My New Home!

Dear Gluten Free Palette readers, I have moved! You can now find me at http://ashleyshealthypalette.wordpress.com/ Please come check it out!

Allergyeats.com will rock your world!

Hello all gluten free warriors!

Sorry for the prolonged absence.   There has been A LOT going on lately but I have been busy working on recipies and doing my research to pass on to all of you.  Unfortunally I cannot take the cake for finding this piece of information I am about to share with you.  I got a phone call from my excited father the other night because he stumbled upon  http://www.allergyeats.com/

My husband and I do not go out to eat much but when we do we like to make sure what we are eating is not going to put me in a gluten induced coma for a few days.  This website will inform you of all the gluten free restaurants available to you according to the zip code you put it.  So if you are going to be traveling and not sure where you will be able to eat; enter the zip code in and voila! 

Another exciting feature is that it is not just for the gluten free dieters but also the dairy free, nut free , etc... as well!  I had no idea that there were so many restaurants surrounding us that have gluten free menus! Very exciting stuff.  This website is a great tool for people and one way to contribute is if you know of a gluten free restaurant that is not on the list then you can add it .  For instance, my husband and I love going to Pepperland Cafe in South Berwick, Maine.  The chef has come out and talked to us about options available to me and they not only provide gluten free options but they provide homemade and local food.  They do not have gluten free breads, pastas and beer but it is easy enough to order something without bread, they have wild fish and local meats as well a vegan option.  It is  a favorite of ours for breakfast.

Well short blog today but I hope it finds you well!  Check it out and let me know what you think!

Peace, Love and Enjoy your Gluten Free Dining!
                                                                   Ashley

My Dad is a college graduate!

 On May 14, 2011 my dad graduated with a Bachelors of Fine Art degree! I couldn't be more proud of my dad.  He is someone who struggled through school as a child, never really connecting to school, which sadly resulted in him dropping out in high school.  Throughout my childhood my dad was creating amazing oil paintings.  I used to love watching him create amazing landscapes, portraits and still lives, with paint, a paintbrush and a canvas.  When I was in third grade and my sister in second, my parents were not impressed with the schooling we were receiving.  We had just recently moved to Maine and the school system we were in was not the greatest.  My sister and I started regressing and My dad couldn't stand it.  The next thing we knew, we were pulled out of school and my dad started teaching us full time at home.  He was the greatest teacher, and through teaching us he found out that he loved to learn!  He ended up going back to school to get his GED.  I loved being taught at home! It was also great to see how much my dad loved to learn.  He always pushed me to work and try a little harder because he was so interested in the work himself.  He ended up enrolling in a community college when my sister and I started college.  After taking some required courses he enrolled at the University of Southern Maine.  My dad excelled in college, he graduated Magna Cum Lauda! I don't think I know anyone who has worked as hard as he did.  He always gave 200% in everything he did, even the simplest project he would take it to a whole other level.  In fact while I was in college I started pushing myself harder because if my dad could do, I thought, Why can't I?!  So dad thank you for always having my back, always inspiring me and for being my best friend.  I hope you continue to have the desire to learn and may we always have conversations about being open to opportunities and our struggles with gluten (yes I get my wonderful stomach from my dad, but it is OK because I got his creativity too ;-) ).

My father has always been an inspiration to me and will always be in inspiration to me!  So with all that said, you can check out his amazing works at  http://www.maine-artist.com/

Here are a few paintings he has done. 

portrait of my uncle as a child

self portrait

still life

My dad with at his senior art exhibition with his work

Who in your life inspires you?

Peace, Love and Learn,
                                Ashley

The Dangers of Lacking some D

I finally went and got my blood work done! 4 vials later! I thought she was going to take it all when I saw all the bottles, luckily I was just being dramatic and it was fine.  However; the results were completely unexpected.  Everything was fine except for one thing, I am extremely deficient in Vitamin D.  HUH? I was so confused.  I got a letter saying how my labs were great but the vitamin D deficiency was in need of immediate care and I was given a prescription for 50,000 iu's for 8 weeks! Holy cow! I guess I am deficient! Even my 91 year old grandmother was less deficient than me and she is never outside!  I never expected this!  I spend time outside all the time, less time in the winter but still never expected to be this deficient.  I thought it couldn't be right! So I did my research and sure enough I display one major sign, infertility!  WHOA! looks like gluten and IBS aren't my only enemies here.  Vitamin D listen up it is time to replenish baby!  It is so interesting finding this information out, because since going gluten free and changing some other aspects of my diet I have had tons of energy! With a such a deficiency a lack in energy is a big symptom.  Although, I can pinpoint times during my cycle when energy hits rock bottom no matter how I am eating so this makes since now.  First gluten blows my mind now Vitamin D.  I am hoping with the warmer months approaching and with the mega dosage the doctor put me on, that things will level out for me.  I Really hope! Vitamin D deficiency is so dangerous because not only can it cause infertility but it can cause, osteoporosis (calcium needs magnesium and vitamin D in order to be absorbed), autoimmune disease, and even some cancers! YIKES!  I found some very informative articles that I thought I would share;

http://goop.com/newsletter/88/en/

http://www.drfranklipman.com/symptoms-diseases-associated-with-vitamin-d-deficiency/

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/women_shealth/3434420/Vitamin-D-can-aid-fertility.html

http://www.naturallyknockedup.com/boost-your-fertility-with-vitamin-d/

http://www.ewg.org/2010sunscreen/best-beach-sport-sunscreens/


Again, I am amazed at this deficiency and all it causes.  I thought that getting out in the sunshine everyday was enough, apparently not.  Hopefully with my current dietary changes as well as the vitamin D boost I will continue on the road to better health and fertility.  The body works in mysterious ways and again I love my mid wife for getting me tested for this, if the other doctor had her way I would be under going IVF right now, which is so not for me at this time.  This might not be the cure all but it for sure looks like it is a step in the right direction!

soaking in some D

Have you had your Vitamin D levels checked recently?

Peace, Love and Vitamin D,
                                       Ashley

Happy Earth Day!

 It is a beautiful spring morning here in Maine (could be a little warmer) but the sun is shining, the birds are chirping and my tulips are just about ready to say hello!  Today is Earth day!  So Happy Earth day to you Earth! I am sorry us humans are mucking you up!  It amazes me how much trash we dispose of everyday.  We are a throw away country, where ease takes over what is good for us and the planet.  I wanted to share a video with all of you that I found so inspiring.  Until I watched this video I thought I was doing a pretty good job.

 

 I just found so much inspiration from watching this video! There is so much more my husband and I can do. We don't do awful, we recycle everything we can, reuse glass containers, pack our own lunches, create about 1 full bag of trash a month, use microfiber dishcloths and cleaning cloths, use paper napkins, bring our own bags when we shop, among other things...however there is so much more we could be doing and so much less trash we could be creating. This next video I wanted to share to remind people that trash doesn't just disappear. It may disappear from your minds but all that trash has to go somewhere. 

Did you know that your diapers (unless you were in cloth) from when you were a baby are still in a landfill?! Nasty! Diapers take about 500 years to break down, meaning they will outlive us.  Now I am just not OK with my old diapers living longer than me! Longer than my children and their children and their children! YIKES! One last video on the breakdown of diapers for you. In case I didn't shock you with the whole 500 years bit.

Alright folks I am getting off my soap box for now but I really thought this information was important to share.  We are all so consumed in our lives and getting things done that we often forget about taking care of our planet :-( Making small changes in your household can create a huge difference for our environment.  Buying less prepackaged food, buying bulk and bringing reusable containers, compost, etc.. There are so many different things you can do.  This changes will not hinder your life, if anything they will make it greater, there is no greater peace than knowing you are doing something to benefit the future of our planet.  My next step is to get compostable toothbrushes , bring containers with me when I buy bulk (instead of using the plastic bags), and finding out how to get rid of pesky junk mail! I am excited about the new changes we are making and hope I have inspired others to make some changes in their lives.  Try something today in honor of Earth Day, even if you just skip out on buying something packaged or bring your own reusable bag when you shop today.

What do you do to support our environment? What is your favorite green thing to do? (mine is my reusable shopping bags, I love them and use them for everything! I even used them to move once!)

Peace, Love and Happy Earth Day!
                                              Ashley

Zucchini here, Zucchini there, Zucchini EVERYWHERE!

I have been absent for almost a month! Sorry readers! Things have been super busy at the Knight residence.  We are getting ready for summer and have been super busy preparing the garden.   The garden prep is going so well this year! I was sitting on my couch this morning with my pup and started reflecting on last years garden.  Last year we had an amazing harvest! Full of wonderful veggies, all we had to do was step outside and grab what we wanted and plan our meal.  We ate a lot of raw dinners last summer.  We had an abundance of zucchini (probably will plant less this year), we were overwhelmed with them! Not only did we have a lot but they were ginormous!  I had to start being clever about how we ate these things because we were starting to get over run, we even walked around our neighborhood and gave a bunch away!  One of my favorite meals with zucchini was zucchini pasta! I took my peeler and went to town. The "noodles" sort of looked like linguine. Paul (my husband) gave me some odd looks when I was peeling them but once he tasted it he loved it! I made some marinara sauce with our own tomatoes and this was a yummy meal all from our backyard!

This once zucchini fed us for three meals!  

  Some of our other zucchini meals included;

Raw Zucchini soup perfect for a hot summer night!

Raw zucchini lasagna from the cook book RAWvolution

  Eating raw is wonderful in the summer time especially when you have a garden full of wonderful veggies! I have been eating warm/hot meals all winter so I am ready for the abundance and variety of vegetables summer will bring us!  This year however; we will cut back on the amount of zucchini we plant!

Paul has just built us a compost and has doubled the size of our garden from last year!  I cannot wait to get my hands in the dirt everyday! Gardening is very therapeutic for me and I cannot wait to start our little seedlings!

Last years little guys! Screaming for more sun!

We will start them beginning of May, with a lot of different things this year, like popcorn! I love popcorn, we buy bulk organic popcorn now but to be able to have it from our own yard would be amazing! speaking of which I should probably order that huh?! YIKES!         


Alright well I will leave you for now.  You know I was actually going to post a blog about some banana ice "cream" I made today.  Hmmmmm it is amazing how your mind takes over sometime. It was like I had no control, I guess my head is in the garden!  I will post my banana ice "cream" recipe soon, this one is too good not to share!

Do you have a garden? What are you planting?  

Peace, Love and Play in the dirt!
                                           Ashley

Pizza Night!

 My husband and I have always enjoyed pizza, I mean who doesn't? However; when you cannot eat gluten enjoying pizza can be a bit tricky. You can make your own and one of my favorite pizza's to make is portabella mushroom pizzas, so yummy! (stayed tuned for recipe) There are some great places like Flatbreads that offer a gluten free pizza dough, and it delicious! Although I do enjoy getting pizza out and making my own, part of my love for pizza is when I do not feel like cooking I love to indulge in some frozen, throw it in the oven pizza!  But what is a girl to do when she does not eat gluten? Easy, your local grocery store has a bunch of options! One of my favorites is Amy's Organics and I just found out they make one of my favorites gluten free! Very exciting news! Hope to find it in stores soon.

Another favorite mine is from the Better Bread Company which is a company from Maine! My husband was at a health food store when they were having gluten free pizza taste tasting! (can't believe I wasn't there!) He said that their pizza was by far the best he had tasted, so he brought one home and my dinner plans for the night were passed onto the next night.  We cooked the pizza and DAMN it was good! The crust was delicious! My favorite is their roasted garlic and artichoke pizza!


http://www.betterbreadcompany.com/
 

So the next time you have a craving for pizza don't fret! There are lots of options available!

What is your favorite pizza topping? Honestly I cannot choose just one, I like it all!

Peace, Love and Pizza!
                              Ashley

Transitioning

So here in Maine it is the end of March and 20 degrees! The days are getting longer and they also seem to be getting colder! I am trying to be patient but come on winter, it was nice for a while but its time for you to go now! Alright well I am done complaining ....for now, but if it snows again there may be more complaints! Anyone else tired of shoveling?

Some hope! come on tulips!

Moving on....I titled this blog transitioning because that is what my husband and I are currently doing.  He is transiting to a new job (one that will hopefully acknowledge his worth) and he is also transiting into quite the craftsman.  He has always been a creative person but lately he is really developing his creativity in different ways.  I love watching what he comes up with, for one he is a fantastic landscape designer!  If anyone wants to have a design drawn up of your yard then he is the person to call, and I am not just saying that because he is my husband (or maybe I am ;-).  He also started blogging about plants, you can read his blog Here.  Another thing he has been doing lately is becoming quite the woodworker!  He makes earring holder frames, boxes and painting frames (which works out well for a family of artists!).  When you have been with someone for 10 years it is exciting to see the changes and the transitions you go through as a couple and separately :-)

Box with coasters, with drift wood handle!

some of last summers harvest!

My transitions, well you all know what they are if you read this blog.  I feel like I am one big transition lately.  I am letting things happen and holding on for dear life!  One thing I am doing is transitioning our diet from our winter staples of root vegetables to more summer vegetables. I like to eat what is locally growing but sometimes you just need to feed your cravings!  Last summer we had an abundance of zucchini, tomatoes, bell peppers, among other wonderful veggies and when winter approached I was ready for some warming root veggies, however, now that spring is here (sort of) I am craving those wonderful summer veggies once again.  A couple weekends ago I made a rice dish that has some root vegetables (local) and some beautiful summer vegetables (not so local).

My transitioning meal palette included; adapted from one of my favorite recipes here

1 cup Brown Rice                                   
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 yellow onion,diced
1 Zucchini,diced
2 heads of brocolli
3 carrots, diced
1 turnip,diced
1 parsnip,diced
1 can diced tomatoes2 tsp Thai curry paste
2 tbps pumpkin seeds
1 egg


I cooked my brown rice in my rice cooker, while I cooked the vegetables.  Heat pan with coconut oil, then add onion, zucchini, broccoli, carrots, turnip, and parsnip.  Let them cook on medium heat till onion is translucent and vegetables are the way you like (I like a little crunch).  Add tomatoes and stir in red curry paste (can add more if you like it spicy).  then add pumpkin seeds and your egg.  I just crack the egg straight into the pan and then stir till cooked.  This makes around 4-6 servings ( if you don't go back for seconds) I froze leftovers to have for the following week.  Tastes great the second time around too!

How are you transitioning into spring? or in your life?

Spring wreath I made! Come on Spring!

Peace, Love and Spring into transitions!
                                                    Ashley

Feeling blue? Cook with Orange!

Things in my life have been nothing short of stressful lately.  There are many things that I do to fight stress including yoga, walking my dog and my favorite....COOKING!  When I plan my meals my palette always has some green in it.  However; when fighting off the blues the other night, I was inspired by orange.  Orange is such an uplifting color and I needed something uplifting!  So I grabbed all the orange items I could find from my pantry and fridge and went to work building my palette for that nights dinner!

My palette included:

1 cup millet
2 medium sweet potatoes (peeled and chopped)
1 cup canned coconut milk
1 cup water

1/2 can organic black beans
2 tbsp coconut oil 
1 medium onion, sliced
3 medium carrots
1/4 tsp paprika
1/8 tsp cayenne
1/8 tsp ginger
Salt and Pepper to taste

In a large pot put in millet, sweet potatoes, water, coconut milk, Bring to a boil.  Once boiling cover pot and simmer for 25 minutes.  Meanwhile, saute onion and carrots in coconut oil then add corn (I used organic frozen corn), once onions and carrots are soft add black beans and spices then turn on low.

When your timer for the millet goes off open your lid to a beautiful orange surprise! Mash the sweet potato with the millet then add your remaining ingredients and stir together. 

 
Grab a bowl and devour your orange meal, it feels good going down and perhaps will lift away your blues ;-)  Another mood lifter to this meal is that it makes a bunch, so I froze half and then had it the following week when I wasn't feeling the cooking love, so hey it served its mood lifting purpose twice!













Is cooking a stress reliever for you? What colors make you happy?

Peace, Love and Enjoy the colors of your food!
                                                                Ashley

Some raw honesty...

My fellow men readers if you do not care to know about this woman's issue with her period then may I suggest finding a more appropriate blog....and if you want to know then read on! :-)

Since starting this new journey I decided I needed a new gynecologist. I have been going to the same one for 3 years now and have unfortunately found her no help except to tell me that I had a good pap.  Really and excuse my frankness here but I felt like just another vagina.  She gave me drugs to start my period  when I was irregular and told me to go to a fertility specialist if I wanted a baby.  Well thanks Doc, but no thanks! 

Here I am today after A LOT of digging and pondering I have found a wonderful doctor! I am seeing a midwife! The moment I shook her hand I new it was a good match. The first thing she asked me was about my diet.  I almost fell over.  I have never had a doctor ask me about my diet before.  She also suggested things that have never been suggested to me before, such as doing acupuncture.  She told me my diet is on the right track(including getting off gluten) but I should cut down on sugar.  (UGH!)  She asked me to keep a food diary so she can see what I am eating.  A lot of what she was telling me, I was already doing , so yay! big pat on the back for me!

I saw this doctor last month and at this time I had missed a month of menstruating.  She wanted to do blood tests to check my hormone levels (among other things) but I need to menstruate first.  She gave me a prescription for progesterone.  I was very skeptical of taking a synthetic hormone but yet if you have ever missed a period and get all the symptoms, getting your period is what you want the most.  I resisted the urge to get the drug and just waited....and waited....and waited.....

I am seeing my doctor on April 23 and need to have the results by then so I started to get anxious.  I decided to fill out the prescription.  I took it to the drug store and when I went to pick it up the lady said, "OK that will be 30 dollars"  HOLD UP DID YOU SAY 30 DOLLARS!  Yeah so I was already uneasy about putting this drug into my body and they want me to pay 30 bucks, I mean I could wake up the next day and get my period on my own...so I bid the pharmacist adieu and waited some more.

I have always gotten my period on the full moon (as do a lot of woman), so when I came home after leaving the pharmacy I looked up when the next full moon was.  Mid March was the next full moon. "OK" I told myself, "You will get it then of course!" but the full moon came and it didn't come! AHHH  but wait I have all the symptoms, sore breasts, tired, and waiting to drop kick my husband for breathing ( sweetie I love you very much its the hormones fault!), YUP should be coming.  Tonight ladies and maybe gentleman readers I GOT IT! WAAHOO! Now for those of you that are either men or have never been irregular you might be thinking, "you crazy woman you actually want to bleed!"  YES I DO, I need to bleed.  If I do not bleed, I do not ovulate and then I do not create life.  So HELLS YEAH I DO!  So Step 1 complete and without the medication thank you very much :-)  So with lots of believe in my body to do it on its own it did! Not to shabby body of mine :-)

One thing that I believed helped me a lot was tracking myself in a "moon journal" by doing this I will be able to notice the effects that my cycle has on me and track when I am getting my period and when I am not.  I am tuning into my body instead of tuning it out.  I also started taking Chaste Tree Berry again as well as fish oil (omega 3)...After a week of taking these my cycle started, coincidence, could very well be!


As a side note, my lovely sister is pregnant for the third time.  When first hearing the news I wanted to jump off a bridge, how could it be that my sister who is only 17months younger than me, be so fertile?!! and then there's me who cannot even menstruate.  Well needless to say that night I was very depressed. I decided it was OK to be for one night but the next day I would wake up and feel excited that I was going to be an auntie again to what is going to be the most beautiful child. (seriously my sister and her husband make amazing beautiful babies!)  I wallowed in self pity and then I awoke the next day just as I planned, so excited for the baby to come!  I really believe my time will come and it just isn't time for me yet.  So even though I was sad it wasn't my turn, it just isn't in my cards right now and I am OK with that.  So little sis if you are reading this I am so happy for you! and I hope you get the little girl you want ;-) I love you very much and I cannot wait to be an aunt again!

Does it get much cuter?

Alright that is all for now, I have just finished some mint dark chocolate (gluten free of course), so much for less sugar tonight! but hey a girl has to celebrate right? I worked hard to bleed dammit! :-)

Do you have irregular cycles? Or are you trying to get pregnant and hitting a wall?


Peace, Love and Cycle on!
                                  Ashley

Ashley's Gluten Free Palette

I have been looking at my blog title Life Without Gluten and it has been bothering me. Life Without Gluten to me seems like I am missing something, my life without. Let me tell you I do not feel this way! I feel like my life without gluten is a positive thing in so many ways and has led me down a path of wellness with understanding of how my body functions.

I originally was going to write a blog about my vegan adventures and name it The Vegan Palette a play on my love for veganism and my love for art. However; not being vegan anymore due to my digestive issues (will explain in greater detail when I am ready)and finding out that I can no longer tolerate gluten led me to Life Without Gluten. Anyway...I have decided to change my blog name to Ashley's Gluten Free Palette. Whatcha think? I feel it sounds more like a positive spin on not being able to eat gluten.

Some of the items on my gluten free palette!

I am hoping that in writing this blog I can share my journey with others and provide support for those who are suffering from digestive and/or fertility issues. I would love to hear what kinds of things people are struggling with, i.e trying a gluten free diet or facing infertility. Maybe we have something in common. I am not an expert and will not tell you how you should eat but I will tell you what is working for me and suggest you play around with your current diet if you are not feeling up to par.

Here is some blogs (they also have fabulous recipes!) that I enjoy reading and have found incredibly helpful;

http://voraciouseats.com

http://www.nourishingdays.com

http://frankgiglio.net/wordpress/blog

http://supergojigirl.com/wordpress

http://cleaneatingchelsey.com

for fabulous raw desserts you have to check out;

http://chocolatecoveredkatie.com

This site has great tips on how to keep your mind healthy!

http://crazysexylife.com/

On a side note, those of you who follow my blog know that I am dropping out (I feel like a rebel!) of graduate school. I have one more week and then I am done! I am so excited to start the next chapter of my journey. I continue to be enlightened by new information everyday. Alright well I will leave you with that for now! It is a beautiful day out there today 40's in Maine and the birds are chirping! So I bid you adieu, and I hope you like my new title ;-)

Peace, Love and Eat Well,
Ashley

What do you want to be when you grow up?

Ahh the question of our youth....What do you want to be when you grow up? That is something that I have constantly tossed around in my head. Are you ready to get to know me a little more? Here goes......

As a teenager all I wanted to do was dance.  I loved Ballet, I loved the way it made me feel and I loved performing.  However; six knee surgeries later, Ballet was not something that was going to be in my future...that was a whole painful period of my life but also one that I have really grown from.  After coming to the realization that Ballet was not in my future and college was closely approaching I had to make a decision on what and who I saw myself becoming one day.  I started out with photography and was accepted to a few schools as an art student.  Then I began to reflect, do I really WANT to be photographer or is it just a hobby?  I decided it was a love of mine but not something I wanted to spend a college tuition on.  So moving onto education.

I thought I could teach elementary age kiddos!  About a month into the program I observed an elementary classroom and that was the end of that.  I applaud teachers for all they have to do!  I just couldn't see myself having to deal with all the different behaviors and things a teacher has to get to in one day. I myself was home-schooled 3rd grade through 8th grade so this was a different experience for me. THEN, I thought hmmm maybe I can put my love for art and my interest in teaching together! So I changed majors once again to Art Education.  The draws where, being able to teach art and also sending the students back to their teachers after 40 or so minutes! Kind of like being a grandparent!  I loved the Art program I was in and loved working with the little ones! Older students ...not for me.  Getting asked to the prom everyday is a bit embarrassing and awkward! Then it was time for me to graduate and get out in the "real world".  What they do not tell you in the "real world" is good luck finding an art teacher job because there are not too many openings!  I went on a couple of interviews, but no dice.  I had one person tell me right before on of my interviews, "We are going to hire the student teacher we had, but we would still like to interview you,"  WHAT! AHHHH! 

In the meantime, I have been working with students on the Autism Spectrum. Working with these children has taught me more than I could ever imagine! I have loved every child I have worked with and each has taught me something wonderful about them and myself.  I truly believe things happen for a reason and that I was meant to work with these children.  I decided I should go back to school for my masters in special education.  However; the more I was in the program the more I felt it wasn't the right fit for me.  I love working with students with learning disabilities but everything that comes with being a special education teacher didn't seem like it would be something I could always do, burnout would eventually happen.  I was then off to change my major once again! On to literacy? Sure why not! 

In graduate school I have proved to myself two things, one you are capable of getting a 4.0 and two, education is not your field.  WAIT HOLD ON! Did you just say what I think you said?! Yes you read that right folks.  After much soul searching I finally understand who I am suppose to be and who I have always been.  By this blog you can probably guess what one of my interests are, food and all it has to offer and not offer us.  I recently read a book about clearing your mind and just doing what makes you happy. Well what makes me happy is finding the best ways to nourish myself, whether it be food, exercise, art, etc... I do not regret for one minute going to graduate school, because if I hadn't, I don't think I would have come to this realization and I still would be wondering what it is that really makes me happy and motivated.

Once I came to this realization, so many things started lighting my path.  I started doing research for a nutrition school, and found the School for Integrative Nutrition. I asked one of my fellow Ballet dancers (who knows a lot about nutrition) if she knew anything about the school and found out her husband is an ambassador for the school!  I talked to him and did a webinar through the school and realized this is for me! Without a doubt this time! So it is my goal that in September I will be enrolled in the school and on my way to becoming a health and wellness coach! :-) I couldn't be more excited and happy that I finally get it, I finally know what I WILL be when I grow up! I have had many things happen since I have opened myself up to this realization, many of which some might call coincidences, but; I do not believe in coincidences.  I believe once your intention is out there and you are completely aware and open then the rest will fall into place. Which is probably why I haven't gotten an art job yet, because I wasn't completely sure of myself. 

Anyway! I will stop rambling on but I felt like this was an important blog because we all have our dreams, even the ones we are not aware of.  I have always been interested in nutrition and wellness but didn't think I could do anything about it, till I found the holistic approach to nutrition and found my place. Never be afraid to follow your dreams and see your true potential.  Are you happy? Are you living everyday fulfilled and wanting more? If not then you might not be doing what you were meant to do. Don't go and quit your job right yet though, just do some soul searching sista's and brotha's and unlock the potential you have inside you!  Trust me when you do, it will be amazing .....I cannot wait to see what happens next for me, everyday brings something new to research and another piece falls into place.  Make your dreams a reality!  For now I am going to continue working at the school and hopefully work at a health food store to save money for nutrition school and learn all I can on my own and see what kind of journey it will take me on.


OK that is all for now and I promise to be writing more.  I have been doing lots of research that I am excited about and also will be changing the title of my blog to match my URL ...gluten free palette.  I will explain that later though ;-)  Alright time to get off my butt and shovel!  

P.S. Are you the person you want to be? What did you want to be when you were a child?


Peace, Love, Eat Well, AND Live now!
                                                      Ashley

The Power of Green!

I have always loved the color Green.  I also have always had to paint my kitchen green in the places we have lived.  I looked up the meaning of the color green , and found this;

"GREEN – Heart Chakra (centre/left chest)

This uplifting, peaceful and serene ‘in between’ colour – neither warm and active nor cool and passive - is the healer and balancer of emotions, but also enhances creativity and focus. Green stimulates growth – be it mending broken bones or rejuvenating tissue – lowers blood pressure, alleviates sleeplessness and counteracts nervous disorders and muscle tension.

Green produces the image of stability and efficiency. We appear calm, controlled and at peace with the world. Green is also the colour of Mother Nature."

It makes a lot of since after reading this definition why I have always felt the need to paint my kitchen green.  When I am cooking I feel calm and creative and inspired to try new things. I also love eating green foods, except for boogers gross!( Just making sure you paying attention ;-) )

This leads me to one of my favorite green things to do in the kitchen, juicing.  Around this time of year, and working with children it is important for me to keep my body healthy.  I love to make green juice to keep my immune system thriving to fight off those pesky germs.  Plus it is really fun to go to work and watch the faces of pure shock that I am drinking something so green!  It is usually faces of ewww! but there is nothing ewwy about fresh green juice filled with organic vegetables that will jump start your immune system and make your head feel clear and give you lots of energy.  I have been juicing more and more lately, in fact just about everyday.  

So how do I do it? I eat a lot of vegetables every week, and I save the stems of things like, celery and broccoli and the end of carrots.  To make a truly green juice, you should only use green veggies and fruit, I like to add the ends of carrots but this does make the juice less green.  

My favorite things to add are;

2 handfuls of spinach

2 kale leaves

2 handfuls of romaine lettuce

1 green apple

1/2 cucumber ( I add a whole in the summer due to having them in my garden, but damn they are pricey this time of year! so a half it is)

1-2 celery stalks or your celery ends

Broccoli stems and carrot ends

What is even more amazing about green juice is how you feel afterward.  I have stopped drinking coffee this week, something I have done in the past and the caffeine withdrawals were intense! I had severe headaches and felt exhausted and I only drank 1 cup a day!  This time around I am supplementing my coffee by drinking  the green juice and some green tea in the afternoon.  Guess what! NO WITHDRAWALS! I have energy in the morning and no headache.  This morning I had a full glass of green juice for breakfast and ended up having a super productive day, wrote a paper, did laundry, chased my dog around the house, cleaned the house (including scrubbing the bathtub, which is something I never have energy for), read a few chapters in a book, now I am writing to all of you! after this it is time to make some dinner. Not to shabby.

Juice is powerful stuff and I do not mean the stuff at the grocery store. The juice at the grocery store is full of sugar because the fruit settles and gets all comfy and cozy in the nice little bottle, really the sugar content in these juices are the same as drinking a can of soda, you may think you are making a wise choice but its a no go.  You can save the juice you make for no more than 24 hours, I often like to supply myself for 2 days worth, I will juice and drink half that morning and then save half in a mason jar to have the next morning.  This is also something kids would love! Seeing the veggies turn into juice is pretty fantastic and better than giving your child a "can of soda" with their breakfast.

So there it is! I love GREEN and GREEN loves the body!

This mornings juice!

Peace, Love and JUICE!
                                 Ashley

First Restaurant Experience!

Well it was bound to happen.  For a girl who used to love going out to eat; not being able to eat Gluten and going out to eat do not mix!  At home I can cook my meals with the knowledge of every ingredient that goes into them.  Still who doesn't love going out to eat once in awhile?!  My husband and I got together with good friends of ours and decided we would all go out to eat.  My first task was to research.  I got online and looked at a bunch of restaurants in the town we were going to meet.  I stumbled upon one restaurant that looked pretty decent and had something for everyone.  

When we got to the restaurant I opened up the menu and immediately found what I was going to eat.  Pan seared Atlantic sea scallops over maple spaghetti squash and an arugula salad!  It was amazing! and thankfully I could eat it and not feel threatened by what I could be digesting because there were no hidden ingredients, even the salad had only balsamic vinegar on it!  YUM! Now unfortunately everybody else thought there meals were just OK and were drooling slightly over my delicious gluten free friendly meal.  

I think my favorite part of this dinner though, was how I felt after.  Which was amazing! I usually never leave a restaurant feeling that great.  I was usually bloated so bad that I wouldn't want to go anywhere but home afterward.  Also I usually never finished a meal because I would be hurting halfway through, not to mention the portions YIKES! This time around I practically ate the plate! Granted proportionally it was perfect but also it didn't hurt to eat it! I left the restaurant feeling light as air and as good as I did going in. 

It is my suggestion that if you want a good restaurant experience and you are going or are gluten free then do your research ahead of time. A lot of restaurants even have gluten free menus if you ask, for instance Olive Garden has one if you ask your waiter for it.  Also talk to your waiter, they are usually more than willing to find out for you if there might be hidden gluten in your food.  Calling ahead to find out about gluten free options is always an option too.

Even though I had a great restaurant experience, I still advocate to just eat at home.  Its cheaper and you know what is going in your body, without any hidden surprises. But for those special times that you meet with friends, family or have a hot date ;-) then it is possible to eat and enjoy, without eating and regretting.

P.S. I feel the need to tell you that I am writing this blog while indulging in a Liz Lovely gluten free oatmeal raisin cookie! SOO GOOD! Plus they were half off at the Portsmouth Health Food Store so that makes them taste a little bit sweeter!

me want cookie!

Peace, Love, and Eat Well,
                                     Ashley

Millet with Veggies and Black Beans!

So here is what was on tonights menu...I am sorry for the lack of a clever name but really I just lack wit sometimes.  But the recipe will taste the same and that's all that matters :-) Hope you like it, we sure did!

1 cup millet
3 cups water

1/2 head of cauliflower (spears)                                                                    

2 large carrots or 3 small(chopped                                          
1 med. onion, chopped
3 large handfuls of fresh spinach
1/2 can black beans
1 tbsp. earth balance butter
2 tbsp. roasted garlic mustard (stonewall kitchen)
salt and pepper to taste

In a large pot put in millet, water, cauliflower spears and carrots. Bring to a boil.  Once boiling cover pot and simmer for 25 minutes.  Meanwhile, saute onions in oil of choice on med. to low heat and let them get nice and translucent (can also caramelize if you wish) then add spinach.  Once onions and spinach are done turn off heat.  Your millet mix should be done by this time. Using a potato masher, mash together millet,cauliflower, and carrots. Once well combined and mixed, add your onion and spinach mixture.  Next, add black beans, earth balance and roasted garlic mustard and mix with a big spoon.  Then to finish it off add salt and pepper to taste. I also like to add a little bit of parsley (because I love parsley!)  Your millet should be almost creamy looking! and I think delicious tasting!

The finished product!

 If you you find yourself asking, What the heck is Millet? check this out! what you need to know about Millet!

 

Have you ever had millet?

Peace, Love, and Eat Well,

                                   Ashley

A productive weekend!

Well I haven't posted in a couple days and my posts will be spaced a bit now due to graduate school starting back up this week.  However, I needed to share some very exciting things that happened in my kitchen this weekend, including the wonderful surprise snow day I had that resulted in a kitchen experiment!  Firstly my snow day was full of research and baking! I found this wonderful muffin recipe that has; peanut butter, eggs, baking soda, vanilla, water and agave or honey, with some chocolate chips sprinkled on top. THAT'S IT!  I was skeptical at first; but sure enough they are delicious!  Just the smell of peanut butter makes you salivate before you even taste your first bite.  SO GOOD! I still can't believe that there is no flour!  I also made some coconut cream dough-nots.  I made these to try and replicate the delectable Lara Bar's coconut cream bar. I will post the recipe and pictures soon because, OMG these are mouth watering! If I don't say so myself haha. Not quite the same as Lara Bar's but hey I came pretty close and of course made mine into dough-nots :-)  I did some more research and after looking up some recipes, I was a cooking diva! Making my husband and I wonderful gluten free recipes that included, sauted Tempeh, roasted vegetables(fresh from the farmers market), and cruelty free egg frittata with fresh vegetables.  

Now that I have mentioned the farmers market I need to also talk about that! If you are from the southern Maine area, there is on in Portland, Maine every weekend and one in New Hampshire that travels between Exeter High School and Wentworth Greenhouses in Rollinsford every other weekend.  This is an amazing way to get fresh vegetables and local goods throughout the winter. I highly recommend it.  It really is the best part of my weekend. I love seeing all the people out and enjoying the local products and everyone with their environmental friendly bags, those things make me happy, I guess I am easy to please!  Anyway you should definitely check it out if you already haven't.  I even was able to get gluten free french bread! You can check it out at www.BuzzsBakery.co.cc they have a lot of gluten free products.  Their site isn't quite up and running just yet but it is something to keep your eye one.  The bread was amazing! Oh and did I mention it was vegan too! Crazy good!  Anyway I cannot say enough about farmers markets, nothing tastes better then fresh vegetables right from the source.  I prefer to grow my own but when its winter this is the next best thing!

Well I must bid you adieu now, I have to relax before life starts in full force again tomorrow, between work and school and my gluten/hormone research! PHEW I am a busy gal! I was wondering though; how you all are doing with your gluten free adventures? I have gotten a few private emails but lets hear it! Let this be a place of support, you are not in it alone :-)  I soon will have the recipe for you for the coconut cream dough-nots and update you on my research.  

P.S. I am feeling MARVELOUS! Still no bloat! In fact my stomach bothered me a tiny bit this morning from who know what and I didn't bloat up! That is mind blowing for me!

Peace, Love and Eat Well,

                                    Ashley

What's for Dinner?

Veggie Lovin' is what's for dinner! 

1 tbsp. virgin coconut oil

1 onion, diced

2 stalks of broccoli cut into spears,( cut off stalks and save for juicing if you want!)  

1/2 cup vegetable broth

1 red bell pepper

1 zucchini

2 celery stalks

5 baby portabella mushrooms

couple handfuls fresh spinach

handful of raw walnuts, chopped

handful of green olives( I like using the Lindsey Naturals)

handful of Kalamata olives

drizzle of Bragg's liquid amino's

salt and pepper to taste

1 tbsp. cheddar cheese or vegan cheese per bowl (optional)

First heat pan with coconut oil, then toss in diced onion.  Once onion is in for a few minutes add broccoli spears. Then add about 1/2 cup vegetable broth with red bell pepper, zucchini, and celery.  Stir and cover pan for approx. 10 min.  Once veggies are soft add mushrooms, spinach, walnuts, and olives. Stir then add the Bragg's. salt and pepper to taste.  Stir again and once veggies are to you liking, spoon out veggie mix into a bowl and top with your cheese of choice.

After suffering from stomach pain yesterday and feeling under the weather, this was the perfect meal.  This is one of my favorite dinners! What is your favorite dinner?

Peace, Love, and Eat Well,
                                    Ashley

First Road Bump...

Well friends I hit my first road bump! So last night I thought, snowy weather, cuddling with my puppy, hot chocolate would be perfect right now!  I boiled some almond milk and stirred in some  hot chocolate mix that my brother gave me for Christmas.  It was perfect! Really hit the spot! Unfortunately half way through drinking it, it began to hit another spot....uh ohhhhhhhhhhhh!  I got up in search for the ingredients but the ingredients were not on the bottle!  I later found out it was thrown away.  Although I didn't need ingredients to tell me that gluten was the culprit. (probably a barely malt)  I started getting awful stomach pains, went to the bathroom a few times to many and spent the rest of the night on the couch in pain! No energy at all and I couldn't even bring myself to blog about it last night!  I woke up this morning feeling awful and had to visit all to familiar bathroom once again.  I started getting nauseous and feeling like I was going to collapse!  Needless to say, not a fun morning!  The rest of the day I was exhausted and felt like I was hit by a truck! :-(

This is such a bummer! I knew it would happen sooner or later.  Gluten can be hard to avoid, especially when sneaking into my hot chocolate! But like I said, it was bound to happen.  It just makes me realize how great it feels to feel great!  All day I just wanted to have that feeling again, instead of the ...I just want to sleep, feeling. I will be going to bed early and hopefully will wake up feeling wonderful again with all that energy back!

The hot chocolate I will be making from now on is;

1-2 teaspoons raw cacao powder
1 cup unsweetened almond milk
1-2 drops of stevia

mmm, healthy, def. gluten free and delicious! 

I just love hot chocolate in the winter, especially when it's snowing outside.  Reminds me of when my brother, sister and I would play out in the snow all rosy cheeked and have hot chocolate waiting for us when we came in!  Next time I will reminisce without the agonizing pain afterward!

My little cuddle buddy!

Peace, Love and Eat Well,
                                 Ashley

Do you suffer from a hormone imbalance?

As you all know I suffer from a hormonal imbalance.  I have been searching the internet endlessly lately to get information on this issue.  I found this article very informative.  Hope you find it helpful as well!

 http://www.womentowomen.com/adrenalfatigue/adrenalglandnutrition.aspx

Along with the gluten effecting my adrenal glands, I believe my issue to be a lack of progesterone.   Progesterone is a female hormone that is produced by the ovaries when they release a mature egg from an ovary ovulation.  Progesterone prepares the uterine lining so that it can receive the egg when it becomes fertilized by sperm.  When an egg is not fertilized, progesterone levels drop and that is when menstruation starts.  I am taking some herbal supplements as advised by an herbalist from a local health food store, such as Ashwagandha, chaste-tree berry, and evening primrose oil.  These are not something I take all the time, but something I have been experimenting with to see if it helps in my hormone troubles.  The chaste tree I feel has helped me the most thus far.  I am also going to have my hormone levels checked.  I want to do a test now and maybe one 6 mo. from now to see if there are any differences with the change in  my diet.

Having hormone troubles is not an easy battle but again I believe with a proper diet that this battle will be won.  How has your hormone battles effected your life?

Peace, Love and Eat Well,
                                  Ashley

A little research with a little snack!

I sparked an interest in food when my family went vegan for a while when I was about 10 years old.  It was the first time I actually started thinking about food.  My diet has gone through many changes over the years, not always for the better.  Most of these changes have to do with adding “this” or taking away “that.”  I am constantly trying to evolve my diet into what best fits my beliefs and what my body will allow me to easily digest.  To me if you take care of yourself by what you put in your mouth, your body will take care of you back; by having fewer medical bills and prescriptions for disorders such as IBS.  I know of a lot of people who have “cured” many of their ailments through a change in their diets.  Of course there are things that cannot be cured by food, for instance I have difficult knees.  My patella doesn’t track right and my outer quadriceps leg muscles build much faster than my inner quadriceps, which result in dislocations of my patella.  Not fun! I have had many knee surgeries to try and correct this problem but really the only thing I can do is work out my inner quadriceps to keep them strong.  I wish I could solve this issue with food as well but unfortunately this is something that has been an issue for most of my life and one that I have grown to deal with.  Keeping my weight low and being active helps my knees stay on the right track.

  

I am talking about this because I feel that so many issues we face can be helped by just being aware of what we are eating.  A lot of the packaged foods today are made so that you will want more, and more and MORE!  With one bite you are hooked and after eating said food, you are left feeling hungry still.  I cannot believe the changes I have gone through in just a little over a week of being gluten free.  Firstly food cravings are gone! I cannot believe that in just a week I haven’t craved a thing! (This does not happen to everyone)  I also feel satisfied a lot sooner and find myself saying “I’m all done.”  This is not normal for me.  I have always craved food and when I would feed my cravings I felt like I couldn’t get enough.  I believe this was due to the fact that my body was trying to tell me something.  Probably, HELP!  It was in need of feeling satisfied.  Like I have said in previous posts I have a long way to go but I am hopeful about my future relationship with food.  I encourage you all to look at what ails you and do your own research to see if food can help make some of your issues dissipate. Here are some articles that I have been looking at;

http://www.irritable-bowel-syndrome.ws/gluten-free-diet.htm

http://www.suite101.com/content/a-gluten-free-diet-a106058

http://gicare.com/Diets/Gluten-Free.aspx

http://naturalbias.com/is-your-gluten-free-diet-still-harming-your-health/#comment-17968

And now I will send you off into the worldwide web with a little snack;

Chocolate Popcorn!

*1 serving of popcorn is about 3 cups popped popcorn. However my popcorn has some chocolate on it so it depends how much you want to make. My recipe is just a cup.

½ tbsp organic popcorn kernels (can find in bulk at some grocery stores.)

Lightly cover bottom of pot with oil.

¼ cup Enjoy Life chocolate chips (dairy free and gluten free, just lovely chocolate!)

Put covered pot on High Heat, once kernels pop, shake pan and take off heat once popping sound slows.  Put aside.  Place chocolate chips in a small saucepan and turn put on med. Heat.  Stir continuously, until all melted.  Place popcorn on lined cookie sheet and spread out.  Drizzle chocolate over top with a spoon.  You can either leave it with the drizzle or mix to further cover popcorn.  Leave until chocolate is no longer melty.  Than devour!

If you want to make this ahead of time and save for later you can put popcorn on cookie sheet and put in oven on 250 for an hour, stirring every 15min.  This will dry your popcorn out so that when you indulge later it won’t be chewy.

 I <3 popcorn and I <3 chocolate and the two make a lovely couple!

Peace, Love and Eat Well,

                                    Ashley