Please pray for me . . .

I got my Haldol increased and have been so tired I can barely function for part of the day. It doesn't seem to be working (except for putting me to sleep so I can't be hearing voices). Today I feel better, but I keep being confused, thinking I am evil, etc. I feel sorry for my family who has to deal with all this. But there is something comforting, which is that mental illness is physical and not spiritual. That is a very comforting thought. And now I think I will knit on my sweater for awhile. Sorry, I just needed to vent. But please pray for me.

Neurological weirdness . . .

After coming back from a scout campout, my brain started to do funny things. First, I was hugging my dad goodnight, and suddenly ran away because I thought he was a creepy guy. Next, I threw my favorite stuffed bunny named Rutabaga across the room, and felt as though I would vomit should I eat a rutabaga. Isn't that weird?
Sometimes I don't understand why my brain does these things. I know it's part of the schizophrenia, and I know I should be grateful for not hearing voices, but still, it's hard. Sometimes I think the GAPS diet isn't working, or is pointless, or isn't worth it. But I know that's not true, because it is most likely thanks to the GAPS diet that I am not hearing voices. Not to mention my crappy medications and God's mercy.
At least I survived church today. I was worried. I learned that St. Dymphna is an intercessor for mental illness. I try to ask for her prayers. That is neat, I think.

Mahna Mahna

This is FUNNY! It is apparently part of a Sesame Street episode from the 60s.
Here is the Muppet Show version:
Click here
Enjoy!

Foraging fun - crabapples!

There are two crabapple trees growing in my apartment complex, and it is hard to resist going 'crabapple picking'. Yesterday I did just that, and laboriously chopped up the apples to make applesauce.(This is not for the faint of heart. But it is worth it in my opinion!) A batch of coconut-crabapple muffins is in the oven even as we speak, a strange combination of local/foraged food and imported tropical food. :)
This blog post is part of Fight Back Fridays.

Handspun Neckwarmer (no button yet)!

Here it is, the first knitted thing from my handspun:

Ginger update

My ginger plants are doing great! There are two shoots, each about 4 inches high, with leaves! I wish I could post pictures, but I can't get the camera working. Look on Google Images for 'ginger plants' and shrink what you see way down for an approximation. I am still hoping the third one will send up a shoot - there is an increasingly swollen sprout. Don't you just love watching things grow?

Adventures with socks

I used to think I was hopeless with double pointed needles. But once I got so bored I tried, and ended up with a cute baby hat (even though it was acrylic . . . blecch). Now I can knit socks, and since this blog is lacking in pictures, I thought I would post some. My first socks:

More socks:

Here is my yarn!

Coconut flour pizza crust

I got this pizza recipe from Grain-Free Foodies, then tweaked it a little based on what I had on hand. It turned out a little fall-aparty, but was still good. Here is the recipe I used. Go to Grain-Free Foodies for the original.
2 eggs
1/2 cup coconut flour
1/4 cup water
3/4 cup kefir
2 tsp Italian seasoning
1 clove garlic, crushed
I would have used the teaspoon of salt but left it out because I couldn't find it. Anyway:
Beat the eggs, then beat in other ingredients. Spread out the dough thinly on a pizza pan. Pre-bake for about 20 minutes (it may take more or less time, but you want a stiff crust). Top with sauce, cheese (or not) and your favorite toppings (I used mushrooms). Bake until the cheese is melted or until the veggies are crisp, or until the crust is completely done. Take out of the oven. Eat. This crust is, in my opinion, more like a thin-crust grain pizza than the almond flour one, despite being not quite as tasty. But almonds don't seem to do so well for me, so this one works great.
Note: The original recipe called for coconut milk. I didn't have any on hand so used kefir. I don't know how it would taste with coconut milk, but kefir makes for a sour crust. But that's what you use if you want to avoid dairy completely. Of course if you are not doing GAPS but would like to try this you could use fresh milk.
This blog post is part of Fight Back Fridays, hosted by Food Renegade

Spun my first skein!

It was actually a few weeks ago, and I did a crappy skein that I had to unravel first, but you can see it on my Ravelry page by looking for starzo11's stash. (Sorry, I couldn't figure out how to post the picture and I don't know if this will work for non-Ravelry members.) It is purple and very slubby. But I am working on a better one.

My ginger plants

I was grating ginger for a recipe and noticed the ginger was sprouting. So, knowing me, I planted it. Now it is sending up little green shoots of which I will post a picture as soon as I can figure out how to hook up the camera to the computer! I am so excited. Oh, and the spider plants are making babies too!

Changing my blog

It's as simple as this: I decided it was time for a change.
When I first created this blog I thought it was cool to have Asperger Syndrome, so I called the blog "Aspies are Cool".
But now I wonder: how can a neurological impairment be "cool"? That just doesn't make any sense.
So I changed my blog to something that better reflects the real me: Rutabaga Girl.
Why that? For one thing, I think that 'rutabaga' is a funny word. And I like funny things. Actually, I think 'rutabaga' is my favorite word. And they are crunchy and delicious. I just thought I should explain why the name of my blog suddenly changed.

GAPS "Pumpkin" muffins

I modified the coconut banana muffin recipe to use 1 cup acorn squash in place of the bananas, and added cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves for seasoning. They came out delicious! Here is the recipe:
Beat 6 eggs and 1/4 cup each of honey and coconut oil or melted butter. Add 1 cup each of mashed squash and coconut flour. Add cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Make as muffins for 20-25 minutes in a 350 degree oven. Enjoy!

12 year old girl speaks against abortion

Here is a link to a great video on a girl who QUOTES HORTON (!!!)) in her speech against abortion. Seriously, it's worth seeing.

Contemplate this . . .

Why is it that raw milk is either illegal or has to be sold under the label of 'pet food', yet raw meat, which is NOT well-known for having antimicrobial substances to go with its microbes, is legal? Meat is always sold raw, because you are expected to cook it. So why not milk? The FDA could advise everyone to pasteurize their own milk, and smart people who don't trust the FDA wouldn't listen.
Okay, I know this is highly unrealistic. But I am just making a point, really. Seriously, why is it so hard to get nutritious raw milk, yet so easy to get questionably safe raw meat?

Food Renegade - win free starter cultures!

Click here to enter to win starter cultures, including kombucha, sourdough, and water kefir!

An easy GAPS breakfast

Here is an easy GAPS-friendly breakfast: almond pancakes. Whisk with a fork an egg and some almond meal. I never measure it, but about enough to halfway fill a small bowl. I suppose you could also add honey and/or salt, but I haven't tried this. Put some coconut oil in a small skillet and cook as 2 small or 1 large pancakes. You may need to press down with a spatula after flipping. Serve with butter and/or nut butter and/or honey.

Delicious GAPS coconut muffins!

I found this recipe on the internet, and modified it to make it absolutely GAPS legal.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. If you don't have fresh bananas on hand, thaw a couple frozen ones in the following manner:
Put the frozen bananas in a bowl. Put the bowl in a bowl of hot tap water. When one side gets mushy, flip. Ta-da! A microwave free banana thawing solution!
While the oven is preheating and the bananas are thawing (of course you may not need to thaw if you have fresh ones), whisk 6 eggs (yes, you heard me, half a dozen!) in a mixing bowl. Whisk in 2 tbsp each of butter and coconut oil (I successfully used all butter, so I bet you could use all coconut oil as well if you needed non-dairy) and milk (I used water and they turned out just fine). Also add 3 tbsp of honey, 1/8 tsp of salt, and 1/2 tsp of vanilla. (I left out the vanilla because I didn't know the ingredients, and they came out just fine.) Stir in the bananas and 1 cup of coconut flour. Grease 12 muffin cups with coconut oil and bake (for around 20 minutes, I guess). Makes 12 muffins. Mom and I love them. Now if I could only get my brother to eat them . . .

Does everything have a use, perhaps?

Did you ever have the notion that just maybe, everything is useful. It probably is because God is good. Anyway, I was reading a blog called GAPsters and found a use for that 'useless' weed plantain.
Plantain can be used as an itch remedy, apparently! Not that I have tried it, but according to the blog, you chop up the leaves and mix with olive oil for an itch remedy. But it gets better. If you get bitten by a mosquito or stung by a bee, and need an instant remedy, you can chew the leaf up, spit it out, and apply like a poultice. Isn't that neat?

No grains, no voices!

After reading the Schizophrenia chapter in the book Gut and Psychology Syndrome, Mom told me not to eat grains. Since then (which has only been a few days) I have not heard voices. And I have yet to do the intro protocol! It is interesting how foods can affect someone's mind to this extent.

Win a free case of lacto-fermented salad dressing!

Food Renegade posted this on her blog and there is a free giveaway. Just trying to spread the word (and possibly get an extra entry)!
Here is the link:Click here to go to Food Renegade and enter to win!

Obsessions, GAPS, and feeling blah . . .

After reading the food renegade post on autism (that I told her about), Mom decided to order the book Gut and Psychology Syndrome. It tells you how to do the GAPS diet, which, for those of you familiar with both, is basically a Nourishing Traditions version of the SCD diet. It is so interesting I couldn't put it down and at night I couldn't wait till morning so I could read it more! This diet seems to be my only hope, as I am now on Haldol and no medication seems to work very well for me. Even Mom now admits that my meds stopped working when I made the switch from SCD to enzymes. So I just have to wait for Mom to read the book, which is fine, but depressing nonetheless. Sigh. And to top it all off, I read in the book that swimming pools are toxic chemical soups that are best avoided - just when our apartment pool opened, too! And there was me thinking swimming was a relaxing, therapeutic form of exercise . . . again all I can say is SIGH!

Soda tab Flowers

I made these flowers by instructions I got off the internet . . . of course! But I had to modify them to make them work, as usual. So instead of crocheting the middle first, wound up crocheting the outside first, and then finishing like a flower on the KK flower loom. These are really easy and quick to make, provided that you have a lot of soda tabs on your hands!

Looms - not just for loops anymore!

You can also use yarn instead of loops on a loom. I watched a video on someone's blog, so you should be able to find it if you google the right words . I have now warped the loop and in a few minutes will be weaving while I listen to a book on tape. Have fun weaving!

Loom loops - not just for looms anymore!

I bought a plastic loom with a metal hook and a bag of cotton loops for just over $5 at Hobby Lobby. I made my parents several potholders and then got bored. So I was surfing the web and found a web site called makingfriends.org which has all sorts of cheap, nifty craft ideas. Using a technique called 'finger weaving' which a friend had already taught me how to do with yarn years ago, you can make everything from scrunchies to jump ropes to belts to rugs with loom loops. It rocks! My friend and I made each other scrunchies, and I am working on either a jump rope or a rug(Hopefully a rug). By the way, if you are out of loops, you can cut up old socks. I wouldn't know whether or not to reccomend for potholders, but they work for finger weaving!

Service Dogs

I knew that service/therapy dogs existed for autistic children, but apparently now people are starting to realize that they can also be of benefit for the mentally ill. They are called Psychiatric Service Dogs, and can apparently do such things as prevent the owner from engaging in compulsive behaviors, comforting the owner/bringing him out of depression, etc. It is all very interesting.

Silly Me

I bought a Knifty Knitter flower loom for $4.99 at Jo-Ann Fabrics. I immediately tried to make a turtle with it, and found that one of the pegs came out. After some experimenting, I found out that ALL the pegs came out. So I thought about gluing them in, but we were out of Superglue. So I posted on Ravelry, a great site, about it, and within less than an hour I got a response: the pegs are MADE to come out for easy flower removal. Sometime I might glue the pegs in, but for now I use tissue to secure them.

A Joyful Activity

Last night we had knitting at someone's house who had a dog. We knitted outside. The dog's name is Barley and is very fun to play with. I chased him, he chased me, and we had a great time. My asthma didn't even bother me too much. The dog owner says running around is his favorite game, and said thank you for wearing him out. I felt happier than I had felt in a long time. Sometimes I think that if I had a dog, I would have no need for antidepressants - although I know it isn't true. Sigh . . .

SCD alternatives

I have been feeling stressed out about going to camp lately. It would be a great spiritual experience, but would mean temporarily going off the SCD, which is NOT a good idea, from what I have heard. Good cause for stress and conflict, huh?
I finally came up with a good compromise - enzymes. My hopes are that the enzymes will enable me to go to camp, go off the SCD, and be healthier without all the fuss of eating different meals. I could, however, use your prayers. Thanks!

Delicious Stage 1 muffins!

I was looking at a blog called "The SCD girl and her kid" and it has some awesome recipes that anyone early on SCD should try. Included was a recipe for carrot pancakes, which I had made before instead of squash pancakes. There was also a recipe for muffins. It called for 2 cups pureed fruit of veggie, so I used 1 cup each of applesauce and mashed carrots. I used the eggs, honey, and coconut oil, but omitted the cinnamon and vanilla. Best grain free muffins without nuts I ever tasted!

Church for the Neurogically Impaired

Does anyone else with neurological problems such as autism or schizophrenia have difficulty with church? I know I do. Of course our church is liturgical, which is nice but is practically a recipe for sensory overload.
Today, at church, I kept feeling angry and frustrated for no reason, hitting myself and stomping my feet. At one point I even tried to crawl under the pew. I was quite embarassed afterwards, but what can you do?
In the end, my dad had to take me out and I ended up sitting with Mom in the choir loft. Then I was fine.
What could this be? How can I be having problems in one part of church and not in another? The only real factor was that my sister wasn't in the choir loft. She was bothering me. I feel so guilty for being bothered, which is an ongoing problem for me. And all I can do is trust God to forgive me.

A trip to Farmer's Market

This morning my mother and I went to farmer's market. Or I should say one farmer's market, because it can't be the only one! There was nice fiddle music playing and we found local honey, eggs, beef, and lard! These things are hard to get. We also got vegetables and basil and cilantro to plant in pots, which I did. It was overall charming, and I commented: "This is how shopping should be!"

Yay! I'm back to spinning newspaper!

I figured out the secret to spinning newspaper. It's all in the joining. You simply hold the unspun strands together and then twist them. So now I am back to spinning newspaper.

The $500 Question for Today

People frequently make health claims for the 'Paleo diet'. This is supposedly the diet we evolved to eat, as hunter-gatherers, and is incedentally grain-free.
But what if you don't believe in evolution? What if you believe that God created everything around the same time, and that He taught humans to farm? What if the 'diseases of civilization' are not from civilization itself but from an unbalanced diet? It was my mother who brought up these questions, incidentally.
I do not believe that diseases of civilization do not exist, but I also do not think that cavemen were completely healthy, seeing as how they starved half the time, or at least many of them did. I think diseases of civilization are caused by newer things, such as pesticides and antibiotics. Not farming.
There is evidence that antibiotics and vaccines can cause autism. You can make an argument on either side, but I stand in the middle. I think that vaccines and/or antibiotics can make an autistic condition worse, where it may not have manifested otherwise. I also think that not all forms of autism are alike, and that the 'autism epidemic' may be from different things such as antibiotics, vaccnes, all combined with industrial food. But I am not a certified health specialist, so I cannot say for sure.
So maybe we would all be perfectly healthy if we ate properly processed, organic food and everything was in moderation. Maybe if the doctors didn't shove antibiotics at you to make you go away, there would be fewer cases of autism. Maybe if everyone prepared their grains properly and there was no such thing as packaged, processed junk, there would be no need for grain-free diets that are necessary for healing in some people. This is just a theory, but maybe. Just maybe.

Why I am on the SCD diet

First you might ask "What is the SCD diet?" So first I will answer that. SCD is Specific Carbohydrate Diet, and the basic idea is that the only food you eat is easy to digest, so it doesn't feed bad microbes in your gut that cause brain problems. This means no grains, no sugar, and no starches (potatoes, tapioca, arrowroot . . .). Also the only dairy allowed is lactose-free. It has recently been approved as a treatment for autism and there is evidence that it can help schizophrenia. So what is there to lose?
I have been on this diet before for 'autistic' symptoms because I just felt awful. But after only a few months, I had a major psychotic break, was hospitalized and diagnosed with catatonic schizophrenia, and taken off the diet. I was soon back on the GFCF diet because I felt drunk when I ate gluten. But going back on the SCD diet was not the plan - until a friend of my mother's went on it. Mom flipped through the book, and before I said good night, I mentioned:
"You know, when I was on that diet, my brain and my tummy felt way better."
So now I am back on the SCD diet and all I am eating is meat, eggs, carrots, bananas, honey and Welch's grape juice. Do I feel deprived. No. Apart from occasional sweet cravings, I feel sorry for everyone else when I see the junk they are putting into their bodies. Not all of them are, so I am not trying to be judgemental. I just want to feel my best. And this is how I do it. It may not be the same for everyone, but this is what works for me.

A Spinning Misadventure

So I asked for a spindle and some wool for my birthday present. The pair of spindles finally came in the mail. I had checked out a library book on handspinning, and it mentioned recycled fibers such as blue jean cotton or wool mixed with recycled plastic bottles. I wanted to see if these fibers were cheaper than wool, which can be pricey. So I searched and searched, and all the recycled fibers were at least as expensive as wool, if not more. Finally I stumbled across a website on making 'newspaper yarn'. I looked at the instructions and theoretically, all you had to do was cut newspaper into strips, twist it to make a leader, and twist the strips together with a spindle. Did it work?
No, of course not? The paper kept breaking. So that was the end of my 'new project enthusiasm'. I do admire the person who managed to pull it off though, and would be grateful for tips! So I will try not to be too pessimistic and wait to get some wool to spin.