any special treatment and the less you do to the soil the better.  Well I took that to heart and I really just plant and harvest.

Winter Garden Mess ©Diane Eblin

This winter the thyme, sage, rosemary, and arugula survived.  I’ll need to keep an eye on that arugula.  Last year it was like Godzilla and stomped all over the rest of the plants.

This year however, I am going to give more thought into what I want to plant, harvest to eat, and harvest to dry for the winter.  I also want to play with tomatillos.  I don’t need to plant other vegetables since I bought into a CSA (community supported agriculture) farm.  I’m thinking parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme.  Of course basil is a must, oregano, chives and cilantro.  I could have a whole garden of cilantro.

So how much money do you think you can save by growing your own herbs instead of buying those little bunches

Garden Ready! ©Diane Eblin

at the grocery store?  Uh, tons.  I’m saving for the beach house I want some day.  How about you?  Please do not whine, “I don’t have room to grow herbs.”  Unless you have no windows, you can grow herbs.  They do great in pots in windows, on a patio or deck too.  Also, the more you snip and use, the more they grow.  It’s a beautiful relationship.

So, what herbs do you cook with most often?  How about starting with those plants, and go from there.  Let me know how your garden grows!

Children from a Washington, D.C.  school will help Mrs. Obama dig the garden.  The First Lady says that the whole family, including the President, will help weed the garden.  I’m looking forward to seeing those photos!
Reading through the article I was very excited to see that Mrs. Obama thinks there are many ways to make food changes in addition to gardening.   “You can begin in your own cupboard,” she said, “by eliminating processed food, trying to cook a meal a little more often, trying to incorporate more fruits and vegetables.”

The website is the Natural Resources Defense Council.  If you check under the Issue tab and check out Health you will find information on Eat Local. Living in Virginia can get cold and snowy during the winter months.  There is not a lot growing out in the ground at that time but neighboring states such as Tennessee and North Carolina have produce available. If the food at your grocery store does not list what state it came from, ask.  If they don’t know there are many grocery stores that are happy to share that information.

If you live where it’s warm all year long you obviously have a much longer list of in season foods than Virginia girl here, but still check into what is in season.  They are still flying foods from all over the world to your supermarkets.  Farmers markets are a great way to buy local produce.  If you’re not sure where the farmers markets are around you or where you might be headed for spring break or summer vacation, check out Local Harvest.  Buy fresh local in season foods and your body, your local farmers, and your planet will thank you.

Eat local and eat in season!  Here is what’s fresh in Virginia.

What’s Fresh in Virginia: Late March
* Greens
* Spinach

Other produce available in bordering states:
* Gourds (Tennessee)
* Herbs (Tennessee)
* Honey (Tennessee)
* Indian Corn (Tennessee)
* Leafy greens (North Carolina)
* Mushrooms (Tennessee)
* Peanuts (North Carolina)
* Sorghum Syrup (Tennessee)
* Sweet Potatoes (North Carolina, Tennessee)

Flown in
* Asparagus (Peru)
* Bell peppers (Netherlands)
* Tomatoes (Netherlands)
* Blackberries (Chile)
* Blueberries (Argentina)
* Cherries (Chile)
* Raspberries (Chile)
* Peaches (Chile)
* Nectarines (Chile)
* Papayas (Brazil)

What is vinegar and what should we do with it?  According to Wikipedia, vinegar is made from the oxidation by acetic acid bacteria of ethanol in wine, cider, beer, fermented fruit juice, or nearly any other liquid containing alcohol.  You may be familiar with the many types of vinegar.  White, balsamic, white wine, red wine, rice, apple cider, malt, coconut, cane, palm and black just to name a few.  Many of these are found in your condiments and are used in cooking.

But I want to talk about that old bottle of white distilled vinegar and how you can use it to clean up around your house.  Now you can forgo buying all of those chemical cleaners and even spending money on the eco-friendly ones.  Vinegar is a lot less expensive.  A 32 ounce bottle can cost around $1.25 and clean as much as a few bottles of cleaners.

So let’s see how many ways we can come up with to use vinegar.

• Clean your fruits and veggies- mix 3-1 vinegar and water, put into a spray bottle and use to wash up your food.  Make sure you rinse at the end.
• Clean mineral deposits from glass, coffee makers and other surfaces.
• Mix with baking soda and clean up that bathroom tile with a small brush (I use an old toothbrush)
• Use malt vinegar and a newspaper to clean up your windows.
• Weed killer- spray straight vinegar on weeds.
• Fabric Softner- add ½ cup to the rinse cycle.
• Toilet bowl cleaner- full strength it on to get rid of the rings.

Well that’s my list, but for 1001 uses for white distilled vinegar check out mizkan.  Their topics include cooking, gardening, cleaning, heath, laundry, automotive and pets.  Anything you can eat, clean with and use on your car is something worth looking into.

Please add your vinegar tips in the comments section.

Currently at the farm they are planting the first seeds of the season.  They planted lettuce, celery, parsley, and three brassicas (cabbage, kale, kohlrabi). I find this particularly exciting because to my knowledge I’ve not eaten kohlrabi.  I am looking forward to cooking with this.  If you are already a fan of this vegetable and have used it in recipes please share.

If you have not joined a CSA check in your area to see if there are any still offering shares.  If not you can always visit the farmers markets and plant your own, either way get your fresh vegetables locally!

Fall at the Potomac Vegetable Farms Stand

Gluten Free Fair Day!

Saturday, February 28th, 2009
12:00noon – 3:00pm

Whole Foods
4501 Market Commons Dr
Fairfax, VA 22033
703.222.2058 (ask for Jessica Baer)
(Easy access off of Interstate 66)

Special Guest:  Lee Tobin from Whole Food’s Gluten Free Bakehouse!

Great Food and Vendors:
* Chef Eloy’s
* Country Life
* Sweet Sin
* Good Clean Foods
* Kettle Cuisine

The Dizzy Pig Barbeque   GF Salsas, Dips, Vitamins, Soups, Tamales, Crab cakes, and all kinds of good things!  Door Prizes from Glutino and Amy’s  Gift Card Give-a-ways, Hats, T-shirts, Mugs and Music!

“Gluten Free Living- What is it and how do you do it?”
Workshop by Diane Eblin (that’s me)

March 28, 2009 at 3:30

Holeco Medi Spa

111 Rowell Court
Falls Church, VA  22046
703-241-4004

Workshop description: After being sick for a long time you finally find out what the culprit is-gluten. Great news you’ll finally start feeling better, but now you need to figure how to live without it. Gluten is found in so many products that the search can be overwhelming. Join us for a discussion on how to make living gluten free a manageable part of everyday living. Diane Eblin is passionate about sharing what she’s learned about gluten free living with others through her blog, one on one consultation and presentations.   There will be gluten free snacks and refreshments provided.

This workshop seating is limited to 22 people so please register early.  The cost is $15.

Holeco Medi Spa is the 1st ORGANIC Medi Spa in the US that has become recognized by Green America as a socially responsible GREEN company.

Cheryl Harris  Workshop Living and Loving a GF Diet

Saturday,March 7th
11:00-12:30

* Celiac disease, gluten sensitivity and the importance of testing
* All you ever wanted to know about label reading
* Foods to avoid, cross contamination and hidden gluten
* Sorting out the facts from common myths
* Where to get support-local and online groups, websites, books and more

Workshops taught by Cheryl Harris, Registered Dietitian and Nutritionist. There will be tasty goodies and samples.  All classes are located in Alexandria, VA.  To register here.   Also, Chery is hosting a healthy recipe contest again, too.

CELIAC WALK  MAY 3rd,  2009

5K Run/Walk    10K Run
Clarence “Du” Burns Arena
1301 S. Ellwood Avenue
Baltimore, MD 21224
Online registration is now available.

For more information on the CSA/USA go to:  http://www.csaceliacs.org/.  For information about the local Chapter #100 contact:  Daniel DuBravec   mvineyard40@aol.com or call him at 571-289-5675

Linda, who writes The Gluten-Free Homemaker blog just posted on her experiences.  I found the descriptions spot on.  She also offers up some explanations from a talk given by Dr. Allesio Fasano, director of the Center for Celiac Research.  Please check out both the blog and the information from Dr. Fasano.