As I took the two loaves out of the oven, the first thing that struck me was their appearance.  They were beautiful with a deep golden brown crust.  They were not flat hard bricks, but instead had risen well with only baking soda as the leavening agent.  As I sliced the loaf, the texture was good and held together.  It did not crumble all over the place; therefore, it made good sandwiches.  This bread was a hit.  My only regret was not taking a picture of the loaves before my family devoured them.

 Almond Flour Bread

5 cups of blanched almond flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp sea salt
1 stick of butter, melted
1/2 cup honey
4 large eggs

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.  I used my electric stand mixer to make this bread; however, it is not necessary.  In the large mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt together.  Add the melted butter and honey.  Turn the mixer on the lowest speed.  Add the eggs one at a time as the dough is mixing.  Beat it until everything is combined well. 

Divide the dough equally into two oiled loaf pans.  Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown.  Allow to cool for five minutes in the pan and remove to a cooling rack.  Slice and serve warm or later at room temperature.  Makes two loaves. 

We had warm slices of bread iced with butter.  Later we had grilled cheese sandwiches.  We also used two slices like hamburger buns another day.  And, my husband ate toast for breakfast this morning.  I thought the two loaves went pretty far considering how many people we are feeding.  Already each child has asked me when I am going to bake more of my bread.

Baking bread on SCD was never on my radar ten months ago.  However, it is possible.  It helps give a little variety to your meals and satisfy even the appetites of growing boys and girls.  Try my recipe and let me know what you think of it.

Dr. Mercola put out an article entitled, “The Honey You Should Never Buy-It May Be Tainted with Lead and Antibiotics.“  If you are not interested in the part about the bee colony collapse, scroll down to the sub-title, “Is Your Honey Fake?”  The assertions in the article are a result from a study by Food Safety News.

Researchers tested honey from all over the United States from farmer’s markets to Costco to the little packages of honey available at fast food chains.  What they found is astounding.  Over 3/4 of the honey tested is not what bees make.  Let me say it another way.  Only 25% of the honey tested was actually the honey that bees have been making since creation!

I am sure you are wondering, “What have I been putting in my coffee or tea every morning?”  Well most likely, it has been ultra-filtered, sometimes diluted with water, without a trace of pollen or any beneficial element of honey.  The FDA does not even consider ultra-filtered honey to be honey at all according to their agency press officer, Tammy Ward.

Most American beekeepers are puzzled by the desire of companies to ultra-filter honey except for one reason, which is to hide the origin of the honey.  Therefore, it is highly likely that the honey comes from China.  Chinese honey has been found to be tainted in many instances with antibiotics or contaminants.  Removing the pollen enables them to get around steep tariffs on importing their cheap honey.

I don’t want to restate everything in both of the above-mentioned articles, but rather focus on what to do now.  Well, don’t buy your non-organic honey from chain stores except for health food stores.  Your best bet is to look for local honey.  Supporting your local beekeepers will help them out and insure that you receive the real deal.

When we first began our adventure on the SCD protocol, thanks to one of my readers, I was able to buy raw local honey in bulk.  I had a 5 gallon bucket filled with the sweet stuff.  Since we rely on honey so much on this diet, we went through the raw honey quicker than expected.  I have been trying to find some ever since and have been buying honey in 3 pound containers from grocery stores.  After reading this disturbing news, I am trying even harder to track down some local raw honey.

Unfortunately the severe drought we experienced, negatively impacted the bees in the area.  Whole hives were either killed by the intense heat or the lack of plants and lack of water did not allow the bees to produce enough excess honey.  If you are aware of a source, please let me know by email.  My family and I would greatly appreciate it.  I would also like to know your thoughts.  Are you disturbed by this news?  Let me know your thoughts.

The most important thing to consider is finding varieties that are suited to your climate.  The National Gardening Association has a great map of the United States with the different zones clearly laid out.  Locating your zone should be simple enough; you just type in your zip code.  Memorize it so that while you are flipping through seed catalogs or perusing the labels on trees for sale you order the appropriate plants with confidence.  If you are like me, you don’t want to waste your money and time with the wrong varieties.

My husband might love coconut, but we don’t exactly live in a tropical paradise.  My mom sent him a coconut tree from Hawaii and he planted it in a huge pot.  It grew slowly, and was doing alright during the summer.  He forgot to bring it in during the night one evening during the early fall.  The cold night air zapped it and it died.  Luckily, we did not have any money tied up in this project.  It was more an experiment than anything else, but lesson learned.

This might seem silly, but it is still an important part of the process.  Pick varieties that your family likes to eat.  If you hate the seeds in berries, don’t plant raspberries or blackberries.  If you hate your yard littered with nuts and hulls, don’t plant pecan trees in your yard.  You want to be blessed with fruit and/or nuts, not cursed by them.

Do some research.  Does your fruit tree self-pollinate?  Or, does it need another tree or another variety with which to pollinate?  You don’t want to have a beautiful tree that cannot bear any fruit.  Years ago, I planted a pear tree knowing that my neighbors had several just across the dirt road.  Therefore I am able to have pears with only one tree in my yard.

Plant according to the directions that come with the plant/tree/vine.  Most trees need to be staked until they grow strong enough to withstand the winds.  Vines like grapes or berries will need a support on which to grow.  A strong perimeter fence does nicely for berries.  I find the fruit is much easier to pick when grown on a fence or support than left to spread out over the ground.

Our climate does well for pears, some varieties of apples, limes, some oranges, berries, grapes, plums, some peaches, and plums.  Of these, grapes, dewberries, and blackberries grow rampant in the wild.  They are very hearty, as are pears.  Pear trees are usually the only remnant left from an old homestead.  The family left long ago and the house might even be gone, but the pear tree still bears fruit.  Therefore, I would recommend any of these hearty fruit vines/trees to the beginner.  In my opinion, the peach is the most finicky.  I just don’t know anyone that has had a great success with peaches in my area.

So, are you ready to realize your dream of raising your own fruit or nuts?  Now is the time.  Let me know what you are planting and/or what you already have established on your place.

Since starting on the Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD), I have not been taking any supplements, vitamins, or medicines.  Most everything has a starch of some sort.  In my efforts to “fanatically adhere” to the diet, I don’t even take anything for pain like Advil or aspirin; therefore, I did not spend any of my precious time trying to find legal supplements.

On April 1st, 2011, my family and I began our journey on SCD.  Some members of my family have seen remarkable results.  My husband lost 32 pounds.  My daughter lost 34 pounds and has grown an incredible 4 inches.  What is so incredible is that a year before the diet, she did not grow at all, not even a 1/4 of an inch!  Isaac and Andrew have also grown 2 inches each.

Jake and I have not seen remarkable results.  He has grown, but not a surprising amount.  I cannot lose a pound no matter how hard I try.  At the same time, Jake and I do not have a big problem with wheat, gluten, and milk like the others.  I guess that is why we see any real exterior results.

Well, I am totally excited because I just returned from a check-up with my doctor.  I am so proud to announce that my adrenal and thyroid glands are working well.  I have absolutely no yeast problem in my gut.  My body requires no additional vitamins or minerals, including EFAs.  All of my levels are great!  The doctor did not recommend any supplements or medicine whatsoever.

Sometimes when you are on a diet, your body suffers from the lack of something.  Some diets are not healthy to be on period.  However, I am now convinced that eating on the SCD protocol is absolutely healthy even for people like me who do not suffer from intestinal issues.  It does not take a genius to know that a lifestyle free from processed foods, starches, and sugar is a healthy one.  I just did not realize the impact the diet was having on my body.

If for some reason you have been looking into the SCD protocol and just aren’t sure if it is for your family, write me.  I will try to answer all of your questions.  It is not easy to follow, but it plays an important role in making your family healthy.

Most women know about breast cancer and perform self-exams and/or see a doctor annually for a check-up.  However according to an article in Mountain Medicine, heart disease kills more women each year than breast cancer.  In fact, women 65 years and older die more from heart disease than all cancers combined.  For my age group, which is 25-44 years, heart disease is third in the leading causes of death for women.  Needless to say, heart disease is serious.

For years I have heard on the news that females experience different symptoms than males.  Men usually experience chest pain, pain in upper body like the arms or neck,  shortness of breath, a racing heart, intense anxiety, and/or cold sweats.  We have all seen in a movie a man clutch his chest and fall to the ground in a dramatic showing; however, rarely is the real-life scenario played out like this, especially for women.

Leading up to the actual heart attack, women often experience fatigue, indigestion, and anxiety.  Even during the actual heart attack, women rarely even have chest pain.  Instead these are the top heart attack symptoms for a women:

Shortness of Breath
Weakness
Unusual Fatigue
Cold Sweats, and
Dizziness.

I struggle with knowing when to seek medical attention even for accidents.  When does a cut really require stitches, for example?  So I understand the confusion of when to call 9-1-1.  Learn these symptoms and immediately seek medical attention if you experience most of them.  Your life is counting on it.  There is a good reason that we have the saying  “as serious as a heart attack.”

There are so many different kinds of Bibles and daily reading plans available.  I am not going to endorse one over another.  You need to find one that fits your lifestyle, your needs, and most importantly one that is doable.  I don’t see the point in having unattainable goals in any aspect of life.

When people want to live more self-sufficiently, I caution them from jumping in too deep.  If you really want to live this lifestyle in the long-run, you have to take baby steps.  Accomplishing one small goal like planting a garden or raising your own eggs is an important first step.  Once you are doing that well, then you slowly expand your goals.  One day you will look around at your thriving garden, your freezer full of home-raised meat, your clothes drying on a line, and feel a wonderful sense of accomplishment.  You are more likely to drown if you jump into the deep end without practicing the basic fundamentals of swimming.

In the same way, you can be overly enthusiastic in your desire to get in shape or further your understanding of God’s Word.  By having unattainable goals, you are left discouraged and disappointed with yourself.  At my age and fitness level coupled with my intense dislike for running, it would be ridiculous to sign up for a marathon.  I would not be able to finish the race.

Our church emphasizes personal quiet time, and seeks to train even the youngest to feast on God’s Word.  Through daily reading and scripture memory, you cannot help but find yourself meditating on God’s Word day and night.  I have been amazed at how easily even my three-year old memorizes Bible verses.  His mind is a sponge.

Last year, my family read through the New Testament using a chronological Bible.  It was a rewarding experience.  Some of my children could not sit through the entire suggested reading section per day.  It was too long for their attention span.  So I broke it down into even smaller bits.  Slow and steady wins the race, and we eventually finished.

This year we are tackling the Old Testament.  The kids are all a year older and are now able to sit for the entire section of reading.  We are moving much faster through the Bible compared to last year, but we will not finish this year.  Am I upset? Absolutely not.  So what if we do not follow the prescribed plan.  Is that the point?

If you have never read the entire Bible, it is a worthy goal.  I highly recommend it.  Just don’t get so hung up on whether or not you finish in a year.  If that is your focus, when you miss one day, the reading piles up.  Seeing all the pages that you have to read to catch up, you are much more likely to give up.  Before you know it, you aren’t even trying to read the Bible.  You think, “I’ll wait until next year.  Then I will really do it.”

My oldest son was telling me the other day how every time you learn something an indentation is made in your brain.  The more you learn about that same subject the deeper the indentation.  So taking his information as true, my hope is that Christians will commit to deepening their Bible brain indentations in 2012.  Hopefully that is a goal to which you can commit.