Homemade Shampoo

I love it when I find a brown box on my doorstep and since I got Amazon happy the day after Christmas, the packages arrived almost daily for about a week. It was pretty fabulous. On this day, I got all of the goodies you see below. It was now time to start creating my own shampoo! Diatomaceous Earth is a natural detox and energy drink. In trying to rid my body of candida, I heard that parasites often reside alongside candida. There were a few parasite detoxes, but I read a couple about DE food grade and was sold. It's SUPER easy to take a tsp of this a day in a small glass of water. The ONLY problem is that it's really THE BEST energy drink I've ever had! It doesn't have a taster, but man oh man does it give me energy... and clarity. I made the mistake of taking a tsp about 3 PM one day... I had to MAKE myself go to bed at 12:30, but I felt SO rested the next morning. The benefits far outweigh the extreme amount of energy that I get from taking such a small dose.

 Let the mixing begin. I was SO ready to start getting the chemicals out of my bathroom and my body!

1/2 cup coconut milk (found in international aisle)

2/3 cup castille soap (I used Dr. Bronner's baby mild)

1 tsp Vit E oil (I used olive oil. It is NOT the same so I wouldn't recommend!)

1 tsp of liquid coconut oil (melt in microwave)

Mix any oils for scents that you want. 

Mix everything together as shown below and put in an old shampoo bottle. You will want to shake the bottle before every use. I use about a tsp every time. This should last about a month in the shower. 

Initially I LOVED the way it gave my body volume after washing it the first time. Then... oh then... Ha.. then I went to bed and woke up with THE greasiest hair EVER! I guess I didn't rinse it well enough. Or maybe I did. I'm not sure if it was the shampoo or new homemade conditioner I used that caused the greasiness, but once I showered again in the morning and rinsed some more, it was fine. The next day my hair looked great. 

I've been using this homemade shampoo for about a week and I've learned that I do NOT have to wash my hair every day. It actually does better when I go at least one day without washing it. My hair has more volume now, which is something I never had before.  

Coming soon... 

Homemade conditioner, deodorant ( which I LOVE) and toothpaste (that got immediate results).  

Almond Banana Pancakes

In trying to find a new breakfast for the kids, since they keep asking for pancakes, I found this recipe that is GAPS approved. Unfortunately since we aren't eating syrup, it didn't go over well. It was a little dry (for us) and adding almond butter didn't help. If I make these again, I will have to adjust the recipe a little. It wasn't horrible, but didn't leave me wanting more

For about 5 pancakes

1 ripe banana

1/4 almond flour

2 eggs

Mix all together for pancake batter. It definitely has the appearance of regular pancakes. Kids didn't know the difference until they tasted them and said they taste like the muffins I make, which they LOVE. For some reason they weren't as impressed in pancake form.

Mashed Cauliflower

My husband is an amazing cook! Unfortunately he still LOVES his seasoning and although he's tamed it down A LOT for us because I'm not able to handle spices like he does, I'm still trying to stay away from mixed seasoning and all of the preservatives. He planned on cooking some meat and asked me to make some cauliflower mashed potatoes to go along with it, so I did. All I can say is... they were GOOD! Well, at least I thought so. He said he could tell they weren't real mashed potatoes but the kids couldn't and that's what matters right?

The gravy shown is made from bone broth, fat, and arrowroot to thicken it.

For the mashed cauliflower it seemed that most of the recipes called for ingredients that weren't GAPS or candida approved (like heavy whipping cream) and I can't find the one I used as a guide, but here's the essence of what I did

1. Head of Cauliflower cut into small florets

2. 1/2 cup of coconut milk 

3. 1/4 tsp black pepper

4. 1 tsp of sea salt

5. 1 tsp of parsley

6. 2 tsp of ghee or coconut oil

7. 1 tsp of garlic (we like garlic)

~ Boil cauliflower (in bone broth or meat stock preferably)

~ drain cauliflower (keep excess broth to use again later)

~ put  tender cauliflower into blender and mix until creamy

~ add a cup of coconut milk 

~ add 1/4 cup of coconut cream (from milk)

~ add preferred seasonings and blend 

If you prefer thicker mashings, add more coconut cream from coconut milk or add more coconut milk to get creamier mashed cauliflower.

The mashed cauliflower didn't extend past this meal. It was all gone before I really got a chance to eat. Definitely a great option to replace mashed notates, much to my husband's dismay.

Did I mention how thankful I am for a husband that cooks??? 

Groceries, Lunch, and a New Snack

 I feel like I'm behind and I guess I am. I've been taking pictures, but haven't been uploading. After going to a friend's house that not only has a dog but had some good smelling plug-ins going, I can't seem to go 3 minutes without needing to blow my nose, so I figured it would be a good time to sit around with a box of tissue and catch up.
Last week I had to make a middle of the week grocery run. Aside from the toilet paper, here's what that looks like for us. Although I prefer not letting the kids eat a lot of nuts even though they're on the approved "list" I did buy a can of cashews and a can of mixed nuts. Nuts do make easy snacks if you can eat them. As you can see, lots of fruit and some veggies. The pineapple didn't make it an hour and my daughter apparently LOVES uncooked broccoli, which is a good thing considered how vita-rich it is.

 My 4 year old has been begging for popcorn shrimp again so I got back on pinterest, found the recipe and made him some popcorn shrimp. The recipe below is my adapted version. You can find the original on my pinterest recipe board.
Here's the recipe I used:

• 1 cup oats 
• 3 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 tsp parsley
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper
• 1 egg white, whisked
• 1 lb. raw medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
• cooking spray
• lemon wedges and chopped fresh parsley, for garnish

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil.

Mix 1 cup of oats in blender to create a fine dipping powder.

In a medium bowl, whisk together oaks, parmesan, seasoning, salt and pepper until combined.

Set up your dipping station with bowls of (1) shrimp (2) egg whites and (3) breading. To speed things along I put a few shrimp in the egg mixture at one time. Dip the shrimp in the egg whites until they're covered. Then transfer to the breadcrumb mixture and toss until covered. Gently place on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining shrimp, then generously coat all of the shrimp with a layer of cooking spray. (This will help the breading turn golden.)

I baked on each side for about 6-8 minutes and although it wasn't browned like what my kids are used to eating and seeing, my 4 year old loved them.

 After lunch, we needed a new snack and I read about the benefits of pomegranate and how to de-seed, so I figured why not. I enjoyed the little burst of sweetness each seed gave, but apparently I was the only one. The kids didn't care for them and they lasted a day or so in the fridge... well, until I ate them.