Friday, December 31, 2010
Onion rings
Oh MY GOODNESS.. that's about all i have to say about homemade gluten free onion rings.. I've died and gone to gluten free deep fried heaven. Though i think my stomach is not to happy with the grease, but my tastebuds are still dancing in delight.
first before i give you the onion ring recipe you need to know the pancake mix recipe.
Silvana's pancake mix
2 cups silvana's all purpose flour blend (found in ny early posts)
1 cup plus 2 tablespoon sugar
3 tablespoons baking powder
2 1/3 teaspoons salt
whisk together and store in an airtight container in a cool dry place.
now unto the main event....
Onion Rings
4 cups vegetable oil for frying
2 cups silvana's pancake mix
1 tsp. chili powder
Salt
3 1/2 cups cold sparkling water
2 large onions, cut crosswise into 1/2 inch slices and separated into rings
In large pot or deep fryer heat oil to 380 degrees F
In Large bowl whisk together the pancake mix, chili powder and 1 tsp. salt. Add sparkling water and whisk until smooth.
Working in batches, coat onion rings with the batter, carefully add to the hot oil and fry, turning once until golden and crisp, about 2 or so minutes. Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with salt.I know to some these photo's do not look appetizing and you can feel your arteries clog up just by looking... but here you are anyway... seriously... SUPER YUMMY
first before i give you the onion ring recipe you need to know the pancake mix recipe.
Silvana's pancake mix
2 cups silvana's all purpose flour blend (found in ny early posts)
1 cup plus 2 tablespoon sugar
3 tablespoons baking powder
2 1/3 teaspoons salt
whisk together and store in an airtight container in a cool dry place.
now unto the main event....
Onion Rings
4 cups vegetable oil for frying
2 cups silvana's pancake mix
1 tsp. chili powder
Salt
3 1/2 cups cold sparkling water
2 large onions, cut crosswise into 1/2 inch slices and separated into rings
In large pot or deep fryer heat oil to 380 degrees F
In Large bowl whisk together the pancake mix, chili powder and 1 tsp. salt. Add sparkling water and whisk until smooth.
Working in batches, coat onion rings with the batter, carefully add to the hot oil and fry, turning once until golden and crisp, about 2 or so minutes. Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with salt.I know to some these photo's do not look appetizing and you can feel your arteries clog up just by looking... but here you are anyway... seriously... SUPER YUMMY
Thursday, December 30, 2010
roasted red pepper-crusted salsa meatloaf pie with tortilla chip crumbs
I had high hopes for today's recipe. I invited Megan over to test it out with me, which by the way i am VERY glad i did. It smelt so yummy cooking but once i tasted it, i did not like it! Megan thought it was good and even took it home with her to share with her husband, SO I've concluded to share the recipe with you. I think the reason i didn't like it is because it kind of reminds me of an egg keesh (?) married to a mexican meatloaf. Though Matt tells me I am super picky, so if this sounds good to you you should make it because Megan liked it, and Megan is a good cook and makes yummy foods, so i trust her judgement.
roasted red pepper-crusted salsa meatloaf pie with tortilla chip crumbs
Olive oil for greasing and drizzling
1 (12 ounce) jar roasted red peppers- drained, split, seeded and patted dry (i actually roasted my own in the oven because i did not see the whole "in a can" part)
1 1/2 cup finely crushed tortilla chips
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley plus more for topping (i just used my dry parsley)
Salt and Pepper
1 1/2 lbs ground beef
2 large eggs lightly beaten
1 (16 ounce) jar salsa
Preheat oven to 375. Grease 9inch pie plate with olive oil and line with red peppers. In a small bowl, mix together 1/2 cup crushed tortilla chips and 2 tablespoons parsley; season with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
IN a large bowl mix together beef, eggs, 3/4 cup salsa, the remaining 1 cup crushed tortilla chips, the remaining 4 tablespoons parsley, 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper until just combined. Press meat mixture into the pepper lined pie plate. spread remaining salsa over the top, sprinkle with the tortilla chip mixture and drizzle with olive oil; bake for 45 minutes. Let cool for 15 minutes, then top with parsley and cut into wedges.
If you try it, you'll have to let me know how you liked it.
roasted red pepper-crusted salsa meatloaf pie with tortilla chip crumbs
Olive oil for greasing and drizzling
1 (12 ounce) jar roasted red peppers- drained, split, seeded and patted dry (i actually roasted my own in the oven because i did not see the whole "in a can" part)
1 1/2 cup finely crushed tortilla chips
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley plus more for topping (i just used my dry parsley)
Salt and Pepper
1 1/2 lbs ground beef
2 large eggs lightly beaten
1 (16 ounce) jar salsa
Preheat oven to 375. Grease 9inch pie plate with olive oil and line with red peppers. In a small bowl, mix together 1/2 cup crushed tortilla chips and 2 tablespoons parsley; season with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
IN a large bowl mix together beef, eggs, 3/4 cup salsa, the remaining 1 cup crushed tortilla chips, the remaining 4 tablespoons parsley, 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper until just combined. Press meat mixture into the pepper lined pie plate. spread remaining salsa over the top, sprinkle with the tortilla chip mixture and drizzle with olive oil; bake for 45 minutes. Let cool for 15 minutes, then top with parsley and cut into wedges.
If you try it, you'll have to let me know how you liked it.
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Life and apple turnovers with cinnamon glaze
I was super excited to try out this recipe because it sounded so tasty! It mostly went well.. i needed to modify some of the pie recipe and figure out how to do things without a food processor and what not, but all in all the crust turned out well. Though... during the baking process of the apple turnovers my stoneware split in two.. no joke! Luckily it did not affect my apple turnovers in anyway. You can see my split stoneware in the picture below. Once everything was finished it made my tummy very happy along with some warm coffee! So i highly recommend this sweet treat!
So without much ado, here is the recipe for apple turnovers with my own modifications...
All purpose pie crust, Kristin's version
2 3/4 cups Silvana's all purpose flour blend (found in my earlier post)
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups chilled all-vegetable shortening, cut into small pieces
1 cup ice water
mix salt and four, Cut chilled shortening into flour blend until well mixed. Add in 1 cup of cold water. You can add more water if it doesn't look pie doughy enough for you. knead for just a little bit on a floured surface. Store in fridge.
So now that you have the pie crust recipe you can make the apple turnovers.. this recipe too has been modified as it originally is cherry turnovers with cinnamon glaze.
Apple turnovers
3 granny smith apples peeled and chopped
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
all purpose pie crust dough or store bought pie crust dough refrigerated
1 large egg beaten with 1 teaspoon water
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 3/4 teaspoon water
Preheat oven to 400. In medium bowl mix apples, sugar, cornstarch, and cinnamon. Roll out dough to form an 14 inch square about 1/4 inch think. Cut into 4 equal parts. place fruit mixture on squares, brush edges with some egg mixture and fold to enclose, forming a triangle. press the edges to seal. Brush with egg mixture and sprinkle generously with sugar. Bake until golden, about 22 minutes. Transfer to wire rack to cool.
In a small bowl stir together 1/4 cup powdered sugar, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon and 1 3/4 teaspoon water until smooth. Drizzle the cinnamon glaze over the cooked turnovers
if you want either of the recipes not modified by me.. let me know.
So I've done all of these post of gluten free things that i haven't had many sharing about life blogs. So here you are.. a life update for you. Currently I am reading Swiss Family Robinson. It is such a great book and I'm excited to start reading it to Joshua. I'm actually going to start out with the children's abridged version and then as the boys get older, then we will read the unabridged one together. After i finish Swiss Family Robinson I'm moving on to Treasure Island. I've seen the old Disney movie, but I've never read the book. So I'm excited to see how it goes and if it would be a book that i could read to Joshua.
I've started training to run a 10K. I never thought that i would do anything as serious as running in a "race", but it's good motivation. For my readers who do not know, i have terrible circulation and blood clot issues. It started when i was pregnant with Daniel. I developed a blot clot in my leg. While i was pregnant with Daniel and after i had him I developed terrible varicose veins. We were seriously considering not having anymore children because of my blood clotting issue and because of the varicose veins, but my heart longed to have another child and so we got pregnant with Elijah. Things accelerated even worse with Elijah and after he was born we came to the decision that my body could not handle any more pregnancies because of the extra amount of blood and the c-sections. (So now you know why we are not having anymore children of our own) When Elijah was 3 months old i had surgery to remove veins in my legs because they were so painful. After the surgery my circulation has been TERRIBLE. My right side of my body is often a lot colder then my left side and it "falls asleep" often. Though i do not have many painful veins in my legs anymore, my circulation is terrible. Now we come to the conclusion... I still have blood clot issues with the poor circulation so running has been added to my life to help improve my circulation and keep the clotting down, and it's working! I'm already feeling like my blood is flowing properly and my body is very happy. Matt said that i can get a treadmill, so I'm keeping my eyes open for a cheap one on craigslist, though with it being the "new year" coming up, everyone is looking for exercise equipment for their loose weight resolutions. I'm hoping to find one under 50 dollars.
SO that's me. The boys are doing great. Daniel is out of diapers, though we still have accidents. Joshua is learning about the sounds letters make, and counting and numbers. Elijah has a bit of a cold right now, but still is his sweet and social self. This season is good, and I'm looking forward to the new year. Not sure what it's going to bring... last year i thought by this time we would be living in Minnesota, but we are still in Washington. It'll be interesting to see where God will bring us this next year.
So without much ado, here is the recipe for apple turnovers with my own modifications...
All purpose pie crust, Kristin's version
2 3/4 cups Silvana's all purpose flour blend (found in my earlier post)
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups chilled all-vegetable shortening, cut into small pieces
1 cup ice water
mix salt and four, Cut chilled shortening into flour blend until well mixed. Add in 1 cup of cold water. You can add more water if it doesn't look pie doughy enough for you. knead for just a little bit on a floured surface. Store in fridge.
So now that you have the pie crust recipe you can make the apple turnovers.. this recipe too has been modified as it originally is cherry turnovers with cinnamon glaze.
Apple turnovers
3 granny smith apples peeled and chopped
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
all purpose pie crust dough or store bought pie crust dough refrigerated
1 large egg beaten with 1 teaspoon water
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 3/4 teaspoon water
Preheat oven to 400. In medium bowl mix apples, sugar, cornstarch, and cinnamon. Roll out dough to form an 14 inch square about 1/4 inch think. Cut into 4 equal parts. place fruit mixture on squares, brush edges with some egg mixture and fold to enclose, forming a triangle. press the edges to seal. Brush with egg mixture and sprinkle generously with sugar. Bake until golden, about 22 minutes. Transfer to wire rack to cool.
In a small bowl stir together 1/4 cup powdered sugar, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon and 1 3/4 teaspoon water until smooth. Drizzle the cinnamon glaze over the cooked turnovers
if you want either of the recipes not modified by me.. let me know.
So I've done all of these post of gluten free things that i haven't had many sharing about life blogs. So here you are.. a life update for you. Currently I am reading Swiss Family Robinson. It is such a great book and I'm excited to start reading it to Joshua. I'm actually going to start out with the children's abridged version and then as the boys get older, then we will read the unabridged one together. After i finish Swiss Family Robinson I'm moving on to Treasure Island. I've seen the old Disney movie, but I've never read the book. So I'm excited to see how it goes and if it would be a book that i could read to Joshua.
I've started training to run a 10K. I never thought that i would do anything as serious as running in a "race", but it's good motivation. For my readers who do not know, i have terrible circulation and blood clot issues. It started when i was pregnant with Daniel. I developed a blot clot in my leg. While i was pregnant with Daniel and after i had him I developed terrible varicose veins. We were seriously considering not having anymore children because of my blood clotting issue and because of the varicose veins, but my heart longed to have another child and so we got pregnant with Elijah. Things accelerated even worse with Elijah and after he was born we came to the decision that my body could not handle any more pregnancies because of the extra amount of blood and the c-sections. (So now you know why we are not having anymore children of our own) When Elijah was 3 months old i had surgery to remove veins in my legs because they were so painful. After the surgery my circulation has been TERRIBLE. My right side of my body is often a lot colder then my left side and it "falls asleep" often. Though i do not have many painful veins in my legs anymore, my circulation is terrible. Now we come to the conclusion... I still have blood clot issues with the poor circulation so running has been added to my life to help improve my circulation and keep the clotting down, and it's working! I'm already feeling like my blood is flowing properly and my body is very happy. Matt said that i can get a treadmill, so I'm keeping my eyes open for a cheap one on craigslist, though with it being the "new year" coming up, everyone is looking for exercise equipment for their loose weight resolutions. I'm hoping to find one under 50 dollars.
SO that's me. The boys are doing great. Daniel is out of diapers, though we still have accidents. Joshua is learning about the sounds letters make, and counting and numbers. Elijah has a bit of a cold right now, but still is his sweet and social self. This season is good, and I'm looking forward to the new year. Not sure what it's going to bring... last year i thought by this time we would be living in Minnesota, but we are still in Washington. It'll be interesting to see where God will bring us this next year.
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
cloudy with a chance of meatballs
Today was cold and wet and i woke up sick and tired but I really want to share a GF recipe before i lay my weary body into bed because it's super tasty and worth sharing... so here you are...
Gluten Free Meatballs
1 pound ground beef
1 small onion chopped
3 cloves garlic- 2 smashed and 1 chopped
1 rice cereal crumbs
1/2 cup milk
1 large egg
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cans crushed tomatoes (or I used a jar and a half spaghetti sauce)
In large bowl, combine the beef onion, chopped garlic, 1/2 cup rice cereal crumbs, milk egg and salt. Shape into 1 1/2 inch balls.
In large saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon on olive oil over medium heat. Add smashed garlic and cook until golden, about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes (or sauce) and bring to simmer, stirring occasionally. Submerge meatballs in the sauce, bring to a simmer and cook, covered and stirring occasionally for 25 minutes.
yes you put the raw meatballs in the sauce... and yes it turns out very tasty! Matt, who is my toughest critic, enjoyed them so that has to tell you something! All three boys gobbled them up and Joshua was asking for more. I unfortunately did not take a picture, so you'll just have to trust me on this one!
Gluten Free Meatballs
1 pound ground beef
1 small onion chopped
3 cloves garlic- 2 smashed and 1 chopped
1 rice cereal crumbs
1/2 cup milk
1 large egg
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cans crushed tomatoes (or I used a jar and a half spaghetti sauce)
In large bowl, combine the beef onion, chopped garlic, 1/2 cup rice cereal crumbs, milk egg and salt. Shape into 1 1/2 inch balls.
In large saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon on olive oil over medium heat. Add smashed garlic and cook until golden, about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes (or sauce) and bring to simmer, stirring occasionally. Submerge meatballs in the sauce, bring to a simmer and cook, covered and stirring occasionally for 25 minutes.
yes you put the raw meatballs in the sauce... and yes it turns out very tasty! Matt, who is my toughest critic, enjoyed them so that has to tell you something! All three boys gobbled them up and Joshua was asking for more. I unfortunately did not take a picture, so you'll just have to trust me on this one!
Monday, December 27, 2010
bacon-apple cornbread stuffing
Well.. i set about this recipe with good intentions, but after a full day with the kids and a full night ahead, i burnt the stuffing! Of the little bit that i tasted it was halfway decent, but i really can't vouch for it! So the next time i actually make it, I'll post the recipe! :)
Tomorrow's recipe..
roasted red pepper-crusted salsa meatloaf pie with tortilla chip crumbs
whew... that's a mouth full.. hopefully it will be tasty!
Tomorrow's recipe..
roasted red pepper-crusted salsa meatloaf pie with tortilla chip crumbs
whew... that's a mouth full.. hopefully it will be tasty!
A Gluten Free Giveaway!!!!!
In honor of the new year and my week of new gluten free cooking I'm going to do a giveaway! YIPPIE! The last day to enter will be January 1st 2011 12am.
Up for grabs....
A copy of the cookbook, cooking free by carol fenster. This has a lot of great recipes of gluten free cooking as well as dairy free, egg free and sugar free. Now this is my own personal copy so it has seen some days of cooking, but it is still in fabulous shape!
As well as some gluten free mixes by Bob's Red Mill. I like Bob's red mill stuff.. but not to many of their mixes, just because they usually use bean flours, and I'm not a big fan of bean flours in gluten free cooking, though you may be! Or you don't know and you would like to try!
Anyway i know that i don't have very many readers, but i still love giving things away, and if you know someone who would benefit from the giveaway please pass along my blog and have them enter too! :)
opps... almost forgot to tell you how to enter... tell me if you are gluten free and why you have decided to go gluten free, or why you are interested in it!
Happy entering!
p.s. Here are the recipes that i will be trying out this week ...
Sloppy Joe-stuffed Potato Skins
Spagetti and meatballs with garlic crumbs
Oven fried chicken fingers
Chicken potpie pockets
roasted red pepper-crusted salsa meatloaf with tortilla chip crumbs
bacon-apple cornbread stuffing
Onion rings
and all will be GLUTEN FREE RECIPES!
Up for grabs....
A copy of the cookbook, cooking free by carol fenster. This has a lot of great recipes of gluten free cooking as well as dairy free, egg free and sugar free. Now this is my own personal copy so it has seen some days of cooking, but it is still in fabulous shape!
As well as some gluten free mixes by Bob's Red Mill. I like Bob's red mill stuff.. but not to many of their mixes, just because they usually use bean flours, and I'm not a big fan of bean flours in gluten free cooking, though you may be! Or you don't know and you would like to try!
Anyway i know that i don't have very many readers, but i still love giving things away, and if you know someone who would benefit from the giveaway please pass along my blog and have them enter too! :)
opps... almost forgot to tell you how to enter... tell me if you are gluten free and why you have decided to go gluten free, or why you are interested in it!
Happy entering!
p.s. Here are the recipes that i will be trying out this week ...
Sloppy Joe-stuffed Potato Skins
Spagetti and meatballs with garlic crumbs
Oven fried chicken fingers
Chicken potpie pockets
roasted red pepper-crusted salsa meatloaf with tortilla chip crumbs
bacon-apple cornbread stuffing
Onion rings
and all will be GLUTEN FREE RECIPES!
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Bialy Bread Slab
As promised... the bialy bread slab was TASTY.. i mean Delicious... i mean YUMMY! Honestly, i haven't had such good gluten free tasting bread in a LONG time. SO i just have to share this recipe. It can be used for many different purposes so let me give you the basic bread slab recipe and then I'll give you the variations of use.
Bread Slabs
2 cups Silvana's flour blend (the flour blend for the previous post)
1 pkg active dry yeast
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. sugar
2 large egg whites, at room temperature, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
3/4 cup warm water
1.In Large bowl whisk together flour, yeast, salt and sugar. Add egg whites, olive oil and water. Using wooden spoon, beat until dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
2. Turn the dough unto a lightly floured 12 inch long piece of parchment paper (i didn't use the parchment paper.. i just did it right on my counter top which makes it messier, but i didn't have paper) Lightly flour the top and using your fingers or a rolling pin press the dough to form a rectangle about 3/4 inch thick. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest at room temp. for about 30 minutes. Cut into 4 equal pieces.
3. Position rack in the bottom of the oven with a baking stone on the rack and preheat oven to 450. Brush each dough piece with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Slide dough pieces with parchment paper onto the preheated baking stone ( i just picked them up with spatulas and put them right on the baking stone) and bake until puffy and crisp on the bottom, about 10 minutes. Let cool on wire rack.
Now here are the variations... so for the bialy bread slab (what is pictured... which tastes much better then it looks) Same ingredients... just before you make the bread slab...
In medium skillet heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add 1/2 chopped onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 12 minutes. Stir in 1 tablespoon poppy seeds and a pinch of salt and then add to bread mixture. And WALLA a tasty bread slab.. use it as hamburger buns, or layer pizza ingredients on it... that's what i did for Joshua for dinner and he loved it! Tomorrow i am going to try ham and cheese on it... mmmmm
you can add all sorts of different ingredients to the bread! go crazy and try it!
You can also use this recipe as a pizza dough. Just shape into a pizza crust instead of the rectangle slabs!!!!I've tried all sorts of pizza crusts and let me tell you, this recipe trumps them all.
*note- I've been ranting and raving about the gluten free things I've been making... and if you are new to gluten free i want you to know it's an adjustment to get use to. Things taste different, and the texture is a little different, but the recipes that i post are the closest things to gluten filled tasting as i can find. So please keep that in mind as you are experimenting with gluten free food if you are not accustom to it's texture.
Bread Slabs
2 cups Silvana's flour blend (the flour blend for the previous post)
1 pkg active dry yeast
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. sugar
2 large egg whites, at room temperature, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
3/4 cup warm water
1.In Large bowl whisk together flour, yeast, salt and sugar. Add egg whites, olive oil and water. Using wooden spoon, beat until dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
2. Turn the dough unto a lightly floured 12 inch long piece of parchment paper (i didn't use the parchment paper.. i just did it right on my counter top which makes it messier, but i didn't have paper) Lightly flour the top and using your fingers or a rolling pin press the dough to form a rectangle about 3/4 inch thick. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest at room temp. for about 30 minutes. Cut into 4 equal pieces.
3. Position rack in the bottom of the oven with a baking stone on the rack and preheat oven to 450. Brush each dough piece with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Slide dough pieces with parchment paper onto the preheated baking stone ( i just picked them up with spatulas and put them right on the baking stone) and bake until puffy and crisp on the bottom, about 10 minutes. Let cool on wire rack.
Now here are the variations... so for the bialy bread slab (what is pictured... which tastes much better then it looks) Same ingredients... just before you make the bread slab...
In medium skillet heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add 1/2 chopped onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 12 minutes. Stir in 1 tablespoon poppy seeds and a pinch of salt and then add to bread mixture. And WALLA a tasty bread slab.. use it as hamburger buns, or layer pizza ingredients on it... that's what i did for Joshua for dinner and he loved it! Tomorrow i am going to try ham and cheese on it... mmmmm
you can add all sorts of different ingredients to the bread! go crazy and try it!
You can also use this recipe as a pizza dough. Just shape into a pizza crust instead of the rectangle slabs!!!!I've tried all sorts of pizza crusts and let me tell you, this recipe trumps them all.
*note- I've been ranting and raving about the gluten free things I've been making... and if you are new to gluten free i want you to know it's an adjustment to get use to. Things taste different, and the texture is a little different, but the recipes that i post are the closest things to gluten filled tasting as i can find. So please keep that in mind as you are experimenting with gluten free food if you are not accustom to it's texture.
Gluten Free Goodness
I received the book "Cooking for Isaiah- Gluten Free and Dairy Free recipes" from a good friend for Christmas. Today starts out the week of trying new GF recipes. And like any blogging, gluten free mom, of course i HAVE to share recipes and pictures! Today i tried out the Cornbread recipe. I have yet to find a good GF cornbread, so i was excited to try it out. First off with Silvana's recipes, she requires you to use her variation of flour blend. I was a little sceptical at first of the combination, but after some tweaking I'm very happy with it. Anyway here is the flour blend that she recommends for all of her recipes...
Silvana's all-purpose flour blend
6 cups white rice flour blend preferably bob's red mill. (I used Brown rice flour because i like it better)
3 Cups Tapioca Flour preferably Shiloh Farms (I haven't found this brand so i just used the bob's redmill and so far it has been fine)
1 1/2 cups Potato starch. preferably bob's red mill
1 tablespoon salt
2 tablespoons Xanthan Gum, preferably bob's red mill
In large bowl, whisk together ingredients. Transfer into airtight storage container and store in a cool, dry place or in the refrigerator. (i don't have any large storage containers so i use a large Ziploc bag)Another tip is that xanthan gum can be spendy... any unused just put in a Ziploc bag and store in your freezer. It's kept my xanthan gum fresh for a very long time!
OKay so if you want to follow me on trying out these recipes you will want to have this flour blend.
So first up... CORNBREAD! Now i modified this recipe too... but it still turned out tasty.
Double Corn Cornbread
1 cup milk (rice if you can't do dairy)
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 cup cornmeal, preferably medium grind (if you like grainy bread stick with medium grind.. if you like less grainy bread you can get a thinner blend)
1 cup Silvana's flour blend
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt (i don't like table salt.. i like to use special sea salt blend)
2 large eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten
1/4 cup vegetable oil (i used canola)
1 cup corn kernels ( i didn't do this because it didn't sound good to me , but you can certainly try it!)
1. Preheat oven to 350 grease a bread loaf pan. In small bowl, stir together the milk and vinegar. In medium bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir in the milk mixture, eggs and oil until just blended, fold in corn kernels. (this part i didn't do but you can if you are going to be adding corn)
Pour into prepared pan.
2. Bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Let cool completely in the pan set on a wire rack.
Stay tuned... next recipe i am currently making is Bialy Bread Slabs... It certainly smells good. If it tastes good I'll share the recipe with you. :)
Silvana's all-purpose flour blend
6 cups white rice flour blend preferably bob's red mill. (I used Brown rice flour because i like it better)
3 Cups Tapioca Flour preferably Shiloh Farms (I haven't found this brand so i just used the bob's redmill and so far it has been fine)
1 1/2 cups Potato starch. preferably bob's red mill
1 tablespoon salt
2 tablespoons Xanthan Gum, preferably bob's red mill
In large bowl, whisk together ingredients. Transfer into airtight storage container and store in a cool, dry place or in the refrigerator. (i don't have any large storage containers so i use a large Ziploc bag)Another tip is that xanthan gum can be spendy... any unused just put in a Ziploc bag and store in your freezer. It's kept my xanthan gum fresh for a very long time!
OKay so if you want to follow me on trying out these recipes you will want to have this flour blend.
So first up... CORNBREAD! Now i modified this recipe too... but it still turned out tasty.
Double Corn Cornbread
1 cup milk (rice if you can't do dairy)
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 cup cornmeal, preferably medium grind (if you like grainy bread stick with medium grind.. if you like less grainy bread you can get a thinner blend)
1 cup Silvana's flour blend
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt (i don't like table salt.. i like to use special sea salt blend)
2 large eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten
1/4 cup vegetable oil (i used canola)
1 cup corn kernels ( i didn't do this because it didn't sound good to me , but you can certainly try it!)
1. Preheat oven to 350 grease a bread loaf pan. In small bowl, stir together the milk and vinegar. In medium bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir in the milk mixture, eggs and oil until just blended, fold in corn kernels. (this part i didn't do but you can if you are going to be adding corn)
Pour into prepared pan.
2. Bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Let cool completely in the pan set on a wire rack.
Stay tuned... next recipe i am currently making is Bialy Bread Slabs... It certainly smells good. If it tastes good I'll share the recipe with you. :)
Friday, December 24, 2010
A black and White Christmas...
Oh to have a camera again! Here are some pictures from our celebration of Jesus Birthday. All the boys have been feeling a bit under the weather so there was a lot of napping today!
Thursday, December 23, 2010
All i really want for Christmas...
I can't watch this video or listen to this song without crying. I know there are a number of reasons that adoption for our family is an issue that is questionable... but there are so many reasons to adopt. And even though adoption doesn't always turn out bright, sparkly, and shiny... my heart still longs to give a child home and love. Maybe someday...
WHY JESUS IS BETTER THAN SANTA CLAUS
(author unknown)
Santa lives at the North Pole ...
JESUS is everywhere.
Santa rides in a sleigh ...
JESUS rides on the wind and walks on the water.
Santa comes but once a year.
JESUS is an ever present help.
Santa fills your stockings with goodies ...
JESUS supplies all your needs.
Santa comes down your chimney uninvited ...
JESUS stands at your door and knocks, and enters your heart.
You have to wait in line to see Santa ...
JESUS is as close as the mention of His name.
Santa lets you sit on his lap ...
JESUS lets you rest in His Arms.
Santa doesn't know your name, all he can say is
"Hi little boy or girl, what's your name?" ...
JESUS knew our name before we did.
Not only does He know our name,
He knows our history and future, and
He even knows our hearts & how many hairs are on our heads.
Santa has a belly like a bowl full of jelly ...
JESUS has a heart full of love, grace, mercy & forgiveness.
All Santa can offer is HO HO HO ...
JESUS says "Cast your cares on me for I care for you."
Santa's little helpers make toys ...
JESUS makes a new life, mends wounded hearts,
repairs broken homes and builds mansions.
Santa may make you chuckle but ...
JESUS gives you joy that is your strength.
While Santa puts gifts under your tree ...
JESUS became our gift and died on the tree,
For you & for me.
It's obvious there is really no comparison.
We need to remember WHO Christmas is all about.
We need to put CHRIST back in Christmas,
Jesus is still the reason for the season.
Yes, JESUS is better,
He is even better than Santa Claus.
(author unknown)
Santa lives at the North Pole ...
JESUS is everywhere.
Santa rides in a sleigh ...
JESUS rides on the wind and walks on the water.
Santa comes but once a year.
JESUS is an ever present help.
Santa fills your stockings with goodies ...
JESUS supplies all your needs.
Santa comes down your chimney uninvited ...
JESUS stands at your door and knocks, and enters your heart.
You have to wait in line to see Santa ...
JESUS is as close as the mention of His name.
Santa lets you sit on his lap ...
JESUS lets you rest in His Arms.
Santa doesn't know your name, all he can say is
"Hi little boy or girl, what's your name?" ...
JESUS knew our name before we did.
Not only does He know our name,
He knows our history and future, and
He even knows our hearts & how many hairs are on our heads.
Santa has a belly like a bowl full of jelly ...
JESUS has a heart full of love, grace, mercy & forgiveness.
All Santa can offer is HO HO HO ...
JESUS says "Cast your cares on me for I care for you."
Santa's little helpers make toys ...
JESUS makes a new life, mends wounded hearts,
repairs broken homes and builds mansions.
Santa may make you chuckle but ...
JESUS gives you joy that is your strength.
While Santa puts gifts under your tree ...
JESUS became our gift and died on the tree,
For you & for me.
It's obvious there is really no comparison.
We need to remember WHO Christmas is all about.
We need to put CHRIST back in Christmas,
Jesus is still the reason for the season.
Yes, JESUS is better,
He is even better than Santa Claus.
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
And the Winner is.....
It's a bit grainy because of being taken with Matt's laptop built in camera, but Cangratulations Jamie! Joshua drew your name!!!!
Sunday, December 19, 2010
7 years
7 years ago I married an amazing man. We have traveled an exciting and sometimes rocky road so far, but God has truly blessed our marriage and I would not be the person I am without Matt's constant love and encouragement. The greatest gift that God ever gave me, besides eternal life, is my husband. I made a little video of the last 7 years together. It is set to the music of "Be thou my vision"(which is the song i walked down the isle to) preformed by Dave Gilchrist, and "Dancing in the minefields" by Andrew Peterson. Just a little glimpse into our life.
Friday, December 17, 2010
GIVEAWAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Sorry about that... Yesterday was busy and crazy and I meant to get my hands on a camera so that i could take some pictures for my giveaway post, BUT there was just to much going on yesterday ... SO though i do not have a camera (which i am truly sorry for because it's so exciting to see a glimpse of what is being given away) I will just tell you what the giveaway is about! :)
I've had great fun doing bible stories every night with the children and having them hang the ornaments on the tree that relate to the story. It's really been a great way to lead up to Christmas and celebrating the advent season. SO in celebration of The birth of Christ...
I will be giving away a HAND MADE, set of Christmas ornaments along with a story outline for each day of advent! Of course it's a little to late to start using them this year (and i wouldn't be able to get them to you in time by Christmas anyway) but they would be ready and handy for next year... or you could use them as a gift to give someone else.
So this is what I need you to do, Leave me a comment of your favorite Christmas tradition (and if you don't have a Christmas tradition, tell me what you would like to made a tradition) and you'll be entered. You have until Monday the 20th at midnight! Joshua will draw the winner on Tuesday morning and I'll let you know who it is!!!!!
Happy entering and I'm excited to share this new Christmas tradition with you!
I've had great fun doing bible stories every night with the children and having them hang the ornaments on the tree that relate to the story. It's really been a great way to lead up to Christmas and celebrating the advent season. SO in celebration of The birth of Christ...
I will be giving away a HAND MADE, set of Christmas ornaments along with a story outline for each day of advent! Of course it's a little to late to start using them this year (and i wouldn't be able to get them to you in time by Christmas anyway) but they would be ready and handy for next year... or you could use them as a gift to give someone else.
So this is what I need you to do, Leave me a comment of your favorite Christmas tradition (and if you don't have a Christmas tradition, tell me what you would like to made a tradition) and you'll be entered. You have until Monday the 20th at midnight! Joshua will draw the winner on Tuesday morning and I'll let you know who it is!!!!!
Happy entering and I'm excited to share this new Christmas tradition with you!
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Giveaway
Stay tuned... there is a giveaway coming up! It's about time and I've been wanting to do this for a while... details later today...
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Hope and potty training
Today there was a parent meeting at the school where Daniel receives speech therapy. They are kind enough to provide childcare for all of my boys during the parent meetings so that I am actually able to attend. The teachers at the school are very familiar with our family, as Joshua attended the same school a couple of years back for his special ed. therapy. It was fun to come in with all three boys and for them to see how well Joshua has been doing and how much Elijah has grown (most of them only met him as a small infant). The boys had a great time and where well taken care of. After the parent meeting I came into the class room where they were playing and a teacher approached me about Elijah. She said that he was so advanced and friendly and that when he was old enough they would love to have him as a peer model. For those of you who are not familiar with programs for special needs children, what is common place is that they will have "peer models" in a room full of children who have developmental disabilities to show the children how a "typical" child interacts. IT is actually a very effective tool in educating autistic children who have issues with social behaviour. Let me tell you I was SO excited that they wanted Elijah to be a peer model for other children. It was just so reaffirming and to be honest, healing. After having two children who have unique needs and require extra care and attention in life, it is such a blessing to be told that you have a child that can lead others! I told them that Elijah has just been such a blessing and with him being so social and verbal I just thank Jesus for all he has done! :) I'm not to sure how they took it (this is a public based special education school) but I don't mind praising Jesus and giving Him the glory for my children. After feeling like hope slowly has been fading away over the past couple of years, I feel like God is restoring that hope. And for that... i feel SO blessed!
Speaking of hope and children... I have tried to potty train Daniel on and off for the past year and a half to know avail. Daniel is 4, really it's time for him to be OUT of diapers. It's been a long road... because he was unable to communicate verbally for so long and because of certain sensory issues each attempt at potty training would fail, but i think we FINALLY have it down! For the most part he pees in the potty... we are still working on the poo part.. but a major hurdle has been cleared! YAHOOOOOOO!!!!!! Seriously.. i can not tell you have wonderful it is to NOT be changing his diaper after 4 years! He's so cute... when he is done or if he doesn't have to go but he tried he will clap his hands and say "yay" to let me know he's done. Such a sweet heart he is! Now hopefully Elijah will be ready soon and we will be OUT of diapers forever... because i have been changing diapers for almost 6 year straight here.. and there has only been about 5 days in the past 6 years that i have not changed a diaper!
Speaking of hope and children... I have tried to potty train Daniel on and off for the past year and a half to know avail. Daniel is 4, really it's time for him to be OUT of diapers. It's been a long road... because he was unable to communicate verbally for so long and because of certain sensory issues each attempt at potty training would fail, but i think we FINALLY have it down! For the most part he pees in the potty... we are still working on the poo part.. but a major hurdle has been cleared! YAHOOOOOOO!!!!!! Seriously.. i can not tell you have wonderful it is to NOT be changing his diaper after 4 years! He's so cute... when he is done or if he doesn't have to go but he tried he will clap his hands and say "yay" to let me know he's done. Such a sweet heart he is! Now hopefully Elijah will be ready soon and we will be OUT of diapers forever... because i have been changing diapers for almost 6 year straight here.. and there has only been about 5 days in the past 6 years that i have not changed a diaper!
Saturday, December 11, 2010
yet another one...
Song for a Fifth Child
.Mother, O Mother, come shake out your cloth,
Empty the dustpan, poison the moth,
Hang out the washing, make up the bed,
Sew on a button and butter the bread.
Where is the mother whose house is so shocking?
She's up in the nursery, blissfully rocking.
Oh, I've grown as shiftless as Little Boy Blue,
Lullabye, rockabye, lullabye loo.
Dishes are waiting and bills are past due
Pat-a-cake, darling, and peek, peekaboo
The shopping's not done and there's nothing for stew
And out in the yard there's a hullabaloo
But I'm playing Kanga and this is my Roo
Look! Aren't his eyes the most wonderful hue?
Lullabye, rockaby lullabye loo.
The cleaning and scrubbing can wait till tomorrow
But children grow up as I've learned to my sorrow.
So quiet down cobwebs; Dust go to sleep!
I'm rocking my baby and babies don't keep.
- Ruth Hulburt Hamilton
.Mother, O Mother, come shake out your cloth,
Empty the dustpan, poison the moth,
Hang out the washing, make up the bed,
Sew on a button and butter the bread.
Where is the mother whose house is so shocking?
She's up in the nursery, blissfully rocking.
Oh, I've grown as shiftless as Little Boy Blue,
Lullabye, rockabye, lullabye loo.
Dishes are waiting and bills are past due
Pat-a-cake, darling, and peek, peekaboo
The shopping's not done and there's nothing for stew
And out in the yard there's a hullabaloo
But I'm playing Kanga and this is my Roo
Look! Aren't his eyes the most wonderful hue?
Lullabye, rockaby lullabye loo.
The cleaning and scrubbing can wait till tomorrow
But children grow up as I've learned to my sorrow.
So quiet down cobwebs; Dust go to sleep!
I'm rocking my baby and babies don't keep.
- Ruth Hulburt Hamilton
I know i've shared this before... but it's such a great reminder!!!!
I took His hand and followed
My dishes went unwashed today,
I didn't make the bed,
I took his hand and followed
Where his eager footsteps led.
Oh yes, we went adventuring,
My little son and I...
Exploring all the great outdoors
Beneath the summer sky
We waded in a crystal stream,
We wandered through a wood...
My kitchen wasn't swept today
But life was gay and good.
We found a cool, sun-dappled glade
And now my small son knows
How Mother Bunny hides her nest,
Where jack-in-the-pulpit grows.
We watched a robin feed her young,
We climbed a sunlit hill...
Saw cloud-sheep scamper through the sky,
We plucked a daffodil.
That my house was neglected,
That I didn't brush the stairs,
In twenty years, no one on earth
Will know, or even care.
But that I've helped my little boy
To noble manhood grow,
In twenty years, the whole wide world
May look and see and know.
Mrs. Roy L. Peifer
.
I took His hand and followed
My dishes went unwashed today,
I didn't make the bed,
I took his hand and followed
Where his eager footsteps led.
Oh yes, we went adventuring,
My little son and I...
Exploring all the great outdoors
Beneath the summer sky
We waded in a crystal stream,
We wandered through a wood...
My kitchen wasn't swept today
But life was gay and good.
We found a cool, sun-dappled glade
And now my small son knows
How Mother Bunny hides her nest,
Where jack-in-the-pulpit grows.
We watched a robin feed her young,
We climbed a sunlit hill...
Saw cloud-sheep scamper through the sky,
We plucked a daffodil.
That my house was neglected,
That I didn't brush the stairs,
In twenty years, no one on earth
Will know, or even care.
But that I've helped my little boy
To noble manhood grow,
In twenty years, the whole wide world
May look and see and know.
Mrs. Roy L. Peifer
.
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
P is for pppp
Joshua has been working on his alphabet and the sounds that letters make. Often throughout the day as he is sounding out letters he will say something like this...
"H is for pppppppppp Horse"
"D is for pppppppppp Dog"
but mostly he says..
"P is for ppppppppp PIRATE"
He is so sweet! When i correct him and we work on what different sounds letters make he gets it right... but when he is playing on his own or talking to himself he almost always makes every letter sound like "P".
Speaking of pirates, i found The Swiss Family Robinson at the thrift store and I'm so excited to read to Joshua. It was only 1.25 and it's in great condition and is a hard back! We'll be starting it after Christmas time. I also picked up The adventures of huckleberry Finn, and the first two books in the Hardy Boys series. Though i have never read the Hardy boys, I've just heard about them, So I'll need to read through them first.
What were your favorite books to read while you were a child?
"H is for pppppppppp Horse"
"D is for pppppppppp Dog"
but mostly he says..
"P is for ppppppppp PIRATE"
He is so sweet! When i correct him and we work on what different sounds letters make he gets it right... but when he is playing on his own or talking to himself he almost always makes every letter sound like "P".
Speaking of pirates, i found The Swiss Family Robinson at the thrift store and I'm so excited to read to Joshua. It was only 1.25 and it's in great condition and is a hard back! We'll be starting it after Christmas time. I also picked up The adventures of huckleberry Finn, and the first two books in the Hardy Boys series. Though i have never read the Hardy boys, I've just heard about them, So I'll need to read through them first.
What were your favorite books to read while you were a child?
Saturday, November 27, 2010
A Christmas Tree Story
For the past couple of years, Matt's parents have been so kind and have bought us a real Christmas tree. This year the snow kept me and the boys at home on the day we would usually go with Matt's mom to get the Christmas tree. We tentatively planned to go once the snow was cleared enough to drive up and down the driveway, but Joshua and I were getting impatient. We wanted our tree up and we wanted to decorate it on the day we were planning! I guess you could say i have a bit of OCD and when plans get changed it's hard on me. With all of the snow we've had, the trees are not use to the weight and many of the weaker ones tend to fall down during snow storms here. There was one particular pine tree that had fallen over and unto the road. It was only slightly blocking the road half fallen over, so no one had yet bothered to take care of it. When our Christmas tree plans got changed i instantly thought of the pine tree down the road. It was about 20+ feet tall and VERY green. Last night Joshua kept going on and on about how he wanted a Christmas tree and asking when we were going to get one. The snow had melted enough that night to be able to go up and down the driveway (well at least for me, matt had been fine driving up and down, but i do not like driving on the cliff when it's snowy!). I decided that we were going to go load up and drive down and cut that tree and bring it up... 8pm at night, in the rain. Joshua and I got into the durango and went down the hill and started to work on cutting the tree all the way down and the cutting off just the top part. As much as i would have liked to put the WHOLE tree in the house, it was much taller then our house when all was said and done. We got it cut up loaded into the truck and then we headed back up to home and brought it in. The look on Matt's face was sceptical... like he thought the kids wouldn't like it. As soon as we brought it in Daniel was jumping up and down and Elijah was saying "WOW, it's a tree." We trimmed the branches back and put it into the tree stand. It took only one string of lights to cover. It is most certainly a "charlie brown" tree. My boys didn't care. They dug through the box of ornaments and joyfully started hanging them on the tree. Matt and I just sat back and watched. This is the first year that all of the kids really got into it and it was just such a huge blessing to see them so excited. Matt told me about the times that he went down to Mexico and how the kids were always so happy, and they didn't have much. He thought that our kids wouldn't want a tree that wasn't full and beautiful to the average person. I think it was a learning experience for Matt in that the kids don't need expensive "perfect" things to make them happy... that if we teach them to be thankful no matter what they have and that we make the event fun, then it's not going to matter if the Christmas tree was picked out at a Christmas tree farm for 40 bucks or hauled out of our woods for free. That was just a cool part of the night.
I've been thinking about this tree that we have sitting in our living room. It was growing in a forest on a hill with a beautiful view, and I'm sure with it's height it was starting to outgrow the alders around it. It has seen it's share of summers, autumns and winter storms. This last winter storm brought it down and it's life of fighting and growing came to an end. It was sadly waiting to be moved from the road and then just thrown back into the woods so that cars could pass by freely. But not it has a new purpose. To bring joy to a small family. To remind us of hope and eternal life in Jesus. This tree reminds me of rebirth. It reminds me that the Lord brings new life through circumstances that seem like they are the end. Even though it's not full of branchs and standing straight.. it's one of the most beautiful trees to me. It may only display lights and ornaments for the next month, but it's still a warming and reminding thought for me to think about rebirth in Christ, even through imperfection.
So without further ado... a glimpse of our tree! This was taken with Matt's laptop built in camera and it's terrible! But you'll be able to see it!
I've been thinking about this tree that we have sitting in our living room. It was growing in a forest on a hill with a beautiful view, and I'm sure with it's height it was starting to outgrow the alders around it. It has seen it's share of summers, autumns and winter storms. This last winter storm brought it down and it's life of fighting and growing came to an end. It was sadly waiting to be moved from the road and then just thrown back into the woods so that cars could pass by freely. But not it has a new purpose. To bring joy to a small family. To remind us of hope and eternal life in Jesus. This tree reminds me of rebirth. It reminds me that the Lord brings new life through circumstances that seem like they are the end. Even though it's not full of branchs and standing straight.. it's one of the most beautiful trees to me. It may only display lights and ornaments for the next month, but it's still a warming and reminding thought for me to think about rebirth in Christ, even through imperfection.
So without further ado... a glimpse of our tree! This was taken with Matt's laptop built in camera and it's terrible! But you'll be able to see it!
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Happy Thanksgiving
I hope that this thanksgiving brings joy and reflection of the past years and anticipation and hope of the year to come.
This year I am thankful for many things and feeling extreamly blessed! And i look forward to a year with a new perspective and hopefully a little more joy and thankfullness then i had last year.
What are you thankful for this year?
This year I am thankful for many things and feeling extreamly blessed! And i look forward to a year with a new perspective and hopefully a little more joy and thankfullness then i had last year.
What are you thankful for this year?
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Christmas Traditions
I love Christmas time. The season of winter approaching, celebrating the birth of Jesus and all the it involves. Once we had children i really wanted to make Christmas special and to emphasize that we are are celebrating the birth of Christ. Last year I found the book
"My birthday, Jesus Birthday" Written by Holly Davis. Holly compares a child's birthday to Jesus birthday and makes it very easy for a child to relate to Jesus. We read the book on Christmas Eve and after dinner we have a birthday cake for Jesus and sing happy birthday. I think it really helps the kids keep perspective and I like celebrating that Jesus was born and walked among us on earth and just the magnitude of that very thing. Also, i think Jesus likes birthdays and I know He likes being celebrated!
This year I've had friends and acquaintances talk about celebrating the season of advent. I remember advent celebrations at my church (though we really only celebrated it on the first Sunday) and the memories that it brought and how it started the Christmas season. So after being inspired by others (thank you Missy) I've done a bit of reading and talking with Matt and we've found a way to celebrate advent with the kids that we know that they will enjoy. I've never heard of it until now, but we are going to do a Jesse Tree, though with our own little twist. We are going to do most of the stories that are typical to the tradition, but we are going to trade out some of the stories for ones that are a little more familiar to the children. We will read the story for the day and talk about it and after each story we are going to put a Christmas ornament that corresponds with the story on our tree. I like going through the Bible and the leading up the birth of Christ right before Christmas and just remembering just how very much we need a saviour and just how special this season is. It's not about santa,music, presents, sweets or family (though those things and not necessarily bad) ... it's about a wicked and deprived world, needing a saviour and God in His almighty grace gave up His throne to sanctify us and redeem us and send His son to earth. That is what this season is about... it's about hope and expectation and our deep and desperate need for a God who loves and desires an intimate relationship with us. My only prayer is that my children will grow up with the true value and meaning of the christmas season.
What kind of Christmas traditions do you have and how do you celebrate Jesus' Birth?
"My birthday, Jesus Birthday" Written by Holly Davis. Holly compares a child's birthday to Jesus birthday and makes it very easy for a child to relate to Jesus. We read the book on Christmas Eve and after dinner we have a birthday cake for Jesus and sing happy birthday. I think it really helps the kids keep perspective and I like celebrating that Jesus was born and walked among us on earth and just the magnitude of that very thing. Also, i think Jesus likes birthdays and I know He likes being celebrated!
This year I've had friends and acquaintances talk about celebrating the season of advent. I remember advent celebrations at my church (though we really only celebrated it on the first Sunday) and the memories that it brought and how it started the Christmas season. So after being inspired by others (thank you Missy) I've done a bit of reading and talking with Matt and we've found a way to celebrate advent with the kids that we know that they will enjoy. I've never heard of it until now, but we are going to do a Jesse Tree, though with our own little twist. We are going to do most of the stories that are typical to the tradition, but we are going to trade out some of the stories for ones that are a little more familiar to the children. We will read the story for the day and talk about it and after each story we are going to put a Christmas ornament that corresponds with the story on our tree. I like going through the Bible and the leading up the birth of Christ right before Christmas and just remembering just how very much we need a saviour and just how special this season is. It's not about santa,music, presents, sweets or family (though those things and not necessarily bad) ... it's about a wicked and deprived world, needing a saviour and God in His almighty grace gave up His throne to sanctify us and redeem us and send His son to earth. That is what this season is about... it's about hope and expectation and our deep and desperate need for a God who loves and desires an intimate relationship with us. My only prayer is that my children will grow up with the true value and meaning of the christmas season.
What kind of Christmas traditions do you have and how do you celebrate Jesus' Birth?
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
But i thought your kids where going to school...
So I'm sure you may be a little confused at my recent posts on homeschooling, because in fact my two older boys are attending "school" outside of the home. Well let me explain for you. We are still homeschooling, but our boys educations are being supplemented elsewhere. Joshua is currently attending a christian preschool a couple hours a week, and Daniel works with speech therapist and special needs teachers a couple hours a week. The reason being for Joshua to be in the preschool is that he hasn't had the opportunity to spend time with "typical" peers very much. Though Joshua is not severe by any means in the autism community, he still is behind socially and is learning how to interact with his peers. We have seen nothing but good come from his having play time at the preschool and it has helped him open up and be more social towards people he does not know. In no way do i expect him to gain any sort of education other than that of making friends, because most of what they are teaching in the preschool he already knows. It's been great to see him make friends and form relationships with children that i feel comfortable with and know their parents. It has also been a great joy and help to me to meet other moms with children similar to my children's age and i have been greatly encouraged by them. After the term of preschool is over i am going to try and find activities for Joshua to do with other children so that he can stay connected with friends... maybe swimming lessons since he loves the water so much, at this point I'm not sure, but i really like being able to choose positive interactions for him.
For Daniel the speech therapy is actually offered through the local public school here. As much as i am not a big fan of the public school system, i really like Daniel's special needs teachers. I've known them and worked with them now for about 3 years. They know my standards and what i expect and how very much i love my children and want the best for them and they have been very good at working with me and making Daniel's education the very best that we can. They know that i home school my children and they have seen the fruits of my labor and they respect me for the work that i do, so it's a good relationship. Daniel spends 2 hours a week with them getting intense speech therapy (which sounds really boring, but it's actually quite fun and involves a lot of playing and noise making). He always comes away from his time with them happy, more "talkative" and ready to play more with me and his brothers. I've prayed and prayed over these "school" situations and i feel the Lord's peace and leading in the boys having the extra supplement of this kind of schooling right now. It's neat to see also that through them I am able to witness to others. Just by loving them, caring for them and being who Christ calls me to be, others have seen Jesus through my actions and that really is my ultimate goal.
I'm sure as each year comes and brings it's own unique challenges we will fine tune the boys schooling, but first and foremost my boys education will always be structured around God and who they are in Christ.
For Daniel the speech therapy is actually offered through the local public school here. As much as i am not a big fan of the public school system, i really like Daniel's special needs teachers. I've known them and worked with them now for about 3 years. They know my standards and what i expect and how very much i love my children and want the best for them and they have been very good at working with me and making Daniel's education the very best that we can. They know that i home school my children and they have seen the fruits of my labor and they respect me for the work that i do, so it's a good relationship. Daniel spends 2 hours a week with them getting intense speech therapy (which sounds really boring, but it's actually quite fun and involves a lot of playing and noise making). He always comes away from his time with them happy, more "talkative" and ready to play more with me and his brothers. I've prayed and prayed over these "school" situations and i feel the Lord's peace and leading in the boys having the extra supplement of this kind of schooling right now. It's neat to see also that through them I am able to witness to others. Just by loving them, caring for them and being who Christ calls me to be, others have seen Jesus through my actions and that really is my ultimate goal.
I'm sure as each year comes and brings it's own unique challenges we will fine tune the boys schooling, but first and foremost my boys education will always be structured around God and who they are in Christ.
Monday, November 22, 2010
Learning lately
I am REALLY enjoying the book that I am reading on homeschooling. It is called "A Charlotte Mason companion- Personal reflections on The Gentle Art of Learning" written by Karen Andreola. Karen goes over her studies of Charlotte Mason's method for homeschooling and shares her experiences homeschooling her children by the method that Charlotte lays out. If you are considering homeschooling i highly recommend this book! Anyway here are a few quotes from the book that have really stood out to me. Some are things that i totally agree with or like the concept or was challenged by. Anyway... All of the following is written by Karen Andreola who often quotes Charlotte.
Making lots of money is not identical with success, and a person who succeeds at making lots of money but has not the moral attributes, cultural niceties, educational background, or self-knowledge to use his wealth wisely will find his life empty indeed. Every person must achieve his own kind of success, and such success is far more important than how much money he makes. pg.23
We, as persons, are not enlightened by means of multiple-choice tests or grades, but rather by the other people in our lives that we come to know, admire and love. We are educated by our friendships and by our intimacies. For instance, think how the actions of someone you admire influence your behaviour. Similarly, think also of how a boy's interest is sparked by a hobby he loves, and to which he devotes all his time and trouble. Whether it be gardening, keeping house, or governing a state, love of work-like love of people-teaches things that no school, no system, can. pg 23
A child should be true to himself, aware of his weaknesses of character, admit when he is cross, selfish, clumsy, lacking of self control. etc. But also he should understand that because he is a child of God, his soul is precious and he can attempt great things for God because so many beautiful possibilities are available to him. pg. 32
The first step in intimacy is recognition. we don't measure a child's education solely by his progress in the three "R's," but by the number of living and growing things he knows by look, name and habitat. pg.34
Unless our method of education allows children the opportunity to establish relations with many different things, a gallon of teaching will result in only an ounce of learning. pg.34
A teacher's business is to indicate, stimulate, direct, and constrain to the acquirement of knowledge. The less the parents and teachers "talk-in" and expound their rations of knowledge and thought to the children they are education, the better for the children... Children must be allowed to ruminate, must be left alone with their own thoughts. pg. 35
It should not be "How much has our child covered?" but "How much does he care?" and "About how many things does he care?" pg.37
Charlotte uses a child's curiosity and trains him to develop good habits. She sets before the child the kinds of activities and books he will readily "take to," the kinds of things he needs to grow in character and intellect. And then she guides him to work like a busy beaver to acquire knowledge from these things and make it his personal possession. What she does promote is self education. pg 41
Our business is to give him mind stuff. Both quantity and quality are essential. pg.43
One third of education is atmosphere pg.49
A child draws inspiration from the casual life around him. pg.51
We are living in a career-minded, materialistic culture that depreciates the role of the mother. But the fact is that a mother is the irreplaceable foundation of a home. pg.51
We may not reach our ideals, but it is our fervent, faithful reaching towards them that matter greatly. pg. 51
Never be angry when the children are cross, and never add a harsh word of reproof when a child is still sore under what it feels to be an injustice. This is often difficult to do because it is our natural response to control his temper with a stronger one of our own. Yet I recommend you work against any tendency to overpower the child in this instance. Gently draw the belligerent's mind to the fact that he is feeling unhappy, that this is merely the natural result of saying unkind things; and that, as it would not be fair to make everyone else unhappy too, he must for other people's sakes go away from the room, or leave the game till he can be pleasant. pg. 58
Never force a child to sacrifice for another family member, but merely suggest to the child that here is a way to give up self, and do a kind and lovely action. pg. 61
There is no moral teacher better than a parable. pg 61
Show emotions without being emotional (mood swings). pg. 66
The trick is not how well we make "subjects" relate to each other but rather how well a child relates to the subjects. pg 67
Charlotte advises the mother to first acquire her own habit of training her children so that having children in the house with her all day is not a problem, but a pleasure." pg. 69
Making lots of money is not identical with success, and a person who succeeds at making lots of money but has not the moral attributes, cultural niceties, educational background, or self-knowledge to use his wealth wisely will find his life empty indeed. Every person must achieve his own kind of success, and such success is far more important than how much money he makes. pg.23
We, as persons, are not enlightened by means of multiple-choice tests or grades, but rather by the other people in our lives that we come to know, admire and love. We are educated by our friendships and by our intimacies. For instance, think how the actions of someone you admire influence your behaviour. Similarly, think also of how a boy's interest is sparked by a hobby he loves, and to which he devotes all his time and trouble. Whether it be gardening, keeping house, or governing a state, love of work-like love of people-teaches things that no school, no system, can. pg 23
A child should be true to himself, aware of his weaknesses of character, admit when he is cross, selfish, clumsy, lacking of self control. etc. But also he should understand that because he is a child of God, his soul is precious and he can attempt great things for God because so many beautiful possibilities are available to him. pg. 32
The first step in intimacy is recognition. we don't measure a child's education solely by his progress in the three "R's," but by the number of living and growing things he knows by look, name and habitat. pg.34
Unless our method of education allows children the opportunity to establish relations with many different things, a gallon of teaching will result in only an ounce of learning. pg.34
A teacher's business is to indicate, stimulate, direct, and constrain to the acquirement of knowledge. The less the parents and teachers "talk-in" and expound their rations of knowledge and thought to the children they are education, the better for the children... Children must be allowed to ruminate, must be left alone with their own thoughts. pg. 35
It should not be "How much has our child covered?" but "How much does he care?" and "About how many things does he care?" pg.37
Charlotte uses a child's curiosity and trains him to develop good habits. She sets before the child the kinds of activities and books he will readily "take to," the kinds of things he needs to grow in character and intellect. And then she guides him to work like a busy beaver to acquire knowledge from these things and make it his personal possession. What she does promote is self education. pg 41
Our business is to give him mind stuff. Both quantity and quality are essential. pg.43
One third of education is atmosphere pg.49
A child draws inspiration from the casual life around him. pg.51
We are living in a career-minded, materialistic culture that depreciates the role of the mother. But the fact is that a mother is the irreplaceable foundation of a home. pg.51
We may not reach our ideals, but it is our fervent, faithful reaching towards them that matter greatly. pg. 51
Never be angry when the children are cross, and never add a harsh word of reproof when a child is still sore under what it feels to be an injustice. This is often difficult to do because it is our natural response to control his temper with a stronger one of our own. Yet I recommend you work against any tendency to overpower the child in this instance. Gently draw the belligerent's mind to the fact that he is feeling unhappy, that this is merely the natural result of saying unkind things; and that, as it would not be fair to make everyone else unhappy too, he must for other people's sakes go away from the room, or leave the game till he can be pleasant. pg. 58
Never force a child to sacrifice for another family member, but merely suggest to the child that here is a way to give up self, and do a kind and lovely action. pg. 61
There is no moral teacher better than a parable. pg 61
Show emotions without being emotional (mood swings). pg. 66
The trick is not how well we make "subjects" relate to each other but rather how well a child relates to the subjects. pg 67
Charlotte advises the mother to first acquire her own habit of training her children so that having children in the house with her all day is not a problem, but a pleasure." pg. 69
Saturday, November 20, 2010
What rules the World
They say a man is mighty,
He governs land and sea,
He wields a mighty scepter
O'er lesser powers that be;
But a mightier power and stronger
Man from his throne has hurled,
For the hand that rocks the cradle
Is the hand that rules the world.
-William Ross Wallace
He governs land and sea,
He wields a mighty scepter
O'er lesser powers that be;
But a mightier power and stronger
Man from his throne has hurled,
For the hand that rocks the cradle
Is the hand that rules the world.
-William Ross Wallace
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Today
-Enjoyed some quiet time in front of a warm fire after spending a wonderful couple of days with my sister and nieces.
-Looking forward to picking up my mom tomorrow to spend the weekend with her
-I wish it would snow to kick off the upcoming holiday season
- after not drinking coffee for 2 weeks, i find that i really don't need it or care for it as much as i thought i did.
-and last but not least....My little boy turned 2! Happy birthday Elijah!!!!!!
-Looking forward to picking up my mom tomorrow to spend the weekend with her
-I wish it would snow to kick off the upcoming holiday season
- after not drinking coffee for 2 weeks, i find that i really don't need it or care for it as much as i thought i did.
-and last but not least....My little boy turned 2! Happy birthday Elijah!!!!!!
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
The gentle art of learning
If you walked this journey as a friend with me for a while you know that i was home schooled as a child and I've always loved the idea, but not sure if i would implement it with my children. One of the main reasons being my husband is not 100 percent sold on the idea just yet. He does think that it's a great idea, i think that we just need to find a happy medium of what he considers schooling (sitting and doing workbooks) and what i consider is schooling (experiencing the world hands on and learning about things more naturally). I've recently ordered this book and I'm excited to be joining a group of other home school mommas in studying it together. I still have much to learn about home school and my boys are still very young, but i really feel that it's the best path for them right now,at least for the bulk of their education. Because of the boys special needs we definitely have to have a very open perspective on education and that there are some things that are just to hard to do on ones own with such a limited amount of time (like an education to teach speech therapy), but the bulk of their education i believe can come from home. I'm excited but nervous for this upcoming journey and the challenges it holds, but i feel confident right now that this is the best solution for my children. If you have never heard of the Charlotte Mason homeschooling method and you are interested in homeschooling, i encourage you to do some research on her schooling methods. I'm not through everything so i can't tell you if i 100 percent agree or not, but so far i like what I have seen.
Sunday, November 14, 2010
numbers and boys
Tonight i have 5 little boys in my house. 3 of my own and 2 are my very good friends. Ages: 5, 5, 4, 2, and soon to be 2 on thursday! I've always wanted 5 children... more specifically 3 boys and 2 girls.
So this is a conversation that Matt and I had earlier this evening...
"Honey, it'll be like you always wanted, 5 kids"
"yeah but i didn't want 5 boys, i wanted 3 boys and two girls"
"well you know if we would of had 5 kids we would of ended up with all boys anyway"
You know...I think he's probably right...
but honestly.. i'm LOVING having 5 little boys in the house tonight
So this is a conversation that Matt and I had earlier this evening...
"Honey, it'll be like you always wanted, 5 kids"
"yeah but i didn't want 5 boys, i wanted 3 boys and two girls"
"well you know if we would of had 5 kids we would of ended up with all boys anyway"
You know...I think he's probably right...
but honestly.. i'm LOVING having 5 little boys in the house tonight
Saturday, November 6, 2010
You never let go
I'm sure you may have already heard this song, but it has brought so much encouragement to me over the past few weeks and i hope that you can take the time to listen. I chose a video that has the lyrics so if you've never heard the song before, you can read along with the lyrics. I pray that you can find encouragement tonight, in whatever valley or mountaintop you may be on and know that the Lord will never let go of you...
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Heaven
I'm not sure how you envision heaven... if there will be streets of gold and big magnificent buildings, but i can tell you what I think heaven will be like. When i look at God's creation all around me and nature, i don't imagine heaven as man made. I think that in heaven there will be mountains and trees and trails winding along beautiful rivers, sunsets and sunrises, clear blue oceans teaming with life, beautiful flowers and yes, i even think there will be animals in heaven. Not animals that have died here on earth (sorry Coco... as much as I loved you as a child.. i just don't think you will be in heaven), but i think that God likes animals and finds pleasure in them. I think earth is a mere blurred reflection of heaven and that nature is going to be even more beautiful then we can even imagine there. So until the day where i can go on hikes with Jesus through heaven's wilderness, I can experience the joy of God's creation with my boys and be reminded of God's beauty, grace, power, master craftsmanship, and how this is just my temporary home.
Someday, if you are hiking on the trails in the great northwest you may just run into our family, but if we don't ever meet on the trails here on earth, i sure hope to see you on the trails in heaven.
Someday, if you are hiking on the trails in the great northwest you may just run into our family, but if we don't ever meet on the trails here on earth, i sure hope to see you on the trails in heaven.
Adventures with the Crumes
Sometimes on our adventures kids get sick.... and we have to clean out carseats...
You wouldn't know it but 15 minutes before this picture was taken this little boy was throwing up ALL over! I guess that's all he needed to feel better.
You wouldn't know it but 15 minutes before this picture was taken this little boy was throwing up ALL over! I guess that's all he needed to feel better.
Friday, October 29, 2010
We recently went on vacation to northern Washington and a friend came with on one of our hiking adventures to capture some family photo's.. she really captured our family so well and I love them! So here you are :) They aren't the kind of pose and smile pictures.. this is real everyday Crume family life... I'm still waiting for her to send me the pictures from the rest of the trip including the pictures of us cleaning out Elijah's car seat on the side of the road after he projectile vomited everywhere! Good times....
Down on the farm...
Wheel barrows are used for more then hauling dirt...
Cows are a source of joy and entertainment...
The veiw is calming and peacefull...
The animals have a shelter from the constant rain of winter...
The ducks wait for thier dinner...
The steer waits for a more manly looking colar...
The animals are happy to see you...
Little boys dress up like daddies...
and grow up fast!!!
Cows are a source of joy and entertainment...
The veiw is calming and peacefull...
The animals have a shelter from the constant rain of winter...
The ducks wait for thier dinner...
The steer waits for a more manly looking colar...
The animals are happy to see you...
Little boys dress up like daddies...
and grow up fast!!!
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