Miscellany Monday: Artichoke Adventures

Let’s just say today was not a great day at school.

When I got home I remembered I had two fresh artichokes in the fridge – day redeemed! As I was about to start preparing them I, *gasp*, remembered I’d forgotten to get a steamer basket for our big pot. I know, we live in the dark ages over here, surviving cooking for two people without a steamer basket for almost 4 years.

We set off to Target on a “wild Monday night adventure date to find a 10 inch steamer basket”. Yup, it was that exciting.

Since Target is awesome, we found exactly what we (I) was looking for. It even has little rubber feet and an extension handle for deep pots.

from google image search

I rushed upstairs, snipped away at the artichokes and set them to boil in some water, lemon juice, garlic, and bay leaf. It’s starting to smell rather tasty in here :)

You’ve got to chop the ends of the artichoke off and trim down the stem to about one inch.

It’s not necessary to cut off the thorny tips, but it sure does look pretty that way :)

People make all sorts of fancy dips for artichoke, but I prefer butter. We’ll see, maybe I’ll find a healthier option I like more.

ADDENDUM: I ended up mixing some mayonnaise, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, lemon juice, and sugar. OMG. I’ll never dip in butter again!

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Over at Miscellany Monday Carissa’s having a super cute giveaway. Check it out!

Misadventures in Gluten Free Baking: Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Sandwiches

I’ll admit right off the bat, I used a box Chocolate Chip cookie mix. For some reason I haven’t been able to get cookies from scratch down very well, so I’m content to let someone else do most of the work for now.

First I made a bunch of cookies. And then sampled them to make sure they were acceptable.

I put a 1/2 gallon of Vanilla Bean ice cream in the microwave at 40% for 30 seconds and it became perfectly soft to spread on a cookie.

Then I sandwiched it and forced myself not to eat one. I’m all about quality assurance.

Mmmm…not sure when I’ll let myself dive in, but these little suckers are hanging out in the freezer til then!

Sushi Night

Ana came over for some sushi making tonight :) We both needed some girl time, so it was a blast!

We started with some sticky rice, cucumbers, carrots, avocado, and cream cheese.

I finally found sushi grade fish! It turns out all you have to do is ask the guy at the seafood counter and they usually have at least one sushi grade fish in the back. As I’ve learned “sushi grade” really just means it’s stored at a certain temperature.

How beautiful are all those colors?!

Closeup, just because.

Ana gives it a try.

Happy Ana.

Ana’s sushi.

We interrupt this sushi roll to take a picture of how happy sushi makes me :)

We put aside two rolls for Keith. Lucky Keith.

Gluten Free Tamari sauce!!!

Then we got to talking, which meant Ana started stacking things.

The Vitamin Tower fell just seconds after this picture, so we continued on with our night by looking at Pinterest. I love this photo.

Source: yasrsly.com via Becky on Pinterest

Are You Gonna Be My Girl? and other random song lyrics…

It’s official – I started choreographing for the Spring Dance Concert today, so I’ve got random song lyrics stuck in my head. In true Miscellany Monday fashion I will be presenting my miscellaneous thoughts in the “order” they pop into my head.

.1 2 3 take my hand and come with me.

One of my Dance II classes is using this song for their tap piece. I’m about to evict it from my head.

.etsy finds.

I’ve decided I would really really like to add the following two pieces of jewelry to my collection.

[found in this super cute Etsy shop]

This one is pretty self explanatory – it’s definitely become my non-scripture life motto. How cute is it in teal?!

[found at this lovely Etsy shop]

Oh, I don’t swoon very often, but these earrings have done it. I have always had a special place in my heart for birch trees (they’re almost as special as willow trees!). Bring me to a grove of birch trees and all my cares will wash away. I’ll be saving my pennies!

.pink tux to the prom.

This is a favorite song from college that my Dance I kids will be using. I’m hoping they get into it :)

.falling leaves.

I’m still working on Necessary Endings, but I stumbled upon this book the other day and decided it’s next on the list for the Mother-Daughter book club! Can’t wait to read it!

[buy it on Amazon here]

p.s. It drives me crazy that every time I search this book the color looks different.

.new blog look.

How do you like the new blog look? I’m all about simplifying things these days and that includes the blog! I love the clean lines! The only thing that’s driving me crazy is the icons in the side column that aren’t centered. They’re HTML, so I’ve got no clue how to fix them!

.doo dee doo doodle doodle doo.

At least that’s what I think the words are at the beginning of Singin’ in the Rain. My 1st period class got to watch the entire movie in November, so I thought it was only appropriate they got to pay homage to one of my favorite tap dancers :)

.shrimp curry rice.

I’ve been craving it for a few days. I got some asparagus to throw in too and seasoned seaweed to throw on top. That last one might be kinda gross. Maybe I’ll just have it as a snack.

.extraordinary measures.

We just watched this movie the other night (I finally got a library card, so I brought home a whole stack of movies!) and it’s fantastic. All you need to know is that it’s based on a true story and is so wonderfully done.

.oreo truffles.

I made these for Super Bowl and can’t wait to make them again. I even found completely GF oreo-type cookies!

[check out the recipe here]

.captain smith and pocahontas.

Yup, those are the first lyrics that pop into my head when I think of this song. Oy. Anywho, my Dance II kids are totally blown away by my tapping skills and have taken the challenge to heart to be super Fred Astaire smooth by May :) Since tap is my favorite genre of dance, I’m so so proud!

.rice cooker.

Ah, the rice cooker is finished cooking. I love that little machine. It’s amazing for making sushi. I’m thinking of making an instructional “how to make sushi” video since so many people have asked. What do you think?

.77 likes.

That means I only need 23 more on Facebook to hit 100!! Will you help out?

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Blessings of the Week…

This week I am so thankful for the many blessings I have received. It has been an extremely difficult week, but God’s presence has been evident.

.Necessary Endings.

My mom has been reading this book recently. When she started scanning and emailing whole chapters, I knew it was time to get a copy of my own. I plan on spending most of tomorrow reading as I know this book will help me through many transitions over the next year.

.passion fruit yogurt.

Yes, I’d consider this a blessing. I’m not a huge yogurt fan, but this passion fruit Greek yogurt is amazing. I love it.

I was so excited at how yummy it was that I ate almost all of it before I took a picture.

Yummmm…

.cuddly baby.

Our community group leaders’ son is so cute. Adorable, just want to grab his cheeks and hug him all day, kind of cute. This was him when he was only a few months old.

Luckily, he continues to be just as adorable!

I mean really, who wouldn’t love that face?! It’s even better that every time I hold him he gives me a huge grin and snuggles in.

.counseling.

After feeling a tug on my heart for the last few weeks, I decided it’s definitely time to head back to counseling. Through a referral from our church, I found Renewing Life Center. Oh man, I am just so thankful for someone who understands an anxiety disorder and can help me pray and work through the spiritual, mental, and physical aspects of it all at once!

If you’re in the Las Vegas area, check them out!

.camera therapy.

I have slowly been able to spend more and more time with Clara. She got a new accessory today as well! I’m so excited to add a prime lens to my collection since it makes tricky lighting situations so much easier!

This little friend is going to get a lot of love!!!

I took this picture as the sun was setting, in front of a North-facing apartment. The lens lets in so much light that you can see the dust collecting on that blue plate. Amazing! I guess that means I should do some dusting, huh?!

I love that this lens gives me the ability to focus tight on one thing and leave everything else really blurry. Yes, those are poinsettias; they are still alive – aren’t you so proud?!

.community group.

We are so blessed by our community group. Basically, it is like a Bible study, but with the intention of living life together and building a deep support system in addition to studying the Bible together. Each Friday night we can’t get out of the house fast enough because these people are worth every second we have with them. They’ve also been really encouraging in my struggles with anxiety and learning to eat Gluten Free. Almost all the snacks tonight were GF!

Black bean salsa = a good opportunity to try out the new lens + yummy snack.

What would I do without corn chips?!

Definitely NOT Gluten Free, but so photogenic.

A million and one thanks to Nick for getting me these cookies. BEST SNICKERDOODLES EVER! I’ve never had a Snickerdoodle as moist and wonderful as these. I almost ate the whole container on my own. I would have thought you were lying about them being GF if I hadn’t seen that they were from Udi’s myself!

.Dancing Willow Photography.

Now that Clara and I are rediscovering our relationship, I’m getting my shop back in order. Head on over to see the new graphics!

.hair cut.

It had been way too long since my last hair cut, so I made an appointment for today. Sadly, the lady who usually cuts it doesn’t work there anymore, so I had to *gasp* try someone new. At first she cut my bangs way to short and then started to do a very dramatic asymmetrical cut, so I only let myself freak out inside and asked her to make it more even. I held my breath the entire appointment until she styled it and I love it! These aren’t great pictures (again, I’m still figuring out the lens), but I thought I’d give you the idea. A new haircut goes a million miles in ignoring forgetting your troubles :)

Self portrait – definitely shoes the importance of good lighting in a picture! Too bad my arm isn’t long enough to get my whole face in.

Picture by Keith – not a work of art, but you can see my whole head, so it accomplishes the goal of showing off my quaff!

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Looking forward to a weekend of reading, hanging out, and watching a good football game on Sunday! There’s a bit of contention in our house since I was raised a Giants fan and Keith is for the Patriots all the way. One of us will need consoling Sunday night!

Stew & Dumplings and other nice things…

Phew – it’s that kind of a week when I’m getting to Monday to-do’s on Tuesday and it already feels like Friday. Oy.

.Stew & Dumplings.

Yup, it’s a crockpot night. I made stew with GF dumplings. Well, the stew is made and smells scrumptious, so we’ll see how the dumplings turn out!

.Mangos.

Yea, I know I’ve posted about these before, but they’re just that amazing. Yum!

.Late Night Snack.

If I’m going to be on a sugary snack kick, let me mention this ice cream. It’s amazing. The perfect salty/sweet creamy yumminess!

.30 Day Shred.

If I’m going to include the above two things I might as well mention I jumped on the Jillian Michaels’ band wagon. I found it at Costco for $7 and decided to give it a go. I’m gathering fun workout DVDs for the days I’m out at school because I’m sick of substitutes deciding to ignore my lesson plans! I did my second day today; my muscles are miserable but I already feel stronger. I love that it’s only 20 minutes, but I get super sweaty and my heart rate goes way up! I’m keeping track of pounds and inches to see exactly how my body changes.

.Grape Lady.

Oh man, I feel bad laughing at someone’s misfortune, but this is hysterical!

 .The Bachelor.

Okay, I think I’m out of the closet now. The Bachelor just happens to be on when I’ve been doing laundry on Sunday afternoons, so I’ve gotten sucked into the madness. I really hate the premise of the show and that Ben makes out with each girl and allows them to manipulate him with sex. Yuck. But I do love the psychology of it all – these girls are so catty is comical!! Keith even watched it last night and laughed out loud at many parts.

.Todd.

Yup, that’s right. The Toddster is here for the week. He’s got a conference in town so he decided to stay with us instead of joining the chaos of the strip. So glad to have this awesome dude under our roof!!

.Prayers.

So thankful for the prayers of my friends and family this week. A friend sent me this verse and it has been a huge comfort. There have been a lot of lows this week, but I am hanging on God’s promises.

“When you pray, I will listen. If you look for Me wholeheartedly, you will find me.” Jeremiah 29:12

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What Celiac Really Means…and who the real “Gluten Felons” are!

It can be really discouraging having Celiac – most people think I just can’t eat bread. Most basically, it is an intolerance to gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley, and rye. So, for those of you who are wondering what the DOs and DON’Ts of eating gluten free, here you go!

Before I get too far, check out Finding Joy’s post today. She’s a huge inspiration to me!

DON’Ts of Eating Gluten Free:

• Pasta
• Bread
• Crackers
• Cookies
• Processed foods
• Bagels
• Pastries
• Canned soup
• Flour mixes (cakes, bread, etc)
• Soy sauce
• Pizza crust
• Flour tortillas
• Some rice noodles
• Many pre-made smoothies
• Anything with “malt”
• Most sauces
• Anything that might use flour as a thickener
• Cereal
• Oats not labeled “Gluten Free” due to cross contamination

How many of the things on this list do you eat on a regular basis? Some of them are obvious Gluten-Felons, but many are hidden. Friends and waitstaff make assumptions that since soup doesn’t have pasta that it’s gluten free. Those are the worst experiences when you get “glutened” and can’t figure out who the culprit was!

DO’s of Eating Gluten Free:

• Veggies
• Fruit
• Meat
• Diary
• Beans
• Corn
• Corn tortillas, chips, etc. (corn bread includes wheat, so it’s definitely a DON’T!)
• Potatoes
• Potato products
• Chocolate :)
• Coffee
• Tea
• Rice
• Oats processed in a GF facility
• Rice and nut flours
• Packaged foods labeled “Gluten Free”

There are tons of naturally GF options, but I am also so grateful for companies that are dedicated to providing GF options to those Gluten-Filled ones everyone else is enjoying. At home, it’s easy to eat GF – when I’m making everything from scratch it guarantees that I know exactly what is in our meal.

Eating out or at other people’s houses is a totally different story! We are definitely limited where we can go out to eat (Sushi, Thai, Enchiladas, and GF Pizza are my favorites) and I sometimes bring some food with me to other people’s homes just in case (crackers, rice thins, bread, etc.).

Please don’t be insulted if you have a gluten-free friend over for dinner and they don’t eat much. Accidentally eating gluten is a horrible experience. It means crippling stomach pains, frequent trips to the bathroom, a pounding headache, and foggy thoughts. It takes me at least a day to recover from just a little bit of wheat. Not pretty.

A huge thank you to all my friends and family who have gone out of their way to make me feel welcome in your kitchen. Thank you for asking me questions and learning what I can and can not eat. Thank you for understanding when I have been glutened, am totally antisocial, and just need to let my body heal.

I will continue to use this blog to journal my “misadventures” in Gluten Free baking and living – I hope it will be an encouragement to those who are just starting the journey.

Popcorn from Scratch

I learned how to make popcorn from kernels without a popcorn maker this week!!

I started with corn kernels, vegetable oil, salt, and a paper lunch bag.

• 4 Tbs of kernels
• 3 tsp of oil
• 1 tsp salt
• Put it all in the bag and in the microwave for 2 minutes!

Yum! I tried adding parmesan cheese, but didn’t add enough, so it still just tasted like salted, buttery popcorn.

Voila! Super duper easy and way cheaper than buying packaged popcorn :)

Christmas Friday Favorites 12/25

Wow, this Christmas has been truly wonderful! We were blessed to be with family and celebrate together. Here are some of my favorite moments from the weekend:

.peppermint hot chocolate.

Keith has headed back to Vegas and my parents, sister, and I are all hanging out by a roaring fire missing him. At least we’ve got some hot chocolate complete with fresh whipped cream and a candy cane :)

.phone cover.

My mom surprised me with a new phone case in keeping with the theme of this year. I love it!

image from amazon.com

.walks outside.

While celebrating together, we like to take longs walks to exercise, talk, and let the kiddos run off some energy! It was so refreshing to be out in the brisk December air!!!

.gingerbread houses.

Christmas Eve means Gingerbread Houses! Aunt Peg, Erwin, & Greg all worked very hard to build theirs!

Molly had front doors and a roof that opened and closed!

.nieces and nephews.

This good looking bunch of towheads are amazing. We’ve been been blessed with 6 gorgeous nieces and nephews; I hate that we only get to see them every six months!

.italian christmas eve.

Christmas Eve is an epic event in my parents’ house. They have loads of friends and family over and we eat yummy food.

All my favorites: sharp provelone, spicey sopressata, pepperoni, and stuffed cherry peppers!

Yes, there was an entire octopus in the scungili salad. Eck. This is why I don’t eat octopus.

My new favorite addition to Christmas Eve: candied cranberries!

.mil.

My mother in law is amazing. I just had to let you all know that this beautiful woman is a blessing to me!

.modern family.

Another awesome moment today was receiving the 2nd season of Modern Family! I can’t wait to watch it because my favorite episode of all time was the Season 2 Halloween episode! Woot!

image from google.com search

.fondue.

Wednesday night we had Keith’s sister and her family over to the in-law’s house for fondue! It was fun teaching my niece and nephew all the etiquette of this family tradition! They especially loved kissing the person to their left if they dropped their food in the pot :)

.merry christmas.

From our family to yours, Merry Christmas!

Monday from Connecticut 12/19

This Miscellany Monday presented from another location! I’m so thankful to be with family this Christmas!!

.Erwin & Greg.

For those of you who are my Facebook “friends”, you’ve seen the updates on Erwin and his brother Greg (they are owls) and their grand adventures. They have just started their own Twitter feed, so you should check it out. It’s kind of like the Flat Stanley days, just modern technology.

@ErwinandGreg

The owls like to watch the luggage go around the carousel!

.Eternal Optimist.

I am obsessed with this Essie nail color now! I love how warm and happy the color is without being too overwhelming!

image found on Pinterest

 .Dried Mango.

Ana gave us these dried mangoes for Christmas. Let’s just say we had to restrain ourselves from finishing the whole bag on the plane. Yes, they’re that amazing!

image found on Pinterest

.Camera Battery.

Over the last two weeks, Clara the Camera’s battery has gone down to 40 minutes on a full charge. Will four concerts last week and Christmas coming, that did not make me a happy camper! When we bought the camera, we got the extended warranty since I’m clumsy and we didn’t want to take any chances the first go around! Well, the company is now sending us a new battery, but it should get here until after Christmas. Luckily, I found a replacement on Amazon that arrived this past weekend. Woot!

.Mt Charleston Lodge.

This past Saturday we went up to the Mt Charleston Lodge for dinner with Ana and her husband to celebrate Christmas before we all went our separate ways to see family. We opened gifts and ate a fabulous meal. Ironically, we’re back in the New England and our friends are headed to Seattle and the only snow we will have seen this Christmas is in Las Vegas!!

 .50 mm.

I am drooling over this lens. Saving my pennies and Swagbucks so I can add it to my collection :)

image found on google.com

.Daily Blogging.

With the exception of the last few days, the Songs of Christmas series has forced me to blog every day. It’s been such a fun experience to be so diligent about blogging/sharing every day. I just found out that Finding Joy is doing the following series and I am so there!

Linking up to Carissa’s blog – have a Merry Christmas everyone!