Here we go again :)

Ds is better, but I really felt so much better eating gluten free. So I have decided for 2013 our family will be gluten free for good. I still have all my recipes, and I am ready to take my whole world to the wonderful world of eating gluten free. Dh is not excited, my kids eat whatever so I really want to show dh just how awesome eating gluten free will be.

Yummy chocolate Strawberry shortcake cupcakes

So this recipe I also got from Chef Chloe: http://chefchloe.com/sweets/chocolate-strawberry-shortcake-cupcakes.html but changed it to make it suit me and used a frosting I liked better from the living without magazine:http://www.livingwithout.com/recipes/gluten_fre_buttercream_frosting-1418-1.html Chocolate Cupcakes 1 ½ cups gluten free flour (I used Orgrans) 1 cup sugar 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 1 teaspoon gluten free baking soda ½ teaspoon salt 1 cup coconut milk or any preferred milk or coffee ½ cup Safflower oil 2 tablespoons white or apple cider vinegar 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract I loved this frosting so good! 6 cups powdered sugar ½ teaspoon salt ½ cup boiling hot water 2½ cups Spectrum Organic Shortening ¾ cup (1½ sticks) butter or margarine, slightly softened, cut into 1-inch pieces 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract Frosting Recipe: 1. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine powdered sugar and salt. 2. Using a whisk attachment, add boiling water and whip at low speed until smooth and cool, approximately 5 minutes. 3. Add shortening and margarine to the sugar mixture and whip at medium speed until smooth, approximately 3 minutes. Add vanilla. Increase speed to medium high and whip until light, fluffy and increased in volume, approximately 10 minutes. Frosting will fill most of a 5-quart mixing bowl. TIP Leftover “Buttercream” Frosting is great on cupcakes or cookies. Refrigerate in a sealed container for up to 2 weeks. Allow chilled frosting to return to It makes alot of frosting so I save 1/2 for the next time I make this :) Cupcake Recipe: To make the Chocolate Cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 (12-cup) cupcake pans with 14 cupcake liners. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together coffee, oil, vinegar, and vanilla. Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture and whisk until just combined. Do not over mix. Fill the cupcake liners about two-thirds full with batter. Bake for 16 to 18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cupcake comes out clean with a few crumbs clinging to it. Cool the cupcakes completely before frosting. Butter-cream Frosting recipe(found in living without magazine):

All better!

My little guys is two now! I cant believe just how far we have come. Seems like just yesterday me and him were up at night crying together. I watched my little man cry, and cry, while scratching til blood. It was so tough but my son is finally healed. Yea! To make a really long story short. IN February we did fasted, and prayed for Dj. At first I was praying for us to know what he needed, at this point I just asked God to fix him. I didn't

want to hunt and diet anymore and try to find a way to fix him, so we prayed and when we came off the fast I no longer had to be on a diet for his allergies. That was huge! Since I no longer had to be on a diet, I could just feed him gluten, egg, dairy, soy, corn, and nut free. Finally no more crazy strict diet. Dj is better. Then about a month later he could eat all food, no more issues. The only thing that we noticed is that from time to time he would still itch, but with the coconut, flax, and cod liver oil as long as he takes hes just fine. No itching, no pain just a normal happy baby. What a journey.

How far we have come

I have never been a big fan of doctors but I guess I figured that they were at least good people until now. I think I dislike doctors more than I ever have after everything I have been through with DJ. I have had to go through everything trying to make my ds better and the only help I got from his doctors was they can continue to give him stronger and stronger steroids, and to put lotion on him. One mentioned an elimination diet but just said only eat chicken, rice, and veggies. I left that appointment feeling like the whole world was falling on me. Anywho I found other things to eat and without gluten, dairy, eggs, nuts, soy, and oats managed to make cupcakes, thin mints, and even eat gluten free bread but its been a journey. Anywho so I wanted to share my natural journey to help my ds eczema. So Ds was fine when he was born he sleep through the night at about 2 weeks like my other kids, he was happy, and just like my other kids. Then in November I think he was 3/4 months he got eczema and it was really bad. It weeped, crusted, bleed, and he was going nuts trying to tear at his face. When I could not take it anymore and the doctor would not give me any hydrocortazone cream I took him to the ER. He looked like this:

Gluten free and Vegan thin mints

I think gluten is one of the things i have the hardest time with. I have always loved to bake and not being able to has really been a challenge. SO I got on the internet and decided to find some sweets I could eat. I found a recipe for thin mints but I added the changes I made to it. I got some all purpose GF flour from the gluten free market down town and made some really yummy thin mints. To me they are even better than the girl scout cookies but you try them and see.
Then Recipe is here:
Gluten free Thin mints:
Thin Mints Recipe

The cookie part
1 ¼ cup Gluten free all purpose flour (I used Orgran in a red and white box)
1 cup sugar
½ cup Hersheys cocoa powder
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¾ cup vegan margarine
3 tablespoons nondairy milk (I used coconut)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
½ teaspoon pure peppermint extract

Chocolate Coating

2 cups dairy-free semi-sweet chocolate I used enjoy life, also rice dream makes a dairy free chocolate
1 tablespoon vegan margarine we use the red tub becuase its soy free
½ teaspoon peppermint extract


Wafer Cookies
In a bowl, mix flour, sugar, cocoa powder, salt, and baking soda until combined. Add margarine, milk, vanilla, and mint extract. Mix until its all combined . Transfer mixture to a large bowl and knead with your hands in the bowl for one minute. Chill the dough in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silpats. Remove dough from refrigerator. Roll a heaping teaspoon of cookie dough into a ball and place onto prepared baking sheets, leaving about 3 inches in between each ball. Evenly flatten the dough with your fingertips so that it is about ¼ inch thick and bake for 12-14 minutes. Let cool completely.

Chocolate Coating
Melt chocolate chips and margarine over a double boiler or in the microwave. Stir in the mint extract and mix until smooth. Spread chocolate mixture over cooled cookies and place on parchment paper to cool I put mine in the freezer a few minutes.

So here we go

You know how you say you want to eat better but you keep putting it off. You say you want to switch organic, eat out less, switch from white to whole wheat but then something comes up. You get busy, life happens as it always does. Well that was me til now. I have been wanting to start eating healthier but things kept happening. Then God blessed me with the sweetest little boy ever. One very happy, adorable, bundle of joy. When DJ was about 2 months I noticed he had eczema really bad. My doctor kept telling me to get thick lotions. I got them all. I wanted to stick to natural so I tried vitamin e, coconut, and everything else I could find for skin and nothing happened. I even got myself on a million multi vitamins since he was breastfeeding and my moms swore my poor health was the cause of DJ eczema. Dj's skin just got worst. It was oozing, swollen, red all the time. IT was horrible. It wasn't until I was staying up with him all night crying and scratching(him not me all thought I wanted to) that I just took him to the ER. I didn't know what else to do. My doctor would not tell me more than keep putting lotion on him. Which I was doing but I guess to her since he was always dry when I came to see him she assumed I was not. His skin would eat the oil and I was putting it on with every diaper change. I had bathed him, stopped bathing him, oiled him, steroided him. I had even considered rubbing his body down with pee lol Someone said it would work and I was desperate and I figured It was working for his butt, (the only place on him with no eczema). Finally a doctor mentioned changing my diet. Since he was breastfeeding only. She told me to cut out all dairy, eggs, soy, tomatoes, wheat, nuts, corn, and other stuff out my diet. I was desperate so I did it. I cut it all out for about 3 weeks. His pooh went from green to yellow and for the first time he was happy. It was crazy my son was finally acting like he was suppose to. After I saw the change in him I knew what I would have to do. I had went to see an allergist and he tested and said DJ was allergic to eggs and milk but when I stopped eating those things DJ still itched. SO it was more than that and I didn't find out until the blood test that he was allergic to wheat,rye, barley, dairy, eggs, and nuts. So I did away with that stuff and almost instantly I noticed his skin was weeping less, and he was happier. I also learned it could take up to a month for me to really see the difference but already his bowls were turning yellow again. I was so happy finally improvement. So now I know what I have to do and this is the story of my adventure of finding things to eat, and figuring out this allergy. SO now I am forced to eat healthy because its the only way I can help DJ. I have to know whats in everything I eat and be careful about what I am eating. The only way for me to really do that is to eat organic so that is what we are doing.