SCD Gnocchi

This is the second time I've made this recipe. I made a few changes this time, and it turned out much better. Currently it is cooling in the fridge for an hour, and I'm feeling very impatient haha. Here's the process for ya.

step 1: gather ingredients:
1 egg
1 cup DCCC (dry curd cottage cheese, and I made my own because THERE ARE NO STORES IN THIS AREA THAT SELL THE STUFF! SHEESH!)
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1/2 cup cheddar cheese
1/4 cup almond flour

Step 2: mix first 3 ingredients in a food processor, then add the other 2 ingredients (I did the first 3 in the food processor, then added the next to into the processor as well. It seemed to help the texture). Then divide the dough into 4 balls.

Step 3: roll the balls into ropes 1/2 an inch thick, then pat down (I made mine a little thicker this time)

Step 4/5: cut the rope into 1 inch bits

Step 6: gently place the pieces into a pot of SIMMERING water (first bring the water to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, and make sure it is at a simmer. Keeping it at a boil will not let it sit long enough)

Step 7: when the pieces rise to the top of the hot water, carefully remove them and transfer them to a bowl of cold water (I used a slotted spoon to move them, and I also had to change my water a few times to keep it cold)

Step 8: drain all the water off and put in fridge for an hour

Step 9: heat up, add some sauce (I like Mom's Tomato Sauce) and enjoy!

When I was craving pizza the other night, I made this and it satisfied all the flavors I was looking for. It's pretty tasty :D

SCD Festive Eggnog Pancakes :D

When I woke up this morning, I was STARVING! I decided that it would be easy to make my favorite recipe so far. I made the 4 ingredient SCD Festive Eggnog Banana Pancakes that are so super easy and SO SUPER TASTY!!!

Step 1: gather your ingredients
1 ripe, mashed banana
2 eggs
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp vanilla

Steps 2-4: whisk ingredients together

Step 5: put a little oil in a skillet (I prefer coconut oil)

Steps 6-7: pour a bit of the mixture into the skillet, and after a few minutes, carefully turn over. This step is way easier with a metal spatula than plastic.

Steps 8-9: take pictures, then enjoy!

I heated up some of the Egg Cupcakes I made a few days ago: SCD Egg Cupcakes... If you are going to make these cupcakes, it needs 12 eggs as opposed to 9, and it needs to be in the oven at least 20 minutes. I also added a little extra Swiss cheese.

This breakfast is tasty any time of day for sure, and my belly is happy. No discomfort at all. It's recipes like these that make this diet a lot easier, and it kind of makes me feel bad for people who won't try it because they think that being on the SCD is too hard. They're missing out ;) Here's the official link for the pancakes: Festive Eggnog Banana Pancakes

Introduction

It's about time, right? I've talked about doing this for long enough, it was time to take action. That's the same thing that happened with my IBD (inflammatory bowel disease). I talked about taking action for so long, I talked about going to the doctor when the bleeding wouldn't stop, and I talked about trusting the Lord with this lifelong disease.

I have taken action! It started with trusting God, not just talking about it. I left Crohn's disease at the altar, and although I will always have it, I will never have it without my God. I am not in this alone. The next step was to pay attention to what my body was telling me. I learned many years ago that I have an intolerance to lactose, and I believe this was a precursor to my Crohn's disease. I also noticed that red meat, carbonation, and rich and spicy foods bothered me. It was time to start the research. I started asking people questions, and one person brought me a cookbook called "Breaking the Vicious Cycle" and I was intrigued. I went online and found the illegal/legal list, as well as hundreds of recipes. For the first time in a long time I felt hopeful. Since my diagnosis, I felt God was leading me to do this WITHOUT MEDS. I know this ticks off many with IBD, but I trust that if God is telling me to do it His way, I should trust that the outcome will be positive. I know He heals, and I know He won't give me more than I can handle.

I read this cookbook cover to cover a number of times, and perused the interweb regarding IBD and the Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD). Due to a number of things going on in my life (taking classes, moving, in a relationship), I figured it wasn't a good time and I'd wait til class was done, til I was moved, etc. The 5th of July, my then-boyfriend and I took a day trip to a city a couple of hours away. It was a disaster. When we were headed back, we were only about 20 minutes away from home when it hit me. I mean, it really hit me. I was driving and weeping in pain. It was horribly embarrassing, and I'll spare you the details. The next day I realized that this wasn't acceptable. I needed to change what I was eating, because even though I was trying to eat trigger free foods, apparently something else triggered as well. July 6th, I favorited the legal/illegal list on my phone, and made it my home page.
July 7th I started following the diet, and July 8th, I felt  a huge difference already. My joint pain was GONE, I used the bathroom only twice, and I actually had ENERGY! Fatigue had racked me for months, years even, and it was gone. Just gone. This great feeling lasted a few days, until I decided to eat some Annie's mac and cheese. I figured since it's made with aged cheddar and organic pasta, I would probably be okay. It wasn't... The very next morning I couldn't walk I was in so much pain. I figured out what had been making my ankles hurt so badly! It was the wheat! All this time I thought my joint pain was just a side effect of Crohn's, and I think to some extent it is. I believe that because I have Crohn's, my body is more likely to be affected by different foods, and the effect that wheat has is horrible ankle pain. So I cut it out completely. I tried continuing my rice milk and rice for awhile, but my back and shoulders were hurting, then when I got rid of them, that pain was gone. I had oats last Sunday, and my body couldn't even digest them. I was in great pain, and partially broken down oats were in my stool on Monday.

Sugars have been the hardest thing for me to give up. I have quite the sweet tooth, let me tell you. I have a really hard time avoiding desserts. Overall I've done pretty well, I think, and I eat a lot of bananas to get that sweet taste.

So this blog will be about what I am learning, and it will include pictures and recipes of things that are tasty and follow the SCD. My goal is to help at least one person through this blog.