Healing and Baking

Healing
February has been a growing month for me. I have been going to counseling to get true healing from anxiety issues and depression. I can’t speak into words what the feeling of true healing is. For me it as if I’m light as a feather; starting from the depths of my being to my outer skin. I still have some other things to work through and get healing, but one of the major ones are gone; only through Christ.
Just some examples of how I know I’m healed;
I have no anxiety over being with the boys. Oh how I have been longing to have that love relationship with them, and didn’t understand why I didn’t. Oh I loved them, but not the way I saw other mothers with their kids.

I have no bitterness towards my brother, NONE! I love him with ALL my heart and pray for healing for him and for the relationship with Christ to be restored. I don’t expect anything from him; and oh how much time I have wasted in mulling over other things.

My next BIG spiritual demon that has a hold is fear. Fear of acceptance, fear of approval, fear of disappointment (trust); all aspects of it.
What I caution myself everyday is that I don’t turn THIS into a check list, but TRULY get healing so that I can help prepare my family for the task that God has set for us. Glory be HIS name in all that we do.

Baking
For a bit now I have not been satisfied in just working my day job and coming home. I didn’t feel like I had an energy/creative outlet. I had been running through my mind that I wanted something that would benefit others, but was fun. Here enters baking, but not just regular baking but Gluten free/Celiac safe baking that tasted like the normal stuff. Wow, I didn’t know how much this would consume me! At the first part of January I meet with my friend Liz, who owns Drizzle Drops; a cake truffle business that offers these yummy delights at a reasonable price. I broached her with an idea; more of a referral program. I would create Gluten-Free based cake truffles at a reasonable price (taking in consideration price difference). She would refer people to me that had food allergies/intolerances and I would refer her to people that didn’t.

So I am in the process of launching my Gluten Free Bakery business in Mid-March early April. I do have a name, but am waiting on clearance and such to launch everything at once. Right now my focus is on cake truffles of all sorts; flour cake, cheese cake, bundt cake....but with the option to expand to other yummy treats. I have about 5 cake flavors that are ready to go (nothing goes on the menu until I get the taste to almost perfection) and am in the process of adding seasonal and other base flavors. Not only will these be Gluten Free, but they also will not contain artificial coloring. Please check back often as I will post cakes that I have tried and helpful sites for those who just want another yummy recipe to try out.

GLUTEN-FREE EATING

Please note I am not a medical doctor of any sort, but a mom who has experienced a personal change in my son. I cannot guarantee the same for you.

I started this long taxing journey of changing our diet to Gluten-Free when I noticed our eldest son was having full body conflicts when consuming it. We were already used to trial and error with him as well as elimination diets when “honeymoon” periods were over with a new food. The “breaking point” was March 2009 when we got home from my parents and he had lost approx. 7lbs and was STILL vomiting and constipated. After getting a negative on the Celiac test and the doctor telling me that Daniel might just have to take mineral oil for the rest of his life; you have got to be kidding me; I started doing my own research and decided to try cutting out Gluten no matter the test results; the result was my “normal” son was back. We later discover that he does have a Neurological Disorder, but that is another day. For now with the Gluten cut out along with other things put onto the no-no list his aggression is way down, his pain tolerance was down (good thing for Daniel), we get him to regulate, tummy issues are under control, and eczema is almost all gone.

I’ve been asked by several people or come in contact with people that are interested in the Gluten-Free lifestyle. I like the term lifestyle more than diet; as it is a LIFE-style change. You don’t only benefit from the weight-loss, but you might also experience a mental, spiritual, skin, and digestive change for the better; why wouldn’t someone want to experience that!

Note: To achieve the max in weight-loss remember that you will need to exercise and maintain a balanced diet. You also need to check with your doctor.
Stay on the perimeter of your grocery store and it will be easier to achieve this. Or buy local through farmer’s markets, dairies, and ranchers. To cut on price join a co-op or split a ½ cow (I recommend grass-fed) with another family.

Below I’ve decided to give you a helping hand in the road to Gluten-Free. Why do trial and error when someone has already done it?

MIXES

Bread-Cakes-Pancake: Kinnikinnick Foods

CEREALS

Puffins Honey Rice
The boys’ normal breakfast is eggs and bacon, pancakes, or oatmeal with some fruit and juice to drink.

PASTA

Mrs. Leeper's-“Hamburger Helper”
Ancient Harvest-Quinoa

SNACKS

Glutino Brand
Pamela's Chocolate Chip Mini Cookies
I personally don't like her baking mixes.

BLOGS

GlutenfreeMommy
love her Mac/Cheese Bake
Make sure you use Sharp Cheddar!

MAGAZINES

Living Without

BAKING/COOKING FROM SCRATCH

I have found an AMAZING all purpose flour that truly doesn't taste GF:
Jules Gluten Free I give this a 5 star!!!!
you can buy a sample for $5 and she sends a recipe with it! She also has a Graham Cracker mix that I will be trying out soon.

Some Gluten questions that I’ve been asked by someone who has Fibromyalgia:

1. Do they make a gluten free all purpose flour? Does it work well with baking?

YES, and I LOVE it. Jules Gluten Free She also sales samples for $5 and sends a recipe.

2. Between Sprouts, Whole Foods, and Central Market; which store has the best selection and best prices?

Sprout’s has the best prices for sure! Most Kroger’s are starting to carry more gluten free stuff (found near the produce section); although they normally carry Bob’s Mill; and I haven’t been too impressed with them.
New discovery added later:
There is also another store: The Sunflower Shoppe they actually have it devided into its own section which is really nice when you need something quick. I also like that they carry Maraschino Cherries without dye (Tillen Farms). You actually taste the cherry and not syrup, very nice and the sugar is 2 grams!

3. I hate that it costs so much more than regular food.

It does cost more to buy the gluten-free stuff, but what I have been finding out is I am now more prone to grab a piece of fruit with peanut butter, instead of a cookie (when at home). Also our dinners are a lot healthier. We now do bread/cookies as a true treat instead of a staple. So in the end the cost evens out.

Also once you find a brand that you love; you can go onto Amazon and buy in bulk or go directly to the brand site and see if they offer discounts.

Or start making things from scratch and you will save on cost there as well.

4. I wasn't too crazy about the pasta- nothing is as good as the real thing.

I REALLY love Quinoa Pasta; I can’t taste the difference; they also have flour that you can use.

5. I have read there is conflicting thought on MSG being gluten free. Do you go for it or avoid it?

We avoid it. Reading Medical material on the Neurological and inflammatory effects(high in sodium) that it has on the body is proof enough for me.

6. When ya'll first started eating this way, did it take a long time to adjust?

Snack wise it did. But the outcomes/reactions out-weighed the cost/convenience of the other. Like I said before, we now eat a lot healthier.

7. On a few occasions after eating what I thought was fine at restaurants my stomach started cramping really bad. It lasted for a few hours then went away. I don't know whether to attribute it to a stomach virus that has been going around, or if I had gotten a hold of something with gluten without knowing it.

Remember that even though the chef in the back has been told there is a food allergy that sometimes it either gets forgotten or oops’ed. Also a lot of restaurants are putting a disclaimer at the bottom of their menus stating this very fact.

Genetics and Neurology

Genetics: there is NOT a test to verify SPD so that was a waste of insurance and personal money. There is also no genetics test to prove Autism either. I was quite surprised by this as all the info circulating that they have found links to Autism and genetics. It is actually a collected group of data that still have discrepancies within the data.


No we are not saying Daniel is autistic!

Since SPD is a Neurological disorder; the pedi wants us to go to a Neurologist to confirm (get it in writing) what we already know. Why didn’t we just do this first; because there might be a chance for sedation with the EEG; and most doc’s want to see if other avenues will come through first.

Just a clarification to what SPD is (Daniel is SUR/SS):

is a neurological disorder causing difficulties with processing information from the five senses (vision, auditory, touch, olfaction, and taste), the sense of movement (vestibular system), and/or the positional sense (proprioception). For those with SPD, sensory information is sensed, but perceived abnormally. Unlike blindness or deafness, sensory information is received by people with SPD; the difference is that information is processed by the brain in an unusual way that may cause distress or confusion.

Great Links and Great finds

Not much happened today, but Randolph did find a great find on CraigsList! Train table & firestation goodies for $40.


I also got my Gluten Free chocolate in today; Chocoley Bada Bing Bada Boom so excited about this. The Dark and White are also Celiac Safe. I will also be trying out making a cake from scratch; Gluten Free style.

ReCap 2009

In December of 2008 I went to Randolph and expressed to him that I felt that God had something big coming our way in the way of outreach. We continued to pray and seek God in directing us; and at the end of February 2009 we and a few other couples were approached by a couple to pray about planting a church. It would be an outreach focused church. We went to lunch and talked and both felt very much at peace and excited about it. We knew that there would be much sacrifice, financially and time; but still felt this is where God had called us to be. So at the beginning of March 2009 we committed fully to the Church Plant of The Basic Movement: http://www.thebasicmovement.com/. Through-out the year we have done some outreach through Dallas Life Foundation and had to remember that God is the head and that he would lead the Movement to the focus that he wanted. We are going to officially launch January 10, 2010.

Daniel turned 2 and was still having GI issues among other things. He was still getting blood drawn every 3mon and also having severe stomach problems. It all came to a head at the end of March; and we scheduled for his 3rd out-patient surgery at Children’s. The results were the same; nothing was found to make since of what was going on his body. At this point we choice as parents to take gluten out of his diet (no matter what the upper-GI said) along with others. When I started researching on the internet (through creditable medical sites) what I found was that his body naturally lined up with the Autism Diet. So I dug deeper. Now I was in the soup bowl of what was Autism, Autism Spectrum, and all other Disabilities listed under DSM-VI. Randolph and I both automatically said Daniel wasn’t autistic. Of course we had the image that most people do; the image a child (mostly boys) sitting by themselves spinning things really fast or rocking; looking as if they are severally disabled. Through talking with his pediatrician and doing some preliminary tests by 3 different Specialist’s it was found that Daniel has a Neurological Disorder called SPD (Sensory Processing Disorder). After getting him on the strict diet, doing a sensory diet and other extras Daniel experienced his first full night of sleep without stomach pains or night terror symptoms. It was a breath of fresh air. He now gets OT twice a week and Speech Therapy twice a month. He will always have to stay on the “Autistic Diet” and over time he will learn to self sooth/and regulate. It is a daily learning experience for everyone in the family and some have of course accepted and others haven’t; but Randolph and I stay focused on the positive that we now see in our son. I will talk even more in-depth on my feelings/thinking on Autism and such later on; maybe in a different tab.

Douglas turned 1 in July and started walking at 13 months. I do admit I probably cuddle him way more then I should and am experiencing the ramifications. J He is VERY MUCH his Daddy, very calm and almost sedate. He is the quite type when he is getting into trouble. I call him my little cook as he wants to be in the kitchen whenever anyone is cooking. He doesn’t have many words, but he can sure scream! We are still waiting for him to sleep through the night more than a week at a time. He too seems to have Lactose Intolerance and we limit his Gluten as well.

Thanksgiving brought a new great-Grandpa to my sons; as my Mimi (mom’s mom) got married to a wonderful man named Dave. So we were able to go down and celebrate Thanksgiving and the Wedding in Houston. It was a great time for me to meet and introduce my sons to my Aunt and her family for the first time and for Mimi to see Douglas. I also meet some of my extend-extended family and to meet Dave’s daughter and some of his family. We truly need to make more of an effort in 2010 to go down and see her and all my extended family that I miss dearly.

Christmas came too fast and we chose to stay home and do Christmas here. Invite some friends over and just keep it simple. I do have to say that I asked God for a white Christmas since we wouldn’t be able to make it up to Kansas City; and he gave me a beautiful Christmas Eve; but along with that no one was able to get out to see us. Oh well….


As the end of the year came, I had realized that I needed to remember to take time for me and God, and that my desires had started to change. I keep reminding myself to keep my eyes on God, and life in swelled with him and he will direct our way as He sees fit to glorify His name.

The start of 2010

Continual Blessings- how God continually blesses us and gives us the means and ability to give back. It brings joy to my Spirit when i am able to share the Love of Christ through my daily life and service. There are many songs that I love, but i think the best that represents how i want to live my life is:
Brandon Heath, Give me your Eyes.
My hope is that this blog becomes a place where i can share family news and thoughts; and also recipes and other things that have an impact on our life.