Best Gluten Free Cookies Review and Pictures!

Gluten free/ allergen free sugar cookies, oreo imposters and the pictures to prove it!

It’s cookie time and I finally have access to the pictures on my rogue computer.  

The Big Batch Gluten Free Sugar Cookies at Karen Joy’s blog Only Sometimes Clever are my all time favorite. 

They cook up just like regular cookies and tricked even my “cookie connoisseur” dad who does not eat allergen free.

The boys had a blast decorating loads and loads of sugar cookies.  Too bad I can’t mail them to everyone but surely they will all be eaten before the week is out.  I might have to make them again when the inlaws come.

Another recipe I came across recently that was to die for are these Gluten Free Homemade ”Oreo’s”  by Kate Chan at Gluten Free Gobsmacked. 

My husband remarked while eating one of these, “The only thing wrong is they are better than the original!”  Haha!

The only thing I did differently is leave the cookies to fluff up instead of squashing them flat so they would be more authentic. I just couldn’t help it.  They were such an incredible texture, chewy and delicious.  But if you desire you can make the cookies thin and let them sit on the counter to dry slightly for a perfect oreo replica.

Please visit Linda’s  “What Can I Eat That’s Gluten Free” and don’t forget to check out the other great recipes this week!

My Favorite Big Batch Gluten Free Christmas Cookies

THESE SUGAR COOKIES are to die for!  Check out my pictures and another awesome cookie recipe HERE

My sister found this blog a couple years ago before I had internet and passed along the recipe.  Once I got into the 20th century I stopped over at Only Sometimes Clever and met Karen Joy.

The cookies are incredible but the fellowship and discussions that take place at OSC have me hooked.

The recipe originated in the cookbook Special Diets for Special Kids II but I’ve pulled to wool over the eyes on my own father who does not need a ”special diet”.  He is a self proclaimed gluten free sleuth.  If you try to trick him he KNOWS!  Well, usually. In a side by side test with two plates of cookies readily available in identical cut outs and decorations, Dad picked these over and over and over!

Double Check

Don’t forget to update your readers. It is national blog posting month and I’m spending more time at www.blogschmogme.wordpress.com during November. Come visit me over there.

My main computer is on the fritz again so food posts will have to wait. I have recipes I’d like to share but at the moment they are stuck.

See you soon.

Going going- I’ll be back!

Okay so it is snowing today and I’m feeling a bit humbug.

I will be back though. I’ve got a few ideas/ recipes to share but at the moment they are stuck on the hard drive of a rogue computer. Grrr!

Until then come visit me at Blog Schmog. Submit your adventures in turning lemons into lemonade on Friday for Fu-get ABout it Fridays (F.A.B.)! Fab in the “Fabulous I’m getting another cup of coffee before I tie myself to a rocket headed for the moon” kind of Friday. Is anyone out there that can relate? Its where moms, grandmas, dad’s, grads (anyone really) unite to laugh in the face of permanent marker art and mom jeans!

We interrupt your regularly scheduled program…

 I’m moving!

This blog will remain and I will post food here but for the rest of the random fun please update your readers and blogroll adding www.blogschmogme.wordpress.com

A couple of weeks back I posted the poll “More or less, what should I blog about?”.  Though I put it in the form of a question I did it to confirm a hunch I had.

It boils down to this…

My foodie friends say, “bring on the food.”

My photography friends say, “bring on the pictures.”

You get the picture…

So here’s what I’m going to do:

I will occasionally post recipes here at www.glutenfree4goofs.wordpress.com  and will change the name from Blog Schmog to Gluten Free 4 Goofs to reflect the food emphasis.

Blog Schmog is moving to www.blogschmogme.wordpress.com and we will continue there where I am leaving off here with pictures, stories, gardening, occasional crafting, homeschooling and my journey of faith.

My passion is in encouraging others to follow Christ while looking on the bright side of life.  And when we don’t feel the warmth of the Son because circumstances cloud our perspective, I hope to seek together the promises in God’s word until he has made his glory known. 

In short I am on a joy journey and hope you will find nuggets that will give you hope and peace through our Abba Father.

Romans 5:3-5

We also have joy with our troubles because we know that these troubles produce patience. And patience produces character and character produces hope. And this hope will never disappoint us because God has poured out his love to fill our hearts. He gave us his love through the holy spirit whom God has given to us.

                          *                *                *                *                 *                *

EPILOGUE:

Thanks are due my little sis Callie for helping me to get over my conspiracy notions and just blog what I love!   I started out thinking no one would read my blog if they didn’t “get” something.  I also am strange about who might read so if you are a crabby person, don’t give me grief, I might self destruct! Lol! I’m totally kidding, I’m not that easily offended. 

Actually now that I think about it that is outrgeously wierd.  I want to draw readers by providing recipes “a service” but I don’t want people to read? What am I duel enrolled in the oddity club?

Dairy free mushroom soup saves the day.

If you are like me and most mornings start with the  slamming of drawers and the incredibly loud rumble that little feet can make on the stairs, you will understand my love for coffee and will have experienced the daily cry,

“What ELSE is there to eat MOM!?”

Yesterday we went twenty-four hours without water and this morning when I woke to those galloping bare feet I crammed the pillow over my head and tried to sneak fifteen more minutes of sleep.  When Bubba flung open my bedroom door and started shouting something about Thing Two being mean, I knew my beauty rest was over and I prayed,

“Lord, please let there be coffee!” 

Without water I would be unable to have my daily cup o’ joe.  Thank goodness God cares about the little things too

Water flowed freely.

Pee Wee decided to enter into the pantry raid and my day starts three steps behind!

 

Besides coffee I tend to have an unhealthy attachment to the dreaded housewife casserole.    The problem is most of my recipes have been converted to gluten free.  That’s great right, but when I discovered Bubba can’t have soy or milk either I was doomed!  The housewife casserole  goes out the window without “cream of something”!

Thank goodness for waterless days and dinners that sneak up on me, I can make my casserole un-recipe again and have one waiting happily in my freezer for just such an occasion using this dairy free mushroom soup recipe, I’m home free! 

Even if you don’t have multiple allergies this soup was delicious and  very gourmet tasting (I’m sure due to the white wine).  A little wine doesn’t hurt matters eh?   It was not too rich and yet still very flavorful even without all the different mushroom varieties suggested.  Remember in my little town there aren’t a whole lot of options and I didnt’ expect to find “special mushrooms” at Wal-Mart, though who knows I’m sure I could find some variety  around the corner but that too is a different story!

A couple loaves of frozen bread would be nice as well. Check out my new pictures on last week’s contribution to the carnival, Alice’s Tapioca Loaf.

Please visit Linda’s new and improved “What Can I Eat That’s Gluten Free” and don’t forget to check out the other great recipes this week!

New Page:

I’ve just launched a new page to catalogue the stories that so many of you enjoy. Check out “Long and Short of it”.  I hope you find it easier.

Thank you for your encouragement and let me know if you have suggestions on ways to make my blog easier to navigate. What you like and can’t find, what you don’t like and are bugged by

For Kathryn

I’m going on a little field trip with the boys.  We plan to drive out tomorrow morning to Philipsburg MT and then we will explore a nearby ghost town.

I spent the day as the day before a trip should be spent, doing laundry and reading a book my friend told me I had to read!   I resisted slightly when I saw it is a christian romance (I’m not big on those) but this book is insane! I can’t put it down.

So, I’ve got to get back to the book but for Kathryn, who I know loves kitty’s, here is Tiger Too in Davie’s seat….

The boys took their sisters seat outside and left it in the rain, hence the dirt and the kitty!

See you all next week!

A Mini Donkey Tried to Eat Me!

It was the horseback ride from_____ well, lets just say it was an adventure.

Thing 1 begs me every day to take him riding so this time I said yes.  We have a little pinto mare whom he calls “his horse” that has an arthritic knee (from an injury) and can’t go anywhere too fast so he is pretty safe on her. 

We waited for Matt to come home, shoveled down a quick dinner and piled out the door hoping to sneak out before the Bubba could see what was happening.

Thing 2 didn’t want to get left behind so I doubled him on my “Mountain Mare” and we headed down the trail.

We went along fine for a while but 5 year old Thing 2 is not the most natural of horsemen and when my horse jolted forward unexpectedly I suddenly had his feet up under my armpits.  Instead of bringing her to an immediate stop all I could think was to grab for him behind my back, hoping to catch a clump of his shirt.  He was howling and wailing while she loped ahead and he bounced around on her rump while I tried desperately to keep us both atop! 

We made it through that one and it wasn’t long before the howls of surprise subsided.  The 5 year old can get quite emotional over anything unexpected.

Meanwhile Thing 1 was plunking along on his little mare when we came to a large tree in the trail.   She could not lift her bad knee high enough to clear the obstacle so with a crash and a bump she ended up high centered over the thing.  In another instant and a horrendous struggle she made it over completely, fell to her knees and then stumbled back up to her feet.  I have no idea how Thing 1 managed to ride it out with out a peep.  Poor girl banged up her sore knee.

 We finally made it out of the woods about 3 miles down a fairly steep grade to meet back up with the road below.  My horse decided that she was bored and started eyeing everything with suspicion. 

We rode about a half mile on the road where a garbage can tried to eat Mountain Mare, then my neighbors fluffy dog; a bunch of cows, a rabbit in the weeds, a bicyclist and a motorcyclist then a kind neighbor who stopped in his pickup truck to let us pass.  He said hello in a voice so deep and smoothly rich that it startled me as well!  Thing 2 told me later in a high pitched squeak “I hope I sound like that man when I grow up!” 

I could not get my horse to settle down and I worried about another jolting ride for Thing 2 so I hopped off and led us back up the road to the trail head where I figured we would be safe from horse eating monsters.

We settled in again Mountain Mare and I in the lead with wiry haired Thing 2 clinging to my waist and Thing 1 surprisingly quiet (for once) following behind on his poky girl. 

Not 100 feet into the woods we came to a fence and the cutest little gray donkey that had to stand less than 30″ high and was certainly that wide!  But Oh *^$&*+ I am sure I heard my horseswear as her head snapped around to get a better look and we both saw him squeeze that fat belly right between the gate and a big black railroad tie it was chained to.

In an aggressive move I didn’t expect from such a cute little booger he bolted up to Thing 1’s horse, reared up and snorted in her face.

“Don’t let them sniff,” I scolded him then tried to urge my horse ahead to keep the mares moving farther away from the crazy donkey.  My son’s mare stood frozen in fear while I am certain by the look in her eye, my mare continued to think up unkind words to describe the angry gray monster.

We got a little ahead and the donkey left Thing 1’s mare to gallop past my horse and attempt to kick her in the knee with both hooves flying.  “Hang on TIGHT!”  I hollered at Thing 2 who had practically climbed into the saddle with me, arms and legs wrapped around my waist, head pressed into my back, this time no howls.

When the little guy came galloping back through the brush and the trees Thing 1’s horse decided she’d had enough.  She rammed into the back of us then jetted around my horse and ran as fast as her little legs could take her with the mini chasing from behind.

“Hang on! Hang on TIGHT!”  I yelled, still trying to cling to my double rider with one arm and steer my horse up the rocky trail with the other.

Suddenly the donkey turned back but our horses were not convinced, I allowed my mare to lope in order to keep up with my oldest and his runaway pony.  He was hanging on like nobody’s business but had lost his stirrups so legs and boots where flying and flopping, at first on either side of the horse and then slowly he leaned…

and I watched, as if in slow motion, as he bounced until off the side he went.

I was a little too close to the accidental dismount on a very narrow trail so my horse had to jump in order to avoid stomping his feet or a leg. 

In just twenty feet or so the riderless horse stopped and behind me the horseless rider got up, groaned a little then started hiking.  I wasn’t sure if he was mad or personally offended but he wasn’t seriously hurt, thank the Lord.

I had to hike the three miles home up the steep trial dragging two horses while Thing 1 limped along, only his pride hurt but his horse too banged up to ride. 

Back at home the boys told Dad we had an adventure and when Thing 1 retold the story he claimed he ”was born to fall off!”

All because of a horse eating mini donkey.

Back to the Garden

We haven’t been in the garden lately.  I’ve been blessed with rain and extra hands but I’ve missed visiting on a daily, sometimes twice daily basis.

Here is what has been going on while I was away.

I discovered that not all of my beans died and they have even begun to flower.

I have two different varieties of corn that are doing well.  The one above is an heirloom sweet corn called Clem Bennet.  Below is a Blue Pop Popcorn Variety.

I even spotted a couple ears beginning to bulge and  show silks!

I love how the cucumber flowers have mini cucumbers sneaking up behind them on the stem.

But even better than that is a cucumber ready for one of my Thinglets to pick for tonight’s salad!

Eggplant flowers are amazingly pretty and I have two varieties to pick from.  I can’t wait to make Barbequey Ratatouille with my garden fresh eggplant.

This jalapeno was so well disguised beneith the dark similiarly shaped leaves I didn’t even spot it until it was near seven inches long!

 Below my re purposed crib rails protect the lettuce from the hot sun and provide a trellis for the cucumbers to climb.