Christmas blessings

 Three precious children...each a gift year-round.

 Smiles over books (and hugs for the dog),

 new activities and buddies to carry around,

 and new toys for three kids with late fall and winter birthdays--it is always time for something more age appropriate.

 Reading the Christmas story with family,

 watching surprised faces,

 and a new cousin to hold!  It's a girl and is she ever sweet.

I could kick myself for forgetting my camera when celebrating with my side of the family, so here's a special picture from Thanksgiving.  We love being with them.

Celebrating a birthday a few days early...we always give Micah the choice of how he'd like to celebrate with long distance relatives and he likes to do what is easiest for everyone else.

What can't be captured in pictures: five years ago, I held my own newborn at Christmas.  Josiah gave me a new appreciation for what it is to be human and frail, as he struggled from the beginning against a body that was not incredibly comfortable or cooperative. Holding a new niece at Christmas again this year, I was struck once again at the reality of Jesus' incarnation and the humiliation it was for Him to leave behind His heavenly glory and take on the flesh of man as a helpless baby, totally dependent on others for nourishment and care.  What an amazing God we have!  Once again I bow to worship the Savior who gave everything that we may be reconciled to God.

Carol of the Bells

Nothing professional here but it is sure fun to watch them learn.

Merry Christmas!!

"Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord."

setbacks and yet encouragements

This week has been one of ups and downs as we continue to test what is and is not tolerable in Josiah's diet.  One question I had was how many supposed food sensitivities were masked by his trouble with gluten.  Rather than finding he has fewer, what we've seen is more problems with things we thought were okay (probably because we are now getting a clearer reading).  Still, there are days that are very, very good and help us know we are on the right track.  It's not that we endeavor to change Josiah, but that we keep pressing on to peel back the layers until we find the child we know is really there.  We've seen glimpses of that child and look forward to seeing more of him in the future!

The setbacks:

I tried making Paleo peppermint patties using the purest peppermint oil I could find.  After we saw some old things cropping up (crying, throwing fits), I did some research and found that the mint extract had alcohol that contained gluten.  This was actually rather confirming that we are on the right track with gluten and not just experiencing the effects of healthier eating.  Would anyone like some barely used peppermint oil?

Hoping that tomatoes were less of a problem than we thought, we devoured chili one night.  Bad idea.  Enter child in overdrive.  It takes a few days for that to wear off.

We thought the mustard we were using was okay even though it had a questionable ingredient, but apparently not.  Scratch that one and find another.  Aha!  Much better. (Yes, he is really this sensitive.)

And so on it goes.  But there are good things being spotted in Josiah's favor, too.  My most picky eater is now much more accepting of new foods (including those he did not like before), eating more meat, and staying full much longer.  It has been my most convincing evidence yet that extremely picky eating or craving for particular foods at the exclusion of others is a telltale sign of food intolerances.  He was my most adventurous eater as a toddler, and I'm starting to see signs of that returning!!

If gluten is causing damage to the small intestines, it can take 3-6 months for the body to fully heal.  One slip-up can do a lot of damage.  This is part of the reason I'd like to take us all gluten free after the holidays.  Another is because gluten sensitivity tends to run in families, and it would be interesting to see if anyone else has issues.  Finally, there can be an issue with cross contamination, which I'd like to keep at a minimum.  We're looking forward to seeing what the new year brings!

the right wardrobe

Yesterday the kids and I were traveling home from Josiah's preschool class at Sugar Grove Nature Center.  We had a conversation that went something like this:

Mom: Maybe sometime this winter, we can come down here and hike after it snows.  Wouldn't that be fun? (Mind begins to wander to the educational opportunity it would be to see animal tracks in the snow, compare the surroundings to our summer hikes, spot winter birds, etc.) 

Micah: I'll wear my long underwear.

Josiah: And I'll wear my short underwear!

where good research/treatment on ADHD is landing...

An interesting article about the link between handwriting, behavior and health issues, and diet.

GFCF chicken nuggets? Yes, it can be done!

One of our favorite pre-Feingold restaurants was Chick-Fil-A.  Unfortunately, their food is loaded with additives and MSG.  I'm so thankful for the mom who shared this recipe recently.  We tried it before removing dairy and gluten and it was wonderful, but it will be easy to adapt to our new way of doing things as a once-in-awhile-treat with a couple of simple substitutes.  Enjoy!!

Chicken Nuggets

Oil for frying
2 eggs
2 cups milk (CF-try substituting a milk replacement or just omit and use only eggs)
2 cups flour (GF-use rice flour)
2 TBSP powdered sugar (I will probably omit or substitute another kind of sugar)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon salt
1.75 - 2 lbs skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into thin strips for fingers or bite-sized pieces for nuggets

Mix together the egg and milk. Place the chicken in this mixture, and let sit for at least an hour. While the breasts are sitting, mix together the flour, sugar, pepper, and salt. Once the sitting is done, dredge in the flour. (Optional: for a thicker coating, after the first dredging, put the chicken pieces back in the milk bath for a few seconds, and re-dredge in the flour.)

Heat oil in a deep fat fryer to 375 F., gently drop chicken pieces into the oil, and let cook until golden brown.

first week!

It has felt a bit like a cooking marathon, but we've made it through our first week of gluten free.  There have been some recipe flops but most have been winners.  The biggest prize however is seeing a side of Josiah that I've never seen before.  Feingold was good, but this is off the charts. 

A few nights into his new diet, I was tucking Josiah into bed when he told me, "I love gluten free.  My tummy is not hurting anymore."  I was suspecting some digestive troubles, since Josiah has complained of gnawing hunger since he learned how to talk, often demanding a snack even after a good meal.  Lately he's not been eating much at once, saying he was full--another subtle sign that something may be going on.  As a baby, there were all those feeding issues (even beyond normal reflux) that I've never quite been able to explain.  But still, he never complained of an actual tummy ache with words.  To hear him say his tummy felt better was almost a shock but also very confirming that there was indeed digestive discomfort going on.

So it makes me wonder, what do we do when we are uncomfortable?  Even as adults, can't we be demanding of everyone around us, irritable, and have trouble paying attention?  Seeing changes this week has filled us with hope as well as sympathy for other children who may be having similar difficulties, and those parents who are doing their best to manage them.

Here are a couple of our favorite recipes from the week!

If the mention of sweet potatoes gives you a mental picture of a casserole with marshmallows on top, it's time to try something new.  Who would have thought of fixing them like this??

Sweet Potato French Fries (recipe adapted from Everyday Paleo)

4 medium-sized sweet potatoes, cut lengthwise into strips
1/4 c. olive oil
2 t. cumin
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Cover two cookie sheets with aluminum foil.  Toss sweet potatoes with oil and spices.  Spread evenly on cookie sheets, being careful not to crowd spears.  Turn once or twice during cooking, baking about 30-40 min.  Potatoes are done when slightly crispy.  Serve with salsa.


A new staple at our house has been muffins made with coconut flour.  They are loaded with protein and therefore help keep Josiah's blood sugar stable and his tummy feeling full.  He does not do well at all with sugar on an empty stomach, but if we can serve one of these muffins alongside fruit or a cookie, his day goes much better!  The lemon poppyseed muffins were tasty, but our favorite is definitely the pumpkin pie muffins from fastpaleo.com.

Pumpkin Pie Muffins

3/4 Pumpkin Puree
1/2 Cup Coconut Flour
1/2 Cup Coconut oil, melted
6 eggs
2 Tsp Vanilla
1/4 Honey, melted
2 Tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice
1/2 Tsp Baking Powder
Handful of walnuts (if desired)
2 Tbsp Cocoa Powder (Optional for chocolate muffins)

Preheat oven to 400 Degrees F.  Sift the coconut flour and spices together, then add baking soda.  In a separate bowl, mix all remaining ingredients except walnuts until well blended.  Add the sifted flour and spices to the pumpkin puree. Mix well and divide the batter between the muffin pans and sprinkle with chopped walnuts. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until done.


Today I was able to get a little Christmas cooking done.  After trying a couple of things with Josiah and sugar, I decided to chance it and make his sister's favorite Jackpot Drop cookie recipe by subbing some GF flour for regular flour, GF oatmeal, and carob chips for chocolate.  The cookies turned out beautifully and he did well with one after a hearty lunch.  Sweets have become more rare around here than they used to be, and most of the things I have made this week have been sugar free.  But it IS Christmas time!!

There have been many reasons for smiling today, as I have often lifted my heart to the Lord in tremendous gratitude for answered prayer.

I think I can stop holding my breath...

and admit gluten free was exactly what he needed. 

More to come!

before and after

There are some very positive signs at our house that being gluten free is a good thing for Josiah.

This is a sample of his coloring last spring.

Here's a page from this fall.  Not much change.

 Here's a sample from tonight.  Yes, it is in marker but his crayon coloring from the past few days shows the same improvement.  Not only is it about 10 times better, he actually enjoys coloring now and also loves writing his name, which he would only do through much complaining about it being too hard before.

We're still working out some kinks.  It seems like sugar is a trigger for hyperactivity so we're working through that puzzle as well.  Yesterday was one of his best days in recent memory, and gives us hope we are on the right track.  If you can imagine the kind of organization above transfering to a behavioral component, you have a picture of what we are starting to see in him.

this week's read aloud...

They've loved learning about a man persecuted for his unwavering devotion to Christ; they've groaned over how he was elevated to idol status, found clues that link him to Santa Claus, and longed to mirror his generosity.

iband

Micah shared this with us.  You have to watch long enough to get to Feliz Navidad!

naturally gluten free

Gluten free: we have been here before.  Last fall when Rachel was having numerous health issues including shoulder pain, digestive discomfort, chronic constipation and UTI's, I put her on a gluten free diet.  We bought the look-alike animal crackers, mixed three kinds of flours to make cookies, and spent more money on groceries than ever.  Even though I knew the gluten free (GF) diet was also recommended for children with ADHD, I never put Josiah on it.  With his numerous food sensitivities, very few of the processed products worked for him.  He did eat the cookies and other baked goods I was able to make, but he was never completely gluten free.

Why things got more challenging for Josiah this fall is a question for which I have no real answer.  But I do know that Eric and I reached a point where we felt that trying a GF diet would be worth a shot.  However, this time I had done more reading, visited more blogs (her recipes always make my mouth water!), and talked to more people.  It seemed that trying a more natural approach to gluten free than finding numerous substitutes was in order.  I wanted something our whole family could benefit from, and the rest of us have a list of things we'd like to address in terms of our own health.  Thus, our entrance into the world of the Paleo diet.

I have to admit, the name rubs me the wrong way.  I don't believe in evolution and the whole "caveman" approach is just a bit much sometimes.  But I do think I may understand why there are people flocking to this way of eating in droves and find they are feeling better.  It virtually eliminates all processed and genetically modified food.  When you look around at where the Standard American Diet has gotten most of us, it isn't very pretty.  Heart disease, obesity, diabetes, and other health issues are on the rise.  Gluten sensitivity and celiac are becoming more commonplace.  Allergies (including those that are life-threatening), asthma, ADHD, and autism are almost at epidemic proportions. So many people are suffering from anxiety, depression, and other mental illness.  While I am not blaming it all on diet, I've seen enough in our food journey to know it has to be a big factor.  We are eating food, and plenty of it, but we are not really getting good nutrition.

So what is the Paleo diet?  While it is still all pretty new to me, I think I've gathered that it is gluten free, dairy free (most of the time), grain free, sugar free and even avoids legumes like beans and peanuts.  (Sorry, dad!)  What is left to eat is a beautiful, nutritious assortment of meats (grass fed are promoted to be best), fruits (in moderation), and vegetables, along with nut flours and animal/nut fats.  Before you start to think that is just way too limiting in terms of food, check out some recipe websites like this one, where I even found a recipe for peppermint patties (we can still have chocolate!)  The hardest thing to wrap my mind around is the addition of fat to the diet, but it seems that without the constant intake of high carbohydrate grains, our bodies actually do well with fat.  Cholesterol and triglyceride levels actually drop, pounds come off, and people feel better, emotionally and physically.  At least that's the testimony of those who have tried eating this way.

How "perfectly paleo" our family will be remains to be seen.  In our first three days, we've continued to eat our peanut butter, corn chips, grain fed animal products, and other offending ingredients.  My main goal right now is getting rid of gluten and keeping Josiah away from most sugar.  What is amazing is how much more we are eating real food!  I'm getting to know our grocery store's produce section a lot better.  I don't have to search ingredient lists to make sure there aren't any forbidden foods; instead, I am buying ingredients and using them to make the things we love to eat.  What we love has yet to be discovered, but already we've found several new foods (or ways of making foods) that are quite tasty.  You may notice the recipes I share here getting strange, but they really aren't if you think about how people ate in this country 100 years ago (minus the bread that was eaten and now adding coconut which wasn't exactly readily abundant then!)  Because of my aversion to the word Paleo, I will label these recipes naturally gluten free. :)  And best of all, so far our grocery bill has not gone up. 

It's really too early to tell how this will help Josiah because his body is still adjusting, but there have been glimmers of good things.  More on that to come.  Meanwhile, we can rejoice that our kids are eating things like sweet potato french fries and actually enjoying them.

first day gluten free

So far, so good.  Breakfast was eggs, bacon, and a pear.  For snack, we had to get creative.  As you can see, we figured out what to do with an avocado.  It is amazing how readily kids will try food they have helped make.  This was yummy!  First we tried the dip with carrots but of course corn chips tasted even better.

Josiah's Avocado Dip

one avocado, mashed with fork

one clove of garlic, chopped or diced

1 T. lemon juice

black pepper to taste 

Serve with vegetables or (sigh!) corn chips.



meditating on this...

I love the New Living Translation of Hebrews 10:22:

"Let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting in Him."

After considering how the sacrificial system in place in the Old Testament kept sinful people far away from a holy God, with a once-a-year intercessor, it becomes even more precious to consider the accessibility of God under the New Covenant.

All because of Jesus, our Great High Priest who entered the Most Holy Place by His blood and who lives to intercede for us!

It sort of takes the boring-ritual-feeling out of prayer.

from the trenches

This article was written by a woman who struggled with ADHD and used medication until finally finding diet as a way to manage her symptoms as an adult.  All I can say is WOW.

In her words, after waking up out of an ADHD fog by going gluten free and sugar free via the Paleo diet:

"What we are doing by medicating (ADHD children) is creating a generation of kids who only know how to march in time with the masses, and don't understand that the things that make them unique also make them wonderful. We are teaching them that anything that makes them “different” makes them a problem. We aren't cultivating their unique talents and strengths and we are suppressing their creative abilities. We are breeding a generation of robots, and suppressing creativity, passion, and individuality."

The pursuit of managing ADHD with diet is difficult, but stories like this encourage me to keep trying.

Simple Woman's Daybook

FOR TODAY: December 2, 2011

Outside my window...the grass is still green.  This has been the warmest fall in recent memory, with truly cold days just now arriving.

I am thinking...pondering, meditating on what it is to have Jesus as my great high priest, and how his priesthood is superior to the Levitical priesthood of the Old Testament.  Hebrews is a great book!

I am thankful...so very thankful, that we have finally tracked down Micah's MSG sensitivity.  Now we've seen it cause allergy flare-ups, and all the pieces of the puzzle of the past few years are falling into place.

From the learning rooms...we just finished our study of China and are moving on to Mongolia.  In science Rachel has been learning the parts of a seed and Micah has been studying scientific theory.  We have started All About Spelling for the two younger kids.  After talking with a sister-in-law, I decided it was worth it to take Rachel back to the beginning and cover all the bases.  Everyone loves preschool art on Fridays...including the 7th grader.  Next week we will start reading The True Saint Nicholas by William Bennett.

In the kitchen...I am staring down a Paleo cookbook, daring myself to try this for the new year.  It seems like a good fit: gluten free, dairy free, low in carbs and sugar, packed with nutrient-rich foods...with all our eating issues, this might just be a way we can all eat alike and be happy.  (And maybe even healthy!)  So long as I can add in a little So Delicious chocolate milk and a coconut cupcake from time to time, I think I could do it.  Pass me an avocado, will you?  And then teach me what to do with it.

I am wearing...a Christmas sweater I donned on this morning in an effort to be festive for the Nutcracker.  Sitting next to a 5-year-old during the ballet meant a barrage of questions.  "Is that Clara?  Is she having a dream?  Is this still a dream?  Is that the Nutcracker?"  And then at the entrance of the Snow Queen: "Is she good?  Is she on Clara's team?"

I am creating...it is December.  We must keep secrets.

I am going...to have to split Micah and Rachel up for school next year, I think.  We are loving this year, but they have different needs beyond this Core, and an extremely wide range between their reading levels.  I can't seem to get my nose out of my Sonlight catalog or away from the Simply Charlotte Mason website.  Delightful Reading seems to be tailor-made for Josiah, although for now Phonics Pathways is fantastic.  Ok, I could dwell on homeschooling but we must move on...

I am wondering...why I can post success with no dairy one day and wonder what I am doing wrong the next.  It is one reason why gluten free seems less like a foe to fear and more like a friend to embrace.  This journey of diet can be a roller coaster sometimes.

I am reading...Around the World in Eighty Days.  It is so much fun to read the books my kids will be reading and enjoy great literature I missed as a child.  I am so grateful to this day for the band teacher who introduced me to A Little Princess and Anne of Green Gables.  I already loved to read; those books took a to a new level I will never get over.

I am hoping...there will be enough time in December to do everything on my to do list.  The most important things are the ones that matter anyway, and I trust they will get done.

I am looking forward to...a new little niece or nephew in the next few weeks.  Can't wait!

I am hearing...a snake hissing in the background.  Why a snake, I am not sure, but it one way to use your imagination when you're five.

Around the house...we tore the outside plastic off our first story windows after the smell meant a daily headache for me.  I'd rather be cold.

I am pondering...how to spend less time on the computer these days.  Since when did it become essential for daily living?  If you see me here less, you'll know why.

One of my favorite things...is having our school principal join us for a field trip and getting to hold his hand.

A few plans for the rest of the week: A Santa visit in the morning with the youngest.  Christmas shopping with my sweetheart later in the day.  When is the last time we did that together??  And a homeschool band concert next week.  The kids have been working hard.

Here is picture I am sharing...of Eric helping Josiah with basketball skills just before Thanksgiving break.

no more dairy

After weeks of wondering what is "off" with our youngest boy, I finally took a deep breath and pulled milk again this week.  The change is amazing!  Instead of bouncing on and off the furniture, he is currently laying on the couch, hardly moving a muscle, quietly waiting for breakfast.  His little body is so still it is almost eerie.*

We love So Delicious Coconut milk.  It took Josiah awhile to get used it it the first time we took out dairy, but eventually he began to drink it.  This time, he didn't flinch--and I couldn't even find the vanilla so he's drinking it unsweetened.  It works great in recipes or as a beverage.  There are some decent cheese substitutes (although experience tells me using less cheese in general is easiest), and we are working on finding a soy-free margarine even while using more coconut oil in baking.  The health benefits of coconut are incredible.

Rachel has already been drinking coconut milk.  Staying away from lots of dairy has helped her lifelong issues of chronic constipation.  The tummy aches she complained of for years have completely disappeared.  She's so much healthier and happier.  I guess we're learning there are just some of us who don't do well with milk!

*Now I know he wasn't feeling well this morning.  :(