What's for breakfast on GAPS? *UPDATE

Since we've eliminated grains from our diet we've struggled with what to eat for breakfast.  Here are some of our family's favorites

Applemeal (just as filling as oatmeal)
1C apple sauce
1/4 c almond meal
1 T butter
vanilla and cinnamon to taste.

Heat and enjoy!  it ends up tasting like pie filling and is more filling than just eating apple sauce.

Soda biscuit
2 3/4 C almond flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 C dried fruit (optional - we don't add this)
2 eggs
2T apple cider vinegar
2T honey or more - to taste

Mix dry ingredients and wet ingredients separately (this is important!).  Add them all together in a mixer until combined.  Shape into biscuits and bake 20-30 min at 350 degrees.  If biscuits are too dry, add more honey.

*this recipe is adapted from  Elana's pantry

Oven Pancake
1/2 C butter ***** UPDATE this is too much butter!  try 1/4 C butter******
6 eggs
1 C yogurt or kefir or sour cream or cultured milk product of choice
1/4 C coconut flour
1/4 tsp. salt
vanilla or almond flavor (optional)
1 C fresh fruit (optional)

Pre-heat oven to 425 and while it is warming, place the stick of butter in your 9x13 pan.  Combine all other ingredients in a blender and dump in your pan (make sure all the butter is melted first.  Bake 25-30 min and serve with honey, maple syrup, fruit ,  or whatever else you may have on hand!

* this recipe is adapted from Loving your Guts


Other easy things that we eat are smoothies, apple slices and peanut butter, eggs, and pumpkin pie.

Almond meal can be found at Trader Joes, Smart and Final and natural food stores.  Coconut four can be found the in the health food aisle of some grocery stores and most natural food stores as well.  I buy mine at El Rancho Grande

And the winner is ... me!

Eliot is an interesting kid.  He doesn't like to be hugged, he hates it, but he always finds some excuse to approach me at bedtime and make sure he gets his hug - just like everyone else.  So I hug his stiff little body and try to make it brief.  He knows he is receiving my love as I squeeze him and he won't give it up even though it makes him uncomfortable.

Eliot hasn't ever been good at expressing himself either.  We always have to dig and ask and investigate to understand what his is thinking and why.  I sometimes "get" him, but usually he is a mystery to me and no matter how much he wants me to understand him there has always been a wall.

This year, we have done some of our language arts with a group of friends.  This has been hard for Eliot because he is the youngest and wants his writing to be just as good as the older kids' papers even though learning to read and write has been a struggle that he worked through at a different pace than his peers.  The good thing about our group is that everyone has been so encouraging that deep within the misspellings and disorganized sentences - he's found his voice.

For 9 years I've known and loved this boy and finally, Finally, I'm hearing him and understanding him a bit better because he's started to write.

First, it was stacks and stacks of post-its of things he was grateful for to put into our Thankfulness Jar, then, it was a notebook with some pictures of his favorite superheroes with labels and lists of their powers.  Lately we've been doing a poetry unit and I'm understanding better how he sees and processes his world.  I'm delighted by his perspective, his curiosity and his unusual and perceptive take on things.

When I started the list of things I love about my husband, Eliot got in on the action and couldn't stop.  He wrote about every other day something new that he loved about his dad.  Tonight he wrote that he loves his dad because "you make good decision" ( either that or "you make good bacon", his letter reversals and spelling make it hard to tell.) and "You are very wise". These are thoughts he hasn't, to my knowledge ever expressed to his dad and they are even more poignant because it is so difficult for him to write it out.

It's amazing what an unexpected blessing this process has been for me.  Being grateful always makes me more cheerful, more forgiving, more humble, (Phillip is always awesome, whether or not I choose to acknowledge it) but knowing that my private list became something for Zak and Eliot to participate in (apparently Charissa erased Zak's contributions) makes it even more special.  Knowing that you guys participated with me kept me going, so, thank you for joining me!  

It's late so it's time I let the random number generator tell me that Sherri has won!  Sherri, email me what nights are good and after my kids are over their colds I'd love to babysit for you and let you know what restaurant I bought that gift card for. Congratulations!

15 day challenge

I'm going to draw a name from the hat tonight to see who won the give away (if you live out of town I'll probably leave the restaurant choice up to you.)  Here's the list I came up with on my bathroom mirror.  See if you can guess which one Phillip added and which ones Eliot added


I love you because:

1-  you are kind
2-  you are cheerful
3-  you are my best friend
4-  you make me laugh
5-  you know what I'm going to say before I say it
6-  Daddy I love you because you work so late and hard *
7-  you are such a great father
8-  you have such a loving heart
9-  you help me *
10- your a great lyter (I think he meant leader)*
11- you help me understand my world and teach me to think critically about it
12- you encourage me to love sacrificially
13- you rescue me from disaster when I'm at my wit's end with the kids
14- you help me understand other people's perspective

If you did the challenge at home and didn't comment on the blog you still have a chance to participate by adding your comment and letting me know that you played along with me. Even if you didn't do it all 15 days I bet you could still surprise your husband with 15 things you are grateful for about him.  I would love to know what you wrote on your mirrors if it's not too personal!

* written by Eliot