NOTICE

At the time of publication, all recipes were free of the allergens listed as being free of in the title (i.e. soy-free, milk-free, etc.), and all other information shared was accurate to the best of my knowledge.
Though I strive to update outdated information quickly and work diligently to make sure you have the most accurate information possible at all times, it is your duty to double check labels EVERY TIME to ensure that the ingredients you use are SAFE FOR YOU.
DO NOT RELY SOLELY ON THIS INFORMATION AS INGREDIENTS AND INFORMATION DO CHANGE.
Your doctor or allergist should also be your first go-to for information on how to handle your medical needs. That being said, if you DO notice an error, please send me an email letting me know (tell me what page or recipe the error is on, what the error is, etc.), and I will correct the error ASAP.
Thank you so much!

Please Be Advised:
I make sure all of my recipes use foods that are free of the allergens they say they are free of. You will need to do the same. For help with this, please see the appropriate "Alternative Names" page for the allergen(s) you need the recipe free of.

Print This Recipe/Page

Print Friendly and PDF

Friday, July 31, 2020

Family Favorites - July 2020: Peanut Butter Fudge (Soy, Wheat, Fish and Egg-Free, Can Be Milk and Nut-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.  {Sorry for the late post!  I lost track of what week it was!  July has been insanely busy!}  This recipe will be one that we make quite often and that we all enjoy greatly.  This post is the seventh Family Favorites recipe of 2020.

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 Peanut Butter Fudge.  This is basically a reposting of my original recipe with a few tips and tricks added in.

Peanut Butter Fudge is by far my family's favorite fudge.  It's rich, creamy and full of peanut buttery goodness.  This fudge is soy, wheat, fish and egg-free (if all your ingredients are), and can be milk and nut-free (see variations).  That's what I call a win!  If your family is a fan of peanut butter and fudge, you'll definitely want to give this recipe a try.



Peanut Butter Fudge

1/2 Cup full fat, salted butter

2 Cups brown sugar
(We always use brown cane sugar.)

dash of salt (up to 1/8 teaspoon)

1/2 Cup milk
(We always use whole milk.)

1 teaspoon gluten-free vanilla extract

1 Cup soy-free peanut butter (creamy or crunchy - the choice is yours)
(JIF Natural or Smucker's Natural are great choices here.  We usually use JIF Natural, and we always use creamy peanut butter.)

3 Cups powdered sugar
(make sure this ingredient is gluten-free if you need the recipe to be)

  1. Grease a 9x13 inch pan and set aside.
        
  2. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
      
  3. Stir in brown sugar, salt and milk and bring to a roiling boil and boil and stir for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
      
  4. Remove mixture from heat and stir in the peanut butter and vanilla until the peanut butter is melted and fully incorporated.  (Note: Feel free to go a little heavy handed on the peanut butter if you wish.  If you like it more peanut buttery, use a rounded Cup of peanut butter (up to 1 1/4 Cups).  If you like it not quite as peanut buttery, use a scant Cup (down to as little as 3/4 Cup).)
      
  5. Pour the peanut butter mixture over the powdered sugar in a large mixing bowl and beat until smooth.
       
  6. Pour/scoop the mixture into the prepared 9x13 pan and carefully press the mixture with a wooden spoon or spatula into the pan until the fudge is evenly distributed throughout the pan.  (Note: You can use your clean, bare hands to do this part, but the fudge mixture can be very hot, so I don't recommend this method.  If you want to do it that way, however, you may, but I recommend greasing your hands with butter first to reduce the risk of getting a burn.)
        
  7. Chill the fudge until firm and then cut into squares and enjoy.
Makes at least 48 pieces.

Variations (Please keep your individual allergen needs in mind when using variations!):
  • Milk-Free: Use a dairy-free butter (such as Melt or Earth Balance) and dairy-free milk (such as SoDelicious) in place of the butter and milk.  Make sure you grease the pan with a dairy-free fat, too.
        
  • Other Nut or Nut-Free: If you can have tree nuts, you can easily sub a tree nut spread for the peanut butter.  If you can have neither, you can use a seed butter instead.
      
  • Other Flavors: You can substitute any peanut butter, tree nut or seed butter spread or a combination of a few for the peanut butter in this.  This means you could use a flavored peanut butter (like the ones by Peanut Butter & Co.), Nutella or any other flavor that suits your fancy. :) 

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


Monday, July 27, 2020

Weekly Weigh In 2020: Week 30, July 27, 2020

Weekly Weigh In will go live every Monday, and it will share how I'm doing health-wise, and it will give me more accountability with my health.



Here is my thirtieth weigh in of 2020:


1. The Selfie: The selfie is me as of today, July 27, 2020.

2. Weight: My weight is went up a pound.  I am dealing with water retention due to the crazy amount of heat and humidity we have going on right now, so 1 lb. isn't too insane.  Hopefully, though, I can get back to weight loss next week.

3. Health News: I averaged just under 8,800 steps per day last week.  I am hoping to get at least my 6,000 steps per day average this week, and will do so as long as I can be out and about.

My Endocrinologist appointment is set for October.  I have mixed feelings about it, and may try to see if I can get something sooner in a closer location (this one is over an hour away).  We'll see.

I'm still doing well if I follow my rules, so that's good.  Chiropractic is still being beneficial, too.  I'm to see my doctor next month for my physical as well as my OBGYN to check on the PCOS.  We'll see how all that goes.

4. Diet News:  I feel like I'm doing pretty well.  Still looking for some new foods to try, and have decided that some things are not worth it.  I was enjoying some sugar-free candies and some sugar-free, high protein ice cream at times, but I honestly just can't tolerate most of them.  I'm finding there are a few sugar-free mints and sugar-free gums that are ok if I don't have much of them, but the rest just really have too many carbs (sugar alcohols, normally) and not enough fat/fiber/protein in them to prevent them from messing with my heart rate.  I do ok with homemade smoothies, so I'll just keep those as my sweet treat and forget the rest.  That's healthier for me, anyway.

5. Other News: Please continue to pray for my middle kid.  For nearly 10 months now, he has been dealing with an unknown health issue.  He appears to be stable (as long as he takes his medication), but we'd like to be able to figure out what the source of the issue is so that he can go off the medication if at all possible.  He sees the doctor on Friday (mainly to see if he needs a lift due to a leg length discrepancy), and I look forward to speaking with her about it all.  We appreciate your prayers and thoughts!  If you'd like more of a current update/rundown on his condition, you can click here.

As to our week, another insane week.  My youngest turns 10 (What!?!? Where does time go!?!), we're still working on the washer/water issues (the washer is at least working, but only on one setting), along with some other house maintenance issues, and lot of other things.  I'm hopeful that we can get the water issue sorted by the weekend, but that may not happen.  Please pray that we can get the water/washer issue fixed before it becomes urgent.  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!

Monday, July 20, 2020

Weekly Weigh In 2020: Week 29, July 20, 2020

Weekly Weigh In will go live every Monday, and it will share how I'm doing health-wise, and it will give me more accountability with my health.



Here is my twenty-ninth weigh in of 2020:



1. The Selfie: The selfie is me as of today, July 20, 2020.

2. Weight: My weight is down another pound.  I'm happy, and I do hope it continues.  We shall see.

3. Health News: I averaged just over 10,400 steps per day last week.  I am hoping to get at least my 6,000 steps per day average this week, and will do so as long as I can be out and about.

My doctor still wants me to see an Endocrinologist, so they are putting in a referral to see a different one.  We'll see if that goes through.  I'll let you know.

Overall, I'm doing pretty good, though.  Chiropractic has been helping with any back issues (I have had a few issues with tingling/numbness on the left side at times still, but nothing long lasting or to the point where I have needed to call the doctor or go to the ER), so that's good.  All in all, I'm pretty happy with how I'm doing at this point in time.

4. Diet News:  I am making progress!  I am still learning what I can and cannot eat and when (i.e. I can handle a larger carb load for breakfast but not for dinner), but I feel like I'm getting a handle on things.  I'm starting to struggle a little with variety of foods, so I'm going to be looking at trying some new things soon (think more veggies or higher protein/no sugar snacks).  We'll see how that goes.

5. Other News: Please continue to pray for my middle kid.  For about 9 and a half months now, he has been dealing with an unknown health issue.  Though he is essentially stable, he is still not 100% (though he is doing much better than he was).  Pray for wisdom for us as we try to decide what to pursue, what to wait on, etc.  Thank you!  If you'd like more of a current update/rundown on his condition, you can click here.

As to our week, more busy ahead.  We're still working on the washer/water issues (I've been washing a LOT of laundry by hand), along with some other house maintenance issues, that we hope to have at least in part resolved by the weekend.  Prayers that we will be able to get done what we need to without any complications.  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!

Sunday, July 19, 2020

Recent Reflections - July 2020: Happy Birthday, Hubby!



This is the seventh Recent Reflections post of 2020.  Recent Reflections goes live the third Friday or Saturday of each month.  {Sorry it is a day late - time got away from me again!}  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 husband's birthday.


Yesterday was my husband's birthday.  Normally, we would have gone out to dinner and do ne something fun as a family, but things are by no means normal this year.  We did enjoy his day, but not in a normal fashion, opting to make homemade milkshakes and spend a quiet evening at home vs. going out on the town, as it were.

Hubbin,

Happy Birthday {weekend}!

I know we didn't celebrate like we normally would, but I want you to know we love you and I hope you felt celebrated, even if it wasn't in the normal way.  May the Lord give us many more years together, and hopefully next year we can celebrate in a more traditional way.

All my love,
Wifey

If you are getting ready to celebrate your birthday or the birthday of a loved one during this pandemic, do what you can to make it special in its own way, even if you don't do a traditional celebration.  Try to Facetime with family and friends who can't be there or give them a call.  Send cards or gifts.  Make a new "COVID-friendly" tradition or two.  Either way, enjoy the day in the best ways you know how, and remember that traditions don't matter more than the person, so focus on letting that person know you care vs. what you can or cannot do.

I truly hope this post has been a help to you, or at the least made you stop and think a little.

Maybe you want to share something in comments that God has done in your life recently to bless you as a means to be an encouragement to others during these trying and difficult times?  Feel free to do so.  Positivity and blessings are always welcome!  



What are you reflecting on?

Have a wonderful weekend!




Wednesday, July 15, 2020

Breakfast Smoothies (Wheat, Nut, Fish, Soy and Egg-Free, Can Be Milk-Free)


If you are a follower of my blog, you know that I've recently had to revamp my diet.  I've had to cut out all sugar (except for honey), avoid foods with added sugars and/or too many carbs, and avoid all forms of caffeine.  This has been quite the challenge, and it's been especially difficult when it comes to breakfast time when I want something quicker to eat and when it comes to wanting something a little on the sweet side.  Enter my breakfast smoothies to the rescue.

This is a recipe that I came up with that satisfies my need for something a little sweet, but that doesn't send my heart racing due to a lot of added sugar (I normally make it with berries and honey, so the glycemic load is a lot lower, too).  It can be enjoyed at breakfast time or any time, but we normally make these for breakfast.  They are thick like a milkshake (thanks to the Greek yogurt), so they make you think you're eating ice cream for breakfast.  I vote for that. :)

This recipe is free of 7 of the top 8 allergens (if all of your ingredients are), and can easily be made dairy-free, too (see variations).  It can even be made with an alternative sweetener as well if you can't eat honey or don't eat it.  And did I mention it is only (at most) 4 ingredients and whips up in minutes?  Yah, it's awesome.  Give it a try, and see if it doesn't become a summer breakfast staple for you like it has for us.


Breakfast Smoothies

frozen fruit of your choice such as berries, cherries, peaches, mango, pineapple, bananas; any combination
(As I mentioned above, we normally use a combination of berries, and the smoothie pictured is made with only strawberries.)

soy-free, gluten-free plain Greek yogurt
(We use full-fat plain Greek yogurt whenever possible, but you can use non-fat or 2% fat with success.  We always use plain, too, as that allows us to control the amount of sweetness, and plain yogurt (especially full-fat, Greek) tends to be very allergy-friendly without a lot of added junk (that said, avoid yogurts that use cornstarch - the best Greek yogurts to use contain milk and/or cream and yogurt cultures only).  If you're looking for a good brand, FAGE is a good one.)

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

honey (optional)
(We always add this.)

1. Place desired amount (about 1 Cup per person) of frozen (yes, it MUST be frozen) fruit in a blender.

2. Add desired amount of yogurt (start with 1/4 Cup or so per person) and milk (start with about 1/2 Cup or so per person) to reach the desired consistency. (Note: You may have to pulse the mix at first until it is slightly blended, then continue full boar.  Also, if you want the smoothie thicker, add more frozen fruit or yogurt.  If you want it thinner, add more milk.)

3. Taste the mixture.  If you like it as is, feel free to enjoy it as is.  If you find it too tart, add honey (I would recommend starting at about 1 Tablespoon per person, re-tasting and then adding more if desired) and re-blend until well incorporated.  (Note: Occasionally, I find that a dash of salt is needed to bring out the sweetness, so before you add more honey if the mixture tastes just about right but is missing "something", try a dash of salt and blend well and re-taste to see if that doesn't work for you.) 


Variations (Please keep your individual dietary needs in mind when using variations):
  • Dairy-Free: Use a dairy-free milk and a dairy-free yogurt in place of the regular milk and yogurt.  You can also just use dairy-free milk and no yogurt, if desired.

  • Yogurt Substitution: You could use vanilla yogurt, flavored yogurt or just milk and no yogurt if you prefer and those things fit your dietary needs better.  I would think (though I have not tried it) that avocado would be a good yogurt substitution, as well.
      
  • Sugar Substitution: You could use agave, sugar, jam or preserves, maple syrup, molasses or other sweetener of choice for the honey.
      
  • Add Some Spice: If you like basil or thyme with your fruit, you can add a pinch of that.  You could even add some cinnamon or even some Cheyenne pepper, if you choose.
      
  • Hidden Greens: If you are trying to work more greens into your diet, you can add them here.  Spinach and kale are both good choices.  If you add just a small amount (no more than 1/2 Cup per 1 Cup of fruit), you shouldn't be able to taste the greens at all, but you may need to add a little more sweetener.
These smoothies are great, but you don't have to take my word for it.  Just ask my soon-to-be-10-year-old daughter.


She says, and I quote, "YUM!"
Try them today - you won't regret it!

Have a great day!




Monday, July 13, 2020

Weekly Weigh In 2020: Week 28, July 13, 2020

Weekly Weigh In will go live every Monday, and it will share how I'm doing health-wise, and it will give me more accountability with my health.



Here is my twenty-eighth weigh in of 2020:



1. The Selfie: The selfie is me as of today, July 13, 2020.

2. Weight: My weight is down the three pounds I gained.  I'm happy, and I do hope it continues.  We shall see.

3. Health News: I averaged just over 7,700 steps per day last week.  I am hoping to get at least my 6,000 steps per day average this week, and will do so as long as I can be out and about.

I heard from my doctor's office today that my endocrinologist appointment referral was declined for some unknown reason.  I'm not sure if my doctor will want to try to get me in somewhere else to see an endocrinologist, if she wants to run some tests herself (specifically if there are any tests to look for adrenal issues which is something my OBGYN wondered about and my reaction - racing heart rate - to sugar and caffeine suggest there is an issue with), or if we're just going to take a "wait and see" approach as I am doing well when I strictly avoid sugar and caffeine (and limit carbs - more on that in a minute) and take the Coreg.  We'll see what she says, and I'll keep you posted. 

Overall, I'm doing pretty good, though.  I'm still having some back issues, but the chiropractor is helping with that.  I'm very grateful they are still open to say the least!

4. Diet News:  So, I figured out something yesterday after having a crazy racing heart episode after eating a meal with no sugar in it (save a little honey which I normally do not react to) and lots of protein that had me baffled...until I looked at the carb count which was probably well over 100g.  I got thinking back about other meals I had had which caused similar reactions, and realized that they may not have had added sugar, but the carb count may still have been higher than I realized.  That being said, I am going to have to be a carb counter, sort of, on top of avoiding sugar and caffeine.  If I have carbs (of any sort) in a large amount (let's say higher than about 40g per serving) no matter what, it's going to cause me issues, even if there is a decent amount of fiber, protein or fat in the meal.  I also figured out that an item that has even a lower amount of carbs per serving (as low as 10 or 15g), no matter what the carb source, causes me issues if there is no protein, fat and/or fiber in it.  So, my best bet has been to limit carb counts to 20 or less per serving AND make sure that there is a decent amount of fat, protein and/or fiber (preferably protein and fiber over fat).  I've been able to handle a higher carb count (up to about 40 g/serving) at times, but generally I do best if I have a lower carb count.  And I try to keep that carb count (2og or less, but definitely no more than 40g) as per meal for breakfast and lunch, and I try to keep anything after that (dinner and any snacks) without carbs or extremely low carb (10g or less) if at all possible.  It does make a difference in how I feel.  It may be taking awhile, but I am learning! :)

5. Other News: Please continue to pray for my middle kid.  For just over 9 months now, he has been dealing with an unknown health issue.  Though he is essentially stable, he is still not 100% (though he is doing much better than he was).  Pray for wisdom for us as we try to decide what to pursue, what to wait on, etc.  Thank you!  If you'd like more of a current update/rundown on his condition, you can click here.

As to our week, it's looking like it will be another busy one.  We're having some issues with our washer, so we're looking at probably needing to replace it soon (which will be a bit complicated as our water shut-off isn't working properly), along with some other house maintenance issues, so we'd appreciate your prayers for wisdom in regards to these matters.  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!

Monday, July 6, 2020

Weekly Weigh In 2020: Week 27, July 6, 2020

Weekly Weigh In will go live every Monday, and it will share how I'm doing health-wise, and it will give me more accountability with my health.



Here is my twenty-seventh weigh in of 2020:



1. The Selfie: The selfie is me as of today, July 6, 2020.

2. Weight: My weight is yo-yoing again.  I'm up about 3 lbs. right now.  The heatwave we've been having is not helping my water retention, but I know I am not eating 100% right for me, either.  I'm going to keep working on it, and hopefully have a weight loss to share with you next week.

3. Health News: I averaged just over 8,900 steps per day last week.  I am hoping to get at least my 6,000 steps per day average this week, and will do so as long as I can be out and about.

I heard from my OBGYN, and he didn't think my PCOS had anything to do with my arrhythmia issues, so that's good.  He still wants me to see him in August, so prayerfully nothing will happen to cancel that appointment.  He also mentioned that he agreed with the cardiologist that seeing an endocrinologist was a good idea, so please pray that I will be able to get that appointment scheduled soon.  Thanks!

Overall, though, I feel like my arrhythmia issue has been pretty stable.  I've not had any major issues, and any issues I have had can be linked to something dietary or stress related.  I'm just glad I've not had to make any more trips to the ER. :)

My back is giving me issues again like it did years ago.  I have a lot of tension in it with pain at times (ranging from my neck to my hips depending on the day), and I'm currently having issues with tingling/numbness/lack of sensation in my legs (mainly my left leg) probably due to said back issues.  I can also have leg pain and knee issues at times.  I'm going to see the chiro today, so hopefully it will help (it normally does).  I'm hoping that I can find some stretches or something that can help relieve the tension, too.  We'll see what she recommends.

4. Diet News:  As I mentioned above, I am still working on tweaking the diet.  The irony is that, according to traditional thinking in regards to foods, my diet isn't too bad.  Problem is, it is not the right one for me.  I'm going to work on reducing grains a bit more, and I'm still struggling to get those potato chips out of my diet (they are a temptation, but I don't have any currently in the house, so hopefully I can keep it that way).  I'm also going to work on not eating unless I'm truly hungry.  I can be an idle eater, and that's not a good thing, even if I'm snacking on things that aren't necessarily bad for you.  Anyway, I really do feel like I'm making slow progress, even if my weight disagrees.  I'll get it right one of these days! :)

5. Other News: Please continue to pray for my middle kid.  For 9 months now, he has been dealing with an unknown health issue.  Though he is essentially stable, he is still not 100% (though he is doing much better than he was).  Pray for wisdom for us as we try to decide what to pursue, what to wait on, etc.  Thank you!  If you'd like more of a current update/rundown on his condition, you can click here.

As to our week, another busy week, and that won't change any time soon.  We're hoping to sneak in some fun family time by the weekend if possible, though.  We shall see.

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!