APRIL showers bring May flowers...Welcome to April Thread!

[WendyD]

Rose - You REALLY don't want to see me moan and groan at your house. :-) The garage is purdy. I helped him tear it down and toss junk out. He put it all back himself. :-) Yeah for the fence!

Yeah, I'm not sure about the GSG. It doesn't seem balanced or natural. She would be always cleansing and never nourishing. I'm wondering if she'll actually have problems later. But as you said, Rose, everyone is so different. My Chiro (who I adore) follows a very strict vegetarian diet. She has energy and runs marathons....but she looks at least 10 years older than she is. Not exactly a walking testimony. I've been doing Paleo for about 3 weeks and I feel great and I'm losing weight. To each their own! :-) I'm not sure about the skin color, it would seem that the body isn't processing right. From what I've read, I'm not sure going veggie would heal the gut. It would cause more problems acording to some things I've read. The GAPS doc is interesting with her take on food - there are nourishing foods and cleansing foods. Depending on what the body needs, both can heal. It might explain a whole bunch.

I'm off to pop some spagetti squash in the oven. I made Chocolate Chili. Yum!

[Nikki Dawn]

Quick update... girls got there at the end of the song. Their team won 1st and let them win a meddle also. So sweet! My dd won 2nd for skit and they won 2nd for chorus. They were short enough people to win first for the chorus. Thanks for the prayers. They sounded excited on the phone!

Wendy, chocolate chili? What is that? Yeah for a clean garage!

Rose, I know Dr Campbell Mcbride said orange wouldn't hurt. I do think it is impaired digestion. I read on one of the Gaps things one lady said it finally went away when her body had healed enough. I hope so because I could be orange as a carrot with just 1 carrot! My fil is super orange and it doesn't look pretty. I know there is a small amount of color that is good but that orange.... not so much!

[okasanbear]

Interesting about the GSG...I always thought she was tan...good to know that that isnt it.
They do say here in Japan that you will turn orange if you eat too many mikan(tangerines) that they have in the fall.

I folded a lot of clothes today and found one of the sofas...need to get busy and find the other too. I unpacked 6 boxes of supplies and things for the people on the coast and it was a lot of work, but think I have it done for now.

Wendy...how do you like Paleo? My younger sister has been on it for over two years, and my older for one and they both love it.
I tried, but have trouble getting enough veggies and meat to do it...so have had to sort of do it until I am able to buy more fresh veggies.

I am trying to take more CO daily...I mixed it with some tea and that was an easy way to get it down. How much do you guys take???

I had another elderly neighbor yesterday ask me if I was ok and that I looked like I didn't feel well recently...second time that has happened..guess I don't hide burnout very well!

well dh just called and he is taking the children to IL for supper...it is 4:50 and we usually eat at 5pm...so of course I already have it made...but guess I can save it until tomorrow. Just wish he would have told me sooner...I wouldnt have gone to the bother of making it!

hugs
Joni

[okasanbear]

Here is a GAPS and Paleo safe recipe...(It came from Misty )....I have the white beans cooking as we speak for the Americans that just came brought some dried beans for me...I want to try it tomorrow! She just loved it and it was easy and quick to make. (perhaps when she has a minute she will chime in on it)
Rose I know you cant have eggs so dont know how to substitute for that though sorry. White Bean Vanilla Cake
Ingredients:
3 c. white beans, cooked and plain
... 9 tbsp. coconut oil
1 c. + 2 tbsp. raw honey
6 eggs
2 tbsp. vanilla
3/4 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. baking soda
Directions:

Add all ingredients to a blender and blend on medium, then high until smooth. Pour into two well-greased 9″ pans and bake at 350 for 35 - 40 min. Once cooled, remove from the pans carefully and serve plain, with fresh jam (fruit blended with honey), fresh fruit, or however you like!

It is written a little funny I just did 1/2 cup of the oil. You could replace with a stick of butter. I also cut he honey down to 3/4 cups and it is plenty sweet. Be sure to drain the beans. This is soft, spongy and moist. It will become a staple at my house! And it just took minutes to make!!!

[okasanbear]

Nikki so glad to hear that the girls made it!!! and that they won too!!! yeah!!!!

no need for you to feel guilty, you couldnt have known...

hugs
Joni

[WendyD]

Joni - Please go get some rest! Your body needs it. I'm guessing the crazy lady didn't stop by to see you???

I'm doing surprisingly well on this diet. I really didn't think I would. I never had the carb flu or anything. Why??? I have no idea. I've been ssslllooowwwlllyyy cleaning up my diet since Christmas. I cut out chocolate/sugars, tried to watch gluten (just watching it pass by my lips) and started upping my fermented foods. My DH found my First for Women magazine and it had a low carb/high fat diet and he said that he wanted to do it. (Why he was reading a women's magazine??? I don't know. ) I'm like, ok. But it had lots of cheese in it, but the food looked REALLY good. So I kinda jumped in. DH had the carb flu and had to add carbs for function at work. I'm cruising around waiting for the carb flu...none. I don't need much food at all. I get full really quick, I can't even get my strawberries in for dessert at night. And I'm not even hungry for my next meal. My body has been taken over by an alien. I've dropped all grains, beans, most dairy and eating mostly meat, veggies, some fruit, healthy fats, nuts and seeds. I have no indigestion, my stomach is flat no matter the time of day. (Usually after dinner I looked 5 months pregnant.) I have lots of energy. My weight is down 5 lbs since April 3rd and my new shorts are to loose. :-) I'm really hoping to drop the next 5 to 10 lbs, but I'm not overly concerned about that. I'm trying to build muscle and just feel great. I haven't finished a book since I started this diet, because I don't sit down. :-) I also was having mood swings after weight training, so I kinda quit doing that. I love my kettlebells and stopped that because I'd go into mood swings for 2 to 3 days out. I did a session day before yesterday and no mood swings. I'm going to watch this and see how it goes. I'm getting lots of exercise right now - bike riding and walking and intervals. Sometimes twice a day, did I say I have lots of energy? I did cheat and have ice cream last night and boy is my stomach grumbling today. Um, I'm thinking I might not want to do much of that. I'm taking one day at a time. So far this is a go for me.

[MommyRose]

Wendy, that is awesome about your diet! Good for you! So happy for you that the results are so good. We are doing dairy, cheese and ice cream but its all from my goats. I sweeten the ice cream with honey and don't need a lot. You can get a small ice cream maker at a reasonable price and make some killer coconut milk ice cream. Using eggs makes it very creamy too!

Nikki, so glad the girls were still included in the winning and were upbeat about it!

I'm with Wendy Joni...get some rest!!! At least you have dinner for yourself and won't need to make it tomorrow.

I did the farmer's market with two of my boys this morning. John and Jacob were putting up fence for our new fenced in section. Yay! I've got the application process finished for the loan and the next step is the appraisal. A lot is riding on that appraisal. In order to refi now with the best rates and possibility of getting rid of pmi we'll be using the majority of our saved resources to pay our 2nd off. The 2nd loan is the money we borrowed from our 401K to use as down payment. I hate to use our resources but at the same time it will be WONDERFUL to have that paid off and I'll be able to rebuild it at a good clip. Anyway...refinancing is progressing...

[WendyD]

Rose - Praying for your refi to go through without a hitch! I'm off to find a coconut milk ice cream recipe....I'm thinking YUM! Now everything is way to sweet.

Nikki - So relieved the girls made it and WON! Yippee!

[okasanbear]

My dh had to leave at 4 am this morining for a business trip///poor guy. I got up to wish him a happy day!

I have loads I need to do and no energy to do it...

Glad you are loving Paleo.. When I can get more food I am going to try it again. I like the ease of it...what do you eat for snacks????

hugs
Joni

[okasanbear]

Well I have this cake in the oven as we speak...I needed to warm up the kitchen and even though the oven is small, it helps.
I had a problem that I put the coconut oil in the bottom and it got so hard after I put in the other ingredients that the blender wouldnt spin!! and I have a Vitamix...though those of you in warmer parts probably wont have that problem. Just dont put the coconut oil on the bottom I guess next time.

I will let you know what we think after it comes out of the oven.
smells really good with all that vanilla in it!

I took a nap with the kids this afternoon and am feeling a bit better. yeah!

We got a few little things done...not everything, but a little at a time is good

Have a lovely day everyone
hugs
Joni