weekend roundup

Buttermilk Yogurt French Toast

January 31, 2017 — Leave a comment

As a celiac, living without takes on a whole new meaning. In the beginning re-learning how to live, eat, and exist in  a world filled with wheat, rye, and more wheat is the most difficult and frustrating part of the journey. Foods and traditions that are near and dear to you are snatched away in an instant and it can take yeaars to find suitable and safe alternatives

The most common food that we learn to live without is bread. It’s the single most common food and the base of many American dishes. Toast, sandwiches, subs, bread crumbs, and French toast require bread that not only tastes great but isn’t dry, crumbly, and tasteless.

I’m thrilled to share this A+mazing French toast recipe that I created this past weekend using fresh gluten free and vegan bread courtesy of The Baker’s Daughter Bakery. Their flax based bread is hearty and I cut it thick to make French toast; an item I haven’t eaten in many years. It turned out so good that I couldnt’ not share. What makes this recipe even better is that any gluten free bread will do. My favorite gluten free bread (outside of TBD) at the moment is Canyon Bakehouse Seven Grain.

What’s your favorite gluten free bread?

Buttermilk Yogurt French Toast

Ingredients

  • 2 large slices gluten free bread
  • 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
  • ¼ cup coconut flakes (optional)
  • 2 tablespoons buttermilk
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • 2 tablespoons vanilla yogurt
  • 2 teaspoons granulated
  • 2 teaspoons brown sugar

Preparation

  1. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, vanilla, buttermilk, yogurt, salt, sugars, and cinnamon. Fold is coconut flakes
  2. Dip bread in egg mixture, turning to coat both sides evenly. Sprinkle each side with extra cinnamon and extra sugar
  3. Cook bread slices on lightly greased cast iron skillet on medium heat until browned on both sides.
  4. Using a spatula, transfer serving plates. Serve warm with maple syrup and butter.

 

Weekend Roundup | The Rochester Makers Market at 540WMain

September 19, 2016 — Leave a comment

Thank You Rochester, New York for making our first (and certainly not last) Makers Market a wonderful success. Connecting beautiful and talented creatives and entrepreneurs to the community is the life blood of what we do and having your positive energy, encouragement, and support assures us that WE must continue to be the change we wish to see in The National Register Susan B. Anthony district, Rochester and the world.

Connecting beautiful and talented creatives and entrepreneurs to the community is the life blood of what we do.

Every like, every share, every artist, and every person that visits and donates is an enormous part of our success and helps us remember that we grow when we work together. Stay tuned as the best of 540WMain has yet to come.

Weekend Roundup: Chronic Pain Ambassador and Advocacy Summit and Retreat In Maine| Living with Fibromyalgia

August 8, 2016 — 1 Comment

I am truly at a loss for words as I sit before my screen and type this post. My heart is so full of love, life, gratitude, and happiness. Since last Thursday, I was in the company of true angels, chronic pain warriors together in pnce place share, love, hope, peace, advice, and gratitude for the efforts of the US Pain Foundation to bring us all together for the 3rd Annual Pain Ambassadors Advocacy Summit.

We were accommodated at the gorgeous University of New England campus in Biddeford, Maine; surrounded by beaches and water that was crystal blue. This all expense paid moment was literally like no experience I have ever had. Everything was accounted for and we were encouraged to be kind to ourselves every step of the way. How amazing! I’ve lived with invisible chronic pain for over seven years now and never have I been in the company of 50 + people that fully understand what I go through each and every day. This alone is enough to make me cry tears of joy, but US Pain gave us even more. Friday and Saturday we were educated by leading experts in the field of pain education, researchers, and warriors that give their real life stories and testimony of triumph, perseverance, positivity, and endurance. We were taught about advocacy at the local, state, and national level. How to get congress to hear our collective voices, to get better treatment, better care, and for professionals to understand what we go through day in and day out. We met Senators, scientists, a beauty queen and each other.

The warriors was the best part of the entire experience. The people connections that I made in such a short time are truly priceless. Strong bonds were formed. Deep alliances made to work together in the world of pain awareness. I wasn’t sure what to expect and now I declare that the entire experience was truly one of the best of my life thus far.

I have to give a huge  thank you to Paul Gileno, Shaina Smith, Casey Cashman and Lori Monaco for organizing and managing such an organized and fulfilling weekend. Each of these people live with chronic pain themselves yet each one of them was selfless and fearless in their determination to make sure that each one of us was cared for and having an awesome time. The most important fact that was reiterated throughout the entire program is that we matter; #PeopleWithPainMatter. Every single one of us. We are more than stats and stigma. More than medications. More than prescriptions. We are everyday people fighting an invisible battle. Our voices will be heard.

Check out the photos of our time together below:

 

TGIF Weekly Roundup | June 20-24, 2016

June 25, 2016 — Leave a comment

Cheers to this gorgeous summer Saturday! I’m in full staycation mindful-work mode and am spending the day painting, relaxing, reading, catching up on podcasts and blogging (naturally). I’m happy and I hope you  doing exactly what you want to do today on your own terms. So many awesomely wonderful things on the horizon that I can’t wait to share with you all. In the meantime, check out the posts that made the blog this week 🙂

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The Rochester Gluten Free Health & Wellness Expo | A Look Back

June 8, 2016 — 3 Comments

If a picture is worth a thousand words how many words are these pictueres worth? My brain is too foggy to answer that so I’ll enjoy and relive the Expo through the photos below.

Join Me

P.S. If you attended the expo take the official survey by clicking the image below

survey

 

When The Chronic Fatigue Monster Strikes Back | Living with Fibromyalgia

June 6, 2016 — Leave a comment

Happy Monday Everyone! I hope everyone reading had a better weekend than myself. My summer season has gotten off to a rocky start and it isn’t even officially summer. My weekend was spent with me taking up an all too familiar space: the bed

My weekend was spent with me taking up an all too familiar space: the bed

It all started last Wednesday when the histamine/allergy monster attacked me with greater force than the days before. I ended up enduring two asthma attacks before 2 PM and was forced to hit the hay hours before I had planned. There went my Wednesday afternoon.

The rest of the week is foggy but let’s just say I never quite recovered from the trauma of the asthma attacks or my bulky nebulizer. By the time Saturday morning came around, I knew what had happened as soon as I splashed water on my face and looked into the mirror… I was in a flare.

I was in a flare

And not just any ol’ flare. This was a chronic fatigue flare. The kind of flare that is devoid of pain but heavy on drowsiness, slumber, grogginess, and hours (literally) hours of sleeping through a thick heavy fog.

I didn’t even try to fight it. I didn’t get upset. I wasn’t mad. In the couple of minutes that I could sustain a semblance of alertness, I canceled my entire weekend schedule, washed the dishes left in my sink, drank a glass of water and walked zombie like to my bed.

The time if I recall was 7:30AM and I repeated this cycle throughout the course of the day into the night and into Sunday. The thing about fatigue flares is that you feel nothing and you exist in a vacuum with quick bursts of alertness coupled with endless hours of deep heavy sleep. There’s no feeling of tiredness just heavy sleep. I feel better now. A lot better (of course I do or I wouldn’t be typing this post).

Sometimes in order to win you have to lose.

I’m proud of myself for accepting my fate. I’m happy I allowed the monster its victory without a fight. I also know that I am the true victor in this battle. Why you ask? Well, because sometimes in order to win you have to lose. Waving the white flag isn’t an act of defeat but a declaration of maturity. An admittance and acceptance of a condition that is invisible and inevitable. I also realize that it’s been months since I’ve had a full blown flare of any kind. Remembering this means that I’ve won the battle more times than not. Inch by inch and day by day I’ve lived without fibromyalgia and CFS taking over my life. And for that I am grateful.

How was your weekend?

 

THANK YOU Roc!| The Rochester Gluten Free Health & Wellness Expo

May 22, 2016 — 1 Comment

I can’t even know what to say

Literally I am still in full recovery mode and trying to wrap my head around the fact that we’ve realized the first ever celiac focused health and wellness fair that Rochester has ever seen. From the bottom of my heart, all I can say is

Thank you

  • Thank you to all the vendors that devoted time, energy, expertise, resources and expenses to be apart of this momentous day
  • Thank you to all the volunteers that showed up and showed out, stepping in and stepping up to be amazing when I was literally tongue tied and devoid of clear direction. Each and every single one of you transformed into a well oiled machine and became the blood line and back bone of the day. Your giving was truly heartwarming and means so much more than I could ever articulate.
  • Thank you to Catalina Johnson and Marilyn of the Pieter’s Family Life Center that stood by my side until the very end as soldiers for the cause. Running an event is no joke and you two ladies were a team of GREATNESS. I wouldn’t have survived without you.
  • Thank you to the vendor’s spouses, children, friends, partners, and other supporters and family that stood by your side and provided visible and behind the scenes moral, emotional, physical and support in ways that only you know.
  • Thank you (FAMILY) for sacrificing your partners so that they could support this wellness event for the community.
  • Thank you to my family- AWESOME parents, my brother, my sister for always supporting me in a variety of ways | no matter what. I love you.

last but not least

Thank you Rochester! And Greater Rochester. And EVERY SINGLE person that came out and attended the expo. This event was truly a labor of love. I poured my entire being into it for over two years and I so truly hope that all 200 and more of you that attended found something to inspire, uplift, engage, and help you in your road to health and wellness; whether you are living with celiac disease or not. Your stories are what give me the strength to continue this work when I want to stop. Keep going when I ask myself “why” and carry on when I want to quit.

Your stories bring tears to my eyes and happiness to my heart. The times when I am happy, the moments when I doubt, self-loathe, self-love and wonder why; all of IT is because of you. I am every grateful to carry on and continue to go on EVERY SINGLE DAY.

The Rochester Gluten Free Health and Wellness Expo is your event. Your day. Your moment and I am a mere servant. I live for this work and I am elated to officially announce the 2017 Rochester Gluten Free Health & Wellness Expo to take place at the same time (10-3PM) the same place (The Pieter’s Family Life Center on Saturday May 20, 2017.

I have to give EVEN more THANKS to Emily Kyle of Emily Kyle Nutrition and her partner, Lisa Bellis, Karen Netzband, Roberta Rose Candace Hoffman, Amber of Eats & Exercise by Amber, John Hutchings of Healthy Edge Radio, Shawn O Photo, and  Alicia Alvarez;  SUPER humans friends that were the back bone of the day and did more than I can ever know or had the time to even fathom. You all were vital to the success of the event and more amazing than I could ever articulate.