Baked Squash/Pumpkin Custard

So high on the success with my pumpkin pie, I was wondering, could I just make the custard, which honestly is the part everyone in this house loves.

I also was wondering, would anyone notice, if I swapped pumpkin with butternut squash.

The answer is YES, yes you can just make the filling and bake it and NO, no one will notice if you swap butternut squash for pumpkin!

So here we go...

 So I had 2 cups of butternut squash puree. (I explain the process for making squash puree in my previous post about the pie.) Sadly I had no evaporated milk. So I googled  and found you can sub sweetened condensed milk for the sugar and evaporated milk in the Libby's recipe. Which is what I was working from.

 I prepared my pan. Since this is a custard, you need to bake it in a water bath. So I buttered my ramekins and made sure they would fit in the glass baking dish. (I am a klutz. So I placed the pan in the over and then filled it about half full with water. You can do whatever you want.)

 Make the custard. (Beat 2 eggs, mix in squash/pumpkin puree, add spices, then stir in the sweetened condensed milk.)

 Fill the buttered ramekins. Place in a preheated oven at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. Then reduce heat to 350, bake an additional 30-40 minutes or until the centers are set.

 Remove from the oven and cool. Once cool, cover with foil or place in an airtight container and chill a few hours to over night in the refrigerator.

I ate this one for breakfast and it was oh, so yummy. E inhaled one for breakfast too. I think, perhaps smaller ramekins would be better. It was alot to eat in one setting, but eat it we did. Loving every creamy spoonful!

Gluten Free Pumpkin Pie

I love pumpkin pie. I have not eaten it in a few years, first I was off eggs, then I was friends with eggs again, but struggling to make a gluten free pie crust.

I feel I have now gotten a decent crust.

Here is the scoop.

Gluten free pastry (enough for 1 crust with some waste)*

2 cups Nameste Perfect Flour Blend (gluten free)

2/3 c very cold butter, cubed in small pieces

pinch or two of sugar

6-7 Tbs ice water


*I have no idea if other flour blends will work. I have only tried this one.

In the food processor (using the dough blade) add sugar and flour to the bowl. Pulse once to combine, then add butter and pulse until you have course meal. (since there is no gluten to develop, you need not be as careful as you would be with wheat flour.) Then add water by Tbs, until the dough pulls away from the bowl of the processor. I find it takes all 6-7 Tbs. The dough will we firm.

Without touching the dough, dump it into a large plastic bag. Once in bag, form into a ball. Then seal the bag.

I let the dough rest AT LEAST an hour, in the refrigerator.  I find the longer it rests, the easier it is to work with. Again, there is no gluten, so the dough is not going to behave like normal pastry. It just isn't. It is on a good day, slightly disagreeable dough. Fair warning.

Tear two sheets of wax paper, slightly bigger than you plan to roll the dough. I find wax paper keeps things from sticking. Sprinkle with a bit of of the gluten free flour or to be cost conscious, some white rice flour, which is the cheapest, I think. Flatten the dough ball slightly and then roll. The dough may tear at the edges or split, normal and we can work with that. Do not go as thin as you would with regular pastry dough.

Gently peal away the top layer of wax paper, once you have the dough rolled out and then flip the dough into a prepared pie pan. Use the wax paper, to help press the dough into the pie pan and then gently peal away this layer of wax paper.

Now "repair" any tears and work to fix any flaws, using the extra dough, you cut away from the overhang. You can crimp the edge any way that works.

Put this back in the refrigerator, while you prepare the filling.

Preheat over to 400 degrees.

I use a version of the pumpkin pie filling recipe from the Libby's can.

2 c fresh pumpkin puree**

1 can evaporated milk

2 eggs

3/4 c to 1 c sugar (I use Sugar in the Raw, no more white sugar in this house) also, taste your fresh pumpkin, sometimes it is sweeter or less so, then add the sugar

1/2- 1 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1 tsp cinnamon

Mix the sugar and spices in a small bowl. In a larger bowl gently beat eggs, add in pumpkin and sugar mixture. Pour and stir the milk in slowly.

I find putting the pie pan on cookie sheet means less mess.

Slowly pour the pumpkin mixture into the pie shell. Carefully put the pie into the preheated oven for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, reduce the heat to 350 and bake another 35-45 minutes, until the center is set.

Cool. Eat.

**making your own pumpkin (or any orange squash really) puree is SO EASY. Break the stem off the pie pumpkin, place in the over at 350 for 1 hour. After an hour, turn off heat and let the pumpkin cool as the oven cools. Then let it cool a bit longer on the kitchen counter. At this point you can cut it in half, remove the seeds and easily peel the pumpkin. Place the flesh into the food processor and process until smooth. You may or may not need to add just a splash or two of water. Use in a pie or store in the fridge for a few days or freeze for up to 6 months.

A season of giving-- a food donation notation

It is no secret. I dislike the Christmas season. The commercialism, the non-stop bad music that takes over Muzak everywhere. The crowds, the gimmes, the fights over discounted televisions.

Bah. Bah. Bah.

That said, there are a lot of very charitably minded people and alot of good is done during this season. So I will try to remain positive. I will not shop on Black Friday or Cyber Monday. I will aim to shop local or artisan made, when I can.

I am also going to try and highlight some nice holiday options, on Fridays. These are businesses or organizations that I like. No one is giving me anything to do this (I mean they could and I would totally toot my own horn if they did but I am not being compensated as I type this post. I am however sitting in the dark, wondering why I choose not to put on socks. A different matter entirely.)

This week I will also refer to my entry a few years ago. As we enter the season of food drives, please, please think about people in need who have issues like I do. Gluten Intolerance and food allergies, are not just issues of wealthy and middle class families. While the Kroger brand of mac and cheese is great and on sale this week, many families cannot eat it for a variety of reasons. So think about more whole food choices, with no processed sauces or additives. I say look for 5 ingredient or less foods.

This could include:

shelf stable soy milk or nut milks
apple sauce -- with no added sugar
peanut butter or soy butter or sun butter
plain instant oatmeal (not gluten free, but great for people with other allergies)
plain instant rice ceral
gluten free flour blend
trail mix
dried fruit such as raisins and cranberries
banana chips
plain rice -- instant or slow cook
cooking oil
dried beans, lentils, peas
canned fruit, with no added sugar
powdered milk
instant coffee
canned milk
canned beans -- but read the labels, just beans, no funny stuff
gluten free crackers/rice crackers
all fruit jams/preserves
gluten free cereals/granola
gluten free breakfast bars/granola type bars



Call ahead, will the pantry take winter squash, potatoes, apples? Gift cards? Many pantries meet their clients needs this way.

I cannot imagine trying to meet my dietary needs, with a very limited income. Can you imagine if you were a family on the edge and a child or adult in the family was struggling with uncontrolled IBS/Celiacs or other issues due to an inability to find wholesome, whole food choices.

The reality is all the items on my list are generally healthier options for everyone. We all benefit from less processing and less sugar and less junk in our food. So while you are giving someone with allergies or intolerance some options, you are also giving everyone something very healthy.

It is a win-win.

The Chunky Monkey

I like to switch my breakfast up from time to time and I have developed the Chunky Monkey. This is great for when I want a bit more substance or am out of key veggies in my Green Monster.

1c chocolate soy milk
1c of ice, less if crushed
about a 1/4 c of chunky peanut butter (or your favorite peanut butter)
1 large banana

Blend in the vitamix until smooth

Now if you do not have chocolate milk or if your beautiful Little Fellow has drank all the chocolate soy milk, plain or vanilla work fine. I suspect dairy milk would work as would almond milk or even rice, although the rice milk I think would make it thinner. Depending on how ripe the banana is, you may need to add a tiny bit of honey. Also if you are out of chocolate milk, but have chocolate peanut butter handy, that works perfectly too...

I know you are all thinking-- wowza that is alot of peanut butter, but honestly, this is my breakfast. Generally my go to breakfast if lunch is going be several hours later. Also, I am not doing grains, so I am finding it takes more to fill me up. Adjust to suit your needs.

The Green Monster

The other day I posted about my break up with grain, any grain, all grain, the few remaining grains I was eating regularly.

Let me introduce you to my breakfast replacement:

While it is a slightly complex process, it tastes wonderful and I know exactly what is in it.

The Basic Green Monster

1c of juice (I make my own, see below. In a pinch I have used farmers market apple cider or apple juice. I tried green tea or left over ice tea and well, it wasn't the best choice. I think orange juice would be ok, but I read recently about real orange juice not being so real, so I will leave that all up to you.)

1 c ice (less if already crushed)

2 hand fulls of spinach (I prefer the organic baby spinach)

1-2 inches or to taste raw ginger, unpeeled

1/2 c baby carrots (like 5-7)

1 orange peeled

Blend-- in the vitamix until smooth.

*** variations I have tried... omit the orange and use an apple. Omit the orange and use pineapple chunks. Omit the orange and add in some berries. I tried water melon and I am not sure how I felt about it. I think I should do it again.

What happens when your Sweetie eats your spinach?? Well you get an Orange Monster which is just as tasty, but missing something...

As to my juice base-- I invested in a juicer and this is what I do--

I juice 6-7 medium carrots and 4-6 oranges. If I have apples, I add a few, although the apple juice will turn brownish as time goes on, but it is fine. If I can find them, I add a yellow beet or two. Sometimes I have pears, they work also. This makes enough to almost fill a large canning jar and it will keep in the refrigerator for about 2-3 days.

Next week, I will fill you in on the Chunky Monkey! Another breakfast favorite.

Alas grain-- it isn't you, it really is me...

It is no secret. I struggle with my GI system... I have struggled with it for years. Many days it really is true, my body does hate me. My body has the communication skills of a toddler. My body can be peaceful and cooperative or it can basically throw a fit of a violent nature (vomiting at the drop of a hat, something akin to a raging river of diarrhea, hives that cover me from head to toe and look like the worst sunburn ever-- you get the idea) and sometimes, my body sulks for days on end... you know, fatigue, bloating, nausea.

Since E's arrival, I have actively been trying to learn the language of my body. Forget the Baby Whisperer, I have become the Body Whisperer. I have struggled and strained to hear my body and then act.

As with temperamental toddlers, this is very much more about Art than Science. It also is very connected to what I shared recently. Fear. I am afraid and rightly so, that you will think all of this is in my head. Why do I think this, all of you wonder? Because more than one person during this 7 year odyssey has said so. Even H has thought it is was in my head a time or two.

I have heard it all, from scientific to just plain rude.

"There is no scientific basis to think that corn..."

"Your lab results simply do not show us..."

"She is doing it for attention..."

"Why must you be so picky..."

"Surly a little bit won't kill you..."

"Well we would have invited you but your diet is just too complicated..."

In the last two years, I have made great strides and from a very low point. My B12 level was so low it was scary, I was hungry, I was sick, really sick with raging river diarrhea almost daily and I looked it.

In the last 18 months, even with the stress of my mother's illness and death, I have made wonderful strides in terms of my gut. I finally found a medical doctor, who was not interested in selling me supplements (which paid a huge cut to the doctor) and found a doctor who would listen to me, do a well rounded amount of blood work and validate my condition, even if that condition does not exactly have a name or a national support group.

I was so excited when she said it wasn't in my head and NO I wasn't fine.

All of that said, I have had a few set backs. Late winter and early spring, my clothes stopped fitting and I was a bloated mess. Nothing in my diet had changed. I greet these moments with such dread. At a certain point I cannot eat much less and I felt I had been doing such a great job.

As it stood this winter my menu choices excluded: gluten (wheat, rye, oats, spelt), corn, tree nuts (including coconut), and dairy.

I was able to add back in eggs, which has been awesome.

So you can imagine my dismay this winter when I began to consider just what more could I omit. I simply don't eat processed foods, certainly not the run of the mill ones.

Then while I was having lunch with my doctor, who is also a friend, we were discussing teff, an ancient grain used in much of Ethiopian and Somali cuisine. It breaks down differently in the gut, thus not causing a reaction in people with a gluten intolerance.

Light Bulb moment.

What if I simply cannot break down ANY grain efficiently. Could this be why things with sorghum flour or too much rice flour bother me from time to time...

I also know that unless I am eating brown rice, the nutritional value of rice is small.

About 6 weeks ago, I took a long hard look at my diet and decided to think about grains the way the food pyramid says to look at fats. I can have some rice or some gluten free baked goods, but in extreme moderation. I have totally revamped my breakfast.

Now I am focused on fruits and veggies. I am making my own juice blends using my juicer and that is the base for most of my Vita Mix creations. So if it isn't eggs for breakfast, it is a homemade smoothie.

I can totally tell a difference. I am not crashing in the morning after breakfast. My overall puffy factor has decreased remarkably. I suspect that all those jeans I got rid of in a fit a few weeks ago, they would most likely fit now.

My hope is this summer I can really pack my diet with fresh veggies and fruit from the farmers market and make this transition complete.

I think even the gluten free processed items, the bagels or crackers or what have you were weighing me down, literally. I don't know if it is science or art, all I care about is feeling my best and looking my best and being able to keep up with my busy, busy kiddos and to stop the bone crushing fatigue in its tracks. If that means no gluten free pasta or a sandwich, then so be it. I now reserve my grain consumption to one meal a day and then just a little bit. I can eat sushi or Indian with basmati, but that is the grain allotment for the day.

So the B12, the new probiotic, the fiber supplement, and now the drastic reduction of gluten free grains, I feel like I am really on the road to feeling my best. So really, it has been me all along.

June

School is out and summer is in full swing. We started with a rainy day and then an incredibly busy Saturday. Today we are committed to hanging out quietly and enjoying a peaceful day at home.

This month my goal is to get caught up and show you all the stuff that has been happening around the house and with me. I cannot believe how busy May was. I felt like I moved into the kids school some days and we had L's dance show and E's weekly soccer practices and games.

I am ready for summer and the slower pace, the great food and the quiet nights. It is also hard to believe that I made our first summer favorite dessert, before it was even June.

We had gluten free strawberry shortcakes for dessert. I used local berries from the farmers market and I modified a savory biscuit recipe using 1, 2, 3 Gluten Free's biscuit mix. I made drop biscuits, because I was not in the mood to roll out biscuits and honestly, once you smoother them in berries, is there really a reason to have perfect, round biscuits?

E isn't much into shortcake, but he loved eating the left over biscuits with jam.

Easy Honey Mustard Chicken

My friend HC on twitter really wanted to hear more about my easy and yummy dinner last night, so as they say, a blog post is born.

While in sunny Florida, my Great Aunt made a version of this dish. I have to say there was more salt than honey, mustard or orange in her version, but it got me thinking, if I cut back on salt and amped up the other flavors, it could be really, really good. My biggest beef with most American cooking is that it lacks real flavor and relies too much on salt. We are lite on the salt around here, but big on flavor.

So I did. The beauty of my version is you can tailor it to your tastes and it is totally versatile. It will also likely be totally gone. The kids and H ate so much of it, only one small thigh was left. They dove in even before I could snap a picture.

What you will need:

8 bone in, skinless chicken thighs (if you can only find bone in with skin, no biggy just add 5 or so minutes to the cooking time and if you can only find boneless, skinless cut back on the cooking time.)

1/2 cup fresh OJ (about two oranges, from the cartoon is ok too)
1 1/4-1 1/2 cups low sodium chicken stock or water if that is all you have
2 heaping tsp of your favorite Dijon mustard
1 Tbs good honey (darker honey has more favor as a general rule)
1/4 tsp Cayenne or chipotle  pepper (red pepper flakes would work, or hot sauce of your choice, that would likely work too...)
1 tsp favorite salt free herbal seasoning

 Flour, corn starch or potato starch in a ziplock bag. (I use potato starch, but honestly either will work.)

In a deep skillet heat some oil or some oil and butter over medium heat.

Add one piece of chicken at a time to the zipper bag and shake well to coat, shaking off the excess and put chicken on a plate.

When chicken is coated and the oil is heated place chicken skinside/topside down in the oil and brown for about 5-6 minutes or until browned (chicken should lift easily with tongs, if you have to tug, you have not browned it long enough.) Flip and brown the other side for about 4-5 minutes.

While the chicken is browning, in a small bowl mix OJ, chicken stock, honey and mustard and spices. (you can add some salt or wait until dish is cooked to adjust seasoning. I think you will find you don't need the salt.)

Turn the chicken so skin side is up and pour the liquid over the chicken. It should not drown or completely submerge the chicken, liquid should be about half way up the chicken.

Bring liquid to a boil and then reduce to a simmer and cover tightly. If your pan does not have a lid use foil (which is what I do, my deep skillet does not have a lid.) Cook for about 30 mins (or adjust based on the type of chicken thighs you bought.)

Remove lid, check for doneness and taste the sauce. Serve over rice or whatever!

So easy and so yummy.

Umba Box: My Review, Month 2

Last month, I blogged about Umba Box and indicated I would commit to at least three months with them. This month, I got in the mail a surprise collection of body products, all homemade and very generously sized.

Rinse Bath & Body are homemade body products, which based on this box, stack up with their chemical laden cousins. I have had the box for about 10 days, but did not have time to really focus on the contents until the other night.

The cute bath Truffle I am saving for this weekend but it smells divine as I sniffed it and I am dying to give it a try. We are huge fans of LUSH bath bomb in this house and I am excited to see how it stacks up. Price wise they are equivalent and the plus, they are wrapped like Hersey kisses, making them easy to store.

I have been loving the skin stick. Basically a giant sized chap stick made of shea butter and beeswax - with some essential oils. Fantastic. I have been using it on my lips, hands and elbows. I love that it moisturizes and isn't at all greasy. I also love that it isn't basically scent neutral. I am a light on the fragrance girl.

The item I was most skeptical about was the Cafe Mocha facial mask scrub. It smells like burnt coffee. I used water to form the paste, but next time I am going to try yogurt or maybe even soy milk. I made the paste, slowly adding small splashes of water and then put it on my face. I let it dry, for at least 10 minutes. It was good and dry by the time I got in the shower.

While I was not thrilled with the Starbucks like smell which at that point permeated my bathroom, I am sold on the results. My skin was noticeably smoother and brighter. In short it worked - it is salt free and no harsh chemicals. It is also not oatmeal based. I worry about oatmeal based skin products.

In generally, while I am very careful about what I eat, I am not as picky about my skin products and their level of gluten freeness. I probably should be. I am careful to avoid things at LUSH or other places which contain beer or oatmeal.

Rinse uses all natural components and they also have some vegan products.

The story card enclosed was very informative and again this is a woman owned and operated business. Heather started making soap as a hobby in 2002 and then expanding. According to the card Rinse products are available at over 200 boutiques nationwide and online.

I love this, a small woman owned business, making quality body care products.

I also love that I can pronounce all the ingredients, pronounce them and actually could probably buy most of them at Whole Foods. I like the back to nature skin care approach. More to the point, I think my skin responses well to gentle cleaning...

While when I initially opened the box, I wasn't completely sold on the idea of a coffee mask and a giant chap stick, after I tried them out, I am really enjoying the products. In terms of making a purchase, I am more likely to buy the skin stick. It is something I have never really tried before, but really like and the stick makes it the perfect way for me to take my lotion along in my purse or gym bag or writing desk for that matter.

So I wonder what Umba Box will have in store for me next month?

Crafty: Canisters

So I have been slowly, very slowly working to achieve a Zen pantry. I crave organized spaces, not that I ever really seem to achieve them, I crave them all the same. I have slowly thru the acquisition of a number of wonderful IKEA containers, slowly gotten a handle of a number of our loose odds and ends in the pantry.

I struggled with canisters. I don't have just regular AP flour to worry about. I have besan, and sweet white rice, and sorghum and the list goes on and on. The joys of being gluten free.

Early this summer I spied these glass jars with screw top lids at the Wasserstrom stall at the North Market for a buck a piece. I know totally cheap! The problem is with so many flours, I need to be able to label the jars.

Chalkboard paint.

Right - chalk board paint. I can change the label when I need to, it is cheap and easy.

While I couldn't find the paint in a can that I could paint on with a paint brush, I did find spray paint and I decided to give it a try.

So I used painters tape to tape out a rectangle on each jar. I will be the first to admit, I totally eyeballed it. I didn't measure and I wasn't consistent. The last two were the best, and if these guys were going to occupy a place of prominence on the counter, I would have gone back and reworked the others, but they aren't. These jars will be in my pantry and the only person who is going to see them is me.

Monday afternoon I went outside and painted these guys as the evening was calm and warm enough that the paint would work properly.

I used paper to cradle the jars and an old shirt to cover the lid and top portion of the jar.

Following the paint can instructions, I shook the paint well and worked in controlled overlapping rows, re-shaking every time I moved onto the next jar.

The paint goes on very shiny but dries to a dull black. As per the can's instructions I allowed the first coat to dry for an hour and then did another one.

Yesterday I carefully removed the tape and lucky for me there was very little stray paint. It removed easily with some finger nail scrapping or paint remover.

All I have to do now and condition the surface, which means coloring it with chalk and then wiping it off.

I am pleased with the results. They are serviceable and will be easy to use, now that I can label them and change the labels as needed. If I were to try this project again, I would make a template out of bendable cardboard I think.

All in, I think this project cost me about $10.

Music Monday: Don McLean American Pie

This weekend felt more like fall than summer. Autumn is in the air. The kids and I went to a large farmer's market on Saturday. I love this market, it is big, with so much fantastic local produce. Lots to choose from, but it is crowded. If it were just crowded that would be one thing, but it is crowded with some of the rudest people I have ever run into. Three old ladies nearly ran the kids and I down, clamoring for melons. One older lady hit E in the head with a bag of produce,  she was completely self absorbed. I am not sure how I feel about the families who come to this crowded market with their double stroller and two large dogs. Really? I am all for family time, but the sidewalks are so crowded and the dogs the size of ponies.

It wasn't all bad. We ran into some friendly dogs and we listened to some great live music. L was taken with the man singing and playing the guitar. We loaded up on the items I needed and and wanted. It was wonderful.

Now is the time of year when berries are a thing of the past and the first apples are appearing in our CSA. We are seeing less lettuce and more root veggies.

I think there is something decidedly American about apple pie.

As we all know, I eat a gluten free diet, among other things. Pie for me flew out the window about 6 years ago. This is a pity, I grew up eating my grandmother's fantastic fruit pies. All summer long we had a variety of wonderful pies. H's mom made decent fruit pies also.

Since giving up working for the man, I have taught myself to make pie crust from scratch and experimented with various fruit fillings. I even made a pecan pie using some coconut nectar a friend gave me. None of this I can eat. Not even a tiny taste.

While I have perfected some decent gluten free baked items, many of which I have shared here, for the most part gluten, I have decided, is part of what makes most baked goods good. It is integral to their character.

But those apples.

Beautiful late summer apples. They are so good. So good and pretty that I hated to just default to apple sauce or make yet another gluten free apple crisp. I wanted an apple pie. So when I saw one of my Tweeps was experimenting, I thought I would try too.

The key I decided is in the flour mix. You cannot go straight rice flour or sorghum flour. It has to be a blend. Recently I bought a bag of Namaste Flour Blend.

This blend contains sweet brown rice flour, tapioca flour, arrowroot flour, sorghum flour and

	xanthan gum.

My first try I uses my standard double crust recipe and subbed the 2 cups of flour for two cups of this blend and proceeded normally. I then rolled out the crust and made no pan crust on the pizza stone, folded up the sides partially covering some apples sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar and away we went.

It was too much crust, but it tasted good.

Yesterday, I decided for book club, I would try making a tart or as one of the very astute ladies in the book club pointed out, a galette. Again using the same plan as before, I made my normal pie crust using 2 cups of the Namaste flour blend and one stick of organic butter and adding 2 tablespoons of sugar. Then using the food processor, I add water by tablespoons until the dough begins to ball up. (about 6-7 tablespoons of ice water.)

I rolled this out on wax paper, carefully formed it in the tart pan and then popped in the fridge over night.

The hard part is rolling. This dough has no stretch. I normally get a double crust from this recipe when I use normal flour, but this same version using the gluten free flour blend is only going to yield one single crust. Gluten equals stretch.

Sliced apples the next day, layered them in the pan, sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar and dotted that with butter.

It looked so pretty.

Here is a before shot, just as I popped it in the oven.

and the after

The apples held up nicely, but released their juices, which blended with the sugar and cinnamon and butter to make a moist filling and the crust is perfect. The ladies at book club loved it and I thought it worked beautifully. My next step is to try for a real pie. I think I can do it. This flour blend seems to have what I need to make a short crust, which isn't crumbly.

So while you dream about apple tarts and apple pies and crisp, short satisfying gluten free pie crust, why not listen to American Pie by Don McLean. While this song is sad and wistful, I have always liked it. The gentleman at the market was singing it and L was dancing and that I think is the test of a classic, can it reach beyond the generation who created it? Does the music still resonate? Do we still think about it, even after he who created it faded from existence?

Kinda like apple pie??

Music Monday: B is for Birthdays and C is Cookie

Cookie Monster - C is for Cookie

It is my Birthday Week! Yeah Me! I love birthdays, your birthday, the kids birthdays, H's birthday (even though he refuses to celebrate) and just the idea of Birthdays! I really love my birthday...

So this week kicks off my birthday week! (Well two weeks really, as I have lots of loved ones who want to celebrate with me and I am not going to be around this year for my actual birthday... more about that in a moment.)

As a mostly gluten free vegan, who eats meat and noshes on goat and sheep's milk cheese, birthday cake is mostly, in my opinion, out of the question, as it resembles a mealy rock and it just don't taste like the cake I remember as a child.

I had all but given up on baked goods, at least baked goods that tasted like anything, until I met Carl, the owner of Rogue Bakery. Carl bakes cookies. I can't eat most of Carl's cookies - but you can and you should, he will drop them off at your house, crazy I know, but so crazy it is perfect. There is nothing like a fresh baked, hand delivered cookie, trust me. His cookie are creative and yummy!

Carl's birthday was this past weekend. Cool people have July birthdays. (Happy Birthday Carl!!!)

So - when I first met Carl he was carrying a large tray of amazing cookies. Cookies I couldn't eat. Carl and I were sad. Very sad.

So Carl decided to perfect the perfect  me friendly chocolate cookie. It took some trial and error, but he prevailed.

Hello Chocolate Liberator!


(He also makes a spicy peanut butter cookie which is amazing. I mean super amazing.)

I can eat cookies again, really really good cookies. Gourmet, melt in your mouth, do not crumble, homemade cookies. Just like everyone else. In fact other people eat these cookies and like them and do not smile sympathetically and say things like, "well I guess it is ok, for bein gluten free..."

The Chocolate Liberator was liberating.

On Twitter I created the hashtag, #CisforCookie

And it is!

Now hold your horses, if and I am not being presumptuous, I am not asking you or even hinting that you surf on over to the website and order me birthday cookies. Although that is exactly what I did for E's friend birthday party, I ordered 3 dozen cookies, because they are way less messy than cupcakes, but that is a different matter all together. But back to me and my birthday, if you were to be so motivated, to order me some yummy, yummy Rogue Bakery cookies, I would be hard pressed to refuse them and likely would send you an electronic or hand written thank you note, but said cookies should not arrive until middle of next week. (like after the 18th...)

My birthday is always hot. Mid-July in Ohio is always warm to over warm. One year, when I was L's age my mother made me a cake and it melted, the frosting just plain melted and the top layer of the cake slide clean off the lower layer.

When I turned 17, in Germany, it was very cool. We ate cake and celebrated on my host family's terrace. It was lovely. I think I might have actually worn long pants. We ate a gooseberry and strawberry short cake. Yumm-o!

That year Germany was in the World Cup for Soccer. The final match was played around the 4th of July. I remember being in Bavaria on a trip and we were eating Chinese, in Germany, on the 4th of July and given the win, there were fireworks. It made me less homesick. My brother still has the T-shirt I got him commemorating the win.

Now why, you might be asking yourself is she talking about birthdays and cookies and then goes off on a tangent, about birthdays overseas. Has she lost her mind? (And no I am not that old yet!)

Long and short of it, the reason there will be about two weeks of my birthday this year, is I will be away, we take vacation when the airline says we can and it happens to be the week of my birthday. (Last year it was the week of L's birthday, what can I say, the airline has no regard for our birthdays.)

If you want to know where we went, check back next week for the big reveal. Until then, I highly suggest you go check out the Rogue Bakery website - because Cookie Monster is right - C is for Cookie that is good for me!!!

Shh... Yummy Peanut Butter Cups...

So I am conflicted. I want to share this information with you because these peanut butter cups are really that good, but on the other hand, they are so hard to find and they have quickly become a favorite of mine, that if you all run out and buy them and eat them, there won't be any when I want them. (A solution to this is YOU buy some for yourself and some for me. As a gift, for me sharing this tip with you.)

So here they are:

Justin's  Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups

They are yummy and completely me friendly. No tree nuts (which I am avoiding due to high Omega 6 levels), no dairy, no gluten, and no corn starch or corn syrup.

These babies are what a treat should be, simple, rich, sweet and delicious. I can honestly say, one is enough to satisfy a dessert craving. E loves them also, so I have to hide the opened package, if I realistically want to eat the other one later.

I can get these sporadically at Whole Foods. Justin's entire line of nut butters and peanut butter are pricey but so worth it.

(I have received no compensation for this review - but if anyone is motivated to send me dark chocolate peanut butter cups - I would not turn them down...)