Just for you Dad

I read that comment Dad. And took it to heart and baked up a loaf of bread that would make any Gluten Monster (Brad) stand up and take notice. I actually did read the recipe - and re-read and read it again. I got out my electronic temperature gauge and heated the water to exactly the specifications (115F). I measured and I sifted and tried not to fiddle with the ingredients too much. The recipe calls for rapid bread cycle. This just produced a hunk of yuck. I look at the nice picture on The Gluten Free Goddess's website. My bread just didn't even LOOK the same. On Basic bread cycle, with regular dry active yeast the hunk of yuck turned into something spectacular - or as spectacular as Gluten Free bread can. It was crusty on the outside, moist on the inside and had little air holes like regular home made bread.
I think it's a hit....

Dad - open invitation to come back and try THIS loaf!

Channeling Spring

We're all looking forward to the spring - or the girls are anyway. I think Brad could live in the cold forever just as long as he had a snowmobile, a four-wheeler and one of those funny fur hats with the ear flaps.
Going a little stir crazy with the cold weather. It hasn't been a particularly snowy winter, but it's been cold.... and long.... Now that the sun is out before 8:00 a.m. and not setting until just after 5:30 p.m. makes me wish for bbq's on the patio and green grass and spring flowers.
I've been experimenting with baking. Yes, baking. I haven't poisoned anyone yet or had anything come out rock hard. And to top it all off, I've been doing Gluten Free, Dairy Free AND Egg free baking and cooking. Most of the recipes have turned out really well. As well as can be when I don't know what GF bread should really taste like. It's very different. Really dense, really doughy (if that's a word) and not like wheat bread at all. Rowyn likes it so I'm happy.
Rowyn's adjusted to GF and Dairy free better than we have. Brad looks at me when I serve dinner and says "Sooooo, what is this?". We have managed to bake rice krispy treats, blueberry muffins, banana bread. Next on the list is to try a different bread recipe and to try to make some no chocolate chocolate chip cookies.
We took a road trip to visit the Theil family last weekend. We had a blast. Kurt made a skating rink in the backyard and Rowyn was brave enough to get on skates! It was a great experience and so good that Rowyn and Ty can play and hang out. Rowyn kept asking - before we were even out of town "Are we at Ty's yet?" I said no, only 2 MORE HOURS! She now knows that Ty's house is a little bit away and Griffin's house is a LONG way - on an airplane and "Mommy, I want to call Uncle Jai and tell him that we are coming to visit Griffin and we have to take a plane to get there". Too cute.

We have rotating dinner guests at our house. This is BoBo. Yesterday we had Maggie Bear. Today, who knows!