In The News: Girl with Severe Allergy Dies After Accidently Eating Peanut Butter

I'm not one to be "in the know" when it comes to the news. But I do check MSN daily to see if anything catches my eye. Well today there is an article that did catch my eye.

Read the full article here!

Enjoy Life Soft Baked Cookie Review

Who doesn't love a plate full of cookies?! If you have a love for homemade cookies. I think I may have found a homemade cookie...without actually heating up the oven! What?! Oh yes my friends, you know I love baking. But there are just some days I don't feel like it and want a quick treat. 

I wish these were my own recipe, but I have to give all of the credit to Enjoy Life Foods. These are their Soft Baked Cookies. They aren't kidding either, they are incredibly soft and amazing. I'm a lover of soft baked cookies. When I want a cookie, I don't want a crunchy cookie. To me, that's not a cookie at all. I believe they should be soft, but I know there are people that will disagree with me. That's okay though, you're entitled to your own opinion. But this is my opinion.

Today I am reviewing just two of the flavors. I have tried the others...I just finished the box before I took pictures. Whoops. 

Read the FULL review here!

-Don't worry, no cookies were harmed in this review. They are in a safer place ;) 

Gluten-Free: My One Year Anniversary

Wow. I really can't believe that it has been a year that I have been completely gluten free. You're probably thinking, how can you remember a specific day/date when you can barely remember where you put your car keys?! Well, I don't really know why I remember things like that, but day to day things I literally feel like I've left my brain sit somewhere. Christmas 2011 is when I found out I had a gluten intolerance, but I wasn't really to strict on what I ate. I would eat most things gluten free. But I would also have gluten/wheat foods. What made me decide to cut out gluten completely is really a funny and odd story. But here you go...

July 30th, 2012 was a crazy and busy day. I was making cupcakes for my soon-to-be in laws surprise anniversary party. Last time I ever make cupcakes the day of event...

Anyways, since I was running all around, I wanted a quick breakfast, so I decided that I really wanted PB&J and I wanted it bakery french bread. Not gluten free at all. I thought, well I've had quite a few things that contained gluten, but didn't really make me feel to bad. So this shouldn't be a problem. I ate my sandwich. Then trouble began. About an hour later, I felt awful. But I didn't think it was from the bread....really...see I told you I didn't really think. I think I didn't want to believe that I could be gluten intolerant. I LOVED my bread and pasta to much. Later that day when I started to feel a little better. I ate a small lunch, what did I have...pasta. Thinking that it would be easy on me and not upset my stomach. I was proved very wrong. I felt even worse then I did earlier. I was so exhausted, in a lot of stomach pain. It was just an awful day. I did feel a little better when it was time for the party, thank goodness. It was such a beautiful evening too! 

But I could have missed out on that. I have missed out on a lot because of feeling so sick all the time. I was tired of just not feeling healthy. So after that day, I decided that I was going to cut out gluten completely. 

Being gluten free may not sound like a big deal to some, but in the past year I have notice significant changes in my health.

• I can finally eat and not be in pain. Which was the biggest thing I wanted. 
• My body is able to absorb nutrients better.
• Mood swings have calmed down and are less frequent. 
• I have less "sick" days. I used to feel sick every single day. Now it only happens once or twice a week. 
• I can now eat and not have to sit completely still for about 2 hours. I'm not saying I can get up and go walking or anything. But I'm digesting food faster. 

These are just a few things that have helped me. My health still has A LOT of improving room to do. But it's only been a year so I'm continuing my journey to see more changes. 

I just want to take a moment and thank every single person who has been there for me

Caleb: My Fiance, best friend, and amazing support. I really don't know what I would do without you. You've seen me go through so much, but you were right at my side, fighting with me. You encourage me every single day. And always make me look on the positive side, especially on days where I felt like I would never feel better. I love you so much and God has really blessed me when he put you in my life.

My parents: You are the most amazing parents. As soon as my whole lifestyle was changing. You were right there and willing to help me. I'm so thankful for everything you have done. 

Close family and friends: You know who you are. You all have asked me how I have been doing along the way. Even the smallest things, meant so much to me. From asking me how things were going, how I've been feeling, to offering me advice, and making sure at family events I had something I could eat. Nothing went unnoticed. I appreciated it all. I have one amazing support system and I just feel so thankful and blessed. 

For outside readers and followers: Thank you so much for following along! It has been encouraging knowing that I'm reaching out to people and helping others! 

Cheers!! 

Help Me Make My Blog Better!

To help me and my blog, I created a survey so I can get ideas on how to improve my blog and topics. It will only take a few minutes to complete! As you may have noticed, I've gone back and forth between my two blogs. I'm trying to decide what the best one is for me and what is more easy for you to navigate through. Your opinions really matter!

Cheers!

Create your free online surveys with SurveyMonkey , the world's leading questionnaire tool.

Easy Gluten Free Shortbread Cookies

These cookies exceeded my expectations. I used Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Shortbread Cookie mix. I love finding new gluten free mixes and baking with them. It's a great way to learn what works, and doesn't work. Also, you find what flavors you like. I have found out, I am not a fan of Garbanzo bean flour...if you have never tried it, DON'T! I find it to be way to overpowering and it tends to be gummy. It's defiantly not a flour I'll ever use again. 

I'm still deciding if I have a favorite go to mix for quick cookies and cupcakes. I do know I am a big fan of King Arthur All Purpose Gluten Free Flour. It is the closest to "normal" texture and flavor that I have found so far. I really like experimenting with baked goods, also since everything has to be dairy free as well, it can be quite a challenge. But it's all worth it when I get good results: like these cookies.

I made these cookies for July 4th, just for fun since I didn't know how well they'd turn out. I made a shortbread cookie before, but that was from scratch. So trying a pre-made mix made these a breeze to make.

For the complete recipe and directions, click here!

Enjoy!!!!!

Natural Remedies For Bug Bites

Love long summer days that just seem to turn into relaxing summer evenings?
Many people find it to hot to go outside during the day, unless they are swimming, so many will be outdoors in the evening when it cools off. How nice is it to spend time outside ALL day long?!

With hotter temperatures, bring bugs. I am not a fan of bugs at all. I HATE them. I don’t care what kind they are, how harmless they are. They are all gross to me. And yes, I will run away from anything. Also, I have never been stung before *knocks on wood* and I’m scared to see if I’m allergic to them or not. But that’s not something I want to find out at all. I rather not know. I would be SO happy if there weren’t any bugs. I really can’t enjoy the outdoors because I’m to busy shooing away bugs, or running away from them…don’t judge.
I really hate mosquitos. A summer doesn’t pass without me getting bites from those bugs. And lucky me, when they do bite I end up with welts because those I am allergic to. I’ll be really honest with you, when I’m at the beach my perfume for the week is OFF “Deep Woods” bug spray. 100% honest. Go ahead and laugh all you want. If I miss any spots at all, I’ll get bit! It’s really sad and I don’t find it very funny at all. If I dare go out wearing a nice perfume…oh my goodness, it’s like a free invitation for those bugs to bite me. 
When I do end up with bites, I’ll scratch those things until I scratch them open. It sounds SO disgusting. But that’s the only way I find relief from the itching. Because once it’s open, all of the venom (I’m assuming that’s what it is) comes out and it can’t irritate your skin anymore.

I really rather not use a chemical based bug spray anymore. Have you read the ingredients on a bug spray bottle?! Doesn’t seem healthy….
The repellant most brands use is DEET. Which can cause skin rashes, lethargy, muscle spasms, and nausea.
If you want some natural remedies to keep bugs away or natural remedies to help relieve the bug bites once they happen, I have found a few that could help you out this summer.

Bee Stings

Apples-  They contain a chemical compound that may help inhibit the release of histamine, the body chemical that causes itching and burning.

Aspirin- Make sure the stinger is out. Then wet the area and rub an aspirin tablet over it to control inflammation and ease the pain.

Baking Soda- Is an alkaline substance that can neutralize the reaction. Pour a little baking soda into your hand with a little water to make a paste. Cover the sting for at least 20 minutes to reduce pain, swelling, and redness.

Lime- A drop of lime juice will ease the pain of a bee or fire-ant sting.

Sage- Treat stings and swelling using sage and vinegar. Just crush a handful of fresh sage. Put the leaves in a pan, cover them with apple cider vinegar, and simmer on low until they soften. Remove them, and carefully wrap them in a washcloth and apply it to the sting.

Insect Repellant- Menthol- Smooth mentholated rub onto your arms, legs, and neck to repel mosquitoes, ticks, and other biting bugs.

Mosquito Bites

Catnip- The same catnip used for cats. But can be a natural way to prevent bites. Catnip oil contains nepetalactone, which is 10x more effective at deterring insects than DEET.

Oatmeal- When you are hit with major bigs or stings. Try an oatmeal bath. Oatmeal is a skin soother and will help any itchiness.

Goldenseal- Is well known for healing skin. Mix with bentonite clay for painful insect bites or stings. Also helps with inflammation.

Peppermint- Apply peppermint oil to a bite. The cooling menthol will distract you from the pain and encourage blood flow to the area and flush out the venom.

Witch Hazel- Stops the itch of bites. Make a paste of witch hazel and baking soda then smooth it onto the itchy area for fast relief.

I hope you try out some of the remedies the next time you get stung, or a mosquito bites you. These are also good ways to help bring relief to your children. Instead of putting chemicals onto their skin, put all natural remedies that have the same effect.

Cheers! 

Natural Relief For Sunburn

It’s officially summer!!!! You have no idea how long I’ve been waiting for this time of year. If you guessed all winter, then you’re right  I LOVE summer. Mainly because of the hot temperatures and I can go outside without freezing. The only thing(s) I hate about summer are sunburn, bugs, and air condition. Ok, I don’t hate air condition, I hate that I’m just always cold when I’m inside. But I’m thankful we do have it. Bugs on the other hand. HATE them. There isn’t a single bug that is okay in my book. Summer would be perfect without bugs.
Since I’m in the summer mood lately. As I will be all summer long of course. I decided it would be a good time to talk about foods and home remedies that help with some summer “issues”.  For instance, sunburns. Probably the biggest issues during the summer. I have had my fill of sunburn and bug bites to last me a lifetime. EVERY year I say I will not get burnt. Seriously, it seems like 10 minutes after that, I’m burnt. But I make sure I apply sunblock a lot. I got sun poisoning one year on vacation. Never again. I was purple…yes a deep purple color that didn’t look very good on me at all. I also won’t go into any other details of what else I went through….let’s just say….that’s a reason I don’t eat seafood anymore. Yuck.

TMI! 

So this year, since going all natural. I want to have some home remedies on hand for when the summer sun leaves it’s mark on my skin.

Instead of reaching for that aloe vera gel or you happen to be out of it,  here are some remedies for sunburn:

Baking Soda- Did you know that baking soda can take away the pain from sunburn? Soaking in a cool to lukewarm tub can help ease the burning and stinging of sunburn.

Citrus Fruits- They are one of the best sources of antioxidants, which can help heal your skin from sunburn and protect you from the free radical damage that can cause skin cancer. The main antioxidant in citrus fruits is Vitamin C. This helps strengthen collagen, the protein that supports the skin, and helps stop the amount of free radicals that are produced when you get burned. You should be eating 5 or 6 servings of antioxidants daily. Or try taking a Vitamin C supplement.

Colloidal Oatmeal- This is the gel-like substance in oats that helps lower cholesterol and soothes your digestive tract. But it can do wonders for your skin. Try a “cereal bath” when your skin is scorched and sore. Fill your tub with lukewarm water and add in some oatmeal to help soothe your skin.

Cucumbers- Thinking of cucumbers just makes you feel refreshed. And that’s what they do to sunburn skin as well. Placing sliced cucumbers on the burnt skin will help soothe it.

Lavender- Is an antiseptic, cooling herb that can relieve the sting of sunburn and protect against infections. Fill an 8 ounce spray bottle with cold water and add 6 drops of lavender oil. Spray onto the burned areas.

Milk- As long as you don’t have a milk allergy, this can really beneficial to sunburns. Dabbing whole milk, every 15 minutes every 2 to 4 hours can really soothe the skin. Make sure you use whole milk, the fat in the milk is what helps.

Tomatoes- The lycopene in tomatoes can help repair damage from to much sun. Eating tomatoes cooked in oil (which makes them more like a paste) has been shown to help protect this skin from the sun damage and redness. Apparently the oil helps boost the uptake of lycopene in the body.

Witch Hazel- A traditional remedy for skin problems, witch hazel is probably among the most common herbal treatments in American  medicine chests. It produces a tingling, cooling sensation. Which when sunburn happens, stick a bottle of witch hazel in the fridge, then slather it on where it’s burnt. It’s tannins will help cool your skin.

Those are just a few household remedies for sunburn that you might have around your house. So the next time you get burned, relief won’t be hard to find 

Cheers to a wonderful summer!!

Control Your Cravings

Have you ever had a strong craving for something, and needed it ASAP?

Which side would you choose?

The one on the left might seem like a good option because you’re craving something salty, and fatty.

That’s because you have trained yourself to want those foods. But you can control your cravings.

You might not even be hungry, and you feel as if you need to eat what you’re craving. People can have strong cravings when they start new diets. Especially when cutting out sugary sweets and/or bread. A lot of the times you crave certain things because you body is feeling deprived from certain nutrients. It’s kind of like your body signaling to you that it needs something. You’re probably thinking that since you’re craving something sweet…go and eat something sweet because that’s what my body needs. Most of the time we are going to crave foods that aren’t healthy for us. That’s because we have been programmed to turn towards those foods when we feel a craving, instead of looking at healthier options to curb our cravings.  Here are some examples so you can get a better idea.

Craving: Salty.
What your body needs: Chloride, Sodium.
Eat instead: Fish, Goats milk (if tolerated), nuts, seeds, hummus, popcorn(not movie theater, all natural instead)

Craving: Fatty/Oily Foods
What your body needs: Calcium.
Eat instead: Milk, cheese, yogurt (dairy free works too) legumes, green leafy vegetables, and broccoli.

Craving: Chocolate.
What your body needs: Magnesium.
Eat instead: Nuts, seeds, legumes, fresh fruit.

Craving: Bread, pasta, and other carbs.
What your body needs: Nitrogen.
Eat instead: High protein foods, meat, nuts, fish, and beans. Try gluten free options as well.

Craving: Sugary foods and sweets
What your body needs: Phosphorous, Sulphur, Tryptophan
Foods containing Phosphorous: Chicken, beef, fish, eggs, dairy, nuts, legumes, and grains. (can be gluten and dairy free options)
Foods containing Sulphur: Cranberries, horseradish, cauliflower, broccoli, and cabbage.
Foods containing Tryptophan: Cheese(Dairy free as well), lamb, liver, raisins, sweet potato, and spinach.

**If you feel yourself just overeating in general. STOP. It’s not good to consume the foods that you’re craving. Just to fulfill those cravings. Instead, put a stop to those cravings and you will find yourself eating less. When you are overeating, it might be because your body needs something specific, and you’ll eat a lot. Just to try to figure it out.
What your body needs: Silicon, Tryptophan, Tyrosine.
Foods containing Silicon: Nuts, seeds.
Foods containing Tryptophan: Cheese, lamb, liver, raisins, sweet potato, and spinach.
Foods containing Tyrosine: Orange, green, and red fruits & vegetables. Take a Vitamin C supplement.

When you decide to eat a healthier choice, instead of eating something unhealthy. You’ll end up feeling better because you are fueling your body with what it NEEDS, not what you think you WANT. 

Cheers! 

Lemon Blueberry Cake Recipe

This is the birthday cake that I made for me Dad for his birthday last weekend.

Gluten free baking is really a skill. It is much different than regular baking. When you bake gluten free, things can end up really dry, and just fall apart. Or they can be extremely dense and dry. It’s hard to find that happy medium. But after a lot of trial and error….it all of the sudden turns out..

This is the most moist gluten free cake that I have made to date. And it all was from scratch too. Another thing about baking gluten free. Things have a tendency to rise, but when you take them out of the oven, they fall right back down. This cake, did not. As you can see, the layers are pretty big. That’s because I prepared myself and made more batter just incase they didn’t rise.

Since it was a birthday celebration, this cake isn’t as “healthy” as it could be. Mostly because of the icing. But hey, when a special occasion comes around, it’s okay to splurge a little 

Lemon Blueberry Cake

I used King Arthur’s Gluten Free Multi-Purpose Flour, and I followed their yellow cake recipe, but made a few changes:

• 3 cups King Arthur Gluten-Free Multi-Purpose Flour
• 1 teaspoon xanthan gum
• 1 1/2 cups evaporated cane juice Or use plain white sugar
• 12 tablespoons shortening
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 pkg. lemon pudding mix
• 1 tablespoon gluten-free vanilla extract
• 4 large eggs
• 1 cup rice milk, at room temperature

Directions:

1) Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease two 9″ round cake pan.

2) Whisk together the flour and xanthan gum.

3) In a separate bowl, use an electric mixer to beat together the sugar, shortening, salt, baking powder, lemon pudding(do not make pudding, just use the powder), and vanilla until smooth. beat for 45 seconds at medium high speed until combined. At this stage the batter will be very thick.

4) Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl. Still using the mixer, beat in the other eggs one at a time; the mixture should become quite fluffy. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl again.

5) Continuing to use the mixer, beat in the milk, at low speed, alternately with the dry ingredients, adding about 1/3 of each at a time, and ending with the dry ingredients.

6) Scoop the batter into the prepared pans. Bake the cake for about 25 to 30 minutes, about 3 to 4 minutes past the point where the cake springs back when touched lightly in the center, and a cake tester (or toothpick) inserted into the middle comes out clean. The finished cake’s internal temperature should be 210°F.

7) Remove from the oven, and cool for 5 to 10 minutes before turning out of the pan to cool on a rack.

Makes: two 9″ round cakes

I really think the pudding is the secret ingredient. I have used this recipe for a couple different cakes, and I haven’t gotten the result that I did this time.

Blueberry Buttercream

• 1 bag of 10x sugar
• 3 cups fresh blueberries
• Almond milk(use for desired consistency)
• 1 cup butter flavored shortening
• 1 tbsp vanilla

1.) Cream shortening and vanilla together in a mixer. Or use a handheld mixer.

2.) Add sugar, 1 cup at a time. Add milk to keep a smooth consistency.

3.) Once all the sugar is added. Add vanilla.

4.) Add in blueberries one cup at a time. Set mixer on high, so the blueberries get mixed up and they “break” so the frosting has a real blueberry flavor.

Enjoy!!