I attempted the sugar tree last night. Yea I didn't give it enough time to cool and it fell apart so now I have sugar candy for the boys! LOL




AND!!!! I made Banana bread!!!! MMMMMMMMM!



Banana Bread 1/3 cup of butter 3/4 cup of sugar 2 bananas sliced 1/4 cup applesauce 2cups sifted rice flour 1/2 tsp cream of tartar 3/4 tsp baking soda 1 tsp salt 3/4 cup buttermilk 1 tsp vanilla

Cream together butter, sugar, and bananas. Add applesauce and beat until well blended.combine dry ingredients and gently stir into butter mixture alternately with liquid ingredients. Turn mixture into loaf pan which has been greased. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hr. (8"x4"x3")

I subbed baking soda and cream of tartar for the baking powder for the first time! It still rose well. I did 2 parts tartar per 1 part soda :)

I'm making this tonight! Oohhhh yea! It's gonna be cool!

http://www.kidswithfoodallergies.org/allergy-free-sugar-sculpture-Christmas-tree.php

A win
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/22/business/22food.html?_r=2&hp

A Major fail
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/ct-met-allergic-death-cps-1221-20101220,0,6938627.story

It's great that the FDA Will have the power to do more to keep our food safe. SOOO damn sad that a child lost their life because of stupid laws!!! The school didn't have the right to give her an epi pen!!! What if there is no time to look up records?! What if it's a kids first ana reaction!!!!? Epi pens should be in the classrooms, nurses offices and cafeteria of all schools!!!! CT passed a law for this pretty recently, but there are still so many states who haven't. A preventable death. So tragic. Praying for her family tonight.

vanilla

Okay so I'm going to admit I still use store bought vanilla. Gabe seems to do ok with it, but I would like to try cutting it out. Sooo curtesy of AnneMarie

3 vanilla beans 1 cup or so of potato vodka and use a mason jelly jar cut the beans in half so they will fit in the jar and then slice the beans in half length wise, leaving about an inch of the top bean intact, so its not completly sliced in half toss them in the jar, pour in the vodka (add more if you need to so it covers slices of the beans)throw the lid on and let it sit for 8 weeks in a cool dark cupboard, shaking it every so often and then top off with more vodka as you use it up. Can go for at least 6 months on the same beans :)

So excited to do this!

holiday cookies!

Just altered a ginger cookie recipe on the fly. Still waiting for them to cool to see if they are going to hold together, but they are YUMMY!

4.5 cups rice flour
1.5ts cinnamon
2 ts ginger
2 ts nutmeg
1/4 ts salt
2 ts baking soda
1 ts ground cloves
1.5 cups butter soft
2 cups sugar plus more sugar to roll cookies in
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup applesauce

Mix flour, ginger, cloves, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. In another bowl mix butter with mixer for about a minute til creamed. Add 2 cups sugar then applesauce and honey. Then mix in flour mixture. Roll in 1in balls and place on cookie sheet at least 2 in apart. Bake at 375 for about 11 minutes til nicely browned. Let cool totally. Enjoy!

Fudge turned out YUMMY!!!!!!!!!

http://www.thebostonchannel.com/video/26123295/detail.html

A good segment done on food allergies!!!! I guess there are 4 or more parts. This is just the first one and only one I've gotten to watch yet. It's good though. I LOVE how they explain that there are no shots and how bloodwork and spt don't give definate answers. I'm also really jealous that the allergist on the this does peanut challenges!!!!!

Right now I am making another batch of sour cream. OMG so yummy! AND homemade condensed milk.

Here's the recipe I found for condensed milk.
Ingredients
6 cups nonfat milk
5 tablespoons sugar
Directions
In heavy saucepan pour milk and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in sugar and continue simmering 10 to 15 minutes, or until milk has reduced to 3 cups. Strain. Milk can be refrigerated for up to one week (I had to do it for a lot longer)


Why am I making condensed milk you ask? Why to make homemade Gabe ok fudge for the holidays of course!!!! LOL!

Ingredients
3 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk (1 1/3 cups homemade)
1/4 cup butter

Directions
1.Place chocolate chips, sweetened condensed milk, and butter or margarine in large microwaveable bowl. Zap in microwave on medium until chips are melted, about 3-5 minute, stirring once or twice during cooking. 2.Pour into well-greased 8x8-inch glass baking dish. Refrigerate until set

Poor Gabe

He reacted to something. I think it was starting before he ate sunbutter, but I'm not 100% sure.

It started so fast! Thank God benadryl took care of it. I'm gonna check him for bug bites after nap because he has a similar looking rash the othe day that I thought from laying on our bed (cats sleep there).

Cool Find!

Kerry on my FB sent me to this company!

http://coconutbliss.com/coconut-bliss-products/naked-coconut-bars

GABE CAN HAVE IT!!!!! So cool!