This weekend, my little girl turned 2. I just love that little peanut and her growing personality. I would say I’m excited to be moving out of the baby stage.. but it’s only a few months before we move back into it.

This was her birthday cake!

I know it’s not the typical two-year-old birthday cake (what, no Dora?!), but my girl loves berries. So berries we had.. and lots of them.

But let’s back up a second.

This recipe is called Yellow LARD Cake. Say what!?!

A few years ago, I would not have been caught dead eating anything with lard in it, let alone a dessert. I grew up on the idea that lard and shortening (which are NOT the same, by the way) would make you super fat and you should avoid them at all costs. Pass the butter spray, please! (Can’t believe that’s still a thing.)

After lots of time spent learning about real food, my mind began to change. Maybe animal fats really were the way to go! I think the idea was really cemented in my brain when I took on the GAPS Diet, since the first stages of Intro included only tallow as the only fat (the beef or lamb equivalent for lard). For more reading about lard and it’s place in a nourishing diet, check out this post at Weed ‘Em and Reap.

The recipe for the cake comes from a book that everyone in the Paleo community has been talking about, Beyond Bacon. The cookbook is the brainchild of Matt and Stacy from Paleo Parents, one of the best Paleo resources out there. The book is all about how to take advantage the whole pig, scary bits and all. Matt and Stacy explain how to find quality pork and walk you through all of their preparations in a way that takes intimidating projects (like rendering your own lard) seem very doable.

The book is stuffed full of quality recipes. I’ve got my eye on the Smoked Pork Belly, Asian Short Ribs, Cucumber Dill Quiche, “Corn” Dogs, Fried Yuca, Savory Bacon Jam, Caramel Praline Lard Fudge, The Best Brownies.. so, like I said. A LOT of quality recipes in here.

Matt and Stacy recommend their chocolate frosting to top the yellow cake, but I opted for whipped cream and fresh fruit in honor of my little berry lover. I used real cream, but you can use whipped coconut cream interchangeably. (You may also notice some powdered sugar on the cake. That is NOT paleo, I just think it looks so lovely for photographs!)

I followed the directions in the book for two layers of cake, but unfortunately, one of my layers broke as I was removing it from the pan. My advice would be to chill the layers in the fridge completely and then flip the pans and tap the cakes free only when you’re ready to assemble the cake. Be sure to line the pans with parchment paper, too- that makes a huge difference with these dense paleo cakes!

As for the taste, we can’t get enough! No complaints there. The cake was a great base for berries and cream, but I’d love to try the chocolate frosting on it, too. Can’t go wrong with any kind of cake, if you ask me.

So, in honor of my little girl and her 2nd birthday, I’m giving away a copy of Beyond Bacon to one of you! I have pretty much dropped the ball on giveaways around here, so I’m very happy to be bringing you one today. Makes the heart full to be able to give things away. Just follow the instructions in the Rafflecopter widget below, my darlings, and the winner will be announced at the end of the week!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

(photo from yesterday’s post, Grain-Free Peach Cobbler)

Hi, dolls!

It’s Friday, thanks Heavs. My hubby is on his way home and I couldn’t be happier! Only one more week of training and he’s ours for good again. Yes. Just in time to help us pack up and get our rear ends up to Ohio..

Anyways, amidst all the moving business (aka house showings and paperwork and avoiding actually packing anything), I just thought I’d chat it up with you a little bit and share some links that have been on my radar this week. Enjoy!

Cold Avocado Soup. Let’s discuss. Looks good, sounds good.. can’t imagine actually preparing it or putting it in my mouth. I have never been on board with cold soups.. it just seems weird to me. Like eating a smoothie out of a bowl? But again, I really think it sounds good, so maybe I’ll grow up a little and try it.

I definitely need this ghee tutorial. If you follow me on Twitter, maybe you remember when I totally burned a batch a few months back? #gheefail

Have you ever heard of Jaggery? This post was my introduction and now I really want to try it. I love products with traditional preparations.

This super cute shop called Camp Brand Goods is calling my name. I want all the things.

The move is in about a month, and I’m planning on picking up one of these books about moving for the kids. Anyone else have any book recommendations or tips on how to prepare the little ones for moving day?

Wondering if I can pull off one of these turbands. I love the look, but I’m 98% positive that I am not cool enough to wear it.

I loved this post with Pandora workout station recommendations. I would like to officially add “Eye of the Tiger” radio to the list ‘cuz it’s my jam.

And lastly, The Surest Way to Promote God’s Good Plan for Marriage and some sweet words on Teaching Children the Bible (which features my very favorite kid’s bible.)

I’m in limbo.

We are moving soon (just two months away..). It’s soon enough that I’m starting to get sad/nostalgic/motivated to start fresh/etc; but not soon enough that I can actually do anything about it. It’s too soon to start packing, too soon for goodbyes. I want to soak up the last bit of time here, but I’m having trouble with that. Nick is gone at training and I feel like I’m just doing busy work- filling up the time, not really enjoying the time. I’ve made a summer bucket list, but getting through it seems like more work than fun (even though I know I’ll regret it if we don’t do those things before we go).

I think I might be in a cooking rut, too. I was immersed in the GAPS Intro diet for two months and now that I’m on the other side of it, I need to get inspired all over again. I’ve quit meal planning and I’m just cooking on the fly for me and the kids. I need to break out of this whole thing and start fresh!

I did manage to mix up these faux Larabar-type bars a few days ago. It was hard not to eat them all in one sitting- snacks like this are tough for me to resist! It’s not good for me to be the only adult in the house with no accountability. One of these days you will find me laid out on the floor after a nut butter overdose, I’m telling you!

If you’re not into figs, you can substitute another dried fruit or more dates. But you should try them- they’re pretty good. And this is coming from a girl who was a fig hater for the first 20 years of life. Break free, people! Eat figs. Eat food you think you don’t like. It might surprise you. And you can always spit it out gracefully into your napkin, so there’s that.

Where is this post going? I need some direction. What’s going on with you guys? What inspires you? Share with me!

Hazelnut Fig Bars

 

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Author: Oven Love

Recipe type: snack

Serves: 12

Ingredients

• 1 cup hazelnuts (I pre-soak and dehydrate mine)
• 1 cup dried figs, stems removed
• 1 cup pitted dates
• ½ cup coconut flakes or shredded coconut
• 1-2 tablespoons coconut manna/coconut cream concentrate/coconut oil

Instructions

1. Add hazelnuts, figs, dates and coconut to the bowl of a food processor. Process until all ingredients are finely chopped.
2. Scrape down the bowl an add 1 tablespoon of coconut manna. Process until the mixture starts to stick together between your fingers. Add extra coconut manna if necessary.
3. Press the mixture into an 8×8 pan (lined with parchment or plastic wrap). Let cool in the refrigerator until hardened, then cut into 12 bars. Keep stored in the refrigerator.

#version#

So I am officially done with GAPS Intro! I have been for about a week or so, but I haven’t gotten time to sit down and gather my thoughts about the whole thing. I have actually sat down to write this post a bunch of times and just can’t get into it. I think it’s because I had a tiny breakdown about GAPS, and then I relaxed a little about Stages 5 & 6. Let me explain.

I wrote a little about my episode here, but basically what happened was that I had my first reaction to a newly introduced food and I got discouraged. I thought I would have to be stuck at Stage 4 forever if I couldn’t eat every single food on the list. Then I realized that I am the one in charge of this plan, and that I could make the executive decision to move onto the next stage and try that food again later when I felt ready. That really took the pressure off and allowed me to start trying more new foods and eat more like a normal person (not that people on GAPS Intro aren’t normal.. well, maybe we aren’t, but you get what I mean).

Let me be clear, though- I didn’t cheat or go off the diet, I just moved on and skipped some of the raw vegetables, which I plan on reintroducing eventually.

What did I eat on Stage 5 & 6?

With Stage 5 came raw veggies, applesauce, honey and fruit for juicing. Stage 6 adds whole fruits.

• Scrambled Eggs in Ghee with Avocado and Sauerkraut (my typical breakfast.)
• Eggs with Ham and Asparagus
• Sausage Patties
• Pulled Pork with GAPS Barbecue Sauce (I skipped ahead again and added spices to the barbecue sauce.)
• Roasted Chicken and Vegetables
• Squash and Almond Flour Bread (Yellow Squash and Zucchini)
• New Cooked Vegetables- spaghetti squash, tomatoes, green peppers
• Raw Cucumber, Carrot, Celery
• Homemade applesauce (pictured above, small batch recipe here)
• Fresh Juice in lots of different combinations
• Crispy Nuts
• Butternut Squash Soup
• Lots of Bone Broth and Tallow and Salt and Garlic and Sauerkraut and Olive Oil
• Other things I can’t remember because I stopped writing my meals down in such detail!

Did I see any changes or patterns in my symptoms?

I had some trouble with introducing raw cucumber and butter lettuce at the beginning of Stage 5 (that was the problem food from my episode). Then I remembered that raw vegetables have often been a problem food for me, and like I said- I stopped freaking out about it. I have seen a few symptoms come back here or there, but nothing like the pain I used to experience. Plus, my supplements are really helping to reduce pain.

Any practical advice from Stage 5 & 6?

Don’t go crazy with the whole fruits and honey and baked goods- it can send you into a downward spiral really fast! Take advantage of juicing as a way to get in some tasty fruits (with your veggies, too, of course). Also, watch it with the nuts. It can be tempting to eat them for every snack and with every meal in your baked goods/bread; but they shouldn’t be the main part of your diet- that should still be meat and vegetables.

Also- keep up the broth and soup, don’t quit!!

Any encouragement for people in Stage 5 & 6?

Let the bumps in the road be okay. Let the little mistakes be okay. I’m not giving you carte blanche to start cheating (GAPS is not a diet you want to cheat on, since you would have to start from the beginning again to get your desired results), but do give yourself some grace. This is a hard journey and you’ve almost made it to the full diet. Keep up the good work and take your healing seriously- you are worth it.

I am feeling a little bit stuck with the GAPS Intro diet this week. I need to vent about it. Just a little, if that’s okay.

I was making great progress until a few days ago. I had no trouble introducing new foods and my symptoms were mostly gone. I was feeling good, feeling ready to add back some of my problem foods (raw veg being an issue for me in the past.)

Enter the humble, unassuming (jerk of a) cucumber. (Don’t misunderstand, I really do love cucumbers.. I guess it’s my stomach that is actually the jerk.) It was the first raw vegetable I tried, and I got sick that day. I tried the cucumber again the next day with just a little butter lettuce, thinking that maybe it was something else I had eaten the day before, but I got sick again. And then I started planning my mental pity party, because, you know, it’s summer. And in summer, there’s fresh, delicious raw produce for salads and snacking and oh, what a joy it would be to eat salad again! How I miss the satisfying crunch of a salad! And other pitiful thoughts.

Then I continued to feel sorry for myself when we were headed to a friend’s house and we picked up pizza on the way. I had to roll down the windows because the scent of fresh dough and hot cheese was suffocating me (so dramatic). You guys, I really wanted some of that pizza. BAD. The pity party reached its peak when I had to feed the kids their pizza OUT OF MY HAND, which meant holding a pizza slice for about half an hour without stuffing it in my face. Yeah.

I don’t know why I am still bothered by this a few days later. I really have no reason to feel sorry for myself, because A) I have so much more than I deserve in this life and B) I am truly feeling better than I was before and C) it is not the end of the world because D) sticking to the plan means I will (probably and hopefully) be able to eat these foods again some day.

Enough feeling sorry for my little old self! Gotta keep the Gospel first in my mind. Less of me, more of Christ. He went through much, much worse on my behalf AND He is praying for me daily. I am blessed.

I hope all of you have a great weekend full of cucumbers and pizza. Here are some links for you, my darlings:

• this paleo banana cream pie. can’t get it out of my brain.
• coconut tres leches pancakes, i am coming for you.
• these rustic place settings have me ready to cut down the nearest tree.
• the J.Crew Factory sale – 30% off everything. lovely and dangerous.
• a basil creamsicle sounds so refreshing.
• these adorable shoes for baby girl. and these in gold.. and of course, these.
• mini button name tags– what would mine say?
• these bow ties are killin’ it.

What did I eat on Stage 4?

With Stage 4, I added olive oil, fresh juice, bread made with almond flour and roasted/grilled meats.

• Scrambled Eggs in Tallow with Avocado and Sauerkraut (my typical breakfast.)
• Poached Salmon and Chicken
• Carrot and Squash Soup with poached eggs and avocado (you might have seen this one on Instagram)
• Roasted Chicken and Vegetables
• Squash and Almond Flour Bread (you can see one of the muffins in the photo above)
• New Cooked Vegetables- spaghetti squash, tomatoes, green peppers
• Fresh Juice- plain carrot or a mixture of carrot/apple/celery
• Chicken Vegetable Soup with Turnips
• Butternut Squash Fries (so good to have roasted squash again!)
• High Protein Chili (pictured above, recipe below)
• Avocado Chicken Salad (just mashed avocado mixed with garlic, salt and cooked chicken)
• Lots of Bone Broth and Tallow and Salt and Garlic and Sauerkraut and Olive Oil

Did I see any changes or patterns in my symptoms?

For the most part, this stage went much better than expected. I have been fearful about trying new vegetables, but it seems to be going well. I did see a bit of a flare-up with my symptoms when I tried the almond flour bread. I tried a little bit at the beginning of the day and it went well, so then I had more later on.. but I think I overdid it. I’ll have to be careful about how much almond flour I take in.

I also feel like I am getting some real energy back- I actually thought about going out and exercising, which I haven’t felt like doing in quite some time. I’m looking forward to some exercise again after Intro is done- I don’t want to push it and start before my body is ready, since working out puts your body in fight-or-flight mode which interferes with proper digestion. And ya’ll know I don’t have time for that.

Any practical advice from Stage 4?

Don’t assume that your body can handle any amount of new food, even if it tolerates a little bit. This was my lesson from the almond flour bread. It is just not worth it to overdo it and experience your symptoms again. Really try to savor the little bits of these foods that you do get to try, even if you end up deciding to leave it out of your diet for a while. You can always try it again later.

I wanted to note here that I did take some liberties with spices in Stage 4. In the recipe for chili posted below, I added some chili powder and paprika, which are not legal until Full GAPS. I was so excited to make chili with tomatoes that I couldn’t resist throwing the spices in. My advice here is that you know your body best. If you get to this point in the diet and you feel you can add in a few ingredients here or there that are allowed on Full GAPS, try it out. But use your judgement- if you have any symptoms, slow down.

Also, don’t quit your detox baths. They are worth doing! (I have been slacking a big- this is mainly a reminder for me.)

Any encouragement for people in Stage 4?

Don’t stop observing and listening to your body. Now that you are adding new foods so often, you want to be careful about recording your symptoms, looking for patterns and making changes accordingly. Hopefully you’ve gotten into a groove with the GAPS lifestyle and you’re making it work for you. But remember, this is a process. Every day will not be better than the last. Sometimes there are bumps in the road. Sometimes we mess up. Keep trying and don’t despair! You are on your way to better health and learning self-discipline along the way. (And don’t quit now- you’ll be able to eat fruit and honey in Stage 5!)

High Protein Chili

 

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Prep time

30 mins

Cook time

1 hour

Total time

1 hour 30 mins

 

This is called “high protein” because it’s got three types of meat and is very nutrient dense.

Author: Oven Love

Recipe type: GAPS legal, Main, Soup

Serves: 6-8

Ingredients

• 1 pound grass-fed beef liver (pre-soaked the night before in the juice of one lemon and then covered with filtered water; cover and keep in the fridge)
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 pound ground venison, ground pork or other ground meat/sausage
• 1 onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 cups crushed tomatoes (preferably homemade or not from a can with BPA)
• water or beef broth to cover
• 1 tablespoon chili powder (optional)
• 1 tablespoon smoked paprika (optional)
• 2 teaspoons sea salt
• cracked black pepper to taste
• 4 cups winter squash (optional)

Instructions

1. Drain the beef liver.
2. In a blender or food processor, process the liver until it’s broken down (I like it pretty broken down, right before it reaches a paste. If you like it chopped, you can do that, too. I find it’s practically undetectable if you break it down in the blender first.)
3. In a large stockpot or Dutch oven, cook the liver and ground meats until they are browned.
4. Add onion, garlic, crushed tomatoes and mix. Add spices, if using. Cover with beef broth or water if necessary, stir, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and let it simmer for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
5. If you are adding the squash (or any other uncooked vegetable), you can add it to the chili about 30 minutes before you plan to serve it.

3.1.09

What did I eat on Stage 3?

Hooray for Stage 3! Eggs and avocado are back!!

• Scrambled Eggs in Tallow (so glad to have my whole eggs back!)
• More meatballs.
• Cauliflower Soup, Squash Soup
• Beef and Broccoli Soup
• Beef Vegetable Soup
• Swirly Crustless Quiche (pictured above, recipe via Practical Paleo)
• Crockpot Cilantro Chicken with Onions, Green Beans and Avocado (pictured below, recipe below)
• Pancakes (made with squash, eggs and homemade walnut butter)
• Poached Salmon with Celery Roots/Cauliflower/Onion Mash
• Lots of Bone Broth and Tallow and Salt and Garlic and Sauerkraut

Did I see any changes or patterns in my symptoms?

I started taking some supplements this week for support. I was already taking my pre/probiotic and fermented cod liver oil, but I added some digestive enzymes, some hydrochloric acid and some Gastrazyme for extra support. I have seen a difference and I’m hoping the trend continues! I really think my gut lining needs help healing before the pain will disappear, but I was only ready to tackle all of the supplements after I had a few weeks of solid foundation on the diet.

Any practical advice from Stage 3?

Take your time adding in the new foods. It is really exciting that in Stage 3 you get to add whole eggs, pancakes made with nut butter and avocado- but you don’t want to go overboard or try them all on the same day. Slow and steady is best- try scrambling 1-2 eggs or mashing just 1-2 tablespoons of avocado and eating it with your soup; or try just adding one pancake until you’re sure you can tolerate them.

Also, don’t forget to keep up your bone broth! I have gone a little slack with it since I’ve been adding foods. Make sure it stays a central part of every meal!

Any encouragement for people in Stage 3?

You are strong, you can do this! Don’t be discouraged if this stage takes a little longer as you work to introduce new foods to your diet. It may be the first time that you try a food that doesn’t work for you- that is okay! Every person is different- what you are trying to do is find out what works best for your body. Keep at it, day by day.

Crockpot Cilantro Chicken with Onions, Green Beans and Avocado

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

6 hours

Total time

6 hours 10 mins

 

Author: Oven Love

Recipe type: Main Dish, Crockpot

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 4 large onions, sliced
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• a handful of cilantro, chopped
• 8-10 chicken bone-in chicken pieces (I used thighs, but bone-in breast and drumsticks would be great, too)
• 2 cups chicken broth
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 lb green beans, trimmed
• 1-2 avocados, mashed or pureed
• more cilantro, for serving

Instructions

1. Combine onions, garlic and cilantro in a slow cooker and top with the chicken pieces. Pour broth over top and add salt and pepper to taste.
2. Cook on high for 4-6 hours or until chicken is tender and onions are soft.
3. About 30 minutes before you’re ready to eat, cook the green beans- if the liquid in the crockpot is boiling, you can add them to the crockpot. If not, steam them or boil them in broth and then add to the plate afterwards.
4. To serve, spoon the onions and chicken into a shallow bowl, add the green beans and top with the avocado and more fresh cilantro.

3.1.09

What did I eat on Stage 2?

Stage 2 didn’t differ too much from Stage 1. I was able to add egg yolks to my soup, fresh herbs (this really made a difference to me!), fermented cod liver oil in the mornings, whole sauerkraut in addition to sauerkraut juice and GAPS “casseroles.”

• Carrot and Winter Squash Soup
• Winter Squash and Meatball Casserole with Herb Salt (pictured above; I guess all I’ve been photographing are dishes with meatballs!)
• Pulled Chicken, plain or mixed into soup (I liked it in my smooth soups like Broccoli or Carrot/Squash)
• Chicken Soup with Carrots, Onions and Peas
• Garlic and Parsley Meatballs
• “Mashed” Cauliflower and Cauliflower Soup (this was new and surprisingly tolerable)
• Lots of Bone Broth and Tallow and Salt and Garlic and Sauerkraut

Did I see any changes or patterns in my symptoms?

My pain has decreased quite a bit, as well as a few other “normal” (for me) symptoms. I feel like I wasn’t as irritable, but that could be because I was away from my kids for three days. I still experienced some blood sugar symptoms when I hadn’t eaten in a while- dizziness, fogginess, tired.

I’m actually starting to see a pattern with my digestion and my stress/busy-ness level. Usually things go much smoother and there are less issues on down days. I saw a lot of the same symptoms on busy days, days that we were driving in the car or days I had a reason to be nervous. I never actually feel nervous or stressed.. but I guess my body is telling me I am just good at hiding it.

Any practical advice from Stage 2?

I would say don’t get too excited about moving on to this stage. Don’t get me wrong, it is exciting to move along through the Intro diet- VERY exciting. But there actually isn’t much that changes with the food, especially the preparation.  In Stage 2, you’re allowed to have “casseroles,” but it was not what I was expecting. I was hoping to have roasted meat and vegetables again, but you actually can’t have those until Stage 4. The Stage 2 “casseroles” are similar to what you’d make in a crockpot, since you must still cook everything in broth or water.

Any encouragement for people in Stage 2?

Keep at it! Hopefully you have started to see results, little by little. There is a real foundation being laid in the first few stages of the Intro diet. Even the smallest cheat will make a big difference. Your body needs time to heal- a lot more time than we want to give in our modern, super-busy world. Give it time and continue to plug away. Take it day by day, meal by meal.

Also- I’ve found the SCD Lifestyle page on Facebook to be extremely encouraging. They are always posting little encouraging status updates and links. I also like @healingfoods on Instagram.

Winter Squash and Meatball Casserole with Herb Salt

 

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GAPS Legal from Stage 2

Author: Oven Love

Recipe type: Main Dish

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1 lb grass-fed ground meat (beef, buffalo, lamb, etc)
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• 1 medium to large winter squash; peeled, seeded and chopped
• 1-2 cups bone broth
• fresh herbs- I used parsley and rosemary, but any fresh herbs will do
• sea salt

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Mix the ground meat and garlic and form into small meatballs.
3. In a 8×8 dish, spread out winter squash pieces. Pour enough broth over top to just cover the squash. Top with the raw meatballs. Bake for about 45 minutes, or until squash is soft and meatballs are brown.
4. While the casserole is cooking, combine some freshly minced herbs and sea salt and rub together with your fingers. Top the casserole with the herb salt when it comes out of the oven and serve immediately with the broth.

#version#

What did I eat on Stage 1?

(Soup, soup and more soup.)

• Carrot Soup (I made a huge batch and fear I may soon turn orange.)
• Butternut Squash Soup
• Onion Soup with Meatballs (pictured above and my favorite- almost like French Onion Soup, recipe below)
• Boiled Hamburgers (not as terrible as they sound)
• Chicken Soup with Squash and Carrots
• Boiled Chicken or Beef with Vegetables
• Lots of Bone Broth and Tallow and Salt and Garlic and a little Sauerkraut Juice

Did I see any changes or patterns in my symptoms?

My stomach pain was still present at times, but a lot less than normal. I was actually more concerned about my blood sugar than the pain this week because I experience a lot of tiredness, irritability (especially before meal time), and some fogginess. I think (I hope!) my body is normalizing its blood sugar after relying on carbohydrates like potatoes, sweet potatoes and rice to keep me going the past few months. Despite being worn out, I didn’t sleep too well this week; so I’ve started supplementing with Magnesium in the evenings to help me sleep.

Any practical advice from Stage 1?

Be prepared to do a ton of dishes- try to get in the habit of rinsing out your most-used pots and pans and putting them right back on the stove instead of letting them pile up in the sink. You’ll need them to heat up everything since microwaves are a no-no. My most used items were mugs, bowls, small saucepans, small spatula, spoons, garlic press/microplane (I like the microplane better because you can easily rinse it), large Mason jars and my crockpot.

Also, just a note: the seaweed powder detox bath is strange and messy. It was my least favorite (I am partial to Epsom salts). The smell reminded me of fish food/an aquarium and the powder never really dissolves like the other bath items. Make sure you are able to easily rinse your tub (and yourself) after that bath.

Any encouragement for people in Stage 1?

Try to reach out for support daily during this first stage. I contemplated quitting (i.e. spending the afternoon in the local frozen yogurt shop) multiple times during my irritable moods, but I am blessed to have great support from my family and friends and lots of people who are just a text away. You’ll need those people to talk you off the ledge when you go crazy for a minute and convince yourself that you are ruining the whole diet by eating too many carrots.

I spent most of my detox bath time in prayer, which was a great encouragement to my spirit. I also had a comforting old hymn stuck in my head for most of the week; Before the Throne of God Above. I was singing this verse over and over again:

When Satan tempts me to despair
And tells me of the guilt within,
Upward I look and see Him there
Who made an end of all my sin.
Because the sinless Savior died
My sinful soul is counted free.
For God the just is satisfied
To look on Him and pardon me.

Crockpot Onion and Meatball Soup

 

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Author: Oven Love

Recipe type: Soup, GAPS Intro Stage 1

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 3 cups beef broth
• 6 large onions, thinly sliced
• 1 lb ground beef, formed into meatballs
• sea salt
• fresh garlic
• tallow, grass-fed butter/ghee or coconut oil

Instructions

1. Combine the beef broth and onions in the crockpot and simmer on low for 4-6 hours or until onions are soft.
2. About 30 minutes before you’d like to serve, add the meatballs gently into the simmering soup. Cover and let simmer until the meatballs are cooked through.
3. Add sea salt, fresh grated garlic and a bit of fat to each bowl and serve warm.

#version#

Top Left: Tallow, Top Right: My GAPS Notebook. Bottom Left: Grass-Fed Beef. Bottom Right: Beef Broth.

I wanted to say a few words about why I am starting this GAPS journey, because I kind of feel like a crazy person. I mean, this is crazy, right? To restrict my diet in so many ways, not knowing if the outcome will even be positive. Going ahead without any guarantee that my stomach pains will go away. Sounds crazy.

I am really writing this post to my friends and family, so they might understand my motives a little better. (And not worry about me.. Mom. :)) I know when I first researched GAPS I thought it was so out-there that I would never be sick enough to have to do it.. and now here we are. So I understand where you’re at if you don’t see the appeal.

If you’ve been following my tummy troubles, you know that I have struggled for quite some time. When I last talked about it in detail, I hadn’t had any diagnostic testing or seen a specialist yet. Since then, I’ve worked with a nutritionist, seen a Gastroenterologist, had tons of blood work, an abdominal ultrasound, and an endoscopy with no conclusive results. My doctor and I didn’t exactly see eye-to-eye: he told me that “some people just have sensitive stomachs.” If you know me, you know that I don’t buy into that kind of medical conclusion. So I set out on my own to see what kind of healing could be done through diet.

My motive in going forward with GAPS is to heal and repair my stomach. I am not doing the GAPS Diet to lose weight. I am not doing the GAPS Diet as just a quick cleanse.  I am not going to starve myself while on the diet. I pray I will not cheat on the diet or sabotage myself when I start to feel a little better. GAPS is a temporary, healing diet and I hope it will be just that for me- short term and successful. I know it is not a guarantee that I will get better, but it is my prayer that God will heal me or reduce the daily pain in some way.

As I’ve been preparing, God is revealing to me that this trial might not really be about my health at all. I think what He is really trying to teach me is discipline, self-control and obedience- perhaps illness is just the way He has chosen to do that. He certainly doesn’t promise us perfect health in this life- in fact, He tells us that won’t happen until we get to Heaven. I have been comforted by this sermon by Charles Spurgeon on the topic of sickness and suffering. Particularly this quote:

“Affliction of some sort is one of the marks of the true-born child of God, and it frequently happens that the trial takes the form of illness. Shall we therefore wonder that we have to take our turn in the sick chamber? If Job, and David, and Hezekiah must each one smart, who are we that we should be amazed because we are in ill-health?”

I don’t know what the outcome will be, but I do know that while I have been ill, I have felt His nearness. And that has been a sweet, sweet gift to me. I pray that as I document this journey here, that it will be helpful to others who are struggling in the same way. Thank you for all of your kind words of encouragement as I head down this path. We will see what the Lord has in store!