Not-So-Glam-Fam

Well, the last few weeks have been less than glamorous.  We've had colds, lots of tissues, and all that comes with that sort of misery.  My rock-solid, never-sick Mr. Yeti was even home for a few days, which was shocking.  That is when you know it is bad news!  He probably should have stayed home a little longer because he went back to work and gave it to one of his co-workers...sorry Dave : (  We are all better now, but I think we are still working on the clean up a bit.  Sometimes I think that is the worst part, especially when you have kids!

So, speaking of the less than glam, my boys are really great at pointing it out.  I know every mom out there has that desire to be somewhat fashionably minded, and we all have that pair of jeans we try on every now and again - just to see.  Well, a few weeks ago I was getting dressed just as the boys were getting up.  I was thinking, "Okay..let's just see about these pants today..."  Things were going okay-ish and then came the move we all know.  It isn't the Legally Blonde "Bend and Snap" ...Oh no, it is the mom move...the Squat and Pull!  In walked Little Transformer just as I was mid-squat and he said, "I love your moves mom!  Want to see mine?!" He started dancing away with the new 'moves' he has learned in kindergarten while I was squatting and pulling and tugging away...and laughing.  Oh the grace of a 5-year-old.  Then in walked the Captain and he joined in the fun.  Nothing like an impromptu dance party at 7am to lighten the mood of pants-pulling-and-tugging, knowing that you probably shouldn't be wearing them...I didn't.  I just had to see.  Skinny jeans are just not meant for this bod of mine.  A fashion trend that needs to fade away, and soon.  Until then, I will probably keep trying out my 'moves' every now and again...

We've been trying lots of new things lately...new foods, Little Transformer has been trying to ride his bike without the training wheels, Captain America is trying to be nice for longer periods of time throughout the day...(the jury is still out on this), Mr. Yeti has started running.  Fall has been really fun so far.  It is always one of my favorite times of year, although it does just seem to be flying by unbelievably fast.  I don't know how to stretch the days out and make them last.  I can't believe Halloween is just a couple of weeks away!  I still have a costume to make.  Yikes.  I really need to get busy.  Someone is counting on me!  He just wants a real big boy costume, and I still want a little boy costume, so I have been dragging my feet....  Gone are the days of squishy cuteness! I didn't get enough of them.  I suppose I'll just have to squish him and his cuteness, haha : )

Want something to make some more squish?  Perhaps it will add to your cuteness?  One of our favorite things to make this fall has been Apple Nachos.  The boys LOVE this because 1) apples 2) chocolate 3) marshmallows 4) caramel 5) mess.  Sounds like fun, yes? Perfect for fall because it is apple season, and it is fast and easy.

Apple Nachos

3 Apples, Sliced (we LOVE Honeycrisp, but use whatever)
Mini Chocolate Chips
Mini Marshmallows
Caramel Bits (found in baking aisle, next to chocolate chips)

- Set oven to Broil.
- Lightly spray a baking sheet.  Lay out your sliced apples.  Sprinkle with chocolate chips and caramel bits (as much as to your liking). Place baking sheet into oven and allow to broil until caramel and chocolate chips begin to melt.  Then, remove and sprinkle a few mini marshmallows over the top and return to the broiler.  Heat just until the tops of the marshmallows begin to brown.
- Serve on plates or family style - just be very careful as the baking sheet is VERY HOT, so if you are doing this with kiddos, it is probably best to give them their own plate so they don't burn their little fingers.

Enjoy!!


Hope everyone is having a Happy Fall!  All of our leaves are gone.  And in our yard.  Looks like we have some leaf jumping to do.... : )

xoxo

    

Hark! I see an Elk!

Well, the winds of change are upon us.  The trees are starting to change, all the kids are starting to catch something at school, elk are walking randomly down the street...  I'd say it's beginning to look a lot like fall around these parts.  Yes, I know it is all of Septemeber 4th, but there are reddish trees, and some yellow-y trees around, and my yard is starting to get littered with leaves, so it is upon us folks.  And I am ready.  Break out the pumpkin, I am ready to bake.  I can hear the baking train starting to chugga-chugga in my head thinking about all the fun stuff I've had to wait ALL YEAR to make and now it is time!  HOORAY!!!!

I'm very ready for Fall and no more 90+ degree days.  This summer was way too hot and the hardest summer we have had as far as the boys go.  Could they have fought more?  That was rhetorical.  I don't want to know because the answer is probably yes, and I don't want to imagine that.  Yikes.  It seems that most of my friends with kiddos had the same kind of a summer with their hooligans.  It was good, but very fighty.  I think it was the weather.  Heat just makes you grumpy.  Sticky and grumpy - not a good combination.  So, hopefully we will all just have a nice, peaceful, fall/winter/spring and forget all about what summer did to us.

The boys are both in school this year.  Yes, isn't that big news?  Their backpacks are enormous - Captain America's could practically swallow him whole.  I think the stores just decided that preschool sized backpacks were unnecessary and didn't make any.  I'm sure mom's everywhere stood in the massive chaos of Le Target Boutique's back to school section with mad faces thinking "Where are all the tiny backpacks?  My kid is not this big!  He/She just wears it for looks anyways...I'm paying you $12-15 for looks and experience...Give me a mini. <MAD FACE>."  That is what I did.  So, we have an enormous, man-eating Avengers backpack for the Captain, and a Dark Knight backpack that many a-tear was shed over because we wanted it, no we didn't, yes we did for the Little Transformer. It was an adventure.  Thank goodness for Mr. Yeti, Grammie, and Anny-Anny because I don't know that we would have made it through back to school shopping without them there to support us in choosing a backpack.  : )

Things have been pretty good since the start of school.  We've already had colds, missed some school, been bored, the usual.  But they seem to like their teachers and are sort of settling into the groove.  I thought that 2 1/2  hours was going to last a lot longer than it does while Captain America is at school.  It doesn't.  It goes really fast, and then the day drags on for the two of us while we miss the Little Transformer all day.  They are so nice to each other for a little while after they see each other after school.  It makes you realize why you had kids and why you adore them so much.   Then they shriek at each other, or hit/scratch/tattle/start fighting again and you are shaken back to reality.  Funny how that happens.  It is like driving down the road day dreaming a bit and forgetting that there is that speed bump until just before you get there....AAHH!  Live in the moment.  Keep it light, it is only going to get more interesting.

I just adore those boys.  They really do keep it interesting around here.  There is never, ever a dull moment.  I can't imagine a single day without them and I miss them ridiculously while they are at school.  I can't wait to get them home and hear all about everything and I usually get "I went to the playground."  Well yayness!  That is just what I wanted to hear!  What are you friends' names?  Who did you play with? What did you play?  What is your favorite thing in class?  Etc....  I ask these questions and I get, "Um, I can't remember...can I tell you later?"  Ptttttthhhhbbt!  NO!  Now!  Tell me now!  But I say sure and carry on....hoping that if I ask the same questions every few days that they will just start blurting out the answers.  I hope I'm right.

Anywho....Mr. Yeti is home from work.  Hopefully I'll be posting more frequently now that I have some more time.  Maybe with a delicioso recipe for you next time?!

xoxo

Spring Has Sprung

Okay...okay...I know.  It has been nearly a million and a half years since I was here.  But...life happened really, really fast!  Faster than I can type...and I can still do that sort of well, even with a mostly dead hand. So, I'm sorry. If I could greet all of you with an "I'm Sorry" batch of cookies, I would.  You'll just have to pretend you have a nice ooey, gooey, warm out-of-the-oven cookie.

Currently I have my kleenex piled up beside me and am honking my nose while my eyes water and swell beyond the size of baseballs.  Spring is here - and with it a glorious allergy season = misery.  The little superheroes aren't feeling too super, though.  We're all a little meh while Mr. Yeti is holding strong.
He has been kicking some tail (and trail!) this spring on his NEW bike.  He joined a new team and has stars in his eyes over his new baby.  I haven't seen him so excited to ride a bike, ever.  It makes me really happy that he is loving it so much. I adore seeing him have so much fun and hearing him come home so thrilled.
I think (?) the new bike's name is the Honey Badger.  Because Honey Badger don't care. (youtube it).  I will have to confirm.  I will be sure to let you know for sure...and I will let you know what the names of all his previous bikes have been.  (Now, just to fill you in, the running joke here is that his bikes are his 'mistresses'. He goes and spends his extra time and money on them, has wild adventures with them, does things with them that I would never dream of doing, and they all have wild/raunchy names, just as you would expect from one ... haha).  

We are starting to work on our backyard a bit... I cannot wait for it to be done!  I think I am looking most forward to our little garden, and hoping it actually survives.  This year has been so warm already and I have been anxious to plant, but nervous that it would just dump snow again.  We shall see...it is only Colorado, after all.  I can't do much outside because everything physical and heat wise aggravates my health and makes me look like a 90 year old woman, so Mr. Yeti is working really hard.  I can't wait to see the finished product, then show it off a little(meaning, when it is done...come over to our house and play, friends!)  Oooh it is so exciting I just want to work on it right now, allergies and all.  I guess my Dad did rub off on me after all and I didn't even know it! : ) It just took me owning my own home to realize it I guess!

The boys are in full inside-outside a million times a day mode.  It has been interesting because last year we didn't have a pet, and this year we do.  Leia is an inside kitty, and she is de-clawed.  She loves to look out the screen and watch (and bark...yes, bark, at the birds.  I have never seen or heard a cat do it, but sure enough my quirky cat in my quirky family barks at the birds).   The boys are mostly good at closing the door, but sometimes it is just too exciting (or too time consuming) to close the door and she tries to lunge on out.  I am just waiting for the day that she actually makes the big escape.  Yikes.  I'm so glad she is chipped and I hope she just gets scared and comes back inside.  Little Transformer makes sure she stays in, or he tells on Captain America when he leaves the door open...you know...whatever gets the job done.  It will make for a long summer of babysitting the cat.

Something the ease the pain of long spring/summer/anytime of any day is this.  We just got an ice cream maker and are in love with this recipe.  We didn't do the toasted almond topping, though I'm sure it is a great addition...but my kids don't do toppings so it is a waste of time.  We have made it in the basic strawberry form, and then also peach.  Last summer I got an entire box of Palisade peaches from the western slope.  Truly the best peaches ever. We ate some and I made some pies, and then I sliced, sliced, sliced, sliced, and sliced some more and froze them for events such as ice cream making or random peach pies in the middle of December.  I think I actually like the peach variation better.  This recipe is pretty generic and you could use pretty much any fruit (I think blueberry would be really good, myself.)  I think you could probably use Splenda with it and make it less sugar as well.

Strawberry and Cream Cheese Ice Cream (or any Fruit Variation) 
from BHG

2  C  Strawberries, hulled and mashed (you can do more..we did!)
1/2   8oz package cream cheese, softened
1 C  Milk
1 C  Heavy Whipping Cream
1/2  C Sugar
1 tsp Vanilla
1/2  tsp Almond Extract
Red Food Coloring (optional)
Finely Chopped Toasted Almonds

-Puree strawberries in blender until mostly liquid, with a few chunks remaining.
-In a large bowl beat cream cheese until smooth, then add half of the milk.  Beat until just combined.  Add the remaining milk, whipping cream, sugar, vanilla, almond extract and strawberries.  Beat until well combined.
*The cream cheese will probably create some harder chunks in the bottom of the bowl, and may even stick to the beaters a bit but that is okay!*
-If desired add food coloring to desired color and beat until combined.
-Freeze in ice cream freezer according to manufacturer's instructions.

We put ours in the freezer in a tupperware afterwards for a while to let it firm up a bit more, but it is delicious soft!  Great in a waffle cone! : )

Alright, I'm off to sleep now that it is late and I can't hardly stop itching my nosey. Night night, all.

xoxo










 

Prepare to Party

Well, hello there.  I really didn't forget about you...I actually think about you every day.  Somehow I just run out of minutes and hours to come and visit, though.  But here I am....TuhDUM!!!

We have had a lot on our plates - mostly me feeling less than meh and just not wanting to do anything but sit on our new and glorious couch.  Our old couch was horrid.  We had it for-ev-errrr (you know you are saying it like Squints in The Sandlot, so just do it again with pride this time...) Literally every time you sat down, you took a piece of it with you when you got back up.  It was oh-so-comfortable, but pleather only lasts so long.  The jungle kitty wasn't kind to our furniture while she had her claws, and between her and the boys using it as a trampoline/superhero launching pad/rolling mat, it had a very difficult life.  Poor old couch.  So, off to Goodwill it went.  Home came the new baby that is so big and nice and comfy.  The best thing...the vacuum fits under it.  No more lost cereal under the couch, no more lost toys that are 'just...out...of....reach....oh....whatever just stay there dumb toy blah'. I can reach it all and I love it.  We all love big blue.  The boys are still learning not to use it as a diving board...but they are boys, after all, so it is bound to happen sometimes.

Little Transformer's birthday is just around the corner and I am trying to plan but still keep things low-key.  It is his 5th birthday, so it does have to be somewhat spectacular!  But, I don't want to over-do because his memory is astounding.  If we live it up one year, we will have to top it every year afterwards.  At that rate, by the time he was 16 we would be on that ridiculous show that was (is?) on MTV about the parents spending a million dollars on the dumb birthday party.  Yep...that won't be happening.  So..I'm aiming for fun but mellow and memorable.  With bunting.  We mustn't forget the bunting.  : )

The one thing we are struggling with for this event though is....(dun dun dun).....what gift!??  This sweet, wonderful boy asked for, "hugs and kisses....and maybe something to open, too."  But when you ask him what he really, really wants he says "hugs and kisses".  Well, of course my sweet, shining little star!  I will shower you with love and kisses and hugs forever and ever just because you said that!  And, because that is your adorable little answer, I want to give you more! Just because you are so dang cute!  Let the cycle continue.  *sigh*  We know we are getting him a new Bible.  That is all we know.  Hugs and kisses and a Bible.  I am sure he wants something to PLAY with, though. We'd be the lamest parents ever if he didn't even get something to play with from his mom and dad, haha. I guess I just need to go shopping - without kids.  : )

He has asked for a chocolate cake (without the amazing chocolate frosting I made...boo).  I played around with this recipe.  It was pretty dang good.  It actually tasted like real cake...with real flour.  Not like those gross cakes you get at the grocery store (I hate that kind of cake), but moist, dense enough, still soft and springy.  It did have a little bit of crumble to it, but honestly...it is cake.  What cake doesn't do that other than creepy grocery store cake?   If you try it let me know what you think.  And no, it is not low-cal, it is not health food, and no your thighs and/or butt will not thank you, but your belly will say yum-yum.  Just sayin'.  I wish I still had one of those cupcakes right now!  Nomnomnom.


Chocolate Cake

Dry Ingredients
1/2 C sorghum flour
1/2 C millet flour
1 C gluten-free all purpose flour (I use Bob's Red Mill...love me or hate me...we like it)
3 T potato starch
3/4 tsp. xanthan gum
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
2/3 C sugar
2/3 C brown sugar
1/2 C unsweetened cocoa powder

Wet Ingredients
1 C heavy cream
1/2 C coconut milk
3/4 C very soft butter
3 large eggs

Preheat your oven to 350.

Grease and flour two 8-inch rounds if making cakes, or use liners if making cupcakes.

1) In a smedium (if you're not hip to that term, it is a small-medium sized bowl...) size bowl, sift together all of your dry ingredients.  Make sure you really sift well to get all of the GF ingredients combined.
2) In a separate, larger bowl, mix cream, coconut milk and butter just until blended.
3)Add half of dry mixture to the wet ingredients and mix well.
4)Add two eggs and mix, then add the rest of the dry ingredients.  About halfway through add the other egg.  Mix well to combine thoroughly.

Separate batter into your two cake pans, or scoop into cupcake liners, filling 3/4 of the way.  For cupcakes I have found that if I keep them a little more rounded in the liner, they bake up prettier.

Bake 2 8-in rounds until the top springs back...though I still do the toothpick test.  Unfortunately I don't know how long to tell you on this size since I have only made the cupcakes...But I would start checking around 28-30 minutes probably.  That seems to be what is usually on the cake mix boxes haha.

For cupcakes, bake 18 minutes, though 17 minutes is probably sufficient.  Mine were perfect at 18.

* I don't have a Kitchen Aid stand-up mixer, so I have to vary the way I mix things to prevent my little hand mixer from burning out!  If you have a heavy-duty mixer you could probably just throw this all in your bowl and beat until it is all combined.  Gluten-free batters tend to climb up the beaters and are very thick and sticky, so sometimes you just have to be careful : )  I have never had any issues with the mystery batter creature trying to overtake my mixer....ha.  Just like I never speak in sarcasm.  Ever.

Oh My Stars The Best Chocolate Frosting Ever
8 oz cream cheese, softened
4 T softened butter
2/3 C unsweetened cocoa powder
1-2 tsp. vanilla
powdered sugar
coconut milk

Mix softened cream cheese and butter well with a mixer, and slowly add in half of the cocoa powder.  Be careful because it will probably 'poof' at you!  Add a little coconut milk to thin it a bit  and then add the rest of the cocoa powder, mix until combined.  It will probably be really thick, add the vanilla, a bit more coconut milk and some powdered sugar.   Add enough powdered sugar and coconut milk to achieve a sweetness and consistency that you like.  Add a little bit at a time because you can always add more, but you can't take away!  : )

I really can't wait to make these again.  We all really enjoyed them....and I enjoyed way too many of them.  Yikes. Who doesn't love a good chocolate cake though?  Seriously?

Well, I'm outta here now that I have a lovely craving for cake to lull me off to sleep. We'll see how that treats the baking bug tomorrow... we'll see what I can leave you with next time!


xo

Bathroom Business

It snowed on Friday. A lot.  So what does that mean?  Baking.  I tried to restrain myself and hold strong, but it lasted around five whole minutes.  It was a snow day...not that it really mattered because Little Transformer was home sick all week and what was one more day?  But, I had to jump on the baking bandwagon anyway.  And I have to say, I made some pretty stinkin' amazing cookies.  The best part - I made up the recipe all by myself.  I'm still waiting on test kitchen #2 to report back on how they turned out with "normal" flour : )  I am hoping it is successful on both ends so that I can post the recipe.  For me, it will be my new go-to Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe, because I was too hasty in posting the other one a few weeks ago.  I thought that one was good...but this is better.  I am finding that I need to decrease the fat and increase the flour content in recipes that are gluten-free in order for them to work correctly.  I don't know if it is just because of altitude or because of the lack of gluten?  I'm no scientist...  I like to think I'm smart enough to figure that out, but today it is too much for my brain.  

It was an eventful (?) weekend apart from the 2 feet of snow.  We went mega shopping.  You know how they have the "Family Restroom" at stores now?  Well every single time you need it, someone magically walks in ahead of you.  Always.  Hence my story.  Mr. Yeti and Little Transformer proceeded to the men's room, and I took Captain America with me.  (Dirty looks from women in the restroom.  Of course, because the have NEVER seen a woman bring her child in the restroom with her...and they have never done it themselves).  Anywho...We do what we need to while I am constantly telling Captain America, "Don't touch that....it unlocks the door!  No...that is the trash.  Yucky!  Don't look under the door...blah blah."  Two-year-olds.  The joy.... We wash our hands in the auto faucets (fun!), scream, cry and cover our ears at the hand dryers (not fun), and leave.  We meet up with Mr. Yeti and finally get a cart.  I bend over to pick up Captain America and what to my wondering eyes did appear, but a little wad of toilet paper attached to my boot.  Oh my holy cow I wanted to DIE!!!!!  I wished someone would have just killed me right there! I know my face was as red as could be and I could feel my heart pounding through my chest, so I am sure I looked just fantastic.  I could see/hear a couple behind me talk/whispering about something but I didn't know exactly what....and now I did.  Why do people let that happen?  Even Mr. Yeti was laughing over it.  Not just a giggle, but a full-on back up, point and laugh out loud while putting the kids in the cart.  Pure mortification right there at Le Target.  *sigh*

We also started some preliminary (hopefully permanent) potty training.  I learned with Little Transformer that you can't take any of this too seriously.  We are just going with it, and being glad that he is making it into the potty.  It took us a very long time to get things completely figured out with Little Transformer, and Captain America is much more interested in it.  Maybe he will get it sooner?  We are just a little more laid back with these hooligans on what we see as trivial because it is easier to move at their pace than ours.  We fight many more battles with our sensational kids. The tiny battles just aren't worth it.  Some might be thinking, "But potty training is a HUGE deal!!"  Meh...not in our world.  If we can successfully sit down for dinner for 10 minutes, no one get up, be asked to eat more (or at all), AND use a utensil before any tears are flowing, we have had a successful meal.  All of these must be accomplished to be majorly successful, but I will take two out of four.  Preferably time and eating without being asked...there is a lot to be said for sitting and eating.  But anyways, potty training...I just can't believe I might be without diapers relatively soon-ish.  It makes me happy/sad.  Diaper changes are horrific with him, but without them it means he really isn't a baby anymore.  Wah.  Sad. : ( Then he really is a big, big boy and I can't call him "baby" anymore.  Oh the tugging on my heartstrings.... 

So, anyways...I need to go switch some laundry.  Can you guess what it is made up of?  You guessed it!  Bed sheets and blankets and teeny-tiny undies with Diego, Lightning McQueen and Buzz Lightyear all over them.  Oh yes...and THE blankie, so I must get moving or the world may end....

xo

The Good, The Bad and The Broccoli

You know how everyone has some sort of bad food they always keep in their house?  Always.  As in, you are never without it, no matter what kind of diet you are on, or how much you are exercising, or how healthy you think you are, it is there.  Yeah...you know you have it, and you are thinking about how sinfully delicious it is right now.  Well, my house is never, ever without chocolate chips.  When they are on sale I buy them.  I buy the ginormous bag at Costco.  I love the giant bags because I don't measure chocolate chips for anything....it is more of a dump and, "Oh, yeah that looks...wait...*dump a few more*...okay, NOW it looks good!" kind of measurement, while I eat some, just to make sure they taste okay.  (You don't get really, really good chocolate chip cookies, or really yummy brownies without a few extra chips, you know...)  I think small bags are for sissies, honestly, but I buy them anyways.  I used to buy them more often when I could drive, but now I have this budget police guy following me through the store and giving me looks when I try to buy things that aren't on the list....(ahem, Mr. Yeti).  It makes shopping a whole lot less fun when it comes to me and my bestie, the baking aisle.  Oh well, good for the wallet I suppose...I suppose.

But anyways, what I was getting to with these chocolate chips is that I always have them.  They are like itty-bitty, frozen morsels of sanity for me (yes, frozen.  I keep my chocolate chips in the freezer.  They are way better that way, and no, it isn't up for discussion).  More for hiding my (in)sanity.   That beloved bag of chips is where I go when things are just a little too much....and a handful of chocolate solves it all.  Sometimes it solves all the crying and whining for little boys in this house, too.  Magic little morsels, I tell you.  Magic!  I had quite the little helping today while experimenting with a recipe.  I am kind of a nerd when it comes to baking because I have to figure out the "science" (aka what tastes wrong about it, and bake it until it tastes right).  It drives me nuts until I can get it just right.  So this whole gluten-free thingy + baking is making my wheels turn constantly.  The experiment I had today has me onto something good...and I can't wait to perfect it and hopefully come back to tell you all about it : )

Speaking of good....

I made Peach Pie this weekend.  "Peach Pie?  In January?" - Yes, in January.  I sliced, and sliced, and sliced peaches forever this summer and froze them just for this sort of thing.  I tried out a gluten-free crust recipe and it was interesting. Essentially the same as a normal pie crust recipe, with a few modifications.  I was pretty skeptical of what may happen, and was ready to just bring peach mush (which is what all my work this summer ended up looking like post-freezer and thawing...womp womp) to my mom's house.  The dough was a horrible crumbly mess, but I took all the online advice and rolled it out between two sheets of waxed paper.  That worked great!  The big issue was transferring it from the waxed paper to the pie plate...and not so much the bottom crust as it was the top crust after the pie had filling in it.  That was super cool (not) ...I was shouting, "Don't break!  Don't break!!"  Luckily all the boys were upstairs and I didn't embarrass myself too much ; ) All in all, I think it turned out quite tasty and it looked pretty, however it was a one-day-only sale.  It was absolute yuckiness after the first day....a giant, mushy, mess so next time I will have to find a cure for soggy pie syndrome.

We have been trying out some new recipes and have liked a lot of them.  Not necessarily gluten-free specific recipes, just, "This looks delicious, and it is healthy...and it just so happens to be gluten-free because it is a vegetable! Let's eat it! Yay!" kind of a thing.  Most of them are coming from a wondrous land called Pinterest.  (If you haven't visited this wonderland, climb out from under your rock and take a gander.  You don't know what you are missing!  You will get sucked in, and you will probably hear Darth Vader say, "Come with me to the Dark Side!" but along with his voice you will see unicorns and rainbows and sunshine.... It is an odd combination of danger and excitement/joy/awe.)  Tonight we ate Awesome Broccoli and that is my new name for it.  Captain America didn't eat it, but Little Transformer kind of did, and Mr. Yeti said it was good.  Therefore broccoli became Awesome Broccoli, and I will be making it again.


This is the original recipe, but I kind of changed it to what I had.

Awesome Broccoli

1 Big Bunch of Broccoli
Olive Oil
Minced Garlic (Fresh or Dried...I used dried because I was lazy)
Onion Powder
Kosher Salt
Pepper
Lemon Juice

Parchment Paper or Foil

- Wash your broccoli that morning, shake it out and let it set out to dry.  Or don't wash it.  Either way.  Your germs.  You just want it to be dried thoroughly.

-Set oven to 400.

-Cut broccoli into small florets and place into a medium/large sized bowl.  Toss with olive oil (2-3 Tablespoons)  Sprinkle generously with salt, pepper and minced garlic.  Sprinkle a bit of onion powder on, as well.  Toss to coat.

-Dump out onto the parchment/foil covered baking sheet and spread out evenly.  Bake 20-25 minutes, stirring once.

-About 5 minutes before you are ready to serve (or take out of the oven), drizzle a tiny bit (1 tsp or so) of lemon juice over the broccoli and another pinch of salt, and stir again.  Return to the oven for a few more minutes.

-Eat.  Say yum.


Alright, it is laaate.  I need to go to bed because the craziness will begin again all too soon.  'Night all.

xo

The Evil Egg?

Have you ever noticed how when you try to type with a band-aid on your finger it makes you feel like you are missing an extremity?  Yeah, I'm dealing with that.  The wild jungle cat clawed me while I was sewing something for the boys earlier today.  I didn't think they would treasure the memory of mommy blood as much as the memory of what I was making for them...so, Buzz and Woody band-aid is now my friend.  And, the other thing is why do cat scratches hurt so bad?!  Oweee for days!  

Well, to fill you in on the business of last week.  Those pretzels...oh those pretzels.  They were absolutely horrid.  I wish I were coming back to say that they were fantastic and that I am the pretzel master, but no.  I was so mad!  I threw out the first batch.  I followed through on the second because it seemed more hopeful...but in the end it was just not worth my time.  And, all that I can say is that I miss the stretchy, bendy, loveliness that gluten creates when trying to make something like a pretzel.  You can't exactly twist a pretzel when it keeps cracking and breaking....  womp, womp, womp. 

I did try a bread mix this weekend (tried a mix because I didn't have all of the flours I needed).  This was pretty successful in some aspects because I did haul out my bread machine.  I haven't done that in a while. It was really fast, but I kind of missed being involved with it.  I really like to make bread by hand - I "know" what it is doing better if I can feel what it is up to...does that make any sense at all? But, this mix had a lot of eggs in it.  One whole eggs and four egg whites.  A LOT of eggs.  Unfortunately, we are pretty sure that our Captain America may be having a reaction to all of those eggs.  We had breakfast for dinner the night before...with eggs.  Then I made that bread, which he gobbled up.  (He loves fresh baked bread!)  He was doing just fine until a little while after he ate the bread, but then the storm hit.  A great big stinky storm and a horrible, horrible diaper rash.  His tummy trouble is a big reason why we are on this adventure, but now we are curious if there is more that may need to be eliminated.  

We go to the doctor tomorrow.  I'm hopeful that things will be moving onto the right track and that things will just get better!  

So, the quest for a good bread continues, with caution.  I found this chart about the nutritional value of different flours, which I have been very curious about since starting all of this.  I know that a gluten-free diet can cause a lot of weight gain if handled incorrectly.  Personally, that is something I'm not too fond of.  I was very surprised about how many calories were in some of the most popular gluten-free flours, which just so happen to be the ones that are used most frequently in commercially sold gluten-free foods.  It sent up a red flag for me to be very aware of which flours we are using and what we are buying. We need to fill our diet with other things (not carbs), which we should be doing anyways....I'm just not always very good at it.  : )  I do struggle with the fact that, yes, that cookie does indeed sound far better than that apple.  Especially when wild banchees are running around screaming and yelling, thinking they may be starving to death before I can get that apple cut into slices.  I don't know if that has ever happened at your house...but it frequents mine. 

Speaking of banchees, Captain America is up from his nap and Little Transformer and Mr. Yeti will be back from a birthday party shortly so I'd better scoot...  

We'll see what this week holds!  : )

The Quest for Carbs Might Kill Me

Mr. Yeti isn't home and both of the boys are in bed.  Silence.  It is such a strange thing when you are used to screaming, and yelling, a decent amount of crying, then more screaming, a blast of laughter, more screaming...you get the point.  My house is filled with more noise than I know what to do with, and I consider us to be a "quiet" family.  So, a night like this is odd.

Haven't done much in the way of experimenting this week.  We did make pizza and decided that we don't like the Bob's Red Mill crust, but the Gluten Free Pantry mix was...alright.  We are still on the lookout for better though.  This is an issue for self-proclaimed "foodies" who go gluten-free because we know what we like. When you are used to making your own crust (a very glutinous one at that - we literally added vital wheat gluten to the dough) this is a problem.  I'm scouring websites and blogs alike to find a good recipe or pre-made crust that seems like it might work out.  Same goes for hot dog buns.  The ones that have had the highest ratings from a 'local' (Colorado Springs) bakery weren't getting rave reviews here.  I know that bread is always the hardest thing to adapt to, and that it is just so different from what we are used to...but seriously.  This is something that I am bound and determined to find and/or master.  The perfectionist in me just can't let it die.

I suppose I need to explain a little further here.  We like good, hearty bread.  I will not feed my kids puffy, bleached, white Wonder bread, tortillas, blah blah.  Bleached flour = death.  From the time they could eat bread, they have had whole wheat bread, with as much stuff in it as I could get (it has been getting Mr. Yeti on the train that has been tough!)  My Our thoughts have always been that if they are raised with it, they will never know the difference.  And, to be honest, they prefer the "brown bread" - hooray!  So, sandwich bread hasn't been too much of an issue because many of them are denser, heavier breads.  It is some of the breads that we don't eat on a daily basis that we are struggling with.  So...let the quest continue...

Anywho...Onto a bread that is way more fun!  By request - of my own and from my Aunt Lorri (great minds think alike - even across state lines) I will be making pretzels tomorrow.  I unfortunately haven't found a good hard pretzel recipe at this point, but I am going to try soft ones for the first time ever.  Boiling them and all...   I sure hope they work out because they are the *special treat* for Friday Fort Night and savory snacks may forever be forbidden if I mess this up....
Little Transformer already rolled his eyes at me and told me, "No...I need chocolate chip cookies. Not pretzels because I don't like them."  Oh well.  I like them.  A lot.  Especially with cheese.

I hope it goes off without a hitch.  I will hopefully be baking some bread this weekend because I will need some for this week.  Anyone have some recommendations of some carb-filled goodness?

And just a little FYI about carb-filled goodness.  Today (January 19) is National Popcorn Day.  So go eat some popcorn.  YUM.  I stinking love popcorn.  Love it.  I can eat an entire bag by myself.  My little Captain America and I share a bag quite often.  It is like a date.  I wish I had known earlier in the day about this so that we'd have had a little snuggle and some "pop'own".  Maybe tomorrow :)

Okay, Talk soon!
xo

Chipmunk Cheeks

Well, I'm not doing very well at keeping my other resolution of working out and eating like a super-health freak.  It is January 12, we have already broken down and had some DQ (at my begging after the Hulk acted like, well...the Hulk, little Transformer decided not to eat and I just had "one of those days".  Mr. Yeti was not too hard to convince, so I know he was right there with me).  Halleluyer for ice cream is all I can say.  Ice cream really does just make things feel better...until five minutes after you eat it when you feel remorse.   :)

I think that tackling GF living/cooking/baking right at the beginning of the year is a challenge because not only are you learning a whole new way of living, but also fighting that whole "I'm going to be fit and awesome!  Let's go rockin' bod!!" mindset.  So, I've baked.  A lot.  Cookies. Brownies.  Banana Bread.  And I have hardly worked out.  Baking - Winning.  Fit and Awesome - LOSING.  But man, I have to say I am rocking the baking thing.  Seriously, all those people who think that GF baked goods are terrible must not be able to cook or are choosing the wrong things to bake.  Either that, or I am doing something terribly wrong that tastes amazing.  Whatevs...   My belly says yum.  

Today was Banana Bread.  I had these three really awful looking bananas that needed to be dealt with.  I have an issue throwing anything away now after watching this documentary.  So, I baked.  Again.

I used this recipe from Taste of Home as the base recipe, but tweaked it because I can't leave well enough alone.  I halved it because I only had three bananas, and added some different flours, spices, etc.  I hope you like it as much as I have - meaning, I hope you stuff your face with it like me.  (Please, don't make me feel like the only loser doing this THIS early into 2012....)

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

1 1/2 C gluten-free all purpose flour
1/2 C sweet white sorghum flour
4 T ground flaxseed meal
1 tsp. xanthan gum
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt (I use kosher)
cinnamon and nutmeg (I didn't measure...just a shake...more cinnamon than nutmeg.)
2 C mashed ripe bananas (4-6)
4 eggs
1 C granulated sugar
1/2 C unsweetened applesauce
1/3 C oil
2 tsp. vanilla
a handful or two of chocolate chips...I didn't measure..just did what looked good.

Preheat oven to 350.

In a medium sized bowl, whisk/sift together flours, flaxseed, xanthan gum, baking soda, salt and spices.

In a separate, larger bowl, mix together the mashed bananas, eggs, sugar, applesauce, oil, and vanilla.  Add the dry mixture into the wet mixture and stir until well combined.  Stir in your chocolate chips.

Divide into two loaf pans sprayed with cooking spray.  Bake for 45-55 minutes.  Cool on a cooling rack for at least 10 minutes before turning out of the pans to cool completely.

Cut yourself a slice while it is still warm and enjoy the melty, chocolatey goodness.  Oh yum.  I've never made chocolate chip banana bread before, and I don't know that I can ever go back.  Oh baby, oh baby.  I know this isn't a healthy recipe by any means.  But...well.  Oh well.  Melty chocolate chips?  Don't mind if I do...

Okee dokee....
talk soon  :)  go bake.

xo

This blog has no pictures.

So, after some prodding here I sit watching Diego with Captain America (who from time to time may also be referred to as Hulk...)  I have been planning on starting this blog for um...ever now, but I have avoided it knowing that 1) I will become addicted to it 2) I don't have an amazing Nikon camera to take pictures with. When I go to a blog I expect there to be amazing photos to look at.  If there aren't pictures, I leave.  I'm planning on people stopping by and saying to themselves "Oh, amateur...no pictures. You might as well shut down, loser".  If you stay, I will be impressed, and I will say it now, thanks.  You are awesome.  Now, onto my other points... 3) I don't really have any other points but I think every argument needs at least three points.  Really my true avoidance was that we don't have a good camera.  But oh well.  We will all just have to suffer through ugly/no pictures.

As some of you (anyone...Bueller? Bueller?) may know, we decided to go gluten-free on January 1st.  We had been contemplating it for a while, but we just hadn't taken the dive.  Whelp, we jumped in cannon-balled in and so far no one has died.  It was quite the shock when we found that xanthan gum costs between $10-$12 for a little ole bag.  But, I have used it in every meal I have made so far, so it is obviously a necessary evil.  I am still horribly confused about why such and such flour is necessary for this, and why this recipe calls for this flour and not that one and why this is potato flour and not potato starch....whoa dude.  But, I guess you will never learn anything until you just try, and you won't figure it out until you ask the questions and make the mistakes.

I did have my proud moments, this week, though.  I successfully made Sweet Potato Black Bean Enchiladas and adapted my favorite (and quite famous) chocolate chip cookies to be gluten-free.  I think that was what I was most proud of!  You can't even tell the difference in taste, which is what I was terrified of.  I really only noticed a difference in the batter consistency while I was mixing it (so much more sticky...my mixer was even growling a little at the thick/sticky batter.  I only have a hand mixer....I'm not so fortunate to have a Kitchen Aid, but if I did I would have this baby!)

Chocolate Chip Cookies

3/4 C butter, softened (the real stuff...I prefer salted, but you use whatever you like)
1/4 C butter flavor shortening
1 C packed light brown sugar
1/2 C granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla  *edit: I just found out (1/6/2011) that vanilla needs to be GF...oops.  Check that next time, yo!*

2 C all purpose gluten-free flour mix
1/2 C sweet white sorghum flour
1 tsp xanthan gum
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp kosher salt

One bag chocolate chips...or more :)

Preheat oven to 375.

Cream butter and shortening together in a large bowl. Add in brown sugar and granulated sugar and beat until well combined.  Beat in the eggs and vanilla.

In a separate bowl, sift together the flours, xanthan gum, baking soda and salt.  Add to wet mixture one half at a time and beat well after each addition.  You may need to mix with a spoon if it is too thick towards the end.

Mix in the chocolate chips with a spoon.

Spoon by the tablespoon onto cookie sheets and bake 9 minutes.  No more.  Sometimes 8 minutes, 30 seconds is okay, but 9 minutes is the complete maximum.  If you go beyond this, Thor will smack you down with his giant hammer and I am not kidding.  You will regret it.  The cookies won't look set in the middle, but they will continue to cook a bit as you let them cool a few minutes on the cookie sheet before transferring them to a cooling rack.

They will be magically delicious and chewy. Your gluten-free home will sing your praises. Also...your non-GF friends will never even know.  Never.  Unless you tell them, of course....
  
Okay.  Little Transformer and Mr. Yeti are home so that is all for now.  I will be back with more adventures another day...

------
edit 1/6/2011

If all you non-GF friends would like to make these cookies, you can!  Just trade out the flours and xanthan gum for 2 1/2 C flour and make the rest of the recipe as written.  And, again, I stress 9 minutes for your baking time :)  nom nom nom.....

xo

Sometimes You Just Have to Sleep in the Crib

So, yesterday I had a whole post ready to go, and just as I was ready to put it up (like seriously, I was ready to hit the button..) I get this text message and suddenly all of my rantings seemed all too insignificant.  Pretty much all I wanted to do was go and drive and get my sister. Then, hug her until she couldn't be hugged anymore, and hug until we cried, then cry until we laughed, and then do it all over again.  Because that is what we do, because she is my sissy, and I just love and adore her beyond my words.  I was mostly in shock over it all. I really didn't have any true emotions over it other than I just wanted to see her and hug her.  (Like this because it is one thing that will always, always make me think of just her.)  


Captain America turned into the Hulk last night and really drove it home.  We are entering the phase of two-year-old life where we don't know if he will be napping or not anymore.  This is a hard phase.  I would really like him to keep napping...but I don't know if he will.  He has always been a bad sleeper, and still is....cue last night.  


I was sad, and just wanted to sleep.  I'd probably been asleep for a little over an hour and I hear the shriek of a wild animal --- "AAAAHHHH! MAAAAAAHHHM!!".  I sigh and flop out of bed. Dragggggg my feet through the hall to his room (all the while he is screaming and flailing, only turning into more of a wild beast in the 45 seconds it takes me to get there).  I walk into his room and he smiles and says, "Hi mom, I go your bed?"


UGHHH!  Seriously, child!?  You did all of this thinking you would graciously be invited to sleep in MY bed!? Sorry, buddy.  I gave up any sort of "soothing" way too quickly and grabbed one of his blankets that covers maybe half of me (...maybe?) and climbed in his bed.  A toddler bed.  Which is basically a crib with the side knocked down.  Yep, sometimes you just have to sleep in the crib. 


I decided after bad news yesterday and then sleeping in the crib last night, I could use up all the hot water in the shower today.  It definitely perked up my mood.  I've had my ups-and-downs of sad today, but I think that it is okay.  Mr. Yeti has been wonderful.  He is so understanding as usual.  He really is a superhero, too :)  I'm so blessed to have my crazy superheroes, and my whole family around me.  I'm so glad I have been blessed with all of them.  I can't wait to have a Hug O'War with my whole family.  I bet we might make a "ham-sammich" tonight during fort night (basically a giant family hug...get it...?  Hamiltons..big hug..."Ham-Sammich"...ha...haha..yep.  It really is funny. You know it is.)


Go have a Hug  O'War with someone, too.  :)  


Hug O'War


I will not play at tug o'war.
I'd rather play at hug o'war,
Where everyone  hugs
Instead of tugs,
Where everyone giggles
And rolls on the rug,
Where everyone kisses,
And everyone grins,
And everyone cuddles,
And everyone wins.

Shel Silverstein

.