Cold Salad, Hot Salad

Sometimes I just don't want to monkey with a cold salad.  Sometimes the vegetables are just a little past their prime and aren't really suited for raw eating anymore.

That's when I make a hot salad.

Like today!

I threw it all into a cast iron frying pan with butter and olive oil, seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic, and italian seasoning, and doused it in white wine vinegar.  Then, I covered it and let it stew up for a while.

I served it topped with parmesan cheese.

Yum, and I blew my vegetable quota for the day out of the water!!

Could You Be a Locavore?

I couldn't.
I love bananas, oranges, almonds, peaches, grapefruit, dates, figs, chocolate, coffee, and tea too much.
I find the concept wonderful, challenging, and intriguing, but living in the cold north east means some great limitations, unless you count locally produced products from not locally grown products, such as Utica Coffee or Saratoga Peanut Butter.
Another hold up is budget.  My grocery budget is TINY!  If I can't grow it myself or scavenge it, it has to be bought with a very restrictive budget.  With 4 peanut butter fanatical children in the house, I purchase the best quality for the lowest price, and unfortunately, I can't afford locally produced peanut butter.

But, I do try to buy locally when I can.  Not everything produced locally is more expensive than chain grocery story imports.
And I try to buy in season when I can, or at least products produced in the United States.  Nothing against foreign countries, but in season strawberries from Florida taste better than imported strawberries from Peru.  And in season strawberries in my own backyard taste better than Florida strawberries.

That's what this blog is about.  It's not about a specific diet plan or lifestyle.  It's about not being apathetic about your health, the planet, your lifestyle, or what you feed your family.  It's about finding YOUR passion, YOUR healthy.

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Back from the Dentist

My second bi-yearly cleaning happened today.

I left the office with such sore gums.

It wasn't the fault of the dental hygienist.  She was great!

It's my body's fault.

After a little discussion, we concluded that I have caustic saliva...and a LOT of it.

Apparently, drooling on my pillow at night isn't just fodder for teasing.
It causes tartar build-up and weakens my enamel.
So, I have to go back and have a cavity filled right before Christmas.

Boo....Hiss!!  I went 12 years without a cavity!

I wonder if it is the result of having started drinking coffee this year.

Regardless, when I go back in May for my next cleaning, I want there to be as little digging and scraping as possible.
But how can I avoid the inevitable?

For starters, I am increasing my carb decreasing.
Not sure I want to give up coffee, though.
But, I am going to oil pull.
If I had the extra money, I could buy fermented cod liver oil and x-factor butter oil.
More water in my diet is likely needed, too.

Any other ideas on how to reduce acidic saliva and salvage tooth enamel?

Plastic Problem

The other evening my husband watched a program on the excessive use of plastics these days and the dangers they pose.  The program was called Plastic Paradise and is available on Netflix Instant.

I didn't watch it, but I was in the next room preparing homeschool lessons and listening in.  Even IF (and I say if because I am not accusing nor dismissing) the program was agenda-based and sensationalized, it still was eye opening to just how much plastic we have!  

A century ago we lived without plastic.  In some ways it was better and in other ways it was so much worse.

Plastic is useful.  It has helped lives and saved lives.

But it has hurt us, too.

Several years ago, my sister and I considered a great reduction in our plastic usage.  We tried, but time, money (lack thereof), and life stresses got in the way and we largely forgot our venture.

I'd love to revive it again, but can I?  Could you?

I'd like to try.

Chicken Soup Delivered

My sister texted me to let me know she was very ill and couch-bound.  I wish I could take away her illness.  While I cannot, I can do the next best thing and boost her immune system.

I made a huge pot of homemade chicken soup with a pasture raised stew chicken, potatoes, carrots, spinach, onions, celery, fresh garlic, parsley, turmeric, bay, sea salt, pepper....am I forgetting anything?

I also sent over herbal tea (agrimony, chamomile, nettle blend) and some grapefruit seed extract.

Hopefully, these will help in her healing process.  She's a strong, young woman who is rarely sick, so I'm sure she'll bounce back sooner rather than later, but I'm very glad to be able to help her in this way.  My own family has been helped many times.  It's nice to give back.

What are your go-to's for getting well?

SCD/GAPS Update

I'm sorry I haven't been posting.  My computer crashed and the borrowed one didn't support blogger very well, so my last post didn't have pics or links.

I ended up quitting the SCD/GAPS diet after the 5th week.  I had been experiencing strange symptoms since about the 3 week mark.  At first I held on wondering if it was just die-off, but they got worse and unlivable.  I lost 5 lbs with no effort.  I really didn't feel the desire to exercise while on the diet, so didn't.  But, I lost 5 lbs and was continuing to lose weight that I did not need to lose.  My skin was healing, but suddenly broke out again.  I experienced a 10 day long period (mine are usually 5-6 days).  My ovulation was so painful, I thought about going to the ER.  I had dizzy spells.  I became very irritable and even experienced some depression.

After doing some research online (yeah, I know....), it sounded like my carbohydrate levels were too low.  So, I slowly introduced some carbs, starting with sweet potatoes, potatoes and then sprouted grains.  I am now back on my usual balanced diet and I am pretty much back to normal.

I'm not writing the SCD/GAPS diet off completely.  I may try it again in the summer.  I'm also wondering if the symptoms may have been from the high consumption of nuts (almonds mostly) that I ate in the raw form rather than soaking and drying  to remove the phytic acid.

If I do the diet again, I plan on preparing the nuts properly.

SCD/GAPS Week Two

Day 7:



Breakfast: Smoothie, herbal tea

Lunch: Venison, roasted carrots, green beans, leftover grain-free pizza, water

Snack: dried apricots, dates, scones, water, apple and gouda

Dinner: french toast scrambled eggs with apple and pecans (2-3 eggs beaten with some water, pure vanilla extract, cinnamon), tangerine, water





Day 8:



Breakfast: fried eggs, tangerine, water

Lunch: cheese, carrots, 2 dried apricots, lentils, cauliflower, water

Snack: grain-free banana nut muffins

Dinner: spinach, mushrooms, asparagus, grain-free meatballs, water




Day 9:




Breakfast: smoothie, muffin
Lunch: carrots, sauerkraut, meatball, muffin
Snack: muffin, yogurt, date, coconut, pecans
Dinner: bacon cheeseburger (no bun), salad with oil and vinegar




Day 10:




Breakfast: scrambled eggs, muffin, banana, water
Lunch: chicken and steamed veg, water with lemon
Snack: dried apricots, muffins, yogurt with dates and coconut, herbal tea, water
Dinner: chicken, mixed veg, navy beans, water




Day 11:




Breakfast: scrambled eggs, muffin,  herbal tea
Lunch: 2 apricots, salad with skipjack tune, 1/2 avocado, carrots, oil and vinegar seasonings, lacto-fermented sauerkraut, water
Snack: 2 dates, apple with gouda, water
Dinner:  sausage and cabbage casserole, pea soup, water




Day 12:




Breakfast: smoothie, water
Lunch: leftover casserole, water
Snack: herbal tea, grain-free cupcake, raisin and nuts, tangerine
Dinner: cauliflower and cheese with mushrooms, squash, water




Day 13:




Breakfast: smoothie
Lunch: dates, apple and cheese, water
Snack: cupcake, water, tangerines
Dinner: chicken, broccoli, mushroom olives and muenster cheese grain-free pizza, water




**This week was rougher for me.  I had dizzy spells starting on Monday.  Nothing severe, but I wondered what was causing it.  My (uneducated) guess is perhaps candida die-off.  I also learned that nettles are not allowed on the SCD diet and I often add nettles to my herbal tea.  In addition, I ate sweet corn in the mixed veg. 

For the coming week, I decided to try to eat fewer carb substitutes, lower my cheese intake and increase my broth intake.  I am not a fan of broth at all, so this'll be a challenge.


I am also adding some candida-killer ingredients to my foods, such as grapefruit seed extract, garlic and cinnamon.