I came across the GAPS diet several years ago and quickly realized that that diet would be the answer that my husband was looking for. Kevin has been sick since he was 5 years old and a constant parade to doctors, specialists and naturopaths led to dozens of tests and yielded no results. He has spent most of his life unwell and not truly knowing what good health is or what it feels like. His list of health issues read like a grocery list and more seemed to get added as time went on. It broke my heart to see him struggle and to see him so unhealthy. I knew once I read about the diet that he was a perfect candidate but when I first approached him about it he said no.
GAPS is not for the faint of heart. Intro is tough and many go through some awful symptoms before the good starts to happen. The diet cuts out a lot and with the corn allergy posed a challenge to find enough safe foods. As the next two years went by and Kevin got sicker and lost even more food choices I once again approached him about GAPS. This time he agreed to do it and I knew that he had hit bottom and truly had the desire to turn things around. He has been on GAPS for 10 months and the progress in his health and diet has been immeasurable. He has added so many new foods and has solved so many of his health issues that he is like a new person.
I made him this soup and he devoured it - it is the closest thing to his favourite soup, French Onion Soup.
Onion and Meatball Soup
3 cups beef broth
3 onions chopped
1 lbs ground beef, rolled into meatballs
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp garlic minced
2 tbsp. tallow
Combine the beef broth and onions in the crockpot with the salt, garlic and tallow. Simmer on high for 4 hours. Add the meatballs and simmer for 30 minutes on high.
I have posted before that one of the best things we had bought was the Excalibur Dehydrator and I got our money's worth this fall when harvesting the garden. This year I grew a lot of herbs in the garden with the goal of drying then to use all winter. I successfully dried parsley, cilantro, garlic chives, oregano and basil and will have enough of them to last until the summer. The dehydrator made the drying process so quick and so easy that I can not wait to do it again next year.
The comfort of knowing that cooking for a year with herbs from my garden is so worth it and it is great to be able to have the ability to spend less in the stores and be less dependent upon others. That is a huge part of this allergy. Now to figure out what additional herbs to grow next year as I get to expand the garden.
I have to be honest, I am a chewy cookie kind of girl. There is something about a moist chewy cookie that I just love. These cookies are my favourite cookie that I make and one that the boys love. These cookies freeze really well and I tend to make a huge batch and freeze several. I promise you that these cookies are that good!!
Chewy Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Raisin Cookies
1 cup coconut oil
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tbsp. vanilla
1 tbsp. molasses
1 cup white flour
1/2 cup spelt flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp sea salt
3 cups oats
1 cup chocolate chips
1/3 cup raisins
Mix together the wet ingredients and add in the dry ones. Stir in the oats, chocolate chips and raisins. Place the dough in the fridge for 20 minutes to firm it up. Line baking sheets with parchment paper and place the dough by the tablespoon full. Bake at 350 F for 10 minutes and allow to cool on the tray for 5 minutes before moving to a wire rack.
Pizza is one of those foods that everyone loves, it is at parties and events, a comfort food for tough days or an easy dinner night. The boys love pizza night in our house and love that Mom can make it. We keep it simple on pizza night - cheese pizzas for me and the boys. Homemade pizza just tastes so much better then the store bought or frozen ones.
A good pizza starts with a good crust. My personal preference is a think crust pizza. We find that this pizza sits well in the stomach and leaves more room for toppings.
Basic Pizza Crust
4 cups flour
1 tsp yeast
1/2 tsp sea salt
2 cups warm water
1/4 cup oil
Mix together the flour, salt and yeast. Add the oil and the warm water and mix until a dough forms. Separate the dough into three equal pieces and roll out each piece and place on a greased baking sheet. Cover and let rise until the desired thickness of the crust. Add your toppings and bake at 450 F until golden brown.
