Pizza Sauce

I really like this recipe; it tastes like pizza sauce but has no sugar! I found it on-line but couldn't re-find it (really happy I wrote it down).
 Enjoy!!

                                 -- Pizza Sauce (also good for spaghetti)--

1/3 c. Onion, chopped

2 Tbsp. Olive Oil

12 oz. Tomato paste*

10 oz. Water

1 Clove Garlic, minced

1 Tbsp. Honey

1/2 tsp. Oregano

1/2 tsp. Marjoram

1/2 tsp. Basil

1/2 tsp. Pepper

1/4 tsp. red Pepper Flakes

Saute onions in olive oil until cooked (onions will appear clear). 

Add remaining ingredients and simmer for 10-15 minutes.

*Generic brands tend to be safe.

Strawberry Fruit Snacks

Mmmmmm, I love fruit snacks. I think if I were to try a store-bought fruit snack now, I'd be disgusted. But I love making my own; they're easy, they're virtually sugar free (everything tastes too sweet nowadays), and, because they're made with lemons, they satisfy my cravings for lemonade!



 My recipe is an adaption of two that I liked. This one was delicious, but didn't hold up well in heat. This one is also good.

                                              (These are not the snacks; they're just strawberries)



                                       --Strawberry Fruit Snacks--

1/3 c. Strawberry puree
1/2 c. Lemon juice
2/3 c. Strawberries, frozen or fresh.
1 Tbsp. Honey or sugar
4 Tbsp. Gelatin

Heat lemon juice, fruit puree and strawberries over low to medium heat until berries are soft and mushy. Add honey and continue to cook until berries are completely mush (feel free to smash against the side of the pot). Remove from heat and whisk in gelatin slowly, to avoid clumping. Pour into an 8x8 glass dish and chill until firm.

Who Doesn't Love Chocolate?

I love chocolate; don't you? Since Christmas is coming up, I thought I'd share some recipes I've found and thoroughly enjoyed, so here are some great recipes for delicious, healthy chocolate candy, done by other bloggers and perfect for the holidays. Enjoy!
{Click candy name to go to recipe}


Almond Joys  - These were A-MAZE-ING. They taste exactly like the store-bought kind and with only 5 ingredients are super-easy. Next time, I'll probably do 24 per recipe instead of 12 per, as they are rich.

Coconut Oil Candy - Yum! Just be careful with these because too much coconut oil can cause indigestion, especially if you are just switching to real food.

Mint Candy - I will never, ever again crave Yorkshire mints. My Dad, who isn't a big fan coconut oil candy, keeps talking about these. I didn't use the nuts and dates when I did it, but they might go farther that way.

A Corn-Free Kitchen

When cooking from scratch, I find cooking corn-free is one of the easiest things to do; most of the ingredients are easily substituted with something you probably already have in your cabinet. Buying corn free can be difficult. This list tells you ingredients that may be derived from corn and are commonly found in things such as canned food. I prefer to not buy things that have ingredients I can't pronounce, or acids (can be made from corn), so many of the canned foods I use only have 2-4 ingredients (sugar, salt, water, juice, etc., depending on what it is.) Ironically, it is usually the cheapest brands that contain the simple, edible ingredients (Note-cheaper can be better!)

                                         
                                           --A Corn-Free Kitchen--

Iodized Salt- Buy sea salt! Iodized salt contains corn-based stabilizers

Baking Powder- Contains corn starch. Instead, use 1/4 tsp. baking soda + 1/2 tsp. cream of tartar for every 1 tsp. baking powder.

Powdered Sugar- Corn starch. Thankfully, making your own is easy; simply throw some white sugar in the blender until fluffy!

Honey- Buy your honey local. Big honey companies will sometimes mix corn syrup in with the honey during bottling, or they will feed their bees corn syrup. Buying local supports you farmers and means that you can ensure good, pure honey (ask them how they make it, of course)

Xanthan Gum- That's right! Xanthan gum is bacteria grown on corn. You can substitute guar gum, or buy  this corn-free brand.

Sourguhm Flour- Close relative of corn. Don't even go there. Use other flours.

**Notes-
- When buying pre-prepared foods or canned goods, avoid elusive starches (vegetable starch, food starch, etc.) Same goes for oils.
-Utz potato chips are corn free :)


These are simply the ingredients I use the most. Find more info at these blogs:
http://www.cornallergens.com/
http://www.vishniac.com/ephraim/corn-bother.html
http://freeeatsfood.com/2011/02/20/a-crash-course-in-corn-free-baking-and-cooking/

Know anymore substitutes or things to avoid? Leave a comment and share!

Cooking Without Eggs

Eggs make me feel funny and I can't stand them cold. But, all in all, they are really nice in baked goods. After I cut out gluten and corn, I still couldn't handle breads until I eliminated eggs. Poo on egg allergies. So now there's the problem of cooking without them. Corn is easy to eliminate when it comes to cooking from scratch, but eggs...sigh.

When I got Allergy Free Desserts by Elizabeth Gordon, I finally had success with egg-free cooking! Not only had I got my ratios wrong, but the flour I use seems to make a difference (more on that later).

                                                --Egg Substitutes--

There are several different substitutes; bananas, applesauce, flax seed, and chia seeds are some of the most common. Applesauce and bananas add flavor, so I don't use them, BUT you might want to.

1/4 Applesauce in place of one egg

1/2  a Banana in place of one egg

My personal favorite is flax seed. I've not tried chia seeds yet and I'm not sure what the difference would be, if any.

1 Tbsp Ground Flax seed or chia seed  

3 Tbsp Water

Combine and let sit 3-5 minutes until gelled. Use in place of one egg.

**Notes:

 - You should not substitute for more than 2 eggs (or so everyone says. I decided to believe them..for now) 

 - 1/2 Tbsp un-ground flax seed equals approx. 1 Tbsp ground flax seed

 - Do not store extra ground seeds, as they lose nutrition and go rancid quickly

 -Extra flax/chia egg substitute can be stored for up to 3 days in the fridge

Extra Info:

http://lexieskitchen.com/lexies_kitchen/2012/10/2/how-to-make-a-chia-egg-or-flax-egg.html

Got a favorite substitute? Info on how to store, make, etc.? Helpful hints? Substitutes you hate? Leave a comment and share!

Picture Perfect

                              "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth"
                                                                Genesis 1:1

"Then God said 'Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the night from the day and let them be for signs and seasons, and for days and years' "
                                                                  Genesis 1:14

"The God said 'Let the earth bring forth the living creature according to its kind: cattle and creeping thing and beast of the earth, each according to its kind'; and so it was. And God made the beast of the earth according to its kind, cattle according to its kind, and everything that creeps on the earth according to its kind. And God saw it was good"

Genesis 1:24-25

                                                

    

"Then God said 'Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb that yields seed, and the fruit tree that yields fruit according to its kind, whose seed is in itself, on the earth'; and it was so "

Genesis 1:11

The Fox andTthe Wolf (An Original Story by Huldah)

I was cleaning my room and found a folder entitled The Story Book. It's a folder full of stories (in case you didn't guess) that I wrote when I probably about 8 (this was before I dated my work, so not sure about the actual age). One of the best is The Fox and The Wolf. I can tell you're getting all excited, "At eight, she came up with such an awesome title?" "What happens? Does the Fox befriend the Wolf?" Da-da-da-da-dum! Since the story is actually really boring (suspense at eight is a lot lamer than it is now), I've kept all original spelling and punctuation for your amusement! If you're reading this out loud take a deep breath because there won't be any stopping once you start.


   -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                                                 The Fox and The Wolf

There lived a Fox named Foxy and he had a freind named Wolfy. Every day they always play togeter they play hide-n-seek + jump rope + they would ride bikes they hade so much fun 'tell one day when Foxy hade a party because they played in the woods by Foxy's house but the thing thats going to happen never com's to the house but theye live in the wood's so anyone who went to it's house it's bad so they went to the wood's and Foxy steped by it's house and a snak bite him on the leg and everyone ran but Wolfy because he was helping Foxy. (Notice how the drama builds and then - BAM!! Foxy gets bit by "The Thing", which is really a snake? Also, notice I finally used some punctuation) The next day Wolfy came to visit Foxy he hade gone to the hostpital last night + and he came home felling dizy but the next day he felt O.K. A month later Wolfy had a party. (Okay, notice how I just stopped? Can you say drama for a sequel? Also, who liked the plus signs instead of "and"?)

   ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 We can all agree that I was an amazing writer at 8? I think this came about because our neighbor had told my brothers and me to be careful in the woods as there were copperheads. Obviously, I was impressed.

Cake!

Okay, forgot how much fun it is to make a cake from scratch and then frost it with made-from-scratch frosting. It's pretty satisfactory. So, anyways, doesn't it look yummy?

Granola

Starting the day off with a good breakfast is important. I find that I feel better throughout the rest of the day if I eat first thing in the morning. That's why I eat granola; it's loaded with great minerals and keeps me going.
 Molasses is high in magnesium, potassium, etc.; honey is good for aiding your digestion; the various nuts in the granola are chalk-full of good vitamins. You get the idea. Eat granola. The amounts and ingredients can easily be switched around. The basic formula for this is 7 c. dry ingredients, 1 c. wet.


                                                       --Granola--

4 c. Certified Gluten-free Oats
1 1/2 c. Shredded Coconut
1 c. Sunflower seeds
1/2 c. Walnuts (or any nut of your preference)
2 Tbsp. Chia seed
2 Tbsp. Flax seeds

1/3 c. Honey
1/3 c. Molasses
1/3 c. Olive Oil

Combine all ingredients in roaster pan, or one of suitable size. A 1/2 batch in a 9x13 in pan would probably work well. Bake at 300 degrees for 30 minutes - 1 hour, stirring every 10 - 15 minutes.
 The time may vary depending on your oven. Our gas oven burns hotter than an electric one, so it takes less time (30 minutes, stirring every 10) In town, with the electric oven, cooking for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes, worked just fine.

Serve plain or with applesauce. If you can handle dairy, it's also very good with yogurt.

Going Toxic Free

I figured if I have to cut corn, eggs, gluten, and dairy, and watch my intake of things like pork, why not go the whole way? So, with the hope it will help with my dry skin and sinus troubles, I've stopped using shampoo...and conditioner...and toothpaste, deodorant, and lotion. And I'm wishing I'd done it a lot sooner. Why? Well, let me list the reasons

1) Bye, bye shampoo!
  I never liked shampoo. Well, okay, I liked it, but I knew I was dependent on it-if I went more than 2 days without, my scalp got all itchy and my hair gross and crunchy and ugghh.
 I started out using a honey shampoo (1 Tbsp. honey, 3 Tbsp. water), but my hair was still fairly greasy looking. So I tried baking soda. Yup! My hair looks like I've used shampoo, feels great, and is basically awesome. It also takes about a quarter of the time to brush it out. Considering my waist-length hair, that feels like an accomplishment.
 Use one part baking soda, three parts water. Keep in mind that some people find it makes their hair feel limp if you use too much, too often

2) Deodorant
 No one likes to smell like sweat. Unfortunately, it still happens. Finding a deodorant that works for me usually means getting one that smells so strong people can't smell me over it. Reading up on Do-It-Yourself deodorant, they were talking about how your body sweats more when you use store-bought stuff because it's trying to rid itself of the toxin in it. Make sense? So, I mixed up a batch of deodorant. I don't smell anymore. It's pretty nice.
 Mix 1/3 c. Coconut oil, 1/3 c. Arrowroot powder, and 1 Tbsp. Baking soda. Mix until creamy-it may take a couple of minutes, but it works. You can store it in the fridge or on your dresser, but coconut oil may melt there ( your preference, really. It won't go bad) Original recipe

3) Toothpaste
 My dentist once told me to brush without toothpaste first, and then use toothpaste, because it was proven to clean your teeth better. 'Nough said? My teeth definitely feel and look cleaner than when I was using toothpaste. Just grab that dry toothbrush and scrub!  Worried about bad breath? I've heard that baking soda mouthwash works ( I haven't tried it yet)

4) Lotion
 I hate lotion. I have sensitive skin and anything with a whiff of scent makes my hands sting. So I use coconut oil. That's really all there is to it.


Not convinced? Go Google everything and see what other people have to say!

Go a little farther, get more info, try a different recipe:

http://thankyourbody.com/diy-all-natural-care-products/

http://www.diy-home-remedies.com/homemade-hair-conditioner.html

http://www.realfoodrn.com/homemade-deodorant/

http://thankyourbody.com/uses-for-baking-soda/

http://butternutrition.com/caring-for-your-epidermis/

http://thepaleomama.com/2013/08/the-healing-powers-of-aloe-vera-how-to-use-it-at-home/

http://thankyourbody.com/ph-balanced-shampoo-recipe/

Got a good recipe? A failure or success with using your own shampoo, deodorant, etc.? Comment and share!

No-Bake Energy Bites

These things are amazing. And when I say amazing, I mean "Oh-my-drop-dead-I-had-to-take-bite-before-getting-a-picture-for-the-blog amazing". Yup, they're that amazing. They also take about 5 minutes to make. Yup, that amazing. Sadly, I didn't come up with the recipe; so, all credit goes to Smashed Peas and Carrots (awesome blog name, huh?) Original recipe here.


                                             --No-Bake Energy Bites--

1 c. Certified Gluten-free Oats

1/2 c. Chocolate Chips ( I used dark chocolate. A-maz-ing)

1/2 c. Peanut Butter

1/2 c. Flax seeds ( I used half of what they called for, but feel free to go all out!)

1/4 c. Honey

1 tsp. Vanilla

Combine and thoroughly mix. Roll into balls and then eat them. Yum! You may need to stick them into the fridge for a few minutes so that they're easier to roll.

Yeah, they are definitely amazing.

My Wonderful "Horse"

Here she is, folks! That wonderful beast I like to call a dog (and sometimes a horse)

She's so intelligent :)

You can tell by the dirty wall that that's the favorite napping place

Look! Paws!

Believe it or not, she actually had a growth-spurt after these pictures were taken

The more petite, not-nearly-as-awesome sister. And no, of course I'm not bias! 

Sweet Potato-Sausage Casserole

This dish is easy-peasy to prepare and delicious for the whole family. The only complaints I got when I made it for the first time where "Why didn't you make more?" and "Are you sure we have to leave some for Mom?" So, if you are feeding more than five people, and if the majority are men, double  the recipe...or triple it.




                        -- Sweet Potato-Sausage Casserole--

1 lb. Sausage, browned.

2 Medium Sweet Potatoes

3 Medium Apples

Preheat oven to 375 F.
Peel and slice sweet potatoes. You'll want to slice them relatively thin. Spread in the bottom of a 2 quart baking dish. Peel and chop apples. Spread on top of sweet potatoes. Top with sausage.

Mix together-

1/2 c. Water

2 Tbsp. Sugar

1 Tbsp. Flour (I use gluten free)

1/4 tsp. Cinnamon 

1/4 tsp. Salt.

Pour over casserole and bake covered for 50 minutes. Serve over rice.

Homemade Applesauce

Applesauce- who doesn't love it? And, it is super easy to make! Seriously. It is also naturally gluten, corn, and egg free.



                                  --Plain Applesauce--

     (I'm not even going to bother giving amounts, it's so easy. Did I mention it's easy?)

You will need-

A crock-pot - Size depends on how much applesauce you want
Apples- enough to fill your crock-pot

Prep-
Peel, core, and slice all your apples. Put in crock-pot and and turn on low. Cook until everything turns to mush, stirring occasionally. Enjoy!

(See? I told you it was easy!)

Note- apples will cook down to about half of what you originally had.

Can you say yum?

How My Unfortunate and Unwelcome Food Allergies Came to Be

Discovering I had food allergies was hard. It took eight weeks of solid misery before we figured it out and after the initial joy, it hit me; my life was over. My favorite foods were popcorn, tortilla chips, pretzels, and noodles. I had at least one serving of gluten and or corn a day, usually a serving a meal.

  My symptoms did not start all at once; for about two years leading up to the discovery, my digestion went seriously down hill. I'd take Tums almost every night to get to sleep, but since it came on slowly I accepted this as normal. 

  In 2012 we moved to a house in the "country". I don't know if it was the stress of the move, the large amounts of fast food we ate leading up to the move, or if my body had just had enough, but I was struggling. For the first 2-3 months of living there I didn't sleep well. There were creepy noises and I was scared. Now I'm a..... cautious person, but this was ridiculous. I was more stressed than normal and was having mood swings. I couldn't concentrate. I found doing homework hard and games that I loved (SET, Blink) were hard to play. One week right around Thanksgiving I'd break down and sob for no apparent reason once a day and was extremely tired. My Mom took me to a naturalist who gave me enzymes. This helped and I was happy (or semi-happy) again. 

 2013 hasn't been my best year; headaches, mood swings, horrible digestive issues; it was discovered I have scoliosis, and my Grandmother died. All this happened by April. After eight weeks I was so miserable I decided to try a one day juice cleanse. This scared me because if I didn't eat every two hours, I got sick and miserable and just ugh. On the other hand, I didn't have enough energy to really eat and when I did it caused painful cramps and bloating. Doing the juice cleanse was awesome and it opened my eyes; food allergies.

 During the time before discovering gluten intolerance, I did find out that corn was making things worse (thank you, food journal). Gluten problems are semi-easy. There are so many flour substitutes and it's the new "in" diet, so you can buy gluten free breads and such everywhere. Corn, however, is not so easy. Corn is the cheapest, thus most common, substitute for everything. Pretty much every pre-made or pre-packaged food has corn. Grated cheese has corn starch to keep it from clumping. Yogurt has corn starch as a thickener. Sweetened applesauce has corn syrup as a sweetener.
 Now I eat a lot of fruits, veggies and meats. But my life is not over, and I know I shall go on living and that in the end I will probably die at the age 100, in my sleep, with no other health problems, because of this new, unavoidable, diet.

 Please, leave a comment and share your story. I know that there are thousands out there struggling with the same problem, trying to find out what's wrong, and that not everyone has the same symptoms I did. In fact, I'm still struggling with things as my body rids itself of toxins or I eat something accidentally, so I'm always scanning the internet for answers.