Cheesy Coconut Flour Biscuits.

I used the recipe part way down this page called Cheese Biscuits. They were really good.

I made them pretty much as written except I used baking soda instead of baking powder. I used melted butter as the oil.

I cooked them in a muffin tin at 400F for 15 minutes. The recipe made 6 biscuits. Next time I'll double it and make a dozen.

They were fan-freakin-tastic :]

Thai Curry Butternut Squash Soup

• 1/4 cup virgin coconut oil
• 1 medium cooking onion, finely diced
• 5 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1" piece ginger, peeled and finely grated
• 1 generous tbsp Thai green or red curry paste
• 1 cup whey leftover from straining yogurt or water
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 1 average sized butternut squash, roasted and peeled
• 1 400 ml (14 fl oz) can coconut milk
• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 3 tbsp fish sauce
• 2 tsp unprocessed salt

 In a large dutch oven, sauté onion in coconut oil over med-low heat.

Make a paste of the garlic, ginger, and curry paste. When the onion starts to brown add the paste. Sauté for a minute or two, until fragrant. Add the whey and chicken stock. Stir and let cook for 10 minutes.

Add the cooked squash. Use an immersion blender to puree the soup. 

If you don't have and immersion blender, add the cooked squash with the whey and stock and don't let it heat up. Instead puree the soup in a blender or food processor and then let it come to a simmer.

After the soup has been pureed, by either method, let it come to a simmer. Then add the rest of the ingredients. Let it come to a simmer again and then serve.

You can also turn the heat to low and let it cook for a while longer (up to an hour). This will improve the flavour. Soup is always better the next day as flavours get a chance to blend.

Coleslaw w/ Peanut Sauce

We had this for dinner the other night topped with chicken breast (boneless, skin on) that had been fried in virgin coconut oil. I drizzled the leftover peanut sauce over the chicken. Yum.

1 small white cabbage, sliced thin
1 small head romaine, sliced thin
2 carrots, grated
1 red pepper, julienned
1/2 cup sweet onion, sliced thin
1 handful of chopped cilantro
1/4 cup sesame seeds, toasted
Peanut Sauce

Put all of the prepared veggies and the sesame seeds into a large bowl and toss with peanut sauce to taste.  

This recipe made enough for 2 adults to have as the main part of their dinner plus leftovers for a few lunches.

Peanut Sauce/Dressing

I love peanut sauce. Love love love it.

I've been making this one from Elana's Pantry because there's no soy sauce in it, plus it doesn't need to be cooked. Bonus. Besides that, it tastes very good.

The only changes I make are to sub honey for the agave nectar, coconut milk for the water, and sambal oelek for the chili powder.

So good and so easy. One thing though, this sauce really, really needs to sit for at least 2 hours before you eat it. If it doesn't it tastes weird. I think it's the ume plum vinegar.

Full-Gaps Day 90 (Pre-Intro)

Wow, time kinda got away from me.

I was feeling crappy for a while so I took a break from blogging. Then time passed and I wasn't feeling so horrid, but I still wasn't blogging. Then I'd start thinking about getting back to blogging and realized I really didn't want to. After more thought, I realized that it was the format I was using. It's boring me to tears. It's good to see my progress all layed out, but if I can't make myself sit down and record it, it isn't very useful, right?

We are still doing Full GAPS. Even fuller now as we have reintroduced raw dairy. I'm doing fabulous on dairy and am super happy to have it be part of my diet again. I'm also being super picky about what kind of dairy I'm ingesting. Next time you're in the supermarket, pick up a carton of whip cream or yogurt and check out the ingredients. "What's that?" you say, "Whip cream has ingredients? Shouldn't it be 100% cream?" You would think, but that doesn't seem to be the case anymore.

So, we are sticking to dairy that is either raw or has no "additives". To note, I consider the mysterious "milk ingredients" to be an additive as they most likely contain milk powders which aren't good for you, plus who knows where they are sourced from.

Anyway, I'm done with the structured blog for now. I can still record how I'm feeling,what we eat, and recipes and all that yazz.

Tonight I'm too tired. It's bed time. I'll start my post earlier tomorrow.

Full-Gaps Day 74 (Pre-Intro)

Breakfast:
-fresh nectarine 
-coffee, with honey

Lunch:
-leftover Roast Beef
-leftover coleslaw

Snacks:
-crispy walnuts & hazelnuts
-raw kefir

Dinner:
-leftover Roast Beef
-leftover coleslaw
-Bubbies pickles

Supplements:
-1 tsp Magnesium Citrate (Natural Calm) with breakfast
-1 tsp Magnesium Citrate (Natural Calm) with dinner
No foot or leg cramps last night.

Dairy:
Week 5 of dairy reintroduction: introduced raw kefir last week
Both The Fiancé and I are doing well on raw kefir. I did a second fermentation and it was really good.
How To Make Your Kefir Taste Extra Yummy
Ripening Kefir under AirLock

Energy Level:
OK.

Mood:
Good.

Brain Power:
Good.

Back pain:
Low back is getting better. I put it out last week by sitting on a chair wrong. Gotta love that.

Foot pain:
Very mild in both feet.

Knee Pain:
A bit in the left knee when sitting.

Heartburn:
None.

Day of cycle:
4 (.)

Last nights sleep:
Good.

Anxiety:
Oh boy, a new category.

Anxiety is my newest most annoying Adrenal Fatigue symptom. It's especially annoying as it has decided to manifest itself, not as a panic attack like in a normal person, but as diarrhea. Yep, the joke's on me. Why, oh why, oh why, oh why does it have to be that? No idea. It is what it is.

I've been reluctant to talk about this, as it's a tiny bit (= A LOT!!) embarrassing, not to mention really gross. I'm not a good public pooper and what's been coming out of me is far from normal, so I've been pretty much homebound. There are little things I get out to do, within range of my toilet =] Groceries and such. But longer excursions, yikes, they come at a risk. I've had to turn down so many fun events and visits because of it and it really sucks.

I was really, super-duper hoping GAPS would address this sooner rather than later, but it hasn't. If anything it might be worse.

So, I'm about to do something drastic. I'm weaning myself off coffee. Oh dear coffee, I love you so. It's a necessary evil. It'll get The Fiancé off my back, as I shouldn't be drinking it at all with Adrenal Fatigue and he loves to remind me of that daily, and it will answer the question lurking somewhere in the back of my mind... Is coffee part of my poopy problem?

The other thing is that I really should be recording when it happens. Don't panic, I'm not going to be describing anything here, I'm not that gross. Well, actually I am, but I'm still not going to post it. I mostly want to see the frequency and what days it happens on. I'm hoping to see a pattern emerge. Something that will clue me in to the inner workings of my weird brain and help me figure out why the heck this is happening. I'm ready for my life back, please.

So in the spirit of documenting my progress on GAPS...
(d) x 3

Comments:
Missed a few days of posting again, oops!
Hurt my back last week and couldn't sit comfortably to type. Then I got busy. Then I was a lil' bit hungover. The truth hurts.

Lots of fun stuff going on with our Milk Share. To make life easier for our new Agister, I've put our share back to "normal". This means we'll be messing up our reintroduction schedule and will have raw milk to "bathe in" this week. (I secretly can't wait!!!! I miss it soooooooooo much!!) I like kefir, but I don't want to "bathe in" 4 litres of it a week. I was intending to wait and bring raw milk back last. It's not even officially GAPS legal, being a more advanced "bath product". Whatcha gonna do? At this time I feel it's more important to support the cause, our Agister, and our herd, so we'll be "bathing in" raw milk before I'd planned. (secret YAHOO!!)

Besides, I'm confident we won't have any negative reactions to it. We've been "using" it for 3 years and had no problems with the dairy we've reintroduced so far. The Fiancé reacts instantly to pasteurized dairy. His nose runs, he sneezes, and he even gets asthmatic at times. Scary. He's A-OK on raw dairy.

Ontario raw milk farmer takes over Home on the Range cows

Full-Gaps Day 69 (Pre-Intro)

Breakfast:
-fresh pear 
-coffee, with honey

Lunch:
-Organic Deli Roast Beef from Choices
-apple

Snacks:
-none

Dinner:
-Hot Wings
-steamed Brussels sprouts with butter

Supplements:
-1 tsp Magnesium Citrate (Natural Calm) with breakfast
-1 tsp Magnesium Citrate (Natural Calm) with dinner
No foot or leg cramps last night.

Dairy:
Week 5 of dairy reintroduction: nothing new this week

Energy Level:
Good.

Mood:
Good.

Brain Power:
Good.

Back pain:
Had the between the shoulder blades pain while cleaning the chicken. No low back pain today. Yay.

Foot pain:
Mild in both feet.

Knee Pain:
A bit in the left knee when sitting.

Heartburn:
None.

Day of cycle:
35

Last nights sleep:
Good. Weird dreams.

Comments:
Not today. Tired & gotta hit the hay.

Full-Gaps Day 68 (Pre-Intro)

Breakfast:
-fresh peach 
-coffee, with honey

Lunch:
-Left over Chicken Salad from yesterday
-Leftover Grain Free Tabouli
-Leftover Boozy Flank Steak
-kalamata olives

Snacks:
-crispy hazelnuts & walnuts
-coconut macaroons (the recipe was a flop so I'll post it when I work out the kinks)

Dinner:
-Classic Drop Biscuits with raw butter, mayo, mustard, and leftover Boozy Flank Steak
-steamed beans with butter & unprocessed salt
-Simple Veggie Salad (tomato, avocado & lime)

Supplements:
-1 tsp Magnesium Citrate (Natural Calm) with breakfast
-1 tsp Magnesium Citrate (Natural Calm) with dinner
No foot or leg cramps last night.

Dairy:
Week 5 of dairy reintroduction: nothing new this week

Energy Level:
Good. I'm finally waking up feeling refreshed again. We'll see for how long :-)

Mood:
Good.

Brain Power:
Good.

Back pain:
You bet. No low back pain today, but loads of between the shoulder blades pain while working in the kitchen.

Foot pain:
Mild in both feet.

Knee Pain:
A bit in the left knee when sitting.

Heartburn:
None.

Day of cycle:
34
?? What happened to my reset button? Last month was only 29 days.

Last nights sleep:
Good! I love the times of the month when I am sleeping well. I feel so much more productive.

Comments:
Holy cow! We had a sandwich for dinner tonight! The first honest to goodness pick it up and eat it with your hands sandwich. No wheat was harmed during this meal :]

Speaking of cows, our cow share is under attack, again.
Here's a little of what' going on out there...

What is white, frothy, and illegal to sell in B.C.?

Bovinity

B.C. judge orders Alice Jongerden not to milk the cows 

Thank you, Alice, for taking this on. I know you didn't ask to be thrust into the spotlight. You're doing a wonderful job!

Poor Fraser Health doesn't understand the community Alice has created around our cows and the precious milk they produce. Our share members will band together to support each other and do their best to ensure each of us keeps getting our property. We won't let a little Contempt of Court get us down.

This fight has become more about basic personal rights than actual access to a truly healthy food. Deny people their rights and you are going to have a revolution on your hands. Well, maybe a change in law anyway.

Full-Gaps Day 67 (Pre-Intro)

Breakfast:
-fresh peach 
-coffee, with honey

Lunch:
-Chicken Salad; leftover lemon roast chicken, sweet onion, celery, mayo, basil (dry), and pepper
-Leftover Grain Free Tabouli
-red & orange bell pepper slices 
-dates for dessert

Snacks:
-raw yogurt

Dinner:
-Leftover Chicken Salad from lunch
-Leftover Grain Free Tabouli
-Beef Broth

Supplements:
-1 tsp Magnesium Citrate (Natural Calm) with breakfast
-1 tsp Magnesium Citrate (Natural Calm) with dinner
No foot or leg cramps last night.

Dairy:
Week 5 of dairy reintroduction: nothing new this week

Energy Level:
OK.

Mood:
Good.

Brain Power:
Good.

Back pain:
A bit of that between the shoulder blades stuff.

Foot pain:
Mild in both feet.

Knee Pain:
A bit in the left knee when sitting.

Heartburn:
None.

Day of cycle:
33
Hmmm...

Last nights sleep:
Good!

Comments:
Wanna check out the ingredients in your make-up, skin care, or hair products?

Skin Deep: The Cosmetic Safety Database

Full-Gaps Day 66 (Pre-Intro)

Breakfast:
-fresh nectarine 
-coffee, with honey

Lunch:
-Spinach sauteed in coconut oil, leftover lemon roast chicken, raw hollandaise sauce.

Snacks:
-raw yogurt

Dinner:
-Boozy Flank Steak
-Grain Free Tabouli

Supplements:
-1 tsp Magnesium Citrate (Natural Calm) with breakfast
-1 tsp Magnesium Citrate (Natural Calm) with dinner
No foot or leg cramps last night.

Dairy:
Week 5 of dairy reintroduction: pasteurized butter 

Energy Level:
OK.

Mood:
Good.

Brain Power:
Good.

Back pain:
It's ba-ack. Drat. Got the dreaded between the shoulder blades pain while picking the rest of the meat off the chicken I roasted the other day. It stayed with me while I made dinner and washed dishes too. Oh yay :-(

Foot pain:
Mild in both feet.

Knee Pain:
A bit in the left knee when sitting.

Heartburn:
None.

Day of cycle:
32
Where are you (.)?

Last nights sleep:
Good!

Comments:
Had an OK day, except for the between the shoulder blades pain. The day I get to say good bye to that particular pain forever is going to be a great day!

From the WWW...

The Story of Cosmetics, short video

The Story of Cosmetics: Frequently Asked Questions, article

The Story of Cosmetics: Personal Care Products Myths and Facts, article

Grain Free Tabouli

We both love tabouli. It's one of our favourite summer salads. Traditionally it's made with cracked wheat or bulgar, which is a no go for us right now. The sesame seeds worked out really well, providing the correct texture and crunch. 
Make this in the morning to have for dinner, it needs to marinate.

• 3 bunches parsley
• 1 bunch cilantro
• 1 cup sesame seeds, toasted
• 4 medium tomatoes, seeded and chopped into 1/2" pieces 
• 1/3 cup sweet onion, finely diced
• 2-3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/2 - 1 tsp unprocessed salt
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 cup good quality organic olive oil
• 3 dashes Tabasco sauce

Wash and trim the parsley and cilantro. You can chop the heck out of it into tiny bits by hand or you can whiz it in your food processor like I do.

Place the parsley & cilantro into a large bowl. Add the toasted sesame seeds. You can toast them easily in a dry frying pan over medium-low heat (4 out of 10 for my stove). Stir often and watch that they don't burn. You'll know they're done when they've browned a bit and are fragrant.

Seed the tomatoes by cutting in half and squishing the half over the sink to get rid of excess juice. Cut them up and throw them in the bowl too.

Add the rest of the ingredients and stir well. Start with 2 cloves garlic and 1/2 tsp salt. This salad needs to marinate at room temperature for several hours, at least 6. After time has passed, you can do a taste test and add more garlic & salt if you want.

Boozy Flank Steak

For the Marinade:

• 1/2 cup red wine (I used a cab sauv/merlot blend)
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 tbsp dijon mustard
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper 

For the meat:

• 1 flank steak
• 1 batch marinade
• unprocessed salt

Mix the marinade ingredients in a bowl or Pyrex lasagna dish that is big enough to hold your flank steak. You can also use a large ziplock freezer bag.

Let the steak marinate in the fridge for 6-24 hours. The longer the better.

Take the meat out of the fridge 1/2 hour before you're going to cook it. Preheat the broiler and prepare a broiler pan. I line the bottom part of the pan with foil to make cleanup easier.

When the oven is hot, place the meat on the broiler pan, discard the marinade, and sprinkle both sides with salt. I find cooking it 5 minutes per side works well for me. You will have to experiment to find the right time for you. We like it raw, I mean rare, in the middle.

Once both sides have been broiled, take the steak out, cover with foil and let it rest for 5 minutes.

Slice thin, at an angle, against the grain to reduce the chewiness of this cut.

Smoked Salmon, Spinach & Avocado Eggs Benny

Breakfast for dinner? Or a decadent brunch.

This fed the two of us with a couple leftover coconut flour pancakes and hollandaise for tomorrow.

• 1 batch coconut flour pancakes
• 1 small (85g) pack cold smoked salmon, look at the ingredients and find one without sugar, not that easy it turns out. I think I ended up with Western Family brand Wild Sockeye from Save-On
• 1 avocado, halved, peeled & sliced
• 1 bunch spinach, sautéed in coconut oil
• 4 poached eggs, we've been using these Poach Pods and they rock!
• 1 batch raw hollandaise

To plate, place a few coconut flour pancakes on a dinner plate. Layer smoked salmon over them. Then the slices of avocado and the sautéed spinach. Pop the eggs on top and then slather with hollandaise.

Raw Hollandaise Sauce

Hand me a spoon please! This is one serious bowl of yumminess :-)
If you don't have raw use regular old pasteurized butter, organic if you can.

This recipe is based on the one from The Best of Bridge, The Best of the Best - Vol. 1 (Page: 38) Never Fail Blender Hollandaise Sauce

• 1 cup or 8 oz raw butter
• 4 egg yolks, fresh from pastured birds
• 1/4 tsp unprocessed salt
• 1/4 tsp honey
• 1/4 tsp dijon mustard
• 1/4 tsp tobasco
• 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

Melt the butter in a small pot over the lowest heat setting your stove has. If you are using raw butter this is important or it isn't going to be raw anymore, so let it take it's time.

Put the rest of the ingredients into the blender in the order shown.

When the butter is melted, whiz the stuff in the blender for 5-10 seconds and then slowly pour the melted butter through the hole in the lid (not that tiny hole people use for making mayo, that big hole that the handle thing slips into) whizzing the entire time. I use the low setting on my blender (Bosch), other blenders might need medium or high.

Ta-da! Yummy creamy delish raw hollandaise!

Full-Gaps Day 65 (Pre-Intro)

Breakfast:
-fresh pear 
-coffee, with honey

Lunch:
-bunless hotdog (GAPS legal bison dogs cut into chunks) with sweet onion, mustard, homemade ketchup, homemade mayo, & homemade sauerkraut (this one is white cabbage, onion, garlic & fresh dill = yum!)

Snacks:
-raw yogurt
-crispy almonds

Dinner:
-Smoked Salmon, Spinach & Avocado Eggs Benny
-homemade sauerkraut
-red wine

Supplements:
-1 tsp Magnesium Citrate (Natural Calm) with breakfast
-1 tsp Magnesium Citrate (Natural Calm)with dinner
I finally remembered! Yay me!
Not a moment too soon, I've been waking in the middle of the night with foot and leg cramps. Not a great way to wake up. Lets hope this nips it in the butt. 

Dairy:
Week 5 of dairy reintroduction: pasteurized butter  
We got our fill of raw butter today with the hollandaise, sooooo good!

Energy Level:
OK. A bit better than yesterday, but still not where I should be at this time of the month.

Mood:
Good.

Brain Power:
Good.

Back pain:
Low back pain this afternoon and evening.
Still haven't experienced that super debilitating between the shoulder blades pain. I'm not going to say it's gone... but it's definitely on a leave of absence.

Foot pain:
Mild in both feet.

Knee Pain:
A bit in the right knee when sitting.

Heartburn:
None.

Day of cycle:
31
Last month my period had started already... further hormonal reset buttons being pushed??

Last nights sleep:
Good. Really good. I LOVE a good nights sleep. Makes me feel like being nice.

Comments:
For some reason I had it in my head that breakfast for dinner was an easy thing. A simple and relaxing meal to prepare. I haven't made benny's for a while... maybe I forgot how everything is ready at exactly the same time and you're raging around the kitchen trying to put it all together. Spilling raw eggs out of poach pods, decorating the cabinets with that delightful yellow hollandaise, and the floor after an over vigorous stir of the spinach.

Once it all comes together and your plate is swimming in that heavenly sauce it's all worth it. Well, maybe after a few bites and a few more sips of wine.

More interesting stuff from the land of the internet...

146 Reasons Why Sugar Is Ruining Your Health

Top 10 Junk Foods in Disguise

Why we are obese

Full-GAPS Days 61-90 (Pre-Intro)

Full-Gaps Day 61 (Pre-Intro)
Full-Gaps Day 62 (Pre-Intro)
Full-Gaps Day 63 (Pre-Intro)
Full-Gaps Day 64 (Pre-Intro)
Full-Gaps Day 65 (Pre-Intro)
Full-Gaps Day 66 (Pre-Intro)
Full-Gaps Day 67 (Pre-Intro)
Full-Gaps Day 68 (Pre-Intro)
Full-Gaps Day 69 (Pre-Intro)
Full-Gaps Day 70 (Pre-Intro)

Full-Gaps Day 64 (Pre-Intro)

Breakfast:
-fresh peach 
-coffee, with honey

Lunch:
-Leftover Beef Stew with Root Veggies
-leftover Classic Drop Biscuit

Snacks:
-raw yogurt
-crispy almonds

Dinner:
-Roast Lemon Chicken (with broccoli instead of carrots, broccoli doesn't take as long to cook as carrots, so add it for the last 45-60 minutes of cooking)
-homemade sauerkraut

Supplements:
-1 tsp Magnesium Citrate (Natural Calm) in the morning

Dairy:
Week 5 of dairy reintroduction: pasteurized butter  

Energy Level:
OK.

Mood:
Good.

Brain Power:
Good.

Back pain:
None.

Foot pain:
Mild in both feet.

Knee Pain:
A bit in the right knee when sitting.

Heartburn:
None.

Day of cycle:
30

Last nights sleep:
Good.

Comments:
Came across a few interesting articles...

Buying Meat Directly From a Farmer: 7 Things You Need to Know

Behind the Egg Labels: What Do They Really Mean?

GMO corn is everyone's problem!

Full-Gaps Day 63 (Pre-Intro)

Breakfast:
-leftover Spicy Meatloaf, with homemade ketchup and mustard  
-coffee, with honey

Lunch:
-Bison hotdog (GAPS legal), with sweet onion, ketchup, mayo, yellow mustard, and sauerkraut

Snacks:
-raw yogurt
-fresh prune plum & nectarine

Dinner:
-Beef Stew with Root Veggies
-Classic Drop Biscuits

Supplements:
-1 tsp Magnesium Citrate (Natural Calm) in the morning

Dairy:
Week 5 of dairy reintroduction: pasteurized butter  
Both of us are doing well with all of the dairy we've reintroduced so far.

Energy Level:
OK.

Mood:
Good.

Brain Power:
Good.

Back pain:
Low back was a bit stiff today. Had a weird dream that The Fiancé rolled over onto me while we were sleeping and I was yelling at him to wake up because he was crushing my back and then I woke up (for real) and was sleeping all contorted and now my back hurts. Hee hee.
A little between the shoulder blades pain this afternoon while preparing the stew.

Foot pain:
Mild in both feet.

Knee Pain:
None.

Heartburn:
None.

Day of cycle:
29

Last nights sleep:
Good. Didn't have a big pee-fest like the other night. Had the weird dream I mentioned above just before I woke up this morning.

Comments:
Feeling much better today. Got more done around the house, that's my yardstick. I wonder if this tired (low) phase I've been dealing with is a recurrence of my old fatigue pattern reasserting itself or truly just a crash caused by all my anxiety over attending and shooting that wedding a week and a bit ago.

Before I started taking supplements for Adrenal Fatigue, a year before GAPS, I had a repetitive cycle of fatigue where I would feel my worst the 2 weeks before my period, every freakin' month.

After I was on supplements (and I was on a lot of them, to the tune of $300 a month) my fatigue time shifted. I would feel good up until my period and then on day two I would go into my "low time". It's stayed that way up until this month. 

One of the first things I noticed about GAPS was that I didn't get a harshly defined "low time" (that 2 week stretch), I was consistently low, but not as bad as my actual "low times" of old.

So, I guess I have another wait-and-see on my hands.

Beef Stew with Root Veggies

It's been feeling a little fall-like around here. Bring on the stew! This concoction just fit into my 7 quart enameled cast iron dutch oven. If you want one, watch the Canadian Tire flyers because they go on sale quite often, at least 50% off.

When I make stew I usually brown the meat first. I didn't with this one cuz I just didn't feel like it.

To peel pearl onions, drop them into a pot of boiling water for 1 minute. Drain and let them cool for 2 minutes or so. When you can touch them again, cut a sliver off the root end and squish the onion. Push the root end against your cutting board as you're squishing so the whole thing doesn't come apart. The onion will pop easily out of its peel. If the stem end looks gross, give it a trim too.

• 2 lbs stewing beef, cut into bite sized chunks
• 1 large cooking onion, chopped fine
• 1/2 lb pearl onions, peeled
• 5 medium sized white turnips, peeled and cut into bite sized pieces
• 2 large beet roots, peeled and cut into bite sized pieces
• 5 cloves garlic, quartered
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• dash cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp celery salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• 1/2 tsp basil
• 1 tsp dijon mustard
• 1 tbsp tomato paste or 2 tbsp homemade ketchup
• 1/2-1 cup beef broth (or chicken if you don't have beef)
• 3 tbsp butter
• unprocessed salt

Preheat the oven to 275F.

Place the beef, onions, turnips, beets, garlic, and bay leaves into a large dutch oven.

In a bowl, mix the ACV, spices, mustard, tomato paste, and beef broth. Pour the over the contents of the dutch oven and mix.

Drop the 3 tbsp's of butter on top of everything. Put the lid on and place in the oven. Cook for 4 hours. I took it out and stirred it up at the 2 & 3 hour marks. Before serving, add salt to taste.

This could be done in the crockpot too, 8 hours on low.

I used 1/2 cup stock and liked how much liquid there was in the stew, keeping in mind that there was no thickener added. The finely chopped cooking onion does help to thicken a bit. Gravy Man, aka The Fiancé, thought there should be more liquid.

It tasted really good today so it should be awesome tomorrow.

Classic Drop Biscuits

These are from Elana Amsterdam's book The Gluten-Free Almond Flour Cookbook, page 20. Her site, Elana's Pantry, is great. Lots of really good GAPS friendly recipes.

The recipe isn't up on her website so you'll have to get a hold of her book to check it out. I borrowed it from the library and will probably buy it now.

I made a few changes. I subbed honey for the agave nectar and coconut oil for the grapeseed oil.

The recipe also calls for baking soda, which isn't GAPS legal. I used it because her recipe also calls for lemon juice, which is an acid and will neutralize the alkaline properties of the baking soda. It makes sense in my head.

Anyhoo, The Fiancé and I both loved them. They taste like a cross between a muffin and toasted almonds. In other words, yum. They went really well with the stew we had for dinner.

Full-Gaps Day 62 (Pre-Intro)

Breakfast:
-leftover Spicy Meatloaf
-mayo 
-coffee, with honey

Lunch:
-Bison hotdog (GAPS legal), with sweet onion, ketchup, mayo, yellow mustard, and sauerkraut

Snacks:
-raw yogurt
-fresh prune plums

Dinner:
-leftover Spicy Meatloaf
-steamed broccoli with butter
-homemade sauerkraut (white cabbage, yellow onion, garlic & fresh dill)

Supplements:
-1 tsp Magnesium Citrate (Natural Calm) in the morning

Dairy:
Week 5 of dairy re-introduction: pasteurized butter 

Energy Level:
A step up from zombie.

Mood:
Good.

Brain Power:
OK.

Back pain:
None.

Foot pain:
Mild in both feet.

Knee Pain:
None.

Heartburn:
None.

Day of cycle:
28

Last nights sleep:
Good. I got a good sleep, but woke up to pee three times. That is unusual for me. I might have to go once, but three times??

Comments:
My sugar cravings seem to have gone away on their own. I had a bunless hotdog for lunch today and almost didn't miss the bun. Almost =p

Cucumber Salad

This recipe is for 1 person, but can easily be increased to feed as many as you want.

• 1 cup cucumber pieces, sliced into thin 1/2 moons
• 1/4 cup sweet onion, sliced thin
• 2-3 tbsp white wine vinegar
• 2 tsp honey
• 1/4 tsp unprocessed salt
• 1 grind or two of black pepper

Put the cucumber and onion in a small bowl. I drizzle vinegar over it until there is a shallow pool in the bottom of the bowl under the veggies. Drizzle a little honey over it and stir. Add the salt and pepper and stir. Taste and adjust seasonings.

Spicy Deviled Eggs

Quick and easy for lunch or as an appy.

• 8 large eggs
• 1 - 2 heaping tbsp mayo
• 1 tbsp yogurt (I used raw)
• 1 tsp yellow mustard (Simply Natural's organic one is GAPS legal)
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp unprocessed salt
• 1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper
• chipotle powder to sprinkle

Boil the eggs. I put them in a saucepan with at least 1" of water over the height of the eggs. Bring to a boil then turn off the element. Put the lid on and leave for 13 minutes.

When the eggs are cooked, let them sit in very cold water for 5- 10 minutes. Peel them when cool.

Cut them in half and pop out the yolks. Arrange the whites on a plate and mash the yolks up in a bowl. I like to whiz them in my small food processor. If I'm too lazy to drag it out, a potato masher works well too.

Add 1 heaping tablespoon of mayo, the yogurt, mustard, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Mix it up. If it's too dry and not glueing together add a bit more mayo.

Scoop the filling into the empty halves. Sprinkle with chipotle powder. Eat. They would probably taste better after sitting in the fridge for a few hours, but we've never had any last that long.

Full-Gaps Day 61 (Pre-Intro)

Breakfast:
-Bison cranberry pepperoni, from Choices, GAPS legal
-fresh pineapple
-coffee, with honey

Lunch:
-Spicy Deviled Eggs
-Cucumber Salad

Snacks:
-crispy almonds
-dried dates and figs
-raw yogurt
-Beef broth

Dinner:
-Spicy Meatloaf
-Steamed Brussels sprouts and green beans with butter and meatloaf "juice"
-homemade sauerkraut (white cabbage, yellow onion, garlic & fresh dill)

Supplements:
-1 tsp Magnesium Citrate (Natural Calm) in the morning

Dairy:
Week 5 of dairy re-introduction: pasteurized butter 
So far we are eating ghee, raw butter, raw yogurt, and now pasteurized butter. I use pasteurized butter to cook with or on anything steaming hot.
The Fiancé and I are both doing fine with all of the dairy introduced so far.

Energy Level:
Super-low. I'm part zombie.

Mood:
OK.

Brain Power:
Huh?

Back pain:
Better today, but for the last few days my low back has been spasming. Not fun.

Foot pain:
Mild in both feet.

Knee Pain:
None.

Heartburn:
None.

Day of cycle:
27

Last nights sleep:
Good, but got woken up out of a deep sleep by the construction crew wanting into our place this morning at 8:30am. I'm usually up by then so I guess I needed the extra sleep. I've felt dismal all day. Stumbling around and brain dead. Going to bed early tonight.

Comments:
OK, the wedding plus the "time of the month" have really kicked my behind. I'm still crazy low and tired. I can't even think about catching up on past posts, which sucks, but whatcha gonna do?

I keep going to bed and thinking the next morning will bring some relief and I'll feel better. And then I don't.

We've past 60 days on GAPS! I still plan on writing a 60 day update because despite all of my griping there have been numerous improvements and I want to document them.

I've also had major sugar cravings today. So who knows, maybe this is die-off tied up into everything else too. I haven't had cravings this harsh since we first started GAPS... I kinda forgot about them. I'll make us coconut flour pancakes tomorrow or maybe some almond flour cookies and see if that doesn't kill those cravings dead.

Full-Gaps Day 57 (Pre-Intro)

Breakfast:
-fresh peach
-coffee, with honey

Lunch:
-cantalope
-raw yogurt

Snacks:
-turkey salami (GAPS legal)

Dinner:
-bison pepperoni (GAPS legal)
-raw carrot sticks
-Beef broth

Supplements:
-1 tsp Magnesium Citrate (Natural Calm) in the morning

Dairy:
Week 4 of dairy re-introduction: raw yogurt 
The fiancé isn't reacting to the raw yogurt either.

Energy Level:
OK.

Mood:
OK.

Brain Power:
OK.

Back pain:
A bit of low back pain this afternoon.
No between the shoulder blades pain!!

Foot pain:
Mild in both feet. A bit worse in the right foot today.

Knee Pain:
None.

Heartburn:
None.

Day of cycle:
23

Last nights sleep:
Not as great as the night before, I stayed up too late, midnight, finishing a book. I'm going through JD Robb's (Nora Roberts) In Death series. They're pretty good, not what I expected.

Comments:
The Fiancé hasn't been around for dinner for a while. Wow, I'm lazy about cooking when he isn't here.

Full-Gaps Day 56 (Pre-Intro)

Breakfast:
-fresh peach
-coffee, with honey

Lunch:
-cantalope
-raw yogurt

Snacks:
-more cantalope
-more raw yogurt

Dinner:
-bison pepperoni (GAPS legal)
-raw carrot sticks
-Beef broth

Supplements:
-1 tsp Magnesium Citrate (Natural Calm) in the morning

Dairy:
Week 4 of dairy re-introduction: raw yogurt
Lovin' the yogurt! No negative reaction for me.

Energy Level:
Getting better.

Mood:
OK.

Brain Power:
OK.

Back pain:
None!

Foot pain:
Very mild in both feet.

Knee Pain:
None.

Heartburn:
None.

Day of cycle:
22

Last nights sleep:
Good! Lights were out at 11pm, I fell asleep right away, and I woke naturally at 7am.

Comments:
Yah. I'm not gonna get around to posting the missing days. I don't remember much from them anyway. 

The day of the wedding we brought crispy nuts, pepperoni, carrot sticks, dried fruit, and a homemade vinaigrette dressing.

I was able to eat the salmon they served for dinner, cooked carrots, and the plain raw veggies and fruits. Everything else was a no-go.

I was so buzzed from adrenaline high I barely ate anyway. By the time I got all the pictures done I was done. I drank enough red wine to kill my aches and pains, and then had a little more :-)

All that week I was running to the bathroom, anxiety induced downstairs digestive disturbances, and now this week I'm back at it. Grr.

I'm glad for the improvements I've experienced thus far, but I really can't wait for this diarrhea thing to be done and over. There are days I literally can't leave the house for fear of accidents. TMI?

The days following the wedding were very low energy. The kind of low where it feels like gravity has tripled and the simple act of lifting an arm feels impossible. My adrenals were fried from the stress/anxiety and I'm sure the truck-load of wine didn't help me out. Although it sure felt like a good idea at the time.

Full-Gaps Day 55 (Pre-Intro)

Breakfast:
-fresh peach
-coffee, black

Lunch:
-tomato & cucumber w/salt & pepper

Snacks:
-raw yogurt (had it twice, it was soooooo good)

Dinner:
-bison pepperoni (GAPS legal)
-raw carrot sticks
-Beef broth

Supplements:
-1 tsp Magnesium Citrate (Natural Calm) in the morning
(I've forgotten to take this for the last couple of days, but will resume tomorrow)

Dairy:
Week 4 of dairy re-introduction: raw yogurt
OMGosh! We got raw yogurt through our cow share for the first time and it is unbelievable! Thick and creamy and unlike anything I attempted to make on my own. This is the best yogurt I have eaten in my entire life. Seriously.
We tried a bit of yogurt a while back (at a Greek restaurant) and had no reaction so I've been kind of (ahem) gorging on this stuff since I picked it up yesterday.

Energy Level:
Low.

Mood:
OK.

Brain Power:
Huh?

Back pain:
A little achy.

Foot pain:
Very mild in both feet.

Knee Pain:
None.

Heartburn:
None.

Day of cycle:
21

Last nights sleep:
Very good (compared to the last couple of weeks). I think I got a solid 7 hours.

Comments:
So, I'm a bit behind posting. Thought I should do today at least and I hope to catch up on the days I missed tomorrow. 
I got blasted by the wedding. Don't get me wrong, I had a fab time. Loads of fun. It's just the stress and anxiety leading up to it and then the stress and anxiety on the day wipe me out for a week at least. I'm still not right. A few more days maybe.

The Fiancé is spending a couple of days at his dad's fixing computers so I get to record my atrocious eating habits while he's away. Pretty scary.

He is going to another wedding this weekend. It's a destination one and I've opted to not go. I would have liked to, but I'm just not up to it. Maybe after a few more months on GAPS I'll have enough energy to plan some time away. Crossing my fingers.

Full-Gaps Day 51 (Pre-Intro)

Breakfast:
-Leftover Easy Coleslaw
-coffee, black

Lunch:
-none (oops)

Snacks:
-Crispy walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts, & pecans

Dinner:
-Oven BBQ'd Chicken Thighs
-Leftover Easy Coleslaw 
-Beef broth
-red wine
-store bought roasted almonds and cashews

Supplements:
-1 tsp Magnesium Citrate (Natural Calm) in the morning

Dairy:
Week 3 of dairy re-introduction: raw butter
So far so good with the raw butter. No measurable reaction with either of us.

Energy Level:
OK.

Mood:
Iffy.

Brain Power:
OK.

Back pain:
Still none. (???)

Foot pain:
None.

Knee Pain:
None.

Heartburn:
None

Day of cycle:
17

Last nights sleep:
I went to bed too late, but at least I slept better. Six hours uninterrupted. Nice.

Comments:
We stayed at The Fiancé's parents too late tonight. Gotta get to bed so I'm not too much of a mess to shoot the wedding tomorrow.

Full-Gaps Day 50 (Pre-Intro)

Breakfast:
-nothing (oops)

Lunch:
-coffee, with honey
-eggs fried in ghee with unprocessed salt and fresh ground black pepper
-homemade ketchup

Snacks:
-dried apricots

Dinner:
-leftover Spicy Meatloaf
-Easy Coleslaw 
-red wine

Supplements:
-1 tsp Magnesium Citrate (Natural Calm) in the morning

Dairy:
Week 3 of dairy re-introduction: raw butter
So far so good with the raw butter. No measurable reaction with either of us.

Energy Level:
OK.

Mood:
Good.

Brain Power:
OK.

Back pain:
None. (???)

Foot pain:
None.

Knee Pain:
Very mild pain in left knee when sitting or climbing stairs.

Heartburn:
None

Day of cycle:
16

Last nights sleep:
I think I fell asleep somewhere around 4am and woke up at 9am. Wow, a little bit of sleep makes a HUGE difference.

Comments:
Oh my gosh,  I feel so much better today. I can't wait to get a real nights sleep. Maybe tonight, since I'm feelin' pretty good (wine induced) I hope I'll be able to fall asleep without laying there and staring off into the great big nothing. (As in, it's dark and my eyes are bad)

That reminds me, at my last optometrist appointment my prescription improved. My prescription before was:
Right eye -9.25
Left eye -8.5

This time it was
Right eye -7.5
Left eye -7.0

The optometrist was shocked at how much my prescription had changed for the better. I asked her what she thought would account for that. 

She didn't have an answer.

She mumbled something about eyes getting better as we age, but when I pressed her on that opinion she wouldn't back it up.

Then she said maybe my last prescription was wrong, but I know that can't be the case. First, my vision using the glasses from that prescription was great, until recently when I noticed things were getting blurry.

Second, that doc was recommended to me by The Fiancé's best bud and I trust his opinion.

So, if there was nothing wrong with my prescription why did my vision improve? Well, I have my own theories. The main one is that I started taking fermented cod liver oil (FCLO) which is high is fat soluble vitamin A. I'm not taking it currently because I cut out all supplements after I stopped my Adrenal Fatigue treatment. As soon as we reintroduce Butter Oil I will resume taking the FCLO.

Between that and eating a Nourishing Traditions/Weston Price type diet, I think that is what improved my vision. It is absolutely amazing what your body can do for you when you give it the nutrients it needs to heal.

Full-Gaps Day 49 (Pre-Intro)

Breakfast:
-coffee, with honey
-Leftover Thai-ish Coleslaw with Crispy Walnuts

Lunch:
-Leftover Lemon Roast Chicken (specialty chicken) from Choices
-Leftover Thai-ish Coleslaw

Snacks:
-none

Dinner:
-Spicy Meatloaf
-Leftover Thai-ish Coleslaw 
-Steamed green beans with raw butter and meatloaf "juice" (yes, I siphoned off all the fatty goodness and spices that cooked out of the meatloaf and poured some on the beans)
-beef broth

Supplements:
-1 tsp Magnesium Citrate (Natural Calm) in the morning

Dairy:
Week 3 of dairy re-introduction: raw butter
No reaction for either of us that I can tell.

Energy Level:
Very low.

Mood:
Not great.

Brain Power:
Fuzzy.

Back pain:
Whole body aches and stiff neck from not sleeping. I feel like I have the flu.

Foot pain:
Very mild pain in both feet through the day.

Knee Pain:
A bit of pain in left knee when sitting or climbing stairs.

Heartburn:
None

Day of cycle:
15

Last nights sleep:
Horrid. Last night was nite 3 of no sleep. I was awake until 6:20am and then must have fallen asleep because I woke up just after 7am and remembered a dream.

Comments:
While lying in bed last night I realized that the not sleeping thing is anxiety. I'm going to a wedding this weekend. Not only attending, but shooting it. Not sure if I've mentioned I'm a photographer... yah, the blog with no pictures is written by a photographer. Ha ha on me.

I stopped doing weddings last year due to the stress I would feel when a job was approaching. I never realized it was anxiety at that point. I didn't know what the heck was wrong with me. I focused on portraiture and told myself I didn't like shooting weddings, they were too much work, blah blah blah. Except that when I first started out doing weddings I loved them. I loved the fast pace and the thrill you get from the pressure to not screw up. I loved meeting people and especially enjoyed bossing them around ;-p

The wedding I'm shooting this weekend is for a family member and I agreed to do it as a wedding gift. I had no idea that I was going to react this way. I will survive, but I expect to be wiped out for at least a week or two after it. My adrenals are freaking out. 

I think my anxiety is amped up due to being on GAPS as well. The dream I had this morning was about carrying our cooler into the wedding reception with all of our GAPS legal food in it. OK, when I woke up even I thought that was funny... and kind of a good idea.

I know I'll get it done and I'll do a good job, but my adrenals are going to be taxed. I plan to drink copious amounts of wine at the reception to help them rebuild. (yes, I'm joking... not about the wine though)

Spicy Meatloaf

This recipe is pleasantly spicy, not burn the heck outta ya.

For the Loaf:

• 2 lbs ground beef (grass fed if possible)
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup almond flour
• 1/4 cup homemade ketchup
• 1 tbsp yellow mustard
• 1 tsp chipotle powder
• 1 tbsp Frank's Red Hot
• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp fish sauce (make sure there's no added sugar)
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp unprocessed salt

For the sauce:

• 1/4 cup homemade ketchup
• 1 tbsp yellow mustard
• 2-3 tbsp Frank's Red Hot
• 1 tbsp honey

Preheat the oven to 350F.

Mix the ingredients for the loaf in a large bowl. Take some time to knead it a bit, this will help everything stick together when cooked.

Press the mixed loaf ingredients into a loaf pan. I use a glass one.

Mix the sauce ingredients and spread them over the loaf like frosting. 

Bake at 350F for 1.5 hours.

Full-Gaps Day 48 (Pre-Intro)

Breakfast:
-coffee, black
-fresh nectarine

Lunch:
-Leftover Skewers of Garlicky Chicken and Pineapple
-beef broth

Snacks:
-none

Dinner:
-Lemon Roast Chicken (specialty chicken) from Choices
-Thai-ish Coleslaw

Supplements:
-1 tsp Magnesium Citrate (Natural Calm) in the morning

Dairy:
Week 3 of dairy re-introduction: raw butter
No raw butter today.

Energy Level:
Low.

Mood:
Good.

Brain Power:
OK. Brain is a bit muddled this evening.

Back pain:
No low back pain this morning.
No between the shoulder blades pain, but I didn't do much in the kitchen today.

Foot pain:
Very mild pain in both feet through the day.

Knee Pain:
A bit of pain in right knee when sitting or climbing stairs.

Heartburn:
None

Day of cycle:
14

Last nights sleep:
Not great. Same as yesterday, it took a long time to fall asleep and then I kept waking up. I was awake until at least 3am. I hate laying in bed, feeling out of it and tired, but not falling asleep. Hopefully tonight I'm tired enough that I crash.

Comments:
Had to do a bunch of errands today so no time to make dinner. I'm way behind in posting recipes too. Gotta get on that.

Full-Gaps Day 47 (Pre-Intro)

Breakfast:
-coffee, black
-fresh nectarine

Lunch:
-eggs fried in ghee

Snacks:
-none

Dinner:
-Skewers of Garlicky Chicken and Pineapple
-steamed Brussels sprouts with raw butter and unprocessed salt
-beef broth

Supplements:
-1 tsp Magnesium Citrate (Natural Calm) in the morning

Dairy:
Week 3 of dairy re-introduction: raw butter
Didn't get our raw yogurt this week so I'm reintroducing raw butter instead. We both had it with dinner and so far so good.

Energy Level:
Low-ish. I think I'm going through another round of die-off. This isn't my normal time to feel tired during the month.

Mood:
Good.

Brain Power:
OK.

Back pain:
No low back pain this morning.
No between the shoulder blades pain. Even when washing dishes after dinner!!! That is exciting. 
I did get some low back pain right above my right hip (while washing dishes), but it is nowhere near as painful as the dreaded between the shoulder blade pain so ya-hoo!

Foot pain:
Very mild pain in left foot through the day.

Knee Pain:
No knee pain today.

Heartburn:
None

Day of cycle:
13

Last nights sleep:
Not great. Took a long time to fall asleep and then I kept waking up.

Comments:
Not feeling very good today or very hungry. Had a stomach ache before lunch so eggs probably weren't my best bet, but they sure are easy to prepare when you feel like crap.