Schooling with health issues

[Tracy]

I have had a multitude of minor health issues pretty much my entire adult life.  Allergies, sinus/bronchial infections, weight problems, a heel spur, etc.  But ever since I was pregnant with my oldest, I have had severe insomnia and have been constantly fighting fatigue.  I thought it was hormones since it was worse when I was pregnant or nursing.  I was just diagnosed with Celiac disease, which means that I have probably been severely vitamin deficient for many years.  The diagnosis is good because I am starting to feel a bit better.  But the road to recovery is a long one.  I am currently working on getting all of the gluten out of my house.  I have to replace most of my kitchen tools and containers (anything that would harbor gluten, including anything made of plastic or that is scratched), and it is a very overwhelming process.  Meanwhile, I have an unrelated leg injury which makes it difficult to be on my feet for any length of time and requires daily exercise.  

 

I am so nervous about this next school year.  I realize that I have been dealing with this for a very long time and that recovery is now on the horizon.  But I am told to expect healing to take a full year.  And I have a rising 4th grader for who needs to ramp up her work a bit.  She is 2e and needs a lot attention/reminders/discussion.  We are adding grammar this year.  She will love MCT, but it is teacher intensive.  She will be responsible for her own history and literature reading, but I am unsure who much help she will need with this (I suspect quite a bit).  I have decided to relax a bit with writing for her.  I have bought a few fun things for and will let her choose what she wants to do, but of course, I keep questioning myself on that.  And I am adding my ds6 full time.  Last year, the only thing I really worked with him on was spelling, and I let him work on math on his own.  But now I really have to teach him.  Fortunately, he is reading well, so I don't need to teach reading.  

 

We are supposed to start in 2 weeks, but I still have to plan out history, and I still have the second semester of math to plan and print worksheets for.  My friend and I were going to do BFSU together, but she is also a new Celiac going through the same thing, so I don't think we are going to get to it, which is really disappointing.  I am just so overwhelmed.  Every time I set myself to doing something, I have a dozen other things in my head that also seem imperative to do.  

 

Anyone have a BTDT advice or encouragement?

 

 

[TGHEALTHYMOM]

Online classes are too expensive for us so we switched to

 

TT grade 3 and up.

DS6 likes Saxon Math and his sisters help him.

Family Math books are great too.

 

Layers of Learning * I just heard about LOOKS nice:http://www.layers-of-learning.com/

 

I have to have a hysterectomy soon and have 8 dc so I know how difficult life can be and add home schoolng!!! Oh my!

 

[MotherGoose]

If it's any consolation, although I don't have such health issues I'm still working on history too :)  And haven't even touched math for next semester.  I would, though, try to get the insomnia taken care of.  Have you tried any meds?  My aunt suffered for years with insomnia and I'm so glad she's finally taking something at least some nights.  I would imagine that it may improve when your Celiac is more under control/you are generally in better health.  If I am not rested everything seems impossible.

 

As for getting things done, in general, when I am overwhelmed I try to make a list and just do the next thing on the list.  It may help you to do smallest task to largest task--or to put the smallest tasks first on the list.  For me, for example, I've had several nagging things on my mind that I need/needed to do, all of which won't take more than 15 mins each: reorganize dd closet, which just involves switching around some hanging clothes so she can reach them, not a major overhaul, removing some branches from the front yard, spraying Roundup on the out of control weeds, changing out labels on some boxes, hanging a few pictures.  None of these things take very long, but they are nagging me, and if I make a list and check them off then I feel a sense of accomplishment and can better feel like I can do larger tasks.  Maybe plan out the first month of history, or make a general outline for the year, or something small instead of constant "Oh my goodness school starts in two weeks I have no idea what I am doing!!!" over and over in your head :)  

[TGHEALTHYMOM]

I got up at 4 am today and couldn't go back to sleep... not usual but I do have trouble getting to bed at a decent hour... and sleep deprivation is not pretty!

 

I need to get some more Sleepy TI\ime Extra tea ( it has Valerian in it)   I take Valerian Pills in the summer but am not as good at that as sipping the tea.

 

Reading also makes me sleepier.

 

Sometimes all it takes is a hot bath, especially after a day of cleaning or gardening.  

 

History had me doing loops!  We have not covered American History in depth and did World History last year due to a co-op being available.  

 

I ordered a few Joy Hakim books but now that I found out about Layers of Learning.... American is not available. 

 

And DS 17 is working full time at a good job.... so I am still re-thinking doing 2 different era's of history... Middle Ages with the younger 6 and American with the oldest 2. 

 

DD14 is determined to go to PS and may do that ( I am checking on it for her), but I know that History is terrible in ps here.  So, I want her to read some books and we can discuss them at the very least. 

 

We also get WORLD magazine and discuss political, social, medical, and media topics.  

 

 

 I need to make more lists too :)  I just try to think of what 3 things are Important each day and get them done if possible.  I don't use Round up so it is harder but I weed eat, use weed tools, and use A LOT of black weed cloth, cardboard and woodchips.  I really need to work this Fall on making more Permanent pathways in our garden so it won't be such an enormous task.  I can't hire any help so it has been a full time job this year!

 

Prioritizing does help. 

 

 

http://www.educents.com/the-old-schoolhouse-planner-coupon.html

I got this today and hope it helps!

 

[Tracy]

Oh my goodness.  Gardening is not even on my radar.  The weeds are all over the place and so high.  I don't even have the wherewithal to care.  

[Critterfixer]

I'd call myself gluten intolerant, but probably not Celiac. I have not been tested, but a swipe with gluten pretty much wiped me out all weekend, so I'm evidently pretty sensitive.

I guess what I would say is that while healing may take a year, it isn't like you are going to feel bad all year and then wake up all better. I would expect it to be gradually feeling better and better. That's how it went for me, anyway. So your whole year isn't likely to be you feeling bad continuously. I wouldn't put your plans with your friend on the shelf just yet! That could be a tremendous help for both of you, because you can support each other.

 

For now I'd focus on those first two weeks. Then the next week. Then the next week. Looking at it all at once is overwhelming, but you can only really do it day by day, week by week, right?

[MotherGoose]

Oh my goodness. Gardening is not even on my radar. The weeds are all over the place and so high. I don't even have the wherewithal to care.

I wasn't suggesting that you should...I was just trying to make a concrete example of my personal to-do list :) Also, FWIW, I do avoid Round-up, especially in the veg garden around food, but unfortunately do still use it in other areas. Gardening is the least of your concerns right now, and should be. :)

[Hunter]

I was told to go gluten free, because my IBS is SO bad, but it meant more stress, and the biggest trigger for my IBS is stress, so I stopped that. It's also a lot more expensive for me, when I have access to a regular supply of donated day-old bagels and pastries. My blood work came back iffy, but biopsies showed no celiac.

 

If you are already malnourished, I'd avoid all the "gluten free" recipes and treats. Cook real food–baked potatoes, squash, brown rice and always have some leftover in the fridge that can just be reheated. Keep some fruit out at room temperature, instead of all in the fridge. Going gluten free can become a very overwhelming hobby. You can't homeschool and do American style gluten free. Eat REAL food.

 

I've done sick with a 2E kid and a sibling who deserved equal time. There are people who can devote themselves to their 2E kid 24/7 and help them star in their own made-for-TV movie, but many of us just have to be realistic and give the kid a normal amount of attention and settle for that.

 

Hit some yardsales and thriftshops and stock up on quality novels. Plan on some Bill Nye and Magic school bus. For math, stick to mostly basic arithmetic. Maybe skip the grammar for another year or two, until you can do it with both kids, and let her read, read, read.

[Mom22ns]

I have chronic migraines. At times, these have been as severe as 20 days/month. My oldest is 2E. We were gluten and casein free for 9 years.

 

From that perspective, my advice is remember you are on a marathon not a sprint. It sounds like you are meticulously getting rid of the gluten and you will feel so much better SOON! I agree with the pp that said it may take a full year to reach healing, but it will not take a full year to feel better.

 

The learning curve on GF is a bit steep at first, but don't get discouraged it levels out quickly. When we started, 15 years ago, no one knew what gluten was and there were no GF products on the market. I just cooked everything from scratch. Even though there is so much out there, I highly recommend still cooking as much as possible from real food from scratch. Don't try to short cut the cooking. Learn to cook GF and do it well. It is worth the time investment. Once you've got it, it will be nothing. Your 2E daughter may benefit from being GF too.

 

Finally, for school, we have had to work through plenty of times when I just couldn't get out of bed. Books are great friend. You read, your kids read, you lay down, you rest. Your fourth grader needs math, lots of reading and writing. There isn't really more to it than that. Science and history, content stuff... it is all bonus. Stay focused. Set priorities and get the highest priority stuff done and if you need to let other things go, let them go.

 

I'm so glad you finally got a diagnosis and are on the road to healing. I hope you feel better soon and have a great school year!

[Tracy]

The learning curve on GF is a bit steep at first, but don't get discouraged it levels out quickly. When we started, 15 years ago, no one knew what gluten was and there were no GF products on the market. I just cooked everything from scratch. Even though there is so much out there, I highly recommend still cooking as much as possible from real food from scratch. Don't try to short cut the cooking. Learn to cook GF and do it well. It is worth the time investment. Once you've got it, it will be nothing. Your 2E daughter may benefit from being GF too.

 

This is part of why I am nervous.  I was never a good cook.  So learning how to cook in any way is a challenge for me.  And right now, I cannot be on my feet.  I started the summer ready to find recipes and shop and cook, figuring that I could have it all figured out by fall. But it was too much for me, and I ended up with severe leg pain.  I know it sounds ridiculous that just shopping and cooking can do that to me, but it is what it is.  

[Critterfixer]

:grouphug: You can do it.

 

[Hunter]

Cooking now totally overwhelms me. There is a huge amount of multitasking involved. And when you are unwell or overwhelmed in any way, it's harder to multitask.

 

I can't cook when I am hungry. I know that sounds crazy, but I have to cook and acquire food ahead of schedule and just heat it up when I am hungry.

 

If I had to cook some gluten free food right now, I'd bake some potatoes, make some brown rice, boil some frozen vegetables, and cook a big chicken. I'd get some peanut butter, rice cakes, bananas and apples. I'd snack on some fruit and peanutbutter and THEN cook the other stuff and eat some of that, and then try and plan further food.

 

I have to take it in steps. I have to start really easy. I have a friend who says I heat food, rather than "cook". Start with just HEATING food. When I'm not so hungry, then I can think about the ART of cooking. And sometimes I go LONG periods without practicing the ART. I'm not always up to making art.

[Critterfixer]

I prefer "applied chemistry" rather than an art. Now meringue is an art. I don't do those. 

If I COULD cook a GF meal right now (and I had my gluten poisoning episode because I do not have a functioning kitchen going on three weeks) I'd make up my awesome beef stew (thickened with potato starch or cornstarch), a delicious buttermilk cornbread, my adapted GF Banana Bread and invite Tracy over for dinner. 

It's not so hard. And there are more GF cookbooks out there than ever. I think I read in my latest Cook's Illustrated that they have come out with a GF one. I think I'll give it to myself as a late birthday present.  I like their books, because they actually explain WHY something is done, they explain their method and how they came up with it in detail. They even will tell you how to cook brown rice to perfection, how to boil an egg so it comes out right every time. I love that they spend time on the simple things. 

 

One thing I did in my kitchen (before it got ripped out around my ears :glare:) was to put my writing desk in there. It has a comfortable chair where I can take breaks while I'm cooking. It looks a little funny, but it sure is nice to have a seat where I can keep an eye on any pots and pans, while I rest.

 

I have faith in you. You can do it. I mean you've been managing to teach both your kids, run your house, do the work all while you were feeling like CRUD. I remember beating myself up for years because I wasn't exercising. It didn't occur to me that the reason I wasn't exercising (or doing all the things I felt I "should" do) was because I felt too bad to do them. I was sick! Once I realized that, I began to see just how strong and tough I had really been just to be able to get out of bed in the morning, to teach my kids, to cook, to work..all the basic stuff that I called "just getting by" was actually everything I could manage and more. And I got to thinking, if I can do this much while I'm sick, I can't wait to see what I can do when I'm better. 

:grouphug: You can do this. 

[Tanikit]

I have type 1 diabetes, hypothyroidism, asthma and celiac and depression which I suspect is related to all the other things - we got rid of gluten in November last year and I showed some improvement immediately. A week later I got rid of dairy too and two weeks after that soy along with all caffeine and table sugar (which I had already mostly been off for ages anyway). By February I was off almost all carbohydrate except for that in vegetables and a very small amount of fruit I was eating. I lost a bit too much weight doing all that and have reintroduced slightly more carbohydrates since then, but as far as gastrointestinal issues I am a lot better and my sugar levels are also better though not stable enough for my mood to be perfect.

 

I have a 6 year old and a 3 year old. I have had these illnesses all their lives so it is all they know and they know that occassionally we have to make allowances for them. They themselves are on a gluten free diet and mostly off dairy - if they get both in at once they break out in hives or a rash. We didn't know this when we started homeschooling, but I'll be honest I am very glad now we are homeschooling as coping with their dietary  needs is more difficult than coping with my own.

 

As for the homeschooling - we do not have a strict routine. There are parts that I cannot change at all as my children do go to gymnastics and other outside the house activities and regardless how I feel or what my health is I have to make a plan and get them there - even if it means eating dextrose before I go (low sugars - we never could quite get all the carbs out or I would go low and have to eat fast acting carbs). On top of that some mornings I wake with very low sugar levels (or even irritable from high ones sometimes) and then we need to start the day a bit slower and get school started a little later.

 

I do cook from scratch for most meals - freezing just never worked for us. Lunch we often have a tuna salad. Eggs or eggs and bacon for breakfast. My children however need more carbohydrates than I do so I have found porridges that they can eat or if breakfast is high protein then I will add in some fruit for them. I must admit though that food, cooking and the kitchen sometimes make me want to cry since my husband is a vegetarian, I have my needs and the children who are fussy about certain foods often land up with different meals each - cooking for 3 people twice a day and 4 people at night means often preparing 10 different meals a day. It is exhausting. My husband has mostly had to take over looking after himself for this reason - luckily he seems happy to do that - he has had issues with his diet that are medical too and I would prefer not to get too involved there because of the reasons he became a vegetarian.

 

It took a while but I found things that worked and tried to buy in bulk as I hate shopping - so I stocked up on nuts, tuna, and then make a trip to the fruit and veggie store (where I am not tempted by other things) and we shop for a large number of gluten free produce (mostly for the children) at a large local pharmacy which is easy to pop into. All this took a while to sort out, but it is do-able. I no longer have any emotional connection to food - initially to stop certainly the dairy was hard. Now food is about nutrition and sugar levels alone. And that means that it is easy to just concentrate on the homeschooling again.

 

[Tracy]

I have faith in you. You can do it. I mean you've been managing to teach both your kids, run your house, do the work all while you were feeling like CRUD. I remember beating myself up for years because I wasn't exercising. It didn't occur to me that the reason I wasn't exercising (or doing all the things I felt I "should" do) was because I felt too bad to do them. I was sick! Once I realized that, I began to see just how strong and tough I had really been just to be able to get out of bed in the morning, to teach my kids, to cook, to work..all the basic stuff that I called "just getting by" was actually everything I could manage and more. And I got to thinking, if I can do this much while I'm sick, I can't wait to see what I can do when I'm better. 

:grouphug: You can do this. 

 

You totally hit the nail on the head.  I cried reading this.  I am just coming to understand how sick I have been.  At first, I was grateful that I was diagnosed so quickly and spared the years of illness.  But now I am coming to see that I actually have been very sick for a long time.  It is a very emotional thing.  I can't even wish I had gotten treatment sooner, because I had no symptoms but insomnia and fatigue. I am afraid to hope for a time when I will feel better, though, since I have had so many other unrelated health issues.  It is easy to think that this is just one in a life full of maladies.  

 

On a lighter note, my ds6 has slept through the night in his bed for three whole consecutive days.  I can count on one hand how many times he has slept through the night in his entire life.  We did a sleep study and met with a sleep psychologist for a while, and that didn't work.  I don't know whether it is because he is now GF and taking multivitamins or whether it is because we promised that dad would make him a loft in his bedroom if he could stay in his bed, but I am so happy about this.  

[Critterfixer]

I've had digestive issues since I was about fourteen. When I went GF, the only way I could describe it was that the sea was finally calm. I had somehow convinced myself that GI distress EVERY DAY OF MY LIFE was somehow normal.

You get to where you think that sick is normal, and it is easy to beat yourself up for not getting everything done that normal people do. Part of healing, at least for me, was giving myself a much needed hug for doing as well as I had been doing.

 

I would not discount a positive reaction to GF for your son. I slept much better after going GF, mostly due to not having all the GI stuff, but I think a lot of it had to do with gradual reduction in my inhalant allergies as well. They are still there, but so much less severe than they used to be. I'm glad he's getting better sleep now, regardless of whether it is diet or just having a cool bedroom to sleep in!

[Tracy]

I would not discount a positive reaction to GF for your son. I slept much better after going GF, mostly due to not having all the GI stuff, but I think a lot of it had to do with gradual reduction in my inhalant allergies as well. They are still there, but so much less severe than they used to be. I'm glad he's getting better sleep now, regardless of whether it is diet or just having a cool bedroom to sleep in!

 

I have a friend who had some serious health issues that made her lose a lot of weight.  She was under a hundred pounds at one point. During the worst of it, she had really bad insomnia that she attributed to her body being hungry.  And when she got better the insomnia went away.  I am sleeping a bit better since I started taking multivitamins about a month ago.  Still not great, but I can go back to sleep after I wake up now.  And when I accidentally glutened myself, I had a bad night.  So I am really hoping that that this is the answer for ds, too.  (I feel terrible making him see the sleep psychologist, who treated it as a behavioral issue, but I am so glad that we didn't stick with it.)

[Critterfixer]

I jokingly call it getting poisoned, but yeah...getting glutened is the pits.

[PollyOR]

I have no advice, but I do want to give you a hug.  :grouphug:

[Hunter]

Going to bed hungry does cause insomnia, especially in severely underweight people. I'm a pound above being underweight, but I have to be VERY careful to ALWAYS eat a little before going to bed.

 

I went shopping today, while hungry. What a mistake. All I'd eaten was 1/2 an apple and 3 stale donut holes a few hours before and then walked over a mile, and then tried to carry over 20 pounds of groceries home on the train. There was a problem with the tracks and we kept getting stuck waiting at each stop, The train air-conditioning was blowing on one side and the hot air from the platform was blowing in the door on my other side. It all got to be too much and I started dry-heaving. I can be so socially unacceptable while offline. :lol:

 

Food, for me, can be all about nutrition, too. But medical people say that is not a sign of mental health and must be addressed and treated. I don't know if they are right or wrong, but their attempts to treat my ambivalence about food were unsuccessful, and then one doctor quoted a bunch of PTSD stuff and I got left alone to be ambivalent about my attitudes, as long as I make weight.

 

Food is just so much work and money. Books are a lot more fun than food. When there is the choice between a book or food, it's so hard to pick food!

[Tanikit]

Hunter what did they say food should be for? Sure there is the social scene but people are capable of being social without food. You don't have to eat or even eat the same as others to be social even at a food gathering. I think many people are emotionally attached to food in a way that leads to more health issues - and I am actually not convinced that many cravings are not caused by hormonal imbalances - if my sugars are low I will NEED to eat usually sweet foods, if I am high (sugars) I NEED to drink to flush things and also because I am dehydrating. If I have PMS I crave chocolate like crazy - put me on the pill and the cravings go away so easily that I can go entirely without chocolate (dairy free or not). 

 

Food is supposed in some way to be connected with memories and a sense of smell, but if you have had gastrointestinal issues then surely those memories won't be all cosy and happy and if you are celiac and you have these fond memories of hamburgers and sandwiches then how will that help you - that would be damaging. As far as I am concerned food is there to provide nutrition, energy and the building blocks for growth and life. But then they do say I have depression and mental health issues lol, so maybe taking my thoughts on it is not a good idea. I have a feeling food affects far more than people realise and can affect mood and mental health greatly but remaining emotionally attached to it can cause these issues to be worse.

 

Of course though then if I am underweight I go and look up higher calorie food and eat it - I have to balance sugar levels as well and hae been brought up to eat three times a day (from the older insulin I was on) so that remains somewhat of a habit, though with a pump now I have been skipping meals and then asking myself what the effect was on me - if I feel it is not great (like I get starving at 11:00 if I skip breakfast and then eat and push my sugars high) then obviously I need to reevaluate. Gee how scientific :)

[rmtzc2009]

:grouphug:   I have chronic migraines and fibro and am currently pregnant so I can't take any of my meds to manage things.  My biggest struggle is the constant extreme fatigue that leaves me completely non functioning so I get what your dealing with.  I have been GF for a several years and recently started slowly eating small amounts of wheat.  Before I knew it I was back to eating a lot of wheat and hadn't even made the connection with how much worse I felt again.  I'm trying to get back on my GF eating and praying my symptoms resolve or improve soon.  Two of my boys have ADHD and teaching them brings it's own challenges.  My suggestions would be to focus on your health primarily and as far as schooling goes I'd start with the basics.  Find a comfortable groove and slowly start adding in more academics as you see fit and as you are able.  As far as not being able to stand for long what I do is pull a chair up to the counter while I'm cooking.  I also try to involve the kids in dinner prep so they are often the ones getting all the stuff out of the fridge and bringing it to me.  Don't give up!  With you getting a diagnosis you are on your way to feeling better!

[Hunter]

Tanikit, just like outside the medical community, some people in the medical community think mental health is all about being like the majority. Normal=common to many medical professionals.

 

I don't try and figure out what normal is, or if there is even such a thing as normal.

 

I tried to "recover" for about 7 years, and then I gave up on me recovering and there even being any such thing. It was not working out so well for me, or the people who were in charge of my recovery. So, now I'm just listed as even crazier and completely non-compliant, but we are all happier and no longer torturing each other.

 

You have good reasons to think what you do, and I can totally relate, but if you say those things to certain people you can get some new labels added to your medical records, so just decide if you care about that or not, and speak accordingly.

 

Food is supposed to bring pleasure, and you are supposed to expect and seek out pleasure and be comfortable with experiencing it. PTSD interferes with our relationship with pleasure. It was decided that my lack of ability to relate normally to pleasure in general would result an inability to relate to food with pleasure, so therefore I was given a free pass, by some but not all. It matters how well this "abnormal" behavior and thoughts leads to them getting a higher fee than some other diagnosis code.

 

Pain and sickness can also rewire the brain's relationship with food. Some doctors will take that into consideration, but if it pays well not to, then don't depend on that.

[fourcatmom]

Yeah, it's tough. Afternoons are the hardest for me and my kids are late risers so we are completely at odds about when is the best time for school. I get to a point (or did last year) where I can't go anymore and have to sleep. It was a very rough year for us this past year but I am optimistic about the new year coming up. I have spent the whole summer making our plans, doing a bit each day I feel up to it and trying to plan for as independent curriculum as I can but my kids are older so that helps. Trying to teach last year was just really tough and not much fun for anyone. It looks like my diagnoses is moving to COPD but I have also been diagnosed with Sleep Apnea, Myalgia, Restrictive Lung Disease and Extrinsic Asthma. Most recently they added GERD, a hernia and delayed gastric emptying which I have to have further testing for. It's frustrating when you don't feel well and they need you for food, school and outside the house activities. I find that I need a few days of the week where I do not have to go anywhere. No shower, no driving and sometimes not even getting dressed. I just need down time and that seems to help on the days when I have to go out.

 

I think the most important thing is to try not to feel guilty and take the rest that you need. I am a better person when I do but I also have to be open to doing school at any hour to make it work sometime.

 

:grouphug:

 

ETA: The part about needing me for food sounds really bad but its hard to cook and be in the kitchen when you don't feel well. I try to plan home made meals for either the weekend or the days when I know I am home and I use the crock pot a lot. That helps with me having to stand and prepare things. I also buy foods that are easy for them to put together and don't need much assistance for. I do LOVE cooking for them but I don't always feel well enough too. :sad:

[Tanikit]

I find that I need a few days of the week where I do not have to go anywhere. No shower, no driving and sometimes not even getting dressed. I just need down time and that seems to help on the days when I have to go out.

 

I have been complaining about this lately - that I really just want to be at home all day - something that is actually not in my personality - I usually need to be out and about, but the demands with 2 small children and so much to do and so many places to go along with illnesses has made me need this. Unfortunately it almost never happens, but I know when it does then I feel much better - and then my car's battery will die if I don't drive it a few days :)

[fourcatmom]

I have been complaining about this lately - that I really just want to be at home all day - something that is actually not in my personality - I usually need to be out and about, but the demands with 2 small children and so much to do and so many places to go along with illnesses has made me need this. Unfortunately it almost never happens, but I know when it does then I feel much better - and then my car's battery will die if I don't drive it a few days :)

 

This really is huge for me. I actually try to plan it into my schedule. I just need to know that there will be a day (usually two or three) where I don't have to do anything. I usually cook on those days and catch up on laundry but it's very slow paced. I get up in the morning and just put on a house dress and it's calming in and of itself to know I don't "have" to do anything or be anywhere that day. And, I try to nap on those days to as too many day with no naps and a busy schedule and I usually end up sick. It's never really been my personality either, up until two years ago I worked full time and thrived on being out and being busy. Life is different now and this truly helps.

 

Good Luck..hopefully you can have some home days and see if they help you. :grouphug:

[nature girl]

Haven't read all the comments, but my sister recently determined that my niece was gluten sensitive...She posted this on her FB page, and got a number of good suggestions/links. I'm just copying/pasting them here (with names removed) in hopes you might find something helpful.

 

• Spunky Coconut site is good as is Elana Amsterdam.

  July 25 at 2:56pm · Like · 1
• I feel for you! Z was allergic to EVERY allergen for the first few years and going to gatherings with her {even in Boulder} was very stressful for me! I am actually on a grain-free diet for the past 2.5 years myself and bake with almond flour quite often {for me} which is very healthy for my body. Z doesn't like almond flour goods, except for the cookies I make, though, so I do bake for her with other flours. I use Namaste brand pizza crust and muffin mix. The ingredients are pretty simple. Overall, baked gluten-free goods are rarely super healthy or protein packed, but I don't want her to miss out too much and develop some kind of complex relationship around food. So I make her gluten free pizza, cookies, etc. She eats tons of fatty meats, whole grains, veggies, fruits, nuts, and cheeses so I consider all "gluten-free" baked goods as treats rather than food. Then I can relax and allow her to enjoy! Good luck and check out this site. I use her recipes a few times a week! www.elanaspantry.com

  
  

  www.elanaspantry.com

  Elana's Pantry is a website and blog offering healthy paleo recipes, gluten free recipes, grain free recipes and tips for good living.

  July 25 at 3:35pm · Like
• After a period of mourning, I don't really miss it. There are some great options, personally I don't bake much so I'm not the one to ask. The breads I have made I have liked.

  July 25 at 5:14pm · Like
• On vacation with family now but can give lots more ideas later. Namaste products are great like someone mentioned. Mama's coconut blend has been a nice 1:1 flour sub for us in lots of recipes.

  July 25 at 6:02pm · Like
• Quinoa! Rocks for us as alternative!
  

  July 26 at 1:05am · Like
• I have personally gone through different periods of varying sensitivity grains. I went through a period when I could not have any bread of beer with out lots of inflammation in my body. Then there was a period where I could only have certain whole grain breads. Now I can pretty much anything. When I would go to the grocery store I would muscle test to see which one I would buy. Trader Joes European whole grain bread was pretty good to me when I was in my moderate stage.

  July 26 at 3:24am · Edited · Like
• Probiotics!

  July 26 at 12:57pm · Like · 1
• I work one to one with cancer patients as a Clinical and Naturopathic Specialist. just about every patient I have has gluten intolerance or allergies. Here is a site that I send them too and often their nutritionist assists them in creat...See More

  
  

  glutenfreemom.com

 

[nature girl]

Okay, just read through the rest of the responses. Tanikit, I'm also Type 1! I've had a tough year, first with diabetes-related gastroparesis (slow digestion) which got me down under 90lbs (I'm short so not quite as bad as it sounds) and since last February I've been dealing with complications from proliferative retinopathy, 3 surgeries including 2 vitrectomies (the second following a retinal detachment) and when the retina redetached surgery to attach a scleral buckle, which led to weeks of pain and then glaucoma which I'm still dealing with. There have been days I've been in too much pain to do much at all, other than sit with my DD and help her with educational videos or apps. I've allowed myself to take it easy on those days, and worked on not feeling guilty, because for our family's long-term health it's important for me to take care of myself right now, diabetes, complications and all.

 

I'm feeling much better these days, but there are definitely still bad days, and I do tend to wear out really easily. (I'm anemic due to kidney issues, so that may be part of it, and might be slightly malnourished because I still can't eat much. Blood sugar fluctuations might also play a role.) By 2 or 3PM I'm just done. Planning for next year, I'm going to try to get the majority of schooling done in the morning, and save afternoons for read alouds and activities that don't require much from me. Planning for most of the week can happen on weekends. All this will be easy now as my DD is only starting K, we'll have to see how things progress as she gets older.

I keep reminding myself that my DD has done really well with minimal schooling so far, even with all the days this year I've been out of commission she's still working on mostly a 1st grade level. So days off are fine, and I think they're fine for older kids as well. I've also let myself slack on housework, our living room isn't straightened every day, and although our kitchen is clean-ish and dishes are done, it's certainly not spotless. I haven't vacuumed in...well I don't even want to say how long. ;) And that's okay! You have to set priorities, well or not it's impossible to do everything.

[medawyn]

Sorry - posted by a 16 mo.

[Mom22ns]

This is part of why I am nervous.  I was never a good cook.  So learning how to cook in any way is a challenge for me.  And right now, I cannot be on my feet.  I started the summer ready to find recipes and shop and cook, figuring that I could have it all figured out by fall. But it was too much for me, and I ended up with severe leg pain.  I know it sounds ridiculous that just shopping and cooking can do that to me, but it is what it is.  

 

I'm so sorry. In that case, forget what I said about skipping the pre-prepared gluten free stuff and get the best pre-prepared gluten free stuff you can manage. Amy's Kitchen has some good stuff. The good quality gluten free foods are expensive, sigh, but maybe you can splurge a little to get off your feet, cook what you can and get it figured out.

 

If you need help with any specific meal or idea, feel free to ask! I think there are quite a few on these boards that either are or have been GF, that can probably help. Email me or PM if you want to. I used to be on a GFCFrecipes yahoo group. I don't know if it still exist, but they could tell you the easiest way to make anything to order for your specific set of allergens :). Find some support, here or somewhere else, that can walk you through - or maybe sit you down and wheel you through ;)

[Tracy]

If you need help with any specific meal or idea, feel free to ask! I think there are quite a few on these boards that either are or have been GF, that can probably help. Email me or PM if you want to. I used to be on a GFCFrecipes yahoo group. I don't know if it still exist, but they could tell you the easiest way to make anything to order for your specific set of allergens :). Find some support, here or somewhere else, that can walk you through - or maybe sit you down and wheel you through ;)

 

My biggest problems are that I am a picky eater, and so is my 6yo.  (And he will actually tell me that he likes everything and then say he is full after a couple of bites.  He is so polite, but it drives me bonkers!)  I used to serve bread at most meals, because I knew he would at least eat that.  When I browse GF recipes, it is just recipe after recipe that I am not remotely interested in making.  I am not sure that there is any solution.  There is just going to be a huge adjustment period.  

[Critterfixer]

How about you give us what the two of you would most like for dinner? I've got one very picky eater, and I won't voluntarily eat a vegetable unless it is broccoli or cauliflower. I typically work to fix what I love in a gluten-free fashion. 

[Tracy]

Well, I just asked ds6 what he would like to eat, even it if it weren't GF, and he said a GF bagel and pears, which is what he ate for lunch today.  I can never get this child to tell me what he likes.   :banghead:   What is up with that?  

 

Well, I can tell you what he will generally eat enough of to keep him alive.  

 

MEAT

Chicken (particularly breaded/fried)

Canned tuna (the only thing I can add mayo to)

Hot dogs

Beef (but not steak)

Breakfast sausage

(How can anyone not like bacon?)

 

VEGETABLES

Broccoli

Peas

Green Beans

Raw Carrots

Raw Red Peppers

 

FRUIT & Nuts

Apples 

Pears

Grapes

Cantaloupe

 

GRAINS

Mashed or baked potatoes loaded with butter and salt

French fries

Spaghetti/marinara sauce

Pancakes

Corn chips

Flour tortillas

And, of course, bread--for sandwiches, garlic bread, plain bread, with butter, with jam, with peanut butter, etc.  None of us cares much for the GF bread, but I just ordered some Kinnikinnick bread and buns, which looks promising.  So we may be able to use that for an occasional sandwich or hamburgers.  

 

DAIRY

Cheddar cheese (or similar), but not melted

Cream cheese

Milk

 

 

And if I dare mix anything together, he doesn't eat it.  He will always eat a few bites, though, then say he likes it but that he is full.  I do make an occasional casserole when time is short, but then that is a day that he doesn't eat much.  He will not eat eggs, hot cereals, salads, legumes, melted cheeses or cottage cheese.  He will eat only a little bit of rice.  He is picky about potatoes.  No mayo/mustard.  But he likes catsup.  

 

As far as meals, here is what I have on rotation:

Meatloaf

Chili (which ds does not like much)

Honey chicken

Chicken breasts with diced tomatoes (which ds can pick off)

Stroganoff

Spaghetti

Pizza

Enchiladas (only occasionally since it is a lot of work, but I think I finally found a recipe that ds will eat)

GF nuggets for when I don't have time/energy to cook, but they are very expensive

 

Lunches are usually leftovers, GF mac & cheese, apples w/ peanut butter w/ cheese sticks, cream cheese on GF bread

 

I know that I need to expand our options.  But it can take months of exposure to a new food before ds will eat it, and even then, it may never take.  If anyone can add to this list, I would be so  :001_wub: .  

[Critterfixer]

Breading on the chicken is a tough one. So far, I've not found a GF mix that I like as breading for chicken, so I've taken to just frying chicken without any breading at all. It's awesome, tastes great, but it is certainly not breaded. The skin is quite crisp, because of the way I fry it, but it's such a messy process that I don't make it that often. I end up doing a lot of my chicken with spice rubs in the oven. I use McCormick spices which I have yet to have any problem with. My understanding is that chicken can be something of an issue for some gluten intolerant individuals; I personally haven't had an issue.

 

A lot of his favorites are naturally gluten free, (veggies, fruits, meats, dairy). There should be some good GF breakfast sausages out there. I'm not a sausage eater, and bacon and hot dogs actually pose a little bit of problem for me because I have to avoid soy as well as gluten, but I've managed to find Gluten Free, Soy Free options on both of those items. 

 

Where you are going to have trouble, is the bread and breading end of things. I'm an Udi's bread fan, for sandwiches and toast, but I'll be the first to say that the stuff is best toasted, or ...fried. I like very much to toast up my bread in a little bit of butter and have it with honey. Fry bread is a favorite as a snack--not so healthy, but a good way to improve on GF bread. I've not experimented with breading some chicken with Udi's bread crumbs and egg/buttermilk mix, although I have used a blend of flours and that same batter on chicken fried steaks with good results. 

I've not found a single GF pizza crust or tortilla I could eat. That may change, however. I've actually got a recipe for GF pizza crust that looks promising, but I got it about the same time my kitchen was gutted. It's one of the first recipes I want to try once I get everything back in place.

For spaghetti, I typically make my own sauce with a can of tomato sauce (Muir Glen when I can get it), olive oil that I cook the garlic in and whatever spices I want (depends on what I have and how much basil or oregano I want that day). I like the quinoa pasta when I can get it, but corn pasta is a little cheaper for me and more plentiful.

I have yet to find a GF egg noodle--not saying there isn't one, but I haven't found it yet. I typically serve my stroganoff with buttered potatoes (sometimes I will roast these in the oven with some oil and salt) or I will serve it with a bit of Udi's toast. More often the potatoes. 

There are some fries you can get that are GF, but I've pretty much gone to making home fries. It's easy, tasty and fresh. I dice up the potatoes, dump them in a pot and get them just up to a boil. I drain them, put them in hot oil after they are drained, season them with whatever I want, and fry them on medium-high heat until they get done. I turn them now and then so that they get crispy. Tasty with ketchup.

 

I have one child who lives for pancakes. The best I've found is Bob's Red Mill GF pancake mix. I cheat on the recipe and sub in buttermilk. Delicious. They actually reheat really well, which is a plus.

 

Let me play with a flour mix and see what I can come up with on low cost GF chicken nuggets. That's high on my list to figure out-even the DH loves chicken nuggets, and he's the hardest to please with the GF lifestyle. Poor guy. I used to bake bread, and he's still depressed. :laugh:

[Soror]

Well, I just asked ds6 what he would like to eat, even it if it weren't GF, and he said a GF bagel and pears, which is what he ate for lunch today.  I can never get this child to tell me what he likes.   :banghead:   What is up with that?  

 

Well, I can tell you what he will generally eat enough of to keep him alive.  

 

MEAT

Chicken (particularly breaded/fried)

Canned tuna (the only thing I can add mayo to)

Hot dogs

Beef (but not steak)

Breakfast sausage

(How can anyone not like bacon?)

 

VEGETABLES

Broccoli

Peas

Green Beans

Raw Carrots

Raw Red Peppers

 

FRUIT & Nuts

Apples 

Pears

Grapes

Cantaloupe

 

GRAINS

Mashed or baked potatoes loaded with butter and salt

French fries

Spaghetti/marinara sauce

Pancakes

Corn chips

Flour tortillas

And, of course, bread--for sandwiches, garlic bread, plain bread, with butter, with jam, with peanut butter, etc.  None of us cares much for the GF bread, but I just ordered some Kinnikinnick bread and buns, which looks promising.  So we may be able to use that for an occasional sandwich or hamburgers.  

 

DAIRY

Cheddar cheese (or similar), but not melted

Cream cheese

Milk

 

 

And if I dare mix anything together, he doesn't eat it.  He will always eat a few bites, though, then say he likes it but that he is full.  I do make an occasional casserole when time is short, but then that is a day that he doesn't eat much.  He will not eat eggs, hot cereals, salads, legumes, melted cheeses or cottage cheese.  He will eat only a little bit of rice.  He is picky about potatoes.  No mayo/mustard.  But he likes catsup.  

 

As far as meals, here is what I have on rotation:

Meatloaf

Chili (which ds does not like much)

Honey chicken

Chicken breasts with diced tomatoes (which ds can pick off)

Stroganoff

Spaghetti

Pizza

Enchiladas (only occasionally since it is a lot of work, but I think I finally found a recipe that ds will eat)

GF nuggets for when I don't have time/energy to cook, but they are very expensive

 

Lunches are usually leftovers, GF mac & cheese, apples w/ peanut butter w/ cheese sticks, cream cheese on GF bread

 

I know that I need to expand our options.  But it can take months of exposure to a new food before ds will eat it, and even then, it may never take.  If anyone can add to this list, I would be so  :001_wub: .  

I hear you on the health issues. I have Celiac and was just diagnosed with Hashimotos this year, Ive not been well since my last pregnancy (baby is now almost 2). Im finally getting better but it is not a quick road. I have good days and bad, now I have more good than bad and they are better but Im so ready to be better. The last few years weve done a lot of the basics for the most part. I'm hoping to do more with my ds this year as I am feeling better but we will see. When I was feeling my worst we focused attention on the basics and just did fun and easy stuff for content, like documentaries and good books strewn for him to read. When I was feeling good we would do more but then it would be cut back when I was feeling bad. We just did the best we could. I lowered my outside responsibilities and my expectations for the house, everyone chipped in more to get things done and I tried to focus the energy I did have on spending time with the kids and our schooling. We have a rest period after lunch, during the bad times that was used for a nap.

 

For buying cheap prepared gf foods Ive found; Aldi's, Big Lots, Amazon, Vita Cost and Azure Standard (we have a drop in town now).

 

Pizza- Ive tried oodles of recipes and never found one we loved. We were eating GF Mama's pizza crust mix and everyone liked it but we tried Bob's Red Mill crust mix and that has since become our go-to mix, it is about half the price and tasty (we got this last time on Amazon pantry for about $2). You can also make cinnamon rolls out of this (recipe on bag) it is really good- I don't usually eat these but the kids and dh(not gf) devour them.

 

Noodles- favorites here are Trader Joe's $2 a lb/bag. Also, I found some Barilla gf noodles on sale at Krogers here while back and everyone really liked those, they were about $1 a box on sale ($1.25 lb), so a great deal. They had a great texture and worked great for spaghetti, but I dont like TJs spaghetti noodles. We also use white rice noodles which are usually a pretty good deal especially if you have any ethnic markets, I dont here but buy them at Amazon or locally.

 

Bread- TBH we dont eat a whole lot here. If I eat any I eat Elana's Pantry paleo bread made with almond flour. The kids like Udi's and Rudi's bread both, although as mentioned they really need to be toasted. I can get Rudi's a bit cheaper through the co-op if I buy by the case, I just freeze the extra.

 

Tortillas- the kids use corn tortillas, we've tried a few other gf wraps but havent liked any. These work well when heated

 

I dont think your list looks too bad, if you can find a noodle you like that will help a lot. I suggest buying a few different ones and checking them out as people's tastes vary. Buy some different mixes as well, as I said Aldis has a decent selection now as does Big Lots (if you have those stores) buy various things that sound good and see what your family likes. I'm generally a from scratch cook and used to look homemade pizza from scratch but we've been gf for 6 yrs now and I've given up, mostly we eat whole foods but for things like pizza I just buy the mix, no one ever liked the cheap gf recipes I tried anyway.

[Critterfixer]

Now...what about you? What do you want to see for your dinner rotation? 

[thescrappyhomeschooler]

I have been homeschooling with health issues.  In fact, I'm having another surgery on Aug. 11, so the start of our new school year will be somewhat delayed.  My advice?  Make a general overall plan of where and how you want your school year to go and keep that as your goal.  Then, work out the details of that plan as you go along.  Do more when you have more energy, take it easy when you have less energy.  

 

Hang in there.  We are not superwomen.  We cannot do it all, all the time.  Take care of yourself, too.  Hugs.

[MeghansMom]

I had a stroke on May 9th. Before that in November my daughter had surgery to remove her feeding tube. We spent Thanksgiving in ER because her surgical site opened but she is fine now. My mother had a massive heart attack in January and had a triple bypass in February. We went down to Florida to help my father. My daughter had a severe UTI and we were worried it would move into her kidney, she only has one. We found out her tethered spinal cord is back and she wil need surgery eventually to release it. Our last semester of fourth grade was a disaster, we slogged through it best we could.

 

I am walking now, I have problems with strength and balance in my right leg. I can write coherently but still have problems with strength and coordination in my right arm. I can drive short distances and luckily my husband's job is now local. He used to travel extensively out of state through the week, so now he can oversee our work daily as I continue to heal.

 

I am depending on my husband a good bit as far as household chores and cooking but my doctor expects a full recovery and I see him next in December.

 

Hopefully we can all work on building each other up to stay the course. :)

[Artichoke]

The crockpot 365 website has only gluten free recipes. Maybe you can find some inspiration there. There's a huge variety of recipes. Best wishes as you find what works best.

[MeghansMom]

I have been homeschooling with health issues.  In fact, I'm having another surgery on Aug. 11, so the start of our new school year will be somewhat delayed.  My advice?  Make a general overall plan of where and how you want your school year to go and keep that as your goal.  Then, work out the details of that plan as you go along.  Do more when you have more energy, take it easy when you have less energy.  

 

Hang in there.  We are not superwomen.  We cannot do it all, all the time.  Take care of yourself, too.  Hugs.

 

I agree with this.

 

Sometimes we have to take things a day at a time, an hour at a time, a minute at a time.

 

Also too, we have to take care of ourselves first to a certain extent or we can't take care of others.

 

Best wishes to you, Scrappy, hope all goes well with your surgery. 

[Tracy]

I've not found a single GF pizza crust or tortilla I could eat. That may change, however. I've actually got a recipe for GF pizza crust that looks promising, but I got it about the same time my kitchen was gutted. It's one of the first recipes I want to try once I get everything back in place.

 

 

Pizza- Ive tried oodles of recipes and never found one we loved. We were eating GF Mama's pizza crust mix and everyone liked it but we tried Bob's Red Mill crust mix and that has since become our go-to mix, it is about half the price and tasty (we got this last time on Amazon pantry for about $2). You can also make cinnamon rolls out of this (recipe on bag) it is really good- I don't usually eat these but the kids and dh(not gf) devour them.

 

One thing I have done is tried lots of pizza crust mixes.  We liked Bob's Red Mill the best.  But last week, thought I would try adding some Italian spices to the mix, and my family really raved about it.  At some point, I would like to make it from scratch, but we are not there yet.  

 

 

Let me play with a flour mix and see what I can come up with on low cost GF chicken nuggets. That's high on my list to figure out-even the DH loves chicken nuggets, and he's the hardest to please with the GF lifestyle. Poor guy. I used to bake bread, and he's still depressed.  :laugh:

 

Thank you!  I would love to know what you find out.  

 

 

 

I hear you on the health issues. I have Celiac and was just diagnosed with Hashimotos this year, Ive not been well since my last pregnancy (baby is now almost 2). Im finally getting better but it is not a quick road. I have good days and bad, now I have more good than bad and they are better but Im so ready to be better. 

 

I have Hashimoto's, too.  It is actually how I got pregnant in the first place--2 months after taking thyroid hormones.   :thumbup:

 

 

 

Now...what about you? What do you want to see for your dinner rotation? 

 

 

I will eat almost anything that ds will eat.  So if I could get him taken care of, then I will be okay.  

 

I would love some Chinese food, but I have always found it daunting to make, GF or not.  Too many ingredients.  Too much chopping and cutting.  

 

I would like to make some potato salad, but I have never found a good recipe that I like (I don't like vinegar), and neither of my children like mayo.  In cases like that, I would have just served some bread on the side before going GF.   :tongue_smilie:

I really need things that I can throw together quickly.  Dd9 has ballet 2 afternoons per week, and we sometimes have play dates in the afternoon.  So it is going to get harder to cook as we get into the school year.  That is most important to me.

 

 

 

BTW, I just bought some Kinnikinnick bread.  Though it is probably not terribly healthful, it is the softest GF bread I have bought.  I can't buy it around here, so I had to order online.  They also have buns and bagels that I think I can actually eat.   :D

[thescrappyhomeschooler]

I had a stroke on May 9th. Before that in November my daughter had surgery to remove her feeding tube. We spent Thanksgiving in ER because her surgical site opened but she is fine now. My mother had a massive heart attack in January and had a triple bypass in February. We went down to Florida to help my father. My daughter had a severe UTI and we were worried it would move into her kidney, she only has one. We found out her tethered spinal cord is back and she wil need surgery eventually to release it. Our last semester of fourth grade was a disaster, we slogged through it best we could.

 

I am walking now, I have problems with strength and balance in my right leg. I can write coherently but still have problems with strength and coordination in my right arm. I can drive short distances and luckily my husband's job is now local. He used to travel extensively out of state through the week, so now he can oversee our work daily as I continue to heal.

 

I am depending on my husband a good bit as far as household chores and cooking but my doctor expects a full recovery and I see him next in December.

 

Hopefully we can all work on building each other up to stay the course. :)

 

 

Holy Smokes! That's a lot to deal with!  Hang in there!  I'll keep you in my prayers.

[Critterfixer]

One thing I have been finding helpful with this kitchen mess has been having a plan and designating one day as my prep/cook day. Right now that is Sunday. I typically will try to cook up my meat, or prep it (sometimes I age my meat in the refrigerator, or need to brine or put dry-rub on something). Most weeks I make a soup of some kind, and that goes with lunch, whatever that might be.

My favorite snack lunch (which I just went over to my MIL's to make) is deviled eggs. I make a big plate of those, and that might make all I want for lunch. Cheese and grapes or cheese and apples often constitutes a lunch for me. I keep those meals very small, and somewhat portable.

 

For dinners, I try to serve a vegetable (usually broccoli because I can get that and we all like it!) and a meat dish and fruit. Again, pretty simple. I do a lot of stews, and I have an immersion blender, so vegetables that contribute to the stock get ground up and eaten that way. Overall, though, I get most of my cooking out of the way on my one day. I do a lot of things that I can take and turn into the next meal, so if I cooked chicken, I might plan on picking that bird and turning it into chicken and rice soup, or chicken and rice with spices and and a bit of sour cream. Or if I made a roast, that will probably get torn up, reduced with beef broth and mushrooms and served over mashed potatoes. That way if I want to dress up my leftovers, I can.

[Tracy]

One thing I have been finding helpful with this kitchen mess has been having a plan and designating one day as my prep/cook day. Right now that is Sunday. I typically will try to cook up my meat, or prep it (sometimes I age my meat in the refrigerator, or need to brine or put dry-rub on something). Most weeks I make a soup of some kind, and that goes with lunch, whatever that might be.

My favorite snack lunch (which I just went over to my MIL's to make) is deviled eggs. I make a big plate of those, and that might make all I want for lunch. Cheese and grapes or cheese and apples often constitutes a lunch for me. I keep those meals very small, and somewhat portable.

 

For dinners, I try to serve a vegetable (usually broccoli because I can get that and we all like it!) and a meat dish and fruit. Again, pretty simple. I do a lot of stews, and I have an immersion blender, so vegetables that contribute to the stock get ground up and eaten that way. Overall, though, I get most of my cooking out of the way on my one day. I do a lot of things that I can take and turn into the next meal, so if I cooked chicken, I might plan on picking that bird and turning it into chicken and rice soup, or chicken and rice with spices and and a bit of sour cream. Or if I made a roast, that will probably get torn up, reduced with beef broth and mushrooms and served over mashed potatoes. That way if I want to dress up my leftovers, I can.

 

This is quite brilliant.  I am not good at making these sort of plans, but it is something I would love to learn how to do.  

[ElizabethB]

Chicken nugget type things or schnitzel like chicken is easy to make with rice crumbs!

 

I like small nugget sized pieces, for that I just cut the chicken breasts up smaller. I then cover it with brown rice flour and put the covered chicken in a small bowl of water, then scoop out the pieces back onto the cutting board. Then, you sprinkle on the rice crumbs and flip, then cover the other sided with breading. To cook, heat up the oil first, then toss in, cook until golden, flip, cook til other size is golden, turn to low, check center for pinkness and cook until white all the way through.

 

I buy in 8 packs, you might want to try a single package first.

 

http://www.amazon.com/OrgraN-Purpose-Crumbs-10-5-Ounce-Boxes/dp/B000EHXWIQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1407118950&sr=8-1&keywords=Rice+crumbs

 

The only ingredient is brown rice, and it is gluten free.

 

It is also good as stir fry chicken, you could separate out some plain breaded chicken for picky people and add to stir fry for the rest.

[Pen]

Lots of wonderful ideas on the foods side!

 

On the schooling, I'd add to make things as easy as you can. Find a math book that you do not need to print out and bind. Read and watch videos for science and history. MCT might be nice if the two of you could sit together on a couch and it was relaxing, but if too hard to do, defer it for another year, or find a less teacher intensive alternative.

 

For both the schooling and the cooking find ways to be able to sit as much as possible, or even to lie down.

[ElizabethB]

:grouphug:

 

You can sit down and cook, it is easier with a bar stool height but a regular chair will work, too. I found this out when I was pregnant with my son and I also had food allergies but didn't realize it yet, I was too tired to stand for long. You can also shop with an electric cart where you can sit down. Bring some crutches or wrap your leg with an ace bandage if you want to look like you really need the help, otherwise people might stare and wonder. If that doesn't bother you, just use the thing and enjoy!

 

Chinese stir fry is easy with frozen veggies, no chopping required. Pick a bag of mixed veggies that has veggies your family likes, or buy single packs of likes and use a bit from each. Make the rice ahead of time in large batches and microwave to warm. Microwave the veggies for a few minutes until they are slightly warm, strain out any excess water. Depending on the type, you may need to add a bit of water when microwaving. Then, mix veggies with the meat (for example, the already cooked breaded chicken--don't microwave that, cook right before or slightly undercook ahead of time and fry to warm) and fry in oil for a few minutes, then add rice. It will be done in a few minutes, turn to low to stall and buy extra minutes to round everyone up.

 

Also, if you have a good large knife and a large chopping board, chopping veggies fresh does not take long. If you are sitting down, it will seem even quicker! If the veggies are fresh, add them to the fry pan or electric skillet first and cook a few minutes longer than you would with frozen veggies, then add meat, then rice.

 

You can serve with honey mustard sauce or a gluten free soy sauce. You can add a bit of rice milk to the honey mustard if you want a thinner sauce. For picky people, I would make sauces separate in a small glass measuring cup and microwave. People can add on top of their food as desired, and eat plain if they decide they prefer no sauce. Adventurous people could have pineapple chunks in their soy sauce.

[wingedradical]

Hi:

 

I have lupus and have almost always homeschooled while struggling with illness. I think I was okay the first 3 years. Since then, I've graduated two sons and am this is my 3rd and final year with dfd (she's a senior, yay!). It has its challenges.

 

I have learned to just accept it. When my young, we schooled year round at times I felt up to it. If I was sick on Wed, we often schooled on Saturday. 

 

I tried to choose some things they could be more independent in and at least one or two that I can be more involved in - either because they are fun to do together or because they needed help. Sometimes they also worked unevenly - that is, if I got really sick, they worked ahead in literature or history (easy subjects for them ) and then, later, we would do more math and science. DFD is the opposite, though - for the past two years she's pretty much worked alone on math and science and needed help with composition.

 

As for food -- I am not a celiac, according to the doctor, but I sure feel better without it or wheat in general. I tried finding substitutes -- it was just too much trouble. I decided to just go modified Paleo. I still eat beans and dairy and once in a while, brown rice. I have egg/cheese/veggie mini meal for breakfast (which i make ahead and freeze), salad with meat and/or beans and/or cheese for lunch and dinner without pasta. I occasionally make oopsies with glutin free stuff. I cook a lot of my meat in the crockpot or else I stir fry it. DFD is in charge of cutting up the gobs and gobs orf veggies we eat - mostly raw in summer, in soups during our short winter, because my hands are arthritic.  I eat fruits for desserts. If you plan it, it isn't as hard.

 

And don't forget - I don't want my dfd to have to "care" for me too much but this summer, we did home ec. She already cooked sometimes when I asked her but it was usually something very easy.  I bought a good explanatory cookbook at the beginning of the summer and started teaching her how to cook other things. Nothing really fancy. But she cooked a pork roast with potatoes and carrots (I made the gravy and let her watch - I can't eat it but DH loves it. My husband is out of town and will get home on his birthday - she is going to make a homemade angel food cake for him! Anyway, what I mean is, at your daughter's level, you can start a simpler "home economics" and she can get school credit for it and be of help to you.

 

Good luck! You can do it. It won't always be easy but it's doable. I was in a wheelchair all of last year and probably will be all of this year, too. We even managed park day and some field trips. This year, DFD can driver herself to some of the field trips but I still enjoy park day with the other parents, so I'll go (I live in AZ so we do park day all winter).

 

Oh, and everyone has heard of carschooling. Well, we do bed schooling sometimes!

 

[Soror]

I've been using the crockpot for my meat a lot here. I haven't been planning ahead enough to do the full meal but I can throw in the meat and decide what to do later.  When I was really feeling bad we ate extremely plainly and repetively. I had a rotation of 7 basic meals (veggies are whatever we feel like, lots of salads, roasted cauliflower and broccoli, green beans);

 

Sun- Roast chicken and veggies, Mon- Ground Beef (spaghetti- meatloaf, chili, tacos), Tues- Leftover chicken- with rice or noodles or soup, Wed- , Thurs- Roast with veggies- throw roast, bag of carrots, sliced onions and potatoes in crockpot with garlic and pepper (add salt after done), Fri- Fish and veggies, Sat- Pizza

[Critterfixer]

I never cut up veggies ahead of time....until I had this kitchen remodel that I didn't plan on. Suddenly, washing veggies in the bathroom sink was oh, so disgusting! So I actually took them over to Mom's and cut them ahead of time. I was afraid they wouldn't keep, but they were fine. Dump bag in microwave pie plate, cover and cook. It's not my steamer, but it sure made things easy. 

 

The leftover plans are part of something I once read about trying to create a continuous kitchen. I can't even remember the article, but the idea was that one meal flows into the next, and that meals are planned to make the most of the leftovers. It's not perfect, because reinvented chicken on day 4 is boring, but I figure making several meals out of the same meat is not a bad idea.

 

Mmmm....roasted cauliflower....is there anything that roasting can't do? :laugh: