Fresh Cranberry Punch

Thankful in 2011

This year we have a lot to be thankful for!  It has been a year of healing for Kennedy.  She is getting stronger and healthier as the months go by.  Today we made turkey's with feather's that represent what each of us are thankful for.  We are so blessed!

GF Chicken Pot Pie

Pie Crust (The Baking Beauties)

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups gluten-free flour mix (see NOTE)

1 cup shortening, I use butter

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon xanthan gum

1 large egg

1 tablespoon vinegar

1/3 to 1/2 cup cold water

Directions:

Use stand mixer and non-whisk for best results. Mix flour, shortening, salt and xanthan gum on low speed until mixture is pebbly.

Add egg, vinegar and 1/3 cup water, mix on low speed until well mixed and dough becomes ball-like. If dough is not soft and pliable, add a few drops of water at a time until it is. This dough feels exactly like the dough you would make with wheat flour, so don’t feel like you have to scrimp on the water. If it takes more than 1/2 cup, oh, well, the weather might be dry. If it’s less, it just might be raining!

Bake at whatever temperature you need for your filling, from 300 degrees F to 450 degrees F, or on 350 degrees F for 20-22 minutes for pre-baked crust. Although this recipe doesn’t rise, it can bow in the middle, so baking stones are recommended if you are pre-baking the crust. Fruit fillings are best if baked for 1 hour at 350 degrees F.

Tip for Pie Crust: Lay plastic wrap out on your counter then put your pie dough on the wrap to roll it out. Do not use flour to keep it from sticking to the plastic wrap: You WANT it to stick! If you use a top sheet of plastic wrap, you do not have to use flour mix on top, it’s an easy clean-up, and you can pick up the crust and lay it into your pie pan without breaking it.

CHICKEN POT PIE
Ingredients
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast havles-cubed
1 cup frozen peas or green beans
1/2 cup sliced celery
1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup GF flour (see note below)
1/3 cup chopped onion
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon celery seed
1 3/4 cups chicken broth
2/3 cup milk

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F
In a saucepan, combine chicken, carrots, peas, and celery.  Add water to cover and boil for 15 minutes.  Remove from heat, drain and set aside.

In the saucepan over medium heat, cook onions in butter until soft and translucent.  Stir in flour, salt, pepper, and celery seed.  Slowly stir in chicken broth and milk.  Simmer over medium-low heat until thick.  Remove from heat and set aside.
Place the chicken mixture in bottom of the pie cust.  Pour hot mixture over.  Cover with top crust, sel edges and cut away excess dough.  Make several small slits in the top to allow steam to escape.
Bake in the preheated oven for 30 -35 minutes, or until pastry is golden brown and filling is bubbly.  Cool for 10 minutes before serving.
 NOTE:  GF Flour Mix:  4 cups superfine brown rice flour, 1 1/3 cup potato starch (NOT FLOUR), 2/3 cup tapioca starch.  Combine ingredients and store in a container.

Backyard Chickens

 So not as if we haven't had enough going on in our lives, but this last spring we decided to raise chickens.  My brother built us a pretty cool chicken tractor.  We love getting fresh eggs.

 These were the chicks this spring.  We named them all after GF flours.  Tapioca, Millet, Teff and Quinoa.

 The chickens have brought us so much joy and many eggs.  We love sitting in the back yard and watching them.

So two of our chickens (Teff and Millet) lay the blue eggs.

GF Pumpkin Waffles

Makes 6 large Belgian style waffles.  This recipe is from The Baking Beauties

Ingredients:
1/2 cup light brown sugar
6 Tbsp cornstarch
2 1/2 cups all-purpose gluten free flour blend (see note)
 1/2 tsp xanthan gum
 3 tsp baking powder
 1 tsp salt
 3 1/2 tsp cinnamon
 4 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp cloves
1 tsp freshly ground nutmeg (1/2 tsp packed, ground nutmeg)
4 large eggs
2 cups whole milk (I used 1% without a problem)
2 cups pumpkin puree
1/2 cup melted, unsalted butter

Directions:
1.  Lightly oil your waffle iron and set to desired temperature.  Allow to preheat while you prepare the batter.
3.  In a large bow, combine the brown sugar and cornstarch, whist to combine,  Add the remaining dry ingredients, and stir to combine.
4.  Seperate the eggs, whites into the bowl of a stand mixer and yolks into a medium bowl.
5.  Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form.  Set aside.
6.  While whisking, pour melted butter into egg yolk/pumpkin/milk mixture.
7.  Add the pumpkin mixture to the dry ingredients, mix until just combined.  If they are still slightly lumpy, that alright and will work out when the egg whites are added.
8.  Place half the whipped egg whites in the pumpkin mixture and fold in.  Add the remaining egg whites and fold until no whites remain.  Scoop the batter onto the hot waffle iron and cook until done.  I had to cook a little longer than normal beause of the moisture of the pumpkin.

Note:  The all-purpose GF flour mix that I use is from Cybel Pascal, and is as follows:  4 C. brown rice flour, 1 1/3 C. potato starc (not flour), 2/3 C. tapioca starch.  Combine all ingredients and keep in a storage container.

Pumpkin Spice Popcorn

1-1/2 C. sugar

1 C. light corn syrup

2 T. butter

1-1/2 t. pumpkin pie spice

1 t. vanilla

1/2 t. salt

3-1/2 quarts popped popcorn; remove any unpopped kernels

Bring sugar, corn syrup and butter to a boil; boil 2-1/2 minutes. Stir in pumpkin pie spice, vanilla and salt: mix well.

Add popcorn and toss until evenly coated. Spread mixture in a single layer on greased sheets of foil and allow to cool and harden. Break into bite-size pieces in a wide shallow bowl; set aside.

Our "Voodoo Doctor"

Today Kennedy went to see the Doctor that has changed our lives.  We made him a card of the picture we took of her before/after pills. 

I think that this meant as much to him as it did to us.







Strong Enough?

Wow!  I have just noticed that it has been a year since my last blog.  What a year it has been.  Today Kennedy is healthy and look at the progress!  Stay tuned for details of the last year!

Fred Meyer now has Udi's

I love Udi's!  They make the best gluten free bread, bagels and pizza crust.  I have been emailing Fred Meyer requesting that they carry Udi's and today my wish came true.  I went to Fred Meyer and low and behold there it was!  Love at first sight!

Edward's Greenhouse

 It was that time of year again.  Edward's Greenhouse had Santa.  The girls wrote their letter to Santa.

 Dropped it in the mailbox.

They told Santa what they wanted for Christmas.  Karleigh wants a Kindle e reader and Kennedy wants another American Girl doll.

Colitis makes life crappy!

Why?  Why does Kennedy have to go through this?  Why can't she be healthy?  Why is everything so complicated?  Why do they genetically engineer our food?  Why is there an increase of food allergies, ADHD, autism, diabetes, cancer and other illnesses?  Why?

Got a call from Dr. Angela House

Today I got the call from Kennedy's doctor.  She was calling to give me the results of the recent stool sample.  Mostly good news.  Her IBD markers are all down.  This shows us that she is in remission.  The inflammation is minimal.  That is awesome news.  The bad news is that she is still not digesting carbohydrates.  Right now we have her taking a pancreatic enzyme 20 minutes before breakfast and dinner.  The enzyme is suppose to help with digestion.  Dr. House has recommended us to give the enzyme to Kennedy at lunch time too.  We will see if taking it 3 times a day will help. 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digestive_enzyme

Veterans Day 2010

It is easy to take liberty for granted, when you have never had it taken from you.  Thank You to all the Veterans!  We love you!  This is for one of my favorite Veteran-Grandpa Holt.

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Final work day

Today was Dr. Morrison's last day!  He has now retired and ready to really start living!  I have had some great memories of working for him the last 16 1/2 years.  I owe a lot to him and I am thankful for having had the chance to work for such a wonderful person.

Check up with Dr. Angela House

We took Kennedy in for a check up today with Dr. Angela House.  Kennedy hasn't gained any weight and still is having frequent trips to the bathroom.  It seems like the last 6 weeks Kennedy has been eating foods that she is not suppose to be eating.  This constant contamination is making her so unhealthy.  The plan is to increase the probiotics and L-Glutamine.  We are also going to send in another stool sample to check for progress in the last 3 months.  One of the quotes from Dr. House really hit it home for me.  She said, "It is like trying to grow a garden in concrete"!  With the colitis, Celiac disease and IGA deficiency we really have a lot stacked against us!  It is so rough because on the outside she looks so happy and healthy, but it IS what's on the inside that matters most!

Boise State vs. La Tech

Had a great time at the BSU vs. La Tech game.  Went tailgating with some food friends.  Had a little rain, sun, hail and wind!  I guess you can't have everything.

Gem State Challenge 2010

It is Gem State Challenge time again!  The weather is awful.  A lot of rain this weekend.  Karleigh played 4 games and their team took 1st place!  Kennedy spent a lot of time in the truck keeping dry and watching movies.

Pamela's Pumpkin Betty Bars - No Crust & Easy

Cake:
1, 30 oz. can gluten-free pumpkin pie mix (pie mix is easy, the spices are mixed in the pumpkin)
1, 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
2 eggs
1/2 cup melted butter
2 cups Pamela's Baking & Pancake Mix

Topping:
2 cups nuts (recommended: pecans and walnuts)
1/2 cups melted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix all cake ingredients together. Put in a well greased 9-inch x 13-inch pan.

Mix topping ingredients together and gently pat onto top of cake mixture.

Bake at 350° for 50 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool, cut into desired bar shapes and serve.

Chef's Note: this tastes very much like pumpkin pie, but you can pick it up like a bar. This recipe makes a big batch, enough for Thanksgiving. For a smaller batch use an 8-inch x 8-inch pan and use a 15 oz. can of pumpkin and half the rest of the ingredients.

Gluten Free Pumpkin Pancakes

Ingredients

2 cups Pamela's Ultimate Wheat Free Baking & Pancake Mix

1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 C canned pumpkin pie mix
1-1/2 cups milk
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons canola oil
Butter & warm maple syrup for serving; optional

Directions
Combine Pamela's Ultimate Wheat Free Baking & Pancake Mix and baking powder in a large mixing bowl; set aside. Combine remaining ingredients in a separate bowl; mix well. Stir pumpkin mixture into flour mixture until just moistened. Pour batter by 1/4 cupfuls onto a lightly greased hot griddle.  Top each serving with butter and warm maple syrup if desired. Yield: Approximately 16 pancakes.

Another Soccer Satruday

 Kennedy played in a soccer game today and had 4 goals.  She is amazingly aggressive.  I guess she gets that from me!  HA!

Karleigh played against another Super Nova team today.  We won the game 8-1.  We are really doing good this year.  Next weekend we have a tournament here in Boise.

Pumpkin Custard

Ingredients


• 3 egg whites, lightly beaten
• 2/3 cup sugar**
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon**
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger**
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg**
• Dash ground cloves**
• 1 can (15 ounces) solid-pack pumpkin or Farmers Market Pumpkin Pie Mix
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 can (12 ounces) fat-free evaporated milk

**IF YOU CAN FIND THE FARMERS MARKET ORGANIC PUMPKIN PIE MIX THEN YOU DON'T NEED SUGAR AND SPICES BECAUSE IT IS IN THE MIX.
Directions

• In a large bowl, beat the egg whites, sugar, cinnamon, salt, ginger, nutmeg and cloves. Add pumpkin and vanilla; mix well. Gradually beat in milk. Pour into eight ungreased 6-oz. custard cups.

• Place the cups in a 13-in. x 9-in. baking pan; add 1 in. of water to pan. Bake at 325° for 35-40 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Serve warm or chill. Yield: 8 servings.

Cooking with Nana

They have this great organic farm right of Meridian Road, not too far from our house.  I drive by it all the time, but have never stopped by.  We finally decided to check it out this weekend because we wanted to make some good healthy food.  The place is Rice Family Farms and they are certified organic.  They have a lot of fruits, veggies, milk, eggs and grass fed beef.  I can't believe that I haven't used this place!  It is now my new stop on the way home.

Day at Wahooz Family Fun Zone

The girls had the day off school and with Nana and Papa being here this weekend we decided to go spend the day being kids again.  We played miniature golf, rode go-karts, played laser tag and played games for 3 1/2 hours.  It was fun time enjoyed by all!

White Chicken Chili

1 lb. chicken cut into 1" cubes
1 medium onion chopped
1 1/2 tsp. garlic
1 TBSP oil
2-15 1/2 cans great northern beans
1-14 1/2 oz. chicken broth
2-4 oz. cans chopped green chili's
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 C. sour cream
1/2 C. whipping cream

Saute chicken, onion and garlic in oil,  add beans, broth, chili's and seasonings.  Bring to a boil and simmer for 30 minutes.  Remove from heat.  Stir in sour cream and whipping cream.  Serve immediately.

Jackson Hole Fall Soccer Tournament

 So 2 days of soccer in Jackson Hole, WY was a very tiring experience.  Karleigh's team did an amazing job.  Especially this being their first tournament together. 

The Transtrum White U11 Girls team won GOLD!  YEAH!

In the championship game Karleigh scored all three goals making it 3-0.  The coach gave his hat for her to wear for getting the "HAT TRICK"!  Wow, were we proud of her. 

We did find some awesome places in Jackson to eat.  Betty Rock Cafe served many Gluten free foods.  We also had cookies for Lotus Cafe.  It was so nice to be able to travel and have options other than what I bring and cook in the hotel room.

Jackson, WY

 We had the best time in Yellowstone's Bear World.  It is located outside of Rexberg, ID.  You can drive throughout the park and see deer, elk, grizzly bear, black bears, wolfs, and bison. 

 The bears were so calm.  They would sit in the middle of the road and watch you drive by. 

The petting zoo was a hit for the girls. 

There were also some small amusement rides.

 Today was a great day.  We drove to Idaho Falls and spent the night last night.  This morning we woke up and headed up to visit Yellowstone's Bear World.  Worth every penny.  We all loved it.



Chocolate covered strawberries

So today a girl in Kennedy's class brought fruit kabobs for her birthday.  Kennedy ate one of the chocolate covered strawberries!  NOT GOOD!  She came home tonight and instantly had diarrhea.  I know that the teacher can't police what all of the students are eating and that it is Kennedy's responsibility to not eat the chocolate.  She is only 6 and it is hard to say no to chocolate.  Now it will take us a week to get her back on track!

Soccer Saturday

Today both girls had soccer games.  Nothing like spending the day on the soccer field's on a beautiful day.  Karleigh's team won 12-0 and she had 3 goals.

Kennedy played a game and had 1 goal.  Her team doesn't keep score (WE WON). 

Udi's Gluten Free Pizza Crusts

I bought these pizza crust's at the Boise Co-op yesterday and have been so excited to try them since the Udi's bread and bagel's are so good.  You get two thin pizza crust's per package and as usual with gluten free food it is not cheap.  They made great pizza and good to have on hand for a quick pizza.

Udi's Bagel Pizza

Here is a quick meal idea.  Instead of mixing up a batch of pizza crust I decided to try making bagel pizzas.  Udi's gluten free bagels are awesome.

Udi's Gluten Free Bagels
Pizza sauce
Cheese
Toppings

Two Soccer Games Today

Today Kennedy had her first soccer game.  Papa Neil took her to her game because Karleigh had a game in Nampa at the same time and I had a baby shower.  She made 3 goals.

Karleigh also had an awesome game.  FC Nova won 3-1.