Gluten free waffle recipe

There are very few wheat flour recipes that I've been able to take and transform easily into a gluten free option, but lucky for us this is one of them! I just took Better Homes & Gardens traditional waffle recipe (page 88 in the classic red & white gingham book) and with a few tweaks over the years, turned it gluten free!

I'm so glad this recipe makes up easily as Sunday nights are now waffle night in our house, with bacon or sausage & smoothies. It's a favorite for our boys & it's an easy dinner option. Try them out this Sunday night!

1 3/4 all purpose gluten free blend ( I make my own gluten free blend. 1 cup sorghum flour, 1 cup tapioca flour or starch, 1 cup rice flour and 1/2 tbsp. xanthum gum. You can multiply this add needed for an all purpose stash to have on hand.)

1/2 tbsp. baking powder

2 eggs

2- 2 1/2 cups milk (any kind of milk will do)

1/2 cup olive oil


Mix ingredients in a bowl using a whisk (if you use something else, it might make the batter clumpy). Add more milk depending on how the initial consistency comes out. You don't want it too thick or the waffles will be too puffy. If you need to, you can add more than 2 1/2 cups of milk, you want the end texture smooth but not too runny.

Grease waffle iron & add 1/2 cup of batter. When fully cooked, remove & enjoy!

I like to add butter & fruit or peanut butter and maybe unsweetened cocoa powder for a richer flavor. Or feel free to douse them in maple syrup. Whatever you, enjoy!!

Rachel

Cinnamon gluten free graham crackers, yes please!

In my efforts to reduce how much processed food we eat, I made some cinnamon gluten free graham crackers yesterday. I had many people asking for the recipe after I posted the picture of the final product on FaceBook & Instagram, so here it is for everyone to enjoy! Click here for the original recipe. I am typing my own recipe up myself for two reasons, 1. so you don't have to do the conversions like I do and 2. because my oldest asked for cinnamon graham crackers & I'm adding that bit I did to my recipe.

These are a huge hit in our house! Boyd said 'These are the best ever!' And Ian & I put strawberries & whipped cream over the top for a dessert, it was great!

1 1/2 cups brown rice flour
2 tbsp. corn starch
5 tbsp. brown sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt

5 tbsp. cold butter
6 tbsp. milk
3 tbsp. honey

For cinnamon topping (optional)
2 tbsp. butter, melted
2 tsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. cinnamon

Preheat over to 350.
In a bowl (the original recipe calls for a food processor but I don't have one), mix dry ingredients.
Cut up butter into small 1/2 inch size pieces and add to dry ingredients. Use a pastry blender to mix butter into dry ingredients until butter is pea size. (the original recipe calls for doing all the mixing in the food processor)
Add the milk & honey & mix until a dough consistency.
Dump the dough onto a piece of parchment paper, using a second piece of parchment paper on top of dough, roll out dough with a rolling pin until it reaches a cracker thick.
Remove the top piece of parchment paper & add the dough, still on the bottom piece of parchment paper, onto cookie sheet.
Refrigerate for 10 minutes.
Remove dough from refrigerator, using a pastry cutter cut into cracker sizes desired. Use a fork to put 'dimples' into the dough.

To add cinnamon topping
Add cinnamon & sugar to melted butter, mix.
Brush butter mixture on top of the dough.

Bake for 9  minutes, rotate cookie sheet & bake for 9-11 minutes more, depending on how crunchy you want your crackers.
Let crackers completely cool on a rack before you break them up.



Please let me know how they turned out for you!

Enjoy,
Rachel

Grey turned 2 years old!

This precious boy turned 2 years old last week. And all I can think is 'where has the time gone?' He is a soft hearted, generous hugger who has hit the 2's hard (and we're talking HARD! Like tantrums by the minute & 'NO' to everything). But it's funny when you've gone through it already, because I look at our oldest and realize that 'this too shall pass' and I thank God that it will!

Grey Wesley, you are a delight! You are the cuddliest kid and you LOVE to share what you have with others, your generosity comes from the heart. I am so blessed to be your Mom & watch you grow. And today, this is my prayer for you,


'Whoever pursues righteousness & love finds life, prosperity & honor.'
Proverbs 21:21

Love,
Mom

8 Months

Today our youngest, Bennett, turns 8 months. I find myself asking if he shouldn't be older considering everything that has happened since he's been born. Here is a mildly brief pictorial summation.

Early May, our then youngest, got his cast removed a week before Bennett was born.

 Bennett was born on Tuesday May 14th, he was a delight & easy addition to the family from the start.

Now we have 3 boys, WOW! 

Ian accepted the job in Corning, NY & we started packing in June. Everyone sat on camping furniture for the rest of the time we were in Eugene, OR.

 And we flew across the country in July. It was 3 flights in one day that turned into 2 days and staying in one of the most shady airport hotels in Detroit with 3 very over tired children. Thank goodness it was only a 1 1/2 hour flight from Detroit to Elmira, NY the next morning!

Come August & we were seeing the sights in NY and getting together with old friends. 

Finally September and we had an accepted offer on our house & drove up to Maine for a family vacation. I was lucky to have my Mom join us for the week!

Oct. 16th Grey, our middle son, turned 18 months!

 In October we celebrated Halloween & continued with paperwork for our home loan.

November came and we celebrated Thanksgiving with Ian's family & Bennett turned 6 months old.

We also closed on our house Nov. 21st and work immediately began! 

Dec. 4th, Boyd, our oldest, turned 4 years old! Such a big boy with a big heart to help people. I love his determined personality that is taking shape!

Dec 14th, also the day Bennett turned 7 months old, we moved into our new home, ready to be closer to get more things done without the drive time & crazy nap schedules. 11 days later, we celebrated Christmas with Ian's parents and a quiet day at home.

We rang in the New Year with continuing the work on the house.

Which brings us to Jan. 14th, 2013. Bennett turns 8 months old, we've lived in our first home for 1 month & been New Yorkers for 7 months. 

I keep realizing God really does know what he's doing! There is a reason that we don't know what is to come, because if we did we'd say 'heck no!'. I know I would have! Praise God for his faithfulness in providing for us through every new road we've traveled down, both literally & metaphorically. 

'Therefore, I will praise you, Lord, among the nations; I will sing the praises of your name.' 2 Samuel 22:50 

Music

Music is a passion of mine. I grew up playing the flute, piano, alto sax and even the tuba for a brief stint in the middle school band. I also sang, at school in choir and at church, eventually I led worship for high school youth group & for our high school baccalaureate service. I have a musical family, when we get together it isn't uncommon for Jon, my second oldest brother, to pull his guitar out and we all join in song for awhile. And while I haven't done much with this talent for awhile, music still moves me. Even without great lyrics, if it rocks, I'm all over it! I've also seen this love of music start to foster in my kids, I LOVE this! Makes me beyond ecstatic!

Several years ago my oldest brother, Ben, gave us a CD of music, the band was Jesus Culture and I had never heard of them before. It took me awhile to finally listen to them, Ben said they were really good, but I must have been busy at the time, who knows? So eventually turned into finally and I popped them in, it was awesome! Never before had I heard such spirit led worship music. Now when I listen to Jesus Culture, without fail, I am reminded of my brother Ben & his wife Rose. They are a faithful duo! They are steadfast & always aware of where God is directing them in life.

This Christmas I got another CD from them, the title is 'Tides' by Bethel Music, I couldn't wait to listen to it! If it were as good as the last, I wasn't going to be disappointed. Song #7, 'I can feel you' by Jenn Johnson, was amazing from the beginning. First, I loved the music, then I really listened to the words. This song epitomizes what I've been going through in life the past several years. God has really opened my heart to show me how he has been directing me, even though I didn't think so. My life is forever changed with an awareness of who he is and what he really does in my life.

God longs for our heart, I can see that now.


Here is the song on if you want to listen. Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=77cwl530Ngg

A knitted sweater

I love to knit. I love the feel of the yarn, the sound of the needles when they click, the rhythm you get into and the therapy it provides me. Also, it's great that I can be productive while taking a few minutes to sit down! It's been my favorite past time for over 10 years now and for awhile I was actively selling my knitted items. Now the kids need me more & so I've just made it my hobby, while still making things if others ask.

I made a sweater for our oldest 3 years ago now (here is the blog post about that http://thenannythatknits.blogspot.com/2011/01/knit-sweater.html). It is the first sweater that I have knitted, it reminds me of our first little baby & its soft! I put it on our 2nd son the other day & it just brought back found memories & I got excited to think that all our boys will wear it! Can you tell I'm a bit sentimental?

This is our oldest, wearing it 3 years ago!

And our 2nd wearing it only 2 days ago!

I can't wait to have a picture of our youngest wearing it! 

Consistency

I have a really hard time being consistent in life. Anyone else? I always like the idea of a routine, but between inconsistent sleep & inconsistent moods (both my kids and myself) it's hard to keep doing the same thing every day.

Does this make me undisciplined? Am I allowing my feelings to rule me? Or am I being a 'roll with it' mom? One who lets the kids color her with marker & finger paint freely (but I know I am not that mom!). When can it just be the way things are? When can I just realize that no day, with this many people in a house, will be the same? Why do I have the need to be consistent and regimented? Why can't I stop questioning myself? When will 'flexing' seem 'normal'? When will I give myself a break?

This fight in my head, the one where you compare yourself to those who seem more regimented, or who simply are more regimented, needs to stop! When can I stop the comparison trap, the trap that compares me negatively & sees everyone else as having it all together (not a fair comparison when everyone else has a full pro list and not one con!). I need to see all the things that I bring to my family. Remember that I play with my kids daily & make sure they are comforted when they need it, I'm consistent with that!

I'm pretty sure there's one exception, one thing in my life that has to stay consistent, has to stay right where it is. And that's God. Every day I have to prioritize him! Especially when no one naps, the house looks like a tornado has come through and I'm ready to scream due to overtired children & no sanity saving quiet time (this was just two day ago!). Daily I need him for strength. I need him to give me wisdom. And whether at 12PM or 12AM, it is my resolve to pursue him daily!




'Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - his good, pleasing and perfect will.'
Romans 12:2

'But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.'
Matthew 6:33-34