Reading Your Lips

Vacationing at Zion Canyon

2016-07-01T18:18:00.000-07:00

As promised, here is my post on our camping trip to Zion Canyon.

I will let some of these pictures do the talking for me...

The absolute highlight of our trip was the river that was just below our campsite, I mean I am standing in our campsite taking these pictures of the river!! We spent most of our time in this river, the water was so cool and wonderful!

This river was literally right next to our campsite!!!

The little head you see sticking out of the water is Eilan, Eric called her our little river otter :)

My Dad and brother hanging out and talking.

Our messy campsite, it was organized chaos.

Quite a bit of my extended family gathered here to vacation with us. At Christmas or Thanksgiving, we often discuss where we want to go and camp the following summer and try to get our reservations made in January. In these pictures you will see many of my extended family. The cousins had a great time playing and enjoying each others company while I had fun chatting and hanging out with my sister, sis in law and step mom.

We spent some time in Zion National Park, hiking and riding the shuttle to the different stops. Eilan decided to get her Jr. Ranger badge so she had some activities to complete.

Fearless squirrel, he let me get real close. I was impressed that I did not see anyone feeding the wild life while we were there.

Slightly blurry picture of my Hunky Hunny and younger son. We are at the lower Emerald Pool.

Working hard to complete her workbook activities. She also had to pick up trash and write down animals, trees, etc... that she saw while hiking.

Eilan very pleased with herself on earning her Jr. Ranger Badge, she is determined to do all she can to take care of Zion National Park and any other National Park...way to go Eilan!!

Eilan's Zion Canyon National Park Jr. Ranger Badge

Floating down the river in tubes is the thing to do when you are there. We didn't pay to do the 2 mile river floating thingy that they offer there, which is $20 per person. Instead we purchased our own tubes.

My feet enjoying the cold, soothing waters of the river.

My nephew and niece

Eric scored us 4 tubes at the store across from the campground, they were in high demand.

My sister in law and my niece (her daughter)

The boys! My two boys left and middle, my nephew on the right.

We had a wonderful time hanging out with family, while experiencing someplace new that we had never been. I have to tell you, I am always so in awe of God's beautiful creation! So much beauty to behold there.

I hope someday you get the chance to visit Zion Canyon!

Steph

Movin, movin, get that body movin!

2016-06-29T21:18:00.000-07:00

We are starting a new 30 Day Get Up and Move Challenge July 1st!!

Just click on the 30 Day Get Up and Move Challenge tab at the top and you will find out what it is all about.

Here is a link to a terrific list of apps that you can download onto a smartphone that may help with motivation and inspiration.

But...you don't need anything fancy at all, just do what you feel like doing each day and try to do it for at least 10 minutes.

Join my 30 Day Get Up and Move Challenge facebook page and post your daily progress, workout selfies and encouragement, we would love to know how you are doing!

New Diet Changes

2016-03-08T16:01:00.000-08:00

I mentioned in my last blog post that I am seeing a new doctor, that is quite knowledgeable in the MTHFR mutation. She has me tracking what foods I eat and how much in a food diary app. She suggested to me Myfitnesspal, so I downloaded it and found it a bit confusing. I then asked my Facebook buddies what they used and recommended and looked into those. I came across My Diet Coach- Weight loss which is a free app. available for androids and apple. It looked a bit more fun and motivating than the other apps, so I downloaded it and started using. When you complete tasks and challenges, you earn points and different clothing items to dress your avatar...corny I know, but I like it. I also like the way it looks, the colors they use and the graphics. The free version does not allow you to input your meals and any exercise you may have done. So I purchased the Pro version ($4), which is perfect. If you are interested, you can check it out here.

So, I have been tracking my food for a week now, it has been pretty eye opening to say the least. I cannot believe how much I have been over eating! My doctor told me it will help keep me accountable and she is right, I am finding it very helpful. A hassle, yes, but still helpful :)

I was also told I need to eat a half a plate of veggies at every meal or a smoothie (blended whole fruits) is ok too, although probably best for only one of the meals. Leafy greens must be present on my plate or in my smoothie at least once a day, every day. This is a big change from what I normally do, which no doubt is what has gotten me sick in the first place. Well, I am happy to say, I have been following her guidelines and am already noticing some benefits even though it has only been a week. My face is clearer and my hair is softer! I have not weighed myself yet, but I think I may have lost a little weight as well, my clothes are a bit looser!

I should mention how thankful I am that my husband is so supportive of the new changes to our dinner time meals, I think he realizes he needs to eat better too. I will leave you with a picture of this mouthwatering beef stew he made for our dinner in the crockpot. Recipe can be found here. He wanted me to let you know he omitted the peas and flour and added chopped celery and arrowroot in place of flour.

Add caption

Extremely blessed and spoiled...that's me!

Steph

It's good to be back!

2016-03-03T23:08:00.002-08:00

Hello faithful readers and friends, I am back! So much has happened since I took a break from blogging that I cannot possibly recount it all for you, but I look forward to sharing my new and current adventures.

Here is an updated picture of me and the kids (my husband is just not the selfie kind of guy). This was taken at Christmas time in 2015.

The kids are getting big! Kade my oldest is now 16...wow, nope it still hasn't sunk in yet! Aiden is now 13 and Eilan is 9, soon to be 10.

Remember when they used to look like this...

Yep, I know!

Truth be told, I am enjoying this stage of life with my kids, we are having fun together in ways we never have before. My relationship with my daughter is a bit extra special, I am now friend/mom instead of just mom and I love it!

We have a new cat, his name is Blizzard since we got him at Christmas in 2014 (literally the day after Christmas). Eric and the kids chose the name Blizzard, I confess I did not care for it, but it grew on me. We don't know much about his life before he came to our home (his forever home) other than he was found with an abscess on his side, the shelter performed surgery on him and placed him up for adoption when he recovered enough. When we got him, his fur coloring was a light grey with some black markings. After about 6 months of living with us, his fur changed to a much darker more beautiful color. I like to think the high quality kitty food and our love made him the happy, healthy boy he is today :) Pumpkin is doing great, he loves his fur brother and they have fun playing together.

Blizzard the day we brought him home.

Blizzard as he is now. Don't you love those blue eyes!

Pumpkin in all his sweet cuteness.

"Move me just a little closer, I can almost taste it"

A little update on my health. I recently found out I am homozygous for the C677T mutation in the MTHFR gene. I believe it is an important piece to my health puzzle. I found a Doctor nearby that is very knowledgeable about this mutation and am very hopeful that she will be able to help me. I will blog more on this later.

Have a wonderful weekend!
Steph

Recipes I have been enjoying.

2013-04-19T20:07:00.000-07:00

I have been experimenting with a low carb diet, but not the type of low carb using those processed flour mixes, breads and tortillas and other ready made low carb products. The exception is whey protein and some safe sugar alternatives. My food is made at home and with real food!

So far, I think it is going well, I feel good and not deprived. My husband and kids have liked several things I have made which is a huge plus! Here are some of the recipes we have been enjoying that are available free on these people's blogs...

Healthy Living How To Chia Seed Jam

You can find the recipe here. In my version, I use the Organic Antioxidant Fruit Blend available in the freezer section at Costco. It contains strawberries, blueberries, cherries, raspberries and pomegranate, how's that for healthy!! It makes the best tasting Chia Seed Jam, my kids love it and it gets eaten real fast (you can tell there is not much left lol). Because there are so many seeds in the pomegranates and raspberries, I will thaw out the amount I want to use, then put into my vitamix along with the water (for example if I am making 3 cups, then I will use 3 TBSP of water) you need for the recipe and blend well, then strain through a fine mesh strainer. I usually have to use a spoon to push the juice through because it is thick. I then follow the directions to the recipe. When the jam is cooling, I will stir in 21 drops of NuNaturals Vanilla Stevia.

The Spunky Coconut Dairy Free Yogurt #2

Made with 4 cups of Cashew Milk and 2 cups of Coconut Milk...thick and delish!

Chia Seed Jam makes the best yogurt topping!

You can find The Spunky Coconut's Dairy Free Yogurt #2 recipe here. In her recipe she calls for 4 cups of coconut milk and only 2 cups of cashew milk, but I made a batch of her cashew milk (here is a video that shows how to make it) and it makes 4 cups so I decided to use it all and use only 2 cups of coconut milk. I am so glad I did, because unless you love the flavor of coconut, I think it will really stand out. If you eat my version plain, you can taste a hint of coconut, but with toppings like the Chia Seed Jam, it will not be noticeable at all and you will still reap the benefits of coconut. Thankfully my two youngest love it (my oldest has not tried it yet) and I do too...I am out of Chia Seed Jam too :)

Amy Loves Her Life!!!! Oatmeal Packets

Aiden putting together the Oatmeal Packets.

My younger son Aiden loves oatmeal. When he finished eating the Quaker Brand flavored oatmeal packets, I brought up the idea of making our own, which he was very receptive to. Thanks to Pinterest, I found a simple recipe to make your own (click here). For the sugar, I used coconut/palm sugar, it's much healthier than brown sugar and actually does contain minerals and nutrients and tastes pretty much the same as brown sugar anyway. We made 27 1/2 cup bags, I know we saved quite a few pennies! The verdict on taste...Aiden and Eilan say they love it, especially with the Chia Seed Jam.

I hope I have inspired you to give some of these recipes a try and if you do, I hope you find them as tasty as we do!

Here is the new Karate Kid...

Kapow!

Showing off his new sparring gear courtesy of his Grandpa, his chest guard is the only thing missing and has been ordered and is on it's way.

My Husband and I bought him a gear bag as an early birthday present.

Aiden and Lily sparring today.

If you follow me on Facebook, you will know that I am now a Karate Mom. My younger son, Aiden is taking Taekwondo at a local studio. He absolutely loves it and we spend a good 8 hours a week there. He rather recently got to try sparring and really liked it, so my Dad purchased the gear for him (thanks so much Dad and Bekkee!) Last Friday however, his gear had not come in yet and all he had to borrow was some gloves, but that was ok, there are other kids who do not have the gear either. He however was paired with a feisty, little 8 year old girl (he is 10), who has been doing karate for 3 years AND who had full sparring gear on. Boy she let loose on Aiden and got him in the jaw/neck area a couple of times till he was seeing stars almost. He said he felt like crying but sat down and took a few deep breaths then got right back up again. He managed to get a few good licks in at Lily too (don't worry she has full protective gear on).

I thought it was cute when Lily came up to me yesterday asking if we would be there on Friday (today) and I assured her we would.

Today, Aiden was much more prepared for Lily lol. No seeing stars for him today!

Have a terrific weekend!

Steph

I'm back! Trying something new this month.

2013-04-01T14:35:00.001-07:00

I'm back from taking a bit of a break from blogging...sometimes you just need to recharge for a little while till those creative juices start flowing again.

I have been fairly productive during my absence, relearning how to bake, but with sugar free sweeteners...the safe ones that is. I still am not real comfortable yet, but I have some tried and true recipes that my kids love as well as I do. I have been experimenting with the low carb lifestyle and I have to say, I like it! My body seems to agree with it as well. However, I have not done it for longer than 2 weeks at a time, so this month is going to be my low carb, sugar free (with acceptable, safe sweeteners) experimental month. I will be continuing to eat gluten free of course.

What do I consider safe acceptable sweeteners? That would be stevia, Swerve (stevia, erythritol), Just Like Sugar (chicory root), small amount of xylitol and maltitol. I have been using these sweeteners for a couple of months now and have no problems with them. Everyone is different of course, so you need to listen to your body when trying new things.

I am also starting another "30 Day Get Up and Move Challenge" this month, I hope you will join me!
Check out my Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/30DayGetUpAndMoveChallenge

I will be sharing with you soon, some of my favorite low carb recipes and cookbooks for those who may be interested.

Last month, my younger son, Aiden joined karate and is loving it! He told me he wishes he could take karate every minute of the day. Right now he is doing 6 hours a week...whew, but I enjoy watching him. The plan right now is to let him have 3 months doing karate alone to help him work on over coming his shyness, then the rest of the family will join him in taking classes. I am really looking forward to learning, but am so out of shape...another reason to get my "30 Day Get Up and Move Challenge" going again!

Aiden mid kick.

Have a wonderful April Fools Day!
No, this post is not a prank :)

Steph

Very first "30 Day Get Up and Move Challenge" Starts tomorrow November 1, 2012!!

2012-10-31T14:13:00.003-07:00

The very first "30 Day Get Up and Move Challenge" starts tomorrow, November 1, 2012! I hope that you will join me. Who knows, we may be able to avoid packing on the typical holiday pounds!

The "30 Day Get Up and Move Challenge" was created to help me learn to make exercising daily second nature, just as eating lots of veggies is now a breeze thanks to the Whole30. I realized many people may be in the same boat as I am and need a starting point, a goal that is achievable. I hope you will find the "30 Day Get Up and Move Challenge" to be just that.

The Rules...

Do at least 10 minutes of exercise a day, preferably working up to 30-45 minutes a day (or more) doing any kind of activity you like, such as yoga, walking, biking, dancing, running...etc. You may divide the time up through out the day, but you run the risk of forgetting...so don't forget!

Exercise each day for 30 days in a row. This will give you the repetition that will help you make exercising a new beneficial habit which is the goal we are striving for.

Now get up and move! You can do it!

Here is the link to my Facebook page dedicated to the "30 Day Get Up and Move Challenge" https://www.facebook.com/30DayGetUpAndMoveChallenge

The Fruits of My Labor So Far...

2012-10-03T13:27:00.001-07:00

If you have been following my blog or my facebook page, you will know that I had been doing a Whole30 (my second attempt) last month. I am very happy to say that I successfully completed it on Sunday! It was a huge accomplishment for me and I am extremely pleased with the results.

I have learned to prepare and eat a lot of veggies, much more than I have ever eaten in my life lol. But I now can see the benefits, my nails are strong and healthy looking, my skin is clearer and looks more even toned. I don't feel bloated and yuck (sorry, that is the best word to describe it). I have learned to love a nice, relaxing cup of herbal tea at night instead of a big bowl of ice cream (can you envision all the empty calories I am saving there).

All these benefits sounds great and wonderful (they are), but did I lose any weight? You betcha! I weighed myself the day after completing the Whole30 and found I lost 8 lbs.!! Not too shabby at all, especially when I do the math and calculate how much weight I have lost total since last year...50 lbs...gone!! Whoa baby, I have never lost 50 lbs before, this is a new record for me. I am also only 5 lbs away from my latest mini-goal too.

I chose this as my reward for persevering :)

Lord willing, next week, I will post after pic's to compare with how I looked when I started. I will also post my tips for a successful Whole30.

I hope the rest of your weeks is wonderful!

Steph

Easy Baked Apple Recipes

2012-09-10T15:57:00.000-07:00

With Fall fast approaching, baked apple and pumpkin dishes are sounding so good to me right now! I decided to focus on apples first and have come up with a couple of delicious, easy and satisfying recipes for anyone doing a Whole30, eliminating sugar from their diet or just simply loves the comforting goodness, warm baked apples have to offer.

You don't need me to remind you all of the nutritional benefits of eating a whole food like apples right? I mean, you probably already know all about the terrific soluble fiber, vitamin A, iron and calcium that is present in baked apples...of course you do...whew, glad I don't have to explain :)

Baked Spice Apples with Coconut Cream

Serves 1

2 small baking apples (I used Granny Smith) sliced into 8 wedges each, preferably peeled (I did not peel mine, too lazy)
1 Tbsp of melted Ghee or butter (I used ghee)
1/2 tsp of Pumpkin Pie spice or Apple Pie spice (I used pumpkin pie spice)
pinch of sea salt
1 Tbsp of Coconut Cream* (or as much as you want)
Optional: chopped nuts

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Add your apple wedges to a 8x8 baking dish.

3. Drizzle melted ghee or butter over the apples.

4. Add Pumpkin Pie spice or Apple Pie spice and sea salt to the apples.

5. Stir apples together with the spices and ghee to coat.

6. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes or until for tender or as soft as you like.

7. Add baked apples to serving bowl, top with coconut cream and nuts if you are using.

8. Enjoy!

*To get coconut cream, put a can of full fat coconut milk in the fridge for 24 hours (sometimes overnight is not long enough to harden the cream). Open can and scoop out with a spoon the white coconut cream that has solidified in the can. Whisk cream in a bowl till nice and creamy and smooth.

If you are not on a sugar detox of some sort and feel the apples themselves are not sweet enough for you, add a little maple syrup or raw honey before topping with the coconut cream.

Baked Cinnamon Apples and Wild Blueberries

Serves 1

2 small baking apples (I used Granny Smith) sliced into 8 wedges each, preferably peeled (I did not peel mine, too lazy)
1 Tbsp of melted Ghee or butter (I used ghee)
1/4 tsp (rounded) of Cinnamon
About 4 swipes on a rasp of whole nutmeg or a good pinch of powdered nutmeg.
1/4 Cup of frozen, wild blueberries (Trader Joe's has some), I'm sure regular blueberries will work just fine
pinch of salt
Optional: Coconut cream, nuts

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Add your apple wedges and blueberries to a 8x8 baking dish.

3. Drizzle melted ghee or butter over the apples.

4. Add spices and salt to the apples and blueberries.

5. Stir with a spoon to coat fruit with spices and ghee.

6. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes or until for tender or as soft as you like.

7. Add baked fruit to a serving bowl and top with nuts or coconut cream or both.

8. Enjoy!

If you are not on a sugar detox of some sort and feel the apples themselves are not sweet enough for you, add a little maple syrup or raw honey before adding your toppings.

Other topping ideas are:

shredded coconut
yogurt
dried cherries
dried cranberries
raw honey
maple syrup
Caramel Sauce-homemade and without High Fructose Corn Syrup
Coconut Nectar
Brown Rice Syrup

Or you can make the Baked Apples a topping for:

Vanilla Ice Cream
Yogurt
Oatmeal
Porridge
Pork or other meat
Baked sweet potatoes

However you decide to eat these baked apples, I hope you find it yummy!

Steph

Coconut Macaroon Cookies

2012-08-29T16:07:00.000-07:00

While perusing through Facebook the other day, I came across a post by Paleo Parents for Creamy Chocolate Chip Coconut Macaroons. The recipe looked very easy to make and only called for 5 ingredients and pretty healthy ingredients at that (ok, except the chocolate chips). I'm not a huge macaroon fan, but Stacy and Matt's raving about these cookies made me decide to trust them and give the recipe a shot.

Wowie Zowie! They are so good, so buttery tasting, even though there is no butter! I now love macaroons!! Well these at least :)

I used Artisana Raw Coconut Butter instead of Tropical Traditions Coconut Cream Concentrate (they are basically the same thing).

I did not have any course salt, so I used regular, granulated sea salt...I would only use a 1/2 tsp. next time as it was just a tad saltier than I would like.

Here is a link to another macaroon cookie recipe that inspired the Paleo Parents to make their cookie. Clean Macaroons with Coconut Strawberry Glaze, I have not made this version yet, but I'm pretty confidant, it will knock my socks off!

Some of you may be wondering why I am consuming sugar when I am supposed to be doing a Whole30. Well, I have decided, or I should say the perfectionist in me decided that I would rather start my Whole30 again at the first of the month instead of at the end of a month. So, Sat. Sept. 1st, I restart my Whole30 again. I have decided this time around not to do the Auto Immune Protocol, but a regular Whole30. I can always revert back to the AI Protocol if need be.

Despite only making it to day 21 on my last Whole30, I have been enjoying increased energy and creativity, which I have put to good use decluttering my house and rearranging some of the furniture in more pleasing positions. I do have more projects up my sleeve pending my husbands approval of course. I am excited to see what benefits I will reap, completing a whole 30 days!

Steph

My Whole30 was thwarted by a piece of cheese!

2012-08-24T15:17:00.000-07:00

Actually it was two pieces!

I'm back to Day 1 on my Whole30, I mistakenly ate two pieces of cheese in my what-was-supposed-to-be In & Out double patty, lettuce wrapped with grilled onions burger. My poor hubby, felt so bad since he was the one who goofed my order. I trusted that he had ordered correctly when I received my burger, and proceeded to eat it, after a few bites, I knew something was off, as the burger seemed so much more tastier than usual. I took a good look at my burger and saw cheese! Ahhhh, I was only 9 days away from completing my first Whole30! My husband suggested I just don't worry about it and continue on, but I couldn't, my conscience would not let me. In the book It Starts With Food, they state you need to be off all gluten, dairy, legumes, grains and sugar for a whole month at least to let your body heal properly. I really do want to give my body that chance of uninterrupted healing, so that is why I am starting at day 1.

I will not however, be doing the Autoimmune Protocol of the Whole30 this time around. But if I start having problems, then I will go back on it again.

Not making any excuses, just letting everyone know why I am starting over. I don't look at it as a failure either, it's just a setback, something to learn from (always check your food before biting into it).

I've had to make an ice cream cake for my son and his cousin's birthday party and guess what!? I felt no desire to eat any of it, or lick the spoon or bowl! I'll be enjoying my Prosciutto Wrapped Dates while everyone else is eating the ice cream cake and I'll be feeling perfectly content! :) If that is not progress, then I don't know what is!

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

Steph

Practical Paleo Giveaway Winner!

2012-08-20T12:04:00.001-07:00

I would like to thank all of you who participated in my first giveaway and I hope that those who did not win, will still grab themselves a copy of Practical Paleo.

Now for the Winner...

Eileen Lindsey!! I have sent you an e-mail with more information.

Thanks again and I wish you all great health and happiness!

Steph

Natural, Essential Oil Hair Detangler Spray

2012-08-18T14:32:00.001-07:00

I was so excited when I came across this post by Frugally Sustainable for their homemade herbal detangler spray. You see, I have fine hair, but a lot of it and it is always frizzy and dry, my daughter also has fine hair, but it gets tangled so easily and she quite often cries when I brush her hair. I decided to make it and give it a shot, boy am I glad I did! My hair is now softer and when I air dry my hair, my natural curls are more pronounced and looks prettier, in fact, I've gotten several compliments. My daughter loves using this on her hair as well, it really helps make her hair easier to brush.

I use it on my hair by spraying it on damp, towel dried hair, then combing it in with a wide tooth comb and letting my hair air dry if I have time and keep my hair curly. If not, I will blow dry my hair till it is mostly dry, then let it air dry the rest of the way, then I use a large bore curling iron to straighten my hair. I also prefer to spray my daughter's hair when it is wet, but use it on her dry hair as well.

I was able to find dried marshmallow root at my local health food store and bought some jojoba oil there as well. I already had two, small spray bottles that I had saved to re-purpose for a project like this. Following the recipe was very easy, just make sure you simmer and not boil the marshmallow root/water mixture. Also, it is very important to use distilled water so that water deposits will not clog up your spray nozzle.

I chose Young Living Lavender essential oil for my detangler spray.

Here is a list of possible oils you can choose from...

Lavender

Melaleuca Alternifolia

Rosemary

Cedarwood

Peppermint

Copaiba

Eucalyptus Blue

Clary Sage

Frankincense

Juniper

Sandalwood

Palo Santo

Many of the oils on the list are also beneficial in helping hair loss and/or dandruff problems.

If you use store bought hair detanglers, please make this and give it a try, I truly believe your hair, scalp and body (no nasty chemicals!) will thank you.

Stephanie Maria Mckenzie
Member# 1143752
Young Living Essential Oils

Prosciutto Wrapped Dates

2012-08-13T13:34:00.001-07:00

Since no sugar is allowed on the 21 Day Sugar Detox or the Whole30, I have been searching for sugar free bacon locally with out any luck at all. Online, you can purchase some from U.S. Wellness Meats, but we cannot afford that right now unfortunately.

While reading posts in the Whole30 Forum, someone mentioned they used prosciutto in place of bacon and that the ingredients were only pork and salt...perfect! The person mentioned that he purchased his from Trader Joe's, so the next time I was down there (I love Trader Joe's) I looked for it. They had a few different kinds of prosciutto, only one did not contain sugar, so please always read the ingredients, never assume. I ended up buying two packages, each pack contained 4oz and cost $5.90...yikes I know, but I was desperate lol. I later found the same brand of prosciutto (still be sure to check ingredients) at Costco, you get 12oz for $12.00, so you basically get 4oz free over there, a much better deal!

Anyhoo, the reason I was hoping to find some sugar free bacon or an acceptable substitute was to make these gorgeous, tasty beauties!

Prosciutto Wrapped Dates

Prosciutto Wrapped Dates

Package of Prosciutto
Dates- I prefer the caramel like flavor of deglet, but medjool will work great too.

If you were to use a whole 4oz package of prosciutto, you will need 14 dates. Each slice of prosciutto makes two wrapped dates.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

With a knife (regular of paring), gently press into the flesh of the dates. Then with your thumbs, pry the flesh open as gently as you can and remove the pit.

When all dates have been pitted, carefully remove a slice of prosciutto and gently tear in half with your hands. Then take one half and fold lengthwise. then wrap around the date. Don't worry about the prosciutto tearing while you are removing it, it happens all the time, you can still salvage it easily, just fold as best you can and wrap.

Lay on parchment covered baking sheet seem side down.

Bake in oven for 12 minutes. Let cool, then enjoy!

*If you are able to have dairy, stuff dates with feta cheese before wrapping.

**If you are able to have nuts, stuff dates with almonds, walnuts, or pecans before wrapping.

Here are some photos of me putting them together...

Here is a picture of the brand of prosciutto I used.

I got this package from Trader Joe's. The one from Costco is a two pack and looks a little different.

Some of you might be wondering why I am eating dates when I am trying to avoid sugar. Simple, dates are a whole, unprocessed food, perfectly fine to include in your Whole30 as long as you don't over do it. (Plus they are full of fiber, B vitamins, potassium, etc...)

These dates are perfect for taking on a hike or bike ride, they are little energy bundles! I hope you will give them a try, they are quite delicious!

Steph

Easy Homemade Air Freshener Using Young Living Essential Oils

2012-08-11T14:16:00.001-07:00

I have a new page on my blog called Uses for Young Living Essential Oils, I will be listing all posts pertaining to EO's on that page as well, to make it a little easier to find. I hope that you will find these tips and projects useful.

Why should you use Young Living Essential Oils?

For myself, if I purchase a product with my hard earned money, I want it to do what it says it will do or be what it says it is! When it comes to Essential Oils, God's medicine chest that he bestowed to us, I want it to be pure and and potent...the very best, since it will be rubbed on the skin of my children, husband and myself not to mention taken internally. That's right, with only the exception of a few oils, you can safely ingest Young Living EO's! I like that peace of mind!

Here are some links to further explain why Young Living Essential Oils are the best on the market and why I have chosen to be a distributor for this company.

Young Living-choose your country

Young Living Essential Oil's Seed to Seal Process

Young Living Therapeutic Grade Essential Oils

Young Living Membership Options

Stephanie Maria Mckenzie
Member# 1143752

Homemade Air Fresheners Using Essential Oils

I came across these two links that show you how to make your own natural air fresheners with out chemicals or harmful ingredients. These projects looked easy, fun and very practical, not to mention a perfect opportunity to use some Young Living Essential Oils :)

Super Simple Homemade Air Freshener by The Complete Guide to Imperfect Homemaking

Easy Baking Soda Air Freshener by Smashed Peas and Carrots

I loved both ideas so I made both...

The large jar with the heart nailed on the lid is for the kids bathroom, the cute owl one is for my daughter's room and the jar with the pink design is the downstairs bathroom. I will be making more for the other rooms of the house. I would use relaxing scents for bedrooms such as Peace and Calming, Lavender and Orange.

I used Joy in the jar that is for the downstairs bathroom, I told my husband I wanted everyone to come out of the bathroom feeling joyful, he said he always feels joyful coming out of the bathroom anyway lol. For the the other two jars, I used Orange, it's one of my kids favorites.

Other oils that can be used...

Singles
Orange
Lemon
Grapefruit
Lavender
jasmine
Lemongrass

Blends
Citrus Fresh
Thieves
Purification
Peace and Calming
Joy
Christmas Spirit (my favorite)

These are just a few, there are many to choose from!

Please do your body and your family's body a favor, don't buy the chemical laden air fresheners anymore!

Steph

Sauteed Cinnamon Peaches with Coconut Cream

2012-08-08T14:39:00.002-07:00

As I mentioned in a previous post, I am doing the 21 Day Sugar Detox and the Whole30 simultaneously. They are not the same thing, the Whole30 is much stricter and it's purpose is much more encompassing. I am following the Autoimmune Protocol as outlined in Dallas and Melissa Hartwig's book "It Starts with Food", they are the creators of the Whole30. My list of food that I can eat has been narrowed down by the Autoimmune Protocol, so I need to learn how to prepare tasty dishes with the foods I can eat, luckily, there is still quite a bit to choose from.

I created this dish to add a little flair to my meal yesterday, and found it to be very good, so good I wanted to share it with you all.

Sauteed Cinnamon Peaches with Coconut Cream

Serves 1

1 Tbsp Coconut Oil ( I prefer the cold pressed, flavorless kind)
1 Cup Sliced, Ripe Peaches (fresh is best, but frozen is great too)
1/4 tsp Cinnamon
Pinch of Salt
Coconut Cream
Unrefined sugar, honey or stevia (optional)

Put can of full fat coconut milk in fridge so that the cream will harden and rise to top. Best to leave in fridge overnight, but at least 3 hours will work.

Spoon out hardened, white coconut cream from can into a small bowl, save rest of coconut milk for a smoothie. Whisk coconut cream until creamy and looks like whipped cream without the stiff or soft peaks. Put back in fridge and keep cold.

Heat a small skillet on medium high heat. Add the coconut oil to skillet and let get hot. Carefully add the sliced peaches to the hot skillet and let sit for a few minutes before stirring. Add cinnamon and stir every so often, but let the peaches sit for a few minutes in between. When peaches are lightly caramelized, turn off heat and put in a serving bowl. If you need to add some extra sweetness, now is the time to add it (I did not use any in mine and found it perfect for me). Put a dollop of coconut cream on top, then sprinkle on a small amount of cinnamon.

This recipe is quite versatile, you could use nutmeg is place of cinnamon if you like. Also in place of the coconut cream, you could use fresh raw cream or regular whipped cream.

I hope you give it a try and let me know if you liked it.

Steph

Book Review and Giveaway of Practical Paleo By Diane Sanfilippo

2012-08-06T15:09:00.000-07:00

This giveaway is now closed.

The winner of the Practical Paleo Book is: Eileen Lindsey!

"What is paleo? "Paleo" is short for Paleolithic, but the name is actually less important than the power of the overall approach.
While the term "Paleo" has gained traction in the mainstream media and on bookstore shelves everywhere due to the improved health of those who follow the lifestyle, you could call it "Primal", "Grain Free", "Real Food", "Whole Food", "Nutrient-Dense", or "Ancestral". Whatever name you choose, the "Paleo" way of eating is simple: Mimic our Ancestors, who suffered from fewer chronic diseases than modern populations." Diane Sanfilippo Pg. 22 Practical Paleo

I feel so honored that my humble blog was chosen to receive an advanced copy of Practical Paleo by Diane Sanfilippo to review. I am so excited to share this book with you today, it truly is a treasure! I'm actually not really sure what to call this book, it's not just a book or a cookbook, it's both, wrapped up in a gorgeous, photo filled, information packed book! You know those authors who publish health books, then make you wait a year or more and publish a separate cookbook to go with their health book, well there is no waiting with this one, cookbook is included!

Her book is divided into three parts:

Part 1: The Why-Food and Your Body.

Part 2: Thirty Day Meal Plans

Part 3: Recipes

In part one, Diane explains the science behind the "Paleo" or as I like to call it the "Real Food" way of eating. She explains in detail and easy to understand terms why real food is best for our bodies. She includes colorful and extremely helpful guides and illustrations as well as many tips to help us when eating out or on an airplane or at a party.

Part two contains the meal plans. She has 11 different ones to choose from depending on your health issues:

Autoimmune Conditions

Blood Sugar Regulation

Digestive Health

Thyroid Health

Multiple Sclerosis, Fibromyalgia & Chronic Fatigue

Neurological Health

Heart Health

Cancer Recovery

Athletic Performance

Fat Loss

Squeaky Clean Paleo

Each meal plan contains Diet and Lifestyle recommendations, nutritional supplements & herbs to consider, supportive nutrients & foods that contain them and then the meal plans themselves. I personally plan to implement the Autoimmune Conditions, Thyroid Health and Fat Loss meal plans for my particular health issues.

Part three is all about the recipes! She includes step by step picture tutorials on how to chop an onion, how to chop a pepper and how to chop anything. I have found them tremendously helpful and am now chopping more like a chef than a crazy lady :) She has recipes for salt blends and spice blends that are wonderful. She has really inspired me to break out of the salt and pepper only mold and start using more of the spices in my cabinet!

The very best part of the recipes is that they are fast and easy to prepare with short ingredient lists for most...just how I like it!! Also each recipe has a least one gorgeous photo for you to drool at, taken by the talented Bill Staley of The Food Lovers Kitchen. I must stress the fact that this book, from start to finish, is chock full of glossy, beautiful photos...no skimping on that. I don't know about you, but I love looking at photos when I'm reading a cookbook or book on food.

Here are some of the recipes I have made from Practical Paleo...

This was adapted from her recipe Chicken Wings, two ways...

First my husband could only find regular size drumsticks at Costco instead of the recommended drummettes (or you can use wings too of course). Secondly I decided to only make it one way lol. I doubled the recipe for the Pineapple Teriyaki wings and boy was I glad I did...they were finger licking good! I really appreciated that there was no actual teriyaki sauce called for in the recipe, the combination of ingredients give you a delicious, lightly sweet sauce to mimic the teriyaki flavor without the harmful soy and sugar.

Pumpkin Pancakes...

Thank you, thank you Diane for giving the option to use a banana as a sweetener for these yummy, nourishing pancakes! This is a picture of my son's plate with the whole shebang of butter and maple syrup on top. Mine was just plain with butter, but still quite sweet that I did not miss the maple syrup.

The next day when heating up the leftovers for my breakfast, I had a great idea...drizzle on coconut butter. Let me tell you, it is so good this way, very decadent, but without the guilt!

Citrus and herb whole roasted chicken...

This was one of our favorites, so simple, yet full of flavor! The picture above shows the lemon version which my family just woofed down so fast. I saw my oldest son (aka pickiest eater) spooning extra roasted carrots and onion on to his plate, the lemon gave them so much flavor.

OK, I have to admit I goofed the first time I made this recipe, I used oranges instead of lemon, (I actually loved the orange version better) but I had set the chicken, breast down in the baking dish and proceeded to season and roast it upside down...it was still delicious and I ate some of the skin anyway :)

Upside down Orange chicken...live and learn :)

Lemon rosemary broiled salmon...

Wowie zowie, this is our favorite recipe so far! We all wanted to eat the whole thing in one fell swoop, but thanks to my husband, the voice of reason, we ate half the first night then enjoyed the other half the next night.

Lemon rosemary broiled salmon with sauteed zucchini, onion and kale

When I am finished with my sugar detox, I will be trying this recipe for Flourless mocha-bacon brownies...sounds and looks so good!

In the back of the book, Diane has guides that can be torn out and put on your fridge to help you remember important information.

My favorite guide was the one to paleo foods, I can get in a rut eating the same veggies over and over again, this guide helps remind me there are many vegetables and protein sources to choose from!

I hope my review was able to give you a good idea of what you will be getting if you purchase this "Encyclopedia" of information. It will arm you with the knowledge and tools you need to attain radiant health, which is what many of us are searching for.

This book will be released tomorrow, Aug.7th 2012!

Now for the giveaway! A brand spanking new copy of Practical Paleo will be mailed to the winner's doorstep!

"Like" my facebook page, Reading Your lips

"Like" Balanced Bites facebook page (Diane's page)

Post a comment below stating you have done both of these. The contest will be closed on Aug. 19th 2012 and the winner will be chosen and announced Monday, Aug. 20th 2012

**Update, I've changed the contest end date to Aug. 19th 2012

Good luck!

Steph

How to read lips...

2012-08-01T15:07:00.000-07:00

I've mentioned in a earlier post that I was not born deaf, my parents did not notice that I had hearing loss till I was around 4 years old because I would not respond when they spoke to me while my back was turned.. That means I had at least 2-3 years of normal hearing before it started to decline (most likely triggered by a high fever of 106 that I had when 2 years of age). My earliest memory of that time, was wondering what all the fuss was, I thought I heard just fine. I had unconsciously learned to read lips to adapt to my new hearing loss and had no clue that I was doing it till later when I was older, I realized I needed to look at someones lips to understand them.

When I was about 6, I had a childhood friend at church who was 4. She and her mother and brother would sit in the pew in front of my family and we would get down under the pew and talk to each other silently, somehow that 4 year old little girl learned to read my lips so we could talk during church services! I vividly remember during one such time, her mom caught us and I saw her lurch forward with a look of pain on her face, her mom had given her a good swat lol (sorry Shannon). As we grew up, we continued to read each others lips to talk about boys in front of our moms so they would not know what we were saying, we did it at school too. It was such a handy ability :)

Years ago, I had someone tell me they wished that they could read lips too. It caused me to really think about how I learned it or how Shannon learned it as well. I came to the conclusion that we simply just watched lips. Yep, that's it, just watch people's lips when they speak and you will start to recognize how words look when they are formed by lips. For the most part, people will form their words the same way. You can practice this by saying the word "Oh", look at yourself in the mirror and see how your mouth looks while saying. Then have some family members say the word "Oh" and compare, you will most likely find everyones mouth looks almost the same while saying that word. Do it again with another word like "My", or whatever word you want, just play with it, you'll have fun learning. To become a really good lip reader, you need to always look at someones lips when they are talking with you, it will help you hone your skill.

I hope you found this helpful and insightful (please do not take this post to mean I think it's ok to talk during church services or to talk about boys behind your parents back, it's not how God would want us to use such a gift).

Steph

Crispy Baked Drumsticks

2012-07-30T14:03:00.000-07:00

It's now a week into my second 21 Day Sugar Detox and I am doing great, no more cravings at all now. The first week is always a bit tough, since there is usually withdrawal symptoms and of course the psychological part that needs to be overcome...replacing the bad habit or craving with something good (in my case herbal tea) or eliminating it all together.

I have decided to join a group of people doing a Whole30 starting Aug.1st. You can read about the program here, the information is free. However, they have a book out called It Starts With Food (I highly recommend you get it!!) that explains in detail the science behind the Whole30 and much more. I am convinced doing the Whole30 will increase my health and healing tremendously. I will be following the Autoimmune Disease recommendations to avoid eggs, nightshades, dairy, nuts, seeds, and NSAIDs.

I will not be weighing myself during the Whole30, but I will when I am done and I will take a picture of how I look after as well. I am going to use these pictures as my before pictures, since I pretty much look the same and weigh the same.

So, please wish me luck! I'll still be doing the 21 Day Sugar Detox, just morphing it into the Whole30 lol.

Now on to a delicious recipe!

Crispy Baked Drumsticks

24 drumsticks
1/3 C. Coconut oil* or butter melted and mixed with EVOO
sea salt
onion powder
rosemary
pepper

Preheat oven to 375.

Line a baking sheet with parchment.

Put drumsticks in a colander and rinse well and drain.

Lay drumsticks down on the parchment with the skin facing up.

Pour oil into a small bowl and using a pastry brush, liberally brush the oil onto the drumsticks (if you are using coconut oil and your chicken are fresh out of the fridge, the coconut oil will harden and create a shell on your chicken, don't worry it's perfectly fine)

Coat the drumsticks liberally with sea salt and onion powder. Then sprinkle on the rosemary and pepper.

Bake in preheated oven for 60 min. The skin will be browned, crispy and yummy...enjoy!

*I use cold pressed, flavorless coconut oil, I am not a fan of the strong coconut flavor in Extra Virgin on my foods.

Monday I will be doing a review of a book that I was privileged to receive an advanced copy of. I am so excited to share it with you all, I have been having a blast making recipes from this book and I have learned so much from it as well! Now stay tuned because I am going to be having a giveaway, some lucky winner will be mailed a free Practical Paleo book!

This book will be released Aug. 7th, 2012 and can be pre-ordered.

Have a wonderful week,

Steph

Starting a 21 Day Sugar Detox today!

2012-07-23T11:35:00.001-07:00

Today I'm kicking off another 21 Day Sugar Detox: Monday, July 23rd - Sunday, August 12th

My family has been on two camping trips this summer, junk food and processed, convenience foods tend to make an appearance when that happens. Mostly it's my own fault due to poor planning, but we also tend to purchase food items while we are camping at a particular place for various reasons, the main reason being...comfort. Comfort foods, snacky foods are the biggest enticements for us and we give in of course! :)

Next time I will be purchasing these healthy kits to take with us to minimize the junk...wish I had thought of it BEFORE our trip!

Steve's Original Paleokits

Primal Pacs

Sophia's Survival Jerky Chews

Whether you have over indulged on vacation or not, please feel free to join me in my sugar detox, everyone will benefit!

You can choose:
1. Just get the sugar out in all it's forms, click here for a list of 50 different names for sugar. Read labels carefully, you'll be surprised, it's in many things!
2. Get all forms of sugar out and not eat anything sweet, including fruit and stevia, splenda or other non-caloric sweeteners. Studies show that for certain people, just eating something that tastes sweet even though there is no sugar, their bodies will release insulin causing fat storage.
3. You can follow the 21 Day Sugar Detox program by Balanced Bites. This program costs $21 is full of information and recipes, check it out.

So who is with me? We can encourage and support each other!

Please leave a comment to let me know if you are participating, I'd love to get to know you better.

Steph

P.S. I will be doing a review and having a giveaway on my blog for this book

Be on the lookout next week for details!

Camping Trip to Sequoia National Park

2012-07-09T15:37:00.000-07:00

We recently took a trip to Sequoia National Park to camp with my Dad and his wife, Bekkee. We stayed for four days at the Dorst Creek Campground which I highly recommend, the sites were very pretty and spacious. The only drawback was that there were no showers, but you could travel down to the Lodgepole Campground and use their public showers. The Lodgepole Campground also has a store and small restaurant that also has a section with ready made sandwiches, wraps, salads and various desserts to choose from. There was also a Nature Center there that shows an educational video about the bears in the area...it was closed captioned to my delight! I made sure to tell one of the people working there how appreciative I was.

I was very impressed with this National Park, it was very well taken care of, very tourist friendly you might say. They have a free, seasonal shuttle service that will take you to many of the main attractions as well as to the campgrounds. They let us carry on a couple boxes of firewood to take back to our campsite, I thought that was nice.

We visited the Sherman Tree, explored the Crystal Cave and hiked most of the Muir Grove Trail while we were there. We packed quite a bit into our four day stay...well at least it seemed like a lot to me :) I have lost 30lbs since last fall and it made a very big difference in my stamina and ability to be active and enjoy our trip. I hope that I will have lost at least another 30lbs before our next camping trip next year, Lord willing.

Here are some pictures I took while we were up there, I hope you enjoy them.

The Sherman Tree from behind, it is the largest Sequoia by circumference.

Top of the Sherman Tree.

Hiking along the Congress Trail.

Waterfall and fallen log on the Congress Trail.

Side view of the Sherman Tree...Kade marveling at how tall it is.

All of us in front of the Sherman tree.

Kade with his Grandma Bekkee and Grandpa in front of a cross section of a sequoia tree.

Aiden and Eilan on one of the rocks in the area.

Aiden, Eilan and Kade on the rock...kids just love climbing rocks!

Eric, Aiden, my Dad and Bekkee waiting for the tour to start outside the Crystal Cave.

Love this picture of Eilan outside the Crystal Cave.

We decided to take a tour of the Crystal Cave while we were down there, it does cost money and you can purchase the tickets at the Lodgepole Campground Nature Center. You do need to be somewhat fit to go on this tour, it is about a mile down a very steep trail to get to the cave, then you have to do more walking inside the cave and there is one area that you (or at least me) have to kind of squish yourself through. Then there is the walk back up the steep trail to get back to your car...whew that one was tough for me, but I made it. All in all it was worth it, the cave is beautiful.

I liked the "juicy" look of this one

The water in this stream is so clear you can see straight to the bottom.

If it wasn't so cool in the cave I would have been tempted to jump in!

Very interesting formations.

Here is the tight area you walk through, it was only a short area thankfully.

Gorgeous waterfall that was next to the trail to the Crystal Cave.

Aiden is my Nature boy, he loves getting close and examining everything.

Just beautiful country up there!

The day before we left, my Dad wanted us to hike a trail that was located in our campground called the Muir Grove Trail. By then all the walking and hiking we had done previously was taking it's toll on my poor feet. I actually was surprised they had lasted as long as they did. The Muir Grove Trail is a 4 mile trail round trip, but we only walked 3 (thanks Dad for taking pity on me). It was a beautiful trail and the day was nice and cool, it was perfect!

If there is a rock like this, the kids are gonna climb it :)

My Dad and Bekkee enjoying the view.

Eilan and Eric walking along the trail.

Stopping to take a break and eat a snack before heading back.

Breathtaking!

I hope you get a chance to explore some of the wonders of creation, that God has so richly blessed us with here on earth and in this part of the world. Sequoia National Park holds so much beauty and mystery, we plan to come up here again in the future to see more and more!

Steph

Coconut Caramel Rice Pudding Recipe

2012-07-01T20:19:00.003-07:00

Sometimes I just get a craving for some rice pudding. I love the flavor, the texture, the creaminess of it all, it is comfort food for me. Maybe it reminds me of my Grandma Estes, she made the best food from scratch period.

This recipe is a healthier version of rice pudding but still creamy and delicious. You get healthier fats from the coconut milk and it won't spike your blood sugar like regular sugar does.

Surprisingly you cannot taste the flavor of coconut if you follow my recipe as is, however if you use less sugar or a different sugar, you may taste it.

Coconut Caramel Rice Pudding

3 Cups (packed) of cooked rice ( I used white basmati rice)
2 14 oz (or close) cans of full fat coconut milk
2/3 Cup of Coconut/Palm sugar*
pinch of salt or to taste
1 tsp of vanilla

In a medium size saucepan, add coconut milk, rice, sugar and salt. Cook on medium heat until rice pudding is almost as thick as you would like, take off the heat and let cool for 5 min. then add vanilla and mix well. Continue to let the pudding cool, it will thicken more as it cools.

When cool enough to eat, serve as is or with a dollop of whipped cream on top. Other topping ideas are...

Cherry sauce
Sauteed apples
walnuts
almonds
raisins

* You could use regular brown sugar in place of the coconut sugar, I would only use 1/2 Cup since coconut sugar is not as sweet as regular. For just Coconut Milk Rice Pudding, sub 1/2 Cup of regular white sugar in place of the coconut sugar.

Enjoy!

My next post will be about our adventures at the Sequoia National Park. Gorgeous Country!!

Steph

You know your loved when...

2012-06-21T15:39:00.001-07:00

You know your loved when your standing outside the church building after evening services talking with friends and the temperamental, outside lamp light goes out and everything is black. Then your friends whom you were talking to pull out their phones and use the light from the phone to light up their lips so that I can still read them and continue talking till the aforementioned lamp light decided to turn back on.

This made me laugh and touched my heart at the same time and I felt very loved!

Just thought I would share this with you :)

Steph

Baking Bacon

2012-06-18T14:13:00.000-07:00

In case you were wondering why I have not posted about my progress on my second 21 Day Sugar Detox, well that is because I have postponed it till August. We have too much going on right now, we are preparing for our camping trips taking place this summer. I am trying new recipes, and figuring out what to bring for meals and snacks. So far I have some ideas...

1. Hobo meals
2. Omelet in a bag
3. Pancake mix, flours premixed in a bag with instructions on outside of bag
4. Oatmeal (gf oats of course) mixed with either some dry, organic milk or some protein powder (will have to test this out, I have some Sun Warrior Brown Rice Protein powder that I want to try), dried fruit and nuts, premixed in a bag with instructions also written on bag.

Quick, easy and cheap (but high quality) is the name of the game for me, if you have any other great ideas on what I can bring, please share!

Now on to Baking bacon!

If you are a regular reader of my blog, you probably know by now I like to make easy but nutritious meals. I'm not a fan of washing a lot of dishes either, so I try to find ways to minimize the use of dishes, utensils and bake wear that I use.

We love bacon, but after making it on the stove for years and hating all the splattery mess that goes with it, not to mention the stuck on bacon bits at the bottom of my cast iron skillet that I like to not have to soak and scrub if possible to maintain my nice seasoning on it. I decided there must be an easier way, so I researched online to see if anyone was baking bacon in the oven, and sure enough there were many blog posts on the subject. After reading several recipes, I got the gist of it and tried my hand at it and now I love it and will not make bacon any other way....well ok except when we are camping, I will use my skillet :)

I like Trader Joe's Apple Smoked, thick cut, nitrate free bacon and that is what I used, be aware that if you use a thinner bacon the time will be shorter so keep an eye on it while it's on the oven!

Baked Bacon

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Line a cookie sheet with parchment, it is actually better to have your parchment be larger than the cookie sheet as it will make keeping your cookie sheet clean much easier.

Lay out your bacon side by side each other till you have filled the pan.

The package of Trader Joe's bacon is a rather small pack so I am able to bake it all at one time.

When oven is preheated, put your pan in and bake for 20-25 min. That is it...so easy and much less messy!

If you are using regular sliced bacon, I would bake for about 10 min. or so.

Wait till bacon fat is cool and solidified if you can, before gathering up the parchment corners and dumping in trash.

If you have more bacon than what can fit on one cookie sheet and you want to bake it all in one batch instead of waiting for the first to finish, line another cookie sheet with parchment like the first and lay the rest of your bacon down on it. Put both sheets on the oven, but half way through baking I would take the bottom sheet and switch it with the top one, to ensure more even cooking.

This method is what I have found to work for me, I hope it helps you in your future bacon endeavors!

Steph

Counting my blessings!

2012-06-04T16:12:00.000-07:00

There is a song we sing in church called, "Count Your Blessings" that I love, I find myself singing it at home quite frequently as of late. Sometimes I forget how blessed I really am and get caught up in feeling sorry for myself when life doesn't go my way. Here is the last verse of the song "So amid the conflict, whether great or small, do not be discouraged, God is over all; Count your many blessings, angels will attend, help and comfort give you to your journey's end"

I am going to be over here in my little part of the world counting my many blessings, naming them one by one, feel free to join in with your beautiful voice too!

Much has happened this past week, we've started grilling on our grill to avoid heating up the house. It's been very hot during the day, but wonderfully cool at night. I plan on enjoying to the fullest, these cool evenings while it lasts!

We decided the first thing we were going to grill would be hamburgers, thanks to Kade our oldest son. He was craving a big juicy cheeseburger since we don't eat out anymore. Now that we have a gluten free household, that meant we needed some gluten free hamburger buns and I'll tell ya, store bought gf hamburger buns are not very palatable! I used the Udi's Copycat Bread recipe by Extraordinary Life in my previous post and made the 2 loaf recipe. I divided up the dough into 12 equal amounts on my greased Crown Muffin pans and put them into the oven to rise for 30 min. according to the recipe instructions. I however only baked them for 30 min. instead of 70 min. You do not need Crown Muffin pans to make hamburger buns, just use parchment and two cookie sheets, divide the dough into 6 piles on each sheet, then flatten and round each pile as best you can. Put into oven and let rise for 30 min. and bake for 30 min. You do need to let them cool or they will go flat and the texture of the bread will be different. However if you decided to use them as rolls, you could definitely eat them while hot.

Gorgeous!

Perfect!

My bun + My Hubby's 1/2 lb. juicy burger = Drool worthy deliciousness!

Look at the great deal I found at iherb...

Excuse the messy room and focus on the 10# Now brand Mega Pack Tapioca Flour bag (and two of my cuties).

I use Tapioca starch flour in the Udi's Copycate Bread recipe as well as many other gluten free baking recipes, so it was a wonderful find when I saw this 10# bag on iherb for less than $20.00! I have an iherb code that will get you $5.00 off your first order, just enter FAT433 at checkout. If you are already an iherb customer...what are you waiting for, go order some!

We have a couple of camping trips planned this summer, so I've pulled out some of my camping books I have collected over the years.

This is not even all of them...yes, I am a cookbook addict...or should I say book addict :) I have a few coming from the Library to check out as well. I am looking for easy recipes for our trip. Not just easy, but healthy too.

Anybody got a recipe they would like to share?

Any tips on gluten free camping would be wonderful and welcome!

Steph