Raw Balls

These are some good balls! I only made a few changes to this recipe that my brother-n-law shared with me. They really satisfy your sweet cravings - especially for chocolate.

Raw Balls
1/2 cup walnuts
1/2 cup pitted dates
1/2 cup raw carob powder
1/2 cup maple syrup or agave nectar
1/2 cup almond butter
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 tbl milled flaxseed
1/2 cup almonds
2 cups shredded, unsweetened coconut

Place the walnuts in a food processor and process until coarsely ground. Add the dates and pulse until well combined with the nuts. Add the carob powder, syrup,almond butter, vanilla, flaxseed and salt. Process until the mixture is thick and smooth. Add the almonds, and pulse a few times until combined - almonds remain chunky.

Vegetable Pie & GF Dumplings

Biscuit Ingredients

1 cup of brown rice flour

1/2 corn flour

1/2 cup of corn startch

2tsp baking powder

1tsp xanthum gum

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 cup soften palm oil

1 cup of rice milk or water

2 eggs (substitute)

Biscuit Directions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• Mix dry ingredients. Add and mix wet ingredients. Stir until smooth. Make as drop biscuits on a lightly greased pan. Bake 18-20 min.
• 
  

Filling Ingredients

• 2 cup sliced carrots
• 1 1/2 cup frozen green peas
• 1/2 cup sliced celery
• 1/3 cup palm oil
• 1 chopped onion
• 1/3 cup buckwheat
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon celery seed
• 2 1/2 cups vegetable broth
• 
  

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C.)

1. In a saucepan, combine carrots, and celery. Add water to cover and boil for 15 minutes. Remove from heat, drain and set aside.
2. In the saucepan over medium heat, cook onions in butter until soft and translucent. Stir in flour, salt, pepper, and celery seed. Slowly stir in chicken broth. Simmer over medium-low heat until thick. Remove from heat and set aside. Place the vegetable mixture in bottom of a casserole dish. Add peas. Pour hot liquid mixture over.
3. Place cooked biscuits on top of mixture.
4. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until pastry is golden brown and filling is bubbly. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Quinoa Burgers

These are seriously scrumptious! Even my meat eaters like these.
I served mine with guacamole, hummus, red onion, and arugula. mmmm... Grilled pineapple, grilled zucchini and cucumber & tomato salad.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups cooked quinoa
1/2 cup garlic hummus (or any flav)
1 Tbsp unsalted tomato paste
2 Tbsp ground flaxseed meal or egg replacer
1 Tbsp tamari OR Bragg's Liquid Aminos
1 tblsp fresh basil leaf
1 tsp fresh thyme leaf
1/2 tsp gr cumin seed
1 tsp gr coriander seed
1/2 tsp paprika
1 tsp garlic powder and/or fresh clove
4 Tbsp buckwheat or brown rice flour
Salt & pepper to taste
Directions:


Heat a non-stick frying pan on med. low
Dry roast the cumin, coriander, paprika and garlic powder, stirring, 5 min.
Blend all ingredients in a bowl or food processor
If you have time, chill the mixture for an hour or so before forming into patties, for a firmer patty.
Divide burger mix into 8 equal portions and form into 3 inch patties
Fry in a little oil on medium heat, 5 - 10 minutes each side, until browned and firm
To freeze uncooked, place the patties between sheets of wax paper on a baking sheet and freeze. Store in a freezer bag or plastic container and cook as needed (thaw in fridge or microwave)

Fig Balls

Rich in protein and healthy carbs, this bite-size snack satisfies a sweet tooth while it nourishes and provides energy. It also makes a healthy dessert. If dates aren’t soft, soak them in very hot water for 30 minutes; drain before using in recipe.

Scrumptious!

2 cups soft pitted dates
6 dried figs, stems removed
½ cup ground shelled pumpkin seeds
- Pinch salt
1 tablespoon coconut oil
2 tablespoons hot water + 1 tablespoon, as needed
1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes, for rolling
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa or carob, for rolling, optional

1. Place dates, figs, ground pumpkin seeds, salt, coconut oil and hot water into a food processor bowl fitted with knife blade.

2. Pulse until ingredients are well combined and mixture comes together as a ball. If mixture doesn’t hold together, add up to 1 additional tablespoon water, one teaspoon at a time.

3. Spread coconut flakes on a plate or piece of waxed paper. Stir in optional cocoa or carob, if using.

4. With two teaspoons, form walnut-size balls and drop date/fig mixture into coconut. Roll between hands into balls.

5. Refrigerate for firmer texture, if desired. Store in a cool place in an airtight container until eaten.

Each serving contains 50 calories, 2g total fat, 1g saturated fat, 0g trans fat, 0mg cholesterol, 8mg sodium, 9g carbohydrate, 1g fiber, 1g protein.

Grain-Free Chicken Nuggets

This recipe came from Living Without. I had to change and eliminate some of the seasonings to fit Ellie's allergy list. I am sure, that they would be amazing if you can add all the spices. None the less, the girls liked these...

• 1 lb. of organic, hormone-free turkey or chicken
• for nuggets, throw the meat in the blender, using chopped up meat, easily forms into balls. *grind the coconut first, for safe handling
  
• 1 tbls annies honey-mustard (check label)
• 3 tbls allergy safe oil
• 2 cups of *shredded, unsweetened coconut, grind in blender until small crumbs
  
• 1 tsp ground paprika
• 1 tsp ground turmeric (this is a great spice, with many health benefits)
• 1/2 thyme
• salt & pepper to taste

Preheat oven to *375. Lightly grease baking sheet. Whisk mustard and oil together in a small bowl. Place ground-up coconut onto a plate, mix in all the seasonings with the coconut. Dip formed nuggets into the mustard mix, then coat with coconut mixture, place on the cookie sheet. Finish this assembly line until all nuggets are prepped and ready to cook.
Bake in oven for 10 min, turn once and cook for 10 m in more.

Vegan Tom Yum

YUM, YUM, YUMMY!!!
I came home after working 9 hours, to Christian making this for me. It is one of the most flavorful dishes I have ever had! Every bite is "mmmm..."

Serves 4
Ingredients:

• 5-6 cups vegetable stock
  
• 1-2 stalks lemongrass , minced
• 3 whole kaffir lime leaves (available fresh or frozen at Asian food stores)
• 1-2 red chilies, sliced, OR 1/2 tsp. dried crushed chili, OR 1-2 tsp. chili sauce
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 thumb-size piece ginger, sliced into thin matchstick-like pieces
• 1 cup fresh mushrooms (I used shiitake), sliced
• 2 cups baby bok choy, leaves separated or chopped if large, OR broccoli
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes
• 1 can coconut milk
• 1 tsp. organic raw brown sugar
• 3-4 Tbsp. tamari
  
• 1 Tbsp. fresh-squeezed lime juice
• 1/2 cup fresh basil + 1/3 cup fresh coriander/cilantro, roughly chopped

Preparation:

1. Pour stock into a soup pot. If making the stock from cubes or powder, be sure to make it strong (if it tastes good on its own, it will make for a better Tom yum soup!). Now add the prepared lemongrass, plus the lime leaves, chili, garlic, and ginger. Bring to a boil and continue boiling for 5 minutes, or until broth is very fragrant.
2. Add the mushrooms. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 5-8 minutes, or until mushrooms are soft.
3. Add the bok choy and cherry tomatoes. Gently simmer 1-2 more minutes (bok choy should remain on the crisp side).
4. Reduce heat to low and add the coconut milk, sugar, soy sauce, and lime juice.
5. Do a taste-test, adding more chili or chili sauce if not spicy enough. If not salty enough, add more soy sauce or a little more stock cube/powder or salt. Add 1 more tsp. sugar if too sour. If too salty or sweet, add another squeeze of lime juice.
6. To serve, ladle soup into bowls, over rice, with fresh basil and cilantro sprinkled over. Enjoy!

Quinoa Tabouli

Ingredients:
2 cooked quiona
1 cup coarsely chopped cucumber
3 green onions
2 carrots grated
1/2 cup chopped olives
1/2 cup grated radishes

Dressing:
3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp chopped fresh basil
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 & 1/2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 & 1/2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
Sea salt & pepper to taste

Mix all of the salad ingredients. Mix dressing separately, poor evenly on top of quinoa mixture. Mix well, serve chilled.

Coconut Squares

I think these are truly delicious! a little to sweet, so, maybe even half the sugar next time? The quinoa crust really creates a nice nutty flavor, so much that when Ellie had a bite she spit it out and gauged because she thought it was peanut butter (her reaction was a little dramatic to say the least).

Crust:
1/2 cup of coconut oil (or veg shorting)
2 Tbsp of maple sugar (or organic raw, cane)
1 & 3/4 cup + 2 Tbsp of quinoa flour
1 Tbsp oil
2 Tbsp ice water

Topping:
*1 medium size banana
1 & 1/4 cups of maple sugar (or organic raw, cane)
2 Tbsp quinoa flour
1/4 tsp sea salt
**2 tsp of homemade baking flour (cornstarch-free)
2 cups of shredded, raw, unsweetened coconut

*I used the banana as an egg-replacement, feel free to replace with 2 eggs or 2 Tbls of Ener-G with 1/4 cup of milk or milk substitute. The banana only added a hint of flavor to the recipe.
** mix 1 part baking soda, 2 parts cream of tartar, & 2 parts arrowroot (ive done it w/o arrowroot and its worked out fine too.).

Preheat oven to 350*. Cream coconut oil and sugar together. Add flour, combine until it resembles coarse granola. Add oil. Mix. Add ice water. Press into the bottom of a lightly greased 8x8 glass baking dish. Bake 20 min. until golden brown.

Meanwhile, cream banana (eggs), with sugar. When smooth, add in flour, salt, & **baking powder. Combine thoroughly. Then add coconut. Spread coconut mixture directly over cooked crust, pressing gently with fingers. Bake for about 25 min. more, until nice and golden. Let cool slightly before serving. Mmmmmmmm.....

A Perfect Fit.

I met with Dr. Iris Orbuch yesterday. She is wonderful! She completely supports the Endo-Diet, she is against hormone replacements like birth-control and especially Lupron in regards to endo. She is 100% focused on Endometriosis and Laporoscopy procedure to treat it. She is rather advanced on the techniques used as far as getting to and cutting out the root of the enodmetriosis, supposed to just cutting, cauterizing or lasering the exposed. Meanwhile, I will getting a sonograms of the whole pelvic floor area. Also I will be seeing Dr. Greg Haber, who is a gastroenterologist at Lenox hospital, and specialized in ultrasounds in the pelvic, rectum area. He will be able to help identify where the endometriosis (scar tissue) is on my rectum and bladder area and give Dr. Orbuch a better idea of where and what is going on inside me so there are "no surprises" when she cuts me open. She wants to "go in once, do it right and get it all". I will also start pelvis floor physical therapy. I guess this area, after chronic pain, the nerves and muscles all become out of whack. This will help relax the irritated muscles, restore the nerve endings and help my body return to a happy state. SO, all in all, the surgery will only relieve 40-60% of the pain, physical therapy and diet should cover the other 60-40%!

Ellies Pancakes That Everyone Loved!

Thanks Makie for this recipe... I did have to make some small changes to make it Ellie approved. They didn't just pass the test, she actually LOVED them, and Madeline too! We had them for dinner, breakfast and at this very moment... after school snack too!

Allergy Free Buckwheat Pancakes

• 1/2 cup of rice flour
• 1/2 cup of buckwheat flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tablespoon tapioca starch
• 2 tablespoon of organic raw cane sugar
• 2 tsp milled flaxseed
  
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1 cup of homemade brown rice milk
• 2 tsp coconut oil
  
• 1 small banana mashed

Mix and pour batter on a heated greased skillet cooking both sides... like a pancake!
*serve with fresh fruit and agave nectar or maple syrup. Yum! and filling!

GF Chicken Tenders

• Organic hormone-free chicken cutlets cut up in 1'' x 2'' squares
  
• Canola oil (since this is the only one that the little one, is not allergic too)
• 1 tsp celery salt and paprika (safe seasonings for Ellie - but I am sure there are better tasting ones!)
• GF bread crumbs (basically just roughly milled brown rice)

In a large sauce pan completely heat oil, about 1/4 inch high, on high heat. In two seperate plates, or bowls, add oil and seasonings into one and the "bread crumbs" in the other. Cover chicken pieces first into oil and then cover with "bread crumbs". Place into pan and cook for about 1-2 min. per side. Place onto plate with paper towel til cool.
I think next time I might try Rice Chex chopped in the blender instead of the GF bread crumbs and maybe even baked in oven instead?

Rice Milk

So I haven't found a milk substitute that Ellie can eat. Since all of the "milks" have safflower and or sunflower oil, and some have xanthium gum, and some vanilla... so, I decided to make my own. SO much cheaper with none of that added oil etc...

• 1/2 cup of cooked brown rice
• 4 cups of water
• 1/2 tsp sea salt

*optional, 2 tsp of raw organic cane sugar or agave nectar

In a large sauce pan place cooked rice with 4 cups of brown rice, bring to a boil, simmer and cover for 20 min. Poor into blender and mix on high for about 60 sec. Let sit for 20 min. You can play with the consistency, more or less rice, depending on your preference. You can add a tsp of vanilla (but Ellie is allergic, so its eliminated). Store in a glass jar. Should be good for about 10 days.
You can easily double the recipe according to your needs.
Before pouring into glass jar, you may want to pour through a small sieve or folded cheese cloth.

Ellies Food Allergies.

My new life style (diet) was taking all my focus and that is where 80% of my energy was going. Life threw me a curve ball the other day when I found out that my youngest has an astronomical amount of food allergies! After the 2 weeks of "detoxing" all of the foods that were positive, we will go through months of testing each of the foods, and spices out to see what ones are effecting her way of life. The foods that are being eliminated from her diet are; Corn (syrup, starch, popcorn... you get the idea), soy (in ALL its many forms), wheat, yeast (no beer for her!), casein (dairy), Eggs, safflower (this is in everything! including rice milk!), sunflower, huge list of fruit - so here are her yeses on fruit; apples, bananas and strawberries. ALL nuts, peanuts, "gums" (agin-everything!), pepper -cayenne and black, cumin, dill, ginger, nutmeg, mustard, parsley, sesame, vanilla, chocolate, beans - string, kidney, lima, navy, pinto, peas, carrots, mushrooms, olives and olive oil, onion, green peppers, potato, sweet potato, tomato, cucumbers, avocado, lentils, bay leaf, sage, thyme, and basil.... blah, blah, blah!

So what in the heck do you feed this poor child?

Not sure where my blog is going to go? Since Ellie's diet is a lot more restricting than mine, and because it is so limiting, I may find myself cooking things such as meat, and even using some sugars to keep a little one happy. So please dont find me hypocritical. Just trying to survive. Now my energy is 100% refocused.

Thai Tofu Coconut Curry

Ingredients:

1/4 cup dry shredded baking-type coconut, unsweetened
*1 package firm tofu, drained and cut into cubes (omit if tofu is too much for your diet)
1+ 3/4 cups vegetable stock
1/2 to 2/3 can coconut milk
6 lime leaves (purchase frozen at Asian/Chinese food stores)
1/2 cooking onion, diced or roughly chopped
4 cloves garlic,minced
2 thumb-size pieces ginger, thinly sliced into matchstick-like pieces
1-3 tsp. [vegetarian] Thai chili sauce OR 1/2 to 1 tsp. dried crushed chili or cayenne pepper, to taste
3 Tbsp. vegetarian fish sauce (or regular fish sauce if non-vegetarian) - OR substitute **gluten-free tamari sauce
juice of 1/2 lime
1 small sweet potato or yam, peeled and cubed
1 cup cauliflower, cut into florets
generous handful fresh shiitake mushrooms, sliced or left whole if small
1 red bell pepper, de-seeded and chopped into bite-size pieces
approx. 1 cup snow peas, left whole or cut in half
handful cherry tomatoes
1/2 cup fresh cilantro
optional: approx. 1 cup eggplant chopped into bite-size pieces or slices
2 Tbsp. olive oil for stir-frying
Preparation:

Place shredded coconut in a dry wok or large frying pan over medium heat. Stir continuously until the coconut is nicely toasted. Place toasted coconut into a bowl to cool.
Replace wok or frying pan on the stove. Add 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil plus the onion, garlic, and ginger. Stir-fry 1-2 minutes, or until onion begins to soften and the garlic is fragrant.
Turn heat up to high. Add Tofu, cook for 5 min. Add stock plus lime leaves, chili sauce, and most of the toasted coconut (reserve 1 to 1+1/2 Tbsp. for garnish). Stir everything together.
Add the sweet potato (or yam) and cauliflower. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium. Simmer 2-3 minutes.
Add the mushrooms, eggplant (if using), and tofu, stirring to incorporate. Cover and simmer 2 more minutes.
Add the bell pepper, snow peas, and tomaotes, and simmer 2-3 minutes, or until snow peas have softened but are still bright green.
Turn heat down to low and add the coconut milk plus the [veg] fish sauce or soy sauce, stirring to dissolve. Add up to 2/3 of the can of coconut milk or more, depending on how creamy or how much sauce you want with your curry.
Remove from heat and do a taste-test for salt and spice, adding more [veg.] fish sauce, Tamari or salt. Add more chili if you prefer it spicer.
To serve, scoop the curry onto individual plates or into serving bowls. Top with fresh coriander and a sprinkling of the reserved toasted coconut. Accompany with plenty of Thai jasmine rice.
ENJOY!
*Tofu is soy, in this form it is OK, once in a while. Just watch how you feel afterwords.
**Tamari sauce is a purer form of say sauce, this too should be ok in small, once in awhile doses.

Wheat & Endometriosis

Why no wheat? I gave up certain foods in stages, 1st was meat, then sugars, dairy then wheat. Several days after I gave up wheat, I noticed the biggest improvement in my pain and bowel habits. I even can say that I was almost symptom free! (80% of woman who give up wheat have been able to alleviate a lot of their symptoms ) I caved the other day while making mac-n-cheese for the kids, I had a bite leaving me with several days of sever cramping and very painful #2's! Enough so, that I will be sure not to make that same mistake. A large group of woman with endometriosis ARE wheat intolerant. Also many of "us" suffer from candida growth - as wheat feeds the growth of yeast. So, I highly recommend - if you pick and choose your endo-diet, wheat alone can make a significant difference.

Side Note: I was talking to a girlfriend of mine, a fellow endometriosis sufferer and she was telling me about her experience with the hormone shot. "I have had 2 series of Lupron Depot and I was SO miserable with the side effects, like hot-flashes and moodiness that I didn't even notice if it helped my endometriosis!"
Hormone shots may be the answer for some, so please make sure you know all there is to know before you make that decision.

Salmon

Although there is no recipe for this particular entree (right from the freezer). Just wanted to throw something easy and very healthy in here for the days that you just don't have time to cook. For those who are on the endo diet, or ones similar, fish high in omega fatty acids are very important for our diet, anyone's for that matter. Eating salmon and fresh tuna no more than once a week (due to mercury scare) will benefit us greatly. So easy to prepare and the whole family is excited (my kids rave when this is made)! And if you are lucky to have leftovers - perfect over a fresh bed of lettuce for lunch!
The Brand is Morey's Marinated Wild Alaskan Salmon, freezer section at Costco.
Just follow baking directions on back.
Serve over brown rice, mangoes (or any fruit) and a nice salad.

Banana Date Cookies

I honestly ate the WHOLE batch! I did 1/2 a cup of dates and 1/2 cup of carob chips (I have yet to find carob chips, or any for that matter, that are soy -free, so use at your own discretion!) just to help entice my kids... but they never even got to try them. I ate them for breakfast, snack and dessert! Another idea, add walnuts- or other nuts!

3 mashes bananas
2 cups of rolled oats
1 cup of dates (the dates really add a nice flavor)
1/3 cup of sunflower or olive oil
1 tsp. vanilla

Bake @ 350* for 20min.

SO easy to make!

Chips!

Kale Chips
What makes these chips truly satisfying is the crunch! The sound they make as you are biting into them makes these a perfect snack.
Simple to make!

• 1 bunch of kale cut into bite size pieces washed and dried
  
• misto spray with olive oil
• sea salt

Has any of you seen the MISTO spray bottle. Ingenious! I found mine at TJ MAXX. Just fill the bottle 1/2 way and pump it with air, ready to spray on anything! Great replacement for those chemical "PAM" sprays.

preheat oven to 350*, spread kale onto baking pan. Spray with olive oil and add sea salt to taste. Bake for about 15 min or crisp.
Serve. Yum!

Hot Pink Smoothie

Thanks Kaila for this recipe!
I added a banana, flax seed, and about a 1/3 cup of oats - to sustain me a little longer.

1 ½ cups coconut liquid (best raw, or from a can, both can be found at Asian markets) - I didn't have this on hand so I used coconut dream

1 large carrot (or 5-6 baby carrots)

1/4 of a medium beet, raw, peeled

¼ cup cashews

4-5 dates

2 tsp. vanilla

12 frozen strawberries (I only had 7, so I added wild blueberries)

optional: 1-2 Tbsp. hemp protein or SunWarrior fermented brown-rice protein powder

optional: 2 Tbsp. kefir or yogurt

Puree all ingredients except strawberries and hemp protein in BlendTec for 90 seconds.

Add strawberries and puree on high until smooth. Add hemp protein for the last 5

seconds.

Notes:

Raw beets are an excellent blood purifier, coconut liquid is packed with minerals and

electrolytes. Makes one quart, a 450-calorie breakfast that has 4 servings of fruits

and vegetables, 15 percent plant protein, and good fats in the cashews.

Homemade Refried beans & Tacos

I want to thank my family for all their support in this crazy new life style. Christian requested Tacos tonight for dinner, so here it goes...

Refried Beans:

• 1 lb bag of pinto beans
• 1 small onion
• 5 garlic cloves
• 1 tbls olive oil
• 2 tsp cumin
• 1 tbls chili powder

Directions:
Cook beans according to directions on bag. Once they have boiled add chopped onions and garlic, replace lid until beans are soft. Drain beans reserving liquids. Place beans in a food blender and chop/smash till desired texture. In sauce pan heat olive oil and add seasonings and beans, add enough liquid to keep the beans moist. Add sea salt to taste.

Tacos & Toppings:

• Corn tacos (double check ingredients some may have soy or other unwanted ingredients)

Of course, add what ever toppings you like, here are some I like:

• Chopped tomatoes
• avocado/guacamole
• cilantro
• diced red onions
• chopped red lettuce
• plain Greek yogurt (I did cheat here, but a great sub for sour cream, and I feel it is better than the soy dairy replacements they have)
• Fresh squeezed lime over the top

Enjoy!

Snack Time!

Finding a trail mix of sorts that is gluten and/or soy free and with out the added sugar has been a challenge. So, I decided to throw one together. Really simple to make, can't mess this one up and change it around to fit your likings!

• 1 cup of raw coconut meat
• 1 cup of raw cashews
• 1 cup of raisins/cranberries (no added sugar)(I did 1/2 & 1/2)
• 1 cup of pumpkin/sunflower seeds (I did 1/2 & 1/2)
• 1/2 chopped dates

Stir-fry Bok Choy

This is a real fast and easy recipe! Would be great with any number of vegetables.

• 1/3 cup reduced-sodium vegetable broth
• 1 tablespoon tamari (gluten-free soy sauce)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 3 tablespoons peanut (we are a peanut-free house too!) I went with vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced garlic (about 8 cloves) I doubled this, can't have to much garlic!
• 2 pounds baby or Shanghai bok choy, halved lengthwise
• 2 teaspoons Asian sesame

  Preparation

  Stir together broth, tamari, cornstarch, and 1/2 teaspoon salt until cornstarch has dissolved.

  Heat wok over high heat until a drop of water evaporates instantly. Pour oil down side of wok, then swirl oil, tilting wok to coat side. Add garlic and stir-fry until pale golden, 5 to 10 seconds. Add half of bok choy and stir-fry until leaves wilt, about 2 minutes, then add remaining bok choy and stir-fry until all leaves are bright green and limp, 2 to 3 minutes total. Stir broth mixture, then pour into wok and stir-fry 15 seconds. Cover with lid and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are crisp-tender, 2 to 4 minutes. Stir in sesame oil, then transfer to a serving dish.

Pizza Night!

It's the simple things that are the hardest to give up. I've played around with several gluten-free pizza recipes. Tonight's is an endodiet style adaptation from my cousins gluten-free crust.

Pizza dough:

1 ½ Tablespoon yeast

1 1/3 cup rice flour

1 cup tapioca flour

3 teaspoon xanthum gum

2 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1 teaspoon salt

1 ½ cup warm oatmeal, or unsweetened rice milk

2 teaspoon olive oil

2 teaspoon vinegar

Preheat oven to 425

Blend dry ingredients including yeast. Add warm milk oil and vinegar beat for 2 minutes on high.

Roll out onto greased pan, sprinkling rice flour when needed.

Make edges thicker,

Bake for ten minutes add toppings and bake for another 20-25 min.

For my toppings I sautéed red onions, garlic, and roasted peppers with olive oil, adding some arugula & basil to wilt at the end. I did use some goat cheese, one of my exceptions to the "dairy free" rule. Goat products are easier to digest and cause less inflammation than cows products.

For dessert, yes dessert!

Madeline made a perfect fruit salad, with strawberries, wild blue-berries, pineapple and banana.

Quinoa Salad

This is such a flavorful, yummy salad!

Quinoa Salad Ingredients:

• 1 cup quinoa
• 1 1/2 cups cold water
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 cup peas
  
• 2 small carrots, peeled and sliced thin
• 1 celery sliced thin
  
• 1/2 green or red pepper, sliced thin
• 1 medium ripe tomato
• 1 medium cucumber, peeled and diced
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
• 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
  
• Options: Chopped scallions, dried unsweetened cranberries
• Dressing:
  • 2 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • Fresh ground pepper
  • fresh minced garlic, minced fresh ginger

    Quinoa Salad Directions

    1. The quinoa can be made ahead of time and refrigerated if you like
    2. Soak the quinoa 15 minutes in cold water
    3. Rinse thoroughly, pour off most of the water and drain through a large fine mesh strainer
    4. Place in 2 qt pot with the water, salt and oil
    5. Bring to a full boil
    6. Cover the pot, let boil another minute, turn the heat down to very low, and cook for 15 minutes
    7. Remove from heat and allow to sit five minutes with lid on
    8. Fluff gently with a fork and set aside to cool. Setting the pan in a sink full of cold water cools the quinoa quickly
    9. Steam the carrots and green veg for 5 minutes or until tender-crisp, drain, rinse in cold water and drain again
    10. Chop the tomatoes, herb and cucumber
    11. Blend dressing ingredients with a whisk or shake in a jar
    12. Gently combine veggies, seeds, quinoa and dressing in a large bowl
    13. Cover and chill

What is endometrioisis?

I have had it explained to me several ways. One of the recent Dr.s described it as a cancer (but not fatal but life consuming) where the cells grow and take over its surrounding organs. Like cancer, there is NO cure. And they do not know the exact cause of this disease as well. Most common speculation is that when the endometrium that grows naturally inside the uterus, sheds like during menstruation , somehow the blood and tissue flows out of the fallopian tubes and attaches itself on to other organs inside the abdomen causing adhesion and scar tissue. Other ideas is that it simply travels through the blood or the lymph nodes. This is why a hysterectomy may not always solve the problem. Endometrioisis can cause a number of symptoms. Infertility being the most devastating. Chronic pain, digestive problems, acne, depression and mood changes. The list goes on.
The reason, at this point, that I ma choosing diet changes over hormones or a hysterectomy is simply because I feel that I would be changing one set of issues for another. If your body is producing way to much estrogen than why would you go to the other extreme and take away all of the estrogen? I know that there is a lot more to it and that they can chemically replace some of the missing estrogen, without even going into all the side effects, I am just interested in a more natural change. I LOVE being in control, and I hope that's what this diet will allow me to do. Take control!

Carob Macaroons

I have to say that these are REALLY good! Mine are more like "haystacks" than balls. But I am sure they taste the same. I enjoyed having these around Easter weekend while everyone else was enjoying their Easter candy, I had SOMETHING yummy to eat!
I have discovered the wonderful benefits of coconut oil! Great oil to add to your diet!

Carob Macaroons
Servings: 18
Prep + Cook = 45 minutes

* 3 cups unsweetened coconut meat
* 1 cup carob, or cocoa or cacao powder
* 2/3 cup organic Blue Agave, melted on low heat (you can use maple syrup or honey- but be careful with honey on the endo diet.)
* 1/2 cup coconut oil, melted on low heat

1. Combine the coconut and carob together in a medium mixing bowl.

2. Melt the coconut oil and honey over low heat until melted. Do not over heat.

3. Add the oil mixture to the coconut and stir well until combined.

4. Form into walnut sized balls. You may need to squeeze the balls with your hands to make them stick together.

5. Place balls on a pan or a plate and place in the fridge. They will harden within 20-30 minutes, but you can put them in the freezer to harden more quickly. If you choose to keep them in the freezer, let them sit out at room temperature for 5-10 minutes before eating.

Zesty Adzuki Bean Salad

This definitely is zesty! Maybe a little too zesty (vinegary) for me teh first day, but once it sat for a day... very nice! But packed with vitamins, protein and nutrients making this a great feel good dish!

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups dried adzuki beans
1/4 cup arame sea vegetable (found near the seaweed at WF)
1/4 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
3 tablespoons canola oil
1 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped ginger
1/2 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
1 1/4 cups basil, finely chopped
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
Pinch red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon tamari
1/4 cup lime juice
1 cup thinly sliced green onions
1 cup grated carrots

Method

Put beans in a large bowl, cover with water and set aside to let soak for 8 hours or overnight.

Drain beans and put in a large pot with 8 cups water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until tender, 45 to 60 minutes. Drain and rinse gently under cold water. Set aside to let cool completely. Meanwhile, soak arame in cold water for 15 minutes; drain and rinse well.

Put oils, ginger, garlic, basil, vinegar, pepper flakes, tamari and lime juice into a large bowl and whisk to make a dressing. Add cooled beans, arame, green onions and carrots and toss gently to combine.

Nutrition

Per serving (about 4oz/116g-wt.): 220 calories (60 from fat), 7g total fat, 0.5g saturated fat, 0mg cholesterol, 190mg sodium, 32g total carbohydrate (6g dietary fiber, 3g sugar), 9g protein

Bagels, wheat-free, dairy-free, sugar-free Bagels

Many thanks to various friends and family who are gluten-free, others who are dairy-free, and some who are vegan, I am able to put together some recipes of things I can eat! Tonight I am trying BAGELS. This recipe I got from my cousin whose husband has celiac disease.

The only alterations I had to make to make it an "endo diet" was to supsitute the honey for organic bue agave necter, and the veg oil for olive oil and I omitted the sugar. Th

e only problem I had with this recipe was that I needed to spray olive oil onto the tray, my bagels stuck! But are still tasty!

Bagels

• 3 cups gluten-free Multi-Grain Flour Blend

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 2 teaspoons flax meal

• 1½ teaspoons egg replacer

• 1 tablespoon xanthan gum

• 1 tablespoon yeast

• 2 tablespoons honey

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

• 1 teaspoon cider vinegar

• 1¼ cups warm water

• 1 teaspoon sugar

• Brown rice flour, for rolling bagels

• Cornmeal, for dusting pan

• ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

• Multi-Grain Flour Blend

• MAKES 9 CUPS

• 1¼ cups garfava flour

• 1¾ cups super-fine brown rice flour

• 2 cups potato starch or arrowroot flour or chestnut flour

• 2 cups cornstarch or potato starch

• 1 cup tapioca starch/ flour

• 1 cup sorghum flour or amaranth flour

• Mix all ingredients together. Store in a tightly covered container in the refrigerator until used.

Directions

1. Line a baking pan or cookie sheet with parchment paper and sprinkle it with cornmeal. Put some brown rice flour on a second baking pan or cookie sheet.

2. Put Multi-Grain Flour Blend, salt, flax meal, egg replacer, xanthan gum and yeast into a mixing bowl and whisk together.

3. In a separate bowl, whisk together honey, oil, cider vinegar, and 1 cup warm water.

4. Using the paddle attachment of the mixer, slowly incorporate the liquid mixture into dry ingredients. Add more warm water, if necessary, to create a smooth consistency. Mixture should be quite thick. Beat on medium-high speed for 3 minutes.

5. To shape the bagels, use a large spoon to scoop out the batter. Drop a spoonful on to the baking pan or cookie sheet sprinkled with the flour.

6. Lightly roll dough in the flour to coat it and then shape into a ball. Flatten the ball slightly and using your index finger, create a hole in the center, large enough not to close during rising and baking. Repeat until all the dough is used.

7. Place each bagel on the baking pan sprinkled with cornmeal. Lightly cover bagels with an oiled piece of plastic wrap and place pan in a warm place for bagels to rise, about 20 to 30 minutes. When bagels have risen, bring a skillet of water to boil. Add 1 teaspoon sugar to the water. (Sugar helps create a shiny crust.) Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

8. Drop a few bagels into the boiling water. Simmer for 30 seconds, turn over and cook for another 30 seconds.

9. Using a slotted spoon, remove bagels, drain away excess water and put bagels back on same baking pan. Once all bagels are boiled, bake them for 25 minutes in preheated oven.

10. Cool on a rack

Endometriosis...

is a very bad word. As I have been learning more and more about this "auto-immune diseases", I am feeling more and more over whelmed. There is no "cure" just a lot of "what-if". The most drastic "what-if" is a hysterectomy. A hysterectomy will produce the highest percentage of a "fix" being 80-90%. Not bad if you are emotionally and physically prepared to go through menopause. Not at 34! I am determined to fight this. At least for a little while....

The Dr. I saw today has highly suggested a series of hormone injections called Lupron. Basically the drug will stop my ovaries from producing estrogen, estrogen is what "feeds" endometriosis, putting me into a menopausal state. Again, not happy with that idea. I meet with another Dr. tomorrow to see what other hope is out there.

MEANWHILE... I have decided to put myself on the "Endometriosis Diet" in hopes to shut down any supply my body has to producing, feeding, inflaming or irritating the estrogen in my body.

The RUES:

NO wheat or wheat products & no rye

NO Meats (there are a few exceptions, some seafood and once in a great while, organic eggs and chicken if it is skinless, organic, and hormone free.) I haven't been ready to bring myself to eat chicken yet. Maybe one day I will be able to stomach it?

NO sugar/honey

NO dairy

NO soy

NO caffeine of any sorts

NO additives, no refined foods and

NO convenient foods

So! What do I eat??? Great question.

I have successful given up meat (except some seafood) for about 4 months now. Refined sugars, 2 months - although I need a lot of improvement here. Now that I am working on the "no wheat" thing and no soy (soy is in everything!!!) I am feeling really overwhelmed. And now that I can't eat "anything" I am eating "everything" (of things I can eat.) Ive even gained the 5lbs I initially lost when giving up sugar and meat... darn.