Then suddenly during my second pregnancy, the Eczema had come back and with a vengeance. I switched to all natural and organic products, I stopped using perfume, I changed my sheets 4-5 times a week, I cleaned insistently, but nothing worked.
I was accustomed to Hydrocortizone creams, Benadryl, and some pretty intense prescription drugs courtesy of my Dermatologist becoming apart of my daily routine. Eventually I started evaluating internal changes I could make that may get rid of the Eczema as a whole instead of simply treating the symptoms. I tried everything including an awful apple cider vinegar mixed with baking soda concoction daily, yuck!
It had to be something I was eating. So I finally decided to go back to the allergists and low and behold I’m allergic to everything outside, inside, and worst inside my refrigerator. This was not an easy fix I was allergic to some of my favorite and most often prepared foods.
Let me just give you an idea, apples, watermelon,cantaloupe, strawberries, eggs, wheat, rice, corn,nuts, oats, barley, cottonseed, onions, garlic, green beans, and the list goes on. When I first learned I was in denial, I was upset, I was confused. I told myself “I have to enjoy life”, and if that meant enjoying these foods despite what the tests proved then so be it. I couldn’t even imagine having to get rid of these things.
Well, to make a long story short it’s taken some time but I am slowly but surely off all grains, and most of the other allergens.
Garlic is one I’ll probably never give up, and regardless of my garlic obsession I’m seeing marked improvements in my skin, energy and overall health. I feel amazing. My body feels great, I’m having increased stamina, and my”mommy brain” is no longer a thing. I’m sleeping better and less cranky. Plus I’m losing weight.
Well I think I’m losing weight, I don’t get on a scale but my clothes are fitting just a little looser and all without really putting much effort elsewhere. So grains are no more apart of my life, which is kind of like a paleo/primal diet, but I’m not off dairy, and refined sugars as of yet. I always thought I would eventually be vegan at some point in life, but with soy and legume allergies this is nearly impossible.
Meat is my main source of protein and I can eat it to my heart’s content without my immune system going into overdrive. However, I am a conscious meat-eater, we buy grass-fed organic beef, and my poultry is free range and organic as well.
I’m changing the way I buy, prepare, eat and ultimately see my food. Still every now and then I just need a sweet treat besides a piece fruit, and this recipe is it!
I’ve seen tons of grain free cookie recipes that look pretty promising, unfortunately many use almond flour which is just another food my immune system has determined is harmful and will trigger an immediate histamine response. With a few experimental batches of these grain-free/nut-free cookies I finally reached the consistency and flavor I was going for.
It’s made with coconut flour which provides great nutrition, but it also lends a great coconut flavor that you can imagine is incredible in a chocolate chip cookies. These things are pretty close to the real deal. My kids (who are not grin free) ate them as if it was a traditional chocolate chip cookie, no complaints. Someone with a more mature palette may find the texture a bit of putting but not a total deal breaker, I promise.
Overall these cookies are a great substitute for the real thing!eciphttp://asoulfultwist.com/wp-content/uploads/Cookies-texture.jpgard
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It has put me in quite a tizzy.
I had already been looking into getting an upgrade, but it would be a pretty big investment. If you know anything about Nikon cameras the 3000 models are the most affordable out of all the series, and it works great. However the 500 models are amazing, I mean it does everything……and some more.
Either way I’ll have to figure all this out over the next few weeks but in the meantime I plan to stay busy here on the blog regardless.
I’m still going to post pictures of what’s currently happening in my kitchen. It will be very casual and laid back! I’ve been trying tons of healthy and grain free dishes and want to share some of that as well.
I hope you enjoy the rest of your week!
And remember….. keep all your valuable items in a safe place!
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It started with Spring cleaning, then a missing camera charger, next came Spring Break, and some minor health issues, all of which has captured my full attention.
I mean I have been completely ignoring my little food blog space.
It’s all good because I’ve been filling that space with joys, fun, and some important grown up stuff. I enjoyed our staycation with the little ones, and we were able to visit with some of our long distance friends and family which was nice.
We spent quality time enjoying each other and I cooked, cooked, baked and cooked some more.
I wanted to share with you one of my new and favorite breakfast meals that gives me an intense energy boost in the morning. It’s packed with nutrition and protein which is essential for maintaining energy, and my brain strength throughout the day.
Seriously I am in love with this flavor packed sandwich!
Whats on it you ask?
Egg white, cheddar cheese, apple wood smoked bacon you know the normal stuff you put on a breakfast sandwich, but then I like to take it a little further. So I add spinach, sweet grilled grape tomatoes, avocado, grilled chicken (seasoned with Herbs DE Provence, garlic powder, onion powder, and sea salt), all on toasted Ezekiel bread, with a slice of melted aged cheddar.
If you’ve never had Ezekiel bread get some. I started with Ezekiel bread when I first went home with my husband for the Easter holiday back in college. His mother ( my mother in-law now) had served some for breakfast and it looked nothing like any type of bread I was interested in devouring and I’m interested in devouring all types of BREAD. Of course I wouldn’t dare turn down anything being served to me on my first time meeting the mama of the boy I was madly in love with, so I begrudgingly tried it.
I have to say it was surprisingly delightful.
When you become accustomed to that super processed and less healthy white bread it can be difficult to switch to the more wholesome and textured Ezekiel bread, but this bread was an exception. I could taste the healthfulness and it was GOOD!
Seriously at this point it’s all I want, and frankly all anyone should eat. I absolutely love the taste of it, and all’s good in my world when I can enjoy a piece of toasted Ezekiel bread drizzled in honey, and melted butter.
This kind of sounds like a sponsored post..lol. It’s not, I just love this bread so much and wanted to share it with you! I think it can be a healthy and tasty swap out for the basic white bread.
Enjoy the pictures, let your imagination wonder and make your own ultimate breakfast sandwich, make this one adding and subtracting any ingredients that tickle your fancy.
Have a great, fun and SOUL Full weekend peeps!
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Since breakfast is our most indulgent meal of the day I make biscuits and gravy quite often, I then reserve the rest of the day for burning the indulgent meal off! See life is all about balance I eat bad then balance it out by exercising GOOD! Makes perfect sense right?
Did I mention it’s the hubs favorite meal as well! He’s country too!
Even if you aren’t bumpkins quite like us you’ll still enjoy this comforting southern staple breakfast! Of course I like it the traditional way but I wanted to put a little twist on this country classic, so I came up with this Spanish flavor Cheddar biscuits and Chorizo gravy combo!
Yes and Yes! It is awesome! Light and fluffy homemade biscuits sprinkled with cheddar throughout, then smothered in a creamy & spicy Chorizo gravy, lastly garnished in my top 2 favorite fresh herbs, Cilantro!
Let me just get to it and give you the easy and surprisingly quick recipe!
I’m from the south and all the ladies in my family are from the south so cornbread will always be apart of my menu! If we need a side bread for dinner it will more often than not be a piece of cornbread!
I grew up eating jiffy which was routinely fixed up with sour cream, tons of butter, and sugar. As an adult I started making cornbread from scratch which when done correctly, is divine!
Cornbread doesn’t have to be boring you can prepare it many ways! I like my cornbread sweet but I like it salty too! You can make it in a skillet , add onions and peppers, eat it super sweet, or as a muffin!
One of my all time favorite recipe is my sweet corn buttermilk pound cake, it’s like cornbread and buttermilk pound cake eloped!
This sweet potato cornbread recipe is sweet but not pound cake sweet, it’s still mellow enough to enjoy right next to some fried chicken and sautéed greens!
I added a sweet potato for even more depth and southern goodness.
Sweet potato+cornbread….it really can’t get any better than that.
*Quick Update…I accidentally put 3/4 cups sugar when it should be 2/3 cups of sugar.
There are so many kid friendly Mexican dishes, (most likely attributed to the cheeses) my minions even enjoy the spiciness of the food!
This is a basic taco recipe I use on those time constrained weekday nights when I need to quickly throw something together.
The kids love it, the adults love it, it’s easy, and nutritious. Who doesn’t love tacos?!
This year the weather hasn’t been exactly what I expected or wanted for the first days in Spring but the show must go on.
I wanted to give you a little insight into what else is being cleaned over here at Casa De Christina.
I let some of my house work get behind, and now that spiders are coming out for the season I’m working on cleaning, behind under and on top of furniture, walls, and floors making sure no dust is left behind. No dust, no webs, no spiders!
I’m purging my tiny closet of old clothes, too small clothes, and things I will never wear again…ever. It’s getting ridiculous, I have given away so much stuff, jeans, favorite shoes, winter coats and the list goes on! I hold on to things if I know I spent too much on them just so I won”t feel guilty.
That’s not working and my husband is annoyed now that things are spilling into his closet! I had piles of clothes I was meaning to sale on EBAY( my side hustle years ago) but never did. Someone is going to hit the jackpot at our local goodwill store, cause I donated EVERYTHING!
Honestly I have not been shopping for clothes in a good while, and it’s because I already had useless clothes hogging all the space. This will give me some space to reassess what I already have and what I really need. Also preventing wasteful spending!
This one is pretty self explanatory. I’m being more cognizant of what and how I’m spending and stop spending on things I don’t need.
Our family has long term goals but I need to set and follow through on our short term goals. We set a three year goal to sell our house and buy a new one two years ago, but that’s it. I wish we would of set more short term goals to keep us accountable for the things that are important for a successful sale and purchase to happen. I need to set short term goals and hold myself accountable as I go along. This is important when it comes to blogging as well! It’s difficult with the little ones but I’ve made a commitment to set short term goals and follow through.
I went to my Doctors Appointment this past week and have one more appointment coming up. I am having an unbearable time losing these last 15 pounds and I really cant figure out why. It’s not like me to have this much trouble dropping a few pounds. I had some blood work done and I’m praying it’s just my diet and the low intensity of my current workout regimen that’s causing the stall in weight loss.
I’ve already started adding a LOT of cardio! .
I found a Bikram Yoga studio that’s less than five miles from my home and I can’t wait to take my first class! I’ll be sharing my experience with that soon!
This just means I’m staying positive in my thoughts and controlling where my mind wonders more often. I’ll have so much going on in my mind that I have to backtrack several thoughts just to find out how I got there.
It never makes any since and most the times I forget. I’ve been doing small meditation sessions and controlling and/or stopping all the thinking and personal conversations going on in my brain.
Sometimes I wonder does my head size have anything to do with all the thinking, I mean seriously before I started meditating it wouldn’t stop!
Prayer still works! Hallelujah I’m focusing on all my blessings and my relationship with the Lord. I started Lent a few weeks ago and it’ll be a wrap this week coming up! I’m excited to celebrate his Resurrection, and I’m pastel and church lady hat ready!
I’m in constant meditation and initiating positive thinking throughout the day! I’m excited to start this new yoga class, not just for fitness but also for the way it connects mind, body and relaxation!
Relationship with friends and (extended) family has taken a back burner in my life. I just want everyone to stay connected and enjoy each other. Sometimes it doesn’t work like that. Relationships take work and time and overall I’ve been neglecting my relationships with everyone outside of our home. It is taking a toll on me and my productivity as well. I need to spend more time with my friends and other relatives.
I blame the technology! It can be a great tool to stay connected to far away loved ones but for me anyways I am neglecting all of the people right here in my own community and environment! It’ easy getting updates and checking on family and friends by simply logging onto Facebook, but what about spending time together….maybe even in the same ROOM?! Wouldn’t that be something? I know I’m missing out on a lot by staying so intertwined into my own little world that I forget about old friends and miss opportunities to make new ones.
I plan on getting together with some old friends and being more active with local social groups I’ve joined but haven’t followed through with.
I’m completely cleaning out my schedule of space being filled with worthless activities that deserve no attention. For example, spending precious time getting caught up in NAY- NAY and the rest of the Drama on RHOA is not productive. It fills my mind with a bunch of BS that I can’t use and won’t help me reach my goals. Reality T.V is my most guilty pleasure I have developed when I started staying at home with the kids full-time. I record the episodes and watch it late at night when the rest of the family is sleep, which sounds harmless enough but in reality I could be doing something more productive. Even if it’s just reading a good book, I want to feed my brain with good and positive things instead of polluting it with the mundane!
It’s about time I find something more productive to do with this time!
I want a clean and easy to navigate site. I love the simplicity of what I have going on right now, but it’s not loading correctly across different internet engines, my pictures aren’t doing what I want, and it moves slow as snails. I need to find someone to help get this all together. My family and friends always call me for recipes they may have seen on my blog and I’m like,” just go to the blog”.
Well easier said than done. I’ve noticed it’s not only difficult to navigate it’s really boring and blah! If you have any suggestions for a good wed designer/developer that won’t take my arm and leg please shout them out!
Please follow me on Instagram and Twitter! I want to connect with every single one of my readers so if you find me I’ll follow back!
Next week I’ll be back posting some more mouth salivating recipes!
]]>I just wanted to pose a question for all my fellow bloggers!
What do you do about all that SPAM?! I mean seriously it’s getting out of hand.
I’ve installed a Plugin, but I still have to go through the majority of the SPAM and comments being very careful not to erase comments from “real” people.
If you’ve ever made a comments and it was not approved, I might have accidentally erased it on one of my select all and trash rampages! :/
Most times I log on to my dashboard dreading the amount of SPAM, I’ll be greeted by.
I want comments to be posted as soon as there made, without moderator approval. If you have any good spam checker comment plugins please let me know. It would be greatly appreciated :)
Is “just fine” enough? I mean we talk, we have no major issues, we kiss in passing, and routinely say “I love you”, but I want our love to be extraordinary not ordinary. I’m big enough to understand it’s not reasonable to expect college years carefree love. Because we have a bunch of care now. However, I think we can conjure up a bit more passion within our marriage.
Between practices, homework, cooking and cleaning, I feel a bit anxious at home, like there is always something I need to be doing. It’s best I remove myself from the environment to get fully relaxed.
So for our date, to grandparents house we go. Luckily my peoples live about an hour up the road. So the plan was dropping the little ones off at my parents house and the hubs and I having a foodie adventure in Washington DC.
We wanted to take the metro from Springfield, VA which is how we normally do it, but it was almost 8 PM when we reached the metro station, and the cupcake shop I just had to go to closes at 9pm.
Without taking the chance of getting there too late we decided to drive into Georgetown, and hoped to find some sort of parking.
Well we made it in time but the line was wrapped around the building. When I first saw this line I thought to myself “ain’t no way”!
Although I had no interest in waiting in line, I did want to take a picture of all the other silly folks waiting for a CUPCAKE! I reached for my DSLR and strategically positioned my camera to get a high view of all the waiting cupcake lovers, picture perfect with one mistake. I left my memory card at home! Well at least I could still use my cell phone…not!
My phone was completely dead and I had no way to charge my phone in the car.
Without my camera and phone I had no way to document our foodie adventures and no way to reach our planned food spots without the GPS. I couldn’t waist an entire night so I figured I might as well get some famous cupcakes.
Now I was one of those “silly folks” waiting for the cupcakes! We waited over an hour for a Georgetown Cupcake.
More importantly after being completely disconnected from all technology I was able to talk and connect with my husband while waiting in that line. We just talked, and laughed and laughed and laughed.
We have a great time together and he cracks me up! My husband could care less about some cupcakes but he waited in that line with me and didn’t complain. He cracked a few jokes on me and the rest of the cupcakes geeks but he never complained. I could tell he was enjoying me as well.
He did request that we make one more stop to The Famous Ben Chili Bowl. We had just enough charge on his phone to get there and we made it. I had a chili cheese hot dog and he had a chili cheeseburger with chili cheese fries. My husband said it was good but not as good as mines, he’s such a sweet talker. He knows just how to get me going.
After we ate at Ben Chili Bowl we rushed back to our car, it was sort of unclear whether it was parked illegally or not, but we took the chance and parked there anyways. Well DC parking enforcement made it clear when they slapped a $100 parking ticket on our windshield that we were illegally parked. They even checked the “towing requested” box! A couple more minutes and we would have been stranded in DC without a car.
Connecting one-on-one without distraction was refreshing.
When I explained all of the nights occurrences in the most dramatic way possible to my parents my father very subtly pointed out the hickey on my neck. Then he joked that the date couldn’t have been THAT bad! Embarrassing!
Luckily despite our late night we got up in time for church. My brother and his fiance received the right hand of fellowship at church, which was awesome. They are still dating and watching them gives me a reminder of how my husband and I used to be and how “I want that old thing back!”
I’m happy we are realizing how important it is to stay connected. Rather than waiting for the kids to go off to college, I plan to live my best married life right now in the present with my main man.
I ate cupcakes for breakfast the next morning! They were greatly deserved :)
Check out the Ladies responsible for this link up here….
]]>Not really but I do like to wear my Bermuda shorts Just kidding again! I refuse to wear Bermuda shorts! For real-for real the only reason I cut back in the summer is because it’s too hot for walking around with a stomach full of crap.
I want to feel good and energized to enjoy all the nice weather. I focus on feeding my body things that will fuel it versus deprive it.
This dish will keep you satisfied while providing your body with all the good stuff and none of the bad stuff.
I have to say Salmon may be my least favorite fish. I enjoy it grilled, but when cooked in the oven or stove top it can come out either to dry or too raw.
It takes a special temperature along with a watchful eye to get that juicy and delicate desired texture.
I’ve found the best way to reach that perfect texture is cooking the Salmon at a high temperature really quick.
This recipe is simple and easy with a sweet and spicy glaze to top. The sweet potato hash is a perfect complement with fresh and colorful peppers and sweet and spicy notes.
The plate is beautiful and tastes as refreshing as the first days of Spring.
Who says eating healthy has to be bland and tasteless?! This meal proves other wise while providing essential nutrition, beautiful aesthetics, and flavors galore!