Whole Food Challenge Update

Ok... So I have had a few more cheats with my single ingredient challenge! If you have read any of my past posts, I challenged myself to only buy whole food, no more than 1 ingredient, with the exception of dried pasta and tortillas. Well, I have been doing good, but I have cheated a little! I bought soda, pretzels, and a can of cream of mushroom soup! I know... But I am from the mid-west! And we love a good casserole! Its cold out, we need a casserole! Plus, casseroles are cheap, I am poor, I have a family of 6, and they are pigs! I cook for 12, and hope and pray to have leftovers for lunch the next day! But overall I am doing pretty well! Oh crap! I just remembered I bought a box of mini wheats also! The kids were getting sick of oatmeal.But overall, we are sticking to it! I have made it 6 weeks! It is not easy, but I am doing it, and plan to continue! We are getting new chicks soon so be ready for really cute pics soon!

Whole Food Challenge- Week 2

  So... I cheated... on my whole food challenge. I bought diet soda. Sad. But what I did do right was everything else!!!! I did cry at one point, but I pushed through! Poor Jeremy came home one day,I was crying. I had kids having friends over, I was cooking all day, I had burnt my hand, and had to swear under my breath because of the friends over, did dishes after dishes... The list goes on and on... But I made it. I have made everything from scratch!!! YES!!! I made ketchup and thousand island this week. I had not made those before. The ketchup was good, but I am going to tweek it next time. The dressing turned out great! I made pickles a few days ago, so I could make this. This is my version. In all honesty, I have not had ketchup, or thousand island in 14 years, do to my extreme food allergies. Maybe they were terrible, but my fam all had seconds and thirds. This is how I made the dressing:

Thousand Island Dressing
1/2 c. canola oil
1/2 c. vinegar
1/3 c. ketchup
1/2 c. chopped sweet pickles
1 t. sugar
1/2 t. salt

Add oil, vinegar and ketchup, sugar and salt to a blender and pulse till emulsified. At the end I added a little more salt and chopped pickles.

  So, the day I made the dressing, my meal plan was a Reuben sandwich, and potato wedges. Do you know how long it takes to make all those ingredients, to make that stupid sandwich???!!!! 6 hours!  6 hours people!!!!! I made pickles the day before. Than, the day I made the sandwich, I made bread, ketchup, dressing,and the potato wedges. I had made, and canned sauerkraut this summer! Because who doesn't want a huge crock of fermenting cabbage in their dining room most of the summer?! :) The Kraut turned out great! My kids eat it as a snack!(I know... we are weird). But in the end it was great! The sandwich was great, the potatoes crisp on the outside! It was worth it! I am  sorry I didn't get pics. I was hungry! ;/ Kinda worked hard that day!

Whole Food Challenge- Week 1

  I have challenged myself to buy nothing from the grocery store, that has more than 1 ingredient. My exceptions are pasta, soymilk and tortillas. We started last week. So far so good! I cook most things completely from scratch anyway, due to my allergies. We raise all our meat, and we get a huge percentage of our veggies all year, from our garden. We eat fresh veggies in spring and summer, and than I can for the rest of the year. I also buy huge bags of dried beans, prepare them, and than can them. I also make and can stock. I actually canned 21 quarts of stock Christmas afternoon! Yea, I know, I have a problem! So my challenge rules are this

1. I can buy only items that are whole food. With the exception of the before mentioned items.

2. I can use items that are already in the house (such as ketchup, mustard...) but when they are gone, they are gone and I will replace them with a homemade version of that item.

3. This challenge is 60 days.

4. I will blog about the challenge, and be completely honest if I cheat. (sigh)

   So Jeremy and I got groceries. I spent $88.
What I bought:
7 lbs. dried beans
cinnamon
coffee
buttercream
dill weed
tortillas
8 lbs.cabbage
3 lbs.carrots
garlic
milk
soy milk
oats
sugar
peas
6 lbs. pasta
tilapia
6 pkg. yeast
cream
plain yogurt
napkins
meat tenderizer
plus a few more items I can't remember.

Mammogram Part 2

   If you read my earlier post you  know I have had a weird week! This is the rest of that day! I had to go in for a mammogram and ultrasound this week. A little scary, but just a fact of life. I found a lump, and it had to be done.

  While I was waiting for the Doctor to look at my images, a very nice Lady walks in. We smile at each other. I am looking at a magazine when my nurse comes in. "The Doctor needs more images". "Ok, no problem". The waiting room lady slowly turns to me and says... "Oh my goshhhhhh! You have got to be freakin out! I struggle with anxiety! I hope you have someone here with you!" 

  "Yes my husband is here. I also have anxiety issues, but I am trying not to worry till I am told I need too". In my head I am saying WHAT THE $#@!!, is this for real?? I have been dealing with anxiety for 12 years!!!! I have the tiniest boobs! Why are you saying this to me??!!!

  She continues to voice here concern for me, and she says she wants to come live with me for a month to know how to deal with stress! What???!!! Me??? I do NOT know how to deal with stress!!! You know how I deal with anxiety and stress?!!!! AGHHH!!!!

   She gets called out for her tests. As she leaves she wishes me luck. After all of the tests I find out everything is fine. I go out to the lobby and tell Jeremy. He says"I am so happy! The weirdest thing happened! I was sitting here and this woman came out and thanked me for being here for you". What a day!!!!!!

Mammogram Post 1

   This post is the the first of 2. I had a lot happen yesterday. This will seem made up... but it's all real, and only could happen to me!

Here goes!

   My life is weird! Something happens almost every week that does not seem real. Not joking!

  I was scheduled for a mammogram and ultrasound this week. It was my first. I found a lump and saw my Dr. about it. They made appointments for me to get it checked.

   The morning of my test I over slept, I made Jeremys coffee with yesterdays grounds( I was not on my game). Sorry Jeremy! 

   I eat really weird breakfasts...

 My favs are tacos, burritos, and left overs. Sometimes a ham sandwich! Not your typical breakfast, but  thats what I like! Well... the night before, I made split pea soup. Heavy on the garlic and onions. I LOVE pea soup!!!!

 So yesterday morning I debate...  Stinky garlic pea soup... probably not the best choice. The nurses and doctors are going to be up in your business...Maybe if you just brush your teeth really well, no one will notice. What can it hurt? aghh! But it is soooo garlicky!!! What the heck! I go for it! 

  We leave for the Breast Center. I tell Jeremy about the pea soup. He tells me I am weird, don't worry about. To be honest with you these are my concerns

1. Probably dying( I have anxiety issues)

2. Garlic! (why did I eat that pea soup??!!!!)

3. Getting my teeny-tiny boobs on those plastic plates! Do they have enough to squish? I am NOT confident they do!

  Fast forward to the end of my visit...

   My ultrasound tech tells me "Dr. Garlick will be in, in a few minutes". WHAT????!!!!! Dr Garlick????!!!

   This is IT!!!!! No wonder I was worried!!!!!! Sigh! Ok God, I am ready for the worse! Thats why I was stressed about garlic! It is over! I am stage 4 ! Why did you eat that damn soup?! But....In the end all is well! No cancer! But what I took away from this day was...

1. YES, you have terrible breakfast habbits

2. YES, you have tiny boobs

3. YES, you serve a great God that took care of you today!

    

Bacon Broccoli Cornbread

                                Bacon Broccoli Cornbread

• 2 jiffy corn muffin mixes
• 1 can cream corn
• 1/2 soup can of water
• 1 med. onion, diced small
• 1 lb. bag frozen broccoli, thawed
• 5 strips bacon, cooked and chopped                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           Mix all ingredients. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour in a greased 9X13 pan. Cool for 5 minutes before serving. 

        

Sam

  Our oldest Sam, will be 16 soon. He is very private, but I got his permission for this post. Sam was born when I was 20 years old. I had a really tough pregnancy! I was on bed rest, had ALL day sickness, premature labor,(thankfully the DR. could stop it) among other things. When he was born, his heart rate dropped too low, and they had to use measures to get him out quickly. It was a little scary! I was young, and he was our first. When he was 18 months, he was not walking or talking. I addressed these concerns with our DR. She was also a little concerned, and suggested I contact Ottawa Area Center. We had Sam evaluated at that time by a speech therapist.
   Her name was Val, a great therapist. She came over to our house and evaluated him. She told me that he acted, and had only met the bench markers of a 6-8 month old! A little overwhelming! Sam immediately started therapy! I read any and every book I could get my hands on child development... anything that could possibly help.
   Sam slowly began to say words, along with signing words, we had showed Sam.  He was very uncomfortable around others! Stayed to himself, things always had to be done in the same order. Change of any kind completely set him off! He continued therapy till kindergarten. Than he started seeing the school therapist. It was just a struggle for everything with him! I tried diet changes, different supplements, we saw ALL kinds of alternative medicine DRs... anything and everything!!! Finally when he was 7, he was diagnosed with PDD-NOS and anxiety. It was heart breaking!! PDD-NOS is on the autism spectrum. But...we kept going, and working! Trying everything! I honestly would cry to Jeremy, because I thought he would never be able to leave the house as an adult. There were just soooo many struggles and issues we were working with.
   But... With hard work on our part, therapist, and a ton of work from Sam, and LOTS of prayers, He is now in the 10th grade, taking AP classes, and has been on the honor roll since  the 6th grade!!!!!!! He is so smart! He is one of my biggest blessings! He is responsible, funny, and a great kid! I am crying writing this, thinking of all our struggles, and all our victories! He is growing into being a great man! He is a true testament of what hard work and prayers can do! He is still shy, but you would never know he struggled with all the things that he did! He is just a normal teenager, who rolls his eyes at his Mom and Dad, and picks on his brothers and sister. :)