SpoonFullofJelly

Happy 250th!!! This is a very special post because it's number 250!!!! I wrote a ton of posts back when I was living and traveling around Asia, but when I returned home, I started this journey over. Tons of thoughts were shared, and tears were shed. Yet here we are, 250 posts later. I was pondering on what I should tell my dedicated readers. I have been writing about tackling debt, infertility, adoption, and even our food journeys for the past 4 years. The most recent journey I have been on is reducing meat. My eyes have been opened to the effects of over-consumption of red meat and dairy and boy I can't look away. So for my #250th blog post, I thought I would bring to you, my heart felt journey of trying to become meat-free. This is a work in process that began last year. If this is your first time visiting me, check out my first and second post of becoming meat-free. Check out my first journey of being meat free for a month After learning about how important pl...

Over the top birthday parties are not new concept. They were the center of parent's secret conversations for years. But what I was surprised to learn is that it is still a problem. Large parties are the norm for so many families while others cut cake with a handful of friends. If you are new to the parenting thing like me, here are a few tips I've gathered over the last month planning my son's first birthday. I am not an expert on baby birthdays, but my husband is an expert on depression and stress. Some of his clients suffer from social anxiety and birthday parties for children are part of the problem. Go Big or Go Home Traveling petting zoo, human-sized Characters, Pony rides OH MY! The list can go on and on for what can embellish the 1st year's birthday party. But going big can be too much stress. I would rather go home! Tons of Littles The thought of spending the afternoon with 20 toddlers may excite you or actually scare the pants off of you. Think abou...

I love my husband! I loved him when I said "Yes!" to the ring and "I Do!" at the alter. I would do anything for his health so that he could be with me forever on this big blue green ball. Hubby has been on a gluten free diet for nearly two years. It has been a cooking struggle and pleasure. I have damaged so many brownies, cookies, pancakes and more. But sweet hubby ate them all. Sometimes with a smile and other times not. Such a sweetie. To decrease the amount of gluten free disasters, I try to add in a few prepackaged goods. With that thought it mind, I finally walked into Aldi. I heard that they had a few gluten free items along with cheap meats and canned goods. I am always a little leary with cheap meats because of a not so happy experience a few years ago...I dont want to remember it. Here is my first Aldi Haul! Well check out our small haul. I was able to find gluten free crackers, cookie mix, cornbread and tortilla wraps. We rounded out our groce...

If you tread through the internet, you will find a plethora of meal planning ideas and calendars. Families have planned out everything they want to eat from breakfast, to lunch to dinner. Some have gone as far as to predict when certain foods go on sale so that they can cut the costs of their meals. The natural planning side of me has tried to jump on the bandwagon but I think my taste buds are stronger than me. The most I plan out is the week: Mon-Fri. I check the weather and the week's schedule and plan according to my freezer and the grocer's sales sections. I don't think it's a winning combination because I'm shopping every week and I often change how the meal turns out. This week our menu was: Breakfast Apple Cinnamon Muffins Homemade Apple Sauce with bacon and eggs Apple Dutch Pancake Lunch Chicken Wings and Quinoa Quesadilla Left Overs Dinner GF Corn Chowder with ham Cauliflower Rice Pizza Steak and Onions with veggies Beef an...

One year ago Mr. Mind stopped eating potatoes. He learned more about how foods was making his skin condition worse and he began to remove them from his diet. First to go was the potato. That meant no more wonderful mashed potatoes, french fries and chips. I was sad, because I love french fries and hash-browns. But Mr. Mind told me that I shouldn't give up potatos like I had given up wheat. He accidentally consumed some potatoes twice that resulted in a breakout, but he has stuck to his guns. He didn't budge when we ate burgers and I indulged in fries. He didn't eat potatoes just because it was apart of the restaurant's pre-made plate. He made modifications and substitutions, often at our own expense. "Hey restaurants, stop charging people to making changes to foods they can't eat. Sweet potatoes shouldn't be an extra $2. They costs the same in the grocery store!" Mr. Mind has taken a liking to sweet potato fries and stuffed sweet potatoes. We h...

If you are just now joining us, this post is a continuation of "How Crunchy Can She Get!" My co-worker has to change he daughter's diet to a Gluten Free and Dairy Free one and she was wondering how we did it. Check out Topic One and Topic Two. Stay tuned because we have more changes to go! Make your Own Mixes Not only does changing what you eat changes your health, it also changes your expenses and your way of thinking. Today let's focus on saving some money on typical things that people will buy this summer, over and over again. Barbecue Sauce 1 1/4 cups   Water 1 6-oz can   Tomato paste 1/2 cup       Honey 1/2 cup      Molasses 1/4 cup      Apple Cider Vinegar 2 tbsp        Worcestershire sauce 2 tsp          Paprika 1 tsp          Garlic Powder 1/2 tsp       Chili Powder 1/4 tsp       Onion Powder 1/4 ...

Don't you love trying something new? I do! My heart flutters and my hands shake, but I give it a try. I will taste anything new, just don't tell me what's in it. Pink Pearl Apples was in my local co-op store. Hubby and I grabbed two and were excited to give them a try. They were sweet and a tad tart. The pink flesh seem like they will make an excellent apple sauce. I will try to grab a few to make some home made apple sauce. I paired half of this wonderful fruit with feta cheese in a salad and ate the other half cut up. Children might be fascinated by the pink fleshed apple. Let me know if you have ever stumbled across this or any other unique fruit or veggie . Post your opinions about the fruit and veggie. I would love to give it a try.

Granola is the latest craze. It has even taken over meals. It has been tossed in yogurt, pastas and ice cream. Store bought granola bars are expense especially when 4-6 members of the home consume a bar once or twice a week. Loose Granola in yogurt cups have cause the price of that cup to nearly double. Granola cereals, are stuffed with fruit and chocolate and come in small packages. Making this tastily treat at home is easier than you think! Give it a try! Loose Granola 1/4 cup Canola Oil (Can use less to cut calories) 1/4 cup Honey 1/4 cup Brown Sugar 1    tsp Vanilla Extract 1/4 tsp Cinnamon or Nutmeg 1/4 tsp Salt 3    cups Old-Fashioned Oats 1-2 cups Additions such as dried cranberries, nuts and dark chocolate * Even though quick oats will work, you best results come from old-fashioned oats 1. Preheat Oven to 325F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 2. Combine oil, honey, brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and salt. Whisk together and then add th...

We now have something to blame for years of constant fatigue, skin breakouts, and low iron count. Mr. Mind is allergic to gluten. For nearly 6 weeks, we have dodge gluten as much as possible. It has been harder than we thought because wheat is in everything. Sometimes we wonder why!  Salad dressing? really? Yes, its in some salad dressings. I've been on a whirlwind trying to learn how to make our favorite foods without gluten. I usually make homemade cookies, quick breads, pies, cakes and more. Sometimes I made these items on a weekly bases. Now, I'm trying to learn about the assortment of flours that we can combine to make tasty foods. Some of the flours I have never heard of before. We bought a few store bought baked goods and most are nasty and dry. I understand that gluten gives the product fluffiness, but does it actually give flavor? I tried some branded prepackaged foods and liked what I tasted. Enjoy Life is one of the first brands that we tasted....

Mr. Mind and I are back on the scene tasting Autumn's newest foods. My husband has a cat tongue and stays clear from spicy foods, but I love spicy foods. I'm a "Taste This..." kind-of-wife and always shoving food in his mouth and looking for his opinion. So when we wanted to try Jingos I wanted spicy and he wanted cheddar. I won! Jingos! Such fun to say and boy do those little crackers have a punch a flavor. Hands down they are great! They give some excitement to hummus and cheese. Crumble them over soup for a little kick! You can throw them in for lunch or a snack. I'm glad that Pepperidge Farms created a different flavor. I'm tired of cheese and sea salt. Lime and Sweet Chili are a great addition to the cracker world. Give them a try and see for yourself!

Summer and Spices! Summer is here, grills are out BBQ parties invitations are being sent out. Have you noticed that seasonings are popular in the summer. The difference between chicken this week and chicken last week are the wonderful scents and flavors of herbs and seasonings. You can buy rubs, marinades, and basters. The premixed seasonings finally go on sale and provide great examples of how to use them. Some are for one use and others can be used often. But do you know what's inside of them? Spices and preferences of them differ on region and country of origin. Let's take a look at them: India Cardamom  Bay Leaves Cayenne Pepper Chilies Chili Powder Cilantro Cinnamon Mustard Seed Nutmeg Ginger Mango Powder Saffron Tamarind Turmeric...etc Japan Salt-Pickled Ginger Ginger Rot Wasabi Yuzu Mirin Sake...etc Jamaica Cassia Clove Escallion Garlic Ginger Nutmeg Allspice Turmeric Vanilla...etc Germany Mustard Paprika Caraway Chives Pa...