Living Gluten-Free

I just made this Banana Crunch Cake from Gluten Free is Life. It was moist and delicious. She said it was a coffee cake but it would be just as good without the oatmeal crumble topping IMHO. It was not grainy -- it seriously took me back to my gluten days. It was full bodied and had a crumb just like a cake. It only called for oat flour -- no mixing or multiple flours and no guar or xanthan gum! It was easy and yummy!

It still amazes me how the gluten free products I try just keep getting better and better. I have learned a few things in the past year. 1.) The pre-made items are okay but can range from food grade cardboard to good but grainy. 2.) Some of the best brownies I have had were from a gf mix. Mixes are better than already made gluten-free products. 3.) The best gluten-free products that don't taste gluten free are the ones made from scratch.

I think I may be dreaming of this banana cake tonight. I am glad I did make it tonight (and sample it), with Little Miss Muffet's help (she helped sample it, also), because this means breakfast is made for in the morning.

Gluten-free living is getting easier. This past weekend we went on a scout camp out. It was rainy and cold! We were so glad our troop was in charge of cooking, that meant we could help out in the kitchen in exchange for beds in cabins and buildings. The first morning all those campers filed in looking forward to that warm liquid to help warm them up, whether it be hot chocolate or coffee. There were murmurs of the coldness and dampness and hopefulness it would warm up. My room was blazing hot, probably 90 degrees. It was absolutely stifling. I didn't dare complain because I was so glad to be warm and not sleep on rocks and have a bathroom literally three footsteps away from where I laid my head.

Working and helping out in the kitchen was fun. My entire family lent a helping hand with each meal in some capacity. One neat thing about helping with the food was access to the menu before hand -- also there was the boon of making sure there was not any cross contamination. Knowing the head cook helped so much because he kept our food needs in mind. I forgot we were having spaghetti, so really it only helps when one remembers things they shouldn't forget. We talked about what LMM and I would eat for dinner that night. We were hoping there would be a left over hamburger patty from lunch for each of us.

It's neat how things work out. We were both able to eat spaghetti!! Another camper also had Celiac. Her mom had made an entire package of gf pasta noodles. When she dropped them off in the kitchen ahead of time, I was able to introduce myself and I was able to glean some neat ideas from her. Her family has been gluten free for 8 1/2 years! She told me of an Asian market in town where I will be able to buy stir-fry to go and flours/noodles much cheaper than at the health food store. Yippee! She offered to share the noodles with us also. Usually, I would have thanked her but said no-thank-you. Not that afternoon, the noodles were good, they were not any noodles I had bought before. They were good, I just seemed to have required a lot of sauce with the noodles. I hope I can one day repay the kind act. Maybe I will make this banana cake and wrap up a couple of slices for her dear daughter.

The gluten free life just keeps getting better and better.

It would be so easy just to post a few pictures but I will actually write instead.

I will share some pictures that Little Boy Blue took this weekend on his camping trip.

Dear husband and Little Boy Blue went camping with the Boy Scout Troop this

weekend. They trekked up a mountain for about a 5 mile hike. By way of gps, their campsite was much, much less than a mile away from the top of the mountain. The house was abuzz upon their return with tales of all they did. They agreed the food was good, really good. They both liked all the food that was served. The nights were terribly frigid and they both were cold at times but were thankful for the wonderful invention known as hand warmers.

It is funny, you can spend an hour and a half once a week, fifty weeks out of the year with the same group of people but not really develop friendships. Spend a Saturday and a few hour drive with some of the same people and you have stories to share for a lifetime and new friendships. Is it because you hung back with the kid that was struggling walking up the mountain and stayed with him so he wouldn't be alone? Is it because you helped to teach someone younger a skill or is it just because you are all sleeping out in nature covered by a big blanket of stars and everyone knows who does and does not snore, sleepwalk, etc. ? I don't know... but it does happen and we are all grateful for those friendships no matter what spawns them.

Showers and naps were the first things on the agenda after the arrival home this afternoon but not before talk, plans and hopes of the next camping trip.

Little Miss Muffet and I did enjoy our girls weekend. After she finished selling Girl Scout cookies, it was off to find a restaurant. We have special memories from past outings such as this. There was the time at Johnny Carino's when we just ordered Italian Cream Sodas and dessert. That was of course B.C. (Before Celiac). It was decadent and yummy!

We tossed around a few ideas, a steakhouse, Chik-Fil-A, a deli ... where would we eat ... what sounded good ... SUSHI!! Of course! I took a detour to to the local Benihanna type restaurant. Well, the good news was there was only one party in front of us. The bad news was it was a party of fourteen. We were looking at a thirty minute wait but our tummies couldn't wait that long. After a quick inquiry about the wait if we were only eating sushi, we were immediately ushered to a table. Not having to wait for a grill table was great. We were finished before the party of 14 was seated. California Rolls, Philadelphia Rolls, Wasabi, Cucumber Salad, Seaweed Salad. So yummy, so good! So hungry three hours later. We had great fun; we used our chopsticks. LMM commented she liked her stainless steel chopsticks much better than the wooden pull-aparts. Next time maybe we will plan ahead and she can bring her own along with our wheat-free tamari sauce. It was so odd not being able to pour any soy sauce on our food but we managed without it. We went to the book store and perused the shelves of magazines, sat in formerly comfy chairs (no joke -- they used to have padding, well maybe they have padding but no springs, seriously you sit down and just keep going, going, going until you have sunk down until you almost reach the floor). We had fun sharing about the magazines, pointing at pictures, oohing and aahing, whispering and laughing.

We decided on our purchases and decided to top off the night with Blizzards from DQ. We made a major discovery, they no longer carry cotton candy blizzards. It has been many months (about 8) since I had one. They told me they may bring them back at a later date. You know when you crave something, you can almost taste it, your taste buds are sitting on the edge of their chairs just waiting to experience the burst of flavor, then the salivating stops because they no longer carry that flavor. It's kind of like those taste buds just sunk down, down, down in those formerly comfy chairs at the bookstore. Well, I'm a big girl and it was girls weekend so I just chose something else but with CHOCOLATE. We returned home and watched one of my favorite movies, Sweet Home Alabama. Remember, it was girls weekend -- chocolate and chick flicks, what could be better!

Saturday there were errands to run or we would have gone to the movies to see another chick flick. Confessions of a Shopaholic. Only a matinee though. Can you believe regular movie tickets are $9.50?! Since the kiddoes were little, seeing a movie at the movie theater was always a surprise and special treat usually associated with their birthday. One time we watched two movies back to back. 101 Dalmations then we went and bought tickets to the next movie, I don't even remember the name but it was animated and about basketball. The kiddoes thought it was awesome to see two movies on the same day. These days we go to the drive-in. What a wonderful invention! Double features for the price of a matinee. Sometimes we pack supper, soft drinks, snacks, blankets, pillows and the portable radio and off we go to the movies. We always buy the popcorn there, gotta have that movie popcorn with extra butter. LBB and LMM are growing up but going to the movies is still a special treat that creates excitement and it is still a special treat.

Well, I didn't even know what I was going to post about but I rambled on and on enough, I guess this will count as a post. :) Have a blessed week!

Looking forward to a new rank...

Tonight was troop elections in Boy Scouts for Little Boy Blue. He was elected Assistant Senior Patrol Leader. This is a position of great responsibility as he and the Senior Patrol Leader lead, train, and supervise the troop of boys. Boys drop out with bad leadership and participation grows with good leadership. They will do a grand job of leading the troop.

He will soon have his Scout Master Conference to finish earning his Life rank. Once he has obtained Life rank, he will begin work on his Eagle Scout rank. This is only weeks away.

Since he has a position of responsibility, this counts toward his requirements for Eagle Scout.

We asked the pastor Friday if there was anything at the church that LBB could do as an Eagle Project that would help out the church. Sunday evening we had our answer - the church has a dedicated library room, but it is not finished. Bookshelves need to be built, sanded, painted; books need to be sorted as well as cataloging the books. Who knows, maybe they can even help the pastor unpack the 15 boxes of books in his office and shelve them.

A year ago, Eagle seemed so far away -- not unattainable, but several ranks away. Now - a few weeks, my son will be a Life Scout and working on his Eagle.

Not to leave out Little Miss Muffet, we were informed of an opportunity that I think is just wonderful. She can go to the state Capitol and work as a page in the Capitol for a week through Girl Scouts. How awesome is that! I think LMM is very interested in this. We might have to juggle a few things to clear the calendar ... how many people can say they worked as a page in their state Capitol. Hopefully, this is something that can be worked into our schedule.

Scout Spirit

Wouldn't you know it, the first time I go to Bunco in 3 or 4 months, I miss something at Boy Scouts.

At the end of Boy Scouts tonight, a speech was given about a boy who demonstrates the scout spirit, does what he is asked and always asks how he can help. Then ... my son's name was called. We had no clue. He had no clue. One of his friends came up to him afterward and said, "When she was up there saying all that, I knew they were talking about you." Isn't that a sweet thing to say, in the context of one boy to another.

Wouldn't you know it, his momma wasn't there and his dad had stepped out to check on his sister in her Girl Scout room. Talk about timing. If I had been there, chances are I would have been in the Girl Scout room myself, so I still wouldn't have seen it.

It's really nice when someone else sees your child and knows what he does and how he conducts himself. I know my son and how he is, but to be recognized among his peers by a leader is something else. We are always proud of Little Boy Blue, it's nice when others are also and when there is public acknowledgement.

He will receive his Life rank shortly, which is the one before you receive your Eagle rank. He is already talking and thinking about planning his Eagle Project. He is going to meet with our pastor about possible projects that could be completed at our church. If there are none, then he is making back up plans to help at my aunt's church. He could very well accomplish his Eagle rank while he is 14.

Little Miss Muffet is almost ready to begin work on her Gold Award which is the Girl Scout equivalent to Eagle. Even though they are not twins, more times than not they do the same things at the same time. They lost their first tooth a week apart and lost their last tooth a week apart. That's not the first thing and won't be the last.

It makes you all smiley inside and out when recognition is given to your child, especially when they deserve it.

Way to go, Little Boy Blue!! We are proud of you!

We are proud of you too, Little Miss Muffet.