Why Gluten-Free is the Life for Me?

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How could something so beautiful be so hurtful?

Looking at that field makes my heart fill with awe. 

In 2008, USAToday published an article about

the rising popularity of gluten-free diets. 

I am thankful that now, three years later, I am finding that a life

free of gluten is the right life for me. 

About five years ago I contracted H. Pylori, a bacteria that

infects that lining of the stomach which can lead to ulcers and cancer. 

After severe chest pains and a battery of tests I was put on two weeks

of harsh prescription drugs to upset the lives of the bacteria within me. 

My dietary trouble has continued to grow and wane since then. 

Originally we thought it a lactose intolerance. 

I would stop milk for a while, but cheese couldn't keep from alluring me. 

Then, about a month ago the sensitivity to food exploded. 

It didn't matter what I was eating, I was bloating, nauseous, uncomfortable. 

My mom grabbed a Fitness magazine in Target and 

flipped to a random article on intestinal issues. 

Celiac disease, or gluten intolerance, was covered. 

Although I am currently undergoing blood tests and meeting with doctors, 

I have decided that gluten-free is the life for me. 

Today marks day 8 that I have ingested no gluten and I'm so happy to report

that I feel clean inside, not bloated as seriously, and overall much more comfortable. 

In researching the use of gluten I am a little bit horrified. 

Wheat is used as a thickener, as a preservative, and as an additive to many meats.

Vigilance in reading food labels and understanding the ingredients is key. 

Do you know what you're putting in your body? 

Tomorrow I will post on one of my favorite gluten-free meals and

how to keep your gluten-free self while enjoying going out to eat!

P.S. Leave any questions you have and I will put together a Q&A post! 

Drippy Drop, Drippy Drop

One of my all-time favorite worship songs is "Ancient Skies" by the Michael Gungor Band. I listen to worship and country while I'm running... This song seems to beg me to play it over and over. I always get caught thinking, repeating, meditating (and not in the ommmmmm kind of way) over the lyrics.

"You're amazing. Creation cries, so will I, You're amazing." 

As I listen to the sweet melody of the Michael Gungor Band, I can't help but think about all of the things in God's green earth that scream of His glory. In fact, while I'm running, I often think about the way my body is a wondrous tool He so perfectly created. The complexity of the human body is far beyond my capacity to comprehend, but I'm going to share the amazingly orchestrated process behind an uncontrollable bodily function: sweating. Yep, I'm writing a God blog about sweating.

Don't you wish your back looked this good?
I do too!

Have you ever considered all of the process behind the thin layer of water that covers your entire being when you're working out really hard? Me neither. Until Michael Gungor got me thinking. In order to sweat a person needs to raise their core temperature enough to set off the sensors in the thermosensitive neurons found in the preoptic and anterior regions of the hypothalamus. This little bundle of neurons then sends a signal to the sweat glands found all over the surface of the body, that it's time to drop the surface temperature in order to cool the core. Whoa. Yep, all that, just for the watery stuff that keeps you cool.

Now, I'm not going to end it there. You see, humans and horses are the only mammals with the capacity to sweat in extreme amounts. God made us special. We don't pant like dogs because our bodies air condition through water evaporation. And the actual contents of our sweat... That's a whole other kind of awesome.

Lactate, the chemical that makes muscles sore after a really tough workout, is excreted in our sweat. It's not just salt and water, it's chemicals that are not necessarily helpful in recovery from an intense workout.   Also, the composition of sweat acclimatizes... Yep, when you're sweating in the heat it emits a different "recipe" of sweat than in mild warmth or cold. It's complicated. And, not that you should skip sunscreen, but sweat has an anti-ultraviolet radiation protection component to it.

"For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can see his invisible qualities -His eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God." - Romans 1:20

Sweat isn't just a random function of the body. In fact, it's a perfectly orchestrated cooling mechanism God equipped our bodies with. Think on Him in all the little things that your body is constantly doing for you... Do you ever think about how to sweat, or make your heart beat, or to digest your favorite sweet treats? Nope, I didn't think so.

Take a moment to appreciate the amazing tool that God gave you in your body today. 

When you're pushing your body... Whether it be to chase that little one down at the park, or lift that last box into the new house, or with your trainer who hasn't an ounce of mercy, think about the gift He created so carefully, so well-thought out, just for you.

And finally, the topic for tomorrow's Top Ten Tuesday:
Favorite, Couldn't Cook Without, Kitchen Tools! 

Simply Sweet Sunday Ingredient Cooking Challenge: Kale

Yay! It's been two weeks since I posted my last ingredient challenge... And here is the fruits (or maybe veggies is more appropriate!) of our labor! I had four people participating this time (a couple forgot their kale at the grocery store, so next time!) and I'll link up to them in this post after I finish my recipe for you!

Kale Sausage Lasagna with Sun-dried Tomato Alfredo Sauce

Ingredients:

• One package of spicy Italian sausage (or sweet if that is more your style) 
• One bunch of kale
• One jar of sun-dried Alfredo sauce
• Two tablespoons of tomato paste
• One clove minced garlic 
• 1/2 of a white onion, minced 
• 2 cups ricotta cheese
• 1/2 package of whole wheat lasagna noodles 
• 2 cups of grated mozzarella cheese. 
• Salt and pepper to taste 

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350f. 
2. Boil a pot of water and cook the lasagna noodles until just tender, not completely done. 
3. Drain noodles and run under cool water. Set aside. 
4. Boil sausages in a pot of water until cooked through, about 12 minutes. 
5. Remove from water and slice into 1/2 inch thick coins. 
6. Remove big stems from the inside of the kale.
7. Place two tablespoons of water in the bottom of a frying pan and toss kale inside of it. 
8. Taste with salt and pepper as you like. 
9. When kale becomes warmed through and tender, remove from heat. 
10. Mix Alfredo sauce, garlic, onion, and tomato paste in a sauce pan. 
11. Stir over medium heat until well-combined. 
12. Spray inside of 9x9 pan to prevent sticking. 
13. Cover bottom of pan with a layer of sauce. 
14. Layer with noodle. 
15. Layer with ricotta cheese (you'll need to use a spoon to spread it around). 
16. Layer with sausage coins. 
17. Layer with sauce. 
18. Layer with kale. 
19. Noodles. 
20. Sauce.
21. Ricotta. 
22. Sausage. 
23. Kale. 
24. Sauce. 
25. Cover the top with the grated mozzarella cheese. 
26. Cover the lasagna with tin foil. 
27. Cook lasagna in the oven for 40-45 minutes (or until cheese is melted and bubbly). 
28. Let stand for five minutes before serving. 
29. Enjoy! 

And for my favorite part, the link up!

Mama Bird's Kale Salad and her Tossed Kale-Bell Pepper-Pasta

Zoe's Baked Kale Chips

Michelle's Creamy Linguine Pasta with Kale

And our next Simply Sweet Sunday Ingredient... 

Coconut Oil 

This can be found in your local grocery store's organic foods section. 

The oil has MANY health benefits: 

It's high in saturated fat which is good for athletes and also great for baking. 

(that's the good fat, remember?) 

It has wonderful heat tolerance so it'll withstand a greater temperature than other oils. 

It's also great for your hair and skin! 

My jar of it says to put it in your hair for an hour and wash out for moisturized clean hair!
If you're a baker, this one's right up your alley!

The next Simply Sweet Sunday Ingredient Challenge 
will be due on April 17th. 

Can't wait to see what my new friends come up with! 

Are you interested in joining? 

Leave a comment or send me an email and I'll fill you in! 

Daily Confession: I Have Great Legs.

Last week was National Eating Disorder Awareness Week and I spent a little bit of time learning about the place of eating disorders in America. It was scary, daunting, and so sad to see the statistics about body and eating issues today.

• Nearly half of all Americans know someone with an eating disorder. 
• 50% of girls between 11 and 13 see themselves as overweight (Isn't that horrible?).
• As many as 10% of college women suffer from a clinical or nearly clinical eating disorder. 

I don't necessarily struggle with an eating disorder, but I do realize that it's easy for me to look at my body and find a list of things I'd like to change. I have decided to stop listing the negative (and work on them with more weight training and strength exercises) and think so, so much about the positives. The things that I absolutely love about my body.

That said, I have great legs. Being an ex-soccer player for a whole decade of my life, cross-country athlete gone long-distance runner, my legs have always been thick, muscular, and toned. As much as I like them, J does too (which always helps!).

What's YOUR favorite part of your hot bod? 

How do you get over the "fat" days where nothing seems to fit and you have nothing to wear?

What Fat is Good Fat?

I have always struggled with fat. I mean, if I eat it, aren't I going to get, just that, fat? Turns out no. There is some fat that is actually beneficial to you, then there is the bad, beware, stay away from me fat.

Do you know which fat is the good fat? I have found a couple of different articles discussing good versus bad fat as well as which foods contain each of the various kinds of fat! The one I liked the best is here.

Good:
Monounsaturated Fats: Being lower in total cholesterol and higher in good cholesterol this fat provides more heart heath than hurt! These have also been found to help in losing weight by fighting off bad fat... So beat the bulge by eating the right fat instead of steering completely clear.
        ** This can be found in nuts (walnuts, almonds, pistachios), olive and canola oil, and avocado.    (Note to readers: baking with canola oil is actually better than veggie oil because it retains its moisture better too!)

Polyunsaturated Fats: Just like Monounsaturated these have a lower total cholesterol and higher good cholesterol count in them.
        ** I like to call this "fish fat" because this is the kind of fat you often hear people raging about... The Omega 3 fatty acids are in this group. Corn, soy, safflower, and sunflower oils also fall into this group.

Bad:
Saturated Fats: These have the bad cholesterol running rampant in them. Bad for your heart because they raise your overall cholesterol unlike the other ones that fight it.
        ** These can be found in meat, dairy, eggs, and seafood. Coconut oil (also good for baking, but bad for your heart) and palm oil are also high in saturated fat.

Trans Fat: This is basically manmade. We all know by now that organic is always a bit better than manmade. These oils are used to make highly processed foods sit better and grows their shelf life... More reason NOT to eat them!
        **These are found in... Basically all American bred food: French fries, microwave popcorn, vegetable shortening and margarine. Ugh, my heart hurts just thinking about this yucky stuff.

Hopefully these help you a little bit in your eating adventures! Just remember unsaturated = good, saturated = bad. And check the labels on the food that you're picking up this week on your grocery shopping trip!

CSA: Local Produce to Your Door

CSA = Community Supported Agriculture.

In 2008, CSAs started, but I was still living in the dorms and had no clue that fresh produce wasn't what I was finding in the salad lines in the food halls on campus. However, now that I have been cooking in my own kitchen for J and I over the past two years I have quickly learned that produce comes in all degrees of deliciousness and fresh grown is usually the tastiest! That said, finding affordable (remember, I'm still in college and am getting married so soon!) and delicious organic produce can be such a challenge.

Cue CSAs wearing their SuperCSA shirt over a muscly chest and tight pants with a big flowing red cape!

Yep, you can get your fresh produce, all organic, AND support local farms through your local CSA website. Seriously, you google CSA [    insert city here   ] and boom you have found yourself local farms! I looked through San Diego ones and had a hard time making up my mind for the one that I loved the most. The best part, you are sent a box of fresh local produce that's in season, so you never really know what you're going to get! This could be the perfect way to create an ingredient challenge for yourself. See how one mom uses her frozen CSA corn from summer to warm up her winter here.

The prices range anywhere from 20 to 70 dollars a week (but you can sign up however you want depending on the local farm that you choose to use) and if you have a roommate it would be a great cost to split and box to share.

In New York City, CSAs are making a major connection between the children growing up in the city and the rural farmers found miles away in the countryside. The Harrison Patch, a newspaper from Harrison, New York, discusses the benefits of investing in CSAs, not only on children, but also on the greater New York population:

CSAs also support the state economy, take power away from the industrial food system and reduce people's exposure to pesticides, herbicides and genetically modified foods.

J and I are going to look through the San Diego CSA sites tonight over dinner. If you haven't considered local, organic produce for yourself, check it out now. Not only are you helping yourself, but you are also helping your local economy and your family!

My Dearest Gramcracker and Why a Heart's Important

On January 1, 2010 my dear Mama Bird made the hardest decision of her life. Just a short 48 hours earlier my Gramcracker (Mama Bird's Mama Bird) suffered her second heart attack and was rushed to the hospital where she was admitted to the ICU and placed on life support. On New Year's Day the doctors said Gramcracker's chances of surviving were slim and she would have to remain on life support to sustain her heart. Knowing this is no life Gramcracker would want to live, Mama Bird prayerfully requested for her dear Mama to have the chance to meet her Maker.

(Here's my sweet Gramcracker with the love of her life, Grandpa John)

(Mama Bird, her sister, and dear Gramcracker)

In honor of my sweet Gramcracker and the Red month of February for hearts, love, and Women's Heart Awareness, I decided to share the benefits of common kitchen spices that are heart healthy. We often hear so much about heart-healthy foods, but these little additions can go with any meal!

The Manila Bulletin Publishing Company published an article with the seven super spices according to McCormick, one of the most renowned spice marketers in the world. 

 

Cinnamon, ginger, oregano, thyme, red peppers (like the flakes), curry powder (specifically turmeric), and rosemary are rich in antioxidants which help prevent cancer as well as keep your heart healthy and clean by keeping you blood flowing through your veins and arteries with little trouble! 

So, although spices can seem expensive (I admit at first I struggled with the price of owning them!) they are well worth the investment. Why? I propose three reasons (1) a little goes a long ways so they last for a long long time, (2) they add flavor to every dish that you use them in, and finally, quite possibly most importantly, (3) the effects of these spices are life sustaining and life long - again, a little goes a long ways!

Find a couple recipes that have these spices in them and get in the kitchen to help your heart and fill your hungry tummy! While you're enjoying your newly spiced meal, think about your heart this month and about the things you can do to help it, whether it's a relaxing bath, a walk to destress after a long day at work, or stirring some spices into your favorite recipe! 

Food Photography: From Professional to Your Kitchen Counters

Why does the food in advertisements look so much better, so much more vibrant, so much more delicious than the food you see on amateur blogs (like mine!)? The food you are seeing in advertisements is not truly food, at least not in the sense that you would want it served like that to you from the sponsoring restaurant. Phixig.com, a photography and videography website, where tips and tricks of the trade are shared amongst amateurs and professionals alike, published an article discussing all of the devious ways food stylists trick the eye of their advertisements’ audience.

In looking at this Carl’s Jr. advertisement (despite it’s ridiculously sexual innuendo) the hamburger looks just delectable…

And in fact, looks like something even I would want to eat, although I know that any hamburger coming from the drive through window would never actually look like that. What little tricks are used here?

1. The meat is completely raw on the inside. It is heated with a blow torch to the perfectly brown perfection and is then left to sit.

2. The cheese is, in fact cheese, that has been melted using a very finite tip on a steamer to ensure just the right amount of moisture and meltiness for the picture.

3. The tomatoes and lettuce have water droplets on them to insinuate freshness, but really, what burger would you eat with wet veggies on it….

4. Hair pins are used to hold the burger together in just the right composition and the sesame seeds glued into place by the photographer or food stylist.

But it gets worse. The Thanksgiving day turkey advertised by Hormel in this add is far from the bird you will sit with on your kitchen table.

The food tricks used to make this turkey look yummy are far from edible.

1. The turkey is injected with mashed potatoes to make all of its curves look just right.

2. Rather than cook the whole turkey and risk uneven coloration, the inside is left raw while the flesh is cooked with a blow torch. Should discoloration still occur, shoe polish will assist in offensive hues.

3. All of the veggies under and behind the turkey are actually not vegetables at all, but, instead, are imitation food that is considered acceptable because it is in the “background” of the advertisement.

One food stylist discussed the trends in food ads in his forum post about his career as “showing food melting, oozing, folding, dripping, pulling—all help to create images people want to eat”.

What is it about food photography that grips us so dearly? We are visual creatures wanting to like how our meal looks before we dig in. That said, I am going to share a couple of tricks to help the amateur food photographer that I have learned quickly over the last month looking at other food bloggers with amazing visual displays of their food.

1. Close-ups on the food work wonders, as long as you aren’t cutting out a whole bunch of the course.

No one wants to see the bottom side of you parmigiana and not the whole edge of the crisper at one time.

2. There is an awkward place between too close and too far.

Don’t stand in no man’s land. Or takes photos in it either!

3. Using a couple of the raw ingredients in your meal to provide a context of sorts for the finished dish makes it look like a (more) professional photo.

People like to think about what is being put in their food, whether it’s a cookie or a Thanksgiving turkey, so putting a few of the ingredients in the frame as supporting actors for the main dish leads to a stronger shot overall.

4. If you’re going to capture things in the background of the shot (which can look GREAT) be sure that it’s intentional, or at least a little bit regarded otherwise it looks sloppy.

5. Be creative and try lots of different things.

You never know what’s going to look good or not. Try lots of different things out with a course before you eat it. And take multiple shots at a time so you have a choice later rather than a single picture you snapped and hate.

Moral of a long story: No need for blow torches and shoe polish, just work with what you’ve made and it’ll come out nicely with a little thought and creativity!

Four Finds to Fit in Your Favorite Skinny Jeans

Looking at the food industry today -from restaurants to grocery stores- it can be difficult to decipher how exactly a well-rounded diet (and doesn’t that word mean that you’re going to be skinny!?!) is made and kept. I have struggled for many years figuring out how to balance flavor with calorie friendly. Weight-loss plans like the strict and expensive Nutrisystem Diet that doles out food that’s not nearly as stellar as advertised (this is what I’ve heard from friends and read online, but don’t really know myself) and the seems easier than it is Five Factor Diet lead to lots of frustration (at least for me) and some major confusion about what exactly I can and cannot be eating. Instead of suggesting another plan of how to do it, I have a different idea… It’s along the same lines as Sarah’s post “simple ways to light up any recipe” on her blog 20something cupcakes, but more big picture than just in the kitchen!

These are the four things I have found that help me when making meal decisions when I go out to eat and keep me thinking clearly when I’m figuring out my menu for the week:

1. Find the fruits and veggies.


Fresh produce never disappoints. I am a huge fan of a side of salad with most meals that I make, plus the fiber and other vitamins and nutrients found in fruits and veggies far exceeds anything that will come out of a can – or fast food bag. Plus, fresh produce always makes a good snack whether you chop it up into smaller pieces or take it as is when time runs short! Also, it helps to find a fruit or veggie that you can’t get enough of, like the Cara Cara orange with my taco above!

2. Find a way to incorporate protein AND carbohydrates.


Before I met my dear Jason  I was an all carbs girl and he was a protein heavy man… Our forces quickly meshed and transformed my meal making to a solid balance between protein and cards. The carbs provide the quick comfort and yummy taste while the protein ensures that you will stay fuller longer. It is the perfect combination and with the full feeling that comes from the protein you are likely not to eat quite as much! Although it looks like all noodles, there is lots of chicken in this delicious BLT Pasta.

3. Find a place in all of your healthy eating to have something purely for the taste.

24/7 diets are exhausting. It is no fun to crave something for weeks and finally cave only to binge on a dozen cupcakes when you truly only needed to eat one. Have your cheat foods, just keep it in moderation. Like one Terrificly Toffee Brownie!

4. Find fun recipes that are new to you to spice up your kitchen cooking experience.


No one likes a routine that you have to stick to every single day, night, week, month, etc. To keep from falling into a cooking funk keep it lively by trekking through some food blogs and recipe websites to find meals that you would love to try… Then, make them! I keep a To Cook section in my book marks that I check back to everyone once in a while to see if any of them are absolutely perfect for my making. After you make your experiment meal you can keep it as a success or delete to never be repeated… That’s how my Homemade Chicken Pot Pie started!

These are in no way going to keep you skinny, or make you skinnier, but I’ve found them to be helpful in my diet. And, of course, a solid exercise routine to erase some of the calories I cook and serve in my little pink kitchen!

My Food Philosophy: The Thought Behind my Kitchen Time

I love food. I love eating good food, making good food, and I love talking about making good food. So, I started this blog to create a forum where I can put out the favorite food I make for my fiance and myself AND to put out there my thoughts on food (and the blogs that come with them!).

One thing that can be difficult about eating out is the price. Yeah, five star food is delicious, but it can cost an arm (probably the one holding the fork!) to buy. I understand part of the price is the service and you’re not having to prepare the meal yourself (which sometimes I genuinely appreciate); however, I think good taste great taste can be achieved at a much lower cost. That said, my blog is dedicated to keeping costs low and taste high.

Another problem with great food can be the ridiculous amount of time required to get that five star taste. My time in the kitchen has shown me that you don’t have to spend the entire day preparing delicious plates to satisfy yourself (or your significant other). In fact, most of my meals are 30 minute meals. I get a little impatient when I have to wait longer than that!

Finally, I want the kitchen to be a place where you put your heart and love into your dishes. My mama always taught me that dinner was never delicious without a little love sprinkled on it. In face, she went far enough to buy a fake spice shaker that said love on the side of it… Kind of like this one:

Isn’t it precious? I thought so too! Just keep it fun and light in the kitchen… Then you won’t dread cooking. Plus, if you screw it up and things don’t taste good, laugh and then order something in! Or treat yourself to eating out therapy at your favorite restaurant!