Mastering a Gluten Free Life

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Mastering a Gluten Free Life

January 2021 the course "Mastering a Gluten Free Life" will launch! In four simple modules you will learn how to go gluten free and keep it that way!

In this course you will go from feeling overwhelmed by the thought of giving up gluten to feeling in control of your food choices. Learning to navigate the grocery store, restaurants and social settings will give you the confidence you need to eat wherever and whenever you want. Yes, you can even have bread and dessert!

11/01/2021

Taking a Break!

I began a path toward self-discovery, guided by my therapist, focused on where I am choosing to spend my time and energy. Knowing that time is the currency no one can acquire more of (save for exercising more, eating healthier, reducing or eliminating habits that harm overall health), I started to look at how I spend my days.

I also made a list of activities that make me HAPPY (queue the new Taylor Swift Song ‘Happiness’)!

On the list:
Spending quality time with my family
Exercising
Reading (currently reading book 2 in the series - “When We Left Cuba” by Chanel Cleeton)
Creating/organizing books and activities to further my daughter’s growth and development

NOT ON THE LIST -- scrolling social media!
NOT ON THE LIST -- creating content for social media for the purpose of gaining followers, likes and reposts so I have an audience available to sell my (almost finished) Mastering a Gluten Free Life online course!

I also started to realize that if I do sell the course, I would perpetually be tied to a company whose values, policies and effect on social and emotional health of millions (nee billions) of people DOES NOT align with my values, my life policies and does not support my overall social and emotional health.

While these platforms provide a laundry list of positives for millions of people, including income, connection, meaningful pursuit, and education; the desire to take back the minutes or hours per day I spend creating and consuming content on these platforms has diminished to the degree that I have decided to take a break.

I may come back and if the algorithm decides I am worthy of your viewing my post, we will see each other again in this space. If not, I genuinely look forward to seeing those of you I know in real life...in real life. Expect a gigantic (post-pandemic) hug and enough stories to last us for several in person visits.

05/01/2021

Read more books!

One of my New Years' Resolutions / Goals is to read more books. I began reading actual, phsyical books for pleaure at the end of last year and loved it! My goal is to read 6 books, but I see that as being easily attainable!

The first book I am reading this year is Next Year in Havana by .

It is a 3 part series and I have the next two books waiting for me on my bookshelf.

Have you read it?
What are you reading January 2021?

28/12/2020

5 Things About Me....

⭐I am a terrible driver. I would rather do a 12-point turn than back up, no one should ever let me parallel park and I take up 1.5 spaces in our 2-car garage just in case. I have never been in an accident (I am hardly ever the one who drives).

⭐I am a Chicago Bears fan, even though I live in Colorado. I grew up watching the Bears and will always be a fan...despite our rotating QBs and double-doink moments!

⭐I love lists. I love lists so much I add things I have already done to my list just for the satisfaction of crossing it off!

⭐I am a secret librarian. I lead a group of 21 certified librarians in my former profession and now I find joy in reading, organizing my own bookshelf and rotating books for my daughter.

⭐I took a STEM class a few years ago and learned the science behind how soap works. The word “surfactant” is fun to throw into conversations! I am consumed by the process of watching bubbles form and pop - which I encounter a lot as a parent of a toddler :)

21/12/2020

Whisper until it yells....Cold showers!

I saw on Melissa Urban’s feed (Founder of The Whole 30) and then heard it again on her podcast (Do The Thing Episode 34: Cold Showers with Ed Sheeran | Just Melissa) that she had a goal to take a cold shower for 30 days.

Sing a song you know. Sing like no one can hear you. Put a smile on your face. You can do this!

I’m a little embarrassed to admit this to strangers but the song I started with is Happy Birthday. I know, I know...what the heck! Hear me out. I was focusing on awakening my Vagus Nerve. Giving it love and attention. So...I sang Happy Birthday to my Vagus Nerve. I sang this one time (at a normal pace...not super fast), then two times, and eventually I got to singing it three times. Singing this song four times felt weird and annoying so now I sing Happy Birthday to something once and then I sing anything that comes into my mind. It might be a Christmas song or Happiness from the album Evermore by Taylor Swift

Cold showers have many other benefits:

Release endorphins - queue your favorite Elle Woods quote here
Improve metabolism
Improve circulation
Relieve depression symptoms
Strengthen immunity

Although I am not a doctor or medical professional, as a person working to and maintain my remission, it is worth the few seconds to few minutes of COLD to wake up and give love to my Vagus Nerve and awaken my Parasympathetic Nervous System.

https://whole30.com/podcast/34/34-cold-showers-with-ed-sheeran-just-melissa/

14/12/2020

A Super Simple Gluten Free Lunch

I needed a quick lunch today and knew that I had a few Cuties in the refrigerator, along with Chosen Foods Avocado Mayonnaise. In my pantry I had Wild Caught PH Albacore Wild Tuna (sustainably caught, wild fish).

To add some extra flavor to the tuna, I sprinkle in Simple Truth Cayenne Pepper, Salt and Black Pepper (to taste).

Then, I toasted 2 slices of Little Northern Bakehouse White Wide Slice Gluten Free Bread by placing them onto a small sheet tray and broiling on Low for 4 minutes on the first side - 2 minutes on the second side. I don’t own a toaster, haven’t since I went !

Quenched my thirst with the rest of my COCO5 Beverage Límon flavored coconut water. I usually save this for my post workout drink, but today it was calling my name!

07/12/2020

A Very Gluten Free Thanksgiving

Pecan Pie was made following the recipe from for Salted Caramel Pecan Pie.
Salted Caramel Pecan Pie {Paleo, Gluten-Free}

Roast Turkey from Danielle Walker’s book Against All Grain Celebrations.
Danielle-Walkers-Against-Grain-Celebrations

Fresh Cranberry Sauce made by boiling a bag of fresh cranberries in 1 cup of water with 1 cup of raw honey (no refined sugar) for 10 minutes or until thick and syrup-like. Then, strain and mash with a potato masher or spoon.

Photo Credits and all of the preparation, shopping, cooking, and cleaning: Kelly Jonelis

30/11/2020

Skinny Pop vs. Boom Chicka Pop -- too close to call!

When I am reaching for a nighttime snack, popcorn is usually what I’m craving. I have two brands that have clean ingredients and awesome flavor in my house at all times. popcorn comes in 0.65oz bags which makes portion control easy, although it does make more garbage since the bags are not recyclable. A box of 28 bags is less than $15.00 at .

also comes in individual bags but the price per ounce just isn’t worth it to our family so we buy this brand in full bags!

When I really want a sweet and salty treat, I occasionally buy the Sweet & Salty Kettle Corn. It has the same simple ingredients as the original with the addition of cane sugar. It reminds me of the Garrett Popcorn Caramel Crisp I would buy from the metra station in Chicago.

Skinny Pop Popcorn Ingredients: Popcorn, sunflower oil and salt.

Boom Chicka Pop Sea Salt Popcorn Ingredients: Popcorn, sunflower oil and sea salt.

Boom Chicka Pop Sweet & Salty Kettle Corn Ingredients: Popcorn, sunflower oil, cane sugar and sea salt.

24/11/2020

Easy Appetizer or Snack - Meatballs in BBQ Sauce

This is the first food my toddler ever made with a little help from mama! The recipe is 1 or 2 bags of frozen meatballs, I like The Butcher Shop Organic Grass Fed Meatballs from , and enough , I like Sweet Heat, to cover the meatballs. That’s it!

No prep and one dish to clean is my kind of cooking!

My toddler poured 2 bags of meatballs into a crock pot (don’t worry - it was off and unplugged at the time) and then poured in the BBQ Sauce. Then, I plugged in the crock pot and she used the buttons to turn it on low and set the timer for 2 hours. When the timer went off, I checked the temperature to ensure they had reached 165℉. In my crock pot, 2 hours was perfect!

We snacked on a few with her lunch and then ate the rest throughout the week.

16/11/2020

Tea - Shouldn’t It Be Gluten Free???

Over the weekend I had a slight stomach ache after eating a celebratory steak dinner (butter basted with fresh herbs), roasted potatoes and sauteed mushrooms. Paired nicely with a bottle of Champagne from .

I thought a cup of tea would help, but it made me feel worse. Thinking it was coincidence, to be honest I didn’t even think of the tea at the time, I had Tazo Zen Green Tea the next day too. When I realized I felt better during the day and worse in the afternoon I took note of what I was eating and drinking. Realizing the only thing that changed was adding tea to my routine in the afternoon.

I looked on the packaging and didn’t see anything that caused me concern; I also didn’t see a label as I have seen on other packages of tea. I looked into tea and even though it is a nationally available tea brand they have very little information on whether their tea bags contain gluten (if it were anywhere on the product, it could be in the glue to hold the bag together) or if there is a risk for cross contamination.

I switched to green tea and my stomach ache went away. I’m not convinced it was a gluten reaction. I am skeptical there would be more than 20ppm of a gluten in the tea bag glue.

Has anyone else experienced a mild gluten reaction to ?

09/11/2020

Three Wishes Cinnamon Cereal

A simple list of clean ingredients that make a delicious cereal that reminds me of the cinnamon, square shaped cereal I ate as a kid (before I was ).

Just like when I was a kid, the cinnamon-flavored milk at the bottom of the bowl is like dessert for breakfast! An important life skill I made sure to teach my toddler after she finished a bowl of Cinnamon cereal.

Ingredients:

Chickpea, Tapioca, Pea Protein, Organic Cane Sugar, Cinnamon, Natural Flavors, Salt, Monk Fruit

https://threewishescereal.com/products/cinnamon-1-pack/?gclid=CjwKCAiAnIT9BRAmEiwANaoE1RcVBt7yeU9oLlNlBfN8GQbHLbbzvBN_sI84HToBICEUauAmHS0ccxoCJCkQAvD_BwE

02/11/2020

Trader Joe’s GF Italian Bread Review

After such a positive experience with the Gluten Free Cinnamon Raisin Bread, I decided to try out the Gluten Free Italian Bread. The bread itself is light but dense enough to hold up as a sandwich, toasted (I use the broiler in my oven) or dunked in eggs for some yummy french toast. The crust is firm and has a distinct flavor; the bread itself has an italian bread taste to it. If you closed your eyes and ate this bread I’m not sure if a non-gluten free person would know this bread is gluten free! I call that a WIN!

The one negative to this bread is that it molded quickly. It could be that I didn’t twist the bag tight enough before adding the plastic bread clip back onto the package; I will need to buy this bread again to confirm.

Does anyone else have experience with bread molding faster than traditional, gluten containing bread?

26/10/2020

Soup!

In Colorado this weekend the weather changed from cool fall days to bitterly cold winter overnight! I am currently looking at several inches of snow on the ground and watching the snow blow around in my backyard.

Does a cold, snowy day make anyone else crave soup? I’m originally from the midwest where the two seasons are Winter and Construction. I learned quickly to always have soup on hand. Kettle & Fire brand soup is by far my favorite. The ingredients are organic, high protein, and delicious! The addition of bone broth or collagen adds nutrients like calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus to an already healthy soup.

My favorite soups from are , and . The soup is Certified Gluten Free and heavenly. This soup tastes like it was homemade on the stovetop for hours!

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