Do you ever wonder why some people blog? Understand the truth about blogging before jumping into it. Blogging serves everyone differently. Some people write to write, others try to make money, and others simply do it because they enjoy it. These are all great reasons! I personally have three motives for blogging and three tools to help you start blogging.
What does “Blog” even mean?
According to Google, a blog is a “web-log”. Some say it serves as a personal diary or platform for personal opinions. Yet, businesses write blogs to support their products, and people write blogs to teach about their talents or interests. In other words, it is informal writing compared to published books. You do not have to have a degree in English to write a blog, you don’t even need to have a high school diploma, anyone can write one and that’s the truth about blogging.
4 Reasons to blog
If you want to get into blogging, understand WHY you want to write one. Back in 2009ish, I started writing a blog. Frankly, I had no idea what I was doing. Blogging was fairly new back then. I could have taken many angles with my blog; however, my first intent was to teach people about joy. I had recently gone through a depressing season with infertility and wanted to help others get through times like these. Then somehow it transformed into wanting to share the lessons I’ve learned in life to help others save time. Since then, I’ve pretty much kept with that theme.
1. Gives you a voice
The main reason I started a blog was that I wanted a voice. When I’m in a conversation I tend to listen more than speak. I have learned a tremendous amount about people just by listening to them. However, at times when I do speak, others see it as a chance to speak too. Interrupting others is rude, in case you didn’t know that.
Listen up, speaking is not the only way to be heard in this world. People can voice themselves through music, dancing, drawing, cooking, and frankly any hobby or craft. The truth about blogging is that blogging gives you an instant voice through writing without interruptions.
2. Processes information
Writing to me is like therapy. It forces me to think about what I want to say and how to say it. When I get thoughts down on paper, it helps me see what is going on in my life. It’s kind of like journaling. Then when I blog about it, it helps me figure out what I want to say to others to help them in a similar circumstance. Blogging assists me in processing a challenge I am facing.
People learn through stories. If I can share a story of a challenging time in my life where I learned how to navigate through it or something miraculous happened to me to solve it, I want to share that information with others! Testimony is powerful. When we can relate to other people, things happen. Healing happens. Inspiration happens.
3. Remembrance
The other reason I blog is to leave a part of me on this planet. I know that sounds kind of corny, but think about it. A lot of the time when I blog I think about my family. When I’m long gone I still want them to be able to see me, hear me, and learn from me. Whether it’s through a blog post, YouTube video, or social media post, I want my family to be able to see that even though I passed on, I am still here with them.
4. Make extra money… the truth about blogging
Many bloggers blog to make some extra cash. If you can make money on your blog, I see it as a bonus, not as a steady stream of income and that’s the truth about blogging. There are A LOT of blog posts that tell you how to make money and how easy it can be. But don’t be deceived. Making money by blogging isn’t going to happen overnight. First and foremost, keep your day job. For dollars to roll in, it’s going to require time, energy, research, MONEY, and lots of testing. I’m not writing to deter you, I’m just giving you a heads up that it can be harder than people portray… which they are probably selling a blogging course.
I have spent some bucks on a few courses and found them helpful. Did they put me at the top of Google or give me the magic secret to making money? No. But they did give me an education on how it all works, which is super huge to understand. Just know, that there isn’t one course that covers all. Blogging is always changing. I highly recommend YouTube and courses that have had many positive reviews.
3 tools to get started blogging
If you want to get started writing a blog it’s going to take a little money. You can try to go free, but at some point, it’s going to require some dollar bills. The amount of money you spend depends on what you want.
Here are some things you’re going to want to think about:
Domain name.
This is the website’s address. It must be unique. Think of a few ideas then head over to Domain.com and check to see if it’s available. You can buy your domain at domain.com.
Publishing platform.
This is where you make the website or blog. The platform allows you to design your site and blog on it. WordPress.org is the most popular and it’s free! However there are some plugins (these are like apps on your phone) that can cost money, yet, most are free. Other publishing platforms are Wix, Squarespace, and Blogger. I personally prefer WordPress.org.
Hosting.
This is what connects the domain name to the publishing platform and puts it out there for the world to see. Hosting will cost you money. I highly suggest Flywheel. The people are way cool and it’s easy to use. Hosting is paid for on an annual basis.
Connecting the domain name, publishing platform, and hosting all together can be tricky. If you can’t figure it out on your own, you can hire a webmaster to do it, or you can watch videos on YouTube. Just like that, you’ve got your blog or website for that matter!
Learn from a trusted teacher
If there is anything you get from this post it’s this, there are A LOT of courses out there that claim they can help you, I’ve fallen for some of them and have lost a lot of money. My bad. However, there are a couple of really good ones! My first recommendation is to check out Start A Mom Blog. Suzi does a fantastic job at teaching. She is funny, super smart, and her husband now works with her. They are very down-to-earth and easy to understand. Hands-down, start with her first. You can learn more here.
Wrapping the truth about blogging up
Keep it simple. Only get what you need. You can always add things later. First and foremost, understand why you want to start a blog. After you have that figured out you’ll have a better idea of what you need and who your audience will be.
The words ‘smile’ and ‘weight loss’ typically don’t go hand in hand when we are trying to lose weight. Let’s face it, diet, self-care, and wellness can be a challenge, no, it is a challenge. Then when you realize you need to help your child lose weight…oh brother. It’s okay, I get it. Why not make it fun? Seriously, this IS possible! I’ve got three ways to get your bodies (and minds) to feel and look better!
Weight Facts
Child obesity affects 1 in 5 children in the US. This means that children who are overweight now will likely be overweight when they are adults. This excess weight can not only increase the risk for them getting type 2 diabetes, cancer, and heart disease but their mental health and self-esteem may be altered. Also, being overweight can get to be very expensive! Not just in food and clothes, but with medical bills. We all want our children to live a life full of opportunity and blessing. To give your child a head start in life start with them knowing how to take care of themselves. This is so super important, because without their health, what do they have?
One of the biggest issues with weight loss is that children don’t understand health all that well. They are either going to watch you or other influences to get their knowledge. Since you are their biggest influence, you can help them make the right choices and for them to have fun while doing it.
When to start?
There is no better time than right now to get started on helping your child lose weight. “But I was going to wait until New Years’?” WHY? This is what gets us in trouble, procrastination. If you wait, you’re just going to make it harder on everyone. Go about this with a gradual approach. Help your kids make the right choices with their time and dinner plates now.
3 Fun & Simple Ways to Help Your Child Lose Weight
1. Let them see you.
One way to make diet, self-care, and wellness fun is for your kids to see you doing it with a smile on your face, in fact, this is probably the most effective way to teach your kiddos that taking care of yourself is actually a good thing. If they see you doing it, and that you’re committed to it and enjoying it, they’re likely going to start doing it too! Remember kids see and hear EVERYTHING! When you’re done exercising say things like, “Man, that felt great!”, “I feel so good!”, “I’m getting stronger, check this out!” (then flex your bicep or something).
2. Do it with them.
Another way to help your child lose weight and make it fun is for you to do it with them. As we know, when it comes to the couch, the snacks come too; which eventually leads to a fully loaded butt or gut for that matter. Make a family promise to each other that together we can be healthier and stronger! Then brainstorm together how you’re going to make this happen. This is also great because you’ll have each other to hold accountable. This approach can not only teach your kids about exercise and cooking but about love for themselves, it helps them learn more about themselves.
3. Make it a game.
Why not make it a game? I have a free download for you! Making anything a game for a child is way more fun than being Mr. Serious. I personally enjoy the game of Bingo. Just anticipating seeing the full line of tiddlywinks in a complete row is motivating! With Bingo Bites you win not by chance, but by choice! There are three versions: Bingo Bites Junior, Bingo Bites for 4 – 8-year-olds, and Bingo Bites for 9 -13-year-olds. These games focus on choices that, all-in-all, make a difference in their weight loss. You can download it in my Freebies.
Bingo Bites Junior comes with three cards: one card for diet, one for self-care, and one for wellness. Each card has colorful pictures and, of course, a free space! These are to be used on a daily basis until your kid gets into a habit of making the right choices in eating, grooming, and giving themselves some love. Honestly, any age can benefit from Bingo Bites Junior.
Bingo Bites for 4 – 8 is more complex than Bingo Bites Junior. This is one big card that covers a lot of ground! Instead of choosing what card to do, use this card to cover all territory. Bingo Bites covers all the food groups, water, exercise, manners, outside time, and reading. If you’re looking for a little help to motivate your kids, use a bingo marker they like; for instance, candy, coins, or tiddlywinks with a prize (like a soda or playing time on Xbox). BINGO!
The Bingo Bites for 9 -14 is the same except for the quantity of food and manners.
To download Bingo Bites Junior or Bingo Bites for specific ages simply go to my freebies and you’ll find it there. Remember, your first step in getting your family healthy is to take the first step.
One last thing! I know rewards are super important for a child. Typically we reward with food, candy, or ice cream. I get it, I do it too! All I’m saying is to change it up once in a while. Changing up the prize from a donut to a game of Crossy Roads or some other video game with mom, helps the child appreciate each prize a little bit more. Also, check out my eBook for more tips and strategies that work! Simple Happy Wellness Strategies. $75 value, yours for $5.99!
There is something about molasses cookies that I crave. When I grew up, every Christmas my grandma would bake molasses cookies. Her cookies were about the size of a silver dollar and so addicting! My grandma would always have them neatly packed in a wax paper-lined cookie tin. The cookies would literally melt in your mouth. As I grew older and found out she’d use grease from the meal before, I thought about making a healthier kind of molasses cookie, a gluten-free molasses cookie recipe!
There is nothing more fun, and sticky, than messing around in the kitchen with molasses. I wanted a cookie but was having trouble figuring out an egg substitute. Since eggs are a trigger for my body, it’s been a challenge coming up with an egg substitute that works for the particular recipe you’re working on. When you have a specialty diet, you have to be creative and experimental. So that’s what I did and discovered molasses and peanut butter marry well together. The gluten-free molasses cookie recipe was born! I can now say egg-free too.
Molasses Benefits
Molasses was first around in 1582, some say 1600. In other words, it’s been around. There are many health benefits to molasses. On some mornings I will actually drizzle molasses on my peanut butter toast just to get the added molasses advantage.
A little touch of molasses has a big nutrition punch! What exactly is in blackstrap molasses? You’ll find it is a source of iron, calcium, magnesium, vitamin B6, potassium, copper, and selenium (antioxidant). Needless to say, blackstrap molasses is good for your red blood cells due to its iron content; and because of its potassium volume, it also helps lowers blood pressure. Get this! In case you missed it, blackstrap molasses contains calcium which we all know is good for our bones. And because it contains B6, blackstrap molasses can fight off stress. Blackstrap molasses may even help us folks who have Crohn’s disease and colitis. These are just a few benefits that it has. More benefits can be found here.
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What kind of molasses to buy?
To get these great benefits from molasses, you must get blackstrap molasses. Light molasses and Dark are not the same as Black. Blackstrap is the darkest type of molasses and it is the most concentrated form, hence, it has the most health benefits. After all, molasses is sugar. From what I understand it’s the leftover juice from sugar cane after they crush it to get sugar crystals. They boil it, then boil it again, and then again.
*Warning, if you eat too much of this dark syrup, you’ll probably get diarrhea. Know your limits.
Peanut butter has been around since only 1904. It was introduced at the St. Louis World’s Fair. It was used as a protein source for World War I and World War II.
Not only is peanut butter a good source of protein, but it also contains omega-3 fats. It is a good source of vitamin E, vitamin B6, manganese, and magnesium. Believe it or not, it also has copper in it!
Peanut butter is good for your heart; it can help reduce the risk of diabetes, and it even has some anticancer properties.
What kind to buy?
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The best kind of peanut butter to buy is organic. Organic peanut butter doesn’t have any added trans fats, sugars, or other hydrogenated oils. When those extra things are added to peanut butter, there are no health benefits; in fact, it’s the opposite. Hydrogenated oils increase omega-6s, and when you get too much of a good thing (omega-6) it makes it bad for your body and may cause weight gain along with inflammation which could trigger all sorts of digestive issues. Yikes!
Spend the extra money and buy organic! Organic peanut butter is simply organic peanuts and salt. Please read the labels on your peanut butter, it makes a huge difference. I like Costco brand, Kirkland Organic Peanut Butter. Plus, I store my peanut butter in the refrigerator.
The gluten-free molasses cookie recipe awaits!
What happens when you put molasses and peanut butter together? Talk about a B6 and magnesium powerhouse! The flavors work and complement each other. Your mind might be saying “Ew”, but your taste buds beg to differ.
Because my diet is limited, I made these cookies with gluten-free flour. They are also egg-free, soy-free, and dairy-free. They do contain peanuts. Baking egg-free can be tricky. One great substitute for eggs is…you guessed it…peanut butter!
1/2cupCoconut oil (solid form)You can use shortening as a substitute.
1/2 cupSugarWhite grandular or Organic Sugar Cane works
3 tbspBlackstrap Molasses
3tbspCoconut MilkYou can substitute any kind of milk alternative
3tbspOrganic Peanut ButterHeaping tablespoons, you can try it with Almond Butter or even Tahini.
1cupGluten-free flourHeaping cup of Gluten-free flour
1 tspBaking Soda
1/4tspCloves
1/4tspGinger
1/2 tspCinnamon
1/4tspSalt (optional)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 and prepare the cookie sheet with a sheet of parchment paper on top.
Mix coconut oil, sugar, peanut butter, and coconut milk.
Add blackstrap molasses and mix.
In a seperate bowl stir flour, baking soda, and spices.
Gradually combine dry ingredients to wet with mixer. The dough will be thick. If it looks dry add a splash of coconut milk, if it looks wet add a tbsp of gluten-free flour.
Chill dough for 1 hour.
In a small bowl, put in 1/2 cup of sugar.
Make small 1 -1 1/4 inch balls and roll them in the sugar. Place them on the cookie sheet an inch or so apart.
Gently push the bottom of a fork into the cookie so it makes small groves.
Put the cookie sheet into the oven and bake for 8-10 minutes.
Let cookies cool for 10 minutes.
For an added bonus mix 2 tbsp peanut butter with 1/2 tsp of coconut oil and 2 tbsp of powder sugar. Put in the microwave for 20 seconds then stir, put it back in the microwave for another 15 seconds and stir. Then put a dollup on top of the baked cookie…kind of like a frosting.
Notes
The calories and price of the cookies are an educated guess.
I hope you enjoy this tasty nutrition-packed gluten-free molasses cookie recipe. Happy baking!
Be sure to check out my other sweet treats!
All are gluten-free and dairy-free. Simple and delicious.
Hugs to you. I’ve been there; which is why I feel the need to talk about this topic of infertility. Infertility is unexplainable. Please stop trying to figure it out or worse, blaming yourself. In this post you’re going to get 5 tips on how to get through infertility when it comes to miscarriage; plus 3 more infertility help tips to move forward. I hope that you will find love and encouragement in this delicate and vulnerable post.
This post is not for everyone. Although, we all have our dark times in life: loss, poverty, addiction, abuse, divorce, or illness. I can’t say I’ve been there in all cases, but I can say, “My heart breaks for you; for I know what it feels like to suffer. You are not alone.”
A bit about my story
In 2010 I lost a beautiful innocent soul. At 15 weeks pregnant, I had a miscarriage, we call her Sarah. Infertility is not easy to talk about. I almost didn’t post this. I didn’t want people to think I was seeking sympathy, because I’m not. I’m seeking the fellow broken-hearted. Our trials in life aren’t meant to be hidden, they’re meant to help others in need; today, I felt a nudge to reach out to those who had miscarried or had infertility issues.
It’s scary to open your book of life, let alone your heart to people, but maybe your story is just what someone needs to hear. “Never waste a hurt,” is what Pastor Rick Warren said in a message. And that is the purpose of this post. I hope that you’ll feel loved, and cared for, and will receive encouragement in one way or another. I give this post to God and ask Him to speak to you.
Infertility.
Miscarriage and infertility aren’t something that can be forgotten. It is a painful, difficult, and piercing experience. And some days…no matter how long it’s been since, no matter how young or old your baby was; you get a stir in your heart and fall to your knees and cry. I know I do. It’s okay to do that. You are not alone.
When this miscarriage happened, both my husband and I bled with heartbreak. We were confused, mad, and in disbelief. You hear it happen to other people but not you…not you. We walked around like zombies, not saying a word for days. With Christmas around the corner and a 2-year-old tugging at my robe…it was hard to put on the Christmas spirit.
In these tender days, I didn’t need to hear “It’s common”; I needed to hear, “It happened to me, I know what you’re going through”. Not a pep talk, not a statistic, but a down-to-earth connection with someone who understands, and who’s been there.
Infertility help, what can I do?
1. Hug
First off, know I want to hug you. There is something powerful in the feeling of touch. I remember when I was pregnant with my son. The pregnancy tortured me with relentless nausea and vomiting. Hyperemesis gravidarum is what I had…unbelievable. Not only was my body in torment, but my mind was a mess, and I spiritually felt dead. All I wanted was to feel His presence. I cried out of desperation to feel better, to just get a few minutes of relief. One Sunday morning I felt the need to go to church. Getting through the service without having to excuse myself was definitely on my mind. Standing to sing and worship was too difficult for me, I was so weak. This bothered me. Then something amazing happened.
When we went out to the coffee area after the service, I saw a friend of mine. For some reason, I walked directly toward her without saying a word. She then wrapped her arms around me and hugged me. No words were spoken, but I could feel Jesus hugging me. I remembered saying to myself while hugging her, “There you are Jesus. Where have you been?” I quietly heard him respond with, “I’ve been by your side the entire time.” My friend had no clue as to what was going on. She didn’t know Jesus used her at that moment. This experience taught me that Jesus can use anyone at any time! I SO needed that hug.
2. You are beautiful, healthy, and perfect
Secondly, you are beautiful, healthy, and perfect. You did nothing wrong. I can’t stress the number of times I blamed myself for not eating this or that, for the time I went to the dentist, or for not taking a certain vitamin. Blaming yourself is exactly what Satan wants you to do. He wants you to feel like you did this, when in fact, it was most likely him. Um, yeah. God doesn’t cause these things to happen, the Enemy does.
3. Write a letter
Thirdly, write your child a letter. There were a lot of things I tried to comfort my broken heart and wounded soul. But one thing that helped me was writing my child a letter. There are times when I still write a letter to them. As a mother, there is nothing sweeter than getting a note from her. I believe in my heart that my child gets these letters in heaven.
4. Bless your body
Fourthly, bless your body, do not curse it. This is something I didn’t do and I wished I would have done. All I did through my pregnancies full-term and losses, was curse my body. To me, my body was broken. In reality, my body was doing just what it was supposed to be doing; remember every body is different. Most importantly, comparing yourself to others is a lost cause. God made you to be different for many reasons, but most of all to bring glory to His kingdom. Use what God gave you, don’t curse it. Bless your body and all its parts. Simply say, “I bless my womb, I bless my ovaries, I bless my heart…”. God goes before us, there just might be a big important reason why the pregnancy didn’t go full term.
5. Keep praying
Lastly and most importantly, keep praying. The Lord is close to you even when you don’t feel Him. Talk to Him about how you feel. He loves you and will comfort you more than anything else in this world. Pray specifically and boldly in Jesus’s name. Ask for forgiveness of your sins, thank Him for all He’s given you, and pray for guidance. There is an app from Wild at Heart that has many prayers to help you. This is a free app. Simply go to the app store and type in Wild at Heart.
3 things I would have done differently
1. No more gluten!
For infertility help, I would have stopped eating gluten/wheat products. At the time I didn’t show signs of gluten sensitivity or a gluten allergy, but in 2017 I was diagnosed with colitis which led to a confirmed test that my body was severely reacting to gluten. This article says some startling news about undiagnosed celiac disease and pregnancy, including infertility. Even though I didn’t have celiac, I still stay away from all gluten. Gluten is over-rated anyway, it is highly inflammatory and does a number on your digestive tract.
The second thing I would have done differently was to put on my spiritual armor and fight off the Enemy. Frankly, I didn’t know how to fight off Satan with his lies and attacks. Many people ignore the spiritual realm; they either think it doesn’t exist or they think you’re a crazy person for talking about it. But it does exist, the Bible says so multiple times in the Gospels.
When fighting off the Enemy, his foul spirits, demons…and curses for that matter…you need to command them in the name of Jesus Christ to leave you. I know that sounds kind of whacky, but if there is light, there is darkness. After you command them to leave in the name of Jesus Christ, fill your spirit with God’s word and goodness. This isn’t a one-and-done type of deal, this can be a daily need. Here’s a post I wrote about it: Claim Your Life Back: 7 Steps to Fight Spiritual Warfare
3. Help others who need infertility help
Thirdly, for infertility help, I would have focused more on helping others. There’s something about helping others when you’re in so much pain either with pregnancy complications, infertility, or miscarriage. Even though my physical strength couldn’t do much, I could have written people letters, made crafts for gifts, called friends, and talked about anything but the pain I was going through. There is healing in helping others. It takes the attention off you and puts it on someone else, which is love. And love heals.
You are amazing
No matter how many children you had or didn’t have on this earth, they are still your children. You will be reunited with them in heaven, you will hold them in your arms someday, and you will be all together. I do not know what you have gone through or what you are going through right this very moment. I hope this post on infertility encouraged you in some way or form to bring healing to your heart and soul. My hugs to you.
I want to pray for you. Please contact me through the contact pageand tell me what I can pray for.
Spicy shrimp are two words that were made for each other. This is a dish that won’t disappoint your spicy palate. I’m not going to bore you with a long story about this recipe, because there isn’t a story. My husband was experimenting in the kitchen and concocted this amazingly delicious dish! He calls it: Mark’s Spicy Shrimp… super creative name, right? This recipe is packed with nutrition and flavor!
Did you know that one BILLION pounds of shrimp are eaten every year? That’s crazy. Shrimp not only live in the ocean, but they are found in estuaries, rivers, and even lakes. Another fun fact about shrimp is their lifespan, it’s from one to seven years. Move over hamster, I’m getting a shrimp! In case you’re wondering hamsters only live for about three years.
As for nutrition, shrimp are very low in calories. About 15 grams of shrimp is 18 calories, that’s close to three shrimp depending on its size. Shrimp are high in protein and low in carbs. It’s loaded with selenium, which is an antioxidant that can boost your immune system, protect your brain, and reduce your risk of certain cancers. (1) These bottom feeders are also a great source of iodine, which is super beneficial for your thyroid to work properly. And yes, shrimp do have omega fatty acids in them too! If you want to learn more about omega’s read my post about them.
Spicy!
There is good reason to enjoy something spicy now and then. If your tummy can take it on, add some spice to your dishes. I guess if you didn’t like spicy things you wouldn’t be reading this post. Spicy foods have multiple benefits. For one it speeds up your metabolism and puts the brakes on your appetite. This stuff is good for weight loss.
Some other benefits of spicy food are that it helps fight inflammation in your body, it lowers your mortality rate…yep, helps you live longer, and it can fight off bad bugs in the body…bacteria that is. (2)
The number one tool for Mark’s Spicy Shrimp is the trusty cast-iron pan. You’re going to want a medium-sized one. It gives the food an extra layer of flavor. Believe me, I’ve done a lot of research on what pan is the healthiest to cook with. One that won’t leach chemicals, aluminum, or Teflon into my food and the cast iron wins every time! It may be heavy, but it’s extremely low maintenance. In fact, if you’re anemic (iron deficient) it helps put a little iron in your system.
One more thing about the cast iron pan, it’s SUPER easy to clean, and no soap is required. Seriously, with no soap, you’ll wreck the ‘seasoning’ of the pan. I highly recommend getting a cast iron pan, even if it’s the small one. You can find them on Amazon.
As for other ingredients, I recommend gluten-free Ramen noodles. Our family likes Lotus Foods noodles. Gluten is super inflammatory on the body, why eat it when there is a gluten-free version? It may be a few cents more, but it beats going to the doctor for issues.
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This recipe may only call for a little olive oil, but it’s worth getting the good stuff. My favorite, hands-down olive oil is California Ranch Olive Oil. It’s 100% olive oil. With that said, be sure you get an olive oil you trust is 100%. We don’t need no stinkin’ canola or vegetable oil fillers.
The secret ingredient that really makes this dish is the Hatch Valley Flame Roasted Green Chile. My husband eats this stuff by the spoon! Make sure to get the chopped-up version, not the whole. It’s kind of like a relish. Amazon has a two-pack for sale. Simple ingredients, gluten-free, and non-GMO. This is good stuff people!
Variations to the recipe. This is such a versatile recipe that any protein would work: brats, strips of steak, grilled chicken, breakfast sausage, or vegetarian with tofu or almonds.
1/2cupRed Bell PepperSlice half a red bell pepper, this is close to a half cup.
1/2cupOrange Bell PepperSlice half a orange bell pepper, this too is close to a half cup.
3/4cupRed OnionSlice red onion, slice as much as you like. Your preference to how much.
7pepperoniPepperoniChop about 7 pepperonis into 4ths. Use your favorite pepperoni.
1/2 cupFrozen green beans
1unitRamen Noodles or Gluten Free Ramen
1tbspBragg's Liquid AminosYou can use soy sauce instead, your preference.
1/4cupPickled gingerWe prefer the pink color. Any pickled ginger will do. This is a garnish.
3tbspHatch Valley Green ChileUse to your liking. If you want a milder dish, use only 1 tbsp.
2tspSriracha SauceUse to your liking. For a milder dish, use 1 tsp or less.
1tbspOlive Oil
1/4 cupGoat Cheesethis is optional
Instructions
Using a saucepan, bring 4 cups of water to a boil.
While water is warming up, chop the red onion, red bell pepper, orange bell pepper, and pepperoni. Count 5 shrimp out and have them ready.
Line up ingredients so you have the ready to use.
After water has boiled, gently place shrimp in the boiling water. Watch them closely as they cook. During this time, turn on the heat on for the cast iron pan. When shrimp turn pink, turn heat off and set aside.
Now that the cast iron pan is hot, put 1 tbsp of olive oil in the pan and place the red onion, red bell pepper, orange bell pepper, along with the hatch chilis and aminos into the pan. Stirfry until you get an aroma.
Remove shrimp from hot water, remove any shell and tail.Chop the shrimp up. Place shrimp into cast iron pan. Turn pan on low.
Boil another 4 cups of water and place Ramen into boiling water. Let cook for 4 minutes.
Drain 90% of the water from noodles and add noodles to the cast iron pan. Add green beans to the cast iron pan. Add ginger.Add pepperoni to the pan.Turn heat to medium heat.
Add sriracha and goat cheese. Turn off heat and serve!
Notes
Calories are estimated not including the goat cheese. To make the cooking time go faster, use two saucepans, and have the water boiling. If you’re not a fan of pepperoni try breakfast sausage. And again, adjust the spiciness to your liking. Enjoy!
Be sure to check out my other simple and delicious recipes! All are gluten-free and dairy-free recipes.
