Monthly Milestones 2016 {10}

Today is the tenth Monthly Milestones of 2016 (a day early since I will be gone all day tomorrow).  If you want to share a milestone post, just leave a comment below with a link to your milestone post, and I'll pop over and visit it and leave a comment, and hopefully some of my other readers will, too. :)  Normally, Monthly Milestones, where I will be giving you updates on how I am doing physically, mentally, etc., will go live on the first Saturday of every month, though sometimes I may be a day early or late depending on circumstances.

Here is how I am doing as of today:

Me as of today, September 30, 2016, at 232 and a half pounds.

1. My weight is exactly the same as it was at the beginning of the month.  My weight roller coaster was back again this month, and I ended up at exactly the same weight as I was at the beginning of the month.  Hopefully, the next Monthly Milestones will show a weight loss.  I'll just keep watching what I eat, try to stay active, and we'll see how it goes.
       
2. I'm still trying to be quite active.  I still try to make sure that I am doing things that require activity whenever I can, which includes daily walks when weather allows, doing the housework that needs to be done daily, etc.  I feel better when I'm more active, so I will have to get creative to stay active as the weather begins to get colder, wetter, snowy (hopefully not this one for awhile yet!), etc.
    
3. Dietary/lifestyle changes are still happening.  I haven't transitioned to tea yet, but I'm hoping to do that over this next month.  My husband has been lifted off his corn restrictions as it has not been linked to his EoE, though he's re-introducing it slowly, and may never get back to eating corn, corn chips, etc.  He has allowed corn starch back into his diet in moderation, though.  We're still working more and more towards "natural" and homemade foods most of the time, too.
       
4. I have no diagnosis and my health is mainly stable for now.  My last MRI was normal.  I had some eye tests done due to my eye issues, and those were also normal.  The only thing that hasn't been rechecked yet is my lab work, which is due to be rechecked in the next few weeks.  Basically, I'm in a state of limbo right now.  I don't have to go back to the neurologist or eye doctor unless I have new or worsening symptoms.  My vision is stable (which means bad night vision and trouble with twilight/dusk or lots of rain, etc., and I can read/see, though sometimes I have to focus extra hard to do so), and I'm not on any official restrictions other than my own personal comfort with doing a task like driving (which I can do unless I'm headed somewhere unfamiliar where I have to read a lot of road signs or trying to travel in bad weather).  I've also not had any more weakness in awhile, which is great.  Every one of my doctors is ok with me just seeing the chiropractor for now as it's the only thing that's even remotely been able to help me, and seeing anyone else as needed. 
      
   Additionally, my neurologist is still thinking I'm dealing with a migraine variant, Fibromyalgia complication, or even Hashimoto's complication.  If I do have to go back, she's looking at putting me on a migraine preventative medication, and there are only so many of those I can take - I believe only 2 types - due to my Factor V Leiden, and one of those I know I can't take because they made my migraines worse, so I really don't want to go that route.  I'm not convinced this is migraine (neither is my eye doctor) unless it's migraine aura I'm dealing with, and that doesn't really make sense, and I'm not really sure I even have Fibromyalgia due to the lack of traditional Fibromyalgia pain (I was diagnosed after like 3 months of weakness/stiffness and pain upon pressing on different areas of my body), so that leaves the possibility of Hashimoto issues or hormone issues which we can't do a thing about (other than keep my thyroid levels in check) since my Factor V Leiden prevents me from taking Estrogen (it would increase my blood clot risk exponentially).  You can see the dilemma.  Anyway, it's a matter of prayer, and I appreciate all your prayers in regards to my health!
        
5. Chiropractic seems to be helping a bit.  Unfortunately, our health insurance year starts over again tomorrow (October 1st), so our deductible (which is crazy high) will need to be met again starting tomorrow before we get any sort of insurance coverage, and we're still paying on last year and will be for awhile, so we can't afford to go into major debt unless we have no other choice (i.e. hospitalization, major testing).  I'll still be going to the chiropractor as we can afford it, but it will be more like once a month or so vs. twice a week unless we can work something out.  Please pray that we will be able to work out something so that I can go as often as I need to to keep these symptoms at bay!  Thank you so much!
     
6. Homeschooling is going well!  Monarch has been a good fit for us.  We're hoping to add in electives sooner than later, but again, that has extra cost to it we can't afford at present.  Please pray about this!  We know we are doing what God says, and we know He will provide in His timing and way.  Pray for guidance and wisdom here.  Thanks so much!
       
7. Thank you for all your prayers, and we would appreciate your continued prayers!  We appreciate all the prayers and support as we've gone through so much this last year, especially. It's been a real blessing! 
   
   Please continue to pray for us with the homeschooling, my health, and for some other unspokens at this time.  Thank you, thank you, thank you!
         
8.  Blog updates have stalled, though posting has increased! So far, I've been able to post at least monthly to this blog and Natural and Free, and I've also been able to make minor changes here and there, so that's a plus.  Hopefully I'll be able to keep this up, and possibly even add in a few more things sooner than later.  We shall see!

That's about it for now.  How are you doing?  Are you reaching your goals?  Have you tried something new?  Come up with a new recipe?  I hope all is going well with you, and I hope you will leave a comment sharing your thoughts and/or milestones (with a link to your post, if you wish).  As always, I wish you the best of luck in all you do, and hope you will return soon! :)

(This post was originally posted on my original site, Fibro, Fit and Fab!)

Gluten-Free "Cider and Donuts" Coffee Cake (Wheat, Fish and Nut-Free, Can Be Soy, Milk and Egg-Free)

It is now officially fall!  I don't know about you, but around here, you know it's fall when you find cider and donuts everywhere.  You can't get a better autumnal combo, if I do say so myself.  So, to honor that tradition, I decided to come up with a sweet treat featuring them that was also gluten-free for my kiddos who can't have gluten.  This is the result!

This recipe is a variation on my Cinnamon Roll Coffee Cake recipe.  I promise you, this recipe tastes like eating cinnamon sugar donuts with apple cider...though in a gooey, yummy coffee cake way!  If that's your thing, you will LOVE this recipe!  It tastes best when eaten at room temperature or even a little cold (brings out more of the apple flavor), so you'll have to fight the urge to eat it fresh out of the oven.  It is worth the wait, though!

This recipe is also wheat, fish and nut-free, and can be soy-free (if you use all soy-free ingredients), milk and egg-free (see variations).  I hope you enjoy it!

Note: The gluten-free flour and baking mix I recommend do not technically contain soy, but the one contains xanthan gum and the other contains guar gum (see "Soy-Free" under variations for more details) which can cause issues for people with soy sensitivities or allergies, and that is why I will not claim that this recipe is soy-free.

Gluten-Free "Cider and Donuts" Coffee Cake 

Cake portion:

3 Cups gluten-free flour blend or baking mix 
(I recommend Pamela's Gluten-Free All Purpose Flour or King Arthur Flour's Gluten-Free Baking Mix)

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 Cup white sugar

4 teaspoons gluten-free baking powder

1 1/2 Cups apple cider

2 eggs

1 1/2 teaspoons gluten-free vanilla extract

1/2 Cup full-fat, salted butter, melted

Topping/Filling portion: 

1 Cup full-fat, salted butter, softened 

1/2 Cup brown sugar, packed

1/2 Cup white sugar

2 Tablespoons gluten-free flour blend or baking mix 
(I recommend Pamela's Gluten-Free All Purpose Flour or King Arthur Flour's Gluten-Free Baking Mix)

1/2 to 1 Tablespoon cinnamon

pinch of salt (no more than 1/8 teaspoon) (optional)

Glaze portion:  

2 Cups gluten-free powdered sugar

6 Tablespoons apple cider

pinch of salt (no more than 1/8 teaspoon) (optional)

1.  Preheat oven to 350^oF.
     
2. Grease a 9x13 glass baking pan with butter and set aside.
      
3. In a large bowl, mix all ingredients from the cake portion except melted butter until well combined, then mix in the melted butter until well combined and scoop cake portion into the prepared 9x13 glass baking pan, spreading it out evenly in the pan.
     
4. In another large bowl, combine all ingredients for the topping/filling portion until well combined and creamy.  (Note: The salt in this portion is optional.  I like adding it to make the sweetness pop, but some think it's overkill, so follow your personal preference here.  Also, the amount of cinnamon is based on personal preference.  I preferred it with the 1/2 Tablespoon cinnamon, but if you love a lot of cinnamon flavor, you may want to use the full Tablespoon.)
     
5. Drop the topping/filling portion evenly over the cake portion by tablespoonfuls, and then use a knife to swirl the topping/filling portion through the cake portion.  It should look marbled when you are finished.
     
6. Bake in preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes or until a toothpick or cake tester inserted near the center comes out nearly clean. (Note: The toothpick/cake tester will never come out completely clean due to the nature of this particular cake, and you wouldn't want it to as your cake would be completely overcooked at that point.  You are looking for the parts of the cake that don't have the topping/filling swirled into it to be done - it should look like baked cake, not like cake batter.  If it looks like that and the toothpick/cake tester are coming out nearly clean, you're good to go!)
     
7. While the cake is baking, mix all the ingredients for the glaze portion in a medium bowl with a whisk until well combined. (Note: The salt in this portion is also optional.  I like adding it to make the sweetness pop, but some think it's overkill, so follow your personal preference here.)
     
8. When the cake it done, immediately drizzle the glaze over top of the cake. (Note: Pouring the glaze over top of the hot cake causes the glaze to melt into the cake and adds to it's gooey texture.  If you don't wish it to be quite that gooey, wait to add the glaze until the cake has cooled to just warm instead - about 10 minutes.)

Enjoy this cake at room temperature or slightly chilled for best results.  One recipe makes 12 generous portions or up to 24 small servings.

Variations (Please keep your individual dietary needs in mind when using variations):

• Milk-Free: Use non-dairy butter of your choice in place of the butter in this recipe.  I do not recommend using oil for the butter unless you wanted to use coconut oil, though.  A solid fat is needed, so you could even use lard if you choose in place of the butter.
    
• Egg-Free: Use an egg replacer in place of the eggs.  For ideas on what to use in place of the eggs, check out my ingredient substitutions page.  The flax seed "egg" or applesauce replacement would be a good fit with this cake.
   
• Soy-Free: Neither Pamela's Gluten-Free All Purpose Flour or King Arthur Flour's Gluten-Free Baking Mix claim to contain soy, but Pamela's contains guar gum and King Arthur Flour's contains xanthan gum, which can cause issues with people who have soy sensitivities and allergies, and hence the reason I won't claim this recipe is soy-free already.  You can use regular flour (if you can have it) or a soy-free, gluten-free flour of your choice.  Keep in mind that if your blend doesn't contain guar gum or xanthan gum, you may need to add between 3/4 to 3 teaspoons of ground flax seed, guar gum or xanthan gum to help with textural issues, too.  You'll have to make sure all your ingredients are soy-free, too.
          
  
• Less Sweet By Reducing Topping/Filling: If you find this coffee cake too sweet as is, you can reduce the topping/filling portion by half, and still bake and prepare as directed.  You may want to check the cake earlier (I'd say to start checking around 20 to 25 minutes, and then every 5 minutes after that until done if needed) to see if it is done earlier, though.

 So good, I promise!

(This recipe was originally posted on my original site, Natural and Free.)

Monthly Milestones 2016 {9}

Today is the ninth Monthly Milestones of 2016.  If you want to share a milestone post, just leave a comment below with a link to your milestone post, and I'll pop over and visit it and leave a comment, and hopefully some of my other readers will, too. :)  Normally, Monthly Milestones, where I will be giving you updates on how I am doing physically, mentally, etc., will go live on the first Saturday of every month, though sometimes I may be a day early or late depending on circumstances.

Here is how I am doing as of today:

Me as of today, September 2, 2016 at 232.5 lbs.

1. My weight went up a little.  My weight has been fluxing a lot this month, ending in a gain of 1 lb.  However, my clothes are fitting more loosely/better, so I am not going to worry too much about this right now.  I'll just keep watching what I eat, try to stay active, and we'll see how it goes.
       
2. I'm still able to be quite active.  I'm still working on making sure that I am doing things that require activity when I can.  I try to walk daily, do housework that needs to be done daily, etc.  However, I've had to stop hanging the clothes outside due to road construction and high pollen counts causing allergy issues that have lead to doctor's visits.  Saving a little money on gas and electricity are not worth that!  Yes, it cuts back a little on exercise, but not that much, so I figure it'll all work out. :)
    
3. Dietary/lifestyle changes are still happening.  Along with trying to stay active, I have kicked the regular coffee.  I do drink decaf, but I'm working my way on to tea with the end goal being to drink green tea and herbal teas vs. coffee of any sort within the next few months or so.  I plan to keep caffeinated coffee for days when I have migraines or focus issues - so I am using it as a medicine in a sense.  We're working more and more towards "natural" and homemade foods most of the time, too.
       
4. I had more testing done, and some med changes.  On Sunday, August 28th, I had my MRI on my thoracic spine.  Thankfully it worked out to be between church services, too. :)  Anyway, they did NOT have to use contrast (big cheer!), and I will be discussing the results with my neurologist on September 16th when I see her again.
     
   We also found out that my Levothyroxine was too high a dosage, so they changed that.  There was also a suspicion that my Vitamin D3 supplement was causing my LDL level to appear higher than it is (that is a thing), so I am going off that for a few months to see if that changes thing (my blood pressure is great, my triglycerides are awesome, and my HDL is good, but my overall cholesterol is high which I'm sure my weight plays into, but wonder if my supplement was playing into that, too).  I get labs redone in 2 months, and we'll check my thyroid levels, my cholesterol and my Vitamin D levels.
     
5. Chiropractic seems to be helping a bit.  Not only am I seeing the chiropractor, but my whole family is now.  I love his approach (holistic and gentle), and it does seem to be helping.  The issues with my left leg I talked about last time have nearly resolved.  My hearing is even improving in my right ear that's been dulled for months.  Nothing is 100%, and I still have issues, but I am hopeful!  Improvement is a wonderful thing! :)
     
6. Homeschooling has begun!  The boys started on Monarch last week, and, so far, it seems to be a good fit.  It keeps everything organized, the lessons aren't too long, and the curriculum seems to be challenging enough.  We'll see how it goes, but for now it looks like this will work for us, hopefully for the long haul! :)
       
7. More health issues have begun.  A month after my bout of weakness, I began to have vision issues.  I am still dealing with them, and I think it is related to what's been going on with me since this issue cycles (at least a month in between episodes) and varies in symptoms (there seems to be one main thing each time, normally weakness, but I've had vision issues, too).  It is both eyes, and it is like a fuzzy/blurriness thing.  It doesn't matter if my glasses are on or off, if things are near or far, etc.  There is always some form of blurry, though how bad it is fluctuates.  I've been dealing with it since August 29th.  It isn't too bad until I try to read, and then it becomes an issue.  The more plain and large the font (think Arial font, and huge), the easier it is for me to read, though there is still a fuzz.  If it is really fancy or really small, then it is harder.  Detailed objects are harder to see clearly, too.  Dusk is an especially hard time for me to see.  There is no pain, double vision or spots of blindness, though it can feel like my vision is "jumpy" or having a harder time focusing and there is always that fuzz that varies in intensity.  I do get mild headaches from it at times, but nothing serious. It seems like a stable thing right now, not getting better, but not getting worse.  I talked with an optometrist about it, and she seems to think that it is a neurological thing vs. an eye thing, she didn't think it was emergent at this time, and she said I would be ok to just talk to the neurologist about it on the 16th unless I started having pain, worsening vision, blindness or double vision.  If those things happen, then I will need to be seen by her or go to the ER.  We're praying that doesn't happen. :)  I'll keep you posted.
     
8. Thank you for all your prayers, and we would appreciate your continued prayers!  We appreciate all the prayers and support as we've gone through so much this last year, especially. It's been a real blessing! 
   
   Please continue to pray for us with the homeschooling, my health, and for some other unspokens at this time.  Thank you, thank you, thank you!
         
9.  Blog updates have stalled, though posting has increased! So far, I've been able to post at least monthly to this blog and Natural and Free.  Sometimes, I have even been able to do more and make minor changes, so that's a plus.  Now that school has begun for the boys (Elaina is due to start next week), my time is less.  This eye issue is making posting harder, too.  I will do my best, but it may be hard to keep up.  Hopefully I'll be able to do at least a little.  We shall see!

That's about it for now.  How are you doing?  Are you reaching your goals?  Have you tried something new?  Come up with a new recipe?  I hope all is going well with you, and I hope you will leave a comment sharing your thoughts and/or milestones (with a link to your post, if you wish).  As always, I wish you the best of luck in all you do, and hope you will return soon! :)

(This post was originally posted on my original site, Fibro, Fit and Fab!)