Allergy Free Holiday Recipes: Homemade Cranberry Sauce

November 10, 2011 in Filed Under: Allergies, Recipes 4 Comments

I’ve never been a big fan of the canned cranberry sauce. It just doesn’t look too appetizing. It doesn’t seem natural to eat something that maintains the shape of the can once you take it out. Not to mention that it’s full of corn syrup, which I can’t have. Why not make your own cranberry sauce?

Start with a package of cranberries and follow the simple directions on the package. Measure out the amount of cranberries you want to make. We made about half of the package.

Cranberries

Mix water and sugar together and heat on the stove.

Measuring sugar

Bring water to a boil and stir until all the sugar has dissolved.

Dissolve sugar

Add cranberries and stir until it is boiling once again.

Add cranberries

Remove from heat when the cranberry juice is turning the water red and the berries are bursting open.

Boil cranberries

The sauce may still seem watery, but it will thicken as it cools.

Finished sauce

Once cool, transfer to a serving dish… and you’re done. It’s that simple!

Cranberry sauce

Enjoy!

Good Morning Girls: On the Go

November 9, 2011 in Filed Under: General Leave a Comment

Good Morning Girls is a 1 John Bible study that meets online each day. We’ve now reached week eight of the twelve week study. I have to say, I will be a little sad when this study is over. I’ve really enjoyed having a detailed plan to follow and my Facebook group to check in with daily.

I’ve always struggled with remembering to set aside time everyday to read my Bible, so I’m really proud of myself for being able to keep up with this study the whole time. In fact, I’m extra excited that I didn’t even get behind while we were on vacation visiting with family!

While we were traveling I kept my Bible and my GMG folder handy so that I could do my study in our hotel room before we were on the road for the day. It really doesn’t take too much time to get it done, plus Jesse has to take time to get his treatments done before we could leave anyways.

GMG in GA

There was definitely no excuse not to do my study once we were at Grandpa and Grandma’s house. Most of our days were full of rest and relaxation. There was more than enough time to get my study done in the mornings before the day got going.

GMG in OH

The only day I missed was our morning at Niagara Falls. Our time there just flew by so quickly. I made up for that day while in the car, driving back to the grandparents’ house again. By the time we got back home I was only one day behind… I think not bad for being gone for over two weeks. I never would have thought I’d be able to keep up with it outside of my normal routine. I’ve learned that it really is worth it to take the few extra moments in the morning!

GMG in FL

This post was linked to Women in the Word Wednesdays. Check out the links from some of the other bloggers participating in the study.

Menu Plan – Week of November 7

November 6, 2011 in Filed Under: General 2 Comments

We are finally settling back into our routines after being out of town for a couple of weeks. I really didn’t follow much of a food schedule while we were gone. We tried to go with the flow as we figured out what would work for our family with so many different dietary restrictions. When we got back home it was a matter of what we could make out of what we had in our mostly empty fridge. Now we are stocked up again so I’m ready to get back to planning meals that stick to my rotation diet.

Lots of grains and snack foods somehow sneaked back into my diet while we were gone. While they are great for convenience and feeling full, they aren’t so great on energy levels. By the time I got back home I was noticing how tired I was despite getting plenty of sleep. I was also noticing how much I was craving sweets and dealing with the resulting highs and lows in my blood sugars. After just a few days of cutting them back out I’m sleeping better and my energy is back to normal.

We have a special family dinner planned for this week. My parents will be traveling over Thanksgiving this year so we are opting for an early turkey dinner. Mom is making the turkey, but I have a few gluten free side dishes that I’ve been waiting to try out. We already had one early Thanksgiving in Ohio with Jesse’s side of the family, so why not another? You can never be too thankful!

Menu

Here’s what I have planned for this week:

Monday: Bible study (We take turns bringing dinner for the group… no cooking for me!)

Tuesday: Paleo lemon pork chops

Wednesday: Beef stir fry

Thursday: Turkey dinner

Friday: Cauliflower and chickpea stew

This post was linked to Plan It – Don’t Panic and Organizing – Meal Plans. Check out what others are planning for this week and get some new recipes to try!