B's First Steps!!!

 B took his first steps last night!  He just let go of the couch and started walking towards me out of no where and took about 7-8 steps.  Then we flipped out the Flip and  caught him taking a couple more!  He will be 11 months old in a couple days and still has no teeth!

Here's the little big guy, sweetest baby ever!

Chocolate Crispie Cookies From Central Market

Two weeks ago I went to Central Market and found these awesome gluten free cookies in the bakery called Chocolate Crispie Cookies, they were shiny and crispy on the outside, and chewy with pecan pieces on the inside and super addicting.  So addicting that for the past 2 weeks I have been looking for the recipe so I can make them because going to Central Market isn't good for my checkbook! 
I found the Chocolate Crispie Cookie Recipe through google search on THIS BLOG. 

I double the recipe because I signed up to bring "something chocolate" to my MOPS meeting tomorrow.   I'm sitting here waiting to finish making them all since I double the recipe and made a mistake on my first batch, I made them too big so it took FOREVER to cook them!  Anyways, I did sample on of the first ones and it is very much like the Choclate Crispy Cookies at Central Market, however, I think these ones are sweeter, so maybe next time I'll leave out some of the sugar.  Mine also look lighter in color then the ones at Central Market.  To make these gluten free I substituted 1 Tablespoon Corn Starch for the 2 Tablespoons of flour.  Well, anyways, I'm sitting here waiting for one of the batches in the oven to come out and then there will be another, I already  have 3 batches done...I'm making 12 at a time.  *sigh* So much for going to bed early tonight!!!

Pecan Chewy Chocolate Cookies
8 ounces chopped pecans
2 3/4 cups powdered sugar
7 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 egg whites
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place pecans on a cookie sheet and toast them for about 8 minutes. Let cool completely.

Reduce oven heat to 325 degrees F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or Silpats.

Place sugar, cocoa, flour and salt in mixer bowl and stir together. Beat in egg whites, one at a time, scrapping bowl. Beat in vanilla and continue beating at high speed for 1 minute. Stir in cooled, toasted chopped pecans.

Drop by tablespoonfuls onto cookie sheets, leaving about 2 inches between cookies for spreading. Bake 1 sheet at a time for 10-12 minutes, turning sheet halfway though baking time.

Child's Prayer

 my little angel :)

So, yesterday I was not having the best of days. I was just extra tired and as the day went on getting more tired and more cranky.  I was feeling like J was driving me crazy, although she wasn't too out of the ordinary, it was just me in a bad mood and having no patience. I decided we better make a trip to the gym so I could get a little break and burn off some negative energy and hopefully pump in some endorphins. As she began whining about her shoes without even trying to find them, because they were basically right in front of her, I was about to lose it.  I stopped, took a deep breath trying to keep it together when I remembered a tip from the book Mom Has Fun that was given to my husband by a work associate who is friends with the author.  I still haven't finished the book, but one of the main things the woman does in her family is have a time out and calling a team meeting when things start going awry. I let out that deep breath, got down to J's level and just said "I really need you to help me out.  Mommy is really tired and feeling really cranky.  I'm so cranky it's making me want to yell and scream, but I don't want to yell and scream, so could you please be a special helper and make sure that you and Bronson don't whine and are good listeners?"  She lit up and was excited to be my helper.  Then, we proceeded to get ready and out the door.  As we were walking to the car, J, excited to be my helper in my time of need, said to me "Mommy, Jesus can help you!  He can be in your heart and make you feel better if you want!"  As we got into the car I thought it was sweet what she was saying, but I still felt in a crummy mood.  As we drove to the gym, she told me again, "Mommy, I know He can help you feel better if you want"...so I said "well, maybe you could pray for me"...and J doesn't actually pray very often, I encourage it but don't make her do it.  However, she does like to listen to me pray and occasionally chime in something so I found it so sweet and precious when she said "Dear Heavnwy Father, Thank you Jesus knows us and can be in our hearts, Jesus Name Amen".  I'll tell you it was hard to still feel sour after hearing that simple, sweet prayer coming from the back seat.  With that, and a really good workout, I did feel much better and refreshed and on the way home, I told Jordan "Thank you for praying for me, it really did help me to feel better".  She was really happy to help out. :P

The other 2 notable times she's said a cute prayer was

"Dear Heavnwy father, please bless Bronson that he can be my best friend"...sweet...then the next day she asked if I could go to the doctor and they could put him back in my tummy...lol

"Dear Heavenwy Father, please BLESS Jacob and Tyson.....and.....please BLESS Jacob and Tyson....and................please Bless Jacob and Tyson....and....bless Jacob and Tyson...in Jesus name, Amen."
(her best friends who are brothers)

Yay for Bloggy Awards!

 

I just received this award from Sunshine and Lollipops, thank you Angie!

The rules of the Stylish Blogger Award are:
Thank the person who gave you the award and link back to them in your post.  
Share seven things about yourself.
Award seven recently discovered new blogs.
Contact these bloggers and let them know they've received the award. 

So here is my 7 things  about me!

• I love potatoes, especially in the form of French Fries or Kettle Chips and I can't live without chocolate and I love going to the gym to justify my chocolate and potato habits...well...alright, I also enjoy the actual working out part too...especially group classes like Body Flow and Power Yoga.
• I cut my hair REALLY short in 8th grade and someone called me "Shim" and another time at the 7 eleven, the cashier asked me "What's with you boys wearing nail polish these days?"  My response was an embarrassed "Um, I don't know".  Other people just assumed I was a lesbian since my hair was short.
• I also made a ridiculous work out video when I was about 14-15 that was freaking awesome...lol...maybe I'll get my parents to upload it to the computer so I can embarrass myself with it!
• I used to compose a lot of music but haven't done any in a while, no time with babies!  Pre-baby days I would spend hours a day at the piano, i loved to improvise
• I absolutely love dancing with or for my kids...but you won't catch me dance like that in public! yikes!
• In one month I'll celebrate the 10 year anniversary of my first date with my husband.
• I was diagnosed with Hypothyroidism in highschool and Hashimoto's almost 2 years ago.  I turn into a zombie if I don't take my prescription, literally a zombie.  Sometimes I even start to get zombie like even when I take my medication anyways...and get really bad joint pain and a lot of other crappy symptoms...but if you're going to have an autoimmune disease, it's one of the better ones to have!!! 

The 7 blogs I am giving this award to are ...(new blogs I've recently found)

 Krista @ Heavenly Savings

 Ashley @ Eisy Morgan

Becca @ Blue Cricket Designs

Alysha @ Supermom

Jessica @ Sweet Treats by Jessica

KC @ One plus One = Four

Aubrie @ A Mama B's

Right now I'm listening to Float On by Modest Mouse  

                           

Easy Go-To Gluten Free Dinner

 

We love Peppers and Onions!

We are pretty busy most weeknights and like to eat healthy dinners that are fast and easy.  Often we will cook a bunch of chicken early in the week and then eat it throughout the week in different ways to save time,  This is one of our favorite go to dinners that is really tasty, refreshing, and gluten and dairy free!

Peppers, Onion, Chicken and Rice dish

4 bell peppers (a combo of at least 2 colors)

1 yellow onion

olive oil

Jasmine Rice

Cooked Chicken, cut up in smaller pieces

1 lemon

• Dice the bell peppers and onions. (I usually do this earlier in the day so dinner making time goes super fast) 
• Cook Rice like THIS
• While rice is cooking, in a large frying pan, sautee bell peppers and onion until tender.
• When Rice is finished, add to the bell pepper mixture along with cut up cooked chicken.  
• Cut a lemon in half and squeeze both halves of the lemon over the entire mixture.  Toss together and serve with salt and pepper.

If the chicken and veggies are prepped before, this dinner will be ready in a little over 20 minutes.

Coconut Ice Cream - Dairy Free!

What's better than a bowl of ice cream?   A bowl of homemade dairy free coconut ice cream!  YUM! 

This is my favorite, I like it so much and when I have it I don't feel like I'm just having to be content with some non-dairy alternative.  My husband isn't dairy free and he likes this better than regular vanilla homemade ice cream. (And all homemade ice cream is 100x better than store bought!) 

you know I can't help myself!!! I keep the chocolate chips in the freezer and put them in/on everything possible!

1 can Thai Kitchen Coconut Milk

1/2 cup sugar (more or less depending on how sweet you like it.

1-2 tsp vanilla to taste

empty the can of coconut milk into a metal mixing bowl, add sugar and vanilla and mix together.  Taste test and add more vanilla and sugar if desired, Cover with seran wrap and chill in fridge.  Pour into ice cream maker and make according to ice cream machine directions.  we use this one 

Now, as I'm enjoying this heavenly, easy to make dairy free ice cream, I'm listening to this song I love that we sometimes listen to at the end of my BodyFlow class during final relaxation.  I need to learn this song and sing it to my kids at bedtime.  

A Hundred Thousand Angels by Bliss

                    

      

What's the Most Sacrilegious Thing Your Hubby has Done?

So this is a super random post, but I just finished making a batch of my famous Granola Bars (adjusted to be Gluten free, using Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Oats and Puffed Brown Rice Cereal) and as I was cleaning out my KitchenAid mixing bowl, I couldn't help but cringe at the memory of when my husband desecrated it...I don't know if I'll ever get over it....One time, when the toilet was overflowing, he took the bowl from my KitchenAid mixer and used it to scoop out yucky toilet water.  I think I had to stop myself from crying and he did not understand what the big deal was...he said it was the perfect size bowl for the job and we could wash it...um...is that not the saddest story ever? I don't know how much bleach I used and how many times I repeated the process before I could force myself to use it again and not buy a new one... Actually come to think of it, he also wronged me and my kitchenAid in the moving process 2 years ago, he put something heavy and metal on top of it in the moving box without any paper or towels in between and there is a big chip of paint off the top.  Those 2 things might be the worst things he's done in our marriage. (I gotta admit he's a good one despite these 2 travesties) I love my KitchenAid Mixer!

So, my question to you is, what is the most sacrilegious thing your hubby has done with your treasured possessions?

Oh Mr Sun, Sun Mr Golden Sun feat. a Belle Dress

Oh happy day!!!!  After a month of having sick kids, then ice storms and bad weather, we've been cooped up and feeling crummy for about a month now!  And finally the sun has come out and it was warmed up!  Yesterday I was able to take the kids out to the sand volleyball pit to play in the sand and then we went swimming in the hot tub and enjoyed being outside.  Today is another beautiful day, we spent the morning at a playdate at the Disney store and J wore her custom made Belle Dress made by my mom and had a blast, then when we got into the car she kept complaining that it was too hot and I had to put the AC on!!!  Talk about changes in the weather!  Having the sun back again, I feel like a new person!

I've been meaning to show you guys this Belle Dress my creative mommy made, she is the best!  I was getting tired of buying princess dresses for $20-30 that literally are falling apart after one day.  J freaks out about any strings hanging off her clothes, she gets grossed out and I have to be trimming those frayed princess dresses constantly.  So my mom made her this nice dress for Christmas.  Here she is dancing and singing in her Belle Dress.  She had just watched a DVD with clips of Jackie Evancho while she competed in America's Got Talent and wanted to sing like her...I just love 3 years olds...no inhibitions!

Gluten Free Diet 3 days in...

Gluten Free (and Milk Free) Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Cookies

 

Alright, it's been crazy around here with sleep issues, then sick kids, but here's the update!  :)  My sister has Celiac Disease which is genetic and has been Gluten Free for about 5 years or so.  My younger brother, a Freshman in college was starting to have some issues and after going to specialists who couldn't figure out what was wrong with him gave up and said, you are fine you are just weird...basically.  But then my mom took him to her doc who has an integrative practice and is great at getting to the root of the problem.  He discovered B vitamin deficiencies and irregular thyroid and advised him to get some testing done by Entero Labs.  It came back he also has a genetic gluten intolerance, however it does not show up as celiac in the typical blood tests.  I've wondered if my daughter had gluten sensitivity for a while and even had her do a blood test for celiac a while back which came back negative.  But with the new info from my younger brother's lab work, it indicated that he has genetic gluten sensitivity inherited from both parents and the lab work said any siblings probably have it as well.  Then I started coming across all this info on gluten intolerance and Hashimotos and am learning that a lot of thyroid problems are caused by gluten intolerance!  I was diagnosed with Hypothyroidism in highschool, which is pretty young to get diagnosed for that.  I was diagnosed with Hashimoto's when I was trying to get pregnant with my second and it wasn't working.  Once I switched from levothyroxine to Synthroid and got my dosage up a lot higher, I finally got pregnant.  ANYWAYS.....So we are trying a gluten free diet, my daughter and I.  She sometimes wakes up with horrible stomach pains, screaming like a woman in labour at night and I've started to notice the correlation between those episodes and a dense gluten dinner, such as pasta.  Dietary changes aren't super easy but we're going to give this a try.  Thankfully I have my sister to refer to to know good alternatives!
Here are a couple of our gluten free things we had this week so far.  The plan is to test by elimination and then have some in a few weeks and see if there is a reaction.  It's a lot cheaper test to start out with than the lab testing.

Gluten Free Pizza

 Mini gluten free pizzas!  A corn tortilla topped with some pasta sauce and shredded mozarella cheese.  Baked in oven at 400 until cheese was bubbly.

Gluten Free Peanut Butter Cookies....smothered in chocolate!

 This is the easiest cookie recipe I've ever seen.
1 egg
1 cup peanut butter (smooth or crunchy)
1 cup sugar
bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes!  That's it.
Then I melted some dark chocolate in the microwave (dairy free) and dipped the cookies in covering both sides.  Placed on parchment paper and let set in the refridgerator till set.  Oh my goodness this was some good stuff!!! I haven't had a reese peanut butter cup in forever and this was awesome!!!

Awesome dairy free chocolate you can find anywhere!