aelfie | Entries tagged with holidays

We've been dealing with illness for over 2 full weeks now. The first person to get sick, did so on the 12th. The four children keep passing various things back and forth. Ike's brought home two lovely viruses from school. They've missed a last party to say goodbye to friends moving back to Japan, Christmas with the extended family, and now a day of Gymnastics Camp. It hasn't been a restful vacation for anyone. Joe and I are wiped and burned out. We aren't getting enough sleep because we are trying to play catchup when they go down (Got 2 loads of laundry folded last night! Woot! Livin' large!) and are dealing with the needs of sick children in the middle of the night. We haven't been eating well because I'm too ~~sick exhausted~~ ~~can't see straight~~ tired to cook properly. (I think I'm going to pull a chicken out of the freezer and make soup...or stock and frozen turkey meat...that sounds easier.) I feel brain dead and like I'm walking around in a fog. This sucks.

But this is life with Children. It happens. I missed many holidays and trips and vacations due to illness growing up. Makes sense that mine will miss some too. I am just thankful that the amazing husband is home to help me cope. I feel like I've dropped the ball with Christmas, but he keeps assuring me I haven't. He totally rocks.

one of the activities I'd been dreading....

Taking all my children to the beach without another dedicated adult with me.

We had a good time, everyone got soaked, Ike is burned (wouldn't let me put sunscreen on him...he's hurtin' now!). We went with Ike's school to Natural Bridges State park. Really nice beach. Some of the water at high tide got trapped up on the beach creating this Ike's waist high deep pond perfect for the kids to swim and play in. Big bonus about the pond? It was considerably warmer than the ocean. The kids (even Gray, he wanted to go fully in, I needed my suit!) got in to play there rather than in the surf. I think I wanna go back next week with another Mama...and wear my suit...I think Gray would appreciate it.

Gluten Free of course!

Dinner
Roasted Turkey
Crockpot Mashed Potatoes* (365)
Turkey Gravy
Crockpot Dressing* (365)
Sweet Potato Cassarole* (ATK)
Best Brussel Sprouts* (Serve at Room Temp) (LEA)
Roasted Butternut Squash* (ATK)
Garlicky Sauteed Mixed Greens (Chard & Kale)
Homemade Cranberry Sauce*
Dinner Rolls (GF and Normal)

Dessert
Pumpkin Pie (Moms)
Apple Pie (Moms)
Rice Crispy Treats*
Brownies*
Ice Cream

appetizers
chips and salsa
dip chips and onion dip
crudite
chex mix
crab dip
salt and pepper cashews

*Denotes things I can make ahead of time

Anybody got a BIG (5 qt or bigger) crockpot I can borrow for the holiday? I know they are cheap, but I don't want to buy another...borrowing is a better plan, I think. I don't have to store it year round then!

I think this should use up quite a bit of the veges I got in the box today...yea!

Oh. BTW. If you can read this...you are invited to come of course. I aim to serve dinner at 2. I'll open the door at 10, if you show up before that...I'll put you to work. Shoot me an email if you need to know where we are.

Current Mood: busy

My Gram just called me to say that she doesn't think she should host Thanksgiving this year and wanted to take me up on my ~~demand~~ offer to cook and host this year instead. I've been bugging her for the last month that she should rest and let me take over. I'm very glad we came to an agreement on this. =)

Current Mood: bouncy

Or at least a partial success.

Let me 'splain.
So this morning I decided to try and make thumbprint cookies. One of my favorites-especially when filled with chocolate. As I just a cup or so of the good tasting AP flour left and the recipe only called for 1 cup, this was a perfect recipe to attempt to convert. I used a full egg instead of the egg yolks, and pulled frozen egg whites from my freezer. I also added another tablespoon of egg white and about an 1/8 of a teaspoon of xantham gum to the flour mix. And increased the flour by another tablespoon.

So, how's it taste. Wonderful! The texture is right on. But it doesn't look pretty. This cookie is supposed to ballish with an indent to put the jelly or chocolate or whatever. These spread. I even used shortening...I'm wondering if the eggs made it rise/spread or I need to add more flour to make up for the extra liquid from the eggs.

But oh well, they taste good! Woo Hoo! I'll take it!

Next time I'll want to double or triple the batch. I only got 2 dozen cookies out of it using a #60 scoop. That's not enough! =)

Current Mood: accomplished

And another batch of cookies in the trash.

I'm running short of the GF AP flour I use. So for Chocolate crinkles I decided to try using an AP flour my mom bought me. It uses four different flours to make the 1 to 1 mix and the base is garfava flour. (A combination of Garbanzo and Fava Bean flours) which upon previous attempts at using proved to be bitter and just plain Blecky. It is recommended that you use this flour with strong tasting things to cover the bitterness. Molasses cookies, pumpkin bread, etc, etc. I figured that any recipe that has 4 ounces of unsweetened chocolate would be enough to cover up that taste.

I was wrong.

Blech!

Although Joe is still eating them. I'm not surprised mind you...but as he said "Its chocolate rolled in sugar...I'm eatin' it." and "I've eaten my own cooking. Its gotta be a lot worse than this for me not to eat it."

I didn't even finish my first bite of the second cookie, I spit it out. And 20 minutes later the bitter, yucky aftertaste is still with me. Blech! Just nasty. This is starting to make me a bit discouraged in attempting to bake using my own recipes. I'm beginning to wonder if its worth the trouble. However, I just don't want the kids to see all the baking I do come from boxes and mixes. I love to bake. I'm just finding it annoying to try and bake gluten-free.

EDIT The kids apparently think these cookies are worth pulling out of the trash. Ew.

Current Mood: disappointed

I spent the holiday in what may be the best possible way.

Asleep.

The Gods granted me a good night. I only woke up once at 5:30 to get a new bottle for Elli, and then I fell asleep quickly after crawling back into bed. I woke up feeling rested and pretty damn good. And since I've been bugging the Universe and the Powers-that-Be that that's what I really wanted and felt I really needed....it was granted.

Thank you! I couldn't have asked for a better gift!

Now just for, oh say, a year of nights like that, and hey, I'd be perfect.

Current Mood: awake

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Entries tagged with holidays

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January 2016

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