Life is a Wild Ride!

Wow, hard to believe that I was in the hospital in Dec 2012, Jan 2013 and Feb 2013. It just amazes me how time flies, I don't really even remember celebrating Christmas or New Years. It's all just a blur. I am sure thankful that my Lord and Savior sees things clearly.

I am actually feeling pretty well, sore of course, they were not able to do the procedure lapriscopically since I am short wasted, there was not enough room to work in there, so they had to do it the old fashioned way. So I have a C-section like cut (not as wide as a C-section, but same spot & no baby to show for it though :*( 
and then 2 other incisions. I mainly feel like I am bruised inside. I can be up for around 15 min or so and then I have to sit down to rest. Sitting is fine, driving has been fine, but it's when I try to expend any energy to talk or walk that I'm wiped out. I was told that even if I tried to push myself it would not work, my body would just shut down........lol.. Saw this happen yesterday when I let our son check out some library books and I fell asleep in a chair, then we went to pick up chicken feed and I ended up falling asleep while waiting in the car. Just a nice catnap of around 20 min perks me up. But then I have to rest again pretty quickly. Makes me think that this is how my mom must have felt when she was on Chemo  :O(



I saw this online and just had to put it on my blog! Thanks to all my special girlfriends who have called, texted or emailed me to perk me up over the last few months. You have all been great, even when I was too tired to talk back, I just laid in bed holding the phone listening to what was going on with your families. Thanks gals!


I am on an all protein diet since my protein is very low. For some reason my body is burning up muscle tissues and turning that into glucose to burn, instead of burning fat. Protein is NOT really what I want to eat when I'm sort of queasy still, but I'm working on it. I go see the endocrinologist next week about some stuff that they are looking into. Not sure what to expect there and they have talked of another surgery for that.

Otherwise things are going well, I'm enjoying being on The Old Schoolhouse Review Crew and getting to try and play with new homeschool curriculum, our chickens have started laying eggs again, which reminds me I can make some Meringue cookies (egg whites are full of protein!) for my new diet I have to follow for the time being.....lol.

Prayers would be appreciated for my guys, it's hard on them, and it drives me crazy that I can't do anything. If I load the washing machine I have to sit down before I can add soap and turn it on.........lol. If I unload the dishwasher I have to unload, sit, load, sit. It just stinks all the way around. And we are looking at the start of summer before this gets better.

My Favorite Gluten Free Recipes from 2012

Here is a run down of my favorite recipes that I've made in 2012, thought this might be helpful to those planning Super Bowl Sunday Parties!!  Lots of easy snacks for us to enjoy and bring to parties. No one will ever guess these are gluten free!
ENJOY!
   
Gluten Free Chicken Nuggets/Chicken Wraps

Use the directions on the back of the Hodgson Mill Gluten Free Seasoned Coating Mix box for Fried Vegetables with one change, cook until the chicken is done.

Ingredients

5 Tbls. Hodgson Mill Gluten Free Seasoned Coating Mix

1 egg

2 Tbls water

extra Hodgson Mill Gluten Free Seasoned Coating Mix (to dredge meat in)

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast cut up into nugget pieces or into strips for Chicken Wraps

gluten free oil for frying

Make batter by mixing 5 Tbls of Hodgson Mill Gluten Free Seasoned Coating Mix with egg, then add water and stir. Dip chicken into batter and then roll in dry Hodgson Mill Gluten Free Seasoned Coating Mix. Place in hot oil and fry for 3-6 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 165. Drain and serve hot or let cool and freeze for quick and easy meals.

For Chicken Wraps, use large washed lettuce leaves to wrap chicken strips in, add gluten free toppings to your liking (cheese, salsa, mayo etc). Wrap lettuce around chicken and serve.

 Country White Gravy

back of the Hodgson Mill Gluten Free Seasoned Coating Mix box

This is so wonderful to dip the gluten free Chicken Nuggets in, reminds me of the good old days of gluten eating at DQ Chicken Strip Baskets! lol.......

2 Tbls butter (or non dairy margarine)

2 Tbls Hodgson Mill Gluten Free Seasoned Coating Mix

1 cup milk (reg, soy, almond)

Melt butter in skillet and then add seasoned coating mix, stir until smooth. Blend in milk and simmer and stir until the gravy is desired thickness.

Gluten Free Fried Mushrooms

Use the directions on the back of the Hodgson Mill Gluten Free Seasoned Coating Mix box for Fried Vegetables.

Ingredients

5 Tbls. Hodgson Mill Gluten Free Seasoned Coating Mix

1 egg

2 Tbls water

extra Hodgson Mill Gluten Free Seasoned Coating Mix (to dredge veggies in)

gluten free oil for frying

White button mushrooms or you could use zucchini, okra, eggplant, onions, cauliflower, green tomatoes, broccoli, chunks of cheese (be careful as cheese likes to melt in the oil, but they still taste good!)

Make batter by mixing 5 Tbls of Hodgson Mill Gluten Free Seasoned Coating Mix with egg, then add water and stir. Dip veggies into batter and then roll in dry Hodgson Mill Gluten Free Seasoned Coating Mix. Place in hot oil and fry for 2 minutes or until browned. Serve hot, these do not freeze well as they turn soggy. My guys do like the leftovers cold for breakfast.

Gluten Free Peanut Butter Cookies

Preheat oven to 350.

Ingredients

2 eggs

2 cups peanut butter (I use natural peanut butter)

2 cups sugar

2 Tbls gluten free Vanilla (the more the better!)

If using natural peanut butter, add it first to the mixer and get the oil all mixed in, other wise if using regular peanut butter just add everything at once.

Mix all together and spoon out on to cookie sheet. I use my small cookie scooper, then using a fork mash the cookie down and sprinkle with sugar if desired. Bake 8-10. Freeze, these are so good right out of the freezer!

Makes about 2 dozen large cookies and tons more if you make them smaller

Gluten Free Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies

Using the above recipe add Gluten Free Chocolate Kisses (use dairy free if needed) to each cookie after they come out of the oven and let cool.

Gluten Free Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Using the above recipe add a bag of Gluten Free Chocolate chips to the mix. (use dairy free chips if needed).

 Gluten Free Pizzelle Cookies
These are from the EZ Gluten Free blog but I have tweaked the recipe a bit below. These are so yummy and easy!! Head on over to the EZ Gluten Free's blog for step by step video instructions for making Pizzelle cookies, she has some tasty suggestions in the video too.

Ingredients

1 ¾ cups gluten free Bisquick

3 large eggs

1 cup granulated sugar

½ cup butter, melted (I used dairy free)

2 tbsp of gluten free vanilla extract

 

Add the vanilla to the melted butter and set aside. Whisk together the eggs and sugar until well combined.

Add the melted butter and vanilla in a slow steady stream while continuing to whisk until well blended.

Add the Bisquick and using a rubber spatula stir everything together until just combined but don’t over mix.

Pizzelle Presses are all different so follow the instructions that come with your particular machine. Bake them on the grids for the length of time needed to achieve your preferred level of darkness. I like them a bit darker as they seem to have a caramel flavor to them.

 
   Gluten Free Chocolate Dipped Pizzelle Cookies

Melt gluten free chocolate, roll up hot Pizzelle Cookies and dip in chocolate, lay on plate in freezer to allow chocolate to harden.

Gluten Free Bacon Wrapped Olives

 Ingredients

24 pimento stuffed green olives with liquid drained.

6 slices of raw gluten free bacon

24 toothpicks

Heat oven to 450 or use your broiler.

Cut each bacon slice into 4 pieces, wrap each piece around an olive and spear with toothpick. Place on cookie sheet with sides (to catch grease). Bake for 5 or more minutes, until bacon is crisp and done. It depends on the type of bacon and the thickness.  Drain on paper towels and serve hot.

Gluten Free Meringue Cookies

Ingredients

2 egg whites
1/8 tsp. salt
1 tsp gluten free vanilla
3/4 c sugar

Preheat oven to 300.
Put parchment paper on cookie sheet.
Beat egg whites, salt and vanilla until VERY firm, this took about 12 minutes with my old cheap mixer and about 4 min with my KitchenAid.  Gradually add sugar and mix. Drop by spoonfuls on cookie sheet. Bake for 25 min. They should be lightly brown. Cool on rack.
Sometimes if I have the time I will fill a cake decorater bag with the cookie mix and use a star tip to make fancy looking cookies. But they taste just as good when they are made using a teaspoon. Makes any where from 2 dozen or more cookies, depending on the size you make.

Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Meringue Cookies

Using the above recipe fold in 1 cup of gluten free mini chocolate chips (use dairy free if needed).

Hope you enjoy these recipes. Let me know what you think of them.
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!
Moe
 

Cooking Flops & how to unflop them!

Going to attempt to make a loaf of bread today without corn. That is a hard one when you are gluten free as corn is such a wonderful ingredient. I've not had a slice of bread in over a month and must have one! lol. So here goes!

Well......I'm back....lol. No bread!  I ended up beating the egg whites for too long, so I made Meringue Cookies instead!

These were really good! The kids kept coming back for more, so you know that they were good! lol.......Kids won't come back for seconds on something that does not taste good. I used farm fresh egg whites and they are filled with chocolate & peanut butter chips......YUM!

Onward to the bread, here it is cooking in the oven. I won't be able to taste it for several hours since the recipe says that it's way too gummy to eat when warm, so it's suppose to cool for a few hours.

I'm hoping for a taste as good as Panera Breads......but since it's gluten free, I won't get my hopes up. The best gluten free bread I have ever had was from Schar, but it's around $8.00 per loaf and I just won't pay that price for bread. My husband works way too hard to waste almost an hour of his paycheck for a loaf of bread!! I might just have to snag an end off this bread and try it when it comes out of the oven. YUMM!

Melted Snowman Cookies

These are SO CUTE! They are NOT gluten free or dairy free, but I think something could be changed to make them that way. They are just darling!

Crazy Domestic: Melted Snowman Cookies: Click on that link and it will take you to the CrazyDomestic.com blog. Enjoy!
Merry Christmas!!
Moe

No title needed for this one

Oh, is that a gluten filled wheat cookie? lol.  Some days I feel like this.

Philippians 4:13 "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

You too can have that same strength, with a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. He is knocking at the door of your heart, will you open it?