Insta-Pickle

I just love those little mini-cucumbers you can get by the bagful at Costco. They are so handy for salads, as well as my kids' favorite raw vegetable treat: insta-pickles! My Mom used to make something like this with cucumbers we'd pick fresh from the garden. My version just adds a little extra seasoning.

Insta-Pickle:

Mini-cucumbers (usually 4 or so fits a small bowl), washed and sliced
Coarse sea salt
Dill (dried or fresh)
Apple Cider Vinegar

Add pickles to serving bowl and just cover with apple cider vinegar. Add a pinch of sea salt and a pinch of dill. Chill and serve!

Chicken Soup for What Ails You

Dad goes TDY, kids get sick. That's just a given in most military households, and it's proving true for ours this week. The whole family is sniffling to beat the band, so it's time to make some chicken soup. I just happened to be making a huge pot of chicken stock (2 chickens, 2 onions, 3-4 celery stalks, salt, and a couple of glugs of vinegar to help draw the good stuff from the bones, plus lots of water; simmer all day, cool, and strain), so it was a breeze to whip up some spicy Thai soup to help burn out the germs. My soup recipes may annoy some, as I always wing it when it comes to soup. Measurements are, needless to say, imprecise.

Lola's Thai Soup

4 oz rice noodles
1-2 Tbsp coconut oil
4-5 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2-inch piece of peeled ginger, minced
3 green onions, chopped
1 Tbsp red pepper flakes
Thai chili sauce to taste
Thai fish sauce
salt or soy sauce
chicken stock
cilantro, chopped
limes, quartered

Place rice noodles in cold water to soak till softened. Add coconut oil to a soup pot and melt over medium heat. Add garlic, ginger, and green onion and sautee for about1-2 minutes. Drain noodles and add to pot with red pepper flakes, a couple of dashes of chili sauce (or to taste), a couple of dashes of fish sauce, salt or soy sauce to taste, and a couple of Tbsp of cilantro. Stir and add chicken stock (I would guess I used about 1 quart). Simmer for a few minutes, till heated through and noodles are nice and tender. Serve topped with more cilantro and limes.

This would also be great with some diced chicken or shrimp, or some chopped peanuts.

Obviously, this isn't nightshade-free, but as Dad was away from home and he is the one who primarily needs to avoid nightshades, we went with the pepper and chiles to help amp up the heat on the soup. It was a hit with all the kids, even the ones who don't normally like spicy foods. The body knows what it needs!

Gluten-Free, Casein-Free Desserts

What better way to start my dietary musings than with a post on desserts? When we first thought that gluten was the sole culprit causing a series of troublesome rashes, desserts were easy enough. My teen-aged daughter quickly became adept at creating creme brulees (with blow torch in hand) and caramel flan. But then we realized that there was more than one allergen afoot. Using an elimination diet, we deduced that dairy products may also be causing problems. It's early days yet for us in this new diet, but we are hoping for great results. With that in mind, I felt the need to compile a list of treats that we could enjoy on Feast days and birthdays, that would not have to be "guilty" pleasures. (As we are dealing with sensitivities, and not full blown allergies, some of our desserts may not be as stringently gluten-free or dairy-free as some require. Please review the ingredients and make substitutions as your own diet requires.) I will add to this list as I test new recipes, but for now, here are a few suggestions:

1. Brownies a la Lola*
2. Poached Pears
3. Baked Apples
4. Bananas with Caramel Sauce
5. Tapioca pudding made with rice or almond milk
6. Grilled Pineapple
7. Strawberries dipped in dark chocolate
8. Macaroons
9. Fruit cobbler made with gluten-free pancake mix (We just tried Maple Grove Farms of Vermont All Natural Gluten Free Pancake and Waffle mix today and it was delicious! I can't wait to start baking with this product.)
10. "Swedish" Pancakes*

Now for a couple of recipes:


*Brownies a la Lola

(Adapted from a great brownie recipe I got out of Southern Living magazine years ago. My daughter's friend tasted my adaptation, not knowing they were gluten-free, and she said they were the best brownies she's ever tasted. I hope you will like them as well.)

2 Tbsp water
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup butter (you can substitute melted coconut oil if you need to avoid butter)
1 (11.5 oz) package of dairy-free dark chocolate chips, divided
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup gluten-free flour mix (I use half rice flour and half tapioca flour)
1/4 tsp salt


1. Combine first 3 ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, and stir in 2 cup of chocolate chunks until smooth. Let cool 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, stirring just until blended. Stir in vanilla.

2. Combine flour and salt. Stir in remaining chocolate chips. Stir flour mixture into the chocolate mixture in the saucepan. Spread into a lightly greases 9-in baking pan.

3. Bake at 325° for 23 to 28 minutes. Cool and cut into squares.

(I like to add dairy-free butterscotch chips in place of the chocolate chips in step 2.)




*"Swedish" Pancakes

I simply use a gluten-free pancake mix (as mentioned above, Maple Grove Farms is very good!), prepare the batter as directed, and fry small dollops of pancake batter in coconut oil. The coconut oil gives it a delicious flavor. Top the pancakes with powdered sugar and serve. These were a big hit at a recent post-sleep-over breakfast.

Day One: I begin

I am a homeschooling mom to five (one adopted from China), wife to an Air Force pilot, a convert to Catholicism with a love for the Traditional Latin Mass. I am staunchly pro-life and Conservative politically (although this was not always the case). I have a strong and abiding interest in holistic health and nutrition; I think that God intended food to be our primary medicine, and I am always searching to learn more about this area.

Recently, I discovered that my youngest is sensitive to wheat and perhaps dairy, which has led us to adopt a gluten-free and mostly casein-free diet (so far, butter and cream don't seem to cause any problems that I can see). As two other family members also suffer from skin ailments (psoriasis and eczema), I decided it was finally time to go whole-hog and adopt a nightshade-free diet as well. It was this event that prompted me to start this blog. As I begin to compile information on how to live within these dietary limitations, I would like to share this information with others, to encourage them in their own search. My ultimate dietary goal for our family is to not only find ways to eat healthfully and enjoyably from day to day, but to celebrate the Feast days of the Church in a grand and joyful manner. I hope you will join me in this endeavor!


God bless and keep you,
Lola