Many thanks to Weelicious for the original version of this recipe - it's a family staple now!
I've tested these with many different variations, and they've all come out great. Gluten-free, dairy-free, whole grains, honey instead of sugar, sweet potato instead of pumpkin . . . it's hard to mess these up!
One of the first questions people have after finding that they're dealing with a food intolerance is, "So . . . what CAN I eat?" It's totally normal to feel like there's nothing safe to put in your mouth!
Read MoreSo, as soon as I removed gluten from my diet, things got really rough. Daniel went from sleeping ok at night (waking 2-3 times), to waking every 1-2 hours all. night. long. I knew it was something I was eating, but it's hard to figure these things out when you're so massively sleep deprived!
I walked through my days feeling like a zombie. Daniel had no other symptoms except these night wakings. Having had two other babies before, I knew this wasn't normal. Babies need sleep, and even healthy newborns typically go one long stretch (4ish hours) at night. He was crying hard every time he woke up, would nurse for just a few minutes, then go back to sleep.
Read MoreI know, I know, the witch hunt for gluten is really trendy right now! And I want to kick this off by stating that I did NOT want my baby to have a gluten sensitivity. I so badly did not want to jump on the G-free train unnecessarily. I mean, I had already given up cheese!
One of the most difficult aspects of having a baby with food intolerances is the lack of awareness, and the lack of understanding and acceptance that comes with it. Many people, even doctors, don't know that babies can even have food intolerances! I knew dairy and soy intolerances were common in babies, but I wasn't aware of the nitty gritty details until Daniel was born.
Read MoreThis was a last-minute, I-forgot-to-plan-supper meal. I was trying to use up the odds and ends from the refrigerator, and wanted something different than plain old fried rice.
Well, this ended up being a huge hit! Daniel was shoveling it into his mouth so fast he was flinging rice over his shoulder - not even kidding. Everyone else loved it too, and I was happy to have another filling, nutritious meal that uses cabbage.
Read MoreI never get tired of citrus flavors! They're bright, bold, and refreshing, and always a welcome taste. Lime juice is my favorite, but I do use a lot of lemon juice. It's in our favorite salad dressing, and I squeeze the juice of half a lemon in my first quart of water I drink each day.
Read MoreDid you read yesterday's post? I shared a little about my pregnancy with Daniel, and how we came to choose a home birth.
My due date was May 2nd, which is Joseph’s birthday! I thought it would be neat for them to share a birthday, but since both older kids were born in May I did really want an April baby. Since I hadn’t had a single twinge or contraction since just before 36 weeks I really didn’t think it would happen. I had a feeling this baby was going to take his sweet time coming, and prepared myself to go past my due date, although I was sick to death of being pregnant and huge.
I love reading birth stories so I don’t know why it’s taken me so long to write this! Well, I do. It’s been a CRAZY 24 months! And I’ll be sharing more about why that is and all the things I’ve learned along the way.
oday is just a little about my pregnancy with Daniel, and how we came to choose a home birth for our third baby. Tomorrow, on Cavebaby's second birthday, I will post the actual birth story, for those who love to read them like I do!
Read MoreOne of the most ironic (and borderline cruel) issues mothers face while breastfeeding is that coffee commonly causes issues with baby. Ever had a newborn? They make you very tired. You kind of need coffee to survive.
Read MoreI think one of the main reasons people think they don't like vegetables is because they've only ever had them prepared in boring ways. Canned green beans warmed up? Meh. Frozen carrots steamed in a pot until hot and rubbery? No thanks!
Read MoreThis time in the spring I crave fresh-tasting foods. Salads and fruit are a welcome change after heavy winter comfort food. Mexican food has lots of bright, bold flavors, and it's a great way to celebrate the warm weather and sunshine!
Several years ago David and I saw the episode of Tyler's Ultimate where he makes this roasted tomatillo salsa. He uses it to make enchiladas, and those enchiladas are David's all-time favorite meal. They're incredible!
Sometimes lunch time just sneaks up on me. I'm busy working, and then suddenly there are three little hungry cave boys needing some food.
Usually these are the same days we are out of bread, naturally.
When I eliminated dairy, soy, corn, and gluten from my diet last year for the littlest caveboy, chocolate was one thing that I desperately missed. Just one reason why I love those chocolate-quinoa cupcakes so much! Sometimes you just need some chocolate.
Read More
I'm in love with the idea of crock pot meals, but there are very few that I make completely in the slow cooker. I use my crock pot all the time, but it's generally not to make a complete meal. The problem with many slow cooker meals is that they're either super heavy on the meat (and meat ain't cheap!), or use a lot of rice or pasta, neither of which come out great for me in the crock pot.
Read More
The first time I ate quinoa I thought it was disgusting, and looked like little eyeballs. If that’s you, you need to try this recipe - it will make a quinoa lover out of you!
When I eliminated gluten from my diet for my littlest cave boy I was not excited about it. I’m definitely not a low-carber, and learning to bake gluten-free is a big challenge. Buying lots of specialty flours, starches, and gums was too much for me at first with three kids, one a baby who woke 3-5 times a night to nurse. I opted to buy GF mixes for a while, and that worked, but finding this recipe for chocolate quinoa cake made me SUPER excited! Whole-grain, I already had it on hand, didn’t need a grain mill, and it’s chocolate. That sounded like a winning recipe to me!
Read More
This pumpkin baked oatmeal is a great fall breakfast. We each ate two huge pieces the first time I made it. It’s full of whole grain goodness, healthy fats, vegetables (pumpkin!), warm spiciness, and sweetened with honey. Then I top it with brown sugar – not so healthy. But we love the crunch, and I really think this would not be as good without it. Balance. Crunchy brown sugar makes me happy. Happy helps me be healthy. So brown sugar on pumpkin oatmeal is healthy? Sure. We’ll go with that.
Read More
I’m feeling a little bit ripped off today. My brother-in-law and sister-in-law in Dallas have beautiful, fluffy snow. We have rain and ice here in Tennessee – so not fair! Comfort food is in order. It’s definitely a soup kind of day. A creamy, potato-filled, cheesy soup kind of day!
Read More
Ok, so one of the first things you learn in how-to-have-a-pretty-blog-people-actually-read school (that isn’t a real thing, FYI) is that you do not go long periods of time without posting. And if you should ever do such a terrible thing as go a long period of time without posting, you do not mention it. Ever. No apologies, no half-hearted attempts to make light of your absence.
I’m totally breaking those rules today. But I have a good reason! The past few months have been spent sleeping, dry heaving, snacking on cheese and frozen blackberries, and crying over spiders.
Read More
A few years ago we were eating supper at a friend’s house. All I remember of the food that night was the salad with asian dressing. I wanted to eat the whole bowl, just for the dressing!
But it was Kraft. Soybean oil and junk like that, you know. It never occurred to me that I could recreate it healthier and better at home, until I came across a recipe in Nourishing Traditions for Oriental Dressing. I barely changed that recipe and it tastes even more delicious than I remember that Kraft stuff!
Read More
