Weekly Weigh In: Week 15, September 30, 2019

I have decided that this feature will now run indefinitely, and will replace the My Quarterly Report feature.  It will go live every Monday, and it will be a weigh in that will share how I'm doing health-wise, and it will give me more accountability with my health.

Here is my fifteenth weigh in:

1. The Selfie: The selfie is me as of today, September 30, 2019.  

2. Weight: My weight went up a pound.  I'm not happy about it, but I'll keep working on it.  I feel like I'm getting closer and closer to understanding exactly what causes me to gain or lose, so that's helpful.  Hopefully, I will have a weight loss to share next week.  Wish me luck!

3. Health News: I was able to average over 8,500 steps per day last week.  I am thrilled!  I am hoping to do around that this week, but I'm not sure if that will all pan out or not.  I should at least be able to do the 6,000 daily step minimum, though.

The tart cherry juice helped the restless legs, but the insomnia is slower in changing and I've been on 3 days straight of said insomnia (I sleep restlessly for about 2 hours, am up for an hour or more, and repeat until it is time to get up, so I am not getting any truly restorative sleep).  I am finding the insomnia is linked to my migraines (I had a migraine last night and am dealing with it a little bit today, too).  Insomnia normally precedes the migraine, but sometimes it sticks around during and after.  I am hopeful that the migraine and the insomnia will be better tonight.

I am trying some sparkling water (non-flavored, so essentially just carbonated water) for water retention.  It was something I stumbled on quite by accident.  I tried some at a local restaurant, and I noticed that my water retention was reduced a bit afterwards.  I decided to buy some sparkling water and try deliberately drinking it daily to see if it will help with the water retention.  I am not drinking very much (in fact, I am mixing it with my tart cherry juice for now for a version of a REALLY tart cherry soda) - maybe 1/2 to 1 Cup daily, and I think I will have to play with the amounts, but I am thinking it is helping a little.  I will let you know how this goes.

Well, the issues I was having due to the herbal water pill seem to be pretty much over now.  I am still dealing with some things, but they may actually be due to a possible reaction to a new laundry soap I tried.  I'm in the process of figuring all that out.  It's been a long month!  Hopefully, I will be back to 100% soon. :)

4. Diet News:  Another total fail week for me diet-wise, hence the weight gain.  I am going to strive to be a lot more aware this week.  I am finding when I am stressed, super busy or not feeling 100%, I tend to let the diet go which makes everything else worse.  I just cannot do that.  I hope to have this better figured out next week.

The intermittent fasting was not as consistent as I needed it to be this last week, which I do believe played into the weight gain, too.  I plan on trying to get that timing down better.  I am aiming for 10am to 6pm to be my eating time overall.  That seems to work best for me.  On a positive note, I have noticed that I am not as hungry in general and eating more when I'm truly hungry with the intermittent fasting.

5. Other News: Oh, my... This week is going to be even busier than last week.  It's only Monday, and I'm already tired!  Please pray that this insomnia breaks (and that the migraine completely breaks - the pain is being held at bay with ibuprofen, but I'm still dealing with the other side effects such as it is taking me FOREVER to form proper sentences today - oh, the typos! :D ) and that I'm able to rest and get the mega list of things done that I need to for this week without losing my sanity.  Thanks so much!

How are you doing?  Do you have anything you want to weigh in with?  Any health progress or goals you want to share?  If so, please leave a comment below (with a link to your post, if you have one and wish to leave it), and I'll respond ASAP.

Have a great week!

Family Favorites - September 2019: Gluten-Free Lasagna (Wheat, Soy, Fish, Nut and Egg-Free, Can Be Milk-Free)

I decided to keep posting a family favorite recipe from the blog (with any adaptions that we use regularly, if applicable) on the fourth Friday or Saturday of every month this year.  This recipe will be one that we make quite often and that we all enjoy greatly.  This post is the ninth Family Favorites recipe of 2019.

If you have a recipe on your blog that you consider a family favorite that you'd like to share, please comment below with a link to the recipe, and I'll make sure to pop on over and visit your site to check it out (and leave a comment), and hopefully some of my other readers will, too.

This month's Family Favorite recipe is Gluten-Free Lasagna.  This is essentially my Simple Lasagna recipe made gluten-free with a few other hints and tips added in.

Lasagna is definitely a huge family favorite in this house.  It's the dish that I need to quite literally make 2 pans of to have leftovers (Did I mention I have 2 teenage boys and a 9 year old daughter?).  This recipe is so extremely simple, too, and easy to customize.  It is also wheat, soy, fish, nut and egg-free (if all your ingredients are), and can also be milk-free (see variations).  Win-win!

Simple Lasagna

 12 to 16 gluten-free lasagna noodles (depending on the size of your pan)

(We use Tinkyada brand noodles whenever possible.)

1 lb. ground chuck or venison

(We almost always use ground chuck.)

salt (optional)

 (We always use this.)

ground black pepper (optional)

(We always use this.)

1 jar (23.75 oz. size) of your favorite soy-free, gluten-free spaghetti sauce

(We use whatever soy-free, gluten-free brand is on sale, but our favorite type to use is a marinara type.)

12 to 16 gluten-free lasagna noodles (depending on the size of your pan)

(We use Tinkyada brand noodles whenever possible.)

4 Cups shredded mozzarella cheese

parsley flakes (optional)
(We nearly always use this.)

oregano (optional)

(We nearly always use this.)


1. Pre-heat oven to 350^oF.

2. Fill a large pot with hot water, and add the pasta and let the pasta sit in the hot water until you are ready to layer the lasagna. (Note: The water does not need to be boiling, but it does need to be hot, and your noodles need to be completely submerged in the water.  You can choose to skip this step, but the noodles may not end up as soft as you'd like them to.  I do NOT recommend cooking the noodles fully in boiling water, however, because they definitely get too soft if the noodles are cooked through before baking.)

3. Season the meat with salt and pepper, if desired, and brown it in a large skillet until cooked through.

4. Drain meat, return to skillet, add the spaghetti sauce and mix well.

5. Strain the pasta and set aside.

7. Place some of the meat sauce (about 1/5 of it) on the bottom of either a 13x9 or 11x8 pan (greasing the pan is not necessary, but you can if you wish).

8. Next, place a layer of pasta noodles (3 to 4 noodles side-by-side; whatever it takes to fill up the pan width-wise), then a layer of sauce, and lastly a layer of cheese (about 1 Cup) in the pan.

9. Continue layering in the same fashion for 4 layers, ending with the rest of the cheese. (Note: If you want to cut back on the amount of cheese or sauce, that's fine. Personal preference should always win here. :) )

10. Top the lasagna with a sprinkling of parsley flakes and oregano, if desired, and bake for 45 minutes to an hour until lasagna is bubbly and cheese is browned.

Makes 12 to 24 servings, depending on how big you cut the pieces.

Variations (Please keep individual allergen needs in mind when using variations!):

• Make Ahead: This lasagna can be made ahead and either frozen or refrigerated until time to make it. If making it from frozen, though, please note that the cooking time will increase by at least 1/2 an hour.
    
• Milk-Free: Use a dairy-free cheese in place of the mozzarella.  Daiya makes an excellent dairy-free cheese!  You will also need to make sure your sauce is dairy-free.
    
• Different Cheeses: You can use any combo of cheese you like - mozzarella, cojack, Gouda, Monterrey Jack, Parmesan, etc.  I don't recommend a soft cheese, however, as it would greatly effect the texture of the dish.  If you want to add ricotta or cottage cheese to the layers, you can do that as well.  You can either add the ricotta/cottage cheese to every layer or every other layer - whatever you desire.
    
• Meatless: You can leave the meat out or use mushrooms in place of the meat, if desired.
   
• Different Meats: You can add in mushrooms, use ground sausage in place of or in addition to the meat, or even use cooked and shredded chicken.  The options are endless!  You can even add in pepperoni and/or other pizza toppings to give your lasagna a more pizza flavor.  The choice is yours!

I hope you will give this recipe a try soon and that it becomes a family favorite for you, too!

Weekly Weigh In: Week 14, September 23, 2019

I have decided that this feature will now run indefinitely, and will replace the My Quarterly Report feature.  It will go live every Monday, and it will be a weigh in that will share how I'm doing health-wise, and it will give me more accountability with my health.

Here is my fourteenth weigh in:

1. The Selfie: The selfie is me as of today, September 23, 2019.  

2. Weight: My weight stayed the same again.  I am hoping to have some weight loss soon, but I'll take no weight gain.  We shall see what this next week holds.

3. Health News: I was just able to average over 7,000 steps per day last week.  I am hoping to do at least that well this week, but that may not happen due to bad weather.  I will give it my best shot, though!

Insomnia and restless legs have cropped up a little here and there.  I have tried drinking some tart cherry juice for it, and it does help, but I forgot to drink some yesterday and regretted it greatly!  I am going to definitely drink some tart cherry juice daily this week and see how much difference I notice.  If it is noticeable (and I believe it will be based on how much it helped the few times I drank it last week), I will add it to my Food "Do"s List.

Much to my chagrin, I am still dealing with issues that began with the herbal water pill.  There may be something or some things else going on as well, but the herbal water pill definitely played a part in all of it.  It has not been fun, y'all!  I am hopeful that I will be 100% again soon.  I appreciate your prayers.  Thanks so much!

4. Diet News:  Well, last week was a total fail in so many ways as far as wise choices.  I would do great most of the day and then bomb later.  I will admit it - I did a lot of stress eating due to the health issues I've been dealing with.  That didn't help anything, and it is never worth it to stress eat.  You'd think I'd have learned that lesson well enough by now not to repeat it, but I guess I'm stubborn. :)  I will say this - the older I get, the more I realize that eating that chocolate (one of the types I can't eat or eating too much of the types I can) or other food that doesn't play nice with my system, no matter how yummy at the moment, is not worth the consequences later because the consequences are so much more violent than they used to be!  Wisdom definitely comes with age! :D

The intermittent fasting is still going well, and probably the only reason I don't have a weight gain to share today.  I definitely plan to stick with it.

5. Other News: Busy in spades!  That phrase describes this week well...or perhaps the next 2...maybe 3 or more, actually.  I may be able to breathe come November...maybe. :D  I'm glad to be busy, but when I'm not feeling 100%, it is definitely a bit more taxing.  Anyway, at least I'm not bored!

Oh, and my wonderful hubby got me a Samsung Galaxy Fit!  It is really cool!  I can monitor my sleep patterns, keep track of my steps better, check my heart rate and more!  I love it!  If you're looking for a relative inexpensive fitness tracker, check it out!  I can say I highly recommend it.  {No, Samsung is not paying me to say this - they don't even know I am posting this and probably don't even know I have a Galaxy Fit.  My opinion is completely that - my opinion, and I can't be bought, anyway. :D }

How are you doing?  Do you have anything you want to weigh in with?  Any health progress or goals you want to share?  If so, please leave a comment below (with a link to your post, if you have one and wish to leave it), and I'll respond ASAP.

Have a great week!

Recent Reflections - September 2019: My Oldest Is A Senior In High School...

This is the ninth Recent Reflections post of 2019.  Recent Reflections goes live the third Friday or Saturday of each month.  Each Recent Reflections post covers something that I'm reflecting on.  If you'd like to share a post with a similar theme, feel free to leave a comment with a link to your post, and I'll hop on over and leave a comment (and maybe some other readers will, too).

This month, I will be reflecting on my oldest being a senior in high school.

Then...

First Day of Kindergarten, 2007

and

Now...

First Day of Senior Year, 2019

I can hardly believe the my little man is no longer a little man, but a full-grown man!  In a few weeks he'll be 17, and in a about 8 months he'll be graduating high school!  That just blows my mind.  Wasn't it just yesterday that I was writing that he was turning 10?  How on earth did we get here?  Time moves the quickest when you want it to move the slowest.

Now, readers, the rest of this post is an open letter to my son, so forgive me if it gets sappy. :)

My dearest Stephen, 

Son, let me get real here...  

First, I love you more than you'll ever understand until you have your own children (Lord willing) one day.  Never, ever forget that.  You can never do anything that will make me not love you, so let me (and your dad) be the first one you go to when life gets hard or when you think you've done something unforgivable.  I promise the love will still be there, and we will work on the rest.  May you never have to face that day (and I pray you won't), but I just want to put it out there that I will always be here for you, no matter what.  That doesn't mean there won't be consequences for wrong choices - there always are - but we will be by your side to help you through it and pray that that time will be the last time we have to do so.  If not, we'll just keep loving you and praying for you like always.  And as a side note, let's try not to use this option, shall we, son? :)  I know we'd both prefer to not have to deal with this kind of hurt, so let's just keep doing right things, ok?  Ok. :D

Secondly, I am amazed every day at the man you are maturing into.  I am not looking forward to the day you move out, be it to college or to a job or whatever the reason, but I know that you will do well no matter what God has in store for you as long as you continue to put Him first.  I am excited for this next phase in your life...even if it will be bittersweet.  

Thirdly, keep your eyes on God!  He will never steer you wrong.  The days will get hard - expect it.  There will be days when you wonder if He is still there or listening to your prayers.  I promise - He is.  He is teaching you something, He is guiding, He is waiting for you to yield or learn, He is leading you down a path that is necessary for you to become who you are meant to be, or any other number of things, but He is also wanting to hold you up through the hard times.  God is not desirous to hurt you, but hurt is in this world because sin is.  You will face pain because we all do...but you don't have to face it alone.  God is there, and we (your dad and I, along with your extended family and church family) will be there to help you through.  So, those days when you feel alone, get in your Bible, keep praying, call your parents for prayer support, stay in church and counsel with your pastor.  All those things will help encourage you on the darkest days that I pray you have very few of.

Fourth, I am so proud of you!  You give of your time and yourself without thought of how it will benefit you because it is the right thing to do, you play with your siblings and (normally) let them have equal say in what you all do, you do the job you say you are going to do and then some, you love to discuss things with us, and you show that you love instead of just saying it.  On top of that, I can very clearly see that you love the Lord and desire to do His will.  You may not know exactly what your next step will be after high school yet, but we'll figure that out.  Just keep asking God to guide you, listen to the advice from those who love the Lord and want His perfect will for your life, and I know you'll do amazing things for Him and in your life!

I love you, my not-so-little man!
-Mom


I truly hope this post has been a blessing to your heart, or at the least made you stop and think a little.  What has God done in your life lately to bless you?  What are you reflecting on?

Have a wonderful weekend!

Gluten-Free Baked Bacon Mac and Cheese (Wheat, Nut, Egg and Fish-Free, Can Be Soy and Milk-Free)

It's fall y'all (well, if you consider September 1st the start of autumn like I do vs. the autumnal equinox)!  Once it starts to cool off, I do more baking.  One of the things that I plan on adding to my autumnal menu on a more regular basis is this Gluten-Free Bacon Mac and Cheese (recipe of my own creation).

This recipe is wheat, nut, egg and fish-free (if all your ingredients are), and can be soy and milk-free (see variations).  It also has two of my favorite things - bacon and cheese!  DELISH!  And the gluten-free bread crumb topping adds a nice crunch.  Seriously, you guys, you need to try this ASAP if you are a bacon mac and cheese fan.

Note: The gluten-free flour I recommend does not technically contain soy, but it does contain xantham gum (see "Soy-Free" under variations for more details) which can cause issues for people with soy sensitivities or allergies.  Also, not all gluten-free bread crumbs are soy-free.  For these reasons, I will not claim that this recipe is soy-free.  I will share a soy-free alternative in variations, though.

Gluten-Free Baked Bacon Mac and Cheese

For the Mac and Cheese:

1 lb. gluten-free bacon, cooked and crumbled

16 oz. gluten-free macaroni or rotini noodles, uncooked

(We normally use and highly recommend Tinkyada noodles.) 

1/3 Cup salted, full-fat butter

6 Tablespoons gluten-free flour

(We normally use and highly recommend Namaste Gluten-Free Perfect Flour Blend.)

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

4 1/2 Cups milk

(We normally use whole milk, but you can use whatever you have on hand.)

4 Cups (16 oz.) sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

For the Topping:

3/4 Cup gluten-free bread crumbs

1/4 Cup salted, full-fat butter, melted

1.  Preheat oven to 350^oF. 
      
2. In a large pot, melt your 1/3 Cup butter.
     
3. Add your gluten-free flour, salt and pepper to your melted butter, and cook and stir until bubbly (about 3 to 5 minutes).
     
4. Add the milk to the roux you made in step 2, and stir and cook until the mixture thickens to your likeness.  (Note: The filling will thicken up a little bit during baking, but not a ton, so you'll want it basically as thick as you want the end result.)
     
5. Stir the cheese into your milk mixture and keep stirring until the cheese is melted.
     
6. Mix your cooked and crumbed bacon and your uncooked noodles into the cheese sauce and pour it all into a greased, glass 13x9 inch pan.  (Note:  Gluten-free noodles can get extremely mushy if you pre-cook them before baking them.  Trust me, they will cook in the oven in the sauce to a nice al dente, but if you are nervous they won't be cooked enough or find that they don't cook enough to your liking, you can either just soak them in hot water for a few minutes, drain them, and then add them to the sauce before baking or cook them until they are about 1/2 done beforehand.)
     
7. Mix the melted butter with the bread crumbs in a small bowl and sprinkle them evenly over the top of the mac and cheese.
     
8. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until the cheese sauce is bubbly and the topping is browned.

Makes one 13x9 pan or about 12 large servings or 24 smaller servings.

Variations (Please keep individual allergen and dietary needs in mind when using variations.  Thank you!):

• Milk-Free: Use bacon grease in place of the butter.  You could also use a dairy-free butter like SoDelicious.  You will also need to replace the milk and cheese with dairy-free options that fit your dietary needs (Daiya has a lot of great dairy-free cheeses, and there are numerous dairy-free milks to choose from).
     
• Soy-Free: Namaste Gluten-Free Perfect Flour Blend does not claim to contain soy, but it does contain xanthan gum, which can cause issues with people who have soy sensitivities and allergies.  Not all gluten-free bread crumbs are soy-free either.  For these reasons, I will not claim that this recipe is soy-free.  You can use regular flour (if you can have it), cornstarch, or potato starch in place of the gluten-free flour.  You can also sub plain potato chips that are soy-free for the gluten-free bread crumbs.  You'll have to make sure all of your ingredients are soy-free, too.
    
• Alternative Topping Ideas: As I mentioned above, you can use plain potato chips for the gluten-free bread crumbs.  You can also use regular bread crumbs, crackers, or no topping at all.  You can also put the crumbled bacon into the topping vs. stirring it in the mac and cheese if you want it a bit crisper and find that it gets too soft in the cheese sauce.  The choice is yours!
    
• Added Onion Flavor:  If you want some onion flavor, sub onion salt for the salt and/or add in some onion (raw or cooked with the butter in step 1 - about 3/4 Cup).
    
• No Bacon:  If you don't like bacon, you can sub diced ham, cooked chicken, broccoli or skip the add-ins entirely.
    
• Different Cheese:  I find that sharp cheddar, especially extra sharp cheddar, works best for this recipe, but you can use white cheddar, colby-jack, monterey jack, or any other type of cheese you fancy or a combo of them as long as you don't exceed 4 Cups.  I have not tried using a soft cheese for this recipe, but if you try it, let me know how it turns out!
    
• Non-Gluten-Free:  You can always use regular noodles, regular flour and regular bread crumbs (if you can have them).  Regular noodles will need to be cooked before using them in this recipe, however.
    
• Time Saving:  Use already cooked and crumbed bacon that comes in a pouch vs. making it yourself, if that is an option for you.  This can save quite a bit of time in the prep-work!

Looks good, right?

It is, I promise!

Have a great rest of your week!

Weekly Weigh In: Week 13, September 16, 2019

I have decided that this feature will now run indefinitely, and will replace the My Quarterly Report feature.  It will go live every Monday, and it will be a weigh in that will share how I'm doing health-wise, and it will give me more accountability with my health.

Here is my thirteenth weigh in:

1. The Selfie: The selfie is me as of today, September 16, 2019.  

2. Weight: My weight stayed the same.  I'll take it, but I am hoping for a weight loss over this week.  Wish me luck!

3. Health News: I was just able to average over 6,000 steps per day last week.  I am hoping to do better this week.  We'll see how it goes.  It's supposed to be a beautiful week, so I will do my best to try to get those steps in!

Insomnia is trying to rear its ugly head again.  It's not been too bad, but it is definitely not fun.  I was told to try cherry juice for it, so I will probably start that at some point, most likely today.  Hopefully it will help!

I am still dealing with the side effects from the herbal water pill, but they are definitely improved, and hopefully I will be done with the side effects soon.  I am definitely disappointed that those herbal water pills didn't work out.  At least I figured it out now before I heavily invested in them (I normally buy my vitamins a year at a time, and that would have been a nice chunk of change!).

4. Diet News:  I feel like I did ok this last week, but not as good as I could have.  I'm trying to really cut back on sugar and carbs, and I feel like I do well avoiding sugar for the most part, but carbs...those little devils are harder!  I am at least trying to make sure the carbs I do get are less processed on the whole.  Anyway, I am going to keep working on it, and hopefully I will get better little by little.

The intermittent fasting is going well.  I feel like I feel better overall and am eating more out of hunger than boredom.  This is a good change!  Hopefully I can keep up with it, and hopefully it will be the key to losing more weight.

5. Other News: It is looking like the next month or so is going to be very busy.  I am finding that I need to re-figure out how to manage my time.  It isn't as easy as I thought it would be.  That said, I am hoping to have that nailed down in the coming weeks.  Wish me luck!  Thanks! :)

How are you doing?  Do you have anything you want to weigh in with?  Any health progress or goals you want to share?  If so, please leave a comment below (with a link to your post, if you have one and wish to leave it), and I'll respond ASAP.

Have a great week!

Weekly Weigh In: Week 12, September 9, 2019

I have decided that this feature will now run indefinitely, and will replace the My Quarterly Report feature.  It will go live every Monday, and it will be a weigh in that will share how I'm doing health-wise, and it will give me more accountability with my health.

Here is my twelfth weigh in:

1. The Selfie: The selfie is me as of today, September 9, 2019.  

2. Weight: My weight went down a pound!  I am hoping this will continue.  I have been able to stay a bit more active, and I feel like I am making better food choices, so that should help.  Wish me luck!

3. Health News: I averaged over 8,800 steps per day last week.  I know that that number is a bit skewed because of the Bridge Walk last Monday, but I was out and about as I could be, so that's a positive regardless!  I will keep trying to stay active as I can, and hopefully I will average 6,000+ steps per day this week.

Though my insomnia is definitely better, I am still dealing with some consequences of taking that herbal water pill.  I am hoping they clear up soon, and they seem to be, but they have been no fun!  I definitely won't be taking the herbal water pill again, and I can say that I will not be recommending it.  I am still contemplating another herbal alternative, but I am definitely going to wait awhile for that if I ever decide to try an herbal alternative again.  I have a feeling I am just going to have to deal with the water retention for the foreseeable future.

4. Diet News:  I definitely feel like I did better with my diet this week.  I think that is in part to trying to be very aware of what I am eating and why, but also I decided to try intermittent fasting (for more information on that, click here).  Basically, I am only eating anything calorie containing between 10am and 6pm (though I do have to modify that to like 9am to 5pm on Sundays due to church activities), and limiting myself to water, unsweetened tea or black decaf coffee at any other time.  The biggest thing that I will need to do with this is avoid the trap of eating the convenience foods or anything high in sugar.  So far, I have done very well.  The other thing I am going to try to do is add in more fruits and veggies.  That's something that I got a bit away from, and I would really like to change that.  Wish me luck!

5. Other News: School is in full swing, and this week is going to be insanely busy!  My head swims just thinking about it all.  But you know me - better busy than bored!  Also, I have a few unspoken prayer requests, so if you have time and think about it, I'd appreciate your prayers in those areas!  Thank you!

How are you doing?  Do you have anything you want to weigh in with?  Any health progress or goals you want to share?  If so, please leave a comment below (with a link to your post, if you have one and wish to leave it), and I'll respond ASAP.

Have a great week!