New Hope, New Cure!

A friend shared with me Kerri Rivera and her Autism One Presentation! Have a look.http://www.mmsautism.org/kerri-rivera-presentation-at-autismone-2012

What to make with one banana? GF Donuts!

April’s Sour Cream Donuts (Gluten Free)

Makes 6 and uses 1 banana, I often have one bad one and I like to have a go to recipe to fall back on. I played with the ingredients till I achieved the preferred texture . You could use applesauce in place of banana.

I got my 6 piece Norpro donut pan at Prepared pantry in Idaho and use it often! I also purchase my potato flour there. Great store by the way!

Ingredients

¾ cup sugar

1 egg

½ cup sour cream or greek yogurt

1 banana

1 tsp soda

1/8 tsp salt

1 cup GF flour blend or (1 cup regular flour and not oat flour)

½ cup oat flour

Nuts optional, ¼ cup

Mix sugar, eggs, and sour cream. Add crushed banana. Add dry ingredients, mix well. Add nuts. Bake in greased donut pan at 325 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Donut will be firm to touch and brown on sides, not top. I frosted these with a powdered sugar glaze, great plain too.

Enjoy!

Ignacia-a grape worker, gardener, vineyard manager, pet lover

       I would like to introduce you to a new friend of our family. Her name is Ig-nac-ia. Ignacia is a very special 74 year old Hispanic worker. One of the things that first grabbed my attention was her happiness and contentment. She is a really hard worker and works everyday but Sunday. She knows English really well and loves to listen to the kids. She teases them in sweet ways, ways that make them really think.
She is short, petite, wears socks over her long sleeves to keep her wrists protected. She wears a blue bandana on her hair and then a baseball cap or sun hat. Ignacia comes every morning and every afternoon. She has a beautiful smile and sweet laugh.
     Our kids love to hear her brown and white GMC truck with canopy come down the lane at 2mph, the kittens and cats come running, the kids grab their shoes and run to greet her also. It is the highlight of their afternoon. They love to share the day with her and give her an update on all 14 cats and who know how many kittens. Ignacia loves to visit and learn what we are doing. We share things we have made with her and she brings us treats from her yard. She has a walnut tree! She brought me two starts that I put in the ground last month. I hope they will take off and grow.
     We miss her when we go home to our real home. The kids learn a lot from her. I am thankful to have her in our life on the farm.

April's Secret Ingredient Granola

April’s Secret Ingredient Granola

4 cups GF rolled oats
1 cup slivered almonds or walnuts
1 cup cashews
3/4 cup shredded sweet coconut

¼ cup Apple Cider Syrup
1/3 cup dark brown sugar
1/3cup pure maple syrup
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 teaspoon lime sea salt
1 cup raisins if like fruit in granola

Directions

Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.

In a large bowl, combine the oats, nuts, coconut, and brown sugar.

In a separate bowl, combine maple syrup, apple cider syrup, oil, and salt. Combine both mixtures and pour onto glass 9x13. Cook for 1 hour and 15 minutes, stirring every 30 minutes to achieve an even color. Can easily double, use lasagna pan 11x17 to bake it in.

Remove from oven and transfer into a large bowl. Add raisins and mix until evenly distributed.

Chive Vinagrette

This is amazing if you grow chives! 

The recipe and idea is from our friend and Chef Stann Grater.

Take your chive flowers, cut at base of flower. Wash and strain in colander. Pack a quart jar with blossoms, cover with White Wine Vinegar and let sit in dark place 3-6 weeks till light lavender vinegar appears. Take cheesecloth, strain, and put in new jar for storage in refrigerator. This is amazing in salad dressing or any time you need a light vinaigrette!

Pomagranet, how to deseed!

This you tube tutorial link is worth the time!I found it on facebook and tried it.  It is a breeze to get the precious seeds out. Get a large wooden spoon and a bowl . You will be amazed:)

Gluten Free Vanilla for the Holidays

Gluten Free Vanilla

Ingredients

• 3 vanilla beans (Madagascar Bourbon Planifolia Vanilla Beans and
  Tahitian Beans)
• I use this company for my beans http://www.vanillaproductsusa.com
• 1 cup vodka (grape distilled if you can find it)
• glass jar with tight fitting lid

Method

1 Use kitchen scissors or a sharp paring knife to cut lengthwise down each vanilla bean, splitting them in half, leaving an inch at the end connected.
2 Put vanilla beans in a glass jar or bottle*** with a tight fitting lid (mason jars work well). Cover completely with the vodka.
3 Give the bottle a good shake every once in a while. Store in a dark, cool place for 2 months or longer.
Lasts for years. You can keep topping it off with vodka once in a while as you use it, just remember to give it a good shake.
You can also make vanilla sugar by putting a split vanilla bean into a jar of white, granulated sugar. Great way to infuse the sugar with vanilla flavor for baking.

****bottles, I recycle the 12 oz. World Market Soda bottles for gift giving and presentation.

(Did you know that each vanilla bean comes from an orchid that has been pollinated by hand? Once the vanilla seed pod has developed, it must be hand picked as well. After picking the curing process takes several months. So if you’ve ever wondered why vanilla extract, and especially vanilla beans, can be so expensive, this is why.)

I love these free labels I found online and wanted to share, they are from blog http://www.shrimpsaladcircus.com/

​

Hard Apple Cider 2013

Jeff has been researching the making of Hard Apple Cider for a few weeks. We filled our glass carboys on 11-6-13 and left them at room temp. We have two carboys, a 5 and 6.5 gallon, filled with 10 gallons of cider with a stopper and vapor lock. Because we washed the apples before pressing, the natural yeast had not started fermentation. We added Epernay yeast on 11-8-13 and placed the carboys in a cool place for a slow fermentation.

Willard Apple Cider Syrup

 WillWalk Cider? 

What do you think of the name?

 Living on the farm is so fun and so much work! 

Cider syrup, Applesauce, Apple butter, Cranberry applesauce, Cider, Hard Cider, Apple Dumplings, Pie, Baked Apples to name a few.

 Bud age 72, Jeff age 44

Nov 2013

We have been experimenting this fall with all the fresh apples and juice. Jeff and his dad pressed off 44 gallons of fresh juice. We used Fuji, Granny, Golden, Winter Banana, Johna Gold, and Red Delicious. We were able to borrow the Willard family cider press and the boys had fun. We as a family picked an est. 15 bushels of  apples the weekend before, washed them all and refrigerated them. I boiled the cider to kill the bacteria and bugs. To make the syrup, we used 1.5 gallons of fresh cider and brought it to a boil, skimmed it, and simmered for 4 hours. I took it off the stove when it coated the back of the spoon. The end result was a rich light amber, tart, think syrup. It filled 4 Jelly Jars.

The Farm, a Retreat, a Blessing, and a Joy to inhabit!

We should help others do what is right and build them up in the Lord. – Romans 15:2 

 

Fall Transition 2013

This fall has brought on many changes for our family! After living apart 2 years due to work locations, we chose to put our house for sale (which is still for sale) and home school the kids during this transition. We are living in a small town in central Washington on a farm that grows Apples, Cherries, and Wine Grapes. The fresh crops, homemade apple cider, applesauce, pies and dumplings  have been so fun!

We chose k12 since both kids have IEP's. We have never home schooled before, we are impressed with the program. Nicholas has a Special Ed teacher and a homeroom teacher to assist with math and reading comprehension. Paisley has a Speech Therapist and home room teacher. She is in a tier 2 reading program and we are seeing great improvements.

I am surprised at how much relief k12 Home Schooling brought Nicholas. He loves to be at home and so far, is thriving with the transition. He was being bullied far more that we imagined at school. He refers to certain kids and situations every day and expresses his relief in not having to deal with them. I feel so good in that he is safe, relaxed and learning at his pace. I feel so bad in not knowing how severe and often the bullying was. I attempted to curb every attempt of bullying I was made aware of and obviously had no idea the daily taunts. Nicholas is not a tattle and internalized most of it.

One of our daily activities is not taking place in our new location. SWIMMING with the IFST Piranhas! We miss it so much! We miss the friends, the values, the commitment, the coaching staff and board, the daily water therapy for Nicholas, the exercise, the pool drama, the team, our home, a bathtub, our church family and our neighbors. We do not miss the weather, wind, the bullying, gas bill, cleaning 4 bathrooms and 5 bedrooms to name a few.

Paisley was a Kitty for Halloween and Nicholas was Darth Vader. Nicholas was not very enthused this year, kinda embarrassed. Paisley loved every minute of it. They carved pumpkins that Jeff grew for us over the summer and already have plans for next years crop. We are enjoying being a family and the togetherness we missed for so long.

Paisley As Kitty 2013 Willard Farms

Nicholas as Darth Vader 2013