Easter Candy List

Hi there! I've been sick, so I haven't been posting as much, but I things are starting to get back to normal (as normal as it can be anyway, lol). Back to the reason for the post...

When I decided to try a gluten-free diet I was very nervous, intimidated, and scared. I am a HUGE fan of candy and I thought I would have alot of trouble getting my "fix." I was pleasantly surprised at the number of candy bars and just candy in general that are gluten-free. With that said, here's a link to the gluten-free Easter candy list: 2012 Easter Candy List.
*Please remember that ingredients can change at any time, so always check the products ingredient list or contact the manufacturer. 

Here's another link that you may find helpful if you are just starting a gluten free diet. It gives you a quick list of foods that you can eat-now :)
http://glutenfreeeasily.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/50-gf-foods-you-can-eat-today.pdf

A Really Big Problem...

(My stash...3 boxes have already been thrown away)

Okay, so I have a confession....my name is Brandy and I'm addicted to Girl Scout Cookies. It all started years ago with my first bite of a Thin Mint and has progressed to something so much more. Before deciding to try a gluten free diet due to many auto-immune issues, I signed up to buy several boxes of cookies from a girl scout at church. They just came in and I've already had more than my fair share! Ugh! I am totally paying for it today. I've already given one box to my parents, and I think my husband is going to help by taking the rest to work on Monday. The problem I have is that I really don't want to have them taken away-I want to eat them ALL!!

This is the worst setback I've had so far on my diet, but hopefully once these evil little things are out of the house I'll be back on track! Anyone had the same problem? What are your additions?

My New Favorite Vegetable!

Okay, so I never get excited about vegetables, but I am soooo excited tonight! The other day, my sister told me about this wonderful vegetable that is so versatile and that I really needed to try. I was a little skeptical (although I didn't tell her that), but found this scrumptious recipe on pinterest  and just had to give it a shot. Have I peaked your interest yet? Well then, take a look at this little cutie...

                                                   

In case you haven't figured it out yet, it's SPAGHETTI SQUASH! The really cool thing is that you cut the squash in half lengthwise, scoop out the seeds, put it in the microwave for a little bit, and then shred the insides with a fork. It comes out kind of like noodles (hence the name), or shredded hash browns. I love squash anyway, so I'm not sure why I haven't tried this before. So, the even better news is that this little beauty is loaded with nutrients and is low in calories! Wow, I can't believe I just rambled on so much about a vegetable...

Have any of you tried spaghetti squash? I'd love to hear your comments, suggestions, opinions!

Here is the link to the recipe I tried, (Spaghetti Squash Au Gratin) but I did alter it a little, so I'm included my variation of it below.

Spaghetti Squash Au Gratin

Okay, so my picture looks like a hot mess, but it was really, really good!

Adapted from Dandy Dishes

Ingredients:
1 Medium Spaghetti Squash
1 Small Onion
2 Tbsp Butter
1 Clove Garlic (Minced)
1 Tsp Thyme
1 Tsp Red Pepper Flakes
1 Cup Cheddar Cheese
1/2 Cup Heavy Whipping Cream



Directions:
Cut squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Put in microwave safe bowl with 1/4inch of water and microwave for 10 minutes. While that is cooking, slice the onion very thin and begin to melt the butter in a skillet. Once the butter is melted, add garlic, red pepper flakes, thyme, & onions. Saute until onions are brown. Once the squash is done, shred the insides with a fork and blend with onions, cream, and 3/4 cup of the cheese. Put into a greased casserole dish and sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Bake at 350F for 10-15 minutes. Enjoy!

A New Frontier...

So, I've been feeling so wonderful since I've gotten rid of the gluten in my life-then it happened. Last night, my throat started getting scratchy and my nose started running. Ugh! Then I woke up this morning all kinds of achy. It just wasn't pretty! So, even though I wasn't scheduled to make Creamy Chicken Stew until Saturday I thought I would try it. When your sick all you want is chicken soup, right?

So, I found this recipe last weekend and was really excited to try it, since you use coconut milk to make it creamy. I took a picture, but it wasn't very good, so I'm just going to use the original picture from Erika's recipe over at Everyday Paleo Recipes for Life (please excuse my laziness, but I get lazy when I'm sick). The coconut milk was a welcome change to the flavor, but definitely not overpowering. I recommend this recipe to anyone who needs a "chicken soup" kinda night! Enjoy!

                                         

Click here for the recipe:

"Creamy" Chicken Tomato Soup

My (Very Long) Story-Part 1

Alot of people that have been in my life know some or part of my experience with autoimmune diseases. To start I need to say that what has happened to me is still going on within my body and is still somewhat of a mystery. This is a really long story, so I will be breaking it up into several posts. Please feel free to post comments or questions. My hope in sharing my story is that it will give some insight into the mysterious world of autoimmune diseases.


Okay, deep breath, here goes...

It all started in December of 2006. My husband and I had just returned from a trip to Germany with my in-laws. I should probably mention that the last two days of the trip I was stuck in our hotel with fatigue, nausea, and stomach cramps. Once I got home, I already had an annual exam scheduled, so I decided to ask my doctor about my symptoms. Of course she had no idea, but sent me upstairs (our insurance was with Kaiser Permenante at the time) to a family physician. This doctor didn't have a clue what to test for, sent me to get a chest x-ray, and sent me home with some medicine to help with possible inflammation. By the time I got home, by throat and jaw area were killing me. So much so that it hurt to open my mouth wide enough to eat anything. My husband and I had plans with friends that night to see a movie at the Fox, but since I wasn't feeling well, I told him to go ahead and go without me. By the time he got home, the left side of my face was horribly swollen. The next day we went back to the doctors office to get things figured out. They decided to do some blood work, which ended with me almost fainting, then getting an IV for fluids, then heading to the hospital because they couldn't figure out why my blood pressure was still so low.

Well, my hospital stay lasted a week and my diagnosis was that I had a viral infection. "WHAT?!" Was my reaction. That was it-nothing else-not even a doctor to follow up with. So, I went on with my life.

Here is an example of what my Vasculitis looked like.
(These are not my legs)

The next month I notice a weird rash on my lower legs. I just attributed it to the fact that I worked, then went to school and wore pretty high heels most days. My husband convinced me to go to the doctor. That doctor did some tests and immediately referred me to a rhuemotologist. I was a little worried considering that my blood tests indicated that I had something in the autoimmune family (lupus, rheumatoid arthritis,etc)! Anyhow, this rhuemotologist put me on prednisone, did more blood test, and this went on for a while. I was also sent to a dermotologist, who took a biopsy of my leg (which resulted in henoch purpura). The doctors still couldn't figure out why my blood tests were showing that I should have all the symptoms of Lupus and Rheumatoid Arthritis. Keep in mind my only symptom at this time was the rash.  Throughout the whole summer of 2007 I dealt with this. Sometime during that summer (can't pinpoint when), we figured out that the rash was an autoimmune disease called Vasculitis. My Rheumatologist still didn't know what to give me for it except steroids (which I didn't accept-they didn't help and the side effects were horrible). Not only was the rash horrible to look at, it hurt extremely bad. Most of the time, after the rash appeared, it was very hard for me to walk for a couple of days. I didn't want to wear shorts, but pants just irritated it. As the summer went on, the rash got worse. It was raised and very sensitive to the touch. I was getting really worried that it wouldn't ever go away.

Next week-Vasculitis and Pregnancy

Mayo-less Chicken Salad (Recipe Review)

I've been wanting to try this chicken salad recipe from Adventures of a Gluten Free Mom and I finally made it today. My review is that the dressing was a little too bland to me. I don't know what it needed (I'm definitely not a chef), but it was missing something. I think the macadamia nuts just made it a little too dry, but then the oil made it a little too oily. I really liked the combination of the chives, chicken, & cherries though. I will make this again, but probably put a simple red-wine vinaigrette dressing instead. Here's the recipe for you to try-I'd love to hear your comments and suggestions on what you think!

The BEST Mayo-Free Chicken Salad
From: Adventures of a Gluten Free Mom

Ingredients:

5 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast (Already Cooked)

1/2 Cup Diced Scallions

1 Cup Dried Cherries (Gluten Free)

Macadamia Dressing:

1 Cup Macadamia Nuts

2 Garlic Cloves

1/2 tsp Sea Salt

2/3 Cup Olive Oil

Directions (for the Dressing)

Combine nuts, garlic, & salt in blender and blend until smooth. Add in olive oil and blend until creamy. Combine chicken, scallions, and cherries into a bowl and pour about 1/2 of the dressing in and combine.

Week 3-Staying Strong!

Okay-so in my attempt to stay "ahead of the game" this week, here is my menu! I'm really excited about the dinners I have selected this week. Last week, most of my dinners were pretty simple and included more rice and pasta. I'm really trying to stay away from that (even if they are gluten free) this week.

 Also, I found this absolutely wonderful website that I thought I would share: www.onceamonthmom.com! The owner of this blog makes a monthly menu which is intended for you to use at the first of the month and spend one day preparing all of the dinners. This way you have your whole month of meals planned out and already prepared-just take it out of the freezer and follow instructions.

Week of: February 6-February 12, 2012
	Breakfast	Lunch	Dinner
Monday	Cinnamon Vanilla	Chicken & Green Beans	Kung Pao Chicken w/ Rice
	Pancakes		glutenfreemommy.com
Tuesday	French Toast	Kung Pao Chicken	Chicken Tenders/Mac&Cheese
	pamelasproducts.com	String Cheese
Wednesday	Bacon, Egg, & Cheese	Chicken Salad	Taco Corn Fritters
	Sandwiches	Apple	onceamonthmom.com
Thursday	Cereal	Taco corn Fritters	Cheesy Potato Soup
		Banana	onceamonthmom.com
Friday	Apple  Coffee Cake	Grilled Cheese &	BBQ w/ Baked Potato
	(crockpot365)	Fruit	angelaskitchen.com
Saturday	Bacon & Eggs	Left over BBQ	Chicken, Broccoli, & Rice
			Casserole
Sunday	Muffins (apple or banana)	SC Marina ck & veg	Leftovers
		sparkpeople.com

2 Weeks and Counting...

Okay, so I'm almost to the end of my second week on a gluten free diet and things are looking up! I feel much better (with the occasional headache or frustration-I think both of these are normal with 2 small kids, right?)! It feels like I can actually think a little clearer, I have more energy, and I'm just all around in a better mood. I did have some cravings this week for Zaxby's and Chicken Run (a local fast food restaurant here), but I overcame it. 

Also, just an interesting fact...my husband was in a hurry and forgot his GF breakfast & lunch this morning (I can't imagine remembering anything at 4:30 in the morning), so he ate a biscuit for breakfast and Subway for lunch. By the time he got home (around 4pm) he had to go lie down. He said he felt so nauseous, had a headache, and just felt lousy. I truly believe this is because of the diet. Now, he may not necessarily have Celiac Disease, but I think that he must have a sensitivity to gluten. It only makes sense!

I know that I was really slack about getting my menu up this week so I've included it at the end of this post. I will try to post some of the recipes and reviews this weekend. I am also working on a series of blog posts concerning my autoimmune diseases.

Week of: January 30-February 5, 2012
	Breakfast	Lunch	Dinner
Monday	Pumpkin Bread	White Chili	Frito Pie
	Strawberries	Apple
Tuesday	Strawberry Smoothie	Greek Pasta Salad	Chicken Fettucini Alfredo
		Banana	Salad
Wednesday	Bacon & Eggs	Greek Pasta Salad	Chicken Fajitas
		Apple	(glutenfreehub.com)
Thursday	Pancakes	Cheese Quesadilla	Garlic Lime Chicken
	Strawberries	w/ Corn Tortillas	(recipes.sparkpeople.com
Friday	Apple  Coffee Cake	Chicken & Rice	Cauliflower Pizzas
	(crockpot365)		(recipegirl.com)
Saturday	Bacon & Eggs	Hamburgers	Kung Pao Chicken
		& Chips	(glutenfreemommy.com)
Sunday	Muffins	Angel Chicken	Leftovers/Cereal
	(ichef.com)	(food.com)