just be... happy!

Happy Friday and Happy Labor Day Weekend!!

I've been thinking... which, I tend to do a lot of thinking.  Do little things for yourself.  If you are craving that Starbuck's Pumpkin Spice Latte, go ahead and get one!  [Which I totally did twice this week and haven't had any aches! :) So I'm assuming it's GF and GTG]  Do things for others.  Whether it's helping an old lady pick something up or leaving something special for someone you love.  Make others smile.  Make yourself smile.  Life should be happy, why be sad.  Bad things happen, good things happen.  Everything happens for a reason.  Appreciate everything.  Thank God today.  Stop for a moment and watch the sunrise or the sunset.  Just stop whatever you're doing and look around.  Life is happening all around you.  Maybe you'll hear the hum of a refrigerator or air conditioner, maybe you'll hear the sounds of the outside, maybe it'll be a song you have on that you don't realize is playing [and now you do :)]... stop and think of all that you have accomplished.  Think of all the wonders and how when you were so upset maybe weeks months years ago when something made you sad and now you see why it happened and how much better you are now - God has a better plan than we can even imagine.  Be in the moment.  Soak it all in.  Take a deep breath and just... breathe.  And you know what?  Be happy.  Smile.  Make others happy!  Be the light in this world.  Be the positive one at all times.  Look for the good in people and in others.  Stop over-analyzing, stop under-analyzing, really... just stop analyzing all together.  Stop judging others.  Stop looking at others for their skin, race, what have you.  We're all different.  That person could be an amazing musician, a talented artist, an amazing mom, but no matter if they are someone noted as "great" or not, they are great in the eyes of God.  Be positive.  Give people a chance.  Give situations you just don't want to part in a chance.  Go outside.  Be amazed.  Take pictures but be in the moment.  Look at a blade of grass... how intricate it is and how all these little blades make up a great landscape.  Smile.  Be that person you see that is always happy but not fake.  And please, don't be fake.  Just be happy.  Take another bite, gaze a little longer into the eyes of the one you love, read one more page, take one more picture, sleep in one more minute.  Pin just one more pin [ok I do that a lot].  But keep others in check.  When someone is down, which we all get down lets be honest, be the light.  Make them know it's alright!  And no one, is ever, alone.  So here's my gluten-free advice for today.  To just, be... happy :)

with love,
mel

PS - write away and comment away!  I'd love to hear from all of you out there!

who wants 'smore?

Who doesn't LOVE s'mores?  I absolutely do.

It's summer time, you're around a campfire and everyone is breaking out the bread for mountain pies and the graham crackers for s'mores... and you can too!

This was my first summer being gluten-free & I couldn't miss out on mountain pie & s'more making.

For Mountain Pies:

Use Udi's Gluten Free bread and add in your favorite gluten-free topings.  Just make sure to use butter spray the CLEAN mountain pie maker:

When I mean CLEAN I mean CLEAN:

1. Have your own 

Or..

2. Make sure the one you are using is clean and don't re-use after it's been "glutenified"

Or...

3. Use foil to wrap yours in so it doesn't get contaminated

Now, for the best part, S'MORES!

Schar's gluten-free graham crackers (as shown above) make amazing substitutes for your favorite graham cracker.  Marshmallows are generally gluten-free so you are --safe-- (just make sure to check the package just incase) here's the facts:

 [In the U.S., the marshmallow industry is dominated by two main companies: Kraft Foods Inc. and Doumak Inc. The good news is, both manufacture only gluten-free marshmallows.]

Then, add in a piece of Hershey's Chocolate, and you're good.to.go!

Let me know how yours turn out or if you have any favorite mountain pies & s'more ideas!

Enjoy!

with love! <3

mel

eat [more] vegetables & [less] meat

Eat your vegetables!! Ok, now I sound like mom, but maybe, just maybe... mom is right! [btw... she always is]

After watching a few Netflix documentaries about vegetables and the benefits of eating more vegetables over meat, I decided to try it out and eat less meat and, just like eliminating gluten, I actually feel better.  

Maybe you are like me and actually feel heavier inside after you eat meat.  Replacing many of my dinners with vegetables these past few weeks has actually let me eat more, get fuller quicker, and not feel the heaviness that I do after a meal with meat.

Here are some facts:

HEALTH:

• Those who have a more plant based diet actually weigh less than those who consume meat
• They also consume less calories, less fat, and have a lower risk of heart disease than those who don't
• Red meat & processed meats are high in saturated fat - which increases your LDL (high cholesterol) & increases the risk of coronary heart disease
• Eating meat also increases your risk for cancer [http://www.womenshealthmag.com/nutrition/vegetarian-benefits?page=1]

BUT I STILL NEED PROTEIN!

• Other non-meat products are very rich in protein, like:
• Nuts
• Seeds
• Eggs
• Beans
• Peas

The documentaries I watched & recommend to you:

• Vegucated [about going vegan]

• Forks Over Knives [about the benefits of eating a plant based diet based on research]

Try adding more vegetables to your diet - and hey, they don't contain gluten!  Let me know the results :)

Chris & I have been just cutting up vegetables & potatoes and adding olive oil, salt, and pepper and sautéing them over the stove and don't miss adding any meat ;)

enjoy! 

love, mel