They grow up. It's a fact. It happens one day at a time, so slowly it's almost imperceptible. But then things happen to make you notice.
The training wheels come off and she's racing down the road on her own.
Those chubby little fingers are now long and slender, nothing like those first handprints.
"I can do it by myself" are the words that shoo you away when your automatic reaction is to step in and help.
Once favorite books and television shows are now for "babies".
Curves are coming on.
Teeth are at the point of needing braces.
Talking on the phone with the BFF is a daily "need".
I look into the eyes of each of my children and sigh in wonder. Where has the time gone? My oldest just turned ten. Perhaps his time at home with us is half over. My girls show the makings of beautiful women more and more each time I look.
The boundaries I've set up to keep them safe begin to become too narrow. They're itching to ride their bikes the full length of our road. I take them for walks and they race off on their bikes, out of my sight as I move more slowly, pushing the youngest in the stroller. I know they are okay, but I think of how much more I need to teach them about strangers, about rules of safety. I think of getting them whistles to wear around their necks.
Their interest in the computer becomes more keen. For now it's Webkinz and games like Mindcraft, but I dread the day when they want a facebook account. Though I swear now that they will never have one under my roof, I realize these are the words of a mom who's oldest is ten. I know nothing yet of raising teens. The sad and disconcerting local news of a fifteen year old girl missing... and found dead over a week later... seemingly in relation to a false facebook identity... well, it makes a mom want to hug tighter and cinch the boundaries even closer. And it ought to.
But with the realization that these little ones are growing up. They will always need me, but they will not always need these boundaries. The lines we don't allow them to cross- like using potty language and staying in our line of vision- will disappear and new lines will be drawn. Over and over again until hopefully, prayerfully, they've gained the wisdom they need to create their own personal boundaries of safety and righteousness.
Until then, this mama bear seeks to protect and prepare them for the world that lies around the corner. For now, that corner is on our little road in the country. Someday, they'll turn the corner into the wide, wide world.
Lord, be with us at every turn.
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
Monday, May 13, 2013
Treasures from the Retreat
I just spent a wonderful weekend at a ladies retreat, soaking up the treasures of God's Word with girlfriends, cups of coffee, and yes, chocolate. These are some of the simplest joys in my life- rising up early to spend time reading my Bible, sipping a strong cup of coffee (in a giant mug) and what a bonus joy to be among so many "God-fearing women". Our speaker was my very favorite Debbi Bryson, a woman just so full of love and encouragement and the Holy Spirit, I just long to be like the Jesus I see in her. She shines Jesus- the Jesus that isn't frugal with his blessings, the Jesus that hunts down the hurting and the sinful, the Jesus that will transform your life.
There is always an expectation that God will meet with you at a retreat like this- and there should be. That's why we retreat from our everyday lives and go to these things. To hear from the Lord without the distraction of the dirty pile of dishes, the phone ringing, and cries for mommy. Though we still find plenty of things to distract us from what matters most...
I can't say that I had an earth-shattering encounter with God over the weekend, but I certainly came home with my cup full and overflowing. One thing I've learned over the years is that I don't need to rely on a retreat to meet with God. I get to meet with him every day and every day is an opportunity for something earth-shattering to happen between us. In fact, I think that is how He would prefer it. The daily time spent together is where intimacy is built, much like in marriage. It is the daily where we learn the little things about our spouse like how they take their coffee, how their day was, what's bugging them. Occasionally, rarely, we have a getaway, a night or two alone, and it's glorious. We rediscover how much we LIKE each other. We get to talk without interruption from the children. Intimacy is unhindered. I wish every day could be like these getaways, but the truth is we have to keep doing what we can keep doing... and we can't escape every day.
Not with our spouse and not with the Lord.
A relationship is built day-by-day.
So I wasn't offended that God didn't give me earth-shattering news while at this retreat. He surely swept me off my feet as I worshipped him and as the Word of God was opened and new treasures revealed. I brought a few questions to him that He gave me answers to.
One: Do you want me to have another baby? Am I ignoring you? Am I missing your call?
Answer: Don't stress, girl. We're together every day. If I want you to know something, I'll tell you and you won't miss it.
Two: What do you want me to do? What is my destiny?
Answer: There's a lot you don't know yet, but one thing I want you to do is teach the younger women and be taught yourself by older women.
Three: Why'd you make me this way? Why'd you make me a leader? Cause it seems like we need more followers.
Answer: You are fearfully and wonderfully made and I made you on purpose and FOR purpose. Just you hold on and see...
Isn't the Lord so good? He is just so sweet to me. He loved on me and whispered in my ear sweet-somethings while I was away with him, things that help sustain me through the dailiness and remind me, Oh I sure do LOVE him still. He's so good to me.
It gets me thinking that a relationship with Jesus is not meant to be hard. So often I find myself straining to hear him, but only when I'm pressing a certain topic. When I relax and come to Him open to receive anything, I always receive. I stress over things that aren't stressing Him. Like babies. He's not a God of numbers... He's a God of Wonders. He's not more pleased with the church of five thousand than he is the church of 50. He's not more pleased with the family of five than he is fifteen... and counting.
A relationship with Jesus isn't meant to be accessed occasionally. There's no ritual to go through before entering his presence. All he really wants is me. Even if it's been weeks since we last talked, we can pick right up again... no shame necessary. But, oh, I miss him when I'm away. I really do. The most exciting part of my day is the time that I open up my Bible and receive those wonderful treasures inside it.
There is always an expectation that God will meet with you at a retreat like this- and there should be. That's why we retreat from our everyday lives and go to these things. To hear from the Lord without the distraction of the dirty pile of dishes, the phone ringing, and cries for mommy. Though we still find plenty of things to distract us from what matters most...
I can't say that I had an earth-shattering encounter with God over the weekend, but I certainly came home with my cup full and overflowing. One thing I've learned over the years is that I don't need to rely on a retreat to meet with God. I get to meet with him every day and every day is an opportunity for something earth-shattering to happen between us. In fact, I think that is how He would prefer it. The daily time spent together is where intimacy is built, much like in marriage. It is the daily where we learn the little things about our spouse like how they take their coffee, how their day was, what's bugging them. Occasionally, rarely, we have a getaway, a night or two alone, and it's glorious. We rediscover how much we LIKE each other. We get to talk without interruption from the children. Intimacy is unhindered. I wish every day could be like these getaways, but the truth is we have to keep doing what we can keep doing... and we can't escape every day.
Not with our spouse and not with the Lord.
A relationship is built day-by-day.
So I wasn't offended that God didn't give me earth-shattering news while at this retreat. He surely swept me off my feet as I worshipped him and as the Word of God was opened and new treasures revealed. I brought a few questions to him that He gave me answers to.
One: Do you want me to have another baby? Am I ignoring you? Am I missing your call?
Answer: Don't stress, girl. We're together every day. If I want you to know something, I'll tell you and you won't miss it.
Two: What do you want me to do? What is my destiny?
Answer: There's a lot you don't know yet, but one thing I want you to do is teach the younger women and be taught yourself by older women.
Three: Why'd you make me this way? Why'd you make me a leader? Cause it seems like we need more followers.
Answer: You are fearfully and wonderfully made and I made you on purpose and FOR purpose. Just you hold on and see...
Isn't the Lord so good? He is just so sweet to me. He loved on me and whispered in my ear sweet-somethings while I was away with him, things that help sustain me through the dailiness and remind me, Oh I sure do LOVE him still. He's so good to me.
It gets me thinking that a relationship with Jesus is not meant to be hard. So often I find myself straining to hear him, but only when I'm pressing a certain topic. When I relax and come to Him open to receive anything, I always receive. I stress over things that aren't stressing Him. Like babies. He's not a God of numbers... He's a God of Wonders. He's not more pleased with the church of five thousand than he is the church of 50. He's not more pleased with the family of five than he is fifteen... and counting.
A relationship with Jesus isn't meant to be accessed occasionally. There's no ritual to go through before entering his presence. All he really wants is me. Even if it's been weeks since we last talked, we can pick right up again... no shame necessary. But, oh, I miss him when I'm away. I really do. The most exciting part of my day is the time that I open up my Bible and receive those wonderful treasures inside it.
Thursday, May 2, 2013
April Update
Oh dear blogosphere friends, I am SO sorry that my posting has been, well, nonexistent for the month of April. One of my pet peeves are unupdated blogs and here I am, falling predictably after my pride.
I could make lots of excuses and you all know they are real because you live it too. Kiddos. Home educating. Feeding the family. Time with the hubs. Exercise. Ministry commitments. Those are the things that fill my days and weeks and leave me quite exhausted at the end of most days.
You know, I've been finding that when I do the things I ought to be doing here at home, with the kiddos, for myself personally, there really isn't much time left in my day. I've felt busier than ever this past month though my outside commitments haven't changed. But I've made some inside commitments that are really challenging my time management skills, among other things.
One of the biggest commitments I've made this past month is to get fit and to get healthy. I joined a Beachbody Challenge Group and for 12 weeks I'll be doing Turbofire six days a week. There are four other ladies plus our coach in the group and I have to say that it has been such a blessing. Today began week 3 of the Challenge and there is so much love and encouragement, so much honesty, so much change happening inside and I can even see some change outside. I've committed to exercising between 7 and 8 on weekday mornings. Then it's time to clean up, get dressed, eat breakfast, and make sure the kiddos have all done the same so we can begin school around 9 o'clock.
Did I mention I've been getting up at three AM to get the coffee on for my husband, who has begun a new work schedule and has to leave the house by 4 in the morning? Yes, I do go back to bed. But I've been sleeping until six when I used to get up and stay up at five. I actually miss that extra quiet hour in the morning. Just me, a cup of coffee, and Jesus. For two hours. Now I'm down to one hour. It's just not enough.
I've been trying to get outside more with the kids. The weather has finally turned for the better here in New England and I don't want to miss it by staying cooped up inside. But I have to admit, if I'm not inside, there's no one else around to do the work of running the home. I've got every laundry basket full of clean clothes that need to be folded, my upstairs barely has a path to walk through, and I am in need of some cooking therapy! Yes, I am a homebody and I love being inside.
We're down to just about three weeks left of school and it is so exciting! In the summer, we do "school" the way I wish I was brave enough to do it all year long- we just read. Last year the kids did math too, but not this summer. I'll give them each a reading challenge and I've got a long list of read-alouds I want to get through. Truthfully, we may only get through four of them, but we all enjoy this time together. We're also making plans to have another full summer of activity- going to the beach, and visiting places in our own state that we have yet to explore. With Josh's new schedule, he'll have every three days off! So we'll get to go on our adventures together!
So this is just my I'm-so-sorry-for-being-a-blogging-slacker update, to get my juices flowing again and to promise you that I'll update more often. And no blogger has ever said that and not come through. :)
I could make lots of excuses and you all know they are real because you live it too. Kiddos. Home educating. Feeding the family. Time with the hubs. Exercise. Ministry commitments. Those are the things that fill my days and weeks and leave me quite exhausted at the end of most days.
You know, I've been finding that when I do the things I ought to be doing here at home, with the kiddos, for myself personally, there really isn't much time left in my day. I've felt busier than ever this past month though my outside commitments haven't changed. But I've made some inside commitments that are really challenging my time management skills, among other things.
One of the biggest commitments I've made this past month is to get fit and to get healthy. I joined a Beachbody Challenge Group and for 12 weeks I'll be doing Turbofire six days a week. There are four other ladies plus our coach in the group and I have to say that it has been such a blessing. Today began week 3 of the Challenge and there is so much love and encouragement, so much honesty, so much change happening inside and I can even see some change outside. I've committed to exercising between 7 and 8 on weekday mornings. Then it's time to clean up, get dressed, eat breakfast, and make sure the kiddos have all done the same so we can begin school around 9 o'clock.
Did I mention I've been getting up at three AM to get the coffee on for my husband, who has begun a new work schedule and has to leave the house by 4 in the morning? Yes, I do go back to bed. But I've been sleeping until six when I used to get up and stay up at five. I actually miss that extra quiet hour in the morning. Just me, a cup of coffee, and Jesus. For two hours. Now I'm down to one hour. It's just not enough.
I've been trying to get outside more with the kids. The weather has finally turned for the better here in New England and I don't want to miss it by staying cooped up inside. But I have to admit, if I'm not inside, there's no one else around to do the work of running the home. I've got every laundry basket full of clean clothes that need to be folded, my upstairs barely has a path to walk through, and I am in need of some cooking therapy! Yes, I am a homebody and I love being inside.
We're down to just about three weeks left of school and it is so exciting! In the summer, we do "school" the way I wish I was brave enough to do it all year long- we just read. Last year the kids did math too, but not this summer. I'll give them each a reading challenge and I've got a long list of read-alouds I want to get through. Truthfully, we may only get through four of them, but we all enjoy this time together. We're also making plans to have another full summer of activity- going to the beach, and visiting places in our own state that we have yet to explore. With Josh's new schedule, he'll have every three days off! So we'll get to go on our adventures together!
So this is just my I'm-so-sorry-for-being-a-blogging-slacker update, to get my juices flowing again and to promise you that I'll update more often. And no blogger has ever said that and not come through. :)
Sunday, March 24, 2013
The Wheat-Free Experiment- Week Three- Cheater, Cheater
So I admit, week three was the week of cheating. We let the wheat get back into our systems. It's what happens when you leave church late, stop for gas, and notice that there is, conveniently, a Subway sandwich shop attached to the gas station. The tummy is rumbly, you can smell the bread even over the gas fumes... why not? Let's get some sandwiches for lunch.
A Subway sandwich may not be a major cheat on a typical diet, but it is, of course, if your diet doesn't include wheat. We've discovered that there is very little eating out you can do, particularly at any place with a drive-through, when you're not eating wheat. Hamburgers, chicken nuggets, salads with croutons, even McDonald's french fries are coated in a wheat product. This is one of the better side-effects of being on a wheat-free diet, although it's hardly convenient. It eliminates so many junk food options right off the bat.
The other day Josh and I were talking about the popularity of almond milk and other almond products, like almond meal for baking. He asked me about soy milk and I, with great passion, declared that soy milk is a horrible product and ought not to be ingested by anyone. The prevalence of soy in almost every packaged product indicates that it is a cheap filler "food" but has hardly any nutrition... and I believe it's the polar opposite of anything nutritious. Anything but a pure genuine soy food, like edamame, is not good for you (at least not for anyone in our house). I went to the pantry to show him just how prevalent soy was in our food. I pulled out a package of rice cakes. Ingredients: brown rice, salt. Nice, I thought to myself. I pulled out a box of cereal. No soy in this particular plain Jane product. Hmmm.... I glance around the pantry, which is void of pretty much any convenience, pre-packaged food.
"Wow." I said out loud. "None of this has soy in it." Why? Because we have basically eliminated all those easy-peasy snack and convenience foods when we eliminated wheat. And wheat and soy seem to go hand in hand. Surely, there are GF foods and lots of so called "health" foods that contain soy. But I've discovered another great side-effect to this wheat free diet: because I have to make most of our foods, I control exactly what goes inside them. They come out cleaner, and more natural, than practically anything I could buy in the store already made for me.
Back to the cheating. Did I feel guilty? Not really. This is just an experiment, after all. I ate a brownie at church Sunday night. I also made some Magic Cookie bars with a pretzel crust (we had some pretzels lingering around), and ate some. But let me tell you. Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday my legs were once again, sore. At first I thought it was just from my workout, but by Wednesday I realized it was that other kind of sore that I would get just by doing daily life. No wheat since Tuesday and my legs are feeling great again. Workouts and all. So I'm calling it. Wheat is contributing to my sore legs.
I think the "experts" say it takes three weeks to make a new habit or break a bad one. Well, we've been doing this for over three weeks and it is coming much more naturally. The benefits, like the ones mentioned above, are becoming more important to me than the extra work. I'm really thankful that we put the whole family on this diet. It enabled us to completely empty out the pantry of wheat-full foods and eliminate temptation. Everyone is getting used to it by now. We've got one final week left of our thirty day experiment. Will we continue to keep the wheat out of the house?
I don't know yet. I think that, for me, the wheat has to go. I'm not at the end of my own personal food journey, discovering what works best for my body. But this has been a valuable learning experiment. Josh hasn't had any major, noticeable differences in how he feels. He has lost five pounds, but his weight fluctuates about five pounds naturally. If it falls below the current mark, we'll start to conclude that maybe the wheat-free diet is helping him too. However, this hasn't been just a wheat-free change, as I've already mentioned. Lots of other icky foods and not-so-great habits are being eliminated too. So perhaps it's not just the wheat that was affecting us.
I really love that the kids aren't eating as much pre-packaged snack food. The extra work it makes for me is less bothersome now (new habit gained). I love that they are trying new foods because their default foods are missing. But this doesn't mean I'll be a Nazi when it comes to what they eat. I'm sure we'll have goldfish crackers in the house occasionally. But maybe just a small bag of them for a treat instead of the giant tub.
I'm anxious to see what this week brings. The experiment is easier and easier and as our thirty days come to an end, I hope we gain even more insight as to how we want to feed our family.
A Subway sandwich may not be a major cheat on a typical diet, but it is, of course, if your diet doesn't include wheat. We've discovered that there is very little eating out you can do, particularly at any place with a drive-through, when you're not eating wheat. Hamburgers, chicken nuggets, salads with croutons, even McDonald's french fries are coated in a wheat product. This is one of the better side-effects of being on a wheat-free diet, although it's hardly convenient. It eliminates so many junk food options right off the bat.
The other day Josh and I were talking about the popularity of almond milk and other almond products, like almond meal for baking. He asked me about soy milk and I, with great passion, declared that soy milk is a horrible product and ought not to be ingested by anyone. The prevalence of soy in almost every packaged product indicates that it is a cheap filler "food" but has hardly any nutrition... and I believe it's the polar opposite of anything nutritious. Anything but a pure genuine soy food, like edamame, is not good for you (at least not for anyone in our house). I went to the pantry to show him just how prevalent soy was in our food. I pulled out a package of rice cakes. Ingredients: brown rice, salt. Nice, I thought to myself. I pulled out a box of cereal. No soy in this particular plain Jane product. Hmmm.... I glance around the pantry, which is void of pretty much any convenience, pre-packaged food.
"Wow." I said out loud. "None of this has soy in it." Why? Because we have basically eliminated all those easy-peasy snack and convenience foods when we eliminated wheat. And wheat and soy seem to go hand in hand. Surely, there are GF foods and lots of so called "health" foods that contain soy. But I've discovered another great side-effect to this wheat free diet: because I have to make most of our foods, I control exactly what goes inside them. They come out cleaner, and more natural, than practically anything I could buy in the store already made for me.
Back to the cheating. Did I feel guilty? Not really. This is just an experiment, after all. I ate a brownie at church Sunday night. I also made some Magic Cookie bars with a pretzel crust (we had some pretzels lingering around), and ate some. But let me tell you. Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday my legs were once again, sore. At first I thought it was just from my workout, but by Wednesday I realized it was that other kind of sore that I would get just by doing daily life. No wheat since Tuesday and my legs are feeling great again. Workouts and all. So I'm calling it. Wheat is contributing to my sore legs.
I think the "experts" say it takes three weeks to make a new habit or break a bad one. Well, we've been doing this for over three weeks and it is coming much more naturally. The benefits, like the ones mentioned above, are becoming more important to me than the extra work. I'm really thankful that we put the whole family on this diet. It enabled us to completely empty out the pantry of wheat-full foods and eliminate temptation. Everyone is getting used to it by now. We've got one final week left of our thirty day experiment. Will we continue to keep the wheat out of the house?
I don't know yet. I think that, for me, the wheat has to go. I'm not at the end of my own personal food journey, discovering what works best for my body. But this has been a valuable learning experiment. Josh hasn't had any major, noticeable differences in how he feels. He has lost five pounds, but his weight fluctuates about five pounds naturally. If it falls below the current mark, we'll start to conclude that maybe the wheat-free diet is helping him too. However, this hasn't been just a wheat-free change, as I've already mentioned. Lots of other icky foods and not-so-great habits are being eliminated too. So perhaps it's not just the wheat that was affecting us.
I really love that the kids aren't eating as much pre-packaged snack food. The extra work it makes for me is less bothersome now (new habit gained). I love that they are trying new foods because their default foods are missing. But this doesn't mean I'll be a Nazi when it comes to what they eat. I'm sure we'll have goldfish crackers in the house occasionally. But maybe just a small bag of them for a treat instead of the giant tub.
I'm anxious to see what this week brings. The experiment is easier and easier and as our thirty days come to an end, I hope we gain even more insight as to how we want to feed our family.
Saturday, March 16, 2013
The Homechool Mother's Journal for Mid March
In my life this week
It was a busy one, or so it seemed. Any week that I have to leave the house more than, oh, twice, is a busy one. Doctor's appointment to meet the new nurse practitioner who will care for the kids, ballet class, date night, book club, and a trip home to see my mom. Oh, and educating the kids, of course.In our homeschool this week
We began our two week "stay" in China. Brown-Eyed-Girl has been anticipating this all year. We're all looking forward to eating at a (not-so) authentic Chinese restaurant at the end of our trip. I'm also reading the biography of Gladys Aylward aloud to them.Helpful homeschooling tips or advice to share
This is more like an observance. As parents we want to give our children the best of everything, but sometimes that's the worst thing to do for them. Some of the best things in my life have come out of the worst circumstances.Places we're going and people we're seeing
Yesterday, we visited my parents. We hadn't seen them since the first of the year so it was long overdue. Tomorrow we're going to a comedy show at church. Next week... oh, I'm still recuperating from all the forced extroversion of last week.My favorite thing this week
A lot of fun things, like going on a date with Josh. Seeing my parents. Fellowshipping with the other moms while our daughters had ballet class. Discussing literature with the other book club members.The kids favorite thing this week
Visiting Nanny and Pop-Pop and seeing old friends there.Things I'm working on
Finding more and new recipes and meal plans I am seriously always cooking. A day without cooking (like yesterday) means the next day has no leftovers to eat for lunch, maybe no bread, maybe no snacks. Since we've started the Wheat-Free Experiment, our pantry is not stocked with snacks and the freezer doesn't hold extra loaves of bread. I have to constantly be a step ahead of everybody else so that I have an answer to "Can I have something to eat?" And these kids are always eating! Especially Mister, growing boy that he is. I think I'm venting right now. I probably need to add another post to the Wheat Free Experiment series. But, anyway, I'm working on filling the refrigerator and pantry with food.I'm cooking
Right now, our St. Patrick's day corned beef is boiling on the stove. Tomorrow will be too busy to enjoy it, so we're having it tonight. So "What's for dinner?" is solved for today. I'm also boiling clementines in hopes of making Nigela Lawson's clementine cake, as seen here on the Smitten Kitchen site. I'm going to modify it a bit, so hopefully it still tastes good.I'm reading
I just finished Strong Poison by Dorothy Sayers for book club. Right now, the group is doing a series of mysteries. This was a fun one, somewhat comedic, but wise with great style. Sayers is quite an interesting person and this book is autobiographical in some respects. The group is quite large and I am the youngest one, I think. The librarian who heads up the group is about my age. I just love talking about books. Our next one is The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammet (great name) which I've already begun and I think it will be another fast read. The group is decidedly liberal but I really love hearing other people's take on things. If nothing else, we have common ground in love of good books. I feel there is respect here for ideas.I'm thankful for
A husband that let's me think for myself. Though I love and respect everything he thinks too.I'm praying for
This family. I am weeping with them as they weep right now.Something I'm ogling or have my eye on
Paint colors for the school room/library. I've been a Pinterest addict this past week looking for ideas. I'm leaning toward a teal color that is more blue than green. I'll know it when I see it.Picture, quote, video to share
I don't know, this is just my quote, my thoughts.
Death is not the end.
I'm sure somebody else has said it, but as I think of the Kelley family, I'm so glad it's true. They will see their little girl again.
Thursday, March 14, 2013
The Wheat-Free Experiment- Week 2 Wrap Up
We now have two weeks under our wheat-less belts. And it is getting much easier. I've discovered more tricks to going wheat-free, got into more of a routine, and I am no longer missing the bread aisle and the ease it brings to my life.
There's not much to report in the way of earth shattering changes. If you read the report from week one, nothing much has changed. Weight loss? Nope (Darn it all!). More energy? I don't know. Can a busy, homeschooling, constantly cooking mom of three ever have enough energy? I will say, however, that I am really starting to believe that the relief of my leg pain is truly due to getting the wheat out of my life. I mentioned this in my last post, but wasn't yet convinced. After another week of no wheat, I am almost 100% convinced. At the end of some days, my legs feel slightly tired and I think "Oh, they should really be hurting and achy right now. My knees should be killing me. I should be ready to collapse and not get up." But I haven't experienced this in the three weeks that I have gone without wheat (I started this about a week ahead of the rest of the family). If this is the only side-effect I experience, it is well worth the extra effort.
Feeding the family is getting easier, thanks especially to the Land O Lakes website, which introduced me to what I feel is the perfect gluten free baking mix. Two cups of rice flour, one cup of potato starch, and 1 tsp of xantham gum mixed together and kept in an airtight container has been an excellent cup-for-cup replacement for wheat flour in my baked goods. I've made several types of muffins, chocolate chip cookies, pancakes, cornbread, and even a great yeast bread with this mixture. Tonight, in honor of Pi day, I plan to use their gluten free pie crust recipe to make something yummy. I honestly want to call the company and give them a huge hoo-rah because this has made the experiment so much easier. A week ago I bought three pounds of rice flour for 95 cents a pound. I had ordered a case (4 -24-oz packages) of potato starch from amazon. We haven't used all the flour mixture yet, but I'm estimating that for about $5 a week, we were able to have homemade baked goods and the bread we needed. Considering that a premade gluten free baking mix can cost $5 for one loaf of bread, I'd say this is very economical. Therefore, sticking to your budget on a special diet CAN be done. I realize the more specialized your diet, the harder it will be. But expanding your grocery budget to insure your good health via good food is one of the best investments you can make. Again, what is it worth to me to have legs that aren't killing me at the end of the day? A lot.
Now that I've found a good bread recipe that tastes more like homemade white bread, I'm not getting as many comments from the kids about where our old food has gone. One of my favorite things about this experiment, still, is the absence of food that is so easy to overindulge in. Sure, baked goods like chocolate chip cookies and chocolate peanut butter no-bakes (Josh's favorite) can disappear in a day if we're not careful, but it's awfully hard to overeat rice cakes and peanut butter with a banana sliced on top. Cheez-Its- that's another story.
One of my favorite recipes from this past week was from the Gluten Free Goddess. She made pizza night amazing! Her recipe for pizza dough is wonderful. I followed it to a tee. It was soft and very tasty and when reheated it didn't get rubbery like the usual pizza dough. I HIGHLY recommend this recipe and would make this over traditional pizza dough every time, it was that good. And easy, too.
I'm really starting to enjoy this experiment and all I am learning. I love being able to have people over for dinner that have a specialized diet, knowing I can cook for them. Food allergies and special diets can be socially isolating. Going to a restaurant with friends could be a nightmare if you are gluten and dairy free. Taking your children to a birthday party with either or both of these allergies- forget about it. As a girl who loves to make people feel welcome in her home, being able to cook for a special diet brings new meaning to "comfort food". Food should bring people together, not tear them apart.
There's not much to report in the way of earth shattering changes. If you read the report from week one, nothing much has changed. Weight loss? Nope (Darn it all!). More energy? I don't know. Can a busy, homeschooling, constantly cooking mom of three ever have enough energy? I will say, however, that I am really starting to believe that the relief of my leg pain is truly due to getting the wheat out of my life. I mentioned this in my last post, but wasn't yet convinced. After another week of no wheat, I am almost 100% convinced. At the end of some days, my legs feel slightly tired and I think "Oh, they should really be hurting and achy right now. My knees should be killing me. I should be ready to collapse and not get up." But I haven't experienced this in the three weeks that I have gone without wheat (I started this about a week ahead of the rest of the family). If this is the only side-effect I experience, it is well worth the extra effort.
Feeding the family is getting easier, thanks especially to the Land O Lakes website, which introduced me to what I feel is the perfect gluten free baking mix. Two cups of rice flour, one cup of potato starch, and 1 tsp of xantham gum mixed together and kept in an airtight container has been an excellent cup-for-cup replacement for wheat flour in my baked goods. I've made several types of muffins, chocolate chip cookies, pancakes, cornbread, and even a great yeast bread with this mixture. Tonight, in honor of Pi day, I plan to use their gluten free pie crust recipe to make something yummy. I honestly want to call the company and give them a huge hoo-rah because this has made the experiment so much easier. A week ago I bought three pounds of rice flour for 95 cents a pound. I had ordered a case (4 -24-oz packages) of potato starch from amazon. We haven't used all the flour mixture yet, but I'm estimating that for about $5 a week, we were able to have homemade baked goods and the bread we needed. Considering that a premade gluten free baking mix can cost $5 for one loaf of bread, I'd say this is very economical. Therefore, sticking to your budget on a special diet CAN be done. I realize the more specialized your diet, the harder it will be. But expanding your grocery budget to insure your good health via good food is one of the best investments you can make. Again, what is it worth to me to have legs that aren't killing me at the end of the day? A lot.
Now that I've found a good bread recipe that tastes more like homemade white bread, I'm not getting as many comments from the kids about where our old food has gone. One of my favorite things about this experiment, still, is the absence of food that is so easy to overindulge in. Sure, baked goods like chocolate chip cookies and chocolate peanut butter no-bakes (Josh's favorite) can disappear in a day if we're not careful, but it's awfully hard to overeat rice cakes and peanut butter with a banana sliced on top. Cheez-Its- that's another story.
One of my favorite recipes from this past week was from the Gluten Free Goddess. She made pizza night amazing! Her recipe for pizza dough is wonderful. I followed it to a tee. It was soft and very tasty and when reheated it didn't get rubbery like the usual pizza dough. I HIGHLY recommend this recipe and would make this over traditional pizza dough every time, it was that good. And easy, too.
I'm really starting to enjoy this experiment and all I am learning. I love being able to have people over for dinner that have a specialized diet, knowing I can cook for them. Food allergies and special diets can be socially isolating. Going to a restaurant with friends could be a nightmare if you are gluten and dairy free. Taking your children to a birthday party with either or both of these allergies- forget about it. As a girl who loves to make people feel welcome in her home, being able to cook for a special diet brings new meaning to "comfort food". Food should bring people together, not tear them apart.
Thursday, March 7, 2013
The Wheat-Free Experiment- Week 1 Thoughts and Findings
We are nearing the end of our first week going wheat-free as a family. I'd like to report more astounding findings than I'm going to, but we still have three weeks left. I'm easing into the menu planning and I've found some fantastic recipes. I still spend more time in the kitchen, cooking and washing pots and pans, but thankfully we haven't had any loser recipes so far.
Response from the kids:
"When are you going to get our regular bread?"
"Can I have some Goldfish please?"
"Is that the only kind of cereal we have?"
My children are real creatures of habit. Most are. My son likes to have both cereal and toast for breakfast. I made a big pan of baked oatmeal one morning and while eating it, he said "Mommy, I like this, but can I still have my cereal and toast?" He's in a breakfast rut. Going wheat-free is helping to get out of it.
There have been no major complaints about the missing foods.
Response from Josh:
No huge discernible differences in energy or overall physical feelings.
No drop in weight.
No negative side effects.
Response from me:
My findings are similar to Josh's. So far I don't notice any huge changes. I still feel like I have my winter weight hanging around my belly. The one thing that may be associated is my knees feeling better. I am on my feet most of the day and there are some nights when I sit down to dinner and feel very sore. My legs and knees are so tired. I haven't noticed this in the past week and I have definitely been on my feet more. Again, it may not be related.
I've also found that there is a lot of glorified gluten-free junk food out there, that is just as full of bad stuff as the wheat-full items. The gluten-free label doesn't make a food healthy. I think that overall we are eating more fruit and vegetables because we don't have the variety of wheat-full carbohydrates around to snack on that we did before. It's pretty much rice cakes and one other item I've made (see my Pinterest board for some of the recipes we've tried so far. My comments give the details.) Then it's homemade fruit pops, cheese sticks, fresh fruit, veggies and dip, smoothies, yogurt. This part of the experiment is making me happy.
Those are the findings so far. Nothing big yet. But experiments take time. Most good things are gained, or lost, overnight. Or in a week.
Response from the kids:
"When are you going to get our regular bread?"
"Can I have some Goldfish please?"
"Is that the only kind of cereal we have?"
My children are real creatures of habit. Most are. My son likes to have both cereal and toast for breakfast. I made a big pan of baked oatmeal one morning and while eating it, he said "Mommy, I like this, but can I still have my cereal and toast?" He's in a breakfast rut. Going wheat-free is helping to get out of it.
There have been no major complaints about the missing foods.
Response from Josh:
No huge discernible differences in energy or overall physical feelings.
No drop in weight.
No negative side effects.
Response from me:
My findings are similar to Josh's. So far I don't notice any huge changes. I still feel like I have my winter weight hanging around my belly. The one thing that may be associated is my knees feeling better. I am on my feet most of the day and there are some nights when I sit down to dinner and feel very sore. My legs and knees are so tired. I haven't noticed this in the past week and I have definitely been on my feet more. Again, it may not be related.
I've also found that there is a lot of glorified gluten-free junk food out there, that is just as full of bad stuff as the wheat-full items. The gluten-free label doesn't make a food healthy. I think that overall we are eating more fruit and vegetables because we don't have the variety of wheat-full carbohydrates around to snack on that we did before. It's pretty much rice cakes and one other item I've made (see my Pinterest board for some of the recipes we've tried so far. My comments give the details.) Then it's homemade fruit pops, cheese sticks, fresh fruit, veggies and dip, smoothies, yogurt. This part of the experiment is making me happy.
Those are the findings so far. Nothing big yet. But experiments take time. Most good things are gained, or lost, overnight. Or in a week.
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