Super Moist Pumpkin Bread {Gluten-Free}

I found all of these ingredients in my cupboard already! No joke.  That is my favorite kind of baking.

It turned out delicious and moist!

Super Moist Pumpkin Bread {Gluten-Free}
2 Cups Gluten-Free Baking Flour (I used Bob's Red Mill All-Purpose Baking Flour.  Not my favorite blend of flours but I had it on-hand!)
1 Cup Brown Sugar
1 Tablespoon Baking Soda
3+ Tablespoons Pumpkin Pie Spice
1- 16 oz. Can Plain Pumpkin
1 Cube Softened Butter
2 Eggs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a bread pan with butter (I like to use a smaller casserole dish instead if the deep bread pan because the cooking time is less). Mix dry ingredients in one bowl. Add wet ingredients into the dry ingredients while stirring.  Mix just until all ingredients are combined.

Pour into buttered pan.  Cook for 30-35 minutes or until a fork stuck into the middle comes out clean!

Enjoy, folks and happy Fall!

Hiccups, Arting and More Shoes

The Bear:

"I don't liiiiike jicama. It gives me hiccups!"

"I am a good artist, sissy.  I am doing good arting."

The Bird:

"aye aye" and pointing to the DVD player translates to: The Bird would like to watch Baby Einstein* and have a blanket on her lap and her "Baby Tiny" doll in her arms uninterrupted, please.

She basically says like 17 new words a day... it's really becoming a problem keeping up!  Also, she can sort of say shoes now so we can start to understand the addiction!

Found these sweet gems at the bottom of my laundry basket.  Surprise, mom!

*Disclaimer: We have been massively sick for about two weeks.  These hand-me-down Baby Einstein DVD's saved my life!

Easy-Peasy Chicken Vegetable Soup

Well, even if you or someone you know isn't sick, this cooling weather is reason enough to make this soup.

It varies usually based on what I have in the fridge and freezer.

It is delightfully light yet hearty enough for a meal.  It's super comforting when a cold or flu hits your home, too.

Chicken Vegetable Soup

Ingredients

Water
Olive oil
1 Onion
Garlic (as much as you can handle)
1 bag of carrots
1 stalk of celery
5 - 7 chicken drumsticks
peas, corn, green beans, mushrooms or whatever vegetable you have on hand!


Directions
Coat bottom of a dutch oven or large soup pot with olive oil on medium heat.
Add chopped onion and garlic. Saute until onions are tender.
Add raw chicken drumsticks.
Season heavily with your favorite soup seasonings.  I use salt, pepper, garlic powder, simple Italian seasoning, and this:

New favorite all-purpose seasoning from TJ's

Add water to cover chicken, give it a stir and turn heat to high. Add chopped carrots, celery, and any other raw vegetables.  Bring to a boil and then turn down to a simmer.

Check to see if chicken is cooked.  Only after chicken is cooked, pull out one drumstick at a time and take meat off the bone.  Return only meat to the soup.

Taste broth and add anything that is needed.  I usually underseason until this point where I add more of just about everything including olive oil.

Let simmer for about 15 minutes.

Serve with a piece of warm gluten-free corn bread and butter.

Second Hand: Make it Fit

I was hesitant to divulge my secret...

For fear of initial judgement and because after you read this you will beat me to my favorite store and get the goods before I get there!

I will start at the beginning.

When I was in junior high grunge was in so hand-me-down torn Levi's and Mossimo shirts from my older brothers were totally legit (I thought so anyways).  High school was a different ball game filled with keeping up with the Jones' (most of whom got new cars on their 16th birthday).  I got a job and shopped at 5-7-9 and Susie's Deals and drove a '78 VW Bus.  I probably should have shopped second hand as the clothing might have lasted longer!

College was in a great hippie town in Nor Cal where second hand was not a problem...  The problem was not enough of them for the demand!

When I started a new career I was back to the new yet inexpensive favorites: Ross, Marshalls, and TJMaxx.

This brings us to the arrival of The Bear and The Bird.

When The Bear was born he was the first grandbaby on my side and first in a while on DaveBee's side. There weren't hand-me-downs at first and quite honestly, I don't think I would have had him wear them.  I wanted everything clean and pure just like him!

Well, about a year in a friend offered their boy's hand-me-downs and after 4 storage bins of FREE and ADORABLE clothes, I was hooked.

By the time The Bird came around I was lovingly accepting clothes from her two girl cousins and friends!

From birth through age three they grow out of things so rapidly that often these items are gently used (and other times not!) and I couldn't justify all new clothes for every growth spurt.

Also, I am freakishly anal about saving all the kid's clothes for their younger cousins.  I think sometimes they appease me and just take the bins! DaveBee has a hard time understanding the stacks of bins in the garage.  I keep assuring him that they will be gone when said cousin reaches this size or by this season!  He's a good sport!

As the kid's growth spurts slow down so do the frequency of the clothes sharing.  Recently, I discovered the weather getting cooler and the light jackets and pants I was putting on the kids looking like high waters and fat man in a little coat!

I am talking both of these kids have grown by leaps and bounds since last winter and we had nothing that fit (I should have taken a picture!).

I decided to hit up my favorite children's second-hand clothing store sooner than later while there were still options.

So here's what we got:

The Bear:
2 cotton hoodies
1 fleece pullover
1 awesome tractor sweater
3 pairs of pants
2 button down shirts

The Bird:
2 lightweight cotton hoodie jackets
1 fleece pullover
1 adorable flower-stitched hoodie jacket (might be my favorite item!)
4 pairs of leggings
2 pairs of skirt/leggings combo
1 Halloween shirt
3 long-sleeved cotton blouses
1 BEE COSTUME!

All of these items for a LOW, low total.  Prices ranged from $1.50 - $3.50 except for the Bee Costume at a whopping $4.50. Three of these garments still had tags on them.  I will still have to supplement here and there and I'm cool with that because I do love to shop.  Overall, I got some fall and winter basics and I didn't break the bank.  Oh, and I guarantee my kids will not look like they homeschool (Just kidding... my siblings and I homeschooled for a bit... I'll save that for another post.)

What do I look for when I shop second-hand:

• Shop around and find the best shop in your town.  Not all will have the same high standards.
• See if it looks old.  You can tell.
• Look for stains and holes. One got by me in this last batch!
• Smell test (warning: don't do while your pregnant): Smell it to make sure it doesn't have some funky stink that will haunt you, your car, and your kids drawer.
• That's it.

Now, go shopping... just not at my store.

Have you ever shopped second hand for yourself or your kids?  Thrift stores for furniture?  Vintage for a high pricetag? 

Taste-Testing Homemade Gluten Free Pancake Mix!

I was so thrilled to be asked to try out a dear friend's homemade, home-milled, gluten-free pancake mix!

I had great intentions to record the the making and trying of the first batch.  Unfortunately, I ate, shared it and never picked up a camera.

To my joy she gave me a second batch the next time I saw her!  I can give you the ingredients but not the recipe as it could be a best seller in progress!

Ingredients: Organic milled oats, organic short grain brown rice, buttermilk, sweetener, baking soda, baking powder, salt.

I added: Egg, milk, coconut oil

The result was delicious!! Generally, gluten free pancakes are thinner and these were no different but I love a thin pancake!

They have a wonderful wholesome, fresh taste.  They soak up butter and are totally family approved.

Please leave me a comment if you are interested in trying some out!

Smells and Pirates

"Why do some people smell and some people don't smell, mommy?"

The Bear inquisitively asked on a walk today.

The Bird has been unexpectedly intrigued by pirates lately...

Coconut Oil Salves

Looking for a sweet, natural night cap for relaxing sleep or just a calm hint of scent on your pulse points to get you through your day? Read on, my friends.

So,  I saw this recipe on FB and it had me at relaxation salve!  It was homemade, all-natural and looked easy enough to recreate!

 Coconut Lavender Relaxation Salve

And decided to give it a whirl...a couple times.

The first one I made I stayed close to the recipe with the exclusion of beeswax mostly because I couldn't find it.

It turned out dreamy and creamy and once you put it on you want to just curl up and pretend fall is here.

Then, The Bear gave me the idea to try and infuse my own with homegrown lavender and we also added his favorite smelling plant lemon geranium.

While his looks a bit more rustic and we only made a small amount (we did try and strain it!) the scent is to die for!  Recipe below.

Lavender Lemon Geranium Coconut Salve

2 tablespoons coconut oil
Handful of your favorite fragrant plants (make sure they are not poisonous to apply topically to skin!)

Melt coconut oil in a saucepan until clear on low. Finely chop up plants and add to pan.  Let all of the flavors and smells warmly meld together for about 30 minutes. Turn off heat.  Let cool slighty.  Pour contents of pan through a strainer to get bits of plant out.  Pour into a container with a lid!  Let solidify.

Note:  These are my first attempts and I would probably infuse more lavender or smelly plants next time!

Apple Cinnamon Muffins: Gluten Free, of course!

You would be so proud of me! I followed a recipe. And it came out delicious!

Trader Joe's has a new simple baking mix.  It is my new go-to and keep it on hand at all times.

I followed the directions on the bag for Apple Cinnamon Muffins and they are delish.

Here is the final product:
(Note: The Bird was dying to help but her molars crashing through her gums got the best of her.  Hers, bottom right, still look better than mine. Wink, wink.)

 
Note:  They are best warmed up and consumed within the first day or two!