Gluten Free Breakfast Burritos

Well we got to go camping and have our breakfast burritos. All was good. The brown rice tortillas were great.

Three Island Camp Trip

Our first camp trip of the year! This has been such a busy year that we did not get out any earlier. We went to Three Island Crossing Park in Glenns Ferry, Idaho. The temperature was in the 90's so the girls had a lot of fun on the slip n slide. I hope this is the start of a great camping season.

My Empanada's

DOUGH INGREDIENTS:

2 cups Red Mill all purpose gluten free flour

1 level tsp. xanthan gum

10 tBsp unsalted butter (1 stick + 2 tBsp.), diced & kept COLD

1/2 tsp. salt

Approximately 1/2 cup ice water

Fillling: Be creative, meat mixture, any fruit would be great

4 bananas
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 TBSP. brown sugar

In a large bowl, combine flour, xanthan gum & salt. Cut in the butter (with either a pastry cutter or two knives in repeated cutting motions, as if you were cutting steak, but rapidly) until the dough forms pea-sized pieces of butter wrapped in flour. Stir in the ice water, a little at a time, watching for the dough to come together into a ball. If it is too sticky, add a bit more gluten free flour. Lightly knead, handling the dough as little as possible. Wrap in plastic wrap & refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Remove dough from refrigerator & pull the dough into two parts. Remember you want to handle the dough as little as possible. Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured work surface & roll it to a thickness of 1/8″. With a bowl that is about 4″ in diameter, its rim floured & overturned, press into the dough to create 4″ rounds of dough. Remove rounds & pull together scraps. Roll out scraps & make more rounds. Repeat with remaining dough.

Place about a tablespoonful of filling in the center of each round of dough, fold over & pinch to secure the edges. Crimp the edges along the seam with the tines of a fork.
Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet lined, greased a bit to ensure easy removal of empanadas. Brush empanadas with either an egg wash (1 egg + 2 tBsp. milk) or just some milk to help it brown in the oven.

Bake at 450 degrees for 12-15 minutes, or until golden.* Serve warm or at room temp.

Our Memorial Weekend BBQ

We had a great Memorial Weekend BBQ at our house today. The kids enjoyed swimming in the pool. Personally it needs to be 10 degrees warmer for me. The temperature today was 79 and the pool was 76.

My new dehydrator

Well I am truly turning into a tree hugger. My mom gave me a food dehydrator and we made a fruit leather today. We blended 1 apple, 1 banana and 8 strawberries. It took8 hours to dry the fruit, but it was worth the wait. What a great way to use left over fruit. We are going to try applesauce tomorrow. This is a new healthy snack that the girls loved.

Red Robin has a gluten free menu

Yes it is true, we finally got to eat out at a restaurant today! We found out that Red Robin offers gluten free menu items and today we decided to go out for lunch. It has been almost 5 months since we have eaten out as a family. Kennedy ordered the gluten free french fries, mandarin oranges and cheese burger without the bun. It is nice to have the option of an occasional treat and Mom not having to cook dinner!

Kennedy's 5th Birthday

Today Kennedy turns 5 years old. How time flies when you're a Mom. It seem like yesterday when I think about bringing her home. She was 6 lbs. 10 oz. and from the beginning we knew that she would be a tough little girl. She has been through a lot this year and I know that a lot of kids would not have taken this challenge so well. She never once has tried to eat food that she knows she is not allowed to have. I know that even I have not been able to commit to 100% gluten free.

Today was the last day of school for Kennedy. Calvary Christian Pre School had the parents brind their child to the Boise Zoo today to celebrate the end of the school year. It worked out perfect having today be her birthday. Kevin and I took her to the zoo today and we had a great time.

Taylor Swift Concert

For Kennedy's birthday we bought her tickets to the Taylor Swift concert. I also took my mom as part of her Mother's Day gift. The concert started at 7:00 p.m. with a new band called Gloriana. Kellie Pickler came out next and Kennedy was disturbed by her outfit. She thought that it was hideous. She sounded good, but apparently her pants did not go with her top. All out of the mouth of a 5 year old. By the time Taylor Swift came on stage Kennedy was getting tired. She made it through 2 songs and fell asleep. We got home around 10:40 p.m. which was a little late for two young girls that had school the next day. It was a great concert and I am glad that we went.

Monkey Bizness Birthday

Today we celebrated Kennedy's 5th birthday at Monkey Bizness in Boise. She had around 26 friends show up. All the kids seemed to have a great time running around and climbing on all the great toys.

Gluten in cosmetics.

I was taking a bath and noticed this week that our shampoo/conditioner has wheat! After looking into it I have found that there are a few more potential things that can pose a risk for Kennedy. Giving your child a gluten-free diet can take some getting used to. Your child’s food can’t come into contact with gluten. So all of your child’s meals will have to be prepared with separate utensils. This includes knives, cutting boards, toasters, and storage containers. It also means being extra careful at restaurants, parties, and anywhere you aren’t preparing your child’s food yourself. Gluten can also be found in a variety of non-food products. Accidental ingestion can occur with products such as shampoo, lotion, makeup, glue, and soap. Some medicines also contain gluten, so ask your child’s doctor what medications your child can’t take. One way to help avoid accidental exposure is for the whole family to go gluten-free. This can save you time and energy, and reduce your child’s risk of exposure to gluten.

Non-food products that may have gluten:
Some medicines
Stickers
Stamps
Glue on envelopes
Play-doh
Lip balm
Toothpaste
Cosmetics
Washing detergents
Vitamins

Soaps and shampoos

Chocolate and Coconut Frozen Banana Popsicles

Chocolate and Coconut Frozen Banana Popsicles
Serves 6
Frozen banana popsicles are easy to prepare, fun to make with kids and a sweet substitute for ice cream or other popsicles. If you’d like to make them ahead for a party or to have on hand for after-school snacks, simply wrap the finished popsicles individually in foil after their chocolate coating has set and store in the freezer.
Ingredients
3 large organic bananas, peeled and halved crosswise

6 ounces semi-sweet or milk chocolate,

1/3chopped cup unsweetened shredded coconut toasted

6 popsicle sticks
Method
Carefully push a popsicle stick into the cut end of each banana half, leaving about 11/2 inches of the stick poking out. Transfer bananas to a parchment paper-lined sheet tray and freeze until just solid, 30 to 45 minutes. Microwave chocolate in a medium bowl, stirring every 20 to 30 seconds, until chocolate is completely smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. (Or, melt chocolate in the top of a double boiler.) Transfer coconut to a wide, shallow dish and remove bananas from freezer. Working with one banana half at a time, spoon some of the melted chocolate over the banana and spread around with the back of the spoon to cover the surface. Sprinkle banana with some of the coconut, allowing any that doesn’t stick to fall back into the dish. Return banana halves to baking sheet and freeze until chocolate is set, about 10 minutes.
Nutrition
Per serving (about 4oz/100g-wt.): 210 calories (90 from fat), 10g total fat, 6g saturated fat, 0mg cholesterol, 0mg sodium, 34g total carbohydrate (4g dietary fiber, 24g sugar), 2g protein

Mothers Day 2009

I love Mothers Day! I love when the girls bring home all the stuff they have made at school. This year they did a great job and worked hard on their gifts. Karleigh gave me a coupon for a free body massage and made me a beautiful card. Kennedy made me flowers out of coffee filters and a picture frame. I can see that I am going to need an extra large trunk to save all these great gifts. It will be a lot of fun to look back on these some day.

Busy Soccer Saturday

We started off this Saturday morning with Kennedy's soccer game in Boise at 10:45 a.m. You can see the progress that she has made this season. She is still the youngest player, but has great skills. Karleigh's spring soccer came to an end today after two games in Meridian. The Fire Balls played at 12:45 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. Both games were great! It was 69 degrees today and you could see by the end of the second game Karleigh was tired. We went straight to Primos Pizza for her end of the season soccer party. Kennedy's last game is next week and then we will have the weekends free. It is bitter sweet. I am ready to go camping, but I will miss the soccer. I hope the girls involved in some summer weekday camps.

Taylor Swift Concert Tickets

I found Taylor Swift concert tickets on Craigslist today and I decided to buy them for Kennedy's birthday. We tried to buy tickets in March when the went on sale, but they sold out too fast. We are going to take my Mom for her Mother's Day gift since she is in Idaho for the next two weeks. I am so excited to take Kennedy to her first concert. Karleigh will be so excited.

Karleigh in track

Today was our first track meet at Nampa Christian School with a total of 5 schools competing. Karleigh participated in the girls 200 meter relay, the triple jump, the long jump and the 200 meter dash. She had a lot of fun with her team and classmates from Calvary Christian School. The most memorable time for most of the kids was the ride in the bus to Nampa.

Starbucks Valencia Orange Cake

YEAH it is here! Today is Cinco de Mayo and the unveiling of Starbucks Orange Valencia Cake. O.K. so it is not the lowest in fat or calories, but is is worth the splurge! I LOVED IT! Here are the ingredients and nutrition facts if you dare look.

Nutrition Facts:

Calories – 290

Total Fat – 16 g Pulp
Saturated Fat – 2 g

Trans Fat – 0 g

Sodium – 40 mg

Carbohydrate – 32 g

Dietary Fiber – 4 g

Sugars – 23 g
Protein – 9 g

Ingredients:

Whole eggs

Valencia Orange Pulp

Almonds

Sugar

Orange Peel

GF Baking Powder(sodium phosphate, sodium bicarbonate, rice flour)

My Organic Garden

 

Well today we planted the seeds for our new organic garden. We are going to start off with green beans, onions, cilantro, cucumbers and bell peppers. Now I have to figure out where I am going to plant these and how to keep the dogs out of it.

Breakfast Burritos for the Belnaps

YEAH, After 4 months eating gluten free I have finally found tortillas. We made breakfast burritos this morning. It was not as good as the flour tortilla, but we can make it work.

Party at RAFIKI

Kennedy went to a great birthday party today. RAFIKI is an indoor kids play center with almost 7,000 square feet of safe play and comfort. RAFI'S is perfect for families with various-aged children as there is Fun for all Ages! Parents can enjoy the coffee bar and healthy deli in the comfortable seating areas provided. This place is great and I look forward to going again.

■ Giant Play Structure - Two Levels

■ Lane Gang Slide

■ Trolley Glide

■ Cave Crawl

■ Moonwalk Climb

■ Obstacle Course

■ Climbing Wall
■ Arts and Crafts Area

■ Extensive Toddler Area
■ Pretend Restaurant

■ Karaoke and Dress Up

■ Puppets and Blocks

■ Reading Room

■ WII Room