Gluten Free Salmon Fritters

I like fish. Salmon is high on the list. These fritters are a little addictive to me. Pair it with a yummy cocktail sauce and I'm set. Something about them makes me feel like a 5 year old eating fish sticks for lunch, but I'm alright with that.

You will need:

1 can of salmon, drained and deboned

1 tbs. of gluten free bread crumbs

juice of half a lemon

1 egg

Place the salmon in a medium mixing bowl. Scramble and add egg to salmon. Mix. As weird as it is I prefer to mix it with my hands, I feel like it really mixes into the fish. Squirt lemon juice in and salt and pepper if desired. Add bread crumbs slowly, mix with hands. You don't want it too dry just enough to make it packable and form into patties.  Sprinkle olive oil into a skillet and fry fritters until lightly golden brown on both sides.

Expect a few crumbles around the edges. They're the best part!

-Zon

Scarf Giveaway Winner!

The winner of the scarf I was doing a giveaway for was Cpatch7. She entered via  my instagram!

I also shared this little DIY I did for Brashear Kids. A super easy, budget friendly, healthy valentine to make and give away. Go check out the full tutorial here.

-Zon

Little Makeovers: Vintage Swing Lamp

We are very slowly making small home improvements here and there as we have time and resources. The Dining room used to have a very long table, almost like a boardroom table, that seated about 10. As a wedding gift, Dylan's aunts gifted us this great Mid Century table and chairs! We finally went and picked it up the other day and I was tickled pink! I love them! We are making efforts to make that room seem more open and spacious

We changed out the light fixture in the kitchen. Our friend Al had this Vintage Brass Swing Lamp that he let us have.  We are all about reusing and repurposing. We decided to paint it black to make it stand out a little bit. We also chose to keep the base in the same location as the old light (which was centered in the room) and draped the chain to the new location of the table on the far wall. Plus it saved us from drilling new holes and running new electric.

We were inspired by some images I have come across on blogs and pinned to my Pinterest. I really like the exposed wires, some think it looks messy but I think it adds a little more detail to an otherwise boring ceiling.

 

1. Still Stars 2. Remodelista 3. Vintage House 4. My Scandinavian Home

 

We went to Lowes picked up a few things we were going to need. New LED Lightbulbs (they're awesome), black chain, lamp wire, and a finial (that actually didn't work out) ceiling hooks (not pictured) and flat black spray paint (also not pictured).

This is where having a handy husband comes in well... handy. We removed our old light fixture and got to work. We painted the brass, attached the wire and threaded the chain. We measured out our placement and hung the light. Dylan worked out all the electrical part of it, I'm so glad I married a guy that loves projeccts as much as I do, actually more than I do.

Ignore the primered walls and giant yellow circle on the ceiling. Still working on painting that room.

Total project cost was about $60. We bought LED lights which are a bit more pricey but will save us money in the long run. We also didn't use all the materials so we have left overs for another project!

What do you think? We're kind of in love with it! The room is much more open and the placement of the table allows a much smoother flow to the room. I can't wait to start sharing before and after pictures of finished rooms! 

-Zon

A Little Giveaway - CLOSED

I'm doing a little giveaway for a Chunky 100% wool infinity scarf, handmade by me.

Mustard yellow - no acrylic - super warm

Two ways to enter:

1. Follow and Repost on Instagram with @amberZon and  #amberZongiveaway

or

2. Like on Facebook and share.

Or do both to increase your chances!

Winner will be announced Tuesday, February 28th.

Here I am modeling it. I know front camera, bad picture quality, ya ya ya, I literally take all my photos with my iphone. Sorry!

Enjoy!

-Zon

*** The giveaway is now closed. Thank you to all those who entered! I am excited for the next one! 

Coping with a Gluten Sensitivity and 6 tips on how to do it.

I shared a while back about how I had discovered I had a gluten sensitivity. It has been about 6 months since I talked about it and close to a year since I have come to the realization. I thought I would give a little update since I get asked on occasion how it is coming along.

It sucks.
Seriously. 

If you don't have to do it, don't do it. I'm still adjusting, a year later. I keep telling myself it will get better and it has in some ways, but in other ways the craving and anger for wanting something I shouldn't have seems to intensify. 

I have understood that most of it is a retraining of my mind. Teaching myself that I don't need the food I am craving. That I can use this as an opportunity to get creative, or make my own version of them. The other day I told myself that it was just a tiny bit, It won't affect me that much...
Wrong!
I was not myself within about 3 hours. I was bummed and irritable with Dylan and then it hit me at dinner time that night. I've been glutened! It got me! Every now and then it slips into something I've eaten and I feel foggy. Every time it happens I feel like it just reinforces how bad it is for me.

This book, sorry if the title offends you, has been the best thing for me since finding out about my gluten sensitivity.

While we were in Chicago we went to a cute little shop and I came across this book, read a few excerpts and was dying laughing in the store. We bought it and I read it during the rest of our trip. Dylan was laughing right along with me. It is such an encouraging book. It was like someone climbed inside my head, narrated/commentated most of my frustrations and experiences I have had with all of this.

Amy Peveteaux is a freaking riot! Her sarcasm makes is all worth it. I would recommend this book to anyone, gluten free or not, it is hilarious by itself but even more hilarious if you have experienced some of the same frustrations. Her blog is written in a similar fashion and I just think it is great.

So a year in here is my advice:

1. Stick with it, your bowels, loved ones and self will thank you for it.

2. Find a few encouraging people to surround yourself with. Dylan constantly encourages me and also eats/cooks to my sensitivity. Our close friend group (that we potluck with) is mostly vegetarian and they have kindly made gf dishes. Our church has also kindly taken the need of vegetarians and gf people into consideration with the Sunday meals. I can't stress how important this one is. Understanding friends make the struggle a lot easier.

3. Retrain your brain. Maybe this comes easier for some folks but for me I don't like hearing that I can't do something, it just makes me want to do it all the more. Call it rebellious or call it what you want but I hate it. I have to remember that I like to craft and create so I need to look at food like a craft project. We went on a big grocery run last weekend and Dylan left me for a couple days, it was like he had bought me a bunch of new art supplies, so many possibilities!

4. Buy yourself a couple new gluten free cookbooks or discover a new blog. My friend Maggie bought us Gluten-Free on a Shoestring and it has been a great one to have. Simple recipes trying to focus on not spending a lot and using what you have around the kitchen already.  Amy's book and blog is great as well.

5. Buy yourself some good all purpose gluten free flour. This suggestion is in many of the books and blogs I have perused and they are right! Trader Joe's has a decent one that I use, Cup 4 Cup is also an excellent/pricey choice but very nice to have on hand (it has the xantham gum already in the flour).

6. Eat more fruits and veggies! We're all supposed to anyway right? Having a healthier lifestyle does help you to not crave those snack cakes as much. 

I don't know if any of these helped anyone out there in internet land but this is what I have discovered after a year of this journey, it may be a totally different story in another year. Who knows? Until then I will keep sharing recipes for my fellow gf comrades.

Hannah made this beautiful Decadent Gluten Free Chocolate Cake and I have shared a few gluten free recipes

Gluten Free Tuna Casserole

Cheesy Sunchoke and Broccoli Soup

Caramelized Brussel Sprouts and Carrots

Zon's Homemade Veggie Burgers

-Zon