• White or brown sugar? Sub in sucanat, or honey or an acceptable sugar free sweetener. Get help subbing in my post on Substituting Sweeteners in Baking and Cooking
• Chocolate Chips? Sub in my Homemade Chocolate / Carob Chips (new & improved version coming soon!)
• Others? Don’t think you’ll find many, but ask away if need be. (There was an entry in a previous AFW of a cake that looked incredible, but used PB cups – I have a great healthy sub for that – Healthy “Almost Reese’s!“)

Welcome to Allergy-Free Wednesdays (AFW)–a weekly blog hop where folks can share their allergy-free cuisine, gain knowledge about allergy-related topics/issues, and connect with others living or caring for someone with food allergies. Your weekly submissions are shared on 7 blogs! Additionally, each hostess will feature a favorite recipe(s) from the week before. Your hostesses are:

• Tessa @ Tessa the Domestic Diva
• Laura @ Gluten Free Pantry
• Nancy @ Real Food Allergy Free
• Amber @ The Tasty Alternative
• Michelle @ The Willing Cook,
• Janelle @ Gluten Freely Frugal
• and–Me .

Wondering What You Can Link Up on Allergy Free Wednesday?

Anything that is fitting for an allergy free diet in some way (we’re not that strict).

For the complete rules, click here.

Here goes – starting off with my favorites–and you should check out the other hostesses’ posts to see if you were featured there!

My Favorites from Last Week (with substitution ideas)~

I think I should title this week’s post “Whole Foodified Processed Food Week.”
My favorites are all that–they look great!  Kashi Granola, Crispie Bars and Cocoa Krispies .

Raw White Chocolate and Cranberry Crispies (GF & V) from The Fussiest Eater
These look great. I love Crispie Bars and this is a GREAT idea–make them with soaked and dried buckwheat!
You can follow my link to see how to soak the grains and then dry them in a dehydrator, or check the directions on the blog by searching after you click through (it’s a little hard to figure out).  I’ve been working on a White Chocolate recipe–keep an eye out for it.

5-Ingredient Healthy Cocoa Crispies from Oatmeal with a Fork
Another great “cereal” food made from soaked and dried buckwheat.  Guess what I’m going to soak tonight .
The only sub I’d make is a candida-diet friendly sweetener.

(Just Like Kashi) Granola from The Knoxville Holts
Again, I’d sub a candida-diet friendly sweetener. And I’d likely reduce the dried fruit for the same reason (or use unsweetened cranberries and a little extra sweetener.)

and Readers’ Favorite

Protein Carrot Cake from Food and Yoga for Life
This might be hard but I would try to sub in my Powdered Egg Replacer.  I like using this protein powder. We don’t use it often but it does come in handy sometimes. (that’s an affiliate link)

I can’t wait to see what you all have this week!

White Chocolate Cranberry Crispies, Protein Carrot Cake, Healthy Cocoa Crispies, “Kashi” Granola & More is a post from: Whole New Mom

Save 10% on amazingly delicious almonds with NO ENGINE FUEL ON THEM! Use Code WNM at Just Almonds.

Thanks for subscribing! As a thank you to my special readers, here is a copy of Free Soaked Whole Grains Cookbook.

I think you'll really enjoy the cookbook. My Baked Doughnuts are in there - -my kids repeatedly ask me to make them (and my husband does too!).

For another great soaked grain recipe, you may wish to try Baked Oatmeal / Oatmeal Cake (2 ways, with a surprise) Enjoy!

So today I’m continuing the story of my looong path of trying to get fermented foods into my diet.

In Part One of Why I Don’t Have Fermented Food on My Blog, you read of my ups and downs with gut health and itching and my basically throwing in the towel numerous times as I tried to add these “health foods” to my diet–

–and failed time and time again.

I can be really stubborn.

About some things.

First of all, I’m sure any of you long-time followers are happy to see that Part Two is done already. Sometimes life and stuff gets in the way and I don’t finish my series as quickly as I would like to (like with my Could You Have Heavy Metal Poisoning and Not Know It? series that has yet to be continued.)

Sigh.

Please forgive me for being a real person who doesn’t always have her act together .

So let’s move on. Today’s post is another longish one. Stick with me. This is good stuff.

Trial #6 –  The Big Guns

I told you in Part One that I was given the chance of a lifetime while trying to sort out fermented foods and my health.

I got to talk with an expert in superfoods and probiotics to see what he thought about my situation.

I figured he’d be super busy and I’d get about 5-10 minutes, but I got over an hour.

And this was not just some health food guy who thinks probiotics are important.

This is the man who developed the fermented superfood powder that I’d been taking since July 2012.

His name is Czerral, and here’s just a peek at his resume:

• in 1979 became well known for his role in bringing spirulina to the world market
• in 1994, he introduced the first and only “Certified Organic Spirulina” to the
  Southern Hemisphere

Pretty impressive, no?

I went through the whole sad story with him–my adrenal and candida issues, and how I’d tried over and over again to add fermented foods to my diet with no luck.

His thinking?

The Reasoning

This is really interesting.

Czerral said that it was unlikely that I was reacting to the powdered superfood probiotic (or that I would react to the liquid one) because:

1.  The probiotic powder and the drink are made up of foods.

2.  They are fermented in a similar manner to how the foods are dealt with in the body, so the resulting product is predigested foods that have been acted upon by bacteria similar to how our body digests them.

3.  The probiotics are both fermented in carefully controlled environments to make sure the resulting products are pure and not contaminated with stray yeasts or bacteria.

So unless you react to the foods in the probiotics, you shouldn’t react to the probiotics.

(And even then, since the foods are predigested, people often can tolerate the foods in these products even if they are sensitive to them.)

The Plan

Czerral said I should “pound the heck out of my gut with a heavy saturation” of good bacteria (yes, those were his words–I took a lot of notes .)

The powder I was already taking (InLiven) was good, but he recommended a liquid (Fast Tract) that has higher bacteria counts so it would have a more intensive effect on my gut.

Here are the nuts and bolts of his recommendation:

1.  Buy 4 bottles of Fast Tract (not quite the boatload I mentioned in Part One)

2.  Drink 1 bottle per week–Each bottle is supposed to last for 1 month. Talk about flooding my system, huh?

His thinking was that my gut is still really overrun with the “bad guys” and that I needed to totally overwhelm them with beneficial bacteria to get my gut back in balance.

Well, I was pretty nervous about it.

Nervous about 

• spending the money (I’m cheap-er-frugal, remember?), and
• about what I might experience (I’d had enough bad experiences with itching and the like. If I drink a whole bottle in a week, what might happen to me? Might I become one giant itching, flaky mess?)

I talked it over with my husband, and we decided to purchase 1 bottle for a trial run to make sure it didn’t kill me.

Really, I’m kidding, but I was worried about spending a bunch of money and not being able to use the product.

So, I bought it.

And drank it.

The Results

I started with about 1/2 the daily dose.

I had a pretty intense reaction immediately.

Bad, bad itching in my ears.

Then–nothing. No other itching or side effects.

The bad itching happened once or twice over the next few days, immediately after taking the probiotic drink. But after about 2 weeks, the ear itching is almost gone. And they aren’t really peeling much anymore either.

I kept upping the dose a little and eventually got brave and just downed the daily dose plus a little.

And I’m taking the full dose of the fermented superfood powdered probiotic on alternating days, with no bad effects.

And–I’m having a few swigs of water kefir (homemade) now and then.

Hmmmmm.

I’m thinking that the candida bugs are on their way out and that if I give them “The Big Guns” (the 4 bottles) I just might have a renewed gut.

I’m getting pretty excited about this.

What’s Next?

A Flood for Me &  The Chance of a Lifetime–For You

Now that I’ve seen that I am tolerating these fermented food probiotics, I am going to order those 4 bottles (not a boatload, but a small bucket’s-worth) and start “pounding the heck” out of my bad bacteria with a flood of the good guys.

And I have more planned in the way of fermenting.

I am starting some home ferments and will be doing more. And I will be sharing with you as I learn.

But what’s next for you– truly is The Chance of Lifetime.

I’ve arranged for you to be able to hear from and ask questions of Czerral in a live teleseminar on Thursday, May 30.

Czerral is the maker of InLiven and Fast Tract, two food-based probiotics from Miessence, a company that I have been learning more about for awhile now (InLiven is the superfood probiotic and Fast Tract is their liquid “Big Guns” that I am going to be flooding my gut with. Look out, bad guys, here it comes!)

I will be interviewing Czerral about

• what probiotics are
• why we need them
• when to take them (time of day/with food or without)
• genetically modified probiotics (for real.  GMOs are everywhere)
• and more

and there will be time for Q&A with this superfood probiotic expert who helped me sooo much.

So it you too are “itching” to talk to someone about your gut health and probiotic questions, now is your chance.

Just click here to sign up.

And even if you can’t make it, sign up anyway since a recording will be delivered to your inbox and you can listen at your convenience. (Of course, I think the Q&A is likely to be great, so I would make every effort to attend, for sure.)

What a treat, huh?

Details About Your Chance of a Lifetime

1.  The teleseminar is going to last about 1 hour- about 45 minutes for the interview and 15 minutes for Q&A–give or take.

2.  Two Giveaways!  (Gotta love FREE stuff, right?  And this is some good free stuff.) By signing up for the teleseminar, you will be able to enter a drawing for

• a FREE tub of InLiven, the powdered superfood probiotic, and
• a FREE bottle of the Liquid “Big Guns” probiotic drink (Fast Tract).  

Miessence (the parent company) has been gracious enough to offer these freebies to my readers. You’ll get info about entering the giveaway after the call.

3.  Just so you know, Czerral and I will be joined by Lacey of KV Organics. She’s a gem of a gal and she and I have talked about probiotics and InLiven for about a year now. She’s helping me out because I’ve never handled a webinar and she’s been sooo helpful to me in this whole journey, so we decided to work on this together.

When you sign up for the teleseminar, you’ll be getting communications from her because I am just swamped and Lacey has offered to handle the webinar registration and everything to take a load off of my plate.  What a blessing. Just so you know, you’ll be getting communications from her, as opposed to from me .

4.  If you are interested in taking a closer look at the products that I am taking, you can check out this link to all of Miessence’s superfoods.

(Disclaimer: I signed up as a rep with Miessence so that I could get a discount and that link is to my store.  The products are very high quality and they are not cheap, so I wanted to get them for a more reasonable price so it would work for my family’s budget.  If you can’t wait and want to try something right now, you can use the discount code “greenbiz” through the end of May 2013 to get 20% off your order of any size.  And you also get 20% off any future order as long as you order once per year.)

I am sooo looking forward to this. I get to pick Czerral’s brain again and bring his knowledge base to all of you.

I really encourage all of you to sign up. I feel like I am on the cusp of some more deep healing, and I am extremely passionate about sharing what I learn with you all.

I’ve got a lot of learning to do, but one step at a time, right?

More later about how my new journey is going…..And I am putting my whole family on InLiven, so you’ll get to see how that is all going.

**The source of the top photo is by Michaela of Vicariously Vintage. She’s another gem, and you can see she’s a real pro at fermenting. **

So—what do you think about this?

What questions you would like for me to ask Czerral in the teleseminar!

Remember: I am not a doctor and can’t medically advise. You should talk to a medical professional before making any changes to your exercise or health protocol. Please read my disclaimer here.

Why I Don’t Have Fermented Food on My Blog – Part 2 is a post from: Whole New Mom

Save 10% on amazingly delicious almonds with NO ENGINE FUEL ON THEM! Use Code WNM at Just Almonds.

Thanks for subscribing! As a thank you to my special readers, here is a copy of Free Soaked Whole Grains Cookbook.

I think you'll really enjoy the cookbook. My Baked Doughnuts are in there - -my kids repeatedly ask me to make them (and my husband does too!).

For another great soaked grain recipe, you may wish to try Baked Oatmeal / Oatmeal Cake (2 ways, with a surprise) Enjoy!

Seeing as Whole New Mom is a blog that mainly talks about health and related topics, you may be wondering why I’ve never done a post about fermented foods.

No posts about:

• homemade sauerkraut
• kombucha
• water kefir

and all that cultured stuff.

Read on to find out why–and hang with me. This is one of those longish posts with lots of info.

Remember my series on Candida and Gut Health from a while ago? If you didn’t read it, hop on over there. You’ll get to see up close and personal the way that candida wreaked havoc on my body and my life.

Candida is essentially a term to describe an overgrowth of yeast that causes many problems in the affected person.

And I had it bad.

If you look around the internet, many people say that kombucha and fermented foods are one of the key ways to rid oneself of candida.

But they didn’t work for me.

Here’s what happened instead.

The Candida Diet and Fermented Foods

About 4 years ago (I think that’s when this all started), I went on a pretty strict dietary regimen that excluded all sugary foods, and limited starches. The program included fermented foods in the “restricted” category, stating that often when folks were dealing with systemic candida, their bodies were sensitized to yeast products and fermented foods.  Instead of the body responding positively to the introduction of such “beneficial foods,” their bodies might react negatively instead.

So I followed that prescription.

No–

• kombucha
• kefir
• vinegars
• mustard
• yeast
• nutritional yeast

Etcetera.

The whole thing was pretty complex (more on the story later), but overall I was getting better. Sort of. Actually, there is a reason why the Candida Diet didn’t “do it” for me, but I will touch on that in a future post.  So make sure you subscribe to my blog if you haven’t already. You’ll for sure not want to miss that.

Anyway, I always wondered about the exclusion of fermented foods from the list of allowed foods, because there are many who tout cultured foods as being key to overcoming candidiasis (systemic candida).

Trial #1 – Super Fermented Drink

After a while of “doing the Candida Diet,” I was hitting a wall. So I talked with a man who had a lot of experience in candida, heavy metals, and the like, and he recommended my doing a “flush the bad guys out” protocol.

The Plan? Buy a boatload (about 5 2 liter bottles) of heavy-duty probiotic drink, and drink a bunch of it over the course of a few weeks.

It was expensive, but I was desperate to get better.

So I bought it and started to drink.

What followed was very unpleasant.

My symptoms worsened. A lot.

Itching everywhere. Intense and uncomfortable. And frightening.

I really didn’t think I could go on and see where this might lead. I felt like my body was rebelling against me and I was ready to surrender.

I packed up the unused portion of the boatload and paid to ship it back.

No more fermented foods for me for a long time.

Trial #2 – Kombucha

Fast forward a few years. I’d made a lot of changes–tightened up my diet and worked on adrenal healing, heavy metal toxicity, and more. It was a hard, hard time for me but I was starting to have more energy and wanted to start making kombucha for my family (and maybe for me—I hoped).

So I did. And I drank.

Not good.

More itching. Lots of it. Skin, scalp, ears, and the dreaded feminine itching thing. (Sorry if that’s TMI.)

I talked with my practitioner and she said that maybe I was reacting to the fermentation, or perhaps I should just go with fermented veggies since they have no sugar that can remain in them. She also said that I could try again some time down the road.

Now, to be clear, I fermented my kombucha ’til it tasted like a strong vinegar, so I think there was little to no sugar in that stuff, but I still wasn’t tolerating it.

I ended up trying to ferment some carrots, but they didn’t work well. Sigh.

So since I couldn’t tolerate it, and I was still pretty low on energy, the SCOBY died and I left the dream of fermented foods alone for awhile.

Trial #3 – Fermented Superfood Probiotic

This next part is a little murky, but here’s basically what happened.

I started taking a new fermented superfood probiotic back in July of 2012.

I went right into a full serving, but I ended up having some ear itching again and thought I needed to back off. The symptoms went away immediately, so I thought I was having a reaction to fermentation. Again.

I decided to back off. But tried again around October.

Same thing.  Ear itching and sinus stuff.

I figured fermented foods and I just didn’t get along.

Trial #4 – Fermented Superfood Probiotic

In March of 2013, I decided to try one more time to see if I could handle the fermented food probiotic.

I really really wanted to add this stuff to my diet and felt like the probiotic was really great for my gut.

There are sooo many probiotics out there and I have tried A LOT of them. With most of them, you just know that they aren’t working, but with this one, I could tell for sure that it was.

So I tried.

I started with 1/8 of a teaspoon and progressed to 1/4 and was tolerating it pretty well.

March 22 – I upped my dose of the probiotic to 1/2 teaspoon and my eyes started itching again.  I backed off again.

Trial #5 – Lots of Fermented Foods

By mid-April, I was trying again. I was determined to get this stuff into my system.

I ramped my dosage up to 1 tsp per day and felt great (tons of energy and great digestion), but I ate some other foods with yeast in them on April 15 and woke up with INTENSE itching in my ears.  Like “I’m going to go nuts” itching.

Well, I know this is kind of gross, but my ears were peeling inside a little and I smelled some of the discharge / skin.

The discharge from one of my ears smelled like yeast.

Was this my body trying to get rid of it?

Or was this a reaction to the fermented foods?

Regardless, it seemed I was doomed. Big sigh.

Trial #6 –  The Big Guns

Just 3 days later, April 15, I was given the chance of a lifetime.

The chance to talk with someone who really knows his stuff about probiotics.

Not just a health food store employee, but an expert in the field of probiotics and superfoods.

I’ll fill you in in the next post about what he said and what happened. (Click here for Part Two of Why I Don’t Have Fermented Foods on My Blog.)

Sorry to keep you hanging, but I’ve got a lot to say on this topic .

Have you had reactions to fermented foods or been told you are sensitive to them?

By the way, the photo up there was done by Michaela of Vicariously Vintage. Nice shot, eh? 

Shared at Real Food Forager, Cooking Traditional Foods, Not Just a Housewife, Naptime Creations, Raising Homemakers, We Are that Family, Frugally Sustainable, The Shabby Creek Cottage, The Nourishing Gourmet, and Chef in Training.

Why I Don’t Have Fermented Foods on My Blog – Part One is a post from: Whole New Mom

Save 10% on amazingly delicious almonds with NO ENGINE FUEL ON THEM! Use Code WNM at Just Almonds.

Thanks for subscribing! As a thank you to my special readers, here is a copy of Free Soaked Whole Grains Cookbook.

I think you'll really enjoy the cookbook. My Baked Doughnuts are in there - -my kids repeatedly ask me to make them (and my husband does too!).

For another great soaked grain recipe, you may wish to try Baked Oatmeal / Oatmeal Cake (2 ways, with a surprise) Enjoy!

I hope you have a pleasant day tomorrow, particularly for all of you moms out there.

I hope you made sure to download the Free Gluten-Free Allergy-Friendly Mother’s Day Cookbook.

It’s great and I must say that my contribution, the Chocolate / Carob Tart with Dairy-Free Whipped Cream, is a real treat.

I’m not sure what we’ll be doing special tomorrow, but I hope a restful time together is part of the “celebration.”

There are some “mom” focused books included in the free ebooks this week – check out the one at the end.  It’s pretty cute.

Free & Discounted Ebooks

About these books:  The prices can change at any time so please check before “purchasing”.

And to save you even more money, you don’t need a Kindle to read them.  Just download Kindle for PC or Mac at Amazon and read on your computer.

All of the following links in Amazon are affiliate links. I appreciate your support of this blog.

The Skinny Paleo Slow Cooker Recipe Book: Over 40 Gluten Free Paleo Diet Recipes For Weight Loss And Enhanced Well Being

Nice and pretty simple-looking slow cooker recipes.  I’ve been using my slow cooker more–which my family and my schedule like.

Rock You Tonight

This has good ratings but I couldn’t read it in my reader for some reason .  Maybe you’ll have better luck.  It’s a story encouraging new moms to press on and drink in the blessings amidst the chaos.

Improve Your Health Naturally

Lots of different tips. I don’t agree with all of it but it’s an interesting read.

Recipes with Honey – For All Seasons

A little “whole foodifying” needed, but overall a nice book with tasty recipes.

Real Smart Baby Food

I pretty much did the “breastfeed exclusively as long as possible and feed kid blended up simple foods” diet for my kiddos.

But this looks like a great resource for avoiding the jarred expensive stuff.

Plenty: 31 Sips of Joy for Moms Everywhere

I featured this as a freebie awhile ago. It’s encouragement for moms from a Christian perspective. I am pretty picky about Christian books, but from the short glance I took, this one looks pretty good.

How to Save Money at Home: A Room-by-Room Guide to Cut Spending

Take a tour through your home and see how you can save money in lots and lots of ways.

The Ancient Healer Vol. 1: Time Tested Natural Remedies from Past Generations

 More than just healing tips. This is a history of how our environment and food became more heavily “chemicalized.” It’s enough to make you not sleep well at night. .

Parenting From the Overflow

Help for parents from a Christian perpective. I don’t read many Christian books but this one looks good.

DEAR MOM: A Children’s Story for Moms in Dr. Seuss Style Rhyme

Super sweet book with a poem for Mother’s Day in the spirit of Dr. Seuss.  Had to include this one .

Tropical Traditions

Tropical Traditions is having a great Gold Label Coconut Oil sale this week.

I buy large containers of coconut oil. Because it’s cheaper and coconut oil has a great super long shelf life.

You can check out some more of my bulk buying ways on my Frugal Pantry Storage Post over at Kitchen Stewardship.

You can get 5 gallons of Gold Label Coconut Oil for only $199.80, which is just $39.96 per gallon. An AMAZING deal for coconut oil that has apparently got the highest level of antioxidants in the world.

New to Tropical Traditions?  You’ll get a free book with great info about coconut oil as well as a load of great recipes. And I get a referral coupon for new customers who purchase.)

Peepods – 10% off and help others

Time to stop using plastic-coated throw-aways.

You’ve heard about reusable feminine products, but you haven’t taken the plunge.

Now’s the time to check out this company.

Their stuff is pretty and you can help the environment and help women in tough situations with these great pads.

Pretty, huh?

With my great sponsor, Peepods, you:

1.  Save 10% off any purchase at Peepods using CODE wholenewmom at checkout.

2.  Bless less-privileged women.  For every set of pads purchased, you employ ladies in Belize who’ve been employed by Amber, the owner of Peepods.  Amber donates one set to this hospital in Ethiopia that treats ladies with injuries related to OB care with every purchased set.    You save money, care for the environment, feel pretty and help women when you buy from her.

Read my review of Peepods here.

 Oh–almost forgot. You can also get 10% off SUPER YUMMY ALMONDS.

10% off Great Almonds

We’ve been enjoying our Just Almonds Non Pareil almonds for about a year now. They’re sweeter than most any other almonds we’ve ever tried.  Typically my Homemade Almond Butter disappears quickly, but made from these almonds, it disappears even faster  .

These almonds are steam pasteurized.  Most almonds in the US are pasteurized with engine fuel. Blech. Read more in my post, Is There Engine Fuel on Your Almonds?  Ick, huh?

Get 10% off these superb almonds from my sponsor with code WNM.

 That’s it for this week. Hope you all have a Happy and Blessed Mother’s Day. 

Free Ebooks, Free Mother’s Day Cookbook, Coconut Oil Sale, and More is a post from: Whole New Mom

Save 10% on amazingly delicious almonds with NO ENGINE FUEL ON THEM! Use Code WNM at Just Almonds.

Thanks for subscribing! As a thank you to my special readers, here is a copy of Free Soaked Whole Grains Cookbook.

I think you'll really enjoy the cookbook. My Baked Doughnuts are in there - -my kids repeatedly ask me to make them (and my husband does too!).

For another great soaked grain recipe, you may wish to try Baked Oatmeal / Oatmeal Cake (2 ways, with a surprise) Enjoy!

• White or brown sugar? Sub in sucanat, or honey or an acceptable sugar free sweetener. Get help subbing in my post on Substituting Sweeteners in Baking and Cooking
• Chocolate Chips? Sub in my Homemade Chocolate / Carob Chips (new & improved version coming soon!)
• Others? Don’t think you’ll find many, but ask away if need be. (There was an entry in a previous AFW of a cake that looked incredible, but used PB cups – I have a great healthy sub for that – Healthy “Almost Reese’s!“)

Welcome to Allergy-Free Wednesdays (AFW)–a weekly blog hop where folks can share their allergy-free cuisine, gain knowledge about allergy-related topics/issues, and connect with others living or caring for someone with food allergies. Your weekly submissions are shared on 7 blogs! Additionally, each hostess will feature a favorite recipe(s) from the week before. Your hostesses are:

• Tessa @ Tessa the Domestic Diva
• Laura @ Gluten Free Pantry
• Nancy @ Real Food Allergy Free
• Amber @ The Tasty Alternative
• Michelle @ The Willing Cook,
• Janelle @ Gluten Freely Frugal
• and–Me .

Wondering What You Can Link Up on Allergy Free Wednesday?

Anything that is fitting for an allergy free diet in some way (we’re not that strict).

For the complete rules, click here.

Here goes – starting off with my favorites–and you should check out the other hostesses’ posts to see if you were featured there!

My Favorites from Last Week (with substitution ideas)~

Moist Gluten-Free & Vegan Vanilla Birthday Cupcakes from Tessa the Domestic Diva
I would use my Easiest Almond Milk or Easiest Coconut Milk for these. And since I am such a stickler for “all whole grain” I just might try these w/o the starch.  We have a birthday in our house this week.  Might just try these and see how they turn out!

Lemon Raspberry Quinoa Pancakes from The Veggie Nook
The birthday boy LOVES pancakes and blueberries so I might surprise him with Lemon Blueberry Quinoa Pancakes this week.  I would sub in a totally non glycemic sweetener and my Easiest Almond Milk or Coconut Milk.  I love that these are made without grinding the grain. I used to make blender baked goods often so I am looking forward to doing it again!

How to Remove a Mole with Apple Cider Vinegar from Don’t Waste the Crumbs
Well, again more about the birthday boy. He has a large mole. Guess what we might be trying. I saw this post awhile ago and was just floored. Amazing and nice to not worry about what a mole might turn into, ya know?

and Readers’ Favorite

Melt in Your Mouth Mini Lemon Cups from The Savory Lotus

I saw these earlier this week and knew I would feature them—but they turned out to be your favorites as well!
I would likely use the crust from my Nut Crust Pie to avoid the dates (read my Candida – The Beginning of My Sugar-Free Life to find out why I don’t eat dates much) and a non glycemic sweetener for the same reason. These look wondahful.

I can’t wait to see what you all have this week!

Mini Lemon Cups, Natural Mole Removal, Quinoa Pancakes, Vanilla Vegan Cupcakes & More is a post from: Whole New Mom

Save 10% on amazingly delicious almonds with NO ENGINE FUEL ON THEM! Use Code WNM at Just Almonds.

Thanks for subscribing! As a thank you to my special readers, here is a copy of Free Soaked Whole Grains Cookbook.

I think you'll really enjoy the cookbook. My Baked Doughnuts are in there - -my kids repeatedly ask me to make them (and my husband does too!).

For another great soaked grain recipe, you may wish to try Baked Oatmeal / Oatmeal Cake (2 ways, with a surprise) Enjoy!

Have your read the labels on store-bought personal care products lately?

I’m super concerned about ingredients in the food that my family eats, but when you start really looking at personal care products, the words on those labels can be even more disconcerting.

The list of “chemical nasties” that concern  me, but some of the big guns are quite disconcerting.

Just think–do you really want to be slathering, rinsing, shampooing, moisturizing, and brushing with the following:

- BHA and BHT (chemicals that have been linked to cancer and are banned in Europe)
- plasticizers (see my post on Alcohol-Free Hairspray for more info)
- artificial fragrances (these have given me a headache for as long as I can remember)
- triclosan (used in antibacterial soaps and deodorants).  It’s a suspected endocrine-disrupter and may result in bacteria being resistant to anti-biotics

And there are so many more to be concerned about.

Toxins are all around us.  I’ve talked about this before many times.  I’ve started (too long ago, I know. I promise I’ll pick it up again) a series on Could You Have Heavy Metal Toxicity and Not Know It? and I brought up how I think toxins play a huge role in gut health in my series on Candida, Gut Health, and My Sugar-Free Lifestyle.

I know that many people think that “a little bit here and there” is not a big deal, but I think that all of us are exposed to way much more in the way of toxic chemicals than we know.

That’s why I’ve been working to gradually detox our diet, our home care, and our personal care products. And at the same time, we are saving a bunch of money (which is always a good thing).

Today, I’ve pulled together some great personal care recipes from my blog and from other blogger friends.

There’s some real genius here.  I am sure that these ideas will get you motivated to get you started on the “homemade and truly clean) personal care bandwagon. And if you are already “riding with me,” I hope you can find a new idea or two to add to your repertoire.

Alcohol-Free Hair Spray That Works

Herbal Cough Syrup

A simple formula to stop the nighttime tickles so you and your kiddos can sleep better.

Homemade Chest Rub (like “Vapo-Rub”)

We’ve found this works well for cold and sinus issues.

Jojoba Oil Face Wash

Using oil to clean your skin might sound completely counter-intuitive, but it really works. This is one of the first “DIY” recipes I ever attempted. Enjoy the simplicity.

Non-Petroleum Jelly

I used to use petroleum jelly (and similar products) until I started finding out that they were made from gasoline. Blech.  This is a much better alternative.

Invigorating Citrus Body Wash

This is one of my latest DIY creations. I love it and actually enjoy being in the shower now .

Solid Bug Repellant

I’ve never used a solid repellant. Sounds like something to try for sure.

Homemade Hand Sanitizer

I NEVER use that icky chemical stuff. This is a MUCH better alternative.

Nourishing Hand and Body Lotion

This is kind of a cross between a hard lotion bar and a liquid lotion. In the winter it’s pretty solid (if your home is chilly like mine) but it’s very smooth come spring. And very nourishing.

Homemade Lip Balm

I love how Michaela describes how soft this made her lips feel and how simple it is. Can’t wait to try it!

Coconut Milk Shampoo and Body Wash

I haven’t found a DIY shampoo that I have been thrilled with for myself–guess what I hope to do in the near future?

Hand and Body Scrub

Coconut Oil Deodorant

I have a super simple deodorant recipe on my blog (see the next recipe), but if you are more into “traditional-type” deodorant than try this one. Lexie sells products off her site and load of folks are happy with her wares so I bet this recipe is a good one!

Homemade Belly Butter

Whether you are pregnant of just suffering from dry skin, this might be just the thing you need.

Nourishing Lip Scrub

Easiest Homemade Deodorant

I’m working on another formula that will work on super sensitive skin. But you won’t believe how easy this is.

Homemade Toothpaste with Clay and Coconut Oil

I actually am working on a toothpaste recipe using baking soda (which the author of Red and Honey would NOT like–read her post to find out why), but it’s not perfected yet. Here’s a good place to start if you are looking for a paste you can make yourself.

Healthy Hair Rinse – and Why You Should Be Using One

Easy Coconut Oil Salve

Salves are something that I have been meaning to learn more about and make. In fact, I just bought a huge amount of calendula partially for that purpose. I’m excited to branch out into something new…

So, how about you? Are you ready to try your hand at some of these ideas?

I sure am.  Even if you can’t do everything at once, every little bit of toxins you remove from your home is a plus.

Do you already make your own personal care products? If so, what?

Shared at Raising Homemakers, Frugally Sustainable, The Shabby Creek Cottage, The Nourishing Gourmet, The Shabby Nest, Six Sisters’ Stuff, Skip to My Lou, Real Food Forager, Simply Sugar and Gluten-Free, Chef in Training, Not Just a Housewife, Nap Time Creations, and We Are that Family.

It’s Easy to Be Green–18 Homemade Natural Personal Care Products is a post from: Whole New Mom

Save 10% on amazingly delicious almonds with NO ENGINE FUEL ON THEM! Use Code WNM at Just Almonds.

Thanks for subscribing! As a thank you to my special readers, here is a copy of Free Soaked Whole Grains Cookbook.

I think you'll really enjoy the cookbook. My Baked Doughnuts are in there - -my kids repeatedly ask me to make them (and my husband does too!).

For another great soaked grain recipe, you may wish to try Baked Oatmeal / Oatmeal Cake (2 ways, with a surprise) Enjoy!

I spent a loooong time thinking and writing out my post on The Ultimate Homemaking Bundle and what I need to change in my life (the big sale ends today, so don’t dilly dally too long if you really think you want the bundle.)

I really didn’t think I’d pull off another post, but I found 2 of my favorite Kindle books of all time FREE at Amazon and wanted to share them with you.

And there are a few other things as well….

(Disclaimer:  There are affiliate links in this post. If you click through I may receive a commission and I appreciate that very much.  My full disclaimer is here.)

Free & Discounted Ebooks

About these books:  The prices can change at any time so please check before “purchasing”.

And to save you even more money, you don’t need a Kindle to read them.  Just download Kindle for PC or Mac at Amazon and read on your computer.

My Favorite Gluten Free Sugar Free Recipes

This one is a KEEPER.  Wholesome and low carb sweeteners.  LOVE it.

TEFF – The Ultimate Recipe Guide

We really enjoy teff.  It’s one of the grains that is higher in protein and has a lower glycemic value.

This recipes for Teff Pancakes and Waffles is GREAT!  (Sorry–no photo yet.)

Superfoods Guide

Benefits of Avocado and Avocado Recipes

Quinoa Secrets

The Original Children’s Masterpiece The Wind in the Willows

$0.99

This is the original book with the original illustrations–a great addition to your family’s e-library.

FREE Gluten-Free Allergy-Friendly Cookbook for Mother’s Day

By Moms – For Moms

Did you grab the wonderful Gluten-Free and Allergy-Friendly Cookbook that I’m featured in?

It’s totally free and the entries are wonderful.

I am so excited about the Chocolate / Carob Tart that I put together with Dairy-Free Whipped Cream!

Tropical Traditions

Tropical Traditions is having a great Coconut Oil & Grass Fed Beef Sale.

Right now, at Tropical Traditions, you can get -

- Gold Label Coconut Oil - 1 gallon for $62.  This coconut oil apparently has the highest amount of nutritive quality of all coconut oils.
- Grass Fed Beef – We’ve had their ground beef before but likely we will get some roast this time since it is cheaper pound for pound.  It’s been a long time since we’ve had a roast .

New to Tropical Traditions?  You’ll get a free book with great info about coconut oil as well as a load of great recipes.

(I get a referral coupon for new customers who purchase.)

Peepods – Get 10% off and help others

These reusable feminine products are great.

I know–it’s a bit of a “tough” topic, but really.  How different is this than cloth diapering?

In fact, it’s less “icky” I think.

And it really makes a huge impact on the environment.

I love these products.  I looked at a bunch of companies and was thrilled when Amber contacted me so that we could work together.  I personally think her products are the prettiest I’ve seen.

And now, you have 2 great ways to do more than just help the environment and feel “pretty”.

Aren’t these pretty?

With my great sponsor, Peepods, you:

1.  Save 10% off any purchase at Peepods through at least the end of the month by using CODE wholenewmom at checkout.

2.  Bless women in hard situations.  For every set of pads you purchase, you employ ladies in Belize who’ve been employed by Amber, the owner of Peepods, to make pads.  For every set purchased, Amber donates one set to this hospital in Ethiopia that treats ladies with injuries related to OB care.  How great is that?  You save money, care for the environment, feel pretty and help women when you buy from her.

Read my review of Peepods here.

Have a blessed weekend and I hope next week is less eventful.

Free & Discounted Ebooks, Coconut Oil & Grass Fed Beef Sale and More is a post from: Whole New Mom

Save 10% on amazingly delicious almonds with NO ENGINE FUEL ON THEM! Use Code WNM at Just Almonds.

Thanks for subscribing! As a thank you to my special readers, here is a copy of Free Soaked Whole Grains Cookbook.

I think you'll really enjoy the cookbook. My Baked Doughnuts are in there - -my kids repeatedly ask me to make them (and my husband does too!).

For another great soaked grain recipe, you may wish to try Baked Oatmeal / Oatmeal Cake (2 ways, with a surprise) Enjoy!

Yes, the first line of the graphic is a little edgy.  Stick with me please.

Something happened to me this week that is forcing me to sit.

And think. About what I need to change. And how to do it.

I started a new exercise program. I’m not obese, but I have about 5 pounds to go and my muscles could use some–ahem–attention. I used to be an exercising maven, but adrenal burnout put the kabash on that. Anyway, I did too much too fast and might now have a stress fracture to show for this.

We’re likely heading to have my leg looked at today, but let’s just say I’m not able to run around the house doing a lot like usual.

I’m feeling pretty humbled and down, but am trying to see that there can be good to come out of this.

One thing that I’ve been doing is thinking.

Thinking about priorities and about what I would like to change in my life and how to do it.

I’m going to share some things from my heart about where I’m at and what I hope to do about it.

You’ve seen me mention the Ultimate Homemaking Ebook Bundle this past week. Well, the sale ends today. I’ve been thinking about what attracted me to this sale….and how my thinking is changing.

I’ve mentioned some of the books I am really jazzed about, like

Restocking the Pantry

(tons of DIY whole food pantry items)

Crock On

(whole foodie crock pot cooking)

and  Wholesome Mixes

more whole foodie pantry stuff

But those are the easy ones, right? The things I am good at already (patting myself on the back).

What’s tough is realizing where I need some help and what I perhaps should be focusing on instead–here goes:

1.  I need to get in shape

Aside from the weight loss and strengthening, I have a diastasis problem (abdominal muscle separation after childbirth). One of the $140+ freebies included in the bundle is A FREE Two-Month Membership to Fit2B Studio, where their wholesome workouts for the whole family are tummy safe and particularly target Diastasis Recti (split abs). ($19.98 value. )  This lady knows what she is talking about. It’s like getting a personal trainer. For FREE!

I also have my eye on 42 Days to Fit and

100 Pound Loser.

I don’t have 100 to lose, but hey–everyone needs a little help, right?

2.  I am not organized. Enough.

I get most of my bills paid on time and I manage our whole foods household on a pretty good budget. And we are debt free.

I’ve never been a “neat as a pin” housekeeper, but when adrenal burnout hit, things got pretty unmanageable. We’ve been working on decluttering and getting rid of my paper piles, etc., but it is tough and I could use some help (and would rather not pay a professional organizer $40 per hour or more to come over and do it, ya know?)

I’m thinking that Organizing Life as Mom would be a great help as well as

Getting it Together - Your Guide to Setting up a Home Management System That Works and

10 Steps to Organized Paper.  Really?  Tell me more!!

3.  At home I could use a little “style help.”

I like dressing nicely, but I pretty much only do it when I go somewhere. I really want to try to look a little better for my husband and kids.  I know–it’s not a BIG DEAL, but I would like to try a little more.

I’m thinking

Frumps to Pumps

and

Embracing Beauty

are where I am going. They both look to be pretty comical,which we all can use when talking about this stuff, eh?

4.  I need to focus on my marriage.

This is a little uncomfortable to talk about, but it’s the truth.

Kids and life and health issues take their toll.

Time to make sure to focus on the commitment I made.

I know talking about marital intimacy is a little uncomfortable. Well, it is for me.

But it’s important, so I’m taking a risk.

I’m looking forward to reading

31 Days to Great Sex (for married couples)

There are some other good marriage resources in the bundle, but this is the one I think meets my needs best.

5.  I need a routine for cleaning my house.

I tend to flit from thing to thing and not get one thing done completely. I’m so ADD when it comes to cleaning house.

I don’t intend on being Martha Stewart or anything, but I would like some more order in this department.

28 Days to Hope for Your Home

This book looks like a riot.
The author says “If you’ve never experienced heart palpitations at the sound of an unexpected doorbell . . . DON’T buy this e-book.” .

31 Days to Clean

Easy Peasy Chores

It’s been really hard recently to get the kiddos involved working around the house.

and this one—

Clean Enough – Simple Solutions for the Overwhelmed.

Need I say more?

6.  I need. more. celebrating.

I used to be the “celebration Mom.” I made a pinata for my son’s birthday, put together scavenger hunts with my husband for my kids, and did it up at Christmas. Again, when adrenal burnout hit, that all went by the wayside.

I’ve had a hard time getting my groove back.

I don’t want to overdo it but I could use a little “jump start.”

I had Truth in the Tinsel already and love it, but I’m excited to dive into

Plan a Fabulous Party (without losing your mind)

and why not just celebrate spring with

Flourishing Spring

Now, to be clear, we also need to be real and accept where we are. I homeschool and have a special needs child with multiple life-threatening allergies, and I am healing from adrenal burnout. (It’s going very well and I soooo look forward to sharing more with you all soon. My hypoglycemia is healed–yippee!)

I also make just about everything from scratch, and we are pretty involved in our community and at church. I was recently asked to run for local office, just to give you an idea of how involved I can be (I said no. I needed to put my foot down somewhere.)

So I. Can’t. Do. Everything.

And neither can you.

But I think that the tools here are such a great deal that it is worth the small investment for what I think could be great payoffs.

Are you with me?  Ready to change?  Here’s what you can do with me.  Buy the Ultimate Homemaking Bundle.

ONLY A FEW HOURS LEFT TO GET

• 97 ebooks and resources
• $600+ value for only $29.97
• plus $140 in freebies (a lot of ladies are buying this just for the freebies)
• plus a freebie from me–2 oz of soap nuts or 10% off anything in my Natural Store

For the full list of books, see my other post on the Ultimate Book Bundle.

But remember—the sale ends today at 11:59 PST. No late orders will be taken.  Believe me. From one frugal mama (who wants to change and grow) to another–this is a sale you don’t want to miss.

And even if not all the books appeal to you, you can gift the ones you don’t want (as long as you delete them off your computer after you gift. Otherwise, it’s stealing. .)

What areas are you hoping to improve in?

6 Things I NEED to Change–Last Chance to Save on a Clean House, a Fit Body, and Something…Your Husband Will Thank You For is a post from: Whole New Mom

Save 10% on amazingly delicious almonds with NO ENGINE FUEL ON THEM! Use Code WNM at Just Almonds.

Thanks for subscribing! As a thank you to my special readers, here is a copy of Free Soaked Whole Grains Cookbook.

I think you'll really enjoy the cookbook. My Baked Doughnuts are in there - -my kids repeatedly ask me to make them (and my husband does too!).

For another great soaked grain recipe, you may wish to try Baked Oatmeal / Oatmeal Cake (2 ways, with a surprise) Enjoy!

Mother’s Day is right around the corner.

And I have something special to help you celebrate with the mom in your life (or you can give this to your hubby or kiddos so they can make something wonderful for you.)

Fabulous healthful Gluten-Free Recipes that any mom would be blessed to partake of on her special day.

Before we get to the beautiful cookbook that I get to offer to you completely FREE (yippee–I love that word, don’t you ?), I want to tell you a little bit about Attune Foods.

NOTE:  When you go to the Attune site to get your cookbook, click on the cover photo of the book to download.  

You know, if you’ve been around here for awhile, that I kind of shun processed foods.

I mean, if you were to take a peak in my fridge and pantry, you’d be hard-pressed to find much, if anything in the way of packaged stuff.

I kind of avoid the stuff like the plague.

Why?  Well, typically packaged foods are overpriced and not very nutritionally sound.

Expensive “non food” is not my idea of money well spent.

It’s been a long time since we’ve had boxed cereal in our home, but I stumbled across Attune Foods and Erewhon recently and was really impressed with what I found.

They’re a breath of fresh air in the packaged food arena.

In short summary, Attune is part of a group of brands that cares deeply about:

• nutrition
• minimal processing
• non GMOs

You gotta love all of that. I know I do.

Anyway, I liked what I read about Attune and Erewhon and I got the chance to sample some of their gluten-free cereals. We loved them.

My oldest son’s response was particularly telling.

He’s always had “a thing” about eating cereal with milk (non-dairy) on it (he has sensory issues). He’s basically only eaten it out of the box. Now granted, it’s been awhile since we’ve had cereal in our home, but when we got the Erewhon Brown Rice Crisps in our home, he hesitated, but then gladly ate it with my Easiest Coconut Milk on top. He loved it and asked for more.

So I was thrilled when I was asked to participate in this super special Mother’s Day project–a FREE Gluten-Free Mother’s Day Cookbook featuring Attune’s Erewhon cereals and the work of eight incredible gluten-free allergy-friendly blogger moms (hope it’s OK to say that when I’m one of the eight.) These are recipes any mom will love.

Within A Gluten-Free Mother’s Day: Recipes for Moms by Moms, you’ll find gluten-free dishes with simple ingredients for:

• breakfast in bed
• brunch
• recipes designed for cooking with kids and
• recipes you can make ahead of time.

There’s something for every type of dietary restriction, as well. Mom can choose the recipe(s) she’d like and hand the recipe off to Dad. Or the whole family can come together to prepare a special celebration for Mom.

Take a look at these gorgeous culinary works of art (and heart):

The Fabulous Creations are:

• Blueberry Breakfast Pudding with Granola Topping by Kim Lutz (vegan, tree nut-free, peanut-free, and soy-free)
• Turkey Strata Muffins with Orange Slices and Balsamic Glaze by Beth Hillson (tree nut-free, peanut-free, soy-free)
• Corn Flake Quiche Lorraine by Karen Morgan (tree nut-free, peanut-free, soy-free)
• Roasted Asparagus and Tomato Tart by Kelli Bronski (vegetarian, tree nut-free, peanut-free)
• Blueberry Scones with Vanilla Lemon Sweet Cashew Cream and Homemade Blueberry Chia Seed Jam by Maggie Savage (vegan, egg-free, dairy-free, peanut-free)
• Peanut Butter Crunch French Toast with Maple-Peanut Butter Syrup by Alta Mantsch (vegetarian, dairy-free, tree nut-free)
• Chocolate or Carob Tart with Dairy-Free Whipped Topping by Adrienne Urban (that’s me ) (vegan, dairy-free, egg-free, peanut-free)
• Strawberry Streusel Oatmeal Breakfast Cake by Kim Maes (vegetarian, dairy-free, peanut-free, tree nut-free

Don’t they look and sound wonderful?

I was so excited to be asked to be a part of this project and I must say, we LOVED the recipe that I came up with.

It’s a creamy Chocolate or Carob Filling in a Crispy Crust made with Erewhon’s Crispy Brown Rice Cereal.  And the topping is something I’ve been wanting to create for a long time–a Dairy-Free Whipped Cream that doesn’t require buying cans of coconut milk.

And it worked.  I was really excited about the topping, but my sons say that the crust just might be their favorite part.

I’d love to hear what you think.

But first, follow the link here to download your FREE copy of A Gluten-Free Mother’s Day: Recipes for Moms by Moms.

I hope this book makes your Mother’s Day extra special, and the recipes are so healthful that you can enjoy them year round.

*NOTE:  It appears that for some people there is a problem with downloading this book in Safari, so try another browser like Chrome or Firefox if that happens to you. Alternatively, “Save As” to your computer and then open the pdf file on your computer.*

As a side note, Mother’s Day is extra special for me since my youngest was born on Mother’s Day, so we have a full-week with Mother’s Day and a birthday to celebrate.

Do you have special plans for Mother’s Day this year?

Shared at Six Sisters’ Stuff, The Prairie Homestead, Skip to My Lou, Real Food Forager, Simply Sugar and Gluten-Free, Time Warp Wife, Chef in Training, Cooking Traditional Foods, Not Just a Housewife, Far Above Rubies, Raising Homemakers, We Are that Family, Frugally Sustainable, The Shabby Creek Cottage, The Nourishing Gourmet, Cybele Pascal, Rattlebridge Farm, The Shabby Nest, Cybele Pascal, Six Sisters’ Stuff, and The Better Mom.

Free Gluten-Free Allergy-Friendly Mother’s Day Cookbook – Recipes by Moms for Moms is a post from: Whole New Mom

Save 10% on amazingly delicious almonds with NO ENGINE FUEL ON THEM! Use Code WNM at Just Almonds.

Thanks for subscribing! As a thank you to my special readers, here is a copy of Free Soaked Whole Grains Cookbook.

I think you'll really enjoy the cookbook. My Baked Doughnuts are in there - -my kids repeatedly ask me to make them (and my husband does too!).

For another great soaked grain recipe, you may wish to try Baked Oatmeal / Oatmeal Cake (2 ways, with a surprise) Enjoy!

• White or brown sugar? Sub in sucanat, or honey or an acceptable sugar free sweetener. Get help subbing in my post on Substituting Sweeteners in Baking and Cooking
• Chocolate Chips? Sub in my Homemade Chocolate / Carob Chips (new & improved version coming soon!)
• Others? Don’t think you’ll find many, but ask away if need be. (There was an entry in a previous AFW of a cake that looked incredible, but used PB cups – I have a great healthy sub for that – Healthy “Almost Reese’s!“)

Welcome to Allergy-Free Wednesdays (AFW)–a weekly blog hop where folks can share their allergy-free cuisine, gain knowledge about allergy-related topics/issues, and connect with others living or caring for someone with food allergies. Your weekly submissions are shared on 7 blogs! Additionally, each hostess will feature a favorite recipe(s) from the week before. Your hostesses are:

• Tessa @ Tessa the Domestic Diva
• Laura @ Gluten Free Pantry
• Nancy @ Real Food Allergy Free
• Amber @ The Tasty Alternative
• Michelle @ The Willing Cook,
• Janelle @ Gluten Freely Frugal
• and–Me .

Wondering What You Can Link Up on Allergy Free Wednesday?

Anything that is fitting for an allergy free diet in some way (we’re not that strict).

For the complete rules, click here.

Here goes – starting off with my favorites–and you should check out the other hostesses’ posts to see if you were featured there!

My Favorites from Last Week (with substitution ideas)~

Snickerdoodle Cupcakes from The Healthy Maven

These look just great! I love snickerdoodles (Have you tried my Pumpkin Snickerdoodles yet?).

And these are super wholesome.
I would use my Easiest Almond Milk and–my Homemade Coconut Yogurt that isn’t quite perfected yet. You’ll for sure know when it is .

Caramel Covered Popcorn (GF, SF, & V) from Sift, Stir, & Savour
We LOVE popcorn! Our favorite recipe (for now) is this Surprisingly Good Popcorn. It’s really addictive. Try it if you haven’t!
I would sub in a candida-diet friendly sweetener, for this recipe, but the sweeteners she uses are pretty close .

Cinnamon Sweet Potato Frosting (DF) from Sandi’s Allergy-Free Recipes
LOVE this idea. My son’s birthday is coming up…maybe this will top his cake .
I would sub in a candida-diet-friendly sweetener.  Can’t wait to try it!

Sweet Potato & Beet Chips (GF & V) from The Knoxville Bolts
My son picked these out.  He loves chips of all kinds and the color blend here is gorgeous!
Guess it’s sweet potato week, huh? I think these would be great dipped in my Savory Hummus.

and Readers’ Favorite

Grain-Free Protein Bars from Whole New Mom (me)

Well, how fun–I was the “Reader’s Favorite !”
These bars are great.
We haven’t made them in a long time so I guess I’d better get around to it, huh? No need to buy expensive protein bars anymore.
Make them yourself .

I can’t wait to see what you all have this week!

Grain-Free Protein Bars, Caramel Popcorn, Cinnamon Sweet Potato Frosting, Snickerdoodle Cupcakes, Veggie Chips and More is a post from: Whole New Mom

Save 10% on amazingly delicious almonds with NO ENGINE FUEL ON THEM! Use Code WNM at Just Almonds.

Thanks for subscribing! As a thank you to my special readers, here is a copy of Free Soaked Whole Grains Cookbook.

I think you'll really enjoy the cookbook. My Baked Doughnuts are in there - -my kids repeatedly ask me to make them (and my husband does too!).

For another great soaked grain recipe, you may wish to try Baked Oatmeal / Oatmeal Cake (2 ways, with a surprise) Enjoy!