Coast goodness

This weekend J and I took a little vacation on the coast of California. We stayed at Glass Beach Bed and Breakfast Inn in Fort Bragg and got to relax and just enjoy life for a few days. (The place we stayed at provided a really nice breakfast - even for a gluten free girl!)

The ocean is very special to me as I grew up on a tiny island on the coast of Norway. I love waves and the ocean breeze. One thing in particular that was exciting, was finding hidden hiking trails in the midst of the tallest trees on earth. J and I hiked, took pictures and had a really amazing time together.

 In Fort Bragg there is a raw food diet cooking school (Living light culinary art institute) that also has a little cafe. They serve raw ice cream and cakes, soaked and dehydrated grains, smoothies and juices and such. I had a tasty piece of raw cherry pie with chocolate sauce. This week I want to make a few alternative cakes/pies that are free from dairy, eggs, gluten etc. My first one I have already started making, it is a raw cheesecake. It will be really really good. Ill post it here later today =)

Happy Monday Everyone!

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Gluten freedom story: Jazmyn

Today I have a real treat for you =) I asked a sweet sweet friend of mine to share with us about her journey of going gluten free. Her story is fascinating on so many levels... so read on:

Jazmyn`s Story: Quitting Cold-Turkey

A little history to go along with my story…Since I was a sophomore in high-school I’ve had this terrible red rash on my hands that would itch and crack. It was terrible. It looked bad and it felt bad. Pretty much it was bad. I never thought anything of it, other than it being psoriasis and do the best I could to stay hydrated and lotion up. I am blessed to have incredibly great vision. In August of this last year my eyes started getting itchy and red all the time. I granted that it was probably from allergies as we live in one of the driest, sunniest places on earth. After a month of red, itchy eyes I went to the eye doctor who told me I had pretty sever allergies. I continued using eye drops as I always have only to find it worsening with each week. By the end of October my eyesight began to diminish. At first things just seemed blurry far away but progressively they got worse. By the time Thanksgiving came around my eyes would swell at some points during the day and the white of my eyes were a continual pink color. Between October and the beginning of January I saw 4 eye doctors, all of who were stumped as to what would be causing this and causing it to worsen at such an intense speed. 

Our church held a class about healthy eating, raw foods, and affects food can have on your body. I decided to do a little research when a friend asked me if I noticed that it increased after I ate. I took the next three days, didn’t change my diet, and noticed that 1-2 hours after I ate was when my eyes would become itchy and swell. This happened every time I ate during the coarse of those 3 days.

I know quite a few people who had gone gluten-free due to allergies and after seeing the affects of what I was eating and how it affected me I researched a bit to find out that my skin problems and stomach upsetting were some signs of have a gluten allergy. I decided that trying to eat gluten-free for a couple of weeks were worth seeing if it would help. I mean ANYTHING had to be better than what I was dealing with.

Starting that following Monday I quit eating anything with gluten cold turkey. I literally saw the benefits within 36 hours. A day and a half into eating gluten-free my eyes began to clear up. They stopped being itchy and swelling, and my eyesight began to get better with each passing day. By the end of week one my left hand completely cleared up of its rash that I’d had for 9 years (yes NINE years…_) by the middle of the second week my right hand also healed up and my eyes completely restored. I couldn’t believe what a transformation had occurred simply from choosing to eat differently and being careful about what I put in my body. All this was caused by an ingredient??

I found it to be hard, but not AS hard as my thoughts had originally presumed. I did as much research as I could on ingredients, foods, etc that had gluten and prepared myself with a list of YES ingredients and NO ingredients that I keep on my phone for when I go grocery shopping.

Although eating gluten can be a pain at times(there are days when all I wanna do is eat a funfetti cupcake……) but for the most part being gluten-free has only shown it’s self positive. Not only are my skin, eyes and stomach benefiting, but also my diet is much healthier as it has caused me to eat a much more balanced diet packed with fruits, veggies, and lean meats.
I have found that changing my diet to meet my need for no gluten has been slightly trying, very informational, but mostly fun. It’s like a little challenge I have daily and something that I feel proud of each and everyday I move forward. I also, am incredibly blessed to have Katrina in my life as she is a world of wisdom on eating gluten-free and is loaded with recipes to keep fun foods in my life.

“Accept the challenges so that you may feel the exhilaration of victory.” – General George S. Patton

Live life to the fullest!-Jazmyn-

What a story. Thank you so much Jazmyn for sharing.. You are an inspiration to us all! ;)

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Vanilla Macarons

Remember my lavender Meltaway cookies? The phenomenal cookie recipe that are both gluten and egg free. I pulled up the recipe and switched it around a little, today i call them Vanilla Macarons. I used powdered vanilla sugar, and the cream is a vanilla mascarpone icing.

mm...

-sweet dreams-

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Bike ride day

Sunny and 61F/16C calls for a bike ride. Luckily we have a cruiser in the garage just waiting to hug the road. To me there is something so romantic about a bike ride. Feeling the wind in my hair, going at a comfortable pace, the freedom to go places I normally would not get to in a car.

I think of flat European country roads with fields and coffee shops and old men selling strawberries by the side of the road. I think of those people as the most hospitable loving people I will ever meet - those that just enjoy life by the side of a road. I also think of a basket hanging on the front of my bike and what I would fill it with. Bunches of herbs, some fruit and maybe a bottle of water. Some other necessities like a game of Yahtzee, swim trunks and a map would be in there too. I would hope to see castles, beaches, Switzerland and lavender fields.

One day I`ll take a bike ride vacation.
Today I am making gluten free lasagna. And brownies. I have also prepared tomorrows dinner which will be tandoori chicken. The traveler in me wants out =)

-Kathrine-

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GF Graham Crackers

Yes, I surely was excited to bake, it has been a while since last time. Just the aroma coming from the oven while baking crackers, made it worth getting up before the sunrise.

The combination of honey, cinnamon and a few GF flours make for delicious graham crackers. Sweeter then most crackers, yet not fully as salt as most of them, a biscuit might be a better word for them, but who cares =) As long as they taste good.

This is one of those treats that are of multi use. They are fabulous just as they are, some prefer them dunked in a glass of milk. I use graham crackers as a crust in my cheesecake. One of these days I will have to try to use them in making real American s`mores. Another way to use graham crackers are to crumb them up and use as toppings on desserts or ice cream.

 Either way, it`s a sweet treat that fit`s many occasions. Like when you pull out a good book, or when you look through old photo albums. This cracker does not crumb easily and I like that.

The recipe I use is from The gluten free girl, and can be found here.

Kisses

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Another morning..

I started my day with instructing a spin class, which I love doing: Does not matter how we all look (sleepy faces), does not matter what the weather is like (snowing). All that matters is that we are there, and we keep the flywheel going and push ourselves a little further. We get our bodies moving, we blast off calories, and we start the day off just right.

After that I did something that turned out to be a very smart thing to do. Grocery shopping at 7.30AM - the parking lots were empty, the aisles were stocked, and the grocery clerks super friendly. I came home with some great deals, for example the allergen friendly Enjoy Life Snickerdoodle cookies. I also got 2 vanilla beans for only $4.
There are few fragrances that are as refreshing and calming as the fragrance of eucalyptus. In the flower section today, they sold bundles of the eucalyptus plant which I just had to get.

 Have a beautiful day!

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I win..

...At the end of the day, this is what you wanna be able to say to yourself: Making the choice for a higher level lifestyle is worth it. Lance Armstrong once said: "pain is temporary, quitting lasts forever". We can apply this to many circumstances in life like training or cutting the rope on certain foods.
Here`s a little secret for you that gave me hope when a restricted diet was hard to deal with.
It`s easy to think that someone with a sensitivity to gluten (including people with celiacs) has a compromised immune system. That is absolutely wrong. The opposite is true! The immune system in people with celiac disease is working way harder to fight the "bad guys" like gluten.
Yey for having a great working immune system! ;)

Practically, what does it look like to "win". When you are faced with a challenge, you don`t have to take the easy turn that will feel good only in the next few moments. You can take the road less traveled.
In my spinning classes (which everyone in Redding should come and try by the way!) I challenge them to work through what feels impossible in the moment. We are on our bikes, headed up a steep hill and we can barely "see" the top. It`s heavy gear and our muscles are aching. Giving up seems like THE solution. Just take off the gear and quit. Or, keep working, keep looking to the top, and reap the benefits once you get there. In the end of the day you can stand in front of the mirror and say "I win". Maybe you had to say no to try those nachos your friend ordered at Logans Roadhouse, or say no to your other friends birthday cake that looked like heaven on earth. Its the choices in those moments that defines who you are. The kind of person I wanted to be was a healthy, vibrant, gorgeous, creative and exhilarating person who loved life and everyone around her.

One small choice at the time, one meal at the time, one day at the time will get us closer to where we want to be. Here are a few of my tips on how to stay gluten free on the GO

• Choose your friends wisely - Spend "eating" time with people that are flexible, kind and maybe on the same road as you in a way or the other. Avoid people that are grossed out by salad and healthy choices. No joke, I have had to defend my diet so many times.
• Choose restaurant wisely - opt for places that serve fresh produce, brown rice, corn tacos and salads. Mexican food works well.
• Avoid foods like - french fries (they batter foods in bread and fry them in the same oil), meats/fish with sauces that might have gluten in it, pasta, pizza (BJ`s brewery offers GF and so does a few other places in bigger city's), chinese food (PF Chang`s has a GF menu, and it`s amazing too), sushi, Buffets are the worst. 
• Stop - going to McDonalds and those kinds of fast food places. You will never get a satisfying gluten free meal there.
• Ask questions - don`t be afraid to have a conversation with your waiter about the food they serve - how it`s made, their work space and such. 
• Get familiar - with the farmers markets and health food stores where you live, the GF aisles and the GF, DF, no soy, eggs etc products. Even on your travels - inform yourself ahead of time on what the options are for food. For instance, I always know where the next Wholefoods is..
• Snack! - I`ve said it before, but your gorgeous purses will come in handy for this one.. keep a bag of almonds, raw/GF bars, apples, bananas, tea bags (no joke), GF chocolate and airborne with you at all times.

It might seem weird to people that you have strong preferences when it comes to these thing. But stick to your plan and you will reach the goals you have set out to reach. In the end.. you win =)

-Kathrine-

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A Chocolate kind of a day

Yes, today is a chocolate kind of a day. Not because I need a sugar rush, not because anything bad is going on... simply because it`s chocolate. It`s a beautifying healthy (if chosen well) food. It is the #1 resource of magnesium (out of any food) - which is associated with happiness, building strong bones and balancing brain chemistry. I`ll take some of that! 

A great thing about chocolate is that very few people are allergic to it. But most chocolate bars in the store today have some kind of dairy products, which is a high allergen foods. Simple solution: make your own... 

Raw Chocolate fudge takes 7 minutes to make and taste just as good as the chocolate you can get in the store, if not way better.

Include your favorite flavors like vanilla beans, mint, berries, lavender, lemon peel, nuts and coffee. I like mine dark and rich and only in small portions. 

Here dipped in dried coconut flakes and almond meal.

 Ingredients:

1/4 Cup of Maple Syrup

1/4 Cup of Cacao powder (carob can also be used)

2 Tbs. Coconut oil

1 Cup Almond flour/meal

And a dash of vanilla (I use vanilla sugar)

Blend all the ingredients in a blender, 

transfer over to a bowl, 

add almond flour little by little. 

Find the perfect consistency to work with. 

Role the dough into little balls 

dip them in shredded coconut or almond flour. 

Put them in the fridge for a few hours..

 Wrap these little raw chocolate fudge`s in a little box
with some cute ribbon and give them to someone special on Valentine`s Day....

 So delicious... as dessert or just a treat

 Right outside my door there are flowers in bloom on the trees. Love the pink, sign of spring and eating a piece of chocolate. Perfection!

-Kathrine-

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Late night goodness

After a day full of working out, warming up, cooling down, stretching... It`s always a pleasure to dig out some flours and baking pans and get creative. I made sure to add hemp protein, almonds and a few other items to these cookies so that they are of better nutritional value. Not using eggs in baking makes it a little tricky - but a banana replaced it well in this recipe.

 

Perfect for evenings when you get a "sweet tooth"..

 One can be plenty..

 

..or in company of vanilla ice cream. 

Good night

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I heart oranges

Early morning.. sunrise.. nothing is better in the AM then to start it off just right. With a big glass of cold water and slices of fresh cut oranges.

 

Oranges are a citrus fruit which can boast of high nutritious value. We know they are full of Vitamin C - one orange gives us 116.2% of the daily dose.  Also, one orange supply 12.5% of the dietary fiber intake. Read more about the benefits of eating oranges here.

They are one of the most popular fruit in the whole world, and can easily be found most anywhere all year long. I get mine (3 boxes = on full trunk load) from my in law`s back yard. They are beautifully in season right now.

 

Kisses

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Sweet Sunday

I am extremely happy right now. In this very moment. Are you?
I`m thrilled that 2 weeks have gone by so fast, tomorrow I get to pick up my Husband at the airport. Freaking out moment ;) I am just so so in love.
Uhm.. I`m happy that i am all snuggled up in bed after this hard working day. My weekend just started.

Cupcakes makes me happy too. They are just wonderful to look at. The best thing about these ones, are that they are healthy-er-isch then most cupcakes. You can now get the small size of the cups so that the portions are way smaller. Which is a little trick to help people eat sweets in moderation. 

 The base of the cupcake is ripened bananas, which provide sweetness and flavor. I don`t know about you, but I would choose vanilla over chocolate any day, so this vanilla icing goes perfect with the muffin.

 

I will continue to work hard on making good GF treats. 

And on the subject of working, I`ll share my work out`s for this week (3) too:

• Monday - Ran 13.1 miles
• Tue/Wed Off
• Thursday Instructed Spin 45 min.
• Friday Weight training for upper body 50 min. 
• Saturday Instructed Spin 45min.
• Sunday Off

-Kathrine-

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4 years ago, today

It was a very normal day that Monday 4 years ago. I had been at the gym, juiced vegetables and did homework. My heart had been achy, what felt like for years. Every single night I had to give my hopes and dreams of finding the love of my life, to God. I could not carry it alone. I had made sure God knew every single thing I wished for in the man of my dreams. He had to be able to play guitar for me, and piano. He had to... The list was long. No one seemed even close to fitting this description.

Little did I know that the day had arrived, the day that was gonna change my life forever. The 22nd of January 2007.
I got introduced to Jeffrey Kunde through my sister. We were at the big concert hall in Redding, the people crowd was thick. But I could not care less about anyone else. I knew I had layed eyes on someone very special, and extremely handsome. There was something about this guy..
To my surprise he made an effort to sit next to me. I did not pay attention to one word of what the speaker had to say on stage. Butterflies, careful chosen words and some tic tac toe was a part of our first few hours together.
What was suppose to be his 2 day stay in Redding, turned in to 6 days, he even canceled his dentist appointment at home. We had the most incredible days together...
Over the next 2 years we dated and got to know each other, on the 22nd of March 2009 Jeffrey told me for the very first time "I love you..." and moments later he proposed. With no doubt in my heart I said "YES!", and the rest is blissfull history. He is the man I had dreamed about, completely perfect for me. He plays both piano and guitar very well too.. ;)

 These pictures are from our engagement photo shoot with Renee Lawnsdown.

 

 

-Kathrine-

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My Tuesday

I woke up early this morning, got myself to the gym and ran 5.5 miles. It was a good run, except for my shuffle kept giving me dumb songs.
Later on me and Alyssa took a day trip to Roseville which is 2,5 hours away from Redding. The mall there is so awesome for anyone that like shopping. I got myself a new outfit for a wedding show I`m gonna be having a booth at next week. High heels here I come.Yikes=)

We also went to Wholefoods, where we spent a solid 3 hours. It`s so refreshing with all the amazing foods they sell..organic, gluten free, dairy free etc. For people with allergies and such, Wholefoods is a little piece of heaven.
I brought home some delicious graham crackers (GF of course), Teff flour, coconut milk with vanilla flavor, lavender bath soap, Vanilla rooibos tea, Organic earl grey tea... and some other treats.

Kisses

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Beyond Gorgeous make up kit

Hi beautiful people, what kind of make up do you wear? I am all over the map when it comes to choosing brands.. I have some Smashbox products, Mac, Bobbi Brown and Bare Minerals. Lucky for me I don`t need to wear make up at work. Pjeh!! Cause I`m not really good at applying it, haha. Especially eye make up. This week I got a make up kit from Bare minerals that I have been testing. It came with a couple of eye shadows, mascara, 2 brushes, blush powder, eyeliner and my favorite - a lip gloss. I loved the pinkness, and the name of the kit ;) Beyond gorgeous.

 

I love the blush powder - it has a fresh color and goes well with the pink lip gloss. The mascara is light and has a big brush that makes applying easy. I also loved getting new brushes - so needed as my old ones were cactus like. Have a good day!

Kisses

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