a birthday party

HELLO......... Sophie's 6th birthday is coming up and she is really excited! She has been talking about it since her last birthday.  At first she wanted a fishing themed party because she loves it when her daddy takes her fishing. She is obsessed.  Unfortunately, all the fish in our lake died this spring with the late freezes, so there has not been one day of fishing this year.  I think she has forgotten about her fishing party.

Now she wants a Barbie party.  Ugh, how many of those have I given my 3 girls?  Too many to count. In my mind I have the talents of Martha Stewart and I can see exactly how my house will be decorated.  This is how I envision my daughters birthday parties.....

                                                                     image from pinterest


All nice  and cute with a table set up and an array of coordinating goodies, snacks, and décor......

                                                                     image from pinterest


With a cake like this all pink and perfect and yummy and of course I whipped it up fresh............

                                                                  image from pinterest

But in reality, when I plan parties, I surf etsy and I find all kinds of cute paper straws, cupcake holders, banners, napkins, place cards, goodie bags, etc.... and I add it all up and then decide to scrap the whole thing because the décor is costing as much as the gifts I have bought for her......and my party looks a bit like this.

Why is my daughter, who is turning 16,  giving me that look?  She has no party décor.  I rarely even have matching candles.  And there is my typical chocolate cake with chocolate frosting. At least it is from scratch with organic ingredients, right?

Oh sweet Portia, with her 4th birthday cake (she is 11 now), at least I tried with the decorating gel (before our healthy eating) and some pink sprinkles.  I even had a '4' candle.  There was no décor.

This was my best attempt yet.  It's terrible, I know.  But at least it was 2 tier and had ballerina decorations on it with some cupcakes and it was on my vintage cake stand, which I stupidly sold at a vintage sale.... This was for Sophie's 2nd birthday.

So I am really in need of some advice and help and actually any and everything you can tell me about having a cute little girls birthday party, without spending a lot of money.

I am going to attempt to make a scrap fabric garland and I do have some red and white paper straws.  But I don't want to throw the typical commercial Barbie party, HOWEVER, I would consider a VINTAGE Barbie party.  We do love vintage Barbie stuff.

So please, please send your advice, links, etsy shops, pinterest ideas, etc....I'd appreciate it so much and so would Sophie!

Aprons, bone broth, blog design, lollibags, sea shells....

Yes I am going to talk about all five!  First off let me say... do you know I still have unpacked bins from the farm in Oregon????  I know!  It's terrible.  But the bins are full of my vintage decor and things I just love but don't have a place for.  I have a huge bin full of sea shells.  I love the ocean and I love sea shells.

I originally started collecting sea shells  because I saw a picture in a magazine ( a loooong time ago) of a wall built out of sea shells.  This guy made a wall by his outdoor shower out of sea shells and concrete.  I fell in love.  I have always meant to build my own sea shell wall someday, somewhere and have yet to get around to it.  But maybe next summer will be the year.

Anyway, I found my bin with my vintage aprons and aprons I made in Oregon.  I love them all but never use them and thought I should put them in my Etsy Shop.  So I will be doing that in the next week.

 

 

 

I've really have neglected sewing lately, because I have been crocheting!  I saw this beautiful picture on Pinterest......

And now I am completely obsessed!  This is called a sunburst granny square.  The squares behind the sunburst are regular granny squares.  This just SCREAMS happiness!  So after watching two video's and reading three different written directions and ripping out no less than 15 tries of granny squares, and wanting to throw my computer across the room,  I FINALLY  got it!  And I have made about 30 regular granny squares and 1 sunburst granny square so far.  So yes, my poor lollibag's have taken a back burner...... but not for long.

As I am typing, my kitchen is full of the most wonderful ArOmA, bone broth. I know it sounds disgusting.  But I just read about it here, so I am giving it a go.  After Thanksgiving dinner I threw my turkey carcass in the freezer with all the drippings and it is simmering away in my crockpot and it smells divine.  It actually smells healthy, if that is possible! And I love, love, love soup.  Love making it, love eating it.  So I will be making soup, soup, soup and more soup out of my bone broth!

On to blog design.  I am lost, I have no clue how to change up my blog.   I have no idea how to do a blog button... these things?  Well it's like I'm reading Japanese.  Will someone please point me in the direction or tell me how to do all this?  Or tell me who to hire or SOMETHING? 
Thanks :)

I just read Wheat Belly

I was on a Target shopping trip when I wandered through the book section, I normally don't buy books on my grocery shopping trips but this caught my eye and I flipped through it real quick and I knew I had to get it.

It is quite shocking really.  Wheat is the one thing I have never experimented with.  Because everyone, Dr.s, etc... say whole grains, wheat are good for you.  After all I only buy organic.  But this book says otherwise and it is written by a cardiologist.

I have been wheat free for a couple weeks and it really has not been that hard!  If I want a tuna sandwich I put the tuna in a cabbage leaf.  I will admit I am having a hard time with giving up croutons for my salads, so I still put them on but I find I can eat the salad and only have a couple and when I'm done, I have a bowl of croutons left.  Must be an emotional tie to croutons!

The real shocker is reading labels as you are grocery shopping, seeing everything that has wheat!  Even tomato soup has wheat! 

Anyway my husband is doing this with me also, and I've sort of put my girls on it, you know I don't make them because they have to have lunches for school and sometimes they just need to bring fishy crackers.  One of my girls has Tourettes and I have noticed the less wheat she has the less tic's she has.  Now that is amazing!  Cutting out sugar didn't even do that for her!

Let me know what you think!  Have a great week!

Root Vegetables

I have always wanted to try them.... celery root, rutabaga, turnips... you see on Iron Chef America, the chefs make parsnip puree.  It all sounds so good.  But I have no idea how to prepare any of them and I am actually scared of what root veggies will taste like. 

I tried beets once and they tasted like dirt.  I wish I liked beets because they are so healthy for you!  I follow a blog, DIY Natural, and today is a post on Root Vegetables!  So I'm going to take the plunge and buy some root veggies and try the two recipes.  Also in the comments section there is another recipe that sounds so so good.  A warm hearty soup.  I love soup! 

We are expecting a blizzard tomorrow, so I am going to cook some up and watch the snow!

Do you ladies have any recipes with root vegetables?  Are they good?

Stuffed Pasta Shells~ cheesecake~ Just Life

Remember this recipe?  It is sooooo good, that's what I'm making for dinner tonight!  What is your family having?

I have been so busy lately, I would sure love to read this post on cooking with cast iron.  I have a cast iron frying pan, that I know I am not taking care of properly.

What have I been busy doing?  Well a big chunk of my time has been making cheesecakes!  I know.... but they are so so good.  I am now addicted to cheesecake.  But the good thing is there is no grains in cheesecake, well pretend there is no graham cracker crust :)  Soon I will post my favorite cheesecake recipe.  I have made them all, with sour cream, without sourcream.  In a water bath, without a water bath.  I've made ginger cookie crust cheesecake, chocolate cheesecake, and regular cheesecake.

My sweet children have all been sick, so sick we didn't even celebrate our 19th wedding anniversary and had a LAME party for Lauren's 16th birthday.  But I can't complain, how can you, it's just life.  And then I found out horrible news on Sunday an old school friend from 6th grade, died of colon cancer.  So really I am just grateful to be alive.

With  a hint of sadness, I quickly sifted through my maternity clothes...I am passing them on to my cousin who is just starting that phase of life.  Me?  I am about to turn 40, so that door is closed, and happily so.  But I am not sure how I am feeling about this new decade.  A part of me is excited, but that is mixed with sadness, gratefulness, confusion....

Sadness because my oldest child will be moving out soon.  My next child is graduating and starting college this year.  My third is now 16 and driving.

Grateful to God, He gave me those last 2 stragglers!  Or I would have had a completely empty nest in the next couple years.

Confused because I am not sure, what now?  Of course I keep sewing, but have yet to find those fabulous sale venues here in Minnesota.  Am I to keep selling Lollibag's?  I sure hope so, I really enjoy it.  I will just keep at it, being a wife, mom, baker, sewer, friend.

Advice welcome from those who have gone before me.

DIY homemade granola

I have always loved granola.  My mom used to make it when she was in her "health kick" days, those days started when we lived in Arizona.  She took a health food class and came home and bam! The next day we were drinking raw milk with chunks of cream floating in it, eating raw wheat germ on everything and making homemade granola!  Looking back, it was kind of "hippyish" of my mom!  I am so proud of her for doing that.

So maybe that is where my love of granola started.....I usually buy Cascadian Farms organic granola at Walmart, but it is almost $3.50 a box and I always buy more than one box, so it adds up rather quickly.

I found my mom's granola recipe, but to my surprise there is sugar in it!  So I don't want to use that one.  I found a recipe online but I changed it a lot, so I guess I'll call this my own.

Homemade Granola

3 C whole rolled oats

a little salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 C organic pure maple syrup

1 C coconut flakes, I use Tropical Traditions coconut chips (so, so good)

1/2 C cold milled flax (I got it from Costco)

You may put a little agave nectar or honey in there if you like it sweet.  If you do, you may want to use less maple syrup, you'll have to experiment.

Stir all ingredients together and put on a cookie sheet with sides.  Bake at 300-325 for 15 min.  Stir and bake another 10-15 min.  After it is cool you may add raisins or whatever dried fruit if you like.

This is so easy and so yummy!

Devil's Food Layer Cake

My year has been so busy I have let Food Friday go by the wayside.  Since Sunday I have had a fever and it's really weird, it's just a fever and I'm really tired.  I am so tired of laying in bed that last night I made a dinner of meatloaf, leek and potato gratin (from Country Living) oh and I spent $12 on leeks! (oops, yes I went to target sick).  And for dessert I made Devil's Food Layer Cake from my Williams-Sonoma cookbook Comfort Food.  I LOVE  this cookbook, it's a must have.  I woke up still sick today, wondering how long this fever will last.  My poor sister has had her fever since last Friday and her's is way worse then mine, close to 105 this morning.  Please say a prayer for her.

Devil's Food Layer Cake

cake
Boiling water, 1 Cup
unsweetened natural cocoa powder, 3/4 Cup
all purpose flour, 1 3/4 Cup
baking soda, 1 1/2 t
salt, 1/4 t
sugar, 2 Cups
unsalted butter, 1/2 Cup plus 2 T at room temperature
large eggs, 3
vanilla extract, 1t
buttermilk, 1 1/4 Cups

frosting
confectioners' sugar, 3 3/4 Cups
unsweetened natural cocoa powder, 1 Cup
unsalted butter, 1/2 Cup, at room temperature
vanilla extract, 1t
heavy cream, about 1 Cup

To make the cake, preheat the oven to 350.  Lightly butter two 9 in. round cake pans.  Line the bottom of each pan with a round of parchment paper.  Dust the pans with flour, tapping out the excess.

In a small heatproof bowl, whisk together the boiling water and cocoa powder until smooth.  Let cool completely.  In a bowl, sift together the flour, bakingsoda, and salt.  In a large bowl, using a handheld mixer on medium high speed, beat together the sugar and butter until the mixture is light in color and texture, about 3 minutes.  Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then beat in the vanilla and the cooled cocoa mixture.  Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture in 3 additions alternately with the buttermilk in 2 additions, beginning and ending with the flour mixture and stopping to scrape down the bowl as needed, beating until smooth.

Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans and smooth the tops.  Bake the cakes until they begin to pull away from the sides of the pans, 35-40 minutes.  Transfer to wire racks and let cool in the pans for 15 minutes.  Run a knife around the inside of each pan to release cake.  Invert the pans onto the racks, lift off the pans, and peel off the parchment paper.  Turn each cake right side up and let cool completely.

To make frosting, in a bowl, sift together the confectioners' sugar and cocoa.  Using the mixer on low speed, mix in the butter until it is crumbly.  Mix in vanilla, and then gradually mix in enough of the cream to make a spreadable frosting. 

Place 1 cake layer, bottom side up, on a cake plate.  Using an icing spatula, spread the top of the layer with a generous 1/2 Cup of the frosting.  Place the second layer, top side down  on the top of the first layer.  Frost the top, then the sides, with the remaining frosting.  Slice the cake into thick wedges and serve.

This cake is so moist and delicious!  And the frosting is like nothing I have ever made!  It is amazing.  Of course I don't feel the greatest so that will help me not devour the whole thing.

I have been watching nothing but food shows while in bed.  I love food shows, and they are making me want to cook and bake!

And I am pooped again, so off to bed I go!

Blueberry Scones with Lemon Glaze

I went shopping the other day with Lauren for school clothes.  I noticed a Borders going out of business sale, so we went in and looked at the cookbooks.  I found a Master Chef cookbook.  I really love that show!

This is a recipe from that cookbook and it says: Recipe courtesy of Master Chef kitchen...
These are amazing!  Really, be afraid, because you won't be able to stop eating these!

For the scones:
Unsalted butter, at room temperature for greasing the baking sheets
2 Cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the blueberries
1 T baking powder
1/2 t fine salt
2 T sugar
5 T unsalted butter, cold, cut in chunks
1 Cup heavy cream, plus more for brushing the scones
1 Cup fresh blueberries

For the glaze:
1/4 Cup fresh lemon juice, about 2 lemons
1 1/2 Cups confectioners sugar, sifted
Zest of 1 lemon, finely grated
1 T unsalted butter

Preheat oven to 400.  Lightly grease 2 baking sheets with butter.
Sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar.  Using 2 forks or a pastry blender, cut in the butter to coat the pieces with the flour.  The mixture should look like coarse crumbs.  Make a well in the center and pour in the heavy cream. ( I had to use more than 1 cup of the cream)...Fold everything together just to incorporate.  Do not overwork the dough. (my dough was very dry).  Toss the blueberries in some flour-to help prevent them from sinking to the bottom of the scone when baked-then fold them into the batter.  Take care not to mash or bruise the blueberries because their strong color will bleed into the dough.

Using an ice cream scoop or a tablespoon, drop mounds of batter onto the prepared baking sheets, about 2 inches apart to allow for spreading.  Brush the scones lightly with cream.  Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until lightly brown.  Let the scones cool for at least 20 minutes before applying the glaze, or else it will not set.

Glaze:  Mix the lemon juice and confectioners sugar together in a microwaveable bowl.  Stir until the sugar dissolves.  Add the lemon zest (I didn't use zest) and butter.  Microwave on high power for 30 seconds.  Whisk the glaze to smooth out any lumps, then drizle the glaze over the top of the scones.  Let it set for 5 minutes.  Store in a covered airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

I put a second drizzle of the glaze on after the first one set... yum!

Food Friday~Super Fudge (it's healthy)

When I was in 4th and 5th grade my family lived in Arizona.  During that time my mom had gone to a health food class.  And our lives were instantly transformed, I mean that in a funny way....

We went from eating Doritos to wheat germ, from drinking pop to raw milk.

Now that I am older and know the benefits of that I really appreciate all my mom did.  But I don't think we stuck with it very long.  Probably to many complaints from the family, just like I hear.

And now you can't even get raw milk anywhere, it's illegal!!  Which is ridiculous.

This recipe is from my mom's health food days.  I have such fond memories of it, I'm not sure why, I do love it though.  The original recipe calls for peanut butter, but since Sophie is allergic to peanuts I used almond butter.  But it's better with peanut butter.

Super Fudge

1 C honey

1 C chunky peanut butter

1 C sunflower seeds

1/2 C raisins

3/4 C carob powder ( I used organic cocoa powder)

1 C sesame seeds (I used less)

1 C unsweetened coconut

Heat honey and peanut butter till smooth on low heat.

Quickly add rest of ingredients, which have already been mixed together. 

Pour into greased 9x9 pan and chill.

Cut in pieces.

I adore this recipe, for many years I didn't have it and I searched my recipe files for it but could not find it.  Then I wrote a letter to my grandma and asked her if she remembered this fudge and she had the recipe!!

Please pray for me, I am super duper stressed.  I am grateful our farm is sold, but the stress is giving me migraine after migraine and I cannot function with them.  We have to be out of the farm in 3 weeks and there is oh so much to do!  And to top it off I have sick children.  Portia was sick last weekend and Sophie this weekend.  Sophie even got a trip to the ER.  I'm not sure she really needed it but the nurse on the phone sounded very sure of herself when she told me to rush her to the ER even call an ambulance if I have to.  Which scared me.............  I am grateful that she cared, but now I have the ER bill.  Oh well we would do anything for our children, wouldn't we?  Yes.

She has a double ear infection, fever, maybe starting migraines, sore throat, and lets top it off with barfing, YES!!!

Well we must be thankful in the good times as well as the bad.

So thank you Jesus for all these things and for all you are doing behind the scenes that I cannot see.  I am grateful I cannot see it all, because I may just go off the deep end if I did.

Amen.

and amen.

Food Friday~Chicken Spaghetti

hi, so sorry, this is late today, Portia stayed home from school with a fever, then I started cleaning and packing and well you know........

This is Pioneer Woman's recipe and it is really really yummy comfort food.  As always I switched it up a bit and I'll let you know when I changed  things.

Chicken Spaghetti

1 cut-up fryer chicken (I used 2 chicken breasts)
1 pound thin spaghetti, broken into 2 inch pieces
One 4 oz. jar diced pimientos, drained (eewww, left out)
1 small onion
1/4 C finely diced green bell pepper (I only had red, so used that)
2 cans cream of mushroom soup (eeewww again, I used cr. of chicken)
2 1/2 C grated cheddar cheese
1 t seasoned salt
freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/8 to 1/4 t cayenne pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350.
Add the chicken to a stock pot.  Cover with water and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the chicken is cooked, about 25 minutes.
Remove the chicken from the water using tongs or a slotted spoon and set it aside on a plate to cool.
Remove 2 cups of broth from the pot and set aside.
Bring the remaining broth back to a boil and add the spaghetti.  Cook al dente. (ok, I tried this but for some reason the remaining broth bubbled over before I even put the spaghetti in, and then it wasn't enough, so I had to keep adding more water cuz 1 pound of broken up spaghetti is alot.)
Drain the spaghetti, discarding the cooking liquid.  Set aside.
Shred chicken or cut in chunks.  Drain the pimientos.
Dice the onion and pepper.
Place cooked spaghetti in a large bowl.  Add the cream soups, add 2 cups of the cheese.
Then add onion and pepper and pimiento.
Add the salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper.  Use less cayenne if you don't like the heat.
Add chicken broth that was saved.  Stir together well, then taste to check seasonings.
Pour the mixture into a large baking pan, and top with the remaining cheddar.  Bake for about 35 minutes until bubbly.

So if you like this you should just go buy her cookbook, cuz I have loved everything I've made so far!

FOUND!

I follow the blog Dreamy Whites, I found it one day after I had decided to go with all white in our new home.  Today I found these fabulous pillows through a link on her blog.  I love them!

So in my new house I am painting almost all the inside, Cotton Balls by Benjamin Moore, 'cept Benjamin Moore is to expensive so the painter is color matching and I hope, I really do, that the color match is MATCHED.  Because I am IN LOVE with Cotton Balls!!  I don't know why, but I am.  Why you ask am I hiring a painter when I can paint myself?  Because our new house has 12 ft ceilings and I am afriad of heights, that's why.  AND, my husband is tired of seeing paint all over our baseboards.

I have also found that eggs, fresh from a neighbors chicken, are fabulous!  There is absolutely no comparison!!!  Look, there is even a blue egg!  And there was a white feather on one egg!  The yolks are a bright, bright orangy yellow. 

And this egg had a double yolk!  I screamed when I saw it, for some reason I was super excited, it made my day.  See it doesn't take much to make me happy!  My hubby isn't so sure though.....

Look what I found on my driveway!  A 3 year olds impression in chalk of a cow.  LOVE it.

                                                                             Said artist.

Then I turned around and found her dancing, oh if only we could all be so carefree and tra la la-ish as a 3 year old little girl.  They are dreamy and sing songy and full of wonder.

And I get all sing songy and happy just watching her play outside in the sunshine!

What have you found lately?

Food Friday~Salmon Burger

  Do you think this looks good?  I do!  I LOVE SALMON!
So I have not actually tried this recipe I am sharing today.  I just got my new issue of Coastal Living magazine and a recipe for salmon burgers was in it.  I just thought it looked so yummy, but this is not the actual photo of Coastal Livings salmon burger either.

Salmon Burger

1- 14.75 oz. can salmon, drained
1/4 C sliced green onion
1/4 C diced pimientos, drained    ummm, yuck, won't be using those
1/2 t lime zest
2 T fresh lime juice
2 t dijon mustard
1/2 C plain greek-style yogurt
1/2 C panko (japanese breadcrumbs)
1/4 t salt
1/4 t freshly ground black pepper
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 T vegetable oil,  I'll use coconut oil
4 whole wheat or poppy seed buns
garnishes: lettuce, tomato slices, onion slices, cucumber slices

Combine first 11 ingredients in a bowl, and form mixture into 4 large patties about 1/2 in. thick.  Patties will be soft.
Heat oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat.  Add patties, and cook 5 minutes on each side.  Serve on buns; garnish, if desired.  Makes 4 servings.

So either you guys never try my recipes or you don't like them or you never come back and give me feedback.  COME ON GIRLS!!!  Let me know how you like it!

Food Friday~Chocolate Cupcakes with Coffee Buttercream

So here is the recipe I promised, it is a Paula Deen recipe.  If I had to make it over I would not add the cream filling.  But I will give you the whole recipe and you can decide.  They are addicting!

Chocolate Cupcakes with Coffee Cream Filling & Coffee Buttercream Frosting

2 1/4 C all purpose flour
2 C sugar
3/4 C unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 t baking soda
1 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
1 C vegetable oil
1 C strong brewed coffee, cooled,  I used instant~ easy
3 large eggs
1 8oz. container sour cream
1 t vanilla extract
Coffee cream filling, recipe follows
Coffee Buttercream, recipe follows

Preheat the oven to 350.  Line muffin pans with paper liners and set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.  Add oil, coffee, and eggs.  Beat at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth.  Mix in the sour cream and vanilla.

Spoon the batter evenly into prepared muffin cups, filling each 2/3 full.  Bake until a tester inserted in center comes out clean, for 16-18 minutes.  Let them cool in pans on wire racks for 5 minutes.  Remove from the pans and cool completely on wire racks.

Spoon coffee cream filling into a squeeze bottle with a long narrow tip.  Insert the tip into the top of cupcake and squeeze about 1 T of filling into center of each cupcake.
OKAY....WHOAH Paula Deen.  Not so quick and simple.  I didn't have a bottle like this, I used this:

And that didn't work to well, for some reason my nozzle kept getting clogged, maybe it was to small and it was very hard to squeeze out, and after I thought I had been squeezing half the tube in, I still had no way of telling how much was in there, except to break the cupcake in half and see for myself.  Of course I had to eat those test cakes. (I made this a couple months ago before I started, my grain/sugar free diet).

Spread the coffee buttercream frosting evenly over the cupcakes and garnish with chocolate covered coffee beans, if desired.  That would have been good, but I didn't have any chocolate covered coffee beans, and I found that these cupcakes and the coffee frosting were pretty coffee flavored, which I love, but the bean would have been to much.

Coffee Cream Filling

1 (3 oz.) package of cream cheese, softened
1/4 C coffee flavored liqueur, ok I didn't have this and don't remember what I replaced it with! 
1 (8 oz.) container frozen chocolate flavored whipped topping, thawed.  I had regular flavored cool whip and squirted some chocolate syrup in it.

In a small bowl, whip the cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth.  Slowly add the liqueur and fold in whipped topping.  Cover and chill.

Coffee Buttercream Frosting

1/2 C butter, softened
3 C confectioners sugar
1/4 C strong brewed coffee, I used instant again.

In a medium bowl, beat the butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy.  Gradually add the confectioners sugar, beating until smooth, then beat in coffee.  I think I added more confectioner sugar to make mine thicker.

These are extremely delicious and would be still amazing without the cream filling.

Food Friday~Larabar

I am obsessed with Larabar's.

I am obsessed with Apple Pie Larabar dipped in almond butter.

Here are the ingredients in an Apple Pie Larabar:

dates

almonds

unsweetened apples

walnuts

raisins

cinnamon

Do you see why I am so excited?

It's actually good for you!

I think I started dipping them in almond butter because I am also obsessed with almond butter.

Wouldn't you be too, if you haven't had peanut butter for over a year?

And you can  never have it again because your baby girl is allergic?

So when Sophie was cleared on tree nuts on Monday, oh boy, that's all I can say.

I've been gorging myself on almond butter.

Almond butter plain.

Almond butter on stuff, food, any food.

I even dripped almond butter on the Larabar wrapper, and I knew it was obsessive but I licked the wrapper clean.

I'm not even an apple pie girl, except if it's real apple pie, ya know?

I don't get into apple pie flavor things.

But this Larabar is da bomb.

New Lollibag, this, that, update, etc......

WELL!  I have been on this grain free/sugar free eating plan for almost a week. I did slip up, on purpose, yesterday.  A couple nights ago I made Pioneer Women's chocolate sheet cake for a neighbor who is going through chemo, it is so so large I sent half over and kept half for the kids, yes really the kids. 
But of course I could not resist.  Every time I had a smidgen, I would within 30 seconds get a headache and feel yucky, but did that stop me?  Heck no!  The cake is to dangerous!  So all day yesterday, I  just had little smidgen's and this morning I woke up with a migraine! 

This is promising, because I can see how sugar is affecting me, so back on the no sugar.  I am eating a yummy chicken tortilla soup I made from scratch, right now.....  That will be on a Food Friday soon.

In other news, I've been sewing.  I am in a show called bliss handmade at the end of the month.  I am sewing more Lollibag's with long straps to wear across the body.  This one has ruffles from one of my most favorite retro vintage fabrics, EVER...........

It really IS NOT neon in real life, my camera, bless it's heart, is getting wierd on me.  I love this 60's fabric, I found it at a thrift shop a few years back.  I also love the big vintage orange button. 

Good news:  I had Sophie tested for tree nuts and she is NOT allergic to them!  YEA!!  But at the end of the testing, I looked at the allergist and said  "I'm scared".  And she nodded, yes.  She says, it's up to me, but she would not allow Sophie to have tree nuts just yet, not for a few more years, till she is old enough to tell me how she is feeling after eating certain foods.  I am going to follow that advice.

But the good news is I can have almond butter and stuff like that in the house.  AND, we can now buy products made in a factory that processes tree nuts.  It opens up a huge new range of foods. 

Thank you Jesus!

Sad news, I think Sophie is showing signs of tourettes, but I'm not gonna stress over it.  I love that little girl, as is.

House update:  the interested party is no longer interested.  BIG SIGH....  I have a strange sense of calm though.  I can only attribute that to God.  But I will tell you I am oh so excited by what I  *think* my future holds, but my lips have to remain sealed for now, after all, God may not agree with those plans of mine!

Is that it?  Are we all caught up now?  How about you, what's been going on in your life lately?

I'm already miserable

I have a headache, a stomach ache, crabby, the day is looking dismal.

Pretty bland without my latte with milk in the morning, or a cookie.

I can make it till about 3pm and then what to snack on.... a carrot stick?

For some reason my beloved coconut milk ice cream and coconut flakes are giving me tummy aches.

What is that?

Coconut milk ice cream literally has coconut milk and agave nectar.

You can pry that from my cold dead hands.

Can I do this for 3 weeks?

Not looking promising but you can rest assured I won't lie to ya, I'll let you know if I screw up.



Health and the food you eat

Remember when I went to the dr. and to make a long story short she said I have PCOS?

And then I just wasn't sure if I should believe her?  Well I have been researching and reading tons of information online.

I receive Dr. Mercola's newsletters through e-mail daily and I usually read at least one article.

Today I read this article...

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2001/07/14/insulin-part-one.aspx

It's long but well worth the read and it's actually by Dr. Rosedale.  It was so eye opening on insulin, insulin resistance, and the role that plays in disease and the foods you eat.

I just kept thinking....HOLY COW!

Anyway all the websites I read and articles and snippets and pages and blogs agree and the common factor is.... grains and sugar, bad bad bad.

If you are like me your panicking right now and getting angry, there is no way your giving up sugar and grains.  But that is the one thing I have never been able to do and everything else I've tried , has never worked.

Once I did do the, only once slice of bread a day and veggies and fruit and protein only, and you know what I felt good, but I didn't keep up with it and I never thought treating myself to a few cookies a day , ok make that a dozen cookies a day, what harm could that do?

I'm getting off track.  I just had my cholesterol level checked again and it is way up from last year.  I just could not figure out what the heck???

Again, research has shown me that high cholesterol is not the problem, why do I have high cholesterol?  High cholesterol is caused by inflammation in your body, and your body is putting out more cholesterol to try and reduce inflammation...I'm just paraphrasing what I've read, so don't quote me, look it up for yourself :)

Anyway what kinds of foods cause inflammation?? You guessed it, sugar and grains.  What happens when your body is in a constant state of inflammation?

Just to name a few:

headaches

migraines

acne

skin tags

insulin resistance

diabetes

heart disease

cancer

fatigue

the list goes on and on.

So I searched for anti-inflammation foods and diets online and found this site.

http://www.level1diet.com/

I have been reading there a while and it is really quite interesting.

I have nothing to lose but some weight and hopefully my migraines and cholesterol. 

I'm gonna give it a go, so if I'm a tad grouchy and negative, please don't take it personal!

It's just that I am not going to be eating sugar and grains.

Another intesting tidbit from that article, when you eat sugar your body cannot store it and so it needs to burn it right away.  (again I'm paraphrasing).... So if you are constantly putting sugar into your body, your body never burns the fat you have stored!

And when people say sugar I usually think, donuts, hard candy, pop, twinkies and I say to myself, whew!  I'm in the clear I don't eat any of that......hardly...

Well here's some things sugar is in:

flavored yogurt

honey

ketchup

salad dressings

bbq sauce

crackers

potatoes turn to glucose (sugar)

protein bars

granola bars

jelly

etc...

I'm not trying to sound negative but, really I'm talking to people who like me, are struggling with an issue that you can't seem to get rid of, like migraines or whatever it may be.

SO WHOSE WITH ME???  I need a buddy!

MaryJanes Farm

I received my latest issue of MaryJanes Farm magazine over a week ago, I had forgotten about it till I past by it today.  I paged through it while I ate my lunch.  Normally I don't read the "readers write" sections. 

Today I did and I really enjoyed it.  As a matter a fact you should go pick up a copy just to read these stories.

Sister Act a Helping Hand by Kameron DeWulf

Neighbors by Christine Anderson

Recipe for Disaster by Kathleen Everett

I even teared up at the end of Recipe for Disaster.

I am just being silly, I'm sure.  But in the story the writer tells how often women make bread or soup or something for friends or family or even strangers who are sick, sad, busy.....etc.

And one day her daughter texted her and said mom, my friend just broke up with her boyfriend, should I make her cupcakes or a torte?

And that is what I thought was so sweet, and I hope SOMETHING will be passed down to my daughters like that.

Today I am making Pioneer Woman's Mocha Brownies and for dinner her recipe for Lasagna.

Last week I made Pioneer Woman's macaroni and cheese, I'm sorry to say I did not like it one bit.

Two of my kids liked it, that's it.  The rest of us thought it was pasty and gluey.

Spring break is here, and I will be enjoying having my kids home from school!

Have a great Sunday!



Where Women Cook

You have to know that I read this magazine too!

I went to Costco today and saw the latest issue of Where Women Cook.

Of course I grabbed it and threw it in the cart!

On page 66, well, there are not words to say...

Back in the Day Bakery.

The owner is Cheryl Day.

The bakery is so cute, so pastel, so cakey, so wonderful.....so dreamy.

So much how I would love my own bakery to look!

Oh how I wish I could go to Georgia and take a pastry lesson from Cheryl.

I would love to raid her recipes and study them.

I would love to bake some cupcakes in her kitchen and drink a chai tea in one of those retro mugs.

The best part is, she leaves us with a cupcake recipe and a vanilla buttercream frosting recipe!

I am off to bake!!

The Pioneer Woman Cooks

I have been sick for so long that I have not gotten to the grocery store in ages!

In case your wondering, I am still sick.  This is by far the worst cold/sinus infection/migraine I've ever had.

Anyway, I haven't been cooking or baking much, since, well you know...

My best friend gave me a gift card for my birthday, so with it, I FINALLY bought........

The Pioneer Woman Cooks cookbook!  I have been wanting it for a while.

I even told Ree herself, I would be buying it.

Who does that?  Who goes up to someone and promises they will buy their product?

Me. 

Just to make myself not look like such a dork, my best friend, who was with me that day, told Ree....

"I saw you on Twin Cities Live!"

ha ha, sorry Rach, were both dorks.

So tonight I am making Pioneer Woman's

Comfort Meatballs

and

mashed potatoes.

And in the oven right now is a triple layer from scratch chocolate cake.

It will be frosted with homemade chocolate frosting.

I found that recipe in Better Homes and Gardens magazine.

I will be sharing these recipes and photo's this Friday for Food Friday!

I don't know why food makes me so giddy! 

It's making it all from scratch, I think.  It seems almost healthy or healthier...

I think well, thank goodness it's not a mix from a box that's full of chemicals.

Do you feel that way?

I better go listen for the oven timer, my head is so congested, I can't hear a thing.

Don't forget about Friday!!