Healthy Imitation Cookie Dough Gluten/Diary/Soy Free

This recipe originally called for rolling the dough into balls but I found it was better to just leave it the bowl, add some dairy free choc chips and eat with a spoon. It was too sticky to roll. So yummy!

If you are planning to share, then DOUBLE the recipe. You will want it all to yourself. TRUST ME!

Ingredients

1 Cup Raw Cashews

1/2 cup rolled oats

2 Tbsp Honey

2 Tbsp maple syrup

Chocolate Chips to taste

Put cashews and oats in a blender or food processor. Pulverize until powdery. Put in a bowl with honey and syrup and mix with hand mixer. Add Chips and enjoy! You don’t need to refrigerate but you can if you want it firmer. I like it soft. SO YUMMY!

Mexican Quinoa Casserole (Dairy/Gluten/Soy Free)

This turned out delicious! I changed it up from the original recipe so it fits in our family’s dietary choices.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup quinoa
• 10 ouces salsa (original recipe called for enchilada sauce but I could not find it. I may try that next time.
• 1 (4.5-ounce can chopped green chiles, drained
• 3/4 cup frozen corn
• 3/4 cup prepared black benas (either canned or prepared dry)
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 3/4 cup shredded Daiya Dairy Free cheddar cheese, divided
• 3/4 cup shredded Daiya Dairy Free mozzarella cheese, divided
• 1 avocado, halved, seeded, peeled and diced
• 1 Roma tomato, diced

INSTRUCTIONS

• In a large saucepan of 2 cups water, cook quinoa according to package instructions; set aside.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly oil an 8x8 or 2 quart baking dish or coat with nonstick spray.
• In a large bowl, combine quinoa, Salsa or enchilada sauce, green chiles, corn, black beans, cilantro, cumin and chili powder; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Stir in 1/2 cup cheddar cheese and 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese.
• Spread quinoa mixture into the prepared baking dish. Top with remaining cheeses. Place into oven and bake until bubbly and cheeses have melted, about 15 minutes.
• Serve immediately, garnished with avocado and tomato, if desired.

Rory Vs. Eczema: Our Battle Begins

Well with the beginning of solid foods for Rory, the dreaded eczema has made an appearance. Elijah had suffered through some issues on his bottom which was an issue this summer but continued when he went diaper free in August and we were just never able to get it under control. I tried homemade ointments, prescriptions ointments, dietary changes, toiletry changes…everything. Well at the twins’ one year doctor’s appointment just before their first birthday, I had Dr. Debroeck take a look at Elijah’s bottom and it was confirmed to be eczema. We were given a few more non-prescription suggestions but after trying those for two weeks I found myself calling the good doctor requesting a prescription to finally get rid of this painful rash that his been torturing my poor first born for SIX MONTHS. Well around the time of the original doctor’s appointment, Rory had the beginnings of a rash. Now Elijah never had diaper rash his first year. I believe this is because he was in cloth diapers. Once I was pregnant and going through hyper stimulation in my early twin pregnancy, started wearing disposables and as much as I would have loved to cloth the twins (and will totally cloth any future singletons) it was just not something that was a priority with trying to take care of three two and under when the twins came along. So they have had a moderate share of diaper rash.

When Dr. Debroeck saw Rory’s bottom and a rough patch on his upper thigh, it was diagnosed also as eczema. A couple weeks later, Rory began solids and shortly after that, his eczema slowly began to spread. Its not red or inflamed…you would not even notice it if you didn’t feel it but it is there. Just scaly yucky feeling and you know it has to feel dry and itchy. My poor baby. Because we delayed solids for one whole year, I was not as slow to introduce foods as I was with Elijah. But it does seem that the severity of Rory’s eczema is linked to eating solid foods.

So…..we are right now tying to get this skin disorder under control. We have scaled back solids and basicially offer a Gluten Free version of the BRAT diet (Bananas, Rice, Applesauce, Toast) and increased nursing sessions so he is pretty much back to EBF with a little solids to fill his tummy while we wait for the rash to go away. Then slowly we will start to reintroduce solids and pay close attention to his skin. I also want to add probiotic and fermented foods to his diet as I know eczema is often a gut issue. I wish I had all my kids on probiotics every day but that is just not something that is in our family budget right now. I am hoping that I can make appealing fermented foods that can do the trick.

I would love to hear from anyone that his dealt with this and suggestions or holistic recipes that you can share!

Fried Rice–Gluten/Soy/Dairy Free!

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 Tbsp. Earth Balance, divided
• 2 eggs, whisked
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
• 1 small white onion, diced
• 1/2 cup frozen peas
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• salt and pepper
• 4 cups cooked and chilled brown rice
• 3 green onions, thinly sliced (I use kitchen sheers to cut them)
• 3-4 Tbsp. Coconut Aminos sauce, or more to taste
• 1 tsp. toasted sesame oil

DIRECTIONS:

Heat 1/2 tablespoon of Earth Balance in a large skillet over medium-high heat until melted. Add egg, and cook until scrambled, stirring occasionally. Remove egg, and transfer to a separate plate.

Add an additional 1 tablespoon Earth Balance to the pan and heat until melted. Add carrots, onion, peas and garlic, and season with a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Saute for about 5 minutes or until the onion and carrots are soft. Increase heat to high, add in the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons of Earth Balance , and stir until melted. Immediately add the rice, green onions, soy sauce  and stir until combined. Continue stirring for an additional 3 minutes to fry the rice. Then add in the eggs and stir to combine. Add the sesame oil, stir to combine, and remove from heat.

Patrick’s First Haircut and All Boys Cuts

Well my good friend Becky is officially the Parish family hair stylist. Not only does she do an amazing job on mine and my kids hair, she comes to my house which is really the only way I would ever get my own hair done! Rory had his first haircut about a month earlier but Patrick was napping and really wasn’t quite ready for his first cut at that point. Well the time had finally arrived. His sweet little new curls in the back of his head were making him look a little…..mulletish. So it was time. It just so happened that Elijah and Rory needed a trim as well so all three boys participated in haircut day!

The obligatory “before” shot of my sweet boy.

I have to admit I love the little curls in the back and miss them.

Cutting babies’ hair is no small feat and Becky is AMAZING at working with kids.

Patrick was a bit of an extra challenge being a little overdo for a nap. My 4-5 hour napper needs his shut eye.

Rory watched his twin brother and seemed ready for his turn…

Of course when it came to it, he required a Mama bear hug in order to stay still.

Elijah was a picture perfect client as always.

Thank you Becky Maloney for taking such good care of our family! We love that you are a part of these memories!

Diary Free “Creamy” Blueberry Bars

Ingredients

• 2 cups creamed coconut or coconut butter (I could not find CREAMED Coconut at the store so I ordered it from Amazon.  
• 2 cups fresh blueberries
• 1/4 cup honey ( I use local)
• 2 tsp vanilla

Instructions

• Combine all ingredients in a food processor until the mixture is smooth.
• Line an 8x8 pan with parchment paper, leaving enough room for some paper to stick out the sides.
• Dump the mixture into the pan and spread it out evenly. The mixture is very thick and you may need to wet a spatula to help spread it evenly.
• Once the mixture is in the pan. Gently press down using the extra sides of parchment paper.
• Stick the pan in the fridge to firm up. This should only take about 15-20 minutes.
• Once the mixture is firm, lift the whole thing out by the edges of parchment paper.
• Cut into squares

Read more at http://mywholefoodlife.com/2014/08/13/blueberry-bliss-bars/#OZw76Mfoh6jjKcDH.99

Chip Turns 33

My handsome hubby turned 33 this year! It was a special year for us….so many blessings bestowed upon our family……TWO new babies who were not even a week old this time last year, a new job, general abundance in all things and the fact that I get to continue to stay home to take care of our growing family due to the extreme hard work and long hours of this many. Last year for Chip’s birthday we really didn’t get to celebrate. Patrick was still in the NICU. Rory and Chip’s mom and I were staying in a hotel across the street from the hospital and Chip thought he might be getting sick so he could not even come see us for fear of getting the babies or me sick so I really wanted to celebrate this year and let Chip know we (his family and friends) recognize what a good dude he is! So I called our some of our favorite people and arranged a birthday dinner at our one of favorite Mexican restaurants, Del Pueblo! The party was a huge hit and Chip said it was one of his favorite birthday memories ever! I love that it was kid friendly and not only did our kids enjoy the evening but some friends brought their little ones as well. It was Rory and Patrick’s first really sit in a high chair restaurant experences! Rory had accompanied me on a girls night out before but this was the first time the whole family attempted this together. It was awesome.

Me and the dashing birthday boy.

It was a special day for Chip’s Mama too! Afterall, she was the one that did all the work 33 years ago!

Patrick is really enjoying his solid food journey! I brought Happy Baby Organic puffs, and whole peas and green beans for the babies to munch on!

Me and one of my besties! Mallory, seriously one of my favorite people ever!

Blanca (center) is another friend of ours and also the manager of the restaurant. She did an amazing job accommodating all of us and even gave us some yummy appetizers on the house!

We were shocked to learn the day before that Chip’s sister Virginia would be arriving in time to join us for the party. What a nice surprise.

Our Parish family can’t have a celebration without our best friends. Love you guys Danny and Mallory.

 

Elijah played the part of host making his rounds. I adores Avery. I can’t wait until she is old enough to babysit!

A feeble attempt at a photo op with Rory. Clearly he is more interested in his green beans.

Elijah making his rounds to Aunt Virginia.

….and now having some fun with Miss Kristie!

 

It was such a great night. Thank you to all of our friends that were able to make it out and to the ones that weren’t, we missed you!

Breastfeeding Milestone: EBF One Year!

We made it to our first breastfeeding goal! It had been my intention to not only nurse my next  baby (which ended up being babies!) full term meaning how ever long they wanted to nurse hopefully around two years, but to delay solids and exclusively breastfeed for the first year. I had planned to give each baby their first solid at or after their own one year mark. For Rory that would have been on their birthday. For Patrick it would have been a little different. Patrick did not get to eat the first four days of his life due to his cooling treatment and while his first food was Mama’s milk straight from the breast, he had many bottles during his 12 days stay in the NICU, some of Mama’s milk, some donor at the very beginning, no formula per our request. Once Patrick got home it took us about a week to get him off the bottle 100% so I was thinking of using that as his 1 year mark. It was important to my husband that they had some sort of celebratory treat at their birthday party which was two days before their actual birthday and since marriage is about compromise, we agreed that their first food, sweet potatoes, would be offered on that day. I even managed to make them look festive by whipping them with some breastmilk and piping them in cupcake liners, to look like frosting. It was a lot of fun and a big hit!

So what was exclusively breastfeeding twins for almost a year like? Well first let’s me define what EXCLUSIVE means for our family. First of all, a few months ago our babies decided that they were ready for solid…..DOG FOOD. So yes…..they went after Wrigley’s food every chance they got and I fished that out of their mouths along with other floor delicacies that any baby (EBF or otherwise) would find appealing. I can tell from diaper changes that nothing was ingested and so even though they tried to make dog food their first food, I can safely say it was not!

Second, as babies get older, they require more calories. My babies tended to cluster feed (basically want to eat constantly not really giving me a chance to rebuild supply before the next feeding) in the early evening when my supply was naturally at its lowest. Because I was a dedicated pumper (10-20 ounces every morning!) I had a huge supply of my own milk in the deep freeze….maxing out at around 4K ounces. Once the twins hit about nine months old, I would offer bottles of frozen breastmilk if I was at all worried they were not getting enough directly from the source. Rory just never took to the bottle. I can probably count on one hand the total number of ounces he has ever taken from a bottle. Patrick was fine with taking in additional milk this way and so yes, we did supplement occasionally with him using my own breastmilk. If anyone asks me the key to EBFing for one year, I would say having a decent size stash built up in the freezer in key. Your baby may not take it (like Rory) but if I had not had that for Patrick, it would have been really challenging to reach this goal.

One of my favorite things about nursing twins was tandem feeding! It was such a cool experience and a neat way for them to bond. When they were newborns and young babies, they loved to tandem and look at one another and touch each other's faces. Once they hit about seven or eight months, they started having (what is referred in the twin breastfeeding community as) food fights. Basically they both wanted me to themselves and would kick, punch and pull one another’s hairs. So no more tandem nursing. Only recently have I tried it again and been successful. This seems to coincide with them playing more together and following one another around. That twinship bond is building strong!

One YEAR! It feel pretty awesome. Although at this point with Elijah I was preparing for my next pregnancy and it makes me a little sad that is not where we are right now, I am thrilled that it means I can keep on nursing my sweet little twins for hopefully another year! In recognition of achieving this first year EBF goal, I wanted some sort of legacy item or keepsake. I found this company Mommy Milk Creations who creates jewelry using your own breastmilk! I found two designs that I love….one is a heart design that would have been PERFECT for my sweetheart Valentines babies but she was sold out of that design when I placed my order. It has since come into stock but she is in such high demand, not only is the turnaround time up to one year, she won’t let you make changes to your order once it has been placed and so I am expecting my second choice (pictured below) to be delivered in about a year. It is such a cool and unique way to celebrate this precious season of life and the pendant is one I know I will love to wear and it will be a great conversation piece!

I am just so happy and humbled by this journey with my twins. It has definitely been a family effort to make this work. Elijah has had to wait for his requests while Mama fed not one but two babies and not always at the same time. Chip has had to take over more than his share of duties to make this work. I could not have done this without my family and I am very grateful that I had the opportunity to meet a goal that was and is very important to me. I know that breastfeeding is not important to everyone and most people would not choose to EBF as long as I have, but for the twins and me, it was an amazing journey and I am already enjoying nursing my boys on a while new level as we continue to slowly introduce solids into their diet.

One more side note on breatfeeding support. My babies are small, small but very healthy. Not once did our family doctor (who we adore) question EBFing for one year or show anything but support. Not all doctors would have been so supportive. Many doctors would have pushed us to supplement solids or even formula. We are very blessed to have Dr. Julius Debroeck in our corner. He has been a blessing to our family and supportive of our parenting choices, including our breastfeeding endeavors. So many thanks to him as well!

I’d like to leave you with a collection of photos that shows our one year exclusive breastfeeding journey!

Not a breastfeeding photo but one of my favorite shots of Rory showing his support!

A little karaoke with my nursing

Patrick’s first latch in the NICU. He knew exactly what to do even though he had been kept unstimulated for his first four days!

Newborn Rory snuggling up. Oh how I love the newborn days.

When I first started tandem I used a My Breastfriend pillow which was a huge help. Here my boys had some lunch together.

We were counted x2 at The Big Latch On!

Nursing Rory (look how TINY!) and pumping for Patrick at the hospital.

Patrick already a little pro at a month and a half old.

Nursing my little chick on Easter Sunday.

Nursing my boy in the Bluebonnets. Can’t wait to recreate this photo in the spring!

Strawberry picking and nursing

One of my favorite shots.

Another favorite shot…nursing baby Rory.

Birth Rally Breastfeeding!

Birth Rally Baby!

Loved this breastfeeding mini session in November!

Breastfeeding with my sweet “Aunt”.

A quick nip before digging into birthday sweet potatoes!

Baby B Turns One Year Old!

Our strong, brave baby B is one year old today. It is hard to believe that the tiny soul that stole our heart the moment we found out there were two heart beats is a whole year old. When I think of all the odds this little guy beat, my heart just soars and my sometimes wavering faith is instantly restored. Patrick, our Baby B, was not breathing and had no heartbeat at the time of his emergency cesarean birth. He spent twelve long days in the NICU and 6 weeks at home on blood thinner shots administered into his very skinny legs by his Mama. In a matter of twelve months he has achieved so many milestones ahead of schedule. He has been evaluated several times to check that his is progressing at appropriate levels and has passed all evaluations with flying colors, far surpassing the expectations of of a little one who experienced a non traumatic birth. This little boy is smart and developed and loves to connect with other people. He is clearly our deep thinker and can been seen not only studying the world around but really enjoying being a part of it was well. He started smiling early like his twin and older brother though his smiles were more of a rarity and required a little effort on the part of the receiver. As he has grown and matured, those smiles have become somewhat of a signature trait that are almost constantly seen on that precious little face. It is often commented about Patrick “That baby smiles ALL the time!”. We really have such happy children.

As of this morning Patrick is sixteen pounds and two ounces. He is a tiny boy with a HUGE heart. Patrick has been exclusively breastfed until Saturday when we offered his first solid of fancy piped sweet potatoes (which I made extra fluffy with Mama’s milk!) and Patrick dug right in. He is clearly excited and ready for this new adventure of solid food and even tasted some scrambled eggs and banana since then. I plan to continue to nurse this little guy as long as he wants and he still LOVES his Mama’s milk but I can clearly see that he is thrilled to have solids as a part of his new cuisine.

Patrick took his first steps a couple of weeks ago and has not stopped since! Yesterday he took 8 steps! He loves balance standing and very rarely crawls. He loves to grab a hold and pull up then slowly take his hands off of whatever he is using for support, holding his hands carefully up in the air and a big smile on his face. He will do this over and over again like a game and is so proud of himself in this accomplishment.

Patrick has a very gentle voice and loves to “talk” like his brother, in his own little twin language. His voice is quiet and deliberate. He says Mama and Dada and will repeat several words but does not use any others consistently at this point. He loves to repeat sounds and faces. Like Elijah at this age, Patrick thinks it is hilarious to stick his tongue out and waits for a response. Patrick has five teeth (Rory has just one more with 6) and no signs of either cutting any more at this time. I love cute toothy grin and bright eyes. Mama’s “mini me” is often called our “pretty boy”.  It is amazing to me to watch him move and interact. He is really so small….falling at the .4 percentile…yes less than half…so really small but there is nothing small about his personality or accomplishment. I have no doubt this boy will do great things.

Patrick loves loves loves dogs. All my kids really love dogs and animals but Patrick has this special connection and will go out of his way to find Wrigley and lay by him or pet him. He does the same with my in laws dog, Beamer (and their beloved Henry who we recently lost) and any other dog he comes in contact with. Patrick seems to be pretty independent and plays just as well by himself as he does with his brothers.

I love to see how Elijah loves to take care of Patrick and Rory. He loves to help me change diapers. He runs over to give hugs and kisses if one of his little brothers is crying and often asks to hold them and hug them. He is an amazing big brother and Patrick just adores him. His eyes light up when Elijah pays attention to him.

Patrick has been an amazing sleeper from the beginning and now he almost always sleeps through the night. I make sure to feed him before I go to bed around 10 but I almost always have to wake him up to do this. He is just such a pleasant baby and super easy for others to take care of. We know we never need to worry when Reerah and Grandaddy or Miss Mallory are babysitting him. He is just an easy going guy.

I love watching this little boy explore his world. Patrick has the cutest little face and makes the sweetest most adorable expressions. He seriously has one of the most expressive faces I have ever seen. It is fun to sit and watch him react and interact with his little world.

It is hard to believe that one year ago began the most heart wrenching and yet blessed twelve days of my life. As I look down at the tiny face who is nursing as I type this (no one can multi task  like a Mama of twins), I am so grateful for the strong, brave, amazing and beautiful little boy looking back up at me. When he was in the NICU, the nurses told me that he is the kind of baby that makes you want to have babies…..and they are so right. (Though I do think that about all three of my precious boys!). Thank you Patrick for teaching us that strength and bravery come in small packages. You are a blessing and an inspiration.

Thank you to my sweet friend MJ Coker, who took our Valentine themed family photos celebrating the Parish twins first year of life. Valentines day will forever be special for our family because not only were we due on that day but it is the day Patrick left the NICU and came home to join our family of five.

Mama and her sweetheart babies

I LOVE being a Mama of twins!

So much joy in those little faces

Mama and her sweet three.

Such unique little boys.

Precious brothers. Nothing sweeter .

Small and mighty

My cute little nugget

He was getting so excited during his photo shoot

So big!

I LOVE this shot!

All Mama’s guys!

Beautiful boy