How a Family-of-8 Moves Across the Country While Still Doing GAPS

When we announced we were moving across the country to Colorado, more than one person (including one of our older children) asked if we were going to continue doing GAPS during this time.

My answer:  "We can't NOT do GAPS."  It's just not worth it.  Between the skin issues that immediately show up on some children, the congestion/sinus issues that crop up on some, and the behavioral issues that manifest in some....it is just. not. worth it.  Not to mention how I feel with my hypothyroid (which is an autoimmune issue) when I eat stuff that doesn't like me.  The inflammation and pain in my body becomes quite unbearable, enough to make me cry.  (You can read more about GAPS here, or here and here)

Mind you, I did not know *how* we would go about eating GAPS-legal during this whole time...but I just knew it had to be done.  No if, ands or buts about it.

So, for the past several weeks, this is the two-fold plan of attack I've come up with:

1.  I cook extra when I am cooking, freezing the extra

2.  I've bought some "convenience" foods (that are still GAPS-legal) that we don't normally keep around (because they are more expensive)....now is the perfect time to take advantage of those kinds of products!





I have frozen (so far) 9 gallon bags of various soups that we've had over the past several weeks:



We will use these during the last day or two here and during the first few days in Colorado.



For the actual, factual drive to Colorado....


Elisabeth prepared Fudgy Muffins for us (6x the recipe):

This seems like such an indulgent treat, and it is totally healthy: just bananas, peanut butter, cocoa and honey

I have been preparing many pounds of Turkey Sausage Patties (9 pounds this past Saturday alone)...and freezing what we didn't eat for breakfast:

I cannot find any packages of sausage at our grocery store that don't contain Corn Syrup or MSG, or both!  I was thrilled to find this sausage recipe several months ago.

Sausage: for every pound of ground turkey, add

1 tsp dried sage

1/2 tsp dried rosemary

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp sea salt (we use Redmond's Real Salt)

Combine all, and shape into patties, bake at 400 degrees for 30-35 minutes

I made lots of meatballs a few days ago, some went in the soup we had that night, and then I froze the rest of them:

These are just ground beef, garlic powder, salt and pepper...baked

We made beef jerky in our dehydrator (using Wellness Mama's recipe):

this is so yummy, I had to freeze it right away, before we gobbled it all up!

I have been stocking up the past several weeks as I go grocery shopping, and run by TJ Maxx...good deals on nuts and dried fruit.  (I have more bags than shown here, like, ummm, 6 of the dried mangoes!)

I like this particular bag of nuts because they only contain "Almonds, salt"...no weird (inflammatory) oils!

All the dried fruits only have one ingredient each.  No added sugar...no sulfur dioxide.  (Hint:  dried apricots should NOT be bright orange!  That is the sulfur dioxide keeping it that color!)

We never buy these because we can make them easily at home, but Elisabeth knew that our Kroger has good deals on Larabars.  It sure was easy to just buy these...and having them on hand will eliminate us buying them at gas stations along the way, when they'll cost twice as much!

Jas went yesterday and brought all these home.  It's a good thing he did that shopping (during his lunch hour) because I wouldn't have bought this many.  The only ingredients in these:  nuts, fruit

In addition to the above items, we will also have on hand in the van:

Cheese (for those of us who can have dairy right now, which is only 4 of us)

Raisins

Apples

Carrots

Celery

Peanut Butter

Boiled Eggs  (for those who can eat eggs right now, which is 4 of us)

Right now it seems like a good plan to me....but ask me how it all went down a week from now when we have actually arrived in Colorado - We'll see!