October 2017 Favorites

Continuing my tradition of sharing some favorites monthly, here are my October 2017 favorites! 

Just a reminder, some of these items contain affiliate links, but nothing in this post is directly sponsored by any company... I'm just sharing what I like! 

Beef and Broccoli (AIP)
I’ve taken a couple trips this month, first going to Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN, then to Georgia and South Carolina. As I often do when I travel, I packed some “safe” food to take along. Beef and Broccoli is one of my go-to meals all of the time, but even more so when traveling. It’s easy to prepare in large quantities before a trip, it travels well, and it tastes good cold if I don’t have access to reheating. When traveling, I package the cooled Beef and Broccoli into quart-sized freezer Ziplocks and freeze them solid before travel. Then, when I’m ready to eat it, I thaw one in the fridge overnight and transfer it to a small Pyrex container. I like to top mine with garlic dill pickle sauerkraut and truffle salt.

XL 7-day pill organizer
Under the supervision of my Integrative MD, I’m on a more rigorous supplement regiment, tailored specifically to my needs as revealed in some recent testing. Some supplements I’m taking multiple times a day, but am taking different amounts at different times of the day, whereas before, I took things once in the morning and maybe again before bed. To keep myself from getting confused and to ensure that I would actually take the things my doctor is recommending, I invested in this new enormous pill organizer. And side note: I’ve never gotten so many DMs on Instagram as when I shared this pill organizer in my IG stories a few weeks ago! 

I still take the most things in the morning, so I end up using both the AM and the Noon spots for my morning pills. I’ve repurposed the evening spot for my afternoon ones and kept the bedtime slot for my nightly supplements. So far this organizer has been very useful and I feel I’ve been much more successful with actually taking what I intend to take while using this system.

The one bone I have to pick with the company manufacturing this pill organizer is their name “Stuff Seniors Need.” Yes, I do not fit in their target demographic, but I wish they’d have thought of more than just an older population when developing their marketing materials. (ok, I'll step off my soapbox now...)

Kuhn Rikon 4-inch nonstick paring knife 
I’ve had two of these paring knifes since around 2009 and they’re still both going strong. Originally, I bought them to go in my culinary/pastry knife kit, but now I use them when traveling and occasionally in my day-to-day cooking adventures. They come in a wide variety of colors, but I happen to have a purple one and a light blue/periwinkle one. The knife sharpens easily, it fits really comfortably in my hand, and they’re very inexpensive (especially as knives go!) I also love that it comes with a matching cover, so I can throw it in my lunchbox to easily cut things (avocado, apples etc.) as needed.

Coconut + Argan Oil Cleansing Towelettes 
On a whim, I decided to try these as a good face cleansing option while traveling. I know myself well enough to know that I am much more lazy about my skincare when traveling! In the past, I’ve used a different company’s cleansing towelettes, but they started making my eyes burn… Yikes! Not good! I switched to these and have not felt that same burning.

The smell of these wipes took some getting use to—they smell a bit like Play-Doh—but they are effective and I no longer feel a burning like I did with the last brand I used. I’m sure they’re not perfect ingredient-wise, but they’ve been a great option while traveling or on the occasional night when I’m too tired to do a full face washing. I buy mine at Target, but they're also available on Amazon.

Photo by Rebekah Scadding

Sam Edelman Penny Riding Boots in Whiskey Leather (“Athletic Fit”)
I’ll be the first to admit, I’m not a fashion blogger. But I am a big fan of these boots and I’ve gotten some nice compliments on them too.

It’s taken me two years to find just the right tan tall riding boot because I’ve had a tough time finding ones with a wide calf shaft and with the right heel hight. Too short a heel and they feel weird when walking… Too tall and I can’t wear them long without my feet, back and legs hurting. These boots are wide enough in the shaft without being gap-y—I can wear them with jeans or leggings. They’re also very comfortable! I walked five miles in Boston in them over the weekend and didn’t get a single blister. My normal shoe size is a 9 1/2 (occasionally a 10) and these fit great as a 9 1/2.

I tried these boots on first in a department store, and while I really liked them and thought they fit well, the price didn’t work my limited budget. I checked on Amazon upon returning home, just in case, and they were less than half the price of the department store! To me, they're still a bit of an investment, but I know I’ll get lots of use out of them. Thanks to my friend Rebekah Scadding for taking the photo of me in these boots while we were in the Boston Public Garden this past weekend.

The Teal Pumpkin Project 
This year marks two years that we’ve participated in the Teal Pumpkin Project for Halloween. By putting a teal painted pumpkin outside our house (or you can buy one), we’re signaling to trick-or-treaters/parents-in-the-know that we’ll have allergy-friendly options. Since today is Halloween, it might be a little late for this year’s Teal Pumpkin Project, but maybe it will be something that can be utilized in future years. Since I grew up with food allergies, my heart really goes out to those kids who can't eat traditional treats.

painting my 2017 pumpkin while watching "Stranger Things 2"

We started a tradition last year of giving out glow stick bracelets instead of a food treat. I like that the glow stick bracelets are not only fun, but also help with visibility on a dark Halloween night.

So those are a few of my favorites from October. What are you loving lately?

Some of these items include affiliate links, meaning Sweet Treats makes a small commission off items purchased after a link is clicked with no additional cost to you. Thanks for your support.

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September 2017 Favorites

Where did September go?!? It seems like just yesterday that I was writing my August favorites and now here I am sharing September’s favorites…

Just a reminder, some of these items contain affiliate links, but nothing in this post is directly sponsored by any company... I'm just sharing what I like! 

Sheet Pan Meals (AIP or Paleo, depending on combination)
We eat a lot of roasted vegetables throughout the year, but lately I’ve been embracing not just roasted vegetables, but entire meals that can be roasted on a single sheet pan. The template is really easy: veg + fat + protein typically roasted at 425 F for 30 to 60 minutes, depending on the veg/protein included. It’s a relatively easy meal with some prep required, but very little hands-on cooking time, and very minimal clean up.

As I’ve got some reintroductions under my belt, I quite often top roasted veggies with some sliced chicken sausage (usually contains some seed spices, but I always look for varieties that are nightshade-free), but chicken thighs also work well. Inspired by my friend Stephanie from “Fresh Tart,” I’ve also embraced this technique to make larger batches of breakfast hash with sliced leeks, baby bella mushrooms, bacon, and hearty greens like chard (include the stems) or kale.

It’s been a great way to use up random bits of vegetables in the fridge or freezer, thus reducing food waste. I plan to do some posts in the future with specific recipes for this technique.

Diffusing Ylang Ylang Essential Oil
I love diffusing essential oils, especially when I’ve cooked something extra fragrant or at night for sleeping. Ylang ylang is the newest oil in my arsenal and one of my current favorites. It’s a very calming, tropical floral scent reminiscent of jasmine. I’m still using my initial bottle purchased at my local Whole Foods, but it’s also available on Amazon or from most major EO companies. I like it for its soothing/relaxing yet uplifting qualities. It’s been a great one to diffuse on days where I need a bit of a pick-me-up. I’ve also read that it’s for the skin (diluted in a carrier oil) and the hair, though I haven’t tried it that way yet. This is another essential oil I anticipate keeping in my stash permanently.

Listening to Audiobooks on Audible 
A favorite childhood memory is of my mom reading to my sisters and me at night and/or when we were sick. Listening to audiobooks reminds me of those favorite memories. I’ve had an Audible gold membership (1 credit/book per month + 30% off the list price for any further audiobooks I choose to purchase) for a couple years and really enjoy listening to books while cooking or doing household chores or while driving. It’s so convenient to run the app on my phone or tablet. I tend to pick longer books, if I can (to maximize my credit purchase), and I tend to gravitate towards the genre of young adult fiction. Currently, I’m re-listening to the Harry Potter series (right now I’m on “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban”) but I’ve also lately enjoyed “Tower of Dawn” from the Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas, and “Six of Crows” from Leigh Bardugo.

Beautycounter Volumizing Mascara
I’ve had some adventures finding a more natural, gluten-free mascara…. I used another company’s mascara for a couple of years, but it always smeared under my eyes, giving me a great raccoon impersonation regularly. Plus, it was very difficult to remove when I actually wanted it off!

Beautycounter has had a lengthening mascara for a while, but since I wear glasses, I didn’t want any additional length to my lashes. When I heard that Beautycounter was coming out with a volumizing mascara, I knew I had to try it in hopes that it would be a better option for me. I am pleased to say this new volumizing option has been great! It doesn’t smear under my eyes AND it’s much easier to remove at the end of the day. Fair warning, the brush does take some getting use to, and it isn’t necessarily the most “crunchy” option, but it’s definitely better than conventional mascaras!

While I’m not a consultant with Beautycounter, you can order their products through your favorite consultant (I’m sure you probably know *someone* who sells it, if you’re in the AIP/Paleo-sphere) or through the Beautycounter website.

“Telephone Pictionary”
 We helped throw a surprise birthday party for a friend earlier this month and we played a new-to-us party game called “telephone pictionary.” I’m not usually a fan of group games (unless they’re board games or card games), but this one was super fun! It’s probably better played in larger groups (we had around 15 people playing) for optimal hilarity. Each person gets a stack of papers, amount equal to the number of participants, and a writing utensil. Everyone starts by writing a word or simple phrase on the top sheet of paper, then everyone passes their entire stack of paper to the person on their left. That person looks at the phrase, moves it to the back of the stack, and draws their interpretation of that word or phrase. Next, the entire stack is passed again to the left. That person looks at the drawing, moves it to the back of the stack, and guesses a word or phrase that the picture depicts. And the whole process continues around the group until all the papers are used. What ends up being the most hilarious part of the game comes at the end when everyone looks through their stack of papers and shows the group where the word or phrase started and how much it changed as it went through the whole group.

Pinning Autumn-y Things
Last year was our first autumn in New England (after leaving southern Texas), but we spent the majority of the season’s peak unpacking and settling in to our new home. We’re looking forward to doing all the fall activities (or as many as we can manage) while we live in this gorgeous state.

While we’re waiting for actual autumn to arrive—our weather has been still stuck on summer lately—I’m compensating by pinning on the pretty fall images on Pinterest to a specific autumn board.

So those are a few of my favorites from September. What are you loving lately?

Some of these items include affiliate links, meaning Sweet Treats makes a small commission off items purchased 

after a link is clicked with no additional cost to you. Thanks for your support.

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Moving!

Exciting news! My husband and I are moving to the New England area very soon! We are thrilled with this new development & can’t wait to experience life in this new location.

Because moving is really stressful, I’ve decided to take a break from blogging, for a bit. I’ve also decided to scale back my social media posting. In the midst of all the packing and preparations, I need to make sure I take care of myself, especially in the midst of all the packing & moving preparations—the last thing I want is to end up with a flare! So, if I’m around a little less, that’ll be why.

Thanks for understanding and I’ll be back in a few weeks!

In the mean time, if you want to make the spiced pumpkin tea latte (AIP, Paleo, Low FODMAP, Vegan) seen in these pictures, check out this post from last fall.

Spiced Pumpkin Tea Latte (AIP, Paleo, Low FODMAP, Vegan)

Why yes, this recipe is the third “Pumpkin Spice”-type Beverage I’ve posted on the blog in the past three years. My food options have changed pretty dramatically, in these three years, but I still refuse to entirely give up my favorite things, including “Pumpkin Everything” in the fall ;) I simply have to adapt my favorites to fit in to my personal needs.  You can find last year’s Paleo Bulletproof Pumpkin Spice Latte recipe here and 2013’s homemade Pumpkin Spice Latte recipe here.

I *may* have gone a bit crazy buying squash last week... :) 

This summer, I gave up coffee when I went back on the elimination phase of AIP. In lieu of coffee, I now drink tea bulletproof tea in the morning. Usually, I make myself a Matcha Jasmine Tea Latte, but once September hit, I began dreaming of a pumpkin spice beverage. Even if our temperatures are still in the 90s and it does not feel remotely like fall, I still wanted it to taste like fall :)

An interesting prospect of this year’s spiced pumpkin (tea) latte development is that I haven’t had a “proper” PSL in three years. Forgive me if you’re a PSL aficionado... You may not think this one tastes like the real deal, also because it relies on black tea instead of coffee. But for someone who can't have a "real" one, I think it's pretty amazing.

In addition to changing the base liquid from coffee to tea, I also played around with the spices. I found out earlier this year that I have a sensitivity to ginger & thus also needed to further adapt the AIP pumpkin pie spice blend I developed last year. Feel free to add a dash of ginger, if you so like, but I really don’t miss its flavor (and my inflammation levels thank me for not consuming it).

No matter if it feels like fall where you live or what dietary constraints you need to follow, I hope you’re able to enjoy a spiced pumpkin / pumpkin spice beverage & savor it’s delicious, spicy, autumn flavor.

Note: Pumpkin is high in FODMAPs if consumed in large quantities, but since this recipe only has two tablespoons of puree in the entire batch, it should be safe for most people. Monash University states that canned pumpkin is low in FODMAPs in quantities of 1/4 c (2.2 oz) or less. You could alternately substitute another roasted, pureed squash variety, such as Kabocha squash. 

Spiced Pumpkin Tea Latte

Yields one generous serving or two small servings

14 g (1 Tbl) Coconut Oil

8 fl oz (1 c) Brewed Black Tea (I use Choice Organic Classic Black Tea) 

2 fl oz (1/4 c) Coconut Milk (make sure it doesn't contain any additives) 

2 Tbl (20 g) Pasture-Raised Collagen, optional but will increase the protein & nutrient density of the beverage; omit if vegan 

9 to18 g (1-2 tsp) Organic Grade B Maple Syrup

1/2 tsp Ground Cinnamon

1/4 tsp Mace  (may sub nutmeg if not AIP)

1/8 tsp Ground Cloves

1/8 tsp Vanilla Bean Powder

pinch (1/16th tsp) Ground Turmeric

OR 1 tsp of my AIP Pumpkin Pie Spice 2.0 (recipe below) 

31 g (2 Tbl) Organic Pumpkin Puree

1. Begin by brewing the black tea, if it isn’t already made. 
2. Add the coconut oil to a high speed blender vessel (I use the smoothie cup from this model ) . Pour the hot black tea over the coconut oil. If necessary, reheat the tea, either on the stovetop or in the microwave. The tea needs to be hot enough to warm up the other ingredients. 
3. Add the remaining ingredients on top of the tea & coconut. 
4. Blend until frothy & well combined. 
5. Pour into one large mug or two small ones. Dust with a little additional spices, if desired. Serve immediately. 

AIP Pumpkin Pie Spice 2.0

8 g (4 tsp) Ground Cinnamon

4 g (2 tsp) Mace

2 g (1 tsp) Ground Cloves

3 g (1 tsp) Vanilla Bean Powder

1/2 tsp Ground Tumeric

1. Stir ingredients together.
2. Store in a spice jar. Use wherever you would use pumpkin pie spice. 

Tapioca Pudding Porridge with Roasted Apples (AIP & Vegan)

Hot cereal is one of my comfort foods. Stovetop oatmeal, baked oatmeal, cream of wheat/cream of rice, rice pudding--they’re all things I’d love to eat for breakfast in my pre-AIP days. Even though I’ve finally trained myself to eat savory things for breakfast, there still are some days when I want to revert to the comfort that comes from hot cereal for breakfast.

This tapioca pudding porridge can do double duty: it works both as a dessert AND as an occasional breakfast treat.  Of course, it’s totally AIP and paleo (but still delicious, for those non-AIP/paleo readers). And please banish any thoughts of ready-made tapioca pudding snackpacks (like the ones you perhaps had in childhood)--this pudding is not remotely similar :)

It takes a little planning to make--the tapioca pearls require soaking--so I prefer to make it in the evening (soaking the pearls while we’re eating dinner & simmering the pudding afterwards) & then sometimes I eat a little of the leftovers for a breakfast treat (along with some protein).

Since it’s fall right now, and apples are in season, I roasted some to serve on top of the pudding porridge.  Other fruit could be substituted, or the pudding can be consumed all on it’s own.

Tapioca Pudding Porridge 

yields 3 to 4 small servings 

44 g / 1/4 c Small Pearl Tapioca

6 fl oz (3/4 c) Filtered Water

1-13.5 oz can Organic Coconut Milk

1 tsp Vanilla Extract (make sure it’s AIP compliant!) 

20 g / 1 Tbl Real Maple Syrup 

1. Combine the tapioca pearls & filtered water in a small sauce pan. Allow the pearls to soften for at least an hour. 
2. Once the pearls have softened, add the coconut milk, vanilla extract, and maple syrup. Bring to a simmer over medium high heat, stirring often. When the mixture simmers, reduce the heat to medium low & continue cooking, still stirring, until the pudding thickens & the pearls begin turning translucent, approximately 15 minutes total. 
3. Cool the slightly. Serve either warm (my preference) or refrigerate until cold. Top with roasted apples (recipe follows). 

Roasted Apples

1 large organic Apple, peeled & diced

1 tsp Organic Coconut Oil

1-2 tsp local Honey (not vegan) or Maple Syrup, depending on sweetness of the apples  

1/2 tsp Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice (AIP)  (or substitute regular pumpkin pie spice, if not AIP) 

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. 
2. In a small baking dish, mix together the apple, coconut oil, sweetener & spices. 
3. Roast in the preheated oven until the apples are soft, approximately 45 minutes.

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