More Tests and an Update…

I’m back!  Life continues to throw a plethora of set-backs my way and blogging continues to take a back seat in the line-up of things!  Unfortunately, the doctor visits and a number of tests are taking the front line in my life right now.  I wish I could share something more exciting with you, like the number of delicious recipes that I’ve been cooking up or all the family fun we’ve been having over the last few months, but not today!  God has different plans for me right now, plans to focus on healing my body and guiding me in the right direction to be the best mom and wife I can be through these trials. 

Although it seems SO VERY long ago, we did have a quiet but wonderful family Thanksgiving dinner!  This was the first year that we decided to stay home and attempt our first Thanksgiving meal together as a family.  We did so in part because of the many food restrictions I have right now and I just didn’t want to ask a million questions as to how the food was prepared or end up sitting without anything on my plate.  This seemed to be the best option for us this year and now I can say I cooked my first turkey!

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Christmas was a bit the same, we celebrated Jesus’ birthday in the morning with homemade cinnamon rolls (managed to pull together a grain free, dairy free and egg free version) and finished out the evening with a fiesta…carnitas tacos, cilantro lime sweet potatoes and homemade guacamole!  I made a veggie taco for myself and prepared the rest of the meal to my specifications so I could enjoy with the rest of the family.  Although we didn’t see a lot of extended family this year, it was just what our little family needed!

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While we’re talking about food, being on such a restrictive diet we haven’t ventured out too much as it is so difficult for me to find anything to eat and enjoy.  But since the hubs and I haven’t spent much “alone” time together lately, for Christmas I put together a little date for the two of us.  It was nothing big, but just what we needed…a trip to the Headquarters at Seaport Village for lunch at Seasons 52 and then to a matinee showing of The Hobbit:The Desolation of Smaug.  The Headquarters is fairly new, with several dining options and some higher end shopping venues.  I was very impressed by the service at Seasons 52 as they were so kind to accommodate all my “restrictions”!  . 

The hubs enjoyed some “Red Mole” tacos with a side of “Tamale Tots” and a fresh mint lemonade.

For me, it was a juicy grilled chicken breast (seasoned with only olive oil and salt and pepper) served over baby roasted carrots and potatoes.  Although there wasn’t much seasoning (how I needed it to be prepared), it was still very delicious and I simply enjoyed the fact that I could eat out with no worries!

We had a couple of hours to kill before the movie and decided to walk around Seaport Village a bit since it was such a beautiful day!

I realized I so need more days like this!  Spending time away from home really helped take my mind off any pain or emotional struggles that most days bring.  And any quality time I get with my hubs brings refreshment and a new perspective to my day.  As I continue to go through tests and diet changes, having a positive perspective and a good prayer life has been essential!  It’s been a struggle to even be in the kitchen these days!  While I love to continue to cook healthy meals for my family, I have become quite discouraged when it comes to cooking for myself.  I think I have eaten the same thing for the last month and a half or so (usually some combination of carrots, artichoke, zucchini, asparagus, mushrooms and sometimes some sweet potatoes or butternut squash) and I am so done!!  Give me some variety!!!

Since I am so over food right now, here is a quick update on all my lovely tests happening this month…continued blood tests (amino acids, white blood cell count and platelet levels continue to be low), a colonoscopy and an endoscopy.  Woo! Hoo!  Sounds fun!  My prayer is that when these tests are finished I can start adding some foods back into my diet and begin to get back to some sort of “normalcy!” 

And of course I continue to crave the foods I cannot have…isn’t that how it always works?  Unfortunately I don’t have the energy to spend a lot of time experimenting in the kitchen, but every now and then I get the urge.  This week I came up with this delicious breakfast treat….

Grain Free Blackberry Baked Pancake (dairy free and vegan)

Ingredients:

3 cups almond flour

3/4 cup arrowroot powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. sea salt

3/4 cup non-dairy milk ( I used unsweetened almond milk)

1/4 cup pure maple syrup

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups fresh blackberries

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

2. Spray a 9x13 inch baking dish with cooking spray.

3. In a large mixing bowl, combine dry ingredients.  Add in wet ingredients and mix well.  Fold in blackberries.

4. Spread batter into prepared baking dish.

5. Bake 20-25 minutes or until golden brown on top.

6. Serve warm as is, or with a drizzle of maple syrup!

Definitely not your traditional pancake, but the flavor is certainly there.  It’s a dense breakfast treat, so a little piece goes a long way which is why I decided to cut it into small squares.

The blackberries add a wonderful surprise to each bite.  I missed a picture, but ended up topping each piece off with some warm blackberry syrup.  The fam thought it was Saturday morning or something, but it was actually a quick meal to pull together.  I love that it freezes well and can be used as a quick breakfast on a busy morning.

One last hoorah before Christmas break was over…finally put our fire pit to use and roasted some marshmallows while telling funny/scary stories!

Inhaling her smores!

While this one savors each bite!

MY LOVES!!

Now we are back into the swing of school and regular schedules which makes this mama happy!  However, I am working on being a bit more flexible and open to what God brings my way each day…heaven knows that God’s plans for my day (and life) and far better than mine!  In fact, oftentimes God will use our experiences in life as stepping stones to prepare us for what He has in store next.  Scripture tells us that He will even take the things the enemy tries to bring against us and turn them around and use them for our good!

Blessings,

J’lene

A Date With My Hubs and One With the Doc…

A fabulous Summer date with my hubs!  First up for the day was a trip to Little Italy’s Farmer’s Market in downtown San Diego.  I’ve been wanting to check it out for months now and with the princesses gone for a couple of days it was the perfect time…the perfect take-my-time and enjoy, rather than a time to grab-and-go because nobody wants to walk around anymore!

We drooled over fresh baskets of berries…

Had our eye on loads of fresh cherries (that were just a bit to pricey to indulge in)…

And definitely had our share of good eats!  It was a beautiful day, but the hubs was a bit on the warm side, so we stopped for a fresh lemonade.  He opted for the watermelon lemonade, which he absolutely loved and I thought it was so, so.  I had a hard time tasting the watermelon, but the lemonade itself was awesome and hit the spot!  I forgot to snap a picture, but I stopped at a “juice bar” and ordered a glass of “Green Go” juice that had kale, broccoli, spinach, cucumber, ginger, apple juice and a few other things I know I’m missing.  It tasted so good and so fresh that I ended up filling up on that for my lunch…I’m sure all the samples along the way had a bit to do with satisfying my hunger for the afternoon!

The hubs, however, had his eye on some bbq for lunch.  He ordered two breakfast tacos filled with brisket and said they were so delicious! While he ate devoured his lunch, I did some people watching! 

I think I left with enough produce to last a week or two and I can’t wait to go back!  With full and satisfied tummies we took a quick drive to one of our favorite spots to hang out together…Seaport Village.

We took our traditional walk along the “boardwalk” and ventured out onto the pier.

Stopped in some shops and found some outrageous finds… Not so sure about flossing with “food” flavors…

 According to the hubs, bacon does make all things better!

After a few hours of walking we were ready to fuel up again, so we headed over to one of our favorite downtown restaurants…

I was a little disappointed in the service this time around, hence why there are no pictures of dinner.  While my “California Salad” with Grilled Fish ended up being quite delicious, I was a little less than happy that I had to send it back to the kitchen twice!  Sometimes it stinks to have to make so many “special requests,” but a girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do!

And speaking of things that I’ve gotta do…I had an appointment with a new doctor this week and I’m praying that this will finally be a turning point for me.  If you’ve been following my posts for awhile now, you know that I struggle with lots of stomach issues which, in turn, over the last year have developed into more emotional and physical struggles.  A few months ago I had the privilege of getting to see a doctor who takes an unconventional approach to medicine and focuses on healing the body, rather than just treating the symptoms.  Through his care I discovered that I have adrenal insufficiency and MTHFR (a type of genetic mutation on one of my chromosomes).  We had hoped and prayed that by beginning to heal my body through diet, some cleanses and a regimen of Vitamin B shots my adrenal glands would kick into gear and my body would begin absorbing the vitamins and minerals it was lacking.  Unfortunately, after some trial and error my body decided to go into what he called “lockdown mode” and nothing seemed to be working.  This is when I began to have more bouts of horrible stomach pain and emotionally I became so drained.  At my last visit my doctor said that he wanted to hand me over to yet another doctor who was more specialized in the types of problems I was dealing with.  The hubs wishes I was a little more optimistic about the visit, but it’s been such a LONG journey that has seemed to have no end in sight. 

I know God is, and has been, walking hand in hand with me through the good days and the bad.  As I have spent time with the Lord this week these words spoke so clearly to me and I held on to those words as I walked into the doctor’s office!

Psalm 16:8-9 says, “I have set the Lord always before me.  Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.  Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body will also rest secure…”

After an hour visit and a whole lot of information, supplements and a boatload of tests to be taken, I am hopeful that these next several weeks will look a whole lot brighter!  The hubs is pretty stoked that he gets to give me B-Complex shots every other day and I am pretty stoked that I am finally going to have some tests done that should have been taken a long time ago…a food allergy panel with Celiac Disease, a DNA/Genetics test (to determine what type of genetic mutation I have), and one last test that I think will give the doctor a look at how all my cells are working together.  Like I said, it was a WHOLE LOT of information to try and absorb at one time…now I’m tired!

(source)

Hoping to be back to some “regularly” scheduled posts with yummy food and such!  Sorry for the rather lengthy and somewhat boring posts lately!

Blessings,

J’lene

Pinterest Projects and Summer Kick-Off!

It’s hard to believe Summer is already here!  And I’m so glad that it is!  While we had a great school year, I was definitely wearing down those last few weeks.  It was hard for me to keep the princesses motivated when I myself wasn’t feeling 100% and motivated!  In any case, we did it and we celebrated with an end of the year trip to the San Diego Zoo to see some of the animals we learned about in science and then treated ourselves to lunch at Stacked.  While it would not be my first restaurant choice (although their sweet potato fries are pretty good), it’s what the princesses chose to kick off their Summer vacation. 

As for me, I got started on some Pinterest projects I’ve had my eye on for a while now.  I had just finished painting my little Cailyn’s room and was looking for some ideas to get some of her “stuff” off of the floor as her room is a bit on the small side.  For the stuffed animals she just couldn’t bring herself to part with, I found these yellow wire baskets at Home Goods.

Hung with “Command Strips”, these can be moved without damaging the walls.  The intention was to create a little reading/play nook and I think it serves it’s purpose!  We’ve recently added a bean bag, which she loves to sit and read in!

Dollar store frames, some leftover spray paint, scrapbook paper and a little computer work = super cute (and cheap) framed art!

Another dollar store frame with a little spray paint and corkboard from Wal-Mart.  I happened to have some flowers in our craft box that I hot glued on to up the “cute” factor just a bit! 

I’m getting ready to tackle my Makenna’s room next…we’re amping up the western theme for her!

And speaking of projects, I’m super excited that our “family” garden is now producing loads of beautiful squash, zucchini, green onions, green beans, and hopefully some tomatoes real soon!  Unfortunately I can’t take credit for this garden, but it has definitely become a family affair.  The garden is at my parents’ place, but we all had a small part in getting it started and thanks to my dad’s awesome “compost pile” it is flourishing! 

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So far we’ve had roasted and sauteed lots of squash and I even put some in the freezer for soups and muffins…yes, there is a lot!

In the mix…yellow squash, green beans, green onion, some fresh cracked pepper, smoked paprika and a little coconut oil.

Our first grilled dinner of the Summer…Grilled Chicken with a Cucumber-Lemon Salsa and Honey-Yogurt Sauce (dairy-free)

Cucumber-Lemon Salsa

Ingredients:

1 seedless cucumber, chopped

I large tomato, chopped

1/4 cup red onion, chopped

2 cloves fresh garlic, minced

Zest of 1 lemon

2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

Directions:

Place all ingredients in a small bowl and carefully mix.  Can use immediately or place in the fridge for an hour before serving to allow the flavors to meld!

Honey-Yogurt Sauce

Ingredients:

1/3 cup plain coconut milk yogurt

2 Tbsp coconut milk

1 Tbsp raw honey

Directions:

Place all ingredients in a small bowl and mix well.  Serve atop grilled meat or as a dip for fresh fruit.There’s something about farm fresh produce that gets me all giddy, which is why I so look forward to frequenting local farms and Farmer’s Markets during the Summer.  I’ve found a local “gem” just down the road from us which I find myself at more than once during the week!  Grebar Farms has had the best strawberries we’ve had, not to mention sweet blueberries, olallieberries (cross between a blackberry and raspberry), apriums (cross between an apricot and plum), and a load full of different greens (kale, collards, swiss chard, pea shoots and lots of fresh herbs)

Fresh Summer Strawberry and Arugula Salad with a drizzle of olive oil, a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and a sprinkle of pepper.  A perfect side dish to any Summer grilled meal!!

 Kale Chips…one of our favorite snacks!

 Swiss Chard, Chicken and Onion Tacos all tucked into a homemade Paleo Tortilla…

Paleo Tortillas (great for tacos and wraps!)

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cup blanched almond flour

5 Tbsp psyllium husk powder

1 tsp sea salt

1 cup water

2 eggs

Coconut oil (for cooking)

Directions:

Combine dry ingredients in a medium mixing bowl.  Add eggs and mix well.  Add water and mix well.

Let dough sit for 2 minutes until it sets up a bit.

Separate dough into 10 balls.  Place onto oiled parchment paper (I used coconut oil).  Top with another piece of oiled parchment paper.  Roll out dough into an even circle shape…about 1/4 inch thick.

Heat a large pan to medium-high heat with a bit of coconut oil.  Place unbaked tortilla into pan and cook until light brown.  Flip and cook through on opposite side.  Serve up with your favorite fixings!!

Topped with homemade salsa!

There’s many more fun Summer days ahead of us, which means more “good eats” and lots more projects to accomplish!  Now it’s time to go soak up some sun…it’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood!

Blessings,

J’lene

Prep It and Make It….

We’re at the end of week two of the “Fitness Challenge” and I’d have to say we’ve had a really good week.  So far, the biggest challenge for me is what seems to be an endless amount of prepping food and logging every meal we eat.  There’s no question that I love to cook, but having to prepare three healthy meals a day for the family is not easy!!  I got kind of used to the hubs pouring him and the girls a bowl full of cereal or defrosting an oatmeal bake from the freezer most mornings, leaving me the opportunity to get other household chores done.  This week nothing seemed to happen that “quick and easy!”   It’s okay, though, because our family is trying new foods and we’re feeling healthy…this is a CHALLENGE, right?!

Here are a few meals on our menu this last week that I felt were “quick and easy” enough to keep our day running smooth!  Starting with breakfast…

Overnight Banana-Cinnamon Pudding

(yields 1 serving)

Ingredients:

I ripe banana, mashed

1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk

2 Tbsp flax seed meal

1 Tbsp Sunflower butter (or sub in your favorite nut butter)

1/4 tsp cinnamon

Optional Add Ins:  chopped apple pieces, raisins, chopped pecans, etc…

Directions:

Combine all ingredients together and mix well.  Place in a sealed container in the fridge overnight and enjoy in the morning!  May be served cold or warm (heat in the microwave for about 35 seconds).  Top with additional toppings if desired.

This is by far one of the hubs’ favorite breakfasts last week!  I think he’s requested it more than twice (think it’s time he learns how to make it!), saying “it’s like eating dessert for breakfast,” and not to mention it is quite filling.

So, for a little variety I made one with a little less banana and more berries along with some coconut to change up the flavor.

 Overnight Coconut-Berry Chia Pudding

(yields 1 serving)

Ingredients:

1/2 ripe banana, mashed

1/4 cup coconut milk

2 Tbsp unsweetened, shredded coconut

2 Tbsp chia seeds

1 handful mixed frozen berries

Optional Toppings: seeds, nuts, “paleo” granola, etc…

Directions:

Combine all ingredients together and mix well. Place in a sealed container in the fridge overnight and enjoy in the morning!  May be served cold or warm (heat in the microwave for about 35 seconds).  Top with additional toppings if desired.

This “pudding” has a lot more texture, but the same great “staying” power as the first.  The chia seeds definitely do their job in keeping you full for quite some time!

Our favorite quick lunch last week (with requests to have it on the menu again this week!)…

 Avocado Chicken Salad Lettuce Wraps

Ingredients:

1 ripe avocado

juice from 1/2 a lime

3 slices cooked bacon, chopped

3 cups cooked and shredded chicken breast

butter lettuce, washed and dried

sea salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

In a small bowl, mash avocado.  Add lime juice, sea salt and pepper and mix until well combined. 

Add chicken and chopped bacon to avocado mixture and stir to combine, making sure chicken is well coated.

Scoop 1/4 cup of chicken salad onto lettuce leaf.  Wrap and serve!

 These are best eaten the same day (the avocado will begin to turn brown), but we had a couple left over so I stuck them in the hubs’ lunch the next day.  He didn’t seem to mind his slightly “browned” chicken wrap!

It was a bit cold last week, so I brought out the crock-pot on more than one occasion to make some soup for dinner.

Ham and Greens Soup

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp olive oil

3 cups baby spinach

3 cups rainbow swiss chard

1 cup onion, chopped

2 cups carrots, peeled and chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 cups fully cooked ham steak, chopped

1/4 tsp sea salt (or to taste)

1/4 tsp black pepper (or to taste)

2 cups organic chicken broth (make sure it’s gluten free if you don’t make your own!)

Directions:

Heat oil in skillet over medium-high heat.  Add onion, carrots and garlic to pan; cook 5-6 minutes or until beginning to brown.

Transfer onion mixture to a crock-pot.  Add in ham, salt, pepper and broth.  Cook on low for 4 hours.  Stir in spinach and swiss chard; cook an additional hour.

Our family loves us some soup and this one was definitely a keeper.  Even though it has very few ingredients it packs a punch in the flavor department!  I know I’ve made something good when my little Cailyn asks for seconds…YEAH!!

The weeks seem to be rolling one into another with no breaks in between, so “hi-ho, hi-ho it’s off to prep and plan I go!”  This week we’ll continue to log our meals and daily routine, keep up on our “homework” and complete three mandatory WODS for CrossFit.    Speaking of WODS and CrossFit, I was super excited to PR in several of the benchmark WODS last week!  Here’s a look at how I did…

800 M run – 4:08

5 Rounds of “Cindy” – 5:49

5 pull-ups

10 push-ups

15 squats

CrossFit Total - 205

Back Squat – 80lbs (PR!)

Shoulder Press – 40lbs (PR!)

Deadlift – 85lbs (PR!)

Fight Gone Bad (1 Round; 1 minute each station) – 78

Wall Ball – 26

SDHP – 25lbs; 12

Push Press – 25lbs; 10

Box Jump – 22

Row (for calories) – 8

For the busy week ahead I pray for clarity of mind so as to remember…

And my prayer for you my friends…”Lord, do something supernaturally wonderful in someone’s life this week!”  Amen.

Blessings,

J’lene