My hubby's birthday

My husband turns 62 today, New Year's Eve. The last 2 years have been tough. Just prior to his 60th birthday, he was bragging about how much sick leave he had, and then he had rotator cuff surgery. He fully recovered from that to find out he had stage 1a lung cancer, stage 2b esophageal cancer and given a 3-5 year life expectancy. He recovered from both of those surgeries (lobectomy and esophagectomy) by his 61 birthday to received a promotion at work.
In March he was told the esophageal cancer appeared to have spread to his lower right lung lobe and he had early prostate cancer, with the possible metastasis the prognosis is 3 years.  The oncology board again suggested chemo and radiation, and a second time Al declined treatment. He wants quality of life.
Back at the gym and being over zealous, he tore his esophagectomy internal incision creating multiple hernias. In April, he had robotic hernia surgery, due to complications with that surgery he is just now recovering and has gained back the 15 pounds he lost in April.
We began following Chris Wark's juice plan in early September. He won't change his diet due to the feelings of deprivation. In November, he had his check-up and appears to be cancer free, PSA levels dropped to low normal and there appears to be nothing on his lung. His doctor suggested he keep doing whatever I am having him do. His prognosis now is only God knows.
We are celebrating this year and all the years to come, using up his vacation time instead of his sick time!!! We went to the Bahamas to celebrate all 5 of our birthdays. God willing, next year Costa Rica!
He is celebrating with his boys at the movies, while I cook a birthday New Year's Eve meal for all.

Vegan Garlic Cheezy Bread

After a few tweaks, this bread is really good.
Ingredients:
1 package of instant yeast
2 TBS honey
2 cups warm water
1 TBS xanthan gum
1 cup Gluten free all-purpose flour (Bette Hagman's ratio of rice, potato and tapioca from 20 years ago)
1/2 cup teff flour
1/2 cup sweet potato starch
1/2 cup tapioca starch
1/2 cup millet flour
1/4 cup amaranth flour
1/4 cup sorghum flour
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
Olive oil to grease skillet
5 cloves of garlic minced
coarse sea salt

Directions:
stir yeast, honey and lukewarm water
stirring with a wooden spoon add flours and starches
stir in apple cider vinegar, salt,  and nutritional yeast
grease cast iron skillet and place dough in a disk shape in cast iron skillet
lightly cover with a tea towel and let rise for about an hour (doubling in size)
press dough to reshape and allow to rise another 30 minutes
grease the top with olive oil, add garlic to the top and coarse sea salt
bake at 400 for 40 minutes

Our Youngest's 23rd Birthday

Our youngest son changed our lives. His life course changed mine completely His pediatrician encouraged me to quit my job when he was 2 years old due to vaccine injuries. This in turn opened my eyes to a more compassionate, loving world. He also opened my eyes to the importance of healthy eating from the age of 2 to today. His vaccine injuries took us down the path of the autistic diet, gluten (celiac) and casein (lactose intolerance) free (for life), to a ketogenic diet to control seizures.  However, the ketogenic diet created kidney issues (leading to apnea and cyanosis issues), so we went to a 2/3 raw, 95% whole food plant based diet (low legume and low grain) to control his apnea, cyanosis, and inflammation. We are praising God he has been seizure free since the age of 5 and the autistic label was removed by the doctors at Duke at the age of 13.
For his birthday dinner we are having friends and family over serving his favorite manicotti zucchini, cheezey garlic bread, a salad, thanks Jyl, and his favorite kiwi cashew based cheesecake, thanks Betty.

He, his brothers and dad have tickets to see the Star Wars the Last Jedi movie for his dad's birthday Sunday.

Herb Ricotta cheese
1 cup raw cashews, soaked overnight, rinsed and drained
3/4 cup macadamia nuts, soaked overnight, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup pinenuts
1 peeled summer squash (zucchini or yellow)
1/2 tsp salt
2 TBS lemon juice
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried parsley
1/2 tsp oregano
1 clove garlic2 TBS nutritional yeast
1 probiotic capsule
1 cup filtered water
Directions: combine everything in a high speed blender and process until smooth. Place in a glass container leaving on the counter overnight. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Vegan Rosemary Pinenut Parmesan Skillet Bread

I haven't made gluten free bread in over 15 years. I thought i would give it a try using multi-grain flours.

Ingredients:
1 package of instant yeast
2 cups warm water
1 cup Gluten free all-purpose flour (Bette Hagman's ratio of rice, potato and tapioca from ! 20 years ago)
1/2 cup teff flour
1/2 cup sweet potato starch
1/2 cup tapioca starch
1/2 cup millet flour
1/2 cup amaranth flour
2 TBS chopped rosemary
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 TBS nutritional yeast
1/4 pinenut parmesan cheese
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
Olive oil to grease skillet

Directions:
stir yeast and lukewarm water
stirring with a wooden spoon add flours and starches
stir in apple cider vinegar, salt, rosemary, nutritional yeast, and pinenut cheese
grease cast iron skillet and place dough in a disk shape in cast iron skillet
lightly cover with a tea towel and let rise for about an hour (doubling in size)
press sown on dough to reshape and allow to rise another 30 minutes
grease the top with olive oil, add rosemary leaves on top
bake at 400 for 40 minutes

Christmas 2017

Christmas Morning we served Apple Fig Custard. We had saved (sliced and froze) figs from the summer harvest.

We enjoyed time with our older boys. We also had unexpected, but definitely wanted family, the Lindley's from Maryland as guest.
For our meat eaters we served a turkey gluten free vegan stuffing, a vegan green bean casserole, mashed potatoes and gravy of choice.

For the Whole food plant-based we served a pumpkin stuffed with a millet cranberry, apple stuffing.








For dessert, my husband wanted a Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie from Wholefoods, I made a fig and almond tart










Bread Crumb Stuffing
2 boxes of gluten free Ener-g bread crumbs
1 cup celery, diced\2-3 garlic cloves, minced
1-2 onion, diced
1 TBS poultry spice
2 TBS fresh parsley
2 TBS fresh sage
1 TBS fresh thyme
2 cups vegetable broth
Directions: Broth saute the vegetables. Add seasoning and herbs. add bread crumbs and moisten with the vegetable broth to desired consistency.

Stuffed pumpkin

Stuffing Ingredients:
Millet cooked in instant pot (or on the stove top)
1 cup millet
1 2/3 cup vegetable broth (for stove top - 3 cups broth)
Place in instant pot using manual setting for 12 minutes.

(for the stove top - boil, cover and reduce to medium heat for 40 minutes)
While the millet is cooking, broth sauté the onions, celery, herbs and garlic
2 stalks celery, diced
2 onions, diced
6 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup vegetable broth

4 TBS fresh sage, rolled and chopped
2 TBS fresh thyme

1 apple, cored and diced
1/4 cup apple sweetened cranberries, minced

mix everything in a large bowl to finish stuffing

Stuffing Pumpkin

remove top as for a Jack-a-lantern and removed seeds

stuff the millet stuffing into the pumpkin

make 4 slits in the outside of the pumpkin to vent while cooking

place top on pumpkin

oil the outside of the pumpkin

place on a baking rack with tray underneath to catch the juices.

Turkey and Pumpkin

bake at 350 for 1 ½ hours

from these juices we make a gravy, just as one would using juices from a turkey,

zucchini garlic bites

This recipe for Zucchini Garlic bits is from Grow a Good Life. We altered it to fit our needs. I might add some salt, since there isn't much salt from the cheese substitute.

Ingredients:
1 cup grated zucchini
1 TBS flax meal plus 3 TBS water, set for 5 minutes
1/3 cup gluten free bread crumbs
1/4 cup pinenut parmesan
1 clove garlic finely grated or finely minced
2 TBS chives
1 TBS parsely
1 tsp basil
1 tsp oregano

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400˚F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
2. Use a box grater to grate the zucchini into a clean towel. Roll up the towel and twist to wring out the moisture. Grate the garlic using the small holes on the box grater.
3. In a medium bowl, combine all of the ingredients and mix well.
4. Shape a tablespoon of the mixture into your hands, pat into small cylinder, and place on the baking sheet.
5. Bake for 15-18 minutes in the preheated oven until golden. Serve warm with marinara sauce. Recipe makes about 16 

The Twins 29th Birthday

Our twins turned 29 today. It is so hard to believe that they started as 30-
week preemies. Today they are hard working, productive very handsome men. I am so grateful to have them in our lives. They are always supportive in our life.
We will celebrate at my parents this weekend. My parents served a meat based meal. We brought whole food plant based meals for our youngest son and myself. I brought desserts. The twins loved the Apricot, Fig, Cashew- based Mascaapone Cheese Tart, so i made it. I also brought the remaining half of the White Chocolate Raspberry Tort from Thanksgiving, as well as, Turtle Candies.

Happy Birthday to two of my favorite men!!! I am so proud of who you have become!!!