Monday, December 16, 2013

i'm asking for your help

please click the link below and learn why i'm asking for your help.  and thank you from the bottome of my heart.


Wednesday, October 30, 2013

gluten free, sugar free: easy, all natural vanilla yogurt

note-do not use this if you're on a yeast free diet.  vanilla and vanilla flavoring both contain alcohol or glycol which is made from fermented yeast. either way, it will feed your yeast.  found this out the hard way.  read labels!

we love yogurt, for breakfast or anytime you need a little something between meals.  the problem is that you've got two choices at the supermarket: yogurt with sugar or yogurt with artificial sweeteners.  we don't do artificial sweeteners at all.  normally we chose one with sugar.  but now, since we've gone sugar free it was a choice between no yogurt or devising a way to have our yogurt and eat it, too.  here's my simple and tasty solution...

sugar free vanilla yogurt

1 large container (approx. 4 cups) stoneyfield organic plain yogurt, lowfat (or make your own yogurt from scratch)
1 T. vanilla extract
stevia equal to 2 1/2-3 T. sugar ( i use the individual packets purchased at Aldie)

mix it up in a bowl and return to original container or do like i do.  i mix it right in the original container by using a long handled ice tea spoon.  no muss, no fuss!  enjoy!



Sunday, October 27, 2013

candidas diet - gluten free fajitas!

unfortunately i didn't get a photo of these yummy fajitas, but i will give you the recipe for the yummy marinade i used for the chicken.  this could as easily be used on pork or beef.  serves 2 very generously.

you will need:
2 large or 3 med. chicken breasts
1 large green pepper
1 large onion
3-4 eggs
marinade 

if you have the really big breasts, (like me, lol!...sorry), cut them into 2 or 3 thinner sections by slicing them at an angle.  this way they'll cook up quicker and less dry.  i would even cut the smaller ones in half to be honest.  place chicken breasts in shallow container.

Marinade:

in a small bowl combine the following ingredients:

4 T lemon juice
4 T olive oil
i minced garlic clove
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. cumin
1/2 t. chili powder
1/2 seeded, minced jalapeño pepper
1/8 c. dry cilantro

(you can be more daring with your spices if you like and add more.  i made it according to the recipe and it's very mildly spicy.)

mix these ingredients together well and pour over chicken breasts, covering each one.  this can marinate for up to 8 hours in the fridge.  if you have less time marinate 30 minutes at room temp.
while this is marinating slice up 1 large green pepper and 1 large onion.

when ready to begin, remove chicken pieces from marinade and lay out on paper towels.  cover with paper towels and pat moisture off.  heat small amount of olive oil in skillet until hot.  cook chicken pieces until well browned, turning when necessary.  they should brown nicely and cook up fairly quick.  once done, remove from heat and place on plate or cutting board.  wipe skillet with paper towels.  return skillet to stove top and add small amount of olive oil.  add chopped veggies and sauté until tender crisp.

now for the final step, while veggies are sautéing,  heat another skillet, adding oil or butter.  whip up 3-4 eggs to make two individual thin omelets.  sorry, i'm not going to tell you how to make an omelet and you can skip this step if you just want to serve your fajitas as is.  but don't fold your omelet.  leave it open and slide onto a ready plate when done.  

when everything is done and each plate has an omelet on it, pile with fajita meat.  cover the fajita meat with the sautéed veggies.  top with salsa, sour cream or guacamole or a combination.  i liked mine with a big dollop of guacamole on top.  these were delicious! 

i hope i haven't made this sound too complicated.  i will actually use this marinade for steak, chicken or pork for a nice change of pace even if not making fajitas.  it's very good.  


Thursday, October 24, 2013

candidas diet: chili-spiced beef

after my partner, mark was placed on ridiculous amounts of prednisone and cipro for a stubborn sinus infection, he came down with an even worse condition, an oral yeast infection.  because of the residual steroids and antibiotics in his system, antifungal meds didn't work.  as a result, research led me to changing our entire way of eating and once again, brought me back to alternative methods of healing. namely, the use of herbs and supplements.  after a couple of weeks and seeing his doctor for a check-up, the doctor confirmed we were on the right track and said, "you've got it (candidas) on the run.  just keep doing what you're doing.  as a bonus, mark's triglyceride level was normal for the first time in 40 years!  there is our absolute proof that his high triglycerides were not the result of consuming fats, but of consuming sugars.

what we're doing is the following:

* oil pulling morning and night with pure, organic, raw coconut oil.  coconut oil has specific acids that destroy yeast.  
* wild oregano oil 3 times daily. we're using oreganol brand soft gels.  oregano oil is one of THE best antipathogens available.  (it helped my daughter's c.diff go into remission)
*a really good brand of probiotics that includes multiple strains of good bacteria.  3 capsules daily.
*aloe vera juice-2 oz. a day  this helps white blood cells to combat infection.
*salt water rinses using pink himalayan salt or other mineral laden sea salt.
*DIET-this is SO important.  we've cut out sugar, yeast, alcohol, wheat, corn, soy, starchy vegetables, ham, bacon (and all processed meats such a cold cuts and hotdogs), and fruit from our diet.  every time you eat anything of this nature you are feeding the yeast.  as a result, your problem won't go away.  

read labels!  it's amazing when you really look into what's in your food products what you'll actually find.  very few packaged foods are free of sugar, soy, wheat or other ingredients that may be adding to your problem.  many are hidden under names like dextrose, maltodextrin, potato starch, etc.  educate yourself!

basically we live on meat, (beef, chicken and pork, certain vegetables and a grains, (barley, brown rice, quinoa, oat bran).  no ham, bacon or processed meats like bologna, pepperoni, hot dogs or even sausages because these all contain sugar and/or starch.

what i want to do here is share the way i have changed my cooking habits.  luckily for mark and me, i like to cook and be creative in my cooking, so although this has been challenging it has been a creative outlet for me as well.  i've only been at this for a few weeks, so bear with me as i discover new ways of doing things.  some of the recipes and tips here might be well suited to those who are not only battling a yeast overgrowth, but whose diet is also gluten free, sugar free or paleo in nature.

to begin with, here is a recipe i've used several time prior to this diet simply because it's so tasty. even better, it's easy and made in the crock pot!

chili-spiced beef

2 lb boneless beef roast
4-6 cloves minced garlic
1-2 jalepenos (i usually use one)
1 large onion, chopped
1 Tbsp chili powder (or more to taste)
1/2 tsp salt (pink himalayan or celtic sea salt)
2 Tbsp lime or lemon juice

chopped fresh basil as garnish of desired.
i like to serve this over brown rice.

in a 5-6 quart crock pot or slow cooker combine ingredients and cook 7-8 hours on low or 4-5 hours on high.  you can add veggies such as green beans the last few minutes of cooking if you wish to make this a one pot meal.  

spoon beef and sauce over rice and enjoy.








Monday, July 8, 2013

so when will they come for us?



…and then they came for the trans* people. (via Second Council House of Virgo)
Operation Zeus in August last year marked the start of an ugly reminder of a European past that we thought we had long buried.  Nearly 60 years after the end of the Second European War, migrants were round up from the streets of Greece and shoved unceremoniously…



Saturday, June 1, 2013

lost

i have been reminiscing too much.  about walks in the woods or a moonlit stroll down a country road at 3 AM.  about barefoot mornings in my garden  gathering fresh tomatoes in the skirt of my nightgown.  about summer evenings on the front porch watching the rain move across the fields.  about hanging laundry to dry in the summer breeze.  i used to feel that i never needed to get away when every summer night was a little vacation as i took my glass of iced tea and retired to the patio after a good days work.

i used to love, love, love being at home.  often i didn't care if i left the property for a week or two at a time.  i loved getting up to the sunrise burning the mist from the field.  i was always busy with a creative project, be it cooking, writing or crocheting.  seldom did i lack inspiration.

now, as much as i hate to admit it, i feel as if i have lost a lot of my zest for living.  i leave just to get out of the house.  i seldom cook or create.  as nice as our backyard and patio are here, you seldom see me out there enjoying it.  as big and functional as my workspace in the basement is, you'll seldom see me using it.  i go downstairs only to do laundry or an occasional mending project.  i spend most of my time at the dining room table or at the computer accomplishing little but making lists of things i should be doing or playing mindless games to pass the time.

even though i have some social anxiety, i miss people.  my people, my family.  i have had real difficulty making new friends here in this small town.  i joined the art gallery a couple of years ago to showcase my jewelry and creations.  i only stayed with that a year.  i found most of the people involved to be snooty and ego driven.  maybe i judge too harshly out of my own insecurities.

i would love to find my muse again, to feel happiness or contentment or the energy of living again.  i really would.  just my thoughts on this rainy, gray first of june.  maybe i live too much in the past.  i try not to. i have tried to embrace the present and this life apart from who and what i have always been and known.  and perhaps therein lies the problem.  i am not being true to me.  but here i am and i'm not sure how to change that since i'm not able to do all the things i used to do.  and my partner seems less capable than me when it comes to living a more soulful life.

i need to find something to plug into, a light socket source of energy and inspiration.  at this moment i have no idea where or what that is, but i do hope i find it...soon.  i've been trying to convince myself for four years that i'm happy here, but i am not.  shouldn't you be able to be happy where you are?  that's what all the spiritual teachings imply.  be happy where you are.  any ideas or helpful advice is welcome.

Saturday, January 5, 2013

in loving memory





on dec. 28th we had to say good-bye to furby, mark's best friend for the past fourteen years.  cancer had gotten the best of her and it was time to quit.  it has been a sad, sad time for both of us but especially for mark. rip sweet little girl.  we will always love you and miss your physical presence in our lives.  godspeed.   





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