Vanilla Chocolate Chip Cupcakes (GF)

In the quest for gluten-free desserts - we tried a new vanilla cake mix made by Bob's Red Mill.

Few ingredients, simple instructions. Quick & easy delicious cupcakes! I used olive oil in place of the vegetable oil and added a few chocolate chips to make it special. I'm looking forward to trying this mix as a layer cake in the future. One bag makes 20-ish cupcakes or 2 layers for a layer cake.

Gluten-Free Pizza with Hercules

The wind is whipping around outside as the storm (Hercules) has finally arrived. Fire is roaring, and in the midst of this winter evening, I am again reminded of my craving for pepperoni pizza. It's one of the things I miss most having changed to a gluten-free diet. 

Looking into the variety of flours and gluten-free mixes we have yet to try - I found this recipe on the side of a GF Bisquick Box:

So it turns out that GF pizza is bubbly and delicious and making the dough doesn't take any more effort to make than other pizza dough and no rolling pin needed! Good plan for a snowy night. Yummy!

I split the dough into two metal pie tins

spread out the dough and cooked it at 450 until it cooked and browned

Add the sauce

Add whatever toppings you would like!

Cook until bubbly and delicious!

A Little Self Care...

Breath hangs in the air,

and Life hangs in the balance.

Choose your adventure!

This is a post that I have been reluctant to write...for many reasons.

I don't remember deciding to be this reserved and stressed out, overweight and under adventured person I have become...

It isn't easy being vulnerable.
Stories and appearances can be more interesting than the truth.
I don't like to make decisions and fail - especially with such an important decision.
Most days I let life happen to me and go along with things - forgetting my goals and choices.

So here it is. I know now that I am gluten intolerant and can only have minimal amounts of dairy. The pain that both of them cause isn't worth it. It truly isn't. However, balancing this new way of eating - I have found that it's still super easy to eat crappy food that isn't good for me. Also - ridiculous amounts of stress just make stress eating worse.

Potato chips. Enough said. Enough eaten.

My decision - beginning October 1st - is to care for myself first. Before family, friends or work, I am going to start taking care of me. I know what to do, I've been reading and studying some of this for months (even years).

It's a very simple plan. If it isn't good for me, I'm done with it.

I'm starting simple with just adding in 1/2 hour of walking every day that I can, a time of sitting still every day in meditation, cutting out anything that is packaged or processed, and cutting back on that afternoon coffee. Simple, right?  Eat less and move more sounds easy, but there are so many factors involved with retraining our minds and habits.

A pretty miraculous thing happened with this gluten-free living - the pain of the Fibromyalgia has been much less, I can think clearly and the pain in my legs and feet (that kept me out of work last year and in physical therapy) is almost gone. A small amount of self care has taken care of a huge roadblock of the past. I'm interested in seeing what other roadblocks can be eliminated...

So I will try to sleep a little more (and probably better with less caffeine), and the weight loss that has started with eating gluten-free has given me encouragement to continue on. Now it is time to move more and continue strengthening!

Yesterday, I walked at least 5 (long) miles in a walk to raise money for cancer research and it was so much fun!  I would love to do more things like this. Let's just be honest - there was no "speed" in the walking I did yesterday. However, it was awesome!  It pushed me beyond what I thought I could do and to this decision to make changes.

My sister Kim, Me, my sister Amber, and niece Lilly <3

The reason I took the Permaculture course and got my certificate was because of how many people around me are food insecure and the need for sustainable food.

1 in 3 children in Worcester don't know where their next meal will come from.
A humbling realization when I think about how much extra I have consumed personally.

I would like to live in a way that honors the knowledge that I have about nutrition and living well.
I would like to live in a way that I consume only what is necessary. Food or otherwise.
I would like to create a sustainable life where I am. Food, energy, clothing, etc.
I would like to be less stressed out - and able to spend more quality time with the people I love.
I would like to be strong enough to contribute more to meet the needs I see around me.
I would like to have the energy and focus to show the gratitude I feel for the friends and family who make my life so inspirational and special.

And as far as my part in this living - I would like to live a very long time and have many more adventures!

I do not want to be a contributing factor to limiting length of my life...

Fruit Cobbler - Gluten Free

I found a great recipe for fruit cobbler here and made some changes.

One of our little trees fruited this year! We pruned off most of the fruit, let a few apples mature and are trying them out with this recipe.

Basically, you cut up whatever fruit you have on hand and put it in a cast iron skillet.
Press it down gently to fill in the spaces.


Mix topping ingredients together in a bowl and spread evenly over the fruit - gently pressing down to form a crust. If you are using very juicy fruit these measurements are fine - if the fruit is baking apples, I would double the recipe for a nice thick crust and double the butter.

I would like to try this with pumpkin and apples with pumpkin seeds in place of chopped nuts!


1/2 cup chopped nuts (you could easily use any type of seed here instead of nuts)
3/4 cups oats
1/4 cup coconut or regular butter
2 Tablespoons Coconut flour
2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
1/4 teaspoon Salt

Bake at 350F for 40-45 minutes.

Vacationing at Home: Day 5

Day 5: Friday

The day dawned gray and cloudy and within an hour, we knew that it was going to be a day of much rain. The garden was watered, the rain barrels filled, and we planned out our day.

First we relaxed and I finished my project - all but the final pictures I would be taking on Saturday for the "before and after" shots of the garden.  Around noon we defrosted some delicious Turkey soup from the Mass Local food coop and had a light lunch. We called a cab and went to Higgin's Armory   and spent a couple of hours looking around at weapons and armor. It's bitter sweet knowing that this amazing place has been in Worcester my whole life and I just now am going for the first time. And even more disappointing is that it will be closing its doors in December. Thankfully the Art Museum will keep much of the collection, but it will not be able to replicate the love and attention to detail that this museum has carried for so many years.  The pictures are not the greatest, but they captured some of the amazing treasures and the vision of a great man.

After Higgins Armory we went to the Boynton for delicious dinner - I had their amazing Gluten Free pizza which is my new favorite and I often get when we go there.  After the Boynton, the monsoon let up long enough for us to run across the street to the Wine Vine for their wine tasting. I love this shop and learning about different wines from all over the world.

After we picked up our favorite wine, we got a cab home, changed into p.j.'s and had a mini marathon of Game of Thrones - drank wine and ate popcorn and had a fun night.

I would encourage anyone who thinks where they live has "nothing to do" or is boring - to take a walk or a cab, start looking at the city you live in as a tourist would. The places on brochures were often built by the people who founded, supported and often still are benefactors of the place you live. Then I would encourage you to ask what will be left when you are old? Will you begin something that will leave a legacy? A place to visit ? Will you do something that will create a lasting memory for you, your family and friends, and community? 

Forget what you know and go out seeking what you don't know. There is so much more of life to live and so much more to see! 

  

The old display hall - before everything was put into cases

     

     

      

     

     

     

Vacationing at Home: Day 3

Day 3

Today we woke up early and went to breakfast at Shaker's. Delicious, delicious eggs, bacon and potatoes. It was a beautiful early morning walk there and back to the house. Again, something right near home offers such an amazingly satisfying experience.

During the day there was much relaxing and I worked on my project for awhile. Then we did some weeding of the garden beds and planted some lettuce in the spaces where nothing is growing, checked the carrots and decided they need to wait a bit before they are ready to can.




Tonight I tried the first of the gluten free recipes:  Rice Flour Muffins (Sue's Rice Flour Muffins - it's on the package, so I figured a safe place to start.)

2 Eggs
1 Cup Liquid (water, fruit juice, milk)
I used Coconut Milk (yum)
4 Tablespoons Sugar
4 Tablespoons Canola Oil ( I used Olive oil)
2 Cups Bob's Red Mill White Rice Flour
4 teaspoons Baking Powder
1 teaspoon Salt
4 Tablespoons finely chopped pecan halves or
1/4 cup Dried Blueberries (I used 1/2 cup fresh delicious organic blueberries)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Lightly grease 12 Muffin tin
(I used brown paper muffin tin liners)
In a mixing bowl, place all ingredients, mix well.
Pour into prepared muffin tin.
Bake for 17-20 minutes.

Allow muffins to cool for 5 minutes before removing from tin.
Yield: 12 Large muffins.

I can't be sure of the exact time it took for the muffins because I brought them downstairs, put them into the oven and heard a huge crash, and then a pop and air coming out of a tire.

Someone was (as per usual) screaming up our street above the speed limit and hit a parked car belonging to the friend of our neighbors. Fortunately, no one was out playing at that time and everyone in the car that crashed was ok. With the ambulances, firetruck and police cars, it could have been a much worse situation.

As I'm sitting here now, I can hear cars rushing by above the speed limit and were it not for our new, amazing windows, I'm sure they would be rattling...

The muffins are delicious, the inconsiderate selfish nature of people and the violent reaction to poor choices of others - makes me desire a home in the woods away from the rushing speed that people feel they need to live at!

Don't miss it, people. Get out that mixing bowl, and make these delicious treats, mixing slowly by hand and eating slowly, one bite at a time. You will know they are ready because they look ready and are firm to the touch. I stuck a knife into one, and it came out clean. They probably could have used a couple more minutes if you want to brown them, but I didn't want to dry them out too much. I think the next batch will have chocolate chips.


Don't miss it! Treasure this life because so many are taking it for granted and not paying attention. It makes no sense to me because there's no reason to hurry...

Tonight we watched a movie called Babette's Feast - a charming movie about love and food.
Quote from wikipedia:  "Although the other celebrants refuse to comment on the earthly pleasures of their meal, Babette's gifts breaks down their distrust and superstitions, elevating them physically and spiritually. Old wrongs are forgotten, ancient loves are rekindled, and a mystical redemption of the human spirit settles over the table."

If only every meal shared could be such a meal, and if only I could be such a chef !
A perfect way to end the day. Good-night.

Vacationing at home: Day 2

Yesterday we woke up early, and as Rob took Pippin for his yearly check up and shots, I took my quiz for the on-line Permaculture course I am taking.

Pippin is healthy and happy to be back home. He isn't really fond of vet visits...

And I passed my quiz. All that is left now, is to finish the design I am working on for our home, yard, & garden and turn it in.

We also went down to the True Value Hardware on Hamilton Street to find some jars to store the new flours we ordered. We bought some great canning jars that are 1/2 gallon size - perfect for storing flours and grains! I have all the supplies I need now to start mixing and experimenting with the different gluten-free flours.

All of the flours, Xantham Gum, and Coconut oil

Awesome and very useful jars
Tapioca pearls, Coconut flour, Tapioca Flour, White Rice Flour, Buckwheat
Xanthan Gum, and Coconut Oil

While we were watering the veggie beds, we pulled out one of the Purple Dragon Carrots to see how they are doing... and they are almost ready to can - although I have read that they turn a really interesting shade of brown when they are canned. I guess we'll use those in stews  =)

Purple Carrots have the same anti-oxidants that are in blueberries and are delicious!