Butternut Squash...A Trial Run

As we move into incorporating more and more fresh foods into our everyday diet, I am having to experiment and try new things.  I will admit, that up until a few weeks ago, I never had squash of any kind.  I have never, ever and I mean never liked pumpkin.  In my mind, squash = pumpkin.  I was proven wrong with spaghetti squash and have found I do enjoy it with a wonderful, thick, meat sauce.  Tonight we tried butternut squash.  Confession is good for the soul right?  I cheated a little.  I bought a bag of cut and washed squash at Trader Joe's.  All I had to do was roast it in the oven tossed with some olive oil, salt and pepper.  After it had baked about 30 minutes, I poured a maple syrup sauce over the top.  I do believe this is what made everyone (except Matthew) decide it was good!  That's ok, I'm not opposed to making life and food a little sweeter!

I put 3 TBS of maple syrup in a measuring cup and added 3 TBS of butter and about 1/2 tsp cinnamon.  I let this set on the stove while it was baking and let the butter melt into the syrup.  Once the squash was done, I just poured it over the top and stirred it up.  It was YUM!

My favorite "cheat", which really isn't a cheat, but it sure seems like it, is grilled stuffed mushrooms.  These have become a fan favorite around here.  I used to make a couple large ones, but now everybody wants a mushroom!!  I have had to grow these a bit!  Tonight I used smaller portabello mushrooms so everyone could have one.

Wash the mushrooms.  Cut out the stems, and clean out the gills with a spoon. 

Cut up 2-3 pieces of bacon real quick, and chop up some onion in your chopper.  Mix the bacon and onion with 4oz. cream cheese.

Stuff the mushrooms.

Top with shredded Mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.  (Real, not fake in a can.)

These were all grilled up, with chili lime chicken, by my amazing guy!!!!

I added some oriental sweet potatoes...ok I was hungry....and we had an amazing dinner!  

Hurray for Pizza!!!!

I am thrilled to announce that Pizza has been officially added back into our diet!!! 

The kids are all ecstatic!!  Mike is even MORE ecstatic!!  If you know Mike, you know he lives and breathes pizza.  These past few months his pizza intake has gone from 4-5 times a week to 4 times a month...maybe less??  He'll never tell.  ;)

When I told the kids we were having pizza tonight, I pretty sure the neighbors heard them squeal.  It was a joyous occasion, with much celebration!

Finding a pizza crust that is paleo friendly, and not gross, is not an easy feat.  A lot of recipes resort to odd bases that aren't really dough.  Cauliflower is a big one out there.  I'm just not ready to venture into the world of cauliflower as a substitute for anything "normal" in my life.  Maybe someday, but that day is NOT today.  I found recipes for meat based crusts.  Ehhhh...that's a bit overwhelming and I'm looking for real pizza here.  I also found a few non-crust recipes.  Again, I want REAL PIZZA!!!

After quite a search, I finally found one that looked very promising!  I read on her blog that she had adapted a dinner roll recipe into pizza dough, I thought, "Winner, winner! Pizza dinner!"  Pizza dough and dinner rolls, yep, that's fitting right in with my need for bread-like crust.  I will be trying her dinner roll recipe soon!

First off, make sure all your ingredients are paleo kosher.  We do eat full fat dairy in moderation, so our pizzas do include cheese.  If you don't eat dairy, feel free to leave off the cheese.  As mentioned many times, I'm a crazy-nutso label reader.  If you are not making your own sauce from scratch, READ YOUR LABELS!!  Many have added sugar and other yuck.  This is one of two brands that I have found reasonable and tasty!!

You can find the pizza dough recipe from Paleo Spirit.  I was really getting the hang of the dough by the 2nd batch and they both turned out really well!!  It was easier than I expected it to be.  The kneading was simple and rolling it out was easy too.  I loved cooking it directly on the parchment paper.  No moving from paper to pan.  We did take the crusts off the paper for finally cooking, which I think I will not do next time.  Less clean up of melted cheese on the pan!

Look how pretty the crust was!!!!!!

I also think I will bake the crusts a bit longer.  My oven, even though it is only 4 years old, really cooks slow.  I have to cook everything about 5 minutes longer than suggested.  This recipe said 12 -15 minutes.  I baked mine at least 15 minutes, but it didn't look crispy like hers.  I thought it would be fine, but once the toppings were on it and re-baked, I found it could have been baked a bit more.  Definitely NOT gooey, but could be crispier.  

We did several toppings.  One pizza was sausage, uncured pepperoni and fresh mushrooms.  The 2nd had the same toppings plus chopped red onion and black olives.  You can change up your toppings, but I'd remember to stay heavy on the meat side: sausage, ham, bacon, pepperoni, ground beef.  You need the protein!!  Don't use canned mushrooms, use fresh.  You could do tomato, fresh pineapple, a paleo friendly BBQ sauce and chicken.  The toppings are endless!!

This will be a staple again in our family.  Everyone is thrilled!!!  I will have to make 3 pizzas next time for sure, maybe FOUR!!  I also found that I could make one crust, then while that one was pre-baking, make the next one.  Then we just baked in shifts.  The kids topped one while I baked the next crust, etc.  It was great to have helpers in the kitchen and they could add their own toppings.  I may try dividing the dough and letting them make individual pizzas sometime.  Not until I'm more adept at the dough, which shouldn't take long.

Everyone is going to bed fat and happy!!

Today's Teacher Treats!

As the kids have been sharing their new way of eating with their beloved teachers at school, I've been bringing in special treats for them every once in awhile.  I enjoy brightening these women's lives, as they bring so much joy to my kids and sacrifice for them daily!  I am hoping they enjoy these treats too.  So far I've gotten rave revues!  I have a couple more tricks up my sleeve.  ;)

May 5th-9th is Teacher Appreciation Week.  I usually bring them hanging baskets of flowers so they can remember my kids all summer.  I will do that again, but I have a special treat planned as well.  

Today's Teacher Treats were Blueberry Muffins, courtesy of The Paleo Mom, and Honey Muffins, from Civilized Caveman.  I've heard both were very YUMMY!!   Both recipes are a basic muffin recipe, so you can add and alter them quite a bit for different tastes.  I plan to make more of these soon.

My New Project...Ahhhh...Organization!!!

I'm an organization freak.  As I go through my kitchen make-over (soon!) with you, it will become evident.

One area that has been a struggle is the new found recipes we are trying and liking.  I have about 4 or 5 Paleo cookbooks all with little post-it notes sticking out the top of things I want to try.  Then I have about 3 or 4 cookbooks that are digital (via Kindle or PDF downloads).  Those are harder to sticky up!  Then there is Pinterest...I  love Pinterest!!!

When we find a "keeper" I like to not have to go digging around for the recipe again.  Was it in this book, or on-line or on my Kindle???  Today I created new mini-recipe books so I can keep them all organized.  When we have a "keeper" I will either type it into the computer in a pre-formatted page, or I will hand-write it on 4x6 note card.

There are four "brag book" photo albums.  I labeled each one:  Dinners & Sides; Desserts; Snacks; Breakfast.

Now I can just fill them with the appropriate recipes!  They are quick to grab and if I spill on them, I can easily wipe it off!!  Saves my actual books and I don't have to keep going back and forth to digital devices for recipes I use all the time.

Spaghetti Squash...another HIT!

This is my 2nd time making spaghetti squash in place of traditional pasta.  I heard shouts of "yahoo" from everyone in the group except one.  (More on that later.)

One thing I have found with converting the boys to a paleo diet, is that the more they pick out the food or help in the kitchen the more apt they are to eat it and enjoy it.  I let them go through my cookbooks and pick out future dinner or snack options.  I also am trying to teach them more and more about cooking and baking with different ingredients.  Like previously mentioned, I'm hoping that these food choices and cooking skills will go with them through adulthood.  I have always included my kids in the kitchen, but I have found that I'm including them more and more lately.  It could be partly to the extra food prep involved, or partly due to my desire to make sure they are actively involved.  Either way, it's working!!

Ethan is my champion beef browner!  Every time I have meat that needs to be browned, I call on Ethan.

I have mentioned before that I do still buy some processed foods.  Just not refined carbs.  I've selective and I read labels methodically.  We have used this sauce twice now and everyone loves it!  All natural ingredients and no sugar.

Once the squash was done, I enlisted Christian...actually he offered and I accepted...to shred the "spaghetti".  

The finished product is YUM!!!

Unless you're Justin:

Certainly not his favorite, but he still ate lots of meat sauce.  

Autoimmune or Allergic Reaction

Today was my day to react in some way.  I haven't decided yet if this is just a standard autoimmune reaction, an unknown allergic reaction, or a violent reaction to something I accidentally ingested that my body now no longer likes.  Any one of these could be the answer, or a combination of some form.

This morning about 6:30am, I woke up itching.  I usually am awake earlier than that, and I was.  I actually was awake around 4:00am but forced myself back to sleep, which I must have needed.  I was surprised by the itching, checked my arm and sure enough I had hives.  I quickly ran through the typical questions, which I already knew were all "no's".  No new detergents, soaps, lotions, perfumes.  No contact with odd plants or other environmental allergens.  No new foods.  I hadn't even ate yet, so it would have had to been from the previous day(s).  I took some diphenhydramine (Benadryl for you non-pharmaceutical people.) and went down to make the boys breakfast.  Yet the itching continued.

I took the boys to school.  When I got home, I was very sleepy and thought I'd lay down for awhile.  When I woke up an hour later, then itching was still there and had spread significantly.  Took a shower, took more Benadryl, and went to work.  By the time I got to work, my entire face, neck, chest was broke out.  I had patches of hives on both arms, stomach and legs.  This was obviously systemic and I was miserable!!!

Then came the decisions, 100mg of diphenhydramine had not stopped the itching or spreading, so it was time to take further action and I headed to the ER.

Same questions, same answers.  No known cause, but you're a mess!!

A few hours later, steroids and more Benadryl, and I'm headed home, back to bed to sleep some more!

It is unknown whether this is a true allergic reaction or an autoimmune reaction of some other source.  But regardless I know that I'm doing the right thing in the dietary changes I've made to make my body healthier.  I will continue to do so, track any other reactions and see if there is a connection.

Inflammation...You may just explode!!

When we talk about inflammation, most people think about acute inflammation.  You sprain your ankle and it swells.  Or you have an infected nail bed and it's swollen and full of pus.  In reference to eating paleolithic foods, we are not referencing acute inflammation.  Acute inflammation is typically a positive stimulus.  Your body is trying to heal itself.  We are talking about chronic inflammation.  Chronic, as in on-going.  Your body is no longer trying to heal itself, but rather trying to destroy itself.

Inflammation in general terms is part of the complex biological response of vascular tissues to harmful stimuli, such as pathogens, damaged cells, or irritants.  When the irritant is YOU then it becomes a problem.  Many conditions and diseases are a direct result of inflammation in various cells in your body.  Whereas acute inflammation is caused by things like infection or injury or an allergic reaction, chronic inflammation is often caused by what we put INTO our bodies, purposefully, like FOOD.

When we ingest certain foods, they react to cells in our body in different ways.  There are inflammatory foods and anti-inflammatory foods.  Grains, legumes, dairy, foods in the nightshade group and even some nuts & seeds are inflammatory.  I'm not a scientist, nor will I try to re-iterate what others have already said so much better than I.  I will point you in some good direction to read more about the inflammatory process of these foods if you want the real "why's" behind it.  Below is a chart that briefly explains chronic inflammation, the cells it effects, and the outcomes.

Chronic Inflammation:

• Causative agent:  Persistent acute inflammation due to non-degradable pathogens, viral infection, persistent foreign bodies, or autoimmune reactions
• Major cells involved:  Mononuclear cells (monocytes, macrophages, lymphocytes, plasma cells), fibroblasts
• Primary mediators:  IFN-γ and other cytokines, growth factors, reactive oxygen species, hydrolytic enzymes
• Onset:  Delayed
• Duration:  Up to many months, or years
• Outcomes Resolution:  Tissue destruction, fibrosis, necrosis

Inflammation is an underlying cause in many conditions and diseases.  All 140 known autoimmune diseases have inflammation as part of their conditions, including rheumatoid arthritis, type 1 diabetes, infertility, multiple sclerosis, lupus, narcolepsy, schizophrenia, depression, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, hypothyroidism, IBS, Chron's disease, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, etc.  The list goes on.  It is also a known antagonist in cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, migraine headaches, acne and cancer.  

If all of these conditions and diseases (and a host of others) are directly linked to inflammation, it would behoove those of us with any one (or multiples) of them to reduce chronic inflammation as much as we can.  Thankfully, science has shown us that we can!  By removing grains and legumes and dairy from our diet, we can effectively decrease symptoms and possibly even reverse disease!!

I shared before what changing my everyday diet has done for me.  In the past few months I have seen joint pain and inflammation significantly decrease.  I have gone from chronic daily headaches and frequent migraines to only one or two headaches during that time.  I have seen gut healing from IBS symptoms.  My overall health is significantly better!  I chose to bring my family along for this ride because I know that many of the diseases/conditions also have a genetic component.  I see similar issues in my children already.  I cannot change their genes, but I can help them make better food choices now which will hopefully go with them throughout life.  Do they eat perfectly paleo?  No.  I don't expect them to.  But the meals I control will move them in the right direction.  As they get older they can own this for themselves as they learn how eating the wrong foods affects them physically.

Once again here are some places to read more about reversing disease via a paleo diet:

www.robbwolf.com

www.thepaleodiet.com

www.thepaleomom.com

I have books by these three scientists/authors and I haven't regretted one dime that I have spent in bettering my knowledge and my health.  :)

Pancakes...Round 3! We have a winner!!!!

In my attempt to make sure the kids have some "comfort foods" in their lives, I have tried three versions of Paleo pancakes.  Let's face it, grains are what makes pancakes, pancakes!!  It is very hard to match that consistency, crispy outside, fluffy inside, golden yumminess.  I knew I wasn't going to match Aunt Jemima in any way, but I tried.

The first one I tried, I found the recipe in a Paleo cookbook I have.  I don't remember which one because nobody like them, so I didn't mark it a "keeper".  They were a banana base, really thin and runny.  Wouldn't flip well and nobody like them.  Oh I said that, well it's worth saying again, nobody liked them.

The next one I tried was the recipe on www.thepaleomom.com.  Hers have a plantain base which I thought would make a stiff pancake, easier to flip, not so banana-y, etc.  I thought they were ok, the kids hated them.  This loathing of the pancake was actually a turnaround in many of our food conversion issues.  It created a major fight with one of the kids, which meant a lot of words being flung around.  Never a good thing, except when one child, who desperately needed this diet change comes to you and says, "Thank you mom, I really appreciate all you are doing for us and ME.  I'm sorry I don't say it enough.  I'm happy for the change, I feel better."  And the offending child, also coming back with a new heart and willingness to "try harder". THANK YOU LORD!!

So today were were going to celebrate Koltin's birthday over breakfast.  I said I would make pancakes.  Everyone kind of groaned.  These have not been super successful and I was altering the recipe itself so anything could happen.  I kept it in the back of my mind that if everything was a flop, I'd just take them to IHOP and regret it later.

The recipe came from Against All Grain.  I used the nut-free version with sunflower flour.  This did take a bit longer because I had to MAKE the sunflower flour!!  Thankfully, Justin has been eager to help in the kitchen during recent weeks.  After I ground the sunflower seeds in the food processor, he stood with the flour sifter and made sure we had a fine flour, adding the larger pieces back into the food processor as needed.  He also sliced up the bananas and helped me add them to the pancakes, along with the chocolate chips.  I made some modifications to her recipe, I did add a teaspoon more of honey, per the nut-free directions.  I also added a few drops of lemon juice to counteract the chemical reaction between the sunflower seeds and baking soda.  We did have a few green spots in the pancakes but not many, so this must have worked!

Bacon came out of the oven and I started dishing up pancakes...

I had to quickly mix up a 2nd batch because Ethan and Dawson ate FOUR a piece!!!!  Everyone loved them!!  Except Matthew.  Matthew has decided that all pancakes are gross except Aunt Jemima, so he took one, ate one small bite, dug the bananas out and ate them and said they were gross.  *insert eye roll here*  The child HAS no idea what he missed out on!!

You don't need syrup, but I did add a bit of pure maple syrup to mine.

The bananas definitely add that magic touch.  I would slice them thinner next time.  Several mentioned they'd like to try them with blueberries, so we may try that.  When I do, I will increase the honey by another teaspoonful.

Thanks to my friend Kirstin, who introduced this recipe to me!  We have a winner!!!!!

Grilled Sweet Potates and New Converts

Tonight's feeding of the masses included grilled balsamic chicken and grilled sweet potatoes.

I'm not a fan of traditional sweet potatoes.  Not sure why, but I think I'm allergic to orange.  In my quest to find a tolerable potato option, because the sun rises and sets on potatoes, I found my new favorite potato!!  Oriental Sweet Potatoes!!!  They have a purple-ish/red skin and are white-ish/yellow on the inside.  (No more orange!!). These are super sweet and taste phenomenal plain with nothing on them.  Sometimes I will put a bit of real butter on it, but it isn't necessary at all!!

When I made these in the past, my darling little mongrels ruined them by treating them like a regular potato.  They slathered them in butter, sour cream, cheese, etc.  I tried to warn them!!  Those potatoes ended up in the trash, and rightfully so.  Yuck!!!  After that, no one would eat them but Mike and me. No problem, more for me!!!

Tonight, I changed it up and grilled them with a yummy "sauce".  I saw a few crinkled up noses as I scanned the table, but soon heard proclaims of "mmmmmmmm".  Score one for mom!!

I don't have a picture, so you'll have to trust me!!

Grilled Sweet Potatoes

4 sweet potatoes, scrubbed

1 tsp. sea salt

1 tsp. cumin

1 tsp. paprika

1/2 tsp. cinnamon (I might use more next time.)

1/2 tsp. chipotle  powder

2 Tbs. Apple cider vinegar

1/4 c. olive oil

 Place potatoes in a pot and cover with water.  Bring to boil on stove and cook for approx. 10-12 minutes.  Less if you potatoes are small.  Drain and cool slightly.

While potatoes are cooking, mix together spices and vinegar.  Add olive oil, pouring in a slow stream.

Cut potatoes in half lengthwise.  Brush with spice mix.

Coat grill wrack lightly with olive oil.  Do this by soaking a towel in oil and rubbing on grill.

Grill potatoes until grill marks form and potatoes are cooked through.  Approximately 20 minutes.  

***Extra notes:  This makes about 8-10 servings depending on the size of your potatoes.  I brushed the skins as well and it made the skin crunchy and yummy!  Be careful not to burn the surface of your potato. You could also try slicing these into larger "chunks" making 3 servings per potato and having two "grilled" sides.

Lunches...and the meltdown that ensued.

Names have been changed to protect the guilty.
Who am I kidding??  I'm not changing any names!!

Ethan quickly asked, "What can I take in my lunch that fits our new way of eating?"  (Yea!!!  Go me!!!)
Matthew immediately followed because he always wants Mom's approval, "Can I take something different too?"  (Oh yeah, I love raising followers.)
Christian stomped around the kitchen, slammed cabinet doors.  Huffed and puffed as he paced around the house.  Went to his room.  Went to the bathroom.  Came back.  Said, "I'm not doing this."  (Uh huh, like that flies around here...EVER.)
Justin cried.  Justin always cries.  He's my major meltdown kid.  I expected this.  (It had already happened in the cereal aisle at the grocery store.)

I tried to make the crossover as painless as possible.  I told them they could continue eating whatever we had until it was gone.  When it was gone, it was gone.  (There is still a few pudding cups left and it's been weeks!!!)  We were down to the last loaf of bread.  (Shhhh...there's another one in the freezer, I just never bothered to get it out.)  The rice krispie treats were gone.  The fruit snacks were gone.  What on earth was Justin going to put his newly found peanut butter on???

Ok guys.  Chill out.  This is simple.  And I'm going to show you how we pack lunches around here now.  :)

Today I went to the grocery store.  I typically have a day or two off during the week each week depending on my schedule, so this is when I shop and prep.  It takes a few hours, but so worth it to avoid meltdowns during the week.  If you work M-F and only have Saturday and Sunday off, I don't recommend going to the grocery store then.  Find an early morning (the place is empty!) or late evening to shop.  Then prep at another time.  If you can shop early Friday morning and prep Saturday morning that would be great!  Much of what I need to buy on these sorts of trips doesn't "need" refrigeration, so if I didn't have it, I'd be ok.  Fruits, veggies, and my few boxed goods.

*gasp*

Did she just say "boxed goods"????

I have sacrificed in certain areas of processed foods for the sake of my sanity.  I work full time.  We are a busy family of many.  I'm not going to make all this stuff from scratch.  Just ain't happening.  Now when Michael wins the lottery and I no longer have to work, then I still won't.  I make the kids a few treats, muffins, cookies, etc.  That's enough.

Here is how I started:

This stayed on the fridge for awhile until they got the hang of packing their own lunch.  

Protein could be leftover chicken breast, burger, pork chop, chicken leg, etc.  Protein could be a lunch meat wrap.  I started buying Boar's Head meats and cheeses.  Basically they take a piece of leaf lettuce, a slice or two of meat, a slice of cheese (or a cheese stick) and wrap it up.  Done.  

Next, pack a veggie.  That could be baby carrots, celery, cucumbers, leftovers, etc.  My kids are really, really picky.  When I mentioned they could take broccoli or cauliflower, you'd have thought I said take "liver" to school!!  We'll keep working on that!!

All this is cut and ready to go!

Next, pick a fruit.  We are big fruit eaters so this isn't too much of a problem.  Unless you're Christian.  And then food that isn't out of a package is a HUGE problem.  I also will cut up kiwi, package up grapes, or whatever else we have on hand.

Pick a snack.  This is where my processed foods come into play.  Fruit leather (no sugar, no HFCS), raisins, natural applesauce, Lara bars, etc.  The "snack box" has evolved a bit.

Much of this is at their fingertips:

Lunch bags go on the bottom shelf.  Containers on the 2nd shelf.  If they want to pack something warm, they have thermals too.  Top shelf is snacks.  Notice I make those HIGH up there.  The last item they pack can be a 2nd fruit, veggie or snack.  

It's been a few weeks now, and the meltdowns have stopped, for the most part.  Lunch packing is going smoother and I don't have to stand over them as much. I still do periodic checks of lunch bags.  That's a must.  When I walk into school unexpectedly and find my kid has 6 packs of fruit snacks for "lunch"....yeah...I do random lunch bag checks.

Many Mouths...No Fillers

The first meal I converted everyone to Paleo was dinner.  This may seem daunting when you have many mouths to feed.  It can even be more daunting when you are not using grains or legumes as fillers.  A lot of large families depend on bread, rice, pasta, or beans as cheap extras to keep the budget down and tummies full.  Unfortunatly, those are all big, fat "no's" around here.  But I do have a simple cure for this problem...PROTIEN.

Yes, protein.  Protein at every meal.  Protein is more satiating than our carb-y, starch-y friends.  Your kids will be fuller, longer and require less to fill them up.  When dinner time comes around you will feed them protein and veggies.  They will be full and satisfied.

Here are some mealtime protein ideas that feed a crowd:

Roast, beef or pork
Chicken Legs
Chicken Thighs
Burgers, beef or turkey
Turkey Breast

We also do a lot of chicken breast, but I'm trying to move away from that for various reasons.

Today was one of those crazy, busy days.  We have extra kids and lots of mouths, and I have to work until 5:00.  What's a busy, working mom of many to do??  Utilize that crock pot of course!  This morning I cut up two onions into fourths, threw them in the crock pot with a pork loin, salt, pepper and water.  Set on low and leave!  The kids were instructed to scrub up potatoes when they got home and put them in the oven.  They were also to pick out a veggie and a frozen fruit.  I will often pull out some frozen fruit if I think we may need it.  If we don't use it (ha ha!) we will take it in lunches the next day.

When I got home, the pork loin was done.  The potatoes were done.  The green beans were cooking and the fruit was defrosting on the counter.  One happy mama, many happy mouths!!

Just an FYI, my kids still eat white potatoes.  I don't typically, but I forgot to remind them to make sweet potatoes for Mike and I.  Not the end of the world, but as you can see, I only ate half.  I still LOVE white potatoes!  I eat them when I'm out, but I just don't eat them at home anymore.  I'm not a huge fan of sweet potatoes either, but I've found a great middle ground.  Now you'll all have to wait and see what that is.  ;)

Aside from frozen fruit, there is always mixed lettuce salad available. I buy tons of this and keep it available.  I take a salad in my lunch for work everyday and have one nearly every night with dinner.  It is another acceptable filler.  If a child complains they are "still hungry" then they are encouraged to eat a salad.  A few of my kids will eat a salad every single night.  BTW, the pork loin was AMAZING!!!  

Mushroom Sliders and Jicama Fries

The general consensus is:

Mushroom Sliders are THE BOMB!!!

Jicama Fries, not so much.  Ethan liked them, but everyone else either ate them out of politeness (Mike) or threw them away.   I want to learn more about cooking Jicama because #1, it's cheap.  #2, they have the potential to taste like potatoes.  #3, it's cheap.  I will say it is very good raw!  Similar to a pear, but more potato-y.  I've seen it in lots of places made into slaw, topped on other foods (tacos?), as a "chip" to scoop dip, etc.  Raw, I get.  Cooked...not so much.  I did read recently that you have to cook it for like 12 hours in the crock pot, then it will be like potatoes.  I'm going to research that some more and do another test run.  

Cutting up the Jicama.

All cut up like "french fries".

Tossed in olive oil, sea salt, pepper and garlic powder.

I baked them at 400° for about 20-25 minutes, but they were still crunchy.

Now, those Mushroom Sliders....

Here is Mike being my "Super Guy" and mixing the meat for me.  

Mushroom Sliders

1-2 lbs of ground meat (I've used beef before, but tonight we had turkey and they were yumm-o!)

1 egg

1 cup chopped mushrooms (I use my Ninja.)

½ onion, diced (again I use my Ninja)

Sea Salt, Pepper and Garlic Salt

**I had some extra bacon from breakfast this morning, so I threw 3 pieces of bacon in the Ninja and added that to the meat mixture too.**

Mix altogether and form small patties.

Grill until cooked through.  I have also cooked these with the broiler of my oven.

If you want you can use lettuce leaf as a "bun" you may.  The original recipe used Portobella mushrooms cut in half as the "bun".  We have ate them like this, but only when it was just a few of us.  Those are pricey!  Lettuce is a much more economical option!!  The kids didn't care, some used lettuce, some just picked it up with their fingers!  

Mustard = YES

Ketchup = NO

Did you say "Leaky Gut"? Ewwwww....

Leaky gut, yes it is as gross as it sounds.  Leaky gut, also know as "increased intestinal permeability", is exactly what it sounds like.  Something is permeating your intestinal walls and leaking into places it shouldn't be.  That includes undigested foods, bacteria, bile and waste.  All autoimmune diseases have leaky gut associated with them.  Many other health conditions and diseases are linked back to leaky gut and gut dysbiosis.  So if you knew that eliminating one food group would alleviate the key factor in these diseases wouldn't you do it?  If the FDA knew that this one food group was unhealthy and harmful for every human on the planet, wouldn't you think they'd tell everyone?  Be prepared, a rant is coming...

Scientifically speaking, if I told you that apples cannot be processed by the human digestive tract.  No matter what you do to it: cook it, peel it, bleach it, process it 150 different ways; in the end the final proteins cannot be broke down by your digestive system.  In the end, there will remain undigested parts and those will permeate your gut lining in one of two ways and leak into your body, also allowing other bacteria and waste to leak into your body.  Would you WANT to know this information?  Would you EXPECT science to make you aware of this FACT?  Would you STOP eating apples even if they were your FAVORITE?

The answer is YES!!  Who would knowingly do that to their body????

Guess what?  Science KNOWS that grains cannot be completely digested by our bodies.  They never have been.  You can boil it, bake it, bleach it, grind it, whatever you want, it still isn't going to be digested by your body.  The last parts of the protein cannot be broken down by our body into the amino acids our body needs.  The last parts then are able to permeate the gut lining in two ways, depending on your genetic make-up, and leak out.  This also then opens up the gut for other things to leak out as well.  They know this, yet we are encouraged to not only eat grains, but to consume 12 servings a day of grains.  12 servings a day!!  While foregoing other fiber and nutrient rich foods like fruits and vegetables.  12 servings a day while giving up healthy animal fats which are necessary to cell function in our body.  12 servings a day that permeate our gut, make us sick and no one can understand WHY we are sick, yet we keep eating our grains.

I'm thankful for the agricultural revolution.  Truly I am. If it weren't for the agricultural revolution, I wouldn't have learned this information from other sources.  If it weren't for the agricultural revolution I wouldn't be able to send this message to you across cyber space from the comfort of my home.  But along the way, when these things came to light, it sure would have been nice if someone bothered to SHARE this information with the masses. I'm even more thankful for the agricultural revolution that THANKFULLY through hundreds of people, paleo gurus and those of us just learning, the information IS getting to the masses!!!

In order to begin healing your gut and reversing disease you must eliminate the following:
ALL Grains including:

• corn
• barley
• fonio
• kamut
• oats
• rice
• rye
• sorghum
• spelt
• teff triticale
• wheat (including durum and semolina)
• wild rice
• millet

ALL Psuedo-Grains including:

• amaranth
• buckwheat
• chia
• quinoa

Each and every one of these will affect gut health, in every single person.  Now the extent that you feel the effects is determined by other things in your life.  Genetics, stress, lifestyle, environment, infections.  But this is the KEY area.  If you could improve your health, the health of your family, your children, your grandchildren, wouldn't you do it?  You might say, "But I'm not seeing any affects from this, why should I eliminate grains?"  Are you really not seeing any affects?  Do you take prescription drugs for any health issues?  Do you take antacids for heartburn, reflux, etc?  Do you experience bowel issues regularly?  Do you have a genetic predisposition for cardiovascular disease or autoimmune disease?  You can change your health dramatically in this one area!

Aside from the battle in the gut from grains, they aren't even "healthy" for you in general terms.  Grains have no more fiber in them than fruits and vegetables, yet they are higher in starches and sugar than fruits!  That all translates to sugar in your body, which translates to being overweight, fluctuating blood sugars, mood issues, headaches, and disease.  Let's face it, grains gotta go!!!

Baking Day ... How I prevent REVOLT!!

One of the ways I keep my "boys" happy is to make paleolithic baked goods.  I really file this in the realm of "cheat".  You can package it differently, but overall health and well-being is not going to come from baked goods.  Bummer.  I know.  That first picture down there...yeah, I could eat the whole pan.

We are talking about a "lifestyle" here.  What is going to keep you going for the long term?  Will you be more apt to stay on track if you have some of those "favorites" every once in awhile?  Nobody wants to live life without chocolate chip cookies!!!  I make special treats for us at least once a week.  I don't always eat them, but the kids and Mike do.  Their favorite is Chunky Monkey Muffins, but I didn't make those today.  ;)

Today I made Blueberry Scones and Chocolate Chip Cookies:

Christian and Justin cannot eat the scones.  They are made from cashew meal.  Justin is known anaphylactic to cashews, it's a definite NO for him.  Christian has other tree nuts that he reacts to, cashews hasn't been tested, but he avoids all tree nuts. I try to make something they can eat when I make something out of almond or cashew.

Baking paleo is very different than traditional baking!  It's definitely a learning curve, and I'm still learning!!  The kids are gracious and give me lots of affirmation.  Actually, no, they are very vocal about how horrible something tastes.  I still haven't told them that the brownies they had a few weeks ago had spinach in them. I may try those again sometime.  I loved the look on their faces when they ate them.  ;)

I have had several successes with my new way of baking, and this is two of them.  The Blueberry Scone recipe is from Fed & Fit.  I haven't explored their site beyond this recipe that I was linked to from someone else.

The Chocolate Chip Cookies is adapted from the cookbook Primal Cravings.  They are not 100% Paleo, they do contain butter and baking powder.  If you absolutely cannot have dairy, you can sub the butter for palm shortening.  Baking powder can be subbed as follows:  

1 tsp baking powder=1/4 tsp baking soda + ½ tsp cream of tartar

Chocolate Chip Cookies

½ c. butter, softened

¾ c. coconut sugar

1 egg

¼ tsp. salt

1 c. tapioca flour

¼ c. coconut flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 cup Enjoy Life chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375°

Whisk together salt, tapioca flour, coconut flour and baking powder.  **Note: always run coconut flour through a sifter.  I put all these ingredients into the sifter and sift them together.

Beat butter and sugar with an electric mixer for approx. two minutes, until fluffy.  Make sure you do this!  Add the egg and beat until combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl.

Turn your mixer on low and slowly add the dry ingredients.  Once mixed, fold in your chocolate chips.  I use Enjoy Life brand.  You could sub another type of chip or chunks or whatever.

Use a cookie scoop to drop your cookies onto a parchment lined baking sheet.

Bake 12 - 15 minutes, then allow to cool for about 5 minutes and move to a cooling rack.

IF you prefer crispier cookies (I don't) you can omit the egg.  Add the dry ingredients after beating the butter and sugar, then add 3 TBS water.  Then fold in your chips.  I have not made those and it would certainly be personal preference to want a thinner, crispier cookie.  :)

Enjoy!!

Cheating and Reacting

I do believe we have seen our first major reaction post-paleo.

I know my body pretty well and last week when I had some popcorn at the movie theater I had a headache within a few hours.  The next morning, I had lots of intestinal issues.  Now, it could have been the popcorn itself (grain) or the highly processed vegetable oils they cook it in (yuck).  Either way, I reacted.  But that's me...when it comes to my kids, totally a different story.

None of them are 100% paleo.  They have treats and goodies, especially from school parties, etc.  They are pretty good at home, but pretty not-so-good when they are visiting their fathers.  It is unfortunate that there isn't more attention paid to the chronic health conditions of children.  Even after asking to please respect this decision and offer alternatives for the kids so they are not on overload, it is ignored.  Well Justin is our first casualty of that ignorance.  Yesterday he spent most of the afternoon in his bed.  He then moved to the couch to attempt to be a part of the family, and slept.  He had what I would deem a migraine.  His head hurt so bad he could hardly move.  He felt awful, just wanted to sleep.  It was sad to see.  I treated with ibuprofen, hydration and tried to get some healthy food into his system.  He was finally feeling better by bedtime, but what a crappy way to spend your last day of spring break.

I do believe, that for some people, not all, they can handle small amounts of "cheating".   I don't really like the term "cheating" because this is not a fad diet, this is a lifestyle, but like most others in the paleo community, there just isn't another word that fits.  Even the gurus like Dr. Cordain and Robb Wolf put "cheats" into their programs to help people get started.  But ONE meal in a week is totally different that SIX in two days.  I do hope that this ends up being an exception and not the rule.  :(

Why did I do it?

I mentioned before the goals I had for my family.  I had my own personal goals, as well as goals for each of my children. But the biggest reason was our overall health.  The more I read about the Paleolithic foods, the more I knew we had no choice but to change what we were doing.

Primary health conditions that can be reversed or greatly alleviated by removing grains, legumes, dairy, processed foods and sugar from your diet:

• Cardiovascular disease
• Degenerative disease
• Diabetes
• Autoimmune disease (which there are approx. 140 known autoimmune diseases)
• Cholesterol levels
• Acne
• Gastrointestinal diseases
• Vitamin deficiency 
• Insomnia 
• Depression
• ADD/ADHD

You can improve many, if not all, of the following:

• Mood
• Sleep
• Libido
• Energy
• Nutrient absorption
• Weight
• Performance

Mike and I both have cardiovascular disease in our family.  I know for a fact that autoimmune is close to my middle name.  Mike and I both have at least one diagnosed autoimmune disease.  I'm overweight and struggle to lose weight.  I have two children with multiple food allergies.  I have one child with Tourette's, which is autoimmune.  I have one child with sensory issues.  I have two children who are overweight.  I have a child with acne.  I have a child who has chronic gastrointestinal issues, does not digest food properly and suffers from vitamin deficiencies.  Why wouldn't I do it???  Because I like to eat bread??  Well, I've decided I like living more.  My family's health is much more important than bread.  

A year ago, my sister said to me, "If giving up bread/grains made you feel better, wouldn't you do it?"  I think my response was, "Maybe."  I wasn't yet willing to find out.  6 weeks ago, I was, and I'm so much better for it!!

Since removing grains, legumes, sugar and processed foods from my everyday diet I have experienced the beauty of sleep....yes sleep!!  I also have energy!  What's that??  I feel better overall.  That bitchy person I was becoming is now gone.  I get up early every morning!  I can't fall back to sleep even when I think I want to.  My body doesn't ache.  My joints are moving better.  No muscle aches and the chronic dosing of anti-imflamatories is gone.  I have been migraine free!!!  I have been nearly headache free!!!!  THAT is HUGE right there.  And....I've lost 15 lbs!!!  I'm looking forward to seeing how my health continues to improve as I heal my guy and begin to reverse the deterioration of my body.

Where did you start?

"Where did you start?" is a very frequent question.  There are lots of hints, tips and how-to's out there.  Some people say with anything you do, jump in with both feet, rip that band-aid off and go!  Some people say, make small changes over time, you'll stay committed long term if you slowly change.

I did neither. Or both.  Or...well you decide...

You must understand my motto...I've raised 7 of my own children, and added in 3 more...I am not a short order cook.  I refuse to make multiple meals.  You will eat what's served, within reason.  I also have children (and now a grandchild) with multiple food allergies.  No one is ever forced to eat something they are allergic to.  Actually, they aren't even forced to eat foods they hate.  We have a traditional "no thank you" bite that must be taken of any tolerable food, ie: no allergy to said food.  After that, it's up to you.  We always had PBJ or lunch meat sandwiches available, but I wasn't making them.  So until you were old enough to spread your own PB, you ate what mom made, period.  

When we started Advocare, I set forth the rule that everyone would eat the same thing for dinner.  Breakfast was on your own (had been for years), lunch you made yourself for school, but dinner, would remain the family meal and everyone would eat the same.  So that's where we started.  Dinner.

After about a week or so, I had stopped buying cereal and poptarts (staples in our home) so when those ran out, it was time to work on breakfast.  I was now sleeping at night, and getting up early in the morning without feeling like a Mac truck had hit me (another post), so I started making everyone's breakfast and that too was converted to paleolithic. 

It was a couple more weeks, I had quit buying bread, so I had to really work hard to figure out just how "lunch" was going to work.  Our traditional sack lunch for the kids had been a sandwich (lunch meat or PBJ), a bag of chips (I bought the individual bags by the case!), two processed snacks and a juice bag.  Everything they were eating on a daily basis had to go!!  But we did it!!  We are now 100% paleo, most of the time.  

Most advocates of the paleolithic lifestyle follow the 80/20 rule.  If you eat true paleo 80% of the time, you will still see 100% of the benefits.  (Unless you're AIP, autoimmune protocol, which is much stricter and a route I may be taking at some point.)  So when I say we are 100% paleo, it means that we eat on average 80% paleo 100% of the time.  

I did this whole transition in less than 4 weeks.  I would not say this was a "rip the band-aid off" type approach, but we certainly didn't take a lot of baby steps and get used to those before we did something else.  My biggest strategy was to just quit buying anything that didn't fit our new life.  In a family this large (6 of us here daily, 8 or more frequently...could be 14 on any given weekend!) we go through food pretty quickly so it disappeared fast.  My oldest son had also recently moved into his own place and I was pretty willing to "share" some of our "extras" with him.  I sent him home with grocery bags of staples, sugar, rice, flour, corn, bread, seasoning packets, canned goods, lentils, etc.  He shares an apartment with another 20 year old, I knew they could take care of it for me easily enough.  If you don't have a starving college student to feed, send extras to a food pantry.  I didn't want food to go bad, I had spent money on it!!  But I also knew that we were not going to eat it.  Once the cereal, bread and poptarts were gone, it was gone.  The things we used for "meals" was no longer needed.  During this time, I was already paleo for breakfast and lunch.  The challenge came about making sure we had enough food and staples for the whole crew to eat this way.  I spent a lot of time on-line, on Pinterest, reading and making lists. 

My suggestion is if you are doing this for yourself, start NOW.  Don't wait.  If you are doing it for your family, give them warning, wait for the meltdowns and then move forward.  From this day forward, don't buy anymore processed junk, no more sugar, no flour, no rice, no corn, no legumes, nothing packed in soy (it's in everything!).  Your next trip to the grocery store should stay to the perimeter of the store:  

• Produce (lots of it)
• Meat (lots of that too)
• Nuts or seeds (minimal)
• Eggs (I buy 6 dozen at a time.)
• Olive oil
• Coconut oil
• Spices (A variety, if you don't have a decent collection start adding to it.  Clean out your spices....HOW old is that tumeric??

When it's not in your home, you don't use it, cook with it, eat it.  This goes for the JUNK as well as the MEAT and VEGGIES!  If it isn't there you won't eat it.  So put the good stuff in the cabinets and leave the junk on the store shelves!

A warning about the grocery store while I'm here:  Don't get sucked into the "organic", "gluten free" and "healthy" labeling!!  Almost always they are marketing ploys!!  Check all ingredient labels of anything you buy that is not right out of the ground or off the tree.  This includes any kind of packaged meat products.  Sausage, bacon, ham, turkey, lunch meat, etc.  Bacon and other meats should be nitrate and nitrite free.  Uncured bacon is more expensive but worth it to not have the fillers (and sugar!) in your body. 

If possible, and your budget allows, look for grass-fed beef, free range chicken (and eggs) and turkey.  We cannot afford to buy those products all the time.  We have a lot of mouths to feed!  But when we can, we do.  I'm still looking for a local grass-fed beef source that I can buy half a cow at a time.  I'd also love a local egg source, but we eat a LOT of eggs (see above) and I'm not sure anyone could keep us in eggs!  But these are plans for the future.  

You eat WHAT???

Paleolithic Diet:  The original human diet.  Think hunter/gatherer.  What can you grow, pick, eat?  What can you kill, cook, eat?  It's not a "diet", it's a way of life, it's HOW you eat on a regular basis.  It is not short-term.  It becomes who you are.

The basics, and I mean basics:

• No grains.
• No legumes.
• No refined sugar.
• No dairy.
• No processed foods.

What it means for us:

• No grains in our everyday diet.
• No legumes in our everyday diet.
• No refined sugar, except on very, very limited special occasions.
• Extremely limited processed foods.
• Full-fat dairy in moderation.

What do we eat?

•  Meat: beef, pork, chicken, turkey, etc. And it's a lot of meat.  Do you know how much meat it takes to feed all these kids???  
• Vegetables, fresh and frozen.
• Fruit, fresh and frozen.
• Nuts and seeds. (For those able to.)
• Paleo baked goods, because if I didn't they'd all revolt!! 

There are many places to find more details on what a paleo diet looks like, how to implement it and the WHY's behind it.  I have been learning a lot over the past few weeks and I will share that with you.  If you are interested in learning more or reading some of the material I have read, let me point you in that direction:

www.thepaleomom.com  (Dr. Sarah Ballantyne is a WEALTH of information.  I'm currently reading here book, The Paleo Approach. This is a MUST for anyone dealing with autoimmune issues.)
robbwolf.com (Robb traded his lab coat in to help people get healthy.  I enjoyed his book The Paleo Solution very much. His humor is great!)
thepaleodiet.com (Dr. Loren Cordain, the founder of the paleo movement, Robb's mentor, the KING of paleo.  His studies are incredible!! The first book I read was The Paleo Diet and I don't regret it!)

I will be creating a resource list as this blog goes on.

How Did I Get Here???

I'm not sure how many times in my life I've asked this question? I was a home school mom for nearly 20 years.  I have 7 biological children.  I've owned a business.  I work full time.  As I look back, I probably have asked that questions more times than anybody I know!!

But the question now is, HOW DID I GET HERE??? There are many people who put me in this position.  First off, my very good, long time friend, Anne Peterson.  She said, "YOU MUST BLOG!!!!"  I nearly fainted.  Secondly, the love of my life, Mike Rockert.   He said, "DO IT!!!!"  Thirdly, my sister, Carol Zacharias, and good friend, Kirstin Reeder, who are the real reasons I'm here.  If it wasn't for them I would have just chucked it all out the window and remained sick and unhealthy.  I'm eternally grateful to them for pushing me when I thought it was impossible.

In December 2013, I had knee surgery to repair and replace cartilage in my knee.  They performed what is called a micro-fracture by drilling holes into the tibia and releasing a blood patch.  When that blood patch heals it becomes scar tissue which feigns cartilage.  It will never be the cartilage I was born with, but it put a total knee replacement further into my future.  My other knee will have to be done at some point.  Post surgery I was non-weight-bearing for almost 6 weeks.  This meant a lot of sitting around, being bored out of my mind and EATING.  I ate everything.  Christmas cookies, leftover Halloween candy, chips, popcorn, junk, junk, junk.  And I gained 15 lbs. doing so.  As I was getting ready to go back to work, I realized I was not going to even fit into my work clothes!!  What had I done?!?!

Ok, truth time.  I'd been putting on pounds for over a year.  Eating out way too much.  Eating a lot of late night snacks.  Self-medicating with pop, coffee (sugared and creamed) and chocolate.  It was a really bad cycle.  My family was suffering too.  We spent more time eating out than in, and the house was full of junk.  Some changes needed to be made.  Even before surgery, I had talked to a couple of friends and said, "after the new year, after surgery, we're going to make some changes".

Some goals I had for our family:

• Get out of the drive-thru.
• Get rid of the processed junk.
• Get rid of the sugar.
• Get on a healthier path.
• Lose excess weight.

I met with a friend to talk to her about her program, how she was losing weight and getting healthy.  She introduced me to Advocare.  I asked Mike if he would be willing to do Advocare's 24 Day Challenge with me.  It would get us on track, lose some weight, etc.  He said he was willing to even though it meant some hard choices for him, he'd have to give up pop for 24 days.  No junk food, no drive-thru lunches, etc.  These were mainstays in his life.  But he agreed and we were off and running!

At the end of the 24 days we had seen moderate success.  Mike, much more than myself.  Guys lose weight easily.  Let's face it.  They think about losing weight and lose 5 lbs!  Men.  Sheesh.  Neither of us were super happy with our results and we'd expected more.  My biggest complaint:  I felt like CRAP!!!!  I was tired all the time.  I was bitchy and treating my family horribly.  My 15yo said, "Mom, you're crabby...eat something!!!"  I wasn't hungry, I just felt horrible and let it be reflected onto everyone else.  When I notice that I'm being a bitch, I must be really being a bitch!  Typically, I can brush that off as whomever deserved whatever tirade they got, well not this time.  I was bad, and I felt worse.  I thought I was supposed to feel better?  I thought I was supposed to have energy?  I felt like I'd traveled back in time to some of my worst days.  This was NOT what I wanted for me or my family.  I needed to change gears and quickly.  I couldn't live like this.

I immediately started venting to Kirstin.  She said, "Dawn, you are a walking autoimmune disease, you need to eat a Paleo diet, PRONTO".  Ok, maybe not those exact words, but pretty darn close.  Now, you have no idea what those words meant to me.  I was flipping out!!  No bread???  I love bread...give me bread!!  No pasta???  I gotta have my pasta!!!  No corn???  What, are you nuts??  It's the only "vegetable" I eat!! Cereal is a staple in our house. You've fallen right out of your tree, sorry, no can do.

Then I sent my sister a text...You'd have thought I succeeded at finding world peace.  The excitement she had over me even PONDERING the idea of Paleo.  Oh man, HOW DID I GET HERE???

Slow, deep breaths. You need to think.  You need some thinking food.  Yes.  Go get some ice cream and think about this. That is exactly what I did.  I went to Oberweiss and ordered a scoop of chocolate peanut butter ice cream and sat and ate it.  This was my treat for making it 24 days, no drive-thru, no pop, no candy, no junk.  Hmmm....ok now I could think....come on, Dawn, think, you've been eating very differently for the past 24 days.  How many times had I had grains during those 24 days?  Four, maybe 5, meals?  So 24 days, 3 meals a day plus about 2 snacks...that's like 120 "meals".  And only HOW many times did I eat grains??  Oh shoot, I can do this!!  I'm almost there!!  Sold!!!!  I immediately drove to see Mike and tell him we were on a new path.  We were going to begin a Paleolithic Lifestyle.

I'm positive he was clueless as to what that meant.  He was convinced his 24 days was done, he could drink pop and hit McDonald's and all would be well!  Sorry honey...for better or worse, sickness and health...oh wait, we haven't said those words.  Oh well he loves me anyway.  Even though I don't let him eat bread anymore.  

The very next day I began our whole kitchen make-over (which I will describe in more detail later), and our new lifestyle was underway!

Background History: My Personal Struggles

For over 12 years I have struggled to find out what is "wrong" with me.  I've been to many different doctors, had numerous tests done, and explored alternative medicine.  I used the internet to try to educate myself on my symptoms and fought traditional medicine until I was exhausted.  Exhausted.  Yep.  I was exhausted.  All the time.  Fatigue, joint pain, muscle pain, chronic DAILY headaches, frequent migraines, insomnia, IBS with chronic constipation, weight gain, struggling to lose weight, hair loss, splotches on my face, out-of-whack hormones.  I could go on, but I think you get the picture.  It wasn't pretty.

I'm a mom of a lot of kids...I didn't have time for this.  I didn't have time for doctors.  I didn't have time for day long (or night long) tests.  I just wanted answers.  Answers never came.  This is brief run down on tests I've had done in the past 12 years:

MRIs

CT Scans

Lumbar Puncture

Optic Nerve Scan

Ultra Sounds (female organs, as well as thyroid, gall bladder and liver)

Sleep Study

IgE, IgG and full battery of allergy testing

Countless blood work up's including TSH, T4, T3, Vitamin levels, hormones, antibodies, etc.

I'm sure I'm missing something, somewhere.

A couple of times I thought I'd found answers.  During some tests by my immunologist they found I had almost no antibodies.  Was my body producing them?  I was chronically sick, maybe this was why.  Would my body produce them on its own?  I was given a Pneumo-Vax to find out.  They retested 6 weeks later and yes, my body did produce antibodies against those known viruses.  That ruled out several autoimmune diseases.

At another time, they found goiters on my thyroid.  That success was short-lived.  I was treated medicinally for a short while and the MD stopped treatment.  

Another time the neurologist was sure I had psuedo-tumors.  Every test came back normal.

Sleep study, normal, except, "You need more sleep."  Truly.  I could have told them that without a test!

I also found out during an MRI on my shoulder last year that I have arthritis in my shoulder(s).  Add that to the chronic knee problems I've had since youth...MRI on my right knee showed I needed surgery, had no cartilage and degenerative breakdown/arthritis.  The presumption is that both knees have these issues, but you only deal with the most painful and debilitating one at a time.  I had knee surgery in December of 2013, which ended up being much more complicated than they originally thought.  They had to "create" new cartilage for me, I was non-weight-bearing for almost 6 weeks and off work for nearly 12.  

During that time I learned a few things about myself:

My headaches are much less when I'm not working.  (Stress, lights, sleep???)

I don't get sick when I'm not working.  (Chronically exposed to every virus in town!)

I gain weight when I sit around and do nothing but eat because I'm bored for 6 weeks.  (Almost 15 lbs.!!)

I still don't like exercise and it makes me feel like CRAP.  (PT kicked my butt!!!)

I would love to be healthy.  Period.

That leads us into another post.  ;)

I will say I believe I am a walking autoimmune disease.  At this point I don't really care which ones, as I'm sure there are multiple.  I'm positive I have Raynaud's.  I also believe I have adrenal fatigue, if I haven't completely crushed my adrenals altogether!  I know I have Chronic Fatigue/Fibromyalgia symptoms and my doctor refers to it with me, but it's not recorded anywhere.  I have undiagnosed thyroid issues.  I'm sure there are more.  Sarah Ballantyne, PhD. lists 22 chronic symptoms that point to autoimmune issues in her book The Paleo Approach.  Of those 22 symptoms, I have 19 of them.  No question.  NOW what to do about it??