Alena’s Poppyseed Dressing

In a blender mix:

1/2 c apple cider vinegar
Scant teaspoon salt
1 Tsp dry mustard
1/4 cup sugar
1 tbsp grated onion

Blend and slowly add:

3/4 cup olive oil

Pour into container (mason jar, etc.) and stir in:

1 tbsp poppyseed

Shake to combine

Danish Pancakes & E’s Mini Pancakes

Here is the ratio of eggs to milk to flour that works for me for Danish pancakes. I have never measured before but helping my daughter got me curious about exact proportions. My mother doesn't measure, either, just says it's mostly eggs and milk with enough flour to give it the consistency of heavy cream. She says it seems to work better after the batter sits for a while, and you can always use the batter to make a German oven pancake instead.

4 eggs (or enough eggs to fill 1 cup measure)
1/2 c. coconut beverage
1/3 c. Pamela's GF flour
Pinch of salt
1 tsp. sugar

Whisk or blend ingredients. Cook on hot, generously buttered pan, tilting pan to spread batter evenly before flipping to the other side.
———
I really like eggy pancakes but thought the Danish would be too floppy for my grandson to feed himself, so I added a little more flour (about 1/3cup), a half teaspoon of baking powder, and a splash of vinegar or lemon juice to the Danish pancake batter. Then I cooked mini pancakes for my little guy, about three at a time in the pan.
————
My coconut beverage contains vanilla but feel free to add vanilla extract if desired.

Easy GF Tuna Casserole

Not for Sam, but this is what I was craving as I was falling asleep last night and this is the process that came to me, so of course I made it for myself for breakfast. DELICIOUS.

Cook about 1/2-3/4 package Trader Joe's rice rotini in a saucepan. (Because I was just making this for me and didn't want to dirty a large pan.) Drain pasta but reserve about 1/4-1/2 cup of the starchy water in the warm pan. On very low heat, stir in about 1 tsp. Chicken Better Than Bouillon (or your favorite chicken bouillon), 1 tbsp. ghee, and 1 small container Trader Joe's goat cream cheese until combined and melted. Stir in 1 can drained white tuna and the cooked pasta. This was so delicious. You could bring it to a potluck and I don't think anyone would know it was different. This would be great with chicken, too. I didn't want to use any coconut milk or cream because sometimes I can detect the coconut flavor in savory dishes. But this didn't need it. Next time I make it I'm going to push the envelope and try it with a whole package of pasta but the same amount of other stuff. And I might even measure more carefully and update this recipe.

Sam’s Magical Spelling Pie

This pie is easy, delicious, and gets his motor running! Since I'm baking 2-3 of these per week, I've streamlined the process!

Filling:
3 organic apples
1/4 c Pamela's GF flour blend
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 c organic maple syrup
1 tsp rice vinegar or lemon juice

Crust:
3/4 c Pamela's GF flour blend
1/4 c Trader Joe's filtered coconut oil (the kind that doesn't taste like coconut)

Preheat oven to 400. Peel and thinly slice apples and combine with other filling ingredients in a pie pan. Stir to throughly coat the apples. (Tip: Use the measuring cup and spoon with the dry ingredients first so you can use the same ones with the wet afterwards.)

Mix together the crust ingredients. Add a little water if too dry or more flour if too wet. Either press globs of dough with your hands directly into the tops of the apples, or sprinkle like crumbs. I like to wear disposable gloves for easy clean-up. Bake for about 25 minutes or until crust is brown and apples are tender.

14 karat carot carrot cake maple syrup substitution

Used Lori's recipe. Substitutions:

1.5 c maple syrup instead of sugar

Less salt b/c Pamela's has salt

Pamela's flour. 3 cups, not 2

Sliced almonds instead of walnuts

Cupcakes were incredible! Just sweet enough! My test cupcake was a little greasy (puddle of coconut oil in the bottom of the tin) so I added more Pamela's to the rest of the batter. That's how I came up with the 3 cups Pamela's adjustment.

Pumpkin or Banana Maple Syrup Muffins

Experimenting with sugar-free recipes for my baby grandson. I used filtered coconut oil (the kind that doesn't taste like coconut), Pamela's, water instead of milk substitute, and I omitted the oats. I don't know if these will be too spicy for him but this is to prove that muffins can be sweet enough and have the right texture when sweetened with maple syrup instead of sugar. The next test is to make these with 1 c smashed bananas and omit the spices. Since bananas are much sweeter than pumpkin, I think it will work!

https://cookieandkate.com/2014/healthy-maple-pumpkin-muffins/

GF Vegan Buckwheat Waffles

Easiest Buckwheat Waffles (Vegan, Gluten-Free)

Easiest Buckwheat Waffles (Vegan, Gluten-Free) I wanted to create a gluten free waffle for folks who can't eat gluten to enjoy but more than that – an easy waf...

GF Apple Pie Squares

These were soooo good! I'm also posting at dinnermentor and samsbrainfood.

Crust:
1 c Pamela's GF flour
1/2 c filtered coconut oil
1 tbsp sugar
1-2 tbsp water

Topping:
5 or more Granny Smith apples
Squeeze of fresh lemon juice
1 c white sugar
2 tbsp Pamela's GF flour
2 tbsp water
Dash of sea salt
Dash of nutmeg
1/2-1-2 tsp cinnamon (I didn't measure)

Preheat oven to 350. Combine crust ingredients until mixture looks like coarse crumbs (work the dough as little as possible) and press into parchment-lined 9x13 pan. Bake for ten minutes and remove from oven.

Peel, core, and thinly slice apples. 5 apples will make a pretty thin layer when cooked so feel free to use more, increasing other ingredients proportionately if desired. Combine with all other topping ingredients and spread evenly over crust. Bake 25-35 minutes or until apples are tender.

"Green Eggs and Ham" for School Lesson

Oh Sam-I-Am, Oh Sam-I-Am, can you eat green eggs and ham?

I cannot eat green eggs and ham (for school activity about green eggs and ham).

But I can eat turkey bacon, plus greens pulverized in the vitamix with plantain chips, onion powder, and a little water, then baked for a few minutes.

Savory Red Lentils

1 bag Trader Joe's Split Red Lentils
2 tbsp Trader Joe's triple filtered coconut oil
Half an onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, diced
Celtic sea salt
Black pepper
1-2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 bay leaf
1 handful diced fresh parsley
Pinch of: cayenne, paprika, cumin, marjoram, thyme
3 cups chicken broth (I used my homemade bone broth with carrots puréed in it)
Water

Yummy Salad with Rice

I've also posted this on the blog. This is another great lunch idea that you can bring to school and eat at room temperature. Use any proportions you want; this is just what I used.

1/4 c cooked Trader Joe's tri-color sprouted rice
1 c chopped raw cauliflower
5 Greek olives, sliced
Half an avocado, chopped
1 tbsp. goat cheese (optional)
Toasted pumpkin or sunflower seeds (optional)
Any other vegetables you want, such as cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, etc.
Olive oil & balsamic vinegar
Salt & pepper

Coconut Butter from Scratch

https://stupideasypaleo.com/2013/11/17/coconut-butter-from-scratch/


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Sam's Zoo Food Checklist

I made this list and Daddy packed everything while I cooked the meatballs. Posting for future reference. :)

Turkey Rice Carrot Meatballs

1 lb ground turkey
Celtic gray sea salt
Black pepper
Garlic powder
1/2 onion, finely diced
2 large carrots, shredded
2 tbsp. coconut oil
1.5 cups cooked rice

Saute onion and carrot in coconut oil until soft. Allow to cool. Combine with all other ingredients using your gloved hands. Form into small balls and bake 

on parchment-lined cookie sheet in preheated 400 degree oven until cooked through. (20 min?)

Makes 150 balls if you use this size scoop:

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00004UE83/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Great with ground beef, too.

Homemade Coconut Milk Recipe | Wellness Mama

http://wellnessmama.com/2447/homemade-coconut-milk/

Starter Vegetable Juice

Water
1 carrot
1-2 stalks celery
4-5 leaves parsley
1/2-1 c romaine
(Optional: 1/8 c dandelion; start with a few leaves and remove stem)
(Optional: chard leaves; start with 1 leaf)

Once a week can also add 1/8-1/4 c spinach

Smoothie

8 oz water
1/2 avocado (2-3x/wk)
1 stalk celery
1 c romaine & spinach
1 c frozen blueberries (for me, thaw first)
1/8 c parsley
1 persimmon (optional)

Zesty Salmon Burgers

I want to try this without the honey and yogurt. Looks so good.

https://www.buzzfeed.com/melissaboyajian/zesty-salmon-burgers-for-dinner?utm_term=.ddrbmoG4#.fbyMJZd7


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Thanksgiving Ideas!

This is a letter I sent to a friend who is having Thanksgiving at the home of a friend who has a very supportive mom.

I am very excited to share my ideas with you and mom, especially since I am doing the same thing myself. She is a doll to be so supportive of you. When I went to visit my son last weekend and we went out to eat (first time since I started my new way of eating) it was so exciting to be able to eat a couple of things from the menu so I was "like everybody else" but also be prepared with a couple of my own things so I didn't feel deprived or hungry. I'm going to make a list of typical Thanksgiving menu items with my adaptations. Please let me know what are your and your host family's favorites so I can make adapted suggestions.

Can you find out from your doctor if you can have ghee? It's real butter with the milk solids removed. My doc says it's fantastic for the gut, and it's awesome to have something that tastes like butter. (I love butter!!)

Turkey

If she buys a turkey with no additives (not a pre-basted one like a Butterball) and doesn't baste it with butter, you can eat the turkey!

Gravy

Reserve some of the pan drippings before you make gravy for the rest of the family. Add a little water and blend in a blender with a little bit of cooked potato to thicken it. Season with salt and pepper. I'm also going to try this with cooked rice for Sam.

Mashed Potatoes

Buy Yukon Gold potatoes if the family likes them. They are so buttery and flavorful! Set aside a portion for you before mashing the rest, and mash yours with salt and pepper, garlic powder, and ghee if you can have it. I love mashed potatoes with the skins.

Green Beans

You can have steamed green beans while everyone else has green bean casserole if that's a family favorite. Or everyone can have steamed green beans. If they eat green beans from a can you will want to look at ingredients.

Sweet Potatoes

If the family likes a casserole with sugar and butter in it, just save one sweet potato and bake it in the skin for you to eat separately. It is delicious and very sweet just with sea salt. If the family is not picky about their sweet potatoes, cut them in chunks, toss with coconut oil and sea salt, and bake. (See recipe on blog.) Delicious!!

Stuffing

Enjoy the aroma. It would be best not to bake this in the turkey so the gluten doesn't touch the turkey. If the family has their heart set on stuffing that's cooked inside the turkey, then maybe mom can purchase a turkey breast to bake separately for you.

Jello

Enjoy how pretty it looks.

Cranberry Sauce

I think this has a lot of sugar so just enjoy how pretty it looks.

Orange Rolls

Enjoy the aroma and have some delicious fresh orange slices.

Dessert

Roasted apple slices. Absolutely delicious! (See recipe on blog.)

Keeping Things Warm

Having cooked at least 20 Thanksgiving dinners in my life, I know it is a lot of work and making adaptations to it can make it feel like more work. If you or mom has an extra crock pot, you could get it pre-heated on the warm setting, and put your items in it (mashed potatoes, string beans, sweet potato, etc. as they come out). You could also make some of these items the day before.

Having been doing this myself for over five weeks, I can tell you that this is a mind game as much as anything. Notice how I *choose* to enjoy *all* of the foods, even the ones I am *choosing* not to eat but just to look at or smell. As long as I have plenty to eat, I feel blessed and satisfied and not very tempted by the things I choose not to eat.

Happy Thanksgiving! I love my healthy food provided by a loving God!

Roasted Apple Slices!

Fruit and Seed Truffles

Mashed Potato Crust Pizza

Eggplant and Lentil Stew with Pomegranate Molasses Recipe - Ayfer T. Ünsal, Paula Wolfert, Musa Dagdeviren | Food & Wine

To try:

http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/eggplant-and-lentil-stew-pomegranate-molasses


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Coconut Milk Carrot Soup Recipe | Wine Enthusiast Magazine

To try:

http://www.winemag.com/recipe/coconut-milk-carrot-soup/


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Middle Eastern Vegetable Salad Recipe : Ina Garten : Food Network

To try:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/middle-eastern-vegetable-salad-recipe.html


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Turkey Rice Carrot Meatballs

1 lb ground turkey
Celtic gray sea salt
Black pepper
Garlic powder
1/2 onion, finely diced
1 large carrot, shredded
2 tbsp. coconut oil
1.5 cups cooked rice

Saute onion and carrot in coconut oil until soft. Allow to cool. Combine with all other ingredients using your gloved hands. Form into small balls and bake on parchment-lined cookie sheet in preheated 400 degree oven until cooked through. (20 min?) Delicious for Sam, mom, and our friends!

I used this size scoop and I think it made 150 balls. https://smile.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00004UE83/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1478537425&sr=8-3&pi=SX200_QL40&keywords=small+cookie+scoop&dpPl=1&dpID=31e0jx%2BXhDL&ref=plSrch

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Mom's Food Plan: Better Than French Fries

At the end of week 3 and these are far better than any French fries I have ever tasted. You can really taste the sweetness of the red-skinned new potatoes.

(Do yourself a favor and line your cookie sheet with parchment first. I ran out this weekend and now I have two cookie sheets to wash with stubborn roasted food stuck to them. ;) )

Potatoes
Coconut oil
Celtic gray sea salt
Garlic powder

Cut potatoes into wedges and toss with coconut oil and seasonings on a parchment-lined cookie sheet. (The heat from your gloved hands will warm the coconut oil so you don't need to use another pan to melt it.) Bake at 400 for about 30 minutes or until browned and tender. Freeze leftovers to reheat in toaster oven.

Beautiful Meal Combo

Chicken Sausage

Baked Butternut Squash

Baking them whole is a lot easier than cutting them first. Preheat oven to 350, wash butternut squash, place on cookie sheet, poke a bunch of holes in the skin with a knife, and bake for about an hour or until soft.

Mom's Food Plan: Lunch Combos

Lunch Combo #1: Rice Bowl with Turkey, Artichoke Hearts, Broccoli, Soaked Pumpkin Seeds, Homemade Vinagrette

Mom's Food Plan: Breakfast Combos

This morning was more proof that I am not on this journey just for me. The phlebotomist who came to my house to draw blood for some specialized tests this morning has a nephew who is autistic and lives in the area. I gave her my number and lots of info and encouraged her to have hope and give me a call. God is in charge and in the details. ❤️

Breakfast Combo #1:

Bottom Round Crock Pot Roast

I ordered this grass-fed grass-finished roast from uswellnessmeats.com and will make it today for a meal that the whole family can enjoy together. I will not be using bay leaves, cloves, fish sauce, or corn starch and will add carrots to the crock pot.

http://blog.grasslandbeef.com/recipes/grass-fed-beef/bottom-round-crock-pot-roast

Mom's Food Plan: Soaked Pumpkin Seeds

I'm supposed to soak seeds and nuts before eating to make them easier to digest. I can add some Celtic gray sea salt to them. Here are instructions I found online, and I dried them in my dehydrator.

https://www.leaf.tv/articles/how-long-should-you-soak-pumpkin-seeds-in-water/

Gluten-Free Dairy-Free Frosting for School Halloween Cookie-Decorating Party

(Sam's frosting is just the carrots puréed with coconut oil and his cookies will be ripe bananas mashed with flax seed and baked.)

Frosting:

1 cup carrot purée (boiled carrots puréed with a tablespoon of coconut oil and a little water)

1 cup organic sugar

1 1/2 cups Pamela's

Decorations:

Organic raisins

Organic shredded coconut

Plantain chips broken into "monster teeth"

Cookies:

My chocolate chip cookie recipe without the vanilla or chocolate chips, and using all white sugar instead of white or brown.

Note to self: Two batches of these cookies fit PERFECTLY in a Juice Plus gummies box! I used sandwich bags with two cookies in each bag and carefully laid them in the box. The box fits perfectly in the bottom of a paper grocery bag, and I usually make the cookies a few days ahead of time and have them put them in the freezer at school to keep them fresh.

Christmas Variation

Fruit and Veggie Bath

Yippee! After two weeks on a very specific diet I can eat lots of other foods! Yesterday I ate my first apple in 14 days and it was heavenly. I am grateful for having the very specific diet to start with so I had a clear and easy-to-follow plan at first. I'm also grateful for doc's recipes.

I'm allowed to eat the skin on my fruit and veggies now so I thought I'd try this vinegar and essential oil bath that my friends like. They like to wash everything as soon as they get it home and they say things keep longer.

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
6 drops extremely high quality lemon essential oil*
6 drops extremely high quality protective blend essential oil*

* I can help you get it for wholesale price.


Add to a sink full of water and produce; soak, then rinse and dry. If anything retains taste of protective blend, use less.

Vegetable Beef Soup my Daughter Loved

This isn't in my diet but I made it for family and my daughter wanted the recipe.

Cut up some potatoes with the skin on, and carrots. Purée a can of tomatoes in the blender. Put that in crock pot on high with some water, boullion, seasonings for about two hours (it gives the vegs a head start). While that's in crock pot, brown a pound of hamburger with an onion and add it to the soup after it's been cooking for two hours. Then turn to low and let cook for several more hours. If you don't have a lot of time, just do this in a pot on the stove. I used chicken flavor "better than boullion". I think cooking it for hours mellows out the tomatoey taste.

Mom's Food Plan: Turkey Potato Patties!

In Week 2 of the food plan I'm starting to get creative instead of just having a plate with measured portions of each prescribed food. The psychological aspect is so important because instead of taking my food like the "medicine" I'm currently using it for, I was actually really excited about experimenting with this new idea and tasting it. And this idea came to me as I experienced a new challenge: A weekend at home with my out-of-state kids visiting. I baked and cooked yummy things for them, as did my husband, and I didn't taste a single thing! This is also getting easier because I'm stocking my freezer with baggies of pre-portioned foods that are easy to grab and heat up, so I don't need to cook from scratch every time. Yesterday I went way past my snack time which is kind of a big deal because when eating these small meals I really do get hungry, but I was having so much fun watching my daughter model the maternity clothes I had bought her, I didn't want to stop. There were pumpkin chocolate chip muffins on the counter and corn chips on the table and in the past I would have grabbed them. Instead I heated up my sweet potato fries in the toaster oven and grabbed a couple of ounces of chicken that I had been shredding, chewed them slowly, and I was completely satisfied! I would not have felt my hunger so sated if I had grabbed a muffin.

The other benefit is that except for the potatoes, Sam can eat everything I'm eating so it's less work to feed him, not more. My husband is being supportive by cooking his own food for now, but he's also cooking from scratch more and we feel close and unified.

It was such a blessing to have this idea come to me during this weekend of enticing treats! These turkey potato patties were delicious!

16 oz. organic free-range ground turkey
1.5 cups mashed organic potatoes
1 onion
Fresh black pepper
Garlic powder
Celtic gray sea salt
Coconut oil

Finely dice the onion and fry in coconut oil until soft and browned; transfer to a plate to cool. With gloved hands, mix the ground turkey, mashed potatoes, and seasonings until well combined. Scoop out portions with a 1/4 cup (2 ounce) ice cream scoop, flatten them into patties with your gloved hands, and lay them out on a sheet of parchment paper. (When I did this it made 13 patties.) Fry in a little coconut oil until done.

These didn't hold together super well but were delicious. When I am allowed to eat eggs I might add an egg as a binder.

Two patties have 2.5 ounces of turkey which fits into one meal allotment, and some carbs which are required at every meal.

Mom's Food Plan: Yummy Ground Turkey with Onions

This is great over rice. I eat 1/2 cup of this mixture over 1/2 cup white rice.

1 lb. Heidi's Hens ground turkey

1 organic onion, diced

organic coconut oil

organic garlic powder

organic black pepper

Celtic gray sea salt

To give the onions a head start, saute them in some coconut oil for a few minutes, then add the turkey and seasonings and cook turkey until done. If the onions aren't soft by the time the turkey is cooked, turn the heat down and put a lid on the pan for a few minutes to get them totally soft.

I didn't used to think I liked ground turkey but this was absolutely delicious.

Mom's Food Plan: Doc's Chicken Bone Broth Carrot Soup

I got this recipe from my doctor and adapted it to the time I had to make it. She has you cook the chicken and carrots in the slow cooker for several hours; I only had a few hours so I did it on the stove top.

1 whole organic bone-in chicken or bone-in chicken parts
Celtic gray sea salt
2 organic onions
7 organic carrots

Peel and chop the onions and carrots and put them a big pot with the chicken and water. Season with salt. Simmer for however much time you have until chicken is done and falls easily off the bone. Remove everything from the pot and puree the carrots in a blender while the chicken cools. Shred some of the chicken and add it back to the soup along with the pureed carrots. Freeze the rest of the chicken in baggies. Doc's recipe has you cook the soup in the slow cooker for a few more hours to really break down the food for digestion but it's edible now. I had never made homemade chicken soup without adding packaged bouillon before and this was DELICIOUS and didn't taste overly carrot-y. It needed no other seasoning.

When soup is on the menu you always have to have a starch so you can add your rice or potato and green vegetable right to the soup and it's pretty and delicious.

Mom's Food Plan: Slow-Cooker Turkey Breast

I bought a Heidi's Hens 3.67 pound turkey breast at uswellnessmeats.com. I found instructions online for cooking a frozen turkey breast in the slow cooker so that's what I'm going by.

organic free-range frozen turkey breast
1 organic onion
a few organic carrots
1 stalk of organic celery
Celtic gray sea salt
organic black pepper

Wash/peel/chop vegetables and put them in the bottom of the slow cooker. Put turkey on top and sprinkle with seasonings. Cook on high for 2 hours and on low for several more hours until done. When cool, cut/shred and freeze in 2-4 ounce portions. Puree the pan juices and cooked vegetables to make a gravy.

Mom's Food Plan: Boundaries

This phenomenal short class for only $10 by my dear friend and energy worker has been so helpful. It is so great to look at a situation and say to myself, "That's not my responsibility." 

http://sheridanripley.com/classes/spiritual-strength/boost-your-boundaries/

Mom's Food Plan: Healthy Habits

This new lifestyle is helping me to create other healthy routines. I had already been brushing and flossing after every meal or snack which made it easier to not snack as much. Other good habits:

--In addition to reading the Book of Mormon and Bible on my iPad while eating breakfast I've added the habit of watching one General Conference talk as well. Since I am spending more time chewing this is a wonderful way to nourish my spirit at the same time. https://www.lds.org/general-conference?lang=eng

--Do dishes and "put house to bed" earlier in the day so I can get to bed by 10. I used to do dishes late at night and go to bed at midnight or later.

--To reduce my stress level I've been spending much less time on Facebook, avoiding checking it in the morning, and avoiding following the news feed. I focus on my business posts and supporting certain people from church and autism groups.

--Having a lot of fun making jewelry with beads which is my treat to replace chocolate and baked goods. I'm really pampering myself in this area.

--Greatly limiting my contact with unhappy people and people in general. It's interesting that when I do this, my life becomes chock full to overflowing with happy, uplifting people.

--I get very overwhelmed with the idea of people and all of their needs when I go to a public place. Being an incredibly compassionate person, I am deliberately avoiding eye contact when I go out and try to pretend I am invisible. Having adrenal fatigue is giving me an excuse to do this. Again, awesome people who might need help but who also won't deplete me always find me.

Mom's Food Plan: Carrot Purée

Cooked carrots had been one of my least favorite foods and wouldn't you know that they were a huge part of the initial food plan for me. They are pretty good roasted in the oven with coconut oil and salt but I just got so tired of tasting them and chewing them. This carrot purée is so good and almost feels like a dessert! It was fluffy and rich and did not taste overly carrot-y.

Peeled & chopped organic carrots
Coconut oil
Organic garlic powder
Celtic gray sea salt

Combine and steam until soft, then purée in a vitamix with a little water. Freeze in 1/4 cup scoops (I used a 1/4 cup ice cream scoop in lined muffin tins, then transferred to a large ziploc bag when frozen).

Mom's Food Plan: Ginger Tea

I can have three cups of this a day to aid digestion. It is surprisingly comforting and delicious when you are not eating sugar or other comfort foods. Put one slice of fresh ginger in some water and heat it on the stove.

Mom's Food Plan: Rinsed White Rice

I don't know if I will have to do this forever but for now Doc wants me to rinse my rice before cooking, cook it in extra water (like you cook pasta), and rinse it after cooking. This has not been that difficult and the rice is very delicious. The reason for rinsing is to remove as much excess starch as possible.

Lundberg Organic white long grain rice
Water

Decide how many cups of rice you want to cook and rinse it. Then cook it like you normally cook rice but use 3 times as much water as rice. When it's done, pour it into a colander in the sink and rinse it with fresh water until the water runs clear.

Measure 1/2 cup portions into baggies and store in the freezer.

Mom's Food Plan: Getting Started

Sam is doing so much better that I decided to put more focus on my own health. I'm seeing an integrative MD who is running some tests and in the meantime has me starting on a healing food plan. For two weeks I was asked to follow a very specific plan that was very similar to Sam's diet, and the first few days were hard but I lost three pounds in the first week and I feel great. The key is to be prepared. Shop for all the ingredients and cook and freeze in portion sizes. Reheat food in steamer, on stove, or in toaster oven. (No microwave.) Doc also says the greatest healing goes on between 10pm and 2am so make sure I am sleeping at that time. That has been a huge stretch for me but it is absolutely incredible how much better I feel with eight hours of sleep a night! She also wants me to eat my biggest meal at noon or "when the sun is highest in the sky", then take a five minute walk, then a 15-20 minute nap. I am resisting the nap the most but have done it a few times.

I need to peel all my vegetables and cook them until they are extremely soft, even puree them. I need to chew my meat and all foods VERY well "until they are a liquid--this is an important part of the digestion process") before swallowing. I can only take small sips of water while eating and all my water should be room temperature. Preferably (so digestive juices are not diluted) I should not drink water for an hour before eating and two hours after eating. This has proved to be very difficult for me and still eat my meals so for now I'm just doing the best I can and trying not to drink much water during a meal.

For now I can't have any fruit except berries, and no strawberries, and I shouldn't eat them with the main meal. I need to eat them 30 minutes after the meal. I've been eating organic frozen blueberries (defrosted--my food plan is a "warming" one so cold foods are to be avoided) and organic frozen blackberries from my garden.

In addition to chewing my food (especially my meat) especially thoroughly, I need to take three deep breaths before I start eating.

NOTE THAT THIS IS A VERY SPECIFIC PLAN THAT WAS GIVEN TO ME BY A DOCTOR FOR MY SPECIFIC ISSUES. DO NOT TAKE THIS AS MEDICAL ADVICE.

Tools:
baking parchment paper
disposable gloves (costco)
zipper snack/sandwich bags
steamer (I have a second rice cooker as a steamer)
1/4 cup ice cream scoop

Staple Foods:
Celtic gray sea salt (amazon)
Lundberg organic white rice (amazon) (Doc wants me on only white rice first 2 weeks)

Meats/Poultry/Fish:

(Turkey is an important part of the plan for me and it is a seasonal item in our local health food stores so I was glad to find it online)

Organic Grass-fed and FINISHED ground beef (US Wellness Meats)
Organic free-range ground turkey (US Wellness Meats, Jimbo's, and Whole Foods have it frozen, Heidi's Hens brand. US Wellness meats has exactly the same thing.)
Organic free-range turkey breast (only US Wellness meats has this out of season)

Easy, Delicious Apple Muffins

This makes 24 muffins; bake for about 25 min.

Apple Bundt Cake | SimplyRecipes.com

Apple Bundt Cake | SimplyRecipes.com Spicy bundt cake made with chopped fresh apples, grated coconut, and walnuts or pecans, topped with a sugar glaze.

Coconut Lemon Shortbread

I've been on this clean-eating kick for a few weeks and have not made cookies until now. I decided to try to make shortbread using the base of the delicious lemon bar recipe but use pureed soaked raisins instead of sugar. Since shortbread is a low-sugar item anyway, I thought it might work to slip in the pureed raisins. The dough was fantastic! The cookies were, too! 

1/4 cup soaked raisins (measure 1/4 cup *after* soaking)
1/2 cup coconut oil
a few drops high-quality lemon essential oil, or 1/2 tsp. lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

1 cup Pamela's GF flour blend

Puree the raisins in a food processor, then pulse in the coconut oil, essential oil or zest, and vanilla. Pulse in the coconut and Pamela's. Pat into a parchment-lined 8x8 pan and bake at 350 for about 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool and cut into squares.

Variations: This would be amazing with almonds and almond extract! I'm sure you could try it with half oatmeal, too.

Haystacks

I was desperately praying for an idea of something to serve the missionaries and my GFCFSF friend, and this idea popped into my head! Thank you!! Here is a link to the basic idea:

http://www.seededatthetable.com/2013/07/23/hawaiian-haystacks-or-chinese-sundaes/

I'm going to stew some bone-in chicken and shred it. I will make a sauce by making a roux with Pamela's and olive oil, then adding some of the homemade chicken broth, curry powder, salt, and canned coconut milk. Then I will mix it with the shredded chicken and keep it warm in the crock pot, and cook some rice in the rice cooker. I can make all of this ahead which is key because the missionaries have to eat at 5:00.

Toppings (my GFCFSF friend can skip the dairy stuff):

creamed chicken

millet/rice ramen (instead of chow mein noodles) suggested by a friend https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00VWJRUGK/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

shredded cheese

sour cream

mandarin oranges

chopped celery

chopped tomatoes (this is in the recipe but doesn't sound good....)

chopped green onions (maybe I'll use garlic chives from my garden)

shredded coconut

chopped green pepper

crushed pineapple

slivered almonds would be great for people who don't have nut allergies in the house

Blackberry Custard Pie Bars

I was looking for something to use my home-grown blackberries in and found this recipe which I adapted to make GFCF.

http://www.gonnawantseconds.com/2014/06/blackberry-pie-bars/

Crust:
Pamela's - 1 1/2 Cups
Sugar - 3/4 Cup
3/4 cup coconut oil minus about 2 tablespoons
2 tablespoons water

Filling:
Large Eggs - 2 or 3
Sugar - 1 Cup
1/4 cup Pamela's
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
Fresh Blackberries - 16 Ounces (about 3 cups)

Preheat oven to 350 and line 8x8 pan with foil. Pulse the crust ingredients in food processor or mixer until it resembles coarse crumbs. Remove 3/4 cup of this mixture and reserve for crumb topping. Mix the filling ingredients except the blackberries. Press crust mixture into pan and bake for 12-15 minutes until lightly browned.

Place the berries on the partially cooled crust, then pour the filling mixture on top. Cover with reserved crumb topping mixture. Bake for 45-55 minutes, or until the filling is just beginning to turn golden and is set. Cool bars completely on a baking rack, then refrigerate if desired.

1.5x recipe for 9x13 pan:

2.25 cups pamela's
1.125 cups sugar
1 cup coconut oil
3 tbsp water

3 or 4 eggs
1.5 cup sugar
3/4 cup pamela's
3/8 tsp vanilla
4.5 cups berries

Blackberry cobbler from cafemom message board

NOT TRIED YET

1/2 cup butter (substitute scant 1/2 cup coconut oil)
1 cup sugar
1 cup flour (substitute Pamela's)
1 tbsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
2/3 cup milk
16 oz bag berries (about 3 cups?)

Melt butter in 2 qt baking dish. Mix sugar, flour, baking powder, salt, and milk in medium bowl and then pour over butter (do not mix) (I think with coconut oil I would mix it). Spoon berries over mixture (do not stir). Sprinkle with sugar.

Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.

Fresh Salsa Recipe

From my daughter's in-laws.

 

½ white onion

½ Anaheim pepper (with the seeds out)

1 whole green pepper

2 cloves garlic

1/3 bunch cilantro

1 t salt

Chop, then add

28 oz can of tomatoes (I chop the tomatoes too)

New Year's Eve Slush

From my daughter's in-laws.

New Year's Eve Slush Recipe

 

6 bananas, mashed or pureed in blender

2 cups sugar

6 oz lemon juice

12 oz orange juice, diluted as directed

46 oz can of pineapple juice

 

Pour into ice cube trays or in a cake pan, freeze. Mix in a blender with sprite to a slushy consistency

Delicious Lemon Bars GFCF

Crust: 
2 cups Pamela's GF flour blend
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup coconut oil minus 2 tbsp.

2 tbsp. water. 

Filling:

4 eggs

2 cups granulated sugar

1/4 cup Pamela's

1/3 cup lemon juice (from your Meyer Lemon tree!! ;) )

Preheat oven to 350. Line 9x13 pan with parchment. Mix crust ingredients until it resembles coarse crumbs. Press into pan and bake for about 15 min. Combine filling ingredients and pour into crust that has partially cooled. Bake 20-25 min or until set. After done and cooled I like to lift the whole thing out with the parchment paper, set it on the counter, and cut the squares with a bench scraper. I use Trader Joe's organic white sugar and it's awesome. Note that I don't include salt because the Pamela's flour blend includes salt.

Coffee Cake Muffins

These were a huge hit with my young missionary friends. Replace the wheat flour with Pamela's, the butter in the batter with cooking oil, the milk with coconut beverage or another milk substitute, and the butter in the topping with coconut oil.

http://www.macheesmo.com/coffee-cake-muffins/

Calzone Dough GFCF

3.5 cups Pamela's flour mix
2.5 tsp. yeast
1 egg
2 tsp. baking powder
1.25 cups warm water
1/4 cup oil

Mix all ingredients thoroughly then use an ice cream scoop to scoop out a ball onto tortilla press lined with parchment paper. Press into a circle and transfer to baking sheet. Put in fillings then fold and press edges down, cut vents, bake.

Delicious Herbed Lime Rice

I made this to go with carne asada burritos, inspired by Chipotle's lime rice.

1 onion, diced
olive oil
2 cups rice (I used Trader Joe's organic basmati rice)
4 cups chicken broth
Trader Joe's 21-Seasoning Salute, or Mrs. Dash
Juice of 1 fresh lime
Salt to taste
Chopped fresh green herbs such as chives, garlic chives, cilantro, etc.

In a pot with a lid, saute the onion in some olive oil. Add the rice and stir for a minute or two until it's coated with oil. Add the chicken broth, juice of 1 lime, and seasonings, and bring to boil. Turn down the heat, cover the pot, and steam the rice for about 20 minutes or until all liquid is absorbed. Stir in chopped green herbs (I used garlic chives from my garden).

Gluten-Free Dairy-Free GFCF Apple Roses

About 2.5 cups Pamela's flour mix
1/2 cup cooking oil
1/2 cup milk substitute (I used Trader Joe's unsweetened coconut beverage)

2-3 apples with pink or red skin
1 lemon
Cinnamon and sugar

Oil Crust:
Preheat oven to 400. Quickly mix flour, oil, and milk substitute in a bowl using your hands (I wear disposable gloves). Don't overwork the dough, and it should look "marbled", not uniform in color. It will be on the damp side. If it's soggy add a little more flour. If making a pie, press half the mixture into a pie plate. You can also roll it out between sheets of parchment paper or plastic wrap but keep in mind this is wetter than traditional dough.

If making tarts or roses, press a walnut-sized ball of dough into a parchment-lined muffin tin. For the roses, sprinkle the inside of each tart liberally with cinnamon-sugar.

Core and thinly slice the apples, add a little water and juice of one lemon, and microwave for about 2 minutes or until the slices are pliable but not falling apart. (See video below.)

Lay out about eight apple slices in a row on the counter, overlapping them as shown in the video. Roll up the slices (it will be harder to keep them together than in the video which uses puff pastry to help, but just do the best you can and they will look great) and place the roll of slices in the dough in the muffin tin. It should look like a rose. Sprinkle the tops generously with cinnamon-sugar and bake for about 20 minutes. Remove the parchment muffin liners and cool apple roses on a rack.

See this video for how to roll up the roses. She uses puff pastry so just ignore that part. I also didn't use apricot preserves, and I think other apples are prettier and tastier than red delicious. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rGrwvEjZIQ

Apricot Oatmeal Bars

These are based on this recipe, but I reduced the sugar and used gluten-free flour and coconut oil.

http://www.yourhomebasedmom.com/apricot-jam-bar-cookies/

1½ cups Pamela's gluten-free flour blend
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 cup brown sugar
1½ cups gluten-free old fashioned oats
¾ cup coconut oil

3 tablespoons water

dash of almond extract

dash of pink Himalayan salt

1/2 - 1 cup sliced almonds
1 cup apricot preserves

Preheat oven to 350. Dump everything except the apricot preserves into a big bowl and mix it together with your hands. (I like to wear disposable gloves.) Pat ⅔ of this mixture into a 9 x 13 baking pan lined with parchment paper (if you have it). It might look pretty crumbly but the jam will make everything stick together. Spread with jam. Top with remaining flour/oat mixture. Bake at 350 for 35 minutes. Grab the edges of the parchment paper and lift the whole thing out and let it cool on a rack, then cut into bars.

Chunky Granola

I started with this wonderful recipe: http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/chunky-granola

It worked perfectly and was absolutely delicious, and nice and chunky. Then I adapted it to reduce the sugar. If you increase the sugar/honey closer to the original recipe, it will be chunkier. I make this every week and like that I can do it using only one measuring cup.

3 cups oats
1 cup sliced or chopped almonds
1/2 cup hemp seeds
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup agave or honey
1/3 cup coconut oil
Dash of Himalayan or sea salt

Preheat oven to 300. Line a baking sheet (with an edge all the way around) with parchment paper. Mix everything together and spread it out on the baking sheet, baking for about 30 minutes or until lightly browned. When done, grab the edge of the parchment paper and slide the sheet of granola onto a rack to cool. When completely cool, break into chunks.

Gluten-Free Bagels

This is the first yeast bread I have made gluten-free that I really like. My taste-testers liked these bagels, too. I followed the recipe on the back of the Pamela's bag, but substituted 1 cup of tapioca flour to make them more bouncy, and some baking powder to give them a little better rise.

2 1/2 cups Pamela's Gluten-Free flour blend

1 cup tapioca flour

2 1/4 tsp. yeast

2 tsp. baking powder

generous pinch pink Himalayan salt
pinch of garlic powder

1 1/3 cups warm water

1/4 cup oil

Toppings: Poppy seeds, sesame seeds, salt, onion flakes, garlic powder

Get a saucepan of water boiling on the stove. Preheat oven to 400. Use a heavy-duty stand mixer or an electric hand mixer. Combine everything except toppings and mix on medium for 3 minutes. Put on disposable gloves and rub gloved hands with oil. Use 1/2 cup of dough for each bagel and form round bagel shape with a hole in it. This will be softer and stickier than wheat dough so just do your best; the gloves with plenty of oil on them will be your best friend. Drop a bagel into the boiling water and leave it there until it pops to the surface (you might need to unstick it from the bottom of the pan). Remove with slotted spoon and place on greased baking parchment/baking sheet. Sprinkle desired toppings (we like all of them together), then bake for 25-30 minutes.

I haven't tried this but it sounds inviting: FOR FRESHLY BAKED MORNING BAGELS: Prepare dough, shape bagels on greased baking sheet, cover and refrigerate overnight. Bagels will rise while in refrigerator. In the morning, preheat oven to 400º, boil bagels, then bake for 25-30 minutes.

Cinnamon Raisin Bagels

Use the above recipe but with the following changes:
--Soak 1/3 to 1/2 cup raisins in warm water for about 15 minutes
--Don't use garlic powder or toppings
--Add 1 tsp. vanilla, 1 tsp. honey, and 1 tsp. cinnamon to the dough
--Drain raisins and add them to the dough
--The wetness of the raisins will require more flour so keep adding Pamela's and tapioca flour until the dough is firm enough.

Easy Yummy Vegetable Beef Soup

This is not for Sam because it has tomatoes, corn, and packaged chicken bouillon but it was a winner because it satisfied both my limited-gluten diet and my husband's taste buds.

1 pound ground beef

1 onion, chopped

1 can chopped tomatoes

water

a few spoonfuls of Knorr Chicken Bouillon (this in not gluten-free so substitute your own if you want)

a few dashes of Mrs. Dash

sea salt

2 potatoes with skin on, cut into 3/4" chunks

frozen mixed vegetables (peas, corn, carrots, and string beans)

Brown the ground beef with the chopped onion until beef is done and onion is soft. if there is a lot of fat you can drain it off. Puree the can of tomatoes with a can of water in the blender and add to the soup. Add 2-3 more cans of water, the bouillon, Mrs. Dash, and potatoes, and simmer until potatoes are tender. Add the frozen vegetables and simmer until just heated through. Season with sea salt.

Zucchini Hamburger Rice Casserole

2 cups cooked brown rice

1 pound ground beef

1 32-ounce jar prepared spaghetti sauce

Zucchini, thinly sliced

Mozzarella cheese

Brown and rinse the ground beef. Mix in spaghetti sauce and brown rice. Layer in a greased casserole dish with the zucchini. Top with cheese. Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 45 minutes or until zucchini is tender.

Even without cheese, this tasted really good with plenty of fresh sea salt and black pepper. It felt quite a bit like lasagna.

Zucchini Muffins GFCF

Adapted from simplyrecipes.com

3 cups grated fresh zucchini
2/3 cup melted unsalted butter (substitute coconut oil)
1 1/3 cup sugar
2 eggs, beaten
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 teaspoons baking soda
Pinch salt
3 cups Pamela's GF flour mix
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup walnuts (optional)
1 cup raisins or dried cranberries (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a large bowl combine the sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Stir in the grated zucchini and then the oil. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Stir these dry ingredients into the zucchini mixture. Stir in walnuts, raisins or cranberries if using.

Coat each muffin cup in your muffin pan with a little vegetable oil spray. Use a spoon to distribute the muffin dough equally among the cups, filling the cups up completely. Bake on the middle rack until muffins are golden brown, and the top of the muffins bounce back when you press on them, about 25 to 30 minutes. Test with a long toothpick or a thin bamboo skewer to make sure the center of the muffins are done. Set on wire rack to cool for 5 minutes. Remove muffins from the tin let cool another 20 minutes.

Note: If you are including walnuts and dried fruit, you will likely have more batter than is needed for 12 muffins. Simplyrecipes got about 14 muffins from this batch, and that included filling the muffin cups up as far as they could possibly go (above the surface of the muffin tin).

Granola

 * 3 cups rolled oats (not instant)
    * 3 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
    * 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
    * 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
    * 1/3 cup honey
    * 1/4 cup vegetable oil
    * 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    * 1/2 cup small-dice dried fruit
    * 1/2 cup coarsely chopped raw or toasted nuts or seeds
INSTRUCTIONS
    1. Heat the oven to 300°F and arrange a rack in the middle.
    2. Place the oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl and stir to combine; set aside. 

    3. Place the honey, oil, and vanilla in a small bowl and stir to combine. Pour over the oat mixture and mix until the oats are thoroughly coated. 

    4. Spread the mixture in a thin, even layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes, then stir and continue baking until the granola is very light golden brown, about 5 to 15 minutes more. 

    5. Place the baking sheet on a wire rack and cool the granola to room temperature, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. (Note: It will harden as it cools.) 

    6. Add the fruit and nuts or seeds to the baking sheet and toss to combine. Store the granola in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks. 

Gluten Free Muffin Rolls

Because I had to have something to toast, and quick! This is based on the blueberry muffin recipe a few posts down.

1 tablespoon yeast
1/2 cup warm water
pinch of sugar
1/2 cup Trader Joe's coconut oil in liquid form
2 organic eggs
2 teaspoons aluminum-free baking powder
1/2 teaspoon vinegar
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
2 1/4 cups Pamela's gluten-free flour blend

Dissolve the yeast and sugar in water and watch to make sure it proofs. Combine it with all other ingredients, then use an ice cream scoop to scoop into a muffin tin (this made nine with my size of scoop). Let rise while oven preheats to 375. Bake for 15-25 minutes, until done.

FABULOUS Gluten-Free Dairy-Free Apple Crisp!

Just follow this recipe and use coconut oil instead of butter (adding a little salt), and gluten-free oatmeal. It was the best apple crisp I've ever had.

http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/apple_crisp/

Dad's Stir Fry With Rice Sticks

Coconut Milk Sour Cream Base for Dips and Spreads. Gluten Free Dairy Free Sour Cream.

When I took my first taste of this, for a moment I totally forgot that it did not contain dairy. When you can trick your own tastebuds, well that's something. It is amazing to me how easy it is to disguise coconut flavor! Use herbs and spices you have on hand combined with food-grade essential oils to customize this sour cream to whatever flavor you want. Use a toothpick to add the oils, since a little goes a long way.

1/2 cup cream skimmed from the top of a can of full-fat coconut milk (I used Thai Kitchen)
2 tablespoons melted coconut oil
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Himalayan salt or sea salt, to taste
Food-grade essential oils to taste and/or garlic powder, Mrs. Dash, etc.

Chill the can of coconut milk so that the cream separates from the liquid; reserve the liquid for smoothies. Combine cream with coconut oil, then stir in other ingredients. Chill until firm enough to use as a dip or spread.

Variation #1, Cream Cheese: Use more coconut oil, and a dash or two of smoked paprika to warm up the color.

Variaton #2, Smoked Salmon Spread: Make the cream cheese version, then mix in some canned salmon, more lemon juice, and liquid smoke. I didn't have salmon so I used tuna and added some smoked paprika to make it pale pink and add a nice flavor.