Just this past summer, I sporadically decided to begin a blog dedicated to my journey with Chronic Lyme Disease. While getting my name “out there” in the world is a perk, the two main reasons I started Beyond the Bite are anything but along the lines of being “famous.” God’s love, along with help and information for those with Chronic Lyme (or any other health complication for that matter), are truly the driving forces behind every recipe that I create and health article that I post. Without God, I would have never made it to writing this blog, let alone get up everyday and “strive to thrive” with an illness as debilitating as Lyme. Therefore, when the Stacy from the Paleo Parents told me that she wanted me to guest post on their blog, I was truly humbled (and a bit, er, really excited). Not only is God the reason behind all that I do on my blog, and life in general, but I know that any opportunity that may arise in any aspect of life is by His doing alone. If you are really good, or terribly bad at something, the fact that it is (or isn’t) part of God’s ultimate plan for you, is what determines whether it is a success or not. That being said, with every post, article, guest post, or interview that I may (or may not) get in the future, all the glory is ultimately His. I am just a servant, born on this earth to fulfill the work of Christ to the best of my ability. Though my illness may have come as a surprise to my family and I, God knew all along the road He had perfectly mapped out for me long before I saw it coming. That is right, perfect, without blemish, the best possible for me. The past, present, and future trials of my life may be hard, exhausting, and frustrating, however, if it is God’s way, then it is flawless. Just when you feel like you may be in over your head with more than you can handle, He might just surprise you with yet another blessing. In my case, the Paleo Parent’s guest post was just that. Never underestimate the circumstances of your life regardless of how trying they may become, because ultimately, they can always be turned around for something much greater than what “no eye has seen, nor ear has heard.”
If you have not already, I encourage you to follow the Paleo Parents website, along with their various social media sites to get recipe updates and health information. Just this past month, I had the opportunity to meet them in New York City for the Real Life Paleo book tour. Though I do not have their most recent cookbook, I know from personal ownership that “Beyond Bacon” is an amazing cookbook to invest in! Bacon jam, chocolate lard fudge, Swedish meatballs, pork tamales, proscuitto and roasted peach ice cream, what is not to love? Though I could go on forever about this great cookbook that respects the whole hog, educates readers on the cultivation of the pig, how its meat affects our bodies, and what “quality” really means, you are just going to have to purchase the book for yourself. The Paleo View is also a podcast produced by Stacy, Matt, and Sarah from the Paleo Mom. Not only do I look forward to these podcasts each week, but my mom herself loves tuning in while she is doing house work and chores.
You can check all of these things out, along with my guest post over on the Paleo Parent’s site, which features a new Christmas cookie recipe for festive gingerbread men! With no eggs, nuts, gluten, dairy, grain, or refined sugar, these cute characters are great treats for those following an autoimmune approach to Paleo. If you do not have lard on hand, substituting coconut oil, non-hydrogenated palm shortening, ghee, or butter (if tolerated), works just as well. Though the icing is optional, sprinkling the cookies with maple sugar before baking yields in an equally delicious cookie without the extra frosting. Either way, you, your family and friends, are sure to love making and eating these gingerbread cookies!
Psalm 136:1 “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good. His love endures forever.”
We made these this weekend, and they were AWESOME!!! They had a great crispy outer crunch, and the inside was a soft, melt in your mouth almost creamy texture that was honestly better than regular gingerbread men!! (I made balls, and rolled in sucanat sugar, because I was in a hurry to serve them for company, so that may have helped the crispy outer crunch. Also, I substituted half cultured butter and half organic palm oil for the lard, because I didn’t have any lard on hand)
Yay! I am so glad 🙂 the way you made them sounds delicious!