Author: Theresa_Rosenthal

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Cheesy Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole (Gluten-Free)

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Brrrrr, it’s time for comfort food in our house! How about yours? Sometimes I get a craving for something but don’t have a recipe in my repertoire. So, I go searching until I find a recipe that I can tweak to make it my own and sometimes it works; sometimes it doesn’t, but this isn’t one of those times!

I was craving a casserole of sorts with broccoli, chicken, rice, and cheese. I guess I was thinking of a “chicken divan” but I didn’t want that specifically. Of course, I googled “broccoli chicken cheese rice casserole” and began to browse the results. I landed on this recipe and if you follow along, you’ll see where I’ve tweaked it and how I alter recipes to make sure they’re gluten-free, incorporate only goat’s cheese (since we don’t eat cow’s cheese), and have easy substitutions like yogurt instead of sour cream. I also look for ways to add more vegetables and nutrition.

Cheesy Chicken Broccoli and Rice Casserole (Gluten-free)

Ingredients

1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 cups brown rice
4 cups broth (I used our mineral broth, stored in the freezer)
4 cups broccoli florets
coconut oil
3 chicken breast tenders (boneless, skinless) chopped
salt
pepper
garlic powder
all seasons salt (from Simply Organic)
5 teaspoons gluten-free all purpose flour (I use Better Batter)
2 cups of milk (I used So Delicious Coconut Milk Beverage)
1/3 cup whole, plain organic yogurt (I used Stonyfield)
6.7 oz shredded goat’s cheddar cheese

Directions

Depending on your broth situation, you may have to thaw your broth like I did. I placed a jar of frozen broth in a pot on very low. It takes a while but ensures the jar doesn’t crack from temperature changes.
Chop onions and garlic. Add to a pot and sauté in coconut oil until wilted. I don’t really specify amounts of oil here. It depends on your pan and your preference. Besides, don’t all recipes say 2 Tbsp?
Add 4 cups of broth and 2 cups of rice and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce to medium-low and simmer for 25-30 minutes.
While cooking the rice, add more coconut oil to another pan and begin cooking the chopped chicken. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and garlic powder.
During the rice-cooking time, chop and wash broccoli, shred the cheese and measure out the yogurt.
When the chicken is cooked through, remove it to a plate and add half a cup of milk to the pan with flour. Whisk thoroughly and add the remaining milk. This will cook for approximately 7 minutes, while stirring constantly, until thickened. As it thickens, add salt, pepper, garlic powder and all seasons salt. Also add half the shredded cheese and the yogurt to the milk and mix together.
When the rice is almost done, add the broccoli to the pot (and cover) to steam.
Finally, the rice should be cooked, the broccoli should be steamed, the milk should be thickened and the rest of your ingredients ready to go. It’s time to put it all together.
Spoon the rice and broccoli into a 9×13 pan. Add the chicken and fold it in, distributing evenly.

Pour the milk-cheese-yogurt sauce over top and mix it in.

Sprinkle the remaining shredded cheese on top and broil in a preheated oven for 5-10 minutes. Keep an eye on it; it can burn!
We loved this. It was even better the next day. I thought I might have enough leftover to freeze or share with other families, but it was gone. That’s always a good sign!
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You Don’t Have to Work Out!

I don’t work out.

There, I said it.

I may write and talk a lot about food, body image and freedom, but I don’t mention exercise much. It’s pretty controversial, actually. With all my nutrition classes and health training, I am very aware of the health impact that an exercise routine makes and yet I can state it simply: I don’t work out.

Am I recommending that you don’t work out? That depends. Does the thought of not working out fill you with fear, anxiety or guilt? Then, maybe. Does it fill you with excitement and freedom? Then, maybe. Maybe working out isn’t for you either.

Let me explain. During the worst years of my disordered eating, exercise was not an option. It wasn’t for fun. It was for the image, the look I was going for (because the emaciated skin and bones look is super hot, right?). I wanted to look like the girls on the cover of Shape magazine, which I subscribed to and devoured every month. I don’t think there was a single day that I didn’t work out in some way. From exercise videos to hours on the treadmill, long walks, running and weight lifting; I did it all. It consumed me as much, if not more than my rigid eating or lack of eating rituals.

As I gradually began the journey of recovery, exercise was the last to go. I learned to eat more freely and to accept and feed my cravings, but I could not ditch the 5-mile runs, bike rides, weight lifting sessions and yoga. You may be thinking, “Why should you? Those things are all so healthy.” Yes and no. They can be healthy but often, they’re not. When exercise is used as punishment (I ate this so I have to work it off), or to reach some physical goal (I will work out every day until I lose 15 pounds), it has power over you. You can take that power back!

Baby steps though… I traded my treadmill for an elliptical because I wanted to be gentle to my body. My rigidity continued, despite my intentions and finally I sold the elliptical and “forced” myself to take a slow, leisurely walk one afternoon a week. My intention on these walks was to quiet my mind and connect with the nature around me instead of drowning out my feelings with loud, upbeat music and pushing my body harder. I learned a lot on those walks. Gradually, I gave up running and pretty much anything that felt like I was forcing myself to do it. If I didn’t have a desire to do something, I told myself, “No.” It was a gentle “no”, much like a parent to a child, protecting myself from, well, myself. Honestly, I was scared that I would gain weight, lose muscle mass and turn into a big blob, but I didn’t. Our bodies are so incredible. Because I had already become an intuitive eater, I didn’t actually have to worry about what my body would do. We all have a natural set point for our weight that our bodies will arrive at easily, when we allow ourselves the room for some fluctuation. I found mine and I’m happy with it. I’m also happy that working out doesn’t control my life, my schedule or my relationship with my body.

The phrase “working out” is so mechanical, so laced with work. Shudder. That’s not fun! What do I suggest? The Health At Every Size model has a concept called Joyful Movement. It’s truly beautiful and I will try to describe it to you as best I can. Think of playing as a child, running around the neighborhood or in your backyard, playing tag, chase, climbing jungle gyms and kicking a soccer ball around. That was joyful. Swimming in a pool or the ocean during the summer months or being on a sports team you enjoyed. Joyful. Something happened to change that. Puberty? Media? Ideas of what you should be doing and how you should look? Maybe it was all of the above. Whatever it is, we lose that desire to move in a natural, joyful way and then we turn to “work outs” to fix ourselves. Dancing. Swimming. Walking. Running. Lifting weights. All of these are movements that can be joyful, or rigidly structured in such a way that the joy is stripped from them. If you are like I was and you need to step away from “working out” to discover what joyful movement looks like for you, give yourself permission to just stop. Adding activity into your life in a more organic way may help you find movement that you can enjoy. Things like parking farther away, taking the stairs, walking over to a co-worker instead of calling, strolling the neighborhood with your children and playing fetch with your dog are all activities that can easily be added into your life to increase movement while decreasing religious, structured, controlling regimens. It’s about turning off the timer (the one that says 30 minutes a day, 3-5 times a week) and giving yourself a break. You’re not a machine after all, despite what the fitness magazines would have you believe.

I still have my weights. They just don’t tell me what to do or when. I grab them once or twice a week and strengthen my muscles because I like the feeling I get when I lift them and I like knowing that I’m strong. I still have my running shoes, but now they push a stroller with my two beautiful girls when the weather is nice and my friends are alongside me for a good, long walk filled with deep conversations and laughter. I got a Wii last year for the winter months and I love doing programs on it like Wii Fit Plus or dance games. I had to stop that for a while too, though, because I felt my old triggers returning and the need to do it for a certain amount of time every single day. When I go back to it, it will be because I want to have fun. I guard the freedom I have with a passion. I ache for others to have that freedom too. I believe it is my mission and my purpose. Contact me if you want to schedule a session or just check-in. I love hearing from you!

Me, after the 5k Color Run – I didn’t run, but I did have a fun walk with my friends!
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The BS Behind BMI (or Why BMI Isn’t an Accurate Portrayal of Your Health)

When selecting our health insurance plan for the coming year, I was reading through my husband’s employer handouts about credits they offer based on filling out personal information for health profiling. I didn’t think much of it until I mentioned it to my husband and he said, “According to the BMI, I’m overweight.” Looking at the literature again, I saw that they ask for height and weight. Oh yes, the “statistical scientific” analysis that somehow says that your height and weight determine whether you’re obese, overweight or normal.

“Well, that’s ridiculous,” I told my husband. “You are so healthy. I’m guessing you’re healthier than many people you work with!”

Still, plug in those numbers and suddenly he’s overweight? I probably am too for that matter, but I don’t play numbers games. At least not those kinds. How about these kinds of number games for you? The use of BMI to dictate whether you’re normal, overweight or obese has been based on ranges, which have changed. They used to be higher. They had a little more room for oh, I don’t know, bodily differences?! They, the infamous “they”, decided to make the cutoff 25 for normal. So if your BMI is over 25, you’re overweight. What made them decide this? Was it science? One might think, but no. It was politics. The International Obesity Task Force (IOTF) drafted the new numbers and the IOTF is funded by (cue the music) weight-loss drug makers Hoffman-La Roche (of Xenical) and Abbott Laboratories (of Meridia). Ta-daaaaah. Not so scientific at the end of the day, is it?

So now you have this number, your BMI, that is used to dictate how fat you are, which is supposed to tell employers and insurance companies how much of a health risk you are and it’s not even scientifically based! Worse than that is the idea that we have an obesity epidemic in America and obesity is killing people. Sigh. I’m shaking my head, in case you couldn’t see. The majority of studies actually state that overweight people live longer than those of “normal” weight. Makes you want to rethink that “normal” number again, doesn’t it? Especially if “normal” equals a shorter life.

Take your BMI and throw it out. Tell your physicians that this number has no representative value of your health. Tell them that you eat organic food, lots of fruits and vegetables and live an active life. Then watch their eyes glaze over. They’ve bought into these myths just like most of America. Obesity doesn’t equal disease, or even death. Are you surprised? Do you assume, like most people, that the heavier you are the more likely you are to be sick with various diseases? It’s just not true. Ask me and I’ll give you TONS of research to support my statement. I just don’t want to bore you with studies if you don’t want them.

Just because there are associations between two things does not mean there is causality. Question everything. Is it possible that those defined as obese have shorter life spans because constant dieting damaged their blood vessels? One cycle of weight loss followed by weight gain can damage blood vessels, increasing the risk for cardiovascular disease. Many of these “obese” people being associated with earlier deaths are among ethnic minorities and lower socioeconomic status, which is also associated with pollution and lack of access to medical care. Most interesting is that larger people in other countries are not exhibiting the diseases that we associate obesity with. The countries where these healthier “obese” people reside are countries that haven’t placed a huge stigma on weight. The stigma we’ve created around weight has increased our stress around weight and stress is a risk factor for so many diseases (including cardiovascular disease and diabetes). So is it weight or stress that is “causing” these diseases?

To think, BMI is a fabricated equation created to serve political purposes that can effect what level of care you receive? That weight is this number you’re supposedly in control of? (You’re not, by the way.) You are not a machine: calories in, calories out. Your mind and how you think about yourself and how much stress you carry about your weight or life in general are far more powerful than a number. This is why I don’t accept weight loss clients. It’s not a goal I wish to try to help someone achieve. Weight loss may come naturally with certain dietary and lifestyle changes, but weight is not the be all end all of health. Losing weight just to be thinner will probably do more damage in the long run. Real changes for real people who are living real lives – that’s more fulfilling than crunching numbers and prescribing diets that aren’t going to feed someone’s soul.

It’s just not as simple as “they’re” making it out to be. If the real truth is to be told, it’s our thoughts, ideas and feelings surrounding weight that are killing us. Not the weight itself. Take a deep breath, trust your body and your weight. Strive for health and happiness and peace and joy. These things may sound fluffy and powerless, but frankly, they’re easier to attain than a perfect BMI. Now if only we can get health care providers and employers to recognize this…

Much of what I’ve stated here is information gleaned from Linda Bacon, PhD in her book Health at EVERY Size. As the summary says on the back of her book, “Fat isn’t the problem. Dieting is the problem. A society that rejects anyone whose body shape or size doesn’t match an impossible ideal is the problem. A medical establishment that equates ‘thin’ with ‘healthy’ is the problem.”

If you’re hungry for more, just ask!

Disclaimer: I do receive a tiny percentages of purchases made through affiliate links on my site. The links to these products do not increase the cost to you but allow me to keep this blog going.
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Don’t Judge the Mom Whose Kid Isn’t Wearing Shoes in Winter

Have you seen kids in the “dead of winter” barefoot? Have you thought to yourself, “How could that mom let her kids be outside in this weather without shoes on?” Okay, maybe you didn’t think it, but some people have. I know, because I’ve heard them think it out loud. I’ve seen their posts on Facebook. I may have even agreed with their rants a time or two.

This post could have been titled: Don’t Judge Moms Who…

Or how about: Don’t Judge Moms

More simplistically: Don’t Judge

I didn’t get that vague because frankly that’s a huge topic that I’m not willing to tackle, so I decided to narrow the subject down to something very specific. This way, if it doesn’t apply to you, you don’t even have to keep reading! And if it does, either because you’re the judger or the judgee, then you can keep reading and hear me out. (please)

See my gorgeous girl? Barefoot? In a Target shopping cart? If I could hazard a guess at the outside temperature, I’d probably say it was 45 degrees. Pretty chilly if you ask me. Shoe weather, I’d say. And I did say. Repeatedly. But when you’ve been trapped in the house for three days with a sick three-year-old and a sick 21-month-old and you’re desperate to get out and do something, anything… well, shoes just don’t seem to matter.

Are you thinking to yourself, “She’s been sick? And she’s not wearing shoes?”

Yes. I hang my head in shame before you. And then I look up and a host of clichés pile themselves at my feet. “Don’t throw stones in glass houses.” “Only if you’re without sin, cast the first stone.” “Judge not, lest ye be judged.”

Firstly, she had fuzzy, warm pink boots on in the car. When we arrived at the store, they were off. Secondly, I put them back on! I really did! It’s entirely possible that she had them on the whole time we were outside, walking into the store. Once we were inside the store though, her mission became the removal of the shoes. And once she’d completed that mission, she had to throw them as far as she could. Between trying not to lose the shoes, giving her snacks and drinks on demand so she wouldn’t be a screaming toddler in a store, which people hate, and keeping an eye on the three-year-old who was touching everything at eye-level and probably wiping her nose on her sleeve, I decided shoeless would work for me. Only then did I think to take this picture. Only then did I realize that judgments were probably being made. In fact, maybe someone in that very store went home to post about my mothering skills on their Facebook page! Or maybe they didn’t even wait that long and they posted from their phone while they stood in the checkout line. Anything’s possible.

This wasn’t the first time and it won’t be the last. Today, my-three year-old would not put on shoes. And when I finally got her shoes on, she refused her sweater. It was 40 degrees outside. I suppose some parenting guru would say, “You put the shoes and sweater on and you make her wear them.” Yes, I suppose I could. But what would the parenting guru say if I had to take my child into the library wearing the shoes and sweater and force everyone in the library to listen to her screams and moans and wails as she thrashes around on the floor because she’s three and searching for some way to exercise her independence? Probably nothing. We compromised. She wore the shoes and ditched the sweater. It’s a 50 second walk from the car to the library door. I decided she’d survive. But who knows what other people thought as they saw that poor, little girl in the freezing cold without a jacket. Sigh.

Earlier this week, my youngest threw a shoe so far that it could’ve knocked someone out had it hit them in the head. Thankfully, it landed in a pile of potatoes. Not thankfully, we were at Costco, so that pile of potatoes was super-bulk-size and I’m lucky I recovered the shoe at all.

Barefoot babies in winter. A tragedy? A reason to judge? At least an excuse to criticize? Or a realization that some things aren’t in our control. Some things don’t seem worth the battle. Sometimes as moms, we pick and choose our battles so specifically, because we’re trying to avoid the judgment that a miserable, frustrated toddler’s tantrum would bring on us and in doing so, we only attract more judgment. Alas, perhaps it’s a losing battle. In fact, the chances are, the only people reading this blog are the moms whose kids have gone out in the winter without shoes! So the people who actually judge those moms aren’t reading the blog and probably won’t change their ways any time soon.

Ah well, here’s to us moms. Here’s to the moms who choose their battles based on important things like life and death, not battles of will. Here’s to moms who aren’t out to teach their kids whose boss, but to allow them the freedom of brief moments of independence instead of micromanaging their every move. Here’s to moms who have kids with autism, ADHD, ADD, SPD, ODD, or any number of diagnoses that make something as simple as shoes more difficult than most people could fathom. Here’s to the moms who have strong, brilliant children who take stands for these “little things” that feel like really “big things” to them. Here’s to the moms who don’t care what other people think. Here’s to the moms who do.

We’re going to be okay.

And so are our kids.

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Healthy Meal Planning on a Budget

I don’t know about you, but meal planning didn’t come naturally to me for a long time. I didn’t like planning what I was going to eat a week in advance. Sometimes I’d get an idea for a meal and go out and buy all the ingredients and it would be wonderful, but I couldn’t do that every day. I also got to the point, when I had babies, that I couldn’t just run to the store any time I wanted to make a new recipe. As a family we had a to figure out how to get enough groceries in each week so we weren’t making multiple trips to the store and we had to do that within our budget.

A budget is a loose term here. I can’t say I only spend $50 a week on groceries. I’d like to say that, but I can’t. Instead, I will be completely honest and say that the majority of our money goes to food. When I go over our bills each month, I see our grocery store and Amazon (subscribe and save) as the biggest numbers. I firmly believe that you either pay now or pay later when it comes to health. With that said, paying now means literally paying now, every day for foods that are more expensive because they are healthier. We stay away from the dirty dozen (produce with the most pesticides) and purchase meats that have not been given hormones or antibiotics. Most grocery stores have a line of meat and poultry that follow these guidelines.

When we moved to Virginia, we had to find a grocery store that carried what we were used to and it was disappointing at first until we realized that we might have to get creative. We discovered Martins (which is a store linked with Giant) and they had a natural section. Within that section and their Nature’s Promise line, we’ve found many new favorites that fall under our idea of healthy. We also use Amazon Subscribe & Save for many regular purchases that were getting too pricey at the grocery store (things like toothpaste, shampoo, toilet paper, deodorant and gluten-free Pamela’s Pancake Mix). Costco, Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s are 45 minutes away, so we shop there every six weeks or two months and stock up on things we can’t find here or afford here, like organic brown rice pasta, goat cheese, healthier pet food and some condiments. Gluten-free flours I buy directly from the website or Amazon. Pamela’s Pancake Mix I use for pancakes, cookies and quick breads:

Better batter flour I use as an all-purpose flour:
Jules gluten-free flour I use specifically for breads (not available on Amazon).

I’m going to lay out for you what I do each week. Maybe it will inspire you to find your own way to make meal-planning work for you so you can stick to a budget and not run to the grocery store every other day. I’ve found that our grocery store puts out a new ad on Sundays. Since Sundays are our day at home together anyway, it makes sense to do our grocery shopping for the week and then settle in for the week with our plan in place.
Here’s a snapshot of the ad for Martins this week, specifically showing you their very small Nature’s Promise section. As you can see, there was hardly any meat on sale and very little else to speak of. This is when I turn to my freezer. Whenever something is on sale, I buy 2-3 of it, whether it’s chicken, steaks or roasts. These come in handy on the poor sale weeks. I took one glance at this week’s ad and began meal-planning out of my freezer. Usually, we purchase fish and I cook this on Monday because it’s fresh and I don’t want it to go bad. We also usually purchase chicken, which I will cook on Tuesday, also because the thought of chicken going bad makes my stomach turn. Meat just seems to have a longer shelf life. Generally, I have 1-2 vegetarian meals a week, one fish, one chicken and one meat. I also rotate rice, quinoa, potatoes, bread and pasta as our starches. Friday is take-out. This keeps us all sane and it stops us from grabbing take out just because it’s easier. Those dollars add up if we get food elsewhere on a regular basis. We also don’t feel great when we eat takeout regularly so we limit it to one day. And the weekends? I leave those up to my incredible husband! Sometimes we travel, sometimes we have company and sometimes it’s just us, so we play it by ear.
Here’s a snapshot of the meal plan for the week. I always consider my week before planning. For instance, Wednesday I’ll be very busy and don’t know how much time or energy I’ll have to cook, so I have some soups stored in the freezer that I can pull out and serve with some fresh vegetables. Because I have chicken and meat in the freezer, I can turn to those items this week for meal ideas and use this shopping trip to stock up on things that we’re running out of: capers, olives, red wine vinegar, cat litter and frozen fruit. You can see it all on my list here (don’t judge the typos!):
This may all seem like a lot and I guess it is, but it has become a ritual for me. I sit down with my coffee after breakfast and pull up the ads. I also use Pinterest and store up my favorite recipes and recipes I want to try so I can find some inspiration when I get bored. You can follow me on Pinterest here if you’re looking for some inspiration too!

I’m also not an extreme couponer by any means, but I do save coupons for items I know we buy. Many of the brands we use offer coupons on their site, like Stonyfield, Simply Organic spices and Almond Breeze. I’m on the mailing list for Martins and they send coupons monthly that we use when applicable. The hardest part about couponing is the lack of coupons for things that we buy, especially organic items and gluten-free items. That’s why I’ve subscribed to some e-mail lists that send out e-mails about coupons for these items and every once in awhile I find one that we definitely use! Organic Deals and Coupons and Gluten Freely Frugal are my favorites.

I don’t have a desire to become a blog that’s all about coupons and deals, but I’m happy to let you know about organic deals if I find them and if you’d like that? Let me know! Please feel free to let me know if you come across any either. We’re in this together and it’s easier that way!

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Chicken Curry Recipe Review – Gluten and Dairy Free

Once a week I try a new recipe. This leaves me some wiggle room with tried and true favorites and standards that everyone is used to. I like to experiment, but I certainly do not want my family to not look forward to dinner! This week I experimented with a new chicken curry recipe by Dr. Mark Hyman, MD. We were not disappointed! Dr. Mark Hyman, MD practices functional medicine, which looks for the root cause of issues instead of treating symptoms. He is a pioneer in his field and offers so much wisdom and education with his books, blog and website. I hope you’ll check him out here.

I make chicken curry every once in a while. I love the coconut milk and abundance of vegetables. I usually use a curry paste (red or green) made by Thai Kitchen. This recipe only called for curry powder and I didn’t think I’d like it, but we all did. In fact, my 20 month old ate her entire dinner for the first time in days!

Rarely do I deviate from a recipe when it’s my first time trying it out. In this case, I changed only a few things. I used a red pepper instead of green because it’s what I had. I added broccoli and a little Bragg’s Liquid Amino for color and flavor, respectively. I prepared organic brown rice and mixed it in 10 minutes before serving and it was enjoyed by all.

So check out this recipe and add something new to your menu next week! The amount of vegetables and color will make your body happy! Choose organic chicken if you can. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

Curious about Bragg’s Liquid Amino? It’s like soy sauce except healthier and full of amino acids! Check it out:

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Natural Remedy for PMS

That empty spot? That was mine…

It’s here! My latest shipment of Female Balance has arrived. I want to share this with you, for your mothers, daughters, wives, sisters or any woman you know who may struggle with hormone fluctuations that wreak havoc on everyone and everything.

PMS (premenstrual syndrome) is not a friend of mine. In fact, about five years ago, I realized that the issues in my relationship always revolved around that one pesky week of each month. My insecurities would rise and my sensitivity would heighten. It seemed like everything hurt my feelings during this time, which would lead to deep, dark “discussions” with my boyfriend. Many tears were shed. Many days I felt like I didn’t know who I was and I wondered if I had some alter ego taking over my heart and mind. I do not want to make light of what horrible out-of-control feelings occur during that week leading up to your period. Sometimes I walked around feeling like the tears were building up behind my eyes and it would only take one thing, just one thing, before the dam burst. Other times, I was angry, dissatisfied with life, with my relationships, my friendships, my present, my past, my future and I would spread that frustration everywhere I went. The decisions I made in my non-PMS life were mature, responsible and confident. Faced with similar choices while PMS-ing, I made choices based on insecurity, fear and sadness.

I tried Female Balance on a whim and within a couple of months my boyfriend said, “This stuff has saved our relationship.” I tried not to let that comment hurt my feelings… Then I realized, he was right. He’s my husband now and he’s been with me through the many up’s and down’s of figuring out how to regulate my moods. Nothing has helped like Female Balance. It’s been so long since I’ve had those mood swings that I can barely remember them. Until I talk to a client or a friend… and then I remember just how awful PMS was for me and can be for many women. If I get low on Female Balance, my husband is the first to say, “Spend the money. Buy it. It’s important!”

The company that makes Female Balance is Apex Energetics. During my education at John F Kennedy University, I attended many of Apex’s conferences and seminars; their products are incredible! Female Balance is a homeopathic blend designed to regulate your hormones and it does just that! The label states that it is used “for temporary relief of menstrual cramps, backache during menstruation, sadness, and menstrual irregularity”.

You can order Female Balance through me (use the Contact Form) or search for it online. Unfortunately, they’re not offered through Amazon, though I’ve found them online before, for roughly $19 a bottle. I sell them for $18 a bottle and cover shipping costs when you order three or more. When starting out, I recommend three bottles because you start off taking it three times a day. As time goes on, you will either not need it or need it only once a day and then it will last much longer.

If you are just starting out with this supplement, or are one of my clients and need a reminder, this is how it is often used: One dropper full three times a day (under your tongue) for a month (or a cycle), then taper down to twice a day and after another month, once a day. Some women find they can go off of it completely after a little while and their hormones remain steady. I am not so lucky. Whenever I run out, I feel that creepy, crawly feeling inside of me that something is not right. I also end up with pimples around my chin and jaw line when I’m not taking it. This is the area that breaks out due to hormonal imbalance. When I’m taking Female Balance, these breakouts stop. With homeopathic remedies, it is not recommended that you take them with coffee or mint. I take mine once a day, first thing in the morning, about an hour before brushing my teeth or drinking any coffee. Another thing I recommend when trying any new supplement is to chart your own progress – this is how you know if things work or not! Before taking something, write down, on a scale of 1-10, how you’re currently feeling regarding the symptoms you’re experiencing. Then, after a month of taking it, check in with yourself or perhaps your spouse to see if there’s a noticeable difference. If not, try for another month at the same dosage and proceed from there. There will be times that supplements don’t have an effect on you and that’s okay. There are other options available. Better to try with consistency, to give it 100% and know for certain whether something could have an incredibly positive influence on your life or not.You can order Female Balance through me (use the Contact Form) or search for it online. Unfortunately, they’re not offered through Amazon, though I’ve found them online before, for roughly $19 a bottle. I sell them for $18 a bottle and cover shipping costs when you order three or more. When starting out, I recommend three bottles because you start off taking it three times a day. As time goes on, you will either not need it or need it only once a day and then it will last much longer.

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Dad’s Apple Crumble Gluten-free

I remember eating dad’s apple crumble many, many times… (We grew up calling it “apple betty”, but I thought I’d call it a “crumble” to avoid any confusion.) I remember sneaking in and eating the crumbles off the top because they were the best part! I even saved the piece of paper I scribbled the recipe on probably 10 years ago. I had called him one day, craving this warm, sweet, apple goodness and he told me how he made it. Maybe I’m just sentimental like that, but I like to remember…. moments. I hope this becomes a staple in your family the way it has in mine. Simple. Easy. Good.

Assembled ingredients.

Dad’s Apple Crumble

Ingredients

5c sliced apples (more is better)
1 Tbsp flour (any gluten-free flour blend will do)
5 Tbsp white sugar (I use organic, unbleached)
½ c oats (I have Jules organic certified gluten-free instant, which I like to use for baking)
½ c brown sugar
½ c flour (any gluten-free flour blend will do)
¾ tsp nutmeg
¾ tsp cinnamon
1 stick butter (to make it dairy free, use a stick of Earth Balance)

You can see I have 9 apples here. In retrospect, I could’ve used even more. The apples cook down and the more the merrier as far as I’m concerned!

Directions

Peel and slice the apples. Spread them out in a 9×13 or 8×8 pan. The size of the pan totally depends on how much of a ratio you want of crumble to apple. I like to make it in a 9×13 so it seems to last longer! Sprinkle with flour and white sugar, mix together with a fork so the apple slices are covered.

Combine oats, brown sugar, flour, nutmeg and cinnamon. Place butter on top and cut it into the mixture with two knives until the butter is in tiny clumps covered in the mixture. Pour crumble mixture on top of the apples evenly.

Bake for 30 minutes at 375. Serve hot, warm or cold, with or without ice cream. Enjoy!

  • See my scribbled note, Dad?
    Makes me think of you!
  • I’m not a fan of peeling apples but it’s worth it!
  • Do you compost? It’s a great way to keep food scraps out of landfills, allowing them to break down naturally.
  • Apples tossed with flour and sugar
  • Flour, sugar, oats and spices
  • Combined
  • Cutting butter
  • Crumbles!
  • Spread the crumbles on top of the apples.
  • Enjoy!
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My Affair with Wheat & Gluten and How it Ended

Today is my 35th birthday. It’s pretty surreal actually… Getting older and all that jazz. Being a mom to two lovely babies. Being a wife to an incredible husband. Turning 35… Anyway, happy birthday to me! Today also marks another turn in my journey with food.

I gave up gluten when I was in grad school. It was a new concept to me, but as I pursued the nutrition specialty for my degree, I thought, “Maybe there’s something here.” So, I played around with giving it up and I felt better and better as time went on. Gone were the bloating, gas, cramps and unpredictable digestive upsets. Increased energy, clearer skin and regularity arrived in their place. Gluten-free became less of a learning curve and more of a way of life. I learned about gluten-free baking, flours, cookies, packaged products and how to avoid the hidden sources of gluten. I encouraged others to do the same and I have literally worked my practice around the removal of allergens, like gluten.

But I cheated. I hate to use that word, but that’s what it was. I believe in moderation. I believe in obeying cravings. Still, if I’m sensitive to a food and I eat it, I’m cheating. When I was pregnant with my first child, I was just turning the corner from vegan to omnivore and I ate no less than three burgers a week from In-N-Out (aaaah, I miss them!). I didn’t think about the gluten, I just knew I wanted a burger! I was a 90% gluten-free person. I didn’t buy it and I didn’t bring it home, but I would have a bite here and there when I was at restaurants or social events. However, pregnancy seemed to be an especially gluten-filled time.

After the birth of my second child, we discovered that she was allergic to wheat (via a blood test at nine months of age). She had low markers, but considering how little I consumed, we removed it completely from her diet and mine. It wasn’t that hard, considering how familiar I was with a gluten-free lifestyle. Still, I missed it. The occasional hamburger (with bun, from Five Guys… it’s not In-N-Out but it does in a pinch), or naan from an Indian restaurant, or just a good ol’ fashioned piece of real bread made me swoon. I continued to eat gluten-free until my daughter weaned herself at 14 months. Her eczema cleared up quickly and we went about our lives.

When she weaned, I couldn’t wait for a taste. I was so excited. I just had a little here and there and I loved every bite. Then, this summer, I started having reactions. We weren’t sure what they were from but they were serious. They involved rashes, and throat swelling, itching inside and out and extreme lethargy. Benadryl kept me out of the hospital, barely. It also exhausted me for a day or so after using it. Then I discovered HistaEze, which I HIGHLY recommend. It has none of the side effects of Benadryl and all of the necessary ingredients to stop allergies in their tracks (whether seasonal or situational). Still, we needed to know the cause. I started to have increasing anxiety about going places just in case I had another attack. With five attacks in two months, I contacted an allergist and set up an appointment.

My appointment was yesterday. I had a back scratch test done and wheat flared up instantly. By the time the 15-minute wait was over, it was taking over the other tests on my back. As the allergist said, “We found our smoking gun.” Somewhere between pregnancy, nursing, giving up gluten and taking it back, wheat and my body had a horrible disagreement. The Gluten Doctors have a great blog that I read and they also agree cheating is not an option – read more here.

The red “H” up top is the histamine control and the big red dot below is wheat… after one minute.

So, I start the next year of my life armed with two epi-pens and a bunch of paperwork that basically tells me to never eat wheat again. No more splurges. No more tastes. Apparently, exposure can lead to increasingly worse reactions and I’m not up for that. No taste can compare to living a long and healthy life with my family. It’s been a torrid affair and it’s over.

Yes, I know how to live wheat and gluten free. Yes, I can help you learn too. But only time can help me say goodbye. Food is a powerful force in our lives. It’s associated with pleasure and celebration, comfort and joy. It’s okay to mourn. But it’s not okay to deny it or lie to myself about it. Like any bad breakup, it might include some wine, chocolate and a chick flick, but I’ll get through this!

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Easy, Roast Chicken

When I met my husband, I was a raw foodist (consuming only raw vegetables, fruits and nuts). I admit a big part of that lifestyle was my need to control my food intake, to control what I consumed by limiting what I allowed myself to eat. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with raw food diets, Paleo, veganism, vegetarianism, or any of the food choices that so many people make. For me, though, it was less about health and more about control.

As I learned to listen to my body and trust my cravings, I started craving eggs. So, being the excited extremist that I am, I went out and got myself some baby chickens. My future-husband was in shock! A few weeks later I craved fish and while I didn’t go buy an aquarium, I did start incorporating it into my eating habits. Slowly but surely, I began eating fish, eggs and eventually beef. Once I got pregnant, I was eating several hamburgers a week! What a change…

Poultry and pork were foods that I didn’t crave or desire for a long time and I still don’t eat pork, but poultry I’ve eased into over the last few years. It was hard at first, after years of being a vegan, to allow myself to touch, cook and eventually eat something that I had kept out of my reach for so long. I can’t say it’s always easy. My body feels better with clean proteins in it, but my mind shudders a little at times.

All this said, I have to find really creative and yummy ways to cook poultry in order for me to enjoy it; roast chicken is one of those ways. I wanted to share this really easy and delicious way that I prepare a chicken. It’s really easy to make and everyone loves it. Once I got past touching a raw, whole chicken, this became one of my favorite meals to prepare for my family! I hope you’ll try it and enjoy it as well.

Final note: We do not consume poultry that contains hormones or antibiotics. We don’t want to feed those to our children and I, personally, cannot stomach the conditions the chickens might be raised in. I recommend local farms, free-range, hormone- and antibiotic-free chicken only. 

Easy, Roast Chicken

Ingredients:

1 whole chicken
2 lemons cut in fourths
2 onions cut into chunks
4-7 potatoes chopped
3 celery stalks chopped
5 carrots chopped
Any other vegetables you have on hand
4 TBSP butter melted
½ cup of wine (I prefer white, but will use whatever)
1-2 cups of water
1 TBSP oregano
1 TBSP parsley
1 TBSP sage
½ TBSP thyme
salt & pepper

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425. Wash the chicken thoroughly and remove the insides. Immediately transfer to a roasting pan with the drumsticks pointing up. (I have a really old pan, so I line it with foil. Hope to remedy that one day.) Squeeze one of the lemon fourths all over the chicken and shove the rest of them inside with half of the onion pieces. Pour the melted butter over the chicken and arrange the other vegetables around the chicken. On this particular day, I had a huge zucchini from the garden and I added that to the array as well. Sprinkle the spices all over the chicken. Pour the wine over the vegetables and then add water to the pan – this will create a wonderful juice to pour over everything when served.

Place in the oven for one hour. At the one hour mark, baste the chicken in the liquid. I use a small ladle to do it because we don’t have a baster, but a baster would probably be easier! I’ve tried using a thermometer but it wasn’t reliable and I can tell you that it is beyond frustrating to serve dinner and find out it’s not cooked all the way! So, what I do, is cut into a breast all the way to the bone, making sure juices run clear and the meat is white. If not, return to the oven for 10-minute increments, checking each time to make sure the meat is cooked all the way through.

When it’s finished, set it aside for at least 10 minutes and cover with foil. Then serve! I love that it’s a one-dish meal and it comes together so quickly. Between the chicken, the potatoes and the vegetables, we don’t need anything else. It makes great leftovers and I often use the carcass to make an incredible chicken broth, but that’s a blog for another time!