After 4 years, off and on, trying to find a decent gluten free sandwich bread recipe, I have finally found one my littles & I love! I found the Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour a while back & it’s been a lifesaver! I scoured the internet trying to find bread recipes with this particular flour but I didn’t find any. I decided to try this flour with an old regular bread recipe, with a couple tweaks, to see if it would work. I am happy to report that it did & I literally did a happy dance in my kitchen when I pulled the bread out of the oven. My 2-year-old didn’t know why I was dancing, but he joined right in with my celebration.

Okay, let’s begin with the steps. First up, the yeast. I use bread machine instant yeast. Heat up the water in the microwave for about 50 seconds (my microwave is 20+ years old so yours might not take that long) & check to make sure it’s around 105-110°F as any hotter & you’ll kill the yeast, any colder & it will not get nice & foamy. Dissolve the sugar & then add the yeast. Stir and set aside for approximately 10 minutes until it gets foamy.

Next, combine the dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Use a whisk to make sure all of the dry ingredients are mixed well.

Combine the wet ingredients in your stand mixer with the paddle attachment but don’t over mix. Only for a few seconds. Add in your proofed yeast & mix again for a few more seconds. Next add in the dry mix and set the stand mixer on medium-high for about 3 minutes. The dough will be thick & sticky, like in the picture.

Scrape the dough into your 9×5 loaf pan. I use the USA pans so I don’t need to coat them. If you will be making a lot of gluten-free recipes, I highly recommend them. Gluten-free baked goods need really good non-stick or parchment paper. You’ll need to smooth out the loaf with the spatula or with wet hands. This won’t smooth out as it rises so do the best you can but don’t stress over it, especially if you have a pullman loaf pan.

Cover the pan with a damp paper towel & place it in a warm dark place. I put mine in my microwave above the oven while it preheats. Which, this is the perfect time to preheat the oven to 375°F. Do not let the bread rise too much, only 20-30 minutes. If it rises too high it will flow over the pan or collapse. Gluten-free breads don’t maintain their structure. It will continue to rise in the oven.

Bake for 35-45 minutes. 40 minutes is perfect for my oven. If you have a pullman loaf, place the lid on. If not, watch the crust. You can foil tent it if it is getting to dark. Take it out & it will look like this:

Do not, I repeat, DO NOT let the loaf sit in the pan to rest. As soon as you take it out of the oven, carefully turn the pan onto its side  and then out onto your cooling rack. If you have the USA pan, it will slide right out. Then I brush butter on top of the loaf because…butter!

Let the loaf cool completely before you cut it into slices. Look how pretty!

I like to cut it all up so it’s easier to just grab slices when needed for lunch, as if I had purchased the bread from a store. Use a serrated bread knife and eyeball it for your desired thickness.

I suggest bagging it in these loaf bags. They were pretty cheap on Amazon and you can always rinse them out and reuse them if desired.

I have no idea if this bread will be good after 2 days as a loaf here is eaten within 2 days. I also haven’t tried freezing it yet but one of these days I do want to make a bunch and freeze them so I’ll update when I’ve done that. Also, I do want to add cinnamon and raisins as my kiddos love cinnamon raisin toast. I’m thinking that adding the cinnamon to the dry mix and then stirring the raisins in by hand just before I scrape it into the pan will do the trick. Again, I’ll update when I’ve tested that.

I’d love to know what you think if you try this recipe. If you do any variations of it, with a different sweetener or an egg free version, let me know how it goes!

I hope you enjoy bread again!

UPDATE 10/26/2017 to add nutritional facts below for those who have asked. I cut my loaf into 20 slices so that’s what the nutritional facts will show.  

Per slice – Calories: 102 | Carbs: 16 g | Fat: 4g | Protein: 2g | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 2g

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Years ago, I lived and breathed by my paper daily planners. If it wasn’t written down, it was forgotten. Fast forward to digital calendars. It’s always with me no matter what device I’m using.

Today, I am sharing the Google Sheets 2022 calendar I use to plan out content for myself and my clients. If you’d like to download it, fill out the form below and the link will be emailed to you.

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“Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6

The Youth Theme for 2022 at my church is “Trust in the Lord” with Proverbs 3:5-6 as the year’s scripture. My mom asked me to create a print with this scripture so she could give it to people for Christmas. I then decided to make two, one feminine and one masculine to share with everyone.

I hope you enjoy it!

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“I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” Philippians 4:13

This scripture is a personal favorite and one that my 4th child loves as well. I created this to put on our fridge to help us remember that even during the hard times, Christ will help us get through it all. I decided to share it as others started asking to have a copy. Scroll down to download it for yourself.

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The Ruby – a new logo and a new web design

Coralie had two separate web sites when she came to me. One was for her in-studio piano lessons and the other for her online piano lessons. I was able to give her a complete brand refresh and combine her two websites into one. I was also able to help her launch her online How To Teach Piano course and created a membership portal so her students can view their lessons online.

Head over to her site to check out the final site.

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Let me know what you think! I was happy with it. A nice healthy and easy snack option!

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Salads are an excellent source of nutrition and proteins as well as being the key to a balanced diet. You don’t have to be on a diet to eat salads. They can be a part of your meal or you can even replace your meal with a salad. In fact, there are many studies which support that even the healthiest of people should skip one meal a day and eat a salad instead. They help you look and feel younger as they are great for skin, hair and figure. It is very important to keep an eye on what you eat, especially if exercising regularly.

Now that you’re motivated to eat some salad, here are three easy to make salads that won’t take much of your time and taste delicious.

1.   Cobb Salad

2.   Garden Salad

3.   Fruit Salad

There are many more salads, but most involve cooking, expensive or not easily available ingredients and you have to be careful of the amounts you add. That’s not easy to make to grab and go. The three recipes included here are very simple and quick recipes which will help you lose those extra pounds or to help continue maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

ENJOY!

If you like these recipes and would like more, please sign up to work with me here.

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Whether you are dealing with one or two spots or a full-blown acne breakout, natural skin-care routines can put you on the route to blemish-free skin.

The expensive scrubs and chemicals so many turn to in their fight against acne rarely work in the long run and can be hard on your skin, exacerbating the problem. Natural skin-care remedies, faithfully applied, go deeper than your epidermis and help you attack the root cause of blemishes while nourishing your skin at the same time.

None of the following remedies will clear up your skin overnight. You’ll need to have the patience and determination to stick with them.

1. Honey

Honey fights acne-causing bacteria with its natural antibacterial properties and reduces sebum production. It also balances the pH of your skin, making it a difficult place for bacteria to live.

Make sure the honey you get for your skin is pure and raw. When honey is pasteurized, it loses many of its health benefits.

There are several ways you can apply honey as a cleanser. You can wash your face with it: After rinsing your face with warm water, apply about ½ teaspoon of honey and massage into moist skin. Then rinse thoroughly.

You can also make a paste of honey and cinnamon. The cinnamon adds antimicrobial properties and a great scent. Combine 1 tablespoon of honey with 1 teaspoon of cinnamon and mix until they form a paste. Apply to face or trouble spots and let sit for 10 to 15 minutes before rinsing thoroughly your face and patting it dry.

2. Yogurt

Yogurt soothes and moisturizes your skin, soothing irritation and keeping your skin from drying out and overproducing oil.

Allow 1 tablespoon of yogurt to come to room temperature and combine it with 1 tablespoon of honey. Apply a layer to your face and let it dry. Continue applying layers until mask is thick enough, and let it sit for 10 to 15 minutes before rinsing thoroughly with warm water.

3. Apple Cider Vinegar

Like honey, Apple Cider vinegar is great for eradicating acne-causing bacteria and balancing the pH of your skin. It also helps to eliminate excess oil. You won’t want to over-use it, as over-drying your skin can cause it to overproduce oil, compounding your problem.

For apple cider vinegar to work, you’ll want to make sure you use raw and unfiltered still containing the mother cultures.

Dilute 1-part vinegar in 3 parts water and use a cotton ball to daub it directly on trouble areas. Let it sit for at least 10 minutes to overnight.

4. Oatmeal

Oatmeal is nourishing to your skin, and while it will not directly fight acne, it will sooth inflammation, redness and swelling.

Cook about ¼ cup of oatmeal as you normally would and add 2 tablespoons of honey. Allow to cool until it is room temperature, apply to your face, and let it sit for 20 to 30 minutes. Rinse thoroughly.

5. Tea Tree Oil

Tea tree oil can be used to treat individual spots. It should never be used undiluted. Start out by combining 1-part oil with 9 parts water or Aloe Vera gel. Use a que tip to dab the mixture directly on blemishes daily.

If you feel you could use a stronger dilution, you may gradually reduce the amounts of water or gel, making sure to give your skin a chance to adjust, and being careful to never use tea tree oil completely undiluted.

6. Steam

A steam treatment is useful for softening your skin and reducing irritation. It also opens your pores, allowing impurities to be washed out. Beginning with steam can prepare your skin to fully benefit from one of the other treatments listed here.

To begin, boil a pot of water and pour it into a large bowl. Be careful not to burn yourself by the steam while you are pouring, and let the water sit in the bowl for a couple of minutes until it has cooled slightly.

Now, lean over the bowl and drape a towel over your head, trapping the steam around your face. Remain in your steam tent for 10 to 15 minutes. Then pat your face dry or move on to one of these other treatments.

7. Sugar Scrub

Exfoliation is an important part of caring for you skin and can be accomplished using natural scrubs containing brown sugar, sea salt or ground oatmeal. The grittiness of these ingredients helps cleanse your pores and remove dead skin cells.

For a simple sugar scrub, combine ½ cup brown sugar and ½ cup white sugar and 1 tablespoon of course sea salt in a liquid measuring cup and pack it down. Pour about 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil over the top of this mixture and allow it so soak into the mixture before mixing all together.

After rinsing skin for several moments with warm water (or completely the steam treatment above), apply the sugar scrub with circular motions. Scrub gently so as not to damage sensitive skin. Then rinse with warm water.

8. Clay Mask

Applying clay to your face can benefit your skin in more ways than one. You will want to do a bit of research to decide what kind of clay is best for you, but a couple common choices are bentonite clay and rhassoul clay.

Clay absorbs and removes impurities from your skin. It is also full of minerals that nourish your cells.

Combine your choice of clay with water (and honey if desired) until it forms a thin paste and apply it to your face. Leave the mask in place for 20 to 30 minutes. Then rinse it off, gently scrubbing to encourage exfoliation.

9. Green Tea

Recent studies have shown that green tea may be useful in clearing up acne. Simply steep 1 bag of green tea in ½ cup of boiled water. Allow it to cool completely before applying it to your face with a spray bottle or cotton pad.

If any treatment seems to dry your skin excessively, remember to apply moisturizer afterward.

Establish a routine using the natural cleansing treatment that works best for you and stick with it. Before long, you should begin to see your acne diminishing and your skin will be smoother and softer than ever.

Resources:

www.everydayroots.com

www.holistichealthherbalist.com

www.stylecaster.com

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Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. But did you know that despite cereal flooding the shelves at your supermarket, cereal isn’t as healthy as marketing makes it out to be? Unless you are eating good quality muesli each morning with some fruit, then cereal is not going to be giving you the nutrition you need to set your day off on the right foot.

I’ve compiled a list of easy, fast and healthy breakfast ideas that don’t include the cereal box so that your next breakfast can be a nutritious one.

1. Mini Frittatas

These are basically mini omelets that are baked in a muffin tray. You can eat them hot or cold, depending on your mood. You can also add in other healthy foods like vegetables, or meats. Simply whisk some eggs, add a dash of milk (almond is my choice) or water, chopped veggies and bake for 10-15mins. Easy right?

2. Breakfast Quesadillas

This only takes a few minutes in the skillet to cook and is great for using leftovers. Cut up some greens, beans, roasted potatoes, leftover meats, anything you’ve got will work. Grab a whole grains or gluten-free wrap, add your ingredients to half, and fold over while cooking. The best part is that it’s super healthy for you!

 3. Biscuits or Muffins

These are pretty great because you can add in all sorts of things to make them even more healthy and tasty. You could use mashed banana instead of sugar or raw cacao instead of chocolate chips. Some of the things I like to add in are nuts, seeds, and fruits like blue berries.

4. Muesli

Muesli is great for the summer time when it’s too hot for things like a hot bowl of oatmeal. Raw oats, fruit, and nuts are very filling and can be soaked in nut milk overnight to make a cold breakfast that’s ready to help you beat the heat of the summer’s day.

5. Smoothies

Smoothies are very healthy for you, but it can be tricky to make sure they fill you up until your next meal. Try adding some dry oats, nut butters, or avocado for more protein and belly filling power! You can actually make these the night before by putting the ingredients into a bag or container and store in the fridge. When you wake, add it all to the blender, pour into a glass and off you go!

 6. Baked Oatmeal

Baked Oatmeal is really great for grabbing on the go. If you make it on Sunday night, you can pack into a little container and it will be great for breakfast all week long! You can eat it cold or hot that will take just seconds to make. You can also add in some fruits, nuts, and even chocolate for different flavors.

7. Breakfast Bar

You need to be very careful with pre-made bars. Some of these bars say they are healthy when they are really packed full of sugar. I like to make my own instead so that I can make sure I am eating only the healthiest ingredients. So, instead of adding sugar, try adding some nuts, oats, mashed banana or dried fruit. Those ingredients will guarantee it tastes great and be healthy for you too!

 8. Eggs and Veggie Soldiers

These are soft boiled or poached eggs with vegetable sticks as soldiers. They are an amazing and healthy meal that’s also easy and fast to make.

9. ‘Surprise’ Plate

Like the Breakfast quesadillas, these are great for using leftovers. You can add in fruits, veggies, meat, olives, dried fruit, and/or nuts to make whatever surprise you’d like to see on your plate in the morning. Think of it like a snacks plate or nibbles platter where you can have a mini buffet of food on your plate.

Now, that you have some great new ideas for eating healthy at breakfast time, there is no reason to skip the most important meal of the day. Whether you are in a rush or have plenty of time to cook up a hearty meal, you’ve got plenty of healthy options to choose from that will make sure your body gets the nutrients it needs to make it through the day.

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If you’ve been feeling bloated, then you know more than anyone that you need to cleanse the junk from your body. It’s not always easy picking which path to take to cleanse your body for the results you want. But, I’ve made it super easy with my Epic 24 Hour Detox.

I don’t believe in deprivation, so you will not feel deprived in any way. In fact, you’ll feel quite the opposite.

The reality is, no matter how clean we eat, we live in a very toxic world. Before we even open our mouths to take a bite of food, we are exposed to vehicular and industrial pollution in the air and toxins in our cleaning products and cosmetics. Not to mention the havoc wreaked on the body by stress. So, the question is not ‘am I toxic?’ but rather ‘how toxic am I?’

Ready to eliminate those toxins that cause weight gain, brain fog, loss of sleep, loss of mental clarity, and fatigue?

Here’s my Epic 24 Hour Detox:

Upon Waking Drink:

Morning Lemon Elixir
1 cup warm or room temp water
Juice from 1 lemon
Pinch of cinnamon
1 teaspoon raw honey OR a couple of drops of stevia

Breakfast:

Blueberry Superfood Smoothie Bliss
1 cup unsweetened almond/coconut/hemp or rice milk
½ cup frozen or fresh, organic wild blueberries
½ cup spinach
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 tablespoon flax meal or chia seeds
Pinch of cinnamon
Stevia or raw honey to sweeten
Ice (optional)

Snack:

10 almonds and 1 apple

Lunch:

Mixed Salad
2 cups mixed greens or spinach, chopped
½ cup carrot, chopped
½ cup cucumber, chopped
½ cup celery, chopped
½ cup radish, chopped
1 avocado, cubed
¼ cup hemp seeds or seed of your choice
Handful parsley, chopped
Handful basil, chopped

Chop vegetables and mix in a large bowl. Top your salad with avocado, seeds & herbs. Drizzle with dressing (recipe below).

Dressing:
3 cloves garlic, crushed
½ cup virgin olive oil (cold pressed is best)
¼ cup flax oil
¼ tsp apple cider vinegar
¼ tsp celtic or Himalayan sea salt
¼ tsp black pepper

Snack:

½ avocado with tomato & sea salt

Dinner:

Carrot Ginger Soup
4 cups chopped carrots
6 cups bone broth or water
1 medium onion, minced
2-inch nub ginger root, peeled and grated
Sea salt to taste
Dash nutmeg
Chopped fresh parsley, dill, or cilantro

Put carrots, ginger, and onion in a pot with broth. Bring to boil then cover and reduce heat and simmer 20-25 minutes. Remove from heat and put everything in a blender or food processor to purée. Serve hot topped with fresh herbs.

Evening:

Early Evening Immune Boosting Ginger Elixir
1 cup warm or room temp water
Juice from ½ lemon
1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger or 1 tablespoon if tolerated
1 teaspoon raw honey or stevia

Bring the water and ginger to a boil, and then lower flame. Add the lemon and keep at a low simmer for a few minutes. Then pour into a mug & nourish your body.

If you’ve loved this mini detox and want more of my detox programs, then click here to join my sign up for my 14-day Cleanse Reset to maximize your results.

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Stress sucks! That’s something we all know. It can cause acne, hair loss, weight gain, weight loss and a host of other health problems. Put simply, it can make you feel crazy and overwhelmed over EVERYTHING!

But, there is a way to combat stress.

Routines and organization is the best way to deal with stress throughout the day. And what better time to start with a routine, then first thing in the morning! Setting the tone for the day starts the minute you open your eyes. If you aren’t careful, stress can rear it’s ugly little face into your sights before you can do anything about it.

So just how do you combat stress first thing in the morning? Well, I’ll tell you!

Here are my top 6 tips to get you started in creating your own morning routine to help alleviate stress.

1. Stop Hitting Snooze
   If you’re one of those people that keeps hitting the snooze button in an attempt to get more sleep, you’re probably not going to like what you’re about to read. When you press that snooze button over and over again, you are causing yourself to have less time to prepare for the day. That alone can cause some stress. If you need five or six alarms timed to go off 15 minutes apart, try setting them a little earlier than when you actually need to wake up. This will allow you to be able to hit that snooze button (once or twice – not 10!) and still get up on time. Having to rush in the morning is a breeding ground for high stress levels throughout the day. That snooze button is just not worth it.

    

2. Don’t Constantly Check Your Phone
   Constantly checking your phone, whether its social media or emails, can cause those stress levels to heighten. Checking your phone right after waking up overloads your brain causing stress by trying to wake up faster. Try not checking your phone until you’re on your way out or about to leave. It will allow your mind the time it needs to wake up on its own and do it calmly.

    

3. Breathe
   We often forget, but good quality breathing is so important. Learning to calm yourself through breathing exercises will help fight away the stress that hits in the form of panic attacks and anxiety attacks or plain old stress. Take in deep breaths while counting to five and then exhale counting to five. Doing this helps to gain control of the situation which alleviates the feeling of being overwhelmed and stressed by everything going on around you. Doing this in the morning before you even get out of bed is a great way to prepare your mind for all the tasks you need to tackle.

    

4. Repeat An Affirmation
   Saying kind things to yourself about yourself will definitely make you happy and keep those pesky stress levels at bay. And it can be anything that makes you feel positive like “I am grateful for my life,” “I begin my life today,” “I am kind,” “I am beautiful,” or my personal favorite, “I am enough.” It really just depends on you and what you need/want to hear. The moment you start to feel like you’re being flooded with too much and become overwhelmed, take a breath and repeat your affirmation. This will help calm you and also help keep you positive and motivated to get through the day.

    

5. Eat A Good Breakfast
   We’ve all been told that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. But there is science and plenty of studies that can prove it. In fact, A British study taken in 2012 found that “people who ate breakfast reported feeling 89% less anxious in challenging situations later that day, and were able to deal with dilemmas 7% faster than on days they skipped their A.M. meal” (12 Morning Tricks To Set Yourself Up For A Much Less Stressful Day). So, make sure you not only eat breakfast, but that you eat a healthy breakfast. Doing this will increase your brain function, reaction time and allow you to focus more on the tasks you need to tackle each day.

    

6. Make A List for Productivity
   Early on in the morning, try to focus on all your high-concentration tasks. This includes things like writing reports, seeing patients, managing finances or anything else that might require more focus and/or creativity. The best way to put those things in order of how much concentration they require is to make a list. After you complete one of the tasks, cross it off. Doing this will alleviate the feeling of being overwhelmed and flooded with tasks throughout your day.

So, there you have it.

If you are fighting stress each day or even every once in a while, you can decrease the amount of stress you feel just by sticking to a good healthy and quality morning routine.

Tell me, what does your morning routine look like? Anything you would add to this list? Share in the comments below!

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