Spicing up the old!

We have taken a couple of trips before the farming began in full force. I want to share with you what we've been up too.

First we went to New Orleans to just get away. We love the history and Food of New Orleans. I know some just see the evil there but since I have lived and worked among the less fortunate I just those involved in the evil as souls that God loves. Really my heart breaks at some of the things you see walking down the streets of New Orleans.

While there I literally got addicted to one of the candy shops, "Mister Apple"! If you have never visited this wonderful shop you have to do so the next time you are in town. Honey took me three times and each time I bought something, I even bought apples and brought them home with me for later. If I was ever featured on "The Best Thing I Ever Ate" I think this is what it would be. So PLEASE just go to Mister Apple and try it! Of the few I tried this was my favorite, I think they call it the "Deluxe Chocolate".

Since returning home we have started farming in full force. I've been hone a lone or until late at night a lot and have not been in the mood to cook anything new. Here are some of the things that I have cooked and just spiced them up a little.

 The other morning I was craving the "Cream Cheese Pancakes" that I have made several times before. This time I spread several with peanut butter and topped them with honey. Mmmm I can't express how good they were I could have easily eaten another batch but I would not allow myself to cook more.

I made my "Salmon with A Yellow Pepper Jelly Glaze" last night but used Pineapple preserves. Oh man it was great! NO leftovers of this.

Since this is Honey's birthday week I also made some "Shortbread Cookies" from a Bob's Red Mill mix that I had on hand. I didn't really feel we would enjoy these by themselves but I had some fresh fruit so I made a big bowl of fruit with a powdered sugar glaze and then topped it with whipped cream to serve along with the cookies. It was great and the cookies are good right by themselves, with a cup of coffee of course!

Don't be afraid to branch out in your cooking, try new things, you'll be amazed at what you come up with.

That's about all for now, I just wanted you to know that I'm still alive and kicking!

 Thanks for stopping by y'all and please come again soon!

On Vacation

 Taken Mother's Day

We decided at the last minute to take a long over due trip to see our daughter and her family in Indiana. We drove it from our new home for the first time and made several stops for meals and bathroom breaks. We also had to stop south of Louisville, KY due to bad weather and hail. It was hailing so bad that we were afraid our windshield was going to bust.

We are having a great time and will share more with you later.

Thanks for stopping by and please come back soon y'all and see photos from our trip.

Launch of Mobile version of website to help Celiacs find GF-friendly places to eat

Wow look at this:

The Gluten Free Travel site has just launched a free mobile version of their website, GlutenFreeTravelSite 
( http://www.glutenfreetravelsite.com ). This site helps people with Celiac and others following gluten-free diets to find safe places to eat, either in their area or in places they travel.  Unlike many "apps" that cost money and need to be downloaded, the mobile version of GlutenFreeTravelSite is absolutely FREE to use and automatically accessible via any smart phone -- be it an iPhone, Blackberry, or Android-based phone.

Visitors accessing the site "on the go" via a smart phone will now have a more user-friendly experience finding "gluten-free friendly" restaurants, grocery stores, bakeries, and hotels/resorts wherever they are. Similar to the experience on GlutenFreeTravelSite, users will be able to search the huge database of gluten-free dining and travel reviews by entering a city/town or zip code. The search results appear on a a Google map, and clicking on any establishment on the list will enable users to link to the review.

Other key features of the mobile version include GlutenFreeTravelSite's Gluten Free Restaurant Menus section which lists national and regional restaurant chains that offer gluten-free menus -- and provides direct links to those menus as well as the restaurants' locations. Users of the mobile version will even be able to visit the site's Blog, Facebook and Twitter pages, and read the Featured Review of the Month.

To access the mobile version, you simply enter the regular URL for GlutenFreeTravelSite ( http://www.glutenfreetravelsite.com ) into your mobile phone’s browser, and you’ll automatically be routed to the mobile version of the site. More details can be found in our Press Release.

Thank you for taking an interest in the gluten free community and thanks for stopping by ya'll!

A Visit to the Big Easy to be with the Saints

I remember years ago attending New Orleans Saints football games and they NEVER won. I remember wearing my t-shirt and being so upset because they were so bad that I'd change or wear a jacket zipped up over it to hide it after the game. This was over twenty six years ago, it's been a while.

Honey treated me to trip to the big easy and a Saints game recently and hey THEY WON!!! The game was soooo good even Honey, who is not a big football fan, enjoyed it. After the game we spent several days looking, eating, and being lazy around the big easy. The weather was really cool but not as cold as it would have been in the Hills.

Here are photos from our trip, enjoy our stay in the Big Easy!

It's time to go let's follow the crowd for once!

Click on any photo to enlarge!

Let me introduce the New Orleans Saints and the 

St. Louis Rams.

The youg and the old Saintsations with Gumbo one of the Saint's mascots.

Drew Brees in action!!

Different kinds of Saint fans...

Bourbon Street after the game.....

Around our hotel

A trip to the Mississippi

Supper on Monday night, great food by the way.

Daisy Dukes for a great late breakfast.....

Royal St.

We took a VIP City Tour on Tuesday and it was great. We gained a wealth of information that I will not be sharing with you but if you ever get a chance take this tour. Here are a few photos that turned out it's really hard to get good photos out of a bus window!

The Lower Ninth Ward five years following hurricane Katrina.
The housing project of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie.

The Saint Louis Cemetry No 3

The Garden District.
A beautiful part of town where many of the stars live.

Our last night in town we ate at The House of Blues on Decatur St.
It was a neat place and the food once again was really good.

This trip has been an eye opener for Honey and I or maybe a heart check I'm not sure which one. We were raised believing that all things in New Orleans were evil that nothing really good comes out of it.

After seeing the destruction still visible from the hurricane and hearing the heart beat of our tour guide, who was wonderful by the way, we have more sympathy for this city. We see there is much beauty in midst of some ugly. There are many here who desire change but still have very little hope that things will be much better than they are right now. Things are much better now  than when we visited over twenty years ago it's kind of like the the floods came and cleaned house. Everything seems cleaner and you just don't see as much ugly or evil as you use too, maybe it was due to the cold weather who knows

We may not agree with everything going on in New Orleans, Louisiana but we loved what we experienced and we are already making plans to visit in the future. So come on down ya'll and remember take the city tour!

Travel tips from you to me

Honey and I have decided to take a trip, we need to get away for around a week. If you know anything about farmers you know that they work ALL the time, we have not been anywhere outside of visiting our children in five years. WOW

So I'm soliciting your help, we want to go somewhere in November or December that we could enjoy some site seeing, eating and resting. We're not like the average couple in that due to Honey's back problems we are limited in how much and what we can do in one day.

Some of the places that we have been and enjoyed are: Chattanooga, Nashville and Memphis TN, San Antonio TX, all over Indiana and Kentucky, Colorado (only in the summer) etc.

I was thinking of maybe New Orleans that's  a place that in the past I have far from loved but have not been there in years so it may be fun to return. I would also LOVE to attend a Satins football game. Have you read Drew Bree's book? If not you must, it is wonderful. I've also check the area for restaurants that can accommodate gluten free eating and they have many!

Then what about the Ozarks? I may be too cold there.

So where have you been that two older people might enjoy? Give me some ideas before Honey decides that he's too busy and we make it six years with no break! :(

Thank you friends I know I can count on you!!! Please HURRY!!!!!

Feeling More Like a Grandma Everyday!!!

It has been so hard to find time to blog lately. Ashia and I just returned from Jackson where she finished the last of her baby registry. She registered at Wal-mart and Babies"R"US. The baby showers will start soon and we are excited, to say the least. In the meantime I have been shopping for our baby in Indiana. I have bought a lot of diapers so far, more will be purchased as soon as we know the sex. I just feel it is a boy and you don't know how many times I have almost purchased something for a boy, but I have been a good grandma and waited, as of now can't promise what I may buy on my trip!



This photo is of Sydney resting on baby Austin on the way to Jackson. While we were gone Sydney got to meet Sam and I think she's going to be just fine. I was holding him and she started jumping up even with his body so I went and set on the sofa where she could see him. She sniffed him all over and then jumped down and went her merry way. Maybe it will be the same with Austin when she arrives.



Ashia recently colored and cut my hair. I love it, it is so easy and cool, which means a lot with this hot weather we have. Also with shorter hair I don't look so much a grandma although I feel more like one everyday!

I went to my Gastroenterologist, today the opening of my stomach has blocked off again so they will do the procedure to open it back up on July 27. At this time I feel awful and can hardly eat, although I am trying to embrace this time because I have lost a few much needed pounds. After it is over I will feel so much better and for now I have to eat small meals during the day and drink something nutritious at night.

Another exciting thing in my life, Steve and I are praying we can leave on Wednesday for a much needed vacation. We have not been anywhere apart from a quick trip to see our kids in four years. Steve had told me that as soon as it rained we would go somewhere. I saw a rain passing through the Delta on TV this morning but figured it had missed us, as it always seems to, but when I arrived to pick up Ashia for our Doctor appointments Ben said that it was raining in the Delta and his Dad was coming home. I still didn't think about taking a trip as farmers NEVER get their hopes up, but Steve called and asked how soon I could leave. I can't explain to you the excitement I felt and still feel. I will be spending the next few hours packing and getting ready to go!!! In the midst of it I need to think about traveling "Gracefully Gluten-Free"!

Oh, one more thing. I made gluten-free sandwich bread with my bread machine last night and it did fine. I guess as stated in an earlier blog I did jump the gun and I'm thankful for that.