Delicious Gluten-Free Blondies

Last night I got invited to go play Bunko and was asked to bring a dessert. I had a Namaste Blondie Mix and decided to give that a try. I added a 9oz. bag of Sunspire Semi-Sweet Organic Chocolate Chips. They were so great. The bunko girls ate them all up. I will definitely make them again. In fact, I may figure out how to make it from scratch. The mix had all sweet rice flour and I have some of that. In the long run I think it's cheaper to make from scratch, but for a great treat in a hurry the mix is a must have!!!

Steps to Going Green

I've been thinking a lot lately about steps we can take @ our house to go green. Today I went to the grocery store, I needed to buy the kids some more peanut butter. I decided not to buy a product in a plastic jar, but a glass one. I figured that glass is much more likely to be a recyclable item than plastic, at least overall.

We've talked about recycling glass, plastic and aluminum @ home for years. Where we live, we don't have curbside recycling. So today I got on my city's Freecycle page and but in a wanted add for 3 garbage cans that I can put on my back porch. Fortunately, the back porch is right off of my kitchen. Can't get any easier than that!!! I also e-mailed my out-of-town friend in hopes that she would put an ad in for me in her city's freecycling website. I really hope that in about a week or so something will turn up for me!!!

My "stay-at-home-job" is selling things on e-bay. I think that being a successful seller has inspired recycling in me. I love that things I don't want or use are usable to others. Things that I am not able to sell I either give away or take to the local Goodwill. I try not to treat anything like "garbage" but ask myself: can i sell this? could someone i know use this? is this goodwill worthy? or is it just plain garbage?

Today I thought about calling a friend and asking her what the title of the going green book she recently bought. Then I thought, why waste paper? The internet has tons of information and saves a tree.

Another step I've recently taken is to use one-sided paper I would have thrown away as printer paper. When I ship e-bay items it prints on a whole sheet of paper but you only use half to tape on their package. When I was going through files to sell on e-bay I found I had a huge mound of paper that needed to be thrown away. Thinking that it would be a pretty wasteful thing to do I started a big stack, at least to use for notepaper. Then I got the idea of putting the printed side up in my printer and using it for e-bay mailing labels. Haha, I think that's a genius idea!

Recently I ran out of bubble wrap to use in packaging breakable items. I go through the self-check out @ my grocery store regularly and all they offer is plastic bags. I always save the bags, but for what? It has turned out to be much cheaper using discarded plastic bags instead of bubble wrap in shipping my items.

If you stumble across this post please let me know some things you do to create less waste.

Pamela's Chocolate Chunk Cookie Mix - Wheat Free Gluten Free

My oldest son (9 years old) started a dairy free diet about a week ago. He has been having a lot of stomache aches for about two months. I thought about taking him to the doctor but the pain comes and goes. Also, dairy intolerance runs in my family and there are some serious allergies on my husband's side. Taking him off dairy for a period of time as an experiment seems more realistic than wasting a $10 co-pay and have the doctor say "I don't see anything wrong....."

He's had a pretty great attitude about it. He likes taking responsibility for himself, in fact, he thrives on it. Also, he doesn't like his stomache hurting. He's remembered to tell people that he's with to check and see if there's dairy in it.

This morning was his first day back to school after Spring Break. He looked @ the lunch menu as usual and really wanted to buy. Today was cheese sticks. He was pretty bummed. We comprimised and I told him that if he does a good job staying off milk for about a month, then maybe next month when they serve cheese sticks again he could try it.

While we were making his lunch this morning, he was looking for some cookies or cake that were o.k. for him to have. So I made sure today that I would bake something special for him.

I am on a MSG/Wheat/Gluten/Dairy free diet myself. I bought some All Natural Pamela's Chocolate Chunk Cookie Mix. They are baking right now. The package doesn't say dairy free because they are made on the same machinery that products w/ milk are made, but there is no actual milk in the ingredients. Even the dough tasted great! I'll get the final thumbs up/thumbs down as soon as they cool down enough for the troups to eat.

Round Robin Photo Challenge

I was checking out my friend's Suzanne's blog and saw that she entered a round robin photo challenge. I thought that might be fun so I had to enter!!

The topic is "your perfect scene captured."

I went on a trip to Rialto Beach State Park on the coast in Northern Washington State.

It is an amazing place. When we got there it was cold, damp and dark. Everything was black and white and you couldn't see farther than a few feet in front of you. Super heavy sea fog.

Then right before dusk the sea fog started burning off. I remember looking out at the ocean as a beautiful sunset started taking place. Whammo! Out popped this beautiful island, reminiscent of any fantabulous fairy tale. The only thing missing on this tiny island was a beautiful castle atop it.

Seeing this tiny island pop out was like a surprise birthday party. The kids and our friends, as well as myself....we were jumping up and down. "Hey look!" All day long we had no idea that such a beautiful lanscape existed right in our midst. Hopefully we will get to go back this summer.....

Super Gross gluten-free Chebe Cinnamon Rolls

I bought a package of Chebe Naturally cinnamon roll mix in a bag from Whole Foods (Wild Oats). My daughter loves to bake so she mixed them up. They are gluten-free; yeast-free; dairy-free and allergen-free (don't know how you can say a mix is allergen free when people can be allergic to most anything..........)

Anyway, even though she is 12 she is quite the little baker. You can make them more light an airy by adding a tsp. of gluten-free baking powder.

Let me tell you, she should have done that.

They turned out looking like terds.

Seriously, they were gross and ugly. I took one very small bite. Horrible texture. Tasted a bit like cinnamon.

Trust me, I won't be buying them again. The piture on the packet looked great but nothing like ours turned out.

Just thought I'd save someone the trouble of buying them. I'm sure they're not cheap, I don't remember how much they cost.

Happy gluten-free baking!!!

Gluten-Free Apricot Bread

Decided to whip up some Apricot Bread. I got the recipe from "The gluten-free gourmet" cookbook but have tweaked it as follows:

Ingredients:

1 c. organic apple/apricot babyfood

1/2 c. organic sugar

2 tablespoons non-dairy shortening

2 eggs

1 c. sweet white rice flour

1/2 c. brown rice flour

1/2 c. soy flour

1 TBSP. gluten-free baking powder by E N Er G

1/2 tsp. gluten-free baking soda

1 Tbsp. fresh grated orange rind

1/2 c. fresh squeezed orange juice

optional: 1 c. chopped nuts (i did not add nuts)

Directions: Cream sugar and shortening. Add eggs and babyfood. Mix well. Add dry ingredients. Bake in stoneware loaf pan 8" x 5". Bake @ 350 for approx. 45 min. The bread is best ripened overnight.

Just took it out of the oven and didn't wait long enough to cool. Inside and top separated from the bottom leaving the bottom inside the pan. I didn't grease/flour or spray the pan but its stoneware and my food usually doesn't stick to stoneware. It could be my flour combination i used (was supposed to be soy flour and all white rice flour).....

However, very very tastey and flavorful. Has a spongey texture and the sides and bottom were slightly crispy. Excellent texture and taste! Very yellow, probably due to the soy flour.

I will definitely make this again!!

Gluten & Dairy Free Rice Bran Muffins

I ordered a new book called "The Gluten-Free Gourmet." by Bette Hagman. I haven't done very much baking in a year or so but now that I have eliminated wheat, msg and dairy I have seen an improvement in my mood and energy. So trying new gluten-free recipes is coming very easily.

This morning I made Rice Bran Muffins on page 40. My 12 year-old daughter said they tasted like fish. The 9 year-old boy liked them better w/ non-hydrogenated non-dairy margarine w/ honey. However, scarf-jaws, the 7 year-old boy w/ missing two front teeth scarfed them down in two seconds flat!

I preferred mine w/ the non-dairy margarine and honey. They were actually quite tastey if you put enough honey on them. I think next time I might try some finely chopped apple. The recipe said you could put raisins. But, considering that MSG is a naturally occuring process w/ anything aged/fermented/etc., I have not been eating things like raisins, prunes, etc. So no raisins for me!!!!!!!

This is the recipe I will try next time:

Ingredients:
1/4 c. brown organic sugar
2 TBsp. organic non-dairy shortening
1/3 c. sweet white rice flour
1/3 c. brown rice flour
1 TBsp. tapioca flour
2 TBsp. potato starch flour
2 tsp. gluten free baking powder
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
3/4 c. rice milk
1/2 c. rice bran
optional: 1/4 c. diced/shreded apple

Directions:
Cream together shortening and sugar. Add the eggs, beating after each one. Sift the flours together with the baking powder and salt. add to the egg mixture alternately with the milk. Stir in rice bran last, then apples. Bake in greased muffin tins in preheated 350 degree oven for 20-25 min. Makes 8 small muffins.

Gluten-Free Yellow Cake

Long time no blog....
Long story short, the neurologist has had me go on an elimination diet again.
I've been experimenting w/ wheat & dairy free recipes.

Here's one for yellow cake:

1 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup sweet rice flour
3/4 cup tapioca flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
4 eggs
1 1/4 cups organic sugar
2/3 cup applesauce
1 cup rice milk
2 teaspoons gluten-free vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and rice flour 1 9x13" pan.

2. Mix the white rice flour, tapioca flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder and xanthan gum together and set aside.

3. Mix the eggs, sugar, and mayonnaise until fluffy. Add the flour mixture, milk and vanilla and mix well. Spread batter into the prepared pans.

4. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 25 minutes. Cakes are done when they spring back when lightly touched or when a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Let cool completely then frost, if desired.

I purchased some chocolate frosting in a mix. So to try the chocolate frosting I had to make chocolate cake! I found this recipe on the web but I have tweaked it.

Since I have also eliminated MSG, I don't eat anything w/ vinegar. That means mayonnaise. A quick tour of gluten-free recipes and I realized that they all call for mayonnaise. I have substituted with applesauce.

I haven't bought any gluten-free vanilla extract yet or baking powder. So I guess technically I haven't actually made a gluten-free cake. At least I will get a good idea if this is worth making again or not!!

Oh, my 9 year-old just started a dairy free diet, so my kids will be the final judge to see if I should use this recipe again!

Also, the original recipe called for 1 1/2 c. rice flour. I purchased some sweet rice flour so decided to divide it up between brown rice flour (healthy) and sweet rice flour!!!

well, the cake was a hit! put on the frosting a little too soon before the cake was completely cooled. It was hard to spread and was melting

but


the frosting was still awesome and it turned all soft and creamy.

You would NEVER know that the cake was gluten/wheat free.

This was definitely a hit!!!!!!!!!!!!

MYANMAR - Monk leader U Gambira arrested

MYANMAR - Monk leader U Gambira arrested
Originally uploaded by MONK JAILED aka factoryno

There has been a tugging at my heart, a longing and a yearning to go to the Karen refugee camps on the Burma/Thai border.

Why is it that we here in the West are sheltered from the needs of real people in S.E. Asia? Is it only me? Am I watching the wrong news?

Why was it that in the late '80's all I heard about was Cambodia?

Why did I think Asia's troubles were over after Vietnam?

Don't think that what's happening in Burma doesn't affect me, or that it doesn't affect you.

My children have Vietnamese cousins because of the Vietnam War and all of the immigration it spurred.

Will my Grandchildren be Burmese/Americans? Or Laos/Americans?

I don't want to be sheltered in my big warm house where I have too much food in my cupboards.

My heart is being tugged and pulled. I want to see these refugees with my own eyes and capture their beautiful faces with my own lens.

I want to share these images with you.

It is just not that far away.

To think that I was only a few hours away less than a year ago.

It's stunning.

I almost crossed the border.

If I had more time I would have crossed.

The Karen are beautiful people. Warm, caring, compassionate, beautiful, hospitable. They are like you and me. No, they are better. They are more generous even though they have less to give.

Tomorrow I will wake up and send my children off to school where they will consume too many papers, do crafts, learn music, use fancy electronics.

While a Karen child will sit on a bamboo slat floor w/ 100 other children and only one piece of chalk and slate to share between all of them.

Free Burma!

A friend sent me this You-tube link.

Free Burma.

Burma needs Democracy. Now....

am i famous now?

View Upload your own

and this: http://www.vail.k12.az.us/latestnews/fulldaykinder.htm

What it was like for some detainees in Burma

I don't watch very much t.v., and if I do it is not the News. It seems like most of the news I read is in my local newspaper or what I see on the screen on my yahoo homepage.

Here's the e-mail I got from my savvy friend, then I checked out the following link. It won't take much of your time so I encourage you to click on the link at the bottom of the post.

"Hey there,

I just thought I would pass along this article. It does a very good job telling what it is currently like inside Burma, and also the conditions the detainees faced.

From what our casual research has shown, there are still hundreds, if not thousands of monks, unaccounted for... The 1998 military crackdown by this government was much more bloody than Tiennaman Square, but of course, it happened in much more darkness.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21448379/page/2/

It's important to note that many young men in Thailand and Burma go through Buddhist Monk training. You could say it would be similar to a "right of passage" or what Mormon young men do in early adulthood.

Look closely at the picture at the top of the post. You can see the monks taking their morning alms are YOUNG MEN. It would be my guess, and I am guessing, that it is and was YOUNG BUDDHIST MEN who are protesting the Myanmar Military Dictatorship.

Here's more:

http://www.thestar.com/News/Ideas/article/264116#
"MONKS OF ACTION

Pictures of Buddhist monks shaking their fists at riot police in Myanmar (formerly Burma) have landed on the front pages of North American newspapers and scrambled some Western stereotypes.
These are not the blissed-out meditators of Western imagination. Generally pacifistic, but far from passive, Buddhists have a long history of social activism in Asia.

Monks held court with ancient Tibetan kings, and in Japan, lay Soka Gakkai Buddhists bankrolled their own political party.
"I think we misperceive Buddhism as a sort of stereotypically quietistic and world-renouncing religion, which has never been the case," says Donald K. Swearer, a visiting professor of Buddhist studies at Harvard Divinity School.

In Myanmar, many young men join the monkhood, which counts some 400,000 members, for a short time and maintain close ties to mainstream society. As society's moral exemplars, they work to alleviate the suffering of others.
That's why they took to the streets in droves last month to protest rising fuel prices.

Dissident groups in Myanmar say some 200 protesters have been killed, according to The Associated Press, and more than 4,000 have been rounded up and imprisoned.
When Buddhism was imported to the West, Americans favoured a more individualized Buddhism, concentrating on meditation and personal discipline.

The rising profiles of the Dalai Lama and Thich Nhat Hahn have sparked a more socially engaged Buddhism in the West."

from: Religion News Service
http://www.thestar.com/News/Ideas/article/264116#

Road Trip and a Bit of History

Took a roadtrip today. To get to this spot from my house takes about an hour, slightly less. Clearly, it's worth the drive. My goal in going up to the mountain was to get a nice portrait of it w/ some Fall foliage. I had taken many shots before this one, but when I got to this Viewpoint I knew I had nailed it!

You are looking at the North/Northwest flank of the volcano. The north side completely sluffed off into the biggest landslide in recorded history. You may have seen some ash in 1980. Even though I lived so close the winds blew East and went around the world before dumping on my hometown. I remember riding my bike w/ a dust mask on!!!!

Also, straight below you can see some water, that is where the Toutle River starts, which flows into the Cowlitz River, which flows into the Columbia and then the Ocean. If it weren't for the dikes around where I live our town would have flooded.

I don't think you can see a steam emmision here but there was a tiny one while I was there. The mountain has been active again since Oct. 2004.

This photo was taken from outside the official Mt. St. Helen's National Volcanic Monument area but is still within the Blast Zone as you can tell if you look Large.

This was a place that I visited often until the eruption. My parents took my brother and I camping up here, we fished in Spirit Lake (which is no more) and we picked wild huckleberries to put in our pancakes. We would pick so many we'd have to freeze them.

Just a bit'o history today folks.....

Message from Chiang Mai Thailand & the Myanmar Border

Hey Mary Ann,

I'm glad you sent me your blog. Most of the staff who work here at Ban San Fan are Karen and I have been to vist two of their homes. The Karen people are some of the most generous people I have ever met and those I work with are continualy blessing me. Ro's family, who I had the privilege of visting two weeks ago, all came from Burma (Myanmar). Her parents moved to
Thailand when they were around my age (mid twenties) and Ro was born in Thailand. They still live fairly closs to the border. We went to vist Ro's family for her friend's wedding (I'm sending a few pictures).

All the time I was there, as an on looker of both their joy and their (very real life), I was treated with the greatest of kindness. The Karen people are truly a beautiful people. I join you in your prayers for them.

God bless,Danielle

P.S. I am also sending a picture of some rice filds in a valley near Ro's home that I took with you in mind because you wanted one so much in January. I hope you like it.

***Danielle was one of the people that went on our mission trip in january 2007. She loved it so much that she went back in may 2007 for a year. She is helping @ an orphanage in Chiang Mai called Ban San Faan.

Chiang Mai is near the border of Myanmar (Burma) and there are refugee camps along that border, please go to Partners Relief and Development for more information.

***All photos taken by Danielle or Ro.

National Do Not Call List

National Do Not Call List

Rumor? Just heard that cell phone #'s will be given out to telemarketers. It is very easy to register all of your phone #'s online. ****UPDATE*** Checked the do not call website and it states that it is illegal for telemarketers to call cell phones. However, I listed my cell phone anyway! The last thing I want is getting these types of call on my cell!!!****

You can also do it by phone but you have to call from the phone that you are registering. The # is 888-382-1222.

It is very easy and only takes seconds. I had registered my home phone a few years ago but not I'm getting LOTS of calls so I re-registered.

If you are registered and after 30 days companies are still calling you, go to the National Do Not Call website w/ that companies name and/or phone #.

Please feel free to link this post and forward it to all of your friends! None of us wants telemarketers calling our cell phones as you will be billed for receiving the call.

The Real Burma

Hey friends! I just bought a book that I thought you all might want to hear about.

Did you know that the political dissidence happening in Myanmar (Burma) is nothing new? The Burmese millitary has one of the top land armies in the world. Know what they are doing with that land army? Oppressing their own people, and even more, they are systematically killing the Karen people.

Shocking?

Didn't know about it?

Well, thanks to the monks and the students protesting recently, the problem actually made it to the mainstream media.

Don't ask me why its been kept under cover for such a long time. I'm not political enough to know those answers.

However, I know that human life is much to precious for a people group to be exterminated. Unfortunately that type of behavior didn't end with the holocaust.

One of the highlights to our trip to Thailand was a visit to a Karen village. That is where we went on an elephant ride to a Karen church.

See, the Karen migrated from China, down into Burma, Thailand, Laos and Vietnam. In fact, there are more Karen people in Burma than Thailand.

Such a beautiful people. Such wonderful smiles and joy. To think that just a few hundred miles away from where I stood at this church were more beautiful people like these being forced to flee for their lives into refugee camps.

I met Steve Gumar a few years ago when he spoke @ my church about his ministry. He risks life and limb, going into the trenches of land mined areas with his helpers. They are like warriors communicating with walkie talkies or something like that....keeping each other posted on the millitary action that's taking place all around them.

On his website I read that a man he knew quite well was brutally murdered in April. You can read that story on his website. http://partnersworld.org/index.html

We can't know everything that goes on in the world. We can't save everyone. But we can pray, we can educate ourselves and we can care.

Again, what's happening in Burma has been going on for two decades or more.

I bought this book that Steve's wife wrote. I didn't even know she wrote a book! http://partnersworld.org/usa_cart/product_info.php?products_id=32

I bought a t-shirt too, a pink one. I thought it would be good to support his work there and that possibly people would ask about the shirt and then I could tell them what little I know about what's happening in Myanmar.

If i was a good spitter I could have spit on Myanmar soil last January.

This is a real place.

It is a real country.

These are real people.

They are suffering.

They are being persecuted.

They are being systematically destroyed.

The lucky ones make it to refugee camps but even these aren't safe.

I'm not asking you to save the world, nor do anything, just read about it. Know it's real and tell people about it.

Popularity Syndrome

This morning I realized that my son is suffering from a not too uncommon disease called the POPULARITY SYNDROME. I have had many health problems but never this one. I can't recall anyone in my family having it although on his Dad's side there is at least one cousin who has enough symptoms to fit in this category.

It is causing him quite a bit of stress and anxiety. Often the symptoms of this disorder are quite easy for him to handle, and the first time we noticed the underlying anxiety that coincides w/ this disease was last school year. For my son, the hardest time to deal with the syndrome is at school. Primarilly, when the teacher lets the students pick their own partners. Everyone, or most everyone, shouts his name and waves his/her hand. They compete against each other for his attention in hopes that he will choose them for the "special" honor of being his partner.

My son tries and tries to cope with this situation, always hoping and praying that God will intervene into his plight by convincing his teacher to choose the children's partners for them. He is convinced that this will alleviate all the pressure and stress that mounts as the kids shout and wave at him.

This morning before school he was especially distressed about his disorder. We talked about many different aspects of the symptoms of this disease. In particular, the shouting, waving and yelling of other people around him. He was expressing his frustration and I could see in his face that he was really quite disturbed about the whole thing. Wanting him to feel validated, I told him that it would only be natural for a person to feel anxiety and be incredibly frustrated at the shouting, waving and yelling. I told him that he really should ellicit his teacher's help in trying to deal with this very real problem.

At that very moment, I realized the discomfort that one with this disorder suffers. I felt much compassion for him even though this was nothing that I, a poor humble person, had ever experienced. Just about the same time that I was having this realization he looked at me with a sorrowful face.

"You know what I do?" he said.

"No, what? Tell me!" I said with anticipation.....

"I pick the last person," he said.

"That's a great idea." I replied, quite shocked.

After he walked out the door for school I remembered this saying: The last shall go first and the first shall go last.

Wow, I thought. How often I think that the troubles in my life are meaningless, worthless, tiresome and irritating. But yet, so often they are used, if we allow them, to teach us lessons. Lessons, not only about ourselves, but about the human condition and how it relates to God.

"Just a child...." I thought. How did he know that this was God's own strategy at the spiritual competition that man pits against one another. Humbled again, as I so often am with the simplicity that children have, I was greatful. In that moment, I was greatful for my son's "syndrome" and all of the trials it would bring him, and the lessons too.

"Wait!" I shouted after him.

I gave him a hug and looked into his eyes. "You know what?! God has given you a gift. I'm sorry that it's hard," I said hugging him. "I know it's not easy. Please try to have patience with the others," I added, "and all the shouting and waving. And, it's o.k. to be frustrated. Just ask for help. Your teacher will help you, that's her job. Will you tell her how you feel?"

Really, I think that's the hardest part: the asking for help part. I guess I'll have to wait until he gets home from school to find out what the Teacher said. The teacher will help, I know it.....the good one's always do.

my voice 8/8/07

I chose a new ear/nose/throat doctor that i will go see on thursday. I had to take three medicines which was really rough but i am done w/ them now. Just waiting to see what the next step is.....

where oh where have i been?

Well folks, i've been tired. I've been wondering why.

I haven't been taking pictures, I've been wondering about that too.

I lost my voice, well it's very hoarse anyway. So, of course I've been wondering about that.

Last week I found out that I have a cyst on my left vocal chord the size of a quarter and it is causing it to be paralyzed. Why is there? I don't have a clue. I also have another cyst but i wasn't paying close enough attention and i don't know exactly where that one is or how big it is.

I am on three lovely drugs to see if they will help. Prednisone and a antiviral horse pill for 10 days and a double whammy antibiotic for twenty days.

Yesterday i had a cat scan of my chest. and monday i will have one of the soft tissue of my throat.

Today there is pressure in my right ear, it feels like it needs to pop. You know when your ear is plugged and you can hear your breathing bounce off the ear drum? Yuup, that's what it's like. Doesn't hurt though.

The cyst doesn't hurt either. It did, back at the end of May. Thought I had strep. But it doesn't hurt now. Just feels like I need to hock up a loogie all the time. That's the only thing the Doc said not to do: Don't clear your throat. Well, I didn't realize how much i was doing it until I had to start stopping myself!

That's all for now, I am very tired. I just don't have any energy.

the moral of the story here is THINK BEFORE YOU STEAL

the moral of the story here is THINK BEFORE YOU STEAL
Originally uploaded by cameradawktor.

for fear of giving up blogging altogether i'm going to be become a photoblogger for awhile.

to find out more about this pic go here

http://flickr.com/photos/cameradawktor/sets/72157600135411462/