Thursday, May 16, 2013

Daily Dose of... Buddha

"Just as a candle cannot burn without fire, men cannot live without a spiritual life."

- The Buddha


Namaste 

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Daily Dose of... Buddha

"To keep the body in good health is a duty... otherwise we shall not be able to keep our mind strong and clear."

- The Buddha


Namaste

Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Have Your Vitamins and Drink Them, Too!

Karma Wellness Water; what a suitable name! I love it; you get all of the nutrients and vitamins you need for the day, it tastes great, and it has only 3g of sugar as compared to the whopping 13g of sugar in other brands... might I add you get more vitamins in a bottle of Karma than you do in said other brands?

Karma Wellness Water boasts all natural ingredients, NO artificial sweeteners, NO preservatives, and NO artificial colouring. Plus 110% of 7 essential vitamins... I can't say anything but great things about this water!


Vitamins mixed into Karma! Taste is amazing


Pineapple Coconut Karma - see the vitamins in the KarmaCap above

 
 
 
Orange Mango Karma!





The following is Karma's introduction to their Wellness Water:

"Karma Wellness Water is a delicious line of natural, nutrient-enhanced water formulated for your mind, body, spirit, balance, and vitality (which happens to be the names of our 5 functional varieties)!
The driving force behind Karma is the fact the water-soluble vitamins lose their potency while sitting in water or when they are exposed to moisture. Additionally, vitamins suffer degradation when they are subjected to UV rays, oxygen, or heat. The loss of strength is greater when the vitamin contents are spread across the full contents of bottled beverages, causing premixed vitamin drinks to lose their potency over time. This is the challenger we see with many current wellness drinks on the market.
With Karma, we're hoping to make a healthy decision easy. All five functional varieties contain 110% (or more) of the recommended daily allowances of vitamins A, B3, B5, B6, B12, D, and E, and the vitamins and nutrients are protected in a KarmaCap until the consumer is ready to drink. At that point, they just push, peel, and shake to turn water into wellness."


I have one of these daily and I feel incredible. My skin, attitude, everything has been improving and my doctor no longer tells me to take Vitamin D pills! They taste amazing, too, so it is really easy to get your daily dose of Karma.

They also keep the vitamins separate as their premise is that vitamins deteriorate when sitting in water. So, they keep the vitamins in a top which you push down to disperse the vitamins and then shake. It dissolves quickly, so you don't have to shake it forever... which gets so annoying.

They have several different varieties of vitamin water, and all are gluten and lactose free (note: specified as lactose free).
I've posted a few pics of their different varieties in this post.
 

Check out Karma Wellness Water; visit their website here.

Please Tell Me What You Think!

We love cooking and educating about the gluten and dairy free diet.
Which is why we want to continue and escalate our efforts to educate and provide easy, quick, healthy, and gluten and dairy free recipes to the world!
 
 
Please visit our Facebook page by clicking here. Like our page and vote in our poll to show your support!
The two seconds that it will take you to vote will mean the world to us!
 
Thank you so much,
 
French Onion Soup Blog

An Amazing Woman



Monday, May 13, 2013

Gluten Free YYC!



I love that more and more restaurants are hopping onto the gluten-free boat! This restaurant is a place that my family has been visiting for years (no joke). When my sister and I were kids, this restaurant was within walking distance, but relocated. I introduced Tom to it and we are hooked. Thankfully, they are able to accommodate ALL of my allergies... one of the few, if the only, Vietnamese restaurant in Calgary to do so.
They do gluten-free spring rolls (made with rice paper - keep in mind that they are deep fried so cross-contamination is possible), they do not use dairy, and they have an imitation "fish" sauce! So delicious - you can enjoy what you love and not have to worry about your allergies!

Visit the Taste of Saigon website here. Enjoy!

Logo

Something To Think About Today

Happy Monday!


Friday, May 10, 2013

Daily Dose Of... Zen

“Walk as if you are kissing the Earth with your feet.”- Thich Nhat Hanh


Namaste

Good Ol' Ham Sammy's

Nom. I love ham; it's a bit obvious since my post on Wednesday was about bacon but I digress.
These are quite filling, so you can eat them traditionally for lunch or dinner!
Gluten and dairy free as always.
Making for two.
Kath's Ham Sammy's
4 slices of ham
1 cup coleslaw mix or shredded lettuce
1/2 red onion, chopped
1 tbsp garlic, minced
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
1/4 cup water chestnuts, chopped
5 tbsp lite mayo
1 tsp yellow mustard
1 tsp salsa
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp rice vinegar
1/2 tbsp garlic powder
1/2 tbsp onion powder
2 tsp paprika
1 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp basil

2 tsp Becel vegan margarine
slices of gluten and dairy free bread, lightly toasted

Combine ingredients 2 - 16 in large bowl until thoroughly combined. Toast bread lightly, and spread margarine on each slice. Place two slices of ham per sandwich, and top ham with lettuce mixture. Top with other piece of bread and enjoy!!

(C)FrenchOnionSoupBlogCalgary
 

Thursday, May 9, 2013

Gluten and Dairy Free YYC!

YYC is amazing for many reasons, but it has an incredible gluten free community! Sandra's Original Gluten Free General Store, Design District Urban Tavern, and more! We've just discovered a new member to our gluten and dairy free community; Ed's Restaurant on 17th!

They create all of their gluten and dairy free foods on-site, so you know that there is no cross-contamination and that the food is truly gluten and dairy free. I haven't had a burger at a restaurant in forever, and I had one at Ed's. It was incredible.

Click here to visit Ed's website.

Daily Dose of Buddha

“In a controversy the instant we feel anger we have already ceased striving for the truth, and have begun striving for ourselves.” - The Buddha


Namaste.

Wednesday, May 8, 2013

Everything Really Is Better With Bacon

Does anyone else remember when there was supposed to be a bacon shortage this year? Is that still a thing? Anyways, I don't usually eat red meat but, let's face it, pork truly is the "other white meat" so generally I can handle it pretty well. However, it's pretty greasy so portioning is key when eating bacon. This recipe incorporates that portioning, but also allows you to truly enjoy the incredible taste that we all love... bacon! With protein-heavy meals, I like to have a side dish of a small salad or veggies/fruit! Gluten and dairy free as always.
(Even with some foods that you would never think would have gluten or dairy in them, always always check ingredients!)
Kath's Bacon-Wrapped Chicken
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
8 bacon strips
1/2 cup red wine
2 tsp Becel Vegan margarine, melted
1/4 cup ketchup
1/8 tsp hot sauce
1/4 cup medium salsa
1/8 tsp Chinese 5 Spice Powder
1 tbsp garlic powder
1/2 tbsp onion powder
1 tsp rosemary
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tbsp cumin
dash of cayenne

Wrap each chicken breast with 4 strips of bacon. If needed, keep bacon strips in place with toothpicks. Spray frying pan with cooking spray or use olive oil and turn heat to medium. Place wrapped chicken breasts in oil and cook, turning often. Remember to watch out for bacon spits!
In medium-sized bowl, combine the remaining ingredients thoroughly. After the chicken has cooked for 7-8 minutes, pour in red wine mixture, reduce heat to simmer and cover.
Chicken should simmer for about 20-25 minutes or until cooked through. Be sure to turn chicken every so often to ensure that the bacon gets cooked evenly.
Once chicken is cooked through, serve and use spoon to evenly coat remaining wine mixture over chicken. Enjoy!!
(C)FrenchOnionSoupBlogCalgary

The Brilliant Mind of Eckhart Tolle

"To end the misery that has afflicted the human condition for thousands of years, you have to start with yourself and take responsibility for you inner state at any given moment. That means now." 
- Eckhart Tolle



Namaste.

Tuesday, May 7, 2013

Gluten and Dairy Free and Missing Pasta? Try This

Pinterest is a fabulous resource, even for those of use with gluten and dairy allergies. On Pinterest, there is a recipe for "dressed-up pasta"! You can find the pin here.

Now, the pin's recipe is not gluten and dairy free... but keep in mind that you can always, always tweak recipes to be gluten and/or dairy free. You just need the right ingredients! I like to peruse Pinterest often, and I know that you probably do, too so I will make an effort to post recipes from Pinterest tweaked to our unique allergy needs!
Anyways, here's my gluten and dairy-free "tweaked" recipe for this Pinterest Pasta recipe:

Pinterest "Tweaked" Gluten and Dairy Free Pasta
1 cup gluten free corn pasta
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp dairy free, "Vegan" Becel Margarine
1 tbsp gluten free Italian-style "breadcrumbs"
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 onion powder
1/8 tsp paprika
dash of pepper

Cook corn pasta as per directions on back (I recommend Mrs. Leeper's corn pasta as, even if you mistakenly cook it for longer than supposed to, it doesn't get mushy). Once pasta is to your liking, toss pasta with all ingredients thoroughly and as evenly as possible.
Enjoy!!
 

Daily Dose of... Buddha

These past two days seem to be on the theme of weightloss, and I'd like to continue the motivation! The hardest thing for me is waiting - I need to train myself to have more patience!! We all need to promote patience within ourselves; we need to remember that things do not happen overnight, or at the snap of our fingers. This seemingly simple quote from The Buddha helps to remind us of this.

"A jug fills drop by drop." - The Buddha


Namaste.

Monday, May 6, 2013

Getting Active In Alberta

It's shoulder season for Alberta hikers, and while the snow is still deep, the trails are marked and ready for your boot-clad hiking feet! Such was the case when Tom and I visited the Baldy Pass trail this past Saturday with our energetic and surprisingly awesome hiker dog! I've posted some pics below; what an awesome day to enjoy the incredible beauty that our Earth has given us! We felt incredibly fortunate.

 


Here's a quick-fix for beginners from beginners: If you can, buy a Day-Hiker backpack (specifically) - Atmosphere, MEC, and other outdoor stores will have them marked. They may have male/female varieties for weight displacement, but the big difference between a day-pack and a backpack one might use for school is the rigid back. If you don't have time or funds to acquire a day-hiker pack, a quick-fix (keep in mind this won't work for long-term) is to take a cutting board and place it against the back of your pack. This will mimic the rigid back of a day-hiker pack, and will save your back 
from getting overly sore like a soft-back school pack would.




Why I Will Always Be Gluten and Dairy Free!

I don't usually do "selfies", but I'd like to share this one! When I got engaged last August, I was at my very heaviest. I was dealing with an un-diagnosed gluten and dairy allergy and, although I was happy in all other areas of my life, I really wasn't feeling good about myself. So, I decided to make a change. I began exploring the gluten and dairy free diet (and blogging about it!) portioning, and tracking and maintaining regular exercise. Since then I have lost 40 lbs to date with a goal of losing 20-25 more pounds. The feeling is incredible; I feel so much better, more energetic, and more willing to do things I never would have before. My wedding dress even needs to be taken in! All thanks to my diet, exercise, and determination! I can't wait to continue down this healthy road and, through my blog and other activities, help others to get healthy and love themselves for the amazing human beings they are!! I know I will reach my goal soon!

 This is why I will continue to explore everything I can when it comes to the gluten and dairy free diet, and I am dedicated to helping others with their gluten and dairy allergies... and their weightloss!
Stay tuned for more great recipes, tips, etc. as we navigate these allergies together!
Please message me if you have any questions or any recipes you love that you would like posted on French Onion Soup Blog!

Much love,

Katherine