Tag Archive: healthy eating

Carrots, Carrots! Orange and Tasty!

Carrots, Carrots! Orange and Tasty!

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Do you like carrots? Do you use them regularly in your recipes, or have them for a midday snack? Maybe you like to chop them finely into salads, or julienne them and use them in your noodle base! Some like to steam them in broth until they are soft, or use them in their bone broth bases. Whatever you use them for, they are full of healthy beta carotene!

Here are some fun facts about carrots that you may find helpful!

*One Cup of raw carrots contains about 52 calories.

*Carrots are orange from beta carotene, and they contain roughly 16,000 IU of it.

*The longest carrot was over 18 feet, and the heaviest over 18.9 pounds!

*Carotenemia occurs when a person ingests too much beta carotene. This can cause a yellow-orange tint to the skin, especially in the palms of the hands, and soles of the feet.

*Carrots are 87% water.

*In 2004, carrots were the 7th most valuable crop in the United States.

*China is the world’s top producer of carrots, followed closely by Russia in second, and the United States in third.

*In 1607, the settlers of Jamestown introduced carrots to the world.

*Hippocrates created a broth recipe for good health consisting of carrots, celery, root parsley, and leeks.

*The Ancient Greeks called the carrot a philtron, which translates to “love charm.” They believed the carrot made both men and women more amorous.

 

 

 

June 29, 2015 Teach Me Healthy Eating!, , , , , , , , 0 Read more >

GF4M: The Power is Out! What do we eat?!

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GF4M: The Power is Out! What do we eat?!

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If you’re from anywhere in Fort Wayne, you probably had some effects from the most recent wind storm that seemingly came out of nowhere, and knocked power out to over 30,000 people in the county. A few days later, and finally our power is back on! Bet your non-gluten free buns I jumped on the computer fast as I could! Felt a little lost without her these past few days…but thankful I had my cell phone for internet service!

It’s pretty difficult to eat correctly during power outages, too. Most people who were out of power were frequenting fast food establishments and restaurants that still had power. Unfortunately for us, eating that way just doesn’t prove to be worth it in the end. Not only that, but the kids loved the idea of “indoor camping,” and once we knew the food and tortoise were safe, we could finally relax into enjoying it, too.

So, for our first night we had turkey sandwiches, chips and dip, and vegetables and dip. I also made gluten free tuna tacos, and we had some fruit bits. The second night I got a little craftier, and opted to cook some pizza and fries on the grill for the kids. To my surprise, the pizza turned out perfectly, and I was told the fries were “excellent” too! Pizza and I try to avoid each other at all costs…unless it’s a cauliflower or spinach based crust. I went for salmon on the grill & a sweet potato & GF butter noodles! Delicious!

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Nights like these make me thankful that stove top cooking is easier, and less-stressful! I take lights, garbage disposal systems, and dishwashers for granted. It’s hard enough trying to eat gluten free and clean… even harder when there’s no power!

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Here are a few treats that we’ve made to order in the past few weeks!! Party platters with roll-ups, frozen pies, fresh pies, strawberry bars, and homemade ice cream sandwich cookies! All gluten free, of course!!

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And a garden update! Everything is growing like crazy, and I managed to save the large tomato plant that fell over in the wind storm!

June 29, 2015 Tips & Tricks for Us Glutie's, , , , , , , , , 0 Read more >

OH, FORKS! Upcoming Event & Important Nutrition Information Disclosure

OH, FORKS! Upcoming Event & Important Nutrition Information Disclosure

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Busy! Busy! Busy! I’m preparing for this weekend big event with the Jorgenson YMCA in Fort Wayne, Indiana. I’ve almost got the taste testing list solidified (yes, there are still a few last minute decisions, I know, shocking!) and I’m waiting on one of the last table decorations to get here today! This process has been similar to preparing for a book event, but so much more involved! Assuring that banners, signage, and social media postings are done appropriate is a LOT of work! And of course, making sure that the treats I’m making for everyone are P E R F E C T. *wipes the sweat from my brow…* I’m excited to reveal the table décor on our Facebook page very soon!

Now for the serious…

And of course, this morning I had a message from a fellow self-publisher that I needed to check out immediately. The article was from another foodie blogger, who has been threatened with a lawsuit by a reader. Why, you ask? Because the nutrition information they posted wasn’t correct to the recipe the person made. Wow. I had to re-read it four times. You may be wondering if that’s even possible….it is. Unfortunately for people like me.

First, let me discuss nutrition labels. I like them, because it gives those paying close attention to calories and fat the numbers they need for their diets. Second, I like being able to show how my recipes fair in the “health” section. Third, I don’t like to be misleading with my recipes. So, I added nutrition labels in to the OH, Forks!! Cook book.

That said, those nutrition labels are for informational purposes only, and are not “scientifically correct.” Yes, I did use the great website to make them all, and many big companies and places use them, too. Yes, their numbers are correct for the brands, amounts, and products I used in my recipes. However, if you omit something, use a different amount, substitute or what have you…those numbers may change a little.

Being completely honest, I don’t pay much attention to calorie counts, fat counts, or the like. I didn’t add in my nutrition labels to claim “complete health and perfection” with any of my recipes.

I felt the need to post a permanent disclaimer on the nutrition label side of things, if for nothing else, my own protection. In the past few weeks, I’ve taken extra precautions to protect ALL of my work, which for this cook book means the labels, pictures, recipes, words and more. There are a group of people out there that just don’t have enough to do with their spare time, and have taken up stealing author’s work and reproducing it under their own names, profiting all the way. It’s disgusting, and I’m NO FAN of pirating sites, or this type of behavior.

I appreciate those who have stuck by me, supported me, and backed this entire cook book endeavor! I’m hoping it brings you happiness, as well, knowing the project you support is indeed making headway in the public, and has begun doing events!! 🙂

April 20, 2015 OH FORKS!! A Little Bit of Everything and All That's Gluten Free 2015, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 0 Read more >

Hey, Surprise! There’s Gluten in Your Meds!

 Hey, Surprise! There’s Gluten in Your Meds!

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I know. And I sort of hope you were sitting down before you read that. It happens less frequently now than it used to, but it does still happen. Whether it’s your prescription, or your favorite over-the-counter box of cold meds, if you’re super sensitive to gluten, you should probably call the company or check out GlutenFreeMeds.com to see if it’s on their list, at the least.

Maybe you’re wondering why there would be gluten in your medication? It’s simple, and sort of the same reason why there is gluten in spices, shampoo, lotions, and makeup. It’s a binding agent in many things. In this case, it helps make your pills stay together.

If any of the prescription or OTC medications you take have any of these ingredients, you may want to further your investigating skills and verify for the sake of your body.

  • Wheat
  • Modified starch (source not specified)
  • Pregelatinized starch (source not specified)
  • Pregelatinized modified starch (source not specified)
  • Dextrates (source not specified)
  • Dextrimaltose (when barley malt is used)
  • Caramel coloring (when barley malt is used)
  • Dextrin (source not specified, but usually by corn or potato)

Pharmacists face many dilemmas in the gluten-free world. There are no requirements for companies to label their medicines as “gluten free,” or just what they contain. In the same breath, all gluten sensitivities are different, and that 1 particle of gluten dust may not do much to Suzy, but it was enough to put Tom in the hospital. It is also true that medications don’t work the same way in a body without a gluten issue, as they do in a body that severely reacts to gluten. I just don’t feel it should be left up to the pharmacist to decipher, and I think that put them into a bad spot, as well.

More and more, we’re seeing the push to ban GMOs, and label things appropriately for allergens. I am hopeful that even more labeling will be approved to fully label prescriptions, shampoos, and anything else that is used by humans containing gluten. I’ve learned through my years of personal experience, and that of my child’s, that gluten, GMOs, and the harsh chemicals in our world ARE affecting our bodies, and creating internal disasters that no one knows how to deal with.

So, just a gentle reminder, fellow Celiac sufferers- CHECK YOUR MEDS!!

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Resources Used:

GlutenFreeMeds.com- linked their gluten free med sheet

 

 

January 14, 2015 Gluten In The News, , , , , , , , , , , , , 0 Read more >

OH, FORKS!! A Little Bit of Everything and All That’s Gluten Free Cook Book is HERE!!!

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OH, FORKS!! A Little bit of Everything and All That’s Gluten Free Cook Book Is HERE!!

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I’m so excited to say, it’s here!! After years, and months of planning, fund finding, and correcting issues…I’ve finally gotten my hands on my first prints of the cook book, and they are selling, selling, selling! I even took my books to my first author event at our local library (Allen County Public Library) this past weekend. We were the ONLY gluten free cook book there, and we talked to many, many people about so many things related to gluten and dietary issues.

Many have asked about the formats of the books, and how you can buy them. I had hardbacks printed ONLY for backers, for now. Eventually, hardbacks will be available for anyone to buy, but they will be more than the coil books. The coil copies are available now, and weigh approximately 1.5 pounds each! For a book, that’s heavy! The pages are thick, 100% recycled materials, and are you can wipe them off if they have drips or spills! There are over 105 recipes, and over 200 pages.

To order these books, one would simply need to message either Gluten Free for Me via web page, or Facebook page, Author Skye Falcon via Facebook or web page email, or inbox my personal page, if you’re one of the few who can. (Insert raised eyebrow smiley face here) Coil copies are available for $30 each, plus tax and shipping if it needs shipped. One can pay via PayPal invoice which is emailed to you, Square marketplace (card reader), or by sending check or money order in the mail.

I am currently working on the e-book format of OH, FORKS!! And also a few smaller e-books that will be connected to the OH, FORKS!! Series of books. At this point, I am hopeful to have this done in the beginning of 2015. (I really, REALLY want and need to push a few hundred thousand words out to print, first. My poor, poor brain this past year….now things will settle, and my fingers will resume their typing fury.)

Print books should be available on Amazon soon, too. In the meantime, if you’ve gotten a copy of OH, FORKS!! Please send us your review! Share recipes made from the cook book with the hashtag #OHFORKS. Thank you SO MUCH for supporting me, and helping me out with the OH, FORKS campaign!

 

PS. Look for this blog to be back on track, and posting regularly again soon!!! Thank you for your patience!

November 10, 2014 OH, Forks! A Little Bit of Everything and All That's Gluten Free Cook Book 2014, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 0 Read more >