Officially Gluten Free

We are going Gluten Free at our house--all except John's favorite cereal (Raisin Bran Crunch) is gone.  I don't dare touch his cereal.

Luci and I both have reactions to gluten.  She gets eczema, and I, well, I won't bore you with icky details.  JT has presented some symptoms that I finally connected to gluten and so we are now gluten free.

I've been busy this past week--baking up a storm! 

These are rolls made from Pamela's Amazing Wheat Free and Gluten Free Bread Mix.   JT proclaimed them just as good as the rolls at Logan's Roadhouse.  Made me happy to hear that. 

 I also used the Pamela's mix to make some cornbread for making into dressing.  Since we're Southerners, and my Mom grew up down here, cornbread dressing is the way to go! 

JT realized that gluten free living meant that the Girl Scout cookies that Luci sells will be off-limits to him.  Oh, that was a sad day when he figured that out!  So, being the good mama I am (or am aiming to be, anyways), I found a gluten free version of Thin Mints, which are JT's favorites. 

I wish you had a scratch and sniff computer, because, wow, these are good!  Taste like the real thing.  Not only gluten free, but these Thin Mint lookalikes are also all natural!

I can't wait for JT to get home and try these cookies.  He's on a church trip with John and will be back tomorrow evening.  I'll let you know how the taste-test goes.

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Oh, and that sleeping in the big bed thing with Luci??  I did jinx myself.  The very next night she woke up at 4:30 and slept the rest of the night under her bed.  Because her room is too tiny for us to sleep next to each other next to the bed, she had to be under the bed.  Good thing it's got a good clearance for her sweet head when she sits up!

Odd Things

Okay, these party horns for New Year's Eve aren't odd...

Until you read the warning: For ages 14 years and over.
Hmm. That leaves out two-fifths of our family on New Year's Eve! JT missed it by just one year.

Turns out it doesn't matter anyway: the horns do not work! Luci nearly passed out trying to make some sound.
Here's the other Odd Thing:
Fruitcake Cookies! John likes them. He's the only one in our house who likes them. I think they'd taste a lot better if you took out the candied fruit and added chocolate chips instead.

For those of you who do like fruitcake (Mom? Anyone else out there? No?), here is the recipe I used.

Fruitcake Cookies

Makes 3 1/2 dozen (that's 42, for those of you who aren't up on your twelve-times tables)

1 stick (1/2 cup) butter
3/4 cups sugar
1 egg
1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped pecans
12 oz candied fruit for fruitcake (the chopped-up, colorful mix that comes in those huge tubs. I used 1/3 of my big 32 oz tub)

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together. Add egg, mix well. Put candied fruit and pecans in a separate bowl. In another bowl, combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Add 1/4 cup of this to the fruit and nuts, stir. (I can't remember why you should do this, but it seems to help. Maybe so they won't all stick together in one big, fruity lump.) Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto greased cookie sheet. Bake at 325* for 13-15 minutes until lightly browned. Cool on wire racks.

Cookie Sale for Missions

Tonight was our annual cookie sale at CrossPoint. The proceeds go towards foreign missions--this year, to help out our missionary family in Australia. Imagine about 100 kids selling cookies, milk and water to 300 or more parents and friends. It is lots of fun! And a great bedtime snack, too.
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Luci selling cookies with her class. One dollar per bag. She made sure to touch most of the dollars that were spent at her table. She would not get up until all the cookies were sold. I was impressed with her perseverance. She was hanging on for quite a while. Finally I bought the last three bags and then she got up.

Buying cookies for herself.

Look what I got!

Bryan and JT made a good haul, too.

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I got a haircut and perm today. I told Rita,my hairdresser, to do what she wanted: just don't change the hair color. Luci's reaction was not good. She pointed at my head and said, "What is it?! Can you take off the wiggly parts and make it flat again? How will you sleep? Is that a wig?" It did inspire her to paint my portrait...the real me is on the left.
(It's purple lipstick. Not my usual shade.)