Spring Break 2010

This is sunrise in the desert, after trying to sleep for a few hours in the Denali

We are on a vacation to southern California, Palm Dessert. We have a nice time share with three pools and great area, very quiet.  We checked in this AM after driving 12 hours.  We had lots of snow and scary roads in Utah last night.  We took turns driving and pulled off to sleep for 2 hours early this AM.  The kids could not stand another minute in the car seats.  They were both crying and miserable.  We thought it would be better to drive at night but after experiencing it, maybe day would have been easier on Nicholas.  It is always so hard to know.  Today we checked in and went to the pool.
We put on sunscreen and spent the afternoon playing and relaxing.  The kids loved the pool and showing daddy all their new swim moves!  

We had a great time and I even got a nap.   The weather is beautiful and warm! We took the kids to Trader Joes to shop Gluten free and then took the car to a wash.  It was a mess.... We had a great pasta dinner and Nicholas set the table and even put a centerpiece...a beautiful pineapple! I could not find the camera, it was so sweet.  He did really well and fell asleep before we were done with books.  He has still not moved and neither has Rich, he has been pretty attached to him this trip.  We are loving seeing Paisley swim and her growing vocabulary. 

This is a grapefruit tree right off our deck.  They are large and we wish we could reach them!
Jeff and I are watching the Gonzaga girls play in the sweet sixteen.  They are doing well and vacation is such a wonderful thing, The wine is good too and just having time together is special. The flowers are beautiful and the palms are so awesome.  The kids are loving the change of scenery and activity. It was time for spring vacation!

Nicholas has been doing really well with eye contact lately.  The pictures are proof.  He loves vacation and I love to see him free and enjoying the day. He has been confused on the time of day but he will get settled in and then it will be time to head home and the moon will be full!

St Patricks Day 2010

Happy St Patrick's day!

We had a great day all green.  The kids loved the simple things i did and they had fun at their schools too. I took GF sugar cookies to Nicholas and he loved them.  We delivered some to our two neighbors who are GF too. The pics say alot.
Green yogurt, green applesauce, and apple juice and green milk!

The Eggplant was from our new bountiful basket we get each week and the recipe I found was great. I called them Pizzas and the kids gobbled them up. Here is the recipe. Enjoy!

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 cup egg white with 1 tbsp Italian dressing
• 1 cup glutino dry bread crumbs salted and peppered and 1 tsp basil
• 1 eggplant, sliced into 1/2 inch rounds 8-10 slices
• salt to taste
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 tomatoes, sliced or 1 pt stewed tomatoes
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese or Asia-go
• 1 cup crumbled feta cheese or goat cheese
• 1 cup of Gruyere grated

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spray a 9x13 inch baking dish with cooking spray.
2. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Place eggs and bread crumbs in 2 separate bowls. Dip eggplant slices in eggs, then in bread crumbs to coat. Fry coated eggplant slices in the skillet until golden brown. Season with salt, and drain on paper towels.
3. In same pan put onion and tomato with juices and cook down till no juice, similar to pizza sauce.
4. In the prepared baking dish, layer eggplant, onion, tomatoes, Parmesan cheese, feta or goat cheese. Top with Gruyere.
5. Bake 20-30 minutes in the preheated oven, until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Nutritional Information

Amount Per Serving  Calories: 307 | Total Fat: 18.5g | Cholesterol: 106mg

Dutch Sugar cookie recipe

The sugar cookie made me giddy, it rolls out beautifully and tastes great, you can cut it good with cookie cutters and the joy it brings to my boys faces when they can have a treat like the rest of us.

SERVES 36 -40 , 36 -40 cookies (change servings and units)

Ingredients

• 1 cup rice flour
• 1/2 cup tapioca flour
• 1 cup cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 1/2 teaspoons xanthan gum
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup Butter Flavor Crisco I used plain and it was fine too
• 1 large egg or 1/4 cup liquid egg substitute
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1/4 cup potato starch, for kneading

Directions

1. 
   

   Preheat oven to 350 degrees.Have on hand 2 ungreased cookie sheets.

2. 
   

   In a small bowl, whish together the flour mix, baking powder, xanthan gum, and salt. Set aside.

3. 
   

   In the bowl of your mixer, cream sugar and crisco. Beat in the egg and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients, mixing enough to combine. The dough will be a soft ball. With your hands, knead in enough of the potato starch to make the dough easy to handle and roll out.

4. 
   

   Using about half at a time, place a piece of plastic wrap over the ball and roll out to about 1/8 inch thickness. This is so easy I didn't even use the plastic wrap.

5. 
   

   Cut into desired shapes and place on pan.

6. 
   

   Decorate with coloured sugars before baking or use frosting to decorate after baking.

7. 
   

   (With this dough, you can use all the scraps.) Just scrape them together and roll out again. They will not get tough.

8. 
   

   Bake for about 10-13 minutes. Cool very slightly before removing from the pan.

i heart faces

This week’s photo challenge theme is: “Bundled Up”

Paisley was so cozy warm while we were out doing a frosty morning photo shoot with Grandma.  This is one of our favorites! Go to the http://iheartfaces.blogspot.com to check out the other great and fun photos!

Thai Peanut Sate' with noodles

This is a family favorite, you can spice it up as hot as you like, it is pretty and is a great dish for company. They have no Idea it is gluten free.  So here goes and enjoy...

• In a skillet heat 2 tsp of canola oil over med heat, coo 3 minced scallions and 2 cloves of garlic until softened.  Stir in 1/2 lb of cubed chicken breast , 2 tsp fresh grated ginger root, 1 tbsp LaChoy soy sauce and hot red pepper flakes to taste.  Cook until chicken is cooked. Mix in 1/2 -1 cup plain nonfat yogurt and 1/4 cup adams peanut butter.  Toss with 12 oz of hot cooked rice noodles and chopped chives or cilantro.

To reheat leftovers I add a little more yogurt and stir over low heat to warmed.  Enjoy!

I can't find the picture of the thai peanut so here is a picture of our family on the only day we went skiing this year! We went to Jackson hole, Wy.

Sunday, Sunny, Spring, Snow is melting and fast!

The kids are still in their jammies, me too!  They are so hungry for sun and good weather.  It is 52 degrees and they had their tents inside, Nicholas could not resist after feeding the birds and hanging his bird houses.  He just had to get out!  I had to take a picture and capture the day.  Daddy is gone and we ususally let the house look like a tornado has hit and eat oatmeal for dinner, and graze all day on whatever they want.  Kinda fun to have a messy day! The neighbors are going to think we are moving outside.

Paisley Lyn......the Girly Pirate who turns four!

Paisley Turns 4 years old

Grandma Kristi made her cake and Paisley designed it!  She loved the finished product and it tasted yummy!

We used coins, rock candy and a candy necklace to decorate the hands and necco wafers are the hat polka dots.  The lips and nose are jelly candy and the yellow is lemon filling.

We chose a purse and filled it with pencils, jewels, paper dolls, headband and a mini note book.  We had one boy guest so he got a treasure map bag filled with a pop gun and spiderman socks. My friend Lana made the paperdolls on a day we scrapped and Paisley got to pick the colors. Each bag had a flag, treasure map and box, hook, clothes, shoes, hat, sash and sword and telescope.  The food Paisley chose was cannonballs(grapes), rubies (strawberries), coins(tater rounds), nuggets (chicken), pirate teeth (corn) and pirate booty...the best puffed corn snack ever!  They sell it a fred meyer and it is addictive.  It is gluten free also.

This is the SS Paisley Lyn PW2010!  She loved it and so did the guests.  Dad and Nicholas designed it and helped decorate it.  She had a blast.  The ladder is part of Nicholas's home therapy and can be changed out to a platter disk and swing.  It is always there and we built the ship around it.  Turned out really cute we thought.  The flags are from the latest Stampin up party set.  They were easy to punch out and string on. My friend Lana was the visiting pirate. She was all decked out and did a great job!  one girl was frightened but she is super sensitive.  She smiled as time went on and I called her mom and there were no nightmares!  Lana..you really made Paisley's party extra special. Thank you!

This game was called walk the plank....the kids loved it and there were treats at the end.  Jeff built this balance beam for Nicholas and it worked great for the pirate theme.  Jeff is so talented and his help was wonderful.  I love you sweetie!  We uses a table cloth I had that had fish on it and told the kids they were killer fish and don't fall in!  There were treasure maps and at the end was a treasure box decorated by Nicholas.  Inside were purses filled with large gold coins. They loved the hunt and the treasure.  My little girl is four and she is really changing.  This is so fun yet sad. I love each stage but she is not as needy of her mom and can do a lot by herself.

Yucky week and Pet day!

Some weeks just seem like they go in the records books for crumbiest week. I am so spent and I think I expect my children to just be perfect. I was making breakfast for Nicholas and Paisley decides to put the cat in the shower with Nicholas and get out daddy's aftershave! What more...I can't believe how some days start. I went to lunch with Nicholas for parents day and had a good time with him. There were bag pipes and he enjoyed them for about 15 minutes. We saw lots of neighbors and and it was good to just be with him. Paisley was in preschool and I took our neighbor boy to be with Balto and Paisley for pet day since he has no pets and adores Balto. It can only get better and I am convinced God will settle me down. He has too! We will know about our work situation soon and that will help also. Am I doing the right things for Nicholas and what is too much? Some days just seem that way. now i can't figure out how to get a picture attached...oh boy! I am quiting and will be back later

My Dad's Birthday Feb 17

I am thinking about my Dad today.  He would have turned 60 today.  Did he have a fun childhood?  Did he get birthday parties, gifts and a day just about him?  The pictures look like he loved his dog. As an adult I know he was a work aholic and he wanted his kids to have everything. He just could never show me with a hug or a kind word. Was it his parents that made him feel inferior, was is vietnam, was it me? Who will ever know.  He is in heaven I pray but I do not know.  A friend said he did accept the Lord.   Today is a day just for him. The day he was born into this world and I hope he is celebrating it in glory.

“I Wanna Dance!” Photo Challenge

This picture of Paisley is taken in the yard last summer the day her Grandma Kristi sent her this new handmade dress and matching purse.  She danced all day! I love the innocence and fun in her face.Please check out the other great pictures on http://iheartfaces.blogspot.com/.  Have a great day and dance till you drop!

“We Heart Kisses” Photo Challenge

When  I read about the challenge this week a photo came to mind immediately.   Our little Nicholas is very kinesthetic and loves to kiss.  He is very serious and very good at it as grandma found out in this great shot! She said to Jeff and I that maybe we should worry just a bit about how good he is at kissing!)

Grandma turns 59!

We had a fun day and a great salmon dinner.  Jeff cooked the salmon and I made a verde pesto style sauce.  It was wonderful.  Jeff cooked the salmon on a cedar plank and we had a great reisling from Covey Run.  After dinner we went to Toni's for a fashion accessory party. It was fun. Our breath was horrible because  of the garlic in the sauce. It called for 5 heads and I would do 3 max next time. I highly recommend it and We all liked it better than a regular pesto with pine nut. 

The cheese cake is great and the crust was wonderful. You would never know it is GF.  The verde sauce mom found in Taste of Home.

Verde Sauce
6 green onions
3 cloves garlic
2 tsp lemon peel grated
3 cups loose pack basil and 3 cups parsley
1 jar sliced green olives with pimento
3 1/2 oz capers
3 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes opt
1 cup grated parmesan and romano cheese
1 cup olive oil.

Blend all ingred but cheeses. stir in grated cheeses and enjoy. Freezes well and makes 3 cups. Can be served warmed or cold. Great with fish and pasta!

White Chocolate Cheese Cake

Ingredients

For the crust:

1 2/3 cup graham cracker crumbs gluten free
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 tablespoons granulated sugar

For the filling:

4 8-ounce packages of cream cheese
1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/3 cups white chocolate wafers or 8 ounces of white chocolate baking bars

Directions

Preheat the oven 325 degrees.

1. In a 9-inch springform pan, mix the graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, and sugar together. Press the mixture across the bottom of the pan and up the sides to form the crust. Put the crust in refrigerator while you mix the filling.
2. With the paddle attachment of your stand-type mixer, beat the cream cheese and sugar together. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat until smooth. Melt the chocolate. Drizzle in the melted chocolate while the beaters are running. Pour into the crust.
3. Bake for 50 minutes or until the cake is done. Let cool on a wire rack. After ten minutes, loosen the sides with a spatula and remove the ring. Refrigerate the cheesecake to cool completely.

Baker’s note: Drizzle in the chocolate while it is still warm. If the chocolate cools too rapidly, you will have clumps in the cheesecake.

Mamas first night

Chicken Korma

4 servings
1 large potato cut and peeled
1 large onion
1 3" cinnamon stick
3 whole cloves
1 tbsp canola oil
1  lb boneless chicken
1 garlic clove 1 tsp curry
1/2 tsp minced gingerroot
2 medium tomatoes chopped
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup sourcream and 1-1 1/2 cups chicken broth

This was very good, we did not taste the cinnamon, the flavors were great and the aroma was fabulous. We served it with rice and a cucumber salad. Jeff would not eat the cucumber salad but did taste it. He is not fond of cucumbers but mom and I loved it!

The salad is
1/4 cup plain yogurt
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups chopped cucumbers
1 medium onion chopped
1 medium tomato chopped
1 tbsp chopped jalapeno pepper
cilantro optional

combine the yogurt, sour cram, and salt
add the cucumbers, onion, tomato and jalapeno
stir until blended
garnish with cilantro if desired

Mexican Chicken Salad

 Tonights dinner was great and easy.  Very fast to prepare and liked by all.  Mom is coming for a visit tomorrow and so I wanted something easy and allowed me time to get other things done.  She will be here till the 8th so I will do my best to keep up with recipes and  ideas.  She doesn't mind eating Gluten free so it is easy to cook for her.  If you don't like rice and veges it can get kinda hard to come up with ideas.  I really try to keep a good variety of menu items and rotate them so we do not get bored or burned out on one thing.  My sweetie is grinding me an espresso for morning..yeah! He is so great.  Good night and sleep tight!
6 Large servings

4 cups torn lettuce, rinsed
2 cups corn
2 roma tomatoes chopped
1 bunch green onion chopped
1/2 cup ranch
1 red bell pepper chopped
15 oz can black beans rinsed
1 avocado sliced and chopped
1/2 cup bar b que sauce
3 cups chicken, grilled and cut up
1/8 cup red onion
1/2 cup cilantro chopped
Mix ranch and bbq sauce
Mix corn, chicken beans and grated cheddar1/2 cup
Pour dressing over lettuce and rest of ingredients. Toss and serve. Very filling and Yummy!

Baked Halibut Supreme

Tonight's dinner was very good. I have made this before but not gluten free.  I do recommend you not leave out the onion.  I have made it both ways and it needs the onion in my opinion.  This recipe came from a cookbook I love from Alaska.  I used gluten free crackers and they worked great...we liked it better than the bread! 

1 cup white wine

1 tsp salt

1 pound Halibut or white fish

5 slices of bread or 20 GF crackers crumbled

1 cup mayo

1/2 cup sour cream

1/4 cup chopped onion

Paprika

Mix wine and salt, marinate one hour. Drain fish dry with paper towels.  Dip both sides of fish into crumbs and place in buttered baking dish. Mix mayo, sour cream, and onion and spread over halibut.  Sprinkle with remaining crumbs and paprika.  Bake at 500 for 20 minutes or until fish flakes with fork. I like to serve it with mango and avacado, they really go well with the mild fish>

These are the crackers I used.  Jeff likes them with cream cheese and they are more flavorful than some.

Nicholas lost his front tooth today and he is hoping Balto will bring him good luck from the tooth fairy!  These are all the quarters he got for his grades.  When Nicholas put his money on Balto and he stayed there he said hurrry mommy get a picture.  this really cracked him up!  He got all A's (9)and we are so proud of him! He also improved on social and reading by leaps and bounds! Good job Nicholas...mom and dad are proud!  Mrs Tubbs is also very proud of him and we are so thankful for her and her dedication to our Nicholas!

Cupcakes and Tea

Yesterday Paisley and I made Martha Stewart cupcakes...you can see we had fun!  The recipe is from her living magazine and is not online yet.  I was impressed with the frosting and the cupcakes are even better today, more moist! We always have fun cooking. I love those times especially since today was not so fun...she colored on the walls, sassed and was a little devil.  Something got into her and I know tomorrow will be better. 

Cabin 2010

It has been a few days since I posted a recipe.  The reason is we went on a 3 day snowmobile vacation! It was super fun and we got to be with friends and people we like to call family.  The cabin was sweet and the food was wonderful.  The snow was perfect and the weather was gorgeous.  The kids had a blast and I even drove a snowmobile.  Jeff and Nicholas did great eating gluten free and tonight's dinner is from leftovers the night I cooked. Three families took turns with meals and we all enjoyed the time away.  The soup is made up but turned out good and Nicholas had seconds! This is always a good sign it was really good. In fact he said "mom you are a great chef and you should be in a cook-off"  I said with who....."i think with Karri"  too cute!
I am thankful he likes my cooking and appreciates good food.

Leftover beef soup

I did this in the crockpot.

1 tbsp olive oil
2 medium carrots chopped
1 can green beans drained
1/8 tsp horshradish
1/8 cup cream
2 cloves garlic mashed
3 1/2 cups water
22 oz marinara sauce-i used home canned
8 oz chicken broth
1/2 cup Mrs Leepers corn elbow macaroni
1 cup left over prime rib shredded
parmasan  cheese for garnish

Stir all ingredients into crock pot and turn on low for 5 hours. It made 6-8 large servings.

Nicholas enjoyed the sleigh riding and the snow.  The snow machines were too loud for him so he did alot of walking.  The Tetons were beautiful and it was a good weekend.  Balto really was happy to see us and has not been very far away from one of since we got home.  There is lots of laundry and wet stinky clothes so I better get busy!