This week's menu

So often I get asked:  so, what CAN you guys eat????  Today, I will attempt to give a snapshot of what our week's menu looks like. 

We are embarking on new territory:  a budget (beyond paper and in real practice).  An area that I can greatly contribute financially is in the grocery department.  Yes, healthy food is "expensive" if you compare it to a box of generic Mac & Cheese, but if you compare the nutrient density to the price (how much you are actually paying in regards to ACTUAL nutrients per calorie and not just fillers and/or empty..as in ZERO nutritional content...calories) you will find that healthy food is actually VERY affordable.  Since changing my family's diet four years ago, we have gone from seeing our family doctor monthly to annually, and truly several of those visits have only been for our "well child" updates.  Factor in co-payments and medication and all the other added expenses to being sick and it's easy to ascertain that eating healthy is one of the biggest bangs for one's bucks available.

I tend to gravitate towards favorite blogs of the moment.  Most of my meals this week revolve around one blog.  I am in love and adore the flexibility and flavor her recipes offer:  Against All Grain .

"cheese" chips...J ate about 8 of these!

Monday:  crock-pot-mexican-chicken-soup-with-cheddar-cheese-chips (I used Daiya's Pepper jack cheese shreds and they worked beautifully), black beans, and Spanish cauliflower "rice" (wasn't a huge fan)

Tuesday:  chili-lime-chicken-burgers (I am subbing turkey as that's what we have), corn on the cob, and leftover black beans

Wednesday:  Meatloaf, sweet potato french fries, and "fried" squash  (my own concoctions)

NOTE:  I am trying a very NEW recipe for Thursday and always try to ensure that I have a suitable "leftover" for J-Bob in case it's too much for his sensory issues.  We have come a long way and he will have to try at least 8 bites of our *new* thing, but it isn't enough to fill him up completely...babysteps...so proud of how far he's come!

Thursday:  chile-verde-chicken-enchiladas-scd-primal (this is my Hero's first day off in 7!!  Tonight will be a fun feast), more black beans, and a big green salad and probably a dessert of some sort.

Friday:  battered-gluten-free-chicken-strips (note this is a different blog...LOVE her, too), green beans, and another big green salad

NOTE:  I try to make sure I sandwich a very new recipe with two tried and true recipes so as not to create any unnecessary anxiety around dinner.  No reason to come this far only to be counter-productive.

Saturday:  Grill, grill, grill.  I HEART the grill.  I try to pile up plenty of meat and veggies for us to snack on, and on the weekends the kids each get to get a bag of chips of choice.

Sunday:  honestly, I am too fickle to plan THIS far. 

I usually try to hit Kroger's manager specials during J-bob's therapy to find Organic and/or humanely raised meat on sale.  If you notice, I am trying to have a type of bean several times a week in an effort to desensitize my family to the texture so that maybe in a few  years we can have several meatless days.  I am not against eating meat; we have come to appreciate all the nutrients it provides our hypoallergenic bodies.  I am against factory farming and the over-indulgent-over-consumption of meat...and I'm on a strict budget...which means this family better learn to like some beans, baby.  I wish I could mesh the awareness of Vegans with the awareness of the Paleo community in an effort to show that healthy diets lifestyles MUST involve fruits and veggies and unprocessed foods...the rest is just personal needs and preferences.

I keep our breakfast super easy.  I have found a Gluten-free bread, Rudi's, that is very good and reasonably priced.  The kiddos have a piece of toast and a glass of Bolthouse Farm's Green juice. 

I have a cup of coffee with a splash of So Delicious Coconut Creamer (french vanilla) and a banana.

We snack on fruit, almonds & raisins, and chocolate almond milk unless J-man has his chips still and then he enjoys chips and hummus (we add chili powder and cumin to make it taste more cheese dip-ish).  I also make smoothies and Popsicles and have organic suckers on hand. 

Our lunch is usually leftovers or a spinach salad with baby carrots, celery, and sweet potato french fries or a grilled "cheese" sandwich for the kids (we try to keep lunch veggie focused in an effort to get enough in our daily diet). 

Mermaid and I gladly ate this again for lunch!

I get a lot of personal emails and FB requests about how/where to start and what to eat; I hope this little snapshot into our week's menu has helped.  I try to remind everyone that it all starts with a first step.  I think we should all begin by simply adding our needed 8-10 glasses of water a day and slowly go from there..one meal, day, week, and year at a time.  Babysteps.

scones, blueberries, watermelon...OH MY!

this morning i made chocolate chip scones via bob's red mill's sorghum flour package. the recipe called for currants, but i subbed choc chips. they were pretty good. i am excited to tweak it with some more fillers.

j-bob and mermaid both turned their noses up at first...stinkers...but i got creative...did some silly voice and gave the food personality...yep...we played with our food...but when it was all said and done...mermaid had almost cleared her entire plate, and j-bob had eaten over half his scone, one blueberry (only gagged once), and two bites of watermelon!!

that ladies and gentlemen, is a miracle (and yes...God can send you hard work in the form of biomedical and special diets...as His miracle). had you told me one year ago...much less a year and a half ago when i had to answer what j-bob ate for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and the answer to all three meals was: pancakes with zucchini and chicken puree...(yuck)...that my baby boy would be eating scones, blueberries, watermelon, carrot sticks, etc...i would have burst into tears at the very idea.

i still marvel at how far we have come as a family...balance...it is such a nice feeling...talk about a miracle!

day 5, 6, 7...oh who really cares!!??

so sick granola = derailed granola...

well...i can say the run with my sole sistah AND my british love...was divine! i begged for them to walk in the beginning and then i guess the tylenol kicked in, and i ended up sprinting...boom boom pow by black eyed peas always gets me going!!

i'm not in the mood for fat reduction talk...tonight i simply want to ask for prayer. prayer that i will not let the best of mermaid's behavior get to me...that i will not yell at her when at my wit's end...that i can calmly, kindly, lovingly, yet FIRMLY discipline her when needed. i don't beat my children...but occasionally...i think my words might as well...and i always apologize...but...i am tired of my behavior. don't get me wrong...i am far from abusive...but...i am not acting like the Godly mother that i should. i owe Him more than that...and my children...esp my daughter.

6 months ago i had thoughts so terrible no mother would admit to...so God has delivered us from more than anyone will ever know...whatever was going on with merminator...it made autism look simple...piece of cake...gfcfsf of course...it's a hard road...when you don't relate/enjoy your child...a very hard road. sigh...more moms need to admit to those moments...and then fight like hell to make them go away.

i cannot believe for one minute that i allow bitterness towards our special diet...i cannot believe for one minute that strangers would question when they have no idea about...i cannot believe for one minute that more and more parents with children who are struggling with extreme anger and behavior problems aren't being told: look at their diet!!!!

sigh...day 7 of fat reduction...i want more than reduced fat molecules...i want bigger spiritual muscles...much bigger relationship with Him...and a huge zapper...so that every time i put something that has gluten, casein, or soy near my mouth...it would electrocute me...as i do believe my not watching what i eat severely affects my not watching what i say or how i say it...deepest sigh...how thankful am i to serve a Merciful and Gracious yet Sovereign God!

SUCCESS

so, j-bob ate FIVE big bites of his karina's mulligatawny soup at school today!!! this is a landmark moment in this house! of course, he got a toy...but that boy earned it! he requested that we not do soup again...but he liked it...so i suggested that we only have soup once a week...every thursday...he obliged...so...soup on thursdays...it is!

tonight i made: gfcfsf vegan (egg free) nut free karina's pizza...and it was FANTASTIC! OA was here to serve it up...we added galaxy's gfcfsf "cheese" which was actually quite tasty on the pizza...he said that j-bob was asking for another piece with the first bite in his mouth...AND...he promptly requested it for his lunch tomorrow...sigh...what a wonderful feeling...to see him so excited about food again!

i have to say that his willingness to try new foods always expands with consistency AND supplements. low zinc (which is seen frequently in ASD) is said to affect the taste of foods...very interesting! he is up to eating 2 carrot sticks a day in his lunch. we shall see what tomorrow holds...today...i am thankful.

the gluten free goddess wins again!

ok...confession time...i have begun to LOATHE cooking...could it be that i love cheese and wheat so much that not cooking with these very items depress me? could it be that i am tired of measuring 100 different ingredients out in an effort to have a normal pancake? could it be that...i have grown lazy? gotten uncreative? bored with life?

hmmmm...maybe...but maybe it's just apart of my a-typical-mom-role that i constantly battle. i think it may be time to finally admit it: ...i am not the typical mom, and i do not mother typical children, and my husband is far from the typical man...SO...my quirky little family shall just have to learn to co-exist with the normal people in our own quirky little way...

which leads me to: THE gluten free goddess

she rocks it for all meals hypoallergenic...and...i do not wish food allergies upon anyone...but...as "luck" would have it...she cannot have EXACTLY what j-bob cannot have...so i almost never have to substitute! AND...she is a true vegan at heart...BUT...due to an injury a while back she had to add meat back into her diet...WHICH...i respect as i have had to do the same for myself if i want to continue running...UNTIL...i heal my body enough to do without all things carcass.

so...tonight...i made: Vegetarian Mulligatawny

it did not disappoint...by far...one of THE BEST soups i have ever had...i am so thankful for the gluten free goddess...my entire week's menus are planned around her recipes...i will attempt to post each night...tomorrow we shall have apricot glazed meatloaf...and she just posted a vegan version...wonder if i can fool OA??

baby steps granola...baby steps!

ignorance vs stupidity

ok...it's been a while since i have had a "rant"...let's blame this on the antibiotics, shall we??

today, someone actually made the comment to me: oh, please tell me you aren't one of those moms...don't do that (gfcfsf diet) to your children!

i took a deep breath...put on my advocate cap...briefly explained why i do that to my children...i have gotten so good at the spiel that i don't even get angry anymore...until later...it's always hours upon hours after the comments...they wake me up...get stuck in my mind...over and over and over...until the extreme exhaustion of the day is long forgotten, and instead i find myself typing away on my pc...cleansing my brain...purging it of the rude-thoughtless comments of others...

it's been a long road...the hardest part is over: defending why i am taking milk (the beloved gift from the greedy dairy industry...america's golden white honey...for-goodness-sake-get-a-grip-people) out of my son's diet...even the "warnings" on the boxes of rice milk telling me to seek medical approval before giving my less-than-five-year-old rice milk is accusing...grandparents, husband, doctors, friends...no one immediately jumps on board the "diet-train"...

it's a huge decision that most mom's sadly make alone...clinging to the fact that...we have prayed no less than a thousand prayers for God to PLEASE help us figure out what is wrong with our child...a prayer that is answered in the strangest of ways...allergies...sensitivities...removal of coveted foods...

slowly and surely...the doubters see change...develop relationships for the first time...become believers...never acknowledging a day when they questioned...denying a day they never believed...

FINALLY...the exhausted mother...the mother who had to turn to yahoo forums for three months so that she could feel accepted SOMEWHERE...so she could gain her identity back...rally support...from strangers...finally...she has peace...not because the doubters are now iron-clad-believers...RATHER...because...if only this one time...she listened to that still small voice of God...and believed Him...over everyone else...and He honored His Promise to her...

it's been nearly two years now that we have been gfcfsf...egg free...dye free...nut/legume free...and my son is recovered enough from the autistic spectrum...anymore will be icing on the cake...gfcfsf icing of course...not only is my son's body and mind healing...he has led my daughter's unknown/undiagnosed "issues" to the land of forgotten difficulty...he has led my body to a brighter journey...i have considerably less anxiety/depression...my skin doesn't burn for "no reason"...my tummy issues...years of tummy issues are no longer present...my skin is clear...my eyes sparkle again, and the dull-hazy-exhaustion from the first three months of going gfcfsf are replaced with a vibrant glow of hope...love of running...movement...worship...health.

so when the random strangers...or even friends...or fellow church family...ignorantly decided to give their two-cents on my family's "quirky diet"...i have to take a deep breath...remember there is a difference between ignorance and stupidity (ignorance is not knowing...stupidity is deciding to speak anyway...) and remember that God put my family on this path, and i thank Him every single day...esp on the days my children (four and five years old) GLADLY turn down fistfuls of M&M candy...scoffing that they are full of "kemicals mommy"...now that's a moment i love to justify!

gfcfsf, egg free and nut free...some vegan to boot...menu

well...i am a bit late...and will try and get recipes for any interested...but this has been a very successful week of cooking. we got j-bob back on his supplements thanks to christmas money gifts! and the biggest change is his eating...or willingness to try new foods again!

Monday: vegan lasagna (rice noodles, ragu, baby portabellas, spinach, red onion, olive oil, and lots of garlic) with rice bread toasted and brushed with olive oil and garlic salt, and banana bread (modified from veganomicon).
*j's side didn't have the veggies...but HE ATE A PIECE OF LASAGNA!!??*and OA said if all vegan food tasted this good...he'd never eat meat again!!??

Tuesday: baked chicken and rice (chicken breast, pureed bottle of roasted red bell peps, ban peps, brown sugar, balsamic vinegar, dijon must) put brown rice in dish, poured puree over, added chicken (saved some puree to spoon on top of breasts and sprinkled with curry powder), added extra broth for rice...covered...baked 325 for hour and half...til rice was tender.

for j-bob i cut up the breasts, marinated them in dijon mustard and rice milk, coated them with brown rice, tapioca starch, and curry powder...fried...HE ATE THEM!!

i had veggies and the rice...

for dessert we had karina's vegan pumpkin pie...it was freaking amazing...we had to use coconut milk as j reacts to hemp for some reason...HE ATE THAT TOO!!?? note...it's even better the next day chilled!!

Wednesday: karina's maple apricot glazed meatloaf and smashed potatoes with rice milk...we had left over pumpkin pie for dessert...note OA says this meat loaf was AMAZING!

i had huge plate of smashed pots! and pumpkin pie...(i had eaten stir fry ((bok choy, baby ports, zuchini, red onion, ginger, olive oil, and garlic)) earlier)

for j-bob i took 1/4 of the meat mixture from above...added more ground turkey, some brown rice, and a bit of broth...pureed...scooped with cookie scooper into little balls and baked for about 30 mins on my stone. HE ATE THREE OF THEM!!??

Thursday: (my plan anyway)...nachos (chopped up leftover chicken, black beans, lettuce, guac, salsa, hmmm...hoping no one notices the lack of cheese)...and vegan cheese dip. veganonicon has a recipe for a delish looking "casserole" bread type thingy...will post more on this later. hoping j-bob will eat the "cheese" dip and at least try a nacho...will probably have to keep his pretty plain...but i am also going to make a muffin from karina's site...just not sure which one yet...again...will post more tomorrow...

Friday: LEFTOVERS!!

so basically, i am cooking for a meat loving husband, veggie loving daughter, sensory defensive son, and i am shying away from meat again...OH...and everyone has some sort of food sensitivity...so all of my menus will for sure be gluten, casein, soy, nut, and egg free...with a vegan twist or option!

i will try to start posting pics...and it really hasn't been hard modifying the meal for myself or j-bob! it's just one more step...and it's a step worth taking!! the biggest part is pre-planning...

did i mention my amazing husband is speaking of the VALUE of me being home...something along the lines of it being worth the sacrifice of financial gain...WOW...he really never ceases to amaze me...it's one thing to support me staying home...another thing to think it's a good idea...but it's a GOD thing when an OA sees the value (and speaks of it). our son has eaten something new everyday and our daughter is waking up with a smile on her face...

sigh...is this what it feels like to be normal??

OH...silly me...normal people eat mcdonalds...!

*grin*sigh*grin

Donut recipe...GFCFSF, egg free, rice free

I modified this easy donut recipe from http://www.allerygrocer.com/ (awesome site btw!). This was honestly so easy that I am ashamed I hadn't tried it sooner...

"Hypoallergenic Donut Recipe"
1 Cup Quinoa flour
1/2 Cup tapioca flour or starch
---you could easily substitute these flours for your own favorite GFflour mixture---
1 1/2 tsp xanthan gum OR guar gum
2 tsp GF baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 Cup water---or your favorite milk substitute
2 Tbsp safflower oil---or your favorite
1/2 tsp GF vanilla
1 jar Gerber chicken baby food (I called the company and the Chicken and gravy is GFCF---note it does have cornstarch...you could just as easily sub a fruit or veggie puree!)

*I simply placed canola oil in a soup pan and put the temperature on med-high...

*I let it heat while I was preparing the batter (combine dry ingredients and wet ingredients seperately and then mix together).

*I took my Pampered Chef scooper and plopped little balls into the oil cooking each side about 1 1/2 mins

*I cooled them on a paper towel and then put them into a ziplock bag with powdered sugar (you can make this at home by putting sugar in your food processor for several minutes...for those who cannot have corn as every brand of purchased powder sugar has cornstarch in it)

*Let the kiddos shake them up.

I bet pureed blueberries or apples with cinnamon would be great in these too! Even the mermaid liked them!! Jay-bob actually ate the WHOLE thing...not just around the donut hole! Hope you enjoy!! I will be posting my "mini-pizza" and "elimination pancakes" soon...