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Healthy Lunchbox 2012: The Ultimate Collection

September 10, 2012 By 18 Comments

Over the last 31 days, dozens of bloggers have brought you their very best Healthy Lunchbox ideas, tips and recipes.

While I had the pleasure of opening the series with a week’s worth of simply beautiful healthy lunches that included everything from planned-overs to lettuce wraps, it was what came over the days that followed that really thrilled me.

While no two healthy lunchboxes may be the same, there were similarities with many of the lunches shared over the last month.

First, Healthy Lunchboxes should include options.

I love this organizing system presented to us by Jessica from Allergic to Air, quick and easy and even includes a weekly treat, such a great tool!

Next, Salads.

While we know we should get our greens, even the healthiest eaters sometimes struggle to get them in!

Struggle no more! With so many options that are beautiful and delicious, how could you?

Israeli Chickpea Salad with Mustard Greens from Feed Me Phoebe

 

Salad in a Jar  (with a Topaz Dragon Ginger Dressing) presented by Janet from The Taste Space – Steam, Bake, Boil, Shake!

Not Your Average Midwest Tuna Salad by Kate from Eat, Recycle, Repeat

A Salad for All Seasons from Naomi Devlin Straight Into Bed Cake Free and Dried

And most recently, Mediterranean Tuna Salad by Melissa Joulwan from The Clothes Make the Girl

 

Use your planned over’s to turn your salad into a complete meal like this one by Shannon from Enjoying Gluten-Free Life

 

Of course, Healthy Lunchboxes are best when they come in cute packages!

 

Bento Boxes by Dawn Allen from Cuter than Gluten

 

A grown-up bento by Alta from Tasty Eats at Home

Sistema lunches by Lexie from Lexie’s Kitchen

 

Healthy Lunchboxes also include better, healthier yet more allergy-friendly (sometimes pre-packaged even ) choices, too.

 

Shirley, Gluten-Free Easily’s entire post is filled with great advice from an experienced mom perspective!

Stacy and Matt offer up  products and power lunches by The Paleo Parents

Use Rudi’s Gluten-Free Tortillas to make these tasty wraps  from Cooking with Elise

 

Picking a better nut (or nut-free butter) by Tasterie

Gluten-Free and dairy-free quesadillas from Lexie’s Kitchen.

 

 

Healthy Lunchboxes also mean something warm!

 

Slowcooker Paleo Eggplant Parmesan in a thermos on your way out the door is quick, warm and hearty!

 

And everyone loves a good chicken soup, like this Gluten-Free West Lake Soup from Brian, the East Bay Celiac

 

Healthy Lunchboxes also include wraps of all kinds!

 

Pizza Wraps from Tessa the Domestic Diva

 

Just one of the 10 (yes, TEN) very different yet extremely delicious wraps Heather, the Gluten-Free Cat shared with us!

Lunchbox Crepes by Paula from Live Free, Gluten Free

 

Crepes for kids and grown-ups alike by Mary from Sweet Roots

 

 

J’s Spicy Lettuce Wrap by Janie, I am J the Blog

 

Pancakes for Dipping and Rolling by Naomi Devlin from Straight Into Bed Cake Free and Dried

 

And finally, Healthy Lunchboxes even include dessert, every now and then!

 

 

Just one of three recipes by Susan from Real Kids Eat Spinach

 

Grain-free waffles by Dawn from Cuter than Gluten

Peachy Coconut Streusel Muffins

Little Chef’s Gluten Free Back to School Cookies by Gluten-Free Gigi

 

Gluten-Free, Nut-Free Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies by Maggie from She Let Them Eat Cake

 

Chocolate Nut Butter Oat Cookies by Shirley, Gluten-Free Easily

Maple Chai Oat Bars by Jessica from Allergic to Air

Adopt a Gluten-Free Blogger cookies, recipes from Jenni the Urban Poser

Grain-free Honey Graham Dips by Alta from Tasty Eats at Home

 

Fudgey Yumminess by Kate from Eat, Recycle, Repeat

 

Really, this roundup is a mere overview of the brilliance that came our way this month. Please visit each of the lovely posts and their respective bloggers and be sure to thank them for making this year’s Healthy Lunchbox just that much easier!

Love to you all! xo

 

For those of you seeking more Healthy Lunchbox ideas, pull up a chair to this year’s Food Network Back to School Communal Table! Enjoy!

Tidy Mom: Cinnamon Raisin Swirl Peanut Butter Cookies

Made by Michelle: Almond Butter and Banana Sandwiches

Chez Us: Healthy Tuna Salad

Napa Farmhouse 1885: Back to School Roasted Chicken Legs

Bacon and Souffle: Gruyere Grilled Cheese With Apple Salad

Zaika Zabardast: Fresh Corn Cakes With Black Bean Salad Tossed in Cumin Vinaigrette

Adult options:

This Girl Can Eat: Cashew-Curry Chicken Salad Sandwiches

Jeanette’s Healthy Living: Spicy-Korean “Ramen” Noodle Soup

Haute Apple Pie: Edamame Hummus

Feed Me Phoebe: Deviled Egg Salad Sandwiches

Creative Culinary: Margarita Watermelon

Big Girls Small Kitchen: Swiss Chard Turnovers With Parmesan and Pistachios

 

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Healthy Lunchbox 2012: Adopt a Gluten Free Blogger-Jenni the Urban Poser

September 2, 2012 By 4 Comments

This month’s Adopt A Gluten-Free Blogger is being hosted over at Tasty Eats at Home and I couldn’t be more thrilled!

You see, because this post is both an adoption post and smack dab in middle of the Healthy Lunchbox series, the timing of this Adopt a Gluten-Free Blogger meant that I would have to share some recipes from a blogger who has had positive influence on our eating habits, including our lunchboxes…

While there are dozens of bloggers who would have fit the bill, I am blessed to either have adopted many of them before or to have them already participating in this year’s HLB series!

So how was I to choose?

Well, one blogger who came to mind is one I defer to often when I am in need of a quick treat for my kids lunchbox and want to try something new.

My kids don’t get snack type foods in their meals often, so once a week or so I do my best to incorporate something like my Perfectly Sweet Fruit Roll-Ups or if I am feeling like going above and beyond, I will gladly give them a cookie or two and lately I have found myself visiting Ms. Jenni Hulet over at The Urban Poser for some high-protein inspiration.

As I said back on Gluten-Free Gigi’s HLB guest post, even the healthiest diets deserve a cookie every now and then.

For several years, macaroons have been at the top of our favorite treat lists.  Jenni’s recipe for Egg Free Vanilla Bean, Coconut Macaroons are not only easy to put together, they are filling and delicious.  In a low degree oven, they do take a while to bake (45 min), but they are worth every last minute.

 

Just the other day, Jenni posted pictures of her newest chocolate chip cookie creation: Bacon Chocolate Chip Cookies and while these did not make it in to my children’s lunchboxes this week, I did make them for our family movie night and they have been requested as their reward for the week ahead.

Think about it…who doesn’t love a little candied bacon, or maple syrup drizzled over bacon? Heck I have even heard of chocolate covered bacon toffee.  These cookies are easy to throw together and provide the perfect balance of salty and sweet while keeping the sugar to a minimum and the protein to a maximum.

Definitely a new family favorite.

Thank you, Alta, for hosting this month’s Adopt a Gluten-Free Blogger event! And thank you Jenni for giving us so many ways to spoil ourselves without completely derailing the way we eat. Xo

Be sure to check out Alta’s adoption this month where she reviews two of my recipes, one of which is a perfect addition to your healthy lunchbox, too! xoxo

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July Adopt a Gluten-Free Blogger Round-Up!

August 6, 2012 By 9 Comments

I had such a great time hosting July’s Adopt a Gluten-Free Blogger event and can’t thank Sea enough for giving me this opportunity! I hope her dissertation is progressing well and look forward to seeing more sweet images of her and toddler Yum before their trip is through.

Did you see the number of adoptions this month? What I enjoyed most were the number of new-to-me and long-time-favorite bloggers who participated and bloggers who were adopted.  So many gluten-free sites to love!

First, my friend Shannon from Enjoying Gluten-Free Life adopted Caitlin from Roost and used this as her chance to give some of Caitlin’s recipes a try.  I have to admit, these Harvest Cake Muffins look fantastic and make the idea of turning on my oven, even in this West Texas summer heat, seem worthwhile.

Delish!

Next, Dawn from Cuter than Gluten adopted Amber from The Tasty Alternative and made her Chewy Granola Bars.

Of course, now that I am sitting here in a hotel room away from home for a week of work-related training sessions, I am kicking myself for not making a batch of these to bring with me!  Hop on over to Dawn’s page and take a look at the little house Dawn’s daughter made from her Granola Bars, so fun!

Then I so honored when my friend Heather, the Gluten-Free Cat chose to adopt me this month! Heather made my Strawberry Mojito Sorbet  and says she loved it.  I love her brilliant idea to freeze individual scoops of sorbet on a cookie sheet for future use, so smart!

After that, Alta from Tasty Eats at Home adopted France from Beyond the Peel and made this gorgeous Chipotle Corn and Zucchini Salad.  With a mix of sweet, spicy and a hint of mint, this salad sounds devine!

Of course, Alta didn’t stop sharing her Beyond the Peel wishes from there…I mean, how could you with recipes like this Healthy Almond Butter Banana Fudge?  Oh my!

Alta is hosting the August Adopt a Gluten-Free Blogger event, so be sure to check back with her for more over at Tasty Eats at Home!

After this, Heather from Rise & Shine Life adopted one of my Ingredient-Challenge Monday regulars, Tessa The Domestic Diva, and had a really difficult time choosing a recipe to share (who could blame her?!).  Heather finally zeroed in on this Creamy Pumpkin Breakfast Cereal, yum!

Heather says she is a bit of a pumpkin-holic…a girl after my own heart.  :) I’m so glad she shared Tessa’s cereal with us.

Next, Mary from Sweet Roots adopted Christina from Dandelions on the Wall where she made both these Gluten Free, Raw, Vegan Chocolate Macaroons and this Spanish Style Rice in the Rice Cooker.

Mary says these recipes were easy and delicious, and they certainly look to be!  Those macaroons certainly have me swooning!

In a fun twist, when Christina heard that Mary was adopting her, Christina chose to adopt Mary from Sweet Roots in return! (Fun!)  Christina made Mary’s Refreshing Garbanzo Bean Salad.

There is something about cucumber and mint that scream refreshing, and from the looks of it, this salad is no exception.  I am so glad these ladies joined in with us!

Next, Paula from Live Free, Gluten Free adopted Megan from Allergy Free Alaska and made two fantastically frozen treats!

These Fudgesicles and Orange Cream Popsicles are both dairy-free and refined sugar-free and I cannot wait to give them a try! (From the looks of it, neither could Paula’s boys). Yum!

And the adoptions kept rolling in when Tessa, The Domestic Diva adopted one of my favorite cookie makers, Jenni from The Urban Poser.  Tessa made Jenni’s Perfect Grain-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies and shared them with her family, her neighbors and of course, herself and says everybody loved them!

I mean, they are the perfect grain-free chocolate chip cookie…how could you not love them? ;)

Then my friend Shirley from Gluten Free Easily joined us with her lovely adoption of Brittany from Real Sustenance.  With this, Shirley gave me another oven temptation with Brittany’s Nut (or Seed) Butter Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins.  I mean seriously, is there a better combination than banana and chocolate?

I.think.not.

Shirley also went on to make Brittany’s Grain-Free, Thick Crust Pizza which she says is extremely filling.  :) I love it when our foods trigger the full feeling the way they should! All in all, Shirley seems like she had a great time with her adoption. :)

 

Finally, I was thrilled to not only host this month’s event, but to also be able to adopt a woman I consider to be my friend, mentor and inspiration for keeping it simple.  As you read, Shirley from Gluten-Free Easily certainly meets that description very well for me.

My family has loved every one of Shirley’s recipes that have graced our table, this Bacon Chicken and these Brazilian Un-Cheese Rolls/Biscuits are certainly no exception.  In fact, my children have already asked me to make both of these items again. They loved them that much. Seriously.

:) While July came and went too quickly, this event made every moment worthwhile.  I am so happy you have all stopped by and paid a visit, and hope you’ll take a moment to adopt your favorite blogger with Alta  later this month.

Have a wonderful Monday! xoxo

Filed Under: Gluten Free, Other Tagged With:

Adopt a Gluten-Free Blogger: Shirley from Gluten-Free Easily

August 3, 2012 By 7 Comments

Have you met my friend Shirley Braden?

Shirley is the author and creative mind behind Gluten Free Easily , a website dedicated to making gluten free living, well, easy. More than that though, Shirley is a mentor, advocate, leader and recipe developer.

As a blogger in the gluten-free world, I don’t know where I would be without the support and guidance Shirley gives.

Not a month goes by where I don’t benefit from words of wisdom from this dear friend, so imagine what joy I felt when I was able to adopt Shirley for this month’s Adopt a Gluten-Free Blogger event.

Of course, that is certainly one of the perks of hosting this event…first dibs on your favorite bloggers. ;)

Having tried a number of Shirley’s recipes, I was anxious to make a recipe or two from her site that we had yet to enjoy.

The problem is one of the recipes I really, really, REALLY wanted to try had one ingredient that required me to do a bit of recipe writing on my end.

You see, these Brazilian Un-Cheese Rolls/Biscuits are made with hummus.

As you know, hummus is made with beans.

Beans are legumes.

My family and I are not currently eating legumes.

To compensate for this, I first had to perfect a paleo-safe red pepper hummus.  And I did. Finally.

And you know what?

Not only was it worth developing a recipe to make these biscuits paleo-friendly…I now have a fantastic veggie dip that is out of this world.

Win-win!

The hummus recipe will be coming your way next Wednesday. I promise. But as for these crunchy on the outside soft on the inside just like gluten-filled yeast biscuits without the gluten or the yeast, the recipe can be found here.

No doubt you’ll love these as much as we do.

To make these grain-free, I simply used my homemade grain-free baking powder which is modeled after Kelly, The Spunky Coconut’s grain-free baking powder, simply replacing the potato starch with arrowroot powder.  This recipe works perfectly every time.

My family loved these biscuits and look forward to making them for mini sandwiches throughout the school year!

Before I had a chance to select a second recipe from Shirley’s archive, she had to go and post this bacon chicken recipe.

 

I mean, what’s not to love?  Caramelized onions, garlic and red pepper with chicken that has been sautéed in rich bacon drippings before being baked into one delicious dish.

Yes, please!

While we made these without the optional ingredient, I am anxious to give the Majestic Garlic Spread a try as I am certain this will make this chicken even more heavenly.

Served with a simple side of sautéed summer squash, this meal got the thumbs-up from everyone at my table.

With five kids and a picky husband, that is no small feat.

Brazilian Biscuits and Bacon Chicken.

A delicious adoption, indeed.

xoxo

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Adopt A Gluten-Free Blogger, July 2012 Sign-Up

July 16, 2012 By 37 Comments

Elana’s Cherry Vanilla Power Bars from my August, 2011 adoption.

I am beyond excited to be hosting this month’s Adopt a Gluten-Free Blogger event!  If you are new to AaGFB, this event was created back in 2008 by Sea over at the Book of Yum in the interest of helping the gluten-free community get to their members better and to encourage bloggers to try each other’s mouth-watering recipes.

Sea is in Japan this summer, working on her dissertation so I was honored when she accepted my request to host AaGFB this month!

Ready to participate?

Here’s how (if you aren’t a blogger but want to join in, you can! Read the info at the bottom of the post).

1) Pick a gluten-free blogger whose recipes you admire and adopt them by commenting on this post with your name, blog name and their name and blog name.

*Blogger’s recipes must all be gluten-free or have a way to sort and read ONLY gluten-free recipes

*Please pick a different blogger every time you participate

*Please pick a blogger that has not been adopted yet this month!

 

2) Pick one (or more!) of your gluten-free blogger’s recipes to try.

 

3) Make the recipe, photograph it and write a post in your blog introducing the blogger and their recipe.

*Follow the recipe as written, as closely as possible. And please don’t print their recipe on your post-just provide your reader a link to their original recipe.

*Provide a link to this event announcement page

 

4) Email me at: andloveittoo (at) gmail (dot) com with a photo of your recipe, the URL of your post, name of the recipe and the URL of the original blogger’s recipe post.  PLEASE SIZE PHOTO TO BE A MAXIMUM OF 500 PIXELS WIDE. (Pretty please)

 

5) Post YOUR POST’S URL in a comment to this post, and if possible try to visit two other blogger’s posts that are posted here (and comment!).

*The goal is to make this event interactive and fun!

Deadlines:

Sign up BEFORE July 28th (loose deadline; late sign-ups are OK)

Post your review and e-mail me by August 3 (firm deadline, no foolin’)

Now, this is a cool option if you don’t have a blog.  You can still sign up to adopt a blogger, then snap a photo of the dish you’ve made and email me your name, the recipe’s URL and title, and the photo.

I will start the adoptions by adopting Shirley from Gluten-Free Easily.  Now it’s your turn!

Adoption Sign-Up Sheet:

1)Shirley from Gluten-Free Easily (adopted by Sunny from And Love it, Too!)

2)Deanna of The Mommy Bowl (adopted by Rachel from The Crispy Cook)

3) Caitlin form Roost (adopted by Shannon from Enjoying Gluten-Free Life)

4) Amber from The Tasty Alternative  (adopted by Dawn from Cuter than Gluten)

5) Sunny from And Love it, Too! (adopted by Heather, The Gluten-Free Cat. Thanks, Heather!)

6) France from Beyond the Peel (adopted by Alta from Tasty Eats at Home)

7) Tessa from Tessa the Domestic Diva (adopted by Heather from Rise & Shine Life)

8) Christina from Dandelions on the Wall (adopted by Mary from Sweet Roots)

9) Tracy from Allergy Phoods (adopted by Gail)

10) Mary from Sweet Roots (adopted by Christina from Dandelions on the Wall)

11) Megan from Allergy Free Alaska (adopted by Paula from Live Free, Gluten Free)

12) Jenni from The Urban Poser (adopted by Tessa from Tessa the Domestic Diva)

13) Brittany from Real Sustenance (adopted by Shirley from Gluten Free Easily)

 

If you would like inspiration for your post, please visit a couple of my previous Adopt A Gluten-Free Blogger posts but remember, you only have to make one dish.

Filed Under: Gluten Free, Other Tagged With: ,

Adopt a Gluten-Free Blogger, Ricki Heller from Diet Dessert and Dogs

June 26, 2012 By 6 Comments

I was so excited when Shannon from Enjoying Gluten-Free Life contacted me to let me know that the sign-up for this month’s Adopt A Gluten-Free Blogger was ready to go because there is one blogger I have been waiting to adopt but always seem to either miss the sign-up date (darn day-job distractions ;) ) or when I do get to sign up, she is already taken.

This month I am honored to adopt Ricki Heller from Diet Dessert and Dogs.

What can I say about Ricki?  Well first, despite our differences (she’s vegan, I’m not), we have sooooo much in common.

Ricki and I are both educators.  She teaches at a University, I teach at a K-12 school.

Ricki and I both have spouses who eat differently than we do.  I’m grain-free, my hubby is not.  Ricki is vegan, her hubby is not.  Regardless, we love them, they love us and we make our dietary differences work.

Ricki has dogs, I have dogs.

And lastly, Ricki and I both love our salad, but still leave plenty of room for dessert (have your cake and love it…diet dessert…yeah, you get the picture).

Because of these similarities, I must admit that I had a very difficult time determining which recipes I wanted to share with you.  I have tried many of Ricki’s recipes and have loved every one of them. Heaven’s knows her Raw Chocolate Fudge-Topped Brownies are reason alone to put Ricki on your follow list!

Of all her recipes, there is one that has truly become a staple in our home.

About a year ago Ricki shared an ‘almost instant’ grain-free breakfast cereal that looked very similar to one of my beloved childhood favorites—cream of wheat.  I remember being so excited about this recipe and so grateful that I had everything on hand to make it that I had whipped up our first bowl within minutes of her post being published.

Since then, this Easy No-Cook, Grain-Free Breakfast Porridge has graced our table at least once a week, every week.  Really. It is that good.

With so many great recipes, I couldn’t stop at just one.  If you have been over to the In My Gluten-Free Kitchen series at Celiacs in the House, in the recent tour of my own Gluten-Free kitchen you may have noticed my ‘fruit counter’ with a big, beautiful watermelon on it.  This time of the year we eat at least 1-2 watermelons a week, so when Ricki shared this Watermelon-Basil Cooler I knew I wanted to try it!

Just fancy enough to be served in a grown up glass, this cooler certainly hit the spot.  If you have never enjoyed the taste of basil and watermelon together, this is a great way to start!

Thanks for hosting this month’s event, Shannon.  And thank you, Ricki, for being you! xoxo

Do you have a blogger you would like to adopt?  There is still time to sign up for June! And Shannon made certain there is an opportunity for all of you to join in, blog or not.  Hurry! Don’t miss your chance.

I hope you will all join me for next month’s Adopt a Gluten-Free Blogger which will be hosted right here at And Love it, Too!  xoxo

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Adopt A Gluten-Free Blogger, Elana Amsterdam @ Elana’s Pantry

August 8, 2011 By 3 Comments

It could be said that every day is Adopt a Gluten-Free Blogger in my home. As a relatively recently diagnosed celiac (almost 2 years), there are reflections and inspirations derived from various bloggers in most everything I make.

I still consider myself relatively new to the gluten-free world and have no doubt that I am very early on my gluten-free learning curve.

Earlier, when I first began this gluten-free journey, I spent much time picking up different types of flours, gums, etc. I spent countless hours trying to find anything that would help me create familiar dishes that kept me from feeling deprived but still meet my new dietary requirements.

It was not until I was introduced to Elana’s Pantry that everything seemed to fall into place.  Elana Amsterdam’s wonderfully simple creations not only satisfied my taste buds, they satisfy my need for simplicity, nutrition and more often than not…the need to provide not only gluten-free but also dairy-free creations for my family.

For this month’s Adopt a Gluten-Free Blogger event, I am pleased to have the opportunity to review two fantastic recipes from this amazing woman.

First, Cherry Vanilla Power Bars

These fiber rich energy bars have become a go-to travel companion. Not only are they easy to carry, these power bars are rich in sweet cherry flavor, beautiful in color, and truly a treat to envy.

Second, Gluten Free Porridge

Elana and I both openly conversed with Ricki Heller from Diet Dessert and Dogs regarding her recent recipe for No-Cook, Allergy-Friendly, Grain-Free Breakfast Porridge.  I immediately fell in love with Ricki’s creamy sweet version and was thrilled to give Elana’s savory porridge a try.

While I followed this recipe to a ‘t’ for this Adopt a Gluten-Free Blogger event, I must say take heed to Elana’s comment about ¼ tsp being super salty…this amount was a bit too much for my taste. Even so, I have found with mild adjustment this savory version is highly delectable and has quickly become a favorite way to start the day.

I am forever grateful for the time, enthusiasm and love Elana shares through each of her recipes.

It is an honor to adopt Elana Amsterdam for this month’s event.

Filed Under: Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Other, Paleo, Raw, Recipes, Side Dishes, Sugar Free, Vegan Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Adopt a Gluten-Free Blogger, Amy from Simply Sugar and Gluten Free

July 8, 2011 By 5 Comments

Of all the events I have been honored to participate in since beginning my blog, just 10 months ago, somehow I have consistently missed one: Adopt a Gluten-Free Blogger.  When Wendy from Celiacs in the House announced that she would be hosting this month’s event, I was happy to jump on board!

Lucky for me, I actually have the opportunity to review recipes from two of my favorite bloggers this month: Amy from Simply Sugar and Gluten Free on this page, and Stephanie from A Year of Slowcooking on my other site: Ingredient Challenge Monday. 

Interestingly, while these bloggers have many differences in the lives they live and the way they cook, they are both consistent sources of inspiration for me.  :) I will save my review of Stephanie O’dea for my other page, which will be available early Sunday; but know that I appreciate her site as much as I do Amy’s. 

First, I would like to speak for a moment about how Amy inspires me. 

As she says in her “about” section “Amy is a devoted wife and is passionate about creating healthy meals for her husband and helping others find their way out of an unhealthy lifestyle.”  She and I certainly see eye to eye there…

Her about section also describes Amy as a “diet flunkie.”

I love this phrase.

Something I do not speak about often is my long-term battle with weight.  While I am more than 100lbs thinner today than I once was; after a solid year on steroids (my Dr’s attempt to help expedite the healing process of my gut), I am not as thin as I would like to be. I have had a very difficult time dropping this weight and am at a point of frustration with it.  I too consider myself a ‘diet flunkie.’

I have mentioned before that diet is a four letter word I choose not to use in my home.  I am not on a diet, I refuse to be on a diet, rather I am trying to find the lifestyle that will ultimately help me feel complete, inside and out. 

Every day I am getting closer to finding that ultimate balance.  Every day I am finding myself a little closer to finding my happy spot…and, now that I have made a few additional changes to my life (and am no longer on medication), I find myself losing weight, working my way back to that happy spot physically as well as mentally…

If you have been following my site, you may have noticed these slowly but surely changes as they reveal themselves through my recipes…Amy’s insight and inspiration are evident in those changes as well.

As Amy puts it “the key to long-term weight loss lies (in) finding your own answers, and what works for your body, mind and spirit.”

Amy’s devotion to a sugar-free lifestyle is part of what makes her one of my most referred-to bloggers. 

I mean, anyone who can make a lineup that includes truffles, granola and carrot cake bites, all without a bit of sugar or gluten; well that person certainly deserves a bit of attention, right?? 

:) Here is my chance to share my appreciation.

With so many recipes to select from, you might be surprised to learn which two recipes I chose to review.

First, ketchup.

Yes, ketchup.

When making the decision to remove refined sugars from my home, I had to become extremely diligent about reading my labels.

I mean…I already have to inspect every label for milk, gluten, potentially hidden sources of milk or gluten, barley, malt, rye, natural ingredients, etc…so.much.to.look.for.  Label reading is exhausting. Why would I punish myself by adding to that???

Why?  Because I love my family, that is why.

When teaching cooking classes at a local community college this summer, I became determined to introduce everyday items to my students that can easily be made at home in ways that are far healthier than what you can purchase at the store.  In this, I became aware of several things that, for whatever reason, had remained unknown to me up to that point. 

Of all the things I learned, the amount of sugar in the typical bottle of ketchup frightened me.  Forget HFCS, heavens knows there is too much of that floating around…did you know the average bottle of non-HFCS ketchup contains 30% or more pure sugar?

30%!

Yikes.

I was pleasantly surprised to see that Amy had her own recipe for Homemade CrockPot Ketchup and immediately set out to make her recipe.

At first glance, I was surprised at the number of spices in this recipe.  The fragrance of this ketchup cooking in my home was a truly pleasant experience, making this recipe one worth repeating for that reason alone. 

I did change out the suggested Organic Brown Rice Syrup for Agave Nectar, simply because that is what I have on hand.  Otherwise, I kept true to Amy’s recipe and was very pleased with the end result. 

I look forward to applying Amy’s spices and strategy when my tomatoes finally ripen and I am able to preserve my own organic ketchup this year.

Shortly before I signed up to adopt Amy’s blog, she posted a beautiful recipe for a Strawberry Coconut “Milkshake” which caught my attention.  This beautiful green concoction seemed like the perfect balance of nutrition and dessert…

Okay, so it is heavy on the nutrition, but let me tell you—your taste buds will have no idea. 

In the last week alone, I have made this ‘milkshake’ at least 4 times.  A great way to use the beautiful organic kale my garden has produced this year, this green machine has won my heart.

 

Thank you Wendy, for hosting this event, Seamaiden for creating this event, and Amy for having such a beautifully easy to navigate blog with so ideas and areas of inspiration.

 

Keep your eyes open for the Ingredient Challenge Monday Adopt a Gluten-Free Blogger review of A Year of Slowcooking, which should be up early Sunday morning. 

In addition to this review on Sunday, Shea and I will have a very special announcement with an amazing opportunity for you!!

Again, keep your eyes on Ingredient Challenge Monday for more information!

Enjoy your Saturday.

xo,

SunnyB

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