experimental GF baking with CHOCOLATE

Such a special day! I was blessed to meet some friends at the airport as they brought their baby girl home from china. They have had such a long journey and it's so amazing to see her in person! When I left, my boys were sound asleep. When I arrived home, the house was pretty clean and school work was done. They had a HUGE incentive! They wanted to play a new game they have been waiting on FOREVER (or so I'm told) I don't get the whole game thing... at. all. I do try to have some understanding though... occasionally...

Since the kitchen was clean I decided to mess it up again :) Experimental baking at it's best! I took a recipe and made it gluten free and also used agave instead of sugar. I don't use agave much, I prefer honey. I do think honey would work fine for this recipe. There is a very slight tang because of the yogurt but I really like it. They are very moist!

Preheat oven to 350. Line or grease muffin tin
1 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup agave (if you use honey I would reduce the oven temp to 325)
1 cup plain greek yogurt (low fat will not have the same consistency. vanilla would work as well but you would need to reduce the amount of sweetener)
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup dark choc chips (i used ghirardelli dark)

Mix dry ingredients.
Mix wet ingredients.
Add wet to dry, stir until blended.

I started the timer at 15 and final time was 17 minutes

Guess what??? I actually REMEMBERED to take a picture! It didn't turn out well but it's a pic :)

experimental baking pays... sometimes!

Right when I clicked on the link to update my blog I remembered that I forgot. I forgot to take a picture... again. This time they were so pretty and deliciously yummy. Definitely will make these again. All 12 are GONE! Occasionally I make a recipe that turns out "ok" and I'm happy with that. These muffins were delicious and no one in my family even asked if they were healthy. I took a muffin recipe and revised it and was planning on tweaking it again but honestly I won't change a thing.
Brown rice flour has a tendency to be crumbly but these were not, they had a very good texture! I really wish I was getting paid for this commercial :)

2 cups brown rice flour
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp pumpkin spice
2 eggs
1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup pumpkin
1 cup choc chips

prepare muffin pan (i used liners) preheat oven to 325
whisk dry ingredients, add choc chips
whisk wet ingredients
add wet ingredients to dry, stir only until moist.

baking time will vary according to your oven. aprox 20 min. I started checking mine at 15...

walnuts or pecans would be very good as well.
I really can't wait to make these again!!!!

so.... a pic of pumpkins and coffee :)

it's american, no peruvian, no it's chili... wait........

Once again... the time to think about supper. It's like it's an every day thing or something :) I do love to cook and bake but I run out of creative juices from time to time. Yesterday I was trying to figure out something make with left over hamburgers Jeffrey had grilled. I had brown rice, a bag of fiesta vegetables, and a few cans of tomato stuff so I decided to see what I could throw together. "Throw together" can be very rewarding or very scary! In this case, it was very rewarding AND we had enough leftovers to have for lunch today! The problem is, I can't think of a name for it... grilled hamburger, vegetable, peruvian chili and rice just doesn't roll off of the tongue very easily. Here is approximately what I did, throw togethers never have exact measuring, it's a taste thing.
sauted onions in butter because well... it's yummy!
added cilantro, cumin, paprika and aji (peruvian pepper)
1 can each of tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, tomato paste and garbanzo beans
pinched up the hamburger patties
added the bag of fiesta vegetables and a dash of Worcestershire sauce
let simmer for... I really have no idea, just until I thought it was done (maybe 20 min)
I did have to add some water so it was not so thick.
The rice was cooking ever so patiently in my rice steamer (best gift EVA!)
My only regret... I didn't get a picture. This stuff was so pretty and yummy! I love old comfort foods with the familiar flavors but occasionally it is something awesome to find a new flavor that is extremely good! I crunched up corn chips and put sour cream on mine.... did I mention it was yummy?!?!?!?!

so what do I do when I don't have a picture of the food I make... use a picture of PUMPKINS! :) makes sense in my brain!

I Will Fight!

I WILL fight for you!

I love you enough, that you will know what is right and what is wrong. You will know that you do not give disrespect and expect respect in return. You will know that life does not stop because you need a day off. You will know that doing right one time is not an excuse to not do right. You will know that there will not be a fairy coming behind you picking up and cleaning up. I will not give you "atta boys" for everything you do. Life does not pat you on the back for doing what is expected. You do right because it is right, not to hear someone say "good job". I love you so much that I refuse to let you out in to this cruel world with a false expectation that things will be handed to you. You get disrespectful then I will turn from frufru lace lov'n lady in to Drill Sergeant Mom! I will bend over backwards to help you, to lead you, to guide you, sacrifice for you. I will give my LIFE for you... BUT I will NOT baby you! You were my baby and I loved every minute of it. Now, you are growing... no more milk, it's meat time boy and God gave you too much in that brain to waste it. He sees you have potential and it's my job to show you.

This, is for all moms of teen boys who love them enough to get tough and LOVE them by standing up to them and for them. I'm not done, I refuse to give in, God gave me these boys and they will know that I will fight for them. It is so easy for me to say "whatever, they won't listen, I'm done" This is VERY hard for me to write and put out there but I feel a tug once again to push it out there....

God has given me another "umph". Strength that only comes from Him. My knees are callused. My heart is broken. My face is tear-stained. I absolutely ADORE my boys and am so very proud of them but God has spoken loudly to me. Think of it this way... what if God said "Joy, you've come this far so, you're fine, no more, you're good" In a sense I feel that's what I have done. I've gotten SO frustrated but not intentionally done anything about it. For some odd strange reason I thought that by 14 they should have it all together hahaha I see the craziness of it but to continue takes

some willingness to fight and I'm tired. Thank you God for Your strength!

Ok, I feel some kind of major hoorah com'n on or something...... Let's do this!!!!

I think I'll go bake them some cookies first.... ;)

food memories

We had a fellowship today. AKA "food fest". I love getting together with friends and everyone brings a favorite dish. Sometimes I make something new or something "good" but today I made an old favorite that has been "comfort food" for me since I was a teen. To be honest, I had forgotten just how long these recipes have been around until I started talking about it today. When I was a teen I spent a small amount of time homeschooled but both of my parents worked... a lot :) Like I said, a SMALL amount of time haha During that time when my mom had the time she would make a BIG pan of chicken spaghetti and I seriously would eat this stuff for breakfast, lunch and supper. Obviously my metabolism was a bit different then. It is cheesy, a little spicy and a whole lotta yummy and not a lotta healthy :) Naturally as I started baking/cooking more healthy I do not make this as often. It is saved for special occasions because well... I know myself and I WILL eat it! The other recipe lives up to its name "death by chocolate cake". I can't remember exactly when my mom started making this but it has been around for a LONG time. It has been one of Jeffrey's favorites since before we were married. There is nothing healthy about it so again it is saved for special occasions and thoroughly enjoyed! This cake is deep chocolate, moist and amazingly good by itself or with some yummy freshness like strawberries or raspberries. Today I just topped it with a chocolate sauce. Not sure what it is about food that just takes me back. Its fun to get recipes from others and share ones that mean something to us. So, here they are....

Chicken Spaghetti
Chicken Thighs ~ boiled and de-boned (reserve a cup of broth)
Boil spaghetti noodles (according to package directions) in chicken broth, drain and set aside

1/2 stick of butter
1/2 onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
clove of garlic, chopped
saute onion, celery and garlic in butter
add:
sm can mushrooms, drained
1 can cream of chicken
1 can cream of celery
1 can rotel (I use mild)
1 jar of cheese wiz
cup of reserved chicken broth
mix and cook until heated through

place noodles in 9x13 pan, add chicken, pour sauce over top and mix with fork. place shredded cheese on top. bake covered at 350 for 20 min

Death By Chocolate Cake
grease/flour bundt pan
Devil's food cake (w/o pudding)
small box choc pudding
4 eggs
3/4 cup water
1/2 cup oil
12oz choc chips

mix all ingredients with hand mixer except choc chips
add choc chips

bake at 350 for 40 min (depending on your oven - it will feel "slightly bouncy")  or until cake pulls away from sides of pan

glaze:
1 stick butter
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup water

boil for 5 min. pour on cake while still hot
let cool before taking out of pan. I've found it comes out easier if you run a butter knife around the side.

Cover with you favorite chocolate sauce. add raspberries or strawberries.

This is the recipe holder I received for my thirteenth birthday. Another favorite of ours is in the top left "Broccoli Cornbread" another not healthy but YUMMY dish!

wounds

This morning I was having my quiet time and praying (and drying my hair but... it was my prayer time this morning) and I started remembering. My oldest man child was about to have his wisdom teeth removed and so I began to reminisce about how many "booboos" they have had over the years. Couldn't help get'n a little teary at the thought of my babies growing up and the thought of seeing my BIG baby in pain today. (side track, rabbit trail... said prayers for those moms dealing with children with chronic illness. my heart goes out to them!) One injury of Nate's stuck in my mind. The boys had received their first little swiss army knives and we "thought" they were doing well with them. Until... we see that Nate has an infection under his nail. THEN the whole story comes out. They had been playing "swords" and micah "accidentally" cut Nate's finger. The cut was right at the cuticle and because he didn't tell me (he said "if I told you I would have gotten in trouble" hhmmm) I took Nate to the doctor and the infection had settled under his nail so much so that he had to have 7 shots to numb the whole area and they had to pull the whole nail off. This was quite traumatic for him. I very lovingly told him that this would not have been so bad first of all if he had not been playing with knives, second if he would have told me right away when he had been injured. He repeated to us on several occasions that he would NEVER do that again. The doctor was amazing in telling Nate how lucky he was that he didn't lose his finger (scared nate just enough...) Such a powerful picture for me. Wounds happen by our choice and sometimes NOT by our choice. Either way... they happen, it's not IF it's WHEN they happen. At that point we are left with a choice. Ignore it, let it fester and puss up, getting bigger and bigger. We can deal with it and say "OUCH, man that hurt. Now how can I get it to heal?" When we took Nate to the doctor he prescribed a topical cream and an antibiotic to insure the infection did not set in the blood stream. As Christians God has given us His Holy Spirit to minister that healing "ointment". God has given us His Word to continually treat our wounds. No matter what our wound or hurt is, whether it be self inflicted or brought on by someone else, we may have a scar. That scar... after all of the healing has taken place can be such a sweet reminder of "don't do that again, it hurts" or a reminder to pour forgiveness on someone who injured us. One thing we found out is a wound left untreated is very dangerous. It took quite a while for his nail to heal and grow back but being consistent in treating it was worth it. He has a healthy nail now!!! Take time to let God heal your wound. It's worth it!!! Another point that I must make is when a wound is left untreated and infected, not only does it get worse, it keeps us handicapped. Life brings wounds and hurts, this we can count on. Now... whatcha gonna do with it?????? Luke 10:34 So he went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; and he set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him Jesus cares! Jesus wants to heal! BTW my oldest man child is doing great right now! He has been sleeping off the medicine. Praise God!

This morning I woke up with a terribly migraine... is there any other kind??? Jeffrey was kind enough to get me some med as I grasped the pillow over the top of my head to keep any light from reaching my sore eyes. Trying hard not to move as not to throw up, I laid there praying. Thanking God that these things only come on occasion now instead of 2 or 3 times a week. The med works in about an hour and I'm up and functioning (well, mostly) for the rest of the day. It started me thinking of how we don't see what people deal with on a day to day basis, where they have been, what they have dealt with. Many assumptions are made on their actions of the moment and not the MOMENTS that have lead up to OUR point of interaction. How quickly we are to judge instead of having an attitude of understanding. To treat people as though they are coming out of a crisis, in a crisis or about to go through a crisis is 99% accurate. This was in my devotional that a sweet elderly friend gave me. I sat and pondered it for quite some time.... We condemn a man for stumbling this morning, but we didn't see the blows he took yesterday. We judge a woman for the limp in her walk, but cannot see the tack in h er shoe. We mock the fear in their eyes, but have no idea how many stones they have ducked or darts they have dodged. Are they too loud? Perhaps they fear being neglected again. Are they too timid? Perhaps they fear failing again. Too slow? Perhaps they fell the last time they hurried. You don't know. Only one who has followed yesterday's steps can be their judge. Not only are we ignorant about yesterday, we are ignorant about tomorrow. Dare we judge a book while chapters are yet unwritten? Should we pass a verdict on a painting while the artist still holds the brush? How can you dismiss a soul until God's work is complete? My favorite song as a child was "He's still work'n on me, to make me what I ought to be...." Praise God!!!!!!!

sleepy ramblings....

Laying there in bed, thinking of all things I should have done today
should have cleaned this, done that, baked this, made that...
my brain seems to be on overload with prayers and concerns
God thank you, all I have to do is give it to you and accept your peace

I can almost smell the coffee that will come with the morning sun.
coffee timers were from God, I just know it
New mercies come fresh every morning
Birds sing a new song, it's a fresh new start

So the day begins with a prayer and a push
Another chance to get maybe a little more right
or... a little more wrong.
Either way, tomorrow will start again fresh and new!

So grateful for the chance to put the day behind me
call it done!
Good or bad, it's done!
Move forward, bring on the new day with all that it holds

Now, to sleep!
Peaceful rest that only God can bring
laying it all down, giving it all up
Thanking Him for the chance to do it again tomorrow...

Gluten Free Pancakes

Yesterday was a lay'n in bed kind of day. I caught a stomach bug that was thankfully a 24 hr thing. My stomach was not up to par this morning. I made Nate some regular pancakes, which sounded good but I knew if I ate the white flour I would regret it. I usually have a GF flour on hand for times like this. Today I had brown rice flour so I looked up a recipe for brown rice flour pancakes. As I am not strict GF, I have found "real foods" in general sit better with me (go figure huh). I've used brown rice in the past and it tends to be a little gritty but the taste is good. There are some GF flours that have a terrible taste, amaranth is one, it's awful in my opinion :) These pancakes were not gritty at all! This recipe was so simple, having cooked with brown rice flour before I did make a couple of changes. I added just a small dash of real vanilla and a shake of salt. For the "sugar" I used agave nectar. Since I only had 1 1/4 cup of flour I just brought down the other ingredients just a smidgen (it's a word... trust me). The key is to not over stir and once all ingredients are mixed DON'T TOUCH until you put them on the griddle. They get this fluffy texture that's so fun to dip in to because it feels like soap bubbles, remember playing in the soap bubbles as a kid... or now, I'm not judg'n.... Cook them the same as reg pancakes, until you see a mat finish (they probably won't "bubble" like reg pancakes) My stomach handled them well this morning and for that I'm VERY grateful!!!! I know a few of my friends are setting out on a better eating adventure... hope you can try these, I loved them!

http://vegetarian.about.com/od/glutenfreerecipe1/r/noglutenpancake.htm

Hands. What do you think about??? My mom and I were talking about our hands today. I had a terrible habit of chewing my nails for most of my life. I had fake nails put on in an effort to break myself of the habit. Kept them on for 3 months, I've had them off for almost 2 weeks and so far so good, but I have not watched a movie yet. Quite a random fact but for those who know me, it's not at all random :) I remember holding my moms hand when I was little and she had the most beautiful hands. There was so much comfort in her stroking my hair. There is still just nothing like a momma hug! Just told Jeffrey yesterday that Grandma Panhorst's hands always smelled like bleach. My dad always told me to be afraid of any man with nice hands LOL I always envied (I know it's wrong don't remind me...) my sister's hands/nails. She has gorgeous long fingers with long beautiful nails. When my boys were young we would put their hands in plaster and make a mold of them or trace them on paper and put their name and date. It's very interesting to me how hands and feet mark our growth, how much we work, how we work... etc. Even the nail is a picture of health. If it's blue... well, that's just not good haha A healthy nail is a picture of a healthy person.
Here's what is on my heart... Psalm 63:4 "Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name" For me, lifting my hands to God is a picture of surrender, of giving everything to Him. It's a gesture of respect, giving glory and honor to the ONE who made my hands. What are things we lift our hands for? My boys raise their hands when they have a question, or they need help. We raise our hands in celebration at a sports game. We raise our hands in frustration at times.
Lord help me to raise my hands to You in PRAISE!
There is so much to praise Him for! My creator in such intricate detail, made my hand like no other. He made them for so many different abilities... the least I can do is to lift them up to Him in His name!