Hodgson Mill Pizza Mix Review

Now that I live in a different part of the state products availability is a little bit different. The other night we tried the new Hodgson Mill's Pizza Crust Mix. You can read what I said about their cookie mix here. I also have a box of their brownie mix too, so look for a review on that soon too. So far I've like what I've tried, they do seem less perfectly allergy free then other brands, but if your main allergies are gluten, dairy, and nuts this mix will fit the bill, plus it cost less then other brands.

I wasn't too thrilled that this mix does have yeast in it, and I'm suppose to stay a way from yeast. I can't always get a way from it because yeast in in all commercial gluten free breads and some other baked goods like pizza crust. Besides the yeast issue, the texture of this mix is awesome. I've tried many pizza crust recipes, but none have come close to the traditional gluten-full version of crust dough. This mix nailed! It was so much fun making this with my daughter because it was like "real" dough. There was the waiting for the yeast to activated, the dough to rise (thankfully only one rise period instead of two), and the texture was a lot like real dough. You do have to cover your hands with lots of cornstarch to keep the dough from sticking, but it felt great to pat the dough out on to the pan instead of spreading it out like icing. My daughter didn't want to stop patting the dough.

So if you are looks for a traditional pizza crust recipe I would recommend Hodgson Mill's to you.

I decided to have a little fun with our pizza and I made taco pizza. I just used chili powder and cumin to season our tomato sauce then shredded chicken and cheddar cheese for the toppings. I cooked the pizza as directed on the box. I then put chopped tomato and lettuce on top of the pizza. It was good and big hit with the family. You could use re-fried beans instead of tomato sauce, but I'm more allergic to pinto beans then tomato, so the lesser of the two evils for us.

Quinoa Mini Quiches

My work had me come in an extra hour early this past week for a special breakfast promotion. So I needed something I could eat quickly that would fill me up and give me the fuel I needed to make it through the day, especially when I sometimes didn't get my break until the end of my 7 hour shift.

I love Pinterest and I love getting all sort of ideas and on there for just about everything. I've started making a deal with myself that if I pin something that I ought to making it or trying it out, instead of doing nothing. That way all the time I spend of Pinterest doesn't seem to fruitless and a waist of time. So I thought I would share with you all what works and what didn't and what I might have done differently. I've made 2 food boards on Pinterest for your following delights. The first one is gluten free and allergy friendly recipes and my recipes too. Those are under the heading Recipes To Make. The next board is food ideas that look fun that aren't allergy friendly or gluten free that inspire me to make allergy free versions of the same recipe. These are labeled Food Inspiration.

For my breakfast needs I followed the basic outline of this quinoa recipe here for Ham and Cheese Quiona Cups.  I did my quiches a little different. I used red quinoa, because it's what was in the house, and I didn't use cheese and I used different filling. The ham and cheese sound good and I might do that another time, but I wanted something a little different for my breakfast needs. I did come to the conclusion that I don't like how red quinoa looks when cooked. It just looks wrong, in my opinion. There are white rings, just like the white kind, but against the red it just looks really different and odd; but they still taste fine. So here is my recipe for quiona quiches and a bonus recipe for what I did with the left over quiona.

Quinoa Mini Quiches
2 cups cooked quinoa
3 eggs
2 sausage breakfast patties or 1/3 cup chopped meat of choice
1/4 hominy
1 Tbs onion
2 cups fresh spinach chopped
salt and pepper to taste

Pre heat oven to 350. Grease mini muffin tin. Mix the quinoa, meat, hominy and onion together. Beat the eggs and add to the mix and season. Add in the spinach and mix everything together well. Fill each mini muffin cup all the way full. Bake for 20-30 minutes, until the egg has set and the edges are golden brown. Let them cool in the pan a few minutes before removing them. Spraying the pan between batches maybe helpful or use mini muffin papers.  Makes 2 1/2 dozen. Serving size is 2 per person.

Spinach and Tomato Quinoa Salad
2 cups cooked quiona
12 cherry tomatoes cut in half ( I used orange ones from a friends garden) 
1/4 black olives chopped
1/2 onion chopped
1 cup fresh spinach chopped
Italian dressing (enough to coat the salad without drenching)
2 tsp lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste

Mix all the indigence, except dressing and lemon juice, well. Then add the dressing to your desired amount. Then the lemon juice and salt and pepper to your fit your taste, as some dressings are not the same. Serves 4. 

The Craziness of Life

Burn scare from Waldo Canyon Fire

It's been awhile since my last blog post. The last post I wrote was about how do you choose things to take with you with you have to make the choice to leave your home. See last post here. We did end up leaving our home, more for smoke and ash, then the flames themselves, but our family did flee the Waldo Canyon fire the night it roared into the city. It was a terrifying time that I don't think anyone will forget. Every time our daughter sees dark clouds she thinks there is smoke. She wants to fight the fire, it is very cute, but I know that those images of the mountain completely in flames is stuck in her mind too. I'm starting with this point in our lives, even though it's been a few months, because it was where the craziness for our family began.

Soon after coming back home we had a choice to make - renew our rent or move. The reason for the choice is because my husband started his own business last year and it has been slow going with the economy. So we made the choice to move in with family until his business takes off and we can be more secure in our finances. This left us with 10 days to pack and move after just returning home and cleaning the ash off everything. We had to get out before our lease would go into next month. So we upped and moved and left our precious church and all of our friends. It has been heartbreaking, but we know that this is God's plan for us and it's the right move for our family.

To explain the photo I choose for the header of my blog because it shows how crazy and unpredictable life can be. The fire spared some homes and then destroyed neighborhoods. It's path was chaotic. Life can seem that way too and sometimes we just have to roll with it and then collect our selves after the dust settles. The fire is a marker in our family history of a turn of events and this photo that I took seems to capture those feelings.

Since moving our lives have kept on changing, and things are just beginning to look like their going to slow down. We've dealt with so much stress and the roller coaster of life seems to be in one of those spirals that keep flipping us upside down and then around again. I've started working - with in it self is a whole new chapter of life. I haven't worked a real job in 4 years. I did my light director duties for about 2 years, but it wasn't like a regular job with income and regular hours. I now work at Chick-fil-A. I'm glad I work for the company that I do and with the people that I do and that they do have gluten free options. It's been a challenge for me physically. I'm no spring chicken any more -no pun intended- and the simplest tasks have me aching at night. I hurt my writs, which wasn't a new injury, but one that is aggravated by my work that has slowed me from returning to the blog, and it is forcing me to wear a brace at night. It feels a little odd being literally 15 years older then most of my co-workers and I'm covered in bruises and sore from doing the same tasks they are doing. God really is growing me during this time. It's is only by His grace and mercy that I am making it through this period in our lives. I wish I knew what is next, but I remind my self daily, that I know He knows and that is ok with me.

From: Stock.xchng

I am trying to reconnect with the church I left 10 years ago and continue the work I was apart of in our last church. It's been a little frustrating because I know I can help them and they want my help, but it's a slow process to even get started. I think God is trying to teach me patience. It's feels odd to be back in the town I grew up in and nothing seems to be the same and it's even strange to run into people I knew from high school. Life sure is crazy. It's isn't the path I would have chosen but it's His story NOT mine.

I do promise some food writing in the near future now that things seem to be claimer.  I am sharing a kitchen with non-gluten free people, but it is going well. We are taking turns cooking and most of the baked goods are gluten free or we have non and gluten free options. So there may be more on how to share a kitchen blogs in the future . We've been having fun making vegetables into pancakes and waffles from a cousins recipe and it's been great to watch my daughter eat pink waffles made from beets -she likes them. We've been canning  peaches and apple sauce from relative's trees. I should also have some product reviews coming too since the selection of gluten free foods are different then what I was getting before.

So please stay tuned! I will get back to my regular blogging.

What would you bring?

I haven't openly mentioned where I live yet, but I have something on my heart and I can't help but mention where I live to fully express my feelings. If you haven't heard by now, 12 fires are burning in Colorado. I happen to live 10 miles from the one that is labeled the most important and sever, and the worst natural disaster this area has seen in 35-40 years. It's the Waldo Canyon Fire. The picture from above is from earlier today, and today is day 3. I've seen this fire from the start. I unfortunately have a really good view of the fire. I see some video on the news and I can turn and look out my window and sure enough see it with my own eyes. I can see the flames engulf the ridges and hills, the smoke, and the planes flying over.

My daughter was invited to a fire truck themed party right before it happened. As we arrived at the fire station for the tour the big engine had just left and after 30-45 minutes later the next engine was called out and we got to watch them go. Now I'm not worried, concerned for sure, but not freaking out. We have friends and past co-workers who have been evacuated. More friends waiting if they will be called out next. I've cleaned our place in case we have to receive some of these friends. I can't help but keep a watchful eye on the horizon. It's hard to ignore when your living room all of a sudden has an orange shadow, filling the room.

We are not physically threaten by the fire at the moment, however if the winds keep blowing in the wrong direction (for us, good for others) and if rain never seems to come then things could get ugly fast. If we do leave, for now, it will be because of smoke. I have asthma and right now my nose and throat burn. So to play it safe - I am married to an eagle scout after all - we have started to pack our bags.

So the big question: what would you pack if you had to leave your home and what if that home was burned to the ground?

I have no idea. At first I started packing clothes and the thing we need to get by for at least 72 hours. Then as time went on I thought about a few things like my daughter's baby book and scrap book, our wedding video, the video of our daughter's birth, important documents, keys, power cords. But I can't really thing of anything supper sentimental to pack. If we have time I would like to pack my wedding dress into the car, but who knows if the time comes if we will have room. We have a fire box, but even those can't with stand certain temps.

I have a good friend who has been through a lot. She lost her home in California due to a fire and is in the per-evacuation area in this fire. She has shared some words of wisdom in her blog and she also shared ( in a separate post) what she wished she saved from the first fire. Click here to read her very insightful writings.

I've thought about what she has written and I wonder what I would bring, and what I should do. I'm still perplexed on what to bring, mainly because I don't hold material things close. I go on a purging spree once or twice a year, so in a since that is a good thing. I'm not tied to material goods. I know I would miss things like my beagle ceramic collection, my grandpa's shoes that we got after he died. I don't have much in the way of family heirlooms. I packed at lot of my daughter's stuffed animals, some of which were mine. My husband owns his own business and has all of those things are together and ready. Much of our lives are digital so that kind of make things easier. I doubt we will have to leave, but when you can see a fire rage wildly on the mountains that you love, your priorities and perspective take a major shift.

As for helping, I have offered our home, air purifiers, and anything anyone needs. No one has taken me up on these things yet or has need of them and that is ok. I do know that the fire fighters are requesting GF snacks and that is something I can help with and help guide people who want to donate those items. I'm sure more opportunities will arise as time goes on and I will do what I can. Prayers are something I can offer all the time. Prayer and love are what matter most in the end. God always provides, somethings we have to be willing to receive and sometimes we have to be willing to be the vessel for that provision.

What would you choose to bring and what would you do to help?

Chocolate Banana Bread with Sunbutter Swirl

Weekends are insane at our house because of all the volunteering we do at church, especially me. Not only do I have to plan for meals for the family while I'm gone, but also my own meals to take with me too. I find that life is made a little easier on the weekends if I make some sweet bread or muffins to take with me that I can eat as a snack or as breakfast when I'm at church super early. This weekend was an extra long one and I wanted to make some banana bread to snack on but I didn't want just plain banana bread. So I thought why not jazz it up and you know it was so good and easy to do too.


Chocolate Banana Bread with Sunbutter Swirl
Banana Bread recipe from Pamela's Baking Mix
3 Tbs coco powder
1/4 cup Sunbutter Orginal Spread ( you can use peanut butter or any nut butter you like)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Make banana bread according to the recipe from Pamela's. Using a measuring cup, take out 1/3 cup of the batter and set side. Add the coco powder to the remaining batter and mix until well blended. Pour the batter into a greased loaf pan. Mix together the reserved batter with the Sunbutter until well blended. Dollop the Sunbutter mixture on top of the batter in the loaf pan. Take a butter knife or spatula and  swirl it around in a figure 8 pattern to mix the two batters. You don't want them perfectly mixed, but well enough to get some Sunbutter into every slice. Bake for 1 hour as directed on package.

Cooking for the Non-Gluten Free

Have you ever had to cook for someone who just had a baby or just got out of the hospital and you want to bless them with a meal and they are not gluten free? I'm part of the meals ministry at my church so once in awhile I have to cook for someone else.

I try to keep my kitchen 100% allergy free. My husband has a small cupboard that he keeps his peanut butter, mac n cheese, soups, chili and snack items in that are off limits to the rest of the family. However, when I cook for someone else I don't always want to do the standard meat and vegetable dish, because sometimes that coasts more. Lets face it, pasta and other wheat based items are cheap. In addition, those who are recovering from a surgery or birth need their carbs. They need the energy to make it through 2 a.m feedings and the like. So I like to make homemade mac n cheese, pudding pies, and casseroles. So what do I have on hand to make these easy meals for someone else, while keeping a GF kitchen?

• dried pasta, usually macaroni
• hamburger helper or rice-a-roni (boxed items like these are very covenant and keep the pantry clean)
• graham cracker crusts
• pudding mix
• condensed milk

For Non-Gluten Free mac n cheese it is very simple to make. I just cook the pasta as normal (1lb bag) and drain. Melt 2 cups of cheese into a sauce pan with the condensed milk then pure over the top of the pasta and mix together in a oven safe casserole dish (aluminum if giving it to someone else, that way you don't need to ask for it back). Put more cheese on top and bake in a 350 degree oven till hot and bubbly and the cheese is melted on top. Pretty simple, huh? I usually do this for someone who just had a baby who has other kids, that way I know the kids will eat like it.

I have made my Mexican Lasagna before and that goes over really well too. I also like to make a dessert and I like doing non bake pudding pies. Graham cracker crusts usually come in a two pack or buy-one-get-one deal. To make a non bake pie it is very simple to do with any box of pudding mix. I like to make the crust on the pie golden brown by brushing the crust with egg white that has been beaten. Bake in at 375 degree oven for 5 minutes. You can use any pudding mix, just mix as directed on the box then place into the crust (once cooled if you are going to brown it) then refrigerate for at least 1 hour. I also found this great site that tells you how to make a pudding pie with some fun extra ingredient to jazz up just plain pudding; it's called Sky-is-the-limit pie.

So now you know my secrets to cooking for others while keeping a clean allergy free kitchen.

Only the Lonely

From: Stock.Exchng

There is a verse that has been bugging me for awhile, it is Proverbs 19:7

A poor man is shunned by all his relatives--how much more do his friends avoid him! Though he pursues them with pleading, they are nowhere to be found.

Everyone knows someone or has experienced it for themselves, the hardship that has come in our economic state. It saddens me because it is so easy is our way of life to let people fall into the cracks. It's something I've experienced and seen first hand. With the way our world works, if you don't keep up with the Jones' and keep up a certain level of appearance it's easy for people to just forget you and not reach out to you in hard times. It takes a lot of money, it seems to be friends with people, and  it shouldn't be that way.

Think about it. To be part of a MOPS or small social group it can be expensive to someone who can't afford to pitch in for a snack that everyone can share. Even more expensive if you have food allergies like we do, when you have to bring separate snacks, because you can't eat what is being offered to everyone else. You can't just go to the zoo or museums because of the cost of tickets. Play dates can be hard for those with food allergies too, because bread can cost so much and very little is picnic friendly, at least it is for my picky eater. If you have to share a car you can't go many places if your spouse needs it for work. You have to mindful of how frequently you drive and the distance because of gas prices. You can't afford a baby sitter. All of these things makes it very hard to be social in a world that is hurting so much by financial stress. Can you see how people can just get lost or forgotten? Someone just stops showing up to play group or bible study and no one follows up or asks where so 'n so.

Then there is the shame the other person feels because they can't go and do things with their friends, they can't pay to take their kids to the zoo, they can't drive the car so far because their spouse needs the gas. They try to do what they can by trying to host play dates at park near their house or offer to baby site so their children can have a friend over for a few house.

Our pastor this past week was talking about depression and how to help cope with depression or help a loved one who is currently suffering from depression. One of his points what that community is vital and I agree. When I had PPD after my daughter was born I felt better just getting out of the house and trying to make at least one play date a week. It was so hard to get up and get dressed and do things, but once I did I felt better. But the point that I'm trying to make is that those who suffer because they've lost their job or their spouses hours got cut or they were promoted without a pay increase and are now finding themselves in a place where the world seems empty and lonely. When going through hard times a friend are so vital and much needed, but often not available. Why?

We need people we are created that way. God gave Adam a wife because he was lonely. Having someone to talk to and share the good and bad with is necessary to not feel alone in this world and to see the hope that is going to come. When facing a hard time it is easy to be so wrapped up in all the bad and difficult things going on that the world just seems dark and empty. Where as a friend can shine some light and point out the good and the hopeful.

Those who are in need just don't need food and help with bills, but friendship to know that they aren't alone. It can be difficult to stand by someones side when they are facing a battle so hard that their seems to be no end. At first people are willing to help and offer support, but as the trail goes one, people start to drift away and become worn out because the trail just goes on and their seems to be no end. It's hard to be around someone who always seems to be a downer, but if they can't see the positives in life, how can they ever see good if someone doesn't stick to their side and show them the light?

God tells us to endure the trials of life, James 1:2-4. He also tells us to carry each others burdens Galatians 6:2. When Paul received aid he said it was a "fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God." Philippians 4:18. Helping others and taking care of those in need are commands from God. He tells us to take care of each other and to help those in need. When so many people are facing challenges and unending trails (as it appeasers) it is easy to see how so many are depressed and feeling hopeless in their circumstances.

We should all take time to find out how someone truly is doing and how they are feeling and befriend them. If they need help, help them, but most importantly be their friend. Don't let someone you know go through the trials of life alone. And messaging them on Facebook or Twitter doesn't count. Get some face to face time or at least call them on the phone.

Two Cookies, Six Eggs

I have finally found two cookie recipes that my family loves. I've never been a great gluten free cookie maker, but now that I have two recipes under my belt, we are all happy. I love how these two recipes work together and I can make them back to back.

The first cookie is the Flourless Fudge Cookie from King Arthur Flour. I didn't come up with this recipe and I make it as the recipe states, except I double it because we loves these cookies so much. Here is the link to these sinfully good cookies: Flourless Fudge Cookies.

The next cookie is called Egg Yoke Cookies. The name says it all. I like these cookies because the Flourless Fudge Cookies when doubled uses 6 egg whites. Now what am I to do with 6 egg yokes? Make cookies! I had to alter this recipe to make it GF and healthier. Here is the link to the original recipe. To make this recipe healthier I use bean butter.

I love bean butter. It is the best thing I've discovered on Pinterest. You take beans, any color, but white works the best over all, and you cook and puree them and freeze them in per-measured amounts. You can used canned beans too. It's a 1:1 ratio for the bean puree to butter. I've used it in cakes, cookies, muffins, doughnuts, and crepes. It makes my baking fat free, low in calories and healthy with a boost of protein. Here is the link for how to make bean butter.

Gluten Free Egg Yoke Cookies
1 cup butter or Earth Balance or bean butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
6 egg yokes or 3 whole eggs
2 1/2 cups Pamela's baking mix
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp almond extract (You can use any extract you like. The original uses lemon and orange. I think I combination of almond and orange would be divine.)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Beat together sugar and butter. Note: if using beat butter it doesn't really cream like normal butter or Earth Balance does. Add eggs and beat until smooth. Add in baking mix, baking powder, vanilla and extract of your choice; mix until well combined. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Using a small cookie scoop or a tablespoon to drop cookies onto baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Sprinkle a little bit of sugar over each cookie. Bake for 10 mins. Let cookies cool in pan before transferring them. Makes 3 dozen.

Easter Part 2: His Forgivness

From Stock.Xchng

A few days ago I talked about how stressful and crazy last Easter was for me and how those memories, in a way, hunting me. To read what I had said, click here. 

This week I have been working on my Break Free homework, remember I mentioned this back in February, if not you can find that here. This weeks homework was about the past and breaking free from it. As I mentioned before, parts of last years I wanted to break a way from, yet at the same time it was a beautiful time because it confirmed in me the direction the Lord has set before.

First things first, I had to let go of those weird feelings I had in association to Easter last year. I had to let that go so I could embrace what God has already done. Did you get that? Not what he is planning to do (although that still counts), but what he has already done!  I had to take time to let go of the bitterness that had grow up inside me that I was in denial that was there. I had to forgive the guy who taught be how to run the lights at my church then quit. It's a fact that it happened, but he didn't do it on purpose to hurt me or to give me a burden that I didn't feel ready to hold. I had to forgive those who where now placed under me, because I felt they had some resentment now having me as a leader instead of the other guy. I had to forgive myself. That was the hardest part. It's easy, for me anyway, to hold things to myself to let myself beat me up and not let myself forget the things I have done. I had to let go of those things and forgive myself. Once I did all that the weird feeling about last Easter faded away. It is creeping back up as I look back as I write then. But I just tell those thoughts creeping back into my brain that those are forgiven. I released those feelings, they no longer have a hold on me!

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him,  who have been called according to his purpose."        - Romans 8:28

  I've done a lot of odd jobs in my life. I have experienced more things in the first 30 years of my life then most people do by the time they are twice my age. Some things are bad, most for good even if they may still may be considered odd. I use to wonder "Am I ever going to use any these talents and skills that I've learned over the years?" Skills like, music, art, and a hidden love for technology. It wasn't until I got this position that I started to see all these little skills and life experiences come together in my light director duties. Things from knowing music: parts of music, time signatures, bpm, and understanding the band when they talk out their songs in musical terms. Knowing art: color, light, shadows, and movement of the eye. These are just to point out a few, but there are more like managing people skills, technology skills, drawing, 10-key, document design, and having a freaky good memory. I always wanted to be apart of a media team, way back in my high school days, but there was always a "boys club" mentality to it and it wasn't until this moment in time that the doors opened up and allowed me to be "one of the guys." Then all of these past skills fell into place and are no longer void back in the recesses of my mind and time. They were not left for not to be useless experiences. I still have more to give, but it is up to God's time for when they will be put to good use and for what purpose. I will do as he calls me to do, and I have to say I never thought I ever get a change to be on a media crew for a church and I never thought it would be on lights and I never thought I would love it and get this much enjoyment.

However, if it wasn't until the death of Jesus on that cross then the death of death when he conquered the grave that any of this would be possible; the forgiveness and the purpose of life and skills. By him doing this he opened the door for me to approach the throne of grace, the throne of the almighty God and ask for forgiveness and receive it.  If it wasn't for Jesus I would still have to slaughter a bull and do it every 5 minutes because I'm a messed up human. But Jesus paid for my sins once. All I have to do is ask, receive and remember that God forgets my sins.

"The LORD is compassionate and gracious,
   slow to anger, abounding in love.
He will not always accuse,
   nor will he harbor his anger forever;
he does not treat us as our sins deserve
   or repay us according to our iniquities.
For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
   so great is his love for those who fear him;
as far as the east is from the west,
   so far has he removed our transgressions from us.
  As a father has compassion on his children,
   so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him;
 for he knows how we are formed,
   he remembers that we are dust.
The life of mortals is like grass,
   they flourish like a flower of the field;
 the wind blows over it and it is gone,
   and its place remembers it no more.
But from everlasting to everlasting
   the LORD’s love is with those who fear him,
   and his righteousness with their children’s children—
 with those who keep his covenant
   and remember to obey his precepts."                       - Psalm 103:8-18

Here is a little music video to leave you with. This is David Crowder Band and their song How He Loves. It is one of my favorite songs by them. I just love how this video makes it look like the lead, David Crowder, is on his laptop video chatting with someone about the love Jesus has for us as he walks through this house. I hope you enjoy and Happy Easter.






*Update*
Here is the video from my Pastor's sermon that goes right along with what I said in this post. I hope you find it helpful and encouraging as I did.

Easter Part 1: Ghost of Easter Past

From: Stock.xchng

Have you ever seen VeggieTales' "An Easter Carol" DVD? It's one of my daughter's favorites and we got it for her last year for Easter. It's about why the hope of Easter is so important through a Charles Dickens' sort of way. Last Easter marks a very pinnacle time in my life, and I feel like the memories of that time are in a way hunting my thoughts.

I've talked about my church duties some, but not is a lot of detail. I run the lights at my church. I've been doing this for almost two years now and I was promoted to Light Director last August. It's not a paid position, but I love it, I absolutely love what I do and making art with light.

Lights at my church, that is the soundboard in front

 Last year about a month before Easter things got a little crazy. The man who taught be how to run the lights, my mentor, got burned out and quit. It was kind of sudden. I was left with two people in training for the lights with upgrades in the works and Easter fast approaching. I was feeling a lot of pressure and stress. I remember staying at the church till 10 pm one night to re-program all three services to incorporate all of our new upgrades. I have to stop right here for a moment and give major thanks and kudos to our worship pastor and crew who stayed up all night for a week putting in all the changes; I really can't complain about my one night. I only mention that night because that is when my insomnia started. I was so nervous and anxious about what all these new changes for the media team meant. I remember getting an email asking me to work all three services, normally I worked Saturday nights. I thought I was being asked to work because everyone else requested the holiday weekend off. Turns out I was asked because at the time I was the most experienced light operator. I know this, because one of the guys in training was working camera that weekend, and the other came up to the media booth to say hello.

My roll changed that weekend. I went to being one of the light operators to the lead light operator to light director, all in 5 month period. Since that time, not only did my title change, but I have written 2 manuals for the board, one map, and worked 8 months non stop till we got a bigger team. I also got to go to the Seeds Conference with the crew and learn how to do my job better.

There is just something about that weekend that has just stuck with me and for some reason those memories keep rising to the surface. Parts of this memory I would like to put behind me and move on. The parts of the stress and feeling like the world was dumped on my shoulders is the part I like to let go of. When I look back at Easter last year, I get a strange feeling. I don't know how to describe it. Our pastor talked, just this last Sunday, about our past and how all the things in our past make up our future and how God can use us no matter what is there. Part 2 of this post will be, hopefully, some lessons on how God is doing just that in my life. God lead me to this position. I wanted a place I could volunteer at my church and God pointed me in this direction. I never knew that I could love my volunteer job as much as I do. Even on my worse days I love being behind that board and worshiping my God. At times it is stressful and crazy and a lot of hard work, but it's all for my God and that is what matters most. Paul the apostle went through all sort of crazy things to spread the work of God. Everything from being in prison, to escaping a city via a basket over a wall, and suffering all sort of hardships. You can find all of this in the books of Acts, Romans, I and II Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, I and II Thessalonians, I and II Timothy, Titus and Philemon. I figure if Paul can go through all of his hardships to make a difference for Christ then so can I.

 It just amazes me how different life was a year ago. I am so thankful to God that I am still doing that I am doing and getting the chances to improve my craft for him. This year could be another pinnacle year with my husband's job, God willing. But this year I'll just be acting as producer and making sure everything runs smooth for all of our Easter guests. 

Stay tuned for Part 2. 

Chocolate Zucchini Pancakes with Quinoa Salad with Grilled Vegetables and Avocado

Chocolate zucchini bread is a favorite of many, but I just don't feel like baking a whole loaf and it's getting hot so I don't want to heat up the house too much. So I thought why not pancakes, instead of a loaf? It would still be healthy and tasty and a great way to vegetables into my daughter. I also came up with a quinoa salad to serve with it because I felt like the meal needed some protein, but I didn't want to thaw some meat. If I can help it, I try to make a few vegetarian meals each week. I find it's a great way to stretch the food budget and make sure we get the right number of vegetables and fruits into our diet. Plus they are great to make for a picnic or a meal on the go, you don't have to worry about meat or dairy spoiling. Here is my blog on normal Zucchini Pancakes.

Chocolate Zucchini Pancakes
Doubled pancake recipe from Pamela's Baking Mix (any pancake mix will do, you need 2 cups of mix)
1 medium zucchini shredded and drained
3 Tbs coco powder

Mix together the pancake mix, but leave out the water or milk till the very end. Add the shredded zucchinis, coco powder, and mix together. Slowly add in the water as you mix the batter. Depending on the moisture from your zucchinis, may need to change the amount of water you use, even after letting your zucchinis drain. Once the batter reaches the consistency of a regular pancake mix, you can go ahead a make your pancakes on a griddle over medium heat. Makes 4-5 servings. 


Quinoa Salad with Grilled Vegetables and Avocado
2 cups quinoa cooked and cooled
1/2 large white onion sliced 1/4 inch thick  
1 pepper sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 avocado cubed 
3-4 Tbs olive oil
2-3 Tbs lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste


Grill onions and peppers, keep the onions together if you can. Grill on each side for a few minutes until a nice chard color appears. Remove from heat and rough chop the onions and peppers, and add to the quinoa. Add the avocado to the quinoa too and toss the salad together. Drizzle on the oil and lemon juice, taste for seasoning and adjust accordingly. Makes 6-8 servings.

Eggplant Vegetable Involtini and Cauliflower Mash

I love spring and summer vegetables. I just love the colors and the flavors and the really inexpensive pricing at my health store. This recipe came from one I saw on Pinterest, here is the original , but I made up my own version because the original has dairy in it and I couldn't think of a dairy free option. So I thought why not make up my own. I took the idea of a spring roll, with all the lovely vegetables inside and thought why not do that as my "stuffing". It turned out great! Everyone loved it. I made some mashed cauliflower to go on the side and my daughter could not get enough of that so I'll include that recipe too.

Eggplant Vegetable Involtini
 1 medium eggplant sliced into 1/4 inch long sections
1 zucchini thinly sliced
1/2 bunch of asparagus with the ends chopped off
1 pepper ( any color you like I did orange) thinly sliced
3 cups marinara sauce ( recipe I used here, I did have meat in mine, but I skipped the mushrooms)
Olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Pre heat oven to 350 degrees. 
In a lasagna dish place eggplant in the dish and over with oil, be generous eggplant is thirsty. Chop other vegetables while the eggplant soaks. Turn the eggplant over and add more oil if you need too. Saute all the vegetables in a little bit of oil over medium heat. Saute the eggplant too, you can grill them if you like. Salt and pepper all the vegetables to taste.  Once soften remove all the vegetables from the heat. 


In your lasagna dish, use any left over oil to grease your pan. Take two cups of sauce and put it in the bottom of the dish. Take one eggplant and lay it on the sauce. Take two to three pieces of each different kind of vegetable and lay it on the bigger end of the eggplant and roll, and place it in the dish seem side down, repeat with the remainder of the eggplant and vegetables. Once all the eggplant is stuffed, take one cup of sauce and pour over all the eggplant rolls. Bake in the oven for 30 minuets or until bubbly. Makes 4 servings. 

Cauliflower Mash
1 head of cauliflower cut into florets
1/4 mayo
2 Tbs Earth Balance Vegan Spread
2 Tbs hemp milk
salt and pepper

Steam cauliflower until tender. Drain the water out of the pot and mash with a potato masher. Add salt, pepper, spread, and mayo. Mash until smooth, add hemp milk it it needs some more moisture. Put mixture into a blender and puree until smooth in texture. You can leave a few lumps if you like. Makes 4 servings.

St. Patrick's Day Feast with Corned London Broil

I love St. Patrick's Day. It's one of my favorite holidays. I like to remember my heritage and listen to Gaelic music. This year for our St. Patties Day feast I made my standard colcannon, corned beef, and Irish soda bread. To see what I made lasts year and to get the recipe for the colcannon click here. The newest addition to my menu is the Irish soda bread. I use the recipe from Gluten Free Girl and The Chef, we ate ours with Earth Balance spread and honey.  This year I did something different for the corned beef.

I was shocked at the prices of corned beef so I thought I would make my own, but the price for brisket was worse. So I thought that maybe I could corn a different cut of beef. So I got a London Broil, it's a cheap cut of meat that can be used in many ways so I thought way not give it a try. I bought a London Broil that a good amount of fat and I used the recipe from this site, click here. I adjusted the recipe to fit the size of my London Broil. It took 5 day for the beef for brine and become corned beef. I cooked it in the crock pot and it worked great. It sure tasted and smelled like corned beef. It worked! It wasn't as tender as brisket, maybe if I cooked it for longer then 3 hours it might have started to fall apart, but nonetheless it turned out well and even the picky toddler ate it. It's good to know that we can have corned beef for St. Patrick's Day with a cheaper cut of beef. It wasn't a hard process at all, the beef sat in the fridge and did all the work for about a week.

Traveling and Seeds Conference

I apologize for not keeping up on my blog during my travels like I said I would. I didn't realize how jammed packed our schedule would be and that I wouldn't get more then a few minutes to my self. So here is the review of what I ate on the road and a critique on the items that I made and brought along and of what I learned at the conference. 


If you missed the previous post here is it: Trip Preparations 

Church on the Move: Seed's Conference

 
Day 1
We left at 5:30 am to drive all the way to Tulsa. The snack food that I packed was much appreciated and my mom made some Pamela's chocolate cupcakes for us to take along too. The food was mostly shared between two of use gluten free people and one other that was in our car, but between all of us we had food to share from dried fruits to sausage and cheese to the stuff I made. The items that I made that had to most success in consumption were the Spiced Pumpkin Muffins, Pamela's cupcakes, and the Doughnut Holes. We did discover that the best tasting doughnut holes were the ones that were rolled in sugar. The cereal bars got completely smashed, they tasted great but didn't hold up to craziness of travel. The Larabars were good, but not many of them were eaten. 


For lunch we stopped at Subway were all we could have were salads. 


For dinner that night we went to Chuy's Mexican restaurant. Everyone seemed to like it, but we were dead tired by the time we got dinner at 9 pm that I don't think anyone would care too much about what they ate. I had a grilled chicken salad with avocados, it was good, but could used more avocados. There were other GF person on the trip got corn tortilla quesadilla. I should have taken advantage of the other items on the menu, and you'll see why in a minute. 

We had an awesome speaker Wednesday night, I can't remember his name except his first name was Steve and he is a very young pastor. He talked about how we need to make room for God's miracles and do some work. We just can't expect things to happen if we don't do the leg work for God to more. He used the example of 2Kings 3:9-17 of the army digging ditches to prepare for the rain they desperately needed, but there were no clouds in the sky. No one saw the rain come, but the ditches and valley were filled with water in the morning. This seemed to be a theme throughout the conference. 


Day 2
We had continental breakfast at the hotel. I ate one of my muffins and a banana. They had a good spread...if you could eat it. They had oatmeal and waffles and eggs, but the eggs looked powdered and microwaved. 

For lunch Church on the Move did the most awesome thing. You can could buy lunch there for $5. It included a lunch of three choices: sandwich, wrap, or salad, and then a drink of your choice. Each meal choice came with apples slices, trail mix or crackers or chips. For the salad bag always came with crackers. These crackers were an awesome find. They were multigrain GF crackers made with quinoa and sesame seeds and flax seeds.There were a new favorite by most people in the group.

We spent the majority of our day going to workshops and learning how to be better leaders, creating a creative and worship culture and the importance of culture. Our guest speakers for this day were Lee Cockerell who ran Disney World and Ed Young the senior pastor of Fellowship church of Dallas and Miami areas.  They both has some very good values and lessons on working with the right people to create the vision you have and leadership. 

For dinner we were suppose to all meet up at a burger joint, but me and one other gal got lost and we just decided to get Chick Fil A. I got grilled chicken strips and fries. I was very happy to get something other then a salad at this point. I heard that the salads at the burger place were bad and over priced and that Chick Fil A's were better and bigger.  


We concluded the evening with some awesome worship and a performance of their version of the drummer boy - Micheal Jackson style, very cool.

Day 3
This day was much like the first one, breakfast at the hotel and then another salad lunch by the wonderful people at Church on the Move.


This day was our half day, we had to leave after the afternoon workshops so we could drive home at a somewhat decent time (3 am).  The workshops for this day were more Q&A style with different departments and learning what they do and how they do it and how they make working relationships work between different departments, very good information. 


For dinner we stopped in the middle of no where and ate at Braums; it's like a Wendy's only a bit more homegrown with their ingredients. We tried to find a fast food place on the drive that might have options other then a salad for us GF people. I am very thankful to my worship pastor who tried to figure out what his only 2 GF people could have out of 9 people. He tried and I am very much appreciate his efforts, unfortunately there isn't much options on the road in the mid west. I did get a salad (Have you noticed the theme yet?) that was a grilled chicken salad that was actually quite good. It had big think pieces of chicken and mixed greens instead of just ice burg lettuce. 


So after a few days on the road in a part of the country I've never been to I have to say it wasn't too bad. People didn't ask "what is gluten?" when we asked, but there weren't much in the way of options still. Making my own food to take along with a good idea and life saver on the open road, I might have made too much, but that is ok I can snack on them now at home. I am tired of salads. I've had 5 in the last 3 days. I might have eaten healthy, but I would have given anything for Red Robin burger. 


If you plan on traveling this summer I would highly suggest making some goodies to take along and coordinate with others. Things like dried fruit, apples and even chips make great snacks that all can share and enjoy. If you come to a place to eat that has more then salads as an option - take it and eat it! Save your salad meals as your last resort if you have to stop somewhere that doesn't have anything else to offer people like us. I don't believe in making others eat where only you can eat, majority rules when it comes to picking a place to eat. Nonetheless, show your deep appreciation to those why try to find a restaurant that fits your needs, even if it doesn't work out. It's hard to find happy mediums in life, so take what you can get and don't dwell on it and move on. If I focused on this trip from a food allergy point of view it would be remembered as a miserable time, but remembering what I saw and learned and who I shared that with are the memories I was to keep.

Trip Preparations

From Stock.xchng

I'm preparing to go on a road trip that will cross a few states. I am going to the Seeds Conference at Church on the Move in Tulsa. This is my first road trip since my new diet lifestyle. I'm not the only GF person going, which is a comfort on many levels, so I've been busy preparing a bunch of snacks for the road trip. I'm making a few recipes that I found off of Pinterest that I did pin to my recipe board. Here is a complete list of what I am making, and hopefully this will help some of you that might be going a trips this spring or summer.

I made these cereal bars from Tessa the Domestic Diva. They are really simple and easy to make, and I think I'll keep making these again in the future and keep a stock pile of flavors in the fridge.

I also made these no bake Larabars. I hope these turn out well. I haven't tried them yet. There are a lot of good looking and healthy recipes from this blog that include chocolate.

I also made these no bake oatmeal and carrot balls. They smelled really good and I can't wait to eat one of these on the open road.

I also made doughnut holes from Pamela's. A few of these are already missing from my stash for the trip, everyone likes these and I love how easy they are to make.

I am also bringing along my own creation, Spiced Pumpkin Muffins. My daughter has already snagged one of these fresh from the oven. These will be great for breakfasts. I know the hotel will have breakfast, but you never know what is safe in those situations.

I am freezing all of my creations before our trip and then we are are taking a cooler of goodies for the trip. I'm also thinking of making and taking, salads in a jar. I saw them on Pinterest and they look like a nice and easy way to bring salads along on a road trip.

I plan on documenting my meals as we travel and report what I find; the good, the bad, and hopefully the yummy. So stay tuned for some road side adventures in the next few days.

A Few of My Favorite Things

One of my favorite things about cooking and baking are all the neat tools out there. I could spend days in a kitchen supply store just playing with all the neat tools that are available to the the cooking nut like me. So here are some of my favorite kitchen tools and how I use them and how they make my life in the kitchen easier. I've also list and link the brands I use, but you don't have to use the brands I recommend. And lets face it, when you cook and bake allergy free you spend more time in the kitchen making things from scratch.

Pampered Chef: Serrated peeler

I use this peeler for squash and hard vegetables, they get through that hard skin very quickly and easily. Also, I like like to use these on any vegetable, because they make little grooves in the food and then flavor can adhere to it better .

Small scoop

I use this for making cookies, muffins, and cupcakes. This puts out the perfect about of dough for all sorts of bake goods, and they always come out nice and even.

Pampered Chef: Batter Bowl

I use this for everything. It is an awesome measuring cup that can hold large amounts, and it's great for pouring batter into a pan or pancakes on a griddle. I like to use this for making ice cream too, because it pours neatly into the ice cream maker better then my blender does. The lid is neat if I want to chill dough or jello or pudding or I have left over pancake batter.

Pampered Chef: Measure All

I love using this measuring cup for peanut putter, honey, brown rice syrup, or anything sticky.

Pampered Chef: Oil Sprayer

Sometimes when you are on an allergy free life style some oils are off limits. I like this sprayer because I can fill it with what ever oil I want to use for my cooking; whether for a fry pan or to grease a baking dish.

Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer

I love my Kitchen Aid. It's is the most worked tool in the kitchen. I use this to mix everything. I can whip eggs without wearing out my arm. I have several attachments and it's like having several kitchen appliances, but without taking up space.  

Kitchen Aid: Ice Cream Maker

I love the ice cream maker attachment for the Kitchen Aid. It is so easy to use too. I can make whatever kind of ice cream my family is craving, and it works great for sherbert too.

Kitchen Aid: Fruit and veggie strainer/grinder

I used this attachment alot when my daughter was a baby. It did a great job of making the perfect textured baby food.

Kitchen Aid: Food Grinder

I use this one the next most after the ice cream maker. This grinder is great for grinding up meats and veggies. When I make my zucchini pancakes or carrot cake, this is the tool I use to get finely grated veggies.

Pampered Chef: Salad Chopper

I use these funny looking double bladed scissors to cut up my daughters food. Instead of using a knife and fork to cut up her food while mine gets cold, I just run threw her food with these one or twice and her food is now in bit size pieces and they also work great for chopped salads.

Kitchen Scissors

A good pair of kitchen scissors is a must. My new favorite way of preparing chicken for roasting is by butterflying and they easiest way to do that is to cut out the back bone and flatten the chicken. The scissors make a quick work of butterflying a chicken.

Sanyo Rice Cooker

Out of all the rice cookers I've seen and use, Sanyo is the best. I have a much older version of this rice cooker that I got from my brother in law that is the real deal, from Japan in Japanese. This one pictured here is the American up graded version. I use my rice cooker all the time and it can be used for quinoa, and brown rice. It makes cooking rice a cinch and to be honest I don't get other kinds of rice cookers. The whole set up doesn't make since to me nor do they do a good job in my opinion.

Oster Bread Machine

I've already talked about my bread machine, a.k.a the Baking Fairy. This is a great tool. I don't care if you use Oster or not. This one doesn't have a gluten free setting, but I find that isn't a necessary function.

Pizza Stone

I have one without the handles, but whatever. I don't think that makes much of a difference. I love that I can still make pizza on a stone. I use put the dough on parchment paper then onto the stone and I can cook my pizza.

Black and Decker: Coffee Grinder

I have an older version of this one, but it works great. I use my grinder of chai seeds, flax seeds, and rice. It has stood the test of time and keeps going. It works great on whatever I need to grind.

Crock Pot

I love crock pot cooking. I use mine almost every other day. I have the one pictured and a Rival one that is large. I use the one shown here the most, the other one I keep for large dishes or for cooking for guests. I use my crock pot to cook beans, squash, soups, roats, whole chickens, sauces, and pretty much everything else. I've done chicken nuggets to pot pie. Crockpot365.blogspot.com is a great site for crock pot meals that are gluten free and crock pot tips.

The Gluten Free Kitty

Believe it or not, but the first member of our family to go gluten free was our cat. This is the story of Sophia, our kitty, and how we learned about her special needs.

Sophia came to be apart of our family when she was 3 months old. She was my birthday present from my lovely husband. I've always had a pet, but when we got married we didn't have any and I missed having something soft and fuzzy to love. So we went to PetSmart and picked out this cat. I was kinda shocked that there was a kitten still in the system. Most of the time kittens are the first to go, but she had been in the system awhile. Her paper work said she was abandon at birth my her mother and said she was 9 weeks old and had a history of having worms. We decided to get her. I was a little surprised that a 9 week old kitten would be up for adoption and still not under care. Anyone who knows cats knows that kittens nurse until 14 weeks. We got her some cats milk, but she would just throw it up or have bad gass. We took her to the vet and found out she was only 3 lbs. The doctor thought she was 9 weeks old too, until she checked her teeth and discovered that she was 3 months old! She was malnourished. We also learned that she was lactose intolerant, most cats are, and that is why she couldn't tolerate the cat's milk. We were told to give her yogurt every day to help her digest. So our now our spoiled cat gets yogurt everyday or she throws up, a lot.

The first few days at home.

After her vet visit she stated growing and gaining weight really well. She was perfectly healthy and full of spunk and energy. When she was a year old we started slowly switching her to adult food. She was on Purina kitten chow and we were giving her the adult version. She started throwing up everyday. Ok, cat's throw up, it's a fact of life so we just brushed it off as a cat thing. Then she started throwing up several times a day. We rushed her to the vet and found she was very dehydrated. They gave her a bag of fluids and we all chalked it up to her just not drinking enough, plus we were moving for the second time in her little life and thought she was stressed out. Not soon after that visit she started throwing up multiple times a day again. So I thought maybe some cat grass will settle her stomach since she's an indoor only cat maybe she is missing that aspect of an outdoor cat. We got her some and she stopped throwing up, for awhile. Then one day I thought she got into one of my plants and she was sick from that and was throwing up several times a day again. I rushed her in and found out the cat grass was making her sick and that she was allergic to wheat and other grasses. We were also told not to give her chicken based food because of the feed they give the chickens could also make her sick. They gave her another bag of fluids and sent us home with some special food that she wouldn't eat.

Healthy again

 We were now on the hunt for a cat food that she could eat that wouldn't make her sick. Do you know how many pet foods are made from wheat? Almost all of them! So we started giving her Nutro Natural white fish indoor formal food. It worked great. She stopped throwing up right away and stayed at a healthy weight of 10.5 lbs. We did switch her food later to Blue Buffalo Basic which is even more wheat free and is better balanced for her then the Nurto was, and PetSmart has it on sale more then the Nutro brand too. However, we are in a new battle for Sophia's health. She lost some weight. She had a period of time where she didn't want her food and just wanted ours. She is eating again and gained back almost a pound that was lost, she only lost 3, but that is a lot for a small animal. The hardest thing about having a cat with a special diet is that she really loves our food! Anything made with Pamela's Baking Mix she goes nuts over. She is constantly stealing our food and jumping up onto the dinning table. The one good aspect of that is if she does get our food I know she wont get sick. She only gets sick now if she has too much dairy from my husband's cereal bowl or we forget to give her her yogurt. We don't giver her our food, she's spoiled rotten as is. She gets her own special treats and yogurt everyday, and now that she lost a bit of weight she gets chicken broth (homemade) and meat baby food (which she really doesn't eat, I don't blame her). So hopefully she cat put back on a few pounds. I really hate to try and find a new food for her. There isn't must of a choice for her out there, outside of making our own. But Blue Buffalo just came out with a new food that is perfect of food allergy pets, so that might work better. I honestly think her weight loss is due to stress. Our daughter has been picking on her more, as most toddlers do. So we will see how things go this month with Sophia's weight gain.