Why I Love My Vita-Mix — SCD Chili Powder




This super simple — and frugal — recipe is easy to adapt to you (or your kid’s) tastes.

You need only one ingredient: Dried chili peppers. And a heavy-duty blender or food processor.

That’s it. Of course you can make more complicated versions, like Alton Brown’s Chili Powder. But for those on the SCD, simpler is usually better.

The instructions are easy too:

Remove the stems (and seeds if you prefer less heat or can’t tolerate them) from the dried peppers of your choosing. (Make sure to use gloves for this part.) I used New Mexico chilis in these pictures.

Then place them into the Vita-Mix. Turn it on low, then quickly to high. Use the tamper to grind the peppers to the consistency you like. When finished, let the powder settle before you open the container.



I found that the peppers we grow and dry our selves are dryer than those I purchase. So, if you’re using the store-bought ones, be aware that the little bit of moisture they contain affects the texture of the chili powder. When I use purchased peppers, I store the powder in the refrigerator.

Enjoy!






 

25 SCD Snacks

With kids home from school for the summer, finding SCD snacks can be hard. And if your SCD kid is prone to losing weight, as mine is, it’s especially important to have snacks on hand.

I’ve compiled a list of ones we like, including some calorie-dense snacks as well as some lighter fare. Assume that the items are homemade unless specifically stated otherwise.



1. Dried fruit and nut butter
2. Fresh fruit and nut butter
3. Vegetables and guacamole
4. SCD chips and guacamole
5. Cheese sticks
6. SCD cookies (like Ginger Bear Biscuits, Healing Foods, page 207; or Brownies, Healing Foods, page 196; or Monster Cookies, Breaking the Vicious Cycle, page 132)
7. Coconut date balls (Healing Foods, page 53)
8. Gelatin made with SCD juice
9. Popsicles made with SCD juice, yogurt, and/or fruit
10. Almond butter packs
11. Boiled eggs and SCD mayonnaise
12. SCD waffle sticks (or shapes cut out with cookie cutters) and honey and/or nut butter
13. SCD muffins
14. SCD cupcakes
15. SCD Caramel Toffees (although these must be kept refrigerated) (Healing Foods, page 54)
16. Skewers (or cute Bento toothpicks) of ham or turkey, and cheese, and SCD pickles or olives
17. SCD fruit leather
18. SCD ice cream
19. SCD slushies (blended frozen fruit, juice, and ice if needed)
20. SCD smoothies (blended fruit, yogurt, juice or coconut milk, and nuts)
21. Sardines served with SCD cheese crackers
22. Farmer’s cheese (described in Breaking the Vicious Cycle) and honey
23. SCD Pretzels
24. SCD Carrot cake (Healing Foods, page 204; or Breaking the Vicious Cycle, page 127)
25. Crispy eggplant chips with marinara dipping sauce

Hope you’re having a great summer and that this is helpful. If you have favorite SCD snacks I’d love to hear about them below.



 

About LivingLaVidaMama

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Formerly, I've worked in publishing and been a medical student. Currently, I'm a freelance writer and copy editor, and full-time mom with two exceptional daughters. LivingLaVidaMama focuses on intentional frugality and the Specific Carbohydrate Diet that has dramatically improved my younger daughter's autistic-like symptoms. Contact me at MadForWriting at windstream.net