Buckwheat Flour - 50% off!!!

About a month ago, my little family all came down with viral pharyngitis (not fun with a two and one year old). My girls got better in a reasonable time frame after they initally caught it, but I haven't been able to shake it.  This has resulted in my girls catching it again. *UGH!* So we all have ulcers in our throats, runny noses and cranky attitudes. 

Anyway, before the pharyngitis epidemic hit our house, I made an exciting discovery while trying to trim our grocery bill a little.  Since we eat a significant amount of buckwheat flour, I thought try to buy it in bulk somewhere. Surely I could find it cheaper than at Whole Foods where this tiny 32 oz bag of buckwheat flour cost me $4.79, or $2.39/lb.

 I'm quite happy to report I was right and found a 25 lb bag of organic buckwheat flour here for $30.38. 

The deal got even sweeter when I noticed this product was eligible for Subscribe and Save, which knocked the price down to $25.82, or $1.03/lb!! AND, I got free shipping!! I contacted the company to make sure no wheat flour had been mixed in and they assured me it was pure buckwheat flour.  I ordered it and have been extremely pleased.  There is a slight difference in the texture, which has not affected the quality of the food I prepare.  And, for 50% savings, I'm willing to put up with it *smile.*

If you try it, let me know what you think! Have a great day!

Yeast Infection Advisor - A Wealth of Information

Yesterday, I stumbled across Yeast Infection Advisor, an excellent website containing TONS of information regarding Candida and how to fight it. I highly recommend checking it out.  The author sites numerous medical references to back up his articles. 

Up until recently, I wasn't convinced of how serious Candida can become if unchecked and untreated.  However, through more research and talks with others who have, or have had Candida, I've realized this condition can become life threatening. It is highly beneficial to have a clear understanding of what is happening in the body.  This article on leaky gut syndrome painted a shocking mental picture of what goes on in the body when I eat "foods" that are heavy in starch, sugar and chemicals. 

Anyway, don't take my word for it.  Go check out the website and see what you think!  

How To Cut a Fresh Pinapple

Ok, I know pineapple isn’t part of the Candida diet, but my hubby and girls LOVE fresh fruit.  And just because I can’t eat it doesn’t mean they can’t. 

Also, if this seems like a ridiculously simple topic to post about, I apologize.  However, I always ate canned pineapple(blah) instead of fresh because I had no earthly idea how to cut it. So let’s get started!



Lay the pineapple on it's side.



Cut off the top and bottom.



Cut down the center of the pineapple lengthwise.




Cut each half in half.



Then stand each quarter on its end and cut the core off.




Take a paring knife and cut the rind off all the way
around your pineapple section. ( Make sure your
knife reaches the middle of the pineapple all the way
around.)




Cut each quarter in half and the chop into bite-
sized chunks.




Enjoy your delicious, fresh pineapple!



Killing Two Birds with One Stone: Cookbook Recommendation and Pork Noodles Recipe

Healthful Eating is a unique cookbook. So far, it is the only one I've seen which specifically caters and adheres to the Candida diet. The other nifty thing about this cookbook is that the author also tackles recipes for Celiac disease and Diabetes. Talk about multi-tasking!!

I highly recommend this cookbook because the author provides recipes for every cooking category you can imagine: appetizers, main courses, cakes, cookies and desserts (for real!), sauces, condiments, etc.

I whipped up the Pork Noodles recipe tonight from the above mentioned cookbook and it was fabulous! Filling, tasty and the hubs liked it too (always a plus)!
Here is the recipe if you would like to whip it up, too.

Pork Noodles

Serves 4

• 1 pound pork, cut into strips
• 2 tbsp. Bragg’s amino acids
• ¼ tsp. black ground pepper
• 5 tbsp. coconut oil, refined
• 1 large onion, thinly sliced
• 2 large cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 tsp. ginger, minced
• 1 red pepper, seeded and finely sliced
• ¼ pound snow peas
• ¾ pound Soba noodles, cooked
• 2 tsp. curry powder
• ¼ cup fresh coriander leaves OR 2 minced scallions

In a bowl, marinate pork with Bragg’s and black pepper for 10 minutes.

In wok or large skillet heat 4 tablespoons of oil over medium-high heat and add onion, garlic and gingerroot. Cook 1 minute then add pepper strips and snow peas cooking until crisp-tender-about 1 minute. Remove and set aside. Wipe pan dry and reheat on high heat.

Add remaining 1 tablespoon of coconut oil and stir-fry pork for 30 seconds then reduce heat slightly and add curry powder. Stir-fry until aromatic and pork is cooked.

Add vegetable mixture and cooked noodles and mix in Bragg’s, coriander leaves (or green onions). Taste for spices and adjust. 

Doesn't it look delish??

I actually substituted chicken for pork, mainly because that what I had in my freezer. I chose to use green onions instead of coriander leaves (cheaper and easier to hunt down in the grocery store) and used ground ginger instead of gingerroot. It still tasted delicious and I was satisfied with how it turned out. Try it and let me know if you liked it as much as I did!

**Those with Candida react to foods differently.  These recipes are based upon my reactions to food and should be altered to fit your unique dietary needs.

Stevia - Your New Best Friend!

For me, the hardest part of adhering to the Candida diet was giving up sweets. I was thrilled when my mom told me about Stevia, an herb which is used as a sweetener. It can be purchased in liquid or powder form (I use powder) and has limitless uses. You can read more about Stevia here. I use it to sweeten up my buckwheat breakfast cereal. You could also make homeade lemonade/limeade and sweeten any dessert type recipes you might be fortunate enough to stumble across. 

The only downside of Stevie is the cost.  Expect to pay anywhere from $10.00 - $14.00 for a 4 oz. bottle. (Whole Foods recently had these on sale for 9.99 so I bit the bullet and bought two.) On the upside, Stevia is extremely potent so very little is required to achieve sweetness.  And frankly, to me it's worth the money to not feel completely deprived and restricted.  :)

Soothing Red Lentil Soup

 I found this recipe on The Whole Life Nutrition Kitchen, a blog overflowing with gluten free recipes. I highly recommend visiting this blog if you struggle with a wheat intolerance/allergy or Celiac disease. The authors are extremely knowledgeable and have packed it with oodles of information and resources. I also discovered a number of wonderful recipes that fit in with the Candida diet. Others need to be modified somewhat, but the site has definitely inspired me to think outside the box.  Anyway, here is the recipe (please note: my comments are italicized).

Soothing Red Lentil Soup

• 2 to 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 to 3 cloves garlic, crushed (or more)
• 1 to 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
• 2 teaspoons mild curry powder
• 2 cups red lentils
• 8 cups water or veggie stock (or a mixture of both)
• 3 to 4 large carrots, peeled and sliced
• 4 cups thinly sliced chard (or kale, spinach, collards)
• 2 to 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons Herbamare or sea salt

Heat the olive oil in a large stockpot (8-quart). Add the onions and saute for about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger, and curry powder and saute a minute or so more.

Add the red lentils and water or stock. I like to prep the carrots at this point. It's just nice to get the lentils cooking first to save time. Then add the carrots, cover the pot, and simmer for about an hour total (start time after adding liquid and lentils).

I recommend using all veggie stock instead of water.  The first time I made this soup I mixed stock and water and it was very bland.  I also used the minimum amount of the spices.  The second time around, I used all veggie stock and the maximum amount of spices.  I also doubled the amount of carrots and found it was much more flavorful.

Turn off heat, add greens, lemon, and salt. Stir it all together and let it rest for about five minutes for the greens to soften.


Be sure to strip the leafy part of the kale off the stalk. I didn't know to do
this the first time and our soup was rather crunchy :)



Dinner is served!!

Breakthrough Buckwheat Breakfast!!

Ok, maybe breakthrough is a bit of an exaggeration, but I have discovered a new breakfast option I’m excited to share. I found this Creamy Buckwheat Cereal at Whole Foods and thought it would be a great alternative to oatmeal.

I fixed it with butter, cinnamon, nutmeg, Stevia and coconut milk. Sounds delicious, doesn’t it? Well, it really wasn’t and I was disappointed. I let the cereal sit in the cupboard for a week and thought about what else I could do with it. I had my breakthrough this afternoon as I was making Bri’s peanut butter and jelly sandwich. The peanut butter smelled sooo good and I did a bad thing…I cheated on my diet. I ate a whole, heaping spoonful of peanut butter (peanuts are not allowed because they usually have mold on them. Not helpful when on an antifungal diet). So then I did another bad thing…I fixed a bowl of creamy buckwheat cereal and mixed in another heaping spoonful of peanut butter and some Stevia. WOW and YUM!!! It tasted like I was eating a peanut butter cookie. So, I figure if I use cashew or almond butter instead of peanut butter, it will still be super yummy and kosher for the diet. Here's what you need:

• ¼ cup of Creamy Buckwheat Cereal
• ¾ cup of coconut milk (unsweetened)
• 1 large spoonful of cashew/almond butter
• Sprinkle of Stevia

Mix well and enjoy!