21 Reasons to Follow Me on Instagram

Reason 1: I've been so busy in my daily life that this blog is getting neglected. I have no plans to let blogging go, but if you want a little more steady stream of peeks into my life, then you'll find my Instagram feed to be much more consistent. Photos are all taken by my phone (MotoX), so don't expect the same clarity you see from my Canon. You can find me here.

Reasons 2-21 (all taken from my Instagram feed over the past month):

Old House (Lasting as Eternity) :: Coffee Date :: Just Dandy :: Future Heartbreaker :: Old Flowers (from my collection) :: Shining Through :: Gluten-Free Vegan Banana Bread that Doesn't Suck :: On and On :: Tattered (Scottish Band Sampler) :: Onward and Upward :: Sunroof Weather :: Microcosm :: I would like to Hide Under There :: Sweet from the Sweet :: Coming Soon :: Supper's Ready :: Old Heart (Sarah's Companion) :: Make a Wish :: In the Greenhouse :: Old Pincushions (from my collection)

Pumpkin Pie Smoothie (Dairy-Free)

Well, my dears, it is that lovely time of year again. Everywhere we turn its Pumpkin-this and Pumpkin-that, mouth-watering yummy-ness just waiting for us to pounce. To help keep our waistlines and pocketbook in check, I came up with this favorite after-school treat.

Pumpkin Pie Smoothie

One 13.5 ounce can Unsweetened Organic Coconut Milk (my favorite is Native Forest)
Half of a 15 ounce can plain Organic Pumpkin (I like Farmer's Market brand)
Two 16 ounce tumblers of crushed ice
1/3 cup Real Maple Syrup (or sweetener of your choosing; sweeten to your taste)
1 heaping teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon Ground Ginger

Blend until smooth. Sip through a glass straw... Yum.

And, if you feel like changing things up a little, throw in a handful of Enjoy Life mini chocolate chips (to keep it dairy-free; if you don't have to avoid dairy, then by all means use whatever mini chips you prefer). Pumpkin and Chocolate are a match that could have only been made in Heaven.

Pork Carnitas with Fresh Pineapple and Cilantro

Finding dinner recipes that don't include gluten, dairy or eggs really isn't that hard. But finding dinner recipes that meet the criteria and also appeal to the limited taste buds of a certain 7 year old, now that's another story.

Enter this recipe for Pork Carnitas, and my own added variation of grilled corn tortillas, brown rice, fresh pineapple and cilantro... Yum!

The pork takes a total of about 5 hours to prepare, but the rest of the ingredients are so simple it really makes up for the added effort of scheduling your day around cooking meat.

Even though he didn't eat the cilantro and ate all the other parts separately, I still consider it a win-win combo.

Let me know if you try it, and how you like it!

Adapting

Phase Three of diagnosing what has been ailing me is complete.

Phase One was treating the immediate symptoms of Adrenal Fatigue with an Acetylcholine-boosting protocol of vitamins and minerals along with a careful diet of foods that would help regulate blood sugar levels. And rest. Lots of rest.

Phase Two was testing my reproductive hormone levels. The results being that my Progesterone is (and probably has been for several years) extremely low. This is a rather easy thing to fix with application of cream. And, most exciting of all, may be the root cause of the insomnia I've battled since my Firstborn entered the world. I'm hoping to experience the restoration of normal sleep in the near future.

Phase Three I entered with skepticism, because I didn't feel that it applied to my situation. But I followed my Naturopath's advice and had a full food allergy/sensitivity panel done. Now this panel, when done by a traditional Allergist, would only test for foods that caused an anaphylactic response. When done by a doctor who wants to find root causes for symptoms, it will also include testing for additional antibodies which may indicate food sensitivities.

Results? Across the board, nothing very obvious or life-altering in my case, except eggs. EGGS? But I love eggs! I have my very own herd of chickens that provide delicious good-for-me proteins and amino acids! Well, I guess not good for ME.

Since I was having this test done, I also made an appointment for the First Grader, who has had lifelong tendencies toward allergic symptoms, and who I have long suspected to be somewhat intolerant of dairy products.

Now this is where the ADAPTING from the title of this post comes in. My Firstborn, Son of my Heart, Delight of my Days, is indeed sensitive to Dairy. But also highly sensitive to Gluten and Eggs.

Breathe a big sigh with me, my friends.

Alone, or even together, Gluten and Dairy allergies can be rather easily overcome in this day and age, because of the vast amount of replacement products available in the supermarket. But add eggs to the mix, and it grows infinitely more challenging. Eggs are in everything!

I have already done a lot of research on eating Primal (Paleo), and think that my family will adapt to this way of eating rather easily, even with the exclusion of eggs.

What has me completely stumped, and put my brain into a vortex of calculations that has even kept me away from this blog for a week, is how to feed a First Grader who doesn't like nuts a hearty breakfast to hold him over to lunch while he's at school, and then there's that lunch... They don't allow much time for eating in the public school system, so snacks mid-morning are nearly impossible to provide, and the lunches have to be quick and easy to eat. Most Gluten free breads on the market are either as dry as a piece of toast or have eggs as an ingredient. So sandwiches aren't totally out of the question, but who wants to scarf down dry bread while the lunchroom monitors are hurrying you out the door? I'm not crazy about the idea of just putting a pile of lunchmeat (even the "good" kinds put out by Applegate) into his lunchbox because to me that equals nasty greasy fingers, and way too much processed meat for my preference.

So for now, I'm going to experiment with a couple of bread recipes that I found on Pinterest, and hope to tap into the resource of a few friends that have already started down the same road. And I will try to stay focused on the reason I'm following through... I want my Boy to be healthy. I want the best for him, and if that means extra work on my part, well, that's just me doing my Mama-job.

Feel free to chime in with any suggested resources you may know of from your own personal experience.