Happy Halloween!

Kaelyn was unrecognizable this year as a vampire. She thoroughly enjoyed trying to scare people. :)

You would think a kid with extreme food allergies would dislike Halloween, but not this kiddo. It didn't bother her at all. She was fine with her own special treats at school and had LOTS of fun handing out candy to other kids.

Hope you had a great Halloween!

Quick Self Allergy Test

Sorry, this is a wordy post, but had to share my experience. In the last post I touched on the subject that I found I had even more allergies than I previously knew about. I started the day by feeling the size of the lump in my neck. I do this regularly. I've had it for about a year and a half. The doctors wanted to cut it out and biopsy it but I had the strong feeling that I could overcome it naturally. The doctor who wanted to cut it out was clueless about gut health and how the whole body works together, so it was an easy decision for me to not return. After getting real strict with my diet and only eating Candida friendly foods that I believed were safe I really felt like I could heal myself. Well on this particular morning I still felt the lump there, yes, it has gone down significantly in size, (it used to be like the size of a gumball and now was about pea size) but I was frustrated it was still there after working so hard. I openly said, "God, why is this lump still there? What am I doing wrong? Please show me!!!" Then I went on with my day. That afternoon I was making a loaf of bread that I thought was working really well for my daughter and I. It was egg, dairy (cow), gluten, wheat, nut, nightshade and yeast free. When I was scooping the batter into the pan I decided to try a dab to see how it tasted. Who doesn't like to try dough/batter when they are baking? :) Anyway, I guess I was being messy and the batter dripped down my lip and went onto the skin below my lip. Not thinking much of it and I just wiped my lip and continued getting the bread dough in the oven. Not long after I felt my lip/skin getting itchy. A few minutes go by, and it is still bothering. I go to the bathroom and see that my skin is red, inflamed and it is still itchy. It hits me that something in the batter does not like me. Oh no! What can it be? I thought everything was safe that I was using. I do not like bland food. When I make food, I tend to go spice happy and add other foods that will give bursts of flavor. So my bread is no plain bread. My first thought was it was the goat yogurt I put in this batch (a newish food brought back) so I decided to put a dab of it on my lip/skin area that hadn't been inflamed by the dough batter. Nothing happened, so I proceeded to try the rest of the ingredients I had used. I gave plenty of time between each item to see if something would happen. Sure enough, when I came to ginger, my lip stung like crazy and my skin turned red. It didn't stop until I washed it off. When my skin returned to normal I continued with testing to see if there was anything else. (the gluten free flours, onion, garlic, other seasonings...) Cinnamon and oregano also reacted. I use oregano in EVERYTHING! I love it for flavor. I was not happy at all. At first I was thinking, God, I've already taken out soooo many foods and now this?! I gave up sugar, my seasonings were my replacement to get by and now I have to take these out too??? I felt like breaking down. I started to think if I had one more reaction to food I would completely lose it. It is NO easy task giving up all your favorite foods (favorite foods back then anyway) and then when you find out you react to things that are supposedly healthy, it isn't easy to take. My daughter was freaked out when she came home and saw I had an allergic reaction to cinnamon. She loves cinnamon and uses it often and we were both worried she would react the same way since we have so many of the same health problems. But praise the Lord she didn't react!!! To be honest I had a small pity party for myself. Then I realized God had answered my prayer that I had spoke that morning. When I asked why my neck lump was still there. He showed me! He had guided me to figure it out! How amazing was that?! I was filled with hope pretty quickly. The next day when Kaelyn asked if I was still sad and upset about the seasonings I couldn't have, I said no. I really felt like everything was going to be fine. I had a sense of peace that came over me and I didn't have any more negative feelings about it. God is good!
I had been shown a pretty simple way to test for allergies. Not sure why I didn't think of it sooner as when Kaelyn was a baby she would also break out in rashes from foods she ate that got on her skin first. We should have known right away to remove milk and egg from her diet right away when we saw those signs, but silly us, I think we were in a bit of denial and waited for official tests from the doctors that ended up showing what we already knew.
A ways into my own health struggles I really wanted my doctor to do allergy tests on me. She wouldn't. She said they are unreliable, that doing your own elimination food tests are a better route to go. I wasn't too happy at the time, because I wanted something fast and simple to tell me what I couldn't/shouldn't have. I had already done my own 2 week elimination diet of main food categories and knew several foods I responded poorly to. My doctor wanted me to retest all foods again but leave them out for 3 weeks and gradually reintroduce one at a time again. Well I got the same results by doing just the 2 week elimination and then gradually adding one back at a time. I can go into more depth on that process in another post if someone is interested.
Back to the easiest test we found, not saying it will work for everyone or for all kinds of allergy testing but it is certainly an easy one to try for a first stage test. Just mix a dry ingredient with a tiny bit of water and put on your lip and down into the skin below, no need to add water if it is a liquid. If you get a stinging and itching sensation that won't go away with red inflammation, you aren't reacting well to it and should remove the food for a good amount of time. Your body can heal itself so the good news is if it is a good healthy food that you are reacting to, in time you should be able to bring it back into your diet. Your gut health just needs time to restrengthen and heal.
Here is a picture of me about an hour and a half after one of my reactions, I think this one was from the oregano...

The inflammation had looked quite a bit worse but I didn't think to take a photo until it was going away. This is me in the all natural by the way, no editing, no make up... I hadn't even done my hair that day. Who has time for that? :) Really I don't care what I look like in the photo I just wanted to share my experience in hopes it will help someone else figure out their offending foods.

My learning doesn't end there. After my allergy testing experience I was a little worried about other foods I may be eating that I may be allergic to and not know it. Well, thank the Lord for his nudging in my life because he led me to the most amazing revelation. After Jesus died for us, he gave us His Holy Spirit to live in each and every one of us, right? And I guess I was originally thinking that was how He guides us, which is true but the part I was missing is just how powerful He is and ALL the things He can help us do. God is the most powerful, the number one HEALER and He lives in ME and you!!! It really hit me, I don't need to take anymore evil going on in my body. The Lord lives in me and can overcome it! I just have to believe, trust, and remember what all Jesus did for me (and everyone else) on the cross. I can allow my body to let the Holy Spirit overcome any sickness, disease, or other negativity in my body.  I don't know about you but that sure got me excited! And guess what, my neck lump is almost gone!!! So, so thankful! I strongly encourage you to turn to the Lord when you think a struggle in your life is too strong. Give it up to Him to overcome. I will go into more depth on my revelation soon.

What we ate Wednesday { for Health }

{ beet greens and stems }

It wasn't very long ago my mom called and asked if I could eat beet greens. I had never tried them before and when I looked up information on them it looked like I should be able to. So I decided to make a veggie dish by sauteing them with zucchini, yellow summer squash, kale, fresh parsley, garlic and onion. It turned out so good! Even my six year old loved the dish! That is one good thing about all our health issues/allergies, it pushes us to try new foods, to eat veggies we normally wouldn't and for the most part we end up really enjoying them. Beet greens and stems will definitely stay on our menu list. :) Thank you mom for sharing your veggies!

So onto what we ate this last week; hope it inspires you in the kitchen:

Wednesday: Lunch-homemade ground chicken sausage and bone broth soup, Supper-goose and gravy on homemade bread
Thursday: fresh caught goose (from my dad) with sauteed greens veggie dish (liked described above)
Friday: cooked veggie mix with bone broth in creamed zucchini soup, homemade bread
Saturday: Breakfast-teff porridge (second attempt on making this, this one turned out good!), Lunch-opened face homemade bread with chunks of goose and veggie cream sauce, Supper-chicken breasts, sauteed broccoli with a drizzle of lemon juice
Sunday: Breakfast-K had leftover teff porridge, I had homemade chicken sausage with avocado and sauerkraut, Lunch- Salmon grilled on cedar (by hubby) with lemon drizzle and browned asparagus, Supper-opened face homemade bread with chunks of goose and veggie cream sauce leftovers
Monday: chicken, cooked cauliflower/spinach/fresh parsley mix
Tuesday: creamed spinach with ground turkey

Like last week, breakfast usually consisted of goat kefir or goat yogurt, homemade chicken sausage and veggies, or meat/veggie leftovers. I had salmon and veggies a few mornings which was delicious! Love Hubby's Sunday grilling! K likes to have certified gluten free oatmeal a few mornings out of the week. Lunch for Kaelyn and I consists of leftovers reheated on the stove. I heat Kaelyns before school and she takes it in a thermos.

My crazy health journey continues as I found out I have even more allergies. Seriously!?! You probably are thinking what else is left to take out after the long list of foods I already can't have. Well seasonings, ginger, cinnamon and oregano are all out for me. I'll admit I was NOT a happy camper when I found that out... the hard way. More to come about that in the next post. I keep on learning, not always willingly...

Thankful...

for so much. Praise the Lord for all He has done and is doing!

{Grandma Shari grew a little pumpkin patch and let Kaelyn pick one for Halloween. She chose the biggest.}

Fall ~ Welcoming the change of seasons. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE summer and the heat but I'm also enjoying the colorful trees, the crisp fallen leaves, and the brisk fresh air. Kaelyn is also getting excited for the quickly approaching holidays.

Sunday Morning Bible Study ~ We are working through Lifeguide's Forgiveness, Making Peace with the Past by Douglas Connelly which is really pushing me to think differently about situations and is opening my heart. It is GOOD.

Healing ~ I've been feeling so much better. I'm seeing some of my health prayers being answered which is sooo exciting. For most it would be little things taken for granted but in my world they are big improvements and I am so thankful! Praying they continue and there aren't more setbacks.

Growth ~ Kaelyn has grown up so much. She helps cut and peel veggies in the kitchen, is taking BB target shooting lessons with her dad, reading complicated stories for a first grader and is loving and doing so well in school. So proud of my kiddo. :)

Holy COW ~ K started attending church school on Wednesdays and is loving it. She wishes it was everyday. I understand why Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." Mathew 19:14 It is fun watching her faith grow.

Apple picking ~ Great mother/daughter time together and we get to visit Kaelyn's great grandma and spend time with her. There was a negative that came when I was throwing a fallen apple and got stung by a bee. I hadn't seen the bee in the apple but K did. At first I thought Buggers! I am not thankful for that happening to me, but after thinking about it a bit, I was. I was thankful it hadn't stung Kaelyn or my grandma who is 91 and allergic to them. She is regularly picking up the fallen apples with bees in them. This was the first time being stung and boy did the sting last a long time. Maybe part of the stinger is still in me? Oh well, we all learned to be more careful around the fallen apples. None of us thought the funny looking bees would actually sting. Another lesson learned, ANYTHING is possible.

Kite Flying ~ We had nice fall weather this last weekend. It was windy but that made for great kite flying. What age doesn't like flying kites??? K was delighted!

{daddy daughter time}

{She would get so excited to see how well she shot.}

What are you thankful for?

What we ate Wednesday {for Health}

Every so often I will try and share one of our weeks menus with you. Hopefully this post will help inspire food planning for someone trying to eat healthier, working on overcoming illnesses through food, or maybe it will just give an insight to what we eat to those who are curious. :)

Here is what we ate this last week...

{allergy free pumpkin spice pancakes}

{Kaelyn likes hers topped with ghee, cinnamon, nutmeg and a touch of stevia. I choose pumpkin butter and cinnamon.}

Wednesday: duck, salad, sauteed broccoli
Thursday: cabbage casserole
Friday: ground beef in bone broth soup with homemade allergy free bread
Saturday: Breakfast-pancakes, Lunch-chicken breasts and sauteed veggie mix (zucchini, summer squash, beet greens, kale & onions), Supper-beef roast and candied green beans
Sunday: Breakfast-leftover pancakes heated in the toaster on low, Lunch-grilled hamburgers & hotdogs done by hubby (I don't eat the hotdogs) with sauerkraut & avocado and candied green beans, Supper-liver and onions with sauerkraut and avocado and sauteed veggie mix
Monday: goose, cooked beet greens and kale dish
Tuesday: roast, candied green beans, fotatoes (cooked cauliflower that tastes like potatoes)

Breakfast usually consists of goat kefir, homemade chicken sausage and veggies, or meat/veggie leftovers. K likes to have certified gluten free oatmeal a few mornings out of the week. Lunch for Kaelyn and I consists of leftovers reheated on the stove. I heat Kaelyns before school and she takes it in a thermos.

*When on my strict Candida diet I did not eat any form of grains or drink much goat kefir, but otherwise this is a similar list of meals I ate during those months. Just recently I added in the homemade bread and pancakes and so far they have been going good. (Praying they continue to!) I make up my own recipes using mainly buckwheat and teff.

If anyone has questions or would like more info about something please ask. I'd be glad to share! Happy Wednesday!
 

Friday Favorites {Good Books}

The majority of books read in our household are kid books but every once in awhile I get around to reading something... usually about health or faith. 

Here are a few of our recent favorites that we recommend:

Quiet Times with God ~ for kids; we read Bible stories every night before bed. This has been our favorite so far. Even I look forward to what the next verse and reading will be.

The English Roses by Madonna ~ fantastic girly book; super fun illustrations and the story is wonderful and heartfelt. The story teaches about not judging others; you never know what someone is dealing with in their life. I would highly recommend for any girl age 5 to around 12.

Twelve Ordinary Men ~ This was recommended in our church class last year and I bought it for my Grandma. She read it and thought it was good and loaned it back to me to read. I have only a few pages left. The book shares information on how the twelve disciples chosen by Jesus really weren't much different from you or me. I love how it reminds us that God uses perfectly ordinary people in remarkable ways, we only have to trust and be faithful.

Nutrition and Physical Degeneration~ An eye opening book about a dentist who really wanted to know why some people had good teeth and others didn't. He went all over to research what people ate and what their structure and teeth looked like. The book really tells how much nutrition impacts our health. You will not be surprised why there are so many more illnesses today after reading this book.

After looking for the book a few times at Barnes and Noble and having no luck, I found the pdf online for free! So happy about that. If you are interested in reading it, click HERE.

Happy reading!

Praises & Mesothelioma

I have to start by saying how amazing it is how the Lord works. Just the other day I asked God out loud if I should even be blogging. I've contemplated giving it up a few times and so I asked Him to guide me, to let me know what direction I should go. Literally, just a few hours later I got my response! I received an email asking if I could help spread awareness about mesothelioma from a family who had experienced the nasty diagnosis first hand; they really wanted their story shared. And so I am more than honored to fill you in on what mesothelioma is but first lets meet the family...

Cameron, Heather and their beautiful daughter Lily Von St. James

At the age of 36, just weeks after giving birth, Heather was diagnosed with malignant pleural mesothelioma. I'm sure you are wondering what mesothelioma is. Mesothelioma is an aggressive cancer that attacks the lining of the body cavity called the mesothelium. The only known cause is exposure to asbestos. On average, individuals who are diagnosed with this type of cancer are given only 10 months to live. Scary! God was not ready to take Heather home though... He had a different plan for her and her family. She underwent a life saving surgery that included the removal of her left lung. Now she is thriving, able to help others who need support and spreading awareness alongside her family. Praise the Lord!

I hadn't heard the name mesothelioma before but I had heard about asbestos. My high school had been condemned a few years after I graduated due to asbestos. The high school had to be rebuilt. The scary and sad part is around 30 million pounds of asbestos are still being used in the United States today... in homes, schools and commercial/industrial buildings! On July 12, 1989, the EPA issued a final rule banning most asbestos containing products. In 1991, this regulation was overturned by the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. As a result of the Court's decision, only a few asbestos-containing products remain banned. Infuriating if you ask me! I'm sure it comes down to government/people who are so money hungry they don't care about the well being of others... this happens way too often. People need to HELP others and create a safe environment!

This year 10,000 Americans will die of asbestos-related diseases such as lung cancer or mesothelioma and 200,000 will be living with asbestos. Asbestos isn't just an American problem though, it is also being used in building material in several developing countries including Brazil, India, China, Russia and Canada. Mesothelioma commonly sits inactive in the body for 20-50 years after initial exposure to asbestos so the most common ages being diagnosed are between 50 and 70. Second hand exposure from parents or spouses who worked closely with the asbestos is also an alarming problem so please help share this information!

This is a preventable cancer. Help get rid of asbestos, spread the word! More information about mesothelioma can be found HERE.

Thank you Cameron and Heather for sharing your story!

And so it looks like my blog will be staying around a bit longer. God's pushing on my heart... if I can inspire, support, share awareness for someone else, even just one on this little online space of mine, that is good. :)

Have a blessed weekend! 

Do something good for someone else and spread the word about mesothelioma. ♥

Bread and Health

Most people eat bread without thinking too much about it. Growing up, bread was one of my favorite additions to a meal. Mom's homemade buns right out of the oven with melted butter was one of the best treats. As I grew older we heard more about health benefits of wheat bread vs white but still I enjoyed either one. Bread didn't become a big deal until we learned of my daughter's wheat/gluten and egg allergy. Boy did that narrow down the kinds of breads one could enjoy. We tried a variety of kinds from the health food aisles and nothing was very good. Many were dry and pretty tasteless and if you happened to find one with taste, it wasn't good. When my health was failing (Celiac Disease, leaky gut, hypochlorhydria, Candida...) I worked hard on overcoming many of my illnesses and all bread was removed from my diet. Something that worked for me while detoxing/cleansing my body was removing all grains, including gluten free grains. I recently felt my body was ready to reintroduce some of the grains/flours again. It had to be a homemade bread though with no sugar, yeast, soy, nuts, eggs, or gluten added. I wanted the healthiest bread I could get yet have some good taste. Praise the Lord, my first experiment turned out pretty darn good. I have now made it a few times and Kaelyn loves it and asks for it at every meal and snack time. :) I'm still working on some tweaks and want to try a different size loaf pan before sharing the recipe.

I need to add what a difference flours can make. Teff flour was one of the gluten free flours I used for the above pictured bread that turned out good and worked well for our bodies/tummies. One day I ran out of teff and decided I'd try millet. Not only was the bread a lot more crumbly but Kaelyn and I both got horrible rashes shortly after eating it. Apparently millet is a high glycemic food which could be a reason we reacted poorly. Thank the Lord, there were no feelings of explosions in my stomach and no major setbacks! Not too long ago I would have been curled up on the couch with horrible stomach pain and seriously bloated. This time my symptoms consisted of an itchy rash on my face but it was gone by the next day. Now we know, millet is out of my cooking. :)

For quite some time I had been worried about the foods we ate, what vitamins we were missing, trying different products in hopes of becoming healthy quickly. Ha, ha there is no real quick health cure, at least not to a seriously damaged body like mine. Anyway, one day I was talking to the Lord (yes I pray a lot during the day) and said I have done all I can do, it is all up to You to heal me, I give up trying to do it on my own. I'm sure He shakes His head at me several times a day when I think I can do things on my own. Ha! Trying to learn that lesson. It is hard to be patient. I asked Him to just guide me on foods and work His healing touch through my body. The good news is I know He is answering my prayers! Healing is happening! I needed to step back, simplify and pray. Once in awhile I still do worry/get nervous about trying new foods. I would love to reintroduce honey but I do not want a big setback and I really don't want the Candida in my gut to get out of hand again. It will be awhile before I try it, but I know I have to do better about relying on Him... for everything. I am definitely a work in progress. :)

A verse that spoke to me today:

Do Not Worry

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, 

what you will wear. Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. 

Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. 

And how much more valuable you are than birds! Who of you by worrying can add a 

single hour to his life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?
Luke 12:22-26

Friday Favorite {Recipe}

After a complete diet change and lots of time experimenting in the kitchen, I feel I have learned a lot and have come up with some pretty good allergy friendly/Candida free recipes. I have to admit, I was scared of cooking or sharing my food with others in public. I knew my taste buds changed a lot after eliminating sugar and eating totally different foods. When our family bible study started, everyone was suppose to bring food to share beforehand. I was a little freaked out about it. Kaelyn and I couldn't eat other people's food so I had to prepare a main dish that everyone could have. I was worried that no one would like/eat what I made... it doesn't always look the most appetizing. I had to focus on my family though and I knew what I could cook that my daughter liked and was good for her. So one of my first dishes I made for others was my cabbage casserole, and to my great surprise it was a hit! People (without food issues) were asking how I made it! This was shocking to me! And recently I made it for a church potluck and it went over the same. More people wanted the recipe so I figured I'd share it here as well.

These organic ground turkeys are a little less than a pound. I purchase them in the frozen health food area in HyVee. Their price is better than specialty health food stores.

I like quite a bit of seasoning for lots of flavor. Beware, the more turmeric you add, the yellower the dish will be. I like to make a large pot full so we have leftovers and K has some to take to school for lunch.

{click on recipe image card then right click and go to print}

Hope you enjoy the dish. Have a fantastic weekend!

What We Eat for Enduring Health

Several bloggers blog about what they wear. Well unless you really want to know our latest and greatest thrift store/second hand finds, what we wear wouldn't be all that thrilling. :)

What I do get asked often is "What do you eat???" This question always pops up when someone finds out all the allergies and food intolerances my daughter and I have to deal with. The list of foods we can't have is pretty long: dairy, wheat ~ all gluten products, eggs, peanuts, nuts, nightshades which include potatoes, peppers, tomatoes to name just a few of the main ones, corn, soy, legumes, fructose, starches and sugar. Even gluten free grains were out while healing from Candida. Sadly my daughter is a mini replica of her mommy when it comes to her health. Pulling sugar, fructose and gluten free grains from a kid is not easy. We do the best we can but she still has a little here and there. We never use any processed sugars. K uses stevia here and there otherwise we use some fruit for her sweetener,but it is rare. She still has a ways to go on controlling her Candida, but I'm hopeful we will get there.

Prior to my illnesses I was a pasta, pizza, burrito, bread and chocolate loving girl. Veggies were not high on my priority list and honestly, I don't think I ate a salad until I was in college. Sad. I had no idea how horribly I was impacting my own health and my future daughters. But as they say, you learn from your mistakes. My health was failing big time shortly after the birth of Kaelyn. I saw many doctors and really nothing was helping, I was only getting worse even after being treated for Graves Disease. So I started researching and going with my gut feelings and decided food might just be my best medicine... and it is. (But I also do really need my thyroid medication since my thyroid was killed.)

So what does a girl do, that had never eaten all that well or spent much time in the kitchen?... you learn to cook and experiment with food. You give up time creating art (or something else you love to do) to make time creating healthy,nourishing, yummy dishes for you and your family to eat. And now I can say, I see what a blessing my health struggles have been. Not only did it make me rely on God to remain hopeful and to keep going, but I was able to find and try so many new foods that are healthy and I now love! I've come to the conclusion if you don't like a veggie, you aren't cooking it right.

If any of you are dealing with health/food issues I hope you will find a little kitchen inspiration...

{making zucchini chips}

My daughter is addicted to these. They take forever to bake but when they are out, I don't think the two pans last more than 5 min before they are gone. These are baked with coconut oil, turmeric, nutritional yeast flakes and Himalayan sea salt.

Zucchini is an amazing veggie in the multiple uses it can have ~ chips, pasta, creamed soup, breads. It just needs a creative hand and it can be a wonderful replacement to otherwise harmful foods.

{allergy free zucchini lasagna ~ one of my favorite dishes!}

{cucumber water ~ adds a fresh punch of flavor}

For the longest time I was missing my pasta. Zucchini to the rescue again... and my mom for giving me her nifty grater to use, we now have wonderful grain free spaghetti noodles!

Kid approved! :)

When a vegetable can serve different purposes, meals can become a lot more interesting. Like zucchini, cauliflower can make a great substitute. I love making cauliflower into an alfredo like sauce or even fake mashed potatoes. My six year old really thought I had given her real mashed potatoes when in fact it was cauliflower. The key is to mix it with some meat broth, a little onion and seasoning and blend it up very smooth. Delicious!

Here is a more complete list of foods that have made me feel so much better and keeps our daughter healthy, if she shys away from this list she usually catches a bug pretty fast:

Meat:
Chicken, Turkey, Salmon with no added ingredients, organic is preferred, fresh caught fish, wild game (venison, goose, duck...), bison and beef that is 100% grass fed. I would like to try pork but haven't found a clean one. Have to be aware that gluten is put into most "natural flavorings" and spices usually contain nightshades.

Veggies:
Asparagus, Lettuce, Bok Choy, Celery, Cucumber, Radishes, Kale, Avocado, Broccoli, Brussel Sprouts, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Collard Greens, Swiss Chard, Garlic, Green Beans, Onion, Spinach, Summer Squash, Turnip Greens, Zucchini, Black Olives, Seaweed (Kaelyn loves Kelp! I may not have told her it was actually seaweed. She also really likes SeaSnax... which are strangely addictive.)

Healthy Fats and Oils:
Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil, Animal Fats, Cod Liver Oil, Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil, and Ghee. Ghee is clarified butter and is technically a dairy food but casein and lactose have been removed so most people can tolerate it even if they are dairy intolerant. It has worked wonderfully for us as our butter replacement.

Seasonings:
Cilantro, Cinnamon, Ginger, Nutmeg, Oregano, Parsley, Thyme, Turmeric, Himalayan Sea Salt, Celtic Sea Salt and Nutritional Yeast Flakes. Nutritional Yeast must say "Flakes" which is a deactivated yeast so it won't harm a Candida sufferer; it is a great "cheesy" flavoring that is high in nutrients. All the seasonings I use are either fresh from the garden or USDA organic dry seasonings. I only purchase organic seasonings since many commercial spices are irradiated and can change or damage your body's cells, some can even contain other nasty contaminates.

Fruit:
Only a little fresh Lemon Juice for flavoring.

I also use Organic Raw Apple Cider Vinegar for cleaning veggies and when making bone broth soup.

I think that is everything I have been using in my kitchen. The links go to the actual products I use everyday. I can usually get a better price when ordering from Vitacost. I order quite a bit at once so shipping is always free and it's usually delivered in four days.

I have tried a lot of different healthy diet lists before coming to this one. Nothing else gave me relief. I found I have to have enough meat and healthy fat otherwise I am constantly hungry. I've only used the foods on this list for about six months. For about a year, year and a half, I have used the above list plus tried some gluten free grains and honey here and there but my stomach still wasn't happy and I was not digesting well. The one site that really helped in my progress is Healing Naturally by Bee. Be sure to check it out if you or a loved one are dealing with any serious health issues. It is not just for Candida sufferers! Remember to follow your gut instinct. You will know what works for you and your body... everyone is a little different. I believe everyone would do best from a clean, organic diet. Foods that are as close to nature as possible... the way God intended. These foods are what will help heal you. The more man gets involved with foods the worse they are for you... I have learned this from experience.

A couple weeks ago we brought back Goat kefir and it seems to be going over well. I would love to try raw dairy but it isn't available around us. I've heard a lot of dairy intolerant people can handle dairy in the raw form. Interesting. A couple days ago I also tried making bread again so we will wait and see how my body likes the reintroduction of some gluten free grains. I am praying there won't be anymore setbacks!

If you are dealing with similar health issues and/or have any questions, need support, whatever, please email me or leave a comment! I would be glad to chat with you.

School and a Race

My baby has grown so much from one year ago. She is doing so many things on her own now, which makes this mama's heart happy and a little sad at the same time. August 20th was the day Kaelyn had been excitedly waiting for. She was ready to get back to school.

 I may have tried talking her out of her backpack. Didn't work. :)

Labor day weekend was the last crit race for the year. I think I'm finally doing better photographing the races. (or maybe I was just lucky at this one.) It is a fun challenge to get the racers in focus when they are flying by so quick. Not easy! I think hubby said he got up to 29 miles/hr at this race. (flat course... insane!) K and I enjoy the track layout because we get to see the racers often. Thankfully there weren't any nasty crashes around the curves this time.

{a few of the competitors}

{He won some cash and dinner out! He gave the Red Lobster meal away to another competitor though since K and I have so many food issues. This made a newbie to the race happy. My man is such a sweet guy!}

{Kaelyn is so proud of her daddy!}

House Tour!

It has been awhile since my last home tour. Shortly after taking these photos Miss K had a nasty allergic reaction to a medication that landed us in ER and I forgot about the photos until recently. So before sharing more current family happenings with you here's some home inspiration that I hope you will enjoy...

Usually I'm drawn to the character of older homes, but once in awhile there is a builder that puts some nice details into their designs. I like unique details! :)

All photos except the first 4 show the work of Zome's Construction. (Thanks for letting us tour your gorgeous home Kevin!)