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December 19, 2024

Easy Holiday Baking and Cooking Substitutes

Holiday meals are about bringing people together, but when some guests have food sensitivities or allergies, it can feel like a challenge to make ever

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Christmas, Food, Health
December 12, 2024

Doorstep Dining Done Right

‘Tis the season of parties, buffets, Christmas cookies and oodles of joyful gatherings that include delicious, even healthy, food. At the same time,

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Christmas, Food, Health
December 5, 2024

Post-Thanksgiving Mini Reset

Thanksgiving may have left you feeling a little too much like the stuffed turkey centerpiece. If you’re ready to shake off the sluggishness before m

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Christmas, Food, Fun, Health
November 28, 2024

Savor, Stroll, and Stay Thankful

Thanksgiving. A time to enjoy the company of loved ones, share stories, and of course, indulge in delicious food. Here’s a tip to help you savor

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Family, Food, Fun, Health
November 19, 2024

Gobble Up These Thanksgiving Preparation Tips

Thanksgiving is a time for gratitude, gathering, and indulging in an amazing feast. However, hosting can sometimes feel more like a marathon than a ce

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Food
November 14, 2024

Mediterranean Feel-Good Soups for Fall

As we transition from fall into the holidays, staying mindful of our health goals can help us enjoy the season without feeling run down or overwhelmed

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Food, Health
November 7, 2024

Healthy Eating FAQs and Answers

Before I get into this week’s topic, I must first retract a statement that I made last week about Mr. Non-Compliant. I stand corrected, as he did NO

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Food, Health
October 31, 2024

Mr. Non-Compliant’s Birthday Fest

This week Mr. Non-Compliant (aka my dear hubby) celebrated a birthday. He flaunted his morning non-compliance by leaving the EMPTY cinnamon roll box o

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Family, Food, Fun, Health
October 24, 2024

Not a Vegetable Fan? Read This

It’s not just kids that wrinkle their nose at a plate of green stuff. Lots of fully-grown adults feel the same—inclined to hide their Brussels spr

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Food, Health
October 17, 2024

How Safe is Your Cinnamon?

I’m a huge cinnamon fan. I shake it in my coffee, smoothies, muffins, stewed apples, and of course, pumpkin pie. Years ago I mixed it with a little

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Food, Health

Mr. Non-Compliant vs. the Corn Cob Holders

May 27, 2021
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Food, Fun, Health

Corn on the cob is one of Mr. Non-Compliant’s (aka my husband’s) favorite foods. Indiana offers the best, come late July and August.

The rest of the year, I sometimes find pretty tasty corn in the grocery store. This past week I discovered some at Whole Foods for 50 cents an ear and decided to splurge on this starchy treat.

Mr. NC was happy, until he experienced a corn on the cob holder incident. As he was eating his nicely buttered and salted ear, the holder slipped off the end of the corn and bit him on the cheek. 

Fortunately, he didn’t require stitches and lost only a small amount of blood. He has recovered quite nicely.

I’ve threatened to take those dangerous corn aids away from him. Maybe I can find some with rubber tips in time for corn eating high season. 🙂

Eat at your own risk.

The Wonder Drug That Isn’t

I have a friend who had to forfeit her exercise regimen this past year due to a variety of circumstances.

She felt horrible—unhealthy, unhappy, and downright gross.

To make matters worse, her love of sugar and other not-so-nutritious foods had scored a starring role in her diet.

And then, she found her way back. She’s now working out 4x a week on her best weeks, and twice a week when things don’t quite go as planned.

She has less pain, more energy, and feels healthier. Because she’s moving again, her diet is improving too.

Getting back into her exercise routine has improved her quality of life, and she hasn’t even been focused on changing her food.

Exercise is life changing. If it could be put into a capsule, it would be the most widely prescribed drug on the planet. 

If your routine isn’t where you’d like it to be, today is the perfect time to begin. You’ll feel better tomorrow.

Have a blessed Memorial Day weekend.

Much love,
Carol

“I believe our flag is more than just cloth and ink. It is a universally recognized symbol that stands for liberty, and freedom. It is the history of our nation, and it’s marked by the blood of those who died defending it.”- John Thune

The Coconut Cake

May 20, 2021
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Food, Fun, Health, In the Garden

For those of you who are interested in the coconut cake I mentioned last week, the recipe is now on my website.

You’ll find it in the Recipes section under Treats, of course.

It’s AMAZING.

Full gluten eaters even like it.

If you’re not a coconut fan, there’s also a recipe for Strawberry Crumble. I made the crumble this week using half rhubarb and half strawberries. 

Eating well to maintain good health is about the balance. Every once in a while, in between my many salads with chicken, I just need a piece of coconut cake.

When I make the cake, I often cut a portion of it in small pieces that I wrap individually and freeze.

It’s a perfect treat.

The Wascally Wabbit

My resident rabbit still hangs around and has brought friends. They’ve managed to eat the okra plants in my garden.

Okra is typically a southern plant and a popular dish is stewed okra and tomatoes. I like to add a little okra to my beef vegetable soup.

Guess I’m out of luck, unless I find more plants.

Sneaking in Exercise

With the onset of warmer weather, getting some exercise doesn’t necessarily mean a trip to the gym.

Consider the many activities you can enjoy outdoors that get your heart rate up, allow for some stretching, and help improve muscle tone.

We know that exercise extends life while reducing the risk of everything from heart disease to cancer to dementia.

And the best form of exercise is the one you’ll do consistently.   

Gardening, golfing (walk instead of riding in a cart), biking, mowing the lawn, playing tennis, are just some of the ways you can have fun while extending your life and its quality.

Low Gluten Communion

As was listed in my series on gluten, communion wafers typically contain wheat. My church offers low gluten (not 100% GF, but ok for many) hosts which makes me very happy.

If this is something that affects you, I suggest you call your church office and see if there are special accommodations for those who must avoid gluten.

Wishing you a magnificent week!

Much love,
Carol

“A party without cake is really just a meeting” – Julia Child

Carol’s Amazing Gluten Free, Dairy Free Coconut Cake

May 19, 2021
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Recipes, Treats

2 ½ cups Namaste Perfect Flour Blend
5 eggs, separated, room temperature
5 Tbsp. Earth Balance Buttery Sticks, room temperature
½ cup coconut oil, melted
2 cups sugar (may decrease sugar to just a little more than 1 ¾ cups and you won’t notice)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 ¼ tsp. baking soda
1 cup reconstituted goat milk (or other non-dairy beverage) with 1 Tbsp. white vinegar or fresh lemon juice added
1 ½ cups unsweetened coconut     

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease a 13×9 pan or two round baking pans. (I like to use some Earth Balance or coconut oil.) If using round baking pans, line with parchment paper.
  2. Cream butter, coconut oil, and sugar until fluffy. Add egg yolks one at a time beating after each addition. Stir in vanilla.
  3. Combine flour and baking soda in a separate bowl. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture alternating with the goat milk mixture. Start and end with the dry ingredients. Blend in the coconut.
  4. In a separate bowl, beat egg whites just until peaks form. Fold gently into cake batter. Bake for approximately 40 minutes for a 9×13 pan or about 25 minutes for cake rounds. Cake is done when toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
  5. Frost with vegan cream cheese frosting.

 

Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting

1/2 cup (1 stick) Earth Balance Buttery Sticks, room temperature
One 8-ounce container vegan cream cheese, out of the fridge for 1 hour (like Kite Hill plain cream cheese)
1 tsp. vanilla
3 to 5 cups organic powdered sugar

Directions

  1. In a large mixing bowl, add softened butter and beat well. Add vegan cream cheese and vanilla, and mix again until creamy and smooth.
  2. Add powdered sugar in 1 cup (or less) increments until thick and spreadable.
  3. You want this frosting to be fairly thick so it won’t slide around. Keep adding powdered sugar until it reaches the right consistency. Refrigerate the frosting for about 30 minutes to make it easier to frost the cake. 

NOTES:
*Other gluten free flours may work well, although I usually use Namaste.
*You can cut the sugar in a cake recipe by 10%. It won’t affect the consistency and it’s  sweet enough—especially with frosting.
*Adding vinegar or lemon juice to goat milk creates “buttermilk.” My favorite goat milk is Meyenberg Whole Powdered Goat Milk. The powder keeps well in the fridge for months and you can make fresh when needed.
*The first time I made this cake, I underbaked it a bit. Once the toothpick comes out clean, I bake it for a few more minutes, as long as it’s not getting too brown. Gluten free products sometimes need a little more cooking or baking time. Also, the more I make it, the better it seems to turn out. Like everything, practice makes perfect. So, if your first cake doesn’t quite hit the mark, try again.

Cake recipe derived from Namaste.
Frosting recipe derived from Minimalist Baker.

Are You Having Fun Yet?

May 13, 2021
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Fun, Health

If you haven’t had some fun lately, it’s time to make a plan, then execute your plan.

 Your health is affected by your world as well as your food. If you’re not enjoying life, even with all of its uncontrollable ups and downs, it’s time to make a shift.

For those of you with a spouse or significant other, when did you last have a date night? I highly recommend to my client couples that they make time to have some fun and relaxed time together. 

Alone.

The date doesn’t have to be anything fancy, although it can be.

Our sons were on the cross-country team in high school and had to ride to the meet on the team bus. My husband, (aka Mr. Non-Compliant), and I would drop them off, then go to breakfast.

It was the perfect date.

With the warmer weather, dates could be a bike ride to a favorite coffee or dinner spot, relaxing in your backyard with your favorite beverage, taking a walk in your neighborhood or on one of the many trails in the community.

The important part is to stay connected.

There are couples that make Friday nights their sacred date night. Depending on your schedules, it may be more conducive to meet once a week for lunch. 

Where there’s a will, there’s a way.

For those of you who are typically solo, you could make plans to meet up with a friend each week. While solitude can be a good thing, too much of it may lead to overworking, burnout, or loneliness. 

And for all of us, why not schedule an Artist’s Date? I learned about artist dates from Julia Cameron in her book The Artist’s Way.

 “The Artist’s Date is a once-weekly, hour-long solo expedition to explore something festive or interesting to your creative consciousness.”—Julia Cameron

 This is a date that is planned in advance with yourself. Treat it is as you would an appointment with your dentist or doctor or someone you would never let down.

My plan is to go to a garden center and buy more flowers to plant. They make me happy.

We are all artists in some fashion, and our creativity is screaming to be let loose on the world.

Have some fun.

Speaking of fun…here are some things I have coming your way. 

I’ll be posting the recipe for my now famous gluten and dairy free coconut cake on my website this week so you can make one of your very own! AND I’m putting together a 4 or 6-week group coaching program to help those of you struggling with the gluten thing. Details coming soon.

Wishing you a week with some FUN in your life. I’d love to hear what you’re up to.

Much love,
Carol

“A hunch is creativity trying to tell you something.”—Frank Capra

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