the boss. :)

first off, maddie is doing AMAZINGLY well!
taking her 21 pills is going a lot easier thanks to our encouraging friend asher!
accidents this last month are BEYOND rare.
and overall, she's just a happier, healthier kid.
proof enough that this indeed is working!

but I don't want to talk about maddie tonight...
I want to talk about my mother.
through all of my trial and errors, my mother has been there being my biggest cheerleader and doing all this too.
THIS is my mother...my beeeeautiful mother. :)

do you see her?!
no.  do you SEE her?!
you see, my mother is awesome.
no really. she is.
I know all kids are supposed to say that about their mother's...and I hope that micah and maddie say it about me some day.  and to be honest, I'm fairly certain there is NO ONE who could stand up to my mother in a dark alley if she was protecting someone she loved...she's that scary too :)
but to be honest?
my mother is winning awesomeness awards left and right.

these last two weeks I've been down and out with an assortment of kidney, throat & booger issues.
some more serious than others.
and before I get a bunch of emails saying how sorry you are for me...I'm fine.
trust me.
I've had a cat scan, mri, blood taken, throat cultures, ears checked, nose checked and even an ultrasound.
I'm good...and there is no cause for concern.  really.  I've seen my guts and I'm all good. :)

but through all of this, is my mother.
she is the one who bossed me and took me to the hospital when I foolishly though I could.
she carted my kids to my sisters and even brought them home so that matt could take care of me.
and then tonight?!
but tonight? tonight, she takes the cake.
well, at least she baked the cake...the epic pumpkin dessert cake jars!
along with homemade chicken pieces (how she makes chicken not dry EVER is beyond me), dairy free mashed potatoes, assorted steamed veggies, CUT UP cantelope, dinner rolls, HOMEMADE chicken gravy and the epic pumpkin dessert cake jars.  chocolate chip pumpkin bread with frosting even maddie can have!  and they were FREAKING amazing!  it was like thanksgiving in our house tonight, but with a different bird. :)

(I'll post the recipe when she gets home and reads this and see's that I need the recipe :)

*UPDATED*

here's the recipe! :)

Based on a recipe published by Elana Amsterdam in "Gluten-Free Cupcakes".

1 cup blanched almond flour
1/4 cup coconut flour
1/2 cup Stevia in the Raw (this type measures cup for cup like sugar)
2 tablespoons arrowroot powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon sea salt

MIX ALL OF THE ABOVE TOGETHER IN A LARGE BOWL, USING A WHISK TO MAKE SURE ALL LUMPS ARE REMOVED FROM THE ALMOND AND COCONUT FLOURS.

3  large eggs, beaten
1/4 cup melted organic butter flavored palm oil shortening (I used Spectrum brand)
2/3 cup canned organic pumpkin
2 -3 TBSP vanilla flavored almond milk

IN SMALLER BOWL, BLEND ALL THE ABOVE INGREDIENTS TOGETHER

USING ELECTRIC MIXER BLEND ALL INGREDIENTS TOGETHER UNTIL SMOOTH, THEN STIR IN:

1/4 - 1/2 cup "Enjoy Life" chocolate chips (gluten, dairy, and soy free)

IN PREHEATED 350* OVEN, BAKE FOR ABOUT 15-20 MINUTES FOR 12 REGULAR SIZED MUFFINS (spray pan or papers with oil first), OR 28 MINUTES FOR 6 "MUFFINS IN A JAR" (I used 8 oz. jelly jars, filled 2/3 full - first spray them with oil).  When baking in jars, place them on a baking pan or cookie sheet with sides, and be careful transferring them in and out of the oven...they slide!  When cool, if desired they can be frosted.

Here's what I used:

2/3 cup low-carb frosting mix (purchased online @ $8 from LC Foods - approx. 2 cups in the small bag)  Only 3 carbs per tablespoon - and its all fiber!
(patent pending blend of inulin (chicory root), fiber, soluble dietary fiber, stevia, and natural luo han guo monk fruit (?), and some other fibers)
2 TBSP water
1/4 tsp. vanilla
4 TBSP butter flavored palm oil shortening

I BLENDED THIS ALTOGETHER...ENOUGH FOR ABOUT 6 MUFFINS IN A JAR.

so you see, your mothers might be great and all...
but my mother is the best.  really.  no. really. :)
and I love her more and more and am epically thankful for her. :)

the dollar store.

look what happiness the dollar store can bring :)

to our asher friend...thank you!
we are 84 pills in and she can now do two at a time!
not asher status yet, but getting there! :)

little super hero.

there are simply no words to how this encouraged my maddie.
and probably in a bigger way to me.

to be honest, looking at our "pill box" is making me want to quit.
and then I got this email from my sweet friend rachel
and her son to check out asher's blog.
encouragement from someone who has it WAY worse than us...
puts a little perspective on the "do work" mentality.

thank you, rachel. very much.
and thank you, asher...you're a super hero in our book. :)

Mr. GoodBar

two things today...

one.
my mom made the most awesome dairy free, soy free, low carb "almost goodbars" that have been a hit in our house! :)  the original recipe is here...but she added the carob chip chocolate topping and mini-muffin cups. :)

Mock "PayDay" Peanut Treats
Inspired by this recipe by "Blenders"

Makes 6 bars

Ingredients:
1/4 cup peanut butter (no-stir type preferred)
2 tablespoons non-hydrogenated shortening, unsalted butter, or coconut oil
2 teaspoons honey
1 tablespoon almond cream
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
sugar-free sweetener, to taste (I use NuNaturals stevia)
pinch of sea salt
1/2 cup dry roasted peanuts
1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum (optional)
1 cp. carob chips melted

Preparation:
Add peanut butter, honey, and butter to a microwave safe dish. Microwave on high for one minute. Remove and immediately whisk in vanilla extract and heavy cream or coconut milk. Stir in sweetener, xanthan gum (if using), and pinch of salt. Taste and adjust if necessary. Fold in peanuts and drop in globs mini muffin cups.  Drizzle melted carob chips on top.  Chill in freezer until firm, then transfer to refrigerator.

And, second!  I'm loving this local harvest site...not only do they tell you were local organic harvest besides farmers markets are, there are a ton of blogs on people eating healthier and locally that are inspiring...definitely worth a check out!

trying

I love my dawn.
my dawny-dawnster ;)
she is an encourager and a long time friend
who has seen the ugly me and still loves me.
it could be partly because I married her brother,
but I prefer to think she still just loves me. :)

she emailed me this woman's blog that I now stalk and her blog helps me with
the WHY of why I am being more wise with what I put into my kids' bodies.

here's an excerpt from the "why mother's need to pick their priorities" post

__________________________________________________________

One Thing At A Time

Imagine a child walking in to the first day of school and the teacher saying,
“Ok. We need to read Chaucer, then do some Calculus, a little Mozart
and we’ll wrap up with AstroPhysics.”
Those are all important things.
But they are NOT important, in anyone’s estimation, to a first grader.
God does not address all of our faults and shortcomings at the same time.
Neither should we.
And sometimes progressing in one area means postponing progress in another.
Imagine if a football player shows up to practice and the coach says,
“First we’re going to work on our jump shot, then zone defense,
free throw shooting and dribbling.”
Those are all important skills….for a basketball player, not a football player.
When we don’t know who we are, where we are at, and where we are headed we get distracted by all the “important” things….because they are all around us.

Most mothers deal with comparison.
We feel bad because “Mrs. So and So” does such and such…and that’s REALLY important.
But is it really important to YOU?
Is it what God wants YOU to be doing right now?

Spend time with God.
Listen to His still small voice.
Know your purpose.
Pick your priorities.
Do the next thing.

________________________________________________________

this was encouraging to me today. :)

do work.

so now that my entire kitchen is stocked with strange new food I've never eaten before
I've begun to scour the internet and blogs for foods we can eat...
I'm starting to think that some of these people have no taste buds.

the "best sandwich bread ever" tastes like mealy cardboard.
I have yet to believe that brussel sprouts will EVER taste good.
having no diet coke in the house kinda sucks.
I'm getting desperate.

that's 90% of the reason why I've started this little blog...
we are a fast food loving, quik trip craving, "normal" taste bud family...
and I'm just now realizing how hard this is to just make good TASTING food.

time to start digging for better recipes and do work.