My Etsy shop, post-colonoscopy and some odds & ends

Did you know that I have an Etsy shop? Well, I do! I make wampum shell pendants from locally collected wampum shells. Please check it out at https://www.etsy.com/shop/CapeCodDragonShells?ref=hdr_shop_menu. I added a few new pendants today. Please feel free to share all over the internet as well.

Otherwise, I am doing well. I'm recovering from my annual colonoscopy yesterday. Yes, I am young (33), but I have Lynch Syndrome, aka hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer/HNPCC. It's an inherited disorder associated with an increase in the risk of colorectal cancers, as well as cancers of the stomach, small intestine, gallbladder, liver, upper urinary tract, brain, skin, ovaries and endometrium, and throw some occasional colon polyps in the mix too. It's a whole barrel of fun (sarcasm font!) but it is easily dealt with by keeping on track with colonoscopies, upper endoscopies, PAP smears, endometrial biopsies, urine screenings, and a slew of lab tests. If you want to know more about Lynch Syndrome there are LOADS of websites, but I like this one overall: http://lynchcancers.com/. If you have a family history of colon cancer, please get tested. It can save your life!

So, I did the colonoscopy prep (Suprep) as usual and it sucked as it always does. I had lots of water, juice, popsicles, lollipops, hard candy, and tea w/o milk, even though I use dairy-free milks. I took a Udi's Gluten Free blueberry muffin with me JUST IN CASE the center did not have any AGAIN, which they didn't. SO glad i brought my own. Ridiculous. I went for my appointment, had a huge kerflufflle to deal with, but I did get the procedure done and I am a-okay this round. I came home, took a 4 hour nap, made some Rice Ramen and finished season 3 of Bitten on Netflix (on Syfy here).

In the evening I found myself CRAVING mashed potatoes, so TJ and I went to the store and got some, along with a nice organic, grass-fed steak. I approached the steak with caution as I had not cooked grass-fed beef at home. A Google search led me to one of my favorite blogs, Primally Inspired, and her easy-to-follow guide, found HERE. I made some pre-spiralized butternut squash noodles and it was all fantastic. The steak was perfect.

See? Tasty!

Today I slept in, made myself a yummy breakfast of gluten-free waffles, a hard-boiled egg, strawberries, and my favorite breakfast sausages.  (My favorite sausages are Applegate's GF Natural Chicken & Maple sausages, link is HERE.). I added some new items to my Etsy Shop (see the 1st paragraph of this blog post) and am now considering lunch with a bearded dragon on my lap.

The internet gave me some great new books to download, mostly freebies, which I have shared on Pinterest today: follow me on Pinterest.

Oh, the Rice Ramen I mentioned is made by Lotus Foods. I had Buckwheat Mushroom for the first time and it was just what I needed. Link for that is HERE.

Don't forget you can find me on Facebook , Twitter, and Instagram.

Love, love, love, Kate

Some sweet treats, Brazilian cheese bread, and reminder about GF & AF expo!

Hi folks! It's been a bit, again, and I'm sorry...life, you know? But the semester is over and I am back to just working 2 jobs. (how do professional bloggers DO THIS?!).

Here are a few products I tried in the last month or so.

• Mom's Organic Munchies are DELICIOUS. They are gluten free, free of refined sugar, and paleo friendly! I have found them at Whole Food Stores and some local alternative grocery stores. The Skinny Mint cookies are a healthier alternative to Thin Mints (I know some of you are Thin Mint addicts). Moms Munchies products

• Last week I made a simple gluten-free Indian meal out of Tasty Bite's Channa Masala, Wildwood's Baked Tofu, Royal Thai (which IS gluten free according to the packaging), jasmine rice, and mixed veggies. Oh so good and easy peasy.

            Tasty Bite Channa Masala
           Wildwood Foods organic-sprouted baked tofu royal thai

• I found 2 flavors of the Brazi Bites brazilian cheese breads at a local Brazilian market, for wicked cheap! I had only tried the Original, and loved it, so when I saw Garlic Asiago and Nitrate-free Bacon I had to try them. These are yummy, gluten-free, Non-GMO, little balls of scrumptious, cheesy bread, and they are SO worth it. They're super easy to make too. No defrosting required! I like to pair them with just about any home-cooked meal, especially spaghetti and meatballs.

           Find them at http://www.brazibites.com/products/. The site has a Store Locater and links to                  buy them on-line. If you're gluten-free and miss Brazilian cheese bread, find these and give                  them a try.

Also, I'm going to take this moment to remind you about the Gluten Free & Allergen Free Expo that is coming up in Worcester, MA, on July 23-24th. Here is the website for more info:  http://gfafexpo.com/locations/worcester-ma-2016/#when-where

I still have 5 FREE TICKETS to give away! Please contact me if you are interested! And there are still 20% off tickets (use code ADVANCE through 7/22). I will be attending the Sunday day only but I hope to see some readers there!

Anyway....love, love, love
Kate

Cook's Organics Sweet Dreams Foot Cream is amazing!

But don't take that from just me (channeling LeVar Burton here). Head over to the website HERE and check out 1 of my favorite products ever, Cook's Organics Sweet Dream Foot Cream. This stuff is absolutely fabulous and I try very hard to not go without it.

Why do I love it? Well, first off you need to know that I work at a local health food store (the Orleans Whole Food Store). Cookie is a local who I *believe* started selling this stuff at the Wellfleet Farmers Market. One of my coworkers suggested it be brought into the shop. This same person convinced me to try it out so I picked up a sample size (these) and gave it a whirl.

The packaging isn't showy or over-the-top. Instead it comes with this little card that tells the consumer what some of the benefits are, such as "reduce leg/foot cramps; reduce workout recovery time; sleep like a champ", gives you Cook's website and lists the ingredients on the back. The product itself comes in a little white tub.

So what IS this stuff? Well, it's a magnesium foot cream. The other ingredients include coconut oil, shea butter, beeswax and aloe. It smells a bit like coconut oil and beeswax and is a white, creamy substance.

But this stuff is fantabulous. (yes, I know, this isn't a real word). I use it every night to help alleviate insomnia, which I have suffered from for YEARS, muscle cramps and spasms in my calves, and overall muscle relaxation. Believe me, it helps. And if I forget to use it, I know; my body reminds me. I recommend it to EVERYONE that I can.

Do you suffer from insomnia? Try this.

How about Restless Leg Syndrome and/or leg cramps? Please try this! I do NOT have leg cramps at night if I use this cream.

Fibromyalgia? Yep ,you need this. Trust me.

Are you a runner/jogger/exercise enthusiast who is always looking for something to help your body? Try this! Seriously, TRY this.

Where do you get it? The website for one: http://www.sweetdreamsfootcream.com/shop/. The Orleans Whole Food Store in Orleans, MA, carries it. (other places might too, but I am not sure).

AND right now, until Monday the 11th, you can get 40% off with BIG40 coupon code.
One more time, you can find this product here:
http://www.sweetdreamsfootcream.com/shop/sweet-dreams-foot-cream-trial-size-3-pack

OR the larger size here:
http://www.sweetdreamsfootcream.com/shop/sweet-dreams-foot-cream-4-oz

I cannot express how much this stuff has helped me. You should try it for yourself.


**I am in NO way compensated for this blog entry. I genuinely love this stuff and want everyone to use it.**