Father's Day!

So this was Father's Day morning at our place. Hope you all had a chance to celebrate the fathers in your life. I'm certainly grateful to have this guy as my babies daddy!

GF-ing a Pokey Sunshine Pie

Or, a Gluten Free Lemon Meringue Pie.
I don't know if it's an actual thing that people do, but Easter means lemon meringue pie in my world. I've only attempted it one other time- with my mom close at hand. But in an effort to create more holiday traditions, I set to the task.
And if I was going to work that hard, I was definitely going to be able to eat it, too.
So- I used this recipe from Epicurious- where I go for almost all of my recipes that I didn't get from my mom... and she didn't answer her phone so I couldn't use hers.
But I used her handy push crust recipe-

1+1/2 cup flour- I substituted Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Flour
1/2 cup oil- I used grapeseed, it was handiest
2 Tablespoons milk
1/4 cup sugar
dash of salt

Mix together and press into pie pan (9" or 10")
*I am told that you should not use this recipe for quiche.

For this recipe I blind baked with wax paper and rice for 10 minutes, then without the paper and rice for 10 more minutes. The assembled pie bakes for only 15 minutes, so the crust needs to be pretty much fully baked.

Sorry I didn't take the toothpicks out for the photo... I liked them at the time, but now I'm regretting my laziness. They're there because this pie needs to stay covered and refrigerated or it will get soupy and not pretty. And while the pie tastes great- it's the prettiness that makes it worth the effort.

Easterrrrrrr!

Chocolate, egg dyeing messiness, ham.... it's a good thing.
A God who conquered death, who kept His promise, who paved the way to Heaven is definitely reason to celebrate.
Hope your day was super sweet!

Happy Easter!

Our God overpowered death. The grave could not contain Him.
I so love a good redemption story, and there is none better than this.
Matthew 28
Mark 16
Luke 24
John 20

Hope your day is filled with sunshine and joy!

This is What 4 Looks Like

Happy Birthday Pi Baby!

Valentines Factory for the Sweetheart Surprise

The cute printmaking techniques came from various posts on The Crafty Crow. Hope that we made someone's day a little sweeter.

Sweetheart Surprise. I love this idea!

White Out!

The 1-3" predicted for our White Christmas quickly turned into 8-10"! I wish I was more of an appreciator- but, holy! it is cold. We have had to extend our visit, and I have been forced to eat my weight in the aforementioned not-very-good gf Russiam Tea Cakes, watch every show the new Cooking Channel and DIY network has in their line up, tried to teach E Go Fish,and every hour or so jump up and do 20 jumping jacks so I don't turn into total mush. Looking forward to getting home, but a bit nervous about the journey.


This is what it looked like this afternoon after storm had officially passed.

Merry Christmas!

I will never even begin to fathom the mystery of this birth. But I am eternally grateful for the love and grace that came of it.
Wishing you a very merry Christmas!

For My Record- A Handmade Something

Happy Christmas Eve! We made it safely to the mountains, and spent the day baking and playing. Now we await Santa and the snowstorm. The whale for E is one of the two handmade gifts I made this year- he was immediately in need of repair, as sewing old denim was a new trick for me (allow LOTS of seam allowance- very ravelly). I hope that he likes him!

GF Christmas + Favorites

For close to a year- I have been, more-or-less, gluten free. Strange symptoms caused by who knows what pointed me to at least giving it a try. When B makes pizza, I tell myself it's just psychosomatic, and give in, but generally regret it. For whatever reason, eating gluten makes me achy, dumb and stinky. So I don't, mostly. And I feel (and smell) a lot better for it.
But I love to bake, and it's Christmas. And that is a real problem.
I tried to make Russian Tea Cakes using g-f Bisquick. Super fail.

But all is not lost... I am focusing on the can-haves, and so here is a quick list for myself and anyone in the same boat.

Ambrosia Macaroons
Homemade Marshmallows
Flourless Peanutbutter Cookies
Chocolate Pistachio Cookies
Meringues
Chocolate Blocks
Brownies

Tried and true flour-y friends:
Chocolate Espresso Snowcaps
Snickerdoodles
Shortbread... OK, can't find the recipe I used last year, will keep searching, though. It was really good. But maybe it's one of those things that's hard to screw up?
Saltine Toffee Bars

Now, where to find the time to make them!

We Went to Ohio

and it was great. Here are the pictures to prove it (the good one courtesy of Brady- I seem to have forgotten how a camera works).


Mom, Brad, Brady and Edward whupped up a gingerbread house while I was out for coffee with my ridiculously sweet and lovely future-sister-in-law, Maggie.



At Thanksgiving brunch. Dad and Brad made omelets and Grandma made a special fruit salad with extra cool whip. That face!


They're flying! (It was more convincing in real life)

Not pictured was the fabulous meal by Jaylene, up-past-our-bedtime movie night, tons of fun with Colli'nana, several trips to the Jungle, good food and even better coffee with Maryl and Ernie... we have so, so much to be grateful for!

Boo!

Happy Halloween! Did you have a good one?



We had lots of fun with Bridges youth + our life group.



Once again, B aces the Halloween costume- he free-handed and cut out the bones, based on a photo from the Pottery Barn Kids catalog.
Now off to raiding Edward's candy!

3!

Happy New Year!
So thankful for safe travels and relatively peaceful holidays with family. I am so ready for a new beginning. Cheers!

Merry and Bright

Hope you had a super-merry Christmas!
We're high atop a mountain in Western, NC enjoying the nearly 60 degree weather. I will take unseasonably warm over a white Christmas any year! Thank you Santa :)
The ornament is from the very special tree Brady's grandmother dug out last year- and I like to think she did it just for me- it is a 60s circa white tree filled with vintage, and even better- homemade ornaments crafted by her mother (Brady's great grandmother). Apparently as she aged she got grouchier and craftier. Coming across her creations is like finding hidden treasure.
It's going to be hard to not accidentally tuck this one into my suitcase as we are packing up.

The Plan for Christmas

Sewing. And lots of it.
(top photo by Kat)

Happy Halloween!

I hope everyone had a very sweet Halloween. If you're looking for me, just follow the trail of Payday wrappers :) Brady made Edward's costume. It's even more awesomer in person.

Ain't No Hot Cocoa Party Like Our Nana's Hot Cocoa Party (to the tune of Flight of the Conchords- "Hiphopopotamus")

A dear one celebrated a birthday today. Much sugar was consumed... just so she would know how sweet she is.

We had a hot cocoa party, which is just like a tea party except I break out the truly fancy tea cups and fill them with hot cocoa, mini marshmallows and whipped cream... and expect them to nap afterward. HAHAHAHAHAHAHA. haha. ha.

Labor Day Weekend

Harbin Park Picnic

with grilled corn

and one funny little boy.

Happy the 4th (and 5th)

Food+Napkins+Friends. Pesto Potato Salad with Green Beans from here.


Beth shared her pie skills- blueberry pie with walnutty struesel topping (Mark Bittman recipe)


Long walk through The Wooden Shoe Hollow