Gluten-free Steel Cut Oats Lactation Cookies

Two days ago, my little guy hit the 3 month mark. He is exclusively breastfed, and up until this point I had a huge oversupply, so I froze any milk that I pumped after feedings for donating and future use. While I have an ample supply of milk for my little one, my pumping output was decreasing and my goal was to express enough to gift some of my "liquid gold" to multiple families...so I decided to venture into the lactation cookie arena in hopes to boost my supply a little.

When I searched online for the "perfect" lactation cookie recipe, I could not find one that fit my exact needs. Some contained fenugreek, which can be hard on the stomach and not effective unless you are consuming at least 1,160 mg of fenugreek 3x per day (I have read higher recommendations as well) in order to see a boost in supply. So any cookie recipe that I had found, did not contain  nearly enough fenugreek. Additionally, I wanted a recipe that was low in sugar and carbs (as I am trying to eat healthier, and I have not been exercising all that much...which I am working on correcting soon!), so I combined (and actually taste-tested myself!) my favorite recipes into one and includes 3 non-fenugreek galactagogues (substances that improves lactation): oats, flax, and brewers yeast.

Chocolate Coconut Cake With Whipped Cream & Strawberry Topping

Typically, "healthy" desserts are flavorless and just do not seem to satisfy the sweet tooth. I recently made this recipe for my family as a special Valentine's Day dessert and it instantly became a favorite! No added sugar, gluten-free, low in carbs, and very tasty! 

DELICIOUS Gluten-free, Keto-friendly, & Sugar-free Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake

In the quest for finding lower carb and keto-friendly recipes for my husband, I came across this AMAZING recipe just before Thanksgiving to surprise my husband with a desert that the whole family could enjoy. At first, as with many recipes that I come across on the internet, I really did not expect this cheesecake to be all that good. After all, cheesecake is my favorite desert and I am very picky about healthier versions. I truly fell in love at first bite with this one though! Recipe courtesy of Maria Mind Body Health, along with some additional notes and suggestions by me.
 

Yes, I do realize that all words used in the picture above to label this desert is considered "cheesecake heresy", but trust me when I say this recipe kicks the pants off of any grocery store-bought alternatives! 

Change Begins At Home...Inspiring Others To Becoming More Self-Sufficient

Lil Man & Dad planting pumpkins

In my family's journey to self-sustainment, we believe that our most important change begins at home. Our land is our "training ground' for our boys. In fact, they have helped us grow our fruits and veggies from seed. They have helped us in every process from planting, watering, and even chemical-free pest control. This gardening project has truly been a blessing for our family, not only will we have a source of food free of commercial pesticides, but our children have "grown" in miraculous ways.

Leettle loves our garden fresh peas, In fact...they are his preferred snack!

 What Our Garden Teaches Our Children :

* Self-reliance - by growing our own food, we help our children realize that we can provide for ourselves and discuss how to preserve some of this food (by not only freezing, but canning, or drying)...which is extremely important during times of financial crisis or natural disasters. We live in tornado country, so having a stocked pantry is pretty important.

* Responsibility - each year, we allow our children to choose a couple of crops to care for, and in the process they learn the value of hard-work.

* Self-worth - this is the "by-product" of responsibility. My boys were filled with joy when they were able to see the result of their labor. They were able to do things that momma and da da could do!