These banana pecan muffins came out delicious. Gluten eating visitors couldn't even tell that they were allergy friendly. Banana Pecan Muffins 2 1/2 c. brown rice flour 1/2 c. tapioca flour 1/2 c. sugar 2 t. baking powder 1 1/2 t. xantham gum 1 t. baking soda 1/2 t. salt 2 c. mashed bananas (4-5... Continue Reading →
The Green Bag Lady joined with Sew Baby Sew to create the Green Bag Lady Challenge. I thought about how I could step up to the challenge. Most of the relatives we give gifts to wouldn't appreciate the bags. Last year we gave my husband's brother and his wife a set of 8 Chico Bags along... Continue Reading →
Growing up, our family celebrated Boxing Day. It isn't very well known in the States, but I suppose having grandparents who moved here made it more prevalent for us. However, not much was said about it. In fact, when I mentioned it to my sister one time as adults, she hadn't even realized that we... Continue Reading →
This is the fudge that my husband's coworkers beg for me to make. It is whispered about at parties, with everyone making excuses to walk past in order to grab another piece. It is rich and decadent with just the right hint of pepermint. It is magical and addicting, though I claim no great culinary... Continue Reading →
One of our Solstice Calendar activities was to make a gingerbread house. Making a gingerbread house is normally a very involved activity, and I just didn't think I had it it me. So, instead, we opted for one crafted out of graham crackers. The kids decided it would be much more fun to make a castle.... Continue Reading →
The Missouri Department of Conservation has come out with a wonderful calendar for 2011. Each 10 x 14 inch page includes gorgeous full color photos of natural wildlife and nature, with two smaller photos on each calendar page. The best part of the calendar....it has facts written on almost every day. Keep in touch with... Continue Reading →
Ellen Jackson has a series of children's picture books regrading various Earth-based holidays. So, when I ordered a copy of The Winter Solstice years ago, I had great expectations. Instead, I found a book focused solely from a Judeo-Christian perspective, even stating empirically that we now celebrate the winter solstice with Christmas and Hannukah. Most... Continue Reading →
When you call me on your way home from work to let me know that you need some sort of dish to take to work the next day, you get this: A hurriedly made snowflake cake, finished in 45 minutes, 35 of which was the bake time and 9 minutes of which was the shortened... Continue Reading →
If you are looking for a children's picture book about the Winter Solstice that doesn't mention Christmas, Wendy Pfeffer's The Shortest Day will meet your requirements. Of the few childen's books available about the Solstice, almost all mention the Christian holiday. This fact alone makes the book worth purchasing for families who celebrate the Solstice.... Continue Reading →
When my oldest was a toddler, I purchased quite a few playsilks from Dharma Trading Company. At the time, I used Kool-Aid to dye them. The colors were never spectacular, but they worked well enough. Years of use and some washing had the playsilks looking faded and shabby. I decided to try my hand at... Continue Reading →
living peacefully with children 