The Glass is Half Full

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[lizlove6455]

Just thought I should share these! Just made them and they are delicious and of course... They're also gluten free!!!

They were crazy easy to make too and ten-to-one you likely already have the ingredients in your pantry! I'll post a link to the recipe!

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/claire-robinson/flourless-peanut-butter-cookies-recipe/index.html

[lizlove6455]

Gluten Free - Day 7

I have always had a very serious love affair with Olive Garden. Most of what I eat there is packed with gluten, which includes my most favorite menu item, the Zuppe Toscano soup. I could eat bowls and bowls of this soup and never get tired of it! So I found a recipe online that I could modify to make it gluten free. I actually had already made this recipe a few times and had just never looked to see what made it gluten. Most of the ingredients like: potatoes, kale, heavy cream, and bacon are gluten free. However I learned that I would have to check the Italian sausage package as well as the chicken broth package; they don't always have gluten, but you do have to check because they can.

So today I am making this soup and doing it gluten free. All of my items are gluten free and mostly organic. Everything I have for it is organic, except for the heavy whipping cream and Italian sausage. I want to look into getting half a pig, that is raised organically and not on corn (it would probably save Mike and I some money, play I know it would be much healthier than what is in the grocery stores). I can't lie it was a pleasure knowing I could still enjoy this soup while on my 90 gluten free trial!! However it still means I can't enjoy it at the restaurant, so no Olive Garden for me for a while.

I've noticed that you really make just about anything your heart can desire gluten-free in your own home. It's  just not as easy to find options in restaurants (they do have options, just limited. Yesterday I even made mozzarella sticks and instead of using panko bread crumbs, I substituted corn meal - umm... not the best choice, I wouldn't recommend corn meal at all - yuck!! Next time I'm going to use almond meal, the corn meal had a weird texture and flavor and kind of ruined my mozzarella sticks a little.

Anyway here is a link to the Zuppe Toscano soup recipe that I used, incase you are interested and would like to try.

http://pleaseyourmaninthekitchen.blogspot.com/2013/02/tuscan-potato-sausage-and-kale-soup.html

p.s. Don't forget to check your sausage and chicken broth to make sure they are gluten-free

[lizlove6455]

Gluten Free - Days 3 & 4

So I missed yesterday. Unfortunately I worked a double at my job (I'm a waitress at a Black Angus restaurant) and I didn't have a chance to get on write. To briefly summarize; I had leftover breakfast from day two (which honestly I thought was better the second day and I'm having it again today still just as good!) and at work I checked out our gluten-free menu, which again was pretty pathetic, and satisfied myself with a top sirloin, some rice, and really delicious broccoli.

I came home mildly late last night and was craving a snack of some sort, so I made organic popcorn in organic coconut oil, and topped it off with organic butter and sea salt. I may have also put some of that pretend cheese you get in shakers from the movie on it too... I know that stuff can't be good for you, but there wasn't any gluten and considering the rest of my snack was a fairly healthy snack I don't think it was a big deal.

Today I am headed to Texas Roadhouse to meet up with my sister and grandparents. I don't expect much from their gluten free menu either, but I'm sure I will make do. I think I'm going to really miss eating their bread.. Not to mention how painful it's going to be watching everyone else eat it!!! Ugh I'm trembling at the thought already!!

However tonight I plan on making tacos for dinner. With delicious deer burger (Mike loves hunting, I love the spoils!!), organic cheese and lettuce, and not so organic taco shells - but they're gluten free. So all in all is seems like it should be another delicious and productive gluten free day.

[lizlove6455]

Day 2 - Gluten Free

So yesterday I didn't actually post how I did or what I ate. I started my morning meal with red grapes, eggs, and bacon; all of which are gluten free. With the eggs and bacon it was quite filling from the protein that's packed in them. I was going to make dinner last night, but Mike and I spent the whole day shopping, so we stopped at Applebee's for our next meal. They have a gluten free menu, but like most gluten-free menus, it was pretty pitiful. I ordered the queso blanco as an appetizer and then a piece of grilled chicken with alfredo sauce, and had the loaded mashed potatoes. It was actually very satisfying and delicious. Not to say I didn't miss the mozzarella sticks and pasta under my chicken.

Today for breakfast I found a gluten free recipe that Mike and I can both enjoy (he isn't going gluten free like I am, however he'll eat whatever I cook lol). I'll post a link to the recipe's site. I made a few changes as I thought the amounts where a little off. It is an egg, sausage, cheese and chive breakfast that you make in a muffin pan. In reality you could add onions, mushrooms, peppers, cilantro. Really the possibilities are endless.

I work in a few hours, so I don't actually have time to spend on making dinner tonight. Mike is going to finish off his gluten filled leftovers ;) and I think I'll be making myself a piece of grill chicken and chop up a few fresh veggies to snack on before and while I am working.

Have a gluten-free day everyone!!

Link for recipe used:

http://www.johnsonville.com/recipe/amazing-muffin-cups.html

I ended up using 9 eggs, instead of 6; and about another 3/4 cups of cheese mix. I made a total of 18 mini egg muffins, which will be great for the next few days as a quick and easy breakfast!

[lizlove6455]

Day one - Gluten Free

Today is the first day of the next three months that I plan on eating Gluten Free. My mom thinks I may have a gluten allergy, and when I did a little research, well, it makes sense. So for the next three months I plan on being gluten free to see if I feel any better, can lose a little weight (maybe a lot lol) and to see if my psoriasis goes away (I found that psoriasis among other  auto-immune diseases can be caused by a gluten allergy).

I read that 99% of people do not know they have a gluten allergy, and that 15% of the united states does. I think this number is rising, due to the way that we process our grains and all of the GMO's that our out there now. We just can't handle foods like we use to hundreds and thousands of years ago. So the last two days I gorged on all of the gluten filled things I am going to miss. Ordered some pizza from Pizza Hut, enjoyed a delicious lunch at Olive Garden, and had champagne, cheese, meat and crackers! Looking back I only wish I had drank a little beer too!

There are really a lot of gluten-free options these days. With websites like Pinterest to help you find recipes, and even now restaurants often have a gluten-free menu. Today I found a few recipes I think I'll try this week, so I am headed to the grocery store. Not only am I going gluten-free, I also want to look for healthier more organic choices in the other items I consume. I feel that I need to make some healthier changes in the ways that Mike and I are eating, to better our lives. Hopefully you'll enjoy this journey with me and make some changes of your own!!

[lizlove6455]

Continuing the Story

Just a few more details about me.

I was born and raised in the Pacific Northwest. Up until recently I have called North Idaho my home. In August this year I moved over to Washington to be closer to Mike's work so we can save about 600$ a month in gas. I'm only about 50 minutes away from my hometown, but feels like it's hours, and it seems like I am missing out on all that my friends are doing.

About three and a half years ago my parents, along with my two younger siblings (Caleb, now 17 and Alena, now 11) moved to Lawrence, Ks. The economy here was just so miserable, that even though my dad would find work  (he's in construction) and do jobs for people he wasn't making the kind of money he needed to take care of his family. It also didn't help that he would do a job for someone and when they'd write him a check, that check would bounce. My parents were having a rough go of it. So some friends of theirs in Lawrence told them they thought my parents could do really well over there, business wise, and this prompted my family to move. A year ago my other sister, Jessica, now 24, followed suit and moved over there to be with them after a really hard breakup. This year the whole family came to visit in July and packed up my grandmother to move with them as well. So as it stand I am nearly by myself. I have another set of grandparents, who have become estranged to the rest of my family, and an aunt, uncle, and younger cousin who still remain here.

Mike and I plan on moving to either Lawrence, KS or to Colorado Springs or Denver, CO (I am rooting for Kansas of course). This however won't happen till after we are married (which will hopefully be in June of 2015) sometime the summer of 2016. I have the strong desire to live closer to my family before I'm popping out any babies...

So here's a little more of my story before I delve into what this Blog is really going to be about.

[lizlove6455]

Let me introduce you to Feta, my long hair merle colored Chihuahua.

She is nearly 3 and a huge pain in my ass! However, I adore her. Especially her mustache!

[lizlove6455]

The Beginning

This is my first attempt at blogging. I am quite familiar with Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. I'm interested in seeing how this compares.

First let me introduce myself.

Hello! Hi! Greeting!!

I'm Elizabeth or Liz, I'll take whichever. I am currently 26, in a very serious relationship. Not yet engaged, but I know he has bought the ring (he's just waiting for the perfect and most romantic way to propose), so it's just a matter of time. I am currently in my second year of college. Yeah I know I'm a late starter. I attempted college when I was 18, which was a fail. So now I'm back at it. I am attempting to get a degree in photography, with an emphasis on editing. I really think it would be awesome to edit photo's for magazines or something. Yes I know I don't need to go to school to become a photographer or to learn how to be an expert editor, however I am totally lazy and lack the motivation to teach myself these things

Anyways that about sums up most of life this far. I am also a waitress, I've been doing this since I was 17. So nearly 10 years. Aside from that have a Chihuahua named Feta and I am sure you will see her appear in here often. She is the second love of my life. The first is Michael, the man I am positive I will be spending the rest of my life with.

Here is the start of my blog The Glass if Half Full