Tuesday, November 25, 2014

Sunday, November 23, 2014

Gluten-Free Pumpkin Pie

Our resident Celiac Girl is here to share her latest baking achievement:



The no-roll crust is seriously the best thing ever.  We'll start there:

1 1/2 C gluten-free flour blend
1 1/2 t sugar
1 t salt
1/2 C oil
2 T cold milk.

Mix together and press in pie pan.

Then for the pumpkin filling mix:

1 15 oz can pumpkin
3 eggs slightly beaten
1 C sugar (brown or white)
1/2 t salt
1 t cinnamon
1/4 t EACH of cloves, nutmeg, and ginger
1 C evaporated (or regular) milk

Pour filling into pressed in pan crust dough.  Preheat oven to 450.  Bake for 10 minutes and then reduce heat (leave pie in oven) to 350 and bake an additional 40-45 minutes.  Insert a knife to check if it is done.

Saturday, November 22, 2014

Peppermint Hot Chocolate mix, Jumbo batch


20 C dry milk (the largest box at Walmart)
3 1/4 C powdered coffee creamer
3 1/4 C plain baking cocoa
10 C powdered sugar
2 boxes of candy canes, crushed




Put in a large container with a 1/3 C measure as a scoop.  Then use to mix with one cup hot water.


Makes about 100 servings. 

Friday, November 21, 2014

One Bucket Down

Great news.  I think....

I've been grouting the tile whenever I'm in the mood to get messy, so pretty often.  It took longer than expected but today marked the finish of the first bucket o' premixed grout.  Still have more to do but considering we bought 5 buckets we've got WAY more than enough.

Monday, November 17, 2014

Western Decor Products


The cold weather has me thinking about warm and cozy western design again.  I've decided I want to make insulated plaid flannel curtains for the camper.  Sounds fun, right?  When summer comes I may lose my motivation, but since it'd keep the heat out too, I might be up to it!




Fires are so romantic.  I'm thinking about putting one of those fake fire space heaters in my master bathroom.  The tile is so brrr on these winter mornings.

Asian Products (but I maintain it has a western edge)

Sunday, November 9, 2014

Ancestors Love

I have felt this before in gentle but powerful ways.  My foremothers are a loving influence on my direction.

Friday, November 7, 2014

Everybody....EVERYBODY!

One of my favorite writers Martha Beck once wrote a small piece about the people we see ourselves reflected in.  You know,  like the group of people we think of when we say, "Everybody feels ______ about me."  Or "everybody thinks this about ______.

If I remember it right, our EVERYBODY is usually just 5-10 people whose opinions we value and/or have certain spots in our life.  Sometimes there are members of that "group" we don't even agree with or respect, we've just grown accustomed to the idea that we should be in fear or obedience to them by keeping their hypothetical judgements as part of our choice making.

It was an "aha" moment for me as I realized through the end of the article that *I* could reconstruct my Everybody just as she suggested.  It was many years ago (pre instagram, twitter and the like) when I took in her suggestions that even authors or dead celebrities or whomever from where or whenever could be in our chosen group.

Well, that just changes everything,  right?  Feminists from the past who fought hell and high water to get me a few freedoms are gonna give me a certain grace that a privileged person from another arena might not.  It was my choice who judges me.  Even if it's all in my head.  (Which it already was/is anyway, right?) 

Just a few days ago, this idea popped back into my mind.  I could do this with my social media!   Instead of grasping at people to like me or worrying that they didn't,  I could raise my vibration to taking in the updates and energy of those I want to emulate and feel encouraged by.  It really is a switch for me in making the media serve me rather than feel fearful and tossed about by it.

In that vein I'd like to mention Taylor Swift's instagram feed was super empowering this morning.  And I'm off to my weekend.  Hope you love yours ♡.

Thursday, November 6, 2014

So much to do with that Pallet


One of the great bonuses of getting our building supplies in bulk and delivered on a truck is all the pallets they arrived on.

We've got the fresh clean pretty ones out in the backyard "weathering" the natural way (not like this) and as I looked out over the one that is still out there I started daydreaming what it should become.  Do you have any votes?

Here are my ideas so far:

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Because, hey...why rip them apart when you have perfectly spaced areas for lettuces?

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Casey wants a more enclosed electronics cabinet so this might not happen.  It'd be a good style for a buffet table in our dining area, though.

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This looks like a pretty fast way to use them without much effort.  And we do need a new bed....

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Not sure, but I'd add some stain on these maybe.  We could use sidetables in every room in this house.  Quick and useful.

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From Barn to House


This is one of the most gorgeous looking trends....says I who loves barns of every kind anyway :).

Here's some of my favorites (scroll through):



Tuesday, November 4, 2014

Hairstyle Inspiration, Rita Ora



No, I didn't get my haircolor ideas from her...I didn't even know she existed until recently.  But watching a couple of her videos just now, I realized she and I are doing a lot of very similar colors.  But her cuts are longer, so I thought I'd gather a group of pictures here for styling ideas once mine gets this long.

I'm still loving blonde!  (But that pink she threw in there makes me miss that a little too) 











Chocolate Yogurt Oat Muffins

  1 C oat flour 1/2 C sugar 1/4 C cocoa powder 1/2 t baking soda 1/4 salt 1/2 C chocolate chips 1 egg 1/2 C plain greek yogurt 1/4 melted bu...