This is Recipe 01 because this is my first ever post about cooking! The decision to cut certain foods out of my diet started almost tree years ago with one simple item: milk. I was a sucker for expensive lattes and was drinking a lot of milk on a regular basis. This change was an easy one to make because coffee shops had already begun stocking soy, almond, and coconut milk as regular milk substitutes (however I personally avoid soy at all costs).

Phase 2. I gave up red meat and pork almost two years ago, and realized only a few weeks in that I could never go back. I realized the hard way how quickly my body adjusted to not eating the red meat protein and the negative reaction it had when reintroduced to it (i.e. I almost threw up at a Dave & Buster's).

I was feeling better after these two simple changes, but I still wasn't feeling 100% great. After severe intestinal pain and repeated bumps on my skin, I researched potential dietary causes. One culprit kept popping up over and over: gluten. My last day of work at my old job I was treated to (turkey) burgers, cupcakes, and beer. (It was midsummer so we were drinking Bell's Brewing Oberon Ale, a Michigan staple https://www.bellsbeer.com/beer/seasonal/bells-oberon-ale). I left working never feeling so sick and decided in that moment to try giving up gluten for two weeks straight. If I saw improvement I would continue keeping it out. If I didn't see improvement, gluten clearly wasn't the culprit and I'd add it back in.

By day three I was a new woman. The bumps on my skin had disappeared, my energy was through the roof, and I no longer had intestinal bloating and pain. I officially became gluten free.

Navigating Gluten Free Cooking in a Gluten Filled World

I've been gluten free for more than six months now and have found several cook books and lifestyle bloggers along the way to make this journey easier and tastier. What better way to force myself to cook instead of eating out than to follow recipes and share the outcome? One of my favorite chefs/bloggers is Lexi's Clean Kitchen https://lexiscleankitchen.com/ because her recipes are delicious and applicable for everyday life.

Let's Begin

I made Lexi's Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Chili https://lexiscleankitchen.com/slow-cooker-sweet-potato-chili/.
I prepped this meal last night and threw it in the crock pot overnight for 8 hours.

I chopped the vegetables listed with just a few modifications:
I used an orange and yellow pepper instead of green and red because those were the colors I had.
I ended up using 4 sweet potatoes instead of 2 because mine were somewhat small. I also love sweet potatoes so I wasn't worried about it being overloaded.
I only chopped half an onion because I'm weird about having too much onion in my food.
I used crushed tomatoes instead of diced, and only used about half because (surprise!) I am also not fond of tomatoes. Can you tell I'm a somewhat picky eater?

I added the ingredients in the next step, adding a cup more water than recommended because I upped my sweet potato usage. I set the crock pot on low for 8 hours and went to bed.

This morning the delicious smell of the cinnamon and cumin had filled the apartment. I could tell I overdid it on the water, but I wasn't too concerned. I packed a glass container to take to work for my lunch.

This recipe was so perfectly convenient because not only did I have this for lunch, but when I got home from work I heated up leftover turkey breast and had this chili as a side with dinner. This chili was delicious and flavorful. My local Aldi was out of red pepper flakes so unfortunately I didn't have those in my chili to add an extra kick.

The Verdict

I am making this chili again, with or without the turkey (it was filling both ways). I will definitely find some red pepper flakes before I do.

Thank you for joining me on this journey!
Cup of Blonde