Mama's Beanless Chili

Mama's Beanless Chili

1 lb ground beef
1- 28 oz can diced tomatoes (Mine had spices added)
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 chopped green pepper
1 cup water
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Pour all ingredients into slow cooker and mix together.

Cook on high for 6-8 hours until ground beef is well cooked.

Serves 4-6.

Homemade Sausage Patties

Homemade Sausage Patties

1 lb Ground Pork

2 tbsp brown sugar

1 tbsp garlic powder

1 tsp cumin

Salt

Pepper

Mix ingredients together and form into Patties.  Heat 1 tbsp canola oil in frying pan. Add patties and cook. Flip over after 3-5 minutes when meat is browned well. Cook another 3-5 minutes until both sides are brown and meat is well cooked. 

I have cooked these with ground beef and ground venison. All taste good but the pork does have more of an original sausage flavor. 

Gluten-Free For J

J is 5 months old. We went to the doctor on Thursday and found out that he has fallen off his growth chart. He is gaining weight but not like he should be based on his prior check ups. Since I am exclusively breastfeeding J, Dr. B has asked me to go gluten free for the next month so we can see if his growth is progressing. I already eat a lot of gluten free foods since all our main meals are based around foods that M can eat.
We do also buy whole wheat bread and I will make a loaf of white bread in the bread maker for us to enjoy because Luke and I do not like the gluten free bread. I decided that I would not eat the gluten free bread and just avoid bread altogether.
J returns to the doctor on April 16 to see his progress. I am praying that everything will be fine. As long as he is gaining well and back on his growth chart, I will be gluten free while he is breastfeeding. Otherwise, we will be taking another trip to the pediatrician so find out what else we can do to help J.
I am learning so much on my journey of motherhood. My boys are so fun, energetic, and so very different. An important part of my learning journey has been focused on food. I have learned to read labels and actually understand what is in my food. Although I have always been a creative cook, I now can prepare meals that are free of all M's allergies. I can cook delicious foods without ingredients that seemed critical before such as Chinese food without soy sauce and Chili without beans. Although it seemed overwhelming at first, now it is our life. As far as baking goes, I have not mastered gluten free baking but I am enjoying the learning process along the way.
The most important things my boys have taught me  are how to love unconditionally, to treasure every moment of every day, to make memories and share your time together because it is not what you have in your life it is who you have in your life that is important.

First Post- How My Journey Began

My second son was born on September 4, 2013.  He was a blessing from God. We now had two handsome sons. When I looked at him, all I felt was pure love, the same love that I had felt when I looked at my first son only 14 months prior on July 4, 2012. Looking back to that moment, I would never have imagined the journey that we were beginning and how different each one of our boys were.
People would look at us and tell us it would be so easy this time, that we knew what we doing, after all, he was our second baby. But that could not be farther from the truth, I knew everything about caring for an easy going, happy, care free baby. But I knew nothing about caring for a baby with red blotches, and eczema from head to toe, as well as the constant fussiness and vomiting after every feeding. To plan one outing we carried with us a diaper bag full of spare clothes and receiving blankets just for cleaning him up.
After many doctor visits, prescriptions filled, creams and lotions and even formula switches, our doctor referred us to a pediatrician. M was 7 months old when we went to the hospital on a Sunday afternoon for his appointment. That day is a day I will never forget.
My little baby was so sick that day, he had been up all night crying and I was so glad that he had his doctor appointment that day or we would have been taking him to the emergency room. We were at the hospital for hours, M was constipated, wheezy, covered in a sore, itchy rash and had an ear infection. This was all the result of an allergic reaction. M was allergic to the protein in milk and in soy. We left the hospital that day with 7 prescriptions for our baby.
Now, 11 months later M is happy, easy going, loving, fun, enjoys life and has a smile for everyone.  And he has many food allergies. Here in NB, they don't do allergy test on babies, you have to be 3 years old, so until then we just have to avoid any foods that give him a reaction. Besides milk and soy, he has had reactions to wheat, tuna, salmon, kiwi, mango, kidney beans, maple syrup, almonds and peanuts.
Each day has been a learning curve and through it all we have changed. I pray that this blog will be a blessing and an inspiration to others who are facing challenges in their own lives. And I would love to share some of our families favorite recipes along the way. If you have a loved one with multiple food allergies, don't focus on the things that they can't have, instead focus on life and the joy of being together with family and friends. And while your on your journey maybe you'll lose 40+ pounds like I have.