Preservative & Gluten Free Pancakes

I made my first preservative free/gluten free pancakes the other day!

I just made up a recipe and was pleasantly pleased.

Preservatice & Gluten Free Pancakes

Put dry ingredients in mixing bowl:
1 cup Brown Rice Flour
1 Tbls dry brown rice cereal
1 Tbls cornstarch
1 Tbls brown sugar
1 Tabs baking powder
½ teaspoon sea salt
Add and stir in according to desired consistency:
½-1 cup buttermilk

May add blueberries or banana slices after placing in pan, before flipping if you like

Review: The dry Brown Rice cereal gave it a whole grain taste and texture which I liked.

They were fluffy and I didn't feel like I was missing out on "real" pancakes.

I'm not a big fan of pancakes, but once in awhile I like a really good one with fruit, and these really hit the spot. Try 'em, I think you'll like them, and so will the rest of the family.

Awards

What a wonderful thing to receive not one but two awards from

Sufficient Grace for Suffering Saints.

Award Creator

Please visit her. You will be encouraged by the words and heart she has to share.

I appreciate and accept the awards most humbly.

Now it is my turn to pass one some "humble buttons" as my dear Husband calls them.

Just a thought...how can you wear a humble button humbly?

Anyway, I  do know of others that deserve just such awards for their blogs.
So please visit and be encouraged as well.

Home Living

Guard the Home

His Beloved

No Treasures On Earth

The Quiet Pleasures of Home

Reflections in the Window

Abounding in Treasures

To the seven listed...

You have been nominated for these awards for using your blogs to encourage other women in Jesus.

I praise God for you. 

Lady Monika

Taking the plunge to Gluten Free!

Bountiful
Here I am taking the plung into Gluten Free Land!

I was in the middle of typing this up when jm asked why I went gluten free? So here is the answer and if you don't mind me asking jm...
why do you say it is expensive? Am I in for a shock?

I learned back in I think it was 2000 that I was allergic to something that was causing a severe itcthy skin rash on my hands. After a trip to Germany where everything was organic and I couldn't get any ibuprophen in the stores, (if requires a prescription over there), I was feeling better. When I came back home and the rash started all over again, I backed off to only water and tried to figure out what I was allergic too. I finally narrowed it down to chemicals (anaphalatic schock!) and preservatives and anti-inflammatories. All this without expensive allegy testing. It seemed to be under control, but over the years I have still had reactions. I ran across some posts on Celiac Diesease and it sounded exactly like what I was experiencing and it says there is no cure, you just HAVE to stay away from gluten.

Ok, that can't be so bad, as I've already turned my diet upside down years ago, and this will mostly affect the breads and cereals and pastas. Since there is no cure and it's just eating healthy there is no reason to pay for a doctor visit, which I hate anyway. So I began the Gluten Free life just a few days ago.

So I thought I would go out and get some Gluten free food. I have seen that disclaimer everwhere in the past...gluten free! But now that I need it...it's nowhere to be found.

I have found some ideas online for gluten feee flour baking mixes, and menus. So I searched the kitchen and here is what I have been feasting, and I mean feasting! This is great stuff! It's not as bad as I thought it would be, and I post these for anyone as ignorant in these matters as I am.





My first gluten free meals:



Kippers (smoked herring) and eggs with grape tomatoes.

Baked sweet potato with butter and molasses

Fried zucinni, with TVP (Textured vegetable protien) and stewed tomatoes

Brown rice cereal, just like cream of wheat only better.

Celery sticks with homemade chopped toasted almonds and cream cheese

Grapefruit and Eggs

BBQ'd Steak and baked beans with a salad

Strawberries and whip cream

Homemade Salsa

Tea

Water with Lemon Juice



Ok so now I am on the look out for baking recipes to make gluten free breads, or find a good store bought GF Bread. Does anyone else have any suggestions to share with me? Also from what I have read, most dairy products are fine, but is there a good gf yogurt? I've read that modified food starch is a no no, and is it guar gum that is a no no?

So much to learn.

The Front Porch Sale

What kind of laundry is hanging on your front porch?

We have had so much fun with our front porch sales.

Now that the weather has cooled off it is so nice

to sit out on the front porch in the shade

and enjoy talking with those who stop by.

I've had a lot of homemade items and vinatge items out front,

as well as a table of pretties and household things we don't really need.

Also a couple of bikes, one of which has already sold.

After hubby puts out the signs on near by corners we settle down on the porch

with a cup of coffee and he plays guitar and I work on another crochet project.

We have been able to speak with and to give away many of our cd's that contain

music with a godly message to those who stop by.

I've photographed a few of the things I've made and

as I was looking at the clothesline we strung up across the front of the house

it made me thing of a story to share with you....

I thought these pictures were so pretty that I wanted to share them with you,

and many who stopped by admired the nice things.

But can you imagine if I had put out all the dirty laundry to share with the world!

How many people do you think would stop by to look at

the dirty kitchen towels and wash rags or even worse?

Just imagine what's in your dirty pile of laundry waiting to be washed.

I don't think I would stop to admire someone else's dirty laundry.

When I took these pictures it reminded me of the saying...

"We don't air our dirty laundry"

I would much rather read things here in blog land that

encourgage me to walk closer to Jesus, to read my Bible,

to keep my home, to be a good mother and grandmother, and wife.

It's not that I think of women as "perfect" or "not real" with uplifting blog posts,

just forgiven.

So keep those godly woman posts coming.

Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

Phiippians 4:8

Simple Woman's Day Book

Outside my Window...a bit more traffic due to a new catholioc church opening up down the street.
I am thinking...whatever is true, just, pure....and Lord please watch over all the kids and counselors at kid's camp please.
I am thankful for...my grand daughter and her beautiful smiles.
From the kitchen...anything gluten free
I am wearing...my nightgown...not feeling well
I am hoping...to feel beter soon
I am hearing...the street cleaner preparing for the fall rains
Around the house...cool, quite, and peaceful, with the hum of the washer and dryer
One of my favorite things...coffee and a walk on the boardwalk
A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week...bible study, sewing, visit with a friend, find out more about gluten free food
Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you... my husbnad and his mom on her 84th Birthday!

The Simple Woman's Day Book

It's Frugal Friday

Click on over to the Frugal Fruday Posts for this week's post.

For more Frugal Friday tips check out

Sufficient Grace for Suffering Saints

Fruits of Summer Labor

Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise:
Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler,
Provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest.

Proverbs 6:6-8

It has been so warm lately but there is still work to be done in the kitchen. I took time this weekend to put up some fruits and veggies and chocolate sauce for the winter. I also had some roses that my dear husband gave me for my birthday that dried nicely that I tossed in the picture for added beauty. Speaking for my dear husband, he likes, really likes Italian food so I put some of the ingredients (mushrooms and bell peppers), in the freezer for the upcoming fall months. These two ingredients go in my homemade Lasagna and Spaghetti sauce and I also top my homemade Pizza with these items.
It also helps to put these things away myself so I know exactly what is in them as I am allergic to chemicals and preservatives.. A salad bar may look great but it could be sprayed with preservatives! When I can find a good deal on produce I begin an assembly line and work till it is all put into the freezer before the heat spoils it. Although life does intercede at times and I loose some produce to the heat.
Mushrooms: Wash and dry then slice, and pat dry. I place mushrooms directly into plastic zip lock baggies, then into a paper back that has been dated and then placed into the freezer for up to six months.(Dehydrating the sliced mushrooms give them a fantastic flavor and shelf life as well....just prepare the same way and dry them on a dehydrator, and store in an airtight jar)
Bell Peppers: Wash, dry, and  core, then scrap all the seeds out. Slice and then dice and place into zip lock bags and into a paper bag and date... then placed into the freezer for up to six months.
If the power goes off in the winter up here you can just place them on the back porch in an ice chest :)


St. Bernard with Keg in Snow, Sun Valley, Idaho
Strawberries: As soon as I get these beauties home from the fields or the store, I drop them into cool water while I put away the groceries and then remove the stems and freeze a batch whole and make a batch of Freezer Strawberry sauce according to Pomonas Universal Pectin. I only use one cup of sugar to make a batch. The flavor is so much closer to the real thing in the winter! It does come out a bit thinner this way but company loves it over ice cream with a bit of the chocolate sauce drizzled over it as well. Strawberries can spoil so quickly in the heat so only leave out a few to eat fresh and put the others away for the future.Straw berries can also be dehydrated. Wash, de-stem and slice the strawberries. Soak slices in lemon juice and water for a few minutes and drain (Or sprinkle with Fruit Fresh)  and dry on a dehydrator. Tear the strawberry in half..if no moisture beads are present, they are done and can be stored in an airtight container.
These methods work well with other fruits and veggies like...cantaloupe, carrots, onions, bananas and many more.
Chocolate Sauce: This is the part Dear husband likes. When I find a good deal on cocoa I will put up a catch of chocolate sauce as well. I usually just store this in the fridge in small batches as it is easy to make and goes quickly.
Melt 1/4 stick butter in a large sauce pan on low heat, stirring constantly to keep from scorching
add four cups powdered sugar and 3/4 cups cocoa
with a wire whisk stir in one can evaporated milk until smooth
add 1/2 cup chocolate chips and stir till melted
turn off heat and add two teaspoons good quality vanilla
and stir until glossy
Store in glass canning jars in the fridge.
Can be reheated in the microwave.
Except for the small amount I leave out to share with family for a taste of these items, we save the rest for the winter months after the first snow fall. It is such a good feeling to know that you have prepared in advance to feed the family, saved on store prices and have gourmet, chemical preservative free foods to use and share with invited guests.
Herbs: Planting herbs around the garden and home make for a nice addition to the family meal. After harvesting the herbs, wash, pat dry de-stem. Place the leaves on a dehydrator shelf till dry. Place in air tight containers. Basil, rosemary, oregano, and cilantro bring added flavor to your meals, and Mint, Chocolate Mint, Fennel, Chamomile, and even Rose petals are nice to have on hand for making tea.

More help with canning and freezing...Frugality 101

Let's worship King Jesus!

Let's worship King Jesus!

Simple Woman's Daybook 18

Outside my Window...The cool morning glow is sweet and serene after the last few days of intense summer heat. I see the squirrel is back for a frinedly visit on the telephone lines.

I am thinking...I need to set out a cob of corn for the little guy, and what a brilliant ball of fire the sunrise was on Sunday Morning!

I am thankful for...the stillness of the early morning hours to spend time with Jesus.

From the kitchen...lots of fruits and veggies "put up" for winter

I am wearing...A white blouse and navy skirt with sandals, my hair is pulled up into a bun secured with a silver clip, and my tan linen arpon with white lace.

I am hoping...the heat will come to and end soon.

I am hearing...the birds chirping all around the water spray out back.

Around the house...I've rearranged pictures and pretty things to give the rooms and new fresher look.

One of my favorite things...sing with me now....

Pictures of poses, and cute spots for sittin',

hankies for noses,

and clothes that are fittin',

long strings of yarn to crochet for my friends,

these are a few of my favorite things!

When the heat comes, in the summer,

and I'm feeling bad,

I simply remember my favorites things

and then I don't feel .....

sooooo bad! :)

(I couldn't resist)

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week...Wait patiently for the cooler weather that is forcast for later in the week. Yeah!

Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you... Strawberry Freezer Jam

Some strawberry freezer jam I "put up" this weekend for the winter months to come. I'm dreaming fo winter already!

Visit Peggy at "The Simple Woman"

Vintage Handkerchiefs

The elegance of a freshly ironed delicate handkerchief.
A treasured item by most ladies young and old.

"HANDKERCHIEF, n. A small square of silk or linen, used in various ignoble offices about the face and especially serviceable at funerals to conceal the lack of tears. The handkerchief is of recent invention; our ancestors knew nothing of it and intrusted its duties to the sleeve. Shakespeare's introducing it into the play of "Othello" is an anachronism: Desdemona dried her nose with her skirt, as Dr. Mary Walker and other reformers have done with their coattails in our own day --an evidence that revolutions sometimes go backward.” ~Ambrose Pierce

It is not correct for a lady to carry her handkerchief in her hand. She should use a reticule or bag, if she be too proud for pockets.
G.W.M. Reynolds.The London Journal,For the week ending June 14, 1845.

Handkerchief - The wedding handkerchief is often kept and passed down from mother to daughter and from generation to generation. Early farmers thought a bride's wedding day tears were lucky and brought rains for their crops. Later, a crying bride meant that she'd never shed another tear about her marriage. Today, we carry a handkerchief to dab away the tears of happiness and joy.

I remember as a child, my German mother would place in my possesion my purse filled with my freshly washed and ironed handkercheif. Along with these items I would wear my white gloves on Sunday mornings when the family went to Church.

It just so happened one of the first days in Kindergarten that I was having diffculties communicating with my teacher. I kept telling her that I needed my "Taschentuch", but she couldn't figure out what that was! She finally called my mother at home and she explained to the teacher that "Taschentuch" is German for handkerchief. All's well that ends well.

So what do you do with your collection of Ladies handkerchief's ....besides the obvious?

Take a look a Nanalulu's Linen Closet and see what she suggests.

Too bad Paul isn't around to prespire on one for miraculous healings :) just joking. The power wasn't in the handkercheif, it was and is in Jesus!

Our 26th Wedding Anniversary

Twenty six years!

and still counting.....

We celebrated our 26th wedding anniversary this past weekend! That is quite a testimony to the power of God these days! There is such an attack on marriages and families and relationships that you would think we were in the last days...wait...we are!

According to...

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary 1828

MAR''RIAGE, n. [L.mas, maris.] The act of uniting a man and woman for life; wedlock; the legal union of a man and woman for life. Marriage is a contract both civil and religious, by which the parties engage to live together in mutual affection and fidelity, till death shall separate them. Marriage was instituted by God himself for the purpose of preventing the promiscuous intercourse of the sexes, for promoting domestic felicity,and for securing the maintenance and education of children.
Marriage is honorable in all and the bed undefiled. Hebrews 13:4
1. A feast made on the occasion of a marriage.
The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king, who made a marriage for his son. Matthew 22:2
2. In a scriptural sense, the union between Christ and his church by the covenant of grace.
Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. Revelation 19:7

All this among two people on earth who go by the title "despised sinners"

How is this even possible? Well, certainly not in our own power. It takes the power of our Jesus, our Savior and Lord. You see the world, the flesh and the enemy would love to steal, kill and destroy such a union. Statistics prove it.

The divorce rate is sky rocketing as quickly inside the church as outside.

Why?

Might the world be infiltrating the church?

Yes!

Life is hard, and there will be trials and pain and heartache. The choices we make when we face these challenges tell us alot about who or where we place our trust.

Mine is in the lover of my soul....Jesus!

If you are looking for help, put down that best seller and pick up your Bible and read it. Let Jesus pour Himself into you and fill you with all you need to walk in this life and shine with the light of His love!

So that when life hits, you will be ready to STAND with that armor on!

Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it: if a man would give all the substance of his house for love, it would utterly be contemned.

Song of Solomon 8:7

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Our Staycation

Well those things were obviously on my heart...but I also did want to share a few things we did on our "Staycation" for our annivesary weekend. We went for many a drive in our beatuiful area.

Anniversary Dinner

We went to the Lake for our Anniversary dinner and watched one of the many beautiful sunsets we witness in God's creation here almost every night in the summer. I'm am just a beginning artist and was awestruck at God's painting pallete. I can't wait to see how many shades of green He has on His pallette to have pianted such a beautiful forest.

This is my rendition...which pales miserably in comparison to what our Heavenly Father creates, but I couldn't just let the day go by without a momento of the evening sunset.

We also went for a drive to the local fruit orchards to check on the avaliablility of fruit. The nectarines weren't ripe yet, but the drive up was gorgeous. The amber waves of grain blowing in the breeze of a hot summer day. But by that evening there was a tremendous storm with thunder and lightning. It had been so hot and dry lately that I kept praying for those farmers with amber waves of grain. One strike and up it would have went! However, even though there was no rain in the forcast, God had mercy and sent fresh smelling rain

and a much needed cooler day of relief.

Front Porch Sale

So we put our "stuff" out front and had a front porch sale that we had been planning for. God gave us a beautiful day to rest out on the front porch. I made homemade Lattes, and I crocheted, and my dear husband played guitar.

We sold a little, but we had fun just talking with the passers by. We were able to hand out our CD to 5 different people, (actually sold one), but it is important to us to get the

Music with a Message out. So along with another gorgeous day went many prayers for the souls we spoke and visited with. Seeds were planted, and we might be able to help water some, but the harvest belongs to the Lord!

Huckleberry Pickin'

Summer time ain't summer time without Huckleberry Pickin' season. Fighting off the bears for these tiny little berries is worth it! Them Grizzlies are out thar, so don't even think about headin' up here to pick some of our berries!

Well, ok so a grizzly ain't been sighted for awhile, but you just never know, does ya? :)

The drive is always spectacular. In fact, I remember coming home from a trip to Germany and Austria, and Switzerland a few years back and then going up to check for Huckleberries.

North Idaho is some of the most beautiful country in the world!

We do get quite a bit of snow in the winter though.

We passed the fishin' pond,

climbed higher and higher,

until we were on top of the world!

That is where my story gets interesting. Since I had been to this spot before...everyone has their own favorite spot to pick them thar Huckleberries...I said sure honey you go on up the trail and take a look. I'll just stay on this path and head up and I'll meet you your way back.

I was gonna get the best berries. Well someone else was in my spot! The nerve! Oh well, it's a big forest I just went up the path a bit more. I managed to pick about two cups and then the terrain got to steep for my weak knee. So I headed back, but along the journey back I stepped into some shale and slipped and down I went, head first over the edge with my Huckleberries that were in an old milk jug tied around my neck. The berries went falling out of my possesion and rolled down the hill.

It all happend in slow motion, so I had time to think NOoooooo! not the berries!

I didn't care...at the moment...that I might tumble down the hill...I just lay there crying over split Huckleberries!! Ok so today as I write this I am sore but, I will heal, the Huckleberries are lost forever! I guess God wanted some woodland creature to be served dinner on a silver platter!

There is a happy ending to the story.

My dear husband came back with a big batch of Huckleberries!

Happy Anniversary dear, love you!

My Huckleberry hero!

It's a small world after all....

Lake Constance, Insel Mainau, Germany

I just stumbled upon the coolest new widget! It's a widget that translates your blog into several different languages with just the click of a button! I hope this makes it much easier on those of you who have been joining in from all over the world! I can read any German comments you might leave, but I'm afraid that is the extent of my multi liguistic ability.
Schoen Guten Abend!

It's Frugal Friday

~~~It's FRUGAL FRIDAY~~~

Canning, A lost Art?

Nostalgia

The typical American Family is stuck on convienence, but that takes up alot of the family grocery budget. So during those years when the men came through the kitchen for a quick grab for something to eat as they went out the door again I had to come up with a plan. I just thought back to when I was a kid. We had 4 kids in the house, and mom didn't have much after dad died. In fact I remember there were several times the meighbor lady brought over bags of groceries to help out. My dad died when I was ten and mom had 4 young ones to take care of. The neighbors kindness was more of a blessing to us kids than she realized. You see mom was of German descent and we ate differently than most kids our age. We went to school with paper bag lunches filled with liverwurst on "Bauren Brot" or as someone has called it "Prison Bread" (as she thought it might be something they served with water in Prison.) Mom also sent us with "fresh headcheese", which in her esitmation was a delicay and we should be grateful we had food to eat. So we were.

We were ever so grateful when the neighbor lady brought over bags of groceries filled with all kinds of American delights. She would often apologize for it not being a better assortment as she could only afford what was on sale. However us kids thought we had died and gone to heaven.
She brought over delights that we had only seen others at school eat...

White bread (and we ate the crust casue it was softer than any part of that prison bread
Peanut butter with grape jelly mixed in. It was actually swlirled together.
Hot dogs! All we ever ate were Knackwurst (the skin went "knack"! when you took a bite.)
Macaroni and cheese in a box mix! Mom had trouble figuring out what that was supposed to be, so she added sliced hot dog and we poured the ketchup over it.
Most kids our age probably ate like this quite often in the 60's but it was a treat only when our neighbor brought it over. Now a days I would avoid these foods at all costs!

For convienence mom would cook several meats at once in the oven while it was hot.
She would cook a pork roast, a beef roast, and spare ribs and then put into portions in the freezer so she didn't have to cook in the heat all the time.
Unfortunately she would mass produce portions of beelf liver this way for our dining pleasure. :(

When it came to baking there were no box mixes, my sister and I would help by taking turns baking. I remember finding an old Betty Crocker Recipe Book and found a cookie recipe that would make a tremendous sized batch. Since by this time we had a new dad, and 5 kids in the family cookies would dissapear as soon as they came out of the oven and I would have to bake again. (Especially my chocolate chip cookies, my brother Freddy loved those!) Well this recipe did make a tremendous batch that filled several cookie jars. These butter cookies tasted magnificient BUT the only problem was that you could break a tooth on just one bite! I was heart broken, it was supposed to be a surprise and here I wasted all those ingredients, and we didn't have ingredients to waste!
Well that is where our new dad came in...when he got home from work we had dinner and then came the moment of truth. Our dinners were always around a big table with all the kids and we would laugh and tell stories, but as he went to take a bite the place went silent....he just went right on talking while he dunked it in his coffee and ate them like they were going out of style! So each night for many a night we would set out the cookie jar and dunk our cookies in our milk as he dunked them in his coffee and had a great time telling stories that always began with...

Remember when .....?

A Tribute to old fashioned girls

We may not be dressed with finery at all times but the attitude of our heart can still be that of a Lady. Yet even the "word" Lady seems to be stricken from society, let alone actually seeing one out in public. A bit of beauty in the form of a Lady is not too much to ask, in fact it brings glory and honor to our maker who made us feminine. We don't see much in the way of old fashioned refinement, and even in the movies that do try to portray it there is a bit too much cleavage revealing.
So it may not be perfection, but if we take a moment to enjoy some beautiful music, in a short movie made by an old fashioned girl at heart.....who knows...maybe there will be a silent revolution and Ladies will once again be numerous in society.



I found the video at The Sparrow's Nest which is also filled with many beautiful articles.

Which will it be?

Lemons are a strange little fruit.

They can add such delicious flavor to a cake or a glass of iced tea.

But have you ever taken a bite out of one?

Your whole face goes into contortions and you shudder.

I've run into many in my life who's face has frozen in that positon.

It's much better to make lemonade when life gives you lemons.

O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.

Psalm 34:8

Frugal Friday

It's FRUGAL FRIDAY