Technology is a toughie.

My gmail account got hacked somehow today and now I'm suspicious of just about everything.  How did this happen? I'm not sure, but I'm embarrassed that it emailed people I haven't talked to in years, or people I hardly know, not to mention the good friends & family that were emailed or texted to click on a certain link.  What a bummer.  Needless to say, passwords have been CHANGED and I've added a 2-step verification to my Google account.  So...hackers can take a hike!

Remember how I was talking about Mia's being crazy lately?  Yesterday she was about to explode.  She did not take an afternoon nap--and that honestly rarely happens--and she had a 4:30 Kindermusik class to attend so I was hoping she'd be good and not have any outbursts.  We survived through class, but once at home, she was acting quite out of sorts.  Dinner was rough so she went straight to her bath, and then straight to bed.  At 7:26pm (mind you, this is the day after daylight savings too!) she was asleep in bed, and slept until 9:15 this morning!  She did wake up a few times last night but went back to sleep quickly.  I only wish I had gotten that much sleep!
She was quite a different child today.  Funny how diet, sleep, and good playtime outside can make such a difference.

And back to food...my friends have been sharing this recipe for flourless chocolate chip cookies.  We made them last night and they were quite tasty, so you should check it out:

Food Lovers' Primal Palate: Chocolate Chip Cookies

And for those who are interested in relatively new food habits of mine, here's how I'm trying to eat 85% of the time:

a no/low-grain, no processed food, unpasteurized dairy, eggs, clean meats diet with fresh fruits & vegetables, and fermented foods (like yogurt, kefir, etc.) for probiotic boosting benefits.  I've even been downing cups of homemade chicken stock just about everyday, and it's really been soothing to my stomach.  Funny how real food can be real(ly) nourishing.

I'm trying to avoid: unnatural sweeteners, grains, high-starchy foods, and even good foods that are hard for my body to break down.

helping in the kitchen

I'm no longer specifically following the modified elimination diet that I was doing last fall or even a specific detox/cleanse, but have transitioned into something I feel is a bit better for me at this time.

You can read more about such diets at websites like:
everydaypaleo.com (Paleo)
MarksDailyApple.com (Primal)
westonaprice.org (WAPF/Nourishing Traditions)

The end.  Go enjoy a cookie and the longer sunny days!

food. Food. FOOD!

Spend any amount of time with a person and you'll eventually talk about food, will you not?  It's a basic, daily, pedestrian task.  And it should be enjoyed.

But what do you do if eating suddenly becomes something you no longer enjoy?  You worry about the physical reactions you'll have later or you wonder if the food that is going into your body is really fueling you how it should?  Trust me, I've been there.

Food has been such an exploratory and sometimes controversial topic for me over the last year.  You could say at some points I've been obsessed about it.  Really, you could, because it's true.  First I was a bit cautious about what Mia ate when she starting experimenting with more solids.  She was a perfect little being and I really didn't want to "mess her up," until I realized you just got to do what you can do and "let it be."  The cards will fall where they may. Then I turned the spotlight on myself and decided, it's time to figure out what really makes this system work or fail, especially because I felt I was having a LOT of failures.

I've been on such a crazy learning curve of late, that while I feel voraciously HUNGRY for more information, sometimes I just need to turn off the news flow of information and just calm.down.  For real.  It can get a bit much.

Which is why my motto for this year is "everything in moderation."

Greg & I have been discussing what foods were truly intended for our bodies and we've struggled to figure out if certain foods were mentioned in the Bible why would they not be okay now?  (Like wheat and bread, for example.  The New Testament even calls Jesus the "bread of life.")  To not do a research paper on it all right now, all I will say is some things have changed in the processing and growing of wheat in the last 100 years that can sometimes make it much harder for a person's digestive system to handle.  Don't get me wrong though: I love bread, I love toast, and I don't hate grains.  I just have to quote 1 Cor. 10:23 (NIV, 1984 version):
"Everything is permissible"--but not everything is beneficial. "Everything is permissible"--but not everything is constructive."


We may be allowed to eat all things but not everything necessarily works for us.  Right now I'm in the midst of another cleanse.  I know it makes me sound like a yo-yo, I really do.  But I'm just trying to work one more thing out for my little gut, and then hopefully I'll be able to reintroduce grains bit by bit at some point.  Because right now, not all things are beneficial for me.  I really wish it was, because man, those fritos in our pantry are CALLING MY NAME.  "EAT ME!!!"


But instead, I'm gonna hard-boil some eggs for some protein snacks down the road and try to make myself a new recipe of gluten-free pizza crust.  I'm trying to slay the sugar & grain monster right now so shoot up some prayers for my patience.  You don't know how good ice cream, cupcakes, french bread, and a Jimmy John's sandwich sound right now.  In due time, in due time.  

at any given moment...

...our kitchen might look like this:

I try to keep it clean, but about everyday around this time, the dishwasher's unloading, dinner's started/ing (what's for dinner? trying this tonight w/ beef), and a little one's up from her nap, and there is a lot of kitchen commotion.  I'm oft discouraged by this point, thinking it will never be clean again.


Does anyone's kitchen ever just feel like a revolving mess?  I guess 'tis a blessing in disguise.

Trying to "enjoy the small things" on a muggy Wednesday afternoon (73°F).

And speaking of small things, I got an iPhone (welcome to the 2000s!!!) last week and it's been occupying much of my time.  For a while, I even forgot I had a blog (seriously).

Photo Credit

I feel so cool.

Words with Friends, anyone?  "Meganesota"