Prairie Oak Homestead

New video up! Take a look inside at what it's like living with Ehlers Danlos Syndrome.

My favorite healthy chocolate chip cookie recipe! Gluten free, refined sugar free, dairy free, and egg free! But, NOT flavor free! These are sooo good! 1 1/4 c almond flour scant 1/2 t salt 1/4 t baking soda 1/4 c honey (can use maple syrup if you prefer) 1/8 c organic canola oil 1 t vanilla scant 1/2 c chocolate chips (I use Enjoy dairy free) Mix oil, honey, and vanilla. Then throw in rest of the ingredients and mix well. Use small cookie scoop or teaspoon and roll into ball and place on cookie sheet. Bake 350 for 9 minutes.

Everyone loves a delicious breakfast that will get you through the morning without wanting to kill someone by early afternoon. These do the trick. No one likes to be hangry! These are super simple and full of wonderful nutrition. Chia is high in Omega 3's and 1 T can provide 2500 mg. It also has protein, fiber, calcium, and iron.You can customize them to your liking. As always, use organic ingredients when possible. 1/2 T to 1 T chia seeds 1 cup almond milk or other nut milk (use organic milk if not dairy free) Let this sit for 15 minutes. Why? Chia needs to hydrate to from that lovely gel around it. If you eat chia dry, it can cause constipation and dehydration as the chia will hydrate themselves by absorbing fluids inside you instead. In the meantime, prepare other ingredients. Cut up banana or other fresh fruit. Gather your toppings. After your chia mixture has soaked, add in 1/4 c to 1/2 c quick oats and stir. Top with fresh fruit and desired toppings. This particular bo...

Guys, can I just say how amazing these are?! I have made regular waffles in the past and these are SO much better than those AND they're healthy! Crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. You need to give them a try. You won't regret it! I topped mine with a homemade blueberry sauce. As always, use organic ingredients when possible. Pecan Waffles (dairy free, egg free, oil free) 2 c unbleached flour 1/2 c whole wheat flour  1 T baking soda 1/2 t salt 4 T evaporated cane juice 1/2 c pecans 4 T applesauce 2 1/2 c almond milk or other dairy free milk 1 T vanilla Whisk wet ingredients together then dump in the dry. Mix well. Fold in pecans. I use 1/3 c of batter in my waffle maker. Cook in waffle maker for 5 min on medium. Enjoy! Makes about 14 smaller waffles depending on size of you maker.

This toasted couscous bowl is so good! Make it vegan by eliminating the feta and free range chicken. It is a very satisfying meal with great flavors.  As always, use organic ingredients when possible! Toasted Couscous Bowl Half a carton of grape tomatoes Handful of asparagus 1 c Israeli couscous 1 1/2 c water 1 t Italian seasoning or whatever floats your boat Olive oil Green onion (I use one) Garlic clove Salt & pepper Feta or vegan cheese Sliced almonds Sliced, cooked free range organic chicken Boil 1 1/2 c water.   Slice the tomatoes in half and chop the asparagus. Toss with a teaspoon of olive oil and a the Italian seasoning. Roast in a 450 oven for 18 minutes.  Heat 1 T olive oil or coconut oil in pan and add in chopped whites of the green onions. Saute for a bit and then add in the couscous to toast. Toast up about 1 min or 2. Add mixture to boiling water, cover and cook 8-10 minutes. Fluff couscous with fork and a...

I love the flavors in this bowl! It is one of my husband's favorites and it doesn't even have meat in it! I hope you give it a try and love it as much as we do. You can adjust the heat by adding a bit more cayenne if you'd like. Remember to use organic as much as possible, especially for the corn! Elote Sauce 4 T dairy free plain yogurt 2 T vegan mayo 1/8th t cayenne 1/2 lime zest 1/2 lime juice pinch of salt & pepper to taste Mix and set aside Bowl cooked rice of choice (I like jasmine) 1 can chickpeas 1 can corn 1/2 lime zest 1/2 lime juice pinch of salt & pepper radish pumpkin seeds cilantro Thinly slice radish and chop about 2 T of cilantro. Add lime zest and juice into a small bowl. Heat skillet with a bit of coconut oil and crisp the chickpeas. Cook undisturbed for about 5 minutes. Transfer to bowl with lime zest and juice and sprinkle with a pinch of salt & pepper. Add corn to hot skillet and cook, shaking pan occasionally,...

These are a tasty treat when you need a boost of energy! Packed with protein from the peanut butter and oats, these will help you power through a workout. The fiber in the oats and the good fat in the peanut butter will keep satisfied until your next meal. Give them a try! As always, use organic ingredients when possible. Peanut Butter Power Balls 2/3 c organic peanut butter 1 t vanilla 2 T raw honey 1 c quick oats 1/2 c mini chocolate chips (use Enjoy Life if dairy free) Shoot for dark chocolate. Add peanut butter, vanilla, and honey in a bowl. Mix well. Add in oats and chips and mix until well incorporated. Use a small cookie scoop and roll to make small balls. Makes about 18. Enjoy! To change it up, you can replace 1/4 c of the mini chocolate chips with dried cranberries and dried apricots. So good! Click  here  to subscribe to our YouTube channel!

Most people hit their prime in their 20's and 30's. They take life by the horns, have lots of energy, do lots of fun things, and enjoy it to the full. I never thought I'd get to experience a "prime" of my life. In my 20's and 30's, I was sick and dying. I suffered from a neuromuscular disease called Myasthenia Gravis, a connective tissue disease called Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, inflammatory arthritis, severe fibromyalgia, and cancer. I was a hot mess to say the least. My diseases progressed and I was steadily declining. I was in a wheelchair often, could not swallow normal food, could not sit up for very long, in severe pain, and had heart issues and difficulty breathing. I was out of treatment options after plasmapheresis and IVIG failed and caused deathly reactions. I could not take any pain medication as I also suffered autonomic nervous system dysfunction and my body reacted negatively to them. In fact, my body rejected everything the doctors tried and...

We have the choice to walk in victory and not in defeat no matter our situation, whether we experience symptoms of sickness or not. We live in a fallen world and we are not immune to trials and tribulations such as sickness, disease or pain. There are times when we can rebuke and stand against such things and they flee, but there will be times when they will not. Our victory comes when we trust in Him anyhow, keep our eyes on Him, and don’t give satan a foothold or inroad into our life. Paul, to me, was a great example of this. He was beaten, shipwrecked, stoned, was weak, harassed by a demon, and more. Yet, through all that, he had the victory. He kept his eyes on Christ, praised Him in prison, continued to spread the gospel, and kept fighting the enemy. God promises us we will be delivered. That means we have to be put in situations that require deliverance. We are not immune! We may see our deliverance here on Earth several times over in different situations. We may also see it...

It happened. I didn't want it to. I thought I was stronger than that. But, looking back, I see that I let it happen. For several months now I have not been feeling myself. I have been irritable, anxious, intolerant, angry, smug, and overwhelmed. I gave satan a foothold. I gave him an inroad. I am probably like many of you. Checking my Facebook every morning...you know, the "newspaper" we read first thing to see the latest happenings with our friends and family. Only it's not that anymore. It's become a cesspool of politics, anger, greed, self indulgence, how to fake your life for the world to see...so much is not even real anymore. It's exhausting trying to wade through it all to find some sort of truth, to find something real...Oh there is the occasional scripture I come across, but even then it is a photo of a scripture that is either taken out of context or from a translation that isn't even close to the real meaning. But, I look anyway. Everyda...

The path from the house to the chicken coop can get very swampy and muddy when the weather gets wetter. It gets really messy. I finally decided I was tired of it. We had some old pallets laying around that weren't being used for anything else yet, so I decided to make a walkway. We had some ruts from a bobcat we filled in with useless dirt (bagged dirt I bought thinking I would use it for plants...terrible stuff) Anyway, I then just laid out the pallets and wahlah...a redneck walkway. 😁 Before... After... It'll do for now... Follow @MoosHdHomestead

It has been a few years since I have written in this blog. A lot has changed! For starters, I am no longer sick! I was healed 3 yrs ago this month :D It's a long story, but you can hear the testimony here . In 2015, we spent 5 weeks in Venezuela doing mission work. My son graduated high school. We have added a ton to our prepper stash. (more on that in a future post) I started making and selling handmade soaps and hand-blended teas that are made right here on our homestead. You can visit our Etsy shop here . We visited Idaho this winter. What a beautiful place! We also got to finally visit Montana, too. Glacier was so pretty! Our winter here in Illinois has been very mild and has me catching Spring fever already! I have to hold myself back from planting anything too early. Instead, I am focusing on ripping out old garden beds and burning parts of the property that are overgrown. I've got a ton to do around Moose Head Homestead today and better get to it! Have a great...

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Today, I have started to see some improvement.  The swelling in my ankle has gone down some more and I am able to wear regular shoes...not just crocs. :) I seem to have a bit more energy today, but do tire easily when doing things. I think it's just a matter of time before I get all my energy back and do the things I usually do. My heart issues are good today, but were not yesterday. I know holistic meds take more time than regular ones. But, I also know that there are going to be good days and bad days with my heart issues whether I was on regular meds or on herbal ones... Tonight, we go to our friends visitation. I am glad he is no longer suffering, but will miss him a lot. Keep the family in your prayers... Follow @titus2baker

The father of our pastor friend passed away today. His suffering is over.  He was such a kind man and I am blessed to have known him. He will be greatly missed by many.  I will not forget the kind words he spoke to me the other day. Words can have a lasting impact. So to that I want to tell my dad you are missed. I wish things were different and I could speak to you and glean wisdom from your words. I wish I knew somehow if you were proud of who I am becoming. I hope you are well. Know that you are still loved even after all this time...I will imagine in my mind that you feel the same as that is all I can do. Follow @titus2baker

Something I've learned and I will try to put into words... I've learned that me and my body and all it's broken parts, pain, disappointments, etc is just speck in the big picture of this world. It really means absolutely nothing. I'm just a tiny part of this world and what goes on with my body is contained to what's right in front of me. What really matters is not me or what is wrong with my body, but the world, the relationships to be had, mission work to be done, people who need to hear the Word, and love that needs to be spread. Everything that goes on in my body (or doesn't) is just my package. I carry my package with me everywhere I go and it humbles me, but I have learned to not open that package anymore. But, instead to just carry it with me and continue on with life and to do His will however possible and however He equips me to do it. Everyone has a package they carry. These things just happen to be mine. God has given me such strength ...

My Rheumatologist looked so sad and said he felt helpless as a doctor. There is nothing we can do for the RA, but manage the pain. I told him I was going to take a holistic approach and he said he hopes that it will help. The main concern is chronic inflammation from the RA leads to heart disease and cancer and people with RA are at a much higher risk and especially when they can't be treated with the normal meds. It's all in God's hands anyway. :) My cardiologist feels the same way. The previous thing we just tried did not work out and caused me to feel worse and then get migraines on top of it. So he agreed to my holistic protocol and we will try it for a month and pray it works. He feels helpless that he can't do more for my condition.  I know I serve the master Physician and I am trusting that He knows what He is doing and I will find comfort in that. God has taught me so much through all my health issues. I still have much to learn. I hope to be used b...

watching someone you care about in their last stages of this life...One of our good friends, Rich, is dying. He is the dad of one of our pastors and friend. We went to see him today and it's hard to see him in so much pain and confused at times. There just seems to be a lot of heartache lately.  I would be crushed under the weight of life if it weren't for God. He is what keeps me standing. At the end of our visit today, I hugged Rich and told him I loved him. This is what he said to me. "I love you, too, Stephanie. You have such a sweet heart. Don't ever lose your sweet heart." I told him I sure would try not to. His words were an answer to prayer. My diseases can get the better of me at times. I feel in my heart that I have become a little bitter inside and that can come out at times as grouchiness or frustration. There are times where I wonder if I still had any sweetness in me. I have been praying that God would help me to not become a bitter person with m...

I spent my birthday yesterday at the hospital. My rheumatologist thought my flare turned into a septic joint infection. Arthrocentesis hurts. :( BUT, praising the Lord that I DO NOT have an infection in my joint. The doc said I am having a severe flare of my rheumatoid arthritis. I got to take home some Toradol and hoping that continues to bring relief until this flare dissipates. I still can't walk without extreme pain and limping, but think I should be able to soon. Feeling a little better today with the toradol. Very sore though all over from shaking so bad from the pain of the arthrocentesis. I also learned that all we can do for my RA is manage the pain. So I am going to try to manage my inflammation naturally with heavy antioxidants and such. Thanks for all the prayers the last few weeks. Cardiologist update: I do have a condition called POTS with cerebral hypoperfusion. With this condition, my heart rate is running 110-150's constantly. It can be tre...

My husband made it home from Haiti yesterday morning about 4 am. He worked really hard there and was able to build a whole roof (with trusses) along with other things like hauling rock and concrete work. They did experience a little of Sandy, but everyone was safe. They had to deal with A LOT of mud and sewage. He said there were a lot more nude children this trip. He learned a lot about leadership and was a great asset to the team. He is now looking forward to going to the Dominican Republic with our son Hunter in February. I will stay home. Please continue to pray for me. I am still in excruciating pain with my arthritis and nothing seems to alleviate it. I was really hoping to be better for when he returned home. I have been in my wheelchair more than I'd like. I'm doing everything I can to get my body's inflammation under control. The rest is up to God. Follow @titus2baker