Crisis Averted

I don't always get things recorded (or blogged) when I should as life gets in my way sometimes.  (The nerve!)  However, I want to always make an attempt to get each detail of our story out there as I know that a) I won't remember them for long and b) you may be struggling in the same area.

So, my "update" of sorts for you today is actually about a month old.  However, it may be better that I'm telling you now as it squelches all chances of simply coincidence (and lack of evidence).

We started school this year without a bang.  I know, that's supposed to be "with a bang".  But see, we've banged every other year, so it was nice to have a year with no bang.  Actually though - our bang just came late.  Dang it.

Remember when I wrote this about how awesome the first week of school had been?  It was the first year EVER that I hadn't had to have a teacher-parent conference the first week of school to "develop a plan" for "how we were going to deal" with Craig.  It was GLORIOUS!  When I arrived to pick him up from school each afternoon that first week, the teacher didn't look at me with that look that says "TAKE HIM NOW PLEASE!!".  It was a first for us ... and it was really awesome.

However, the other shoe dropped.  (It always does, right?)  And the second week of school, Craig started acting a fool.  We were having trouble at home, so I knew something was up but I couldn't pin-point it.  We were following (rigidly) our diet plan and he was getting all of his supplements, but he was seriously struggling.  We had back-talk and emotional drama and just a general bad attitude.  (I realize some of that may sound normal, but when I talk about it with Craig I'm talking about an escalated scene.)

Then, things went from bad to worse and we began to see actual aggression.  He grabbed hold of some kid's neck on the playground in a friendly (ha) game of football.  He turned over some desks in his classroom in a moment of rage.  He ran away from his teacher over a sports sticker.

Things hit rock bottom when, after spending 2 days in ISS, the school called and told us they were getting ready to revoke his transfer.  (My children go to a school on the other side of town as transfers.  We chose it for them because it has excellent test scores and the staff is incredible.  Great school.)  We panicked knowing that the school our kids are technically "zoned" for is not muy bueno and that we would be in a pickle if he wasn't allowed to attend this stellar school.  (A pickle meaning "home school".)  ;)

Our chiro had discovered two weeks into Craig's fool behavior episode that he could eat the mayonnaise on his sandwich everyday and he could eat the Pirate's Booty "popcorn" that I was sending him in his lunchbox everyday.  However, he could not do both.  When you combined the two of these, his body reacted to them.  (behavior issues)  We thought that this was the answer to what was going on and we were HEARTBROKEN when we removed both the mayo and the Booty and he only improved mildly.  :(

So, after the threat from the school, we got uber serious.  We made a visit to the chiro with an ultimatum:  Fix it or die.  Ok - that may be slightly exaggerated.  (Or then again, I've been known to make serious threats when it comes to my children's health and safety.)  We spent a good long while with Mr. Chiro that day and finally (FINALLY) were able to figure out that none of Craig's meds were working.

Now, let me stop for a moment and just try and explain the amount of panic that engulfed my heart when I heard those words.  The chiropractor kind of chuckled (which means he's figured it out) ... but there was no chuckling in my world.  Absolute panic.  If these meds don't work - WHAT are we going to do?

We learned that day that Craig is highly allergic to "something" right now.  However, that's the not-so-beautiful part: we have no idea what.  The doc said it could be something in the air, something in his school, or another food that has popped up out of nowhere.  He guessed it was something blowing in the air because of how dry this year has been and the horrible cases of allergies that he is seeing in his office.  However, my momma instincts tell me different.  I know that he is allergic to something in his school.  It may be the pesticides or one of the commercial cleaners or something that has accumulated in the air vents over the summer.  However, whatever it is - it's in that school.

Here's my reasoning:  We had an absolutely GLORIOUS summer with the child.  We have never enjoyed him more.  He was a complete and total joy to be around.  Then, he went back to school and his first week went fine, but then that second week started a downward spiral that just went out of control.  I don't think that's merely coincidence.  (Plus, I was noticing that on the weekends, he was better.)

So - if you're still with me, then I would imagine you have two questions.  I would if I were reading this for the first time:

#1)  So what now?  What do you do?  If the meds aren't working do you just put him (and yourself) out of misery?

#2)  Why don't you just take him out of that school/building?  If you're so sure that's it, just remove him.

Well - the chiropractor was able to add two new things into Craig's mix that "fixed" the problem.  He described it as a smoldering fire.  Craig's current meds were able to squelch the flames and the overall heat, but they couldn't completely douse it.  So, we were getting flare ups in the form of aggression.  Sure enough, within six hours of adding the two new supplements to Craig's mix of pills, he was back to normal.  (And he's been "normal" ever since.)  (And we're liking him again.)  (That's always nice - ya know - to like your own kid.) 

Removing Craig from that school building is the obvious choice.  However, I just don't feel like I have that option right now.  I don't have another school for him to go to and with me having to work right now, I don't have the option of homeschooling him.  Believe me, we made phone calls and discussed ideas til we were blue in the face.  I just don't see any way around it.  So, for now - he stays and we use the extra supplements to control whatever it is he's allergic to in that school.  Not ideal - but, it'll have to do for right now.

What does that mean for you?

Well, maybe this was just a great story for you today (your welcome).  Or - maybe you take away a few new things:

1)  Who would've known that two foods - separately - could be fine, but when COMBINED could cause a reaction?  (!!!)

2)  Sometimes our current meds/supps need some additional help to fight the good fight.

3)  Right about the time you think you have this all figured out ... you realize that life is full of curve balls.  (sigh)

However, if you gotta have curve balls - then I like what Casey Affleck had to say about them:

"For people who have... had curve balls thrown at them, it is easier to digest change and digest change in other people. Change only scares the small-minded. The small-minded and me."

Craig's Meals - PIZZA

I don't know what you're "go-to" meal is when you don't feel like cooking dinner or just need something simple and plan-free.  Sandwiches?  Cereal? 

Mine is pizza.  That is precisely why this week's Craig's Meals Delivered meal is PIZZA!

Before "the change" (our eating/lifestyle change ... not menopause) - I would simply run to the deep freeze, pop open the box, stick the frozen pie on a pizza pan and WHALLA!  Thirty minutes later you have dinner!  (If I was feeling fancy, I'd make a little salad to go with it and call it gourmet.)

However, when we began eating differently, I noticed something really fast:  I had NO "go-to" meal.  Since my kids eat sandwiches for lunch everyday and eating cereal for dinner seems silly to me - I had to come up with a different plan.  So, I learned how to make gluten-free, egg-yolk-free, dye-free, nitrite-free, salicylate-low, artificial-sweetener-free pizza.

Pizza's are $10 this week and here are your choices:

Cheese Pizza - A perfect blend of white cheeses combined with the best pizza sauce you've ever tasted!

Pepperoni Pizza - Pepperonis are loaded with nitrites!  But, you won't find any in this Pepperoni Pizza!  Safe, nitrite-free pepperoni on a bed of perfectly baked crust and cheese blend - it doesn't get any better than this!

Veggie Pizza - For your inner-vegetarian!  (Or for those of you that want to pretend pizza is healthy)  This pizza comes with a blend of white cheeses, onions, peppers, tomatoes, mushrooms and olives.

Chicken Ranch Pizza - If you shy away from the traditional pizza, this one may work for you!  Combining the flavors of chicken and ranch and bacon ... Do I really need to say more?

What's the best part about these pizza's?  I'm glad you asked!  The biggest discovery we made when we switched to this version of pizza is that they don't leave a heavy feeling in your stomach after you finish eating.  You know that sluggish, I-just-ate-a-rock, feeling you get after you pig out on pizza?  It doesn't exist with these because you're not ingesting nitrites, loads of gluten, preservatives and dyes!  Yummy pizza without the guilt and fat-feeling - WIN WIN!  :)

So, take a trip to Italy this week (in your mind and tummy anyway) with a Craig's Meals Pizza!

I Think I'm Allergic to My Ovaries

I hesitated to title this post what I did.  You see, we have alot of traffic hitting the blog right now because of our new services:  Craig's Meals (menu & grocery list), Craig's Meals Delivered (organic meal prepared FOR you), and Craig's Meals Catered (organic meal catered for you and your guests).  I don't want some innocent pastor clicked on romans6-13.blogspot for the first time and being offended by the word ... (Ssshh, I'm going to whisper it) ... ovaries.

However, the truth is sometimes a little confrontational and uncomfortable.  And, if someone out there could be helped by me sharing our newest story with you, then a few saints are going to have to put up with ... well ... that word.

Remember when I told you about how my rib was making my eyeball hurt?  What about the time I told you that my cough was actually caused by grief?  Or the time I explained that gluten was making me grumpy.  Well, this is just as weird so bring your open mind ...

Two and a half weeks ago, I was at work (taking pictures) and started sneezing.  I get what I refer to as "allergy attacks".  I used to get them about once every month and they would absolutely send me to bed (or the couch).  I'd lay there all day sneezing my head off and holding a kleenex to my nose.  M-I-S-E-R-A-B-L-E, I tell you.  Well, now (after changing our lifestyle) I only get them about once very 3-4 months.  However, they are still just as terrible.  So, when I started sneezing on this bright and sunny Tuesday morning, I knew exactly what was going on and I was not impressed!

I left work early and headed home to camp out on the couch with my roll of toilet paper (we were out of tissues) and the remote.  Dinner got reduced to soup and sandwiches and I went to bed around seven. 

The great thing about my allergy attacks is that they're always gone the next day and life can go on.  So, imagine my absolute FURY when I was still sneezing my head off and miserable on Wednesday.  I'll spare you the agony of me reliving each horrid day and just go ahead and tell you that I went for 10 days straight.  (!!!)  Right about the time I'd think it was subsiding, I'd start sneezing and here we'd go again.

Ladies, I'm gonna go ahead and let you know - the house went to pot.  The laundry piled up 7 baskets full.  We were eating pizza and hot dogs.  (Gluten-free, egg-free, dye-free, bla, bla .... but still pizza and hot dogs none the less!) 

Finally on Day 11 I went to our chiropractor and told him I couldn't live anymore like this.  (I have a flare for the dramatic side.)  He spent over an hour with me as we tried to determine why my all-natural allergy meds were no longer working and why my 1-day-allergy-attacks had turned into 10-day-allergy attacks.  (I'll secretly tell you that I think it helped that I arrived at the end of the day and he knew I wasn't leaving until he figured out the answer.  I can be pretty threatening when I'm covered in snot.)

However, I will confess that I was NOT prepared when he announced that he knew what the culprit was.

I started this new photography job in August and while I enjoy having the camera/equipment and the actual picture-taking part of the job, the job is taxing in that I have to leave my house each morning by 6 a.m. and I am traveling about 400 miles each week.  I have noticed that I am more tired than I have ever been in my life.  I usually finish at a school around three and immediately pick up our children from school or from the sitter's.  Then, I rush home to help them complete homework, cook dinner and get everything ready for the next day.  With it being football season, I do all of it by myself and Rick usually walks in around 8 p.m.  (His job is worst in the morning as he has to get everyone up and dressed and lunches packed, folders signed, vitamins taken, etc...)  We have absolutely been burning the candle at both ends.

And last Friday in the chiropractor's office I found out that I'm no spring chicken and that there are consequences for that.  (Dang it.)

Apparently, I have depleted my adrenal glands and in order to function, my body has been pulling hard on my pituitary gland and my thyroid (for more energy).  However, in the process, this has drained my pituitary which controls my hormones.  Therefore, when I take my supplements - regardless of what function they are supposed to serve, they are high-tailing it to my adrenals, my pituitary and my thyroid.  They are completely ignoring my allergies because there isn't enough to go around.  Therefore, you get 10 days of SOLID sneezing.

Here's the great thing about natural medicine though:  Instead of treating the symptoms (my sneezing), it treats the cause:  my hormones.  So, in a sense, my hormones (or lack of) are causing my allergies to go crazy.  Fix the hormones, you fix the allergies.

I'd love to tell you that he gave me some magic uterus pills and that I was fixed within 24 hours.  However, it didn't work that way.  It's comical now, but at the time - it wasn't super funny.  He gave me some all natural hormone-fixers and I was OUT LIKE A LIGHT within an hour.  No, not even kidding.  Three hours of hard, drool-all-over-the-pillow sleep accompanied by panic when my phone alarm dinged that the children were getting out of school and I was still snoozing away on the couch.  I raced to the school and picked up the kids and brought them back home only to konk out again and wake up to them wanting dinner.  I absolutely could NOT hold my eyes open.  I put them to bed early and fell fast asleep in my bed and slept twelve more hours.  WHAT THE HECK?!  I wasn't sneezing ... but I could NOT stay awake!

The next day I took a four hour nap and went to bed at 7 p.m. 

The next day (Sunday), I took another four hour nap and went to bed early.

Finally, on Monday I emailed the chiro and told him what was going on.  He assured me (although I was skeptical) that the meds were doing their job and my body was healing - thus, it required more sleep.

I'll spare you the details, but I went another 2 days just as groggy as if I'd taken NyQuil or Benadryl.  And then, FINALLY - finally, on Day 6, my body began to cooperate.  (And not a moment too soon I'd like to add!!)

So, I have a couple of questions for you:

1)  Are your allergies going berserk right now?  (If you live in Austin, they probably are!)  It could very well be that there is something else going on and your body's attempts to fix that something else are more important than your allergies .... Thus - you're sneezing.  (Thyroids and pituitaries are more important than allergies.  Your body prioritizes.)  Who would've thought that our bodies were so intimately tied together that ovaries could cause sneezing?

2)  What is another ailment that you struggle with?  Could your body be more focused on healing another part of you than on that ailment and therefore, you're not getting relief?  (For example, my thyroid needed everything my body was getting in terms of nutrition MORE than my allergies.)

3)  Third and last question:  Who do you know that needs this information today? 

Introducing Craig's Meals CATERED

You know about Craig's Meals and you know about Craig's Meals Delivered.  However, today we're introducing [drum roll please] Craig's Meals CATERED!  [This is where you applaud and cheer.]

Let's get everybody on the same page just in case you're new to Body, Soul & Mind:

Craig's Meals is a weekly menu, grocery list, and treasure box of recipes for those looking for a way to eat completely organic (free of all preservatives and additives) and also follow the diet we've been on for over a year:  gluten-free, egg yolk-free, dye-free, nitrite-free, sulfite-free, salicylate-free (or low), and artificial sweetener free.  (If you are simply looking for a way to eat healthier, this menu would work for you as well as you could buy organic without buying gluten-free and egg yolk-free.  The same recipes would still work, just with white or wheat bread and entire eggs instead of just the whites.) 

Craig's Meals Delivered is your chance at trying out this new way of thinking/eating without committing to the monthly meal plan (Craig's Meals) yet.  Every week we offer a main dish at a discounted rate that we prepare for you and deliver to you for your enjoyment.  (Dishes like chili, mexican casserole, and barbecued chicken.)  Each dish feeds 4-8 and is completely organic as well as free of the seven items above that we avoid.  (Most are also dairy free as we have one in the family who is dairy intolerant.)  The dish arrives completely frozen and with full instructions for cooking.  (It's a great dish to keep in your freezer for that night when you don't feel like cooking.)  Or - as some of our friends do - order 2-3 and pull one out each week.  That's one less meal you have to plan and prepare each week!

Craig's Meals Catered is specifically for groups.  While we are targeting small businesses, church staff, and school staff (because they are at their place of employment each day) - we also cater parties, meetings and family get togethers.  The sky is the limit on menu items as we can prepare almost anything you would eat "normally" in a new & healthy way.  However, below you will find some examples of possible menu items to get you started.  There are three tiers/choices to choose from:

• CASUAL - Tier 1 is the least expensive and most casual of our menus.  Some of the menu items included in this price range are Taco Salads, Chili, Soup Bar and Gourmet Pizza.  We are able to provide an organic meal free of  gluten, egg yolks, dyes, nitrites, sulfites, salicylates, and artificial sweeteners for a price less than your average fast food meal.  Tier 1 - Casual Catered Meals - are priced at $6 / person.

• BUSINESS - Tier 2 is for our friends who want a "sit down" lunch.  (Comparable to what you might get at a Chili's or an Olive Garden.)  Some of the menu items included in this section are Baked Potato Bar, Grilled Chicken Salad, Barbecued Chicken, and Mexican Casserole.  We are able to provide this meal for less than your average sit-down lunch (and you don't have to leave a tip!).  Tier 2 - Business Catered Meals - are priced at $8 / person.

• FORMAL - Tier 3 is for our formal dinner parties, evening church banquets or business luncheons.  Some of the menu items included in this tier are slow cooked Roast (with all the sides), chicken fried steak, Fettuccine Alfredo w/ Chicken, and Barbecued Ribs.  These meals vary in price, but are comparable to dinner out at a steakhouse.  Tier 3 - Formal Catered Meals - are priced between $12 - $20 / person.

Obviously you don't have to use a Tier 3 meal at an evening setting.  You might choose to serve a meal classified as "formal" for lunch.  And the opposite is true.  Maybe you're throwing a dinner party that is extremely casual and want to serve chili or taco salads.  The tiers are simply there for pricing - not to suggest what time of the day to serve those items nor what you should serve.

As with Craig's Meals & Craig's Meals Delivered - you can contact us using the contact information on this page.  Simply scroll to the bottom.

We are currently booking for November & December.  Would you help us spread the word?

Let Me BBQ Yo' Chicken!

The Craig's Meals Delivered meal for this week is Barbecued Chicken.  I cannot get over how good this chicken turns out.  If you like your chicken on the bone, you're out of luck because nine times out of ten this barbecue chicken ends up falling right off.  Pair this bird with a salad and some mashed potatoes and you've got yourself a meal the Colonel would be jealous of!

The Specifics:

This Craig's Meals Delivered comes with 4 WHOLE chicken legs.  (A whole chicken leg is a drumstick-thigh combination.)  Technically, I would say this dish feeds 4.  However, if you've got "littles" in your family (or big ones that don't eat alot) - then each leg could feed two.  (A thigh for one person and a drumstick for the other.)  (You'll just have to gage it based on the needs of your family.)  (My children eat gigantor portions, so this feeds the four of us nicely.)

I baste these babies with an organic barbecue sauce and slow cook them for a flavor that's incredible.  (I don't like bones in my chicken either so I love it when I get it right and the meat falls right off!) 

This week, you can get your Craig's Meals Delivered Barbecued Chicken (for four) for just $10!  Want to make it a meal?  This week I'm offering to mash your potatoes for you and pair it with a salad for only $20 total.  (You'll be responsible for your own salad dressing.)  Where are you going to feed your family of four in Austin for twenty bucks?  Hmmmm?

The chicken is organic, grass fed and cage-free and the barbecue sauce is 'safe' making this a gluten-free, egg-free, dye-free, salicylate-low (if not free), nitrite-free, sulfite-free, artificial sweetener, dairy-free meal. 

Bon Appetit Y'all!

For instructions on how to order, please go here.  For those of you who have ordered Craig's Meals grocery lists, Week 3 is ready and should be in your Inbox soon.  It's not too late to get started on receiving Craig's Meals grocery lists.  Go to the link above and read up on it and then shoot me an email.

Craig's Meals - CHILI

The first cold front of the season is due in TONIGHT here in Central Texas!  That means it's going to be perfect weather for chili.  Order yours now! 

This chili is made with organic-grass-fed beef, organic onions and garlic and organic tomatoes (as well as a few other ingredients .... completely organic).  It feeds 8 so bring your appetite!  This week, you can get your Craig's Meals CHILI for $15.  (That's less than $2 per person if you're into digits.)

You can have your Craig's Meals CHILI delivered right to your front door, come pick it up at my casa, or plan to meet me somewhere.  (Just read the post directly below this one for ordering instructions.)

Happy Fall, Y'all!  :)

(Also, I still have three Mexican Casserole's left if you need an extra meal this week!)

Craig's Meals & Craig's Meals Delivered

Introducing Craig's Meals and Craig's Meals Delivered!!!

I mentioned on Facebook a few months back that we were looking to expand our services and thus our ministry and we are FINALLY READY!  :)  You've heard of E-Mealz and The Grocery Game and those are great services.  (I've used both!)  However, I have not been able to find anything out there offering gluten-free, dye-free, egg-free, dairy-free, salicylate-free, sulfite-free, artificial sweetener-free and nitrite-free menus.  Well, after a year of creating my own, I think I'm ready to offer them to you!  Thus, we are launching Craig's Meals & Craig's Meals Delivered!!

WHAT IS CRAIG'S MEALS?
Craig's Meals is a menu (including recipes) and grocery shopping list that is sent to you once a week.  It includes menus (and recipes) for a week (5 days) for a family of four.  You will find breakfast, lunch, snacks and dinner recommendations that are gluten-free, dye-free, egg-free, dairy-free, salicylate-free, sulfite-free, artificial sweetener-free and nitrite-free.  Craig's Meals tells you where to find the menu items, how much they will run you and what your total grocery bill will be (approximately) for the week.  (Obviously prices will vary slightly depending on where you live and what store you choose to shop at.)

WHEN DOES MY CRAIG'S MEALS MENU AND GROCERY LIST ARRIVE?
That's the best part!  You choose when to receive your Craig's Meals Menu & Grocery List for the week.  It can be sent any day of the week so you don't have to change your shopping schedule a bit!  Normally grocery shop on Saturday's?  No problem.  Arrange to have your Craig's Meals email sent on Friday and you'll be ready to roll Saturday morning.

HOW MUCH DOES CRAIG'S MEALS COST?
We are offering Craig's Meals Menu's and Grocery Lists free for your first two weeks so you can decide if Craig's Meals is right for you!  All you have to do is become a follower of this blog!  After your introductory first two weeks, you can continue for $5 a week or $20 for the month.  (Please Note:  Monthly subscriptions will still arrive in weekly emails, not monthly emails.)

HOW DO I SIGN UP?
If you are interested in beginning a two week trial period for Craig's Meals, simply sign up as a follower of the Body, Soul & Mind blog and send your email address to body_soul_mind at yahoo dot com and we'll email your first week of menu's right back!  When your two week trial is nearing an end, we'll give you the opportunity to sign up for weekly or monthly Craig's Meals using cash, check or Paypal.  You can choose to continue on or simply bow out after the two week grace period - your choice.

WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE?
Below is a sample of what you would get in your Craig's Meals weekly email:


     Day 1:  Breakfast - EnviroKidz Organic Koala Crisp Cereal, Almond Milk, 1/2 organic banana
                 Lunch - Ham Sandwich, Potato Chips, 1/2 Pear, Pacific Foods Roasted Red Pepper & Tomato
                              Soup
                 Snack - Peanut Butter Sandwich (add organic jelly if you are not salicylate sensitive)
                 Dinner - Roast (red potatoes, carrots, onions) and Tossed Salad

     (Day 2 - Day 5 would follow right here as well as recipes for any of the above that were not self-explanatory (like cereal and peanut butter sandwiches).)

Grocery List for Week 1: (For this example - Monday only is included)

EnvironKidz Organic Koala Crisp Cereal - $4/WF or Sprouts (currently on sale for $3 at WF)
Almond Milk (could substitute rice milk or coconut milk) (organic milk could be substituted here if there is not a dairy intolerance/allergy) $2.50ish/WF or Sprouts
1 bunch organic bananas - $2ish/WF (price will vary depending on weight)
Applegate Farms Uncured Ham (or any other nitrite free ham) - $5/WF or Super Target
Organic Valley Raw Sharp Cheddar Cheese (or any other organic white cheddar sliced cheese) - $4/WF
Udi's Gluten Free White Bread - $6/WF (or any other gluten free bread of your choice)
365 Everyday Value Organic Mustard (or any other organic mustard)  (mayo could be substitute here if there is not an egg intolerance/allergy) - $2/WF
Kettle Brand Potato Chips - Flavor:  Sea Salt (or any other organic potato chip) - $2/bag/WF (Note:  The other flavors of Kettle Brand contain ingredients you need to examine carefully if trying to stick to the same program/diet we are using.)
organic pear - $1/WF or Sprouts (Pears are LOW in salicylates)
Pacific Foods Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Soup - $3.75/WF or Sprouts (SALICYLATE WARNING! Tomatoes are HIGH in salicylates!  Substitute Pacific Foods Butternut Squash Soup if needed.)
Peanut Butter & Co. White Chocolate Peanut Butter (or any other organic peanut butter) $5.00/WF or Sprouts
Hormone-free, antibiotic-free roast - Price will vary based on size/weight - Roughly bank on $12ish
4 Organic Red Potatoes - $4/WF
1 large Organic Onion - $1/WF
1 bag organic carrots - $2/WF
Organic Girl Mixed Salad - $6/WF or Sprouts
1 organic tomato - $1ish/WF or Sprouts
1 organic purple onion - $1/WF or Sprouts
organic salad dressing of choice (I recommend Drew's Caesar Romano) - Be careful of EGGS in salad dressings!!)

TOTAL:  $63.25  (Please Note:  This total is extremely high because you are having to buy "in bulk".  For example, you only need 2 of the bananas, but the price above was for 5-6 in a bunch.  You bought an entire container of peanut butter.  The salad will last all week as will the purple onion.  The cereal will last all week.  Etc, etc. .... ....  The recipes you receive for the week would use up most if not all of the remainder of the ingredients so that you did not waste them.  Your average grocery bill would be about $200 - $250 weekly depending on how strictly you stuck to the list.  You could choose to save money in any area depending on your budget needs and allergy needs.)


BUT THAT'S NOT ALL!!!!

You may have forgotten by now, but at the beginning of the post I mentioned 2 new services we were offering:  Craig's Meals and also Craig's Meals Delivered.

Each week we will be picking one menu item and offering it as a made-to-order (PRE-MADE) dinner item (frozen) that you can pick up or have delivered to your home.  (Austin area residents only please.)  You can choose to order more than one and store the extra in the deep freeze to pull out a few weeks later. 

Each made-to-order item is made with organic ingredients, preservative free, and comes in a disposable container that is oven safe and lists specifically what it contains for those of you dealing with more than just an intolerance.  It is the perfect gift item for a new mom!  It also works well for that emergency go-to back-up meal for that night you don't feel like cooking!  (Also a great way to see if your kids like the new diet / lifestyle before jumping in feet first!)

For example, this first week (October 10-14), we are offering one of our all-time favorites:

Mexican Casserole  (gluten-free, dye-free, egg-free, salicylate-free, sulfite-free, artificial sweetener-free and nitrite-free)  (PLEASE NOTE:  THIS CASSEROLE IS NOT DAIRY FREE)

This yummy casserole feeds 4+ and contains organic corn chips, organic sour cream, organic salsa, organic cream of chicken soup, hormone-free / anti-biotic free / grass fed ground beef, organic white cheddar cheese, and green chilies.

Combine it with a salad and DINNER IS SERVED!

Mexican Casserole is available for $15 (or $25 for 2) this week if ordered for pick-up or meet-up.  (Meet-up means you will be in the same place I am at some point during the week - in which case I would be happy to bring your casserole to you.  Simply ask!)  Delivery is available at $.50 / mile.  (You can map it using the center of Pflugerville as your starting point and your house (or any other destination) as the ending point to get an estimate of your cost.  (Remember to map it back to Pflugerville to cover the round trip expense.))

HOW DO I ORDER?
Simply email us at body_soul_mind at yahoo dot com to place your order.  Indicate what day you would like your Craig's Meals Delivered to be ready and how you would like to receive it (pick-up, meet-up, or delivery).  We'll send you a confirmation and then see you later in the week with your yummy dinner/s.  Your money isn't due until you have dinner in your hands!  The cooking instructions will be included so all you have to worry about it when you want to enjoy your casserole!



We are pretty excited about these new options and hope you'll give them a try and give us some feedback!  We'd love to hear from you!  As always, if you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at the contact information listed at the bottom of this page.  Spread the word - Craig's Meals & Craig's Meals Delivered!