80205

Sheesh, life is crazy sometimes isn't it? I came down with a severe case of hives (from head to toe!) at the beginning of June & they didn't go away until about a week ago. I think cheese was the culprit. NO MORE CHEESE! My ears were super swollen; my eyes almost swelled shut; my legs were covered in bruises from all the itching. The doc put me on a 12-day pack of steroids. Prednisone. YUCK! I felt like I had no choice. My face was soooo swollen & the hives weren't backing down. I had to trust my gut. If I hesitated & didn't take the steroids to stop the allergic reaction, my throat could have swelled shut. Who knows. I'm glad it's all over now & I hope to never experience that itchy nightmare again! But enough about hives. It's time for the good stuff! :) 


  
80205. My zip code for the time being. What can I say?! The mountains were calling me. Anywho, time for you to gawk. :D

Glenwood Hot Springs Pool! :D

The source of the hot water in the pools. 122 degrees fahrenheit!  

The hotter of the two pools. 104 degrees fahrenheit! 

The cooler of the two pools. 90 degrees fahrenheit!

The old train station! Officially opened in 1904. 

Ever been to Glenwood Springs, Colorado? They're famous for their Glenwood Hot Springs Pool (the 'coolest' pool in the world! HAHA!). You can read about its history here if you'd like! 


A pool that feels like a hot tub. OHMYGOD. If 104 degrees is too hot for ya, you can take a dip in the 90-degree pool. Or you can do what I did; hop from one to the other every 20 minutes or so. That's the way to do it! Having TOO MUCH FUN is inevitable. The pool is a magical free-for-all. Children can float around on their bright & colorful inner-tube or giant alligator without disturbing other swimmers. You can even walk into the pool area with a big honkin' pizza! No restrictions whatsoever (except no running: safety first!). Of course I was the odd man out with a shiny can of tuna in my hand. "One man's trash is another man's treasure". If I close my eyes, a can of tuna is just as tasty as a slice of pizza! :) 


Susie (my darling aunt) & I stuck around the therapeutic pool for nearly 8 hours. Can you believe it?! I barely dodged gettin' crispy like bacon. It's easy to forget how much stronger the sun is here. Sunscreen has to be reapplied more often than you think, especially if you're a pale redhead! 


After spending the entire day at the pool, we arrived back at our motel & slept the night away. We were pleasantly exhausted. It was absolutely faaabulous! On our way out Sunday morning, I managed to get a souvenir: a stainless steel "Glenwood Springs, CO" coffee mug! It'll work great for hot soup in the winter! 


Tonight, the two of us are off on another adventure. A major roadtrip! Our itinerary looks a little something like this. 

Friday: Grand Junction, CO

Saturday: Cedar City, UT

 Sunday: Mammoth Lakes, CA -Yosemite Natl. Park

Monday: Fresno, CA- Kings Canyon Natl. Park

Tuesday: Visalia, CA

Wednesday & Thursday: Los Angeles, CA

Friday: Las Vegas- Hoover Dam

Saturday: Glenwood Springs, CO

Sunday: back to the mile-high city 

I've got 10 cans of sardines, 2 packs of hot dogs, the noodler for zucchini pasta, cucumbers, spinach, lemons, salt, pepper, 6 cans of tuna, & all my vitamins! That's how an SCDer prepares for a roadtrip. I think I'm ready! The computer is coming with me so I'll definitely post pictures as I go along. I better go fill the cooler before I leave without my precious cargo aka my food! ;) Catch ya on the other side! 

~Allie    

Pie on the 4th of July!

Blueberry pie! Betcha didn't expect to see a picture of that on my blog! :) However, please forgive me if I've caught your eye for pie & you are unable to indulge in a piece because of dietary restrictions (like myself!). It's the 4th of July; I felt obligated to bake a pie. What can I say! I'm funny about traditions like that. The Twilight Zone Marathon is another example of my closet tradition addiction. Syfy is the only channel I flip to on this patriotic holiday (I pinky promise!). 

For those of you missing out on pie, you were not forgotten! There's fish! There's veggies! There's cute little skewers! Plenty of other things to smile about. :D 

A whole red snapper; plump cherry tomatoes; mini mushrooms; crunchy carrots; zingy zucchini; tangy lemon; feisty garlic; luscious lettuce; iron onion. 

I brushed all the veggies with a tiny bit of olive oil before I placed the skewers on the grill. The fish was brushed with peppery olive oil and stuffed with lemon & thyme. *DO NOT forget to oil both sides of the fish or it will stick to the tin foil!* On medium-low heat, the whole snapper took about 30 minutes to cook (15 minutes each side). The veggies cooked for the same amount of time, if not for a bit longer. It depends on how cooked you prefer your veggies. I like my zuke juicy & cooked all the way through. We kept the tomatoes raw because they looked so pretty but feel free to grill them if you'd like! 

Once you're finished baking & grilling, DIG IN!!!!! :) The 4th of July is the perfect excuse to have fun in the kitchen. This year I had a grilling extravaganza. Who knows what surprises could be in store next time around! 

~Allie 

p.s. look out for another post coming up about my most recent speed-bump. My clue for you? One word. CHEESE. 

I Must Be Dreaming

Ground pork with organic fresh-pressed garlic & organic ground black pepper. Throw them onto a grill pan & you'll have some irresistible pork meatballs in no time! :)  

Can someone pinch me please? I need to see if this is real. 

Sauteed mushrooms! :) I used a little ghee to grease the pan.

Huh. Nothin'. So tell me then: is this real? 

Zucchini pasta. Plain & simple. Positively delish. :) 

 It is? Are you sure? I know these photos are a bit of a distraction but please try your best to focus. 

Zucchini pasta with steamed shrimp & basil pesto (the pesto recipe is in the "Presto Pesto" post). :D

Alright, alright. I believe you... I guess. Try to put yourself in my shoes for a moment. If you woke up one morning to discover that you were able to tolerate ripe bananas after MANY fruitless months, wouldn't you need a reality check? I mean, seriously!!!! Breakthroughs of this magnitude don't happen very often! :) 


I'm having difficulty readjusting to a fruitful life. A ripe banana everyday? How can this be??? It's inconceivable! 


As if that wasn't enough excitement, I'm almost finished with school. Only a few class days left! Then I'll be ready to kick back, relax, & make numerous batches of banana ice cream! Oh, & run off to Colorado & Oregon this summer. No big deal... 


Despite all this good news, I cannot let it get me off track. I have to keep myself together until exams are over with. As much as I'd like to just sit around & giggle, I have lots of important stuff to do!!!! An english paper; a sociology paper; research on Naked juices; hot yoga; responses to comments on the SCD support page; be happy! I think that just about covers it. 


I better get to work. Until next time, try cooking up one of the dishes I've photographed above. They're unbelievably easy to make & very gentle on the gut. Be sure to cook the mushrooms & zucchini to MUSH!!!! Easy in, easy through, easy out. :) 


Lots of love & healthy cooking, 
Allie 
xoxo

Giants or Patriots?

Let's just say the Super Bowl isn't the only event worth noting from Sunday night. Dad & I really cooked up a storm yesterday! :) (Sorry you couldn't be here, mom!) We indulged in some grilled masterpieces to celebrate the football throw-down: lobster, scallops, & chicken thighs. All it took was a little ghee, a spoonful of turmeric (you know I can't have chicken without it!), a dash of salt, a sprinkle of pepper, & a squeeze of lemon to bring everything together. Steamed cauliflower was our dish to lighten things up a bit. Absolutely scrumptious!!!!!! The fact that the Giants won really sealed the deal, making it a wonderful conclusion to my weekend. What did you guys cook up, anything fancy schmancy?


Now that the hullabaloo over football is in the past, it's time to move onto bigger & better things!!!! For example, my most recent desire to make homemade almond milk! :) Anyone out there have any experience with it? I would absolutely LOVE to have something to add to my coffee on the rare occasion that I choose to drink a cup! :) Drinkin' it black isn't working for me... 


In other news, I'm sad to say this but I think peanut butter is my enemy. Ever since I introduced it, inflammation has been knocking down my door & it refuses to GO AWAY! The only thing that could possibly be inviting such horrendous inflammation is that creamy addictive snack. Darn it. I've always hated goodbyes... 


Welp, I do believe it's time to take my turmeric shot! Oopsies, let me explain. Time for me to choke down my glass of water tainted by 35 drops of liquid turmeric. It's NOT an easy task, take my word for it. 


But before I go, I have to fill you in on my latest project. It's my newest weapon against evil. Although, it does involve some homework: 1) smile everyday, 2) say something positive about my life, 3) remember to reach out for help when necessary, & 4) don't be afraid to cry. What do you think, good idea? 


Until next time, cook something special. And if you're going through a rough patch, DO NOT give up. There will always be a light at the end of the tunnel. Hugs!!!! <3 
~Allie    

Ups, downs, & the in-between

Seafood craziness. DELISH!!!!! 

Ground chicken thigh nuggets with zucchini. Cute & fun to eat! 

Roasted chicken: my favorite! 

Mock Italian anyone? No one said pasta couldn't be green. 

TOO good to be true. 

If it's not one thing, it's another. A lesson in life I'm struggling to accept. On a Tuesday, it could be too many carbs. On that Saturday, it could be my new body lotion (that's already 'everything-free'/gluten-free, paraben-free, sulfate-free, & so forth). Or maybe even just too much standing on that particular day. Or not enough water. Or the bright lights in a store. Or the toxic smells from a clothing department. Or an overindulgence of a REALLY tasty food you know you can eat but you just don't know when to stop. Whatever the culprit may turn out to be remains unknown until it's too late to deny it. Before you have time to decide if you feel like fighting off an auto-immune response, you're smack-dab in the middle of one. If I had to single out the most important thing this way of eating has taught me, it would have to be this ugly truth; life isn't perfect. Life isn't perfect no matter how much you want it to be. Life will never come without bumps. SO, you have to take your great days & run with them! :) 


We haven't talked at all since the night of New Year's Eve thanks to those bumps I just mentioned. School has started back up (we've got a love/hate relationship), a new job at my college bookstore has begun, my "no time of the month" ordeal has not been resolved (thanks a lot, body), & my severe case of inflammation from head to toe has refused to kick the can. But I am doing EVERYTHING I can to smile, look on the bright side, enjoy each day, & live my life to the fullest. It's required some extra effort on my part such as taking more time for myself but it's worth it. I hate when my heart & my mind are in two different places. I'm torn!!!! Then I hop onto my computer, check my support group page, & am immediately reminded of what's most important to me. It's healthy distractions like the page, my blog, a book, or a movie that I have clung to most often lately when I've been in a real pickle. I just have to tell myself it will pass. Nothing is forever!!!!! 


If I've explored all those options & am still in need of a pick-me-upper then I usually venture into my kitchen, camera in hand, ready to create & capture something magical. Taking photos of everything I cook is somewhat of a form of therapy for me, I will admit. :) It gives me something to focus on other than reality that's sitting right in front of me. My most recent picture of the dollop of peanut butter is my favorite. Peanut butter takes the cake for the tastiest snack on the planet that's SCD-legal. I am LOVING it!!!!!!! I have to beware of eating too much though because I don't want to run into problems. I'm trying, I tell you! It's hard to turn down a spoonful! 


Well it's past 10 now which means it is definitely time for bed!!!! I would chat a bit more but while I'm struggling, sleep is crucial! I hope you enjoy my appetizing photographs. Look out for others later this week! Sleep tight & once again, thanks for listening. Please feel free to share what you do to cope when the going gets tough. 


~Allie      

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!! :D

The best omelette of 2011 by far!  
❄ ❅ ❄

LOBSTA with a side of grilled tomatoes!  
❄ ❅ ❄

 I ❤ chicken.    
❄ ❅ ❄

Brussels on the stalk. My version of mistletoe. ❤     
❄ ❅ ❄

Poppable little bites of ❤ .
❄ ❅ ❄

❤❤❤❤❤ VOILA! Roasted with ❤❤❤❤❤
❄ ❅ ❄

Here we are on December 25th, celebrating a very MERRY CHRISTMAS once again. It's truly my favorite time of year. :) As soon as the Brown bunch was out of bed, breakfast was in the making. A generously-filled omelette for each of us, cooked on our new non-stick skillet from Santa: chopped hot dogs (Applegate seems to go over well with my tummy), peeled & chopped zucchini, chopped button mushrooms, spinach, salt, & pepper. Positively Christmas-y & delicious!!!! We then had somewhat of a "dessert" for breakfast: LOBSTER!!!! Thanks dad! It was tender, juicy, perfectly grilled, & incredible. Loved ❤❤❤ IT! Lunch was unnecessary after such a large breakfast. 

Then the rest of the day rolled on. Presents were opened, ❤s were warmed, pictures were taken, laughs were released, love ❤❤❤ was in the air. It was wonderful as always. Even our adorable little dog, Zoie, had a marvelous day & indulged in a big crunchy chunk of carrot! I spent the afternoon flipping through my newest cook books, dad passed the time reading his brand spankin' new Grateful Dead scrapbook, & momma peacefully napped up in my bedroom. Picture-perfect day? I'd have to say such is true. ☺ ☺ ☺

Not before long, dinner was being served. Grilled drumsticks marinated in a new spice blend I got from Santa, lemon juice (from about 2 lemons), olive oil (enough to prevent them from sticking to the grill pan), salt, pepper, & garlic (about 3 or 4 cloves), & roasted brussels sprouts with olive oil, salt, & pepper (the staple food for the holidays, my favorite!!!!!!). :) Can you say YUMMY?! Who needs dessert when you've got chicken & brussels sprouts? I had planned on making some gorgeous almond flour waffles for dessert but my engine gave out before I had the chance. Tomorrow shall be the day! Look out for pictures of our new waffle maker! 

Santa Claus has come & gone, presents were given & received, food was cooked & enjoyed, & I have read & written myself silly. Time to get some much-needed sleep! :) I hope you all had a day that didn't skip a beat, that warmed your hearts, & maybe even tickled your feet! Hugs & best wishes! 

❤ HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!!!!

❄ ❅ ❆ ❄ ❅ ❆ ❄ ❅ ❆

Love, Allie

      

Never again

Next time I find myself feeling blah or doubting the success of the SCD, I'll read this post. Or better yet, I'll take a peek inside my old diary. A trip down memory lane. Never again will I allow myself to feel this way. NEVER!!!! Here's an entry out of my diary from November 29, 2006. Almost exactly 5 years ago. Oh & just to warn you, it's a bit rough around the edges... 

"What a day from hell! I have been in shit pain ALL f***ing day! My legs have f***ed me since I woke up this morning. What the f*** is up with that?!? I don't deserve this hellish life when I've never sinned a time in my life."

Reading this brings tears to my eyes. Not only out of sadness but also out of anger. Anger toward all the doctors I've seen over the years who did NOTHING to help guide me in the right direction. FORGET THAT!!!!!! All the more reason for me to take my health into my own hands & figure it out alone. Well guess what? That's precisely what I did. I became a dedicated SCDer almost 8 months ago & I refuse to turn back. I've come so far!!! :) It's SCD from here on out. 

This semester is coming to a close & I find that I'm barely able to contain my excitement. I WENT BACK TO SCHOOL & DID IT!!!!!!!! I did it & loved it. I went to class & grinned. I read my textbooks & retained the information. I studied 24/7 & time went by like a flash. I felt like a genuine college student. :) It's the most wonderful Christmas present I have ever received. And another outstanding thing? I only missed ONE class all semester!!!! That's a HUGE deal for this girl! I also passed every quiz with flying colors. The tests, too!! Two more major triumphs!!! Man, I don't need Santa to bring me anything this year. All my wishes have come true. I get to safely eat my heart out everyday, I am able to make it through a semester of school with hardly any skid-marks or bruises, I can go days upon days with very little to no pain. That's everything I've ever wanted. Ever. 

So my goal for this year? Hit 5,000 hits on my blog. :) Do you guys think I can do it?? I hope!!!! With two finals coming up, posting might be a tiny bit tricky but if I manage my time wisely, I think it can be done. Speaking of which, off to write my two final papers!! Then possibly cook up some ground chicken & parsley meatballs. YUM!!!!! Happy Friday everyone. Make something incredibly delectable today! 

xoxox, Allie 

Oh & since I love you guys, here's a few delicious photos. Try to restrain yourself from attacking your computer screen. I know it'll be hard... 

    

Banana Soft Serve (you know it!) & Salmon Zucchini Alfredo :)

Hi foodies!! <3 

So as most of you already know, I am extremely fond (well, before switching to SCD) of ice cream.  The healthiest ice creams I could find from Whole Foods were the only ones that ever made it to our freezer. :) Coconut milk ice cream still tops my favorite list in terms of anything store-bought.  Once I realized none of my favorite dessert was legal on this new food lifestyle, I freaked!!!  What would dinner be like without knowing ice cream would follow?!  Eeeeeek!!!  Being the intense researcher that I am, I poured my heart into finding the ideal replacement no matter what the cost.  Thankfully, the SCD diet isn't exactly all that complicated.  Ice cream was likely to be found in my freezer soon.  In the beginning of the diet, the only real option is to make banana ice cream.  My body can tolerate pears but... Pear sauce ice cream?  Ehhh.  I'll just have to give it a try! :) Anyway, I googled blogger, after blogger, after blogger... They all mentioned their marvelous banana concoction, posting giggle-activating photos that drove me nuts.  It was time to put this nonsense to an end!!  Coming to Denver made it possible.  My amazing aunt Susie has a heaven-sent VitaMix (a should-have for the banana ice cream to be truly the right consistency).  Today was the day!!  "B" Day!!! :)  A few posts ago I might've mentioned making some banana ice cream, but it was purely a slurpee compared to tonight's creation.  I sliced up about 9 ripe bananas this morning, froze them all day, then threw the frozen chunks into the VitaMix.  VOILA!!!!!!!!! :D To my astonishment, the banana bits & pieces swirled around in idyllic harmony.  There wasn't a single note out of tune; my heart was singing!!!!  I stopped the mixer with no hesitation, dove my spoon right down the middle, & my happiness turned into vapor, suffocating me to the point of forced laughter while standing in the kitchen.  I was speechless!!!  Sitting in front of me was a mixer FULL of banana soft serve ice cream!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :D Everything about it was just what I had wished for.  The consistency was a portal into the summer months of my childhood when we used to fight over the last spoonful of Ben & Jerry's Cherry Garcia.  My life was complete.  Dinner &... DESSERT!!!  <3   

My brunch today was quite phenomenal too. :) Thank the spirits for a powerful microwave!!!!!  I thawed one of my Alaskan salmon fillets overnight last night so I could enjoy it this afternoon.  Looking in the fridge, I remembered the whole bunch of zucchini I needed to eat too!  Then in a quick glance I noticed my last little bit of DCCC: a garnish!!  After patiently preparing the zucchini (peeling, deseeding, cutting, heating to the point of easy digestion...), cooking my tickle-me-pink salmon fillet & ridding it of the fish skin, & scooping out my delicious DCCC, my lunch was READY!!! MMMM!!!!  By far one of the best lunches I've created since arriving in Denver, perhaps before that too!!  SCD never tasted so right. :) 

Well ladies & gents, the SCD is truly a beautiful thing.  It will be hard at times, no doubt.  BUT, we're all in this together.  :)  I mean, what the heck!  I've been on it for almost TWO WHOLE MONTHS now!!!!  I have you guys to thank for that. <3 Just keep in mind that deliciousness is possible & not hard to achieve, either!!!!!  Sleep tight everyone, dream of good health & healthy goods to go with it. 

<3, Allie    

Banana soft serve in the VitaMix (WOWIES!!!!!!!!!!!) Just bananas 

Dainty banana ice cream scoops!! 

My new Alaskan salmon fillet from Costco with 2 zucchini topped with DCCC (MMMM!!) 

Scrumptious Salmon Supper

Wild-caught Alaskan salmon, DCCC (dry curd cottage cheese for the SCD diet),  organic zucchini pasta, & 2 tsp. organic cold-pressed olive oil