Names have been changed to protect the innocent...and my husband...and me...but not the dog. His name is Dexter.

Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Halloween 2012!!!

Happy Halloween!

From the Gryffindor House!!

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Udi's Gluten Free Goodies

Gluten Free.  It has haunted me for several years now.  So many random people suggesting it for a variety of reasons.  But the gluten free diet is not one I would necessarily say is easy to follow.  It's in everything.  Gluten is everywhere. 

But then came Babs rash.  The doctor said it was just eczema and didn't have anything to do with a food allergy.  And yet.....the gluten haunted me still.  And there were also the stomach aches.  Not just the "my dinner tummy is full, but my dessert tummy is empty" kind of stomach aches.  Stomach aches after so many meals, that consistently had higher amounts of gluten.  She was tested for celiac and thankfully it was negative.  But I still just wondered. 

We do eat bread, but not a ton of pasta.  We have pasta about once every two weeks and don't eat bread with every meal, etc. 

And then I had surgery.

We were lucky enough to have many people happy to help us out with meals and support.  Obviously, our eating habits changed.  And Babs rash went crazy.  I couldn't help but see the connection between an increase in wheat based products and the flaring up of the rash. 

And so began our gluten free journey.  At first we reduced the amount of gluten in our diet and noticed a decrease in the redness.  Then we went gluten free. 

Oh.  My.  Goodness.  It's everywhere!  And I only had one arm available to help us through the adjustment.  Our gluten free focus was on Babs, so that gave us a little bit more wiggle room for family meals.  But the results were clear.  The stomach aches seemed to go away and the rash lost a lot of it's redness in just the two weeks that she was completely gluten free.

Luckily, we got a box of goodies from the lovely people of Udi's Gluten Free.  It could not have come at a better time.  It was like a big brown box of divine intervention.  Try Gluten Free!!!

Just tilt your head.  I can't get it to rotate.
 
And try we did.  I've asked around about gluten free products and most people have said to not bother since they're just not that good.  My gluten free experience is pretty limited.  We made some gluten free bread from a mix that was.....different.  It tasted fine, but the texture was a bit....off.  But the cinnamon raisin bread from Udi's was quite good.  It didn't have the funny gummy texture that the other bread did.

We made a yummy dessert with the Chocolate Chia Muffin Tops, vanilla bean ice cream and a little hot fudge.  MMmmmmm.......chocolate........
We got to try quite a few of the products including granola (we added dry blueberries & milk for some awesome breakfast cereal), Snickerdoodles and Dark Chocolate Brownie Bites.  The Brownie Bites were hands down my very most favorite.  But I wouldn't turn away a Snickerdoodle, truth be told.  They were soft and yummy, not at all like the cardboard-like atrocities I had heard about. 
And if you're wondering what CG's response was to this, it can be summed in one sentence. 

"When are we ordering more?"


   
**As previously mentioned, Udi's sent us a box of goodies to try.  The opinions, long rambling back story and dark chocolate brownie bites are all mine.**

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Tip Tuesday-Cold Relief

It's that super fun time of year where the germs are spreading their holiday cheer and every where you go you are exposed to those little demons of disease. 

Perhaps I'm stating the obvious by confessing that I'm a bit of a germ-a-phobe. 

Since it is inevitable that we will all get the sniffles at least once this year, I thought I would share with you my secret weapon to help combat the ickies.  This has not been scientifically tested in any way, but it absolutely gives you some relief during your cold and I am completely convinced that it shortens the duration of the cold. 

First you boil water. 

Then, while you're waiting for the water to boil, you slice up some lemon, orange and fresh ginger.  I usually do two slices each of the lemon and orange and about a 1/4-1/2 inch piece of ginger.  I usually put it all in my 2 cup glass measuring cup. 

Then, cover it all in honey. 

Now that your water is boiling, pour some on your cold relief concoction and let it steep for about ten minutes.  Then pour that vitaminy goodness into your mug and let that nourishing warmth heal all that ails you. 

Repeat as often and as many times as you like.  It also works well for kids.  My girls love it, especially with the orange in it since it takes out some of the lemons' tartness. 

Anyone else have a cold and flu trick up their sleeve?  I'm always up for hearing some good home remedies. 

Friday, October 12, 2012

Friday Favorite-Gardner Village at Halloween

If I'm being perfectly honest, I love Gardner Village any time of the year.  But they really know how to do Halloween. 

Gardner Village is in my DNA.  I have been going there since before it was called Gardner Village.  Our wedding reception was there.  I take my girls almost every year to see the witches, along with other times of the year.  It's a part of us. 

Family trips over the years......
2007
 Ride With A Witch

 2011
Somewhere I have a picture of Lolly and I when she was a cute little lap baby.  Sadly, I can't find it anywhere.  Or any of the other Gardner Village pictures. 

A few weeks ago I got to go to a fun blogger get together at Gardner Village to start off the witchy season right.  We got a whirl wind tour of all their shops and spent a little extra time in a few of my favorites.  I even got a few pictures of a few of my favorite things.



And caught a glimpse of some of the local witch life.  The hula hooping one is a favorite.
And my favorite quote of the night was from the lovely Carly of Living The Scream.  As we were walking into a shop she said, "This is so fun!  I really like you guys!" 
Highlite Photography also located at Gardner Village
 
 **This Blogger's Night Out was sponsored by Gardner Village and My Craft Channel.  All Gardner Village trips, obsessions, fabric ogling and most pictures are my own.**


Thursday, October 11, 2012

Wait...what day is it?

The days....they have blurred together.  I'm still living the life of post shoulder surgery with an awkward sling on the upper right side of my body and dazed look on my face.  Thanks to modern technology, I have alarms reminding me to pick up my children.  Otherwise I would be getting a lot of phone calls from their school.

It appears as though I haven't blogged since September.  I'd say I have a lot to catch up on but, really, I don't really remember there being much excitement over the last couple of weeks.  I pick  up the girls from school and spend an inordinate amount of time in the car.  They just started dance lessons, which will get a post of it's own eventually, and that adds another two and a half hours of van time each week.

On the bright side, I made it through a busy day today without a nap.  Now that may seem normal to most people, but since my surgery I have barely gone a day without passing out in exhaustion (hence the 10 alarms programmed in my phone....I wish I was kidding) at least once a day.  Sometimes more than once.

And that, my friends, screams improvement.  Baby steps, but I'll take it! 

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