Month: November 2017

Life is about to get crazy around here!  I am sure you can relate!

The next few weeks are full of a bunch of traveling for Steve, baseball and swim practices and meets, work, parties, and get togethers!  This on top of all the everyday stuff like homework, cleaning and taxi service has me feeling both overwhelmed and determined to make it out alive!  😉

Meal planning is a must!
A little meal prepping will help, too!

This week I am trying a few new recipes that if they pass the Gonzales boy’s taste testing will find their way to the blog in the next week or 2!

I have been craving the Vegetable Ramen and I always love the simple pleasure of avocado egg salad (literally just mash up 2 hard boiled eggs and 1/2 a small avocado with some salt and pepper!)

A few things I will have made and ready by the end of the day:

• I have a full weeks worth of French Toast and Protein Pancakes made for the boys for easy, quick breakfasts in the mornings!
• I will throw some eggs in the Instant Pot for Wednesday and Thursdays lunches
• I will have all fruit and veggies cleaned and cut so lunches and snacks are easy to make
• Tuesday’s dinner will have enough left over for Jacob for lunch the rest of the week
• I will make up my yogurt parfaits for easy breakfasts on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.

It’s a little more work up front, but I am always glad when I take the time on Sunday to plan and prep!

Here’s to a great week ahead!

I love eggs, I really do, but some mornings I need a break from a veggie omelette.

This recipe was exactly what I was looking for!  It is a delicious mix of healthy fats, carbs and protein and it tastes like pumpkin pie in a cup!!!!

Breakfast Pumpkin Pudding:

• 2 eggs
• 1 15-oz can pumpkin puree
• 1 15 oz can coconut milk
• 1/2 cup almond milk
• 3 scoops/servings of your favorite vanilla protein powder.  I used Vegan Vanilla Shakeology
• 1.5 tsp of pumpkin pie spice

Preheat oven to 350.
Add all ingredients to your high speed blender, food processor, mixer or bowl to beat by hand.  Blend or mix til even.  Evenly distribute into 10 ounce containers (I used mason jars) or a baking dish.  Bake for 40-45 minutes.

That’s it!  I was thinking of trying it with apple sauce instead of pumpkin, too!

The original recipes called for 1/3-1/4 cup of pure maple syrup.  My Vegan Vanilla Shakeology worked perfect, but if your vanilla protein powder is not as sweet you may want to experiment with adding some.

I am loving this for breakfast, but it could easily serve as a healthy snack or even a guilt free, late night fix to your sweet tooth!

Here is your nutritional info:

I hope you enjoy this as much as I do!!!

 

November is National Diabetes Awareness month.  It is a time to try to educate others on our life with Type 1 Diabetes.  Education is so very important, not only for those on the outside, but for those of us living with this day in and day out.  It feels like I learn something every day.

Some of the most important lessons I have learned are from the mistakes I made as a mom dealing with this diagnosis.  There are so many things I would do differently.  So many things if I could I would go back and tell myself.  So today I am writing that person from 5 years ago a letter to let her know that it will be OK and to help her navigate through her life forever changed by Jacob’s diagnosis.

September 6, 2012

Dear Wendy,

Tomorrow is going to suck.
Tomorrow what seems like a silly hunch will become a reality.  Jacob does in fact have Type 1 diabetes.  It will all be confirmed with a simple blood test.  Tomorrow your life will change in ways you won’t understand until some time has passed.  I want to ask you a few favors…

Please remember this is not your fault! 

You will want to blame yourself.  You will ask how this could happen and you will be reassured that there was nothing you could do to avoid it.  You will want to believe them but then they will tell you that autoimmune diseases can be passed down and they will ask if anyone in your family has one and you will tell them “Yes, I do.”  You will blame yourself for this.  PLEASE DON’T.  Knowing “why” will never bring you peace.  Acceptance, unconditional love and grace will.

Please take care of yourself!

For almost 2 years you will give and give and give.  You will give up sleep, meals, and your workouts.  You will focus on Jacob’s health and on Alex not getting lost in the shuffle.  You will be available to the school no matter what.  You will give up nights out with friends and dates with Steve.  You will give so much to the point where you have nothing left to give.  PLEASE DON’T!  Remember, it is not only OK for you to take time to take care of your physical needs of good food, sleep and exercise and your mental health needs of letting go and letting someone else take over from time to time, it is necessary!  You can not take care of your family if you are broken down and exhausted all the time.

Please don’t try to do this on your own!

People will want to help you.  They will want to teach you what they have learned.  This will completely overwhelm you at first.  They will be talking about basal and bolus doses, pumps and continuous glucose monitors, what to do when he is low or high or has ketones.  They may as well be speaking in a different language.  You will shut down because it is just too much.  Later you will feel like you have to do it on your own.  You will feel that admitting you need help makes you less of a parent.  PLEASE DON’T.  Eventually you will learn and get support from the most amazing people who will never make you feel less for having a bad day or for not knowing all the answers.

Please don’t be hurt by what others think and say.

People will want to share with you all they think they know about Type 1 Diabetes.  They will share opinions and pass on articles about all sorts of things.  Many of these thing will feel accusatory like articles about how having a C-Section or giving vaccinations or feeding babies cereal to soon can increase the chances of your child later developing Type 1.  Some will offer advice based on misconceptions.  Like how adding cinnamon to all your food or drinking some amazing pink drink will cure Jacob of his disease.  You will want to get mad.  PLEASE DON’T.  Remember that they are coming to you from a place of love.  The advise may not feel like it, but they wouldn’t bother sharing it if they didn’t care.

Please remember to find the good in everything.

This journey will be hard, but it will also create a bond with your family that will be nearly impossible to break.  This journey will show you just how strong you are.  It will lead you to some of the most amazing adventures, people and times.  Tomorrow you will feel hopeless.  PLEASE DON’T.  Learn to find the good in everything and teach Jacob to do the same.

Please share your story!

As you learn to deal with this disease you will also find your purpose.  You will slowly get back to being Wendy, not just Jacob’s mom.  You will learn to find a balance between the new responsibility and somehow not letting this disease take over your life.  You will fall more times than you can imagine.  You will be mad and you will cry and you will want to keep this all inside.  PLEASE DON’T.  Every time you get back up you will give hope to the person who needs it most, Jacob.  Sharing your journey will help you heal.  It will raise awareness.  It will help turn your struggle into triumph because you can’t go back in time and change how you did or did not deal with this diagnosis, but you can offer hope to other parents who are struggling and feeling alone.

You will be OK, Wendy.  Not right away, but soon.  Take it one day at a time.

5 years later I still have bad days.  I really do learn something new every day.  I fundraise and advocate for Jacob every opportunity I get.  We have reached a new rough point in this journey- teenager!!!  In another 5 years I will have a new set of lessons to pass on to the person writing this today.  I know that I can’t go back, but I can learn from the past and pay it forward.

Each of us has a struggle and a story.

Don’t be afraid to share it with the world!  You never know who may need to hear it.

Say what?

Over the past 5 months my husband and I have been working to limit our carbs.  I hate to label the way I eat with a name so I will not call this Keto or Whole 30 or Paleo.  Instead I am just always experimenting with different foods or the absense of different foods to learn what makes me feel my best.

Eliminating carbs was not something I went into believing in, but the more I limited my starchy carbs especially, the better I felt.

I did miss things like oatmeal though so when I realized you could use hemp hearts instead of oats to create a delicious breakfast I was all about giving it a try!

So for the record, these are vegan, gluten free, paleo-friendly, keto-friendly, low carb and of course oat free!

Sounds delicious, right!  😂

They actually are!

The basic recipe is a good place to start, but you can experiment with a bunch of different flavors!
Oat-Free Overnight Oats:

• ⅔ cup dairy free milk (I used a mix of almond milk and canned coconut milk)
• 1/4 cup hemp hearts
• 1 tablespoon chia seed
• 3 to 4 drops of liquid stevia (I prefer Sweet Leaf)
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Add all ingredients to a container with a lid. I used a wide mouth mason jar and lid.  Stir or give a good shake until combined. Cover and set in the fridge overnight, for at least 8 hours.

A few of my favorite things to add or top with:

• cinnamon
• pumpkin pie spice
• 1/4 cup pumpkin puree
• 1/2 scoop Vegan Chocolate or Vanilla Shakeology
• powdered peanut butter
• berries
• shredded unsweetened coconut
• pecans or walnuts
• cocoa powder
• dried fruit

The possibilities are endless!

My current favorite combo is Pumpkin:

• ⅔ cup dairy free milk (I used a mix of almond milk and coconut milk)
• 1/4 cup help hearts
• 1 tablespoon chia seed
• 3 to 4 drops of liquid stevia (I prefer Sweet Leaf)
• pumpkin pie spice
• 1/4 cup pumpkin puree

Your nutritional information for 1 serving of the basic recipe (does not include add ins):

* the Portion Fix info is based on my best guess using the Vegan Meal Plan

For all my vegan, Whole 30, Paleo, Keto, dairy free, gluten free friends- I hope you give this a try!

Heck, I hope anyone who wants to try a new, healthy twist on overnight oats gives this new recipe a shot!

Enjoy!