Day 12 of the 12 Days of Giving - Local People Working!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!! I hope everyone got whatever they asked for! I know I did and I got great gifts too! I’m I love having Christmas at our house! I love seeing my family and loved ones over for the holiday, plus I love cooking. My kids destroyed the house opening presents but that’s okay! I really don’t know why I spend so much time cleaning it – I know what it’s going to look like when everyone arrives! I imagine their house looks similar so hopefully they don’t care! Today is our last day of giving. I’m a little sad as I have really enjoyed all that we’ve been able to do. What I have enjoyed most is the views I’ve received on these posts. Sure I am trying to operate a cooking blog about gluten free (soon to be dairy free, grain free, everything free for a while) in a tiny town in Kansas. My audience isn’t large to begin with but I have had an overwhelming response on my posts. I keep checking the stats and I’m happy to report that my combined views on my days of giving has blown everything else out of the water! This makes me happy! I love it when you all read my recipes but this means that we have at the very least intrigued you. I can’t tell you how many sweet texts or messages I have received about our giving. I love it! Do you know what else we love?? All of the people who are sacrificing time with their families today to keep us safe or comfortable. This includes our military, police officers, doctors, nurses, firefighters, store clerks, anyone who is working today! Thank you! I have the luxury of having a job that is closed today so I get to spend time with my family. Today, we wanted to give to those who are working to help others – in whatever way. My husband’s new hobby is smoking meat. He’s pretty good at it too! My favorite is his ribs. Today, he is smoking ribs that we can take to our local people! We are just going to be at home with family this morning and then going to my in-laws this afternoon so he had plenty of time to do it. So for lunch, some lucky people are going to get to enjoy his ribs! I hope you have enjoyed our 12 days of giving as much as we have! We can’t wait to do it again next year! I hope each of you have a wonderful Christmas and a great New Year! God Bless!!! 

Day 11 of the 12 Days of Giving - Church

It is finally Christmas Eve! The night we have all waited for so impatiently. I’ll be lucky to get my son to sleep! Here’s our typical Christmas Eve routine. We get all dressed up in our fancy Christmas outfits. Then we go pick up my mom for Mass. Hopefully we are on time (usually we are not). If we aren’t, we have to squeeze into a packed pew or split up rows but I don’t mind. I love seeing the church full! Our church has Mass every Saturday night in our town. Most people like going on Sunday so it’s not too full each week. However, on Christmas Eve, you are lucky to find a place to sit! We love going to Mass but something about the Christmas spirit and the great company make Christmas Eve Mass so great! My kids aren’t quite at the age that they can sit still long though, so all three of us are usually wrestling the little ones. Anyway, we get through Mass and then drive around to look at Christmas lights. This is one of my greatest memories growing up. We always drove around and looked at lights as a family. My parents are divorced but there were a few years that we all went to Mass together (we have a picture of my dad to prove it! ha!) and looked at the lights. Now that I am an adult I can look back and remember these little details. It’s not the presents that I remember, it’s the time well spent with family. Sure I remember getting a bike one year but overall, I forget what I got when. I know my kids will too but I want them to have these memories. After the lights, we go home and get ready for bed. Last year I started a little tradition of opening one gift on Christmas Eve (my parents always let me open just one!). My son gets to open it for now but its usually a big box packed with PJs for everyone, a blanket, new movie or book, slippers, etc. That way we all get new Christmas PJs and get to spend some time together before bed. We tuck the kids in and then Santa goes to work. If I can, I lay awake early in the morning waiting for the kids to get up (or I wake them up!). Then you get the idea, presents, cookies for breakfast, whatever! I just love it all but my favorite part is Mass. It didn’t use to be but I really appreciate it now. There are many churches around but a shrinking number of priests to reverend them. Our priest currently covers four parishes each week. He’s a busy man! Last weekend at Mass, we had a seminarian come visit (a person studying for priesthood). I was surprised to see it was a guy my age that I went to college with for a couple years. I was completely surprised to see what he was doing with his life. He explained his studies and a “day in the life” kind of thing. Each year, they take up a collection at our church for retired priests and soon-to-be priests. That is what our 11^th day of giving will be. We giving our tidings at Mass each week but tonight is special and we want to give what we can for the past and future leaders of our church. My son even pitched in some leftover change he had from the library donation (I think he really just likes putting money in the collection baskets!). I know the priests work hard and it’s a lot of sacrifice but they do it with a smile on their face. It’s not just Catholics that make sacrifices but every religion and we should all be thankful for that – whatever our beliefs are! So tonight, we are going to bed with full hearts, tremendous blessings and anticipation. I hope your Christmas Eve is as magical and blessed as ours! 

Coconut Macaroons

Need a quick last minute cookie for Christmas??Try these! I found some delicious little treats at Whole Foods and I fell in love with them. They are called “Snacaroons” made by Laughing Giraffe. They are these little raw, vegan coconut mounds with various flavors. Whole Foods isn’t close but I found them online also. However, they are pretty pricey so I decided to try my own little version. Result = fantastic! These are just slightly baked so they have a nice little crunch but still a gooey texture inside. I made a variety of flavors with the same base ingredients and will probably experiment more. If you like coconut macaroons, you will love these gluten free, dairy free version (note, mine are not vegan as they do have egg whites)! This recipe makes about 24 small cookies

Base

12 oz of unsweetened coconut flakes (I like Bob’s Red Mill)

¼ cup coconut oil

1 Tbsp almond paste (or additional coconut oil)

1 egg white (you could use egg replacer with a little experimentation)

¼ cup almond milk or coconut milk

1 tsp sea salt

¼ cup raw coconut sugar (regular sugar will work)

Mix ingredients together in a large mixing bowl until well blended. This will be your base. To make plain macaroons, form mixture into small cookies using a scoop and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake at 350°F for about 10 minutes. Watch closely to make sure the coconut does not burn. Drizzle with melted chocolate if desired.

Here are a few variations I’ve tried to so far:

Amaretto Cherry

1/3 of the base mixture

¼ cup cherries, finely chopped

1 tsp Amaretto liquor (you can omit this if desired)

Mix together and bake according to base directions.

Pumpkin Pie

¼ cup pumpkin puree

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp maple syrup

1/3 of the base mixture

Mix together and bake according to base directions.

Caramel

2 Tbsp caramel sauce (homemade or store bought)

1 tsp maple syrup

1/3 of the base mixture

Mix together and bake according to base directions.

Other variations: Cranberry Orange – add in 1 tsp orange zest, 1 tsp minced cranberries, 1 tsp orange juice to 2 cups of the base mixture. Caramel Bailey’s – add in 1 tsp of Bailey’s liqueur to the caramel version. Peanut Butter – add 2 tsp peanut butter or almond butter to the base mixture. 

Day 10 of the 12 Days of Giving - Library

Today I am a proud mom. Ok, everyday I’m a proud mom but today my little fella sure tugged at my heart! Today is the reason why I wanted to do this whole 12 days of giving thing. Sure it has been challenging some days – especially since I was sick the majority of the time. However, today makes it all worth it. Today my son is donating his allowance. I told him I would match (or more) whatever he wanted to give away. He is donating his allowance to the local public library. My mom takes him and the other daycare kids to the library quite regularly. Often enough that he knows EXACTLY where his favorite books are and he frequently checks out the same ones over and over. I didn’t go to the library much when I was younger. I liked reading, but didn’t go to the public library. I am SO happy that he enjoys going. He talks about it all the time. That’s another reason why we decided to reward him with books. Every night since this started we have read at least 2 books each night – many times more than that! A few days ago my husband and I were talking about the recent break-ins at the library. There were two different occasions that it was broken into and computers, electronics, etc. were stolen. Our son overheard us talking about it and said “I want to give my allowance money to the library so they can buy new stuff.” I almost fell over. I never dreamed that he would think to do something so generous with something he treasures so much – his allowance. It has been easy for him to watch us donate to other things because it is not his money he’s losing. Tonight, he got his piggy bank and his allowance jar and was ready to give! I know the few dollars isn’t anything compared to what they lost or what it costs to upkeep everything but I sure hope they know how much the library means to him and how caring he is. Many times as a parent, I question that what I’m doing is right or if I’m teaching him the right things. Tonight, he showed me that I’ve done at least something right for him to volunteer his hard earned money!

Chocolate Caramel Dipped Graham Crackers

I am not a huge fan of sugar cookies. They are a LOT of work and I haven’t been able to create a GF recipe that works. Plus I don’t like icing (I know weird). I do love graham crackers though! They too are some work BUT they are very good homemade! This year I decided to do a different take on a cookie cutout and use my graham cracker recipe. I made some homemade caramel sauce (SO good!) and some chocolate sauce to dip the crackers in. They are so delicious! Sprinkle on a little sea salt for even more flavor!

Graham Crackers – see my recipe for GF version here! (cut into shapes or just squares)

Caramel Sauce

1 Tbsp butter (I use Earth Balance DF)

½ cup sugar (I like the dark coconut sugar)

1 tsp almond milk

Chocolate Sauce

2 squares of chocolate baking squares (I used unsweetened natural chocolate)

1 Tbsp honey (if you are using sweetened chocolate, you can leave this out)

1 Tbsp almond milk

•  In a sauce pan, combine caramel sauce ingredients. Bring to a boil stirring constantly until sugar is dissolved. 
• Quickly (and carefully) dip graham crackers into caramel sauce. I find the best way to do this is to use tongs or forks. Place dipped crackers onto a baking sheet lined with wax or parchment paper. Let chill for about 30 minutes. 
• In a sauce pan, combine chocolate sauce ingredients. Bring to a boil stirring constantly until chocolate is melted. Dip caramel coated crackers into chocolate sauce (or you could drizzle the chocolate over the top). 
• Return dipped crackers onto lined baking sheet and let chill for about 20 minutes. Store in a sealed container. 
• NOTE: This caramel sauce is also great over ice cream or for whatever you would use caramel sauce for!

Day 9 of the 12 Days of Giving - Ice Melt & Santa

I’m not sure what the weather is like where you are but here in the four states it has been nasty. Over the weekend, we have received quite a bit of ice and a little dusting of snow. Luckily, it was a little warmer last week so the roads stayed pretty clear (at least the ones I was on). Unfortunately, the trees and other things got weighed down with the ice. Our cedar tree limbs were touching the ground! We’ve had worse ice storms so I’m thankful that this wasn’t as bad as previous ones but it is still a pain. Anyway, today we decided we’d take some ice melt over to one of our elderly neighbors and make sure her drive and sidewalk were clear for church. My son got all his winter clothes on and grabbed the ice melt. As I mentioned earlier, the sidewalk and roads were not too bad so it wasn’t much use. The thought was nice, just didn’t go very far after that.

Yes.. you need ski goggles in KS to throw ice melt...

Since the ice melt didn’t work, we decided to make some Christmas goodies. And by we, I mean me. My husband and son went to work on my husband’s smoker. I got out all of our Christmas dishes, utensils, etc since we are having breakfast here Christmas morning. Earlier in the week, we made Santa’s cookie plate and milk mug. I put it out with the rest of the stuff. When my son got home, he was so excited to see Santa’s stuff. Then he said, “Mom, we need to give Santa something.” I replied with “What? Are you sure?” He, of course, said “Yes. I want to do something for Santa.” Well…. what do you say to that?? You say, “Ok son. How about we color him a Christmas picture?” That worked for him so we all laid on the floor and colored pictures to give to Santa, along with his milk and cookies. While we were coloring he said “Do you know what my favorite thing is? Coloring with my family. I like it better than work.” I’m so happy it meant so much to him. Of course, now Santa needs a real gift. Not sure what we are going to do about that one… 

Day 8 of the 12 Days of Giving - Blankets to Homeless Shelter

Today we decided to help the homeless again. I saw a news report on the need for items in the local homeless shelters. They advertised for Soul’s Harbor and said they were experiencing a lot of people in need. We decided that blankets would be a good item to donate. We went to Wal-Mart, grabbed a few blankets and some gloves. It’s definitely not much, but it is cold out and I know we like snuggling with blankets! We also decided to throw in a package of apple cider mix. I can’t imagine not having a warm place to come home to or a nice cup of cider/tea/whatever. There are so many little things that we take advantage of everyday. We are so blessed to have a warm home, plenty of food, clothes, toys, etc. We’ve been trying to be extra thankful for everything we have and take for granted. Every evening we pray and say what we are thankful for. My son is always thankful for his toys, which is fine, but I’m hoping after all of this he is thankful for more than just material items and toys. It’s going well so far! Be prepared for what he has in store for the rest of the days of giving – I’m very impressed!

Orange Currant Cinnamon Rolls

I’ve been thinking of brunch recipes we could have on Christmas morning and I knew I wanted to make some cinnamon rolls. However, you can’t just wing it on the day of – trust me, I’ve tried that and it doesn’t always work. These were actually supposed to be scones but I wasn’t paying attention and following my standard cinnamon roll recipe so once I got in the middle of making the dough I knew I had to commit! Good thing I was spacing because these are great! I’m sure they’d be awesome as a scone too but the cinnamon roll works so great, we may not try the scone! I was missing my "Granny Grunt" this morning and decided to use her plate for my picture. The holidays are hard when loved ones are gone but its little things that make you remember and enjoy their spirit! This makes 12 cinnamon rolls.

Orange Currant Rolls

Dough

1 cup white rice flour

¾ cup amaranth flour

½ cup potato starch

½ cup arrowroot starch

1 Tbsp xanthan gum

1 Tbsp yeast (1 packet)

½ tsp sea salt

1 tsp baking powder

¼ cup stevia

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 egg

¼ cup applesauce

¾ cup almond milk

½ cup water

1 tsp vanilla

Filling

¼ cup coconut oil, melted

½ cup coconut sugar (or brown sugar)

2 tsp cinnamon

½ cup dried currants

Icing

1 cup powdered sugar

1 tsp coconut oil, melted (or butter)

Juice and Zest from one orange

• Mix together dry ingredients in a large bowl. In a small bowl, mix together water, almond milk and yeast for dough and let set for a few minutes. Add in applesauce, coconut oil, egg and vanilla to dry mix and blend well.
•  Pour in milk mixture and blend on medium speed for 2 minutes. 
• This part is key. Put a large rectangle piece of plastic wrap onto your counter or tabletop to roll the dough on. Pour dough onto plastic wrap and spread into a rectangle. Place another sheet of plastic wrap onto dough. Roll out into a thin rectangle. Remove top layer of plastic wrap.
• Spread the coconut oil for filling over the dough. Sprinkle on coconut sugar, cinnamon and currants. Take the long side of the dough and roll over the rest. 
• A trick here is to roll the dough using the edges of the plastic wrap. The dough is sticky and hard to roll if you use your hands. Cut dough log into 1” pieces. 
• In a greased 9x13 pan, place rolls cut side down. Cover and let rise for about 20 minutes. Bake at 350°F for 25-30 minutes or until browned on top. 
• Mix together icing ingredients and spread over warm rolls. 

Day 7 of the 12 Days of Giving - letters to family

So today’s “gift” is a non-monetary, heart filled gift, straight from the innocence of a child. My son wanted to do something for some of his favorite people. I thought we’d put together some letters. For Father’s Day one year, I did this for Caleb. I put together a little questionnaire and his answers were so cute and funny. I thought it would be cute for Christmas too. I won’t post the exact letters because our family members haven’t received them yet and I don’t want to spoil the surprise. All I did was think of a few questions that he could answer honestly. Some were related to Christmas, others were not. His answers were truly honest, all his own and so sweet. When kids are that age, they say whatever they think, as silly or as funny as it may be. Their innocence is so amazing sometimes. It’s easy to forget they are just children but this little project brought joy to us and I’m sure it will bring even more joy to the recipients. Below are a few questions that you could use for ideas. Really any type of question or thought can be put on to paper. You could even just ask them what they want to write to their person. Kids can talk about anything; I’m sure they’ll think of something to say! If you happen to do this, let me know what some of your questions/answers are! It would be fun to share!

"The soul is healed by being with children..."

What is ____’s favorite color?

What is _____’s favorite thing to do?

What does _____ do for fun?

Why do you always want to go see _____?

What is your favorite thing about _____?

If you could do anything for ____, what would it be?

What would _____ ask from Santa for Christmas?

Day 6 of the 12 Days of Giving - Daycare & Free Store

There are times that I realize my children are very spoiled. Sure I like to blame it on the grandparents (who do a great job of spoiling) but we are also to blame. When my son was a baby, I must have bought every outfit I saw for him to wear. We didn’t have much money then so I’m not sure how we afforded it all but it was ridiculous. We had a garage sale, I’ve given clothes away to friends, donated them and I STILL have so many boy clothes! You’d think my daughter would have too much but her amount is fairly reasonable. The problem is not just clothes, but toys too. My son has every tiny little cheap toy you can think of and my daughter just refuses to play with hers. She prefers toilets or trashcans and the pantry items. She’s out of control. Anyway, we’ve started storing the older toys that don’t get played with as much and they haven’t missed one toy. So instead of just hoarding these barely used toys and clothes, we decided to donate them to the local free store. There’s really no sense in these boxes just taking up space – especially when I know they will be get MORE toys and clothes next week. My mom has a daycare so we are also going to be taking some toys there so she can rotate them out every once in a while too. I really thought my son would be more upset about this but he wasn’t. Obviously, he didn’t care about the clothes are working on being too small anyway but he wasn’t upset about the toys either. Some toys he said were “silly baby toys” anyway. I admit, I’m part of the problem. I keep everything…. I mean everything. My son had these toys that I thought “oh my gosh, we have to keep that. He smiled for the first time playing with that.” or “Remember this one?? He did this… or that…” Whatever the case was, I apparently thought it was a momentous occasion in our lives and we HAD to keep that toy. I’ve gotten over that – somewhat. It was tough, but those bags and bags of baby clothes and toys are finally going. Of course, I kept some of his favorite things and outfits (too many I’m sure) but the rest I’m ready to part with… I think. 

Never Fail Pie Crust & Banana Coconut Cream Pie

I’ve mentioned before that my mom is an awesome cook – like the best I know! She has a pie crust called “Never Fail Pie Crust” that she uses for all her pies (of course my favorite being her pumpkin pie). It is awesome – flaky, buttery, crisp. This is my attempt at her pie crust with gluten free flours. It doesn’t hold a candle to hers but it will work for me! This recipe makes about 2 pie crusts.

2 cups GF all-purpose flour (I used a mix of sweet sorghum, white rice and tapioca starch)

1 tsp xanthan gum

2 tsp baking powder

1 Tbsp Stevia or sugar

¾ cup butter or shortening, cold (I used dairy free butter)

¼ cup lukewarm water

1 egg, divided in half (save the other half for an egg wash to brush over the pie tops)

½ tsp vinegar

• In a mixing bowl, combine flour, xanthan gum, stevia, baking powder and butter. Blend until mixture is slightly crumbly. 
• Add in water, egg and vinegar and blend until ingredients are well combined. Pour dough mixture onto a clean, floured surface. 
• Split into two equal portions and roll each portion out as desired. 
• NOTE: This also freezes well. After rolling, place parchment paper over crust and roll crust up. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze up to two months. To use after freezing, just thaw at room temperature or in refrigerator. This crust is good for pies, cobblers, pot pies, etc.

BANANA COCONUT CREAM PIE

My father’s favorite pie is Coconut Cream. Over the last couple years, his health has declined rapidly. He has grown up eating junk and refuses to change his habits. His typical Coconut Cream Pie was loaded with sugar, fat, carbs, etc. Little does he know that I’ve greatly modified my coconut masterpiece into a low carb, low fat, low sugar, gluten free treat! For Thanksgiving this year I decided to add a little twist to it and add some bananas. It turned out great and gave the pie extra flavor! This makes one regular pie.

1 pre-baked GF pie crust (recipe above)

1 overripe bananas

1 cup almond milk

1 cup coconut milk

3 Tbsp arrowroot starch

1 tsp vanilla

½ tsp sea salt

¼ cup coconut flakes, unsweetened

½ cup whipped topping (for dairy free, use coconut cream)

1 Tbsp coconut flakes, toasted

• In a small blender, combine ½ banana and almond milk and blend until smooth. Pour mixture into a sauce pan over medium heat. In the blender, mix together arrowroot starch and coconut milk until smooth. Add in vanilla, salt and starch mixture to banana mix. 
• Bring to boiling and cook for about 5 minutes until mixture starts to thicken. Remove from heat and continue stirring for about 5 minutes. Let pudding set up for a few minutes. 
• Meanwhile, thinly slice the remaining banana half and place slices in a single layer along the bottom of the prebaked pie crust. Pour on pudding mixture. 
• Refrigerate for about 2 hours or until pie is set. Top with whipped cream and sprinkle on toasted coconut flakes. 

Day 5 of the 12 Days of Giving - Food Pantry

Ok – I have to be honest today. Today was supposed to be caroling with our church kids. I teach 2^nd grade and Lane is in the Pre-K class. We were so looking forward to it. I don’t think I've been caroling. I really love seeing all the kids together and having fun. I’m so thankful they let me help out. My body had different ideas which don’t involve being outdoors or around children. I've had a nasty cold since before Thanksgiving. One round of meds didn't work so a trip to Urgent Care was my afternoon. Two meds later, I’m at home with a fever.  Wash your hands people, there is nasty crud going around! 

Anyway – I had to move up a plan for today’s day of giving. Today has turned into food pantry day. My son had a hard time understanding this. We always have food and it seems like we are always grocery shopping. We eat mostly raw, real food so we don’t have too many pantry items – only fresh fruits, veggies, etc. They don’t last long and are very perishable so we had to do some grocery shopping for the food pantry. Lane’s first choice should come as no surprise to those that know him – mac & cheese. Then he got some Kool-Aid, fruit snacks, hot cocoa, cereal, stuffing mix, some soups, canned veggies and fruit. I mean really - I think he hit the essentials :) We got a large amount of stuff and I think my son understands a little better that he should be thankful for what we have. He may hate asparagus and give me the stink eye when I make him eat it, but at least he has fresh foods to eat! I must say it was odd buying all of those things that we don’t eat anymore. I forgot how easy and convenient it is to buy a can of soup or a package of macaroni and cheese. Either way – I hope it helps someone! 

Holiday Cookie Lists

It’s that time when everyone is on a baking frenzy and throwing together every kind of holiday cookie they can think of. Or maybe that’s just me? : ) Either way, here’s a list of my holiday cookie recipes to give you a few ideas to try. All of these are gluten free but can be easily substituted with regular flour. Each one should have a link to the original recipe. We will be baking a TON of these and maybe even some new recipes to give as gifts to family, loved ones, neighbors and even strangers! I’m always up for a new challenge or recipe ideas so if you have any you’d like to see, send them my way! Happy holiday baking!!

Molasses Almond Butter Cookies

Maple Pecan Cookies

Cookies

Gingerbread Cookies

White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies

Pumpkin Snickerdoodles

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Maple Pecan Cookies

Molasses Almond Butter Cookies

Candy

Lavender-Lemon Chocolate Truffles

Mint-Hazelnut Chocolates

Cinnamon Orange Candied Pecans

Baked Goods

Hello Dolly Bars

Homemade Twix Bars

Peanut Butter Cookie Bars

Cranberry Currant Persimmon Bars

Mini Banana Mango Bread Loaves

Gingerbread Cookies

Lemon Lavender Truffles

Cinnamon Orange Candied Pecans

Day 4 of the 12 Days of Giving - Watered Gardens

Some of you may have heard their ads on the radio. I wasn’t really sure what they were about until I started hearing their ads and I liked their message so I checked them out. You can find more info on their website http://wateredgardens.org. You can view their testimonials, their mission, events, etc. Watered Gardens Gospel Rescue Mission is located in Joplin, MO and according to their website their vision is “to see the Church boldly engaged with the homeless and poor relationally, responsibly and compassionately.”

We decided for our 4^th day of giving, we would donate some items there. I really like their approach and we wanted to help a couple homeless/needy shelters. We bought a few hygiene items such as toothbrushes, toothpaste, hand sanitizer, etc. We also a few little toys like slinky’s, bouncy balls and some markers/pens/notepads. I think there was some candy as well. It wasn’t much but it was things we could get to help multiple people and what my son thought everyone loves.  I mean really, who doesn’t love slinky’s and bouncy balls?! We have some other things in store for another homeless shelter later this week. I encourage you to check out Watered Gardens or some shelters in your area. I used to be really apprehensive to give to shelters or help the homeless. You always hear so many things about why people think they are homeless or what they’d do with your money if you gave it to them. I’ve learned that you can’t judge people. Let me rephrase that, you can but you shouldn’t. Unfortunately, I still find myself doing it. I hate that feeling I get when I pass a homeless person in the car and I quickly look away pretending I didn’t see them so I don’t feel as guilty for not doing anything (you know what I’m talking about). This year I decided that we weren’t going to do that. It is not my place to judge another person’s life and downfalls. It is not my place to judge what a person does with my help. I feel it is right to do what I can and involve my family. Slinky’s and toothbrushes worked for us! :)

Gingerbread Pancakes

Wouldn’t these be perfect for Christmas morning?? You bet they would! My kids loved helping making them and loved eating them even more. We have so many cookie cutters that we use maybe once a year. This idea gave us two uses this year – ha! You have to use metal cookie cutters, or at least ones that won’t melt on the griddle. Be sure to spray them with cooking spray so the batter doesn’t stick. Makes about 8-10 servings

1 ½ cup GF all purpose flour

3/4 cup almond milk

½ cup coffee, strong brewed

2 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp cinnamon

½ tsp allspice

¼ tsp salt

1 tsp xanthan gum

1 tsp baking powder

1 egg

• In a large mixing bowl, combine ingredients. Blend over medium speed for about 30 seconds or until well combined. If batter is too runny, add in additional flour or if it is too dry, add in additional milk – consistency will depend on the GF flour blends used. 
• Place greased cookie cutters onto a hot griddle. Slowly pour batter into cutters and cook first side about 10 minutes. Flip pancakes and cutters and cook on the other side for about 5 minutes. 
• Carefully remove pancakes from cookie cutters (they will be hot!). Serve with maple syrup or powdered sugar. 

Meal Plan Monday - week of 12/15/13-12/21/13

Happy Monday All!

Just over a week until Christmas!!! Are you ready?! We are slowly getting there! This week we will be starting our holiday goodie baking and prep! We've finished the grocery shopping we could so we'd be able to avoid some crowds (hopefully!). Now we just have to make everything! We are in full swing of our 12 Days of Giving. It's proven to be a lot of work but worth it! We will be going to the homeless shelter, library, fire dept, etc to deliver our goodies! Here is this week's menu plan. Be sure to check out www.orgjunkie.com for some organizing tips! Here's a link to all the other menu plan's hosted on their site.

Potato Hash and Eggs

Have a great week!

15	16	17	18	19	20	21
SUNDAY	MONDAY	TUESDAY	WEDNESDAY	THURSDAY	FRIDAY	SATURDAY
Breakfast	Breakfast	Breakfast	Breakfast	Breakfast	Breakfast	Breakfast
french	egg	maple	PB/banana	potato hash	poached egg	currant
toast	toast	oatmeall	toast	toast	toast	scones
fruit	banana	apple	egg	egg	apple	fruit
tea	tea	tea	tea	tea	tea	tea
Lunch	Lunch	Lunch	Lunch	Lunch	Lunch	Lunch
bean sprout	salad w/	lettuce wraps	salad w/	lettuce wraps	PB&J	veggies
& cucumber	beets	hummus	beans	quacamole	sandwich	stew
sandwich	crackers	carrots	fruit	crackers	carrots	hot rolls
water	water	water	water	water	water	water
Dinner	Dinner	Dinner	Dinner	Dinner	Dinner	Dinner
turkey	shrimp	turkey	leftovers	baked	KIDS	chicken
meatballs	stirfry	chili	chili/rice	chicken	CHOICE	parmesan
mac & cheese	rice	cornbread	salad	potatoes	tacos	salad
water	water	water	water	water	water	water
Snack	Snack	Snack	Snack	Snack	Snack	Snack
smoothie	fruit	smoothie	cheese	trailmix	nuts	cheese
veggies	nuts	trailmix	veggies	fruit	veggies	almonds
cupcakes	milk shake	fruit nachos	cookies	frozen yogurt	smores	brownies

Day 2 of the 12 Days of Giving - Angel Tree Gifts

So today proved to be very trying….but very rewarding! My husband and I explained to the kids (mainly the 5 yr old, little miss doesn’t speak English yet ha!) that today we would be buying gifts for the less fortunate. Our town has an “Angel Tree” that helps provide Christmas gifts for needy children (anonymously). Last week I went to pick our angels and surprisingly there were several left. I chose 4 special angels that were close in age to our kids. We had a 6 year old girl, a 6 year old boy, a 7 year old boy and a 1 year old girl. When I looked at the tags later I noticed most only asked for clothing or shoes. I was very surprised and very humbled at the same time. My husband and I decided that we’d get both; clothes and toys. My son actually did very well with buying the gifts. He was very excited and wanted to get them EVERYTHING. Food, shoes, socks, toys, soap, books… you name it, he tried to put it in the cart. He only asked a couple times if he was getting something but didn’t throw fits when I told him “no”. Anyway, I was very proud of him. We spent a lot more money than we planned. Our plan was to spend about $30 per kid. However, we quickly realized that wasn’t going to happen. By the time you get a small toy and gloves you are practically there.  Our Christmas bonuses may be gone BUT I’m happy to say that each child got gloves, a hat, shoes, socks, PJs, an outfit, books, 2 small toys and some candy (plus the baby got a coat!). The worst part of the whole trip was the crowd at Wal-Mart. Oh my gosh. We tried to get there early but it was closer to mid-morning. By the time we left at 11, it was crazy!!! Our daughter was tired and cranky. She threw her shoes, spilled her milk, screamed at the top of her lungs, lost her ponytail (which gave her a hideous, messy, Mohawk thing – don’t worry you’ll see her on “people of Wal-Mart” later), etc. My son wanted to put everything in the cart, wandered off, ran his face into a shopping cart (only a small black eye), etc. Once we got home and unloaded all the bags of stuff and laid all the gifts out, I realized it was all worth it and I’d do it again in a heartbeat. I knew this would be our big “day of giving” but I’m so happy that it went as well as it did. Through all the madness I saw our purpose and that’s all that matters. I sincerely hope that each child we were able to help has a wonderful Christmas and I hope that their parents or caregivers have one less stress to worry about this holiday season. Here’s some pics of our rewarding day!

Had to tie shoes. And yes my daughter is chewing on a dog toy (don't judge, it was a long day!)

The lost ponytail holder - mohawk-crazy hair look I mentioned earlier....

Sorted out by child!

All wrapped and ready to go!

Opening their book - Spiderman wanted to help :)

Lemon Lavender Chocolate Truffles

This recipe is a really good variation to traditional truffle recipes that is gluten, dairy, soy and nut free with a tart, savory flavor. The centers are so light and fluffy. These would be great coated in chocolate also but I liked the cocoa/sugar dusting on the outside. Makes about 30 truffles

1 pkg of chocolate chips (I used Enjoy Life brand)

1 can coconut milk (or 1 cup whipping cream for dairy version)

1 tsp lemon juice and zest

1 tsp fresh lavender, finely chopped

1 tsp vanilla

Coating

½ cup powdered sugar

1 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa

1 tsp lavender, finely chopped

• In a saucepan, melt chocolate chips. 
• While chocolate is melting, open your can of coconut milk. The coconut cream rises to the top while the liquid settles at the bottom. You want about ½ cup of the coconut cream and ¼ cup of the coconut milk liquid (save the rest for another recipe). 
• Once chips are melted, blend in coconut milk and cream, lemon juice and zest, lavender and vanilla using a mixer over medium speed. Blend for about 5 minutes or until mixture is smooth. 
• Chill in bowl for about 30 minutes. Spoon teaspoons of mixture onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and chill for another 30 minutes. 
• Once truffles have hardened, roll into smooth balls.
• In a small bowl, combine coating mixture. Roll truffle balls into coating mix until covered. Keep refrigerated in a sealed container. 

Day 1 of the 12 Days of Giving! GF Goodie Giveaway!! - Updated!

MERRY CHRISTMAS GIVEAWAY

I’m not sure if you saw my post about our 12 Days of Giving but if you didn’t check it out here! Today is the first day of our giveaways and I wanted to start with this. I want to thank everyone who has read my blog or Facebook posts. On Friday, December 20, I will be giving away a few of my favorite gluten-free goodies! One lucky winner will receive a gift box with several GF items, many of which are all natural or organic. I love trying new brands of foods and especially getting new GF goodies. My kids love the Lucy’s cookies and YumEarth Jelly Beans and I love it all! I know sometimes it is hard finding GF treats or convenience items that are healthy or affordable. We have a few options where we live but I do a lot of my shopping for pantry items online. If you already eat gluten free this is perfect. If you don’t or you are new to the GF world, these products are still great and who doesn’t love a freebie! Anyway – here’s the details!

Start Date: today! Saturday, December 14, 2013

End Date: Friday, December 20, 2013 at 12:01 am

Winner Announced: Friday, December 20, 2013

Prize: 1 GF Goodie Box complete with: 1 Grab & Go Pack of Lucy’s GF Cookies, 3 GF Junior Bumble Bars, 3 bags of Yogi Honey Lavender Stress Relief Tea, 1 Go Geez Applesauce Pack, 3 bags of Numi Organic Garden Tea, 3 bags of Numi Organic Full Leaf Tea, 2 package of YumEarth Naturals Sour Jelly Beans, and whatever else I decide to throw in!

How to Enter: All you have to do is “Like” my Facebook post about this giveaway –find it here at LPHJ Kitchen’s page. For an extra entry, leave a comment letting me know what your favorite holiday tradition is! It’s that easy! A winner will be randomly selected and notified by Facebook. Once the winner provides a valid mailing address, I will ship the products! Feel free to share with your friends so they can enter too!

Rules: Must be a US Resident over 18 years old. No business nor Facebook is affiliated with this giveaway. 

Friday, Dec. 20th at 6:30 pm. We have a winner!! Brenda Dominguez is the winner!

$5 Poinsettia Centerpieces

I really try to be crafty… really I do. It usually doesn't work though! Sometimes the things I make turn out great but a majority of the time they don’t. Usually what happens is I buy all the items I need to make something I have in mind. Halfway through it doesn't look like it’s supposed to so I improvise and turn it into something more presentable. That’s how this cute little centerpiece happened. I bought tiny ornaments to make a little ornament garland – failed so I threw the ornaments into a glass jar and I liked it! Added a few extra touches and voila! I know this is mainly a cooking blog so don’t worry – you won’t see many crafts on here as I don’t usually have many “voila” moments! Ha! This makes about 3 centerpieces depending on the size of ornaments, vases, etc.

2-3 packs of small ornaments (I picked 3 packs of 1” ornaments in red, silver and gold)

1 large vase

1 large poinsettia flower

A handful of fake snow

Ribbon, string, etc for your bow

•  Take the small ornaments and place them into the vase in any pattern you’d like. I wanted to use different ornament textures and colors in layers. 
• Toss in the fake snow and gently move the vase around to get the snow to “fall” around the ornaments. 
• Stick in your flower and tie a bow around the outside of the vase. Very simple, yet very cute!