Snow and Goodies

Today was great for me! Once I got all my school work done, I decided to call and ask a friend who lives up the street if she needed me to pick up her daughter from the bus stop (right down the street) rather than take her 1 year old out in the cold. She said they were planning on playing in the snow anyways, so I invited them to our house for some winter fun! Snow can be a menace, but it can also be great! Here are some pictures of our snow fun!Anna loves making snow angels, then making smiley faces on them!

Ronnie sliding down the hill on the toboggan! I think he was about to bail out!

Ronnie was making a, "Jedi Angel"... he made a light sabre on it!

After our snow day, we came back inside and just chilled (Ha ha, get it?) until dinner was ready. With a yummy dinner of lentil rice casserole (see previous post) and veggies, I cleaned up the kitchen while my mom went to Michael's to buy more yarn for her scarf. As I was drying a pot, I noticed a gluten free cook book on the counter. I picked it up and found a recipe that looked really easy, so I asked my mom if I could make it and she agreed. One stipulation: I had to clean every scrap up. I said yes, and got to work. It is also Tuesday, so this post will also be my taste tester Tuesday because I made successful gluten free brownies! They tasted real, and everyone loved them! Here is a picture of the dessert and one of me, holding my prize!

I must say, these were really tasty!

The cook book is Special Diet Solutions by Carol Fenster, Ph.D and it's a great book! She also wrote Wheat-Free Recipes and Menus and Special Diet Celebrations. The recipe for the brownies is on page 115. Here is the recipe and it's definitely a keeper!

Gluten Free Brownies

1/2 cup of brown rice flour

1/4 cup potato starch

1/4 cup tapioca starch

2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa

1/2 TSP. baking powder

1/2 TSP. salt

1/2 TSP un-sweetened gelatin

1/3 cup canola oil

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 egg

2 TSP. Vanilla extract

1/3 cup hot water

1/3 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and grease a 11x7 pan. Stir together dry ingredients (From flour to gelatin) then set the bowl aside. In a large mixing bowl (This is where the K-Tec comes in handy!) beat the oil, sugars, egg and vanilla on medium speed until mixed. With the mixer on a low speed, add the dry ingredients and the water to the mix. Mix until just blended, and the mixture should look somewhat thick. Stir in 1/3 cup chocolate chips, then spread the batter in the prepared pan with a wet spatula. Bake for 25 minutes, then let cool for 10 minutes. Cut into nice size pieces, it makes 12 brownies.

Menu Plan Monday...sort of!

Ok...I KNOW it is Tuesday...but better late than never! We had so many leftovers from the party on Sunday and company yesterday...that yesterday was a leftover day! I'm back to trying to culture kefir, and the girls and I are racking our brains for menus including snacks that have the maximum nutrition for the least amount of money...hence, culturing our food and eating healthier! Even Sara, my favorite junk-food junkie, said to me last night " Mum....I can't wait to get back to really healthy, gluten free eating again....I'm sick of feeling sick and tired!"....for that to come from Sara was amazing! God is doing a work on her heart. Seems since Ronnie's surgery, we've all had SOMETHING...either the stomach virus that was going around or now...seems we're fighting off colds and coughs...no one is "sick in bed" sick....just tired, sniffly and coughing a little. Also, since Thanksgiving until recently, we've been eating the "SAD"...standard American diet...even fast food, which we normally don't eat... So....along with our menu, we're trying to make our carrot juice everyday, a kefir smoothy every day, fruit, salads, veggies....I'm getting a lot of cabbage into us....and hopefully, we'll start back on our "green lemonade" again as well. I don't list these things on the menus, because they are 'in-between' meals. The girls and I were talking about canning a lot this summer and fall....we want to make a plan starting with the greens in spring . We're just finishing up the grape jam I made last summer....it was so good this morning on gluten free crepes! Ok....here's the plan for the week! ~Sue~

Tuesday
gluten free crepes with homemade grape jam
leftover seafood salad and spinach dip on beds of romaine and spinach with cucumbers
brown rice/lentil casserole with green beans and steamed carrots

Wednesday
oatmeal, bananas and juice
gluten free pumpkin bread, vanilla yogart, and pineapple
venison steaks, mushrooms, peppers, salad and oven fries

Thursday
cereal, bananas, juice (have to be out the door early!)
cheesy eggs, pototoes, fruit
chicken and vegetables with brown rice pasta

Friday
gluten free blueberry pancakes
gluten free banana bread, yogart and fruit
chicken and rice soup, sweet potato biscuits (gf) and salad

Saturday
oatmeal and fruit
veggie omelets and potatoes
(Maggie's birthday party) at 6pm....have to think of a filling, healthy "appetizer" to take!

~Parties are tough....there is so much wonderful tasting food...most of it very unhealthy for us...but boy, does it take a lot of self-discipline! Wouldn't miss this party for the world, though! Our cousins, John and Kim's little girl Maggie turned 8 on the same day that Ronnie turned 7. Please keep Kim in your prayers! She is on high doses of chemo for a rare autoimmune disease...and after just speaking with her...in spite of the high doses...she is still having a flareup right now. Thank you for your prayers! Have a blessed day! ~Sue~