Blogging is especially awesome when you have a great story to tell.  Usually, my stories somehow involve my personal moments of humiliation.  But, if you can't laugh at yourself, who can you laugh at?

I lost several pounds, like 50, right before I got pregnant.  I looked great.  I worked out 2 hours a day and was toning up quite nicely.  Then, I got pregnant.  No one tells a first time expectant mother that pregnancy will take the skin from your back and put it on your belly and sides.  They don't tell you that those cool, snug fitting screen tees will no longer look right on you because of the loose skin pregnancy give you.  I was so proud of myself for losing most of the baby weight that I decided that I would invest in a waist cinching, back fat smoothing girdle.

I was going to look HOT! A shopping trip was definitely in order.  So, I gathered up my nursing baby and  left my older children with my husband and went to Kohls.

Baby and I arrived at Kohls without any incident.  We strolled on over to the ladies department and continued until we had reached the foundation garments.  I looked through my options.  I needed something I could wear while nursing, so the one piece things with straps were out of the questions.  I almost gave up home when I spotted it:

A waist cinching, back fat smoothing thing of beauty!

I took a couple down and flipped the size card over to get my correct size.  In my past experience, these types of things tend to run big, and I was right on the edge so I got the size right below what it called for. That was my second mistake, the first was that I left the house at all.

The baby and I headed into the dressing room.  I took off my shirt and attempted to wiggle into the girdle.  When it did not slip on easily, I should have rethought the whole idea.  But nope, not me, I was determined to have my cinched waist and smooth back.  I took a deep breath, let it all out and slid it on. 

There it sat. Trapped between my armpits and my breasts.  Please recall that I was a nursing mother.  As in, I was regularly manufacting, what my baby thought, was manna from Heaven.  The pressure of the girdle on top of my chest was uncomfortable to say the least but I had just nursed baby, so no milk leakage.  PHEW!  I figured I had come this far so I gave it a good yank and got it on. Crooked.  I twisted and leaned and grunted a few times but I finally felt like I got it into proper place.   I knew before I even looked in the mirror that this was not going to be my magical answer.  Even so, I turned and looked in mirror.  BIG. MISTAKE.  The boning on the side was pushed out funny and the whole thing was crooked.  The places between the boning were bulging a bit, smoothly bulging though!

My waist looked unnaturally thin.  And all that looseness that was causing me so much grief?  It had to go somewhere.  It went above and below the girdle.  I found that no matter how much I twisted, stuffed, gathered, or sucked in, that this was not going to be right.  Just to make sure, I tried my tshirt on over it.  Nope.  It looked like there was commotion going on under my shirt.  So. Sad.  Oh well, who needs a girdle. I will just work out more, diet after I quit nursing, and then would not need one anyway.  I decided to take it off and just forget the whole idea.  I put my hands around the top and tugged it upwards.

It. would. not. come. off.  I was seriously trapped.  I will not repeat the words that went through my head at this moment. 

I felt a bit panicked.  I pulled and tugged and yanked for a few more minutes.  Then I called my best friend.  She just mostly laughed at me.  I think I recall her saying she would come and help if she could, but maybe she did not have a way there. 

I tried pulling it up, I tried pulling it down.  NOTHING worked.  It was not budging.  The only thing I managed to do was to get it somewhat twisted to where the side boning was going straight up the middle of my front side.  After all this commotion, the baby woke up from her lovely nap and started to fuss. I felt my milk let down. Oh crap.  I soaked the nursing pads right away.  The compressions that I was doing trying to get out of my body noose was not helping.  I had no other choice but to attempt to nurse the baby.  I sat down and nursed her.  It is amazing how you can marvel at the wonder of life even in the most dire of circumstances.  While I was nursing, I contemplated my options.  I could call another friend to come and help me.  I could call the waiting room attendant to bring scissors.  I could wear it out of the store and hoped to not be arrested.  None of these seemed like good options.

I did not want to explain to my husband why I had to spend $40 on a girdle that was cut into two pieces.  I also did not want to secure a criminal record.  I have to admit, I giggled a bit as I imagined the morning headlines.....

Anyway, after I nursed the baby, I was finally, FINALLY, able to jiggle the stupid thing off.  But, I did learn a lesson that day. ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS go with the recommended size first.

I wanted to make Bread Pudding for the kids. It was relatively easy to work out according to our new dietary guidelines. I had to fight for the picture! The grey looking spot in the middles is from where I was blocking the light. It was that wonderful brown color all the way through. Like I said, I had to basically beat the children out of the way to get to it!
I used homemade soy free, dairy free yeast rolls that did not turn out exactly right. They were really too heavy for eating as a bun or roll, but just right for this! I will be sharing this recipe as soon as I get the kinks worked out. :)




Bread Pudding

3 cups of soy free, dairy free bread chunks
1 cup of Almond Milk (I used vanilla flavored)
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons of coconut oil, melted

Mix milk, eggs, oil, and sugar until combined. Pour over bread chunks and stir together. Set aside while you make topping

Topping
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 heaping tablespoon of solified coconut oil (put in fridge for a bit)
1/2 cup white sugar, 1/2 cup of brown sugar

mix with fork until crumbly. Sprinkle over pudding mixture.

Bake at 375 for 20 to 25 minutes, until the top starts to brown and the pudding is set.

Serve warm!

My son is tired of having store bought pita pockets.  It is the only bread I can find that doesn't have soy or dairy in it.  So, I knew I was eventually going to have to make some bread.  I rock yeast rolls that are made with white flour. I can make a loaf of white bread that will make you wonder why you ever bought Wonder.  But, to make bread with 100% whole wheat flour?  I knew that this bread comes out denser and heavier than what most people care for.  I did not want to post a recipe until I had one that was lighter than my past efforts.  The secrets are good yeast, proofing the yeast, a firm hand when kneading, and a good 2 risings.  It is still heavier than white bread, but the flour is heavier and denser, so one will just have to get used to it.  My son was THRILLED with this, and was very excited he got bread again. 

Whole Wheat Bread

1 1/2 cups of warm water - 110 to 115 degrees - I use a thermometer
2 teaspoons of yeast
3 tablespoons of rapadura
Mix these three together in a large mixing bowl and let sit 5 to 10 minutes.  This is called proofing the yeast. Don't skip this step.  It wakes the yeast up and gets everyone moving!  The yeast, after 5 or 10 minutes, should be frothy, bubbling, and puffy looking on the top.  If no significant change has occurred, then dispose of the mixture and try again.

To the proofed yeast add:
1 cup wheat flour
1/3 cup of honey
1/3 cup of coconut oil

Stir until completely combined.  Add in more flour, 1 cup at a time until the dough ball starts forming and you can no longer stir, approximately 2 more cups.

Sprinkle flour onto a flat surface and turn dough out and sprinkle more flour on top of it.  Set a time for 11 minutes.  Start kneading.  Initally this will be easy, but around the half way mark, this will become exercise.  Put your back into it and do not shy away or quit early. This dough needs a good work out, it will be next to impossible to over knead it :-) 

After kneading it for 11 minutes, poke your finger lightly into the top.  If it is springy and firm, then you can stop kneading, if it is still soft and has no bounce, then you need to knead it for 5 more minutes. 

Here is a link to help you learn to knead bread:  Bread Kneading

After kneading the dough, place into a bowl that has been greased with coconut oil and then brush top with more coconut oil.  Cover with a dish towel and place in a warm spot to let rise.  I turn my oven on to 350 and put the dough on top of the stove (NOT IN THE OVEN).  It will rise best if the temperature of its location is 80 to 90 degrees. 

When the dough has doubled, after approximately an hour of rising, punch dough down.  That means ball up your fist and punch down into the middle of the dough.  My kids loved that part!  Form your loaf and put the dough into a heavily oiled bread pan.  Brush top of loaf with oil again.  Cover with the dish towel and put back into it's nice, warm spot. 

Let rise until doubled in size, about 30 to 45 minutes.

Put your newly risen loaf straight into preheated oven and bake until the bread is browned and sounds hollow when you thump it.  About 25 minutes or so, but this can greatly vary according the the size of your loaf, etc...

When the bread is done, take out and resist slicing until it has cooled a bit.  Enjoy!

Chicken Pot Pie

This makes a an 8 or 9 inch pie. You may need to double it if you have a larger family.  I just served lots of veggies and bread on the side and got by with one. 

2 cups of homemade white sauce
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 tsp salt (more or less to suit your taste)
1/4 tsp of pepper
1/2 tsp of thyme
1 cup shredded or chopped cooked chicken
1 cup of frozen mixed veggies or carrots and peas
1 homemade pie crust

Preheat oven to 400. Mix all ingredients except pie crust together. Taste the mix.  If it is bland, add more salt and pepper.  Pour into 8 or 9 inch pie deep dish pie plate.  Cover with pie crust.  Poke holes in top using a fork to vent.  Bake until crust is done and pot pie is done.

A lot of recipes will have some sort of white sauce or "cream of" something.  I thought this would pose a challenge to recreate in our new diet.  But, most of those sauces start with the basic roux.  You can do a lot with a bit of flour. This uses whole wheat flour, so it is not "white", but it is still a roux, and you can make several things with it!

Roux or White Sauce

1/3 cup wheat flour
2 tbsps coconut oil
2 cups of UNSWEETENED almond milk (Unless you are making something sweet.)

Melt coconut oil in skillet.  Add flour. It should be the constistency of glue.  Add a little more oil or flour if needed.   When the mixture is hot and bubbly, add 1 cup of almond milk, stir with whisk until smooth, it should start to get thick quickly.  When it is smooth and thick, add 1 more cup of milk. Stir until hot and thick. 

That is the base.

If you want:
Cream of Onion - Saute a finely chopped onion in oil, before adding flour.  Add salt to taste.
Cream of Mushroom - Sauted 1/4 finely chopped onion and 1/2 cup finely chopped mushroom in oil. Salt to taste
Cream of Chicken - Make as directed, except use 1 cup of homemade chicken stock in place of the 1st cup of Almond milk, then follow as directed. Salt to taste.
Cream of Celery - Saute 1 cup of finely chopped celery in oil, before adding flour.  Add salt to taste.

If you want white gravy for country fried steak, biscuits or the like, just add salt and pepper to the base until it is yummy. 

Pie Crust

2 cups whole wheat flour
1/3 cup cold coconut oil
pinch of salt
ice water

Mix flour with coconut oil using fork or pastry blender or food processor. Slowly add ice cold water until the dough starts to form a ball.  It should be slightly dry. Chill for a few minutes. Turn out onto floured surface and roll to desired thickness. 

This pie crust will work for pot pie, fruit pies, quiches and any other time you need a pie crust.

If you have been reading this blog for any length of time, you will know that my little boy has been frequently ill with an undiagnosed illness.  He has been sick for the better part of his fifth year.  He has been hospitalized for 20 days, spread out over four different instances and has been to the doctor more times than you can count.  I have to do something.  This out of control, can't help him feeling is for the birds.

So, while I can not diagnose him, I can do everything I know to help support his body so it can function properly.  I can also remove things from his diet to see if this is some sort of food intolerance.  So, we have removed soy, dairy, and dyes from our home. 

This is a very new way to prepare food for me.  I am used to butter, and lots of it, vegetable oil, cheese, and a few (very few) processed foods.  So, this is a new journey for me. Hopefully, it will help my child feel better and maybe I can even shed a few pounds along the way. 

I have already made several things, took pictures and will be posting these items to my blog in due time.  Please feel free to share your ideas with me!

And that is it! You have a fun snack for the kids. Mine loved it!