Pumpkin Apple Butter

So I think it's time for another recipe.  What do you think?  Yeah, I figured as much it's been too long right?

Well never fear I have the bestest recipe that will not only have you in love with breakfast again but something you can give as a gift to a teacher, friend or special someone for the holidays.  Pumpkin Apple Butter!  This is such an easy recipe, simple ingredients and honestly easy to make.

What you're gonna need:
5 cups of Applesauce...I used unsweetened but if you only have sweetened go ahead and reduce the sugar from the recipe.
4 cups of Pumpkin Puree (I didn't use the canned stuff, but I think one of the big cans of pumpkin is about 4 cups)
2 cups of brown sugar (yes 2 whole cups)
2 Tablespoons of cinnamon
Nutmeg and Cloves to taste
1 large Crock pot (yes, you can make it on the stovetop)

See easy list of ingredients.  Now all you have to do is dump them all into your crock pot...

Stir well.

Then turn on to the low setting and let it cook for about 8 hours.  I highly recommend stirring it once an hour just because all the sugar can get cooked to the sides of you bowl.  Let cool then refrigerate (I kept mine in the crock pot dish)  Once cooled you can transfer it to containers.  I being of high fashion and refinement put it in ziplock bags then stored them in the freezer :)  I imagine you could skip the cooling period if your intention was to can the Pumpkin Apple Butter, however I do not can food so I am no expert on that.

I did put a little bit in a jar for a friend...

It definitely looks prettier than my bags in the freezer, but tastes just the same.

Enjoy!
{{hugs}}
Buffy

See another tasty gluten free recipe to add to your repertoire!  I hope you enjoy the recipes as much as I enjoy coming up with them.  Any suggestions for the next recipe?  Maybe Peppermint Mocha Cupcakes?

Gluten Free Pumpkin Spice Latte Cupcakes

via pinterest original source annies-eats.net

So almost exactly one month ago my blogging pal Shannon posted this picture on her weekend wishes.  She very subtly asked me to make them for her, but gluten free of course.  Well, me being a fabulously wonderful friend (humble too, I might add) I started to make the recipe gluten free.  I started with the original recipe from Annie's Eats, but it just didn't turn out right :(  So I thought and thought and dreamed and sewed (what you didn't know that sewing is a big part of creating a recipe?) and then the other day I got the idea to check some of the recipes I already had.  I found this delicious sounding recipe that was perfect for tweaking!  So Shannon...here you go:

Gluten Free Pumpkin Spice Latte Pumpkin Cupcakes
recipe adapted from Applesauce Spice Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting found in The Complete Cooking Light Cookbook

1 cup Sorghum Flour
1 cup White Rice Flour
1/2 cup Cornstarch
1/2 cup Potato Starch Flour (note: you could use a whole cup of cornstarch or switch out the potato starch for tapioca)
1 1/2 teaspoons xanthan gum
1 1/2 teaspoons guar gum (again, you could use an entire tablespoon of xanthan gum)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
1/3 cup butter or margarine (stick)
1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree (I used fresh, but you could use canned)
1/4 cup apple butter
2 tablespoons instant coffee grounds
2 large egg whites
1 large egg

Makes: I made 18 cupcakes and a small 8 inch circular cake...so you could easily make 24-30 cupcakes with this recipe.

I find it easier and faster to gather all my ingredients and measure them before starting the mixing process.  You'll also want to preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit  and line your cupcake tins with paper liners.

Mix dry ingredients together (flours, soda, xanthan gum, guar gum, & spices), set aside.

Cream butter and sugar together.  This takes about 3-5 minutes at medium speed so while the mixer is going microwave the apple butter for 20-30 seconds.  Then add the instant coffee grounds to the warm apple butter, mix well.

When butter and sugar are well blended add pumpkin puree, egg whites, egg and apple butter mixture.  Beat well.

Add flour mixture in slowly, beating until well blended.

Batter will look like this.  Spoon batter into prepared cupcake pans.  Bake for 15 minutes.

Allow cupcakes to cool.  Then frost if desired.

I used a cream cheese frosting and sprinkled a little cinnamon on top for looks and flavor.

Now all that is left to do is enjoy them!  Or better yet, invite a friend over for coffee, knitting and a tasty cupcake.  Shannon, your cupcake is waiting!

{{hugs}}
Buffy

You might see a few more recipes on here the next couple of weeks.  I've been busy baking and I love to share what I make.  Is there a recipe you'd like gluten free?  Let me know and I'll see if I can recreate it for you!

Gluten Free in the Summer

{Source marthastewartweddings.com via joshuasprincess via Pinterest}

Summer is s-l-o-w-l-y approaching, well at least slow for us here in the Inland Northwest.  For many people summer means barbeques and time spent relaxing with friends and family.  Barbeques are fun and definitely a quick and easy meal for the hot summer weather.  You can get out of the kitchen and keep the heat outside.  I personally love it the most because Husband does most of the barbequing and all that I'm required to do is a few sides and then to sit in the shade looking pretty while I knit.

{Source applesandtwinkies.com via joshuasprincess via Pinterest}

 
However, barbequing is a little different when you're doing it Gluten Free.  I thought it might be nice to have a little post on Gluten Free BBQ simply because even if you're not Gluten Free you probably know someone who is and with a few small changes you can confidently invite your friends over for BBQ this summer and truly allow them to relax knowing that the food is safe for their consumption :)

{Source how-to-cook-corn-on-a-grill.blogspot.com via joshuasprincess via Pinterest)

{Source hgtv.com via joshuasprincess via Pinterest}

First, the most important piece you have to consider is the barbeque itself.  If you are a Gas Grill Master then all that is left for you to do is to make sure that your BBQ is freshly clean and that any residual contaminated products are cleaned from the grill.  Make sure you clean out any trays that catch dropped wheat bun crumbs and leftover seasonings.  If you are old school and use charcoal briquets...well, you're in for a few changes.  Briquets themselves are contaminated as they are made with wheat.  Sad :( I know, I love the flavor of briquets over gas grill but by their very nature all foods will be contaminated by the cooking process.  You can avoid this by cooking all Gluten Free Foods in Aluminum foil however the easiest is to cook using a gas grill.

{Source macheesmo.com via joshuasprincess via Pinterest}

Second, read the seasoning and BBQ sauce ingredient list...yes I know it is tedious but very necessary.  Fortunately the FDA has required all labels to now list common allergies and many companies are going farther and listing if something is actually Gluten Free on the container.  Here are the most common words that usually mean Gluten contamination: Modified Food Starch...yup, that easy.  Of course check for words like Barley, Rye, and Wheat but Modified Food Starch is the biggie.

Most of Kraft brand BBQ sauces are Gluten Free, and even though the Bullseye brand lists modified food starch as an ingredient we haven't had trouble with it and Kraft is really great about listing possible contaminates on their foods and on the web.

Side dishes

{Source yelp.com via joshuasprincess via Pinterest}

Barbeques are great but who wants just meat?  You need a few sides to go along right?  Well, to make it easy on all parties stick to raw veggies and fruits.  Ranch dressing pre-made is contaminated but if you buy the make it yourself packet it is Gluten Free...just read your mayonnaise ingredient list first.  Also, if you combine the ranch packet with sour cream you have a great dip.

Fruit salad is possibly the best and easiest dessert/side dish ever.  Cool Whip is Gluten Free, however I personally think that REAL whipped cream is the best.  I cut up apples, bananas, grapes (usually quartered for babies) and if I'm feeling really inventive chopped pecans (or even macadamia nuts...I'm a classy nut eater).  You mix that all together with your topping and you are good to go!  You can add marshmallows, but I avoid them as they are a HUGE choking danger (even greater than hot dogs and grapes).

I hope this helps you as you prepare for the summer cook outs!  If you have a favorite summer recipe that you're curious to see if it is Gluten Free email it to me or post it in the comments.  I'll gladly look it over and let you know.  If it isn't I'm sure I can offer you a substitution that will make it so!

{{hugs}}
Buffy

What is your favorite part of summer? Do you do the barbequing or your spouse?  Leave me a Friendly Thought below and let me in on what's up in your life.

Gluten Free

As many of you know, or will soon learn, two of the kiddos are Gluten Free.  Lincoln, who has Asperger's and benefits greatly from this diet and Vincent, who was diagnosed with Celiac Disease just after his first birthday.  One thing that I have noticed in the last three-and-half-years is that more and more people are being diagnosed with Celiac or have Gluten Intolerance issues.  A large part of this has to with better testing, previously the only way to find out if you had Celiac was to do and Upper GI, which is a semi-invasive procedure.  However, now there is a Celiac Antibody test which can see if you might have it.  Of course no test is perfect but when all digestive issues have the exact same symptoms it certainly is nice to only need a blood test to see if you might have something before the invasive tests.

I admit we're very lucky.  Vinny had a determined medical team who knew that something was wrong and wouldn't rest until we had an answer, and in less than a year of medical struggles we had our answer.  However, many people aren't so lucky.  I read a statistic right after Vinny was diagnosed that on average a person will go through 8 doctors before getting diagnosed.  That is 8 general doctors, not specialists!  I don't know what the average is today, but I do feel very blessed that it wasn't that hard for us.

However, with the rise in people being diagnosed with Celiac or simply choosing a Gluten Free diet and lifestyle many of you may know or be close friends with someone on a GF diet.  Food is so central to a lot of things that we do, our hospitality and get together's and I thought I might share a crash course in GF cooking and baking so that you don't have to fear when making tasty treats.

First thing you must understand right off the bat is whenever you start to cook or bake for a GF friend you have to wash your kitchen before starting.  I mean, scrub it down all the nooks and cranny's.  It is also best that you do your baking/cooking at the start of the day before you've done any wheat cooking/baking.  The reason for this is that wheat flour is light and will float into the air and it can take up to 4 HOURS for it to settle back down onto counter tops. 

Next look at your equipment.  Besides making sure it is clean and free from any wheat build up you cannot use any wooden spoons, wooden bowls, or stones.  This all has to do with cross contamination, people who have gone a very long time before diagnosis tend to be ultra sensitive to Gluten in even the smallest amount.

Finally all containers of products must be new, ie. peanut butter, butter, jam, honey...When you make a sandwich and use the same knife to make multiple ones you contaminate the container with Gluten, which is fine for you but not for the Gluten conscious.

Now here is a quick list of what contains Gluten: Wheat, Barley, Rye, and Spelt.
Oats are gluten free however how they are grown and harvested makes the Quaker variety on your local supermarket shelf cross-contaminated.  Also, even gluten oats can be difficult for some people so always ask.
Things that are gluten free: Quinoa, Buckwheat (odd I know), rice, corn, potatoes...there are more but truly these are the most readily found flours.

Okay, this is a lot of information but for a quick meal for a friend I suggest sticking with Naturally Gluten Free foods.  Dairy, Cheese, Fresh Meats,  Fruits & Veggies.

Great ideas for breakfast foods & snacks: Chex Cereal, yogurt (double check ingredients, some pie flavored yogurts contain wheat) & fruit.  Look for the boxes that say Gluten Free.  Chex is AWESOME, they have great recipes on their boxes for snacks like Chex Muddy Buddies or what I just made Snickerdoodle Chex Mix.  Even the traditional Chex Mix can be made Gluten free by omitting the Wheat Chex and making your own seasoning.

Lunch: Quesadillas!  Nachos!  Make sure you use corn tortillas, I personally make PB&J sandwiches using corn tortillas for the boys.  Perfect! 

Dinner: Tacos, Faijtas, Stir Fry.  You do have to make your own seasoning packets but really it isn't that hard.

Taco Seasoning
2-3T of Chili Powder
1t garlic powder
1t dried onions
1t cumin (this is key)
opt. 1t basil, Husband and I like it but you can omit it if you like

Use seasoning the same as traditional packet by adding about 1/4-1/2 cup of water to meat and seasoning and let simmer.

Faijta Seasoning
Lime juice
Chili Powder
Fresh Garlic, minced
Cilantro (fresh is always best)

All ingredients are to taste but at least a teaspoon of each.

Well there is a ton of information, but it is a great start.  I'll follow up in a week or so with some tasty and easy gluten free baking recipes.  There are a plethora of Gluten Free Cooking and Baking blogs out there and it really isn't my desire to go this route but a lot of them are pretty difficult for the non-gluten free cook and I just wanted to share a few easy tips with you all!

{{hugs}}

If any of you are interested in knowing more about this diet and websites that I enjoy on the subject of cooking/baking leave a comment.  I can try and put together a link list of sites for you guys.  I hope you all have a great weekend and Mother's Day!

Come Meet The French Chef!

So I might have forgotten to mention last week that our mixer died.  I mean, kaput…no more mixing… in the middle of making dinner.  Yeah, really fun, NOT!  It wasn't that much of a surprise (well at least for me it wasn't) and to be fair the mixer had lasted at least 34 years (my dear MIL gave it to Husband when he moved out and she had received it from her mother, we keep appliances in the family).

Husband, the wonderful saving man that he is, tried to fix it.  He did get it to work again, but it lasted only a day.  Yes, it was time for a new mixer.  Plus the one we had was a small 4 quart and with 5 kiddos we needed an upgrade.  Fortunately Costco had a coupon for $50 off their KitchenAid mixer but wait there's more…my dear, wonderful, fabulous, and nearly perfect in-laws BOUGHT it for us!  Ahhh, it was so wonderful.  Especially when we got it out of the box and realized that it didn't fit on the counter where our old one was.  Yup!  It is big.

However I spent all morning Saturday reorganizing the counters, cleaning out cupboards and I found a spot where it fits.  It was a good thing the in-laws bought it or else Husband might have returned it and found a smaller one (no, good to my way of thinking).  By a vote of the children we have named him The French Chef…yes, I name appliances (well only a few, the fridge and the microwave don't have names).

 Here he is still in the box, as you can see I chose RED...

Lincoln and Samuel were so excited about the new mixer I couldn't get a good picture.  This was the best I could do...

The French Chef himself, 

Vinny was excited Elsa was impressed,

This is when they found out we got to keep it.  As you can tell Vinny's pretty proud while Elsa is a mixture of amazement and pure delight.

This is how Thaddeus felt about the possibility of getting an ice cream maker attachment,

The size difference, impressive.

Even the hooks are impressed by the size.

Hope you all had a great weekend.  As you can imagine more tasty treats will be coming forth from my kitchen, especially since I have a French Chef to help me ;)  In fact I have been spotted of late taking pictures of my food and if you're especially good I might share.  Some have mentioned that red makes it go faster, I don't know if that's true but then the only one I have to compare it too was over 30 years old.

Have a great day!

{{hugs}}

If you're interested about the other things on my mind go check out life under the umbrella and find out!

Weigh In Tuesday

{Source Brabourne Farm via Stephane Aarseth via pinterest}

Okay, so since I gained weight last week I snuck in a weigh in on Saturday.  I really just wanted to make sure that I was on track and boy was I surprised to see that not only had I lost weight I had lost 3 POUNDS!  In 4 days, that's almost a pound a day!  Wow!  I was amazed, shocked and estatic!  I was so glad that I did weigh in a little early because I was a little depressed about the minor set back from last week.

That said I wasn't as surprised to see that I hadn't lost any more this morning.  Not that I'm not proud of my achievement.  But three pounds in a week is good weight loss!  Man, losing weight sure keeps you wanting to stay true to your goals!  My clothes are now starting to get even more loose on me.  Soon I'll have to go visit Plato's Closet!  If you don't know what kind of store they are let me explain in brief.  They sell second hand, sometimes new, clothes for those 18-30 or so.  You can bring in your gently used wardrobe and what they take they give you credit for more purchases in the store.  How cool is that?  Tired of your wardrobe?  No money?  No problem ;)  I haven't actually taken anything in yet but I'm hoping that when I need to they'll take some of my things, then I'll buy the clothes they have and then return them when they don't fit and get smaller clothes until I reach my goal weight!

So this week my goal is to break out of my comfort zone and try new low calorie recipes.  I checked out this book Cook This, Not That by David Zinczenko and Matt Goulding from the library.  It is full of recipes that are about 350 calories.  Dying for french fries?  Can't handle the 1,000+ calorie price tag?  They have a tasty alternative.  I am going to renew it if I can and if I love it then I'll buy it.  Obviously, I tweak the bread parts for gluten free* alternatives for the boys, but that isn't a big deal.  Maybe I'll go all food photographer on you and take pictures of the tasty meals I make this week.  I went grocery shopping yesterday and my mouth was salivating from all the yummy produce and tasty food that I bought.

{source West Elm via Anna Perkins via pinterest

I'm trying to stick to fairly small goals.  I'm still working on the water, it is definitely a difficult habit to break (not drinking enough water).  Currently I'm waiting to see if my lovely sister-in-law, Becky, can make me one of these lovely bracelets so that I can have a visual reminder to drink water on my wrist.  Plus if she succeeds in making a lovely maybe I can convince her to make another to giveaway to you all!  That'd be fun.

Well, I hope you all had a great week.  Remember next week is picture week and measurements too.  I'm excited to show you a more visual picture of the progress I've made.


Please, please, please leave a comment below!  I love hearing from you.  Even if you're not trying to lose weight, you can write a haiku about your cat or say something about a major goal you've been working towards.  I'd love to hear about what's going on in your life.  Ways you stay healthy and active.  What you're really passionate about.

{{hugs}}

Pondering New Years Resolutions...My Goals for 2011

Well it is almost 2011 and I've been thinking a lot about the new year.  So many times we make resolutions and never keep them and I think that is because we make a list of things that we wish we were.  Like I wish I was thirty pounds lighter or I wish I was better with my money or I wish I had more patience.  Now there really isn't anything wrong with any of that the problem isn't the wishing to be better, it is where we're placing our desires in. 

Why do you wish to be lighter?  Is it because your weight is unhealthy and is causing you illnesses unnecessarily or is it because you've been bombarded by the commercialism of this culture and feel like you're fat and you're suffering from low self-esteem?  If it is the former then maybe you should lose weight never to be found again, set a goal to do this and work towards it.  Yet if you're only losing weight because you're insecure perhaps a better goal would be to find out who is your source of esteem...the culture or God? 

Do you wish you were better with money because you spend your money before you have it and are deep in debt or do you wish you were better because you just saw your neighbor's new car and really want one yourself?  If the first is true then yes! curb your spending see an accountant or financial adviser and get out of debt.  Yet if you only want to be better with your money so you can one-up your neighbor than perhaps you might need to reconsider what you value in life.

However the truth is the new year is a great time to set goals and evaluate where you are and where you want to be.  It isn't any wonder that so many new year resolutions go unmet year after year, that as the year goes on and your resolutions go unmet you get discouraged and give up entirely when what you resolve to do isn't actually what is the problem area, the problem area is your perspective on your life.

So as the new year grows closer with each ticking minute I am at the crossroads so to speak.  There are many things I wish were different about me and yet I know that those things would go by the wayside if I were to list them in my yearly resolutions they wouldn't make it past January.  So I've made a little list of goals for the next year.  A biggie, a few medium sized and several small ones.  Well let's get started...these are of course things that I have upon deep introspection have come out realizing they are the things I need to focus my energy on.

1. Be Open, Honest, & Accepting.  Yup you guessed it this is my biggie.  Yet it is exactly where God wants me right now.  I never want someone to be surprised by something I do, that I am open with my life the good and the bad so that not only can no one say anything against me but that if someone did people would say without question it was a falsehood...oh to be that transparent...yes I do know that this is a double-edged sword in that I'll be more vulnerable, possibly taken advantage of yet I have faith that this is what God wants of me & in that confidence I will step out knowing if God doesn't come through I'll fail but with Him it will happen.

2. Sew & Knit more.  Yes, you heard it here first I want to make more stuff this year, more for my kids, more for my husband, more for me.  So I'll be starting an Accomplishment Journal to keep track of it all as well as setting aside 1 hour every night for sewing & dedicating the time at speech appointments for knitting.

3. Have a Handmade Christmas.  This will take time, planning and effort however if I work all year slowly by December 1st everything should be finished and I can sit back and enjoy the season...I think I'll have Handmade Christmas updates to keep me on track and show you all the progress I've made.  Also, Husband is on strict orders to tell me to get my arse in gear by July if I have nothing to show by then.  Finally, I'm opting for gift cards for birthday presents...I can do one or the other handmade birthday gifts or a handmade Christmas...you know the choice I've made.

4. Post weekly on the blog.  Simple and yet enough to keep me busy.  I would promise more but alas I'll be busy with 1-3...plus I do have another goal that will take up more of my time, more on that later.

5. Lastly I want to wear aprons more.  So yes that is a veiled reference that I want to cook more in the new year but I do want to wear more aprons too!  I will admit that cooking is not my forte (yes I can do it, just painfully slow at times) Husband is by far the better cook yet I find it completely unfair to expect him to cook a meal as soon as he gets home each night.  My plan is to focus on making a soup every Sunday for lunch and trying a new recipe once a week.  Hopefully with some really cute aprons to liven up the kitchen it will happen :)
Kelly from Sewing in No Mans Land is having an Apron Week starting Monday and I'm preparing to sew a new apron each day next week week (M-F) and yes I do have enough fabric to accomplish that!

Well there they are my Goals for the new year...not resolutions because they are measurable (provided my friends are honest about my honesty) so when 2011 comes to an end I'll be able to look back and see how far I've come...perhaps I'll have enough aprons for half the year ;)

May you all have a Wonderful and Happy New Year!

Pumpkins, pumpkins, pumpkins!

I love Fall, it is my favorite time of the year!  The weather this year has been ideal autumn weather, crisp foggy mornings but then the sun comes out during the day and warms your face, then the crispy coolness of night sets in.  The stars always seem just a little bit brighter in the fall than any other time of the year.  I love how no looks at you strange for staying inside all day and knitted items suddenly become all the rage.  Samuel has already been wearing his mittens & hat from last year...the ones I knitted of course.

Though what I really love most (and this is only in the last 8 years or so) is pumpkins.  I've always loved the look of a bright orange pumpkin, but I will confess that I haven't always loved eating goodies made from pumpkin.  Not to worry, I am completely cured of this and now look forward to this time of year where you can get pumpkin in everything from your pie to your latte to scone...yummy!

Yesterday was Veteran's day so all the kids were at home.  Husband let me sleep in most of the morning so I had lots of energy to do domestic things like cook pumpkins.  Since I had so much of this 'creative energy' I thought I'd do a post about our adventures in pumpkin land.  Which of course begins with the pumpkins:

5 pumpkins for five kids and they didn't cost us a dime!  That is of course because the pumpkins are home grown from Gramma's garden.  The kids were so excited to go and pick out their own pumpkins and help Thaddeus get his own small pumpkin.

So I put Elsa down for a nap, Thaddeus was being shockingly good & Vinny was resting and I figured it was as good a time as any to cook up the pumpkins.  I cut them in half, showed Lincoln and Samuel how to get all the pumpkin seeds out and then set to work.  When we were done our pumpkins looked like this:

I had the oven warmed to 350 put a little water in the pans and put all five pumpkins in the oven to bake for and hour.  The minute I had the pumpkins in the oven Samuel wanted me to turn on the oven light so he could watch them cook.

The two of them sat there for a little while but then got bored so we made the most of that hour by washing pumpkin seeds, making gluten-free rice krispie treats (we used Enviro Kids Koala Crispies, which the boys affectionately call kitty cereal), & making Chex Muddy Buddies.  Yes we were busy! 

Thaddeus happily sitting in his high chair while we cooked pumpkins.

Finally the timer went off and I took the pumpkins out and pureed them using our new blender (which is awesome).  With minimal work but a commitment of time we soon had this:

I know!  Look at all that pumpkin!  Over 16 cups!  I made scones & a crustless pumpkin pie but didn't even come close to making a dent in it.  Oh, well I make room in the freezer and maybe have pumpkin to last me for a year...hahaha!  Okay so maybe have enough pumpkin for the rest of this year.