tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-73263286080439829052024-03-04T23:16:09.296-05:00Living La Vida MamaA Spirited Mom's Search for SolutionsAngelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07531438229420415706noreply@blogger.comBlogger57125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7326328608043982905.post-38950718376635041032013-07-23T01:16:00.000-04:002013-07-30T12:37:02.093-04:00SCD Cupcakes
I recently made SCD cupcakes and since they can be tricky, thought I’d share them with you.
I used the same SCD cake recipe I used here, but omitted the lemon flavoring since I was out of it.
And I used not only the same SCD buttercream frosting recipe that I had used for the SCD birthday cake, but the actual batch of SCD buttercream that I had made for that cake.
Having the extra Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07531438229420415706noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7326328608043982905.post-8245057527468025292013-02-27T19:23:00.000-05:002013-02-27T19:23:20.295-05:00SCD Birthday Party!
If you’ve ever tried to decorate an SCD birthday cake, then you know how hard it can be.
After years of subpar birthday cakes, I finally figured out how to decorate an SCD cake for my daughter’s 8th birthday. Kinda.
Originally, I had plans for an American-Girl-themed birthday party, but because I couldn’t find American Girl cake toppers or embellishments — and making them out of honey-basedAngelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07531438229420415706noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7326328608043982905.post-28342704555711944432012-10-28T15:34:00.000-04:002012-10-28T15:34:58.638-04:00SCD Halloween Finger Cookies
It’s that scary time of year again when SCD parents search desperately for alternatives to mainstream Halloween treats.
Here’s one option that’s safe for lunch boxes, Halloween parties, and if made in tiny versions and well packed, even for trick-or-treat bags.
SCD Gingerbread Witches’ Fingers
6 cups almond flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 cup honey
¼ cup SCD yogurt
1 egg
2 Tbs. ground cinnamon
1 Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07531438229420415706noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7326328608043982905.post-4943068299650724612012-06-25T14:29:00.000-04:002012-06-25T14:29:29.932-04:00Why 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 ifAngelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07531438229420415706noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7326328608043982905.post-60957283947810958772012-06-13T14:33:00.000-04:002012-06-13T14:33:23.517-04:0025 SCD SnacksWith 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. Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07531438229420415706noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7326328608043982905.post-25426501474890024402012-03-01T10:17:00.000-05:002012-03-01T10:17:20.877-05:00SCD Meal PlanHere’s another meal plan to get your month started. Hope it helps. And I’d love to hear about your meal plan successes in the comments below.
Breakfasts
Monday: SCD pancakes, homemade strawberry syrup, homemade SCD sausage
Tuesday: SCD yogurt, toasted nuts and fruit
Wednesday: SCD carrot pancakes with honey, homemade SCD sausage
Thursday: Eggs, bacon, cooked apples
Friday: SCD pumpkin pie
Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07531438229420415706noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7326328608043982905.post-69226091048894141942012-02-03T11:55:00.000-05:002012-02-03T11:55:23.345-05:00No-fall SCD Bread
If you’ve ever made SCD bread, you know how fickle it can be. During cooking, it collapses creating an ugly slump in the middle of the loaf, and when you try to eat it, it crumbles. But, with a little extra attention in the end, you can keep it from falling apart so easily. The trick is to slow down the cooling process.
Here’s the recipe, adapted from Keri’s French Toast Bread at SCDrecipe.comAngelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07531438229420415706noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7326328608043982905.post-34608038022180300672012-01-02T13:25:00.000-05:002012-01-03T09:35:21.379-05:00SCD Meal Planning for a New YearHappy New Year!
Not only is it the beginning of a new week, it’s the beginning of a new year, the time when many of us vow to get into shape, eat better, stick to a schedule, . . . . You know the drill.
For the most part, I’m one of those people the FlyLady calls “born organized.” Yet, in the midst of daily life, I struggle to make sure my family eats healthfully. Given our diverse dietary Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07531438229420415706noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7326328608043982905.post-13205020390408108152011-04-21T07:00:00.003-04:002011-04-21T16:10:58.650-04:00Cheater BentoSo technically it’s not cheating, but here’s an easy and inexpensive way to start Bento-ing for your kids without laying out big bucks, or driving to one of the large metropoleis if, like me, you live in a region lacking in Japanese food supplies. Of course you can simply order online too. Which I did. But that’s another post.In the baby/toddler products aisle of stores like Meijer, Wal-Mart, etcAngelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07531438229420415706noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7326328608043982905.post-52379244760198157242011-03-31T10:44:00.002-04:002011-03-31T11:10:57.762-04:00Low-carb SCD Bento, or Where to Score a Phenomenal Menu PlannerPhoto used under Creative Commons from gameneWithout whining about all of the details, I’ll tell you that I spent 17 hours this past weekend cooking. Am I crazy? Probably. But when my husband mistakenly said earlier this weekend that I was “enthusiastic” about my daughter’s diet, I had to correct him. “I’m not enthusiastic; I’m desperate.” Those of you who have kids with behavioral and/or Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07531438229420415706noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7326328608043982905.post-20874173450420683042010-09-29T12:05:00.006-04:002010-09-29T12:48:48.848-04:00SCD HalloweenHolidays, for SCDers, can be a challenge. Since Halloween is coming up, I’m brainstorming some workable SCD solutions so I don’t freak out at the last minute. Please remember, not all of these foods will work for everyone, especially if you are new to the diet. And the small bits of dried fruit and nuts may not be suitable for especially young ones.I’ve broken this down into two lists, the first Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07531438229420415706noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7326328608043982905.post-29712951459962232062010-05-10T19:18:00.003-04:002010-05-10T19:37:49.941-04:00Price per Meal CalculatorsHmmm. Another dilemma, another solution.My husband’s chemistry lab is wrapping up for the semester and he wanted to bring a meal they could all share. Since like many of you, we’re on a budget, we finally came up with a nutritious solution that fit the dietary requirements of all of the students as well as the ease-of-preparation stipulation that this meal will be cooked on-site in a Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07531438229420415706noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7326328608043982905.post-8581383621926970712009-10-14T11:52:00.014-04:002009-10-14T12:26:34.921-04:00Back to Basics: SCD Apple ButterI love my 1986 copy of the book Stocking Up III: The All-New Edition of America’s Classic Preserving Guide. I appreciate the simplicity of the recipes, many of which are SCD legal, for their fundamental ingredients and back-to-basic techniques.I adapted the Stocking Up apple cider and apple butter recipes for the final product below, which I have to say, we all thought was pretty tasty. And any Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07531438229420415706noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7326328608043982905.post-36157336453236723372009-09-21T13:31:00.006-04:002009-10-14T12:31:45.722-04:00Apples—Take Advantage of the SeasonIn our neck of the woods, apples have just started coming into season. Since our family is working more toward eating in-season foods, and away from buying foods when they’re not in season, we stock up on produce whenever we can.Whether you grow them, pick them yourself, or buy them from the orchard, local farmers market, produce stand, or store, it’s more economical and healthier to buy apples Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07531438229420415706noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7326328608043982905.post-81531251011703381082009-09-10T18:38:00.003-04:002009-09-10T18:51:52.870-04:00Slow-cooked SavingsAlthough the next installment of the Grocery Budget Extreme Makeover isn’t quite ready, here are a few workable ideas from Oprah.com to add to your grocery budget arsenal.I’ve utilized all of these ideas at one time or another and I have to say that using a slow cooker is my personal favorite, not only because it’s cheap and healthy, but because it’s a huge time saver. I feel most productive on Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07531438229420415706noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7326328608043982905.post-45174862473307924732009-06-23T11:23:00.004-04:002009-06-30T21:42:08.210-04:00Homemade ScienceChemistry in Action: GloopThe following article was written by my 10-year-old daughter, Sofia.Hello! This is Sofia. Today my sister and I made a cool experiment—Gloop! It’s made of borax, glue, and water. We mixed it up outside and spent the next half-hour playing with it. I even made a Gloop bracelet! The Gloop is stretchy and kind of sticky. Adding more borax makes it less sticky. It was Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07531438229420415706noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7326328608043982905.post-58367937930858150352009-06-12T11:08:00.002-04:002009-06-12T11:13:15.119-04:00Grocery Budget Extreme Makeover Part XIIILevel 3: Super SaverAsk Yourself: Do we throw away too much food? According to foodnavigator-usa, University of Arizona anthropologist Dr. Timothy Jones’ research on food waste revealed:“On average, households waste 14 percent of their food purchases. Fifteen percent of that included products still within their expiration date but never opened. Jones estimates an average family of four currently Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07531438229420415706noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7326328608043982905.post-52565207928658360332009-06-08T09:11:00.003-04:002009-06-08T09:34:33.684-04:00Grocery Budget Extreme Makeover MotivationIf you’re a parent who has taken Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University, you’ll remember when he talks about what you would be willing to do if your child had a curable disease that required you to raise thousands of dollars in a short period of time. Without hesitation, I bet every parent in the conference facility—or watching Dave on video—was on board. I know I was. And I still get teary Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07531438229420415706noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7326328608043982905.post-30259064564163810022009-06-05T09:50:00.002-04:002009-06-05T09:53:03.212-04:00Grocery Budget Extreme Makeover Part XIILevel 2: Dollar DivaAsk Yourself:The questions that we will be asking ourselves throughout the Grocery Budget Extreme Makeover are what I call the Hard Questions. They may not be fun to answer, but they’re necessary if we are to be honest with ourselves, improve our family’s health, and save money.Here’s the question: Do we eat out too much? Do you know what percentage of your income you spend atAngelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07531438229420415706noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7326328608043982905.post-46728964386360371542009-05-29T08:39:00.003-04:002009-05-29T08:51:14.584-04:00Grocery Budget Extreme Makeover Part XILevel 2: Dollar DivaShop WiselyDecrease the number of trips you make to the store—any store. This will decrease your exposure to “wants” thereby decreasing impulse purchases. Really, it works! Not to mention, it is good for the environment. Think about how many ways this reduces your carbon footprint. It also decreases wear and tear on your vehicle, and how much you spend on gas. Calculate how Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07531438229420415706noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7326328608043982905.post-51440747379378475722009-05-27T10:42:00.003-04:002009-05-27T11:02:14.510-04:00Homemade Helpers: Baking PowderHello, my fellow frugal friends. The last time I tried to buy baking powder at the local grocery store, they were only selling a brand with sodium aluminum sulfate in it. So, when I needed some earlier this week I decided to do some research and found a few different, but similar, recipes for making it on the cheap at home! I thought you might appreciate the do-it-yourself nature. According to Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07531438229420415706noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7326328608043982905.post-19008320192756943132009-05-25T08:18:00.002-04:002009-05-25T08:23:17.995-04:00Grocery Budget Extreme Makeover Part XLevel 2: Dollar DivaChallenge YourselfLook at the three most expensive items on your grocery receipt and find less expensive alternatives. Click here and here to see how others answer the question, “What’s your most expensive grocery item?”Every month I reevaluate all of my grocery expenditures and search for lower cost alternatives. Here are a few items where I have found less expensive Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07531438229420415706noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7326328608043982905.post-12579856032400706322009-05-22T09:20:00.002-04:002009-05-22T09:24:28.027-04:00Grocery Budget Extreme Makeover Part IXLevel 2: Dollar DivaChallenge YourselfSet a Goal. After you calculate how much you typically spend each pay period for groceries (not including toiletries or other non-food items), set a goal to decrease the amount you spend by at least 10% the first month. For instance, if you spend $500, you would set a goal of spending no more than $450. (30 seconds to set the goal if you’ve been keeping trackAngelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07531438229420415706noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7326328608043982905.post-42339380795492750312009-05-20T10:02:00.002-04:002009-05-20T10:07:35.611-04:00Grocery Budget Extreme Makeover Part VIIILevel 2: Dollar DivaBe PreparedAfter planning your meals and preparing your grocery list, set a price cap for each item based on the in-season sale cost and vow not to pay more than that. Make sure to have contingency plans so that if an item costs over your limit, you can substitute a different item, or use a different recipe. (15 minutes)For example, if you planned to serve peach pie, but Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07531438229420415706noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7326328608043982905.post-72922466206449767782009-05-18T09:02:00.002-04:002009-05-18T09:15:43.499-04:00Grocery Budget Extreme Makeover Part VIILevel 2: Dollar DivaAdd to Your SystemMenu for a month: This is much easier than it sounds and takes less time every time you do it. First, locate or make, by hand or computer, a blank calendar or meal planner that has plenty of room for writing. Second, grab your family’s calendar for the month and mark on the blank calendar any dates when you won’t be eating at home. Third, note on what dates Angelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07531438229420415706noreply@blogger.com0