{Hello Little Egg}

Since the Fall of 2008, I haven't eaten an Egg or Egg White a la carte.  As my gut has been slowly healing, I've considered reintroducing Eggs slowly back into my diet.  I'll eat them on occasion when they're mixed into breads, but never all by themselves.  Well, this morning I decided to finally do it!  I started with one Egg White, hoping to not overwhelm my system.  I figured if an unfavorable reaction occurred at least it'd be smaller than a two Egg reaction!

Cracking open the Egg almost felt wrong.  I kept cleaning all the utensils after they touched the Egg, laughing at myself as I would suddenly remember the Egg was going in me anyways! I'm so use to making Eggs for my husband and cleaning everything after so I can safely use it.  As I cooked the Egg I kept staring at it, watching it slowly form, absorbing the fact that this little guy was going in me.  Still felt odd, but I was curious.

I toasted some of my favorite gluten-free Garlic Bread from Johanna's Bakery, warmed up some organic Black Beans and sliced some Avocado to pair with the little Egg White. I hoped it wouldn't be too bad.

I took my first bite.  Chewing slowly, I finally swallowed and waited.  A bit of itchiness started, but it stayed slight. My throat tightened, but again it was slight.  Hmmmm okay, second bite, nothing worse happened.  Alright! A few minutes later I was staring at my empty bowl with a satisfied grin.  Woot! I did it! It's now been an hour and I'm still breathing and living just fine.

Conclusion: I like Eggs.  I want to eat more of them.  I don't think I could eat one everyday, but perhaps once or twice a week will be okay for my body.  Hurray! Thanks for sharing my little Egg victory with me!

{Everything-Free} Breakfast & Why?

Removing foods from your normal routine isn't easy.  In the last month I have had several people share with me their decision to try a new diet removing gluten, dairy, soy and many other smaller ingredients.  Our food culture here in the United States is not very welcoming to such a diet (though I must say it has greatly improved over the last 5 years). Yet, the health of my generation and those following has demonstrated a need for change.  People are experiencing dramatic health issues as early as their teens and twenties.  From my own personal journey, I have come to believe these issues are connected to our food.  Now, I do not pretend to be a professional physician or even a formally educated advisor.  All that I share is simply what I have learned over the years from professionals and my own battle for full health.  Feel free to read with a grain of salt and please do your own research as well! I could talk for hours about the alterations that have been made to food over the last several decades or the toxins that we put into our bodies on a daily basis, but I will refrain from all that today.  Instead, I encourage you to research the processes your food goes through before it reaches you.  You might be very surprised.

Since our bodies have gone through so much by the time we are in our twenties it makes sense that normal bodily functions begin to fail or malfunction.  A major part of our bodies that take the hit is our internal organs, specifically our stomach, intestines, colon, liver and gallbladder. These are the areas food is broken down, filtered and gathered for nutrients.  If so much of what we eat is harmful it doesn't take long for each of these parts to wear down and stop performing as your body needs.  Your body's balance is thrown off.  It becomes hard for your brain to function well without nutrients and so the messages to your body are not as they should be, causing issues like low blood sugar, lack of enzyme production, low or high acidity in the stomach, etc.  Eventually food allergies or intolerances begin to form.  Your organs begin to only be able to take certain foods as the years pass because they don't have the proper amount of enzymes, etc. to break down, filter and gather nutrients from all foods.  The longer you go without fixing the root issues of rebuilding your organs and eating clean, safe food the less you will be able to eat and the more upset and off balance your body will become.  The end result: autoimmune diseases. Take a gander at this link to see what many of us are headed toward.  As WomensHeath.gov states, "overall, autoimmune diseases are common, affecting more than 23.5 million Americans.  They are the leading cause of death and disability." Don't let yourself become a part of this statistic. 

I hope this sounds a bit scary to you, sometimes it takes a little kick in the rear to make or continue on with difficult changes. As I said in the beginning it's not an easy thing to reassess your health and restart your diet.  Generally, it's not accepted in our culture, but the effects of our daily food choices are so very real.  It's worth it.  Slow down and look at the food you eat.  Where does it come from? What's in it? How has it been cooked and stored? Start noticing your body's ups and downs and responses to food and stress.  Take small steps to support your organs.  Care about how you live and what you eat.  

As I said earlier, people have been approaching me asking for help with food options that are allergy or intolerant friendly.  I find that  breakfast seems to be the most difficult meal to keep interesting.  So as a little inspiration, I'm sharing a nutritious and easy {Everything- Free} option.  It's so yummy I had it this morning! 

{Coconut Yogurt with Fruit & Energy}

1- 1 1/2 cups Plain So Delicious Coconut Yogurt

1 tbsp Macca Powder

1 tbsp Raw Hulled Hemp Hearts (I get an 8oz bag from Costco)

Fresh or Frozen Fruit  (I love berries!)

I prefer the plain Yogurt because it's low in sugar and I can always sweeten it with Stevia or local Honey.  The Macca Powder and Hemp Hearts provide lots of natural energy, are filling and full of nutrients.  Click on the links to learn about the benefits of each and see the brands I favor! 

{Shared}

Gluten-Free Wednesdays

{Gluten-Free & Vegan Brownies}

It's been a busy week, full of training for a new journey.  It started last November when I fell in love with a fabulous workout that combined the grace of ballet and the balance and strength of pilates. Called Xtend Barre, it leaves me feeling beautiful, elegant and strong, feelings every woman should have after an hour of hard work! It took a little coaxing, but I decided to learn how to teach Xtend.  Two weekends ago I spent three days trying to soak up all the choreography, technique and body awareness necessary to teach it well.  Now, I'm training just about every day to improve and prepare to teach.  It's been exciting and fresh, yet exhausting! My body is quite ready for bed each night and rather cranky about rolling out in the morning, but I'm determined to keep on.  

For some odd reason chocolate tends to become more enticing when my body is worn out.  Last night I felt a sudden desire to bake brownies. This is a treat that has many happy childhood memories attached to it, only back then it included Ghirardelli's double chocolate brownie mix.  Nowadays it's a bit tougher to find a reliable gluten-free and vegan brownie recipe that satisfies my gooey chocolate appetite.  

My most recent attempt actually turned out quite well! So well, I thought it worthy of sharing with you.  It follows the general outline of BabyCakes' recipe, but as usual I substituted and added for a better result.  My changes made it mostly sugar-free too! I hope you give it a try when you're hearing the chocolate call.  

{GF & Vegan Brownies} 

1 Cup Chickpea Flour

1/4 Cup Potato Starch

2 Tbsp Arrowroot

1/2 Cup Unsweetened Cocoa powder

2 tsp Baking Powder

1/4 tsp Baking Soda

1/4 tsp Xanthan Gum

1 tsp Sea Salt

1 tsp Cinnamon

1/2 Cup Pure Maple Syrup

1/4 Cup Xylitol

1/2 Cup Grapeseed Oil

2 Tbsp Vanilla Extract

1/2 Cup Hot Water

1/2 Cup Vegan Chocolate Chips 

1/2 Cup Chopped Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chunks (from a block of Chocolate)

Whisk all the dry ingredients in a large bowl.  Add the wet and mix slowly.  Fold in the Chocolate and pour into a greased 9 x 9" baking pan.  Bake at 325 degrees for about 10-15 minutes. The 15 minute bake time gives you a slightly firm crust and moist middle. If you like your brownies more on the gooey side pull them out sooner, closer to the 10 minute bake time.  Pair with some yummy coconut ice cream and fresh fruit for a delicious evening dessert. Enjoy! 

{Shared}

Allergy Friendly Friday
Slightly Indulgent Tuesday
The Gluten-Free Homemaker
Real Food Wednesday
Frugal Days, Sustainable Ways
Healthy 2day Wednesdays
Whole Food Wednesdays
Allergy Free Wednesdays

{October Love - Kauai}

Sooooo we are back! A wonderful and amazing wedding left us beyond grateful for life, love and the many many dear friends the Lord has blessed us with in this season.  We flew off to lovely Kauai for our honeymoon to relax.  We were surprised by a few little bugs that joined us right away.  They took up residence in my sweet Love and had him in bed for most of the trip.  We got to know the local medical community pretty quick, making stops at medical clinics and eventually the Urgent Care, but fortunately we were still able to savor our time there. 

An absolutely gorgeous island, Kauai was lush and green on the Northern end where we stayed. It blends rain forest with ocean so well.  The local people were laid back and easy to relate to in the small towns like Hanalei.  I was surprised by the numerous options for vegan, vegetarian and everything-free diets.  Health food stores covered the island and many restaurants catered specifically to this crowd.  I fell in love with a few spots.  My favorite restaurant by far was Postcards Cafe in Hanalei.  No matter your food preference you will find many delicious options here.  It is a home transformed into a cozy and quaint cafe.  The service is attentive and personal, as well as knowledgeable about food intolerances and allergies. 

I found a darling little GF shop in Kapaa called Sweet Marie's.  Marie gets up at ridiculously early times to guarantee fresh baked goods for all the locals and visitors that crowd her shop for treats.  Next time, I plan to stop there as soon as I land and stock up on goodies for the stay. 

The island's "whole foods" equivalent is called Papaya's Natural Foods.  It has everything you could need and more to live and eat well during your stay.  There are a few on the island, but one is conveniently located across the road from Sweet Marie's for a quick double trip. 

We also ate at a unique restaurant called Bar Acuda.  It was a Spanish inspired dining experience.  We were served small beautifully and artistically displayed dishes. It was a bit pricey, but worth it for the unique experience. 

As recently obsessed coconut eaters, we were excited to try a fresh Hawaiian coconut.  Sadly, it was not anywhere near tasty.  It was a fermented old coconut.  We should have known better.  We'll stick to our fresh young Thai coconuts from now on!

Overall, I was wonderfully surprised by how easily I could enjoy food and life on this island.  I encourage you to visit and try these places as well, you won't be disappointed. 

Aloha!

{October Love with an Every Day Post}

Happy Fall to you all! 

It's here and I can't believe it.  Three days until we marry! The time has flown.  Didn't we just get engaged? It seems like yesterday!

Well here in the sweet town of Carlsbad we are going full speed ahead.  The biggest event of my life is quite a bit of work! I must admit I'm just eager for the party to start.  For a quick update, I baked and frosted my wedding cake today! We chose a simple set up, a rich vanilla cake with blackberry preserve as the filling between the layers and finished it with a creamy, toasted coconut frosting.  It's a tiny, darling little cake with two 6" layers.  My Love is so sweet.  I popped in his room and asked him to come see it.  His reaction was just wonderful.  He loves it and shared how excited he was that we get to have a cake we made oursleves. Isn't that just what every baker bride wants to hear from her fiance? I'd say we're a good match. 

In five days we will be flying off to Kauai for our two week honeymoon! We couldn't be more excited.  I did some research and created a little list of places I want to stop by while there.  Kauai has a few GF and V restaurants, coffee shops and local eateries that sound intriguing and tasty.  My Love has already stated that we will be visiting farmers markets, which of course made me quite excited.  That sounds just perfect! Again, it's as if he knows me.....

I am still going to pack some essentials, just in case the local markets aren't as supplied as the ones here.  The first essential that came to mind was my instant GF oatmeal by Glutenfreeda.  It is perfect for traveling and is my go to for a filling and healthy breakfast.  I also love that it has a little flax in it...just in case traveling is causing a little back up.  Yes, I did just mention that.  Unfortunately it's not sold every where yet.  I have to pick it up at a smaller local GF bakery in Encinitas called Healthy Creations.  I encourage you to try it if it is sold in your local health food store and take it as a morning treat on your travels too!

Wish me luck this wedding week! I will give you a little summary of our Kauai adventures when I return. Enjoy your last week of September!

{October Love-Wedding Cake}

We are in the final count down! With less than a month to go, my Love and I are working on the fun details now.  Our little home is also coming together as bits and pieces are added.  I have been in a major nesting mood.  I'm just so eager to make our space a relaxing place that my Love can't wait to come home to every day.  

As the details emerge, one in particular has my attention and focus.  Unlike many brides, I cannot order a  standard wedding cake.  My guests, at least most of them, could eat it, but not me.  Fortunately, I have some things going for me.  First, I love simple small cakes 6-8" to be exact, second, I LOVE baking my own desserts and lastly, my Love LOVES to eat my desserts! How perfect is that! 

Soooo the great experiment and hunt has begun.  I have scoured my many...many...cookbooks and magazines, as well as my many past creations, in order to create a trial list of 6 cake varieties.  These include vanilla, chocolate, carrot and maple cakes with all sorts of coconut, buttercream, rich chocolate and vanilla frosting options. I'm in heaven!  The only slight negative is the amount of tasty batters and cakes I will continually have around me....  I will try to keep you all posted as I try and experiment with these fun recipes.  My plan is to bake mostly one or two layers just to try.  For the actual cake I would like to create a 3-layer 6 inch cake.  I love 6 inch cakes; they are the perfect little size!

Email me if you want recipes and I will direct you to the cook books I used so that you can give it a try too! Come bake with me!

My round 1 went very well.  It was picture worthy, as you can see.  I baked a rich chocolate cake with a sweet vanilla, butter cream frosting.  My Love enjoyed the flavor, found the texture a bit springy, but as we all know that is much better than dense (which was the result of round 2) and overall found it quite delicious.  I must admit the frosting paired well and I spread some blackberry preserve in the center, which really sealed the perfection. 

Rating: 7 out of the perfect 10

{Berry & Coconut Smoothie Bowl}

I am almost 2 weeks into this adventure! It's difficult and I have to admit I don't feel great.  I'm quite exhausted, bloated and.....kinda crabby most of the time.  My kind Love has been so patient putting up with my feisty and pouty disposition.  I must admit I let out exasperated cries for pizza and cheese and coconut ice cream quite often.  I think the biggest lesson I am learning is discipline.  Instant gratification for my sweet tooth is not an option right now.  

I did make a tasty and simple little treat for myself yesterday morning.  I have a decent amount of victoriously delicious meal that even friends and my Love have enjoyed.  I though I might share this little one with you.

{Saturday Morning Breakfast Bowl}

½ Frozen Organic Banana

Frozen Organic Blueberries

Fresh Organic Strawberries

Fresh Thais Coconut Meat

Plain So Delicious Coconut Kefir

Splash of Organic Vanilla

Dash of Cinnamon

A few drops of Vanilla Stevia

{Topping}

Fresh Organic Blueberries

Dehydrated Organic and Raw Coconut flakes

Blend it all and serve immediately.  Enjoy!

{Wild Salmon, Lemon Cucumber and Avocado Salad}

To heal the 20 plus years of gut destruction by means of gluten, soy, dairy and much more, I have begun a cleanse.  I will only be eating foods that are soothing and avoiding any foods that would insight inflammation in my overly sensitive gut.  Day one was yesterday and, may I just say, I really wasn’t the happiest camper.  I have been slowly eliminating all sorts of food groups from my diet for a few years now and this cleansing diet is officially the most limiting I have ever experienced.  Now don’t get me wrong, I am in full support of the philosophy behind it and am eager for the end result it might bring, but boy is it going to be a test of my perseverance and self control.  I am already trying to find ways to create little desserts with the foods I have available to me.  I truly am a dessert girl through and through….

To summarize the diet for you and well, to get a little pity from you all, let me tell you what I can and cannot eat for at least 30 days. 

{Soothing List}

1. Most Veggies (except tomatoes, potatoes and mushrooms)

2. Fermented Food (like sauerkraut and pickles)

3.Any Meat (I’m only going to be incorporating Salmon for now)

4.Low Glycemic Fruits (This ones tricky.  Some fruit I thought was LG is not!)

5. Anything and Everything Coconut and Olive based (One of the most soothing foods you can put in your body!)

6. Herbal Teas (a favorite already, fortunately)

{Inflammatory List}

1. SUGAR/Chocolate (including Low Glycemic like agave and brown rice syrup)

2. Grains (Any and all, even GF)

3. All Dairy

4. All Soy

5. All Alcohol

6. High Glycemic Fruit (melons, mango, pineapple, raisins)

7. Lectins (this one was the hardest for me to give up! Includes nuts and beans)

Well there you have it! Sooo if any of you have fun recipes to spice up my diet, please feel free to share! I had fun creating a nice light dinner this evening that you can even enjoy.  It incorporates all soothing foods and just happens to taste delicious.

{Wild Salmon, Lemon Cucumber and Avocado Salad}

A perfect pairing, the lemon brings out the saltiness of the salmon and the avocado brings a rich buttery flavor to compliment the tangy lemon. 

{Serves 1}

1 cup   Diced Organic English Cucumber

1 tbsp  Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Half a Ripe Organic Hass Avocado

Torn Pieces of Wild Alaskan Smoked Sockeye Salmon

Sliver of Fresh Lemon

Dash of Pink Himalayan Sea Salt

Mix your Cucumber and Olive Oil in a small bowl.  Slice your Avocado and mix in, adding your Salmon to follow.  Sprinkle the dish with fresh Lemon juice from your Lemon sliver and Salt it to your taste.   Mix well and enjoy!

{October Love}

It's official.  We have the keys. We turned on the electric and water.  We even have renter's insurance.  It's the truth.

We have a home.

A funny story truly, because we really just started looking a few weeks ago.  We weren't fully expecting to find a place, just open to the possibility.  Well, it turned out that the very first apartment we viewed and applied for was it! Pretty quickly and easily we found ourselves swept along the rental process and into the wonderful place we now call home.

It'll be a gradual process of moving in for me, followed by a full move in with my man after we marry in October.  I must admit I am already eager and ready to make it cozy.  My mom calls it nesting, so apparently I am ready to nestle down and make it just lovely for the two of us.

Our Casa de J, the name I have lovingly given it, is just right; big enough for the two of us, small enough to feel cozy and just the perfect amount of age and quirkiness and to make us feel like authentic newly weds.  It's truly us.

Just for you I have a little tour of our sweet quaint space, so you can see for yourself.  Enjoy!

{Our Home}

 {Our Living Room and Kitchen}

{A Little Sangria to Celebrate}

 

{Our Bedroom and Closet}

 {The View From Our Deck}

{Our Front Steps}

 {Soaking It All In}

{October Love}

{Brooke Aliceon Photography}

Today I want to share a new little piece of my life with you all.  As many of you know I am engaged to the most wonderful man Jesus ever created.  We are getting married the first of October this Fall and I couldn’t be more excited. It’s been quite a journey so far preparing for this special day; a journey that I realize all of you have taken or will eventually take.  I’ve found so far that my own experiences can be encouraging, helpful and inspiring to others who may be traveling down the same road or are about to begin a similar adventure.  It is from this realization that I came to a conclusion;  I would like to begin sharing my progression through the three months I have left of my engagement.  I plan to record my inspirations, visions, experiences, frustrations, thoughts, advice, victories and any little joys that arise from the general process.  I hope you find these posts enjoyable, if not at least entertaining.  I will continue my food posts as usual.  They will simply be sprinkled with life and love posts. 

I will begin right now by giving you the basics.  We are getting married in the beautiful coastal city of Carlsbad, California.  It will be a small and intimate garden wedding.  Colors include a rich forest green, a stormy blue, and an accent of eggplant purple with base colors of steel grey and warm ivory.  I have envisioned a very natural and airy setting.  The ceremony will finish right at sunset, allowing the reception to be lit with strings of soft glowing light. 

The pieces are truly beginning to come together and my vision, which was quite broad at first, is beginning to narrow, revealing the fun details.  I am sure this progression will continue as the months sweep by. 

So here finishes my first little story about the wonderful October event.  I hope you will continue to stop by and share in my adventures of wedding, food and life.  Keep a look out for more {October Love} posts to come.  

Enjoy!

{A Sweet Mistake}

Group-on coupons started it all.  A dear friend who knows of my cooking obsession signed my mom, my Love and me up for a cooking class with the wonderful Freddi Parker.  I fell in love with her immediately.  She is a marvelous and creative chef that loves the people she is around just as much as the food she makes for them.  I just received the opportunity to help her prepare food for a few of her classes in June.  I cannot wait!

It was one of her desserts from that class that inspired me.  She creates a fabulous three ingredient, flourless and decadent chocolate cake.  Unfortunately two of the ingredients are eggs and butter, which as we know is not welcomed by my tummy.  I quickly knew I had to attempt to recreate it without these two of the three.  The challenge was on.  I gave it two solid tries in one night and well, it was quite a failure.  Most well trained Chefs would laugh at my notion to even try as eggs are quite difficult to replace in such a recipe.  I can only explain the attempts by my simple desire to create the impossible.  Perhaps someday I will....

So, sadly I do not have a recipe for you today.  You're probably wondering why are you blogging then Silly? Well, the reason I'm sharing this with you is because I want you to know that I fail.  For some reason, you all seem to think I only experience success.  Well I must correct this myth, because honestly, I fail all the time.  Just ask my family, my close friends and most of all my sweet Love.  He, brave man, will even venture to taste test my failures.  His response to the food, my distraught look and sad kitchen moans typically goes something like this..."well, I'm sure it would be great with some ice cream?" To which I either laugh or at times hold back tears.  These are difficult mistakes to swallow, expensive {everything-free} food is not the easiest to throw away.

Cooking is an art, but it is also a science.  A calculated experiment that can really go wrong.  Yet, do not be discouraged.  There is always room for a good solid rescue.  As my man would say, add ice cream or restructure the result and create something entirely new! This second option is exactly what I did with my failed flourless cake.  I scooped it out of the cake pan and pressed it into little cookies.  I froze them, added some leftover, vegan frosting and created little chocolate, cookie sandwiches.  They were DIVINE.  As a past girlscout  cookie lover, these tasted just like my favorite thin mint cookies! I could not believe it.  This kitchen adventure left me with a different, delicious chocolatey goodness and a renewed hope to continue my chemistry experiments.

Take this as a little cheers, do not give up my dear friends, enjoy the learning process and never stop experimenting in the kitchen.

Bon Appetit!

{Golden Honey Coconut Carrot Cake}

Happy Thursday dear friends! Despite the forecast of rain on my birthday, Jesus brought me sunshine! A beautiful, vibrant blue sky greeted me Wednesday morning and I couldn't have been more surprised.  What a perfect and lovely birthday present to welcome in my golden birthday.

I love to bake.  Rarely ever pass up an opportunity to bake a cake, I just had to bake my favorite for my special day.  I truly dislike creating cakes without a reason, even though I could use the practice.  I like to have friends and family to savor my victory or eat the failure.  Cake needs company.  I chose one of  my favorites, a delicious Carrot Cake, and whipped up a heavenly Coconut Honey Frosting to complete this scrumptious dessert.  I just finished off a slice tonight and oh dear is it good.  Nothing like the moist and almost chewy texture of a good carrot cake on your birthday or the day after!

I used a delightful recipe that came out quite nicely in my new spring-form cake pans (thank you mom!).  The cake and frosting recipes came from other baking geniuses, but I added a few twists of my own to both and loved the results!  I'm starting to get the hang of frosting.  It's had me in tears multiple times, so I was pleasantly surprised when  it developed smoothly and tasted divine!  A pet peeve I have with frosting has made the process more difficult than it normally should be.  I just can't help this one.

I hate powdered sugar and shortening in frosting.  It gives me a major sugar rush (the bad kind) and a headache within minutes of eating.

If you are familiar with frosting ingredients, this eliminates just about every good thick, creamy frosting recipe known to man kind, well practically.  Fortunately, I found one that uses agave/honey and coconut oil.  Most I've tried melt after being pulled out of the fridge and create a gooey, oily frosting that looks and tastes terrible.  Not this one, it's actually thick and frosts nicely!

Thanks for celebrate a bit with me! I hope you enjoyed the yummy photos of my golden birthday cake!

{Linked to}

Gluten-Free Wednesdays