Day 26, Stage 5 (day 5)

Soups were simple to make, but as I move through the intro, soups are becoming less and less.  I've been eating more baked foods.  The challenging thing has been breakfast, for two reasons:

1. Throwing a bunch of food into a soup pot and walking away is easy.  Baking up separate things has been more difficult.
2. Trying to figure out what to eat, in itself,  has been difficult too.  Baking a chicken in the morning is time consuming.

There are definitely things to remedy my whining.  Cooking food ahead of time is one option.  I'm not that prepared as of yet. 

I've actually started cooking things on the stove in a cast iron pan.  I've been adding water so as not to "fry" the stuff.  It's almost like cooking a soup, but without all that liquid.  I take the food out once it's cooked and there's barely any water left. 

This morning the kids wanted haddock for breakfast.  They're learning fast.  A pound of haddock split between two kids and me.  The other kid ate the last piece of sprouted spelt bread.  I hope he enjoyed it. 



homemade breakfast sausage patty, red pepper and sweet onion




This one was left in the skillet a little too long while I tended to a child-related "emergency".  It happens.
Sausage, onions, garlic, spinach.

 Our chickens either stopped laying momentarily, or started laying somewhere I cannot locate.  Silly husband of mine unplugged their light and neglected to plug it back in.  We've been without eggs for 3 days, so my egg consumption has come to a halt.  Eggs are definitely always a terrific breakfast option.  I like mine poached.  I don't do it Julia Child's style, but they are still yummy nonetheless.

Easy Poached Eggs

Boil water.  When it just starts to boil, crack the egg into the water.  Turn off the water and let it sit.  When the egg whites are cooked through, remove with slotted spoon.  The yolk might be super runny or partially cooked, depending on your gauge of white-doneness (that's not really a word is it?). 

Day 21, Stage 4 (day 5)

I had a minor setback.  Well, not really a set back.  My husband wanted to start GAPS.  So for the past two days I had been getting him on track as much as possible.  Yesterday, day 2, he informed me that he was done.  He needed food options.  Really...day 2?  He wanted to start GAPS for weight loss and overall health...but he wasn't that invested in it.  So, he's off GAPS and I'm back on track. 

Benefits of having both parents on GAPS - only feeling compelled to make one meal instead of two or three.  The children, who have protested soups and deemed me at the worst mom and cook ever, have now fallen in love with the ground beef and broccoli soup.  My middle son, who is 4, said, "Thank you mom, for making a soup that we like.  I just love you!"  I smiled, hugged him and said, "You're welcome, sweetie."  I was thinking, however, "This is the same stinkin' soup I've been making every two days for the past 3 weeks!"

Yesterday morning I had this breakfast:


avocado, scrambled eggs with onion in coconut oil


This morning I had this breakfast:

Two scrambled eggs cooked in coconut oil.  Sauteed onions in pork fat and coconut oil. 
Homemade sausage patties:

1 lb ground pork
1-2 tbs sage
1 tbs thyme
some sea salt, freshly ground pepper
some cayenne pepper - I think I did about 6-7 shakes of the bottle.  I was afraid of it being too spicy for the kids.

Mix well, form into patties, bake at 350 until done.  If I can smell them, they're done. 

Day 18, Stage 4 (day 2)

Today was pretty boring as far as food goes.  I was out a lot, so I made my ol' standby - broccoli and ground beef soup with onions and garlic.  I made a big pot and brought it from place to place, stopping at home to fill up as needed. 

My cravings are disappearing.  People can eat bread and sweets in front of me and I don't feel like taking them down like a crazed hyena only to rip away their sacred treat. 

I start the day off with a glass of water and my probiotics. 

A half hour to an hour later (depending on how the morning is going) I have my juiced carrots, celery, beet and ginger along with my cod liver oil supplements. 

I just think it's so pretty, don't you?

I do mix it before drinking. 

While I'm drinking the juice, I'm cooking either pancakes, eggs or soup. 

There is plenty of time to allow for my body to digest the probiotics, juice and cod liver oil.  I simmer the soup for 25 minutes.  And then it needs to cool.  If I'm making pancakes, it takes that long, too. 

I made soured cream the other day.  I poured a gallon of raw milk into a pitcher.  I waited 24 hours.  I took it out of the fridge and carefully scooped the cream off the top.  Use a pitcher you can see through.  There will be a definitive line separating the cream from the milk.  I put the cream into a 32oz glass jar.  I added 3 heaping tablespoons of greek yogurt.  I wrapped it in a towel, put it next to my crockpot and left it there for 24 hours.  It went into the fridge until I needed it. 
It definitely smelled soured.  But not bad...just sour.  And it was thick.  I mean thick. 

I was able to incorporate it into soups very nicely.  It went into yesterday's asparagus soup.  Yum.  It doesn't taste sour in the soups.  It was pretty yummy on it's own, too.  It'll be nice when I can have a little honey with it.  *drool*

Day 10, Stage 3

Today I added in egg whites.  I became gassy a few hours later, but I'm not sure if that's from the egg whites or from being constipated.  Oh, the things I share on the Internet!

1/2 lb stew beef
1/2 sweet onion
2 handfuls of cauliflower
handful of peas.  Oh, yeah, I added in peas today.
1/2 cup of carrot pulp
boil for 25 minutes
Added in after cooking:
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 soft-boiled egg
1/4 cup kimchi