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!

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!

1. chex cereal
2. corn tortillas
3. apples
4. chicken
5. rice
6. coffee (is that food?)
7. chocolate (okay that’s better)
8. rice cakes
9. peanut butter
10. milk
11. cheese
12. steak
13. potatoes
14. green beans
15. salad
16. eggs (hard boiled, scrambled, omelets, green, “on a train”)
17. sunflower seeds (careful of seasonings)
18. hot dogs (read label)
19. salsa
20. corn chips
21. fruit snacks
22. nuts (but not all trail mixes)
23. ham
24. red hots
25. apple sauce
26. yogurt
27. soup (some Progresso brand or homemade)
28. beef
29. Frito’s
30. cucumbers
31. jasmine rice
32. fish
33. sushi (most- but beware of soy sauce)
34. cheese sticks (definitely a different food group than plain cheese)
35. spaghetti sauce (read label, try Classico Brand)
36. ice cream
37. M&M’s
38. pears
39. bananas
40. humus
41. black beans
42. pinto beans
43. refried beans
44. carrots
45. corn
46. lettuce
47. cabbage
48. salad dressing (NOT asian dressings, most have soy sauce)
49. tapioca
50. jello
51. bacon
52. potatoes
53. turkey
54. rice noodles
55. mushrooms
56. sprouts
57. zucchini
58. Reese’s (I had to counter all those veggies)
59. pudding
60. peaches
61. melons (and I don’t mean the Hooter’s kind)
62. grits
63. onions
64. eggplant
65. french fries (if they are fried in a dedicated vat- and no it’s not the same as potatoes!)
66. non wheat flour alternatives - sorghum, rice, tapioca, corn starch, buckwheat (technically a cousin to the rhubarb family), potato starch.
67. raisins
68. popcorn
69. pepperoni
70. carrots
71. snickers
72. pop (D.P, Coke, Pepsi translation for you non Northerners)
73. fudge (some)
74. gravy (if made with corn starch and drippings)
75. Ahhh I’m stuck…  oh how about berries
76. shrimp
77. lobster
78. tartar sauce (I don’t know about all but I think so)
79. cereal that is simply the puffed grain ie. puffed rice (check label, kamut and durum are WHEAT)
80. some brands of rice cracker
81. larabars
82. nachos (okay people I’m running low on ideas)
83. peaches
84. tomatoes
85. garlic
86. chocolate chips (did I already say that?)
87. fruit smoothie drink (be careful with protein powders)
88. hamburger patty’s
89. ketchup
90. mayo
91. salt and pepper
92. crisco, butter
93. creme cheese
94. peas
95. chick peas
96. yams
97. dried fruit (ha ha, not really another food but hey)
98. alfredo sauce by classico (many have wheat as a thickener so beware)
99. craisins
100. pistachios

So call me obnoxious   It took two days to come up with this list and I’m sure I’m missing key items.  Do you have any to add?  Maybe we’ll make a secone 100 list!

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.

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!

 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?

I did finally get to read to my neighbor.  It was terrifying and exhilarating at the same time.

My friend whom I met with in regard to God’s harebrained plan about reading to her husband the doctor, was glad to see me and optimistic about our arrangement.  Unfortunately her husband had fallen asleep and she was not able to readily wake him so instead of introducing us she left me with her eleven year old daughter while taking her other kids to youth group.

Waiting made my anxiety worse.  My husband had asked earlier in the day if I was nervous and at that time I was not, even when I showed up I was not but sitting there I began to entertain my reservations.

What will he think of this crazy plan?  Will he think I intend to evangelize him without compassion.  I bet he is wondering if whatever I have planned will allow him yet another chance to sleep or let his thoughts wander.

I chatted with my heart in my throat, nervous about what to do if he woke.  At last we heard him coughing in the other room and that darling little girl got up and ran into his room exclaiming, “Good morning, sleeping beauty!”

It was actually six at night!

“Do you wanna meet a new friend?” she exclaimed and beckoned with her hand for me to enter.

Thank you Lord! 

I had been so nervous about how to approach him and yet this lovely little girl had taking away all tension with her plucky introduction.

Lord, help me not to talk down to him, help my conversation to be comfortable and respectful.  Lord give me the right words so that I don’t pity him but that your love shows through me and your hope is evident without my having to preach at him.  Jane and I want so badly for him to learn to trust you, help me to understand your timing.

She left us alone and I sat beside his bed and began to explain why I had chosen the book that I did.  Despite the fact that God clearly directed me to read House, by Ted Dekker and Frank Peretti, I had many other reasons for agreeing with Him and I shared those.

As I spoke I took in a couple quick glances at the pictures above the bed, they were of healthier times for the doctor and I was shocked at the stark difference.  Though he had thick cotton white hair even then, it was silky and bright .  Now his hair was a coarse gray mat against his head.  He had been a big man with a broad inviting smile.  Now, emaciated and limp, his smile ghoulish, his head appearing too large on his skeleton frame.  My heart ached.

I opened my book and read stopping now and again to take a sip of water and allow him to cough.

We finished one chapter and I paused to talk a little about myself.  I told him briefly about each of my kids and that I felt blessed to know his family.  His daughter came in to check on us and I took another drink of my water while conversing with her.

I read another chapter and twice I made major mistakes that sent us both into laughter.  His eyes sparkled and he tried to laugh but it caused a coughing fit.  I winced at the pain it seemed to cause him as he gagged and sputtered.  I could not believe that I was sitting there, next to a man who was so incapacitated and yet the Lord was allowing us to fellowship.  I was not disturbed by the monitors and wheelchair.  My mind was filled with compassion and my heart longed only for him to know my Jesus and accept the promise of complete healing whether on earth or in heaven.

I read a total of three chapters and in the third had another laugh fumbling around with my voice attempting to recreate a “booming” male voice.

Though I had seen the sparkle in his eye and thought I made him laugh it was hard to be sure how he was taking it until his daughter ran to her mother the minute she arrived and exclaimed “He was so into it, I haven’t seen him that alert!”

My reservations were wiped away and the Lord graciously confirmed that His thoughts are completely different from ours…and His ways are far beyond anything we can imagine.

I read again soon and will be sure to keep you updated.

“My thoughts are completely different from yours,” says the Lord.  ”And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.  For just as the heavens are higher than the earth so are my ways higher than your way and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.”

“The rain and snow come down from the heavens and stay on the ground to water the earth.  They cause the grain to grow producing seed for the farmer and bread for the hungry.  It is the same with my word.  I send it out and it always produces fruit.  It will accomplish all I want it to and it will prosper everywhere I send it.  You will live in joy and peace.  The mountains and hills will burst into song, and the trees of the field will clap their hands!  Where once briers grew, myrtles will sprout up.  This miracle will bring great honor to the Lord’s name; it will be an everlasting sign of his power and love.”

Isaiah 55:8-13

Who hasn’t climbed in behind the clothes in the closet of a ”spare oom”, held her breath and waited for a friend or a sibling as they counted, “twenty eight, twenty nine, thirty. Ready or not here I come!”

So many childhood memories as well as childhood fantasies are wrapped up and delivered in my favorite book series by C.S. Lewis, The Chronicles of Narnia.

Entertaining?  Yes.  Imaginative?  Yes.  But beyond that the books are chock full of God’s promised and incredibly deep introspective concepts.  C.S. Lewis was in short brilliant and an amazing man of God.  His faith was a deep challenging faith that even in these childrens books an adult can find peace and restoration, struggle and triumph.

Entertaining. Yes, but the Narnia series is ageless.

If you have seen the movies but not read the books, you are really missing out!

I’ve just discovered the Children’s Classics carnival over at 5 Minutes for Books, and it has been a great way to get to know other moms. I’ve also discovered a bunch of new books I need in my bookcase!

Fancy

“We were, wanna be rebel’s who didn’t have a clue…

in our rockin’ roll t-shirts and our ty-pi-cal bad attitudes.”

That was my best friend and I!  There was one summer when we were sixteen, we had way too much fun.  For us girls it was long horseback rides wearing shorts and moccasins riding home in the dark. It was that time at dusk a coyote stalked us for over half an hour. It was running our horses with the elk in the vast Idaho woods around her house.  It was skinny dipping in the lake or better yet jumping in fully clothed and then getting the worlds worst saddle sores riding home wet!  She got hurt so much that year her parents dubbed their place “Kicking Horse Ranch” in honor of our antics.  Guess I shouldn’t wonder where my kids get it!  This was one of those kicking horse  stories.

It was spring breakup, the time the loggers have to find other things to do because the ground is so soft and muddy.  It’s a great time for riding horseback and we hadn’t been out in ages.  Forgetting all inhabitions we bridled the horses in the field and took off down the mountain.  We were so anxious we didn’t bother to follow the proper steps; halter, brush, tack, bridle then go.  I gave her a leg up onto her dun mare and then, while she held my horse I backed up far enough to get a few good steps running and lept onto my appaloosa hooking my left arm over her tall wither, then shimmyed myself up onto her back.  It was slow and not at all graceful. Later into the summer we could swing on bareback with ease but it was spring and our riding muscles were weak so we scrambled up any ol’ way we could manage.

Away we went.

Our girls, Kyanne and Shadow were smoked, heads held high, ears perked and prancing up the logging trail as we giggled and sang in our best Reba accent,

“I remember it ah-all very weh-ell, lookin’ back it was the summer I turned eighteen.  We li-ived in a one room, run down shack on the outskirts of New-ooo Orleans.”

She picked up the pace and I followed then gave her a mischievious look, nodded and leaned forward to indicate I wanted to race.  Without a word she slapped her mare gently on the rump taking her from a trot to a  run.  Shadow picked up her feet faster and faster galloping ahead to meet my challenge.

The trees whipped by like dark fence rails… one, two, three.  Faster and faster we went.  Now five rails at a time, now ten.  We were flying! 

Bareback at a full gallop our seats no longer touched the horses.  We knew we needed to slow down because up ahead the road would switch back and start up the steep mountain.  Out of breath I tried to rein in my horse.  Fighting for balance and leverage I bumped on Kyanne’s back. 

Bump, yank, bump, yank.

Sorry Kyanne!

I hated to yank on her but she wasn’t responding.  She was usually so good but her instinct was too strong.  I could not get her to stop!

My friend was a good couple yards ahead of us not having any more luck with her horse Shadow.

“I can’t STOP!” she hollered into the wind!

The hairpin turn was fast approaching. The trees were still flashing past by the dozen.  Up ahead the road had washed out from a stream caused by melting snow.  Shale had collapsed down the steep shoulder into our path.

I watched helplessly as Shadow slowed and kicked up her heels to attempt to strike my horse and maintain her lead.  My friend swung herself off  the side, still hanging onto the reins and was dragged face first into the mud in front of me. 

I was pulling with all my might but desperately trying not to fall off when my horse lurched to the right and up the steep incline of shale and falling rock.  We scrambled and slid down toward the heap that was my best friend.

Forgetting the reins, I wrapped my arms around Kyanne’s neck and squeezed my eyes shut letting out a weak scream as my little Indian horse pushed off from the bank and lept over  my huddled friend. 

It took less than two seconds but it felt like an eternity. I peeked through one eye as we sailed over the top of her and then squeezed both eyes shut again to brace for the landing.

Bum-bump!

She landed and stopped. 

Still wrapped around her neck I slowly let out a stifled breath, “whoa.”

I quickly dismounted and made a feeble attempt to catch Shadow who was undisturbed by the events and happily eating grass.  She took one look at me and bolted for home.

My best friends head was bleeding, I had noticed it the minute I opened my eyes but she insisted I catch her horse.  Not wanting to alarm her I followed her directions until the horse took off then turned back to her, purposely defeated.

She put her hand to her head and brought it down in front of her face covered in blood. “I’m bleeding!”

I responded in a calm monotone, “I know.”  I was not  calm but had to think clearly, this was no time to panic.

The blood trickled all the way down to the bottom of her long blond hair and began to pool on the ground behind her but she was alert and sitting up so I was optimistic. We were a good couple miles from home and left with only one horse.

I asked if she thought she could stand up while secretly trying to see if her eyes were dilated.  My dad, being an EMT and firefighter by trade was a safety nazi and prepared me constantly for emergency situations and concussions.  To my recolection I had never had to use my “expertise”. Yet!

I had an extra shirt so I used it to provide pressure on the cut and attempt to stop the bleeding.  Slowly she clamored to her feet and I let her lean on my horse. We began the long walk back. 

“Well, you won!” I teased.

“Very funny Jess.” she grumbled and rolled her eyes holding the wadded up shirt awkwardly atop her head.

When Shadow arrived home without a rider my friend’s brother was sent down on his motorcycle to see if we needed help.  He roared up and skidded to a stop, took one look at his sister and went into panic mode!

“Get on I’ll take you home!”

Yeah right, she will be real safe on your dirt bike as you race her back up the hill in a frenzied panic!? I worried silently. 

My friend was quick to think, “I’m okay, just go get the farm truck” she instructed.

He started his cycle back up, revved the engine a couple times, did a donut in the gravel and raced back up the mountain spitting rocks at us as he retreated.

“Hrmph,” I snorted, “I hope he makes it back safely!”

Once again we were left in silence.  We sat down in the grass beside the road and stared into the blue sky. Why do these things always happen to us?  I sighed heavily and knelt to peel back the shirt just enough to see if the bleeding was beginning to slow.  It looked good to me but what did I know.

Once the pickup returned I mounted Kyanne and rode the rest of the way home in silence.  I knew my friend would be okay but it could have been much worse!  I trembled a little as the adrenaline left my body and praised God for His hand in the situation….

Thank you Lord for protecting us even in our stupidity!

Prologue:

Her mom and I washed the wound and joked about whether or not we could tape her sliced scalp back together.  She felt no real pain, just a dull headache and had no signs of concussion.  Still we decided she had better go to the ER and have it checked out. I don’t remember exactly how many stitches she got but I do remember sitting there begging the doc not to cut her beautiful hair!

Today I had lunch with the man of my dreams.

I sat side by side with a man who absolutely sets my heart aflutter.

Let me see if I can begin to do him justice.

He is stocky yet athletic and tends to dress a bit grunge. Remember that? He has the most incredibly blue eyes you have ever seen.  Looking into them is a dream, I can hardly keep myself contained when I peer into those glassy blues  with such innocence and love.  Not to mention he has flawless skin with a smattering of freckles across his cheeks that only serve to add to his sunny countenance.

The two of us have a bit of a language barrier.  I have to listen hard to understand what he wants to portray to me but words do not have to pass between us for kindred hearts to speak.  He is an open book and a man after God’s own heart.  The humblest of the humble, a true member of the kingdom of Christ.

We ate the simplest of meals but my joy has rarely been so complete.  He requested pb&j and couldn’t be persuaded otherwise.  I ate the same and watched in wonder as he licked his fingers, finishing every morsel.  No meal with this man would be complete without a glass of juice and a swipe of the hands down the front of his recently clean-ish shirt.

Who is it?

Certainly not the ONLY man of my dreams.

None other than…

 My man, aka Bubba. 

No his eyes aren’t quite that blue but I had fun editing since I rarely have time for such extravagance!