8 Weeks

5-12-13

8 weeks

Today we visited my family for Mother’s Day.  Katie and I planned on telling the family by blurting out the news while taking a picture of all the Cramer women together.  Before the picture, Aunt Gena announced how perfect it would be if someone would announce that they were pregnant.  Katie and I just looked at each other and said, “Yes, that would be nice, but I don’t think it’s going to happen.”  Aunt Gena then lifted the lid to a bean salad and wafted the pungent smell our way….laughing the entire time about how bad it smelled.  Katie and I both turned green and wanted to run to the nearest toilet. (Thanks Aunt Gena BEAN Head!)  We got all the Cramer women together for a picture.  Your dad, who was taking the picture, yelled  1, 2, 3, I chimed, “I’m pregnant,”  and Katie announced, “Me, too!”  Everyone was confused, Brandie thought Caroline said she was pregnant, and Lori did a dance.  It was so fun to look back at the pictures and see everyone’s face.  Two babies at the same time is going to be so much fun!!!

This week, Baby is the size of an: Raspberry

How far along? 8 weeks (I think)
Due date: December 22 (until proven otherwise)

Total weight gain/loss: 0 lbs (116)
Maternity clothes? No.
Sleep: Pretty well

Best moment this week: Telling the Cramer family that we were pregnant.

Food cravings: Oranges

Symptoms: Sore boobs, heart burn, nausea (but not enough to complain about), sooooooo tired.

Food aversions/sickness:  Eggs, coffee, and meat

Gender: Still thinking boy.

Feeling toward Pregnancy: I’m ready to start feeling better

What I miss: Motivation, caffeine, and allergy medicine

What I am looking forward to: Our ultrasound this week!

Milestones: Telling the extended family

7 Weeks

5-5-13

7 weeks

Last night I had a dream that Brandie was pregnant and Katie and Luke were trying for a baby.  Katie also started taking up smoking and I yelled at her a lot.  I texted each cousin to see if they were actually pregnant.  Brandie said no and asked me if I was.  I wanted to tell her in person, so I lied and said no I wasn’t. (I texted my response sitting behind the piano at church on the platform while the Crisis Pregnancy representative was speaking- Oh Lord Forgive Me!)  Katie texted me back asking if I could keep a secret- she had only found out a few days prior!!!!  I had to tell her my secret then.  I also had a dream several years ago that Katie and I went into labor and had our babies at the same time.  (Prophetic dreaming maybe?).  We both plan on surprising our family on the Cramer side when we get together for Mother’s Day.  Eeeeek!  Can’t wait!

This week, Baby is the size of an: We have grown to the size of a blueberry!
How far along? 7 weeks (I think)
Due date: December 22 (until proven otherwise)

Total weight gain/loss: -1 lbs (116)
Maternity clothes? None

Sleep: It’s ok.  Hard to get comfortable.

Best moment this week: Finding out that Katie is pregnant also!

Food cravings: Coffee, tortilla chips, salty foods

Symptoms: Cramping, sore boobs, a need for a nap everyday at 3pm, dizziness, heart burn, and queasiness.

Food aversions/sickness:  Eggs

Gender: Chinese calendar says boy.

Feeling toward Pregnancy: I’m ready to get this secret out!

What I miss: Coffee, lunch meat, and energy

What I am looking forward to: Our ultrasound and telling our family.
Milestones: Keeping the secret for another week.

6 Weeks- Telling the Parents

4-30-13

6 weeks 2 days

Week 6 has proved to be almost as exciting as week 5.  We told our parents and siblings this weekend.  What a relief!  I’m so glad I can talk about it now to at least a few people!  First I told Uncle Cody.  He’s in South Dakota right now and was so happy to hear the news.  I swore him to secrecy, but I think he told a co-worker.  Sunday, my mom and dad came for a visit.  They had no clue!  I made an apron for mom with “Grandma “ written on it and planned on giving it to her while we made lunch.  They brought mushrooms from the woods to fry up for lunch.  When Mom started frying I asked her if she would like an apron, but she declined.  I then offered it again, but again she declined.  Finally I said, “Well, I made it for you….so take it!”  She asked if it was for real, screamed, started crying, gave me a hug, and then apologized for frying mushrooms.  She was afraid they would bother my stomach since she refused to fry them for dad when she was pregnant.  I looked over at Dad, and he just sat there, his face red, and tears in his eyes.  The first thing he said was, “Well Andrew, you better start selling some houses.”  They were both so happy and excited for finally have a grandchild.

That night we went over to Phil and Renee’s to tell your dad’s side of the family.  I had sent a text to everyone on Saturday about getting together for a game night.  Since I’m not one to play games, pretty much everyone read through it and thought I was going to make an announcement.  Aunt Jenna asked me at church Saturday morning if I was pregnant, and I told her no.  She texted the rest of the family with the disappointing news, stating I would never lie to her.  She asked me again at church Sunday night if I was pregnant, and if so she was going to get a balloon.  I told her no…sorry to disappoint.  We headed to Phil and Renee’s after church.  Uncle Matt made some burgers.  Uncle Jared asked me if I was pregnant, and I told him no.  (I was really just looking for an opportunity to give Renee her “Grandma” apron.)  Before I could give the apron, your Dad stood up and said he had an announcement.  (Everyone later said they thought he was going to announce that he had cancer.).  His exact words were, “As many of you probably know, we didn’t have everyone get together for game night.  Kaycee and I have something to tell you…..I impregnated Kaycee.”  What a way to tell the news!  But whatever.  Everyone was happy and said they knew all along. I think your Aunt Jenna might have been a little mad that I lied to her, but we made up after I told her I would never lie to her again.  Shortly after, Grammy Renee went to her room and came back with at least 15 baby outfits, half of them Christmas theme.  She has at least 50 outfits for future use.  Everyone is so excited and the aunts are already planning a gender reveal party.  You are going to be so spoiled!

Today I went to see the doctor to make everything “official.”  He said I was definitely pregnant and wanted to have an ultrasound done in 2 weeks to see exactly how far along I am.  I don’t know if I can wait 2 weeks!  He gave me a goody bag full of vitamins, magazines, and a laxative (oh joy!).   Let the 2 week countdown begin!

This week, Baby is the size of an: Chocolate sprinkle
How far along? 6 weeks (I think)
Due date: December 22 (until proven otherwise)

Total weight gain/loss: 0
Maternity clothes? Oh heavens no.
Sleep: Like a log, woke up once to pee at 4:00 am

Best moment this week: Telling all the family that I’m pregnant, and hearing the doctor say, “You’re definitely pregnant!”

Food cravings: Coffee, tortilla chips, and zucchini

Symptoms: Cramping, sore boobs, a need for a nap everyday at 3pm, dizziness, heart burn, and queasiness.

Food aversions/sickness:  I never want to eat eggs or chicken salad ever again.  I also had a patient with CDIFF and Oh LORD!

Gender: The only girl I told at work claims to have a sixth sense when guessing gender.  She says boy.

Feeling toward Pregnancy: I want to tell everyone our good news!

What I miss: Coffee, lunch meat, and energy

What I am looking forward to: Our ultrasound in 2 weeks

Milestones: Having the doctor confirm I’m pregnant and telling the family.

Stories:  I had 3 people at work ask me if I was pregnant.  One asks me every week, one asked me out of the blue, and the other claimed I was because my boobs looked bigger…..if they only knew.

After the Color Run

Mom proudly showing off her "Grandma" apron.

5 Weeks

4/21/13

Today is Sunday, and it was my turn to work (boo!).  I was crabby again, but I didn’t tell any of my patients how they were going to die if they continued their unhealthy lifestyle- so I consider that a win!  I decided instead of writing novels each day, I would write a questionnaire.

This week, Baby is the size of a: sesame seed
How far along? 5 weeks (I think)
Due date: December 22 (I think)

Total weight gain/loss: 0
Maternity clothes? Oh heavens no.
Sleep: Like a log

Best moment this week: Hearing your dad repeat over and over, “We’re going to have a baby.  We’re going to have a baby….” And asking where you would be living once you were born

Food cravings: Coffee.  I miss it.  And things with Gluten.

Symptoms: Lots of cramping and being tired.  I’m not sure if the tiredness if from waking up at 5:00 am and working a twelve, or being pregnant.
Gender: We’ve both decided if we had a choice, we would like a boy.  A part of me would like a girl- just so I can check it off my list.

Feeling toward Pregnancy: I can’t believe we got pregnant in one month.  Call me Fertile Myrtle.

What I miss: Coffee

What I am looking forward to: Telling our family we’re pregnant.
Milestones: A positive pregnancy test!

The Proof is in the Pudding

4/20/13

Your dad had band practice with Matt Stephens this morning.  While he was gone, I headed to the gym and had an extra long workout.  (I think I was working off some shock of finding out the news, or maybe I was trying to will my body into forming a six pack before it turned into a watermelon).   On the way home, I made a detour and went into Walgreens.  It’s so awkward going into Walgreens and just buying a pregnancy test- especially if you had just done it a week before.  I got the digital test so that I could prove to him that you were real.  I won’t say how much the test was ($18!).  When I got home, your dad was home.  I snuck the test into the bathroom, and what do you know- it read “positive.”  I went into the living room where your dad was on the couch, shoved the test in his face much like I did with the first one, and said, “So, is this proof enough?”  I wish I had a camera to record his face.  Shock, happiness, shock, shock, shock….He kept saying, ”We’re having a baby.  We’re having a baby.  We’re having a baby.”  I think he was trying to convince himself.  He stood up and hugged and kissed me and said he was so happy. 

We talked today a little about when we’re going to tell everyone.  We’ve decided to tell our parents and siblings next weekend.  My parents will be coming for a visit and feel it would be a good time.  My mom is going to be shocked.  She brought up having babies today when I talked to her on the phone.  It was so hard not to tell her about you!

The Five Year Plan.....Or Four???

4/19/13

Surprise!  That was an understatement for your dad when I woke him up at 4:50 am to see if he saw what I did on the pregnancy test strip.  I had a feeling I was pregnant two weeks prior, even buying maternity pants at Old Navy (they were $4).  I told your dad I thought I was pregnant, but he said I was crazy.  He had heard the “I Feel Pregnant” story before.  I don’t blame him, but this time was different.  I had all the “signs.”  The time finally came to take a test….and all four tests were negative.  Yes I was crazy, and I spent way too much money on pregnancy tests, but I HAD to find out.  After all four tests (taken over four days) came back negative, I resolved to face the fact that I was not pregnant.  Your dad and I weren’t really trying, but we weren’t not trying either.  I had been off the pill for a month.  We were thinking we would get pregnant in about 6 months, making it September, and have you by June when we would celebrate our 5^th anniversary.  Your dad is a planner.  We were on the “five year plan.”  Well, now we’re following the 4 ½ year plan- and that is ok. 

So this morning before work, following the advice of my co-workers, I took another test.  It’s been about four days since the last one.  I expected a negative.  After two minutes, I looked over at the test strip, and there were two lines!  (One line is negative, two is positive)  It was so faint (and it was 4:50 am), that I kept looking back and forth at it, squinting my eyes hard to help focus, and didn’t believe that I was seeing both lines.  I ran into the bedroom, turned on the light, and shoved the stick in front of your dad’s face and excitedly (and maybe a little to loud for 4:50 am) said, “Do you see what I see?  Do you see two lines?”  I guess you could say your dad was a little confused as to what I was doing.  I handed him the test (the pee end.  Oops!), continuing my excited talking while he did the “squint eye-it’s so early-my wife is crazy” look.  He said he maybe saw two lines, and asked me if it was a test from Aldi.  He has this thing with Aldi and their non food items.  Of course it wasn’t from Aldi, but instead of screaming that at him I said I would take another one later and sorry for waking him up. 

I took another test at work (a patient one we are!).  It read two lines.  You would think I would be happy, but instead I was the crabbiest person ever at work.  I got into an argument with a doctor’s nurse over suppositories and told a patient he needed to stop drinking and taking narcotics because he was killing his liver.  I might have also mentioned that I have seen other patients his age with live disease and he was going to die a horrible death if his current lifestyle continued.  After the patient was discharged, I marched into the conference room and declared to all the other nurses how mean that patient was and then I started crying.  That sealed the deal for me.  I had to be pregnant.

Tonight we went out to eat with our fellow band mates.  I met everyone after work.  The wives asked if we had any news to tell.  I was screaming the news in my head, but decided to leave it in there since technically your dad didn’t know about the second test.  Your dad and I talked on the phone on the way home (we were in separate cars).  I told him about the second test, and he became silent.  Like, very silent.  He didn’t believe in the test and needed more proof.  It’s not that he didn’t want us to be pregnant- he just wasn’t expecting it to come this soon.  He wondered where we went from here, he didn’t believe the tests were completely accurate, and at one point I think he asked me where you would live.

I love your father and how he reacts to things unplanned.  Tomorrow I’m going to get a digital test that reads loud and clear that I’m pregnant so that your dad has “proof” that I’m pregnant.

"Date Night In" Gift Basket

We have two weddings in two weeks! I love weddings! I also love coming up with creative gift ideas. This time around I'm making "date night in" gift baskets. The baskets cost around $25 each to make. They include:
Wine
Pasta Sauce
Bread Mix
Pasta
Movie
Colander

It's so important to continue to date after you're married. Congratulations to the happy couples!

Babies, Babies, and More Babies!!!!

In the past month, there have been three TGR  babies born!  We are on baby overload!  Our drummer and his wife welcomed twins, Baby E and Baby J, while our lead guitar player and his wife welcomed Baby T.  Sorry, not too many baby details as we like to keep their privacy, but let me just say, they are cute and cuddly and awesome.  Instead of pictures of the babies, I'll leave you with pictures of their new rockin' onesies I made.  Yay for TGR's new #1 fans!

New Recipes!!!

Since the boys are taking a much needed break from the road, I am now able to cook and bake to my heart's content.  Before, while Andrew was on the road, I would make cookies, but then I'd be "stuck" eating them all.  Not great for the scale!  Now he's home and can help me eat all of my treats.  Here are a few my new favorite (and Andrew approved) gluten free recipes:



Mini Chicken Meatloaf (Gluten Free)
I have found a new love of ground chicken.  Very healthy and very tasty!  It can be a little pricey.  I usually buy in bulk when it's on sale.  You can also substitute ground turkey for this recipe.

 1 lb ground chicken
1/2 c. fine GF breadcrumbs (I toasted 3 slices GF bread and ground in my mini-food processor)
1 large egg white
1 medium carrot
1 small onion
1/4 c. ketchup
1/2 tsp minced garlic
1 tbsp worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp bay seasoning
1 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Combine chicken, egg, and bread crumbs in a large bowl, set aside.
3. Cut carrots and onion into chunks and chop in food processor
4. Add vegetables and remaining ingredients to chicken.  Mix well with hands.
5.  Form meat into 6 small loaves and place on a sprayed baking pan.
6. Combine 1/3 c. ketchup, 1 tbsp worcestershire sauce,  1/2 tsp Hot Shot seasoning.  Spread on top of
    loaves.
7. Bake for 30 minutes, then under broiler for 5 minutes, or until meat is cooked thoroughly.



Cheesy Ranch Potatoes (Gluten Free)
I made this super easy recipe for a recent wiener roast and it was a hit!  Everyone loved it!  Even though it's not all that healthy, it's lower in fat compared to many cheesy potato recipes.

1 pkg (28-30 oz) shredded potatoes
2 containers low-fat sour cream
2 cups 2% cheddar cheese
1 pkg ranch seasoning (check ingredients for wheat fillers)
5 strips of bacon, crumbled
Pepper to taste

1. Combine sour cream, cheese, ranch, and pepper into a large bowl.
2. Stir in potatoes.
3. Spread mixture into a 9x13 sprayed pan.
4. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.



Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread
Fall is here, which  means pumpkin baking has arrived as well!  This recipe is almost to die for and doesn't have any of the grittiness some gluten free baking has.  I ate the entire loaf (minus one piece) in 2 days.  Yes, 2 days!  Let's just say I won't making this one too often unless I have plenty of people to share it with.  Recipe modified from Domestic Dilettante's Sour Cream Pumpkin Bread. 

1/2 c. butter, slightly softened to smear texture
1 c. splenda
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 c. gluten free flour blend (I used Bob's Red Mill)
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 c. (1/2 can) pumpkin puree
1/2 c. sour cream or Greek yogurt (I had sour cream on hand)
1 1/2 c. chocolate chips

1. Combine wet ingredients.
2. Combine dry ingredients and add to wet.  Mix thoroughly.  Add chocolate chips.
3.  Spread into prepared loaf pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes, or until knife comes out clean.

Other Variations:
1. Add 1/2 c. preferred nuts in place of or in addition to chocolate chips.
2. Streusel Topping: 1/2 c. brown sugar, 1/2 c chopped nuts, 3/4 tsp cinnamon, 2 tbs butter, crumbled together and sprinkled over the top of the batter before baking.
3. Cream Cheese Glaze- 1/2 c. powdered sugar, 1/2 c. cream cheese softened, 1/2 tsp vanilla, 3 tbs fresh orange juice.  Beat together until smooth.  Drizzle over loaf after removing it from pan.

Aunt Lori's Chocolate Chip Cookies- The GF Version

Andrew is on the road for another week, so what is a girl supposed to do with her time?  Make a GF version of her favorite chocolate chip cookie and eat the whole batch since no one else is home, of course!  I love my Aunt Lori's chocolate chip cookies made with pudding.  They are cakey, moist, and great for dunking into milk.....all components a GF cookie usually lacks.  I thought I would try my hand at making a GF version.  Let me tell you.......I don't know if it's because I haven't had a real chocolate chip cookie in 5 months or what, but I better take a second Prilosec for the heartburn.  These treasures are pretty close to the real deal.  (Insert yum yum moaning here)

Aunt Lori's Chocolate Chip Cookies 

(GF Version)

2 1/4 c. Gluten Free Flour Mix

3/4 tsp. Xanthan Gum

1 tsp.    Baking Soda

1 c.       Butter (Softened)

1/2 c.    White Sugar

1/2 c.    Brown Sugar

1 tsp.    Vanilla

2           Eggs

1 small box Sugar Free Vanilla Pudding Mix

2 c.      Chocolate Chips

Combine dry ingredients into small bowl.  Set aside.  Beat butter and sugars.  Add vanilla and pudding.  Beat until smooth.  Add eggs until well combined.  Gradually add flour mixture.  Stir in chocolate chip cookies.  Bake at 325 for 8-10 minutes until slightly golden brown.  Devour with milk.

Co-Op Recipes

According to my father, the 11th commandment in the Bible is, "Thou shall not waste food."  His teaching resonated in my mind as I picked up my co-op bag full of fruits and veges and wondered, "What in the world am I going to do with all this food?!?!"  To top things off, Andrew is out of town this week which means I am left to eat it all by myself.  I quickly thought of recipes I could make that included vegetables. The first one that came to mind was my Garden Salsa recipe that my mom makes every summer.  This would get rid of some of the corn, peppers, limes, cilantro, and tomatoes.  There were two vegetables I hadn't ever cooked with- avocados and artichokes.  I don't like avocados, plain and simple.  The only way I've had avocados was in guacamole and sliced.  Eh.  After searching, I found a recipe for avocado pound cake.  Yummy!  Here are the three recipes to use with your co-op produce.  I'm still searching for an artichoke recipe. Maybe I'll donate those to someone at work.  If they throw them out, at least I can tell my dad it wasn't me.

Garden Salsa

This salsa is soooo yummy and nutritious.  

It's also good on fish and as a topping to tacos.

3-4 Tomatoes, diced             

1 Onion, diced             

1 Pepper, diced

1 Ear of Corn, cooked and cut off cob

1 Can Black Beans, rinsed

Pepperocini Peppers, chopped (amount to taste) 

Pepperochini Juice (amount to taste)

2 Tbs. EVOO

Juice of 3 limes

Chopped Cilantro

1 tbs Sugar or Splenda (or to taste)

S&P to taste

Chop all ingredients into medium bowl and stir.  Salsa will seem dry at first, but will "juice up" as time goes on.

Avocado Pound Cake

Modified from Joy the Baker

Makes 2 9x4x3-inch loaves

This cake is super moist and yummy.  It tastes almost like a super sweet cornbread, 

and would be tasty with some chopped strawberries and whipped cream.  

It does turn out a little green, but the taste of avocado is completely hidden.

Tips:

1. For a Gluten Free cake, substitute teh all-purpose flour with gluten free all-purpose flour.  Place batter in cake pans rather than loaf pans, as the cake tends to fall.

2. For avocados that are not ripe yet, place in microwave on 50% power for 30-45 seconds.  Remove flesh and place in food processor to mash.

3 c. All-purpose Flour

1/2 c. Yellow Cornmeal

1/2 tsp. Salt

1 tsp Baking Powder

3/4 c. Unsalted Butter, Softened

2 c. Sugar

1 c. Splenda

4 Large Eggs (room temperature)

2 tsp Vanilla Extract

3/4 c. Buttermilk

3 Small Avocados- just over a cup to a cup and a half of avocado, mashed

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease and flour two loaf pans and set aside.

In a medium sized bowl, sift together flour, cornmeal, salt, baking powder and baking soda.  Set aside.  Set the four eggs out on the counter to come to room temperature while you beat the butter and sugar.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat butter on medium speed until softened and pliable.  Add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes.  Add the avocado and beat another minute to incorporate.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl to ensure that everything is thoroughly mixed.

Add the eggs one at a time, beating 1 minute after the addition of each egg.  Beat in vanilla extract.

Reduce the mixer speed to low and add half of the flour mixture, all of the buttermilk, and then the rest of the flour mixture.  Beat just until combined.

Divide the dough between the two loaf pans and place in the oven.  Turn the oven down to 325 degrees F.   Bake for 40-45 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the center of the cakes comes out clean.  I checked my cakes every ten minutes or so after the 30 minute mark.   Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then invert onto a cooling rack to cool completely.

Fruit and Chicken Romaine Salad

There's no real recipe for this one, but I thought I'd used some of my lettuce, strawberries, apples, grapes, and carrots for my salad tomorrow at lunch.  I topped it off with some slivered almonds and will add chicken to it tomorrow.  Yum Yum!

South Dakota: Traveling with Celiac Disease

In SD with the boys.  After 5 years of being their roadie, 

they finally let me on stage!

Four days before leaving for South Dakota with the boys, I found out that I had Celiac Disease.  What is a gal supposed to eat if your only options are gas station and fast food?  Here are a few tips that helped me while road tripping with 4 guys to South Dakota:

1.  Do your homework. When first starting your gluten free diet, research restaurants you frequently go to and find out what gluten free items they  have to offer.  I also downloaded The Gluten Free Guide To Fast Food onto my e-reader, which provided me a list of foods I could eat at some popular fast food restaurants. This e-book was a great help for those quick eating stops. There are also many apps to download.  Find Me Gluten Free is one of my favorites.

2.  Think ahead.  Plan ahead.  I knew there would be times where I wouldn't be able to eat what the boys were eating.  Many exits only have a few restaurants to choose from.  Stops such as Subway, McDonalds, and Quiznos don't offer a wide variety of gluten free foods to choose from, and I couldn't expect them to stop at Wendy's every time so that I could get a baked potato.  To help prevent the "I can't eat anything, but I'm so hungry, I hate being gluten free, I'm crying, and now I've made a scene" meltdown, I packed a cooler with lean lunch meat, string cheese, strawberries, and GF bread to make sandwiches and a quick picnic type meal.  I also brought heat and eat rice cups, applesauce, GF protein bars, apples, peanut butter, and GF cereal.  All foods that are easy to pack and easy to prepare in the back of a 13 passenger van.

3. Don't be shy- Request GF meals from the caterer.  The boys were playing for a weekend youth retreat at a hotel/conference center.  The conference center was providing three out of the five meals.  The two meals not provided were pizza and KFC.  (That's where my picnic lunches came in.)  Soon after we arrived at the hotel, I called the front desk and was able to speak with the chef who then told me the items on the breakfast menu that were gluten free and also offered to prepare me a meal that was GF.  They were so much more helpful than I thought they would be.  I felt silly asking him if he could read the ingredients listed on the sausage box, but he was very patient and understood my needs.

4.  Use this opportunity to educate others.  When being diagnosed, I didn't want to be labeled "one of those people."  You know, the one who makes a scene at restaurants because they have to tell the waitress EXACTLY how to prepare their food.  Or the ones who freak out if a crouton even slightly touches their salad.  Well, I have come to the conclusion that I will be "one of those people", but this is also a great opportunity to educate others that Celiac Disease isn't an allergy, eating gluten free isn't just a trendy diet I'm trying out, but that it is a real autoimmune disease that can potentially lead to life threatening diseases if not treated.

I hope these tips help you as they helped me on my travels with the boys.

No More Mama's Noodles?????

For years I've had tummy trouble.  Ulcers starting in 8th grade, caused by cheerleading try-outs, piano recitals, pharmacology, and nursing boards.  Then since high school, I have always felt bloated, had stomach cramps, heartburn, and would get sick in the middle of the night for no reason.  It finally came to the point where I would tell Andrew my stomach hurt, in which he would respond, "What's new?"  (Thanks, for the sympathy pal!)   He really did feel bad for me and encouraged me to see the doctor.  If you know a nurse, who have come to realize that we are the worst patients.  So I waited a few more years.

After I had diagnosed myself with gallbladder trouble, IBS, chronic appendicitis, and many other diseases, I went to a wonderful gastrointerologist.  After telling him my GI history, he asked me if I had ever been tested for Celiac Disease.  I had been to a GI doctor when I was in high school and remembered him doing some nuclear test that looked for an egg shaped something, I had had 2 upper GI tests, but I didn't think I had been tested for celiac.  He ordered some blood tests and told me he'd call with results in a week.  After a week of waiting and looking up what Celiac Disease was (an auto-immune disorder where the body attacks the small intestine if gluten (a protein found in wheat, barley, and rye) is ingested, resulting in malnourishment, GI discomfort, and can ultimately lead to cancer), I received the call at work that I had tested positive.  Normal is below 20, moderate chance is 21-30, almost positively for sure you have it is >30.  Mine was 72.  The nurse told me to go ahead with my normal diet and scheduled an EGD for the next week..   My first thought: "But what about Mama's noodles and rolls?  And Monical's pizza?"  I immediately texted my praying friends and family with a text that read, "Please say a prayer.  I tested positive for Celiac Disease.  Please pray that it is a false positive so that I can still eat my mama's noodles.  Thanks."  Maybe a little bit of a selfish prayer, but you haven't had my mama's noodles!   My second thought: "I'm going to eat anything and everything that has wheat until my EGD when they give me the for sure positive."  I gained 3 or 4 pounds in those two weeks of waiting.  I ate cookies, pizza, pasta, breadsticks, cake, etc.  I also had some belly aches those two weeks.  My third thought: "I can't cry.  I'm at work.  I have 6 patients to take care of and some blood to hang."  That week, I had also taken care of a 19 year old with newly diagnosed crohn's disease and was going for his first colectomy, a 24 year old with a small bowel obstruction and colectomy, and a 50 year old man with a colostomy related to an intestinal disorder.  Celiac disease would not be the end of the world.

The day finally came when the office called said it was a for sure.  Start a gluten free diet today.  (I was actually on my way to get chicken noodle soup and a bread stick.  I ended up getting a chicken salad)  And this is where my story begins.....The Life of a Band Wife....Who Happens to Have Celiac Disease.

To Do Board

My secret sister at church is beautiful, kind, caring, is in college, and lives in an apartment that is very brightly decorated. I wanted to make her something for the start of the school year that would go with her decor, but also be useful. I've been seeing diy dry erase boards on Pinterest and wanted to try my hand at it. This is what came out of it:

Supplies needed:

$3 ugly picture frame from Goodwill

$1 can of white spray paint

2 sheets of scrapbook paper from your pile of scrapbook paper that's not ever going to be used

Hot glue gun

Ribbon from your bridal shower that was 2 years ago

Brown paper bag

1. Start with your $3 ugly picture from Goodwill. Remove backing, picture and glass from frame. Lay frame on top of the brown paper bag and spray paint. It might need to do this a couple of times.

Picture before.

2. While paint is drying, make your "picture." My goodwill picture was glued to two borders and backing. I flipped the picture over to the backing side and pasted my paper on the smooth surface. My backing and frame were larger than my paper, so I added another sheet of paper to make the border. I first measured my center paper and determined how wide my border needed to be. I then stick glued strips for the border and then added the full sheet.

Like this!

3. Put your frame and picture back together. I wanted to add a little more pizzazz, so I added ribbon I had stuck in my closet since my bridal shower 2 years ago. Hot glue the ribbon to the back of the frame. Cover the back of the frame with packing paper for a cleaned, finished look.

4. Ta-Da! It's done. That's it! It really only took me 10 minutes to make (not counting drying time) and cost me $4. I hope she likes it!

P.S.

My secret sister totally knows who I am. It's ok if she sees this :)

Freezer Meals- Chicken Style!

I must confess. I'm tired of last minute, throw together meals. I only work three days a week, but on those three days, I leave at 5:30 am and get home at 8:

30 pm. This usually means Andrew and I fend for ourselves, or something quick is made- usually spaghetti (Not knocking your spaghetti Andrew. I appreciat

e you making supper and you do a great job at it.) I just need a little variety. I decided to try my hand at freezer meals.

Disclaimer: I have never tried freezing and then baking these recipes. Hopefully they work. Also, I played a lot of these by ear- sometimes making for great results and sometimes not so awesome.

I started by using 14 lbs of boneless skinless chicken breasts. I got an awesome sale on them $1.88/lb. I usually pay over $2/lb- and that's for frozen.

Before I started any of the recipes, I grilled 12 of the 14 lbs of chicken with a little steak seasoning (I left 2 or3 lbs for the Italian Chicken). This is a healthier approach and I'm not dirtying extra pans. I can also cook a lot of chicken at once, saving time. I then shredded all of the chicken with 2 forks. Make sure to shred the chicken while it's still warm. It will make the job much easier!

My first recipe was the easiest and most simple:

Italian Chicken

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 packet Italian dressing mix

1- 16 oz jar banana peppers

1. Combine all ingredients into your crock pot. Cook on high for 4 hours, or low for 6-8.

2. After chicken is cooked, shred and place in freezer zip-lock bags. You can also increase this recipe to make more. I used 6 chicken breasts, 1 jar of peppers, and 1 1/2 packets of seasoning, making 2- 1 liter bags of chicken.

For serving: Thaw chicken in refrigerator or microwave. Heat through and serve on toast or buns. The chicken can also be used in soups, on salads, in tortillas....the options are endless.

Baked Spaghetti with Chicken

3 lbs spaghetti

shredded chicken

4 jars spaghetti sauce

1 package mozzarella cheese

1. Boil pasta and drain. Drizzle olive oil or butter to prevent sticking.

2. Place spaghetti in aluminum pans. This recipe made 2 large pans and one smaller pan. Pour 1 1/2 jars of sauce for each large pan and 1 jar for the smaller pan. The spaghetti may require more or less sauce- just eyeball it, but make sure you use plenty of sauce. The spaghetti tends to soak it up. Add chicken (eyeball this too) and combine. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Cover with plastic wrap (to help prevent freezer burning) and then foil.

3. To serve: Defrost overnight for an evening meal the next day. Bake with foil on (don't forget to remove the plastic wrap first). When spaghetti is almost heated through, remove foil and bake until cheese is melted. Serve with bread and salad.

Chicken Fajita Enchiladas

I made these for my brother and sister-in-law one day after church. That time I used leftover grilled pork tenderloin. They loved them, I loved them, and Andrew really loved them. I hope they freeze just as well!

3 green pepper

2 onions

1 tbs oil

Shredded chicken

1 packet taco seasoning

20- 10 inch tortillas

1 packet shredded mexican style cheese

1 jar salsa

1. In a large pan, heat oil until very hot. Add peppers, onion, and chicken. Cook until peppers still have a little crispness to them. Add seasoning packet and a small amount of water. Stir until chicken and vegetables are coated.

2. Fill each tortilla with mixture, add cheese, and roll. Place tortillas seam side down. Each large pan should fit 10 tortillas. Spray tortillas with cooking spray for extra crispness when baked.

3. To prevent sogginess, place salsa and cheese in 2 separate freezer bags for each pan. Plastic wrap and foil.

To serve: Thaw overnight. Serve with Chipotle Style Rice, baked tortilla chips, salsa, and fat-free refried beans.

BBQ Chicken

Please note on this recipe: I have no idea how it tastes. I'm a little skeptical. You could also just combine chicken and a bottle of bbq sauce and it would be just as good. But...if you want to try to be super home-makerish, use this recipe and cross your fingers.

1 1/2 c ketchup

3/4 c spicy brown mustard

1 onion

1/4 c lemon

2 tbs apple cider vinegar

1 tbs Worcestershire sauce

1 tbs brown sugar

1/2 c water

2 tbsp grill seasoning

Shredded chicken

1. Combine all.

2. Place chicken into 1 gallon freezer bags (makes 2 bags). For low mess, place bag into a blender. Fold bag over the sides and fill. Genius!

In the end, I made 2 bags Italian Chicken, 3 pans Bakes Spaghetti, 2 pans Chicken Fajita Enchiladas, and 2 bags BBQ Chicken. It took only 3 hours and not very many pans. And I'm very tired of chicken :). Maybe we'll save these meals for next week!

Turtle Cheesecake

Out of all the sweets I've baked, I've never made a true cheesecake. Why? I have no idea! I insisted we get spring-form pans on our registry two years ago so I could make cheesecake, but they've been piled and shoved and rattled in my cabinet waiting to be used. On our date Friday, I asked Andrew what his favorite dessert was besides ice cream and cake. He answer was cheesecake. Who knew? So being the good wife I am (ok, maybe I secretly really like cheesecake too) I decided to bake Andrew a cheesecake. A turtle cheesecake to be exact. I found a recipe on Kraftrecipes.com and went with it (and changed a few things also). It's Kraft, it has to be easy! And it was.

Ultimate Turtle Cheesecake

24 Oreo Cookies, finely crushed (about 2 cups)...which means you can eat some and still have plenty left)

6 Tbsp. butter or margarine, melted

1 pkg. (14 oz.) Kraft Caramels

1/2 cup milk

1 cup chopped Pecans (I only had walnuts, so I used those)

3 pkg. (8 oz each) Cream Cheese, softened

3/4 cup sugar

1Tbsp Vanilla

3 eggs

1/2 cup chocolate chips + 2 Tbsp milk

1. Place your 24 Oreos into a gallon sized Zip-lock bag. Using a rolling pin, crush the cookies until they're small crumbs.

2. Melt your butter and add it to the cookies. Seal bag and shake (smoosh) around until combined.

3. Press your cookie mixture onto the bottom and 2 inches up the side of your 9-inch springform pan. (BTW: I had three sizes of pans, but didn't know which one was 9 inches, and I couldn't find a ruler or tape measure. If you are ever in a bind like I was, there is a website called iruler.net that has an actual ruler to measure. What did we ever do before we had the internet?)

4. After you've made your crust, melt your bag of caramels with the milk for 3 minutes, stirring after each minute, until melted and smooth. Pour 1/2 of the mixture over the crust. Sprinkle 1/2 of the nuts on top. Refrigerate for 10 minutes.

5. While the crust is cooling, combine 3- 8 oz. packages of cream cheese (I used reduced fat), vanilla, and sugar (I might try Splenda next time) until smooth.

6. Add room temperature eggs, one at a time, mixing on low speed after each just until blended. pour over caramel layer in crust.

7. Bake at 325 for 1 hour 10 minutes or until center is almost set. Tip: Place a pan of water in the oven, along with the cheesecake, to prevent cracking.

8. When done, remove from oven and run a knife around the rim. Refrigerate until cool (about 4 hours if you can stand it) before removing the ring.

9. Melt remaining caramel and pour over cheesecake. Combine the milk and chocolate chips in the microwave, stirring every 30 seconds, until melted. Drizzle over cheesecake. Sprinkle remaining nuts.

10. Eat and enjoy!!!!

It was way easier than I ever expected and didn't really take that much time to make. I'll definitely make this again soon!

Belize- Day Six

Today has been a day of rest and relaxation. We are staying at a beautiful resort on the beach and today we were able to enjoy it. After taking a morning nap on the beach, we headed for the town of Placencia where we bought souvenirs and ate yummy ice cream. We didn't want to stay too long, so we decided to take a taxi back to the hotel instead of taking the group bus back. Let me tell you, the taxis in Belize are not the same as the ones in the US. They are primarily identified by having a green license plate. We weren't having any luck finding one, so we decided to go searching. We found one parked at a barber shop. The driver was getting his hair cut, but had his friend drive us. The van we rode in was fresh out of 1993, no air, and the driver had to open the door from the outside to let us out because the handle on the inside was nonexistent. It was all a little shady, but the driver was nice and we made it back safely. After our shopping spree, we hung out by the pool and got burnt. I was hoping for a Belizean goddess tan, but instead I got a burn. I'm still hoping it turns into a beautiful dark tan though!

Right before supper, four of our team members decided they wanted to be baptized in the ocean. It was amazing and brought tears to my eyes. It was just one more way God was glorified this week.

Today has also been a day of reflection on the entire week. There have been so many highs and lows running through, that we are spent physically, mentally, and emotionally. The things we saw and experienced will stay with us and impact the rest of our lives. I'll never forget the children, their smiles, their laughter, and their hugs. I'll never forget the mothers who so desperately wanted vitamins for their children. I'll never forget the people who I worked with who cared for over 500 people, trying to make a difference. Dr. Paul suggested we write down three things that impacted us the most on this trip. I have so many more than three, but I've narrowed them down to three:

1. My God qualifies the unqualified. I felt like I was going into this mission trip blindly. I had no idea what I was getting into, I just knew I had to go. I had doubts and fears, but God showed me that there was no question I was to be here this week. God's timing is perfect and should never be questioned. God also has unbelievable patience as I question so much, yet he always carries through.

2. I am blessed and selfish. I have so much while other have so little. I buy another pair of shoes when the $12 could be spent on sponsoring a child. I take my blessings for granted. I take healthcare, my family, my country, and my God for granted. God has showered me with more blessings than I ever deserve. My goal after leaving is to use the blessings God has given me and spread them to others, whether in Belize or in my own country.

3. I am blessed to have been raised in a country, home, and church where my needs were always provided for, where I have healthcare when I need it, where my closets are full, and where I never wondered where or when my next meal would be.