DF, GF Potato Soup

Dairy Free/ Gluten Free Potato Soup

I created this soup yesterday on a whim when I needed to use some carrots before they went bad and my husband came home with a bag of white potatoes, (which we rarely eat).  So, I thought with it being the end of winter and soup season almost being over for us, that I would make one last "comfort" food for lunch.  The kids loved it too, they each had 2-3 bowls that day.  Let me add here that they are not 100% dairy free, so they did add some shredded cheddar to the top of their bowls! 

This cream cheese you could add if you are NOT dairy free or the light laughing cow cheese wedges.  I would use about 3 TBSP cream cheese or 3 laughing cow wedges.  The consistency is what thickens up the soup and gives it the creamy texture! I chose to suggest "light" versions of dairy because this soup is higher in carbs, so it should be lower in fat!  Reason being using one source of fuel (carbs) for energy.  

If going for Dairy free, what I did was open this can and scooped off the cream that is naturally on top.  There was about 1/4 cup of cream on the top and I used it all!  I didn't have a light version of this coconut milk, but usually the light versions do not have the cream on top!

I'm using my ninja foodie on the pressure cooker and saute function today to make this soup super quick and also to allow it to stay warm so the family can graze on the soup all day as they desire.  Once I had everything ready and the lid locked, I cooked everything on high for 10 min and let it naturally release.  Then I added the creamy coconut milk and stired to combine, adding about 2 tbsp nutritional yeast and salt to taste.

So for starters, I washed and diced about 6 medium sized white baking potatoes and about 1/2 a small bag of organic baby carrots.

Use 2 cubes of this garlic and saute in about 3 tsp olive oil on high till melted.

using the saute function on the ninja foodie

Next I added my diced carrots and sautéed them with the garlic for about 1 min.

This is a freezer MUST HAVE to keep on hand.  I start so many of my recipes off with this!  I buy mine at Walmart.  

I added this frozen mixture to the carrots and garlic and sautéed for about 2 min.

I used this bone broth from Walmart next and added the potatoes in, turning off the saute function.

Lastly, I added about 2 tsp salt and the sealed the lid shut, pressure cook function on high for 10 min!

After it is done cooking you could manually release the pressure, depending on how much time you have. I let mine naturally release on its own.  After removing the lid, add your cream (whatever you choose) and stir well.  You can add more salt and even pepper too if you desire. I added 2 TBSP nutritional yeast giving this soup more of a "cheese" flavor keeping it dairy free.    

Toppings that would be good include, bacon crumbles, green onions, chives, sour cream and cheddar cheese (use dairy free versions if you're dairy free)

ENJOY!

 

Momma's got a new Biz

Actually it's two businesses in one!  First of all I am happy to announce that the reason I have been MIA lately is because I have been studying, learning and getting certified in Health and Wellness coaching.  I got this certificate from Dr. Josh Axe, after taking his 8 week course, Institute for Nutritional Leadership.  Then I had to build a website and find a product that I would use for my clients.   So without further ado... I present to you my new businesses... (drum roll please)

Feel free to visit my website and check out the new business!  aliciatrottercoaching.my.canva.site

 Now on to the second business that is also part of the Health Coaching biz as well...(another drum roll please) the product I chose to use with my clients is Plexus Worldwide.  Why did I choose this company?  Well if you know me, then you will know that I do not do anything without researching and really looking into every possible aspect of it.  This company is top notch first off, and secondly they have a product that is all natural, non GMO and gluten free.  Their prices are reasonable and even cheaper than some brands that I have used in the past.  The thing that makes me the most happy is that the products combine several things I was already taking which made me really happy because I'm all about simple.  And since my business name includes the word "simple" in it, I needed a product that was simple as well. For example the probiotic they have also has digestive enzymes in there too!  A great product in one that supports digestive health!  Want to find out what other products they offer, visit my product website where you can shop and order today.  There are 3 ways to buy, retail, preferred and wholesale.  Retail is full price, preferred is like setting up your Amazon auto monthly ship where you get a bit of a discount for doing so, and wholesale is like being a member of Costco.  Pay a cheap yearly fee and buy products at wholesale.  So visit the website and cruise around to see what products you think might work for you!  I'll also be writing more articles on the products and what I have seen them do in my life and those family members and friends who also use the products!

aliciatrotter.myplexusproducts.com

I'd love your feed back too so let me know what you think! 

Build your own gourmet salad at home for much less

A greek gourmet salad at home

 

I know it sounds weird, but I hate to eat lunch!  Most people hate to eat breakfast, but I find that I struggle with lunch!  My kids are creatures of habit and tend to eat the same things day after day.  I do not like to eat the same thing 2 times in a row.  My husband jokes that in the 12 years we have been together I have never cooked the same thing twice.  This is not entirely true, but I probably only have 5-8 things I will cook more than once.  I love food and recipes and am always creating new ones to try and share.  I get bored easily so I like variety! 

I buy my veggies from a local farm at the farmers market once a week.  They are an organic and non-GMO farm and provide my family with more than enough veggies to feed us for a week!  Pictured is my salad that is my "go to" lunch when I need to pack something while I am on the go! 

 

Gourmet salad recipe:

Lettuce of your choice (preferably not iceberg because it does not have any nutritional value)

cucumber sliced

bell pepper diced

grilled chicken shredded

feta cheese crumbled

artichoke hearts chopped (I have a artichoke spread I buy at Trader Joes that I love and it's what's pictured here)

black olives

salt and pepper to taste

homemade dressing (optional)

 

*the dressing I like to make that's quick and easy is:

olive oil, Dijon mustard, dried parsley flakes, lemon juice

combine and shake well 

 

 

 

 

Breakfast Pizza

I use a medium small cast iron skillet for this recipe.  It makes the perfect personal size pizza for me, although with all the toppings I use, I can only eat half of one pizza in one sitting. 

Recipe:
Ghee or coconut oil (enough to grease the bottom of the skillet)
3 eggs, scrambled
cooked sausage
homemade marinara sauce
diced fresh tomatoes and bell peppers
diced onions (optional)

heat the oil on the stove top in the skillet
pour in the scrambled eggs and let set until the edges are set
gently loosen and flip the "crust"
top with toppings and place in 350 degree oven and bake for 12 min till all is heated through.

optional toppings: salsa, avocado slices, shredded cheese or goats or feta crumbles

Healthy School Lunches Part 2

 1. Applegate Farms Organic all Beef hotdog (chopped), stick of Sargento Colby jack cheese, banana chocolate chip oatmeal cookie, baby carrots with homemade hummus, and jello jigglers.

 2. Watermelon chunks, gluten free Rudi's wrap with Applegate farms Turkey Bologna and sliced Colby jack cheese (rolled up and halved), homemade hummus and carrot coins.

 3. Another wrap, except with Applegate farms ham this time.  Again with Colby jack cheese and I heated it to melt the cheese and then rolled and halved it.  Gluten Free pretzels (I found at Aldi) and fresh raspberries.  Celery from our organic and non-GMO farmer with homemade hummus.

4. Leftover dinner from the night before.  Spaghetti squash with meatballs baked into a nest from PaleOMG.   Sourdough rolls that I made, which are gluten free.  And organic strawberry Trader Joes' yogurt cup.

Again, keep in mind these are not just for the kids!  These lunches can also be used for the office too.  Incase you missed it... also read my previous post Healthy  Lunches for School (and the office too!)

Healthy FRIED veggies? And some game day food!

 Hand cut organic and non-GMO potatoes

Jalapeno peppers stuffed with herb infused goats cheese

 

 

I am lucky enough to have access to an organic, non-GMO farm that I am a CSA (community shared agriculture) member of in which I pick up a weekly share of 8-10lbs of fresh veggies at my local farmers market.  Since it is football season and we LOVE college football, we entertain quite often and host football parties on most Saturdays.  To keep the party foods to my standards and pleasing to our guests, I have come up with a delicious way to use our veggies and copy some of the traditional appetizers. 

 

At COSTCO, they sell a large container of coconut oil for $16.99.  I buy 2 of these and we fill our outdoor commercial grade deep fryer with this MCT oil which is actually good for you!  After heating the fryer to temperature, my husband does all the frying.  I am the one who cuts all the veggies and gets them ready to be cooked. 

Some things we fry:

okra, all I do is simply cut each piece into bite sizes and we fry them till crispy, that's without anything coating them!

Yellow squash, again, all I do is slice each one into rounds and fry them until crispy!  No breading!

White potatoes and sweet potatoes, I do not peel them, I simply slice them up into "Fries" and cook until desired doneness.

 

For the jalapeno poppers:

cut each pepper in half and remove seeds

using herb infused goats cheese and shredded grass fed cheddar (kerrygold, I shred myself) mixed

stuff into each pepper half and bake in a 375 degree oven until the pepper is soft and the cheese has begun to lightly brown.  (I cooked mine for 15 min)

ENJOY!!!



Jello Jigglers

 This is the brand of gelatin that I use.  I order it on Amazon.  This is the only brand that I am aware of that is from grass fed cows.  Gelatin has protein in it and also has many beneficial properties that we should be consuming daily!  www.hollywoodhomestead.com  has lots of interesting info on gelatin and the benefits for you.

 Using juice such as this, is low in sugar and tart cherry has beneficial properties as well for reducing inflammation.  Juice that is not from concentrate is the best choice. 

I heat 1 cup of water to boiling and then remove from heat.  I then add 5 TBSP of gelatin sprinkled over the top and let dissolve.  Once it is dissolved, I add 2 cups of the juice and 1/2 cup of raw honey and whisk until combined.  Then I pour into a glass 8X8 casserole dish and put in the fridge until it is set up.  Cut into squares and eat!  Store in a container in the fridge!

Hummus

 When I get my veggies from my CSA at the farmers market, I always wash them and chop them up for easy access to the kids for lunches and snacks!  They love to dip them in hummus!

 I use organic garbanzo beans and drain about 1/2 the can, 2 tbsp. olive oil, 1-2 garlic cloves, 1/8 cup raw sesame seeds, 1 oz lemon juice, 1 tsp cumin and salt to taste.  I put everything in my vitamix and blend until smooth.  You could use your blender or food processor also.

I portion out the hummus into individual serving size containers for lunches.  Also my kids double dip and this way they can double dip in their own container without contaminating anyone else's!

*adding a few roasted red peppers would also be a nice addition and a different flavor and color hummus!

Fueling the kids for performance

 Almond Butter packets to squeeze on apples, applesauce squeezers (strawberry and carrot flavored), nut and dried fruit individual pack, fruit leather.  Bananas, apples, and grapes.  Individual servings of Wholly Guacamole. (organic blue corn chips to dip in the guac- not pictured)

Perfect Food bar (carob chip flavor), has 16g of protein, GF cheese crackers in a small individual serving packet, GF pretzels for dipping in hummus.

 Watermelon chunks (I freeze these and they are a nice refreshing treat like a popsicle), tart cherry jello jigglers (made with all natural ingredients unlike the boxed kind), homemade hummus (which they also used to dip sliced up veggies- red pepper strips, cucumbers, and celery, not pictured).

Colby-jack cheese sticks with Applegate Farms deli meat wrapped around them (not pictured), magnesium chocolate drops (to replenish the lost electrolytes lost due to sweating), mini burgers on GF sourdough rolls.

Yesterday my girls had a gymnastics competition and since they are on different levels, that meant that we would be there all day from 9-5:30!  Since the concessions usually has nothing we can eat, I needed to make sure we were fully prepared and would not need a thing!  This meant me too since I am doing the gut healing cleanse currently and only eating protein and healthy fats!  Call me crazy, but this is what makes me happy!  Fueling my kids for their best performance!  I enjoy it, I take pride in it and I know I am doing the best I can for them! 

No one went hungry!  We had plenty of food and we shared with our team mates too!  Competition was fun, but LONG!  This momma was really tired by the time we made it home!

*I will post recipes to the jello jigglers and the hummus soon!
*And the girls also ate a fat bomb each about 30 min before they went on to compete!  I brought a thermos with a "bullet-proof" coffee in it for me, and lots of boiled eggs, mini burger patties and a steak!

Gluten Free Sourdough

 This is an example of my first loaf, which is an artisan loaf (crunchy outside, soft inside)

In the left upper corner of this lunch box, is an example of my original recipe for sourdough rolls.

The process of growing the starter is the lengthy process that can be a little complicated!  I used 2 resources to help me get the perfect starter!  From www.culturesforhealth.com I ordered water kefir gains and followed the package directions for making water kefir and BONUS, you have a fermented beverage to consume and a wonderful additive to help grow your starter!  Then I purchased the book "The Art of Gluten-Free Sourdough Baking" by Sharon A. Kane, also from www.culturesforhealth.com for my recipe for the starter.  I use the Boosted Brown Rice Starter on page 50 in the book.
Once I have the starter ready to use to bake, this is the recipe for my sourdough rolls:
2 cups starter
2 cups white rice flour
1 TBSP xanthan gum
1/2 cup tapioca flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 3/4 tsp salt
*mix all these dry ingredients well
then add:
3 eggs
1 Tbsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp softened butter
1 1/4 cup plain unsweetened almond milk
1/4 cup warm water
*mix well until combined and the dough is sticky
I used my kitchen aid stand mixer
Using the Pampered Chef medium scoop, I scooped out the dough into rolls and baked on the pizza stone at 350 degrees for 10-15 min.  Don't over cook, as you can see in the picture, mine did not brown on the top.  They are softer this way.  I store them in a zip lock bag in the fridge and get them out as needed and nuke them in the microwave for 15 sec.  Serve warm with some butter! 
My kids said these rolls are better than O'Charley's!  That's good enough for me!

You could use this same recipe and bake the dough as a loaf.  I did not try this, so I do not have loaf pan sizes or times it would need to cook.  I would recommend starting with a small loaf pan and trying maybe 20-25 min at 350 and checking it periodically.  Again, not letting the bread get browned on top so that it will stay soft.  That's what I think of when I think of sourdough, soft bread! 

The artisan loaf that is pictured at the top of this post, is not an original recipe.  I did find the recipe at www.naturalfertilityandwellness.com if you want to visit this site and get the recipe.  It is really good and freezes well.  My family enjoyed this bread before I discovered this other recipe on my own.  The artisan loaf is more dense and not as soft as I like sourdough to be.  Try them both and see which one works best for your taste buds!

Healthy lunches for school (and for the office too)

 1. This lunch consists of a turkey bologna (Applegate farms) sandwich on my homemade gluten free sourdough bread, Trader Joes nuts and chocolate chunk trek mix, cucumber dices with some homemade ranch in the container with the green lid, and organic strawberries.

 2.This lunch consists of two rolled up pieces of Applegate Farms Turkey, cubed pieces of Kerrygold Dubliner cheese, wholly guacamole mini, organic Trader Joes blue corn tortilla chips (in the baggie).  And 2 Trader Joes gluten free ginger snap cookies.

 3.  This lunch consists of Applegate farms ham, Kerrygold Dubliner cheese chunks, my homemade gluten free sourdough mini rolls, fresh organic peach sliced, organic celery with Trader Joes almond butter.

 4. This lunch consists of cucumber slices, kiwi, and a cutie, Almond butter and Trader Joes fruit sweetened strawberry jelly on grain free silver dollar pancake sandwich, and Applegate Farms ham and Colby jack cheese slice.

5. This lunch was one at home.  3 slices of a mini loaf of my gluten free sourdough bread topped with Colby jack cheese, oregano, and uncured Applegate Farms pepperoni.  Not pictured she also ate 1/2 a peach and a banana, oatmeal, chocolate chip cookie (gluten-free). 

This is a weeks worth of easy and healthy lunches that are for school or the office, or home!  I will work on posting the recipes for some of the items mentioned!  In the mean time, email me or FB message me if you need a recipe before I have time to post them!
ENJOY!

Autoimmune problems, what does it even mean?

If you have been following my blog since the beginning then you know I have been struggling with my health on and off for the past 6 1/2 years.  I have discovered a few things along my journey and most have given me knowledge, power, and relief from my symptoms.  Some on the other had have only given me relief for a limited time.  I have tried may different things, chiropractor, yoga, nutritional therapist, western medicine, all kinds of testing, labs, procedures, you name it, I have had it done.  Now, I know what you must be thinking about now...this girl is crazy and a hypochondriac.  Let me defend myself first of all by saying, I may be crazy, but these symptoms are REAL!  And I am not alone in how I feel!  The symptoms are all encompassed under the umbrella of "Autoimmune Disease".  Now what is autoimmune?  It is basically where your body starts to attack itself because it thinks of itself as a  foreign substance.  Scientists have found out that almost all of these diseases begin in the gut.  Due to the highly toxic world we live in, our guts can get these tiny holes in the lining and we get "leaky gut" which is what causes the attack on self.  You may be thinking, I don't think I live in that toxic of a world, but let me point out a few things here. 
~chemicals in pesticides from non-organic foods we eat
~pesticides in GMO foods we eat (this means genetically modified and that means the seed contains the pesticide in it so that bugs and pests won't eat the produce)
~Beauty products
~water
~medicine
~cookware
~plastic storage containers
~aluminum foil
~bad oils used for cooking
~pollution in our air
The list could go on for ever! 
So if bugs and pests wont eat GMO grown produce, then why would we want to?  It's like eating pesticide!  Products that are most heavily GMO, corn, soy and rice! 
What can you do about all of this?  Buy local from your farmers market where you can talk to your farmer and ask these questions.  Buy from Trader Joes who's mission is to always sell NON-GMO foods!  Whole Foods, Kroger, Wal-Mart and Publix also carry a variety of non-GMO foods, just look for the label on the product! (most always found in the organic section)

Most recently my adrenal fatigue symptoms started sneaking back in a little bit.  The ones of feeling like I was spinning and going to pass out, and the inability to cope with the issues of daily life.  It was not as debilitating as it was, but now I can recognize the symptoms and get to the bottom of things in the beginning instead of letting them get me DOWN!

So I attended a health speaking engagement that one local chiropractor put on for the community for free.  He talked about leaky gut, inflammation, heavy metal toxins, thyroid issues, and weight loss resistance. 

Things I knew I had were, bad bacteria in my gut from the stool samples the NT had discovered and how baffled she was after 3 months of antimicrobials that some were killed , but even more came back.  Also I was always in pain in my back!  I have scoliosis and have since I was 11, but I have had severe back pain since I was 22.  That's been 15 years of suffering a bad back that flares up from simply mopping my floors.  I occasionally had a metallic taste in my mouth, but never thought much about it, and over the past 6 months, I had began gaining weight at a rapid rate.  I was eating like I always do, paleo/primal, and working out 5-6 days a week, so this continual weight gain was so discouraging! 


I decided to do the initial testing with this chiropractor and was shocked to find I had the highest level of inflammation you could have and that I failed all parts of the heavy metal toxin test.  This immediately brought concern to my mind.  I know that diseases LOVE to live in an inflamed environment, especially cancer!  With my family history so strong on both sides of cancer, I do not want to take any chances!  So I told him I wanted to do his CORE cellular detox program. 

In the beginning of the plan I had to make homemade beef broth from grass fed beef bones and could only consume broth and water with salt and coconut oil for 4 days.  This was SO hard!  I did not feel well at all and (sorry for the details), I felt like I was prepping for a colonoscopy for all 4 days.  During this time I was also taking supplements to kill of all the bacteria in my gut, good and bad, along with any yeast, and fungus.  Then a binder to flush all the dead stuff out.  After the 4 days, I could introduce beef, lamb, venison or chicken as long as it was wild, grass fed or free range.  It had to only be seasoned with salt and could be topped with real butter or coconut oil.  I could also eat eggs.  I followed this all protein for 11 days, still drinking broth and taking the supplements.  On day 16, I was allowed to introduce fiber and carbs in supplement form and through veggies and more healthy fats in avocados.  I was reinnoculating my gut with the good bacteria though kefir drinks and whey water along with fermented veggies and probiotics.  The fiber and carbs feed the bacteria so this good bacteria will flourish and grow!  After about 4 full days of this part of the plan, I began to feel very bloated and miserable!  I contacted the Dr. and he said that I should stop all carbs and fiber and back up to the protein again. Apparently I had not killed off all the bad guys and the fiber and carbs were also feeding them.  I have been back on the protein now for 5 days and the killing supplements again for 3.  I am feeling better, so I feel very confident that he was right about that being the problem.  Here's the crazy thing...when I started this plan my weight was about 12-15 pounds more than my normal.  The first 4 days on the broth it went up 2.5 more pounds, due to the fluid volume overload.  Then once I was on the protein for a week, I had lost 6 pounds.  When the carbs got reintroduced, the weight shot back up 3.5 pounds.  Then once I went back to the protein, I lost the 3.5 pounds in 3 days.  To me that was crazy how much weight can fluctuate from bloat caused by bad bacteria growing in the gut and taking over.

I am such a strong willed person that I do plan to stick this out all the way to the end no matter what!  I am hoping and praying that this will be the solution to my leaky gut.  Heal and Seal it!  That's what I am going for! 
I have not had any pain whatsoever in 24 days, which is huge for me!  And my belly is flat again without having to try so hard to hold it in all the time!  I have tons of energy and  I am sleeping better than I have since before I had kids! 
I can tell by taste and smells that my body has detoxed the heavy metals, but I will have those checked again once I am done with the fast.  You may wonder how I was so toxic...mercury, titanium dioxide, aluminum, are all found in beauty products, medicines, cookware, foils, and gum.  Read your ingredients and you'll be shocked!  (mascara, "natural" gums and toothpaste, mineral makeup)
I also had my thyroid checked, which is more than just the typical TSH test.  My TSH was always normal, however my reverse T3, was off the charts.  That's a whole other blog post, talking about the many tests for thyroid that are not being performed! 
So...stay tuned for more results and hopefully a cure to the autoimmune problems I suffer from!  One that will last forever! 

Bacon Wrapped Veggie & Egg Muffins

I am once again embarking on another 21 day food challenge.  The one I did back in November was very successful for me in that I lost almost a whole 7% Body Fat.  Since then there was Thanksgiving, Christmas, a trip to Punta Cana, and well...I gained back 3% of that lost BF during that time.  Not too bad, but its quickly approaching time for bathing suit season, and I am challenging myself again to lower the BF 4% this time and tone up as well as lean out!  I am adding some new recipes, and also incorporating a workout program.  I will be following Jamie Eason's Live Fit Trainer which you can find for FREE at www.bodybuilding.com


Follow me on Instagram daily for exactly what I am eating.  If you didn't request it last time, I can still email you the original 21 day jump start diet plan if you are eager to get your body ready for swim suit season!  (@alicia_trotter is my instagram username, so come on aboard and follow along!)


Bacon Wrapped Veggie & Egg Muffins
6 eggs (farm fresh is best)
chopped broccoli (leftover steamed from dinner works well)
2 green onions, chopped
1/4 green bell pepper chopped
1 tomato chopped
2 garlic cloves chopped
6 pieces of bacon (nitrite free and uncured)
fresh basil chopped
salt and pepper to taste


Chop the veggies, this doesn't have to be done very small because we will be blending these in the blender with the eggs.  Sautee the veggies all but the tomatoes, and basil in 1 TBSP of coconut oil (buy this online at Vitacost.com )  Once the peppers are tender, remove from heat and add to blender.  Crack the 6 eggs into the blender, salt & pepper and puree the mixture.  Take the 6 pieces of bacon and on a microwave safe plate, lined with paper towels on top and bottom, cook only long enough to start the cooking process but still be plyable enough to curve inside the edge of the muffin cup.  (I did  3 min)
Grease the bottoms of the muffin tin with butter, coconut oil or bacon fat.  Wrap the outter edges of each muffin cup with one piece of bacon.  Then fill with egg mixture, and top with tomato pieces and basil.  Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 min until eggs are set.
(my computer is on the fritz, so for pictures of this recipe, see my instagram account!  Sorry for any inconvenience.)

My top 10 snack foods for kidos

Recently I have had a request to blog about what kind of snack foods I feed my kids.  This is always a challenge, especially because most growing kids eat every 2-3 hours.  It always seems like my kids are hungry every time I turn around.  I have mentioned before that we have some food allergies and major food intolerance, so this poses an even bigger challenge.  Again, Trader Joes is my favorite for finding gluten free foods at a very reasonable price.  I know that the one in Nashville is not located close to everyone, but go there once a month and stock up!  It seriously does save you money! 
My oldest daughter is highly sensitive to processed sugar, like High Fructose Corn Syrup, and just plain ole white sugar, so I really try to buy things organic or make them myself with honey.  The organic products still will have sugar in them, however it is usually most often evaporated can juice.  This form of sugar actually still contains the natural minerals found in sugar in nature. 
1.Amazon sells some suckers that I buy a huge bag of, its about 2 gallons worth for $30.  These last me a LONG time and are a special treat! http://www.amazon.com/YummyEarth-Organic-Lollipops-Assorted-Flavors/dp/B000HDK0DC/ref=pd_ybh_19
2.Cheese sticks by Sargento are also a good source of protein, if no one is allergic to milk.  My youngest daughter was allergic for 3 years, but now just seems to be sensitive to certain dairy products.  The colby jack form of cheese she can handle much better than the mozzarella.  Also if you want cheese from grass fed cows, Kerrygold makes a fabulous cheese.  I have found it at the best price point at Sams.  I have also seen it at Aldi recently as well.
3.Fruit, of all kinds!  A good pair in my house is apples dipped in natural peanut butter.  Almond butter is best for me as I am super sensitive to legumes.  Make sure that you buy natural peanut butter where peanuts is the only ingredients.  Organic is best, but often contains added sugar.  Krema, is non-organic, but tastes amazing and I have found it at Kroger.
Cuties are great for kids, they have no seeds and are basically mandarin oranges in their natural form.  I do buy canned mandarin oranges in the off season but only if they are in their own juice.  No syrup!
4. Popcorn, I buy the organic kernels at Trader Joes (this is also non-GMO) and pop it on the stove top in coconut oil.  I even pop this ahead of time and keep it in a zip lock bag for easy access.  We do also have an air popper that my 7 year old can pop some corn for herself if she wants to.  This version is even healthier!
5. Applesauce squeezers- again I buy these at Trader Joes.  They have a carrot/apple one that the girls really like.  I also get the strawberry /apple and plain apple too.  Be sure to read labels, because not all squeezers are "clean".
6. Raw veggies- I make a ranch dip using plain greek yogurt and they enjoy dipping baby carrots and sugar snap peas.  They also like cherry tomatoes and the seedless crispy baby cucumbers with a sprinkle of sea salt.
7. greek yogurt- chiobanni, makes a kid yougurt, called Champion.  All of the flavors are good.  My kids like the chocolate chip kind best and I let them eat it sometimes in place of icecream!  I have only found this at Publix.
8. Keifer ice cream- Lifeway makes a delicious strawberry flavor.  It seems expensive at first, but I think of it this way...its a special treat.  We only eat it on occasion, so its the same as if you were taking your kids out for an ice cream treat.  You would pay the same if not more.
9.Other ice cream treats- So Delicious makes some dairy free treats, and now they also have no sugar added treats as well.  Again, the price seems steep, but these are special treats!  If you took advantage of the Freebie I posted last week.  That ebook listed many websites you could print off coupons for healthier and organic foods.  Also if you shop at Kroger, using your plus card, they will send you custom coupons in the mail for items you buy most often. 
10.Trail mix- I buy the raw nuts trek mix at Trader Joes because it is convenient.  Otherwise you could mix some raw nuts, and dried fruit along with some unsweetened coconut chips and there you have a nice trail mix!
Read the post on my favorite things to link you up to some of my favorite blogs I get other kid friendly recipes from for breakfast items especially!

Stomach Bug? Or just intolerant to certain foods?

My oldest daughter who is almost  8, has had stomach issues her entire life.  I say that with all seriousness.  We even spent 5 days in the hospital after her birth having tests run to see what was wrong with her "gut".  As it was diagnosed, she had immature gut and we were sent home.  From that day on, she has constantly had battles with her stomach hurting.  She was very "spitty" as a baby until about 18 months, then she suffered with constipation until about a year ago.  In 2009, the whole family went dairy free because the tiny Trotter was allergic.  I thought that this for sure would help the older Trotter's bowel issues.  It did seems to improve for a few months, but then it was back to the same issues.  In 2011 she got to the point where she could not eat any starchy carbs without laying in the floor and crying.  Even at restaurants she would do this. I remember a time when were eating out and she had ordered a bowl of mac & cheese.  I warned her not to do it because of the history, but she did anyways, and we were soon in the bathroom because she thought she was going to vomit. 
It was then and there that I decided that we must take action.  We see a pediatric allergist for the tiny Trotter's food allergy issues, so I asked him about the possibility of her being allergic to wheat.  He advised me to simply go cold turkey and avoid all grains and sugar for 30 days.  Then slowly re-introduce one food at a time and see what the trigger(s) were.  So, I decided to do it with her so that she would not be alone.  To my amazement, the first 7 days were so awful!  We were lethargic and she actually did vomit within the first 24 hours almost like an addict coming off drugs.  Unsweetened applesauce with probiotics mixed in was the saving grace for us on that issue.
So after the 7 days passed we had all kinds of energy!  We drank a lot of homemade bone broth to help sooth the gut and calm things down.  This actually helped her get on a regular schedule with bowel movements.  After 30 days, we eased back into other fruits, no problem, and then after about 60-90 days, we introduced Non-GMO corn products back in.  So far, so good.  Next after about another 60 days we introduced whole grain rice (the brown stuff that takes longer to cook than a min) and again we were fine.  All of this took place over the course from March 2012-present.  As of today we still have not introduced wheat.  The very few times that she or I have either had it for a treat or slipped because we didn't know there was wheat or gluten in the product, we have felt terrible.  I usually just feel bloated and very crampy, she on the other hand actually gets sick.  Almost like it weakens her immune system and she either runs a fever, vomits, is constipated majorly, or just lays around with no energy. 
So as a mom, I have to be the one to do the hard thing for her.  Self control on these food issues at her age is so hard!  This past Friday she caved in to some friends offer and ate "gushers" and "combos".  Well, within 12 hours she was dry heaving and having diarrhea.  Then she felt awful and had no energy along with constipation for 3 days following.  Then I gave her a cookie that had been made by someone else not realizing it had wheat in it, and she threw up.  Poor baby!  As of today though, she is not longer constipated and is feeling much better!
So for any of you out there who has a child who always complains of her tummy hurting...I am speaking from experience that in this Genetically Modified Food world we live in, the probability that she has food intolerances are very great and real!  Yes it is hard to not buy prepackaged snacks, and to spend the time making all of the stuff from scratch homemade, but in the end her health and well being makes it all worth while! 

Food Allergies

At the time, I had a 4 month old baby who spit up massively every time I breast fed her!  Crazy, and someone please help me!  I noticed that it was worse when I had just eaten icecream, drank milk, or had any type dairy product.  I did some research on my own online and found that I should cut out all my dairy intake.  So I did that and still she seemed to have reflux and spit up like crazy.  Then at 6 months old, she had the 1/2 dose flu shot.  Guess what?!?! She exploded in hives.  So now it was to research the flu shot.  Did you know it contains egg?  So i approach my pediatrician and talk to him about the possibilities of food allergies.  To my surprise he did not want to do anything until she was 18 months.  I left crying thinking what should I feed my 6 month old that can now eat baby food and cereal?
If you have ever found yourself in this situation, I encourage you to research other moms who have walked this walk.  I got more information from doing that than I did from any doctor!  Sad, but true!  What I decided to do was research any and all recipes without egg and dairy.  Then I prepared our family meals this way and then pureed them in my blender and fed her these foods instead of anything else I could buy in the store.  This worked for us and at 12 months, I put her on SOY milk instead of cows milk.  Once she tested that she was NOT allergic to nuts, we quickly switched to almond milk. Being because SOY has so many negative side affects.  (That will be addressed in another post)  Believe it or not, there are lots of options in almond milk when it comes to ice cream and such.
Now we have out grown all but our egg allergy.  We still drink almond milk, and do coconut icecream.  Greek yogurt seems ok since it has so many probiotics.  Hard cheeses seem fine as well in moderation.  Things like sour cream, icecream, and cows milk seem to bother her, so Im saying she is still lactose intolerant.
If anyone else has experienced food allergies and feels lost, leave a comment or message me and I would love to talk to you more about this crazy, beautiful thing I call LIFE!