10 Day Update

The great news is that:

• I'm down from 116 to 110 lbs. which is AWESOME!
• My energy is also more consistent.
• And I don't feel so bloated from the carbs or so guilty!

Since starting to eat a lower/healthy carb diet again, I've also been trying to go on a longer dog walk almost every day. And I've thrown in a few crunches here and there. Oh, and though I don't usually do "cheat days," I did do one on Sunday, which was pretty insane!!

I'd say that the biggest challenge at this point is just trying to come up with dinners that we're not tired of. So here's my latest concoction:

• Take 1 package of gluten/dairy free chicken sausage (I use organic or all natural)
• Grind this up in a food processor and set aside
  
• Beat 3 eggs
  
• Add 1/4 cup or more of Daiya cheese
• Add 3 TB garfava flour
  
• Mix in the ground sausage
• Pack into small, greased muffin tins
• Bake at 350 for 25 min, with 5 min. at 400 at the end

It is the yumminess! And I've done it using Spicy Jalapeno sausage w/ chilli beans on the side, or with Sundried Tomato sausage with red sauce over it!

Wednesday, 5/25

Breakfast
-Shot of Kombucha
-3 Al Fresco Sausages (2 Country, 1 Apple) toasted in EarthBalance on cast iron
-1 Bready Square
-Stash Chai Green Tea

Snack
-Couple of bites of Valdosta by Salhale, but still seems too sugary, so no more
-Few sips of KeVita

Lunch
-Drank more KeVita
-Ate half a 22 Days Nutrition Bar, but it REALLY hurt my tummy

Dinner
-One and a half Sundried Tomato Sausages
-w/ Rao's and pizza sauces over it and Daiya cheese

Drinks
-Glass of red wine
-A low carb margarita

Snack
-More Valdosta

Tuesday, 5/24

One really cool thing about limiting my carbs to healthier sources, like beans and veggies, is that according to the scale, I've already dropped 4 lbs. in just a few days, yay!

Today's Food Journal:

Breakfast
-Shot of Kombucha
-3 Al Fresco Sausages (2 Country, 1 Apple) toasted in EarthBalance on cast iron
-1 Bready Square
-Stash Chai Green Tea

Snack
-Couple of bites of Valdosta by Salhale, but still seems too sugary, so no more
-Few sips of KeVita

Lunch
-Beanitos (nachos)
-w/ Daiya
-w/ 1 slice AppleGate Farms Roast Beef
-w/ Guacamole

Snack
-Beanitos
-Valhala Mix

Dinner
-Spinach, Egg, Daiya Cheese, and Sausage Frittata
-w/ Red Wine (Fish Eye)

Snack
-Valhala

For Dinny I think I'll make something w/ ground sausage. TBD

Summer Shape Up 2011

LOL, it is actually a bit funny when I think about it. You see all snowy Winter long I stuck quite loyally to a lower-carb version of my gluten and dairy free diet. So in the cold, layering months my body was pretty much beach-ready.

But somewhere around March I fell off and away from the horse. Darn it. While much of America was heading to the gym to get in shape for Summer, I was eating more empty carbs and getting out of shape.

And you know how that can feel. It can just feel hopeless to re-lose those last 5-10 lbs. Fortunately for me, I know what my body doesn't like, and that's carb-based foods like sugary desserts, corn-derived foods, chips and cereals.

So last week I made the commitment, and back onto the wagon of eating only healthier carbs, like bean and nut based foods. Of course, this is while still being gluten and dairy free, though DOH! I do think it'd be a whole lot easier if I could still eat real cheese (sad face).

Well the great news is that I'm seeing results REALLY fast!

Actually, the very first day I was seeing some results, but not in weight loss really. Now this is just me personally, so I'm not recommending that it will work for you, but in the first day of eating a largely protein and vegetable based gluten/dairy free diet I actually went to the bathroom much more than I had been doing in a day. It was as if my body had been having trouble digesting some of those starchy foods I was eating and by not adding any more by eliminating them from my diet, my body was more able to process what I was eating.

So yes! Talk about motivation! After just the first day, though I felt somewhat sluggish, I already FELT thinner b/c I was far less bloated, b/c my body was having a much easier time digesting the lower carb foods. Yay!

I'm just a few days into it so far, and it's not a perfect battle--yesterday I felt my tummy was flat and bikini ready, but today maybe not as much so. But still, it's WAY better!

So what have I been eating then?

Breakfast:
-Splash of Kombucha first thing
-About 3 Breakfast Sausages by Al Fresco or AppleGate Farms
-With 1 Bready Square derived from this gluten-free, low carb recipe I relied on last Summer (but altered as such: double salt and use Celtic, half xanthan, Barney Almond Butter instead of almonds, just 5 packs of NuStevia and no pecans) This is esp. good if I toast it with EarthBalance Buttery Spread in the cast iron with the sausage.
-With Stash's Chai Green Tea

Snack
-Bready Square or
-Pecans
-or Pumpkin Seeds
-or Applegate Farms cold cuts

Lunch
-Adzuki or Pinto Beans w/ chicken or beef added

Snack
-Same as above

Dinner
-Meatsauce or
-AppleGate Farms Gluten-Free Chicken Nuggets with vegetables or
-Oven Fried Chicken
-etc.
-With red vegan/gluten-free wine or a low-carb margarita**

*I've been doing some research lately and found out that wheat paste is used in the barrels of some wines. Usually French wines, but it can happen anywhere. I've been drinking red wine lately and as long as I stick with vegan (i.e. casein free wines) I do not have my previous bad reactions. The wines I usu. buy that are casein and gluten free are Castle Rock's Pinot Noir (nice, kind of cigar smelling), any red by Yellow Tail and any red by FishEye. Wines that are more often made w/ gluten in the barrels are Sauvignon Blanc.

**For easy lower carb margaritas I do the following:
-2 shots silver tequila (I buy Sauza, but prefer Hornitos when I'm spending more)
-4 shots cold water
-1 3/4 shots organic lemon juice (I like Lakewood or SantaCruz bottled lemon juice b/c there's no sulfites or chemicals in there like most brands of lemon juice)
-3-4 drops good orange extract (look for this at the natural groceries like WholeFoods, try to avoid the cheaper kind from McCormick)
-1/2 to 1 tea. of agave syrup (or use NuStevia to taste, but agave is better, and w/ so little in there, not much carbs)
-Celtic Salt to taste (I like about 5 shakes from a Celtic Sea Salt Shaker)

I mix all of the above in a cocktail shaker, gently shake it up (too intensely will cause bubbling), then pour over ice. Then I just place the shaker in the fridge to refresh our drinks as needed.

I heard that using lemon juice instead of lime juice makes it less acidic. And I have noticed that seems to be true.

Now, if I'm going to continue on my lower-carb path, I'd better get to the grocery to pick up some more of these foods!

Food Diary for Monday:
Breakfast
-Shot of Kombucha
-3 Al Fresco Chicken Apple Sausages toasted in EarthBalance on cast iron
-1 Bready Square
-Stash Chai Green Tea

Snack
-1 Bready Square

Lunch
-AppleGate Farms deli chicken toasted on cast iron, topped w/ pizza sauce and Daiya (vegan cheese) I call it Deli Chicken Parmesan--I really need to get to the grocery!

After Grocery Trip:

Snack
-Couple of Bites of Salhale Valdosta, but seemed too sugary, so stopped
-Beanitos Black Bean Chips

Dinner
-Oven Fried Chicken (battered in garfava, added EarthBalance)
-w/ Crushed Tomatoes w/ Basil poured over it

Drinks
-Low Carb Margaritas (2)

Casein in Wine Causing Your Hangover?

Something that I have noticed since I started drinking mostly vegan wines is that when I drink vegan, I do not get hungover. This seems to be the case even with bolder, histamine heavy red wines, which for a while seemed completely out of the question.

But even with my handy list of vegan wines, there are times when ordering a vegan wine is not an option. So I do go ahead and drink it, but in most of these cases, the next day I seem to pay the price.

I'm not quite sure if there's much of an explanation for this, perhaps vegan wines are just less "polluted." Either way, I'm very glad that Ingles sells those eco-friendly boxes of Fish Eye's Pinot Grigio for just $17!

Day 38

I was pretty worried about traveling this w/e while still on an Elimination Diet, but it all went quite well. I did, however, have a little help from Enzymedica. I've sworn by their Gluten Ease digestive enzymes for aiding in the digestion of gluten and dairy when slip ups occur during travel (despite great care to avoid them, they do happen when dining out).

But two weeks ago, after having some garlic and onions in my meal while dining out, about an hour later I was feeling VERY ill. I rushed to Green Life Grocery for some Gluten Ease just hoping it might help my system usher the offenders along. Though once there, I noticed a bottle of Digest Gold PLUS Probiotics which are known to help the digestive system heal.

I compared the ingredient lists and since the Digest Gold did have the Gluten Ease enzymes in it, along with many others, I though I'd give it a shot. Well, I am SOO pleased with the results. When I take the Digest Gold with each meal I never feel ill afterwards, AND--now this part really amazes me--I just spent the weekend covered in tree pollen and my usual seasonal allergies are nowhere to be found! So I don't know if maybe it never was the pollen, and just the onions all along causing my ridiculously runny nose, or if my system is so much less reactive on the Digest Gold that my allergies are being kept at bay, but either way, THANK YOU Enzymedica.

I know this totally sounds funny to be recommending one company so strongly, but I have tried competitor's versions of the Gluten Ease, and I have been disappointed. That, and I'm just so excited to feel so much better!

As for the foods, here's the latest.

Already Intolerant to:
-Gluten
-Dairy

Don't Like:
-Kiwi
-Lentils

Foods to Still Phase Back In:
-Yeast
-Peanuts
-Cashews
-Soy
-Brazil Nuts
-Hazelnuts
-Chili Peppers

Foods I Seem Okay With:
-Sunflower Seeds
-Corn
-Eggs
-Almonds

Foods I Do Not Do Well With:
-Onions
-Garlic

I suppose the next food I will phase in is Soy.

And by the way, in an effort to really get in shape for summer, I've also decided to cut carbs. This sounds crazy, I know. What can I eat?? But I do want to get in shape and diet and exercise are what I'm focusing on.

I made some low carb "bran muffins" I found a recipe for this morning for breakfast---ick! They're not very good, but maybe I'll get used to them.

I also took Waylon (dog) on a long walk this morning before eating to jump start my metabolism.

For lunch, I'm planning to make chili.

Day 24

Corn: I've been eating bits here and there and have not continued to notice any side effects.

Sunflower Seeds: I've just begun using sunflower oil in cooking again, as well as soy-free butter containing sunflower derivatives. Still need to try the actual seeds or butter though. No noticeable reactions thus far.

Yeast: I've stayed away from baker's yeast, but am enjoying nutritional yeast on my food with no problems. Though I did just read that grape juice contains yeast, hmm. As does wine. These are different types of yeast than in bread though, I'll have to research this further.

Garlic: I did not begin officially phasing this back in, but twice "snuck" some garlic powder or dried garlic and twice had awful reactions. The first time was a bit of garlic powder mixed into an organic mashed potato mix (gluten and dairy free) and afterwards I felt nauseaous for that night and the next day. The second time I actually threw up hours later and felt sick for two days afterwards. The smell just from cooking it is enough to make me ill just remembering!

Onions: Though onions were not one the original avoidance list, I don't normally eat v. many, as I've long suspected a connection to eating onions and having a hay fever like reaction. It turns out, they still do just that. Perhaps once my system is better healed I will be able to enjoy garlic and onions, but right now, the bad FAR outweighs the good.

Foods I Will Continue to Avoid:

Already Intolerant to:
-Gluten
-Dairy

Don't Like:
-Kiwi
-Lentils

Foods to Still Phase Back In:
-Almonds
-Peanuts
-Cashews
-Soy
-Brazil Nuts
-Hazelnuts
-Chili Peppers

Day 14

Well, day by day my weight has gone down and though my waist measurements are not dropping as drastically as they did at first, I'm feeling much less bloated and am well over 1" and 2" at and below my waist respectively.

Here are some updates:

• I have been having nutritional yeast for the past 2 or 3 days, from what I can tell, it is not the same as baker's yeast, and has had no adverse reactions.
• Two nights ago I began phasing in corn products, corn starch at first and then corn chips, I felt awfully icky afterwards though, so I have stopped having corn.

I don't know that I definitely have a problem with corn, in that I would have to avoid it fully and even avoid xanthan gum and derived products, but I just felt kind of "yech" afterwards, so am going to avoid it for not, and have in only in moderation in the future.

My allergies have been nuttso, which seemed to go haywire when I made carmelized onions one night. So after a couple of days I tried them again, and had the same reaction. For now, however, I am not sure if this is being caused strictly by the onions, or if since this is my first Spring back in the South I am suffering from seasonal allergies BIG TIME. I did find that Zyrtec helps, Claritin does not, but I have not been able to call CVS (they are actually generic versions) to verify the ingredients (i.e. no gluten).

Here's what I had today:

Breakfast:
AppleGate Farms Turkey
Bites of Nana's Choc. Cookie

Snack:
Nana's Choc. Cookie

Lunch:
White Rice Noodles w/ Marinara and Chicken Italian Sausage

Snack:
Kettle Chips

Dinner:
Chebe Crust Pizza w/ Marinara and Chicken Italian Sausage
w/ Mustard and Nut. Yeast (cheese)
Sparkling Water and Grape Juice

My latest measurements:
115.6 yesterday 116.4 today (suspect corn yesterday) 30"/31"

Day 9

Well, my meals were very exciting to me last wee, but by last night, I was a bit "over" them. So I ran off to the grocery to do the week's shopping, in search of some additional options. This morning is looking up already, but here's what I ate yesterday:

Breakfast
Rice w/ Tomato Sauce and Leftover Chicken
Green Tea

Snack
Low Sugar Choc. Chip Cookies

Lunch
Rice w/ Tomato Sauce and Leftover Chicken

Snack
Low Sugar Choc. Chip Cookies

Dinner
Apple Chicken Sausage + AppleGate Farms Ham + Mustard
Kettle Potato Chips
Sparkle Water + Grape Juice

Snack
Rice w/ Tomato Sauce


116 30"/32"

Food Allergy Elim. Diet Day 2

Breakfast
Rice Chex w/ Chockies and a Bit of Ground Flax
Stash Black Chai Tea

Snack
Cape Cod Potato Chips
Choc. Cookies

Lunch
Smashed Tomatoes, Olive Oil, Spinach w/ Leftover Chicken/Tomatoes

Snack
Choc. Cookies

Dinner
White Rice, Olive Oil, Diced Tomatoes
Grape Juice and Sparkle Water

Snack
Choc. Cookies

Measurements
118 31/33

Food Allergy Elim. Diet Day 1

This week I embark upon yet another food allergy adventure! Yes, I am making another valiant effort to maintain a modified food allergy elimination diet in hopes of uncovering any lingering intolerances I might have formerly missed.

Last night I too some waistline measurements and confirmed what I have been suspecting, which is that despite my yoga and dog walks, and even cutting out alcohol, the bloat is back.

The measurement I gave in the past were taken after my initial elimination diet, after my weight had already dropped from the 118-120 range to the 109-110 range. So a couple of weeks ago I was quite startled to find my weight back up, and my waistline as well.

This morning was a little hairy, as I hadn't been to the store and was stuck all morning with only Enjoy Life Foods chocolate chips and green tea to hold me over. Fortunately, I did make it to the grocery later on, and by tonight my meals may once again resemble actual meals:

Breakfast(ish)
EnjoyLife chocolate chips (condiment serving)
Twinnings Jasmine Green Tea

Snack
Rice Chex
w/ Whole Flax Seeds
w/ Chockies
w/ Organic Welch's Grape Juice and Sparkling Water

Lunch
Med. Grain W. Rice Cooked w/ Water and Coconut Oil
Spinach (frozen) Cooked in Olive Oil w/ Onion Powder, Salt, Nutritional Yeast (messed up on the yeast, oops!) with a Few Black Beans Cooked in Water

Dinner
Chicken in Rice Flour, Red Pepper and Salt w/ Diced Tomatoes and Sauteed Mushrooms
Over Med. Grain W. Rice w/ Sauteed Spinach

Drink
1 Shot Vodka w/2 of Grape Juice w/ 2 of Sparkling Water

Snack
Choc Cookies

Measurements: 118.6 31/33

Drew Brees is Gluten-Free

Wow! My hometown hero Drew Brees has food allergies! According to Sports Illustrated: Brees's long list of food allergies includes dairy, wheat, gluten, eggs and nuts.

Brees has been such a positive figure in New Orleans, hopefully public knowledge of his food allergies will help inspire children out there, for whom adhere to allergy free diets can make them feel like outcasts.

Maybe a big gluten-free company will lock him in as a sponsor? A girl can dream, can't she!

Making Beauty Happen

When I first went gluten-free, in many ways my skin improved, but one challenge I began to face was seemingly irreparable dryness. Finally, I have a gluten-free moisture serum that works wonders for my skin and complexion!

For years I researched ingredients and tested out personal care products in search of the best of the gluten-free beauties. Finally, I've gotten a chance to put all that hard work to the true test in the form of a product formulated by my very own hands!

Introducing:


The formula is blended upon order--no waiting around. Using only healthy, nourishing oils and extracts.

What's Hiding in Your Wine?

I had a breakthrough in my wine investigations recently, and that came with the realization of what is really hiding in our wine glasses: casein, albumen, isinglass and gelatin. All of these icky ingredients are commonly used to fine or clarify wine before it is racked.

Fortunately there is a wonderful site called Barnivore.com which has helped me to discover many wonderful casein-free "vegan" wines that I can enjoy with lessened repercussions.

Click here for my article about how casein makes it into your wine glass and how to avoid it.

Lecithin/Egg-Free, the Way for Me?

Well, I must be onto something.

I'm ruling out placebo effect since when Dr. Vikki mentioned that I could have a starch or fat sensitivity, I hopped on board. Wasn't starch, and going low carb--yet again--was not fun. I did, however, expect to see startling results since pre-gluten/dairy free I always lost weight on low carb diets. But alas, no mas.

And then low fat was more fun than low starch, but still, no progress.

It's been just two and a half days now, but I've got to say, I do believe that whatever is plaguing me may very well be processing out of my body, and leaving me the healthier/happier for it. Today my waist measurements were improved slightly and my energy, attitude and outlook has been just amazingly better.

I was even hyper this morning, wow! I have not been hyper in . . . too long!

So then, is it eggs, or lecithin (which would include eggs)? I'm not sure yet, but in the meantime I have no problem avoiding the suspicious foods considering how much better I feel!

I even spent half the day mixing up a delish, allergy-free cookie recipe for Waylon--which he liked, very, very much!

@ waist 28.9"
2" below belly button 31.6"

Modified Elim. Diet

I've been wondering whether this blog is worth keeping up--what with all of the other blogs and sites I work on. But a perusal of entries past has me remembering the value of this 'lil blog.

For the past three months I have been trying to sort out what's gone wrong in my diet.

Symptoms:
-bloating
-fatigue
-acid stomach

Old symptoms popping back up, and I have yet to lay a finger on just why that may be. I've consulted an expert (Dr. Vikki Petersen), been charting through my book about acupuncture (r/e symptoms and related foods) and now perusing back through old posts on this here blog to determine how my diet's changed, and what are my possible offenders.

Now, I may be completely off, but here are some possibilities, far as I can tell:
-eggs
-bell peppers
-onions
-garlic
-rice
-potatoes

I figure the offender(s) must be something(s) that I have virtually every day, so those are the most likely, but a bit of research has rendered most of these foods relative. To a lecithin intolerance that is.

Foods containing lecithin include:

• Tomatoes
• Potatoes (not yams or sweet potatoes)
• Eggplant
• Bell peppers
• Tobacco
• Soy
• Peanuts

This could very well be it, and here's why I think so:

1. I stopped eating potato chips about a week and a half ago since I was having Kettle chips daily and suspected that those were part of the problem.
2. We eat bell pepper strips nearly every single night.
3. I've not been much of a soy person since going gluten & casein free, but lately have been having it more often.
4. Peanuts give me a sore throat.
5. Too many tomato products leaves my tongue pale.

This is not the most imperfect or scientific experiment, but hopefully I am onto something.

I figured all of this out yesterday evening after a meditation on the subject and then began my modified elimination diet, using prior food journals and the above research to create a menu for myself.

Here are today's stats:

@ waist 29"
2" below belly button 31.6"

(yesterday was 30 and 32" respectively)

Breakfast:
-TJ's Chicken Apple Sausage (1 piece, microwaved, since Tay made eggs on the Le Creuset)
-1 of the Awful Almond/Coconut Cookies I made last night

Snack:
-1/2 Inspired Cookie, Choco./Jasmine
-1 of the Awful Cookies

Wine Contains Casein?

For months I have been trying to figure out why sometimes I feel so much better than others. I've suspected that I am getting "glutened" or even "caseined." But how?

Who'd have thought I could be getting "caseined" from wine?!

I am not even certain how I first came to realized that wine is sometimes fined with casein, but in the course of me research, I found this helpful article: Is Your Wine Fined?

Looking over my diet, it made perfect sense. But how am I to know which wines are safe? Look for vegan wines. Wines labeled "vegan" (not vegetarian) contain NO animal products/byproducts.

Unfortunately, finding vegan wine is not as easy as it sounds--even at Whole Foods. Some stores have begun labeling vegan products, but others do not. I did however fine this incredibly helpful resource: Barnivore's Vegan Wine List.

Cheers!

Crazy for Cider Quinoa

Since even just the suspicion of a gluten sensitivity I have been cooking up quinoa. Though about a month ago I was ready to give up on the stubborn grain after my favorite marinade was no longer available at Whole Foods.

Flavoring this stuff is just never very easy--it requires just the right balance and potency. So unless you can actually still eat dairy and thus enjoy a good quinoa risotto, I am sure you know have fought similar battles.

Recently, however, I figured out my personal, perfect quinoa dish! After learning more about the possible digestive benefits of garlic and apple cider vinegar, I began incorporating them into just about every dish. I buy the brand Bragg's, since the pasteurized stuff never tastes the same, but I do microwave or cook it in, since there is supposedly a slight risk in consuming raw cider vinegar.

I wash my quiona, dump in a one-t0-two count of apple cider vinegar, add a splash of olive oil, a couple of chopped garlic cloves and begin to simmer. Once the quinoa is stirred and coated, I dump in the water and cook away, adding kosher salt to taste.

This is the best tasting quinoa I've had. The sour cider completely changes the taste, much to my liking!

The costs/benefits of apple cider vinegar are still controversial, but for girl who can't even eat cheese, I crave some complexity of flavor, and the cider really hits the spot.

Whole Foods Chicken: An Educational Experience

During the week I often make lunches easier by picking up a Whole Foods rotisserie chicken. I usually opt for the perfectly plain, and then de-bone it and flavor it with a marinade. Though I have always appreciated the clear list of ingredients in case I might want to branch out and try another seasoned variety.

Today, however, I learned something very interesting. The chickens were still in the cooker, when a very nice cook asked which kind I preferred, then removed and packaged one for me. Unfortunately, she misheard me and I realized that I cannot eat the lemon-herb seasoned chickens because of the ingredients (I can't have wheat or dairy).

I apologized and said that either the classic or perfectly plain would be find, but the lady was very nice and grabbed the plain chickens off of the top bar, informing me that the classic chickens are cooked at the very bottom of the cooker--so all of the other chickens (including barbecue and lemon herb) drip down, contaminating the classic chickens.

Needless to say, this is disturbing. Nowhere on the label does it say that that the chickens could be contaminated, but then again, they do not say "gluten-free" either.

Fortunately, I just received a very positive response when I called national headquarters. I spoke with Customer Service Specialist Jessie Walker who said that he would send out a global e-mail immediately on this subject. He was careful to warn that their kitchens are unfortunately, not dedicated gluten-free, so there is always a risk of cross-contamination. But that this is an easy enough fix: cook the plain on top, the classic right below, and all else underneath those.

I sure hope that my phone call does make a difference. Though in the future, I will definitely try to only buy chickens fresh out of the cooker so that I can ask on which level the were cooked.

Gluten-Free, Casein-Free and Really Good Spinach Frittata

Today I wish I were a better photographer. So many bloggers have these gorgeous images of the foods they cook that just makes your mouth water. Sorry y'all, I am not one of them!

But if you are looking for a healthy, lower-care recipe, this one's quite good!

My Aunt Di introduced me to oven baked spinach frittatas a few years ago, and since then, I have been trying to create my own gluten-free, casein-free version

What You'll Need:
2 pkgs. of frozen chopped spinach
1 pkg. cheese singles (we used Rice cheese, gluten and casein free)
1/2 cup gluten-free flour blend
1/2 tsp. xantham gum
4 eggs
4 egg whites
1 pkg. bacon
butter substitute

Heat oven to 425, take a muffin tin and put a small dollup of gluten/casein free butter substitute into each cup (about 1/3 tsp.) and place this in the oven for a couple of minutes until the butter substitute is melted to leave a thin layer coating the bottom of the tin and set aside.

Spray a cooking skillet with olive oil and cook spinach just until thawed adding Tony Chachere's or salt for flavoring.

Beat eggs and egg whites in a large bowl with an electric mixer. Add in gluten-free flour blend, xantham gum and mix. Then add about 6 squares of Rice cheese crumbled or sliced into little bits and add in the cooked spinach (spoon the spinach in, trying not to pick up excess moisture left at the bottom of the skillet). Mix.

Take the bacon and wrap a slice around the inside of each muffin cup, then fill the bacon cup about 3/4 full with the spinach mixture. Top each cup with slices of the remaining pieces of Rice cheese.

Bake for 35-45 minutes. You may want to take one out and check the filling to cook it to your liking, for crispier, cook 45, for more gooey, cook 35, but be sure the egg is cooked completely.

These are even great stored in the fridge and heated in the microwave for about a minute!

Enjoy!