A Perfect Cup of Tea: How to Brew Loose Tea Leaves and Blends

When I was a kid I hated coffee and tea. Couldn't stand it. I didn't even like the smell! Over the past few years though, I've become a fan. I would say I'm a "seasonal" tea drinker! I tend to veer towards coffee in the in the fall and winter and tea in the spring and summer.

Last week I received a wonderful gift in the mail from my friend Jodi who lives in Vero Beach, FL. She sent me 4 samples of tea from her favorite local tea shop: Tea and Chi. Several years ago I found a little black, cast iron Chinese tea pot (similar to this one) and it's been my favorite vessel for brewing loose tea leaves. However, I don't have any local tea shops close by to purchase fresh, whole tea leaves and blends. So Jodi's package was a very welcome surprise!

And Jodi just so happened to find a blend she thought I'd absolutely love...

Well she was right! (Along with being a lemon & ginger tea blend...:-) Rooibos is a red tea that is naturally decaffeinated so it's perfect for a cup of hot tea in the evening. The same night Jodi's package came, I dug through the kitchen cabinets to find my Chinese tea pot and and I made a pot of tea.

I love the packaging that Tea and Chi places on their bags of whole tea leaves and blends. They tell you the type of tea you have, how much dry tea to use per cup, how long to brew it, what ideal temperature to brew it at, and then if it contains caffeine or not.  Brilliant, my friends. Just brilliant!

Now I'll be perfectly honest, I didn't take the temperature of my boiling water. However, I did only let my water just come to a rolling boil before pouring it over the tea leaves.

My particular pot came with a mesh metal strainer. You simply place 1-3 teaspoon of dried whole tea leaves and pour the hot water over it. Allow it to brew for several minutes as directed on your package. For the Lemon Ginger Rooibos, allow it to brew for 4-6 minutes.

I measured out 2 cups of hot water after it boiled to make sure I had the correct ratio of water to tea leaves. Then I poured it over the tea. Easy as that.

And voila... 4-6 minutes later, lovely warm fresh brewed hot rooibos tea. I prefer tea with plain ol' sugar. Sometimes honey, but honestly I just like sugar in my tea. Sometimes with green tea, I prefer it with no sugar at all. I generally use about 2-3 teaspoons of sugar in a large mug of tea (about 16 ounces). I don't want it syrupy sweet, just sweet enough to taste.

Jodi also spent the past few months creating this gorgeous throw for me! I LOVE a long throw, a cup of hot tea and a good book! Thank you so much Jodi! 

So far, from the batch that Jodi sent, I have tried the Lemon Ginger Rooibos, the Magnolia Oolong, and the Florida Sunshine Rooibos. The Florida Sunshine smells amazing when you brew it! It has just a hint of citrus, and the scent when you open the tea package is refreshing!  I've used the Magnolia Oolong for an iced tea, and while I'm generally not a fan of things that taste very floral, this tea is so delicately floral and fresh that I've really enjoyed it! I've brewed the tea fresh, added a little sugar, stirred it until it melted into the tea and then poured it over ice. Really delicious!

Another great thing about freshly brewed, whole tea leaves like this is that you can often reuse them at least 2-3 times. The green tea leaves below are Magnolia Oolong. I've used this batch of tea twice so far, and I'll probably use it at least one more time before adding the leaves to our compost pile in the back yard.

You can keep wet tea leaves in the fridge for up to 2 days, or you can just allow them to air dry on a paper towel on the counter and use them 2-3 times (allowing them to dry between uses.)

There's just something relaxing and therapeutic about making fresh tea from real, whole tea leaves! Thank you so much for such a thoughtful gift Jodi! I plan on trying the Five Peak Green Jade tomorrow.

Do you like to use fresh dried tea leaves? 

Do you have a favorite tea shop that you go too? 

Store Sales + Store Coupons = Getting the Most Bang for your Buck at Food Lion

I do most of my shopping these days at Food Lion in Greenville, NC. It isn't fancy. It isn't organic (most of it anyway), but it's healthy, real, and affordable food and I'm usually able to stay within my weekly $50 food budget for the two of us. 

This budget generally ONLY includes food and sometimes things like dish soap or toothpaste. I buy MOST of our other household items in bulk for super cheap from Amazon once every few months. The last time we bought toilet paper and paper towels was in December.  I also buy all of our cat food online through Amazon, again because I can get it in bulk, get it deeply discounted or at least for a comparative price, AND it's delivered. 

One way I'm able to stay within my $50 budget is buy ONLY shopping the store sales and store brands. There are a few items that are rarely on sale (like butter, eggs, and/or organic milk), but generally at least half of what I buy is on sale. Each week I check out the online sales paper for our local store. 

• Money-Saving Shopping Tip: GET to KNOW your favorite store's websites! They often have special coupons available (often customized JUST for you and your shopping habits), they ALWAYS have their current sales flyer available. They also often have great custimization tools to create your own shopping lists that can be emailed to you or your smart phone or just printed for your convenience. You can check out all of the store's coupon policies along with all the details of any current store promotions. I have become a HUGE fan of Food Lion's customer website, it has helped me tremendously each week to create my shopping list and stay within my budget. (And NO, they have NOT paid me to say that or review their store, I've just been shopping there for years, and I'm a loyal customer!) 

I create a shopping list just from the items in the flyer and then I create a weekly menu from those store sale items. Sometimes the menu isn't very exciting... but it's nearly ALWAYS healthy, real, unprocessed foods. 

Here is a breakdown of the items I bought this week (highlighted items were not on sale, just store-brand regular priced items): 

• 2 boxes Honey Nut Cheerios (on sale with MVP card = 2 for $3.98)
• 1 box Corn Chex cereal (had a .50 off coupon ON my store MVP card, that I found on the food lion website = $2.99)
• 2 small cans of tomato sauce (.64)
• 1 bag dried lentils (1.39)
• 2 cans green beans, 1 can corn, 1 can sweet peas (on sale with MVP = $1.68)
• 1 pound ground beef (on MVP sale for $3.35)
• 2 turkey drumsticks ($3.07)
• 2 whole chickens (on sale for .99/ lb. = $10.79)
• 1 head cauliflower ($2.99)
• 3 pounds sweet potatoes ($2.52)
• 1 bunch celery (on MVP sale, $1.29)
• 3 pounds yellow onions (on MVP sale, $1.79)
• 1 pound asparagus (on MVP sale, $3.77)
• 1 green pepper (.89)
• 1 pound carrots (.79)
• 1 package sliced mushrooms (on MVP sale, $1.69)
• 1 package (2 cups) shredded mozzarella cheese ($2.49)
• 1/2 gallon organic milk ($3.59)
• 2 dozen medium eggs ($2.09 per package = $4.18)
• 1 pound butter ($2.97)
• 1 package paper plates (on MVP sale, $1.99)

TOTAL with store coupons & store sales = $54.10

So it turns out with this trip, it was about half MVP store sale items and half store-brand lower priced items. My goal every week is to try to make sure to buy as many REAL food items as possible and very few processed items for the best prices I can find. Right now, I don't focus on organic foods. When we have the money for them, I definitely go for organic, but I think overall if you have a tight budget and can simply focus on whole foods, you're still doing pretty darn well! 

Cheryl's lentil dal, roast cauliflower, and baked sweet potatoes

We will use the food from this trip combined with the food in our pantry and freezer to make some of the following meals: 

• Roast chicken with lemon and artichokes or asparagus (see recipe below!)
• Cheryl's lentil dal (I used the regular lentils I found instead of red lentils, it worked fine!), with roasted cauliflower and baked sweet potatoes
• Breakfast for dinner = eggs, bacon (from freezer stash), and gluten-free pancakes
• Homemade gluten-free pizza (pg. 104, The Everything Gluten-Free Baking Cookbook) with toppings of browned ground beef, green peppers, onions, homemade tomato sauce, and mozzarella. 
• Hamburger gravy made with remaining browned ground beef, celery, and onions and served over gluten-free, low glycemic biscuits or GF almond bread toast
• Homemade pulled turkey barbecue and homemade coleslaw (with cabbage from last week's shopping trip)
• Mushroom & Asparagus Omelettes with sliced oranges from last week's shopping trip

Slow cooked roast chicken with artichokes and lemon - see recipe from my slow cooker cookbook below!

Recipe shared courtesy of Carrie S. Forbes (myself), author of "The Everything GF Slow Cooker Cookbook"

Do you have a favorite store that you shop at consistently? 

What's your favorite thing about the store? 

Product Review: Taste Guru Gluten-Free Subscription Box, May 2013

I signed up to try TasteGuru, a gluten-free monthly food subscription service. It's kinda pricey, I signed up for the $24 a month plan, so I could cancel anytime. You generally get a box of 5-7 different gluten-free items. Many of them are items that are new to the gluten-free food market.

Here are the goodies that were included in the May 2013 box: 

• Rocky Mountain White Cheddar Popcorn 
• Canyon Oats Brown Sugar Instant Oats 
• Glutino Strawberry Toaster Pastries
• Falafel Chips
• KIND Honey Oat Granola
• NOT PICTURED: Gratify Gluten-Free Pretzel Thins with Sesame Seeds
• NOT PICTURED: Le Veneziane Penne Rigate Corn Gluten-Free Pasta
• NOT PICTURED: Coco Cafe - Cafe Latte

So far I've tired the white cheddar popcorn (YUM!), one of the toaster pastries (good! better than the Eco Planet brand) and the Falafel Chips (different, but good!).  Michael also tried the Gratify pretzel thins and loved them (they had soy flour, so I couldn't eat them). He enjoyed the pretzels so much he took them to work for a snack. 

To be honest, I'm not sure it's really worth $25 for the products in this particular box, but then again as we all know ANY gluten-free processed food is going to be quite a bit more expensive than it's "wheat" counterpart. So I may be comparing the cost to what I would assume the same non-GF products would cost. 

I think the most fun part about this box is simply getting to see a neat variety of new gluten-free products every month. You can see if you like them, share them with other gluten-free friends if you don't! 

Have you tried Taste Guru? What did you think? Would you try a gluten-free food subscription service? 

Take me out to the ballgame...

Just about mid-March the "spring" itch begins.. some people just get itchin' to plant something... to get outside, to dig their fingers in the dirt, and add annuals to their spring beds.

But for me... spring    means    baseball!

Ever since we were dating my husband and I have gone to see the Mudcats battle it out around the pitch at Five County Stadium in Zebulon, NC.

There's just something comforting and "All American" to make it back to the stadium every spring. To hear the National Anthem being sung by local talent. The 13 year old boy who sang it on Friday night for the opening game had the entire stadium in a quiet hush as he opened his voice and his heart with the age-old tune. Every note bold, beautiful, with perfect pitch.

As you walk into the stadium, the scent of pizza and hotdogs and popcorn and boiled peanuts waft through the air. Your mouth begins to water... the gluten-free options? Well... few and far between, but you could also have popcorn or peanuts... maybe ice-cream if you're cool with dairy.

Instead I pack my own. Friday night's gluten-free baseball food was a fried egg & turkey bacon sandwich on Rudi's new gluten-free whole grain bread. Along with roasted pistachios in the shell and some coconut yogurt. I treat myself to a soda instead of food. I wasn't feelin' it for peanuts or popcorn.

The best mascot in local baseball: Muddy, the Mudcat! A mudcat is an American catfish often found in muddy river waters in the South. We keep our mascots classy around here.

But truly Muddy is the highlight of the game. It's coming back to see a happy old friend every year, with his fish tail swishing on his four wheeler! In between innings Muddy plays games with the kids in the crowd, tosses t-shirts to fans, and loves to make people laugh. Think: a southern catfish version of Santa... okay, maybe not.

Muddy had friends with him at this game, Mini Muddy and the happy Pig from our favorite local grocery store, THE Piggly Wiggly. I never could figure out why the pig was so happy considering his certain fate in the grocery store butcher department (after all Piggly Wiggly is KNOWN for it's awesome pork products!)

After one inning they rode around the baseball field in a gigantic grocery cart. Because where else do people ride around in a gigantic grocery cart?

Baseball games are always happy memories. Even if it's 40 degrees at an April game in rural eastern NC!

I'm proud to say that I am the one who brought a huge love of baseball to our relationship (thanks Dad!)... thankfully Michael quickly followed suit!

I love that baseball games bring out everybody, even a beautiful momma with her three babies next to her. One, super small and bundled snug in a zebra blanket.

Coffee and gloves were needed for this baseball game... it wasn't Starbucks... but it was hot.

Are we having fun yet?

Can you see it?

I'm still waiting for the zoom lens... that will have to wait until Christmas! Did you see it yet? Michael caught these great shots of the ball being pitched.

Last chance!

I told you it was cold! This guy came well prepared!

And a 10 - 1 win for the Mudcats! Bring it boys! We'll be back soon!

Are you going to a baseball game anytime soon? You should! What gluten-free goodies would you pack to take with you?

Gluten-Free Book Review: Dairy-Free & Gluten-Free: A Whole Food Starter Guide & Cookbook

Back in December my friend Hallie Klecker asked me to review her newest e-book. A wonderful collaboration written with Alisa Fleming, author of Go Dairy Free. This book, "Dairy-Free & Gluten-Free: A Whole Food Starter Guide & Cookbook" is exactly that: a perfect place to start when you go gluten-free and dairy-free.

What I love about this amazing little book is that it not only gives you a full description of what gluten-free and dairy-free REALLY means... it also gives you list after list of foods you can eat, foods you should avoid, shopping lists, a menu planner, etc... this book is a one-stop-shop for learning how to fully become both gluten-free and dairy-free.

Hallie and Alisa have also created 75 delicious recipes that will get you started on your gluten-free & dairy-free journey. How do these recipes sound:

• Banana Cream Pie Shake
• Cranberry Walnut Breakfast Biscuits
• Maple Apple Turkey Sausages
• Weeknight Chicken & Vegetable Chili
• Fresh Salmon salad with Lemon Ginger Dressing
• Florentine Flatbread "Pizza" 
• Chicken Curry in a Hurry!
• Chewy Dark Chocolate Brownies
• Maple Vanilla Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting

Then, in addition to all of the mouth-watering recipes, you'll also receive meal planning tips and hints which show you how to cut down on prep time and make weeknight gluten-free & dairy-free cooking fast and easy. 

Would you like a copy of this book? (And you absolutely should!)  I'm giving away one electronic kindle copy of this book! Simply leave a comment on this blog post letting me know why you'd like this book and what recipe you would try first! 

*******************

The Giveaway:

• I am giving away one brand new electronic kindle copy of Dairy-Free & Gluten-Free: A Whole Food Starter Guide and Cookbook. 
• This giveaway is open to everyone. 
• One entry per person.
• Enter by leaving a comment below on this post AND please include a way for me to contact you -- your email address preferably.
• The giveaway begins March 27, 2013 and ends on March 31, 2013  at 11:00 pm eastern daylight savings time.
• No purchase is necessary.  Odds of winning are based on the number of entries.  
• The winners will be randomly chosen and will be contacted by email.  The winners will have 24 hours to respond.  If the winner does not respond, a new winner will be randomly chosen.

GLG Disclosure: 

Hallie Klecker provided me with an electronic copy of 'Dairy-Free & Gluten-Free: A Whole Food Starter Guide and Cookbook' for the purpose of sharing an online review, if I chose to do so. I am personally purchasing the new e-book that is being given away. This is not a sponsored post and I did not receive compensation. The opinions in this post are completely my own. 

Gluten-Free Food Bloggers in North Carolina

I love North Carolina. I've been a resident since I moved here for college in 1997 1996 (yikes!). It's kind of amazing I've lived here longer than I lived in Virginia growing up.

Over the past 5 years I've noticed a growing number of gluten-free bloggers in North Carolina and I just wanted to highlight them today.

What I love about all these blogs is the HUGE variety of gluten-free cooking, baking, and lifestyles you will encounter. Some are parents, some are college students, some enjoy eating out, others cooking in, some live on the coast, others in the mountains!

If there's a gluten-free North Carolina blogger that I've missed in this list, please let me know (gingerlemongirl at gmail dot com) and I'll add them ASAP! 

These websites are listed in alphabetical order.   

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chacha's Gluten-Free Kitchen -- Written by Kathryn M. Chacha's GF Kitchen is a delightful gluten-free food and lifestyle blog based out of Cary, NC. Kathryn (aka Chacha) shares her favorite whole foods recipes, many of which are naturally gluten-free, along with her faith, her family, and finding fantastic local restaurants in the Triangle area, which cater to gluten-free patrons.

GingerLemonGirl -- written by me, Carrie Forbes. Started in 2007. A gluten-free food & lifestyle blog. My writing has morphed over the years and now focuses on healthy gluten-free, dairy-free, and soy-free recipes along with personal musing on holistic self-care. I am inspired by gluten-free foods that treat me well, are super healthy, and of course taste delicious. I live in rural Eastern NC.

The Gluten-Free Dish -- written by Debbie R. This blog focuses on holistic wellness and gluten-free living. As one who has thrived despite living with severe health issues, Debbie shares her journey and what she has learned along the way in the search for healthy, whole living. As a devout, loving, and faithful Christian she also shares her day-to-day life with her husband, two sons, and their happy golden retriever. Debbie lives in the Triangle area of NC.

Gluten-Free Fox -- created by Kristen Campbell and her boyfriend Tyler. Kristen is the founder and creator of Gluten-Free Beauty, a company that creates all natural and healthy gluten free beauty products such as serums and creams for healthy, happy, gluten-free skin. Gluten-Free Fox is a blog and a search engine designed to help you find everything you need gluten-free! Kristen lives in the coastal area of NC.

Gluten-Free Galley -- created and written by Liz Pearce. Liz is a gluten-free baker from Raleigh, NC. Her bakery, "Gluten-Free Galley" has been a huge success and she creates delicious gluten-free baked goods and desserts using whole, fresh, and local ingredients. Liz's baked goods can also be found in several Whole Foods stores in Raleigh and Cary. Liz also provides gluten-free baked goods to a local restaurant, Tribeca Tavern. In her spare time, she's an amazing mom, enjoys paleo-ish cooking, and hanging out with her husband Nathan.

Gluten-Free Kids Rock!  -- written by Nikki Everett. Nikki is one amazing woman who runs some of the best gluten-free and allergen-free expos in the southeast US! Nikki also started a gluten-free support group for people in the Charlotte NC area several years ago when her daughter was diagnosed with celiac disease. This blog shares fantastic gluten-free tips for parents and families of kids with celiac disease.

Gluten-Free Mimi -- Created & written by Melissa Friend. Melissa is a gluten-free baker selling her delicious homemade gluten-free baked goods in the Statesville area of NC. You can also find her on facebook where she shares what's she is baking for the day and when she will be selling and delivering to local stores and farmer's markets in the Piedmont!

Gluten-Free Raleigh -- written by Zach Becker. Zach has been a key advocate for those with celiac disease  in the Triangle since 2008. Hosting numerous fundraisers for the University of Maryland Center for Celiac Research, for kids going to a local gluten-free summer camp, and even for the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness, Zach has worked extremely hard to bring celiac disease to the spotlight in central North Carolina. Though Zach is "semi-retired" as a blogger, he still shares the most up-to-date and accurate information about gluten-free news in the Triangle.

Gluten-Free in NC -- written by Jeff SanGeorge. This website is one of the best resources around for learning where you can eat and shop gluten-free all over North Carolina. The site is comprehensive and is constantly adding information on new gluten-free eateries and grocery stores around the state. Jeff hales from Greensboro, NC and is a passionate advocate for celiac disease awareness. Jeff also leads a gluten-free support group in the Triad.

Gluten Hates Me -- Written by April Marlow. An incredibly fun and lighthearted blog that shares "Marlow's" latest gluten-free kitchen creations, restaurants reviews, gluten-free traveling tips, and her journey through grad school. Marlow hails from Durham, NC.

I'm a Celiac -- written by Pam Jordan. Pam is a full-time celiac mother of three (including a set of twins), works part-time, and is a pastor's wife. Her upbeat blog chronicles her gluten-free journey, shares recipes for her whole family (including some veggie-hating kids!), and includes restaurant and product reviews. Pam's super fun sense of humor shines through on each post. Pam and her family live near Winston-Salem, NC.

Spoonful at a Time -- written by Jenni. Jenni is new to the blogging scene, but has a great website sharing her journey into gluten-free cooking and baking, gluten-free restaurant and product reviews, along with awesome gluten-free organization and blogging tips. Jenni recently shared a guest post highlighting some of the best places to chow down gluten-free style in Raleigh, N.C.

Yum Yum Yum -- written by Erin out of Charlotte, NC. Erin's gluten-free food blog focuses on using healthy, local, and naturally gluten-free ingredients. Erin began her blog in 2007 and has been sharing her simple, delicious, and healthy recipes with North Carolina readers ever since.

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NEW ADDITIONS:

Gluten Free Carolina Girl -- written by Ashley, a new gluten-free food & lifestyle blogger to the North Carolina scene. We hope you'll check out her blog and find out her latest new gluten-free recipe or restaurant review! 

Do you have a gluten-free blog and reside in 

North Carolina? 

Please let me know and I'll add you to the list! 

Just email me at gingerlemongirl at gmail dot com. 

July 2012 Self-Care Retreat -- Using Creativity as Self-Care

Last month Cheryl Harris asked a handful of bloggers if they were interested in participating in her 2nd Annual Self-Care Retreat. Cheryl started this last year as a way for people to remember how important it is to take good care of ourselves physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. I've always had an interest in self-care practices and I was excited about participating in her blogging series this year. 

Finding Creativity in Everyday Life
It's amazing to me how as we become adults we can sometimes "forget" how to be creative. We tend to think creativity is simply arts and crafts meant for young children... and oh how it's not. Over the past year and a half I've had wellness & nutrition coaching from Cheryl. Cheryl has helped me to "remember" and find ways of being creative to help me deal with the stress of daily life. I used to eat my way through stress. I didn't realize it at the time... but that's how I dealt with frustrations and hard emotions... i would bake cake... and eat it. I would bake cookies (for my husband, of course) and eat them. I would bake muffins (for work, you know) and eat them...

And while I still love baking (as it too is a useful creative outlet) it's generally not what I do anymore when I'm stressed. I've "dabbled" in many different forms of creativity in the past year to help me release and manage my stress. Today I'm going to share a few of the practices that have really helped me and worked for me. The great thing about creativity is that it's truly limitless, so while what I'm sharing with you today may not be of interest to you... there are so many other outlets you can use to express yourself, your feelings, and emotions. The best creative outlets to use are the ones that come to you easily and that you enjoy doing.

Image Source: Different examples of how mandalas can be created. 

Mandalas
One of the things I discovered this year was mandalas. Mandalas are quite simply drawings or colorings within the boundaries of a circle. You can completely create them yourself or that you can "fill in" by coloring with the help of books and free mandala patterns you can find online. The mandala is not just a drawing, but it's a drawing in a circle. Within the circle you can draw or color anything you'd like. It's an open space with boundaries that you can color, paint, draw, etc... What I love about the mandala is that it's a way to share your thoughts and feelings without words. You can use words of course, but sometimes just using colors to discover how you feel (either only to yourself or to others) is very liberating. It can feel as if you are unlocking a hidden part of yourself through colors and images. Mandalas are often used in spiritual practices and in some psychology practices as a way to share and interpret inner feelings, thoughts, and emotions. One of my favorite experts in the art & psychology of mandalas is Dr. Susanne Fincher. For a more in-depth look at what mandalas are and how they work, please check out her Mandalas history page.


For me, doing a mandala is a quiet, thoughtful, creative experience. It's time away from the computer. It's time that I stop thinking of all that is happening in my life and it centers me, much like prayer. For those who are spiritual it can be a way of medication or to use prayer in a creative way on paper. I often have a hard time focusing on one thing because life is so busy and we are pulled in so many directions so often. By coloring mandalas, it's a way for me to stop the business for about 15-30 minutes. To simply focus on choosing colors, finding a pattern that helps me understand what I'm feeling, and then the motion of coloring or drawing for those 30 minutes is extremely relaxing, de-stressing, and centering. I try to spend that time in a quiet area. In my bedroom, in the kitchen... away from television, radio, and most importantly the computer and simply focus on that time on that picture, on that circle. 

From the letters & journals of an old friend
Mrs. Lucy Derrick Swindells

Journaling
Another way of using creativity as a form of self-care is to journal. This comes naturally to some people and not at all to others. I journal in spurts. There are days and weeks I feel like journaling and there are times I don't. I follow those instincts. I actually haven't journaled in several months until writing about it today. And I have felt the urge to write for about two weeks. Sometimes the thoughts and feelings are so painful or emotional it can be hard to encourage yourself to write. Writing peels back layers of who you are. Writing can open you up to new thoughts and feelings and can help you dig deep when you need too. 


There are many, MANY different ways you can journal. Sometimes I journal on old-fashioned pen & paper. Sometimes I use markers or crayons as I do with Mandalas, because I feel that using colors can help me express myself better. (For great ideas and thoughts on journaling visit PlanetSark.com) Sometimes I use an online journal service called Penzu. I wrote about Penzu during last December's Sanity Challenge and I still love it! 


Journaling doesn't JUST have to be about your most in-depth feelings and thoughts. There are tons of different types of writing and journaling you can do:

• travel journaling (traveling doesn't have to be far. It could be to work, to the grocery store, on a hike 15 minutes away from home -- write about the land around you, the people you saw, the conversations you had or didn't have, the way you felt, the weather, the wildlife, tree, grass, and flowers --  this type of journaling is often a good introduction to simply begin writing. Once you feel comfortable with this type of journaling, you may feel compelled to write about deeper and more personal thoughts. 
• prayer journaling (talking to God or your higher power (OA speak for ya! :-) by way of journaling is a powerful, releasing, and refreshing. Be truthful. Be LOUD. Be quiet. However you need to speak, do it here. Anger, joy, excitement, fear... you should feel free to express all these things in an intimate and personal way.)
• eating/exercise/wellness journaling (often when writing about what i'm eating and how i'm exercising leads me to write more about how I'm feeling and what's going on that day)
• poetry journaling (sometimes the fewest words can be the most powerful)
• letter-writing journals (great way to practice confronting a problem, sharing with relatives or friends who are no longer with us, even just to talk some sense to yourself!) 
• recipe journaling (where did you get a recipe, why is it special, what does it mean to you?)

Need more ideas for exercising your creativity? 

• Take a photography class. (Create a photography journal!) 
• Create and write a blog.
• Learn how to make jewelry to give as gifts.
• Make ROOM for creativity: declutter one room in your house to have more space and feel more at peace. 
• Take up cross-word puzzles, word-finds, and/or sudoku. Give yourself 15-20 minutes a day to simply work on the puzzle and not be distracted by life. 
• Buy a sketch-pad. Sit under a tree and let your pen, pencil, marker, or crayon go to town. Don't think, just sketch. It doesn't have to be perfect, legible, or even "pretty" by your own standards, just allow your mind to wander on paper. 
• Try sewing, cross-stitch, crochet, or knitting. Focusing on the beautiful colors, textures, and types of fabrics, string, and yarn -- you can let your mind rest as you create beautiful pieces of art. Don't get discouraged if an art is a learning curve for you, enjoy not having to be perfect. 
• Remember old-fashioned puzzles? Buy one. Put it together. Puzzles are relaxing and fun. 
• Be creative with your menu or with exercise. Try new foods or seasonings. Try an exercise you don't think you can do. Challenge yourself. 
• Music. Make it. Play it. Sing it. Dance. Find music that moves you and listen to it often. Meditate to music. Exercise with music. Cook with music. 

More information about the July 2012 Self-Care Retreat
--borrowed from Valerie's latest post! Thank you for such a thorough write-up Valerie!

Our fantastic group of bloggers and themes:

• June 30th Food: Cheryl of Gluten-Free Goodness 
• July 7th Support and Connection: Valerie of City Life Eats 
• July 14th Movement : Shirley of Gluten Free Easily (GFE) 
• July 21st Creativity: Carrie of Ginger Lemon Girl 
• July 28th Inward Reflection: Iris of The Daily Dietribe 

These posts are to inspire you all to make July a month of reflecting on self-care and the many ways to nourish ourselves. We would like everyone to participate in this event in a way that feels appropriate to them, whether that’s through personal reflection, journal or other self-care. If you would like to share your experience with self-care, we would love to include you in the experience, whether you join us for one week or every week. You can write generally about self-care and how you include it in your life, or “try on” one of the practices we’re blogging about over the course of the next week (food, support and connection, movement, creativity and inward reflection). We ask that you link back to this post so that more people can learn about this retreat, and leave a comment for the weekly theme host, too! At the end of the month, we’ll include a roundup of all the self-care posts you write to inspire others to work on their own self-care.

As a little added incentive, for each post on your goals and your progress you link back here or one of the other co-hosts, you’ll be entered to receive a $50 gift certificate to Nuts.com (they are not sponsoring, Cheryl is donating this gift and wanted something with healthy gluten-free, vegan, sugar-free, etc. options).

Valerie updated last year’s badge to use for the retreat; feel free to use it in your posts. If you would like to be included in our roundup and the drawing, please email a link to your post, along with your name and blog name, to us at selfcareretreat at gmail dot com by July 30, 2012.

Non-bloggers who would like to contribute, please e-mail the full text to the same address and it will be included in the roundup.

 For a “flavor” of previous retreats, here’s a link to the July Self-Care Retreat and the December Sanity Challenge.

Gluten Free Cooking Tips #10 -- Basics of Food Safety

Cooking Tip #10
Keep It Safe: 10 Basic Food Safety Tips

It’s always important to take heed of basic food safety tips when preparing food in your own kitchen. Getting food poisoning is no laughing matter and you not only want your food to be gluten free, but you want it to be stored and prepared safely as well. A great resource for food safety tips is: FoodSafety.Gov (easy to remember right!)

1. Buy a thermometer for your refrigerator. Many that are specifically made for refrigerators will have a color-coded guide to help you know how cold your fridge is. By quickly glancing at the thermometer you can make sure your fridge is keeping perishable foods at the correct temperature.
2. Have a separate cutting board for meats, fish, and vegetables. If you don’t have a separate cutting board, make sure to wash it thoroughly with hot soapy water and with a vinegar rinse between cutting meats and vegetables. Vinegar will kill most harmful bacteria.
3. Keep your counters clean with a homemade vinegar or bleach spray. Both will kill germs and help to make your counters a safe area to prepare foods. (My husband makes this by simply filling a spray bottle with 1 part vinegar to 4 parts water + 2 tablespoons dish detergent. This is the most used cleaner in our home, we use it to clean everything from the kitchen floor, to the sinks, to the counters, to the bathtubs!) 
4. WASH YOUR HANDS. Before you cook, if your hands get dirty while you’re cooking, between handing meats and vegetables, when you’re finished cooking… always wash your hands with hot, soapy water. Wash, wash, wash, WASH those hands!! 
5. Rinse off the tops of canned goods with hot soapy water and pat them dry before opening. Bacteria, rodent feces, and bugs can often end up on top of canned goods while they are in storage before they hit grocery store shelves. To prevent those things from getting into your food when you open it, simply wash the top of the can.
6. Use a clean hand towel whenever you start preparing a meal. Hand & kitchen towels can be a breeding ground for bacteria. Wash kitchen towels with a small amount of bleach to thoroughly clean them.
7. Once a month thoroughly clean out your fridge with hot, soapy water. Meat packages often leak when defrosting, fruit & vegetables can go bad and leave liquids on the shelves. It’s a good practice to sanitize your fridge at least once a month. A box of baking soda will also help to cut down on any odors in your fridge. Replace once a month.
8. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours after cooking.
9. Remember this simple rule: Keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold.
10. In our house a general rule of thumb is to either freeze or throw out leftovers after 3 days. And like your mama said, “If in doubt, throw it out!”

Reader’s Tip of the Day:
“Use fruit & veggie baby food puree to add extra fiber & vitamins to your diet. For example to add some hidden veggies to a meal you can add pureed squash and sweet potatoes to a soup or casserole.” – Christina B.


Please visit each topic in "10 Days of Gluten Free"
From: May 7th - May 18th

• Getting Started - Linda @ The Gluten-Free Homemaker 
• Resources – Wendy @ Celiacs in the House 
• Traveling – Karen @ Gluten-Free Travel Blog 
• Eating Out – Heather @ Gluten-Free Cat 
• Frugal Tips – Janelle @ Gluten Freely Frugal 
• Baking – Jules @ Jules Gluten Free 
• Kids – Lynn @ Lynn’s Recipe Adventures 
• Lunch Boxes – Tessa @ Tessa the Domestic Diva 
• Shopping – Laura @ Gluten Free Pantry

10 Days Gluten Free GIVEAWAY!
Included with this awesome series is a giveaway on each blog once the two weeks are over! I will be giving away a brand new copy of Carol Fenster's cookbook, "100 Best Gluten-Free Recipes." This is one of my FAVORITE gluten free cookbooks with an awesome collection of Carol's absolute best recipes.

The Giveaway Nitty Gritty: 

• This giveaway is limited to U.S. residents 18 and older. 
• You are allowed one entry per "10 Days of Gluten Free" blog post for a total of 10 entries on this blog. 
• Enter by leaving a comment (WITH an email address to contact you) on this post (and other 10 Days of GF posts). 
• The giveaway begins May 7, 2012 and ends at 11:59 pm eastern time on May 18, 2012. 
• No purchase is necessary. 
• Odds of winning are based on the number of entries. 
• The winner will be randomly chosen and will be contacted by email. 
• The winner will have 48 hours to respond. If the winner does not respond, a new winner will be randomly chosen

Gluten Free Cooking Tips #9 -- Spice It Up

Cooking Tip#9
Spice It Up: Gluten Free Herbs and Spice Mixes to Keep on Hand

Herbs and spices can make all the difference when cooking meals. You can use as many or as few as your family prefer. It’s important to remember when you’re first learning to use spices to start with a small amount and gradually build up to the amount that your family likes. A little cumin, garlic, oregano, or basil can go a long way!

I have very limited cabinet space at home, so to save a little bit of room I buy several seasoning mixes that contain 3-4 herbs in one container. Generally if you like oregano, you’re also going to like basil and garlic…so therefore why not use all three in one in an Italian seasoning mix?

I really like McCormick Gourmet Seasonings blends. McCormick will list any gluten containing ingredients on their label! My favorite mixes they sell are:

• Greek Seasoning -- containing onion, oregano, spearmint, garlic, and salt (really excellent on chicken and zucchini!) 
• Herbs De Provence -- containing rosemary, marjoram, thyme, and savory (very good in stews & soups and on roasts!)
• Chinese Five Spice -- containing anise, cinnamon, star anise, cloves, and ginger (a perfect addition to both savory and sweet recipes -- add it to anything from Chinese recipes to pumpkin pie)
• Mild Curry Powder -- containing coriander, fenugreek, tumeric, red pepper, and onion (instantly turn leftovers into curry! serve over rice!)
• Italian Seasoning -- containing marjoram, thyme, rosemary, savory, sage, oregano, and basil (awesome on anything Italian from spaghetti to pizza to pasta salads!) 
• Poultry Seasoning -- containing thyme, sage, marjoram, rosemary, black pepper, and nutmeg (I LOVE using poultry seasoning in soups, chicken, especially in stuffings, etc...) 
• Cocoa Chili Blend -- containing cocoa powder, chipotle chili powder, paprika (really unique blend that's awesome as a grill rub and to add to chili!) 
• Lemon Pepper Seasoning -- containing onion, garlic, lemon, salt, and pepper (simply adding lemon pepper makes chicken go from bland to gourmet) 

It’s also fun to make your own seasoning mixes. Try out this recipe for homemade taco seasoning:
Mix together:

• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• ½ teaspoon paprika
• ¼ teaspoon EACH of garlic powder, onion powder, crushed red pepper flakes (optional), dried oregano, paprika, salt, and black pepper

Place in an airtight container and use for any recipe calling for a packet of taco seasoning. 

When purchasing seasoning mixes, make SURE to read the ingredients thoroughly, if you have ANY suspicion of the mix containing gluten do not buy it. I nearly always buy McCormick seasonings because they will disclose all ingredients and the source of the ingredients on the label. You can also check their website for full information on food allergens in their products.

A tip from my husband when using seasonings: “Make sure not to over-season food. You want to taste the actual food you’re cooking along with the seasonings. It’s easy to want to go overboard with your favorite seasonings, so start with a little and add more if you need it.” – Michael Forbes

Reader’s Tip of the Day:
“MY best cooking tip is to never try out a new recipe on company because it might not come out right. Also always make sure you actually have all the ingredients before you start mixing ingredients or you'll have to make a quick trip to the store!” – Michelle P.


Please visit each topic in "10 Days of Gluten Free"
From: May 7th - May 18th

• Getting Started - Linda @ The Gluten-Free Homemaker 
• Resources – Wendy @ Celiacs in the House 
• Traveling – Karen @ Gluten-Free Travel Blog 
• Eating Out – Heather @ Gluten-Free Cat 
• Frugal Tips – Janelle @ Gluten Freely Frugal 
• Baking – Jules @ Jules Gluten Free 
• Kids – Lynn @ Lynn’s Recipe Adventures 
• Lunch Boxes – Tessa @ Tessa the Domestic Diva 
• Shopping – Laura @ Gluten Free Pantry

10 Days Gluten Free GIVEAWAY!
Included with this awesome series is a giveaway on each blog once the two weeks are over! I will be giving away a brand new copy of Carol Fenster's cookbook, "100 Best Gluten-Free Recipes." This is one of my FAVORITE gluten free cookbooks with an awesome collection of Carol's absolute best recipes.

The Giveaway Nitty Gritty: 

• This giveaway is limited to U.S. residents 18 and older. 
• You are allowed one entry per "10 Days of Gluten Free" blog post for a total of 10 entries on this blog. 
• Enter by leaving a comment (WITH an email address to contact you) on this post (and other 10 Days of GF posts). 
• The giveaway begins May 7, 2012 and ends at 11:59 pm eastern time on May 18, 2012. 
• No purchase is necessary. 
• Odds of winning are based on the number of entries. 
• The winner will be randomly chosen and will be contacted by email. 
• The winner will have 48 hours to respond. If the winner does not respond, a new winner will be randomly chosen