A Birthday and Baby Celebration!

First things first, Ashia and I recently went shopping and I was able to look at the baby boy clothes. I have been looking for a while but agreed with Mary that I wouldn't buy until we knew the sex of the baby. I was sooo excited and determined to find SOMETHING to purchase. This may have been harder for me than most because I have this theory that if it's not on sale it's not meant for me to buy it. Just so happened Gymboree had two clearance racks of little boy clothes and this is what I ended up buying. Isn't it the cutest? I bought it in a 6 to 12 month so that he can wear it next summer! Of course Ashia bought a few things for Austin as well, oh how I love a good sale!!!!





We celebrated Steve's birthday with my Dad who came for a short visit. I made the apple pie I told you about and have listed the recipe below. Ben and Ashia bought the ingredients and made homemade peanut butter ice cream. They also cooked large juicy hamburgers out on the grill and I made crispy oven fries. Everything was wonderful and we ate way too much!

Steve enjoyed everything about his birthday. As a birthday and new baby celebration I gave him this book. It is very large with large print and has a lot of the classic nursery rhymes as well as short stories. This is something he can share with all of his grandchildren for many years, no matter how bad the eyes get. LoL I bet you have never given your husband a nursery rhyme book for his birthday! Classic





Ben and Steve, with Sydney. She is so jealous of Steve she'll do anything to make sure she gets all the attention.




And she did!!!!!

This years birthday would only have been better if Mary and Sarah and their families could have been with us. We miss all of them at times like this although Steve enjoyed their cards and phone calls! We love you kids!!!!!

Grace's Gluten-Free Apple Pie

Servings: 8

Ingredients:
5-8 cooking apples; peeled and thinly sliced
1-¼ c. sugar
2 Tbs. corn starch
1 or 1-1/2 tsp. cinnamon
¼ tsp. nutmeg, opt.
1/8 tsp. salt
3 Tbs. butter or margarine
2 gluten-free pie crust (I use "Gluten Free Pantry"
Perfect Pie Crust mix)

Instructions:
Combine sugar, corn starch, cinnamon and salt. Coat apples well with dry mixture and dot with margarine. Put apple mixture into the deep dish pie crust. Cover with second crust. Cut slits in top of crust to allow steam to escape. Place on cookie sheet and back at 350 degrees oven for 50 minutes or until done. Cool slightly before cutting to retain some of the pie's juices.
(I'm sorry I forgot to take a photo!)


The pie lasted only two days so I guess it was good!

Coming soon recipe for my "Oven Barbecued Ribs". Be sure and keep up with what is going on in our lives and my easy gluten-free recipes!

Gluten Free Farm Life

A tomato bought in the local grocery raised in Indianola.


We attended my Aunt's funeral on Sunday and after visiting with our family headed to the Delta. Now we're back in Inverness, spraying and irrigating the crops.



First thing upon arriving in the Delta I have to stock the castle (camper) so that I can cook in my gourmet kitchen. This time I went to Wal-mart anticipating what I might find after my great finds last trip. I didn't find a lot of new things although I did come across some great Spinach dip. It is made by Tostitos and is really good with Tortilla or Corn chips.



Hormel Natural Lunch Meats are Gluten-Free
I use something like this for quick lunches. When Steve comes in and has a few minutes we go ahead and prepare lunch so he can quickly get back to the field.




I enjoy cooking so have to be careful because I also love eating. I think Steve and I are addicted to food. At Wal-mart found a very small pork roast, I hate leftovers because we don't have room to store them. This roast was great cooked on low in the oven



We will soon be heading back to Macon so I had to work in a little baby shopping, I mean what do you expect? I bought these two little outfits but I am not sure whether they will be given as a gift or saved for one of my own babies! I'll be glad when I know what we're having in Indiana so I can buy even more! (Work hard Steve I'm after your money!) :)

I close for now because I have a lot to do in my palace. For now don't forget to eat Gracefully Gluten-Free!!!

Gluten Free Pantry at Wal-mart in the Delta!!!!

I took my usual trip to Wal-mart after getting settled in my castle (or camper) in the Delta to buy the ingredients for a gourmet meal. (Usually something VERY simple!) Farmer Steve had suggested that I make something with pasta for supper and my reply was kind of cocky. I told him that he must have forgotten that I have to eat gluten-free and there was no where to buy my pasta close to us, that he should have suggested that before we left home.

I had a small list of things I needed and had planed on buying some type of chicken to cook but then when I walked into the store it consumed me. I started at the back and walked up and down each and every isle dreaming of everything in the store being gluten-free. While checking to see if they had the Betty Croker Gluten-Free cake mixes I had a vision. Right in front of my eyes was "The Gluten-Free Pantry" baking mixes for brownies and muffins. I reached up and took one of each and then realized that this was not a vision it was a dream come true. Up until this point I was walking slowly as if dead lice was falling off of me but not NOW. My adrenalin started pumping and I started speed walking up and down the isles. I thought that if they have these in the store what else may be hidden on these shelves. As I approached the isle with pasta I walked right by it but then had a second thought, maybe they have gluten-free pasta now? THEY DID on the bottom shelve there it was "DeBoles Gluten-Free" pasta in spaghetti style and one other type that I can't recall right now. Also, in their brand (Great Value) they had spaghetti sauce with "Gluten-Free" in big bold letters.

This is all I ran across on this trip to Wal-mart but you had better believe I will be looking closer every time I go there for more gluten-free treats. I will also be checking out the Wal-mart stores near Macon to see what they have.

Thank you Wal-Mart you are helping to make life easier for us Celiacs!


The Finished Product



I recently found a gluten-free Milky Way spread so I thought this would be a great addition to my brownies. YUM