Gluten free & lovin' it

I have been doing really good at sticking to this gluten free diet ( no wheat, rye, barley) and I've lost 20 pounds. WAHOO!! Come to find out that the bulging tummy that I have been so embarassed about, was actually just a lot of swelling & bloating from the irritated bowels. Now that I'm feeling better, I think I might use that ab lounge chair I bought several years ago(have to do some dusting first).
I was told I had celiac disease on the first of July and that I needed to change my eating habits. I won't lie...it was a little difficult at first. After about two weeks, we were having a cookout back at the lake and I thought to myself that just 1 hotdog bun wouldn't hurt me. Wow, I had a gut ache for 2 days after. Learned my lesson there! Now I am finally beginning to adjust. At first I went out and bought all kinds of premade GF mixes. Found some I liked and some that I hated! My daughter & I have been making a lot of our own GF things now. Our first attempt at homemade noodles didn't go well. They fell apart and were very tasteless. We'll try a different recipe next time until we find the one we like.
Then we tried a GF pizza crust. It was yummy and the whole family would eat it. That seems to be my biggest barrier right now...pleasing the whole family. But hey, I couldn't please everybody when everything was 'normal'.

Today, for the first time, I am trying to turn a regular recipe into a GF recipe. Sunrise Muffins!!!
First, I canned this Carrot-Pineapple-Orange Marmalade!


It is good enough to eat by the spoonful right out of the jar.

I found these recipes in the Ball Blue Book guide to preserving, 100 anniversary edition.

Then I used this recipe to make the muffins:


Muffins straight out of the oven!!
These turned out delicious!

Now it's time for supper...

Homemde spahetti sauce over Tinkyada GF spaghetti noodles with cheesy garlic bread (made with GF bread)and a salad.
Yummy! Now I'm hungry...got to go!

Yes I AM Still Here!

August means Canning & Freezing almost every day!

Frozen zucchini, corn, green beans and lots of berries!

Tomatoes and stuff made with tomatoes (lots of Salsa)! Sweet relish, ham & beans, madiera mincemeat and more.

The start of my canned fruits...pears, cinnamon pears, amaretto pears, peaches(still have more to do), fruit cocktail! And the apples are just getting ready to pick.
I didn't take a picture of my jelly stash! Cherry, grape, raspberry.

I still have lots more to can & freeze, but it will be worth all the work come this winter!



My sister-in-law had a baby shower for her daughter a couple of weeks ago. She asked if I would make the cake and I said "sure!"
I love to decorate cakes, but this one was giving me fits. The bottom sheetcake did not rise right. Not sure why, but it was flat. I didn't want to stay up all night baking another one, so I bought a frozen one decorated with blue flowers. The duck cake that I made, turned out good. I placed it on top of the bought sheetcake and it looked really cute, UNTIL... the bottom cake thawed! The blue flowers started running down the sides of the cake. The new Mommy still loved it!

My daughters made duck cupcakes to go along with it. They were adorable too! (darn it! Those pictures are on my daughters camera)



I really am anxious to get back to sewing soon! I'm getting a little behind with the BOMs that I have started.